Post by puffinwhisperer on Dec 15, 2010 21:40:11 GMT -5
Part of my pact with Lovi.
ODDS ARE
Part the First
Part the Second
Part the Third
This was something I wrote mostly over the summer. It's all about the battle of Aspern-Essling, which took place 1809 in Austria during the Napoleonic Wars. What really struck me about this was the fact that Aspern-Essling was Napoleon's first personal defeat in ten years, and that it was Austria, of all countries, that beat the French. Intrigued, I borrowed a book from the library -- "The Battle" by Patrick Rambaud, if anyone's interested -- and wrote this. I was pretty satisfied with it at the time, but now that it's been a good several months since I've looked at it, I'm sure I hate it, but I'm too lazy to revise it.
Also, there's a version on my computer somewhere with the human names. I can't remember why I changed it, but I do remember that I just had Word go through and replace human names with country names, so there are probably some places where they look out-of-place. Hurr, I'm lazy.
The first part is short and sweet, more of a prologue than anything. I'll keep your eyes from burning and just post this first part on the forum for now.
/ramble
...
Seven men and two women stood around the seasoned wooden table, its glossed surface covered by a map so severely studied that the nine present could draw out each miniscule detail with their eyes closed.
“Our scouts inform us that the French forces have secured Aspern and Essling,” Archduke Charles of Austria said, his voice without trepidation but still grave. To illustrate his point, he gestured on the map to the two adjacent villages on the east bank of the Danube, just across the river from Vienna. “Once we have them pinned against the river, we will commence our attack and drive the French out of Vienna for good.”
The Archduke’s words fermented in the air for several long moments, no one wanting to contradict the commander of the Austrian forces. Finally, the taller of the two women spoke up.
“Napoleon himself is fighting tomorrow.” Hungary spat the name as if it were an expletive. In these times, it practically was. She continued, “And we all know that he hasn’t lost a battle in over a decade. Do you really think we can defeat the French tomorrow?” Her question wasn’t solely directed at the Archduke; she looked around the assembly with eyes as sharp as cut emeralds.
The generals were uncomfortable with this sudden prodding. Hohenzollern muttered something unintelligible, while Rosenberg folded his arms across his chest and stared at his feet.
“I think we can,” a quiet, feeble voice said. Everyone turned to gaze upon the speaker, a thin girl with pale blonde hair and eyes like a startled doe. With irrevocable determination set into her face, Liechtenstein said a bit louder, “I know we can.”
“You realize,” Hungary replied, turning on her, “that just because we have more soldiers doesn’t mean we’re going to win. And just because we have a good strategy doesn’t mean we’re going to win. This is Napoleon we’re talking about here – he’ll have the better strategy, no matter what. That’s how he’s managed to build his empire, and that’s how he’ll manage to destroy us come tomorrow morning.” Despite her fierce argument, Liechtenstein didn’t look perturbed in the least.
General Hiller saw that it was easier to join the negative side in this debate. “The French have bested us before. Does anyone remember the battle of Austerlitz? We had the help of Russia then, and still we couldn’t claim a victory. What is going to make tomorrow’s fight any different?” he demanded.
At the word ‘Austerlitz’, Austria involuntarily flinched. He had deliberately kept to himself and would rather not be here at all if he had any say in it. The Archduke had insisted he be there, and indeed, it was his duty, but Austria couldn’t help but notice a foreboding feeling about the upcoming fight, and he was entitled to it. Vienna, his pride and joy, had been and most likely still was being ransacked and looted by France’s soldiers, eager to satisfy their greed. Though the bridges across the Danube had been burned to keep the French from advancing and all the boats destroyed or swept upriver, Napoleon’s army had constructed a makeshift bridge and was now camped on the island Lobau and the eastern bank of the river.
All those things were spinning around in his brain quickly enough to make him feel dizzy, and now his general had brought up Austerlitz, one of his blackest and most pain-wracked memories to date.
The Archduke noticed his nation’s visible reaction, and went about changing the subject. “Our numbers are far superior to Napoleon’s, that much is true. They have strategists, and so do we. We will be fighting in our homeland, and they will be the ones on foreign ground.”
Hiller started to interrupt him, as these were nearly the same conditions during the battle of Austerlitz, but Archduke Charles held up a hand to keep him silenced. “The difference this time is that these men have a reason to fight. The French Empire has been purging our land too long. Each of those men knows that a victory tomorrow will be the first step in ridding Austria of the French. And what greater prize is there than a freed country?” With this rhetorical question, the Archduke trained his gaze on Austria. Indigo eyes met dark brown, and Charles smiled reassuringly.
Austria sighed nearly inaudibly, then mumbled something about fresh air as he raised the canvas flap of the tent that served as the doorway. Once outside, he looked to the heavens glittering with stars and a nearly full moon. In the clear mid-May air, he listened to the sound of crickets in the grass, muffled voices of the anxious men in the camp, and the ever-permeating rushing of the Danube, though it was several kilometers away. The peace was fragile tonight, and in just a few hours, it would be shattered beyond repair.
Lost as he was in thought, Austria didn’t hear the figure walking up beside him. He jumped when he felt a hand touch his shoulder.
“Sorry for frightening you, Austria,” Liechtenstein said in that innocent voice of hers, “but I needed to speak with you in private.”
Austria was a bit embarrassed at the fact that he had been scared by a little girl, but at the same time he was relieved that it was her and not, say, Hungary. “If this is about the battle tomorrow….” He trailed off, shaking his head.
“It’s about so much more than that,” she insisted, almost pleaded. “This is about you, your people, my people, the entire world. We have a chance to stop France’s army from advancing, and if we do, the whole of Europe will turn to us as an example.
“Don’t you see, Austria?” She laid her hand on his arm, just to make sure he was still paying attention. “This is our only chance. Common sense tells you that you won’t win, but the odds are that we can and we will.” For a moment, she paused in her speech, waiting for a reaction from him.
After a moment of silence, he replied, “I think you are right to be optimistic, but don’t let it blind you.”
Liechtenstein violently wrenched her fingers from his arm, which shocked him. Austria had never seen her lose her temper, but she looked as if she might now.
“I’m not the blinded one!” she cried out suddenly. “Why have you lost your faith in yourself, Austria? You and Hungary both. The French are raiding your city and crossing your river as we speak, and you don’t want to drive them out, protect your land and your people?”
“Of course I do!” He didn’t realize he was shouting until he heard himself. Quieter, he went on: “I want more than anything to protect them.”
“Then do it,” she said simply, then turned and walked away, leaving Austria to his own devices. Was the girl who had just talked to him really the nation of Liechtenstein, or was she an imposter who looked exactly like her, but with a worse temperament?
Then again, he mused, maybe the real problem here was himself. He was still an empire strong enough to challenge France’s army, wasn’t he? Perhaps Liechtenstein was right; he needed to stop moping around and prepare for the upcoming confrontation. With the river’s sounds still permanently etched into the background noise, he thought of her words, of the French crossing the yellow waters of the Danube. His Danube. Yes, that sparked a bit of turmoil inside him. By morning it would be kindled into a flame that would carry him into battle, ready to defend all he held dear.
...
Author’s Notes
Austerlitz: The battle Napoleon fought against Austrian and Russian forces in Bavaria in 1805. It was absolute bloodshed, and the two allied nations were easily defeated by the French. Basically, the Austrians were pwned into submission and stayed that way until 1809.
Hungary and Liechtenstein: The Austrian Empire at the time ruled over what would eventually become Hungary, so she’s lurking around, but she and Austria aren’t married yet. The Prince of Liechtenstein backed up Archduke Charles in the Battle of Aspern-Essling, since Austria and Liechtenstein were very closely tied back then.
ODDS ARE
Part the First
Part the Second
Part the Third
This was something I wrote mostly over the summer. It's all about the battle of Aspern-Essling, which took place 1809 in Austria during the Napoleonic Wars. What really struck me about this was the fact that Aspern-Essling was Napoleon's first personal defeat in ten years, and that it was Austria, of all countries, that beat the French. Intrigued, I borrowed a book from the library -- "The Battle" by Patrick Rambaud, if anyone's interested -- and wrote this. I was pretty satisfied with it at the time, but now that it's been a good several months since I've looked at it, I'm sure I hate it, but I'm too lazy to revise it.
Also, there's a version on my computer somewhere with the human names. I can't remember why I changed it, but I do remember that I just had Word go through and replace human names with country names, so there are probably some places where they look out-of-place. Hurr, I'm lazy.
The first part is short and sweet, more of a prologue than anything. I'll keep your eyes from burning and just post this first part on the forum for now.
/ramble
...
Seven men and two women stood around the seasoned wooden table, its glossed surface covered by a map so severely studied that the nine present could draw out each miniscule detail with their eyes closed.
“Our scouts inform us that the French forces have secured Aspern and Essling,” Archduke Charles of Austria said, his voice without trepidation but still grave. To illustrate his point, he gestured on the map to the two adjacent villages on the east bank of the Danube, just across the river from Vienna. “Once we have them pinned against the river, we will commence our attack and drive the French out of Vienna for good.”
The Archduke’s words fermented in the air for several long moments, no one wanting to contradict the commander of the Austrian forces. Finally, the taller of the two women spoke up.
“Napoleon himself is fighting tomorrow.” Hungary spat the name as if it were an expletive. In these times, it practically was. She continued, “And we all know that he hasn’t lost a battle in over a decade. Do you really think we can defeat the French tomorrow?” Her question wasn’t solely directed at the Archduke; she looked around the assembly with eyes as sharp as cut emeralds.
The generals were uncomfortable with this sudden prodding. Hohenzollern muttered something unintelligible, while Rosenberg folded his arms across his chest and stared at his feet.
“I think we can,” a quiet, feeble voice said. Everyone turned to gaze upon the speaker, a thin girl with pale blonde hair and eyes like a startled doe. With irrevocable determination set into her face, Liechtenstein said a bit louder, “I know we can.”
“You realize,” Hungary replied, turning on her, “that just because we have more soldiers doesn’t mean we’re going to win. And just because we have a good strategy doesn’t mean we’re going to win. This is Napoleon we’re talking about here – he’ll have the better strategy, no matter what. That’s how he’s managed to build his empire, and that’s how he’ll manage to destroy us come tomorrow morning.” Despite her fierce argument, Liechtenstein didn’t look perturbed in the least.
General Hiller saw that it was easier to join the negative side in this debate. “The French have bested us before. Does anyone remember the battle of Austerlitz? We had the help of Russia then, and still we couldn’t claim a victory. What is going to make tomorrow’s fight any different?” he demanded.
At the word ‘Austerlitz’, Austria involuntarily flinched. He had deliberately kept to himself and would rather not be here at all if he had any say in it. The Archduke had insisted he be there, and indeed, it was his duty, but Austria couldn’t help but notice a foreboding feeling about the upcoming fight, and he was entitled to it. Vienna, his pride and joy, had been and most likely still was being ransacked and looted by France’s soldiers, eager to satisfy their greed. Though the bridges across the Danube had been burned to keep the French from advancing and all the boats destroyed or swept upriver, Napoleon’s army had constructed a makeshift bridge and was now camped on the island Lobau and the eastern bank of the river.
All those things were spinning around in his brain quickly enough to make him feel dizzy, and now his general had brought up Austerlitz, one of his blackest and most pain-wracked memories to date.
The Archduke noticed his nation’s visible reaction, and went about changing the subject. “Our numbers are far superior to Napoleon’s, that much is true. They have strategists, and so do we. We will be fighting in our homeland, and they will be the ones on foreign ground.”
Hiller started to interrupt him, as these were nearly the same conditions during the battle of Austerlitz, but Archduke Charles held up a hand to keep him silenced. “The difference this time is that these men have a reason to fight. The French Empire has been purging our land too long. Each of those men knows that a victory tomorrow will be the first step in ridding Austria of the French. And what greater prize is there than a freed country?” With this rhetorical question, the Archduke trained his gaze on Austria. Indigo eyes met dark brown, and Charles smiled reassuringly.
Austria sighed nearly inaudibly, then mumbled something about fresh air as he raised the canvas flap of the tent that served as the doorway. Once outside, he looked to the heavens glittering with stars and a nearly full moon. In the clear mid-May air, he listened to the sound of crickets in the grass, muffled voices of the anxious men in the camp, and the ever-permeating rushing of the Danube, though it was several kilometers away. The peace was fragile tonight, and in just a few hours, it would be shattered beyond repair.
Lost as he was in thought, Austria didn’t hear the figure walking up beside him. He jumped when he felt a hand touch his shoulder.
“Sorry for frightening you, Austria,” Liechtenstein said in that innocent voice of hers, “but I needed to speak with you in private.”
Austria was a bit embarrassed at the fact that he had been scared by a little girl, but at the same time he was relieved that it was her and not, say, Hungary. “If this is about the battle tomorrow….” He trailed off, shaking his head.
“It’s about so much more than that,” she insisted, almost pleaded. “This is about you, your people, my people, the entire world. We have a chance to stop France’s army from advancing, and if we do, the whole of Europe will turn to us as an example.
“Don’t you see, Austria?” She laid her hand on his arm, just to make sure he was still paying attention. “This is our only chance. Common sense tells you that you won’t win, but the odds are that we can and we will.” For a moment, she paused in her speech, waiting for a reaction from him.
After a moment of silence, he replied, “I think you are right to be optimistic, but don’t let it blind you.”
Liechtenstein violently wrenched her fingers from his arm, which shocked him. Austria had never seen her lose her temper, but she looked as if she might now.
“I’m not the blinded one!” she cried out suddenly. “Why have you lost your faith in yourself, Austria? You and Hungary both. The French are raiding your city and crossing your river as we speak, and you don’t want to drive them out, protect your land and your people?”
“Of course I do!” He didn’t realize he was shouting until he heard himself. Quieter, he went on: “I want more than anything to protect them.”
“Then do it,” she said simply, then turned and walked away, leaving Austria to his own devices. Was the girl who had just talked to him really the nation of Liechtenstein, or was she an imposter who looked exactly like her, but with a worse temperament?
Then again, he mused, maybe the real problem here was himself. He was still an empire strong enough to challenge France’s army, wasn’t he? Perhaps Liechtenstein was right; he needed to stop moping around and prepare for the upcoming confrontation. With the river’s sounds still permanently etched into the background noise, he thought of her words, of the French crossing the yellow waters of the Danube. His Danube. Yes, that sparked a bit of turmoil inside him. By morning it would be kindled into a flame that would carry him into battle, ready to defend all he held dear.
...
Author’s Notes
Austerlitz: The battle Napoleon fought against Austrian and Russian forces in Bavaria in 1805. It was absolute bloodshed, and the two allied nations were easily defeated by the French. Basically, the Austrians were pwned into submission and stayed that way until 1809.
Hungary and Liechtenstein: The Austrian Empire at the time ruled over what would eventually become Hungary, so she’s lurking around, but she and Austria aren’t married yet. The Prince of Liechtenstein backed up Archduke Charles in the Battle of Aspern-Essling, since Austria and Liechtenstein were very closely tied back then.