The Plan to Lure Out the Grand Duke's Forces

Lev had awoken in the early hours of the next morning. It was still dark, and a few isolated stars lingered stationary in the sky. It was in a moment such as this, when given time alone to ponder, that Lev wished he had a cigarette. However, due to the pack either not being on his body when awaking in this world, or being confiscated within the Grand Duke's dungeon, the jittery Captain was left without his much-needed alleviation.

The feudal village, left forgotten and desolate by the oligarchical powers, was otherwise beautiful under the nights sky. The breeze was subtle, yet strong enough to make the crops rustle. With all his men noticeably asleep, some on the dirt ground and others leant against the dainty walls of huts, Lev arose and crept over to the fields.

He knew that the proceeding campaign would diminish his in-the-moment calmness. Indeed, the deeds that would be carried out, both under his guidance and as spontaneous reactions to the uprising, would be violent. The bourgeois of this world were estranged to a degree incomparable to modern circumstances. Hence, retribution would be demanded by the masses on a scale comparative to – if not exceeding – the Bolshevik orchestrated Red Terror.

[It must be done… the Lords must not only be disarmed, but annihilated lest they ever try to reclaim their prominence]

With this moral justification, Lev began to plan the immediate road ahead. Firstly, it was recalled that the Baron had gone personally to warn the Grand Duke, hence leaving his estate empty, aside from family and servants. In truly liberating the surrounding villages, and in releasing the righteous anger of his soldiers, it was deemed a necessity to liberate this building; that had for years acted almost as a prison tower, from which the Baron watched down on his serfs, ensuring their obedience. Moreover, although the Grand Duke's chateau was relatively close in proximity, sacking the immediately close estates was prioritized as a means of maintain the momentum; lest they devote the next few days solely marching to the chateau, with no momentum or fervor. As the sun gradually forced light unto the night sky, Lev remained in contemplation.

"Plotting and scheming, Captain?" spoke a voice, disturbing the otherwise serene silence. The voice was attached to Ivan, who had awoken from his slumber to see his leader overlooking the crop fields.

"How far is the Grand Duke's chateau?" Lev responded thusly, turning his head to the Sergeant. Scratching his head and looking into the distance, Ivan tried to calculate an approximation. When finally deciding upon a rough estimate, he responded:

"Roughly a one-day march north… that is, if we march with no breaks and everyone maintains the same pace. If you're inquiring about the Baron, he would have arrived there not long ago"

It would be impossible for the Grand Duke to raise the required levies within a day. As such, it could be inferred that he would either deploy his Royal Guards or fortify his chateau. At first, lev was inclined to believe that the impotent and incompetent ruler would indeed be foolish enough to march out his entire Royal Guard. Yet, with consideration to the sway and influence held by the militarily competent Count, it was more likely they would go with the latter option.

"What about the Baron's estate?" Lev followed up, trying to decide the best path ahead.

"It's situated outside the next village over… I'd say at most a few hours away"

Lev continued staring into the distance, his eyes darting around and observing the swaying crops. If he were correct in his assumptions regarding the impossibility to raise levies within the contextual time frame, and the resultant defensive confinement of the Royal Guards within the palace, then the solution was rather simple. They would either need to be lured out, or more men would need to be recruited by the rebels in the instance that a siege take place. Additionally, a plan would need to be made quick before the stand-in guardian of the estate were to notice the presence of rebel fighters in his neighboring village. To this end, there was one way in which all these objectives could be achieved. Accordingly, Lev broke the sudden silence and introduced his plan:

"The Count would never deploy his Royal Guard… it would leave the Grand Duke and his chateau defenseless. Afterall, for all they know we are marching towards the palace right at this very moment. Rather than fall into this trap, I suggest we go to all the surrounding villages, raiding the estates and recruiting the peasantry… the Grand Duke will ultimately be forced to deploy his men, lest we keep endlessly expanding our forces and polarizing the populace… whatever we do, with our current numbers, we cannot conduct a siege".

"I take it we will want to get going soon then, before the Grand Duke can act and before whoever is inhabiting the estate in the Baron's absence notices our presence … I'll go wake and gather the men" Ivan replied. Throughout the spiel, he had been nodding in agreeance as the plan seemed logical and coherent.

Soon enough, the village was packed with figures lined shoulder-to-shoulder. The blacksmiths, farmhands and wrights that had enlisted as volunteers the day prior also joined the crowd with their tools and weapons. In announcing his plan, Lev made a momentary change. That is, due to the rebel army now numbering over one-hundred-and-twenty in strength, it was decided that the force would be split; with Maxim's band partaking in the sacking of the estate, whilst Ivan's would turn to the next village over as to recruit more soldiers. Though, before commencing and going ahead with this plan, Lev made clear that the servants of the estate were to be spared and possibly recruited.

"Captain, what about his son? That's the bastard he left in charge when he rode to meet the Grand Duke, and if you ask me, he's no better than his father!" opined a voice belonging to a local of the village. This is what Lev had dreaded most; having to provide the order that had until now only existed in the realm of theory. As such, he paused before speaking. Then, shaking away the nerves, he stood tall and steely. In a commanding voice, he ordered:

"For his crimes in association with the Baron, this stand-in guardian of the estate… that is, the son… will be executed. As for any other family, such as woman and children… they will be removed and exiled from the luxurious confines of their estate and forced to roam amongst the squalor that they themselves helped enforce".

With this, the plan was established. Ivan and Maxim prepared their men, and ingratiated the new members enlisted from the peasantry into the ranks. Then, once both parties were prepared, the two brothers shook hands, swore to see another once again, and leader their respective forces in opposing directions. Smiling at the devotion both men shared for one another, Lev approached and then stood aside Maxim and took lead of his forces.