103 Tivoli (1/2)

The rough seas roiled andlashed against the bow of the ship, winds ruffledand buffeted the swollen sails and the stern of the huge ship produced a broadfoamy wake stretching behind in the sea spitting out glinting white sprays.

Droplets of cold water drenchedthe well drilledsailors wearinghooded thick waterproof robes , they were skillfully dragging ropes up and down the deck adjusting the sails on the main mast as the fat bearded captain overlooked from the bridge shouting out orders.

Shrieking seagulls circling in the distance added to the voice of the loud baritone captainandthe sounds of the crashing waves weaved together to form the chaotic ambient sounds of the open sea.

Three ships packed with menand supplies were headed east under fluffy grey clouds, the sky hada sliver of wintry sunshine struggling topeak out through the billowing greys,sending a soft yellow light glisteningoff the rippling surface of the violent swells.

The ship lurched forward pitching and rollingas it cut through a barrage of waves, making Hartley unsteady on his feet. He had been on this journey only for a few hours and had yet to get used to the constant sea-saw motions , his stomach churned,threateningto disobey him and barf up its content every time the ship swayed and yawed.

The bulky commander Genk smiled at Hartley's obvious discomfort, dressed in a casual loose fitting black robe, he consoled as Hartley's face lost its color.

”Don't worry it takes a few hours for everyone to find their sea legs, although some people never get used it no matter how much time spent on the ocean but I'm sure you'll get over it soon.”The man patted Hartley on his back not seeming to be affected by the unsteady ship and quickly strolled off pointing at people andbarking gruff orders.

Hartley who had never been on the sea before inhaled the crisp sea breeze and was blown away by the grey violent seas stretching in every direction making it look endless until the line on the horizon met the sky.

The ship was busy with men organizing equipment and making preparations, some sharpening swords, some shining their armor and some checking crossbows. Their seem to be always something to be done and the soldiers were always busy.

Baron Hongtian sent a battalion of his men under instruction from the eldest prince on one of thethe supply ship. The men would be under the command of captian Bojin.

Commander Genk had no choice but to accept the prince's contribution knowing that it had more to do with politics than good intentions, if they swept away the opposing forces then it could be said that the eldest prince had contributed to the effort, if they lost then the eldest prince could say he only sent a small number of troops in support, the onus was on commander Genk and Prince Jian.

The journey would take five days and on the second day Hartley had gotten used to the constant movement of the ship as he started to move freely around, he was given a private cabin by commander Genk which he used to cultivate and rest in preparation for the upcoming events.

Finally on the fifth day the shipped reached the port, this was the largest port in the Tivoli situated just three kilometers outside the capital..Standing on-board the ship he could see the busy workers moving countless wooden boxes and barrels. Hartley was relieved to see the large port, even though he had gotten used to the ship he still preferred to be on land.

Mooring lines were thrown out and the ship was pulled in and maneuvered carefully until docked at the pier.After docking the men smoothly moved out from the ships and went to secure the outer perimeter of the pier in case a sneak attack was mounted while the supplies were being unloaded. This caused minor scuffles with some soldiers and the disgruntled pier workers but the situation was resolved quickly.

The men stayed for a day on pierto unload the supplies and men from the other ships.

The next morning two thousand menwearing bright gleaming silver and red armor branded with theinsignias of the princes of Aidonia marched towards the capital drawing the attention of all the citizens as men walked four abreast through the tiny roads sending the place buzzing with a clamor of onlookers bursting with excited chatter.

Out here in the east, with the deserts of barren landsonly three or four days ride away, the grip of winter's icy hand weren't as tight on the region as it was in Aidonia.The temperature was low but the snow was sparse.

The countrylooked unassuming and un-threatening, filled with stone houses the color of dust, peoplewere rushing outside to get a glimpse of the army from the prominent country they were aligned to, a sight some would never hope to see in their entire lifetime..

The drumbeat of horses clompingagainst the ground rang out as men on foot marched in front and men perched on horses rode at the back, it took a couple hours for the men to approach a

weathered wooden bridge sagged across a narrow river splitting the north from the south and beyond it squatted dozens of gray stone buildings with a bushy treeline to the left.

Having received urgent reports from the scouts, they found out that their was major suspicious movements in the surrounding area.

Commander Genk didn't want to get bogged down, he wanted to reach the capital as soon as possible so he was pushing towards the capital not wanting a premature battle.

Hartley pulled up to the side of commander Genk, They were mounted on horses at the back watching the men cross.