The Homecoming 6.

A Shop...

"Hmmm that's an old sounding name" says the shopkeeper, who then adds "Sounds vaguely familiar too". Lord Farque nods his hooded head, and the shopkeeper tells him "I'll check some of the records, just take a seat while i do".
As the shopkeeper heads to the rows of shelves in the backroom, lord Farque takes a seat on one of the benches here in the front. The only other person in the shop is the assistant, who is cataloguing, and moving around books and scrolls, here on the shelves in the front of the shop.
The shop which mainly deals in historical manuscripts, scrolls and books, predominantly of the kingdom of Druvic. Which isn't much of a surprise, since they're located in the capital Leeabra.
Has a wide range of military books, and that's the reason the undead warlord came in here. As the person he and the rest of the group are looking for, works in the military. Which one, they have no clue.
Though the name the deathlord of Farque gave to the shopkeeper didn't spark any militaristic interest. It seems to of got his interest elsewhere. And he's just going to check on that now.
Lord Farque who is on a bench up against a wall, glances at the volumes on the table to his right.
Seeing a book he recognises, the heavily armoured deathlord snorts in derision.
"That hack never got it fucking right" lord Farque murmurs to himself in the ancient language of command, with a slight shake of his helmed head as he sees the book The Last Month's Of The Invasion which details the end of the war against the Holy Norstran Empire, nearly four hundred and fifty years ago.
The undead lord should know, he was there. And was the one who killed the emperor of Norstran in the final battle of the largest war ever seen in the Southlands. The battle when the empire that came across the Great Western Ocean was finally defeated. A battle that the then, battlelord Kaiuss Farque was killed.
It's a bit of time before the shopkeeper returns from the backroom. During that time another customer comes in that the shop assistant serves.
The older gentleman, who warily eyes the hulking figure in the dark, heavy armour sitting completely still on a bench against one of the walls. Purchases a fairly common scroll dealing with the peerage or nobility, here in the kingdom of Druvic.
It's after he exits the bookshop, that the owner finally returns from the backroom carrying a dusty old book, and a couple of scrolls.
"Here it is" says the shopkeeper, the lord and ruler of the lands Farque gets up and makes his way back to the counter where the business owner has placed the books and scrolls, and is opening the book.
"Druids?" says lord Farque in a tone of slight surprise when he catches a glimpse of the cover of the book "That it is" says the shopkeeper who continues with "I've seen that name in conjunction with druidic history".
Next to the book, the shopkeeper unrolls one of the scrolls. It's a map of eastern Druvic, and he says "The old ways are still prevalent in parts of the east of the kingdom" and as he starts going through the book, he adds "That name, though not common, is more likely to found here in the east, than elsewhere in the kingdom".
The shopkeeper gets to a page, and goes down what appears to be a list. He stops, and points out something to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, and says "There it is".
Well, would you look at that, the lord of the death realm thinks to himself "Seems an ancient relative of this fellow you're trying to find was once a prominent druid" says the business owner, who continues with "The old ways are still worshiped amongst many further east in Leeabra, so if you're wanting to find him, he's out that way, or at least those who may know of him, are there".
Might of been a good thing after all i sent the others that way, the heavily armoured deathlord thinks to himself, who after a momentary pause, silently adds, then again maybe not.
"Here and here" says the shopkeeper as points on the map "He was known to of been there a few centuries ago" he then points out a a number of other spots out on the map, and tells the large figure in the blue, black heavy plate armour "That's the areas further east where the old ways are still adhere to more than elsewhere".
The undead warlord, who is also known as Draugadrottin to the people of his lands, sees that the one of the areas stretches across part of the fief of the Lé Dic family.
Then he nods his full helmed head when the shopkeeper tells him "Chances are he grew up out that way, and if he didn't go into service with one of the local nobles, then he's elsewhere in the kingdom" he then adds "The line of work he's in, his talent will be in demand, even though there's no actual war in the kingdom as such".
"But plenty of conflict between neighbouring fiefs?" says the heavily armoured deathlord whose lands are faraway to the south here in the Southlands "Always that" says the shopkeeper with a shake of his head, who continues with "Always will be, even though the crown has kept the kingdom in relative peace since the end of the civil war".
"Thanks for that" says the undead being "Here, I'll write some of this out for you" says the shopkeeper who unrolls the other scroll out, to reveal it's blank. The lord of the death realm waits as the shopkeeper takes a quill and ink pot from beneath the counter, and writes out any relative information.
Including the prominent names in druidic society in the east of the kingdom, as well as the places where the old ways, as it's commonly referred to here in Druvic, is still worshipped.
The undead warlord who to a certain older generation of elven kind, know him as Des'tier, or The Destroyer, gives the shopkeeper a gold coin when he takes the small scroll. He thanks the business owner, and departs the shop that's in the second domain of the city.
Once out on the street, the deathlord of Farque stomps a steel boot on the ground a couple of times before he sets off in the cold wind that's coming down from the north of the kingdom.
A little while later as the lord and ruler of the lands Farque is making his way to the third domain, Narladene the ground pixie pops up out of the wide avenue he's on, and makes her way over to him.
"Go and get those two" quietly says the undead warlord in the ground pixie language, Des'tier continues with "Have them meet me back at the inn". "Right" says Narladene the ground pixie who then wings away, heading to where Helbe the elven thief is, as he's the closest of the two spellcasters who are with lord Farque, trying to locate the person they've come to the kingdom of Druvic to find.
Later in the morning, at the Plough and Shield inn, which is in the heart of the third domain. Mira Reinholt the mage, who has been mostly in the outskirts of the city, as he's less likely to be recognised there, as he hardly spent anytime there when he was previously living in Leeabra.
Is the last to get back to the inn, after Narladene informs him that lord Farque wants to see him.
"What is it?" asks Mira Reinholt the mage after he sits down at the table lord Farque and Helbe the elven thief are sitting at, and he calls out to a passing barmaid, for a flagon of beer.
"Might have a possible lead" says lord Farque who speaks in the elven language, the undead warlord hands the once powerful mage the scroll of information he got from the shop he was in earlier. Then he informs the Vexilian mage in exile what he's found out.
"Druids?" says the mage Reinholt in a tone of surprise in the elven language "I know" says the deathlord of Farque, who continues with "He might of grown up in their society, or at least worshiped with them before moving on to train in his calling".
"What he makes isn't exactly druidic" dryly says Helbe the elven thief, who like the other two, is speaking in elven, his second language. His first being the rarely known royal elven language.
"That's for sure" says the human spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, the once powerful mage, who has taken the hood of his cloak, down off his head, continues with "Almost the complete opposite if you think about it".
"Wonder if he became what he is because of how he was brought up?" quietly muses the undead warlord. Both Mira Reinholt, and Helbenthril Raendril, along with Narladene the ground pixie, who is on the right shoulder of the elven princeling she's attached to. Are all silent as they contemplate this.
"Definitely a good chance" quietly says the mage Reinholt who eventually breaks the silence after the barmaid brings him his beer.
Then the spellcaster who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere in the Southlands, adds "So we've got someone who may or may not of grown up further east in the kingdom, might of grown up in a druidic family, or at least worshiped it as it's still fairly popular out that way" he continues with "Who has trained in, and gone into his line of work, and is in an army, probably and hopefully a local noble's one, and not a mercenary company".
"Definitely one of those two" says Helbe the elven thief, who continues with "I've found nothing in the records of the royal army about him" the young elven noble from the principality of Laerel then says "If he was any good, you'd think the crown would try to get him for their army".
"Maybe" says lord Farque, who then adds "But royal armies in kingdoms such as this one, don't exactly pay the best" Draugadrottin glances at the mage Reinholt, and says "That faction you joined up with during the war in the Sunreach Mountains, they were made up predominantly of the nobility and orders of knights, that's why they hired you, because they paid well".
The exiled Vexilian mage, showing no embarrassment of what he feels at fighting on the otherside of that particular war from lord Farque and Helbenthril Raendril, nods his head, then says "Yeah it was those nobles who paid well, not really the knight's orders, those lot are almost as tight with their coins as the crown is".
"Probably the same reason he's in the army of a noble in one of the fiefs out east" says the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, who continues in a slightly sour tone with "He better not be in a fucking mercenary army, he could be anywhere if he is".
"Well anywhere in Druvic" says the elven magic user whose power of foresight has brought them to kingdom of Druvic "That's something i guess" adds the youngest grandchild of Prince Raendril of Laerel.
"Well, with the others further east in that idiot knight's fief, they might find him before we do" says Mira Reinholt, who looks at the deathlord of Farque and continues with "That might be a blessing in disguise that you sent them out of the city, so that Percy can settle his personal affairs".
"Also could be a disaster too" adds Helbe the elven thief, who then says "Look who is actually there". "What, Dorc?" says the once powerful mage "Him too" dryly says the elven masterthief, who then adds "But i was actually referring to Percy".
The undead warlord slightly nods his full helmed head, then says "That idiot Percy isn't liked by his own order now because he fucked off with that shield of their's, they want to execute him for that theft and that daft fucking holy quest to kill Dorc that he went on" the lord and ruler of the lands Farque continues with "Wonder how his own family is going to feel that he turns up after eight years or so with no word from him, thinking he's never going to return, or that he's dead".
"They'll be pissed off for sure" says prince Helbenthril Raendril, who after a slight pause, he continues with "Though if they're anything like Percy himself, they might welcome him with open arms".
Mira Reinholt slightly winces at that, while behind the visor of his full helm, a slight, sour looking smile briefly appears on the youthful looking face of lord Farque.
"By the forest gods, imagine a whole family of Percy's" says the young elven magic user "By the shape of fire, that would be just the worst" says the once powerful mage, who then adds "Not to mention, the most irritating thing ever".
"If they are, that will be the most obnoxious family reunion ever" says the elven master assassin, who then adds "Most annoying one too".
Lord Farque, who sent the now former earl of Lé Dic out of the city because he's a wanted man by his order. Who unlike the mage Reinholt, who isn't exactly welcome here in Leeabra in some quarters due to his involvement in the failed war in the Sunreach Mountains.
Is unable, and unwilling to go about discreetly or in disguise. After all he's a heavily armoured knight, who is well known not just amongst the nobility, but also amongst the common people.
"Well, welcome or not out east in his family's fief" says the deathlord of Farque who then adds "At least that lot with him, can still look for the one we're after while they're out there".
"While we continue to search for any more information about him here?" asks the swordmaster Reinholt who holds up the small scroll the undead warlord got from the shop he visited earlier this morning "We do" is the reply of the lord and ruler of the lands Farque . . . . . .