Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

The tent was as big as an entire house,its fabric fluttering from the wind. Inside, rows of makeshift beds crafted from hay and covered with threadbare blankets lined the space, . Physicists and nurses after dealing with the low numbers of wounded , found themselves with time to waste.

It had been four days since the enemy army arrived, and the cunning gift Alpheo had left for them which deprived them of any cannon fodder , had surely raised the ire of their leadership. The progress on filling the moat to breach the city's defenses had been slow, hindered by the relentless barrage of stones hurled by the defenders. Every attempt by the enemy workers to approach the moat with sacks of dirt on their backs was met with a rain of projectiles, causing casualties to mount and forcing the enemy prince to reconsider his tactics.In the end he decided to build wooden fence to protect the workers from stones .

Alpheo, ever vigilant, seized every opportunity to disrupt the enemy's plans. Regular sorties were launched from the safety of the city gates, with small bands of two hundred men venturing out to engage the workers. Armed with little more than shovels and hammers, the enemy laborers stood little chance against the trained fighters of the city,out they went and in the return. And each time the enemy's efforts to fill the moat were continually thwarted.

As a result, despite the looming threat of siege, the defenders found themselves enjoying a relative peace within the city walls. With the enemy's progress stymied and their own defenses holding strong, even the officers and higher-ranking men had found themselves with idle hands.

''How are my men?'' Alpheo asked in a loud voice as he walked inside the medical tent , causing the wounded men inside to cheer at their captain. He was not one to idly stand by when there was work to be done, and so he made it a point to visit the injured soldiers, seeking to bolster their spirits and raise morale among the troops, since there was nothing else to do. Despite the grim circumstances, the atmosphere in the tent was surprisingly upbeat, with the wounded soldiers engaged in conversation and occasional attempts at flirtation with the attending nurses.

Fortunately, the number of casualties was relatively low, no more than thirty, all sustained during the recent sortie. For every one of their own men injured, at least three of the enemy lay dead. The more they attacked however the more the prince increased the number of troops standing on guards , which caused Alpheo to reduce the frequency of sorties , opting instead to focus on hurling stones and arrows from the safety of the city walls.

The wounded soldiers received attentive care from the physicians and nurses, their injuries tended to with meticulous care. Bandages were washed and boiled, wounds disinfected with a mixture of boiled wine and vinegar. While these measures significantly reduced the risk of infection, there remained a lingering possibility, albeit minimized, due to the limitations of available resources. Alpheo had considered the use of honey for its antibacterial properties, but its cost proved impossible to mantain leaving them to rely on more economical alternatives such as vinegar, wine, and boiled water.

''We are doing fine Captain!'' One of the men shouted back with a bandage in his shoulder

''How is the wound?'' Alpheo asked as he eyed the bandage to make sure it was properly done

''It's just a scratch, it takes more to take down a bull'' They both laughed.

''Can't wait to have you among us again soldier'' He patted his shoulder before going to the next.And so like this each of the wounded received a pat on the shoulder from their captain, allowing them to amke short talk before finally leaving . On the way out however, Alpheo approached the fat butcher-doctor.

He too for now had nothing to do and after having treated the soldier he allowed himself to rest. ''Should I be notifed of anything?'' Alpheo asked as he eyed the man

He shook his head ''No captain,everything is fine , we are still high on supply and the guards you sent me did a good job at keeping away unwanted guests out . All in all , I have no reason to complain ''

Alpheo nodded, pleased to hear the positive report. "Good to hear, Agalasios. Keep up the good work with the wounded. And if you need anything, don't hesitate to let me know."

The butcher-doctor returned the nod, his expression grateful. "Of course, Captain. I'll be sure to inform you if anything comes up."

With that, Alpheo turned to leave the tent, his mind already shifting to the tasks that lay ahead.The flap rustling softly behind him as he stepped out into the cool night air. His gaze instinctively turned towards the city walls, where hundreds of peple stood there, some just gazing other knocking arrows and stones to the front line .

As he scanned the streets below, he noticed that there were few people out and about. The usually bustling thoroughfares were eerily quiet, the only sound being the occasional whisper of the wind as it swept through the deserted alleyways.

Suddenly, movement caught his eye—a flash of blonde hair darting through the shadows. Alpheo furrowed his brows, curious as to why he was running -

As the figure drew closer, Alpheo recognized the child running towards him. It was Ratto, his cupbearer who apparently he also made him be his message bearer, as as he run he kept swinging a piece of parchment into his hand

Without hesitation, Alpheo began to walk towards him, his footsteps echoing softly against the cobblestones.

As Ratto handed Alpheo the letter, the boy's breath came in short gasps, his anxiety palpable in the air. Alpheo took the missive, his fingers tracing the rough texture of the parchment it was already broken, as he always had missive read by the assistant of the previous captain, a young man called Shahil .

''What it says?'' He asked to Ratto as he believed that he should have already been told of his content. After all Alpheo still did not know how to read.

A smile slowly spread across the boy's face ''News from the capital, the prince is moving with his army and he is coming here''

With a gentle pat on Ratto's head,yhe smile on Alpheo's face widened, the weight of the siege lifting from his shoulders ever so slightly. "It was time he got on the move....still it is a good new, the end of the siege is in sight. We just need to hold out for a few more days, and then we'll be able to march out of this city.Perhaps I should be sharing the news with the troops they will certainly be happy.''As he said so he turned to the boy ''since you are here follow me there are few things I want to show you. ''As he said so he started moving towards the gate , the air seemed to became lighter as the end of the siege was finally on sight.