Belinswae. Winter...
Mira Reinholt the mage looks over at Ompal who says "Good land around here" he gestures towards the coast which is out of sight and a few miles away, and adds "Even towards the sea it be good for growing things".
"Aye" says Garkil who continues with "Just need some hills and a few mountains to make it better like" he then adds "Bit too flat for my liking".
Ompal rolls his eyes, while the mage from the city-state of Vexil in the Southlands grins.
Behind them, Shur Kee the monk who has been listening to the conversation of the trio infront of him, grins too. As does Tarong and old Kalend who are walking beside the short statured monk who is from the far east coast of the continent.
They're in the relatively rich farmlands of central Belinswae. Some forty miles north of the city of Falnic, just in from the coast.
Though the ground isn't verdant green like a lot of the farmland found in various kingdoms and the like in the Southlands.
It's practically lush in comparison to the bleak, rocky and slate covered hills and mountains found throughout the Stone Hills.
And more productive than the dry lands throughout the east and southeast of Belinswae. That part of the region closest to the arid Nomads Plains.
After crossing a bridge that goes over a river that leads to the sea, and after he looks back at the following war party, Mira Reinholt the mage says "I was expecting a bit more resistance the further we got down the coast towards Falnic".
"Aye mage" says old Kalend as he follows the black cloaked spellcaster, as they all know not all of the Justifiers in central Belinswae has taken part in the invasion of the Stone Hills.
And that one of more powerful one's, the wizard Sammacin of Falnic has also not taken a hand in the invasion of the dwarven clanholds found in the hills and mountains north of the region of Belinswae.
"Horse approaching" says Garkil a little while later, a chorus of "Aye's" comes from the following dwarven warriors, few moments later, old Kalend says "One of the lads".
"How can you tell friend Kalend?" asks Shur Kee the monk who like the mage Reinholt, has yet to hear the horse that all the dwarves have noticed.
"Well brother Shur Kee, it sounds different like" says the old dwarven warrior, who was busting heads and breaking bones, before many of the warriors in the war party were even born.
"We dwarves sit lower in the saddle than others" says Kalend who taught the clan chieftain Lomi Galve, how to fight with the hammer and the axe "And the fact we not be the smoothest of riders, cause we dunny not have many horses in the Stone Hills" adds the old warrior.
The rider soon comes into view along the road, and pulls up infront of the war party.
"Mage Mira" says the dwarf upon the horse whose accent when speaking the common tongue is almost as thick as his beard "There be a large troop of guards at the town up ahead we been watching" says the rider.
A group of the dwarves led by the swordmaster Varl have gone ahead to observe the next town the war party from the Galve clanhold are heading towards.
The small army of dwarven warriors, plus two humans. Have made no secret of where they're heading. They've burnt down villages and towns as they've made their way south from the Stone Hills through Belinswae, keeping fairly close to the coast as they do so.
Giving the inhabitants of each settlement a bit of time to quickly gather what they can take, before departing their homes.
Few have put up a fight, as the dwarven warriors are reluctant to kill any of the regular folk they come across.
Their war is against the Justifiers of Belinswae, and the guards of the spellcasters who rule the region.
From the maps he has of this part of Belinswae, the mage Reinholt knows that the town is just a couple of miles away to the south.
The Vexilian mage in exile asks the dwarven warrior on horseback "How many of them?". "Easily more than two hundred and fifty mage Mira" replies the rider, who like most if not all of the dwarves in the war party, refer to Mira Reinholt now as the mage, or mage Mira.
Even since the highly skilled swordmaster defeated swordmaster Varl in one on one combat. They know he's more than just a swordmaster. He's a spellcaster, who just happens to be an accomplished swordmaster.
"About the same as us" quietly says the once powerful mage, who then adds "Well at least we know they don't have a Justifier, or any other spellcaster with them".
"Oh?" says Tarong "They would of attacked us already if they did" explains the Southlander, who then asks the rider "Any wyverns with them?".
"There be a few in town" says the warrior on horseback, who continues with "They could belong to some townsmen" he then adds "But one of the beasties was spotted flying away to the south down the coast".
"Probably to inform those in the city of where we are" quietly says old Kalend, Mira Reinholt nods his head in agreement with the old warrior, then the highly skilled swordmaster from south of the equator says "Time to get a move on" the exiled Vexilian mage then adds "Let's go and have a look at these guards".
A little while later and the war party is amongst some trees. At the edge of the woods, they meet up with the advanced party led by swordmaster Varl. He leads the mage Reinholt and those with him up a slight rise within the woods.
They stop where the trees thin out then end, there they stand looking down the road that comes out of the woods further to their left. A road that leads to a town just over a thousand yards away.
"Seems they're expecting us" says Mira Reinholt as there's about fifty Justifier's guards out on the road, just on this side of the town.
The once powerful mage who has taken out his leather wrapped, brass cylindrical eyepiece and is looking through it, then adds "I don't recognise who their Justifier is" he continues with "No one we've encountered so far, and they're not in Justifier Sammacin's army".
"Looks to be Justifier Alsene's men" says old Kalend "Aye that's who they are" says swordmaster Varl, who is the second to the Galve clan chief. The dwarven swordmaster who is in command of the war party, though it's the mage Reinholt who makes all the tactical decisions, continues with "We've done some trade with the sorceress over the last decade or so since she has become a Justifier".
The spellcaster from south of the equator nods, as he recognises the name of the sorceress as one of the Justifiers here in central Belinswae who has not taken part in the invasion of the Stone Hills.
"How's she been to negotiate trade with?" asks the mage who is in forced exile from his homeland, the city-state of Vexil in the Southlands "No worse than some of them" replies old Kalend "Aye, and no better than some of them too" adds swordmaster Varl.
Oh well, guess we won't be able to talk our way out of a fight with a neutral party, Mira Reinholt thinks to himself as he continues to look through his eyepiece that he acquired in the elven principality of Maladimbáh.
"Looks to be staging area" quietly says the spellcaster who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere in the Southlands. The dwarves with him murmur in agreement, then the highly skilled swordmaster gestures to the guards out on the road, and says "Well they're definitely waiting for us, or at least know we're approaching".
"Aye looks like it" quietly says old Kalend, while the dwarven swordmaster Varl says "Looks like we've got a bit of a scrap on our hands".
The mage Reinholt who notices a few people on the road heading towards the town, also sees others coming from the coast, on a narrower road, that leads to a fishing village about five miles away.
The exiled Vexilian mage returns the eyepiece to an inner pocket of his cloak, and he glances at Shur Kee after thinking about something.
"Come along Shur Kee" says Mira Reinholt, who continues with "You and i are going to wander into town". "We are?" says Shur Kee the monk "We are" the swordmaster Reinholt says to him, then the once powerful mage tells the dwarves "You lot stay here, and stay out of sight while me and Shur Kee check things out".
"Aye mage" says the dwarven swordmaster Varl "Keep out of trouble" adds old Kalend "We will" says the mage Reinholt who can't help but grin.
Then the spellcaster from the Southlands, who wears an amulet he took from the dead body of the elven spellcaster Kaldeàlil Haldéliv during the summertime in Maladimbáh. Casts a spell upon himself and the short statured monk standing beside him.
"Hells!" exclaims Tarong, while Ompal grimaces, and Garkil mutters "By Thaxel". "By Dovarn you be different!" yelps old Kalend, while swordmaster Varl stares in disbelief at the two humans.
"Probably should of warned you" says the mage Reinholt who has changed his appearance by way of an illusion spell, along with the appearance of Shur Kee the monk.
The highly skilled swordmaster, whose voice has even changed, says to the acolyte in the philosophical order of Bru Li "Better keep that hat of yours here Shur Kee, it's a bit too recognisable" the once powerful mage who is handing his double bladed sword to Ompal, adds "There's bound to be those we've forced from towns and villages further north, in town. They might recognise a few of our things".
The Vexilian mage in exile knows a few illusion spells, but he's not skilled enough at them to completely change clothing and equipment of someone he's changed the appearance of.
So he hands his bow and quiver to Garkil, and folds up the bottom half of his cloak, and tucks the back of it into the back of his breeches. The swordmaster Reinholt keeps the hood of his cloak off his head too.
Shur Kee after giving his conical shaped hat to Tarong, takes off his white cloak, and gives it to Tarong too.
Who gives his long dwarven made cloak to the physical adept from the far eastern kingdom of Wah Lee. Though the cloak just comes down to above Shur Kee's knees, it doesn't look ridiculous on the short statured monk.
"We'll be back later" says Mira Reinholt who has kept his black bladed sword at his side, along with a number of hidden daggers. While the acolyte in the order of the Jade Warrior keeps his staff with him. They leave their packs with the dwarven warriors, as they head through the trees to the left to get to the road.
After being slightly surprised at hearing himself speak in a different voice, Shur Kee the monk says "I was kind of hoping that you could of made me a bit taller friend Mira".
"I'm not that good at illusions" dryly says the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, the once powerful mage who has fairer skin colour, and lighter hair colour than he really has, not to mention he's a little heavier looking, and his face is totally different than his actual one, tells Shur Kee "Just be glad you're not totally disfigured, and still human" he then adds "I don't exactly cast illusion spells that alter one's appearance that often".
The short statured monk is still as lean as he really is, but he's lost the golden tan to his skin colouring. And he's a good ten years older than he actually is. And he's completely bald, and has a mean looking visage, that isn't helped by a nose that's been broken in the past, and has never been straightened. Along with a scar that runs down one side of his face.
"You look like a right angry bastard" quietly says the mage Reinholt with a grin upon his altered face "I do?" asks the acolyte in the order of Bru Li "Definitely" says the Southlander who suspects he did a more thorough job disguising Shur Kee than he did himself.
Bloody easier casting it on someone you can see, than you can on yourself, the Vexilian mage in exile thinks to himself, as he and Shur Kee make their way out of the trees, and along the road to the town.
The highly skilled swordmaster from south of the equator quietly says to the short statured monk "Keep an eye out for anything of interest" the mage Reinholt then adds "We're just traveling mercenaries looking for a hire".
"Friend Mira, that is basically what we are anyway" says Shur Kee "You know what i mean" mutters the once powerful mage, which causes the physical adept to grin "And keep doing that" says Mira Reinholt, who continues with "That grin looks positively evil on that new face of yours" he then adds "It's bound to give a few people the shits when they look at you" . . . . . .
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