Navigrel. Northern Belinswae. Winter...
Leaving the inn he's been staying at, Mira Reinholt the mage waves to the proprietor of the establishment who wishes him a good morning.
The once powerful mage from the city-state of Vexil in the Southlands looks up at the early morning sky through the drifting snowflakes.
He figures the snow won't be heavy, or last long, due to the wind picking up once again as it does most days.
The mage Reinholt doesn't mind the wind on such a chilly winter's day. After all, here in northern Belinswae, the wind is no where near as strong, or as cold as it is further to the north in the Stone Hills.
The mage who is in exile from his homeland of Vexil heads to the north wall of Navigrel. The last large town of significant size in Belinswae, well one that's very close to the coast, which is only half a dozen miles away to the west.
Mira Reinholt, who is not only a spellcaster, but also a swordmaster. Makes his way up the steps to the north wall, which once he's on top of, he passes a couple of the sentries. Who nod to him in greeting, the Vexilian mage in exile nods his hooded head in return. Before he makes his way along to an empty spot on the north wall of Navigrel.
The walled town, is surrounded on three sides by war camps. A couple of armies of the justifiers of Belinswae are stationed here. One is in full force, having just recently arrived.
While the other only has a small force here, as the main bulk of that army has already gone north towards the Stone Hills. Where they intend to attack the Galve clanhold.
That army has already faced hit and run attacks from dwarven war parties. The mage Reinholt should know, he's taken part in those attacks, the last one he participated in just a few days ago.
Before he headed further south to northern Belinswae, and sneaked into the walled town of Navigrel.
Sneaking in was easy enough, he just cast invisibility upon himself, and walked in through the west gate.
The west gate where the road that way leads to the coast. From where most of the supplies and more guards are set down on the last fairly decent stretch of coastline in northern Belinswae. That has a long sandy beach within a protected peninsula, allowing for ship's landing boats to come ashore safely.
Supplies and guards are more likely to come up by ship on the Great Western Ocean from the city of Falnic, than they are overland, at least for the armies here closer to the coast.
Those armies further inland are the one's using the roads up through northern Belinswae, from further south in the region ruled by the justifiers.
Mira Reinholt had nothing to fear at being discovered casting. Even though there's two justifiers in town, and even though he no longer holds his power within himself. The once powerful mage has in his possession something that masks his magical powers and abilities. He's wearing it on a silver threaded chain around his neck, as the previous owner did.
The spellcaster from south of the equator briefly touches the amulet he wears beneath his shirt, beneath his leather armoured jacket.
An amulet he acquired in the summertime, taken from the dead body of the elven spellcaster Kaldeàlil Haldéilv. Who was killed in the elven principality of Maladimbáh.
The swordmaster Reinholt then takes the hood of his black winter cloak off his head, and he stretches his arms up above his head in the brisk morning air. The exiled Vexilian mage keeps his right arm up longer than the left, he keeps it up for an even count of five, before he brings it back down to his side.
"There's the signal" says the dwarven warrior Ompal, who continues with "It'll either be today sometime or tonight". "Knowing him, it will be spectacular" says the dwarven warrior Garkil, who then adds in a extremely dry tone "He dunny do things by half for sure".
Ompal and the other warriors quietly laugh, then Ompal who is the leader of the war party from clan Galve, says "Aye, the mage doesn't alright".
They're on a hilltop four and half miles to the northeast of the town of Navigrel. Behind them near the base of the hill, is an abandoned free folk village. It was abandoned at the start of winter, as were all the villages and towns between the border of Belinswae and The Stone Hills.
Now most of the buildings of the abandoned village are burnt out shells as justifiers guards have destroyed most of the free folk villages between northern Belinswae and the western end of the Stone Hills.
The dwarven war party that the mage Reinholt is a part of. Have been waiting for his signal for the last three days. Now they wait and wonder what the spellcaster from south of the equator will do now.
He told them that he'll try and find out any important information in the northern most town in Belinswae.
That two justifiers armies are using as a staging point for their push northwards into the clanholds of the Stone Hills.
And that he'll try and cause a bit of havoc in their midst. The war party has learnt that when Mira Reinholt says havoc, that it involves a lot of destruction.
And for someone they've been told isn't very powerful, in comparison to what he should be as a human mage. He sure does create a lot of destruction when he puts his mind to it.
Mira Reinholt puts the hood of his cloak back onto his head as he looks off to the northeast, squinting as he looks off to a hill in the distance.
The once powerful mage can't see the dwarven warriors whose war party he's been apart of. But he knows that they would've just seen him give the signal for what he's doing.
Their natural farsight would of picked him out upon the north wall of Navigrel.
The spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster looks down to infront of the wall. Here on the northside of the walled town, it's clear. As the war camps are around the other three walls, predominantly the south and east walls. Keeping the busy west gate free of people and other obstructions.
The Vexilian mage in exile slightly shivers as the wind picks up, flicking up snowflakes off the top of the wall in the process. Then after one last look in the direction of the hilltop over four miles away to the northeast, the spellcaster from south of the equator makes his way down off the wall.
The mage Reinholt walks through the walled town of Navigrel. A town usually devoid of justifier's guards, with only a small detachment normally garrisoned here. It's now teeming with guards in the service, of not just one justifier, but two of them.
Two justifiers, the Vexilian swordmaster has learnt, who don't particularly care for one another. Who at best, would be called rivals. And often at not, are antagonistic towards one another.
Mira Reinholt has learnt that there's rivalries amongst all the justifiers of Belinswae. Who try to one up each other all the time. And true, they have common goals, such as the destruction of the plain's nomad's. And the invasion into the Stone Hills against the dwarven clans.
An invasion that very few justifiers from Belinswae, and only one from the city of Falnic, are not taking part in.
An invasion into the Stone Hills, and a war against the dwarven clans. For one reason, and only one reason. To take as much gold, silver, platinum, and gems as possible. To help pay for their increased raids into the Nomad's Plains. Which will begin again in earnest, sometime during the spring.
The mage Reinholt who is passing for a mercenary in the service of a justifier. There are some, though not many. All experienced, and in positions of importance amongst the guard units. The swordmaster from the city-state of Vexil has even seen a handful of knights in the service of the justifier whose army is in full force here in Navigrel.
There's a disturbance near one of the three taverns in town, when the once powerful mage passes it. A pair of justifier's guards are being dragged out of it by a group of others.
"What's going on here then?" asks Mira Reinholt the mage, who puts a bit of authority in his voice as he casts Compulsion to go with what he just said.
Two of the group who have just hauled the pair of struggling guards out of the tavern, turn to see who has just spoken. Seeing the hooded figure in black, who at near six feet tall in height, is taller than most people from Belinswae. And that he has unusual looking sword strapped across his back. They figure he must be someone of importance.
"Pressed guards sir" says one of the two guards who have turned to look at the mage Reinholt, while the rest of the group haul away the two pressed guards.
"In town, and in a tavern of all bloody places" adds the second guard who continues with "And first thing in the morning too". The exiled Vexilian mage nods his hooded head, then says "Very well" followed by "Kick them out".
"Yes sir" says the two guards, who hurry away to help their companions drag the pair of pressed guards out of the walls of the town.
The once powerful mage knew of it, and guessed so when he was part of the hit and run attacks against the armies of Belinswae. But being here in Navigrel he's seen it up close and personal.
There's a definite hierarchy amongst the guards in the service of the justifiers armies. There's everyone such as officers, experienced guards, hired mercenaries like he's pretending to be, support guards, and camp followers, who include the crafters, smiths, armourers, cooks, horse hands, etc.
Then you have everyone else, and that everyone else, are the pressed guards. Who have been put into service in an army of a justifier, against their will.
Taken from the streets of cities, towns and villages throughout Belinswae. Mainly in the central and northern areas of the region. Due to three of the more influential southern justifiers not taking part in the war against the dwarven clans of the Stone Hills.
Mira Reinholt has seen that the pressed guards are little more than slave soldiers. Poorly trained, if trained at all. Who he thinks are detrimental to the armies of the justifiers of Belinswae.
Just three days ago, the day he arrived here in Navigrel, he saw a line of guards marching along the west road to the walled town. They had been dropped off that morning on the coast.
Amongst the fifty or so new arrivals, twenty of them were pressed guards. Newly pressed too, as they were in chains. Probably only taken against their will a few days ago by the looks of it.
They're a disaster waiting to happen, the mage Reinholt thinks to himself as he watches the pair of pressed guards being hauled away, pressed guards who have sneaked into the walled town, which they've been forbidden to enter.
No wonder he's ordered us to specifically attack them, and often, the swordmaster from south of the equator thinks to himself. The 'He' the once powerful mage is referring to, is lord Farque. Who has taken overall command of the defence of the Stone Hills for the dwarven clans. For a price though, as have all the group from the Southlands with him.
One of whom, the mage Reinholt, continues on his way through the town of Navigrel, as the light snow stops falling. And it's now blown around by the wind, that's cold and breezy, even within the walled town.
The spellcaster, who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere in the Southlands, heads to the market square in the south of the town. There off it, is a large house that belonged to a prosperous merchant, which has been taken over by one of the two justifiers in town. The justifier whose army is camped outside Navigrel in full force.
While the other justifier, whose army, most of it anyway, has already gone north. While he remains back here in town, staying at an inn near the west gate. It was his guards who turned up a few days ago, including the twenty pressed guards in chains.
Word is, he's remained in Navigrel while his army heads north to the Stone Hills, because he's waiting for more of his guards to arrive.
This maybe true, but Mira Reinholt has found out another reason why this particular justifier has stayed behind here in Navigrel. He doesn't trust the other justifier who is the using the walled town as a staging point to attack the dwarven clanholds to the north.
The Vexilian mage in exile doesn't blame him, infact he wouldn't trust the other justifier too if he was in the same situation. He would probably do the same thing. Though in all fairness, Mira Reinholt would probably eliminate the other justifier.
So that's what he's going to do, well he's going to start something, that will hopefully lead to the two justifiers, and their forces attacking one another.
Let's see what we can do here Mira, the mage Reinholt thinks to himself with a slight smile upon his face as he makes his way to the market square in the south of the walled town of Navigrel . . . . . .
No comments:
Post a Comment