After studying the idea carefully, Victor and Viscount Brown ultimately abandoned it. They simply had no intelligence on the Iron Bone Tribe's stronghold.
The territory's Intelligence Department had spent this time using every means at its disposal to probe deep into the grasslands. But it had made little progress in locating the Iron Bone Tribe or learning about the forces under the mysterious Keledu.
Since the Steppe Barbarians' Civil War, the balance of power on the grasslands had changed dramatically. Everything had been reshuffled, and many tribes had vanished in just two or three months.
The routes once mapped out by Two Rivers County's horse traders and merchant caravans were now useless. Sometimes, Intelligence Department teams disguised as caravans went days without finding a small tribe to trade with.
Getting more intelligence would require more time and manpower to build a new intelligence network across the grasslands. That could not be done in a mere twenty-odd days. It would take at least half a year, perhaps longer.
Faced with this reality, Victor knew his idea of striking first had to be shelved for now. He would have to follow the original plan and send troops to help defend Durham County.
This time, though, the details of the plan changed. Durham County's nobles were far more eager to cooperate than he had expected, allowing Victor to carry it out with fewer resources.
The plan Victor and Viscount Brown finally agreed on kept the troop numbers unchanged: Two Rivers County would still send nearly ten thousand soldiers. Logistics would be split in two. Two Rivers County would remain responsible for arms and equipment, while Durham County would provide food, fodder, and other everyday supplies.
Once the army reached Durham County, its nobles would select an experienced and widely respected noble. They would