The Homecoming 78.

Westwards Home...

"For truth, they could've provided us with mounts for the journey home" mutters sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who continues muttering with "It's not as though there's all that many of the blighters"
"What was that Percavelle?" asks Shur Kee the monk who looks back at the heavily armoured knight who is following him.
"Oh nothing my vertically challenged friend" replies the former earl of Lé Dic who then adds "Continue on with your holy ways, or whatever it is that you do as we tramp about my family's lands".
The short statured monk in the philosophical order of Bru Li, lifts a questioning eyebrow, but he doesn't say anything. Instead he looks ahead again, as they continue on their way westwards to castle Lé Dic.
Behind the physical adept who hails from the far east of the continent. Sir Percavelle Lé Dic looks over the short monk to those further ahead. Especially those few on horseback, who have joined them from castle Duc de Laér. One of whom is his ex wife, lady Marsaé Duc de Laér.
Further ahead in the line of march, Helbe the elven thief, who has refused the offer of a mount from the lady of castle Duc de Laér. Has just quietly informed Riley Hait the mercenary ranger that he'll go on ahead, and get to castle Lé Dic before the rest of them.
Looking back to the rear of the group, to where the former paladin, sir Percavelle Lé Dic is trailing behind the rest of the group, as faraway from his ex wife as possible.
Helbe the elven thief quietly tells the ranger Hait "I should take Percy with me" the young elven noble from the principality of Laerel continues with "Get him away from his wife".
Shrugging his shoulders to indicate he's got no real opinion on it, then quickly thinking about, and realising something. Riley Hait the mercenary ranger quietly says to the elven masterthief "That might just give her more fodder for their next argument" the human ranger from the elven principality of Envadarlen, then adds in a slightly dry tone of voice "Because they will have another argument".
The elven magic user nods his hooded head in agreement, when the ranger Hait, who like himself, is speaking elvish, tells him "She'll look at it, that he's running away again, and shirking his responsibility or some such thing".
"Maybe" murmurs prince Helbenthril Raendril, who then adds "Besides, i think it best that Percy's niece finds out from somebody like him, that her army who crossed the border have been wiped out" the elven master assassin follows that with "That's if we get there before those who fled Falshire get back to the castle".
"Good idea" quietly says the mercenary ranger who is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra by the name of Zubutai Timaginson, who by circumstances beyond his control, just so happens to inhabit the body of Riley Hait from the principality of Envadarlen.
The extremely talented elven spellcaster, nods his hooded head, then tells the ranger Hait "Keep an eye on our engineer while I'm gone".
"I will" says Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman, then Helbe the elven thief looks back, and calls out in the common language "Percy" and waves the heavily armoured knight forward.
"See you when you get there" says the young elven noble to the mercenary ranger from the principality of Envadarlen, as he steps out of the line of march.
"Will do" says Riley Hait, who continues on his way, following after Dorc da Orc, and infront of him, Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy, who is leading the way behind those from castle Duc de Laér.
As Tamric Drubine walks by, Helbe the elven thief quickly tells him in elvish, that he'll be going on ahead of the rest of the group, and those from castle Duc de Laér who have joined them on their journey back to castle Lé Dic.
The nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin nods his head in understanding. Then continues on his way, hurrying to catch up with Riley Hait, to walk beside the mercenary ranger from the principality of Envadarlen.
As Lisell Maera and Tovis the war engineer approach and walk by, the young elven noble who is the youngest grandchild of the ruling prince of Laerel, says "Lis keep the young engineer here out of trouble while I'm gone".
Lisell Maera nods her head that she will, then she asks "And where will you be going?". "Ahead to castle Lé Dic" is the reply of the elven masterthief, who nods his hooded head back behind them along the road, then adds "I'll be taking Percy with me".
After glancing back at the approaching heavily armoured knight, then looking ahead to the front of the line of march, where the lady Marsaé Duc de Laér rides. The attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury says "Good idea".
Lisell Maera and Tovis the war engineer continue onwards. And eventually sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who is now walking beside Shur Kee the monk. Gets to where the young elven noble is waiting on the side of the road.
"Shur Kee" says the elven magic user, who then adds "Me and Percy are going ahead to castle Lé Dic". "We are?" asks a surprised sir Percavelle Lé Dic "We are" replies the elven master archer, who then tells the short statured monk "We'll met you and the others when you get there".
"I understand" says Shur Kee the monk, who then continues on his way, after saying farewell to the young elven noble from the principality of Laerel, and the former earl of Lé Dic.
"Hmmm i don't know about this" is what the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che gets out, when all of a sudden Helbe the elven thief takes a hold of his armoured left arm, and the two of them disappear.
The nobleborn knight blinks, then looks all around when they reappear. And he finds that they're in a field, and that a few hundred feet north of them. He can spot the others on the treelined road, continuing on their way westwards.
"Hands off me you pointy eared demon" demands sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who continues with "I shall not be subject to your evil sorceress ways".
"Do you want to spend the next day or so traveling in the company of your ex wife, or getting to your family's castle as quickly as you can?" asks prince Helbenthril Raendril "Er?" says the heavily armoured knight, who thinks about that for the briefest of moments, then he says "That is a sound plan you've got my fine, pointy eared fellow, continue on with haste and magic us away".
Rolling his eyes, the elven magic user then teleports the two of them away, and the two of them disappear from sight.
It's not until midday when they briefly stop for something to eat, that lady Marsaé Duc de Laér notices that her ex husband sir Percavelle Lé Dic is gone.
She rages for a little while, calling her ex husband all manner of names, none of them pleasant. She only calms down when she eventually realises that prince Helbenthril Raendril is gone too,
And as they quickly have a midday meal. More than a few of them, including the entire group with the exception of Dorc da Orc, who is paying no attention because he's too busy eating.
Notices that though the noblewoman was angry at the disappearance of her ex husband. She's silently seething about the elven prince being gone.
After the lady of castle Duc de Laér demands of Riley Hait the mercenary ranger to tell her where her ex husband, along with the elven princeling have got to.
And he calmly tells her that they've gone ahead to castle Lé Dic before the rest of them get there.
And the noblewoman orders that they immediately get underway again. Those from castle Duc de Laér, along with the group, continue on their way westwards to castle Lé Dic.
As he walks beside the ranger Hait, Tamric Drubine quietly says in elven "She might not of been as angry about Helbe being gone as Percy leaving" the nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin then adds"But she's just as annoyed that he's gone".
"Because she wants to be the one to bring him to castle Lé Dic" says Riley Hait in the same language, the mercenary ranger who was raised and trained by some of the elven warders of Envadarlen continues with "Be the one to introduce the royal thief to young lady Linara".
The ranger Hait then adds "He is a prince after all" Riley aka Zubutai Timaginson follows that with "Though she doesn't know Helbe has already met and introduced himself to Percy's niece".
Tam nods, then as he's about to say something else on the matter, he screws up his face in disgust, then says "Dorc!". Next to him the ranger Hait has put a forearm over his mouth and nose. While infront of the two of them, the large ork is chuckling.
"That was a fucken good one" says Dorc da Orc, who then adds "Been brewing that cunt up for sometime".
Then the ork warleader grabs his left ass cheek with his left hand through his grubby shorts, pulls it to one side, and farts again, chuckling as he does so.
When they saw what the large ork was going to do again, both Tamric Drubine and Riley Hait hurried off to the side of the road.
They scurry forward and around Dorkindle, glaring sideways at the large ork as they pass him to catch up to where Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy is walking out infront.
The ork weaponsmith sniggers as watches the two of them hurry by. Then Dorc da Orc laughs as he hears an outraged "Dorc!" from Lisell Maera from further behind on the road, as she along with Tovis the war engineer have just walked into a cloud of his stench.
The warleader of the ork race murmurs in his native language "Think a little bit of shit came out with that last one" before he chuckles again as he looks to his right, and sees a furious looking Lisell Maera, and a rather faint looking Tovis the war engineer hurry by.
Way back is Shur Kee the monk, who is already towards one side of the road. For he's traveled with the large ork far longer than any of the others in the group who are currently here. Only Helbe the elven thief, who has gone on far ahead, has traveled with the ork weaponsmith for longer.
Over the years the acolyte in the order of Bru Li has learnt not to walk directly behind the large ork, or too closely to him. For the simple reason he might fart in your direction. Or even piss and shit towards you, without a care in the world.
The physical adept just shakes his head as looks further infront of him to where the ork warleader is chuckling to himself.
As they, along with the those who have joined them from castle Duc de Laér continue westwards throughout the rest of the afternoon as they head to castle Lé Dic which they'll reach sometime tomorrow morning.
Meanwhile Helbe the elven thief and sir Percavelle Lé Dic are almost there. With the elven magic user teleporting them for the most part. As shifting, though much quicker, doesn't nearly go as far when you cast it.
The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel and the former earl of Lé Dic stand upon a small hill, looking towards the trade road to the south of them. In the late afternoon sunlight, looking west, they can see castle Lé Dic in the distance.
"That road is pretty damn straight in places" says the elven princeling, the former paladin just grunts in agreement, and the elven masterthief tells him "That Harkonin army won't have too much difficulty traveling between the border and your family's castle".
"Alas that's the curse of such a finely designed and well maintained road" says the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che, who follows that with "Good for trade, and good for armies traveling along it".
After a few moments silence, the elven magic user says "We might have to do something about that" Helbe the elven thief briefly pauses as he gestures away to the west at castle Lé Dic, then adds "That's if you want us to stay and help protect your niece and her castle" the grandson of Prince Raendril of Laerel then says "Considering we've now found who we've come here for, and we should probably leave".
With his helm off his head, sir Percavelle Lé Dic looks to the west at his family's castle after he studies the trade road just to the south of them. The former earl of the very fief they're in, here in eastern Druvic, slowly nods his head in reply to Helbe the elven thief saying "It's up to you if you want us to help defend your family's castle".
"Yes" says the nobleborn knight who sees no question that he'll stay and help defend castle Lé Dic against insurmountable odds. He looks at the young elven noble standing next to him on the top of the hill, and tells him "We shall stay and defend my family's castle".
Prince Helbenthril Raendril nods his hooded head, then he says "Well, let's get there then" and he takes hold of the left arm of the heavily armoured knight, and the two of them disappear as he teleports them towards castle Lé Dic, towards sir Percavelle's home . . . . . .