The Shining Wyrm

9.7

Jewel was unsure about the forage.

It was required that the army find food, of course. The force of all these men needed more than it was able to carry, if they were going to make a siege successful.

Every Lord and captain said as much.

And both Generals and all the Lords had treated it like a given that there would be a forage.

Their route had been chosen because it was well populated with villages and farmland even with the rougher terrain along the shorter mountains, and the season of march was likewise chosen for when the wheat would just be coming in to harvest.

She sat in the morning and evening councils often enough to know the incredibly tight margins that simply keeping everyone fed and battle ready on the march worked under.

For the Gryphons alone — if they could not guarantee hunting and the forage of the village’s livestock — would be out of meat in another six days. Maybe eight if they were willing to greatly aggravate the beasts to the point of risking them going for one of the horses or men in their hunger.

Jewel had been surprised how swiftly thirteen gryphons could go through so many goats.

She knew that Rochford and any Gryphon Lord’s lands kept a great number of pigs solely for the sake of satisfying a Gryphon’s appetite.

For the march, the preference was goats, as they were more amiable to army living, apparently.

Jewel had understood that Zephyrvam and the other griffons eat a great deal.

But seeing the meat portioned and devoured every morning and the way they had already gone through almost thirty goats in barely a tenth as many days had struck harder than any earlier knowledge.

It made Jewel self conscious of her own appetite, watching packs get lightened even a short way into the journey.

And that was only thirteen Gryphons and a single Dragon.

Then there was the still twenty-five thousand strong army. Who, with men and horse (cavalry chargers, spares and pack carriers) had an appetite that humbled Jewel’s to insignificance in its vastness.

The seemingly endless bags of Traveler’s Bread and Jerky that had been made beforehand or carried into Rochford from the rest of Viznove and Zekhedge were already getting close to half gone and they still had two more days to march before it was expected they would either begin to siege or begin the negotiation of offering and refusing battle between the armies.

All assuming that everything goes well on the road.

Against the sheer scale of the reality of hunger, Jewel could at least intellectually conceive of the need for the forage.

And after they had started, it certainly seemed to help the levies and the rest of the army.

This first day after they began to forage was greeted by a much lightened mood all through the camp that night.

Freshly slaughtered meat was cooked and enjoyed by many. She had seen a man eating simple grilled meat like it was the most delicious seasoned feast just because it was not the leavings of Gryphon feed stewed in a pot with watered down goats milk.

Then there was the flat breads made in a firepit with the gathered flour and even a few proper rounds with fluffy loaves and soft crusts baked for the Lords and their officers by the kitchen tents with some kind of clay ovens they brought along.

And of course there had been treasure as well that the levies and footmen were very enthusiastic about.

The food all went to the general supply (with perhaps a few vittles stashed away by the acquiring levy or footman if Jewel’s nose was right).

But everything besides was, by the pledge of their lords, the possession of the man who claimed the spoils.

Trinkets, clothes, shoes, children's toys and fine tools to replace ones that were going rough back home. And occasionally, a few piles of silver coins.

All of it, silver or otherwise, was more often than not immediately funneled into the caravan that trailed not far from their own camp every day.

Amusingly often for purchasing more food, or some spice to sprinkle and help make boiled travelers bread more palatable.

Or traded for goods that had been sold to the caravan for such treats.

Or pay a seamstress or smith to help mend or replace worn shirts, leggings or armor.

Or other matters Jewel turned her attention away from.

Honestly Jewel had heard plenty of ballads but she suspected it was a bit less intrusive for those that could not take in the whole of the camp in their ears and nose in passing.

She now avoided the camp of army followers after that first time she snuck close enough to see, smell and hear.

But the mood of the Levies, Footmen and Knights were much improved and desertion among the levies had all but stopped once forage had gone underway.

So there was definitely a noticeable positive for the army to be doing the forages now.

But still, she did not know if she agreed with them. Without participating she feared much of the danger to the men she had come to know and the reports and hearsay did not ease her fears.

Jewel had not been asked to assist in any of the foraging expeditions yet. Count Fiebron did not want to show signs of her other than as a scout during the march. And definitely did not want to reveal her to any of the villages or hamlets they were lightly skimming for supply on their march in the midlands.

Jewel heard and reported from the flight cant from the various Gryphon riders as they saw and did in their role as escorts for the foraging teams.

Always keeping well back and out of sight of anyone on the ground.

But never so far she could not at least watch the Gryphons dive and sweep.

And she felt justified in it!

Father had barely reported one bowman firing upon him! His report was more concerned with informing there were no injuries to the force or its later support!

He complained more about the wives of some of the footmen coming in to loot before the village was secure then he did the arrows that had gone past him!

They were supposed to wait until after the village was safe to help their husbands pick over for choice finds, not while the men and father were still settling the village and trying to flush out scouts from the enemy.

Jewel was not to be seen or involved in the forage until after she had been revealed on the field of proper battle.

But that did not mean she could not see some of what they were doing.

That she had not spotted Father as he made harrying dives into a village, the same she had seen him do to spook and drive a herd of deer through the woods for hunting.

Or nearly froze and tumbled from the air when she noticed that there were arrows firing up from his target at him. An attack that thankfully was ended suddenly by the far more lethal pass of Zephyrvam moving for a kill.

Jewel was not sure about the army and its forage.

Why did Father need to risk himself to possible arrows for a bit of extra food?!

Fighting boar or elk (normally) were safe affairs. If they were not lair-descended beasts or other monsters, you could mostly deal with them trivially from gryphonback.

But the villages were full of men who could have bows and arrows!

The whole affair deeply upset Jewel.

Why couldn't they simply give Father and the army food without all the fighting?

It’s not like they had any quarrel with these people.

They just needed to eat on their march to face Thurzó and bring him to heel for his lies, slander and greed.

If the villages just opened up some of their stores and flocks to assist the army like Rochford had surely all of this trouble would be entirely unnecessary?

But no, these peasants instead loosed arrows on her Father and demanded that the soldiers march into their homes to take a bit of food. And even tried to steal it away so that even after all the risk they might find nothing at all?!

All because of a bit of lightly skimming for supper on their approach?

It made Jewel’s Wyrmflame tumble and twist in her throat.

Was it really worth this risk? This trouble?

Surely there was also hunting to be had in the foothills and forests around them?

Jewel had seen some signs of game lightly scattered along the wood that flanked their road.

Was this the only way?

She just was not sure about the forage.

It all seemed far too great a risk to her Father.

The thought of those arrows she had seen loosed into the sky as she watched him from a distance.

A blow to Zephyrvam’s wing in the wrong place, at the wrong time could send him tumbling and leave both Father and him broken and helpless if not dead outright.

Their mastery of wind could only protect against so much.

It had taken all of her discipline to not dive to her Father’s aide at the sight of that.

Why did they need a Gryphon Lord to do a bit of foraging on the land?