Night lay thick as ink over the Lysene coalition camp.
The clamor in the camp gradually subsided, leaving only the crackle of burning campfires and the muffled snores from the distant slave camp.
The mercenaries changed watches, their faces heavy with exhaustion.
The soldiers of the Maiden’s Men and the Broken Flag Company on night duty sat around several campfires, talking quietly as their vigilance gradually slackened.
A scar-faced man from the Maiden’s Men licked his cracked lips, greed gleaming in his eyes. "Once this battle's over, I'm going to have some fun at those damned Lysene estates. They say Lysene women have skin as white and tender as peeled eggs. I'm going to pick out a few of the prettiest and bring them back."
A mercenary from the Broken Flag Company beside him laughed and patted the purse at his waist. "Idiot. If you're going to plunder anything, plunder gold. Gold that jingles. With that, what woman couldn't you buy? You could drown in Lysene white wine. Just thinking of that taste..."
He smacked his lips in bliss.
Just then, a squad of yawning Windblown mercenaries approached, led by a man with tousled flaxen hair carrying several wineskins.
"Hey, lads, change of watch."
He called out and tossed the wineskins to the mercenaries beside the fire.
"Here. 'Straw' Dick's treating you to something good to perk you up."
"Dick, you sly fox. Where'd you get Lysene wine?"
Scarface took a wineskin, sniffed it, and cursed with a laugh.
"Straw" Dick gave a sly smile and lowered his voice. "Where else? We 'borrowed' a little interest from a nearby plantation. An advance, that's all."
He winked.
The eyes of the mercenaries around him immediately lit up with greed, and they silently cursed themselves for not having thought of it.
They