The Storm's Own Son (Book 3) by Anthony Gillis Read Free Book Online Page A

twenty-one thousand men ready to take the field tomorrow. There were four thousand light cavalry and nearly a thousand heavy, five thousand irregulars and hillmen, and fully eleven thousand heavy foot. He had built a large force of Avrosan militia centered on his old Hounds. They were at the ready, but most of them had other duties tonight.
    Talaos considered the strategic situation. There was a great deal more he'd learned from Maxano and the others. The alliance of Idrona and Kyras had taken a chance in concentrating their forces here in the far south so quickly after their victory at Drenic. They'd intended to catch Sanctari between a still untaken Avrosa and their own forces. To do so, they'd left Teroia and other hostile cities and towns threatened, but not besieged, in between.
    That said, they still had forces further north, besieging Drenic and several smaller towns allied to Teroia. One of the Teroian-allied cities up there, Kossos, was apparently a major center of the Prophet's faith. That would present problems. With Avrosa cleared, the enemy cities of Idrona, Etosca, and Savaric were the remaining others where the Prophet was strongest.
    After Drenic, the enemy fleet had been unable to follow up with any decisive victory at sea, and the two fleets had continued their ongoing stalemate until the great storm had thrown them both into chaos. Maxano hadn't word on events after that.
    He thought as well of the larger means of war available to him, and the goals. Hunyos, much like the Republic, had wealth founded on crafts, manufactories, and trade. In the Republic that wealth had been turned to many ends, including art, literature, philosophy, and science. Here, such things had, to an increasing degree, been neglected in favor of the study of war.
    That focus on war meant he had many experienced commanders, and brave, disciplined soldiers. But so then did the other alliance. An evenly matched war of such men could drag on a long time, and ruin the country in the process. If they could win this battle, Talaos thought it likely the unity of the other alliance would continue to fracture. That would open new opportunities he'd need to exploit by means outside of battle.
    The unity of his coalition was itself fragile, as were all such things in Hunyos. He might now be the leader of this army, but the army itself had no unity beyond him, and several of his commanders represented cities that were, at this moment, fighting on the other side. He intended to follow through on his sweeping statements about fighting for a Hunyos free of the Prophet, and that shared purpose might keep them together for long enough.
    From there, what?
    Would the Living Prophet invade to support his allies? He wasn't known to have much of a fleet, but that could have changed. What about old Dirion? If the Prophet was powerful up there now, what might come of it?
    In the end, there were still too many unknowns. Now though, it was time.
    He'd appreciated General Sanctari's gift for short, decisive speeches, and hoped to emulate that approach himself. He stood up and raised his right hand for their attention. In the disciplined tradition of Hunyos, they promptly quieted.
    "Commanders," he said, voice deep and clear, "Tomorrow we begin a war like no other in the history of Hunyos. Here, wars have been for land, property, gold, or honor, gained by one and lost by another. Now we face something that would take them, and much more, from all of us together. For our cities, our kin, our freedom in this wide world, our oaths and our honor, we will fight against those who have none.  For each our own, we will fight.
    "We've made our plans," he continued, "and in the hour before dawn, we will begin."
    He extended his right hand in welcome and expectation.
    "Commanders, are you ready?"
    To a man, generals, warlords, tribunes, chieftains, and captains rose.  As one, they saluted. Talaos returned their salute, and regarded them with pride and