Chapter 143: Love Only That Which They Defend

### Story Date

Tuesday, 16 August, AD 1043/6551 ε.Κ/7 Muharram 435 AH/7 Guei-Yue Huangyou Era Year 1/7 Tvímánuður ÅrO -1/7 Elul AM 4803

## Story Chronology

### Next Chapter

The Fair Fame Never Dies Of Him Who Has Earned It

## Appearances

### Locations

Chatigam
Wellebou
Vedrarfjord
Berk
Rouen

*Furthermore, it bears repeating that when choosing to have a battle, one should choose a place and time in which one’s own advantages are maximized, and the opponent’s are rendered as reduced as possible. While this might seem obvious, I have seen far too many generals and other commanders of high rank who feel that having a “fair” and “honorable” fight for glory is of more importance than achieving their objectives or safeguarding the lives of the soldiers who follow them. So, for all of the glory that appears to come with two armies lined up on a field, ready to hack and chop each other to pieces and let the side who died the least say that they won the day, I believe that it is* more *honorable to have the other army be soundly defeated by overwhelming force if they cannot be brought to parley and negotiation. For sure, the young hotheads who feel otherwise will throw themselves into conflicts and waste their lives, but those who reserve fighting for when it will do the most good will have far fewer dead friends and allies to mourn.*

*And for those times when a battle is inevitable, then a wise general will do everything they can to arrange things in their favor. Allies. Supplies. Their morale and that of their enemies. Differences in culture. Surprise. Reputations. The weather. The land itself. All are ultimately tools in the hands of those who would wage war with their final goals in mind. And the more of these that the wise general can bring to bear, the more weight they remove from the arms of their own soldiers when it comes time for the clash itself.*

*To those that say that this is the cowardly route, all I can say is this: Which is more glorious? An army marching to its doom, shedding bodies and blood like leaves from a tree in autumn, beautiful and transient and weakened after the fight with rain and cold? Or a force that loses as few men as possible, and comes home with stories about how their foes fell like wheat before the scythe, and achieved* victory*?*

*—The Wing And The Ax, Queen Marshal Astrid Haddock I, undated draft, Waterford University Archives*

## Major Events

* While in Chatigam, Mulan's expedition finds Captain Naphtali the Radhanite, who agrees to take them on his ship to sail them closer to Berk.
* At Wellebou, Berk's forces under Astrid's command begin enacting Astrid's plan.
* Ultan informs Fintan that Octavianus has just noticed the Jewish refugees, and that Octavianus is only happy about the wealth they could bring. Yngvarr reports that Adalbert wants Emperor Henry to prevent the Jews of his nation from leaving, while Eadsige is upset about the incoming Jews and has privately lent credence to Henry the Sinister's stories of a conspiracy between Jews and the Hooligans.
* Alfric reports to William that Jacqueline did not end up pregnant from when she and Orvi slept together.
* The water level of the Seine River close to Rouen drops due to Astrid's dam.
* Astrid's forces catch more of Henry the Sinister's scouts that came to see what they were doing.
* Captain Naphtali's ship sets sail from Chatigam with Mulan's expedition aboard.
* With Henry's army where they want them, Astrid gives the order to release the dam, wiping out Henry's army in one blow.
* After Henry's army is wiped out, the Hooligans recover Spitelout's body and free Henry's remaining prisoners.

## Characters

### Humans

* Fa Mulan
* Mala
* Chien-Po
* Malachi
* Li Shang
* Naphtali the Radhanite (first appearance)
* Astrid Hákonsdóttir clan Haddock
* Hiccup clan Haddock
* Fintan mac Ionatan
* Saida
* Lavi ben Guerchon (first appearance)
* Roisin
* Padráig mac Bran
* Ultan mac Vir
* Yngvarr the Merry
* Stoick the Vast
* Serena clan Jorgenson
* Gobber the Belch
* William of Normandy
* Alfric clan Hofferson
* Orvi clan Hofferson
* Bernhard of Normandy (first appearance)
* Henry of Brittany
* Guy of Brionne
* Rivkah bat Hadassah
* Spitelout Clodgallsson (last appearance)
* Esther bat Rivkah clan Haddock
* Jonna Asgersdóttir

### Dragons

* Mushu
* Stormfly
* Thornado

## Analysis

### Epigraph Tie-In

* The epigraph discusses how the foolish general and hotheaded soldiers puts their army and themselves in unnecessarily danger for personal glory. The chapter shows Henry and his army swarming Rouen's walls when the river water lowers enough for them to cross without anyone asking why the water disappeared.
* The epigraph discusses how the wise general uses everything they can to their advantage, including the land itself. The chapter shows Astrid putting it in practice by creating a temporary dam in the Seine River to lure Henry's army into a trap and wash them away with an artificial flood.