So we have about a fortnight to plan for war against the Vikings.
Here are somethings I think we should think about.
Mercenaries:
As things stand, between us Ewen and I have hired two mercenary companies. The possibility of hiring a third, Rathbar's Raiders, still exists. We probably aren't the only nobles who have thought of hiring mercenaries to supplement our forces (and thus our standing), so we may face some competition for the Raiders. We might consider sending someone to meet them on the road and buy their services before they even return to Tashal. They can't be all that far away. They are supposed to be back within the next two weeks, and are travelling by caravan, which is slower than a fast horse. If we are lucky we might get to them before they hear of the impending war. Unlikely, and in any event they would probably be suspicious of people hiring them on the road, but it's worth a shot.
We need make sure that both the Blue Boars and the White Ravens have all the equipment they need, and that it is in good repair. Presumably their own commanders will handle this. Frankly, I have more faith in Orek of Morjen of the Blue Boar's handling this than I do Garvo of Konalesh of the White Ravens. This might be something for Tora to handle, with oversight from Baris and Ewen.
Additionally, we will need to continue training the White Ravens.
Manorial forces:
We should finalize the details for Ewen's squadron and etc. that we are bringing along. Coordinate with the commander, keep him up to date, make sure all the men are prepared and have the proper equipment, etc. Again, this might be something Tora is interested in spearheading.
Horseflesh:
Our horses are spread all over creation, IIRC. Some are at manors, some outside the city, etc. We need to consolidate them, make sure they are in good health, have good shoes, etc. Given our mercenaries, we have a few more people now. Do we need to purchase some more riding horses? (We should have thought of doing that before war became public knowledge, the price of horseflesh will undoubtedly go up). Probably not, but something to think about.
Logistics:
We need to be feeding these mercenaries. How much is that going to cost, and how are we going to transport it? (This is where more horses come in, or perhaps oxen). Also, where is the food going to come from?
On a meta-game issue, do we want to fast-forward a little bit after we've done a bit more planning?
So I think the initial questions we have to decide are:
1) Should we send a rider to hire Rathbar's Raiders?
2) How is the equipment for a) our mercenaries and b) Ewen's manorial forces?
3) a) Where are all of our horse assets, b) how are they, and c) do we need more?
4) a) How much will food cost? b) How will we get it to the battlefield?
It is unlikely I've thought of everything, so if anyone has more suggestions for topics, please speak up.