Forging an Alliance (fantasy, M for F)

[IrishWolf]

The long winter of the North is coming to an end. Soon, the snow will melt, the passes will open, merchants from the southlands will arrive and the short farming season will begin. The white and grey of snow and bare stone will be replaced with dark green of the thick forests, the flower speckled bright green of the prairie beyond and the dark blue of the scattered deep lakes. The mines will reopen, hunters, trappers and woodsmen will return to the forests, adventurers will arrive to find glory in the mountains.

It will also bring the season of war.

War was the natural state of the North. Barbarian tribes had clashed for as long as anyone could remember, although ruins in the mountains seemed to indicate that had once been a civilization here. When they weren’t fighting one another, the tribes had fought the monsters and the beasts. When Southlanders came, they built forts and cities, fought the barbarians and began fighting for control of the trade routes. Each city wants to be the primary destination for the merchants, come north looking to buy timber, furs, metal and the strange but devilishly spicy ice peppers. Merchant houses and princes wage trade wages against one another, which can prices on goods or ambushing one another caravans.

Over the last winter, spies have braved the ice and snow, bringing word back to the city of Chillhaven, of impending doom. The masters of Ironfalls, Westvein and Tradetown, along with a dozen lesser villages and steadings, have been courting one another, looking to form a grand alliance, to bring about the destruction of their greatest rival in the region. Cities which normally would have been too caught up in their own squabbles, to threaten the chief city.

Like all other cities in North, Chillhaven keeps men under arms, foot soldiers serving as the city watch or serving in small guard posts along the trade roads or protecting the larger client villages. But they can’t afford to maintain enough to be an army. The city fathers can call up the free folk to serve as a temporary militia and these hearty settlers will fight bravely but it is not their profession. Mercenaries are an option but strangely this year, there are few for hire. Most likely most have already been hired for the season.

Also, like the other cities, Chillhaven keeps a small force of elite riders, used to harass the villages and trade routes of the other cities or to either discourage or punish barbarian raiders. Unlike the knights of the southlands, these riders are lightly armored, most preferring quilted jackets, with a little chainmail in strategic places, to keep them light and fast. Short bows, easy to use from the saddle are popular among the riders, as are axes, both hand axes and throwing axes. Swords and light lances are not uncommon though. Another difference, they accept women into their ranks, as the cities are always in need of more riders.

But even with such warriors, it will be a simple numbers game, unless Chillhaven can find more troops.

And there is one source, which has gone untapped, the barbarians. Although they will be hard to recruit. Many of the tribes around Chillhaven are already being bribed with steel weapons, to leave the city alone and that’s not enough to keep some of the warbands from turning raider, if the opportunity presents itself. Not to mention, the barbarians are not overly fond of the Southlanders, who are at the very best, invaders into their homeland. Promises of more weapons, food and luxuries or even gold, might being some of the tribes to the city’s banner but not nearly enough to balance the scales. And those that do come for such rewards, will be the lowest of the tribes or even outcasts, whose presence will not help recruiting more barbarians.

But one of the city fathers has a plan. If they can bring the largest of the tribes in the area, The Red Fangs, over to their side, it’s Chieftain can used blood oaths to bring most of the others to the Chillhaven banner. The problem is the Chieftain himself, Tyern son of Threidr. If most barbarians are not fond of the Southlanders, he loathes them, considering them weak and unworthy, at least for the most part. He does respect the city riders however. Which just might offer the opportunity to being him to their side, for the coming war.

One of the female riders of Chillhaven, notable and who perhaps even crossed weapons with Tyern, is called to a private meeting with the city fathers. She is to ride to the winter camp of the Red Fangs, to treat with the Chieftain and is specially instructed to offer the Barbarian more then the weapons, food and liquor. She already has his respect as a warrior but she is to get his interest as a male.

If this idea is of interest to you, send me a PM

Also, while I was inspired the pictures to write this idea, the characters doen't have to be anthros. They could be High Fantasy races or low fantasy humans

[IrishWolf]

Some edits but mostly a Bump on this idea.