Chapter 146 Spoils

After the variant's death, the rest of the battle was all but over.

The remaining orcs still alive in the river lost any sense of coherence. Those who had crossed first were already too close to the scorpion's side to turn back, leaving them to swim with the current in the desperate hope of reaching land.

They were slaughtered to the last by the militia wielding stirrup crossbows.

Only a handful of orcs near the back of the band managed to make it back onto land. Marcus's riders focused on them, safely picking off the beasts as they tried to retreat toward the trees.

As though to drive the point home, Sera reached the riders and began loosing arrows at the orcs as soon as they came within range of her bow.

Whenever an orc fell, she would pause for a moment, head tilting slightly as she listened. Only after that would she loose another arrow if needed.

The hunter didn't need to do that often, with most of them dead before making it halfway to the safety of the trees.

All the while, the men upon the palisade walls cheered as they thumped their spears. The air felt more like a celebratory feast than the aftermath of a battle.

Lucien couldn't really blame them.

An entire orc band, one that had likely threatened this region for years, had been wiped out without a single death on their side.

When Sera met up with the riders, he saw her pass the parchment he had written to Marcus. After reading it, the guard looked up toward Lucien on the tower and inclined his head.

At Lucien's wave, Marcus gave a loose salute before turning to speak with Lord Vaelric's men. Sera had already hopped onto one of the riders' horses, her gaze fixed on something within the northern forest.

Marcus rode over to Lord Vaelric, and they spoke briefly before the guard gestured toward Lucien.

The two groups split then, Lord Vaelric leading his own men toward the gates while Marcus's riders began riding in the direction Sera pointed.

Seeing Lord Vaelric heading for the gates, Lucien placed his weapon down, then turned to the militia woman. "Watch Sera's crossbow and mine for now. A guard will come up shortly to secure them."

The woman dipped her head as he turned to leave the tower.

Despite the guards opening the gates, Lord Vaelric made no attempt to enter. He waited with his men, still seated upon his horse.

Only when Lord Vaelric spotted him did he step down and approach.

They clasped hands, exchanging a firm shake as Lucien spoke.

"Well met, Lord Vaelric. I must admit to being surprised seeing you come personally. I had assumed you would be sending only your men instead."

The noble let out a faint breath. "At first, I had intended to do just that, Lord Varentis."

His eyes drifted to the Easthollow River, to the place where the variant had fallen. "I wanted to ensure it died here...for my brother's memory."

A faint flicker passed through the man's eyes as his hands clenched for the briefest moment before slowly releasing.

"Even now, I still can't believe it is dead. That variant has been around for almost as long as you and I have been alive, Lord Varentis."

At those words, Lucien's brow lifted. "I knew the band was quite old, but not to that extent."

"The Broken Tusk is something most people in these parts speak of. During my research on the band, I found evidence of it even raiding the lands in the inner regions," Lord Vaelric replied, turning to meet Lucien's eyes.

"A few years after my brother died, I had gathered enough coin to hire a mercenary group to root them out. That variant was cautious enough that it always avoided fighting the mercenaries directly."

Lord Vaelric exhaled through his nose. "I couldn't keep supplying enough coin to pay for their services for too long, and the contract expired before the band could be eliminated."

"For it to perish like this, without being able to lay a hand on your men...tales of this battle will spread before long, Lord Varentis."

Despite his words, Lord Vaelric didn't seem pleased. If anything, he looked almost angry with himself as his gaze lowered to the ground.

Slowly, Lucien inclined his head. "In a way, that cautious nature was what killed it in the end, Lord Vaelric."

The noble's head lifted at his words. "...What do you mean?"

Lucien turned to the river. "If the variant had simply tried to cross the river when it first arrived at my borders, it would have succeeded, albeit perhaps with some losses."

He glanced at Lord Vaelric. "But it gave me enough time to set the field. And your men were the last piece I needed for its demise. If the beast had ordered its entire band to flee from the scorpion, there was a small chance it could have escaped."

That time had allowed him to decide what the variant would see.

It meant letting the beast notice guards drilling near the sawmill, most of his household guards gathered in one place, and Gerald's large figure among them.

When the scorpion finally revealed itself, Dorian's plate armor stood out in the open, forcing the variant to make the choice Lucien wanted it to make.

And beyond that, enough time to finish the scorpion and produce the lever crossbows Marcus's riders needed.

Remove any one of those pieces, and the battle would have been far bloodier.

Lord Vaelric stared at him for a brief moment before shaking his head slowly. "Thank you for your kind words, Lord Varentis. But that battle was as good as won before I appeared."

His hand rose to ruffle his hair as he looked away. "At least I could be here to see it die and test out these new weapons. The designs were rather easy for my smiths to follow."

At the mention of Alicia's drawings, Lucien kept his expression carefully neutral. "I will pass your praise along to the designer, Lord Vaelric. Should we perhaps continue this somewhere more comfortable?"

Lord Vaelric shook his head. "I am afraid I cannot stay, Lord Varentis. We will need to leave soon if we wish to be back in Cragwatch before nightfall. It is why I was waiting here for-"

His words were cut off as a cheer sounded from within the village, nearer to the eastern gates.

At first, Lucien wondered if the cheers were a little too excessive, only to catch snippets of words like variant and red beast.

Turning back to Lord Vaelric, he gave a nod to the noble. "Apologies for the commotion. It seems the guards have returned with the variant's corpse."

The noble seemed to hear only part of what he said, his attention already drawn toward the noise.

Lucien cleared his throat before carefully speaking. "It is still early in the day, Lord Vaelric. Your men could water the horses, and you can leave by afternoon once they are rested."

"...I suppose a small break couldn't hurt," Lord Vaelric muttered, glancing up at the sky where the sun still shone bright.

Turning around, the noble exchanged a few words with his men. After giving orders to dismount and wait for him around the gates, two guards wearing more armor than the rest walked forward as an escort.

Before Lucien could call for his own, Gerald approached them as though he had been waiting for their conversation to end.

"My Lord, Captain Dorian sent someone to replace me on the wall. He asked me to escort you."

Lucien gave a nod while Lord Vaelric's eyes widened slightly before the noble quickly composed himself. It seemed even nobility was somewhat unused to Gerald's size.

With the guards falling into step behind them, they walked along the main street of Ashridge toward the cheers.

Along the way, villagers who spotted them immediately stepped to the side. Even the ones who would usually exchange greetings with him knew not to do so this time, with Lord Vaelric beside him.

Their group wasn't the focus of everyone's attention for long.

When they reached the source of the cheers, a crowd was already forming along the sides of the road. Guards with their heads held high trailed behind a cart that held a figure covered in cloth.

The scorpion's bolt was embedded in its thigh, causing a hint of red skin to peek out from below. That was enough for the villagers, who spoke to each other while pointing animatedly at it.

It was rather unusual for Lucien to see the people of Ashridge so openly cheering like this. Even after the Tithe, there was usually a sense of solemnity to it.

Lord Vaelric's words from earlier echoed in his mind, of how long the beast and its band had been alive.

He glanced at the noble beside him, whose eyes remained fixed on the cloth-covered figure as though he was burning the image into his mind. His gaze finally moved to the large bolt before he slowly spoke.

"Scorpion, was it? Is that the name of the...machine? I couldn't see it clearly from where I was, but that large bolt is from the same weapon?"

At Lucien's nod, the noble opened his mouth briefly before closing it again, shaking his head. "The stirrup crossbows, then the other type of crossbow the riders were using. Now this..."

Lord Vaelric spun around, his eyes narrowing at the two guards escorting him. "Both of you will tell no one about what you have seen here. And let the rest of the men know to do the same as well, understand?"

At the noble's stern words, the two guards bowed low. "By your command, My Lord."

The noble regarded them for a moment before finally turning back. His gaze passed briefly over Gerald, who stood nearby without a word, before settling on Lucien again.

"I do not know how long it will be before people begin to speak of this, Lord Varentis."

Lucien shook his head. "As long as I use them, or even sell them to you and Lord Rathenfell in the future, news of it will spread anyway."

At his words, Lord Vaelric's eyes widened slightly. "You intend to sell the scorpion? I had wanted to ask..."

"Yes, but it will take a long time before I can do so, Lord Vaelric. The one we made isn't even complete yet. I suspect after today's battle, the weapon will need to be dismantled and rebuilt again."

Lucien exhaled through his nose. "That's why I said that if the variant had not been the cautious type, we wouldn't have been able to kill it without casualties."

Lord Vaelric gave a slow nod. "Then I will wait patiently for the day Cragwatch has one upon its walls as well."

Throughout their conversation, the procession had reached them and slowed to a halt. The men seemed to have finally spotted the two nobles, as one ran to the back of the group.

Lord Vaelric turned slightly. "Seems they have spotted us...I should make my leave now, Lord Varentis. Your people should be free to celebrate this victory without my presence, and you will have your hands full handling the aftermath of the battle."

Lucien glanced at the noble's back. "Garrick is probably working at the northwestern area of the village. You still have enough time to pay him a visit if you want."

His words seemed to have the opposite effect as the noble started to walk away. "...It is fine. I have work to do back in Cragwatch."

"I will be sending you a small shipment of coal through the western route soon. The mines have just been cleared, and they have started work again."

Lord Vaelric was already walking away even as he spoke. The rushed and almost rude exit from the normally polite noble made Lucien sigh.

It seemed both brothers still had a long way to go before reconciling.

Lucien was about to turn back before he remembered something. "Lord Vaelric, there was a small band of orcs that splintered from this group. You might want to take the western route instead."

The noble turned back and shook his head. "Worry not, Lord Varentis. I received a letter from Lord Rathenfell yesterday. The group was found and killed."

"Once your riders return with the captives, the Band of the Broken Tusk is dead."

At the trace of satisfaction in the noble's words, Lucien could only give him one last nod as he left.

There was something melancholic about the way Lord Vaelric had said those words. Lucien found himself watching the man's back for a moment until Captain Dorian's approach drew his attention away.

In the manor courtyard, he had been speaking with Dorian about clearing the corpses from the Easthollow River when they heard Marcus's riders return to the village.

Cheers spread through the village as word of their arrival passed from street to street.

When they began to die abruptly, Lucien and Dorian exchanged a glance, both likely arriving at the same assumption. Captives rescued from orcs were not something a village could cheer at for long.

The riders entered the courtyard not long after.

Marcus led from the front, the normally relaxed look upon his face nowhere to be seen.

All of the men had dismounted, leading horses that carried cloth-covered figures. Even the ones with nothing laid across their saddles had chosen to walk.

Their discipline held, but only barely, the dark glint in their eyes betraying the rage they were trying to contain.

Far from the group, Sera trailed behind, carrying someone in her arms while eyeing the men before her warily.

When the hunter saw him, she made a beeline straight for him, still holding the figure in her arms.

As she walked past Marcus, the guard exhaled through his nose before following after her as well.

Lucien's brow creased at the sight until the two of them neared and he could see something peeking out from the cloth.

The knife-like ears were almost familiar, yet alien to him.

Before they even reached him, he could feel a faint headache start to form.