The Stone Hills. Winter...
The Stone Hills goes from the Great Western Ocean in the west. To nearly a hundred and twenty miles inland in the east. And the mountain range is exactly like it's name. Stoney and rocky, with very little vegetation. In the foothills on the south side is where you will see trees on the hills, and then it's often stunted, and oddly shaped due to the predominantly southerly wind that whips along the mountain range for much of the year, especially during the wintertime.
The mountains are often covered in fields of small rocks and shingle, or in some cases slate. Traveling through them is an often arduous and dangerous task. Which suits the inhabitants of the Stone Hills just fine, as they're used to it.
The Stone Hills are the domain of a number of dwarven clans. And though there's pockets of humans and goblins in the foothills, who are known as the free folk as they don't fall under the domain of the region of Belinswae.
It's dwarves who make up the population of those who dwell in the Stone Hills propper. Infact they're the largest dwarven population north of the equator on this, the western coast of the continent.
The dwarven clans, who were originally from the elven principality of Maladimbáh, until they were driven out in a war over two thousand years ago. Are as dwarven clans do, as they are in most places they live in the world of Volunell.
A fractious lot at best, as they always in conflict between a clan here, and a clan there. Often over the most trivial of things. As dwarves tend to disagree about a lot of things, and what would seem the smallest of slights from others, would often lead to war between two clans in the Stone Hills.
Though this winter, the dwarven clans of the Stone Hills have put their differences aside. Those in conflict with one another, or even outright war between clans have ceased to do so this winter.
For the dwarven clans have banded together for one of only the few times in their history, because the Stone Hills have been invaded. Invaded by the justifiers of Belinswae, and their armies. And in the winter, which defies belief.
With cloaks that look like the shingle around them, as they lie on the face of a peak. A squad looks south, as they watch the army upon the road to the south that snakes north through the foothills into the Stone Hills propper.
Predictably the wind is up, and blowing into their faces. Though the wind has blown away the flurry of snow that drifted across this part of the mountains earlier this morning.
The army which is about two and half miles from their position, isn't exactly moving fast, even though a number of the human guards are mounted.
There's a long supply line of wagons and carts to the rear, and this army. Like all of them from Belinswae that have advanced into the Stone Hills. Have learnt dearly, through suffering and death, not to leave their supplies too far behind them. Or it will cost them as they try to push on further to the north through the mountains.
The army is one of the bigger one's seen so far this winter, in excess of over a thousand guards, not including those bringing up the rear with the supply wagons and carts.
And with a bigger army, there's more wyverns in the sky accompanying them than usual. There's half a dozen flying above, lazily circling the army.
And there's that many flying out in all directions, scouting for the army, and protecting back the down the road they've been traveling along as they've moved northwards through the foothills. Infact one of the tame wyverns and it's crew flew a few hundred yards away to the west of where the squad is hidden, as it went to scout further to the north.
"Kind of wished we never maintained this road" whispers Thane Kraelin the dwarven warrior, the nephew of the chieftain of clan Kraelin continues whispering with "Good for sending our wagons for trade to the south in times of peace, but now it's a right fucking pain in the arse 'cause these bastards can come on in fairly easily".
"Aye" says Karne aka The Axe Thrower in a whisper, the veteran dwarven warrior with the snowy white beard then adds in a slightly dry tone "At least with the road we know where the buggers are and we don't have to wander around looking for them like a bunch of blind idiots".
Thane, are rather tall dwarf at nearly five foot in height, grunts in agreement with the much older dwarf who is his uncle's best friend and closest confidant.
The two of them are the only one's talking, as the rest of the squad are silent. As are they for few moments, before Thane quietly asks Karne "What say you Axe?" the nephew of Baedin the chief of clan Kraelin adds "What would you do?".
The Axe Thrower is silent for another moment or two as they continue to watch the progress of the army from Belinswae creeping northwards on the road through the foothills. Then the veteran dwarven warrior in a whisper details what he would do to attack the justifier's army that's heading into their clanhold.
Thane Kraelin listens in silence as Karne explains what he would do to attack this army below in the foothills, and how he would make it a running battle over a long period of time. For the army from Belinswae coming towards the Kraelin clanhold, predictably outnumbers the war parties in the area.
It's the one major advantage the justifiers of Belinswae have, and the only one they really need at the moment. They easily outnumber the warriors of the Stone Hill clans.
After listening to what old Axe Thrower has to say, Thane Kraelin whispers to him "Aye Axe, that's a good enough plan for me" followed by "Doubt if i could think of anything better".
The Axe Thrower nods, then he whispers to his old comrade's nephew "Aye, but what you and i think, don't necessarily matter Thane" he nods away to their left, and adds "It's what the lad thinks that's important".
The nephew of the clan Kraelin chieftain looks that way, to where behind a pile of slate, covered in the cloak, head and all, that resembles the surrounds. Is the only non dwarf in the squad.
Switching to the common language so that he can be more easily understood, Thane Kraelin quietly says to the individual behind the pile of slate "Lad, what think you of situation?".
Thane along with old Karne and the rest of the dwarven warriors of the squad listen to the individual behind the stack of loose and broken slate.
He talks quietly, with a hand over his mouth, and his head directed at the ground, so that the broken slate absorbs sound. Unlike other areas in the Stone Hills, where the ground if it's smooth and unbroken will often deflect sound, making it easier to heard at a distance.
Though he knows he doesn't have to speak above more than a whisper, as the dwarves with their naturally enhanced hearing, can easily hear what he has to say.
And what they hear him say, is almost exactly the same thing that Karne explained to Thane on how to attack the approaching army on the road to the south. The rest of the squad heard that conversation too, and they notice the similarities that the non dwarf, a human, says in comparison to what old Axe Thrower told the clan chieftain's nephew.
"Aye, that's what we would do" quietly says Thane Kraelin in the common language after the human has finished explaining what he would do if he was to attack the approaching army.
"Which is probably what they're expecting us to do, and it's why we're not going to do it" quietly says Tamric Drubine as he looks at the dwarves in the squad who are hidden like him as they observe the army from Belinswae heading up the road through the foothills towards the Kraelin clanhold.
The nobleborn youngster from the kingdom of Sarcrin in the Southlands faintly smiles as the two dwarven warriors Thane and Karne share a look, then Tam quietly tells them "We're going to do something else, and no where near here".
Then he nods to the circling wyverns above the army, and he quietly says "We've got to go, there's definitely a justifier with a force this large" the youngster from south of the equator then gestures at his sword, and adds "Don't want them to get lucky, and sense this, giving away our position".
Ordinarily taking orders from a human only thirteen years old would be out of the question. But this is not ordinary times, and he's not an ordinary thirteen year old.
They move on, heading up the slate covered peak, moving along a track that isn't noticeable unless you're standing on it. As it's primarily used by the wild mountain goats that are found throughout the Stone Hills.
They move swiftly, placing each foot with confidence, in the sure footed manner that all dwarves are born with. And which young Tam has learnt since being here with the clans of the Stone Hills.
They move without the army from Belinswae below, and their wyverns in the air, none the wiser that they're about. They make their way to a scattering of slate piles, damp like the surroundings all around from the snow that fell this morning, before being blown away by the wind this morning.
Slate piles that look like rock formations on the face of the peak. Within it a number of the warriors start moving a pile of slate to one side, which eventually reveals a hole. Which one by one the squad enters, with the last two dwarves covering back up the hole with the slate on the outside when they're just on the inside of the hole.
Tamric Drubine slides down on his butt until he gets to level ground, then he stands up in the narrow tunnel, it's tall enough so that he doesn't have to duck, which he's grateful for, as moving about in the tunnels and caverns and mines of the Stone Hills, is often arduous for someone who is much taller than a dwarf.
The nobleborn youngster who knows being underground makes it basically impossible for his sword to be sensed. As he has learnt that almost all spellcasters can't be bothered sensing through the ground unless they know an imminent threat is about.
Takes off his dwarven made cloak, and rolls it up, and slings it across his back after he straightens out his own winter cloak that he was wearing beneath it. The youngster from south of the equator who is glad to be out of the bitterly cold wind, is near the front of the squad as they head through the tunnel that's naturally made.
As always when he's with the squad, he's with Thane and Karne, with the clan chieftain's nephew behind him, and the old warrior walking infront of him, as they head through the tunnel that goes down.
The former heir to castle Drubine in the kingdom of Sarcrin in the Southlands has to briefly duck down as the top of the tunnel drops down for a bit, before it slightly widens out, allowing them to walk side by side in places.
Thane Kraelin comes alongside Tamric Drubine, and quietly asks him "So what do you think we'll do lad?" the dwarven warrior speaks in the common language, as Tam is still learning the language of the dwarves, and finds it more comfortable to speak in common when he's explaining something.
"We'll draw them off the road somehow, and hit them hard" quietly says the nobleborn youngster from the kingdom of Sarcrin who is grateful for the phosphorescent lichen growing in the tunnel, for the faint blue light gives him something to see by, as he as a human can't see in the dark like the dwarves can.
"When they come up out of the foothills and into the mountains themselves" adds Tam, who knows that the Stone Hills aren't a particularly tall mountain range, with the tallest peaks found in them, standing around twelve thousand feet tall, and those are further inland to the east.
"We'll take as much of their supplies too, and destroy the rest" says the nobleborn youngster from the Southlands who has been in the Stone Hills since the late spring. Has a unique position in the squad. He's not in charge, for Thane commands it, as well as the entire war party in this area of the Kraelin clanhold, with Karne as his second.
That might be so, but Tamric Drubine is listened to more than not. And they often end up doing what he suggests.
"Word came in last night that some of the other war parties to the west are coming this way to help us out" quietly says Thane Kraelin as the tunnel ramps down for a bit, before leveling out. Tam nods to this, while directly infront of the two of them, old Axe Thrower says "West?" followed by "Wait, isn't that madman and that squad of clanless with him, roving out that way?".
"He is" quietly says the nobleborn youngster from south of the equator, who tries to repress a grin, but fails to, as he hears and understands Karne mutter "Fuck" in the dwarven language, then he follows it up in common with "By the gods i hope he doesn't turn up".
"No such luck" sourly says Thane Kraelin, who then adds "He's joined up with Helnd's war party and is heading back here with them".
Tamric Drubine almost laughs as he hears the chorus of muttered swear words from nearly all of the squad as they head down through the naturally made tunnel that winds it's way down the interior of the peak.
"He'll behave himself" quietly says the youngster from the Southlands "I'm not so sure about that" dryly murmurs the nephew of the chieftain of the Kraelin clan of dwarves.
With that, Tamric Drubine thinks Thane is probably right, as the person they're discussing, sir Percavelle Lé Dic, does pretty much what he wants to do during a battle, unless there's one specific person there to command him.
As they continue down through the interior of the mountain, heading towards dwarven made tunnels that leads to an old mine in the peak behind the one they're in at the moment.
Thane and Tamric, and on occasion Karne discuss other things, one of which is the two dwarven warriors wanting to know where the youngster learnt so much about warfare.
"From your father and his retainers?" asks Thane Kraelin as they know Tam is of the nobility of a kingdom, faraway to the south of the equator. "Some" says Tamric Drubine, who after a brief pause as they go down some naturally formed steps adds "But mostly from those in the rest of the group" he continues with "I've studied with them".
Both Thane and old Karne nod in understanding, then the clan chieftain's nephew says "With him i gather lad?". Knowing who the dwarven warrior is referring to, Tamric Drubine says "Yes him".
Though the son of the former knight of castle Drubine in the kingdom of Sarcrin doesn't mention the other person he's predominantly learnt the ways of warfare from. Tam knows that if he did, the dwarves in the squad, or for that matter throughout the entire Stone Hills, wouldn't be pleased at all.
And that's putting it mildly, for they'll be mad as hell if they found that out . . . . . .
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