A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor
Chapter 1732 - 1732: An Iron Curtain - Part 2

"…And in the meantime?" Karstly asked. "You would have us wait? What of General Broadstone, and his five thousand, who have so hovered waiting to join up with us?"

"You stole a march on him," Hod said, knowing it to be true. "You were given use of him, and you left him behind. It is you that ought fix that problem as well. You wrestled for your position of high command, only to flaunt it at the first opportunity."

"Broadstone provided a solid distraction," Karstly said, twisting his lips. "Certainly to the effect that General Satorius did not see us coming. His scouts kept their watch on Broadstone's five thousand, and knew not that our five thousand were already to come for him from the rear."

"I do not fault the strategy against lesser opponents like Satorius," Hod said. "But Tiberius isn't the sort of man that you can take such risks against. You talk of countering the charge of Tavar and Germanicus towards the south, but you have your own allies to rescue in the process. Your first order ought be reuniting with Broadstone, and occupying the midway castles that see the east and west cut in half."

"Mm," Skullic nodded. "I had thought we might be shifting towards that in our strategy. We have gained much territory. Naturally, it would be the case that now ought be a time of consolidation. Though, my instincts don't quite align on the matter of Ernest, Minister… If I had been in high command, I fear I would have given it over a while ago. It seems greedy to try and hold onto it."

"It is greedy," Hod agreed. "The strategy, almost, is poor. It's the thinnest threads. But we are forced to rely on its poorness. Germanicus and Tavar must be kept in check for as long as we can possibly see them kept. And you gentlemen must exercise patience, and cautiousness."

"This almost seems like a plan that you're giving us," Skullic said. "Indeed, you've given us nearly every step of the way. This isn't like you, Minister. Don't tell me you're planning to disappear again?"

"…You intend to go to Ernest," Karstly realized, looking thoroughly dissatisfied by the fact. "You counsel us against doing the same, and then you go riding off on your own. I do not like it. Do you not merely act for self satisfaction?"

"You are not wrong that those defending men in Ernest need reinforcements," Hod said. "But we do not have the mobility to be allowed to move all these eight thousand men there at once. Not without falling into Tiberius' trap."

"…You're almost worth as much as eight thousand men, I'd say," Skullic said thoughtfully. "Damn it. I'm not keen on it, but such is the position we've been relegated to. We're just cleaners now, I suppose. For the blunder we made against Tiberius, I suppose it only makes sense that we'd be sitting in such a lowly position."

"Do not confuse it to be such," Hod said strongly. "Karstly – you as well. Cast aside your dissatisfaction. It is you two that we rely on to keep Tiberius in check. Do you not understand the importance of the task? You have done battle against him once now. You should see what sort of creature he is. In seeing it, do you not understand the importance in keeping him caged?"

"I see what sort of creature he is," Karstly said, his fist shaking. "He made a fool of us. That shall not happen again. However, Minister, monster he might be, he is not monstrous enough to be worthy of the resources that you force into dealing with him. In the collecting of Broadstone, us three Generals together will be more than sufficient. But I see in the way you speak about it, that you intend to wait for Blackwell as well, before you even consider engaging him. Blackwell, and then Rainheart along with him. Five Generals for a single man and twenty thousand soldiers. A ludicrous supposition, when all those men wait us towards the West."

"You still do not understand, then," Hod said impatiently. "Skullic, you ought keep an eye on this fool. Spare him not the time he needs to lick his wounded pride. We need a General, not a jilted lover. Do as I say, Karstly, until the instant comes where you can prove that your judgement is beyond mine. So far, however, in your last engagement with Tiberius, how can you say that you fared? It was not defeat. It was total and complete outmanoeuvring. You were set to walk straight to your slaughter, to the belly of the beast, and so easily. That is not a simple defeat, Karstly. So spare me your pride. Spare me it – there's a lacking time. I ought be moving now already, rather than keeping up conversation with you. But you had better make a promise, Karstly. There's greatness in you, but you ought be patient."

Karstly tutted and turned away. His face was rigid with disagreement, but the young General did not have a leg to stand on. No one was more critical of his recent performance than him. He'd been quetier for it, his arms eternally folded whenever they did make camp. He seemed hardly to be able to understand that a man could best him in strategy to such a degree.

Hod saw that discontent with some amount of satisfaction. As irritating as he found it to constantly try to make Karstly move as he willed him to, so too was there a certain degree of excitement in seeing the General force a change within himself. 'I can only pray that he does not do something foolish in the process.'

With a squint, Skullic looked at the sky. "Are you staying the night, Minister?"

Hod shook his head. "I'll have to ride throughout the night. I must make all haste."

"You're not a particularly good rider, either," Skullic said. "That's treacherous going, riding through the dark in terrain as harsh as these woods. You're not going to slip from your horse and break your neck before you get to Ernest, are you?"