The Homecoming 37.

Decisions Made...

"Anyone find that page?" asks Riley Hait the mercenary ranger who then adds "And get any information from him?".
Lisell Maera and Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy answer in the negative. And when Tamric Drubine joins them from where he's been chatting to some officers in the army of the fief.
And the ranger Hait asks him the same question. The nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin informs the mercenary ranger that the page in question is in the chamber, that those of importance here at the Lé Dic court, have gathered to discuss something that's taken them by surprise.
As they hang around the steps of one of the broach towers opposite the main keep. The spy Tanith looks away towards some stables, where one of the stablehands, and the stable master is walking a horse.
An unfamiliar horse to Dalinvardél Tanith, who takes notice of such things. The elf from the principality of Alínlae notices that the horse has been blown out. Likely ridden hard from a stressful journey.
The elven spy narrows his eyelids, as the mount isn't one of those ridden by the group who have arrived from the Gallus fief.
Dalin tells the others he's just going to go and check on something. And he makes his way over to the stables, to have a chat with the stable master and the stablehand.
"They didn't take too kindly to me trying to enter" says Tamric Drubine, who out of all of them, with the exception of sir Percavelle Lé Dic, has free reign just about anywhere throughout the massive castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family.
The heir to the former knight of castle Drubine in the kingdom of Sarcrin nods towards the officers he just spoke to. Who are with a group of soldiers, near one of the side doors to the central keep of the castle.
"Even they couldn't get in to the meeting" says Tam, as they see some of the officers pacing, while others are looking into the side door they're near, and down the hallway beyond. Which at the end of it, is the chamber that the hastily gathered meeting is taking place in.
"Hopefully they haven't found out that it was us, who killed that lot over in the Gallus fief" quietly says Lisell Maera, who like the others, is speaking in the elven language.
"That would be problematic" dryly says the mercenary ranger who was brought up and trained in the elven principality of Envadarlen, who slightly frowns as he sees Dalinvardél Tanith, after chatting with the master, and a hand from the nearby stable, hurry quickly away, around the otherside of the central keep, and is soon out of sight.
Tamric Drubine, who also saw the elven spy hurry away, quietly says "I think Dalin might of found something out".
The mercenary ranger, who in actual fact, is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra by the name of Zubutai Timaginson, who just happens to inhabit the body of Riley Hait. Nods his head in agreement with what the nobleborn teenager just said.
"Whatever it is, we'll soon find out" quietly says the ranger Hait, as he takes a seat on one of the steps they're standing on, infront of one the towers opposite the main, or central keep of castle Lé Dic.
Lisell Maera sits down too, since the steps are dry, as the day is mild, infact it's warm, spring warm, considering it's still technically winter.
While Tamric Drubine paces back and forth infront of the steps, looking between where the officers and soldiers are waiting near a side entrance into the central keep. And the direction that Dalinvardél Tanith went around the otherside of the same keep.
It's not too long before the elven spy, comes back into view, coming around the side of the central keep. The elf who once served in one of the larger noble houses of the principality of Alínlae, walks quickly to where the others are waiting.
Once he's reached the steps, Dalin quietly tells the others in the elven language "The fief is under attack".
"What?" says Tam and Lis in unison, while the ranger Hait says "It is?". "It is" says the spy Tanith, who then tells the others "The Harkonin's have taken the border town of Falshire".
Dalinvardél Tanith informs them that a rider from the town of Falshire just came in when lady Linara Lé Dic was receiving the party from the Gallus fief.
The rider, an apprentice carpenter, escaped the border town when it was taken at the start of the week by forces in the army of baron Harkonin.
He went in hiding for a couple of days as he made his way to a village where relatives of his lived. There he got a horse from an uncle, and rode nonstop for two days to get to the town of Massic, and castle Lé Dic.
"Along with those having the meeting" says Dalin who nods to the central keep as he says that's "Only the officer on duty at the south gate, and the guards there know what's going on" adds the elven spy, who then continues with "They want to keep a lid on things for the moment".
"Smart decision" quietly says Riley aka Zubutai Timaginson, who then frowns, and asks the elf from the principality of Alínlae "Hang on, how did you find out?".
The spy Tanith nods to where the stable master and one of his hands are continuing to walk the blown horse around in circles, and says "The stable master Weymid has an inkling something's up, and i asked him who that horse belongs to. He told me the young fellow who rode it in, is in one of the guest quarters on that side of the central keep" Dalin continues with "A young soldier was guarding the door, and i told him Percy sent me to see what this apprentice carpenter rode in here like all the hells had opened up behind him, was doing" he shrugs then adds "He let me in, and the young carpenter from Falshire told me everything".
"Something's happening" quietly says Tamric Drubine as a number of the waiting officers hurry inside "Someone's called out to them" says the elven spy, whose hearing is far more sensitive, and acute compared to humans.
"Others are coming out" continues Dalinvardél Tanith, who after a brief pause, adds "Percy is one of them".
Those soldiers and officers still hanging around one of the side doors to the central keep, get quickly out of the way, as their former earl hurries outside. Sir Percavelle Lé Dic who is followed by a number of others, looks around, then turns when he hears Riley Hait the mercenary ranger call out to him "Percy over here!".
The heavily armoured knight quickly crosses the courtyard to the tower the others are infront of "Foul tidings chaps" says sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who remembers that Lis is present, and he hastily adds "And lady".
The nobleborn knight then adds "By the gods, the most foul of things has happened, you won't believe it but".
"We know" says the ranger Hait as he interrupts the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che "You do?" says a surprised sir Percavelle "We do" is the reply of the mercenary ranger from the elven principality of Envadarlen, who nods his head for the others to follow him, as he says "Come on, we've got some decisions to make" and heads off in the direction of the broach tower that they, with the exception of Percy have been staying in since arriving here at castle Lé Dic.
Once they reach the broach tower, and they check to see if their quarters are secured, and that no one is listening to them. Sir Percavelle Lé Dic informs them what's happening, and what the response of his family's fief to being attacked by it's hated neighbours to the east, will be.
"And i guess you volunteered immediately to go with those heading out there as soon as possible?" asks Riley Hait in a slightly dry tone of voice "Of course" says the former earl of Lé Dic "Why it's my duty to my family and the people of the fief" adds the heavily armoured knight.
"Looks like we'll be going too, well at least some of us" quietly says the ranger Hait in elven to the others, then switching back to common since Percavelle doesn't speak elven, Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman continues with "Since we've yet to receive word of this engineer, we might as well head out to Falshire".
The group has sent word out through the Lé Dic fief that they're looking for someone in particular. Well to be exact, sir Percavelle Lé Dic has sent out word to try and locate the individual they've travelled to kingdom of Druvic to find in the first place.
"There's a good chance he could be from the Harkonin fief" says the mercenary ranger from Envadarlen who is the nominal leader of the group in the absence of lord Farque, Mira Reinholt the mage and Helbe the elven thief.
"And that he's already working for the baron there" adds Riley Hait "Things might get difficult if he is" puts in Dalinvardél Tanith. The others nod in agreement with what the elven spy just said.
"It'll probably be the best if we left here for a while anyway" says the ranger Hait, who continues with "What with that lot from the Gallus fief visiting, trying to find out who killed that previous constable of their's".
The former earl of Lé Dic nervously smiles at the mention of that, then in his usual bluster, he says "Quite true there ranger" followed by "Methinks it's best to take a trip east to the border, and give those Harkonin villains a thorough drubbing for what they've done to the poor town of Falshire" he pauses for a moment, as he recalls why they've actually returned to the kingdom of Druvic, then he adds "And of course to see if we can find out anything about this engineer fellow we are trying to find".
They discuss for the next little while what they're going to do. And what Percy thinks lord Milburn and sir Galmot will do in response to the attack against the fief. Since the two of them, will be in charge.
"Tam, Lis, start packing your stuff" says Riley aka Zubutai Timaginson, who then adds "Then go into town and find Shur Kee and Dorc, and tell them what's happening". The two teenagers, one from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin, and the other from the coastal city-state of Brattonbury nod that they will. Then they head off to their rooms.
"Word will spread quickly about what's happened" says Dalinvardél Tanith to the mercenary ranger and the former paladin, then looking at the heavily armoured knight, the elven spy asks him "You think this will be another border skirmish like when your brother was killed a year and half ago?" he continues with "Or a full on war between the two fiefs?".
"Hmmmm well it will certainly start off as a skirmish along the border" says sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who after a slight pause continues with "But it will definitely develop into a war between the two fiefs, what with the build up that's been happening here lately, as there was always going to be a campaign in the spring against the Harkonin villains".
"They just got in early is all" says the ranger Hait who then adds "Since conflict between the two was already going to happen in the springtime". The mercenary ranger who was raised and trained by some of the warders of the elven principality of Envadarlen, looks at the other two and quietly tells them "Anything could happen in a war, you know this" Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman then adds "Percy best be careful, we know that Milburn and others wish you harm, they could try anything to get rid of you in the middle of a battle".
The mercenary ranger then says "No use coming all the way here to find this engineer, only to see you get killed in the process". The spy Tanith nods in agreement to that, then he suddenly grins as he thinks of something.
"You know there's something we could do" says Dalinvardél Tanith, who continues with "Apart from keeping a watchful eye on you Percy".
"Oh?" says the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che, who knows that the others have been keeping an eye on him, ever since they found out that there are those here in his family's fief, who want to be rid of him, and wish he had never returned. "What's that?" says Riley Hait as he wonders where Dalin is going with this.
With a slight grin upon his face, the spy Tanith says "We'll just have someone guard you Percy". "I need no such thing" says a scowling sir Percavelle Lé Dic, while the ranger Hait suddenly grins as he realises who Dalinvardél Tanith intends to have guard the former earl of Lé Dic.
The mercenary ranger holds back from laughing, as he says "It's a good idea" followed by "I agree".
Riley Hait continues to struggle not to laugh when Dalin tells the heavily armoured knight who it is that will guard him.
The former earl of Lé Dic is speechless for a few moments after hearing that, then in a tone of outrage he says "I will not have that filthy, smelly, stinking beast watch over me and guard me!" . . . . . .