The Homecoming 93.

Battlefield...

In the light of early dawn, they watch the Harkonin army come up the trade road to the east, and move into position into the fields to the east and south of castle Lé Dic.
There's more than a little bit of irony that part of the army from the neighbouring fief has set up in the tourney field to the south of the massive castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family.
Baron Harkonin's army move into position and start setting up their camp out of range of even the largest of trebuchets in castle Lé Dic.
Which means that their own war machines are unable to hit the walls of the massive castle at the moment. But that will quickly change once the baron gives the order to advance towards the castle that's been the home of his family's enemies for centuries.
Up in the corner tower, where the south wall meets the east wall of castle Lé Dic. Helbe the elven thief and Riley Hait the mercenary ranger watch baron Harkonin's army move into position, and make camp in the first light of the day.
"They must of traveled throughout the night" quietly says Riley Hait the mercenary ranger, Helbe the elven thief nods his hooded head, then says "There, bit further to the south, at the back there" in response to the mercenary ranger from the elven principality of Envadarlen asking him "Where's the baron and that druid of his?".
The two of them are silent for a little while as they watch the army from the Harkonin fief come in and set up camp.
Then the ranger Hait breaks the silence by quietly saying "You got anything on that staff of that druid?" he follows that with "Is she checking it out at all?".
"She is" says the young elven noble from the principality of Laerel, who continues with "Though she's keeping her distance from it, and the dark druid".
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.
Slightly shakes his head as he wonders how they're going to deal with baron Harkonin's advisor, the dark druid Palvarc.
For if prince Helbenthril Raendril is having problems trying to figure out a way to eliminate the dark druid. Then what hope the rest of them?
A soldier pops his head in through the door to their right, and says "The west gate is now closed" followed by "Anyone still in Massic will have to fend for themselves now".
Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman nods, then says in common "Very well" the mercenary ranger who was raised and trained in the elven principality of Envadarlen continues with "Have lord Drubine delegate which soldiers to man that gate". As there should be very little fighting along that wall when the battle begins.
"He already has sir" says the soldier, who continues with "He's the one who sent me here to tell you".
The ranger Hait nods, then says "Return to your post" the soldier salutes with a fist over his heart, then departs. Then switching back to the elven language, which they've been conversing in, Riley Hait says to the elven masterthief "Seems Tam is taking to this more and more".
"That he is" quietly says the elven magic user in the same language, who slightly frowns as he looks at the army moving into position.
The mercenary ranger who is looking out the window infront of them, and down at the gate away to their right, which is the south gate of the massive castle.
Still marveling at one of the hidden secrets of castle Lé Dic. That the drawbridges actually draw back. Disappearing beneath the castle walls. They're too large to draw up. Besides the drawbridges have covered housing over them.
But these bridges, which seem to be of gnomish design, though dwarven work. Pull back by a mechanism within the walls of the castle.
Leaving just the housing on the top, still going across the water filled moat. Though now, there's more than just water in the moat after what Dorc da Orc, along with the war engineer Tovis have devised.
"Hope they're dumb enough to climb up onto the drawbridge housing to try and cross the moat" muses the human mercenary ranger from the elven principality of Envadarlen, who when he doesn't hear anything in reply from the young elven noble, he looks back at the elven princeling from Laerel.
"What is it?" asks Riley aka Zubutai Timaginson when he notices the elven master assassin still frowning as he watches the Harkonin army as the sun rises in the east, on what's a crisp and cool, as well as clear spring morning.
The highly talented elven magic user nods his hooded head in the direction of where the baron is at the very rear of where the Harkonin army is setting up camp.
"At the back, near where the baron and his nobles are" says the youngest grandchild of Prince Raendril of Laerel, who continues with "See that wagon?".
"Yeah" replies the ranger Hait, who can make out the wagon in question, which is at the far end of the field where the end of winter tourney was held.
"The prisoners" says the elven master archer, who can probably hit anyone in the Harkonin army with his longbow, with the exception of those at the very rear.
"She's not on the walls is she?" asks Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman "No she's in the main keep at the moment" answers the elven princeling, who then adds "This is her castle, and these are her lands, so expect her to be on the walls soon enough to look at her family's enemies".
The ranger Hait slightly winces, then murmurs "I don't know if telling her was the wisest thing to do" the mercenary ranger who was brought up and trained by the elven warders of Envadarlen, then dryly adds "It definitely wasn't with Percy".
Prince Helbenthril Raendril slightly winces, as he had to restrain sir Percavelle Lé Dic last night when they told him, along with his niece, the lady Linara Lé Dic, what actually happened to earl Maxiss Lé Dic, who was Linara's father, and Percy's younger brother.
And in restrain, the elven magic user had to knock out the former earl of Lé Dic with a spell when he went crazy when he was told of his younger brother's murder.
It didn't help that Dorc da Orc was encouraging the former paladin, telling the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che to ride out, and take the Harkonin army on all by himself. To get to the prisoners, lord Milburn, Jared Milburn and sir Galmot. Who all had a hand in his brother's murder.
"They both had to know" quietly says Helbe the elven thief, who was the one who ultimately decided that sir Percavelle Lé Dic and lady Linara Lé Dic had to know the truth about earl Maxiss Lé Dic.
And how he wasn't killed by the Harkonin army in the border conflict in the summer nearly two years ago. But killed by his own squire, and relative by marriage, Jared Milburn when they attacked a detachment of Harkonin soldiers near the border town of Falshire during that particular conflict.
"Just as long as Percy doesn't do anything stupid in what's coming up" says Riley Hait "It's Percy, of course he'll do something stupid" says prince Helbenthril Raendril, who then adds "We just have to make sure that it isn't too stupid".
The mercenary ranger who is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra, nods his head in agreement with the young elven noble. Who is still looking to the rear of the Harkonin army.
Wondering where Narladene the ground pixie is, and what she's up to. As she told him a little earlier when the two of them first spotted baron Harkonin's army before dawn.
That she was going to take a closer look at the approaching army from the neighbouring fief to the east.
Passing by soldiers, all of whom are unaware of her presence, Narladene the ground pixie heads further back through the ranks of the Harkonin army. Who are now setting up camp to the east and to the south of castle Lé Dic.
The naturally magical creature wings her way to where a tie line has just been set up. There she talks to some of the horses that are being tied up.
Telling them to pull their reins and run. As usual with horses, who are a stubborn bunch in the opinion of Narladene.
It takes a fair bit of encouraging on her part to even get one of them to budge. The tiny winged creature who can speak the language of any natural animal. Though fish as well as insect speak, is even difficult for her
Finally gets a couple of horses to bolt away, and a handful of others to wander off as the grooms chase after the mounts that have run away.
After the ground pixie uses her tiny little sword to saw through the tie line. She continues on her way through the Harkonin army that's setting up camp.
The naturally magical creature who originally hails from the Sunreach Mountains, stabs one soldier in mouth as she wings by him.
Then sticks her tiny sword into the ear of another as she goes flying by him. The ground pixie who isn't particularly fond of humans to begin with. Takes particular delight in stabbing soldiers at random as she makes her way through their ranks.
Knowing that officers and the nobility are the most important in an army such as this. Narladene stabs one officer, who has come forward to see what the commotion is about from some of the soldiers. In his right eye, blinding him in it.
The tiny winged creature who is invisible to all apart from the animals in the Harkonin army. Is fiercely grinning as she makes her way to the rear of the army. Where tents are already unpacked, and are about to be set up.
The ground pixie stops as she sees who she's approaching. Narladene drops down to the ground, which of course is her natural element.
She sinks into the ground, as she looks to where the dark druid Palvarc is conferring with baron Harkonin, and a number of nobles in the baron's court.
The tiny winged creature is just over fifty yards away from them. And as she stands half in the ground, and half out of it. Narladene looks closely at the staff the dark druid is holding loosely in his left hand.
He's actually leaning on it like a walking stick, and as he does. The ground pixie studies it carefully, as she has done quite a few times since she and Helbe the elven thief rejoined the group.
Though she's never studied the dark druid's staff from this close, little over fifty yards away.
Narladene pays particular attention to the knobbled end of the staff. It's the top of it, which looks like a knot of wood that's been twisted around.
The naturally magical creature notices that the dark druid has got his hand over the top of the staff at the moment.
The tiny winged creature narrows her eyelids as she studies the knotty top of the staff. Narladene looks down at her right hand, and makes a fist with it.
Then she looks back at the dark druid's staff, as she realises that twisted knot of wood at the top of the staff. Is about the size of a large human's hand, when making a fist. As if it's holding something.
The ground pixie starts to get an idea, as she does. Narladene starts floating forward through the surface of the ground that's she's half in, and half out of at the moment.
The naturally magical creature comes to a sudden stop when a memory comes to her. It's her being held in the gauntleted fist of lord Farque. Which he has done to her a number of times in the last decade or so since she attached herself to Helbe the elven thief, and traveled in the company of the undead warlord.
Wait? Narladene the ground pixie thinks to herself as she suddenly gets a strange feeling as she looks at the staff of baron Harkonin's advisor, the dark druid Palvarc. In particular the twisted, knotty top of the dark wood staff.
Then the tiny winged creature who is floating forward, comes to a quick and a rather surprised stop. When suddenly the dark druid Palvarc, slightly spins and looks in her direction.
The spellcaster who is the advisor to baron Harkonin is frowning as he looks almost straight at her, with his head slightly tilted as if he's listening to something.
Narladene who notices that the dark druid is still holding the top of his staff. Eyes suddenly go wide as she realises something. The ground pixie who all of a sudden wants to throw up in horror and disgust.
Turns around, and makes her way up and out of the ground. And wings her way back through the Harkonin army that is setting up camp. And makes her way back to castle Lé Dic as quickly as possible.
The naturally magical creature with bottom lip quivering, and tears threatening to spill. Still feels like throwing up as she comes to realisation about the dark druid Palvarc's staff.
The tiny winged creature who can't even be bothered to stab a soldier here and there, or even take out of their eyes. Is just in a hurry to get back to castle Lé Dic, to where she can sense Helbe the elven thief.
"So I've explained it to Shur Kee, though i don't know if he truly understands the danger he'll be in if i shift him into close proximity of that dark druid" says Helbe the elven thief as he and Riley Hait the mercenary ranger go over their plans, the young elven noble continues with "Though for now, he's about the only thing i can think of that can eliminate the baron's advisor".
The ranger Hait nods in agreement, then says "He knows he is, so he's willing to go ahead with it if you decide to do it".
The elven masterthief nods his hooded head, then when he's just about to tell the mercenary ranger that it will be the very last resort to use Shur Kee the monk against the dark druid Palvarc.
He feels Narladene fly into the side of his neck, and cling onto him. Prince Helbenthril Raendril who is more than a little surprised at the way the ground pixie is behaving. Feels the tiny winged creature trembling in fright, and hears her crying. She's also talking in her own language. Which he doesn't understand.
"What is it?" asks the young elven noble in elvish, who reaches up to put a reassuring hand on the trembling pixie.
He glances at Riley Hait, and sees the surprised look on the face of the mercenary ranger. Who he realises can see the naturally magical creature, who unwittingly is allowing herself to be seen.
With a single thought, the elven magic user closes the nearby door so that no one else enters the room. Then he goes about trying to calm the tiny winged creature. And getting her to tell him what's got her so upset.
It takes a little while, but eventually Narladene calms down enough to finally speak in the elven language. And when she eventually gets out what she's discovered about the dark druid's staff. Both Helbe the elven thief and Riley Hait the mercenary ranger are absolutely stunned at what she tells them . . . . . .