Ge'els shakes his head, the King's argument while a sound one isn't practical, "Regardless of my thoughts on our Armies attire, what can we do about this.. Mage?"
Eredin "No matter how strong they are we will trap, surround and deal with them swiftly. Caranthir, ready as many Navigators as possible, once we find the girl the Mage will likely be defending her."
Ge'els nods, "Our usual tactics will likely not work if they've hidden in a fortified position, we must wage warfare like our ancestors before us had.
Eredin "I do not disagree with you Ge'els but I find it hard to fathom that those lesser races could muster a defence capable of holding our Armies off."
Ge'els "Think what you will but our disadvantage is clear, having to transport our Armies in any appreciable number will exhaust our Navigators. Not only will it take time to transport them but we will also lack Magical protection due to our strongest Mages being Navigators."
Eredin growls, "It matters not. We must acquire the girl, no matter the sacrifices, I will not let the White Frost take the Aen Elle, even if it takes our world."
Ge'els nods, knowing that they truly had no other option. While the could probably transport their people to a couple other worlds, the White Frost would catch up eventually due to them needing to follow a Child of the Elderblood's cracks in space to teleport. To truly be safe from the White Frost they would need to capture the girl and have her produce heirs that would be loyal and serve them. As ghastly as it sounds it is the only way.
Eredin looks at Imlerith, "I do not blame Caranthir for being unable to stop the Mage destroying our vessel and killing our men, I blame you for not being competent enough to escape with the survivors. You will have a chance to redeem yourself in the coming days, you will carry victory on your shoulders or your corpse make the path for it."
Imlerith rapidly nods, "I will not fail you again." he says as he gets up and addresses his king one last time before he leaves. "I will have my revenge on the Mage and bring you the girl Eredin."
Eredin watches Imlerith leave before looking at Ge'els, "Come, we must Divine where the girl is... If she's protected then we must look for the Vatt'ghern Gwynbleidd." he says as they both disappear from the room.
One day later Eredin with the help of Ge'els and Caranthir finally managed to Divine the location of someone who wasn't protected. The black haired Sorceress known as Yennefer of Vengerberg, with this information they managed to narrow down the area that they had to look for the girl, after that it was easy to decipher where they might be as their spies told of an old fortress that used to and probably still does belong to the Vatt'ghern... Kaer Morhen.
After failing to prove it due to the Sorceresses interference they decided to start readying troops for the assault. Due to the possibility of the Mage being present in the castle sending small numbers of warriors through portals into the keep would most likely fail spectacularly. Instead they decided that the best way was to mass their army behind the forest sitting below Kaer Morhen, due to the way the keep was constructed there was only around two ways to approach sieging it. One allowed the keep full view of them which would open them up to the Mage's spells, the other was trekking through the forest. Their choice was obvious, though their usual tactics of teleporting in troops behind the enemy once they are distracted may work later on the battle.
Eredin stands before thousands of his soldiers, he doesn't give a speech to raise morale as he didn't need to. As the rulers of this world his word was absolute, if he gave the order to cut their own throats they would do so without hesitation as if they refused their families would be butchered before them. Below him looking over the crowd were all of the Navigators the Aen Elle currently had, usually some would be left on standby incase something catastrophic happened but this was the most important battle they would be tasked with since ridding this world of humans.
Eredin "My orders are so, Find the girl and bring her back alive. Kill any who get in your way." he states, his voice carrying through the lines of troops who stand as if frozen in time in attention. Their heavy skeletal armour glinting in the sun as they listen to the information that Ge'els lists off in preparation for sieging Kaer Morhen.
Without another word by Eredin the Navigators began to open up portals for the armies to move through, of course Eredin sat back and allowed everyone to go through first as he refused to be caught off guard by a trap, as a king it his men's honour to die for him. On the opposite side was Imlerith who heading through before anyone else, hoping to gain back his kings confidence and to cleanse the shame of defeat from himself.
Kaer Morhen :
As soon as the Navigators began to conjure portals bells across the keep of Kaer Morhen were being rung, everyone sensitive to magic could feel it. Not only that but the temperature dropped a couple degrees simply because of the portals which made a few of the none-magical folk anxious.
Reima who had been sitting on the wall conversing with Priscilla, Solaire, Quelaag, Quelana and Risryn immediately knew what was happening and began to ready up for the conflict.