Val’s sour mood followed him into the Brown Ajah Library, his expression telling that he would brook no nonsense regardless of rank. Given that Brown Ajah brothers and sisters paid little mind to anything other than the tomes they oversaw it seemed as good a place to be as any to let his temper cool. Ironically it was the Brown Aes Sedai Camele Svitsvanni who’d riled Val’s anger.
Lately with his studies being less mandatory, he’d come to her seeking knowledge about the Light’s struggle against the Shadow. His peers had little idea why or when the clashes of the Pattern’s two great forces took place, they only shouted on about being prepared for the Final Battle. Most Asha’man and Aes Sedai had broken pieces of knowledge, their education on the subject gathered in a hodgepodge of experience, hearsay, and gleeman tales. Wanting to know more about the duty to serve the Light, Val sought out a Sister he’d heard knew a great deal about history’s great battles, but what he’d found was an unwilling hag whose pursed lips only spouted high-handed babble that no one could make sense of. At first the Sister had appeared patient, but as Val grew agitated with patronizing anecdotes it seemed his temperament became infectious.
So he was referred to the Library to avoid a trip to the Master of Soldiers office.
Browsing aimlessly yielded nothing and for the second time in the day the assistance of a Brown was necessary. A young girl, her face inviting even if she was a little on the plump side, offered aid quickly. Though she had the same detached personality of her fellow Ajah members at least she was attentive enough to cite several works that she believed Val would find useful.
“Any respecting student of history would need to read Goth’s account of the Hundred Year War. An anthology of transcripts on the Battle of the Shining Walls will help guide you through the mired prologue of the war that Goth seems to scrimp. A recount of Artur Hawkwing’s life provides substantial study of military strategy. Pay attention to the Battle of Jolvaine Pass and the Battle of Talidar; those legitimize Hawkwing as one of the greatest tacticians to date. Here are studies of battles of lesser note and a biography of Caraighan Maconar.”
Val opened his mouth to answer, but the Sister bowed her head at the stack of books, tomes, and parchments in his arms, “It’s a bit of light reading, but you’re always welcome to more…so long as you do not under any circumstance deface those items or remove them from the Library. Understood?”
Before he could nod his assent, the girl glided down the aisle with a grace that contradicted her size. Finally alone, Val found a study table in an unoccupied corner of the great Library and began examining the readings. Though there was little pleasure to be had between the sheets of documents and scrolls ancient beyond his years, he couldn’t deny the curiosity that kept him turning the pages.
On the first day he was fascinated by the War of the Hundred Years. That history alone took more than a month of countless hours of reading to work through. From Artur Hawkwing’s siege on Tar Valon to the dividing of the lands united under the Consolidation Wars; the overlapping series of events folded atop one another was staggering. Most intriguing were the methods and timings of certain maneuvers. Murandy was founded through shrewd tactical precision on the part of Katrine do Catalan a'Coralle, who’d managed to use swift strikes upon neighboring regions to quickly amass supply lines on her way to capturing Lugard. Like any good game of Stones, the surest path to victory is to take as much space on the board as possible. Leave yer enemy with nowhere to run to and he’s as much as lost.
Artur Hawkwing’s Empire gradually whittled away to nothing through the series of battles. It seemed much of the world today had been shaped by the battles that were waged, won, and lost during the long struggle for territory.
Maybe it’d be best to learn a little of Hawking’s conquests. After all he did manage to unite the lands before his death.
What should’ve been a short business turned into a three month journey through the countless successes of one of the most powerful men in history, Westlands and beyond. Valadin had already gained some insight into battle by his study of the Hundred Year War—the Lords and Ladies that utilized strategy to overpower smaller enemies or charisma to draw men to their cause provided example to the merits of ingenuity. There was no denying that resourcefulness was an important part of any good general’s repertoire.
Hawkwing was different though.
Simply reading about the False Dragon Guaire Amalasan and the War of the Second Dragon was enough to make Val fearful of the man who had centuries gone claimed to be the Dragon Reborn. Nations and Aes Sedai united against the man, yet he conquered them at every turn even slaying a Sister while two others were stilled. Saidin quivered as if in remembrance of a time it gushed through a conduit greater than many others. They say the Dragon Reborn is supposed to be greater than even this monster? Blood and ashes…
Setting aside the disconcerting comparison of his abilities against the likes of Dragons and False Dragons, Val paid careful attention to the Battle of Jolvaine Pass as the Brown had recommended. Her advice proved fruitful as he made mental notes for when he reviewed military strategy—he would need to in order to fully grasp the enormity of the hands at play in history.
Amalasan’s greatest strength had been that he struck when the Black Fever plagued the nations. Military power was hindered as he made great pushes in a short amount of time and Val understood why immediately. As was the case in the other battles he’d researched, time was paramount; even outranking strength as an important commodity. It was here that Hawkwing bested the False Dragon, the speed of his armies overcoming the numbers and momentum of Amalasan’s previous victories. Beyond that, the pass’s terrain favored the use of infantry which at the time cut deeply into the forces Amalasan had on his side since the large cavalry under his command were limited in the fight by uneven slopes and rocky flatlands.
It was Hawkwing’s ability to move his forces quickly into the enemy’s rear position while defanging the dangerous flanking contingents that had bought him enough time to shield and capture Amalasan.
The subsequent Battle of Tar Valon seemed even more desperate than Amalasan’s defeat. Beaten and bloodied, Hawkwing faced Amalasan’s lieutenants on Tar Valon territory inciting both Aes Sedai anger as well as the fear of the other nations. General Maculhene and Motheneos’ defeat put a definitive end to the War of the Second Dragon as Amalasan was gentled, but the fight had been fought even in the streets of Tar Valon—at the very foot of the White Tower no less!
His examination of Artur Hawkwing continued on for several weeks after the third month had passed and he noted the aftermaths of each battle, the way they shaped the combat of the other nations in the future. The Battle of Talidar, taking place much later, still exemplified the one thing that Hawkwing seemed to understand better than most: time.
Of course Val couldn’t follow the advanced tactics that the history documents denoted without understanding military strategy himself, but he could see that in every gesture Hawkwing as well as others valued time more than anything else.
His study of battle accounts would continue though the most educative remained the details of Hawkwing’s rise to power. Reading into other figures such as Caraighan Maconar and Yurian Stonebow, he was able to understand maneuvers along with the intent behind them though he believed no executed them as well or as fortunately as Artur Hawkwing had.
History would tell of this age as well. Valadin wondered whether it would write of his battles against the Shadow or other nations and enemies. He wondered if he wanted remembered by history.
Lately with his studies being less mandatory, he’d come to her seeking knowledge about the Light’s struggle against the Shadow. His peers had little idea why or when the clashes of the Pattern’s two great forces took place, they only shouted on about being prepared for the Final Battle. Most Asha’man and Aes Sedai had broken pieces of knowledge, their education on the subject gathered in a hodgepodge of experience, hearsay, and gleeman tales. Wanting to know more about the duty to serve the Light, Val sought out a Sister he’d heard knew a great deal about history’s great battles, but what he’d found was an unwilling hag whose pursed lips only spouted high-handed babble that no one could make sense of. At first the Sister had appeared patient, but as Val grew agitated with patronizing anecdotes it seemed his temperament became infectious.
So he was referred to the Library to avoid a trip to the Master of Soldiers office.
Browsing aimlessly yielded nothing and for the second time in the day the assistance of a Brown was necessary. A young girl, her face inviting even if she was a little on the plump side, offered aid quickly. Though she had the same detached personality of her fellow Ajah members at least she was attentive enough to cite several works that she believed Val would find useful.
“Any respecting student of history would need to read Goth’s account of the Hundred Year War. An anthology of transcripts on the Battle of the Shining Walls will help guide you through the mired prologue of the war that Goth seems to scrimp. A recount of Artur Hawkwing’s life provides substantial study of military strategy. Pay attention to the Battle of Jolvaine Pass and the Battle of Talidar; those legitimize Hawkwing as one of the greatest tacticians to date. Here are studies of battles of lesser note and a biography of Caraighan Maconar.”
Val opened his mouth to answer, but the Sister bowed her head at the stack of books, tomes, and parchments in his arms, “It’s a bit of light reading, but you’re always welcome to more…so long as you do not under any circumstance deface those items or remove them from the Library. Understood?”
Before he could nod his assent, the girl glided down the aisle with a grace that contradicted her size. Finally alone, Val found a study table in an unoccupied corner of the great Library and began examining the readings. Though there was little pleasure to be had between the sheets of documents and scrolls ancient beyond his years, he couldn’t deny the curiosity that kept him turning the pages.
On the first day he was fascinated by the War of the Hundred Years. That history alone took more than a month of countless hours of reading to work through. From Artur Hawkwing’s siege on Tar Valon to the dividing of the lands united under the Consolidation Wars; the overlapping series of events folded atop one another was staggering. Most intriguing were the methods and timings of certain maneuvers. Murandy was founded through shrewd tactical precision on the part of Katrine do Catalan a'Coralle, who’d managed to use swift strikes upon neighboring regions to quickly amass supply lines on her way to capturing Lugard. Like any good game of Stones, the surest path to victory is to take as much space on the board as possible. Leave yer enemy with nowhere to run to and he’s as much as lost.
Artur Hawkwing’s Empire gradually whittled away to nothing through the series of battles. It seemed much of the world today had been shaped by the battles that were waged, won, and lost during the long struggle for territory.
Maybe it’d be best to learn a little of Hawking’s conquests. After all he did manage to unite the lands before his death.
What should’ve been a short business turned into a three month journey through the countless successes of one of the most powerful men in history, Westlands and beyond. Valadin had already gained some insight into battle by his study of the Hundred Year War—the Lords and Ladies that utilized strategy to overpower smaller enemies or charisma to draw men to their cause provided example to the merits of ingenuity. There was no denying that resourcefulness was an important part of any good general’s repertoire.
Hawkwing was different though.
Simply reading about the False Dragon Guaire Amalasan and the War of the Second Dragon was enough to make Val fearful of the man who had centuries gone claimed to be the Dragon Reborn. Nations and Aes Sedai united against the man, yet he conquered them at every turn even slaying a Sister while two others were stilled. Saidin quivered as if in remembrance of a time it gushed through a conduit greater than many others. They say the Dragon Reborn is supposed to be greater than even this monster? Blood and ashes…
Setting aside the disconcerting comparison of his abilities against the likes of Dragons and False Dragons, Val paid careful attention to the Battle of Jolvaine Pass as the Brown had recommended. Her advice proved fruitful as he made mental notes for when he reviewed military strategy—he would need to in order to fully grasp the enormity of the hands at play in history.
Amalasan’s greatest strength had been that he struck when the Black Fever plagued the nations. Military power was hindered as he made great pushes in a short amount of time and Val understood why immediately. As was the case in the other battles he’d researched, time was paramount; even outranking strength as an important commodity. It was here that Hawkwing bested the False Dragon, the speed of his armies overcoming the numbers and momentum of Amalasan’s previous victories. Beyond that, the pass’s terrain favored the use of infantry which at the time cut deeply into the forces Amalasan had on his side since the large cavalry under his command were limited in the fight by uneven slopes and rocky flatlands.
It was Hawkwing’s ability to move his forces quickly into the enemy’s rear position while defanging the dangerous flanking contingents that had bought him enough time to shield and capture Amalasan.
The subsequent Battle of Tar Valon seemed even more desperate than Amalasan’s defeat. Beaten and bloodied, Hawkwing faced Amalasan’s lieutenants on Tar Valon territory inciting both Aes Sedai anger as well as the fear of the other nations. General Maculhene and Motheneos’ defeat put a definitive end to the War of the Second Dragon as Amalasan was gentled, but the fight had been fought even in the streets of Tar Valon—at the very foot of the White Tower no less!
His examination of Artur Hawkwing continued on for several weeks after the third month had passed and he noted the aftermaths of each battle, the way they shaped the combat of the other nations in the future. The Battle of Talidar, taking place much later, still exemplified the one thing that Hawkwing seemed to understand better than most: time.
Of course Val couldn’t follow the advanced tactics that the history documents denoted without understanding military strategy himself, but he could see that in every gesture Hawkwing as well as others valued time more than anything else.
His study of battle accounts would continue though the most educative remained the details of Hawkwing’s rise to power. Reading into other figures such as Caraighan Maconar and Yurian Stonebow, he was able to understand maneuvers along with the intent behind them though he believed no executed them as well or as fortunately as Artur Hawkwing had.
History would tell of this age as well. Valadin wondered whether it would write of his battles against the Shadow or other nations and enemies. He wondered if he wanted remembered by history.
