The sun bore down harshly upon the column of soldiers as they marched at a double quick pace bearing west and north towards their target, rattling of equipment could be heard far and wide as the sound bounced and echoed in all directions. Their hunched and sweaty forms struggled to keep up the rapid pace their prince had set and in the burning heat the toll could be seen on their faces. Wagons groaned loudly as they heaved through the half dried mud and in drier spots the snapping and crackling of the dried clay being battered under hoof sent up puffs of dust that choked soldier, officer and animal alike causing all to cough and wheeze as they marched. Behind them lay the crude bridge that had been thrown up at a low point in the river and it had held long enough for them to pass but only just, and now it was nothing more than a splintered mass floating away into the greater lake formed by the dammed up waters.

Halim did not look back at his soldiers as they hurried forward, the destruction of the bridge had been an unspoken but calculated move. By erasing any ability to go back they could only move forward in the direction of his choosing, there was no longer a line of retreat, he had severed it. Every soldier and officer under his command now knew without being told that the expeditions fortune or folly lay squarely on the shoulders of their prince, their combined courage and finally their ability to obey. The target however was still a distance away and as he surveyed the road ahead his fur prickled a little as another runner came into view. This made three, two were resting for a moment after a long run from the south or enemy capital and now one once more came from the direction of his distant target.

Halim looked them over a moment as they slowed their approach and nodded. "Speak quickly."

"My prince. The road is blocked again, locals have been evacuated along our route and peasant levies raised near as can be gathered. The most forward scouts report the levies are obstructing the roads by digging trenches, felling trees, spiking the road, emptying granaries, burning what can not be taken and..." The scout took a long breath before continuing. "They have begun to resist our efforts to probe their forward defenses."

"They have resisted for three days, what makes this time different? Are they actively seeking us out?"

"Yes my prince, they have begun to ambush the scouts and even attack the larger scouting parties. Not a day ago a levy attacked one of the teams clearing the road in full force, they were driven back with few casualties on either side but they were seen regrouping, but before my departure they were expected to attack again within the hour. As I returned a small band jumped me, I outran them but-" The scout showed where he had been nicked on the arm. "Not entirely without injury. They are showing greater dedication to holding the road."

"Have they an army on this road?"

"Not yet."

"Yet? Is this fact or postulation on your part or that of your officer?" Halim waited for a moment but the confused stare of the scout made him sigh. "A guess, even if it is an educated one based on some degree of fact."

"As you say then my prince."

"And their capital?"

"Only one scout returned, the rest were slain."

"And my other scouts?"

"Most that have been sent towards the capital are missing, presumed dead."

"And their reports?"

"Lost, they were memorized in the event they were captured and there would be no physical papers to capture."

"I had ordered a physical report and not one based on memory which is subject to embellishment... Which is what you were supposed to bring. Not that the other is any better at times."

"Deepest apologies my prince, but the scout leader believed it to be prudent under the circumstances. A physical copy is in hand at the forward unit but my commander is unwilling to risk its capture by the enemy due to the contents, he is holding it until the route is better secured and ordered me to-"

"Yes, yes..." Halim sat and motioned at the second scout while signaling the third to sit and catch his breath. "You may continue."

"The enemy has begun to fortify their capital with all haste, levies have been called upon, runners going west were observed several days ago, the surrounding trench is being cleared with spikes being driven in anticipation of siege. Local wells have been found to be filled in, all peasants have been removed to more fortified positions and put into work details that toil at all hours. Progress is rapid. Number of soldiers in city estimated same, levy doubled in but a fortnight. Watchtowers fully manned, prepared to light signal fires. City towers being prepared to repel siege engines."

"I see..." Halim regarded the scout carefully for a minute, it was possible details had been left out for the sake of memory but those details were important. Without the actual report in his hand much was missing and even more was going to remain unknown until the siege began. His eyes traced to the map on his table and he tapped it quickly before looking at his other scout who had regained their breath somewhat. "You have come directly from this fort then with a report?"

"Yes prince."

"I assume it is memorized as the other?"

"Yes prince."

"Very well then, speak slowly and precisely."

"My prince... I wish to say beforehand that though this is a memorized report, I was present as the events unfolded."

Halim nodded. "Continue."

"They have not abandoned the fort, they have put great effort in repairing any damage from weather or age, the garrison was also increased three fold. Wagons carrying provisions were seen traveling in significant number and departing empty. A spy was sent and noted that all metal smiths were turned to production of arrowheads, spears, other such materials and the fletchers moved to the fort. Coke for the forges was also seen being delivered in great quantity, the smoke billowing from the forts forges was not seen to stop, but I do not know if it has after my departure. It can only be assumed the garrison is one part soldier and will be three to four parts levy. Bricks and oil jars were also being delivered. A few catapults were seen being prepared outside as well as on the towers."

"What of the outposts and watchtowers in the area?"

"All manned with warning fires prepared and ready for burning."

"Father was right, he predicted their actions perfectly but spiking of the road... That is new. They are being too predictable though, acting terrified of my advance but also with a great deal of assurance... These attacks and staying actions are neither panicked nor half frenzied, they are calculated, methodical." Halim looked at their western border and began wondering what had been transpiring with the mercenary raiders. Were they simply confident in their ability to hold out until aid arrived? Or did they know something he did not? It was impossible to scout any further westward than he already had and very, very soon it would be all but impossible to scout ahead of his forces unless it was a reconnaissance in force. With their levies attacking so viciously though...

Looking at the map he examined the roads again and thinking the situation over his father had been right about them holding the marked fortress in the hopes of severing a southerly movement if he "lost" the battle. Their plan would be quite simple and calculated: tie him up at the capital, hold out until the army arrived, destroy him beneath the walls or just after entering the city or if all else failed strike along his path of egress. It was a good plan, simple, effective and did not require a formidable force but it did require one well trained and disciplined to carry out. Levies however, could perform the task of slowing him without issue, and therein lay the problem which was coupled with disastrous weather. They were all vying for time and the battles were becoming far more serious, the largest portion of his own time had been lost by the rain and flood which narrowed the margin for error, something which had become so slim a sneeze could cause defeat for either side.

"Shall I siege their capital? Capturing it is still a simple matter but solidifying my position is the problem. How shall I handle this? A city means garrison to quell dissent, put out fires from the battle, dealing with endless saboteurs and would be assassins. Most will simply lay down and accept things for what they are but those few are the problem and that takes time. Repairs to walls and gates can always wait, but a show of force is required to crush their army as it doubles back to save their lost capital."

The scout continued to wait but made a small coughing sound drawing his attention. "My prince? Shall I return with new orders?"

"No... You, continue to clear the road, scouting is to be done in force and a detachment shall be sent to reinforce the forward units and aid in their efforts. Leave, now you, did you notice any couriers arriving at their fort?"

"Hard to tell my prince with the rush of things but... I can only say, maybe. They were sending out their own and with such numbers coming in any one of them-"

"Did any come from the direct west or north?"

"A few."

Halim waved the scout off and returned his gaze to the map. To the extreme south they had no option but to leave a portion of their forces to square off against the main body along the border but here everything had quickly become very, fluid. How much time was left if any to carry out the plan? By the time they arrived the army would be exhausted beyond measure and while still able to seize the capital it would take days of rest to recuperate. If their opponent arrived in good time and order that would be a problem, if not it mattered not. Defeating them was not normally an issue but if they suddenly appeared elsewhere... Looking at the map more closely he drew a line from the western edge and did what his father had not predicted: that they might allow their capital to fall by sacrificing the expendable levies in favor of building up a greater host elsewhere.

It was in all honesty a novel idea as he mulled it over, one no ruler in their right mind would permit but they had been at war with each other for some time now and had come to know each other quite well. Sacrificing the capital was insanity at its best but not when they also had a prize in mind: him. No one else would or could be trusted with this task and only a fool would think otherwise. He was a known quantity to both sides, a fact, not a fiction. How much were they willing to sacrifice in order to capture or kill him?

No, that was not it. Stopping to lean back a moment to relax in his chair he thought it over again as he considered everything more rationally, maybe it was paranoia or the desire to see an opponent try to outwit his father or himself even once? Was it self aggrandizement to think himself so valuable they would give up a city just to get him? They had provided a challenge in the past but had made a very poor showing of themselves in the last war, had they corrected their errors? There was only one way to answer such a question and that was with a spy, but it would take a considerable effort to contact them at such a dire time yet it was still possible. If the royal family had or was preparing to leave it would tell him what he needed to know, then again their inner cloister could be held for some time against his efforts if they were careful. To do so would trap him in a vice as his enemies poured in on from all sides.

Another tell tale sign was the fort, they were collecting great quantities of food and supplies for a long siege but it was also quite possible they were doing something else entirely: Stockpiling for an army.

Shifting his gaze along the map following the route an army would take after abandoning the western edge of their kingdom his mind raced through the numbers. A direct line from the west to the capital would take far too long and they would arrive exhausted as there was no forts to resupply from along that particular route. However, if they drove hard east along a smaller road they would arrive on top of the fortress in question and then be in a position to march due north to the capital and increase their number from the local levy. Was this their plan? To hold him as long as they could at the capital or even sacrifice it so a larger group approached from behind?

His gut told him something was not quite right, too much was guesswork and not enough facts were in place. Reaching into a nearby pile of papers he yanked out the last spy reports he had received and began pouring over them rapidly searching for the details he needed. Endless drivel, notes, details on garrison numbers, and even more useless details swam before his vision before he finally stopped and flattened one report out. Every side had their underbelly, he was that of his own, the sole heir to the throne. For them it was not so simple, there were several options and but one stood to reason. Looking over the names of departures from the capital a trend formed very quickly including one that went west. As it stood most of the royal family was absent save the queen, a princess and one less than optimal choice for the throne. However, a competent noble remained in their capital no doubt to handle defense.

All the rest were gone. All of them. Was it purely by chance? Their destinations were guesswork, but logical. Some went to the far south with the main body, one west and the other now sat in the very fort in question. He had not moved either, the scout had not reported any great rush to the north but a steady, methodical buildup. The minor prince was apparently completely unconcerned with the capital and was happy to sit safely to the side and watch as he took the throne from all of them. Or maybe he was waiting on something else? No doubt they had their own spies but this plan was a tightly kept secret. However, one could only do so much and even though they had gone to great length to obscure their activity so it was therefor possible a spy had noticed something.

Halim dropped the paper onto the table and closed his eyes, he had to make a decision and immediately. Would they sacrifice their capital to get him? No. Were they willing to sacrifice others to get him? Yes. Did they have plans for what to do if they were besieged? Of course. Did they now have the time to carry out those plans? Yes. Was a sizeable force on the way? Yes. Were other forces on the way? No, but they were mustering rapidly and judging by the original garrison size, a threefold increase was dire even if they were peasant levy. Was the bulk of his targets away? Yes. Did it matter? Not entirely. Did he have the supplies to lay siege? Yes. Survive a counter siege? No. Defeat them in the field? Possibly, but that now depended on other factors.

"Yet there is but one true question to ask... Can I take their capital, hold it, rest my forces and then march out to defeat them before they arrive..." Staring at the map again his eyes locked on the fortress. Something about it continued to bother him and closing his eyes again he let out a long sigh. "No. No, I no longer have the time required to capture, consolidate and advance. If I take and consolidate I can not advance in time. Should I burn the city and leave? No... It would be a waste. Leave it behind? It would be a trifling matter to capture it again... Not possible, I need supplies and the city must be held for that purpose. Capturing it with great haste is key so they do not have time to spoil their stockpiles. My army is exhausted from the weather and terrain, I need three days rest for them to be properly rested for a pitched battle. Capturing the capital will deny me that time. They shall come, I shall be exhausted... They shall be exhausted, but." He looked at the fortress. "From the south they shall bring up fresh troops to harass and deny me rest while they plan their next move."

A rainstorm had complicated matters, a flood hampered their efforts and now the mud had sealed their fate. He could advance no further and realistically expect a reasonably acceptable outcome, so much had been accounted for in exhaustive detail but the weather had proven to be the one enemy that no one could overcome; and now come tomorrow the wagons would have to be chiseled from the dried clay costing them many precious hours.

"Our time ran out days ago." Halim clicked his tongue and stood. "It would be pointless to drag this out. We shall turn south when we reach the trail, bypass the capital and march towards their fortress. They have anticipated this move but not so soon and will not be fully prepared for an onslaught as they expect me to attack their capital first and I shall oblige their theory."

The detachments would continue to make their way towards the capital and provide a feint against them, if they drove hard enough the enemy would fall back and secure themselves behind their walls rather than look beyond them. By the time they realized it was a feint he would nearly be at the fortress and in a short time batter their gates down. His details were sketchy but he did know the walls of everything to his south were lower than that of the capital; a fine detail to know. With the prepared equipment on hand the soldiers would be ever more at ease going up the large siege ladders which would be more like ramps allowing them to swarm over the enemy. The trick would be to attack at night. Their levies were dedicated and decently trained but two minor skirmishes in the last war had taught him an important factor: they were horrible at night fighting. As for their soldiers? They could perform quite well under almost any circumstance but that is not what resided at the fort now, it was three quarters levy and one part soldiers. By arrival it would have not changed as there were no other garrisons to draw from and most likely a portion of those soldiers were now manning the outposts and watchtowers.

The outposts and towers would be poorly garrisoned however as he was expected to go advance on the capital and not them, the perfect target for what few auxiliaries he had. What they expected was an army marching south along the road and not one marching up a trail, but they had manned the outposts anyway and they would die. While the enemy panicked about their capital he would blind side them to the south and continue on his course. It was no longer a war of capturing territory but of so upsetting the balance of power which would shatter their resolve and cause no small amount of internal struggle. With so many of the royal family now in the field he had been given an opportunity his father never had: to cut the head from the snake. Many little heads were dancing around the map and if he denied them the chance to unite he could crush them in detail, if he managed to sack the right towns and minor cities along the way those nobles loyal to the king would fall prey to his whim. In droves they would slay them until the land was bereft of leadership, soldiers to maintain order and levies too panicked to raise arms against him.

"Would they fall for it though... Yes, they have no choice. With everything burned between here and the capital in a feint, destruction to their south, loss of nobles, royalty and a struggle to give chase less I burn the rest of their kingdom to the ground?" Halim began counting what would be worth saving as he looked at the map. "Burn only what I must to anger them fully, leave the rest for when I conquer them... From the south they will not advance, not at first no, they will stay their hand for fear that it is a ruse to drop their guard along the border and be torn to shreds by the main army so they shall sit still. The longer they sit still the more I burn, the more I burn the angrier they will become. I need to draw them in, crush them in detail, deny a pitched battle until it matters most. But where..."

Scanning the map proved almost pointless as without texts describing the various regions the map had nothing more than names, locations and other less helpful details. Plenty of roads existed however to bypass the border and link up with the main army long before they cut him off or even simply depart and head into neutral lands, which were mostly contested by Sibusiso. He would not challenge it though, a few gold coins and he would gurgle with glee and run away to hide them like the striped baboon that he was. But, this was only the beginning.

"Kill them all? No... Kill those loyal and leave the rest. The king will be surrounded by those disloyal and now seeking to fill the voids I have created, he will have no choice but to promote or infuriate them as he promotes others to those positions. Discontent shall reign, his standing will erode, blame will strangle them for months or years until they are incapable of decision making. A few assassinations here and there by my own agents targeting those of both sides will only fan the flames of hatred until a civil war begins and then they shall destroy themselves for us. All I have but to do is walk in and take what is rightfully mine. None will oppose me as we bring order out of chaos and they will be grateful for the bloodshed to stop and stop it shall, it shall stop in one last great blood letting as their "leadership" is put to the block."

Walking to the door of his wagon he called for his officers to enter and waited on their arrival. Stepping in they quickly circled around his table and from the looks on their faces some were concerned and others blank faced. Tapping the enemy capital a few eyes lit up and others continued to look concerned as he appraised their opinions beforehand.

"We will not be laying siege to their capital."

A silence hung in the air as they all stared first at the map, then him and finally to each other before a wave of questions bombarded him all at once. Holding up his hand he waited as they quickly stopped talking and finally slid the old report to them. Reading it quickly in turn they all looked confused as the most senior officer finally spoke.

"This report is quite old my prince, what baring does it have now?"

"As you are well aware we have run out of time but therein..." He pointed at the document. "Lays a new opportunity for us, one my father had not thought of."

"No offense my prince, but his desire was for you to conquer this kingdom and force them to kneel before their rightful king and prince."

"They shall, but not today. Nor tomorrow, nor the day after. But they shall."

"If not now, when?"

"When it is time, to take them now would cause pointless casualties amongst my soldiers and I have no desire to do so. There is a new plan, we will march south when we reach this trail... Here. A detachment will continue towards their capital with orders to ravage the countryside and make it appear that we are still quite serious in our intent. Instead of just holding off their levies they shall actively destroy them, when they have reached... Here, they shall turn back and retreat with great haste. By then our enemy should have secured themselves quite well in their city. The army however will be marching on this fortress which we shall take from them and kill the prince who is currently residing within. Small forces shall be sent here and here to cut the road in advance in the event he tries to flee but we must beat their army to the fortress, sack it and move on. We shall then move south and continue on our way. These towns here, shall be our targets. By sacking them it shall destabilize their kingdom and force them to give chase until we reach this region where we shall wait on them and destroy whoever is following us in details as they most likely branch out along the various small roads said to be in the region in order to give chase."

"What of their main body on our border?"

"We bypass them, they will sit on their hands for fear of being attacked from behind by my fathers main army. By the time they react in force it will be far too late to save their princes and nobles. I do believe they shall send detachments north to reinforce their new "main body" as things progress and word spreads. Enough shall remain to act as a deterrent though."

"How exactly shall this destabilize their kingdom my prince? Raiding has never yielded-"

Halim raised his hand silencing them. "We are not raiding for the sake of it, we are hunting down their nobility while forcing their royalty to give chase until it suits us. A wise king or prince will not trust his disloyal nobles to important tasks, they shall be given minor details. Ones that keep them out of the way, by avoiding those places we ensure they survive, by sacking those places they consider important we drive a wedge. Their princes will not march to war with those of questionable loyalty, that is why I am going to draw them after us along a set route. When all is said and done they will be lacking in leadership and unity, as blame is thrown and tempers flare over what we are about to do the kingdom will begin to dissolve. All it will need at that point are small nudges in the right places. We need only watch and wait as their desire to assign blame and punish those responsible, which shall be too many to name, poisons them from within. They will be incapable of naming a single scapegoat either, as it shall prove to be too all consuming a matter."

"A most... Ambitious plan my prince if I have ever heard one. You propose not one siege but many and while we are being chased no less. The time it takes to lay siege-"

"We shall do to them as they have done to us in order to purchase time, we have a plentiful collection of their crude bronze spikes now, as we can not just abandon them less they collect them and re-use them. As we depart the roads shall be made into an entanglement buying time, their own tactic turned on them. A few well placed skirmishes and rear guard actions will slow them even more, it is easier to buy time than to maintain a schedule. They have no choice either way, they must pursue us with haste and as the pressure mounts mistakes will be made and that is when we strike, at the zenith of their despair and anger. Destroyed in detail, that is how we are going to end them, not with one major blow as my father proposed but with thousands of tiny cuts that bleed them out. We are going to star a civil war."

"I-... My prince, what you propose is most unorthodox and contrary to all known strategies."

"Which is why it shall work so well, no one is expecting, but neither can they fathom anything such as this. They shall not unite to defend themselves against us but questions of their very ability to govern properly shall be put into grave doubt seeing as they already lost the last war, we are rubbing salt in their still open wounds. There shall be no doubt in their mind that we will not invade again but now they know there are even fewer they can trust, fewer to command well if at all."

Halim watched them with a cold, harsh stare and as they looked at the map half nodded quickly as he expected, they knew the situation was hopeless. The others however had deep reservations which was to be expected but they slowly came around after asking for more details and by the time everyone had departed his orders were not in question. He doubted any of them would have even considered this new plan a few years ago, but after proving himself in many actions and campaigns from a very young age their faith in him had begun to become more solid. This was his first true campaign without supervision of his father, but also a complete departure from the approved plan and they had just handed him the reigns of power. He smiled and sat down, his father would be proud, not only would be crush the enemy and capture their whole kingdom but he would do it not as an invading enemy but as a savior. Bringer of peace, security and order.

He had not told them everything though, there was more to it than that. A possibility had come to mind that they were not in fact reacting to him but to older enemies to their north east, the army had after all marched along a route once well guarded and the sudden shock may have deceived them into thinking his army was someone else's. If it were true, they would not permit their capital to fall and the defense would be most volatile and dedicated, the mustering at the fort then was nothing more than a backup plan in case whatever plan they were following failed to withstand the attack. Was this true though? Perhaps, there were still too many possibilities but if they were making this mistake his efforts would be made easier. It meant their main body would most likely not budge from the border until it was too late for fear that his fathers army would pour over the border thus taking advantage of the situation. An invasion on two fronts, a most dire circumstance indeed, and they would be right to fear it for his father most certainly would not pass up such an opportunity.

Was this true though? He had no evidence to support it, only a hunch; but it was now becoming ever more a very real possibility. Every move they made was not panicked but slow and methodical, rehearsed. Behind him lay the ridges covered in abandoned towers from long ago, wars forgotten and enemies ignored. They had become sheltered by facing new enemies while the old went elsewhere and as the pieces slowly fell in place it appeared they were reacting more to an old enemy than to an invasion by his own kingdom. Something had been missing from all of his fathers reports, calculations and details: that by taking the eastern route to invade their kingdom that their enemy might respond as if the invading host had come from Enuba. Decades ago but still within living memory this had been the case, tribes brutally hacked each other down, they were invaded by bandits along this same route. They had sacked villages along the border and threatened the heart of their kingdom many times until they were finally put down or moved on.

Those same bandits and tribes were gone, but only because they had set their sights elsewhere and thrown their lot in with larger powers. Powers that now ruled Enuba, a kingdom which had continued to steadily expand its borders until it dwarfed his own in power. It was no secret that they had tried to take Paje at least once and had been forced to fall back due to outside circumstances. Today, patrols still existed on the eastern fringe of Bwani, not to a serious extent but they were there none the less and in force. If they well and truly believed he was someone else entirely as their response was the opposite of how they had reacted to his last invasion, it was possible they were suffering from a case of mistaken identity.

Experience had taught him that a mad rush had taken place to throw up a blocking army on the border and the last time he made a detour to assault one of their towns and the response had been much the same later on. Speed, they did not wait nor tarry whenever his forces had appeared but now they were doing exactly that. No great rush to send what they could, but instead a slow and smoldering delaying action was taking place while forces that could be sent were withheld. Forces that were desperately needed if they did indeed know it was he who they faced. It was almost funny to him, they were responding in the wrong way but due to his newfound circumstances their strategy would actually bear fruit. Had it not rained quite as much their mistake would have proven fatal, but a storm had just proven them right and it was now enough to destroy him.

Halim looked down at the map again and thought it over again, there was a very easy way to test this theory of his during the very first engagement and as his new campaign progressed it would either prove itself true outright or be dashed against the wall. So far however, it appeared they were not preparing to fight him, but fend off someone else. If this was indeed true then they were making a horrible mistake that would allow him to buy time and carry out the new plan while avoiding the catastrophe that would befall them if he assaulted their capital. This plan would also unwittingly pander to such a belief, it was similar to what they had faced a considerable time ago and with a few modifications he might even be able to convince them they were at war with someone else entirely when in fact they were not. With a few changes his forces would look no different than that of Enuba. Opportunities had been lost but new ones were beginning to boil to the surface and they would be grasped and used, the more chaos he sowed, the more doubt that was planted in their minds the more fruit this poisoned harvest would bear for them. It was no longer an act of conquest but a marauding war of doubt, confusion, fear, anger and terror.

A war that would inspire the peasants to look for leadership to unite them against a common enemy while the nobility squabbled amongst themselves, passed blame, fought over power, right of succession and then lash out wildly with accusations that would appear utterly insane to all but those of the inner circle. At first they would be willing to fight as one, to repel the coming invasion from Enuba, but when it failed to show their pettiness would explode as they vied for higher social standing and power while his own kingdom would sit quietly and be more interesting in "something else." Seizing this chance the nobles would destroy their own kingdom once his assassins picked off a few here and there or at least made a good show of it, maybe a few sons and daughters who had been betrothed would be picked off. In the end it would all work out in his favor, it would take time and effort to toy with them and while it was not a tactic he particularly cared for it was necessary this time. Halim continued to look at his path and drew up a second route that would pander to this new theory, one that would help convince them they were indeed marauders from Enuba. One that would bring his forces safely home and intact while throwing his enemy in disarray. Glancing at the remaining scout he waved them off quickly, he needed time to think.

"Chaos shall be set loose upon this land and from that chaos I shall bring order. Even if I must choke it out of them."