The Homecoming 39.

A Branching Road...

They stop at a village for the night. With most of the force setting up camp in a field to the north of the village. While the nobility, and officers stay in the only inn that the village has.
Those in the group stay in a nearby boarding house, with the exception of Dorc da Orc, who sleeps in the yard behind the inn that sir Percavelle Lé Dic is in for the night.
The hundred and twenty strong force from castle Lé Dic leave early the next morning, well before sunrise. The morning is clear, but cold. Far colder than it has been the previous couple of days. A reminder that though the weather has changed recently to be more spring like, this is indeed the end of winter, and here's another day to prove it.
As like yesterday, most of those who are on horseback. Are riding at the front of the column. The remaining riders, and the trio of wagons with the force, are following behind the foot soldiers.
Tamric Drubine who is riding near the front, beside sir Percavelle Lé Dic as the sun rises to the east. Briefly looks at the former earl of the fief, who is frowning after sir Galmot, the army commander, informs those at the front of the column, that they'll be taking a branching road, that goes northeast, instead of continuing on the road they're on. Which goes directly east to the border, and eventually leads to the town of Falshire.
"What's the matter Percy?" quietly asks Tamric Drubine "Huh?" says sir Percavelle Lé Dic who is clearly distracted "What was that young fellow?" adds the former earl when he realises that the nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin spoke to him.
"I said what's the matter" quietly says Tam, Percy who spoke in his usual boisterous manner, briefly coughs to clear his throat, before quietly telling the heir to the former knight of castle Drubine in the kingdom of Sarcrin "Oh nothing really, just thinking about something that isn't of importance".
Nothing my ass, Tamric Drubine dryly thinks to himself, who just nods and doesn't say anything else about it, as they continue to ride eastwards as the sun rises.
As the morning continues, the usually talkative sir Percavelle, gets quieter and quieter. And by mid morning, when the branching road finally comes into view around a stand of trees they've just gone through. The former earl of Lé Dic has fallen silent.
Tam even notices the heavily armoured knight wince when he sees the road to the northeast. The former paladin who is carrying his full helm on his saddle horn. Grabs it and shoves it on his head, slapping down the visor, as if he's going into battle.
Tamric Drubine raises an eyebrow at that, then informs the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che, that he's going to drop back and talk to the others for a moment.
The nobleborn teenager isn't even sure if Percy heard him, he certainly doesn't acknowledge what Tam just said. The teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin takes his mount out of the column, getting off the road, to the left, where he'll wait for the others who are on foot.
Tamric Drubine grins as Dorc da Orc stomps his way by just behind the former earl of Lé Dic. The scowling ork warleader has got a section of the column to himself.
As those foot soldiers who are first, don't want to be too near the large ork, who has been moody ever since they left castle Lé Dic early yesterday afternoon. And the fact that he stinks. Even the cold morning can't disguise the fact that the ork weaponsmith fair reeks.
As the foot soldiers pass him, Tam looks ahead, and sees the front riders, the trio riding out infront of the column, turn onto the branching road, which the scouts have already gone down.
From the tracks they've already found, the advanced party that left before them early yesterday afternoon. That Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy is a part of. Have taken the road that continues straight eastwards. They'll most likely get off that road, and continue cross country as they near the border town of Falshire, which is still at least another two and half days travel away from where they are at the moment.
Tam dismounts and starts walking beside the others when they get to him, the nobleborn teenager quietly says to Riley Hait the mercenary ranger, Shur Kee the monk and Lisell Maera "Percy is distracted about something this morning" he continues with "So much so, that he's fallen silent".
"Good distraction whatever it is, if it's able to shut him up" dryly says Lisell Maera, which causes the other three to grin.
Riley Hait the mercenary ranger nods ahead, then asks Tam "You know where the road we're turning onto goes?" the nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin replies with "To the northeast is all i know" then he adds "Galmot hopes to come down upon Falshire from the north, take baron Harkonin's men there by surprise".
The mercenary ranger from the elven principality of Envadarlen nods, then he looks around at the soldiers close by, and he asks one of the older ones, a veteran of many of the conflicts between the Lé Dic and Harkonin fiefs. Where the road they're just about to turn onto, goes.
After the veteran gives an answer, telling the ranger Hait, not just where the road goes, but also whose land it goes through.
Riley Hait frowns, then asks the older soldier "As in the family of the lady Hollis?". "The very one" says the older soldier, as those on foot further infront of them, start turning onto the branching road, following after those on horseback.
The mercenary ranger, who in actuality, 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, thanks the veteran soldier.
Then he quietly says to Tam and the others "Well that's why Percy is so distracted" Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman then adds "We're about to go through the lands of his former inlaws, which i understand his ex wife has dominion over with her current husband".
Tamric Drubine, Lisell Maera, and Shur Kee the monk all wince, with Lis murmuring "Hells". "It will be for us, and everyone else if rumours are true about Percy and his ex wife" quietly says the mercenary ranger from the elven principality of Envadarlen, as they too make their way onto the branching road that goes to the north and east, instead of directly east, like the one they were just on.
The ranger Hait looks ahead and frowns as he's just able to spot sir Galmot on his horse towards the front of the column. Riley aka Zubutai Timaginson wonders if the commander of the Lé Dic army, deliberately chose to go this way, knowing the long standing tension between sir Percavelle Lé Dic and his ex wife. The mercenary ranger wouldn't be surprised if he did.
"Might as well go up and ride with Percy" says Riley Hait to Tamric Drubine, who nods then hops up into the saddle of his horse. The nobleborn teenager rides ahead, until he gets infront of Dorc da Orc, and is once again beside the former earl of Lé Dic.
Meanwhile, the mercenary ranger, the acolyte in the order of Bru Li, and the teenage orphan from the city-state of Brattonbury, continue walking with the foot soldiers who make up the bulk of the force.
They continue along the road that goes northeast, the road itself is in better condition than the one they were on previously. Probably due to less traffic, as this road isn't as used as much. And though it's nearly springtime, this road isn't that churned up, or too muddy.
They stop at midday for a quick meal. They stop infront of a row of trees, at the base of a long, sloping hill. Up the hill is rows and rows of vines, as it's another location of one of the many vineyards is this region of the kingdom of Druvic.
Sir Percavelle Lé Dic who has been pretty much silent since after sunrise this morning, scowls at the large ork who is standing there glaring at him, after he dismounts, and ties the reins of his mount to the tie line that's been set up.
"What are you looking at beast?" asks the former knight of the first class, who has noticed that the ork warleader has pretty much been following him since they left castle Lé Dic, early in the afternoon, yesterday.
Infact the former paladin is certain the big, green, brutish looking ork slept outside the window of his room, in the inn he stayed in last night. If the loud snoring, and grumbling he heard from outside was anything to go by, then the former earl of Lé Dic is definitely certain the ork weaponsmith slept out there.
"Well beast?!" demands the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che as the large ork continues to stand there, glaring at him "What is it that you're looking at?" .
Dorc da Orc suddenly grins, then says "Me looking at Dorc's piss pot". The large ork makes a chopping motion with one of his big, meaty, frying pan sized hands and says "Choppy chop, Dorc's gotta piss pot" says the ork warleader with a chuckle.
Who then turns, and walks away to the tree directly to the right. Which he sits down infront of, and takes the haunch of an ox from one of his sacks, and starts gnawing on it. All the while as he continues to watch the former earl of Lé Dic.
"Foul smelling green demon" mutters sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who wonders what's got into the large ork. Who usually does all that he can to avoid him. Not be close by, always watching him, as he's been doing since they and the rest of the column left castle Lé Dic early yesterday afternoon.
The former earl of the fief stands there for a moment, wondering what the hell the ork warleader was going on about.
"Piss pot indeed" huffs the heavily armoured knight, who then mutters "As if that big, ugly brute even knows what one of those are". From experience he has never seen Dorkindle use a piss pot. Far from it, considering the large ork urinates wherever and whenever he likes. Infact the ork weaponsmith has tried to pee on him countless times when Percy hadn't been paying attention when he first joined the group.
The former knight of the first class learnt early on that you had to keep an eye on the big, burly ork whenever he dropped his grubby, knee length pants to take a leak.
Percy shakes his head, then wanders away in search of something to eat. The former earl of Lé Dic would never admit it, but he can thank the large ork for one thing. And that's for being a distraction for what the nobleborn knight has been thinking about all morning, when it was decided they'd be coming this way.
"By Narille" murmurs sir Percavelle Lé Dic who winces as once again he thinks about where they're heading to, the former paladin then softly sighs, and wonders why the gods have decided to test him so. It's something he knows he'll never get an answer to.
After the brief stop for the midday meal, the column gets underway again. They make fairly good time along the well maintained road, that's hardly been used of late. They pass just a few travellers going the other way. Who get off the road, to allow the column from castle Lé Dic to go by.
Near the front of the line of march, Tamric Drubine notices that sir Percavelle Lé Dic is riding as if he's going into battle. The former earl of the fief has his full helm on, with the visor down again.
He's also not saying a word to anyone. He's ignoring those around them. As well as ignoring any attempt at conversation from Tam. As well as ignoring the verbal jabs from the grumbling Dorc da Orc from behind them.
It's not yet mid afternoon when a couple of scouts ride back, and speak with sir Galmot and his officers. Tamric Drubine wishes he was elven so that he can hear their conversation. Unfortunately he isn't, and he's unable to hear what they're quietly discussing.
But he does notice the army commander briefly look this way, to be precise look at sir Percavelle and grin. Infact the nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin would describe it more as a smirk than a grin that briefly passed across the face of sir Galmot.
It's not too long after the scouts spoke with the army commander and his officers that a castle comes into view as they top a hill, then start heading down it.
The castle isn't particularly large, it has one broach tower as part of the keep, and has a squat, square tower at one of the corners of it's walls. There's other buildings within the castle, while outside it's walls is a small village. That Tam would describe as small and neat, and rather prosperous looking for the commoners who live there.
On the road approaching the castle, just infront of the village, a party of soldiers, and others are waiting for the column from castle Lé Dic.
A handful of those waiting on the road near the village are on horseback.
And when they get closer to the village and castle, the nobleborn teen from the kingdom of Sarcrin sees that the two riders infront are a man and woman.
The man is of average height, in his mid thirties, long blond hair, wearing a suit of full plate armour.
While the woman, who is around the same age, slim, and quite frankly attractive. Seems vaguely familiar to Tam.
Then the heir to the former knight of castle Drubine in the kingdom of Sarcrin slightly nods as he realises that she looks a lot like the lady Hollis.
Tam looks quickly at sir Percavelle beside him, and he sees the heavily armoured knight looking around at everything with the exception of those on the road they're approaching.
The column slows down, then comes to a stop, as they do, Dorc da Orc loudly mutters "Why we fucken stopping?". The large ork glances ahead, then grunts as he sees who's on the road.
"Who them peoples?" asks the warleader of the ork race, and when no one answers him, the ork weaponsmith looks at the one person who he knows would probably know who those on the road infront of the column are.
"Hey cunt, who them?" asks Dorkindle, who when sir Percavelle Lé Dic ignores him, the large ork starts pestering him as sir Galmot and two others ride forward to talk to those waiting on the road.
"Knight cunt", "Sir fuckface", "Earl no dick", "Shit knight", "Sir poohead" are just a few of the names the ork warleader calls the former paladin to get his attention.
The previous earl of Lé Dic who is doing his best to ignore the large ork, after all he does like to have a good argument with the weaponsmith from the wolf tribe of orks.
Grimaces as he tries to ignore Dorkindle, while trying not to look at those on the road infront of the column,
Finally the large ork loudly says "Oi Percy piss pot, who the fuck are them peoples?" the ork warleader who has noticed the fairly attractive woman ahead, he's noticed her as she has a fairly ample bosom, adds "Who the lady with the good looking tits?".
Sir Percavelle Lé Dic looks sharply at the big burly ork and hisses "My wife" he pauses for a moment, before saying "I mean my ex wife".
Dorc da Our blinks in surprise, and is silent for a moment, because he wasn't expecting that for an answer. Then the large ork blinks again, then he slowly grins, then bursts out laughing . . . . . .