Falnic. Belinswae. Winter...
They make their way through the city streets. With Tamric Drubine leading, while Jarka Mard and the silent Omick following behind, with a group of dwarves from various clans, behind the two of them.
It's nearly a week after the fall of the city of Falnic, and a semblance of order is slowly returning to the largest city in the region of Belinswae.
The nobleborn youngster from the kingdom of Sarcrin in the Southlands, and the following dwarven warriors are heading north through the city.
Making their way to the northern quarter of Falnic, where the rebuilding has begun in earnest.
As they walk through the city, on what's a cool winter's day here in Falnic. Minus the strong winds that the dwarves from the Stone Hills are accustomed to in their clanholds.
They see more townsmen out and about in the streets, for though Falnic is basically occupied. Those who have taken over the city, have no plans to stay here.
Already the army of tribal nomads from east of Belinswae, have already left. With most of them, never even setting foot in Falnic. A small number of them are still in the city.
They're working things out with the new ruler of Falnic, about the cease of raids into the dry, arid plains where the tribal nomads live.
As they walk by a bakery, some of the warriors from the Stone Hills stop, and purchase loaves of beard.
Which once they catch up with the others, they share with their fellow warriors from the mountain range to the north of Belinswae.
They walk by a family loading their possessions into the back of a wagon. They're not the first, and they won't be the last. Some of the townsmen of Falnic are leaving. And they're free to do so.
The dwarven warriors and the son of the former knight of castle Drubine in the Southland kingdom of Sarcrin. See others returning to the city. Those who took off the night, and following days that the elven army of lord Walashàele of southern Maladimbáh forced their way into the city of Falnic.
Infact more and more townsmen are returning to the city, more so than those who are leaving Falnic. Once word started to spread that a lone Justifier will rule the city from now on. People have started to come back to the port city.
Tamric Drubine looks up as a wyvern passes by overhead in the morning sunlight. The Southlander faintly smiles as he sees that it's dwarves on the back of the large flying creature.
Tam knows that now the dwarves of the Stone Hills have started to become, if not skilled, then at least adequate fliers. They'll continue to fly upon wyverns. Having captured many of them in the invasion of their clanholds.
They're eager to continue flying upon the large winged creatures now that they've become accustomed to them.
The nobleborn youngster from south of the equator, after leading the dwarven warriors across a square, and down some steps between two buildings. Before going out onto a street, that's closer to the north of the city, than the east, where they set off from.
Turns and looks at the two dwarves who are following him closely, Tam nods for them to join him, and the pair from the Mard clan hurry forward, and walk beside the nobleborn youngster from the Southlands.
"They're getting a hurry on now" says Tamric Drubine in the dwarven language as he gestures to a building to their right that they go by. A building, that's being rebuilt. Busy with labourers, carpenters and masons. Who once they've cleared the debris in spots. They've begun the task of rebuilding.
"Give them something to do as well" quietly says Jarka Mard, who speaks in his native language, as the human youngster from south of the equator is doing. "Keep those who are likely to do it, out of trouble" adds the dwarven warrior who is the youngest son of the Mard clan chieftain.
Both Tamric Drubine and Omick, nod in agreement with Jarka Mard as they continue their way northwards through the coastal city of Falnic.
Once in the northern quarter of the city, they head to the area where many of the buildings were either destroyed or damaged by fire.
Tam who has a feeling that most of the fires in this area on the night of the attack of the city, was caused by Dorc da Orc and not spellcasters, who were predominantly in the eastern half of the city.
Leads the way to the main barracks of the ruler of Falnic. Once there they see wyverns lifting up large wooden beams that are charred, and are carrying away. A mix of dwarves and townsmen are flying the large winged creatures.
After Jarka Mard puts the group of dwarves with them, to help with the clean up. He along with Omick follow Tam to a burnt out shell of a building, that has been cleared of debris.
There they find the ruler of Falnic, along with his cousin, speaking with a master mason and others.
The nobleborn youngster and the two dwarves from clan Mard in the Stone Hills stand to one side and wait for the conversation to finish. Once it does, the ruler of Falnic and his cousin walks over to the three of them.
"Greetings" says Tamric Drubine "Greetings" replies the wizard Sammacin, which is echoed by his cousin Galbin.
"Is there something i can help you with?" asks the young wizard who now rules the port city by himself "Ah your presence is requested" says the former heir to castle Drubine in the kingdom of Sarcrin "Someone wants to talk to me i guess?" asks the sole Justifier of Falnic "Something like that" replies Tam.
Sammacin nods his head, and points to the tower next door, they start walking that way, and the young wizard says to the adolescent from south of the equator, who stands taller than himself and his cousin "I understand you are a noble in your country?".
"I am" answers Tamric Drubine who notices that the two townsmen are interested in the topic, and he tells them "The part of the kingdom I'm from isn't particularly wealthy, and it's mostly covered in forest" he then adds "My father was a local lord, and though the family's castle was fairly large for the area, we weren't particularly well off, having only similar things to the peasants on our lands".
As they enter the tower and go up it, the nobleborn youngster from south of the equator tells the two cousins a bit about his life in the north of the kingdom of Sarcrin.
And how he came to leave it during a war between his father and the neighbouring local lord. When he met Dorc da Orc, Mira Reinholt the mage and Riley Hait the mercenary ranger.
As they get to the top of the tower where the wind is a bit stronger as it blows in through the open windows, the sole Justifier of Falnic asks "And that knight, he's a noble too?".
"Sir Percavelle?" says Tam "You mean sir Stupid" murmurs Jarka Mard in that dwarven language, which causes the Southlander to faintly smile, then the nobleborn youngster tells the wizard Sammacin "Yes he's nobleborn" he continues with "From another kingdom further north and west from the one I'm from".
"And are all nobles like him?" asks the young wizard who shares a look with his cousin who commands his army "Percy?" says Tam who refrains from bursting out laughing, and instead says "No". "Thank the gods for that" dryly murmurs Jarka Mard in dwarven.
"Some are good, and some are bad i guess" says the nobleborn youngster from south of the equator, who then adds "Most are just like ordinary people from my experience" Tamric Drubine continues with "Few if any are like Percy".
"Definitely thank the gods for that" dryly murmurs the youngster son of the Mard clan chieftain in dwarven, which causes the Southlander to grin, likewise the mute Omick.
"And the lord Farque?" asks the wizard Sammacin as they make their way to a south facing window in the top room of the tower "He's not a noble" says Tam who is reluctant to divulge information about the undead warlord, so he just says "It's just a title given to members of his family, there's no nobility in the lands he's from".
Which is true, but the nobleborn youngster doesn't want to continue the topic of conversation, and instead he gestures away to the south and east, and tells the Justifier of Falnic "The usual place if you will".
The young wizard nods in understanding, then he teleports the five of them southwards. He does a couple more times, until they get to the area in the east of Falnic, where the inn and large townhouse near it is located, that's the headquarters of the temporary occupying forces.
They appear on a rooftop, and they look away to the left, down to the street that way. Where about half way along it, the body of Justifier Kaellin still hangs from the tree he was executed on a few days ago.
A couple of crows pecking at his face and head, flap away as a horse and cart go by. They return to their grisly meal once the horse drawn cart is further down the street.
Apart from the damaged buildings in the city, the dead Justifier as his corpse swings from the noose tied to a branch of a tree. Is pretty much the only sign that a battle took place in the city a week ago.
The first thing that was cleaned up after the battle, and subsequent fall of Falnic, was the dead. Who were buried in large graves outside the city walls. Graves dug by the tribal nomads who were camped outside the city.
They make their way down off the rooftop, going down a set of steps. And walking behind the building the wizard Sammacin teleported them to. They cross a square to the back of the inn, that's part of the headquarters of the forces who have temporarily occupied the largest city in the region of Belinswae.
As they walk into the courtyard at the back of the inn, Tamric Drubine glances at the young wizard who is walking beside him. While the wizard's cousin Galbin, and the dwarven warriors from clan Mard, Jarka and Omick follow behind the two of them.
The Southlander figures the Justifier is wondering what else he can do now that he's the sole ruler of Falnic. What will appease the local townsmen, as well as build back up the relationship the city and region has with the dwarven clans of the Stone Hills, and the elves of the principality of Maladimbáh.
Not to mention the brand new relationship between the townsmen of Belinswae, and the tribal nomads of the plains to the east of the region. Townsmen and nomads who after thousands of years of conflict, are just learning that in fact they are the same people. Who only split after some of them settled west of the plains in what was to become Belinswae.
You've got a lot to do, that's for sure, Tamric Drubine thinks to himself as he glances at the wizard Sammacin who is now the sole ruler of Falnic, who is walking beside him.
And as they enter the back of the inn, the nobleborn youngster from south of the equator silently adds, a hell of a lot to do . . . . . .
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