The room holding the command table sat by the barracks, inside a stone building that had once served as a quartermaster’s office. That had been back when Ashmark still maintained supply routes through people who understood logistics instead of merely surviving them.

The room was already lit by the time the twenty-one captains gathered around the central table.

The map took up almost the entire surface.

It was professional work. Not the kind of map soldiers sketched from memory after patrols, but one made by a trained surveyor. The ink lines were clean, the distances measured carefully, every label written in a hand that was taught in calligraphy.

Lewin’s people had recovered it from one hideout in the warehouse district, sealed inside oilcloth and locked away in a cabinet.

Harvin Coss had spent decades building his network through this territory. A man couldn’t manage a protectorate like that without understanding the region in detail.

Beorn stood at the near end of the table and gave the captains time to study the map before he began speaking. He wanted them oriented first.

The three reclaimed mines sat north-northeast of Ashmark. Their roads had been drawn in heavier ink than the surrounding terrain markings, which was either a concern or irrelevant by now.

"I trust you know the ground near the city," Beorn said.

He moved his hand south from the mines. "The marsh drainage is here, southwest of Ashmark. The limestone quarry west, near the main highway, here the coal deposits northeast."

The coal deposits were shallow seams, already within the city influence for supply. Beorn finger then shifted toward the southeastern section of the map.

"Salt formations here, out in the barrenland. We’re already undersupplied on salt."

He moved further northeast again.

"Copper and tin deposits in this region, but we only had partial surveys of the surroundings."

Then he moved his hand across the smaller markings clustered near the edge of the map. "These are ruins sites. They correlate with the fracture events some of you have seen referenced in reports. The elevated risk zones run through here and here."

His finger traced a rough band through the middle of the barrenland.

"The intelligence files will be distributed to captains assigned near those locations."

That drew attention immediately. Several captains leaned closer to the map without realizing it. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Beorn moved his hand toward the far edge.

The settlement there was marked Grimholt, written in the heavy ink.

The medium-sized town sat near the edge of the map, isolated enough that only a single road reached it without branching.

"Grimholt," Beorn said. "Historically a company town."

He tapped the map once near the settlement.

"We need to determine who is in charge there, and why it is not this seat."

One of the captains near the middle of the table frowned at the ruins band. "Those ruins..." he said. "After the refugee influx, stories started moving through the slums. Things that didn’t sound like normal monsters."

He hesitated briefly, testing the reaction in the room before continuing.

"Are we talking about what I think we’re talking about?"

"Normal or not, if they bleed, they can be put down," Beorn said evenly.

He kept his eyes on the map as he answered. "The captains assigned near those positions will receive the briefing before deployment. For everyone else, understand this, those sites carry a different class of threat than a normal outpost. Adjust your supply and equipment requests accordingly."

The captain studied the marked band for another moment. Whatever conclusion he reached, it convinced him not to ask another question.

Godric still had not spoken. When he finally did, his voice came from the far end of the table without any wasted emphasis.

"We need at average ten companies in the city and near mines to efficiently operate as garrison."

He stated the problem once and left it there for the room to process.

"Noted." Beorn nodded. "We rotate based on contact reports and casualties."

He looked around the table, making certain the captains were following the logic. The protectorate did not have enough manpower to easily recover from a disastrous deployment.

"This is only a part of the protectorate, and the Badlands at large."

He continued. "And what we actually control right now is even less, only Ashmark and its backyard."

He placed both hands on the table edge.

"It is time to change that. We will deploy eleven companies throughout main objectives."

The first three deployments went to captains whose names weren’t either extremely reliable. They received objectives, routes, and supply parameters in concise sequence.

One, establish a northern road outpost on the primary mine route to secure the supply line and extend the patrolling coverage.

Two, establish presence at the salt formations southeast of Ashmark and prepare the deposit for extraction.

Three, establish a presence near the copper and and tin deposits northeast, to also prepare the region for future extraction.

Each captain tracked his position on the map while Beorn outlined the conditions. None of them needed additional explanation as the tasks were straightforward enough.

When it came to Harr, his company would continue to occupy the third mine until the reclamation efforts were over and the surrounding region pacified.

To deal with the bandits through the territory, one operation was given to a broad-shouldered captain who had led his squad back then through most of the residential district fighting.

He considered the task for a moment, then asked the obvious question.

"How do we handle toll operations when we find them? Remove them or negotiate through?"

Beorn already had an answer prepared.

"Make them understand the road belongs to the protectorate."

He paused briefly.

"If they refuse the compromise, make the point clearly."

The captain nodded once.

The Grimholt operation went to a new captain.

He was younger than most of the officers present by several years. The pace of recent fighting had accelerated his career faster than the army normally allowed.

Still, when he looked at the Grimholt marker, it was directly, with no hesitation nor unnecessary commentary.

"The goal is observation and contact for now."

Beorn told him specifically. "You arrive with enough strength to be respected and enough restraint not to start a conflict before you’ve had a conversation."

He tapped the map once near Grimholt. "First, determine who is in charge of the town. Second, present protectorate terms clearly and directly. If they refuse, you camp nearby and inform this seat."

A brief pause followed.

The seventh assignment went to another new captain, one known for his charisma. There was an independent settlement near the eastern highway, one that had influence over traffic moving eastward, which made it strategically relevant whether they liked the protectorate or not.

The captain raised an eyebrow.

"Are the militia settlements hostile by default?"

"They are neutral to wary" Beorn answered. "Approach accordingly."

Then he turned toward the room as a whole.

There were seven captains with their new objectives. The ten garrison captains plus Harr already knew their duties.

"Col, Cedd, Swen, stay. The rest is dismissed," Godric said from the far end of the room.

The word carried the tone that meant immediate execution, not discussion.

Eighteen men moved toward the door with the efficient pace of soldiers who understood exactly where they needed to be next.

The room changed after they left.

The door shut heavily behind them, muting the noise from outside. What remained felt smaller and more focused.

Col, Cedd, and Swen stood near the table. Godric remained at the far end. Between them sat the map.

Then Lewin entered.

He did not bother knocking.

He crossed directly to the table and stopped near the front edge. His eyes moved immediately to the far side of the map.

Then finally Beorn.