The Homecoming 48.

Castles...

"Why did you do it like that?" asks Narladene the ground pixie, who then adds "In a dream?".
"It felt like the right thing to do" says Helbe the elven thief who scratches his chin, as he stands upon the east wall of castle Lé Dic as the morning closes towards midday.
"You should of just appeared in the middle of her bed chamber last night and told her" says the naturally magical creature who is sitting on the right shoulder of the young elven noble she's attached to.
"I would've scared her half to death if i had done that" dryly says the elven magic user who is blurred and shielded "I can't very well be doing that" dryly adds the elven masterthief.
They're looking down into one of the larger courtyards in the massive castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family. They're watching the lady Hollis Duc de Laér crossing the courtyard with her charge, the lady Linara Lé Dic.
The two of them, who are heading to the main keep of the castle for their midday meal. Are followed by a couple of the guards to the young lady of the fief.
The elven princeling from Laerel has read the minds of all the soldiers in the guard squadron to lady Linara Lé Dic. And found them all loyal to her, and not her maternal grandfather, lord Kievar Milburn. Much to the relief of the highly talented elven spellcaster.
"Besides i may as well not of bothered" says prince Helbenthril Raendril who continues with "She doesn't trust lord Milburn anyway" he nods his hooded head down towards the two nobles making their way to the main keep, and he adds "That's why she's always close to the young lady. And never that far from her".
Narladene nods her tiny head, then says "Still, that doesn't change the fact that the girl's grandfather had her cousin kill her father". "I know" mutters the elven magic user from the island principality of Laerel, who once again wishes sir Percavelle Lé Dic was here. As he knows the former earl of the fief, would quickly deal with the situation, by just killing lord Milburn and Jared Milburn, who killed his brother, the previous earl of the fief, Maxiss Lé Dic.
Unfortunately the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che isn't here at castle Lé Dic at the moment. Nor is lord Milburn and Jared Milburn. They've all gone east to the border with the Harkonin fief. As the baron of the neighbouring fief to the east, has captured the border town of Falshire.
A strategic point between the two most eastern fiefs in the kingdom of Druvic, as a trade road, that comes all the way from the capital Leeabra further to the west. Travels through the Lé Dic fief, before going through the border town of Falshire, and continues on through the Harkonin fief, then out of the kingdom itself to the unruled lands to the east.
"Might have to do something else" quietly says the elven masterthief "Like what?" asks the tiny winged creature as they watch the lady Hollis and her charge enter the main keep "Like actually show up here" says the young elven noble who is the grandson of the ruling prince of
Laerel.
Narladene lifts an arched eyebrow in surprise at that, then she says "Well whatever you think is best". Helbenthril Raendril wryly smiles after hearing the dubious tone that the ground pixie said that in.
And he tells her "It will be best" then after a slight pause, he quietly adds "I hope".
The elven masterthief turns and looks west, and before he shifts away in that direction, he tells the naturally magical creature "I'm expected" after a brief pause, he continues on with "Well Farque, Mira and i are expected. Percy told his niece and others that the three of us will be turning up here to join him and the rest of the group" the elven princeling then adds "So i might as well turn up".
Narladene grabs onto the cloak of the elven master assassin as she senses he's about to cast. The young elven noble shifts away, heading west from castle Lé Dic.
Helbe the elven thief shifts at least half a dozen times before he comes to a stop, the elven magic user drops his blur spell, and steps out from behind a tree. Then still with his shield up, so that other spellcasters can not sense him. He hurries to the road about twenty yards away, that leads back to castle Lé Dic.
The stretch of the road he's on is empty at the moment, that's why he picked this spot. Helbenthril Raendril knows that there's a farm wagon a couple of hundred yards ahead of him. While further behind him, a good half a mile away to the west. There's group of conscripts who have been summoned to castle Lé Dic. To be part of the war effort against the Harkonin fief.
The elven master archer starts walking to the massive castle and the town of Massic that sits to the west of the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family. The elven princeling expects to reach the western outskirts of Massic just after midday, then a little after that, castle Lé Dic. On what's a cool day at this time of the year here in the kingdom of Druvic where the seasons are changing from winter to spring.
As he walks, the young elven noble from Laerel and the ground pixie who is originally from the Sunreach Mountains, quietly chat in elvish, as to what prince Helbenthril Raendril will do when he shows up at castle Lé Dic, again.
It's just after midday when the elven masterthief gets to the town of Massic. As he's just about to enter the largest town in the Lé Dic fief, Narladene who is invisible to all, except for the young elven noble she's attached to, and animals. Quietly tells him "You should take your hood off your head" the tiny winged creature continues with "You're a much more inviting figure with it down, than up" then with a wide smile upon her tiny face, she adds "And besides, you can see your handsome face more without it on".
She definitely has ideas, doesn't she? Helbe the elven thief dryly thinks to himself with a sideways glance at the smiling ground pixie sitting upon his right shoulder. Then suppressing a sigh, as he knows that Narladene will just continually bug him until he does take the hood of his cloak off his head. He reaches up, and takes the hood down off his head, as he enters Massic.
"Better?" murmurs the highly talented elven magic user "Definitely" says the tiny winged creature who continues to smile. Helbenthril Raendril stops himself from rolling his eyes, and heads through town.
The elven master assassin already knows the quickest way on foot through Massic to get to the nearby castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family. So it's not too long before he's in the east of town and looking at the walls of the massive castle .
Helbe the elven thief heads to the drawbridge and the gate on this side of it, and gets inline behind a carter, who is wanting to enter the castle.
The soldiers on duty notice him, and perk up, as it's not often they have an elf visiting castle Lé Dic. Especially one attired like him. Who has a longbow over a shoulder, and a shortsword on his hip. They're the only weapons of his that are visible, though he has way more weapons that are hidden on him, way more. For amongst the group, only Dorc da Orc carries more weapons. As the large ork is basically a walking armoury. Who could easily outfit a large squad in any army in any land throughout the Southlands with the amount of weapons he has.
After the carter starts heading across the drawbridge, one of the soldiers on duty asks the young elven noble "Your name, and purpose for entering castle Lé Dic".
"I'm Helbe" says the elven magic user who gives his abbreviated name, as his last name is even known here in the east of Druvic. Not to mention that there's many a knight in the kingdom of Druvic who are members of the order named after his father, Althilgah, the Warder of Quinthain. "I'm a friend of sir Percavelle Lé Dic, i do believe I'm expected" adds the elven princeling from Laerel.
The soldier who spoke looks over at the other who nods, then he turns and calls out "Antoine get out here and escort this elf into the main keep!".
As a young soldier hurries out of the gate house, the soldier speaking to the elven masterthief, tells him "Sir Percavelle isn't here at the moment, but i figure the young lady Lé Dic will want to speak with you" he then adds "Young Antoine will take you to her".
"Thank you" says the elven magic user who is glad he didn't have to resort to casting anything to get into the castle. He kind of likes the challenge of not using his advanced magical skills to get his way, and what he wants.
The young elven noble walks with the young soldier across the drawbridge. After crossing it, Antoine informs the soldiers at the inner gate house who Helbenthri Raendril is. And the two of them go through the large open gates in the west wall of the massive castle, and enter castle Lé Dic proper.
As they make their way to the main keep. Antoine asks the elven master archer if he's as good with his longbow. As two of the other friends of sir Percavelle Lé Dic. The other elf, and the mercenary ranger, who came first and second in the ranged weapon event in the recent tourney, part of the festival that celebrates the end of winter.
"Dalin and Riley?" asks the elven master archer "That's the two" says the young soldier as they walk around one of the many broach towers in castle Lé Dic.
"Yeah I'm a little bit better than those two" says prince Helbenthril Raendril who is way more advanced of an archer than Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy and Riley Hait the mercenary ranger, who though highly skilled, and are excellent archers. Are no where near as proficient with a bow as the young elven noble from the principality of Laerel.
"Wow" says Antoine, who continues with "You must be something to see shoot" the young soldier who is probably only fifteen, shakes his head in disbelief, then adds "Those two were really good".
The elven masterthief nods his head in agreement as they walk across the same large courtyard that he watched the lady Hollis and her charge the lady Linara crossing just before midday.
The elven magic user and the young soldier enter the main keep of castle Lé Dic, and head to the main hall. At the doors to the main hall, Antoine calls over a page. And though the page is of noble birth, he comes over and listens to what the young soldier has to tell him. For that's his duty as a page.
The elven princeling is glad that his upbringing wasn't like that. As the elven nobility have different ways in which they act and behave compared to their human equivalents. Especially ones in kingdoms like Druvic, or feudal kingdoms like Sarcrin, where Tamric Drubine hails from.
As the page hurries into the main hall, and goes to the high table where lady Linara Lé Dic is lunching with lady Hollis Duc de Laér and others. Antoine and the two soldiers on door duty, chat to the elven magic user about his journey here from the capital Leeabra.
The young elven noble tells them that it was pretty uneventful. Apart from losing lord Farque and Mira Reinholt, and not knowing where the hell they are. Though he doesn't mention that bit.
The page returns, and informs the elven master assassin that the lady Linara Lé Dic would like to see him.
Then with the page leading the way, and the young soldier Antoine tagging along behind him. Helbe the elven thief enters the main hall of the central keep of castle Lé Dic, to go and speak to the young girl who rules this massive castle, and the fief it's in.
Meanwhile, in the fief to the east. At castle Harkonin. A force in the army of the baron is about to depart, and join those who are already at the border town of Falshire. The original squads who took the town. And the force led by sir Sarvaine who got there a couple of days ago.
Leading this latest force that's about to depart castle Harkonin and the town of Maliss. Is the army commander sir Taevar. Going along with him is a number of other nobles, including sir Dontas, the knight of Althilgah.
There's also a number of war machines going with them too. They're older ones, not the latest one's that were designed by the war engineer Tovis. These older, large weapons of war are already on the road west to Falshire, having left a little earlier than the large column of riders and foot soldiers.
In the work yard outside the castle walls, the foreman Bassark looks up at the mounted sir Dontas who has stopped by before leaving.
"We'll get the new one's finished as soon as we can sir Dontas" says Bassark the work yard foreman, who like all the commoners in the castle and in town, not to mention throughout the fief. Like the knight of Althilgah. He's without doubt the most popular noble in the Harkonin fief. Even more so than the baron and his family.
Bassark, who has often wondered if that's caused any tension with the other nobles in the fief. Tells the heavily armoured knight who is in mid twenties "We'll get them off and rolling towards Falshire by the end of the week. Especially those two new trebuchets".
"Not to worry if you don't Bassark" says sir Dontas, whose father is the lord of High Grove "Just send what you can, as soon as you can" adds the heavily armoured knight, who is one of the few ordered knights here in the eastern region of the kingdom.
The knight in the order of Althilgah then asks the yard foreman "Is there anything you want to tell young Tovis?".
"Tell him not to get himself killed" dryly says Bassark, which causes the knight of the first class to laugh, then he says "I will" sir Dontas then adds "Anything else?".
The work yard foreman glances around, and though only the knight of Althilgah's squire, and two of his banner men are close by. He quietly tells the son of the lord of High Grove "Tell him to be careful around you know who". "And who would that be foreman?" quietly asks the sir Dontas.
Bassark is sure the nobleman knows very well who he's referring to. As the knight of the first class knows all of those who left with sir Sarvaine on the seventh day just gone by.
"I don't particularly want to say" murmurs the work yard foreman "Don't worry Bassark, i know whose apprentice you're referring to" says sir Dontas who continues with "I'll tell Tovis to keep an eye on him" the heavily armoured knight then quietly adds "I'll keep an eye on him too".
A shouted call comes from the column nearby, who have started to depart "Well then, we're off" says the knight in the order of Althilgah, who nods to Bassark and says "Be seeing you foreman". "And you too sir" says the yard foreman, who watches sir Dontas, his squire and two of his banner men ride across the work yard, to join the rest of the column who are leaving castle Harkonin and the town of Maliss, as they set off for the border town of Falshire.
Bassark turns and heads back to the workshop he's been in today, as he does he can see through the open gates in the south wall of the castle.
And gets a pretty good view of the main keep, and though baron Harkonin and others of his court are watching the departing column from the steps at the doors on the south side of the main keep.
The workyard foreman spots a figure at one of the windows, high up in the main keep, watching the riders and foot soldiers making their way out of the castle and through the town.
And who are you watching you black hearted bastard? Bassark thinks to himself as he recognises the dark druid Palvarc watching the departing column from high up in the main keep of castle Harkonin . . . . . .