It didn't take long for scouts to report sightings of another army. Another army from Chenbao looked to intercept the regiment, one that was smaller than the seven thousand the 11th had fought earlier.
"Four thousand strong, all enlisted…" Xing muttered in the command wagon, and Ren shared his concern.
"Think they could be dressing up their levies?" Kai suggested, earning many doubtful shaking heads.
"Sungho was clear that they were moving in good order," Mozi countered. "Even the least trained Earth Kingdom soldier should have more discipline than conscripted farmers."
Ren had to agree, and voiced her own thoughts on the matter. "They have at least four cavalry companies… Someone's taking us seriously."
"Is that force really a threat?" Princess Azula asked, no longer hiding her ignorance behind imperial aloofness.
Xing answered with a weary nod. "The Earth Kingdom almost always has levy elements in their armies. The cheap manpower was partly what allowed them to keep the war going, from what I've been told." The boy gave the princess a faint smirk. "Makes them slower though, and poor discipline means breaking them might disorganize the rest of their forces, as you have seen yourself, your highness."
The princess caught on quickly. "So they are doing away with levies for the sake of better organization?"
Ren and the other officers nodded like proud tutors, while Xing only gave a pleased smile. "Discipline and morale can make a lot of difference on the battlefield, princess. Not having to see and hear fleeing comrades around you means you'll stay in formation for quite a while longer. Not having to march with a disorganized mob means you can act more decisively."
Ah, he was using his lecturing tone again. Best nip it before he accidentally got on the princess' nerves…
"Assuming they're competent," the princess noted before Ren could step in.
That drew more nods from the officers. "Unfortunately, it seems that this enemy is to some degree," Ren said.
Xing sighed in agreement. "They used their cavalry to scare off our scouts from getting a better look, so that alone puts the commander leagues above most of the other commanders we've faced before."
"And they stopped their cavalry from chasing down the scouts," Ren pointed out. That kind of restraint either meant a paranoid commander, or one that fought the 11th before.
The others seemed to share the same thought, frowning as they pondered. "Think it'll be a familiar face leading them?" Ping asked, and after a few seconds, Xing shrugged.
"Maybe. Probably. Or it could be someone in the Earth Kingdom finally read the battle reports."
The 11th did not break camp the following day to try gaining further ground. Instead, the defenses were strengthened and the troops were set to battle readiness. Sure enough, the Earth Kingdom's banners could soon be seen across the plains, and the scouts returned in the late afternoon to bring rather sour news.
Rather than taking the fight to the 11th, the enemy earthbenders seemed to be digging in.
"There're trenches being carved out, and judging from how they're organizing their tents, we'll see walls up by nightfall."
"They're building a fort?" Xing half-asked with annoyance.
Unfortunately, that was the case, as by dusk a primitive but still imposing set of walls rose to bar the 11th's path into Chenbao.
An earthbended fort for cavalry to harass from… Ren found herself scowling at the thought of it. The only thing making the coming fight close to possible at all was that Earth Kingdom cavalry were entirely made up of non-benders, due to earthbending requiring contact with the ground.
On the plus side, the enemy was sending a delegation to parley, and it was Ren's turn to join Xing to meet the enemy.
True enough, as both groups met under the setting sun, Ren somewhat recalled the stern, sunken face of the officer who actually bothered to dismount and offer a respectful salute.
Xing returned the salute, his voice hinting at some amusement. "Ah…Somsak, you were a captain, am I right? Congratulations on your promotion."
Colonel Somsak nodded curtly, though his retinue wore a mix of wariness and puzzlement. "Congratulations on your own promotion as well. I see the rumors are true then. I admit, it is…good to see the Defiant 11th still operating." The man's face scrunched up into a bitter scowl. "To fail only because of dismal leadership…"
"I appreciate the sentiment," the younger colonel replied with a tinge of terseness. "I suppose we should start clarifying the coming rules of engagement?"
Somsak sighed. "Much as I owe your regiment for my freedom, I have my orders. And I am sure you will not be dissuaded from yours." He took in a breath and exhaled audibly before continuing. "I can guarantee that I will not pursue any of yours that flees from us, and any prisoners taken will not be abused."
"Likewise. Any who surrender before the 11th will be treated with respect."
"I have no doubt about that," the Earth Kingdom colonel said with a final salute before remounting his ostrich horse. Throughout the entire exchange, his guards and officers did not shed their apprehension or confusion. They were probably expecting threats and heavy-handed negotiations.
Their expressions didn't change for the better at Xing's parting words. "As you were a good guest, I promise that you will not need to fear the 11th slitting the throats of your men tonight."
"Should we brace for a night attack?" Mozi asked as they walked back to camp.
Xing shook his head. "Doubt he'll be generous enough, he's been with us long enough to know how we handle such things."
"And his fort would be heavily defended from our own raids," Ren mused, but her little brother formed a smirk. "What? He would, wouldn't he?"
"If I remember right, we captured Somsak during a skirmish."
"And…?"
"He never saw how we raided."
"He would've heard from the others," Mozi reasonably countered.
Xing's vindictive grin was annoying enough for Ren to almost want to wipe it off his face. "How many prisoners did we take back from a Sonne operation?"
"I thought we agreed you should stay in camp and act more like a colonel," Mozi immediately replied.
Koshi broke his silence to agree as well. "Mozi's right, your place is to strategize and command, not lead breakthroughs and raids."
The boy had the audacity to turn to them with a pleading, almost pouting look. Mozi and Koshi almost relented, but Ren stepped in to smack the colonel lightly over his head. "No. You're a colonel, Xing. We need you to act like it so the idiots back in the capital don't see any reason to send in a replacement."
Xing finally sighed in defeat. "Fine. Fine, then I'll guide the raid from a distance, enough to start the Sonne."
The officers exchanged glances amongst themselves before agreeing to the compromise. "Koshi, you drag the colonel back to camp if you have to after the opening strike," Mozi instructed.
"And I'll inform the princess," Ren added with a grin. "Just to make sure you have someone waiting for you back in camp."
The adults happily ignored their superior officer's grumbles as they reached camp. Preparations were quickly made for the night attack, with Kai's 1st Battalion and Ping's 4th Battalion assigned to guard the camp while the others swapped out their brigandines for lighter grey and blue gambesons. Spears were replaced with extra daggers and short swords, while naphtha clay jars were wrapped in wool and hide to stop them from clinking about.
Ren felt a little giddy as she hid more chisel daggers in her sleeves and belt. It was the first night raid in what? A year? And it would be a Sonne at that.
At least it'd be easier for the newbies since they needn't worry too much about sneaking about for too long.
Princess Azula was given a general overview of what would happen, and her guards were told to ensure that she did not leave her tent at night. Ren felt so, so tempted to prod the princess when she heard that Xing would be taking part as well. The girl probably didn't realize how her ever so slightly widened eyes and sudden stiffness gave her worries away.
Ah, to be young and dumb again…
The three battalions took an early dinner and a last-minute briefing by Xing their captains. The young colonel projected false confidence well enough, Ren thought.
"The priority is to close in on the enemy fort without being noticed. This should be easy enough considering your training. The closer we get, the greater our advantage. If we're found out too early, the idiot or idiots that screwed things up for everyone else will lead the charge." Xing's smirk told everyone that he was only half-joking. "If they somehow survive, they'll be put on prisoner hospitality duty for a month, and they'll have to tend to General Yama's needs."
Groans and chuckles broke out at that, but Ren wasn't part of it. The old badgermole knew how to act like a spoiled child when he saw the opportunity to, and having to wait on him hand and foot was practically an ordeal in itself.
They waited for night to fall and the moon to rise higher in the sky before shuffling out of the camp. The scouts of the 11th served as the vanguard, keeping the advance clear of potential Earth Kingdom scouts. The battalions fanned out in a loose formation, keeping low as they quietly ran across the plains.
Xing was at the back of the formation, with Koshi and his team stoically lugging the soot-covered haubitzen along with them and somehow keeping up.
The first Earth Kingdom patrols were encountered and swiftly taken out, Sungho's men dragging the incapacitated scouts further back to be bound and gagged. Ren had a glimpse of their unconscious forms, and felt some sympathy at the terrified, fresh-faced prisoners. They were too young and too outclassed by the wily survivalists of the 11th's scouts.
Ren kept running in a half crouch, quietly pleased with her men and women who no longer huffed and whined as their legs and backs were forced in an awkward pose. The whole formation froze as one when a distinct cricket chirp sounded. Thankfully, nobody was stupid enough to drop to the ground and rattle their gear.
It took a while, but Ren eventually spied the shadowy forms of another Earth Kingdom patrol on the left flank, six brave men who believed in their night vision enough to not use lanterns. The shadows rose around them and swallowed all six of them up, and the captain heard only the softest of grunts as the 11th's scouts once more proved their skill.
They shuffled in silence across the plains, the pinprick lights of the fort drew closer and eventually grew into larger bulbs of radiance. Ren risked standing a little taller to draw her battalion's attention, and then led them off to one side. Weikong took the other side, while Rufen's soldiers settled for the front with Xing.
As they got into position, more crickets chirped in a peculiar rhythm, signaling more sentries being silenced. These ones would only be dragged aside instead of taken back. The fort's night watch obliviously patrolled their walls, the fort's many braziers and lanterns silhouetting them and hindering their vision into the gloom beyond.
Nostalgia crept into Ren as she knelt on one knee and apprehensively raised a hand as she kept her eyes on the guards above. After waiting for four passes, she tapped on her fingers, and a cricket song sent her status back to Xing. The cacophony of insect chirping actually caused the guards on the wall to pause in confusion, for what it was worth.
A shame that they realized too late that something was up, because shortly after that there was a flare of white fire to her side, followed closely by a deafening explosion as Xing fired a metal ball into the fort. It was a far less spectacular light show than when he wasn't using the metal tube, but the weapon did more than just draw attention. Confused shouting followed soon after a hole was punched through the fort's walls.
Even as the clamor within the base rose, Xing sent off a second shot that further expanded on the initial breach. Judging from the sounds, the third round after that caused that section of wall to fully crumble down.
Ren's heart began quickening as she waited. The guards on the walls were all drawn to the front, shouting at their fellows below. No doubt they only saw Xing and his bodyguards legging it back to camp, as a trail of Earth Kingdom soldiers streamed out to chase after them. No less than a score of them made it past the protective glow of their fort's lanterns and braziers before Rufen and his battalion made their appearance.
From where she knelt, it looked as if darkness rose up like a dark wave and crashed against the Earth Kingdom men and their torches, promptly swallowing them before rushing onwards towards the fort. The defenders' cries of alarm quickly became tinged with panic, and bells rang out in earnest.
"Now," a scout whispered loudly from behind her. Ren lowered her hand and stood up, ignoring the aches in her back and legs as she immediately got into a firebending stance. The other firebenders under her followed suit, while the non-benders got on their bellies and crawled closer to the walls.
As one the firebenders slowly gathered their inner flames, free from any unwanted attention.
Well, most unwanted attention.
A few cries of alarm told Ren that they'd been spotted, but the scouts attached to her battalion were quickly on the case, silencing the sentries with their arrows.
"Don't stop," Ren hissed behind her, in case that scene had caused her firebenders to falter. "Ready the flames!"
Ren channeled and amplified the chi circulating in her for several seconds before finally unleashing it onto a point on the wall. The others followed after her, letting out a concentrated volley of fire into the same point. Such was the torrent of fire that as the barrage blasted a hole into rock and dirt, the immediate area became as brightly lit as under a yellowed midday sun. Another blast could be heard echoing from the other end of the fort, signaling Weikong's battalion achieving the same result.
There was the rumbling sound of a localized landslide, Ren didn't wait for the smoke to clear before calling for a charge. If the walls hadn't been breached yet, the smoke would cover them while they rectified the issue. If the walls had been breached, then the smoke would come in handy masking their assault.
Thankfully, the concentrated fire was more than enough to blow a large hole that could accommodate four soldiers at a time. Ren was the first to leap past the breach, and unluckily for her she found herself amongst the Earth Kingdom's soldier's sleeping tents. The food and water would be on the other side then.
Well, there went the chance of topping up her private stash.
"Ah, fuck it. 2nd Battalion! Burn everything!"
Ren began to hurl fire into the tents, not caring if they were occupied or not. It'd be the soldier's own damned fault if they let themselves burn to death from a simple flame. Behind her, her firebenders did the same, spreading fire throughout the flammable wood and cloth surfaces of the fort's interior. At the same time, the non-benders with their blades rushed through the flames to engage the stunned enemy.
To their credit, most of the Earth Kingdom troops were already in armor, likely responding to Xing's method of entry.
Unfortunately for them, they did not sleep with their weapons.
Many were cut down as they tried to pick up their spears and swords just outside their burning tents, the raiders ruthlessly capitalizing on that moment of vulnerability. Those with weapons found themselves quickly overwhelmed.
Once they secured a beachhead, Ren took a second to feel for a breeze before she quickly reached for the clay jar behind her. "Naphtha!" she bellowed, hurling the thing as far into the camp as she could before blasting at it with a quick flick of firebending. The clay jar exploded and its rancid contents scattered and ignited. More jars filled the air, each shattered and ignited by firebenders to expose the fetid contents to the world.
In mere seconds, the area before her was filled by a thick cloud of noxious smog that wafted almost perfectly perpendicular from the battalion. The coughing and heaving of Earth Kingdom troops could be heard from within, which served as reference points for the firebenders to direct their fire.
"Onwards! Burn it all!"
Ren led her men and women deeper into the center of the fort, leaving behind a small forest of black pillars of smoke from burning tents and men. Fire was spilling all over the place, it almost looked like dawn was rising if one squinted hard enough. Yet, despite the destruction wrought, the captain knew they'd scorched no more than a few hundred tents, and far less enemy soldiers.
To her right, she could just make out the breach, and the Earth Kingdom troops fighting desperately to keep Rufen's people from entering it. To her left, another group of barely mustered soldiers was hurrying down from the larger officers' tents, stumbling to a stop as they encountered Ren's battalion.
The captain didn't need to give the order, simply throwing a bolt of fire in their leader's way was enough to get her own troops rushing at the reinforcements. Ren dove into the fray, daggers drawn and already stabbing deep into the chest of an earthbender before he could kick up a lump of rock. A quick jab fouled the strike of an enemy soldier trying to slash at one of her own, as well as setting the unlucky fool on fire.
Ren winced as she felt the scrape of an almost avoided spear thrust from the side, and she instinctively exhaled to give herself a precious inch before the weapon was retracted. The attacker was immolated by someone else before she could retaliate, so instead the captain quickly drew another pair of daggers and jammed them into the face of an enemy officer - probably a captain, but she couldn't really tell from the sleepwear.
She lashed out with fiery punches and kicks, as well as daggers, until eventually the enemy group broke and routed. With the distraction gone, Ren redirected her people into the backs of the breach defenders. A volley of fire was only released when the Earth Kingdom soldiers noticed them about halfway into the charge. The fighting was brutal and promised to be worse, but then a horn was sounded, followed by a call cutting through the smoke.
"Ceasefire! Ceasefire!"
Weikong's voice…and that of someone else. The Earth Kingdom colonel.
"Ah, shit," Rufen cursed, and Ren empathized. The bastard got the enemy commander.
"Fucker's gonna be preening after this…" she muttered, earning her colleague's annoyed nod.
The night attack ended as both sides ceased hostilities. A smug and somewhat cut up Weikong smugly led the defeated colonel towards his fellow captains with an axe lightly pressed against the prisoner's neck. Colonel Somsak's ash and soot-covered face looked more resigned than anything. His similarly messy retinue was far more devastated at their loss.
"I surrender," the colonel simply said, and the night raid was a runaway success.