The Homecoming 76.

Road To De Laér...

They've crossed over into the Lé Dic fief, and continued to the north and west.
Late in the morning the day after they've crossed the border. They hit the road that leads to castle Duc de Laér.
Helbe the elven thief who crossed the border further south than the rest of them. Has caught up to the rest of the group, and informed them that the Lé Dic forces who remained in the border town of Falshire.
Pulled out sometime yesterday, heading back to castle Lé Dic. Somehow they must of got word of the defeat of their army. And that the army of baron Harkonin is marching along the trade road straight to the border and Falshire.
"Will it do much difference if you tell them about the army crossing their border?" asks Helbe the elven thief who is walking alongside Riley Hait the mercenary ranger.
"After all they might not come up this way?" adds the young elven noble, who looks back along the road, to where sir Percavelle Lé Dic is walking beside Shur Kee the monk at the rear of the group.
"Besides, Percy doesn't particularly want to go there" says the elven magic user from the island principality of Laerel.
"They need to know" says Riley Hait the mercenary ranger, who like the elven masterthief, is speaking in elvish.
"There's a good chance they'll send harrying forces out to deal with the castles and estates of the nobles between the border and castle Lé Dic" continues the human mercenary from the elven principality of Envadarlen.
Prince Helbenthril Raendril shrugs his shoulders, then says "Maybe" followed by "My bet is that they'll head to the Lé Dic castle as quickly as they can" he continues with "What with all those war machines they've got. It'll be a pain in the ass to go up and down these side roads with those siege engines and such, just to deal to a manor or estate, with twenty five, thirty soldiers defending them at the most".
The ranger Hait nods as he can see the logic to that, but he says "Still, the De Laér castle needs to be warned" the mercenary ranger who 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, then adds "Even though Percy's ex hates his guts".
The mercenary ranger glances at the elven princeling walking beside him, and says "You're the one in charge, if you don't think we should go, then we shouldn't go".
"I never said we shouldn't go" says Helbe the elven thief, who continues with "I just said, would it make any difference if we went there?".
"Probably not" murmurs Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman, who then says "Still, they need to know" the ranger Hait then adds "Even if Marsaé Duc de Laér despises her ex husband" he continues after a brief pause with "Besides they can send word to others in the north of the fief about what's happened to their army".
The young elven noble nods his hooded head in agreement to that. And the two of them walk in silence for a while as they and the rest of the group head along the road that goes to castle Duc de Laér.
Then the elven magic user, who by default is the leader of the group. Gestures ahead to where the war engineer Tovis is walking with Lisell Maera, just behind Tamric Drubine. While out infront of the nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin, walks Dorc da Orc.
In the front of the group is the elven spy, Dalinvardél Tanith. Who at the moment is out of view, as he's at least a good hundred yards infront of the rest of them.
"Seems our engineer is still in a bit of a crisis" quietly says the grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel "Probably still can't believe the way in which he was treated by the baron" says the mercenary ranger who was raised and trained by some of the elven warders of Envadarlen.
Riley aka Zubutai Timaginson looks at the elven master assassin, who tells him "That's exactly it" Helbenthril Raendril continues with "More precisely how easily the baron did what that dark druid wanted" the nobleborn elf then adds "Which was to get rid of our engineer".
"Sucks for him" quietly says the ranger Hait, who then adds "But that's the way life goes sometimes" he continues on with "Though i get the feeling, he isn't exactly enamoured of the idea of going to castle Lé Dic".
"He isn't" says the elven magic user who occasionally reads the mind of Tovis the war engineer, to see what he's thinking. "But he is enamoured with something" adds the youngest grandchild of Prince Raendril of Laerel.
"Oh?" says the mercenary ranger from the elven principality of Envadarlen "Lis" replies the elven princeling.
"Well that won't go well for him" dryly says Riley aka Zubutai the son of Timagin.
With good reason, Helbe the elven thief thinks to himself. He's only one of two in the group who knows about what happened to Lisell Maera when they were north of the equator a couple of years ago. The other being lord Farque.
The elven magic user knows that both Tamric Drubine and Shur Kee the monk suspect something. But they don't know exactly what happened to Lis when she was briefly kidnapped during their time north of the equator. Even though it was the nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin who found her, after she killed her captors and escaped.
The ranger Hait who just thinks Lisell Maera dislikes any romantic advances from the opposite sex to her, for what reason, he has no idea. Says to the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel "Want to tell him he's wasting his time?".
Helbenthril Raendril looks ahead to where the young engineer from the Harkonin fief is walking beside the attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury, then he says "No, he can find out for himself" the elven masterthief then adds "Besides he won't do anything inappropriate towards her".
The mercenary ranger nods his head, then changing the subject, he says "It's not too far away now" Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman continues with "Probably just over a couple of miles away now" as the road they're on goes through more fields and farmland at the moment, compared to more woodland, which is what they've been traveling through for the most part since crossing the border between the two fiefs.
"So it is" says the elven master archer who has just been informed by Narladene the ground pixie who has just landed upon his shoulder, that castle Duc de Laér isn't all that faraway.
The elven spellcaster tells the mercenary ranger from Envadarlen "I'll just go ahead and check things out". The ranger Hait nods, then the young elven noble disappears as he shifts ahead along the road.
Tovis the war engineer slightly trips as he sees up ahead, the elf named Helbe suddenly appear walking next to the elf named Dalin about a hundred yards infront of the rest of them.
The young engineer from the Harkonin fief looks back to where the elven magic user was just a moment ago walking next to the ranger named Riley.
Of course he isn't there, why would he be, Tovis the war engineer thinks to himself, he then silently adds, he's up ahead on the road now!
Tovis looks ahead again, and blinks in surprise, as the elven magic user is now gone, and once again, it's just Dalin out infront of the rest of them.
"Do you ever get used to that?" asks the war engineer "To what?" asks Lisell Maera who is walking beside the young engineer who is from the Harkonin fief.
"To that" says Tovis, who pauses then adds "Aaahhh" as he figures out how to explain what he means. The war engineer then finally says "To such casual use of magic?".
"Sure" says the attractive teenager from the coast of the Southlands, who barely even noticed Helbe the elven thief appear up ahead next to the spy Tanith, then disappear a few moments later.
"I don't think i ever will" quietly says the young engineer, who has never really encountered casual spellcasting before. The only magic he's ever been witnessed to is the magical rites of the dark druid Palvarc. And before that, the rites of the old druid who was the previous advisor to baron Harkonin.
One hardly ever saw the casual use of spellcraft from the dark druid Palvarc, and the old druid he disposed of, to take the position of advisor to the baron of fief Harkonin.
Lis glances sideways at the engineer walking beside her. He might be just four or five years older than herself. But she's far more worldly than he is. She doubts he's hardly ever left his home fief before. And if so, it's probably only ever been to the neighbouring fief of the Lé Dic family, which they're making their way through at the moment.
The attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury wonders what Tovis would think if he knew that Helbe the elven thief isn't just an elven magic user, but is also of noble birth. And not just any noble too. But an elven prince.
Probably blow his mind, Lis dryly thinks to herself, then the orphan teenager, whose mother was a cheap prostitute on the streets of Brattonbury, and her father, who she never met, was a sailor, a sea faring sailor at that too.
Says to the war engineer they've basically abducted "You will eventually" Lis then adds "You'll have to get used to it if you're to continue traveling with us".
What happens if i don't want to continue traveling with you lot? Tovis thinks to himself, the young engineer will frankly admit to anyone that'll asks. Is that he's traveling with the group at the moment, because he doesn't know what else to do.
They did save him from the out of control cockatrice, he'll give them that.
Apart from not knowing what else to do. He sees no reason why he's still with them. Well apart from the young woman walking beside him.
He doesn't know if he's ever been so attracted to someone before. Definitely not with any of the other women at castle Harkonin. A couple of whom he's dallied with in the past.
One whose father thought Tovis would make a good match in marriage for his daughter.
And who asked the baron himself if he could intercede on his behalf, to set up a marriage with the war engineer.
Tovis had to beg baron Harkonin not to accept the proposal of marriage on behalf of the young woman, through her father.
After all they were a noble family, a very minor one, with just a small estate to their name, and she was a lady in waiting to baron Harkonin's sister.
And had every right to propose to the baron's war engineer, who after all is just a commoner.
Which was the reason, or excuse that was used to save the young engineer from an unwanted marriage.
As after much laughter from the baron and some of the other nobles at court, when Tovis told them of his predicament.
The baron took pity on his war engineer, and declined the proposal of marriage of the young lady in waiting. Baron Harkonin then informed Tovis if he was going to keep bedding any of the young women of castle Harkonin and the town of Maliss.
To make sure they weren't daughters of the minor nobles of the fief. Much to the laughter of some of the knights and lords in the baron's court. And much to the embarrassment of the young engineer.
Tovis who still can't believe that the nobleman who saved him from an unwanted marriage. Is the same man who sent him off to his death at the behest of his advisor, the dark druid Palvarc.
Looks at Lis beside him, who says "The castle is just ahead". "Duc de Laér?" asks the war engineer "The very one" replies the attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury, who continues with "Just through these woods up here".
Tovis nods his head as he sees further along the road, that it passes through some more woodland. He suspects it isn't too large, considering all the farmland and hills with vineyards, the road has gone through, and around of late.
It turns out to be true, as they enter the woods that go for just a few hundred yards. And once the trees start to thin out again. They're able to see the castle of the Duc de Laér family.
On the road before the castle is a trio of local soldiers. Who recognising the group, with the exception of Tovis. They relax, as they were a bit tense when the saw a group on foot through the trees.
The ranger Hait makes his way forward to speak to the soldiers from the castle, to send a message to the lady Marsaé Duc de Laér. The mercenary ranger informs the soldiers that they have important information for her. Riley aka Zubutai Timaginson doesn't tell them that their fief's army, well those who crossed the border into the Harkonin fief, who included some thirty or so soldiers from castle Duc de Laér, has been wiped out.
As the group heads towards the castle, the ranger Hait quietly informs Tovis "Best you keep to yourself that you're from fief Harkonin" the mercenary ranger from the elven principality then quietly adds "And that you were the baron's war engineer".
Tovis nods his head that he will, and Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman hurries forward to walk with Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy at the front of the group. While the young engineer continues to walk beside Lisell Maera.
Tovis glances back behind them, and sees the famous knight sir Percavelle Lé Dic shove his helm on, and clang shut the faceplate of it, as if he's going into battle.
The heavily armoured knight who is at the rear of the group next to the short monk, by the name of Shur Kee. Is walking slower and slower the closer they get to castle Duc de Laér.
"Is something wrong with sir Percavelle?" Tovis quietly asks Lis "Yes" is the automatic reply of the attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury, who then adds "There's a lot wrong with him".
"Er, i mean now" says the young engineer who nods behind the two of them. Lisell Maera looks back, and rolls her eyes when she sees the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che dropping further and further behind, and is wearing his full helm. She's surprised he has taken his shield off his back, and strapped it to one of his arms.
As she knows he's basically preparing for battle. Not a physical one. This is much more dangerous than a mere physical battle involving weapons. This is battle of past history between a former wife and husband. A battle which Lis saw just a handful of days ago. In which the former earl of Lé Dic came away defeated.
"Oh" says Lisell Maera, who looks at the young engineer who is his early twenties, then she nods her head to the castle they're approaching, and she tells him "That's the abode of Percy's ex wife, the lady Marsaé Duc de Laér" the attractive teenager then adds in a slightly dry tone "They don't exactly get along".
"Ah i see" says Tovis, who even in the Harkonin fief when he was younger, heard about the acrimonious split in the marriage between the former earl of Lé Dic, and his wife.
Infact all of eastern Druvic heard about it when it happened. As did much of the rest of the kingdom. It was the main gossip of the king's court in the capital Leeabra, the season it happened.
"Bet she'll be even more annoyed when she finds out all of her soldiers she sent with the army have been killed" quietly says Lisell Maera, who as they approach the gates of castle Duc de Laér, adds "And I'm fairly certain i know who she'll blame for it" as she looks back at the trailing sir Percavelle Lé Dic . . . . . .