The Homecoming 70.

The Road West...

"How many?" asks baron Harkonin "At least thirty m'lord" replies the messenger who has come forward from the rear of the army, who continues with "More than double of that have fled, but they're slowly coming back now that things are under control".
"At least that's something" says sir Taevar the army commander, riding next to him, the baron of the Harkonin fief nods his head in agreement, then the messenger tells him "M'lord about the cockatrice".
"What about them?" asks the head of the Harkonin family, the messenger grimaces before answering "They're both dead m'lord".
Silence answers this from the nobleborn. Then the messenger bravely continues with "The first died from its wounds, while the second had to be killed as it was too badly wounded, and no one could get it's blinders back on".
"How?" eventually asks baron Harkonin "Archers and crossbowmen killed it m'lord". The baron nods, then mutters "Fuck" as he grips the reins of his mount, which causes his warhorse to snort, until the nobleman relaxes his grip.
"There's something else m'lord" says the messenger "What else has gone wrong now?" asks baron Harkonin in an exasperated tone "Nothing m'lord" replies the messenger, who continues with "We've got prisoners" followed by "They're nobles too".
The baron, who wonders how anyone survived the destruction from earlier in the day. Is suddenly in a more buoyant mood, considering what's happened to his cockatrice. That were a gift from someone influential in the king's court in the capital Leeabra.
"Oh?" says the baron of fief Harkonin "Sir Dontast is bringing them forward" the baron grins, then looks around at the others, and tells them "Well, apart form an easy victory, looks like we've got ourselves a bit of a bonus from this morning's festivities".
There's grins all around at hearing there's nobleborn prisoners. Then baron Harkonin says to the messenger "Have the rear elementals move forward with the rest of the army". "Yes m'lord, captain Malcené has got that in hand" says the messenger "Good" says the baron, who then dismisses the messenger, who heads back down the line of march.
After basically wiping out the Lé Dic army that entered the Harkonin fief. The baron and his army are pushing west, back to the border, and the town of Falshire. Which he intends to take back under his control.
Very few in the Harkonin army fell in the one sided battle this morning. The most action within their lines happened in the rear elements, where the war machines were placed. Who came under attack by the enemy who were in waiting within the trees to the north of the trade road. They caused a bit of chaos amongst the catapult and trebuchet crews. And those few soldiers with them.
In the ensuing havoc, the two cockatrice were attacked. And were eventually killed. Much to the disappointment of the baron Harkonin. Who only used them once in battle, quite effectively too. Before they were killed.
The odd thing about the attack upon the rear of the army, was that a monster was spotted amongst the attackers. The same, large green creature that some of the survivors of the battle of Falshire, swear they saw during the fighting for the border town a few days ago.
Baron Harkonin wonders who, or what the monster is. And why it's in the Lé Dic army. Who like his own, is exclusively human. Or so the baron thought.
As the head of the Harkonin family chats with his army commander, sir Taevar. In which they're discussing if lord Sarvaine is still alive, and being held in Falshire.
Sir Dontast rides forward to where they're at the front end of the vanguard. With the knight in the order of Althilgah, is a small squad of mounted soldiers. Leading horses, upon which are the prisoners.
"Look who we've got" says sir Dontast with a grin upon his youthful face, the popular young knight gestures behind him at the prisoners. And baron Harkonin and the other nobles sees who it is that's been caught.
"By the gods" murmurs an astonished baron Harkonin, who remembers to quickly add "And by the old ways" before he says "Look at that" followed by "If it isn't lord Kievar Milburn himself". The baron grins as he looks at the dejected, and roughed up figure of the grandfather of lady Linara Lé Dic.
"Lord Milburn!" calls out baron Harkonin, who then adds in a joking manner "Seems you've got yourself in a bit of situation don't you think?".
The nobles around the baron all laugh as they look at their enemy, the lord of Milburn manor. Who doesn't acknowledge them. Instead he just stares at the neck of the horse he's on. As he rides with wrists tied together infront of him.
"Seems our guest doesn't want to talk" says the baron of the Harkonin fief, who then adds in a droll tone "How rude of him" which causes the other nobles to all chuckle.
"Who are the others Dontast?" asks baron Harkonin "That's Milburn's grandson Jared on the horse behind him" replies the knight in the order of Althilgah, who then gestures at the third nobleborn prisoner, whose head is wrapped with a bloody bandage, and adds "And that's their army commander Galmot".
"Thought i recognised him, even with that bandage" says the Harkonin army commander sir Taevar "We've also got the Range Lord sir Parvin Dé Gorveré" says sir Dontast who continues with "It took quite a bit to subdue him, he's pretty badly wounded and the surgeons don't know if he'll live or not" the young ordered knight then adds "He's further back in one of the sick wagons".
Baron Harkonin nods, then says "I'll have someone look at him". That someone being his advisor, the dark druid Palvarc.
"I can well imagine it took a lot to subdue that big ox De Gorveré" says the army commander sir Taevar, who continues with "Only Percavelle Lé Dic is more of a menace in battle from their side of the border in the last thirty years" he then asks the knight in the order of Althilgah "How many did we lose capturing him?".
"At least a dozen" replies sir Dontast, who then adds "And probably twice again that many were wounded, trying to bring him down off his warhorse".
"Still we've got three of their most important nobles, as well as Milburn's grandson, a cousin of their lady" says baron Harkonin, who then asks the popular knight sir Dontast "Any others?".
The ordered knight answers in the negative. And instead tells his baron those of the enemy nobleborn who died on the field of battle just before midday earlier today. There was quite a few of them, including sir Barid. Who was one of the first of the enemy to be killed.
"No Percavelle Lé Dic?" asks the baron of the Harkonin fief as the trade road they're on, cuts through a meadow, before it goes back amongst the trees.
"No m'lord" says sir Dontast "Think those survivors who fled Falshire might of been mistaken, and not know what he looks like, or the armour he wears" quietly says baron Harkonin. The others nod in agreement. For if sir Percavelle Lé Dic had really returned, as some of the survivors from the battle of the border town of Falshire said. He would of definitely been in the Lé Dic army. He's impossible to not recognise. As he's such a recognisable figure.
After the knight in the order of Althilgah explains a few other things with the head of the Harkonin family, he quietly says to his baron "A quiet word with you m'lord".
Baron Harkonin nods, then waves away the others, who either drop back, or ride ahead of the baron and the popular young knight.
"M'lord about those in the rear elementals who fled the out of control cockatrice" quietly says sir Dontast "I understand they're making their way back to the army" quietly says baron Harkonin "They are m'lord" says the ordered knight, who then adds "Slowly one by one, most have returned". He monetarily pauses before continuing with "Senior captain Malcené reports that one of the few who hasn't returned is the war engineer Tovis".
Baron Harkonin pauses when he hears that, then sir Dontast tells him "His young apprentice doesn't know where he is. The last anyone saw of him, is Tovis running into the trees north of the trade road with somebody else. Who? No one is exactly sure".
"Damn" murmurs the baron, who knows the importance of someone as highly skilled, and talented such as the young engineer Tovis. Even if he is a commoner. Who has a lot of standing within the fief. Something extremely rare for someone of common birth. Especially in a more rual, or out of the way fief, like the Harkonin fief.
"I'll have a talk with someone about trying to locate young Tovis" quietly says baron Harkonin, knowing who his baron is referring to, sir Dontast says "Yes m'lord" then he follows that up with "In the meantime, we've got squads out, trying to locate Tovis". The knight in the order of Althilgah hopes that they find the baron's war engineer. Who he genuinely likes, and considers a friend. Even though Tovis is common born.
Though he wonders how much the baron's advisor, the dark druid Palvarc will want to find the young engineer Tovis. Because it's no secret in the court of baron Harkonin that Palvarc doesn't like the war engineer.
Infact it was the dark druid's idea that Tovis go with the force that was used as bait in the border town of Falshire.
A force of the baron's army who had a high chance of being wiped out. Which is infact what happened. With only a small number of them escaping the battle for Falshire.
The only reason baron Harkonin relented, and allowed his war engineer to go along with the force led by lord Sarvaine. Was because Palvarc said his own apprentice Maren would go too. His apprentice, who by all accounts, was killed in the battle for the border town.
The army continues west throughout the late afternoon. And as it approaches dusk, and they prepare to stop for the night. The army commander sir Taevar says to the baron "Up ahead m'lord" he continues with "Some of the scouts" sir Taevar pauses then adds "He's with them".
Briefly standing up in the saddle, baron Harkonin looks ahead and spots the squad of scouts to the side of the road, and who it is that's with them.
"We'll camp in and around that clearing there" says baron Harkonin, who then adds "See to it Taevar". "Yes baron" is the response of the army commander, who starts issuing orders, while the baron of the fief rides ahead with his personal guards.
Baron Harkonin dismounts and hands the reins of his warhorse to one of the scouts. He nods his head to his advisor to follow him, and the two of them walk a little way away, to stand beneath some trees off to the south of the trade road.
"Well?" asks baron Harkonin "I believe the rest of the road between here and the border is clear" replies the dark druid Palvarc, who continues with "They didn't leave any squads behind them" the spellcaster then adds "The army they brought with them across the border, is what we faced earlier toady" the dark druid briefly pauses, then adds "Who we destroyed with ease".
"That we did" quietly says baron Harkonin, who then silently adds, well you destroyed most of them with ease.
"I doubt they've got even half that many still across the border" says the baron of the fief "Nor do i m'lord" says Palvarc, who continues with "I doubt the young lady will have any force of significance for us to face once we've crossed the border and pushed into their lands".
"And with those about to leave home and join us to cross the border" murmurs baron Harkonin, who still has some of his army in reserve back at his family's castle, who leave soon with the newly built war machines "We can finally push on, and take castle Lé Dic once and for all" continues the baron who follows that with "As we've planned for so long".
A brief smile flashes across the dour looking face of the dark druid as he nods in agreement with the baron. As he can see all their plans are finally coming to fruition. All of Palvarc's rites, and sacrifices he's committed, have been worth it, and are now paying of.
As he can see that the Lé Dic fief will fall, and that the opportunity for the old ways, in particular the dark old ways, will spread throughout the east of the kingdom of Druvic. As he has hoped for some time.
"By the way we've got prisoners" says baron Harkonin, who continues with "Important noble one's too" the baron tells his advisor who they've captured. And the dark druid nods his head, then says "I suspected we would" he continues with "They will be more than useful once we've pushed into their fief, and lay siege to castle Lé Dic".
Baron Harkonin briefly grins as he nods in agreement, then he says to his advisor "Heal sir Parvin Dé Gorveré" the nobleman continues with "I want them all healthy and hale when we get to that dirty big castle of theirs". "Yes baron" says the dark druid who can see benefit of doing this.
Then as the baron takes a couple of steps forward to head back to the road, and his advisor goes to follow him, he suddenly stops and looks back at the dark druid, and says to him "Oh one other thing".
"M'lord?" says Palvarc "There was a bit of turmoil amongst the rear elements" says baron Harkonin. His advisor frowns as he listens to the baron explain what happened. And how the crews of the war machines were attacked. And how the two cockatrice were also attacked, and eventually killed.
All things Palvarc did not perceive would happen when he undertook his rites before leaving castle Harkonin to join the army.
Strange, the dark druid thinks to himself, who then goes completely still as the baron tells him "For the most part, those who scattered have returned. But one that hasn't is Tovis" baron Harkonin continues with "I want the young war engineer found".
When his advisor doesn't say anything, the nobleman says in a demanding tone "Palvarc!". The spellcaster snaps out of his slight reverie, and says "Of course m'lord" followed by "I'll do my utmost to locate the engineer".
"You'll do more than that" says baron Harkonin, who then adds "You'll find Tovis, and bring him back to us safe and sound". "That i will" says the dark druid with a nod of his head. Who if he has his way, he'll do no such thing.
For he sees the war engineer as the only threat to his position in the baron's court. The only other commoner with such a high standing in not just the court, but the entire fief.
Palvarc who has never liked young Tovis, or his drunkard of a father who was the previous war engineer to the baron and his family. Was hoping that he would of got rid of Tovis in the border town of Falshire.
Unfortunately for the dark druid, the young engineer didn't die in the battle for Falshire. Where Palvarc sacrificed his own apprentice. Which though annoying. Isn't the end of the world. As he can easily train another one.
Though what was annoying, is that Tovis the war engineer survived the battle for the border town. And was able to return to the army.
Now he's gone missing. Which the dark druid intends he stays. Even though the baron wants his war engineer found. Palvarc will only do a cursory search for the young engineer. Even though he knows he might draw the wrath of the baron if he doesn't find Tovis.
Hmmmm maybe i will find that annoying engineer, Palvarc thinks to himself as he follows the baron back to the road. The spellcaster briefly smiles as he silently adds, though only after the enemy have got a hold of him.
How unfortunate that will be for Tovis, the dark druid thinks to himself in glee . . . . . .