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legions would have arrived exhausted on the battlefield. The
Chereks deposited fresh troops on the north bank of the River Arend
almost within sight of the battle in two days.
On the morning of the third day of the battle, the forces of the
west closed with the Angaraks. The Battle of Vo Mimbre has been
analysed in great detail, and the study of the moves, countermoves,
deployment and so forth will, of course, be presented by the faculty
of the Department of Military Arts and Sciences. For Historians, a
rough sketch is adequate.
Upon a pre-arranged signal, the Mimbrate Knights issued from
the city and attacked the Angarak horde from the front. Then,
when the Angaraks were concentrating on this direction, Algarian
Cavalry' Drasnian Infantry and the Ulgo irregulars attacked
Kal-Torak's left; the Tolnedran legions, accompanied by Cherek Berserks,
assaulted his right. Attacked on three sides, Kal-Torak committed
his reserves. Then it was that the Rivans, the Sendars, and the
Asturian archers came upon him from the rear.
The battle raged for hours, and the issue was still in doubt when
Brand issued his challenge to Kal-Torak to meet him in a single
combat. This duel was the decisive incident in the battle. The loss of
either leader would so confound and demoralize his army that the
victory would fall easily to the survivor. In the end, though he
seemed the stronger of the two, Kal-Torak faltered, and Brand,
taking advantage of his foe's momentary confusion, struck him
down.
The leaderless Angaraks, surrounded and demoralized, were then
systematically cut to pieces by the combined armies of the west.
The few elements which escaped fled back across the mountains,
raised the siege of the Algarian Stronghold and struggled into the
wilderness of the mountain range which marks the boundary
between Algaria and Mishrak at Thull. The occupation forces in
Drasnia withdrew back into Car og Nadrak, and the war was over.
The Malloreans had been destroyed in the battle, and the Nadraks,
Thulls and Murgos were so decimated that they would never again
pose a threat to the west.
It was at this point that Tolnedra's greatest peril arose. The other
nations of the west, overwhelmed by the enormous victory Brand
had given them, hovered for a time on the verge of crowning the
Rivan general Emperor of the west. It was only through the
extraordinary efforts of Mergon, Tolnedran ambassador to the court at Vo
Mimbre, that this disaster was averted. At length he restored the
balance of good sense, and the proposal was dropped.
In return, however, the western kings imposed a humiliating
condition upon the Empire. While Brand himself indicated no
desire for such a fortuitous marriage, the assembled kings decreed
that the Rivan King should have the hand of an Imperial Princess
in marriage. This, of course, is an absurdity' since the line of the
Rivan Kings died with Corek the Wise when he was assassinated
in 4002, but the kings were adamant. Thus it is necessary for every
Tolnedran Princess to make the arduous and often dangerous
journey to the fortress at Riva upon her sixteenth birthday and to
await there for three days a bridegroom who will never come.
Ran Borune was infuriated by this humiliation, but Mergon
Pointed out that the combination of Alorns, Ulgos, Arends and
Sendars could easily overthrow the legions and impose their will
on Tolnedra from the throne-room in Tol Honeth itself if they
chose.
In his last act as overgeneral of the west, Brand directed that the
lines of Asturia and Mimbre be joined by marriage to bring the