Chapter 44 : NILFGAARD'S SECOND APPROACH
The column was larger this time.
Soldona's report arrived at dawn—patrol sightings from three different observation posts, all confirming the same thing. Four hundred soldiers moving north on the southern approach road, their formation professional and methodical, their pace unhurried.
"Organized differently from the first advance company," Soldona said, spreading the patrol reports across Aldric's desk. "Less assault-oriented. More survey-oriented. They've brought supply wagons, which suggests they intend to stay in position for multiple days."
"Command structure?"
"Standard company officers. But there's someone else." Soldona's finger tapped a specific notation in one of the reports. "A civilian riding near the front. Not a mage—no robes, no staff, no visible magical indicators. Not a priest—wrong bearing, wrong equipment. A man in grey who rides but does not give orders."
Aldric studied the notation. The detail was too specific to ignore—one of Soldona's patrol observers had noticed something that most soldiers wouldn't have flagged.
"He's watching instead of directing?"
"According to the report, he spends most of his time observing defensive positions rather than the road ahead. He studies the terrain with particular attention, makes notes in a small book, and speaks only to the officers when they approach him."
Intelligence, Aldric thought. Nilfgaard sent a professional to build a file.
"I want continuous observation," he said. "Where they stop, how long they stay, what he looks at. Everything."
---
[Southern Perimeter — Day 1,162]
The column stopped two miles south of the barony perimeter.
Aldric received the report at midday—four hundred soldiers establishing a semi-permanent position just outside engagement range, their deployment suggesting they intended to observe rather than attack. The man in grey had dismounted and was studying the northern horizon with the focused attention of someone cataloging details.
"He's within visual range of the watchtower rotations," Soldona reported. "He can see patrol timing, approximate force deployment, the Mage Tower's position relative to the defensive perimeter."
"What can't he see?"
"The graduates' specific capabilities. The buildings' functions beyond their visible positions. The full depth of what you've built." She paused. "He has enough to estimate force strength and defensive posture. He doesn't have enough to recommend a specific assault strategy."
He's not here to fight, Aldric realized. He's here to learn.
For three days, the man in grey watched.
Aldric received reports tracking his observation patterns—when he moved to different positions, what angles he studied, how long he spent examining each element of the barony's visible defenses. The intelligence officer was methodical, professional, patient. He didn't rush his assessment, didn't miss obvious details, didn't make the mistakes that would have allowed the patrols to catch him in a vulnerable position.
On the fourth day, the column withdrew.
No message. No demand. No attack. They had what they came for.
---
[Keep Study — Day 1,175]
Soldona mapped what the grey man would have been able to see.
"Patrol timing—general patterns, not specific schedules. Approximate force strength—he could estimate numbers from visible activity, but not precise counts. The four structures and their positions relative to the defensive perimeter." She traced the observation angles on her diagram. "He would have seen the Mage Tower's amber pulse. He would have noted the Healing Fountain's location near the medical facilities. He would have observed the Campus Invictus training ground, though he couldn't have assessed the graduates' capabilities without direct engagement."
"What conclusions would he draw?"
"That this barony has unusual resources. That the defensive preparation exceeds what a minor Temerian territory should possess. That there is something here worth protecting—or someone." Soldona set down her stylus. "He has enough to build a threat assessment. He does not have enough to recommend an assault without significant reinforcement."
"So he delays them."
"For now. His report will reach command level eventually. When it does, they'll send someone with more specific questions."
Aldric marked the intelligence survey as a delay rather than a solution. The grey man had done his job well—gathered information without risk, assessed capabilities without engagement, built a file that would inform future decisions. The next approach would be different. More targeted. More dangerous.
A knock at the door interrupted his analysis.
Ciri entered without waiting for permission—a habit she'd developed over the past weeks, the particular assertiveness of someone who had decided she belonged in these conversations.
"They're looking for me," she said. Not a question.
"Yes."
She sat down at the table across from him, her green eyes fixed on the observation map. "Tell me what they know."
It wasn't a request for reassurance. It wasn't a child asking to be comforted. It was a demand for information from someone who had decided she was entitled to understand the threats she faced.
Aldric pulled the map toward her and began explaining.
---
[Keep Study — Later]
He told her everything Soldona had assessed.
The patrol timing that the grey man had observed. The force estimates he would have derived from visible activity. The conclusions he would have drawn about the barony's unusual resources. The timeline for his report reaching command level, and the likely response when it did.
Ciri listened without interrupting, her attention focused on the map and the observation angles and the careful notation of what had been revealed and what remained hidden. She was thirteen years old, processing intelligence assessments with the same analytical attention that most adults couldn't muster.
"They'll come back," she said when he finished.
"Yes."
"With more soldiers. More specific questions."
"Yes."
She studied the map for a long moment, tracing the observation positions with one finger. Then she looked up at Aldric directly.
"What's the plan?"
What's the plan. Not "what will you do" or "how will you protect me"—what's the plan, as if she expected to be included in whatever response the barony prepared.
"Upgrade the southern observation network," Aldric said. "Increase patrol frequency. Prepare for the next approach with better information than they have about us."
"And me?"
"You continue learning what you've been learning. The geography, the defensive positions, the command structure. The more you understand, the more useful you'll be when decisions need to be made."
Ciri nodded slowly, accepting this as the answer it was—not a dismissal, but an acknowledgment that her role in the barony's defense was real, not symbolic.
She left without further questions.
Aldric rolled the map after she was gone and marked the intelligence officer's observation position with a small X—unlabeled, unremarkable, the only acknowledgment he could give an adversary who had done his job well.
Author's Note / Promotion:
Your Reviews and Power Stones are the best way to show support. They help me know what you're enjoying and bring in new readers!
You don't have to. Get instant access to more content by supporting me on Patreon. I have three options so you can pick how far ahead you want to be:
Silver Tier ($6): Read 10 chapters ahead of the public site.
Gold Tier ($9): Get 15-20 chapters ahead of the public site.
Platinum Tier ($15): The ultimate experience. Get new chapters the second I finish them. No waiting for weekly drops, just pure, instant access.
Your support helps me write more. Find it all at patreon.com/fanficwriter1