In a siege, it is important for the army to gain and retain the hinterlands of the besieged cities to keep control and ensure the safety of the supplies for the camp. Obviously, you cannot patrol the countryside in its entirety while the vast majority of the army is stuck in camp besieging; in such a scenario, you can only send out the cavalry to patrol, but you would prefer not having the cavalry or anyone patrol at all.
As soon as you would come before the Iasida, you would need everyone to help with the investment of the city. Aside from that, the idea of Mizarian raiding parties on your camp was something you did not want to happen, especially not on an open plateau like this, to that end. You resolved to capture and clear out as much territory as you could.
It would be a gamble against the clock; too much time spent clearing out the countryside could leave an opening for Raymond to pull up to Iasida before you could, but you would roll the dice if it meant a safe passage to Iasida.
To that end, you marched east to the bridge over the river; you took it after a two-day siege by storm. From there on out, you marched along the coast, clearing out the coastal fishing villages and towns. You let the great eastern harbours further down south be for now. After you take Iasida, it would be next in line, for it would give the Alotorans and the Mithradians a naval base in the east. You then went further inland, driving out the small garrisons that had been scattered across the land.
It was in the middle of the spring when you felt confident enough to attack Iasida. Though scouts had brought you a report on something that could either be a pain or a blessing, a large Mizarian army was gathering to the south. Either coming for you or for Raymond, who allegedly is fielding a large enough army, bolstered by his newly created vassal lords. On the one hand, you could strike first, hitting them before they can properly organise and move upon wherever they were going; on the other hand, this army could potentially bog down Raymond for the time being, keeping him one step back from your own plans and giving you a wide timetable for the siege, though it is the riskier of the two options.
>Make the gambit, gamble that the Mizarians will go after Raymand instead of you.
>Take the initaitive, and send these heathens running to the hills.
