The Homecoming 29.

A Castle...

The courtyard he's crossing is wet after the heavy rain that fell during the night. Though the morning is cool and clear. The war engineer Tovis wonders if it'll rain again tonight or tomorrow. As the end of winter it often rains here in the very east of the kingdom of Druvic.
"Did he say what he wanted?" quietly asks Tovis the war engineer "He didn't" replies Bassark the yard foreman, who continues with "Just that everyone essential in the court is to assemble in the main hall of the central keep" he pauses before adding "And you're definitely essential, so here we are".
The young engineer nods his head, as he looks around the courtyard and spots a few people, who are considered important to baron Harkonin, who are also hurrying towards the main keep of the castle.
He spots the knight of Althilgah, sir Dontas and his squire Marcél hurrying through the main doors of the central keep. Not too far behind them, is the chamberlain's assistant. Who is carrying a pile of scrolls and ledgers.
Tovis the engineer slightly frowns as he sees this, as he and Bassark make their way towards the central keep of the large castle that's the ancestral home of the Harkonin family.
The two who were just out in the work yard on the south side of the castle, enter the main keep, and the main hall within it. There they see a group of people gathering near the head table, which the baron himself is leaning against.
Tovis along with his foreman join the rest of the group who have gathered to attend the lord of fief Harkonin.
The war engineer looks around and though he doesn't see him at first, he eventually spots the dark druid Palvarc near a doorway to an adjoining chamber.
"Good that's about everyone then" says baron Harkonin as he looks around and sees that everyone who wants here, is here. The nobleman who is a tad overweight, then goes onto to give a speech, a rather good one in his opinion. Ensuring that all gathered here, continue with their good work in preparation for the spring campaign against their neighbours and enemies in the fief to the west, the Lé Dic family.
The young engineer Tovis slowly nods his head as he realises his lord is giving a speech of encouragement for those gathered here.
The war engineer listens carefully to the baron, all the while, trying not to look over at the dark druid who is watching the lord of the fief with rapt attention.
Tovis isn't the only one trying not to look over at the baron's advisor. More than few of the others, find their eyes drawn towards Palvarc the druid even though they don't want to look at him.
The gathered crowd briefly cheer their lord when he comes to the end of his speech, and smiles at them. The lord of the fief then says "Righto on your way, and remember continue the good work".
Baron Harkonin looks at a number of people in the crowd, who remain behind as those who have gathered start to move off.
The war engineer, who wants to get back to work, is just about to turn and leave, when he hears the baron call out his name.
"M'lord?" says Tovis the engineer who looks at the lord of the fief "Remain awhile Tovis" says Baron Harkonin, who then points to the doorway that the dark druid Palvarc was standing infront of, and has now gone through.
Others are entering the same chamber, and the young war engineer murmurs to Bassark "Wait for me out here".
The work yard foreman nods his head, and the war engineer makes his way to the chamber that the others who have remained behind, are entering. Tovis follows baron Harkonin and a couple of his soldiers, members of his personal guards, into the chamber. While another soldier closes the door behind them.
And as the lord of the fief heads to the table near the center of the chamber, and takes a seat behind it. The young engineer goes and stands behind the others who are in the chamber.
Along with the dark druid Palvarc, there's also his apprentice Maren who is the chamber. As well as the chamberlain, and his assistant.
There's also the constable, one lord Errond. As well as the army commander, sir Taevar. Standing beside him is a trio of his senior officers.
On the otherside of them is the lord of the long reaches, lord Sarvaine. And standing to the right of him is sir Dontas, a local lord who is also a knight in the order of Althilgah.
Tovis finds himself standing behind lord Sarvaine and sir Dontas.
He's slightly nervous as he's standing behind the two noblemen, wondering why he's been called in to attend what's obviously a private meeting of baron Harkonin's most trusted members of his court.
"All is ready?" asks baron Harkonin as he looks at his army commander, the lord of the fief continues with "Training over the winter has gone as you've planned?".
"It is m'lord" says sir Taevar, who then adds "And it has m'lord". Which receives a nod of approval from the baron.
The lord of the fief is silent for a few moments as he contemplates things and looks at the ledges his chamberlain has put on the table. Then he looks at those who are standing in the chamber, facing him as he sits at the table.
Baron Harkonin says to the soldiers who are part of his personal guard "Wait out in the main hall for a bit" he then adds "I'll call you back in later".
After the soldiers exit the chamber, the lord of the fief looks at those still in the chamber, trying to spot someone, he nods when he finds him, then he says "Tovis how soon until the new war machines are completed?".
Only briefly taken by surprise by the question from his lord, the young engineer pauses for a moment, before answering with "The last of them should be completed in a months time baron".
"Make it two weeks" says baron Harkonin, who then adds "Even quicker if you can" he briefly pauses before continuing on with "Because by then, we'll already be moving those completed and the older ones to the border town of Falshire".
There's silence at that, and the young engineer is shocked at hearing that, he isn't the only one. As more than a few in the chamber weren't expecting to hear that. For though winter will officially end in a couple of weeks. It's still rather too early to move men and equipment towards the Lé Dic fief.
"Yes baron" says Tovis after his initial moment of surprise, then speaking up because he knows he'll never complete the latest war machines he's designed within a couple of weeks, he says to the lord of the fief "M'lord is there any way i can get more workers?" he then "Or even helpers around the yard?" the young engineer then explains "That will help eventually in getting things built as soon as possible".
Baron Harkonin looks at the army commander sir Taevar, who along with the dark druid Palvarc and the chamberlain, wasn't surprised at the baron's announcement of heading to the border town of Falshire in a couple of weeks.
Sir Taevar nods his head, then he says "Some of the reserves perhaps" he then adds "The conscripts, those not vital for the move" followed by "It will help with their conditioning at least"
"Very well" says the lord of the fief, who then asks "How many?". "Fifty maybe sixty of them" replies the army commander, who then adds "They haven't all come in yet" sir Taevar, a tall, lean man in his mid forties, with a close cropped haircut as he wears a chainmail coif under his full helm when in battle, continues with "I'll send them to the yards and the engineer".
"Very well" says baron Harkonin, who then looks at his war engineer, who says to him "Thank you m'lord" then looking at sir Taevar, Tovis adds "And to you commander".
After the army commander, who like sir Dontas, is one of the few nobles in the fief who doesn't just appreciate the young engineer, but actually likes him, nods to Tovis.
Baron Harkonin after scanning the faces of all those gathered in the chamber, before he says to them "I know it's come of a bit of surprise to some of you at such an early push for the campaign against the rabble on our border to the west".
The lord of the fief briefly pauses, then he nods in the direction of his advisor the dark druid, and he says "But Palvarc here has seen from his auguries that the spring, well the early spring will be fairly dry, with not that much rainfall" the baron briefly pauses before adding "Perfect for moving our army".
Springtime in the east of Druvic isn't particularly wet as in some places throughout the kingdom, or for that matter, a lot of the interior of the Southlands.
Here in the very east of the kingdom, it's the autumn when they get most of their rainfall. As the spring and summertime can get particular dry here. It's why on the hills through this part of Druvic there's a fair number of vineyards and wineries. As this is main wine making region in the kingdom of Druvic. It's also why there's a lot woodland and forest in the flats and valleys.
Baron Harkonin holds up a scroll and says "This is the order of movement to Falshire" he continues with "If you don't know already, sir Taevar has already sent three of his more experienced squads there" he then adds "They should be there by now, and dealing with that garrison they've got in position there".
The lord of the fief as everyone takes in what that means, is silent for a few moments, before he continues with "Word will soon get to them no doubt, and they'll learn of our early move" he briefly pauses again, before adding "We can expect them to move against us then, but they won't nearly be prepared, nor will they be prepared for what we have installed for them".
The town of Falshire is on the border between the two fiefs of Harkonin and Lé Dic. And for generations the governing of that town has continually swapped between the two noble families who don't like one another.
And though you could say the Harkonin fief won the last border conflict eighteen months ago when earl Maxiss Lé Dic was killed in battle. The border town of Falshire remained in control of the Lé Dic fief. Much to the annoyance of baron Harkonin.
Though conflict again was inevitable, the lord of the long reaches, lord Sarvaine voices what many of them are thinking "Baron, will the capital be pleased with this?" asks lord Sarvaine who continues with "Two border wars in less than two years, i don't think many in the king's court will be pleased with it, after all the civil war ended little over half a decade ago".
"We have nothing to worry about from the capital" says baron Harkonin, who after a brief pause continues with "Infact i think some in the king's court will be pleased with our renewed conflict with that lot next door" the lord of the fief looks at everyone then adds "After all we did get those gifts recently from someone of influence at court".
There's a few head nods at that, then sir Dontas, the knight of Althilgah asks "And will we be using those gifts in the coming conflict m'lord?". "Definitely" says a grinning baron Harkonin, who can't wait to spring the surprise of the two recent gifts from the capital upon the enemy Lé Dic army, as they'll never expect them.
Tovis who knows he'll be part of the campaign, and will be with the army, after all he has to keep an eye on his war machines, and those who crew them and maintain them. Has no intention of being anywhere near where the two cockatrices are during battle.
He's seen them around since they arrived from the capital Leeabra by airship, and though they have their blinders on. The war engineer knows that if the blinders are off, and one inadvertent look in their direction, and they happen to be looking at you. It could end in disaster.
The young engineer refrains from shivering at the thought of the two naturally magical creatures as he listens to baron Harkonin who quickly goes over the plan for the attack against the Lé Dic fief.
The gathering breaks up after the baron finishes explaining things. And Tovis who was slightly surprised that the dark druid Palvarc was silent throughout the meeting, files out of the chamber with the others.
The young engineer spots his foreman Bassark chatting with a couple of soldiers. Bassark hurries over to him, and they make their way from the main hall in the central keep.
As they do, the war engineer says to the work yard foreman "Come on, back to the yard" Tovis follows that up with "We're going to be busy over the next two weeks, thankfully we're going to get some extra help" . . . . . .