The Homecoming 62.

Border Region...

Helbe the elven thief gets to the border town of Falshire around midday. Having left castle Lé Dic and the town of Massic just before midday yesterday.
The elven magic user who teleported and shifted a lot of the way between castle Lé Dic and Falshire. Also got a ride upon one of the many wagons on their way to the border.
Not that the wagon driver knew, because the young elven noble travels blurred and shielded.
As he still is now, as he gets off the back of the wagon as it comes into the border town of Falshire. The wagon, just one of many. Bringing in supplies in the wake of the Lé Dic army, that's taken over the border town.
Not that's there all that many of them here in Falshire. It's not long before the elven masterthief learns that most of them have moved off. Gone across the border into the Harkonin fief. Both pursuing the enemy who fled the border town during the battle two mornings ago. And to partake in some retribution for Falshire being briefly under control of the forces of baron Harkonin.
Both Helbenthril Raendril and Narladene the ground pixie have a look around the border town to find out what else that's happened.
It's not too long, before the elven princeling from Laerel finds the building that was previously used as the headquarters for the baron's forces here in Falshire. And is now being used as the headquarters of the Lé Dic army too.
The extremely talented elven spellcaster quickly finds out the rest of the group took part in the battle for Falshire a couple of mornings ago.
As he listens to some of the common born soldiers hanging around the three storey building. Helbe the elven thief hears that it's because of sir Percavelle Lé Dic and Dorc da Orc. That the force led by the army commander sir Galmot, was able to retake Falshire fairly easily, and quite quickly as well. With the battle for the border town taking less than half a morning.
The elven master assassin who has always found you can get more information from the gossip of ordinary soldiers compared to officers. Especially nobleborn one's as most officers are here in the kingdom of Druvic.
Goes exploring through the three storey building that's the headquarters for the Lé Dic army who have remained in the town of Falshire.
The elven magic user who finds a destroyed staff of druidic origin, with it's broken parts chucked into a fireplace. Which will take days to eventually burn away. Soon finds a prisoner down in the cellar beneath what's the largest building in the north of town.
The blurred and shielded elven spellcaster reads the mind of one lord Sarvaine, the lord of the Long Reaches, one of the nobleborn vassals of baron Harkonin.
The nobleborn prisoner who has been treated fairly by the looks of it. Is disillusioned that he lost the town of Falshire so easily. Especially considering that the bulk of baron Harkonin's army is heading this way.
Prince Helbenthri Raendril wonders if the Lé Dic army knows that the baron's army is heading to the border. He doubts it, as he didn't hear any of the soldiers and officers in the building above talking about it.
He lifts an eyebrow is surprise as he continues to read the mind of lord Sarvaine. Who is wondering if he was sent to Falshire, to be the bait for a trap. As he sits in a chair in the cellar, that's lit with just a small lamp. The lord of the Long Reaches in the east of the Harkonin fief suspects more and more that he and the force he led here in Falshire. Was just a small part in a larger plan, that he wasn't privy to. As he suspects baron Harkonin, and his advisor, a dark druid by the name of Palvarc have devised something, that they've neglected to tell him about. Neglected on purpose too, lord Sarvaine thinks.
So, it seems he was here, Helbe the elven thief thinks to himself when he finds what he was looking for in the mind of the nobleborn prisoner. The young elven noble, who hopes the war engineer Tovis survived the battle for Falshire. Lord Sarvaine seems to think so. Makes his way up and out of the cellar beneath the three storey building.
Just outside the large building that's being used as the headquarters for the Lé Dic army in Falshire. Narladene the ground pixie rejoins the elven princeling she's attached to. Once upon the right shoulder of the elven masterthief from the island principality of Laerel, Narladene the ground pixie quietly says "The others were here".
"I know" is the quiet reply of Helbe the elven thief who walks to the side of a building opposite the large, three storey one. The grandson of Prince Raendril of Laerel continues with "From what i gather, they've gone into the Harkonin fief as has most of the Lé Dic army".
The naturally magical creature who is attached to the elven spellcaster, nods her tiny head, then quietly says "Gone to find this engineer Tovis most like". "Definitely" quietly says the elven master assassin who floats up to the roof of the building he's made his way to.
The blurred and shielded elven magic user looks around at the town from the roof he's on, before looking off to the east. Prince Helbenthril Raendril quietly asks Narladene "Can you sense them at all?".
The tiny winged creature, who has sensed both through the ground, and for the magic some of the others carry, in particular sir Percavelle Lé Dic's shield of Saint Mar-che and his sword of knockdown. As well as the sword of protection that Tamric Drubine has. Shakes her head no, and says "Nothing".
The elven masterthief slightly nods his hooded head and knows that the others must be at least more than twenty miles away. As that's about the outer limit of what Narladene can sense, both through the ground for movement, and for magic.
The naturally magical creature then tells the elven magic user "I can feel that army through the ground heading east" she continues with "There's a few scattered along that road there to the east. Mostly wagons and what feels like war machines" Narladene then adds "The first of a lot of the soldiers are about eighteen miles away, heading further east".
"Good chance they're going to run smack dab into an army coming the other way" says the young elven noble "Oh?" says the ground pixie, who then adds "I didn't hear that from those i listened to".
"There's a prisoner down in the cellar below that building" says Helbe the elven thief who gestures to the three storey building behind them, the elven master archer then tells the tiny winged creature "He's a noble from the Harkonin fief. He definitely believes the baron's army is coming this way".
"Be a battle out that way?" asks Narladene as they look out to the east, towards some woodland in the distance that the trade road goes through "More than likely" says the elven princeling, who then adds "The nobleborn prisoner, a lord Sarvaine. Thinks that our engineer, who was here during the battle a couple of mornings ago. Escaped and headed back east into their fief".
The ground pixie briefly scowls, then mutters "Great" followed by "He's going to be in the middle of another battle. A far larger one too, with the size of the army heading east".
"I know" murmurs Helbe the elven thief, who then adds "By the forest gods i hope the others can get him before the battle breaks out".
Eastwards, in the Harkonin fief. Lord Milburn along with sir Galmot the army commander, lead the bulk of their fiefdom's army into enemy territory. With them is more than three quarters of the army that was able to be quickly gathered at Massic and castle Lé Dic.
They're on the trade road that goes through the western part of the Harkonin fief. They ride in the van of their army with a number of other nobles from the Lé Dic fief. Riding behind lord Milburn is his grandson Jared. While behind sir Galmot, rides sir Barid. Who has been in a foul mood since the battle of Falshire a couple of mornings ago, where his squire Mercent was killed.
The grandfather of lady Linara Lé Dic looks back behind them. And amongst the following nobles, he spots sir Parvin Dé Gorveré the range lord. The lord of Milburn manor slightly frowns as he looks at the large knight sir Parvin, who is a contemporary of sir Percavelle Lé Dic.
The nobleman who is basically the acting steward of the Lé Dic fief. Would prefer that the range lord wasn't riding in the van. Infact he wishes he didn't ride out with them at all. And that he and his men hadn't joined the army. Though he must admit, sir Parvin, who has got a bit portly over the years. Is a terror in battle. And is good to have with you in a fight.
It's just that the range lord who grew up with, and got his knighthood around the same time as his friend Percavelle Lé Dic. Doesn't belong in lord Milburn's inner circle. Nor does he feature in the grandfather of lady Linara Lé Dic's plans.
Plans that he if he knew, sir Parvin Dé Gorveré would violently react to. Especially if he found out that lord Milburn had his grandson Jared kill earl Maxiss Lé Dic during the last border conflict with the Harkonin forces a little over a year and half ago.
He's here, nothing to be done about it, lord Kievar Milburn thinks to himself, the nobleman who sees himself as the arbitrary leader of the Lé Dic fief, then silently adds, we just have to continue to be careful what we say around him.
Lord Milburn who has no fear that sir Parvin the range lord will overhear anything at the moment, there's too many riders between him and those at the front of the van, quietly says to sir Galmot riding beside him "Wonder if that messenger has reached any of them yet?".
"Well if they've got patrols out on the road, he probably has" says sir Galmot the army commander, who continues with "Probably taking him to Maliss and castle Harkonin now" the noble who led the forces that retook the border town of Falshire, then adds "You think they'll pay the ransom for Sarvaine?".
"They will" says lord Milburn, who was a little surprised that the lord of the Long Reaches was in command of the enemy forces in Falshire. He would of thought that someone like young sir Dontas the knight of Althilgah would of been in command at Falshire. As he's clearly a better field commander than lord Sarvaine.
For indeed it was sir Dontas who took Falshire in the previous conflict between the two fiefs eighteen months ago. And the only reason baron Harkonin lost the border town at the end of that conflict, was because he pulled sir Dontas out, and had another nobleman take command of his forces there.
"For our asking price?" asks the commander of the Lé Dic army "That's the real question isn't it" says lord Kievar Milburn, the nobleman in his mid fifties, who like all the other nobles in the army, is in either full plate or half plate armour, continues with "Harkonin has always been a tight fisted bastard with his coin. He'll pay for Sarvaine's release, though if he'll pay the full amount, that's another question".
"Unscrupulous sot" mutters sir Galmot, who then adds in a tone of disgust "One who mingles with a dark druid too" the army commander shakes his head, then says "Nothing good can come of that i tell you".
The grandfather of lady Linara Lé Dic just nods his head at that, but doesn't say anything. Instead he falls silent for a while as he thinks about something.
Meanwhile sir Galmot tries to strike up a conversation with sir Barid again. And once again fails. As sir Barid answers one of his questions in a short, and terse manner. That the army commander knows to give up on talking with sir Barid. Unless you want him all of sudden to be shouting at you. As he's been in difficult mood since the battle when they retook Falshire. When his squire, Mercent was killed.
The army commander is just about to ask young Jared Milburn something, when one of his officers infront of him, says "Looks like one of the scouts has come back sir Galmot".
The commander of the Lé Dic fief stands up in the stirrups, and looks further ahead. There he sees one of the scouts in the distance in a long stretch of the road that goes through woodland, riding quickly in this direction to the advanced riders.
The scout briefly stops and says something to the riders in advance of the vanguard, before making his way back to the front of the van.
"Wonder if the scouts have run across one of their patrols?" speculates sir Galmot, who is a little surprised they have come across any enemy patrols as of yet. After all they're over twenty miles into the Harkonin fief, with the trade road going south for a bit to avoid some hills, before going east again.
"We'll soon find out" says lord Kievar Milburn as the scout rides back along the side of the road towards them. Sir Galmot recognises the scout, and when he reaches them, he asks "You and the other scouts finally run into some of them Pomíc?".
The scout Pomíc, who is a little breathless, quickly nods his head, then says "Yes sir Galmot" followed by "We've spotted them".
"Good" says lord Milburn, who then adds "Bout time we found some of them" the grandfather of lady Linara Lé Dic then asks the scout "How many of them are there?".
After slightly grimacing, the scout Pomíc says "There's an army of them lord Milburn". Silence greets that answer, as the nobles, all of them who can hear what the scout is saying, stare at him.
Sir Galmot is the one who eventually breaks their silence, by saying "How big of an army Pomíc?" the mounted scout replies with "Our best guess is about five hundred of them sir Galmot" he pauses before adding "Could be more, only got a quick look at them through the trees we spotted them from" he pauses once more, then says "They've got plenty of war machines like catapults and trebuchets, as well as siege towers too".
The army commander sir Galmot looks at lord Milburn, who mutters "Shit" the grandfather of lady Linara Lé Dic, then says "Well, we knew we'd eventually have a fairly large battle against them at some time" lord Kievar Milburn then adds "Looks like we're going to have it much sooner than we thought" . . . . . .