In The North Of The City-State Of Vexil.
They break camp and leave well before dawn. The argument Tamric Drubine the field commander gave to captain Marqand to leave early was that he didn't think it was safe here until they crossed back over the border into the kingdom of Girdane.
The mercenary captain agreed with him, even without any urging from either Helbe the elven thief or Saanea the witch.
So the column under the command of captain Marqand, were on the move well before dawn breaks here in the hill country in the very north of the city-state of Vexil.
Though the vast majority of the column aren't actually part of Marqand's company, they've been pretty disciplined all things considered.
As it's fairly obvious that the army as a whole that the Geist cousins Gamil and Farsen have gathered, aren't exactly the most experienced and seasoned mercenaries who know what they're doing.
It's only a handful of companies, such as captain Marqand's who actually know what they're doing. And those companies are amongst the three columns of the mercenary army that's been split apart as they've raided and destroyed towns and villages in the hill country of northern Vexil.
As they're walking along a game trail in the gloom before dawn on what's a freezing cold night amongst the forests of the north of the city-state of Vexil.
Saanea the witch quietly says to her lover Tamric Drubine the field commander in the elven language "Those Vexilian warships are heading north".
The attractive dark haired woman who hails from the Maldin Hills near the coast of the Southlands, has just been looking through the eyes of her familiar, which at the moment is in the form of a tawny owl, some miles further to the south.
And she quietly tells the young field commander in the Armies of Farque "The army left some time ago" followed by "They're on one of main roads heading to the border".
"Right towards the center column led by captain Dillason?" quietly asks Tamric Drubine the field commander in the same language.
The witch nods her head as she puts up the hood of her cloak to help ward off the chill of the predawn air.
"Damn" mutters Tamric Drubine or Tam as he's more commonly called by those who know him well, who then silently adds, I hope to hell those strikeships don't head our way once they wipe out that center column.
The young field commander who is originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin, from the north of that nation, as he's of the nobility of Sarcrin.
Then quietly tells the others who are walking closely to one another as they're at the front of the column heading north to the nearby border "I better inform Marqand".
Field commander Drubine in the gloom before dawn looks at the others and picks the one who appears the most militaristic now that Beldane the cleric is no longer with them, and has gone off south to the capital city of Vexil with Lord Farque and Dorc da Orc.
"Tovis come along" quietly says Tam in the elven language. The young noble from Sarcrin who is the son of a former Knight of Castle Drubine, could easily pick sir Percavelle Le Dic, as by far he's the most militaristic of the current group here in the hill country of northern Vexil.
But that's more trouble than it's worth. As the former paladin in the order of the Knights of Saint Mar'che is a handful at the best of times.
And Tamric Drubine has also found over the years that the large heavily armoured knight isn't particularly fond of early morning starts too.
As the former Earl of Le Dic originally from the kingdom of Druvic, right now has a sour expression upon his face as he peers around in the gloom as they've briefly stopped to discuss things.
After telling Lisell Maera the scout and Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy to keep leading the way through the forest.
Field commander Drubine and Tovis who is a commander in the engineering corp of the Armies of Farque head back down the hill through the trees.
As they head back down the game trail, the senior officer in the Armies of Farque quietly tells the war engineer who like sir Percavelle Le Dic, hails from the south of the kingdom of Druvic "We'll probably hear those warships soon enough".
"Think they'll use those ships to attack the center column first?" quietly asks Tovis the war engineer as they converse in the elven language as they begin to encounter others in the line of march who are heading back north to the border with the kingdom of Girdane.
The young field commander in the Armies of Farque nods his head, then quietly tells the war engineer "They will" followed by "Then hit whoever remains with their army".
Tovis nods at that, for what they've heard from Helbe the elven thief. They know that the center column under the command of captain Dillason, is the furthest south of the three columns.
And that part of the mercenary army is the most spread out with their camp, scattered across a number of hillsides, here in the north of the city-state of Vexil.
"Let's just hope they don't turn their attention our way once they've destroyed that center column" quietly says the young noble originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin.
The Druvician war engineer whole heartedly agrees with that from the young field commander in the Armies of Farque.
As there's no way the column they're part of, will survive intact after an attack by the fast frigates and cutters of the Vexilian air corp who have recently turned up in the north of the city-state.
Tam and Tovis fall silent as amongst the next lot of mercenaries heading uphill are couple of elven archers.
The young field commander, who everyone in the mercenary army gathered by the Geist cousins Gamil and Farsen thinks is one of captain Marqand's seconds.
Nods his hooded head to the passing mercenaries, as he and the war engineer from the kingdom of Druvic continue on their way back down the game trail.
Then a little bit later, in the weird gloomy light between predawn and dawn, sometimes referred to as false dawn. Which is quite prevalent on a clear, cold winter's morning.
Tam and Tovis start encountering members of captain Marqand's company, and it's not too long before they come across the mercenary captain himself.
"No trouble up ahead is there?" quietly asks captain Marqand when Tamric Drubine the field commander and Tovis the war engineer walk beside him, as they head back up the hill along the game trail.
"All clear that way" is the quiet reply from the young noble originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin who speaks in comman like the mercenary captain is doing.
Infact Tam knows it's clear between here and the border, and across it. Thanks to what Helbe the elven thief told him before they set off earlier.
"But there's a problem away to the south" quietly says field commander Drubine, who continues with "Though a bit further to the east of us".
The experienced mercenary captain frowns at hearing that, then he points off to one side, beneath the trees.
As they move there, captain Marqand gestures for the others in his company nearby, to continue on up the hill along the game trail.
"What is it?" quietly asks the mercenary captain as he keeps an eye on the line of march as they go by as it approaches dawn, on this freezing cold winter's morning.
"One of my spellcasters has spotted Vexilian warships away to the south heading north" quietly says Tamric Drubine, followed by "And they're fairly certain there's an army heading north too".
"Shit" mutters captain Marqand who knows that Tam has a couple of practitioners of magic with him. Who exactly he's not sure, just that one is a cleric.
Field commander Drubine who hasn't informed the mercenary captain that Beldane the cleric is no longer with the group here in the north of city-state of Vexil.
Or the fact that Mira Reinholt the mage is also a spellcaster. Not to mention Helbe the elven thief, who hasn't made his presence known to the mercenary captain, is also a practitioner of magic.
Quietly says to captain Marqand "No, looks like they're heading straight to Dillason's column" in reply to the mercenary captain asking him in alarm "They're not heading our way are they?".
Captain Marqand breathes a sigh of relief at hearing that, then the mercenary captain murmurs "Maybe we can send Dillason a warning of some kind".
Tamric Drubine who knows it's not worth the time and effort to do such a thing, is just about to say something of that effect to captain Marqand.
When Tovis the war engineer says "You hear that?". The young field commander and the mercenary captain look at the Druvician war engineer, who holds up hand for silence in the gloom before dawn.
A moment later, the commander in the engineering corp of the Armies of Farque, who like the rest of the group, is passing himself of as a mercenary, says "There, again".
Tam nods his head as he heard it as well this time, and he says "Quick, up the hill" followed by "Try and get to some open ground with a clear view to the south".
The three of them forgo continuing up the game trail that the others are heading up hill on. Instead they make their way up through the trees on this freezing cold winter's morning.
It's not too long before the war engineer Tovis points further away to the right, and says to the other two "Over there".
The three of them head over to a small clearing up the hillside as the gloom of false dawn starts to give way to actual dawn, as the first rays of light from the rising sun hit the horizon far away to the east.
In the clearing, they turn and look away to the south, and it's Tamric Drubine who immediately spots it, followed by Tovis the war engineer, as the two of them know what to look for. As they've seen it a number of times in the past.
After a moments or two, captain Marqand spots it as well, and he mutters "Damn" followed by a pause, then he says "Would you look at that".
As away to the south, and to the east, probably nearly a dozen miles away, they see streaks of light in the gloomy dawn sky, shooting down to the ground.
The sky in that direction is lit up, as Vexilian warships, quicker and smaller strikeships like frigates and cutters. Are shooting magetubes down at the forest below away to the southeast.
They see one, a ball of blue coloured energy, slam into the ground, and they see debris, trees and the like, along with various other things, mushroom up into the air, after an explosion, which they hear at least a count of ten after it actually happens.
"So much for the center column and that lot captain Dillason is leading" quietly says Tamric Drubine as they watch magetube shot after magetube shot slam into the forested hills away to the southeast over and over again.
Captain Marqand grunts in agreement to that, then he nods in reply to Tam telling him "We have to stay in the cover of the forest" followed by "If we head along to one of the roads that go back across the border, that lot will definitely see us, and we'll end up like captain Dillason's column".
The young field commander in the Armies of Farque continues on with "It should be safer once we're across the border and in Girdane " he then silently adds, I fucking hope so.
"That's if they don't cross the border too" quietly says captain Marqand, who then grimaces when young Tam tells him "If they attack the rest of the army over the border in Girdane, that will no doubt lead to war with the kingdom" he then adds "Even though we're just a mercenary army".
After watching what's happening away to the southeast for a little bit longer, the mercenary captain says "Let's get out of here" followed by "The sooner our lot get back over the border the better".
Captain Marqand leads the way from the small clearing, and through the trees and up the hillside.
As he does, Tovis the war engineer and Tamric Drubine the field commander share a look, as they both know it'll be close run thing if they can avoid detection from the Vexilian forces.
As they and the rest of the column in the mercenary army that the Geist Trading Company has gathered, that they're part of, hurry to get back over the border into the kingdom of Girdane . . . . . .
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