054: Looting

May 13, 2022 – 2 minutes read – 389 words

The side gate has devolved into a crush, so some soldiers have decided to open the main gate.

The main gate can’t be opened by a single person or two, instead twenty soldiers work together to move the heavy iron bar that keeps it closed.
Once it’s open a flood of soldiers begin to flee in the direction of the Empire.

Even so, it’s three days by carriage to the nearest Imperial village.
That’s ten days on foot, a soldier won’t make it that far without food and water supplies.
You could make it with a carriage, but all the carriages were interdicted by the Kingdom Army before they could leave the fortress.

Rudolph van Ceu, the third prince of the Empire is having food issues.
He escaped from the fort with several of his guards on horseback, and was summarily unable to carry enough food to get him to the Empire.
He settles on visiting a village in the Westin territory to acquire food for the journey.

However, the food situation of the village was terrible, there was almost no food stockpiled, and the merchant hadn’t yet to visit to replenish the stockpile.
It was the worst timing for the prince.
He was able to forcibly requisition a little food, but not enough for his party to make it to the Empire.

“Your Highness, there isn’t enough here.
Little food and not even a cart or wagon.” Soldier

“Is there another village nearby?” Rudolph van Ceu

“Perhaps, there may be one about a half-day further into the Kingdom lands.” Soldier

Rudolph thinks about it.
He managed to locate enough food for two days, but that’s still not enough.
Should he take a risk and go further into the Kingdom on the chance of supplies? Or just leave from here and get food on the way back to the Empire?

“It can’t be helped, going deeper into the Kingdom is suicide.
Returning to the Empire is our top priority.
We’ll hunt for food in the forest on the way.” Rudolph van Ceu