The City-State Of Vexil.
The next morning, which has dawned cold but clear. Finds them back across the border in the city-state of Vexil.
The group, along with captain Marqand's company are amongst the first of the Geist Trading Company's mercenary army to cross the border.
And the mercenary captain pulls Tamric Drubine the field commander aside after a pair of riders from the Geist company guard come forward and deliver orders to Marqand.
"We're to sheppard a bunch of that ragtag lot following us" quietly says captain Marqand as he and the young noble originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin stand off to the side of the forest road.
"Make sure they get to the town our section of the army are targeting" adds the competent mercenary captain.
Tamric Drubine who even though he's experienced it often, is amazed that Helbe the elven thief has cast upon so many.
And that they think that he and the rest of the group, have been part of this particular company for some time.
And that Marqand himself believes that the young field commander in the Armies of Farque, is one of his trusted seconds who he has known for at least a couple of years.
When the group has only been with Marqand's company, and in this mercenary army gathered by the Geist Trading Company for a few days.
"At least it isn't snowing this morning" says Tamric Drubine the field commander as they watch the company march by.
"Though this road will turn to muck the more that come down it" adds the young man in his early twenties, who is already a senior officer in the Armies of Farque.
The mercenary captain grunts in agreement with that, then he says "Just be glad the entire lot isn't coming down this road".
Tamric Drubine or Tam as he's more commonly called by those who know him well, nods his head in agreement with Marqand.
As the Geist cousins, Gamil and Farsen in their infinite wisdom, have split up the army they've gathered.
For they intend to hit three locations here in northern Vexil at more or less the same time, later on today.
Field commander Drubine with what he's seen so far of this mercenary army, thinks that won't happen at all.
And expects the attack upon the three towns and villages to be at completely different times later today.
He thinks the lot following after Marqand's company will hit the town they're targeting, some time around midday which is the intended time of attack.
But he doubts the other two sections of the mercenary army will be so accurate, in fact he thinks some of them will probably get lost, with the amount of forest roads and tracks that criss cross the hill country, here in this part of northern Vexil.
"I'll go ahead and make sure the path is clear" says Tamric Drubine who is originally from the forested north of the kingdom of Sarcrin. So this type of terrain, with it's hills and forests, feels familiar to him.
"And I'll head back to see that lot following after us" says the mercenary captain Marqand who then dryly adds "Make sure they don't stumble over each other, or get lost".
The young field commander in the Armies of Farque grins at that, then after waving to the mercenary captain, he heads forward, hurrying by the line of march of Marqand's company.
Up ahead, scouting the way, Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy holds up a gloved hand. Lisell Maera the scout who is following the elf who is a commander in the Armies of Farque.
Stops next to a tree, about twenty yards back from the elven spy, who in his grey hooded cloak, can barely be made out to human eyes, even though the day has dawned clear and sunny, but cold.
The two of them are off the nearby road, some distance ahead of the bulk of the mercenary company captained by Marqand. And are amongst the trees as they scout southwards towards a nearby town here in the very north of the city-state of Vexil.
The elven spy, who hails from the principality of Alínlae, where he previously served in one of the more prominent noble houses of his homeland.
Waves the young woman, who is originally from the coastal city-state of Brattonbury, forward to join him next to a large, gnarled tree.
Once the scout Maera joins him beneath the twisting branches of the large tree, Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy points and quietly says in his native language "There".
Lisell Maera or Lis as more often than not, she's called by those who know her well, has taken out her short, leather wrapped, brass cylindrical eyepiece.
And after looking through it to where the spy Tanith has pointed in the distance to the south, Lisell Maera the scout quietly says in elven "Not exactly a large place is it?".
Dalinvardèl Tanith or Dalin as he's more commonly called by the others in the group, just grunts in agreement with that from the young attractive human woman, who is in her earlier twenties.
"Let's hope this lot don't fuck things up too bad" mutters the scout officer in the Armies of Farque, which the spy Tanith nods his hooded head in agreement with.
The both of them suspect, correctly as it turns out. That the companies directly following Marqand's company, will attack the nearby town in earnest.
While Marqand's company, will lead them there. For the simple reason, the Geist cousins Gamil and Farsen trust captain Marqand and his company to get things done.
"At least we won't be directly involved" quietly says Lis, who continues on from that in a sour tone, with "I don't fancy attacking and killing innocent folk".
"I hear ya" quietly says Dalinvardèl Tanith who is in agreement with the young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury, whose mother was a street prostitute, and whose father, a man she never met, was a sailor who plied his trade upon the Great Western Ocean, going up and down the coast of the Southlands.
The elven spy who is a commander in the Armies of Farque, then quietly says "From what his highness told Tam during the middle of the night, we're to keep out of trouble".
Dalin follows that with "Keep an eye on things" he continues with "And to see what happens after these initial attacks".
The scout Maera nods in understanding, then after she returns her eyepiece to an inner pocket of her cloak, she looks at the spy Tanith, who is looking back in the direction they've come from.
The spy originally from the elven principality of Alínlae, who has his head tilted to one side, quietly tells the young scout officer in the Armies of Farque beside him "The others are coming".
Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy leads the way to the right, and before long they're back on the road that cuts through this part of the heavily wooded hill country.
The two of them look back to the north, and spot the next of the group, Zam the ex mercenary and Tovis the war engineer.
When the still teenager from the City Of Ruins, and the sturdy man in his mid twenties from the kingdom of Druvic spot them.
Dalin and Lis quickly head off down the forest road, heading south, essentially leading this particular section of the army gathered by the Geist Trading Company.
Who are wanting to create a war between their homeland of Vexil, and the neighbouring kingdom of Girdane.
"Hold up for a bit" quietly says Tovis the war engineer to Zam who is walking beside him on the forest road.
"Let them get further out in front of us" continues the commander in the engineering corp of the Armies of Farque.
"Don't want to go and trip up on them" adds the sturdy man in the heavy leather armour, who hails from the kingdom of Druvic.
The two of them briefly stop, and when they start to hear some of the others following them, in particular Mira Reinholt the mage and Beldane the cleric.
The war engineer, and the ex mercenary who is the youngest in the group at this time, continue on their way.
After yawning, then wrapping his cloak around himself a little tighter, as it's fairly cold this morning, even though its clear and sunny.
Mira Reinholt the mage grunts when next to him, his fellow spellcaster Beldane the cleric quietly tells him "Tam has caught back up" followed by "He's with Saanea and the others".
The once powerful mage, who hails from here in Vexil, though the capital city for him, looks up above them.
And spots a raven flying over them, fairly low as it follows the road, unlike what any normal raven would do.
After Saanea's familiar goes by them, heading south, Mira Reinholt the mage quietly says to his fellow practitioner of magic "From what I recall from those maps, that town shouldn't be all that far away".
The Vexilian born spellcaster, who also happens to be a highly skilled swordmaster, follows that with "Four or so miles" he then adds "Definitely less than five".
The fighting cleric in the half plate mail nods in agreement with him, then the powerful caster of magic who hails from the kingdom of Nastell, asks the mage Reinholt "Have you ever been there?".
The practitioner of magic, who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere in the Southlands, frowns as he thinks about it.
As he has visited a number of the towns and villages in northern Vexil, both before he was exiled, and since then too.
"I'm not sure" is the reply of the mage who is a member of Lord Farque's personal council, who continues on with "I'll know when I get there and see it".
Mira who was once on the mage council of Vexil, in fact in the history of the city-state, he at the age of seventeen was the youngest ever member of the mage council.
Those who actually rule the city-state of Vexil, even though the ruling council, has more or less the day to day running of one of most, if not most strategically positioned, and powerful nation in the central region of the Southlands.
Then quietly tells his fellow practitioner of magic "They're pretty much all the same here in northern Vexil" he briefly pauses as he thinks of something, then he adds "With the odd exception here and there" . . . . . .
