| A Little Bit Of Conversation |
| Summary: | Following the meeting at Candeo, Alia and Ludovic speak on the ride back out to the battlefield. |
| Date: | 2019-06-08 |
| Related: | Immediately follows: East Meets West. |
| NPCs: | None |
| Players: |
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| Somewhere South of Candeo |
| Nothing much to see. Land, land, and more land. |
| 1875-06-06 |
Darius and Alia had departed the meeting rather quickly, but not so quickly that Alia did not have time to send word that she wished for Ludovic to ride back with them, at least part of the way, towards where Darius' Prime along with the other assigned forces were preparing for the assault on the farmlands and Rogers. A number of Darius' men had ridden back with him, and they were deep in conversation with the Princeps, too occupied, perhaps, to notice Alia falling back a bit behind them and gesturing for Ludovic to do the same.
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Ludovic eases the pace of his chestnut horse up when Alia gestures for it. The horse is starting to show the wear of all this travelling but Ludovic himself looks pretty good. A grin is given to Alia as she steps back to talk to him. "I should be sad about Pompey but I just cant find it in me."
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Alia waited until Ludovic had drawn back to ride with her before she offered any word, and that, was in response to his, "Popmey seeks for power, and that was a blow to him. But that is not the greatest concern." Alia glanced across to the man now riding beside her, "What did you think of the Senator and his 'news'?"
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"I think Maximus is going to throw several hundred men at a fortress that didnt need men throwing at it." Ludovic says "And that Darius is going to hurry himself when he likely shouldn't too. The mountain tribes being gone isnt a good thing though, not from what I was once told. He said that when the victor was worked out then the losers men would be merged in with the winners. So this may just mean that we've more local qatunax to deal with now." he looks at her. "But i dont think either of those are what you're worried about. Are you more worried about the fact they dont seem to want their emperor back or that they lost a lot of men?"
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"I think that the situation in d'Rhandoul needs to be resolved as quickly as possible. And Darius is no fool." Alia shook her head, clearly dismissing the more local problems, "I do not trust this Senator or any of the news be brings. When he spoke of Darius' family…" Alia shook her head, "I believe that was a warning to Darius, as politely as it was both given and received. My fear…is that they are being held hostage, insurance against Darius' behavior." Alia keep an eye ahead towards where they were riding, "How many scouts can you spare from your men?"
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"The situation in d'Rhandoul wont be resolved for months." Ludovic points out. "We can't just pull out just because we've control of the area because of the war going on around it. Even if we dont worry about holding the barony itself we've still got to bring the grain through a warzone when its harvested." He nods at what Alia says about the hostage situation. "Thats how i'd have taken it." He's quiet for a moment when she talks to scouts. "You'll have to tell me what exactly you need."
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"That was not what I meant, Ludovic. I'm well aware of the difficulties we are going to face making use of anything that comes from the barony, and I told Darius' so when we spoke on it. But that isn't what's important right now. What concerns me, is what's going on within the Empire. I have no reason to trust anything that the Senator told us, about Pompey being deposed, about the infighting within the Senate. And he wouldn't answer most of the questions I posed to him. Especially those related to Darius' ascension to Emperor. They don't want him as Emperor. The last reports that Pompey received was that they were trying to elevate his brother, who is barely more than a child to Emperor so that they can use him to do the will of the Senate. A true puppet." She glanced towards Ludovic again, "I need your scouts to find out what is really going on along the pass, beyond it."
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"Then you need Luixa." Ludovic tells Alia simply. "My scouts are basically light mounted men. The blackshafts on the other hand are good in true mountains." He shifts the reins somewhere in the hand mostly hidden behind his kite shield. "I can spare all of them. We could make do with just a couple of men in d'Rhandoul once the castle and city is pacified but we'll lose a whole bunch if we rush it and if we pull it down that much then if anything a little unusual happens we'll be in trouble. Its too hard to reinforce."
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Ludovic adds "I took far more men up there than I needed."
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Alia shook her head, "I won't take all of them. I have no doubt that there are enough people within the forces in our colonies who would report back to the Empire what was going on that missing an entire cohort of archers and rangers would be noted." Alia frowned, eyes returning to where she could see Darius riding ahead. "Darius was right to make certain that the Senator knew he would not be riding only with an honour guard. And if they are as depleted as they say, a single legion might be enough to protect him, but…" Alia looked away again, as if she thought looking at Darius too intently might make him look back at her. "There is something wrong in all of this, Dovi. I can feel it in my bones."
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"Its a half cohort." Ludovic says "But yeah you're probably right." He looks away and across at Darius and company before looking back to Alia "Thats pretty much the story of the last couple of years of my life Alia. We'll get through it. We always do."
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"I don't care about my coming through it, Dovi, though I do hope that I will. But Darius needs to come through it." Alia shook her head, "They sent him here to die and he hasn't. He's not only survived, but in many ways, he has thrived. And I have a feeling they intend to make sure he dies one way or the other. If not at the hands of the Qatunax, then at the hands of the Senate itself or its agents. And I can't have that. I won't."
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"They did seem to want him back under their thumbs quite badly." Ludovic agrees. "But you've seen what their military might is like. I'd march to war with him but what, besides that, can we actually do?"
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"That is what I need the scouts for and my own intelligence. I know that Pompey has spies of his own, but Pompey now has his own agenda and he's blinded by the loss of his position. I need intelligence that will not be swayed by existing enmities and allegiances to the Empire in the East. I need to know what we will be marching into." Alia tightened her hands on her reins, "I do not expect you to go with us, Ludovic. I believe, in the end, Darius will probably appoint you overseer of toe Colonies while he's away, but I am going with him. I made a vow to him and I intend to keep it. I will not leave him. never in life."
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"I dont want to be the overseer Alia." Ludovic points out. "I want to fight. Besides isnt overseeing the colonies what proconsul of the imperial colonies of the west actually means?" He lightly pats his stallions crest before adding. "Theres no question of your loyalties Alia. You're basically his wife and you've a lot riding on him surviving to take the throne. But you should know that its Darius that I'm loyal to. Not the Vir Sidus. I'm almost as invested in this as you are. If you want to try and sneak out with only a handful of men and women, you need Luixa and the blackshafts. If you want to do it seriously then I can give you.." he thinks about it. "Three hundred horse, fifty of them heavy, without really hurting my position."
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"I know you don't, Ludovic, and maybe it won't come to that. But Darius means to go, and I have no doubt that Pompey will want to go as well. So who will be left to oversee the colonies?" Alia shook her head, "Maximus could do it, I suppose. He is Imperial by birth and he has the trust of the legions and the citizens. At any rate, it will be for Darius to decide. But the colonies cannot fall while we are away sorting this business." Ludovic's comment about the throne brought Alia's attention back to him. "Do not mistake this for a power grab on my part, Dovi. I married Darius for politics, yes, for the power to claim justice for my family and for all who have been destroyed. But I don't stay with him only for that reason. I had grown fond of him over the months since I came to the Empire, a girlish infatuation, I think, that I set aside when I thought there was no hope for it. I even found another love in that time. And then Darius offered me everything that I had hoped for and I betrayed one man to bind myself to another. And like you, my loyalty is to him. And to ensuring that everything he wishes for comes to pass." Alia looked away again, staring off into the middle distance. "Thank you for the offer. I will think on it, but for now, I need only the scouts. I need to learn the ay of the land and its people."
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"Clinton." Ludovic says. "Lisbeth. It doesnt have to be me." he sighs. "But no it shouldnt be an imperial either. If theres still trouble I'll do it but I wont sit here being an administrator whilst theres still a war to fight." He turns his head away and then back to her. "Didnt mean to suggest that."
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"I would prefer to have you at my side, if it comes to that, rather than knowing that you were on the colonies." Alia resettled herself on the horse, quickening their pace so that they did not get too far behind and draw attention or danger to themselves. "I will suggest both of them as an alternative." She nodded at that last, "Perhaps not, but then, we have not been the best at communicating lately."
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"I've been real frustrated." Ludovic tells her. "Still am, truth be told. Not upset with you. Not really. Just keep getting forced down paths I dont want. Like being sent to take d'Randhoul whilst everyone else gets to go after the enemy I've been fighting for years."
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"There will be more Qatunax to fight, I have no doubt, Ludovic. But sending you to d'Rhandoul was making the best choice for a commander. For all that the Empire are skilled warriors, they do not, any of them, know the warriors of the west as well as you, and Clinton, and Luixa do. And of course there was the chance that you might have been able to convince them to lay down their arms." Alia lifted a hand, rubbing the base of her palm against a spot on her temple, "We are all being asked to do thing we never wished to do." She looked over, "I did tell you Cotswold was attacked by goblins, didn't I?"
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"I know that Alia." Ludovic says. "Its why I went. Why I didn't make a fuss. But - Did you tell Darius?" He squints at her a bit. "Did you tell him what I told you about my not being fit to lead armies?" He nods at the goblins question. "Think so. I'm glad we've not had to face them here although I reckon its only a matter of time before they attack stevens pass."
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"Of course I told him, Dovi. I told you I would. But you were what was needed, whether you wanted that to be or not. Which, I think, is why he also sent Maximus, who is an able enough commander to take over for you when he needs to." Alia nodded, "I saved a good supply of their skin and blood. When I have the time for it, I am going to begin to see what I can do with it. If I can find some way to replicate the fear that they instill in those who encounter them. And I need more ash serpent skin. And Darius wishes to send an expedition to Gendiel to find one, as I had hoped to do before this all went sideways."
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"Alright. Good." Ludovic accepts what she says without further argument. "Its going to be tricky to get involved with whatevers going on in the empire at the same time as stuff in Gendiel. I'm sure you'll pull it off though." He gives her a wry smile. "As for the blood and the skin and the fear. I'm just gonna say: Disgusting."
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"I don't think that I will have time for all of it. Not all at once, but one skin won't be enough for a whole legion, and I need to continue working on the fireproofing formula to make it fully flame-resistant, instead of only giving partial protection." Alia did not seem to take offense at Ludovic's comment on the goblin remains, "Perhaps so, but alchemy is…not always a pleasant business. But if one can achieve it, it can do wonderous things."
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Ludovic just grins at that. "Hey. If it results in my men and horses both surviving those damnable fire lance things then I'll happily roll naked in the stuff. I'm not judging."
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"Survive? Possible. It can withstand two strikes, for now. But I have been working on it, and I have my alchemists also experimenting. I only just recently returned from Four Corners where I consulted with the Librarian at the Guild. I hope to hear some good word from him soon, and I have a few books which he allowed me to set to have the relevant passages copied. We will see."
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"Two strikes more than I can now." Ludovic points out. "Although I've no idea how you're going to protect Swift here."
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Alia glanced down at the horse Ludovic was riding, chewng on her bottom lip as she considered, "Would he allow you to place armor on him? Nothing so heavy as plate, but something like a leather chestpiece, or skirts on his flanks? Those could be covered."
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Ludovic glances down at Swift as well. "He would." He says as he looks back up and over to Alia. "But that would defeat the point of a lighter horse. Some of those might be doable." he frowns a little. "But would it really work if it was just parts of the animal under cover?"
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Alia gave the question consideration before she replied, "I think it would depend on whether you wanted to cover the parts of him that would be the most vulnerable only, or if you wanted more full coverage. I suppose you could do something like a gambeson, that would be lighter for him, but I can't just apply a lacquer meant for armor onto his body, it would make him ill, I have no doubt."
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"I doubt you could really protect all the horses in the legion anyway." Ludovic says. "As nice as the idea is. When you've got enough laquer maybe we can work on the heavy horse though? Swift, and the mounts like him, they're protected by the fact they move fast. Its not perfect, I list three hundred horse in the combined efforts to take Candeo and the Mill, but that lance thing is the only place they're really vulnerable. Well that and magic I suppose." He frowns and then just says. "The heavy cant always do that."
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"We are producing as much as we can with the resources we have. Darius is deciding where it is being used. I will speak with him though." Alia did not seem put off by that. It was a proper division of labour. She making the lacquer, Darius as the Praetor deciding where it would be used. "And no, we cannot cover the whole legion with what we have, so, I think it goes to those who are either first in, or the most vulnerable."
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Ludovic nods at her. "And I'm pretty sure that, much as I love Firestorm and Swift here, they're not as important as my men."
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Alia shook her head, reaching down to pat her own palfry. "They are as much a weapon for a cavalry soldier as their sword or pike or bow or whatever other weapon they wield. I will think on possible solutions." Alia lifted her gaze, settling on the group riding ahead, "We're almost to the point where you will need to ride back."
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"Yeah. I should go back north." Ludovic says. "Although I'm gonna go give my kids a cuddle first. Maybe even swap Sidhe out for Swift although the One knows i'd cry if I lost that stallion. Twice as hard as I'd cry over Sandstorm even."
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Alia looked away a moment, before she turned back to face front, "Perhaps I should have pushed Darius for a child." She shook her head, "Not that we have been married for more than a few months. And children come when they want to come. And I cannot magic a baby to term. But if I had his heir, I could claim the title of Empress in his stead…if he fell." Alia's face hardened, "Though I would be just as likely to burn the Empire to the ground if that happened." Alia lifted a hand waving away her thoughts, "Go and see your children, Dovi. I will see you again."
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Ludovic doesnt seem to quite know how to respond to that. He's still looking at her, trying to decide whats safe and whats not, when she tells him to go see his children. That earns her a big grin and a "Yes Ma'am." before he turns his horse back west.
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Alia watched Ludovic until he was only a small dot on a wide horizon, before she turned back to quicken her pace and rejoin the group.