Chapter 30
Sid and his men returned to the battlefield where they had fought Holland. Hunter was camped there directing his men in a campaign to liberate the few slaves that remained on some of the more remote farms. Most of the men injured in the earlier battle had recovered sufficiently not to require too much care. Those who were off duty were wandering around camp enjoying their free time.
Meeting up with Hunter, Sid said, "Gather your commanders. We need to make some plans for the future."
Nodding his head, Hunter dispatched man to carry out Sid's orders. Turning to Sid, he said, "I take it we have won."
"Yes. All that is left is to free the rest of the slaves," Sid said. The capture of the villain responsible for establishing the slave society was being pursued by another Hero from Earth. He hoped Kyle Alexander would be successful. With a slight feeling of unease at the direction of his thoughts, he watched Fred take care of Alice. The man had led her off to a tent and was getting her settled in for the stay.
"That's good. To tell the truth, I've been getting a little tired of all of this fighting," Hunter said. When he had left Jones citadel, his father had told him that this campaign would make him a man. His father's words had been too true. His father had neglected to say that it would make him feel like an old man.
"Every man around here feels the same," Sid said. He looked over at two men sitting around their campfire repairing their clothes. It was such a common sight that it was easy to overlook.
"I noticed when you returned that there were fewer men than I expected. Did you run into trouble?" Hunter asked to fill the sudden silence.
"No. I told the men as we were returning that if they spotted an abandoned plot of land that they wanted to go for it. A lot of the men took me up on that offer. Some even split off at crossroads looking for places of their own," Sid answered. There were a lot of farms that had been taken over and integrated into larger places. The freed slaves had chopped them up into smaller places, but there were plenty of abandoned spots left.
Nodding his head, Hunter said, "That's good. I was wondering what the men would do when we disband the army."
"I'm not disbanding the entire army. At all of the towns over a hundred people, I've left two men to serve as my representatives. I've left twenty five men in the towns with populations over a thousand," Sid said watching Hunter's expression. He had a number of people who he was going to set up as Lords over those towns.
"That's a good idea," Hunter said.
"There's still the matter of what to do with the Citadels that I've captured."
Hunter didn't make a comment. He wasn't sure where Sid was headed with this discussion. Smiling, Sid said, "I thought it would be fitting for you to take charge of Holland's citadel. There may be a little fighting left there, but I'm sure that you can handle it."
"You're giving me a citadel?" Hunter asked surprised by what Sid had said. Two years of fighting had convinced him that he was a good soldier, but it hadn't convinced him that he was the kind of man who would make a good Lord.
"Yes."
"Wow."
"I guess once you swear loyalty to me, you'll be Lord Hunter," Sid said with a smile.
"I will gladly swear loyalty to you," Hunter said overwhelmed.
"You'll need to select who you want to take with you to be your guard," Sid said.
"This is so unexpected. My dad is going to be so proud of me," Hunter said thinking about his father back at the Jones' Citadel.
Confused at being summoned by the General, Sneak joined Sid in front of Sid's tent. Sid was surrounded by Sebeson, Connor, Hunter, Gregor, Fred, Derek, and Alice. He wasn't sure that being called there when Sid was surrounded by his advisors was a good thing. Trying to sound relaxed, he said, "You wanted me?"
"Yes, I did," Sid answered glancing at the others seated around the camp. He took a long look at Connor and, once the man had smiled at him, he nodded his head. He turned to Fred and asked, "Is there any more tea?"
"I'll make some," Fred answered getting up from his seat.
Sid gestured to a seat across the fire from where he was seated and said, "Have a seat."
"Thanks, General," Sneak said wondering why he had been summoned. He glanced over at Hunter, but the man didn't say a word and seemed as confused about the summons as he was.
"Are you doing okay?" Sid asked in a pleasant conversational voice.
"I'm doing fine," Sneak answered. He had plans for the future and they were looking bright.
"I gave Hunter a citadel earlier today," Sid said.
"I know," Sneak said, "He told me about that."
Fred returned to the fire with a pot of water and hung it to boil. When he had moved out of the way, Sid said, "I understand that you were thinking that you'd go there to be captain of his guard."
"That's the plan," Sneak said.
Shaking his head as if disappointed, Sid said, "I wish you would change your plans a little."
Seeing the puzzled look on Sneak's face, Hunter looked over at Sid with a frown and then asked, "Why should he change his plans?"
Gregor covered his mouth with his hand and looked the other way. Sebeson chuckled, but controlled it after a sharp look from Sid. Fred filled the silence by saying, "The tea will be ready in five minutes."
"Thanks, Fred."
"Why should I change my plans?" Sneak asked. The idea of being Captain of the Guard had really appealed to him. It was one of the best jobs that a man could get.
"How are you going to run your own citadel when you're Captain of the Guard at another one?" Sid asked watching the expression on Sneak's face. For a minute it looked as if someone had sucker punched him.
Once he had recovered from his shock, Sneak answered, "I can see where there would be problems with that arrangement. I'm sure that I could come up with a creative solution."
Hunter shook his head. If he had to lose his first choice as Captain of the Guard, then this was the way it should be done. He was pleased to see that Sneak was going to have a future equally as good as his.
Derek broke out in laughter and said, "No one has ever solved the problem of having to be in two places at once."
Sid said, "There's a citadel two weeks ride north of here. It was held by Jameson, but he's dead now and I have some men guarding it for the moment."
"You're giving me the Jameson Citadel?"
"I suppose that you could rename it the Sneak Citadel," Sid said.
Sneak stared at Sid unable to believe that he had been given such a choice property. Shaking his head, he asked, "Why me?"
"Well, it seems like you were always there when big events took place. If I recall correctly, it was you who rounded up some of raiders for the battle at Hunter's Crossing. It was you who lead the other half of the army in the campaign here," Sid said gesturing to the field around them.
"There's been a lot of fighting in this war. Scouts are usually right there in the thick of things," Sneak said feeling a little uncomfortable at having been singled out for his actions.
Sid nodded his head and said, "You were also one of the original men recruited at the Citadel. Every one of you is going to end up with an estate of some sort. Most will end up ruling over cities as my representative."
"Oh, that's nice to know. Still you're talking about a citadel," Sneak said. A Citadel was more than just a city when part of a Kingdom. It was a civilian and military presence of the King. He pointed to Connor and asked, "Why didn't you offer it to him?"
"I did and he didn't want it," Sid answered knowing that Sneak might be a little upset to learn that he was second choice.
"Oh," Sneak said. He wondered what was wrong with the citadel that caused Connor to turn it down.
Almost as if reading his thoughts, Connor said, "I'm an old man and ready to retire. I'm going to take a nice administrative position at River's Crossing and spend the majority of my time fishing."
"The tea is ready."
Satisfied that things were going well, Sid watched Hunter and Sneak ride off in different directions with three hundred men each. The two young men had grown a lot during the war. He was pleased with what he would be able to tell their fathers about how they had done on the campaign. Looking over at Fred, he said, "That's another six hundred men we've managed to place."
"You seem to be spending a lot of time disbanding your army. Why all of the effort to make sure that they have places or jobs?" Fred asked. At every small town, city, and empty farmstead, Sid had left men behind to start a new life with sufficient material to make a good go of it.
Smiling at Fred, Sid answered, "The end of a war usually leads to a lot of homeless men who take up less than honorable ways of making a living. The wounded men often end up begging or stealing. The healthy who can't find work tend to take up banditry. By making sure that folks get a home and job, I'm preventing future problems."
Fred asked, "Are there enough possibilities to take care of all of the army?"
"There's been a lot of death over the last two years and that has to have hurt the labor pool significantly. The slavers killed a lot of businesses by eliminating regular towns. There will be inns and stores opening up all over this land. If the owner of the inn or store has lost an arm or a leg, it doesn't matter to anyone but the owner. It matters to him because he has a business. It is a much better life than being forced to make a living by being a beggar."
"That's true," Fred said.
"As a result of the efforts of Barson, Olaf, and Albert, there's going to be a major increase in trade. Our drovers will start up shipping companies and they'll need guards. The businesses that Albert started will grow with time and require more labor. That's going to provide a lot of jobs in the future."
"And taxes," Fred said realizing that Sid was going to be one of the wealthiest men in all of Chaos. He ruled over an area that was huge. The King's cut of all of the transactions that took place within that area was going to be substantial.
"Which will go to pay for border guards, city watches, and a small standing army," Sid said.
"What about a castle?" Fred asked looking over at Sid.
"I guess we'll have to build one of those too," Sid answered with a nod. He figured that Albert would enjoy the challenge of designing and building a castle.
"That'll be a lot of work," Fred said shaking his head.
"I know," Sid said. He glanced over at Fred and said, "I'm expecting that you'll be taking a lead role in all of this work."
"I was afraid that you would say that," Fred said with a sigh.
Riding to the site of the Two Valleys Battle, Sid was pleased to see the army of Dracos spread out over the field in good order. The camp looked to be in good shape. The tents were laid out in nice lines, guards were posted and looked alert, the grounds were clean, and the forces going about the normal business of running a military camp. Looking back at the forces with him, he wondered how the camp would look after more than three thousand more soldiers joined them.
Amazed at the quantity of men in the camp, Alice asked, "Is this part of your Army, too?"
"Well, these men belong to Lord Drake and are currently commanded by Dracos. Lord Drake has sworn allegiance to me as part of this war. I'll have to get him to swear allegiance to me as his King," Sid said.
A slight blush came to Alice's face. The desire to be touched between the legs rose and nearly made her gasp. When she noticed he was looking at her, she said, "You have no idea what it does to me when I hear you say that you are a king."
Looking at the bullets tenting the shirt she was wearing, Sid was fully aware of the effect his words had. He was very familiar with the psychology of Damsels from Cassandra. He said, "I can imagine."
"Can't we stop at the nearest bank and go back to Crossroads?" she asked with an edge of begging in her voice. The days of riding beside Sid and watching him command his troops had put her on a slow boil. Any time now she expected her passions to overtake her better sensibilities.
"I have to pick up the other three Damsels first," Sid said. He wondered what kind of reception he would receive when they finally reached River's Crossing.
"I need you, now," she complained with a small pout on her face.
"I'm sorry," Sid said. She wasn't the only one in sad shape. He hadn't had sex in more than two years and being around the beauty of a Damsel was the ultimate in temptation. The woman exuded desire. Every move she made was graceful and suggestive of sexual promises that would delivered, although of late her moves were getting more obvious.
Dracos greeted Sid with a manly hug and said, "It's good to have you back. I take it things went well."
"They went very well. The war is over and the Slaver Army has been destroyed. I've got forces out cleaning up the few holdouts, but it is well in hand," Sid said.
"Great. I'll let the camp know that we're moving out tomorrow," Dracos said. He'd spent the past few weeks sending out patrols and freeing a few more slaves. It had felt good leading the men in such activities. Despite the dangers, his men had not suffered any casualties. After the horrors of the battle played out here, he hoped that he'd never have to take up a sword again.
"Great. I've got three thousand men with me," Sid said.
"I expected that and have cleared the second valley for them," Dracos answered. There had been a time when he wouldn't have thought about preparing for such an event. The time spent with Sid had taught him a lot. War wasn't about riding in front of a column of men wearing pretty uniforms to impress the young women. It was serious business that required planning and attention to detail. Surprise, rather then the enemy, was the most dangerous foe.
"Good. I'll let Gregor know where to set up camp," Sid said pleased to learn that Dracos had made accommodations for Gregor's men.
Dracos looked at Sid and said, "I'll be glad to get home. If I never have to fight again, I'll be happy."
"But you'll know how to protect your father's citadel if the need is ever upon you," Sid said.
"True," Dracos said. He looked over the site where they had fought with a shudder. In a soft voice, he added, "It was a lesson that came at a high price."
"It always does," Sid said with a sigh. He looked around the camp. The men were active and it was obvious that all of them were looking forward to returning to the citadel. Some were facing uncertain futures since they had joined just after being freed. He asked, "What of the men who were slaves?"
"My father told me that he was going to reserve some lands for them to settle when they returned," Dracos said. He had been surprised when his father had said that to him before leaving on this campaign.
"Have you told the men that?" Sid asked.
"Not yet," Dracos answered feeling a little embarrassed. On seeing the look Sid gave him, he said, "I had thought of springing it on them at one of the battles as a way of increasing their desire to fight. I know it was rather foolish of me, but I didn't know better at the time."
"When do you plan on telling them?" Sid asked.
Dracos answered, "I was planning on telling them once you returned. I figured it would give them something to look forward to during the march home. I wasn't going to do it while we were camped here waiting for you since I figured that it would only make the time go by slower."
"That's good enough," Sid said with a smile.
Looking over at where the men were gathering, Dracos said, "I gave the order to have the men assemble the moment I saw you. I'll talk to them now."
Alice joined Sid and watched as Dracos stepped in front of the men who had followed him out of the Drake Citadel. The relationship between men and commander had changed over time. The arrogant brash young commander had been replaced by a modest thoughtful leader of men. He had gone from knowing no one he was leading, to knowing every man by name and history.
Dracos addressed the assembled men. "Men. I have called you here to talk of the past, the present, and the future. Most of all, I want to talk of home.
"We have experienced great hardship since leaving my father's citadel. We have marched great distances and fought in a hard battle. We have lost friends. In the process, we have defeated an enemy most vile. We have freed men and women who had been enslaved.
"Today, we stand victorious. We have won the war. The slaver army has been defeated. Feel proud of what you have accomplished," Dracos shouted. His words were greeted with cheers.
Once the cheers had subsided, he shouted, "I'm sure that many of you have fears of what is to come. Let me assure you that my father and I have not forgotten that many of you had nothing before beginning this journey with us. My father has reserved lands for you. Tomorrow we leave for home and I want you to know that you will be welcomed with open arms and a future."
There was a huge roar of approval from the men. One of the great fears that had been haunting many of the men had been removed. Sid nodded while he watched the men stand taller and huge smiles as future plans began to form in their minds. Nodding his head, he said, "That was well done."
"What?" Alice asked.
"Winning a war is about more than defeating an enemy. It is also about keeping the future safe for your people. If you sacrifice your future to defeat the enemy, you have lost just as surely as if the enemy defeated you. He let them know that their futures are safe and that the war ended in the right way," Sid answered.
Sid thought about wars on Earth. Too often war was followed by bad economic times as the war machine shut down and men who had fought returned home to mass unemployment. It was tough getting a start when competing against those who had developed support structures while remaining behind. The education he was getting had been a way to develop a future.
As King, it was Sid's job to help the men who were his subjects to recover from this disruption in their lives. It was a job that he didn't have to do alone. He had help. Barson, Olaf, and Albert had put into place an infrastructure that would prevent a major setback in the economy of Chaos.
Alice nodded her head. The war on Cassandra had cost them everything. The men had been neutered and the future had threatened extinction of their people. She said, "You're doing a great job of providing a future."
Watching Dracos hand out money to the men, Sid said, "It's tough
being a King."