In the distance, he could see that Fitzer had formed up his men, and was beginning to bring his archers to the front, so that he might pepper General Blackthorn's soldiers. General Blackthorn himself looked ready to begin a charge of his own. A drop in the hill separated the two parties, making the closing of that gap between them all the more treacherous. Each side seemed most willing to play cautiously.
"Fitzer… you ought to win that battle – in the name of your King, I do command it," King Emerson muttered under his breath. It was General Blackthorn of all people, a most formidable enemy, but now the King had dire need of his most trusted General. He couldn't afford to have him waste time on any enemy that was not the one inside his walls.
Chapter 17 – A Castle to Keep
