[War is war - awful, gory, full of terrible realities and so, so much death. Sylvain didn't miss this little tent one bit, how it always smelled like candle smoke and mildew and blood. But that's just the nature of things when one had to pack up and move quickly on a moment's notice. Nothing ever dries after rain, nothing is ever entirely clean, no one can ever get a full night's rest.
At least with the cold creeping in, the Empire's forces will be at a disadvantage, their Southern constitutions unable to handle it as well as the Northern forces. He was left to hope that would help at the time - the Empire still had the numbers to wipe them out, if they got a foothold. It was just a matter of ensuring they didn't.]
I'm writing to my father. We're short on supplies and soldiers, and with the current battle at the border won, he was able to send enough to keep us going for another couple months. I also sent him letters to pass on to Ingrid, if anyone ever got through into Galatea, and to Felix, since his contact with Fraldarius territory was easier to maintain than mine, since he was based out of our home, and Rodrigue - Duke Fraldarius - was based out of his own. I didn't hear back from them for months.
[It's about then that the Sylvain of a few years ago finishes his letters, folds them, presses his seal to them, steps to the doorflap of the tent to look out and get someone's - anyone's - attention.
"Hey - make sure our fastest pegasus... yes, Sigrun... is fed and watered. I need Yvette to take these letters to the Margrave as soon as she wakes up for her watch. I'll take her shift personally. Tell her I'll grant her a week of leave if she makes it there by noon tomorrow."
After that... well, it's clear he needs rest. It's clear he knows he needs rest, but all the same, he's back to his desk and studying maps in the dim light, making updates here and there in the margins and on the lands themselves in regard to troop position, numbers, even the makeup of battalions, where mages and archers are stationed, when he knows it. It doesn't look good, with how much of the map is covered in bright, red notes, lines, how their numbers are easily three or more times higher than those written in black.]
no subject
At least with the cold creeping in, the Empire's forces will be at a disadvantage, their Southern constitutions unable to handle it as well as the Northern forces. He was left to hope that would help at the time - the Empire still had the numbers to wipe them out, if they got a foothold. It was just a matter of ensuring they didn't.]
I'm writing to my father. We're short on supplies and soldiers, and with the current battle at the border won, he was able to send enough to keep us going for another couple months. I also sent him letters to pass on to Ingrid, if anyone ever got through into Galatea, and to Felix, since his contact with Fraldarius territory was easier to maintain than mine, since he was based out of our home, and Rodrigue - Duke Fraldarius - was based out of his own. I didn't hear back from them for months.
[It's about then that the Sylvain of a few years ago finishes his letters, folds them, presses his seal to them, steps to the doorflap of the tent to look out and get someone's - anyone's - attention.
"Hey - make sure our fastest pegasus... yes, Sigrun... is fed and watered. I need Yvette to take these letters to the Margrave as soon as she wakes up for her watch. I'll take her shift personally. Tell her I'll grant her a week of leave if she makes it there by noon tomorrow."
After that... well, it's clear he needs rest. It's clear he knows he needs rest, but all the same, he's back to his desk and studying maps in the dim light, making updates here and there in the margins and on the lands themselves in regard to troop position, numbers, even the makeup of battalions, where mages and archers are stationed, when he knows it. It doesn't look good, with how much of the map is covered in bright, red notes, lines, how their numbers are easily three or more times higher than those written in black.]
I used red ink for the Empire, if you're curious.