Bayhead encampment

"Ha ha ha, You're an interesting fellow, but I'm tired of Nobles, I really don't want to work with you, so it's a No." The Old Wolf told me. "Look's like that you misunderstood me, it wasn't an offer, it was an order, and I'm not a Noble, I just got rid of them." "Hmm, Interesting, but why do you want me, there are sure better people for that role." "You are a 100% true, but I can't get them, and I'm in a dire need of a local with military experience. If you're son, Hans, would be older I would not bother with you, but he's still to young, and trusts you to much. You left the town with only 35 Guards men, how many people live in this Town?" "When I left, there was 3.000 men, plus women and children." He answered my question. "And the sailors, merchants, and the people in the slums, I'd say 10-12 thousand people are in the city, there are around 300 men for one guard, and your son didn't even questioned this amount. At least he kept the patrol pattern, that's the only good point of his for now." I added to his estimations. "Why did you left your post truly? It wasn't just the nobles, was it?" I asked him. Before he told me his answer, he thought for a moment, probably thinking back. "The Former Lord, the one before those, which you banished, he was a good man, he helped all those who lived in the slums, and ruled rightfully, but he was blind, he couldn't see the corruption in the Town watch, his right hand man, collected extra taxes. When he adopted me, and later made me the leader of the town watch, I slowly started to weed out the corruption. For a while it worked, I think there was some time, when there wasn't any corruption, but he was assassinated, and the new leadership was even worse, I couldn't fight them, my hands were tide behind my back, so I started to fight them where I could. Most of the Bandit groups in the Barbaric Pasture are funded by them, well not any more. I left my post to my Son, and left with most of the Town Watch to fight the Bandits, there were 200 of us, now there's just 20... but looks like my son was a bigger fool, blindly following the leaders." He told me his story. "So, you heard my story, now tell me, did you knew about the leaderships corruption or about their crimes, what made you banish them?" He asked me, it was a good question, well probably most of my men would want to know the answer to, but they know not to ask questions if not needed. "Well... You told me your story, then why not..." Then I told him my plans, I made sure not to be heard by anyone else, because it would not make me that good of a guy in the end.

~Later~

Franco's POW:

Matthew was acting weird, did he got upset because he wasn't acknowledged as a hero, or why? If it's something else, I want to know why. Wait, is he planning something big? That could be it, he never cared about building a Fix camp, Gawain and Amauri told me, that one time they camped outside of Mistwatch for a month in the winter, and this new Army design, it's complex, he usually orders us to harass the enemy with smaller Squads, until the right time comes to strike, I think he called it Guerrilla warfare.

"Sir Franco, we are here." The Hans told me, we rode for half a day towards the Whimsical Savanna, and beyond that, to the East is Murrim, the Kingdom of dwarfs. To the South of us is Silver town, the 'capital' of the Free Cities, it's about two and a half days on Horse back, and beyond that is the Kingdom of Athrax. "How far are we from Ironshore exactly? I asked "Well about 20 km." Well, it's not a bad place, we're still in the influence zone of Ironshore, how many villages are nearby, and what is their main income?" "There are 4, the closest is Barringcour, it's has some farms and it has the only Bridge over the creek here, then there's Sailsborg, it's at the entrance of the Fjord, most of the villagers are fisher men. Claywall is the biggest in the area, they have some secured pastures, and some fields. The last one is Rolling Oak, they're woodcutters and hunters. They even have a Sawmill." Hans explained quickly. "You could ask them for supplies in exchange of protection, it even help the area to develop." He added.

"Alright, we've seen enough, it's a good place to set up a fort. Let's go home, in the double time so I can report today." I told him as I got on my horse, and then we left. Hans was riding in front while talking with one of the privates, while I talked with some officers about what would we need.

~In the evening~

Matthew's POW:

I was talking with the Old Wolf , about what kind of training drills they'll need to do, when Franco stepped in the meeting room.

"Sir, I'm back with the report." He waited at the door. "Alright, step in." "The area is good, we can supply the base from the close by villages, there's even a Sawmill in the area, so we don't need caravans to bring wood there for fortifications. If we build the base to the maximum possible size we could, I think we could house around 10.000 men there, but I think that we should cut back from it a little, and rather build up some stables, a forge, a administrative building, and a big warehouse." Franco gave me his report, in as much detail as he could. "Alright, take Amauri and his men, and start to set up camp, there's no need for fortifications yet, Just measure out the area, and draw up some plans, I'll go there in a week myself, but I have to arrange the new leadership here, and take a look at our income, and expenses. Is that alright?" I replied to his report. "Yes Sir! We'll leave immediately." He stated. "In the morning, you have to rest. Good night." I told him. "Good Night Sir!" He replied and left. Then looked at the Old Wolf, and told him to leave. After he left I sat down and started to relax, when someone knocked at the door. "Come in!" As the door opened, a young Merchant steeped in. "Ahh, hello Kathy, how can I help you?" I asked her. "You don't have to, I just came to say that I'm leaving for a while, a Caravan is leaving for High Oasis in the morning, so I'll be away for about 1-2 months." She said with a regret on her face. "And I couldn't leave without apologizing, the other day I got you drunk and took advantage of you, and probably got you in trouble with Hannah. Sorry." She continued with tears in her eyes.

While she was crying in the door I stepped up to her and gave her a hug. "Don't worry, I don't even remember, and Hannah would not be mad at me because of this, she's a good childhood friend of mine." She then looked at me. "But..." There's no buts, if you are just leaving because of this, then please just stay, I need a good friend with me." I asked here to stay. "Sorry, I can't. I already got my crew ready to leave, and have ware to sell there. I'll see you in two months." She told me, then just left.

"What was this?" This was the only thing that I could think about. After this I went straight to bed.

~Next day~

Dan's POW:

"Alright, the Fifth and Eighth Infantry squad will be swapped with the First and Second Cavalry squad. So that only leaves 450 men on camp duty, but you'll have some recon capabilities, while we'll have some stationary Guards here, is that good with you?" I gave the task to the squad leads, whom agreed, and left me alone in my office room. I was given the task of managing the patrols after the first night, when I heard that Matthew almost sent out all our Infantry, I almost coughed up blood.

The patrols are easy to set up, but an important job. I knew that this is how Matthew and the others were testing me, so I went with the safest set up. Ironshore has 3 gates, The west one, the Golden gate, the south gate, which is the main gate, the Coachman's gate, and lastly the East one, the Barbaric gate. A stationed 10-20-10 men on it from the Infantry squads. The remaining 10 men were split up in to two groups, to men the two wooden towers of the town, the Wyvern, and Traders lookout. The Fifth and Eighth squad change each other daily. On walk patrols there are 4 groups, each with 10 men, they're from the cavalry squads, they change every 8 hour. The remaining 30 men are guarding the Town hall and the Dungeon. The Town Watch guards the New, and the Old ports, I don't know in which order, because it's Hans's duty. I think I did a good job.

"...Dan, DAN!!" I jumped a little, as I took a look who was shouting my name, I calmed down.

"Hello Sir, how can I help you?" "The Patrol, are you finished with the set up?" He asked me. "Yes, here's how I set it up." I handed him the papers, after a while he nodded, and agreed. "Yeah this seems fine, I didn't knew while you changed up my order, but now I know. Good job" He praised me. "Thank you, Sir." "Shall we take a walk, I didn't even seen my new Town, I'm eager to see it." Matthew stated. "Alright, where to first?" I agreed after I packed away. "To the Iron Tree, I need to pay them a visit."