[hider=Collab thanks.]
A collab between me and Andrew.
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Claus was walking down into the city itself with marching steps, it went fast. Very fast.
He was clothed in only tunic and other simple garb, one of his soldiers didn't even recognize him when he slammed open the doors to an inn with a broad smirk on his face.

-"Meeting. NOW!!!" He roared and the voice gripped the men of the steel fist by the marrow casting them into action and even some of the locals instinctively listened more carefully and turned their heads.
Within seconds the centre area had been cleared with several tables moved together to make a grand table, on the short edge closest to the bar Claus began sitting down, only during his descent was the chair put in place and Claus assumed his crossed legs upon the table pose.

-"Get the lieutenants, and where is Katrina?" His voice booming out, in short he was met with the young womans voice.

-"Right here... sir." She momentarily forgot addressing his rank, not used to the shock meetings. She kept on.
-"What do you need?" She asked confusedly while Claus pointed to a seat on his left.

-"Sit. I want to know how bad our losses were, i've been in a fever in the castle and haven't really been up to speed just lately." Claus asked while Katrina sat down at her designated position.

She was visibly stumped, but with a short gasp and mouth movement more reminiscent of a fish than a human she gave the answer.
-"We have taken some casualties, some of the men who are within the inns have minor injuries and sadly a few passed away. My most recent counting is one thousand four hundred and five men. One thousand and ninety-three missing or killed." Claus looked obviously troubled but simply stroked his chin once.

-"Thank you, i am gonna assume at least some of those are captured by Andrew. Which hopefully is a good thing." Claus just sat there and looked at some seemingly invisible thing in front of him, completely focused.
While a few of the lieutenants arrived and were seated, Katrina couldn't help but wonder how it could be a good thing.

-"Um, sir... how could it be a good thing?" Katrina's sheepish question was seemingly lost in the noise, or Claus didn't bother.
-"Sir! How!?" She yelled. This woke Claus from his pondering and she looked at her with an expression resembling disgust before smirking.

-"How you ask? For the first step they are alive, which obviously is a good thing. Secondly, i bear good news, which i will get back to. Third, only an idiot gets rid of prisoners of war. Since they are worth a lot of money for both sides, for their employers because they want them back and their foes for exactly the same reason." Claus explained.

Katrina was satisfied with the answer, nothing of note happened the following couple of minutes while the last of the lieutenants gathered.

-"Where's Stan!?" Claus yelled angrily, mentally preparing to scold him for negligence. He was met with a short silence before the bearded Roogel answered with a slightly gloomy voice.
-"He's... dead sir."
Claus stared at Roogel with a stern confused and grumpy face, before violently yelling.
-"Sheeps furry balls!!!.... I liked Stan!.... Damn!..." He sort of refused to acknowledge the truth of it but didn't seem saddened by it. He'd lost friends before. He was used to delay emotions.

-"Well, that means we're all here. I have at least some good news, several in fact!" He began explaining with an annoyed voice.
-"I've received a letter from the king's fancy brother, the Patrick fellow. He has given me the task of making a prisoner exchange, which means we'll get back our imprisoned lads for free... i would have paid for their release anyway, but i'm up for any good news i can get right now." He drank a trio of large gulps from a tankard set beside him before continuing.

-"We're also to be reinforced, so we are to defend this little lot until they arrive. Lead by Patrick himself it seemed, he wants to feel all important it seems..." His joke lost in the mood.
-"So, i will move out, i'll bring with me ten or so of the vanguard and go speak to Andrew. Katrina! You will begin with the numbers to get this cities defence to the maximum. While Roogel will begin with troop stationing until i return." The captain went on while standing up, first on his chair then on the table.

-"But, some of the best news of all... you know Orland Tuania!?" He yelled, in answer he got a few disgruntled words, a few angry curses and a genuine boo.
-"I have had a 'discussion' with him in the castle... and i commended him.... PROPERLY! On his actions!" On properly he emulated how he kicked Orland followed by violently stomping down with his right foot. The answer was a short cheer from the gathered troops.
Claus kept going.
-"Now get going men! I will drink the final toast with the fallen later." With that, he marched along the table and jumped down on the opposite short side while his men scattered to begin their various tasks.
As from nowhere ten of his best troops in full battle gear joined up with him and began marching back to the castle, in formation.

The castle guards began to stop the congregation from entering the castle, but Claus didn't stop until he almost walked right into a outstretched halberd.
-"I am entering, regardless if you WANT, or not." On want he violently grabbed the shaft of the weapon with his left hand and pushed it upwards, the guard panicked as the other Steel fist soldiers formed a battle line with a singular motion.

-"You are to... pay for your crime.. against the lord..." The leader of the small gate force stuttered, before dropping his weapon Claus was holding as the scarred mercenary closed the distance.
-"Down them." Claus ordered, with but a few well placed strikes and hooking maneuvers, the gatekeepers were knocked out or wincing on the ground. The group kept going as Claus simply discarded the halberd.

Upon the castle yard, the lord and lady Tuania had gathered a whole bunch of troops, surrounding Claus and his group. This didn't halt Claus though as he closed distance with the noble pair. Raising his fist, the mercenaries under his command formed a hedgehog while Claus walked several steps further and standing face to face with the couple, with only about twenty soldiers directly between them and him.

-"So what could you possibly say which could save you from the noose!?" Cathryn asked with a stern voice while Grandin stood beside her with a smug look on his face.
-"That you cannot go against the orders of the imperial concord!" Claus said loudly with a smirk while whipping out the letter he received earlier.
-"What!? That's absurd, what are you talking about?" Cathryn spat out with a spiteful voice. But was halted when Claus boomed out a section from the letter while holding it in front of him like a town crier.
-"I quote, You are to order both the Imperial and Tunia's army to rendezvous with me while you and your mercenaries hold Clarm. You are to hold the stronghold till my forces arrive.... signed... Patrick De Reimer!" Claus was grinning deviously right now. He liked a good power play now and again.
Grandin was in shock, Cathryn was gasping before speaking.
-"NO! That cannot be true, i..." But was interrupted by Claus.
-"You can see the letter yourself if you want, and don't even think about just capturing me anyway or any other trickery, since our good lord Patrick is expecting me to perform my duty in the fullest. Since you don't want to be the ones who went against the orders of the concord!" He began walking forward, holding out the letter to a soldier.
As the soldier took the letter and walked with it to Cathryn, Claus began walking towards the door into the castle.

-"I will get my gear, then i shall talk with Andrew regarding the prisoner exchange, you will let me do this." Claus spoke while gesturing with his right hand.
Cathryn was furious, and it was with anger she ordered her troops to stand down.
Claus just chuckled with a menacing glee as the troops parted as he walked.

He readied his armour and left the city and set off to meet with Andrew. Flying the banner of parlay.

Andrew was walking through the camp. He wanted to see how his soldiers were coping with the aftermath of the battle. As he walked he thought back to his conversation with Lord Humber about the results of the battle. Overall the battle was a success, they had captured a fair amount of enemy soldiers but the combined armies took some losses, the Mansrew army suffered the worse but Andrew knew that the losses were acceptable enough that the overall force would still be able to put up a fight if Klaus' forces had any second thoughts. As he passed each soldier gave him a nod or would say "Lord Andrew" to him. For once in this miserable war Andrew felt that he could relax for a bit, he was surrounded by his brothers at arms and there was a glimmer of light of that this war could reach its end.

As Andrew continued to walk through the camp Maror Lanistark approached him. "Lord Andrew."
"Ah Maror, how are you and your sister doing?" replied Andrew who was happy to him.
"We're doing well, we lost a few soldiers during the battle but it's nothing to worry about. Everyone of us is still ready for combat."
"That's good to know" said Andrew who was happy to hear the eagerness in Maror's voice. It reminded him of himself back in his more youthful days. "Is there anything you wanted to ask me Maror?"
"Yes there is, I was just curious with what you were planning on doing with the prisoners that we captured?"
Andrew seem a bit confused in what Maror had asked him but indulged in the question. "Well I've ordered all the army medics to start mending the prisoners after they've helped our own men and at some point the enemy will want to negotiate their safe return."
Maror seemed displeased with Andrew's answer "But surely it would be easier to get rid of them and wipe their filth from the face of the earth! They're a waste of medical and food resources and if the tables were turned would they do the same for us."
Andrew sternly responded "And that's the point! We're not them! If we killed them we're no than them! Those prisoners are to be treated as if they are one of our own!" Andrew took a breath to calm himself down. He didn't mean to lash out at Maror, this was his first time fighting along side Andrew and was not used to his ways. "Besides." said Andrew "If we keep them alive we'll be able to haggle for coin and gain respect from the enemy."

As he said this one of Andrew's soldiers was running towards the both of them shouting "My Lord! My Lord!"
"What is it soldier?" replied Andrew.
"The enemy commander is approaching the camp."
"Alone? said Maror.
"No, Lord Lanistark. He has some of his guards accompanying him. They're flying the banner of parley."
"He's come to negotiate. Soldier, I want you to gather up ten of my elite guard to accompany me to meet him."
"Of course!" the soldier ran further into the camp.
Andrew started to head outside of the camp and that's when he saw Klaus. Andrew took a deep breath and started to head towards him and his group.

Claus had marched for a long time, thankfully he had avoided blisters this time.
The swaying banners of the Manshrew alliance was strangely a welcome sight, something that didn't feel really right with the circumstances.
Last time the swaying banners of Manshrew and Lanistark had symbolised impending doom and death, now it was something that was a welcome sight.
He shook his head slightly for himself.

When Claus and his retinue had almost reached the camp, the guards stepped forth both to stop him but also to make way for the small procession that was formed around Andrew, rather small though with just a few bodyguards and a scribe.

The sight was in a way a let down as well as a positive surprise, as Claus gestured with his arms and loudly spoke.
-"It seems my ploy failed to kill you during the battle, i suppose the gods favored you alive. Perhaps so that i could talk with someone of importance during this negotiation!"
Claus's telltale smirk was as ever on his face, a crude joke about failing to kill another man proving that mercenaries tend to get a more cynical view of life and death.
He followed this with a hearty nod of the head, something that was to replace a proper greeting for a lord. His manners ever so crude.

With a few more steps Andrew got to a comfortable speaking distance and responded.
-"I see that you made it out from the battle in one piece as well." It was here he saw Claus's yellowish bruise on his cheek. He kept going.
-"It appears i still got the hang of battle, my throwing arm does not seem to be any weaker than during the last war."

Claus was a bit surprised, a bit of banter from one of the fancy lords. It was too bad this one was an enemy.
-"I gotta commend you, i've never been struck that good in many years. Your age doesn't seem to slow you down a single bit." Claus said with a gleaming smile, in honestly he didn't look pretty at all with that scar, bruise and slightly swollen lip.

-"I am also impressed by how you managed to hide all the elephants from me, i don't expect you to tell me how you did it though. A true artist never reveals his secrets." He kept going, closed with Andrew and held out a hand for shaking, which Andrew responded in kind.
-"Partly i don't want to face your forces in battle again, partly i feel like i didn't get a good run back there with that idiot....." Claus began to speak but halted himself after straying into things he should be avoided right now.

Andrew however seemingly ignored what he said or already knew. Regardless the hiccup did not seem to bother him and spoke.
-"I am likewise inclined to commend your effort in the battle. Facing an army twice of that of your own and walking away with anything at all. Far from all can put that on a resumé." Claus was relieved, he didn't consider that Andrew might know of the problems within his command structure and was content with just dodging the topic all together.

Claus and Andrew studied the other for a short while, trying to figure out the other before Andrew spoke.
-"I understand that you probably didn't come here just to give praise to my efforts in the battle, what is your business?" Claus gave an expression of disappointment but quickly returned to his regular expression.
-"Ah yes, business. You are a busy man and probably don't have time to banter all day. I don't envy you." Claus spoke before going on.
-"I am here to negotiate the return of the captured forces belonging to the Imperial concord, however more importantly for me i am here to get my own boys back in my company." The captain spoke with a lot more seriousness than usual.

-"Then i suggest a simple 25 bronze pieces a head, they have been given food and medical care, hence why i demand such a sum." Andrew was too the point, Something Claus appreciated.
-"Done! The prisoners are to be left to return to Clarm without being hounded by your forces. I also want to directly take command over any steel fist men whom have been imprisoned."
Andrews scribe seemed surprised of Claus immediate answer but wrote it down after looking quizzically at the two negotiators.

-"Very well, I will make sure your men are delivered to you immediately. I have to admire the concern you have over your men. It's nice to know that one of my enemies respects his men as he respects himself." Andrew said with a serious tone. He was adamant in his decision.
-"Very well, that seems to take care of the business part." Claus exclaimed, he was happy with Andrews answer. He then went on.
-"However, there is the fact that i myself do not have the required sum, since it will be paid for by Patrik De Reimer. I will make sure the decision is sent to him immediately though."

-"I understand. I expect that De Reimer will keep his end of your deal and I expect that both you and him will deliver the money to me personally. Also when he does arrive I expect you both to arrive within the day of his arrival and don't worry we'll know if he arrives." Andrew responded.

-"I shall send out a courier to Patrick with that message as soon as i leave this place." Claus responded to Andrews demand, being really relieved with him being so reasonable. Claus then pointed at the scribe.
-"And you are going to write that." The scribe was a mix of panicked and confused, not expecting to being approached specifically but calmed down after seeing Andrews calm posture.

-"Oh, and i think it is about here we seal the deal." Claus said with a strong smirk offering another handshake, which Andrew accepted.
It was a strong hearty handshake, Claus felt he had gotten a fantastic deal overall, and Andrew looked rather pleased as well. Not that Claus was particularly good at reading faces.

-"It is too bad that we ended up on different sides in this conflict, it would be good to have someone more who cared for his men at my side." Andrew said as he let his hand go, to which Claus responded.
-"Yeah, you seem like a decent fellow yourself. Too bad you're my enemy in this one." He actually considered saying screw it all and go fight for the Manshrew alliance for a moment, since it meant he'd have a proper excuse to hang the Tuania boy from their highest spire. he smiled at the thought and faced Andrew once more with a genuine smirk.
-"Perhaps in the next war?"

Andrew then excused himself and returned inside his encampment, while Claus waited outside. Not before long he had a written note to lord De Reimer and the prisoners from the steel fist was marching out in orderly fashion. But instead of flying all banners high, they only had a select few, barely showing that they were the steel fist.

Andrew looked from a guard tower as the former prisoners marched out from his encampment, arms crossed, studying their movements and posture from afar. As he saw two men break off from the main column he knew that Claus had sent out couriers as he promised, with that he returned to his generals tent.
Enough pause for today, he had a war to win, and that meant meticulous planning and strategy, logistics and tactics. This wasn't going to be an easy fight, but he knew that it was a fight he needed to win.
If not only to be able to uphold his promise to his family, but also to free the people of Formaroth.