[b]Chapter 24: The plan[/b]

Leofric turned the small box around in his hand and studied it closely. He didn't trust it, for all he knew it would kill him the moment he opened it up. But why would his opponent go through all that effort just to give him an item that would kill him? He could have done it moments ago with his army, run down the whole camp and butchered every single northman. Eventually he reached out with his other hand to open the box. It did not kill him. In fact, it contained a glowing white orb, similar to a pearl. Leofric picked up the orb and weighed it in his hand. It was enchanted, the radiance professed that. But what was it for, exactly?
Leofric didn't much care to find out right now and placed back the enchanted item into its box and spun around to march back into the camp and further on up the Hunter's Hill. His soldiers around the camp gradually cooled down and returned to what they had been previously doing prior to the unwanted visit of the Rider King.

He was furious at his enemy. The fool could have knocked on the gates of Monarch's Rise and inquired about the wizard like a civilized man rather than invading, Leofric thought to himself. Now he had to somehow find the wizard that disappared into thin air after infiltrating his camp the other night. The Rider King had not given a specific date on when he wanted the wizard delivered, so Leofric had plenty of time - he hoped.

A small group of officers conversed with one another at the top of the hill when Leofric approached. The men bowed as the king passed and then followed on, back towards the makeshift command post in the hunter lodge. Leofric mused over his options as he entered the house and circled around the large table in the center of the room. He placed down the gifted box and looked over it once more to verify that the thing was harmless. The group of officers that followed in turn leered towards the object questioningly but made no comments, instead they looked back at the monarch in anticipation.
Leofric frowned and stared down at the map on the table with several markers placed out at various locations. He realised that he had no easy solution to finding the enigmatic wizard, so he made his decision - the only decision he thought that might draw back the wizard. And it was risky.

"We will proceed as planned and break camp. We'll march north until we reach Boreal Bay and set up our siege lines a thousand yards from the walls." Leofric tapped a finger over the location on the map. Monarch's Rise was on the opposite end of the bay. "Once there we can dispatch riders to our other regions and summon reinforcements."
The officers nodded silently in consent and followed the king's gestures on the map.
"If our enemy stay true to his word and release the prisoners, then I want men ready to escort them away to safety. Send a raven to the Midway force in the south as well, update them on the situation here. Do you all understand?" Leofric glanced up and glowered at the officers around the table who nodded their heads. Leofric concluded with a nod of his own and thereafter dismissed the men. He watched the last officer shut the door behind him and then turned around to gaze out from a nearby window, absorbed in thought.

With some luck his next major maneuver would attract the attention of the wizard again, and hopefully he would return to preach about making peace with the enemy and spouting nonsense about the wheel of fate. This time he was planning on talking with him, though.

Leofric sighed. "Damnable wizards."