The Homecoming 7.

A Town...

"Percavelle! Percavelle! Percavelle!" repeatedly chants the gathered crowd on the streets of the town as they make their way through it. Word of their arrival from the village they stayed at last night, has gone ahead of them.
And it seems the entire town of Massic, as well as the surrounding settlements, not to mention castle Lé Dic that's behind the town. Have come out in force to greet them, even though the day is cold, and there's flakes of snow swirling in the air this morning.
Astride a horse that was given to him in the village they stayed at last night. Rides sir Percavelle Lé Dic, smiling and beaming at the adoration directed at him by the common people in his family's fief.
The others who are on foot, following by him, are all but ignored. With the exception of the hulking form of Dorc da Orc. Who illicits screams of fright, and many a stare as he scowls in annoyance at the amount of attention that the heavily armoured knight upon the horse is getting.
As for the rest of the group, they're just waiting to see what kind of reception they're going to get when they actually reach the castle itself. Which like all such structures in the kingdom of Druvic, is overly large, with high walls, and a considerable amount of towers and broach towers within it.
From what sir Percavelle has told them about his ancestral home, that there's just as many people living and working in there as there is in the town that sits infront of it.
As the gathered folk continue to chant their former earl's name over and over again. Riley Hait the mercenary ranger looks over at Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy.
The ranger Hait nods his head in response to the spy Tanith lifting an arched eyebrow.
They knew somewhat what kind of welcome the former paladin in the order of Saint Mar-che was going to get here in his home town. After all the people in the two villages they went through yesterday, were absolutely delighted to see sir Percavelle.
But they weren't expecting such a rapturous welcome to him here in Massic. It seems the former earl of the Lé Dic fief. Is more popular than they would of thought.
Though this welcome is predominantly from the common people, the peasantry. Townsmen, farmers as well as woodsmen from the nearby forests. Who have always adored the nobleborn knight who has won many a tourney, and grande melee in the name of fief Lé Dic.
Even though he's a loud mouth braggart, who talks down to those who even like him. Though this doesn't seem to upset the common people as much as it does others.
Such as the nobility of the fief, and in the wider kingdom of Druvic. None of whom they've seen yet, though that's about to change as they near the large castle.
As they head through the town, more soldiers in the Lé Dic army can be seen. And though none of them are actively cheering like the gathered crowd are. They're definitely showing an interest at seeing their former commander and lord.
The older more experienced one's have fought side by side with the heavily armoured knight riding upon the horse at the front of the small group that's heading to the castle behind the town.
And though they know how annoying, and irritating their former earl can be in battle. They also know how much of an absolute terror he can be in combat. And that's something they can respect.
As they get to the eastern edge of town, behind which is the towering castle that's been the home for the Lé Dic family for centuries.
The crowds that are pressed close, so that they can reach out and touch the passing knight and his horse, start to part.
As the people move back, Riley Hait the mercenary ranger who has looked around sir Percavelle and the horse he's on, says in the elven language "Looks like we've got a welcoming committee". "Looks like it" says Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy in the same language as they see the main gates of the castle are open, and on the otherside of the drawbridge, a number of people are standing there and waiting.
Behind the mercenary ranger from the principality of Envadarlen, and the elven spy from the principality of Alínlae. Lisell Maera says to Tamric Drubine in the elven language "You grew up in place like this?" as she nods towards the castle they're walking towards.
"Hardly" says Tamric Drubine, also in elven "For starters my family's castle doesn't have a moat" adds the son of the former knight of castle Drubine in the kingdom of Sarcrin, who then says "And that is absolutely fucking massive compared to my family's one".
The nobleborn teenager will freely admit that his own ancestral home is a large castle. But castle Lé Dic is an absolute monstrosity compared to castle Drubine.
Behind the two teenagers, Shur Kee the monk walks in silence as he follows them, while the gathered crowd parts for the heavily armoured knight upon the horse at the front of the group.
Meanwhile at the back of the group, the scowling Dorc da Orc, who is eyeing up the massive castle they're approaching. Is already thinking up of ways of how he would attack the castle and breach it's walls.
The ork warleader who has attacked many a castle in his time. Can already see spots that he would attack with siege equipment. The large ork knows that no matter how thick or high a castle's, or for that matter, a city's walls are.
They can be breached, or brought down by a determined attacker who has the skill and knowledge to do so, such as himself. The ork weaponsmith briefly smiles as imagines knocking down the walls of castle Lé Dic. Then he goes back to scowling as the gathered crowds chat sir Percavelle's name even louder as they get to the castle.
The heavily armoured knight brings the horse he's on to a stop, and the crowd of people who have followed him and the others through the town of Massic. Chant his name even louder until they finally stop, almost in unison when he holds up a gauntleted hand.
The former paladin in the order of Saint Mar-che dismounts, and he gestures to a boy in the crowd to take his horse. The youngster hurries over, absolutely delighted to take the reins of the horse from the great sir Percavelle he's heard so much about.
The heavily armoured knight, who has his helm tucked under an arm, quickly glances back at the others. The ranger Hait nods to him, then the former earl of the fief faces forward towards the castle that he was born in, and he walks forward. The rest of the group, follow behind him, keeping a bit of distance between themselves and sir Percavelle. While the gathered crowd of commoners who have followed them through the town, remain where they are as they watch their former lord walk towards castle Lé Dic.
The nobleborn knight stops just before the drawbridge, where a pair of soldiers stand to either side of it. He vaguely recognises one of the soldiers, and nods his head to the man. The usually boisterous, not to mention loud knight, is silent as he stands there and waits.
Behind him, a dozen yards or so back, the rest of the group wait. Including Dorc da Orc, who was going to march forward and enter the castle first, until Riley Hait hissed at him to stay where he is, and if not, he'd tell lord Farque when he turns up, who'd most likely throw Dorkindle in the moat if he didn't comply.
As the large ork scowls at the mercenary ranger, as well as the former paladin, and at the moat, which he keeps a wary eye on.
The group just on the otherside of the drawbridge through the open gates, start making their way across.
The group from the castle consists of a number of men, of varying ages, most of whom are armed and armoured. There's one woman with them, as well as a young girl. It's the young girl, who is wearing a fur lined cloak, who is leading the way across the drawbridge.
The former earl of Lé Dic recognise some of those crossing the drawbridge, as they were members of his own court at one time. But others he does not know. After all it's been over eight years since he was last here at castle Drubine.
The nobleman who once ruled his family's fief, looks at the young girl leading the way across the drawbridge. He hasn't seen her since she was a toddler, now she's a girl of about nine years old.
Sir Percavelle Lé Dic immediately recognises the haughty, and frankly stubborn look upon the face of the young girl. It's almost the mirror image of the one plastered on his face at the moment. The heavily armoured knight briefly smiles at the similarity, then his usual expression comes upon his face, as the young girl comes to a stop at the edge of the drawbridge, just a few yards from the former earl of Lé Dic. The others from within the castle, come to a stop further back from her, and watch on in silence, like everyone else is.
They're all watching the heavily armoured knight and the young girl facing him. Well everyone with the exception of Dorc da Orc, who is more focused upon the water in the moat than anything else, and couldn't care less about the two standing opposite one another at this end of the drawbridge.
After what seems a long stretch of silence, sir Percavelle Lé Dic finally nods his head, and says "Niece". "Uncle" replies the young girl standing opposite the nobleborn knight "It's to good to see you Linara" says the former earl of Lé Dic "And you too uncle Percavelle" says lady Linara Lé Dic, who can't actually remember her uncle, as she was just over a year old when he was last here in castle Lé Dic.
The young girl steps forward, then quietly says "Come to reclaim your fief have you?". "Not in the least" replies sir Percavelle, who has also stepped forward, and speaks quietly, something of a rarity for him.
"That is good" says the lady of Lé Dic, who continues with "I would not liked to of gone to war with you uncle, i do not think the shade of my father would of approve of it". "I agree, my brother would not of liked that" says the heavily armoured knight.
The young girl holds up her arms and quietly says to her uncle "Quick hug me uncle, it would appease those watching". The normally obtuse sir Percavelle can see the logic to that, so he he bends down and hugs his niece, the only member of his immediate family who is still alive. Apart from his ex wife, who he tries not to think about.
The uncle and niece briefly close their eyes at the same time, then they open them as a loud cheer erupts from the gathered crowd between the town of Massic and the castle. Though there's nothing of the sort from those on the drawbridge behind the lady of Lé Dic, there are nods of approval from some of them, in particular the lone woman in the group.
As the crowd of commoners start chanting again, this time repeatedly calling out "Lé Dic!". The lady of the fief says to the former earl before they let go of one another "It's Linny uncle, I'm not overly fond of Linara". "Of course Linny" says the former earl of Lé Dic, who as he lets go of his niece, adds "And you may call me Percy".
She nods to that, then as the gathered crowd of commoners continue to chant their family name, the lady Lé Dic looks around her uncle then asks "Who are these with you?". "My traveling companions" replies sir Percavelle Lé Dic "And that?" asks Linara Lé Dic who stares at the hulking form of Dorc da Orc who is scowling down at the water in the moat.
"You do not want to know" is the sour sounding response of the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che, the lady Lé Dic lifts an haughty eyebrow at that, then the young girl says to her uncle "Let us go into the castle then, and you can tell us why you have returned after so many years".
The former earl of Lé Dic nods, he looks back at the others, and gestures them forward as he and his niece start walking across the drawbridge.
Those who came across the drawbridge with Linara Lé Dic, part for the uncle and niece, and fall in behind them as they make their way back into the castle.
As they do, the lady of the fief quietly asks the heavily armoured knight walking beside her "Why exactly have you come back uncle?". "To settle things up Linny" replies sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who then adds "And to find someone" . . . . . .