Chapter 197: Chapter 182 – Conflict’s Aftermath

"When the hunters returned to their home and hearths, and the hunting dogs back in their kennels, that's when the vultures dived in and feasted upon the carcass that remained." - Jötunbergian proverb.

Although the clash near the border was over and done with, it had not meant the end of the war. On the same evening as the final battle, as Aideen left the Istrian camp - openly this time - she spied a multitude of birds which looked suspiciously like homing pigeons flying away to many directions in the distance.

 

Aideen had not been the only outside party to observe the battle, and she herself noticed spies from at least three different groups in the area, with likely many more in the other regions nearby. Quite naturally, all the Jarls whose territory bordered the battling three had likely sent their eyes and ears to keep watch on the situation.

 

Now that the situation had mostly finished, they reported back. Aideen knew those in the Istrian camp also noticed those spies - they had not exactly hidden themselves that much more now that their task was finished - and likely had prepared for what was to come.

 

Curious on how things would progress from that point onwards, Aideen had stayed in the vicinity, as she kept watch over the Istrian camp. The next morning, she saw a group of men and women from the surrounding area approach the Istrian camp, with a flag of truce in hand.

 

She was not privy to whatever discussion was had between the strangers and the Istrians, only that it had kept them occupied until the evening, at which point the group left the camp, then dispersed and went their own ways.

 

There had been around half a dozen messenger pigeons sent out from the camp around half an hour before the group had left. Based on that, Aideen had assumed that the men and women had been watchers of the battle like her, who were likely empowered to extend an offer to the winning side by their lieges.

 

Aideen had no idea what was discussed, but she had not failed to notice that the Istrian forces made no move to disband. A small detachment was sent back towards the nearby city with their prisoners, but the majority packed up and seemed fo be preparing for another campaign.

 

They departed three days later, towards the north-east. Aideen had followed the army from a safe distance, and watched them as they in turn crossed into the territory of their neighboring Jarldom, Lonsveg in this case.

 

Fortunately, her worst fears had not come to pass.

 

While the Istrian forces swiftly took over and occupied any villages they ran across, it was done with minimal violence. Those that resisted were subdued and incapacitated at worst. The only death in the two villages they came across on that day was a tax collector who happened to be making his rounds, unaware of his liege lord's fate.

 

The people of that village had cheered when the Istrians came by and decided to hang said tax collector on a nearby tree.

 

Over the next two days, the Istrians annexed two more villages, then their forces turned southward, and fanned out to encompass the distance they had travelled. They annexed many other villages, as well as two small cities on their way south, until they hit the coastline.

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When the Istrian forces hit the coastline, maybe a mere couple hours' travel from a port city further east, Aideen received an inkling on what the other Jarldoms must have negotiated with the Istrians.

 

The port city further east already flew a flag by the time they arrived, but it was not the flag of Napris which the city used fo belong to. The flag was one Aideen recognized instead.

 

It depicted a golden sea serpent that twisted around on a background of blue, the banner of the Jarldom of Gulski further east.

 

Later Aideen verified her guess and saw that she had guessed mostly right. The other jarldoms that bordered Lonsveg and Napris had offered to split the territory with Istria. They would cede the western end of those Jarldoms and take on what troops remained, allowing the Istrians an easy annexation.

 

While both Lonsveg and Napris collectively still possessed six, maybe seven thousand troops for their defense, those troops saw how little chance they stood when five Jarldoms - Istria from the west, Gulski and Urovis from the east, Fjordberg and Eyjalinz from the north - attacked them together and had surrendered or defected en masse.

 

Just like that, from a smaller conflict that stemmed from greed and envy, two Jarldoms ceased to exist, with only their names left behind in the history books. Only three and a half weeks had passed between when the conflict started and the end of two Jarldoms.

The involved Jarls themselves had met in what used to be the capital city of Napris - now Gulski territory - around a week after the lands were divided amongst them. Aideen had snuck into the city and watched the meeting out of curiosity.

 

Surprisingly, those five Jarls had met to announce to the people that their five Jarldoms were officially in a defensive alliance, where they would come to one another's aid in the future. That effectively formed a solid block of power that covered most of the southern region of the eastern lands, and half the central region as well.

 

Aideen had seen three of the Jarls for the first time. The young Jarl of Istria she naturally recognized, but to her surprise, the Jarl of Gulski had changed since the last time she went there. Instead of Maria's cousin, the current Jarl was far younger, maybe in her forties, likely a late born daughter or a grandchild of the previous Jarl.

 

What caught Aideen's attention was the similarly aged man with diluted, but still noticeable therian features who stood beside the Jarl and had her left hand in the crook of his arm. His features were so distinct and familiar that Aideen immediately pegged him as one of Maria's grandchildren, probably even one she had once played with in the past, though she was uncertain which.

 

That brought an unexpected wave of nostalgia to her soul.

 

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