Wonderful 38.

Belinswae. The City Of Falnic...

On the city wall, near the gate that looks out directly to the east, Tamric Drubine says "You see that?" next to him, with a hand shading her eyes, Lisell Maera nods her head, then says "I do".
Although the road out this particular city gate goes east for a bit, then goes north, a lot of those leaving the city and entering it via this gate, cross the open ground further to the east of the road. And on that open ground, the two youngsters from south of the equator, see figures approaching the city, and above them in the sky, is a tame wyvern, that's slowly flying in circles, easily keeping pace with those on the ground who are making their way to Falnic.
"Where's Riley this morning?" quietly asks the nobleborn boy from the kingdom of Sarcrin "Down at the docks with sir Percy" replies the orphan teenager from the city-state of Brattonbury who after a pause, asks "Why?". "Prisoners" is the quiet word from the former heir to castle Drubine in the kingdom of Sarcrin, with a wince upon her face, Lisell Maera mutters "Damn" for in the distance there looks to be children amongst the group who are approaching the city from the east.
The two youngsters who are from south of the equator, are silent as they watch the people in the distance, and the circling wyvern that's overhead, get closer and closer to the city. Eventually the wyvern, and those upon it's back, fly directly to the city, passing a hundred feet above the wall that both Tam and Lis are sitting on.
The nobleborn youngster and the orphan teen soon see that the group consists of about a dozen justifier guards, who have twenty prisoners with them. All nomads from the hot, arid plains further to the east, about a dozen adults, mostly women, and the rest youngsters and children. The three adult males are all older men. There's no men in their middle years or younger.
"Must be from a tribe on the edge of the plains" quietly says Tamric Drubine who finally breaks the silence between the two of them, Lisell Maera nods her head in agreement, and does so again when the son of the former knight of castle Drubine adds "Near the farmlands out away to the east".
The orphan teen, who grew up in some of the poorer areas of one of the largest city's in the Southlands, looks down off the wall, then quietly says in a sour tone of voice "A welcoming party below" Tam lifts a questioning eyebrow, and Lis tells him "A mob forming" the nobleborn youngster winces, then he too looks down off the wall.
"Shit" mutters Tamric Drubine, who then quietly says in the elven language "Fucking townsmen" Lisell Maera nods her head in agreement, but refrains from saying anything about it.
Below, on either side of the open gates, people are gathering as the party approaching the city from the east have been spotted. The two youngsters from south of the equator see people have stones and rocks in their hands, as well as clumps of dirt, and rotten fruit. The justifier guards on duty at this particular gate, and those dotted along the top of the wall, which Tam and Lis are sitting on. Couldn't care less about the gathering mob, and are doing nothing to disband them, even though they know what's about to happen.
"I don't particularly want to watch this" quietly says Tamric Drubine who stands up "Nor do i" says Lisell Maera, who also stands up, the two of them then walk along the wall, heading to the nearest set of steps, that lead down into the city.
For the teenager from the city-state of Brattonbury, who finds what's about to happen, particularly disgusting. Knows that it must be extremely galling for Tam not to do anything about it.
Lis has learnt that her friend and traveling companion, with his noble birth, is expected to stand up to what they think is an injustice. The orphan teen from the coastal city of Brattonbury knows that not all born of nobility are like that, infact most aren't, but Tam is.
She knows that he must be in a rage that he's been told not to create any kind of incident, especially after their unannounced sojourn out of the city a few weeks ago.
For Lis herself, who would like to do something against what's about to happen to the prisoners nearing the east gate, she just tries to block out what's about to happen. It's something she's having a lot of practice with lately, after her ordeal where she was captured by road bandits, who raped her.
Once down off the steps, and moving away from the city wall, the two youngsters as they cross a street, spot Dalinvardél Tanith making his way out of a nearby shop, they walk over to the elven spy, who stops when he sees the two of them.
"You two are supposed to be up on the wall, watching those approaching the city" quietly says Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy who is in charge of the two youngsters today, Dalin who is speaking in his native language, is about to add something, when he frowns, and he looks to the left along the street they're on, where at the end of it, you can see the wide street just before the nearby city gate.
"What's going on there?" quietly asks the elf from the principality of Alínlae in the Southlands "It's why we're not up on the wall at the moment" says Tamric Drubine, who continues with "We're taking a break" the nobleborn boy who is also talking in the elven language, then adds "Guards are bringing in a group of nomad prisoners, mostly women and children" Tam pauses for a moment, then he says "There's a mob forming to greet them".
The elven spy winces, then mutters "Shit" followed by "Fucking townsmen" Tamric Drubine sourly smiles as that's exactly the same thing he said a little earlier when he was on top of the city wall. Dalinvardél Tanith looks at the two youngsters, and can easily imagine what they're feeling, then the elf who was once a member of the household of Ollinsállé noble family in the principality of Alínlae, asks the two of them "Which justifier's guards are bringing them in?".
"Sammacin's" replies Lisell Maera who recognized the tabards of the guards with the prisoners "Hmmmmm" murmurs Dalin as he thinks about something, then the elven spy says "Justifier Kaellin's guards on are on gate duty here aren't they?". "They are" is the answer from the orphan teenager from the city-state of Brattonbury, a brief smile flashes across the face of the fairly young elf, who then says "Come on you two, you can help me out with something" the elven spy turns to the left, the direction of the nearby city gates, as he does, he quietly says to the two youngsters "Don't tell the prince about what's going to happen here".
Behind the elf from the principality of Alínlae, the nobleborn youngster from the kingdom of Sarcrin, and orphan teen from the city-state of Brattonbury share a look, and they both grin.
Dalin leads Tam and Lis onto the street infront of the city gates, through them they can see a commotion, as the gathered crowd are already pelting the prisoners, who are being brought into the city. The justifier's guards in charge of them aren't doing anything to stop what's happening, infact they're getting out of the way, so that they don't get hit by the stones, clumps of dirt and rotten fruit.
Nor are the other justifier guards who are on gate duty, doing anything to stop what's happening. Many of them are actually encouraging the mob, that's if they're not laughing and jeering at the nomad prisoners. While on this side of the open gate, others who have gathered, are waiting for their turn to pelt the nomad prisoners who are being brought into the city.
This is a fairly common occurrence when the prisoners of a raid into the nomads plains are brought into Falnic. The justifiers and their guards allow it to happen, to appease their fellow townsmen who hate the nomads of the plains just as much as they do. And because there's a fairly good chance that a number of the prisoners, usually the very youngest, or the elderly, will be killed by a mob. So that there's less to kill when it comes to the time of the nomads public executions, making the job of the justifier's guards a little bit more easier.
Turning left, away from the Falnic's main east gates, Dalinvardél Tanith walks infront of a couple of buildings, then stops at the front of a shop after he looks to either side of the building it's in. The elven spy quietly says in his native language, to the two youngsters, who like him are from south of the equator "Give them a misdirection when it happens".
"We know what to do" is the quiet reply of Lisell Maera in the same language, the elf from the principality of Alínlae in the Southlands, nods then makes his way around to the side of the building where he spotted a set of stairs that lead up to the roof above.
As people along this street that runs directly to the city gates, turn to watch what's happening nearby, and others come out from the buildings and shops, or look out windows and doors, as they've heard the commotion that's familiar to them, so that they can watch what's happening.
Tam and Lis watch as the prisoners with their guards, come through the opens gates, while those in the gathered mob continue to pelt the nomads from the hot, arid plains to the east.
The nobleborn boy from the kingdom of Sarcrin winces as he sees one of the prisoners, a little boy hit by a stone in the head, who drops to the street unconscious. As his mother, by the looks of it, tries to grab and pick him up, one of the justifier's guards takes a hold of her, and hauls her forward with the rest of the prisoners.
The unconscious child is pelted with stones, rocks, and anything else the gathered mob can get a hold of. If he isn't dead, he certainly is when one of the other justifier's guards, who are on gate duty, yells at the mob to step back or else. They reluctantly do, and the guard on gate duty moves forward, and shoves his spear into the back of the small nomad child lying still in the street, much to the delight of the gathered mob, and those watching further down the street.
Lisell Maera grimaces as an older woman amongst the prisoners, stumbles to her knees when she's hit in the face by a clump of dirt. One of the other nomad prisoners goes to help her up, but she's whacked across the rear end by the flat of the blade of a guards sword.
Who himself grabs an arm of the older prisoner who has fallen, yanking it as he hauls her up off the ground. He goes to shove her forward, but the older woman, with a surprising amount of speed, spins and whacks the guard in the side of the face, breaking his jaw, and felling him, thanks to the rock she's holding, which she picked up off the ground when she stumbled to her knees.
Another of the justifier's guards yells in anger, and he draws his sword, and goes to swing it as he advances on the older prisoner, who just knocked out, and broke the jaw of one of his fellow guards.
The justifier's guard barely swings his sword back when suddenly the side of his skull shatters apart, and he drops to the ground dead. There's a moment of silence from the prisoners, guards, gathered mob, and those watching, then people start yelling and shouting.
"He really is good with that little crossbow of his" quietly says Lisell Maera in the elven language "That he is" says Tamric Drubine in the same language, as they watch another of justifier's guards who are bringing in the prisoners, drop to the ground with a crossbow bolt through his neck. Straight after that another one, who looks to be the squad commander, also drops to the ground dead, when the front of his face shatters apart when a bolt goes into his head.
A moment after that, one of the justifier guards on gate duty, on this side of the gates, stumbles around, blood frothing from his mouth, clutching at the crossbow bolt that's sticking through in his throat.
Panic sets in, and people start running, while others are screaming and shouting, and the justifier's guards, from both squads are yelling and shouting. Then as another of the guards who have brought in the nomads prisoners, drops to the ground howling in pain as there's a crossbow bolt in his groin, Lisell Maera asks in the elven language "Been long enough?". "I would say so" says Tamric Drubine in the same language.
The teenager from the city-state of Brattonbury nods, then she yells out in the common language "Up there!" as she points to a roof of a building on the otherside of the street, a building that's closer to the city gates.
"There!" shouts the nobleborn boy in the same language who points to the same rooftop, then the two youngsters are surprised, when a goblin a bit further down the street from them, one of the few you're likely to see in this part of the city, as goblins are more likely to be found in and around the docks in the port, also shouts "Up there!" in common and points at the same rooftop that Lis and Tam just pointed at.
The two youngsters look at the goblin, and Tamric Drubine slightly nods to him, the goblin nods back and grins, then shuffle away with the whicker basket it's carrying, nearly tripping over as it does so.
As justifier's guards run to the building that they think the crossbowman is on top of, and others drag away the nomad prisoners, as pretty much most of the gathered mob has fled, or are fleeing. Dalinvardél Tanith rejoins the two youngsters standing infront of the shop.
"Huh?" says Dalin, who then adds "I wonder what's happened there?" as he looks to the result of what's happened near the city gates, Tamric Drubine shrugs his shoulders, then says "We have no idea" then the three of them from the Southlands, turn and walk away, and head further into the city of Falnic on this clear summer's day . . . . . .