The Homecoming 96.

The Camp...

"Something's happened?" says lord Kievar Milburn "Really?" sarcastically says sir Parvin Dé Gorveré, who then adds "I'd never of guessed".
Ignoring the Range Lord, the grandfather of lady Linara Lé Dic stands up in the back of the wagon, as does sir Galmot, the Lé Dic army commander.
The two of them look towards the massive castle through the camp, as their guards are doing. As well as many of the nearby soldiers who are preparing for an assault upon castle Lé Dic.
Jared Milburn remains seated, ignoring sir Parvin who has gone back to glaring at the nobleborn teenager.
Thumping a boot on the boards of the wagon bed, the Range Lord who after breakfasting, is once again chained up to the tail gate of the wagon.
Quietly says to Jared Milburn in a tone of voice dripping with scorn "Tell me boy, did you enjoy cutting the throat of our lord and earl?".
Sir Parvin who has irritated and annoyed the other three prisoners in the back of the wagon as much as he can, continues with "You know, you did, didn't you?".
And when lord Milburn's grandson turns his back on the Range Lord sitting against the tail gate that he's chained to.
Sir Parvin Dé Gorveré kicks out at him, grunting in dissatisfaction that he can't reach the youngster.
"Leave off, why don't you Parvin" says lord Milburn who looks back at the one prisoner who is chained and bound.
"Oh piss off Kievar" says the Range Lord, who continues with "Do us all a favour and fall off the side of the wagon and break your neck".
The lord of Milburn estate just shakes his head, and goes back to watching what's happening at the front of the camp.
"Think it's something to do with sir Alvaré and whatever terms the baron has asked for?" quietly asks sir Galmot the army commander "More than likely" replies lord Milburn.
They know, just like everyone else in camp. That baron Harkonin's chosen herald, sir Alvaré has gone forward to the castle to give those in the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family, the baron's terms. Which are really demands, considering he has a fairly sizeable army camped to the south and east of castle Lé Dic.
And that there's very few who are in the massive castle, defending it against the army that has come across the border from the fief to the east.
Seeing some of the Harkonin soldiers up the nearby siege towers and war machines, pointing at something. Sir Galmot says "There, a wagon".
Lord Milburn looks to where the Lé Dic army commander points. And he too spots the wagon.
It's coming through the camp, fairly quickly. Heading more or less in this direction. At the rear of the camp to the south of castle Lé Dic.
Here were baron Harkonin has his tent set up, as well as the other nobility from the fief directly to the east.
The dark druid Palvarc's small, black tent stands a little way off from the nobility's tents. Though it's still close to baron Harkonin's, which is the headquarters of the army that's laid siege to castle Lé Dic.
As the wagon approaches, then goes by, they hear screaming from the back of the wagon. They also see a spear haft sticking up out of the wagon too.
"Someone's got a spear in them" says sir Galmot who caught a glimpse of someone lying in the back of the wagon. With a couple of field surgeons attending to whoever it is.
Then the two nobleborn prisoners, sir Galmot and lord Milburn share a look. When they hear some of the nearby soldiers, say that it's sir Alvaré who has been struck by a spear, thrown from the battlements on top of castle Lé Dic.
While sir Parvin Dé Gorveré breaks out into laughter when he hears that, sir Galmot quietly says to the lord of Milburn estate "That must of been one hell of a throw, 'cause no way would a herald get within throwing distance of a castle's walls his lord wants to take over".
Lord Milburn nods in agreement, then sits down, as does the Lé Dic army commander now that the excitement has passed by.
Then lord Milburn and sir Galmot, as well as Jared Milburn look at the fourth prisoner in the back of the wagon. Who after chortling, says "I guess Percavelle didn't care for the baron's terms, and stuck that blowhard Alvaré" the Range Lord, still grinning, briefly pauses, before adding "Wonder where that leaves us then?".
Lord Milburn would hate to admit it openly, but sir Parvin is indeed correct. They still have no idea what's going to happen to them. Now even less so with the attack upon baron Harkonin's herald.
Who no doubt offered a swap of prisoners in the terms he presented to those defending castle Lé Dic. Who are holding the lord of the Long Reaches in the east of the Harkonin fief, sir Sarvaine, prisoner.
The four of them remain silent for the most part over the next little while. Sitting in the morning sunshine, on what's turned out to be a fine and clear spring day, when earlier at dawn, it looked like it was going to be a cloudy day here at castle Lé Dic.
The only sound any of them make in the back of the wagon they're in. Is when sir Parvin occasionally kicks out at Jared Milburn, who is closest to him.
The Range Lord doesn't connect, but it still doesn't stop him from trying. Sir Parvin Dé Gorveré got great satisfaction when he smashed Jared in the face when he first found out the nobleborn teenager killed earl Maxiss Lé Dic.
He knows he'll get a great sense of satisfaction again if he's able to hit the grandson of lord Milburn once more.
It's some time later, when sir Parvin is the one to finally break the silence, when he says "Looks like we've got visitors". He's looking away to the left when he spots baron Harkonin, sir Taevar the Harkonin army commander, sir Dontast of the knights of Althilgah, and a handful of other nobles from the fief to the east,
With them is the baron's advisor, the dark druid Palvarc.
Here's your chance Parvin, the Range Lord thinks to himself, he then spits in the direction of the enemy nobles coming this way, and he goes back to glaring at his fellow prisoners in the back of the wagon.
Baron Harkonin comes to a stop, and the guards of the prisoners step away from the wagon. The head of the Harkonin family looks at the four nobleborn prisoners he holds, one at a time.
Starting with lord Milburn who stares at him, and ending with sir Parvin Dé Gorveré, who ignores him and those who have followed him here. And is instead glaring at his fellow prisoners.
"Comfortable there Parvin?" asks baron Harkonin as he looks at the prisoner who is chained to the backboard of the wagon "Absolutely delightful" replies the Range Lord in an extremely drool tone as he continues to ignore the baron and those with him, and instead glares at the other nobleborn prisoners from the Lé Dic fief who were captured when their army was wiped out, when they were over the border in the Harkonin fief.
"I bet" dryly says the baron as he looks at the chained up Range Lord, then baron Harkonin says to the prisoners "So do you want to know what happened earlier, which is bad" followed by "Or what else happened, which is worse?".
"Start with the bad Raevar" says sir Parvin, who still doesn't look at the baron and those standing with him "Then tell us the worse" adds the large, heavily armoured knight who is bound, and chained to the tail gate of the wagon he and the other prisoners are in the back of.
"Well the bad is that my herald, sir Alvaré was attacked under the flag of momentary true" says baron Harkonin, who continues with "Only by the skills of Palvarc here, will Alvaré live".
"That's a pity" says sir Parvin, and while the other three nobleborn prisoners don't say anything, they agree with the Range Lord.
"That is no way for a nobleman to behave, Percavelle knows better than to do that" says the baron of the Harkonin fief, who then hotly adds "I never thought he'd stoop so slow".
"Percy treated with your herald?" asks sir Parvin Dé Gorveré who finally looks at their captor, baron Harkonin "He did" replies the head of the Harkonin family.
"Say what you like about him, but Percavelle wouldn't stoop to such a thing when treating with another nobleman, especially a herald" says the Range Lord, who then adds "In the midst of battle, yes. He's as a dirty fighter you'll even run across" he follows that with "But before a battle, he'll stick to form".
"Tell that to Alvaré who had a tainted spear through his left thigh that nearly killed him" angrily says the baron of the fief to the east.
"Did my lady's bannerman have the red flag of momentary truce up or down when Alvaré was attacked?" asks the large, and a bit overweight, heavily armoured knight, who is the lord of the Range. A set of hills in the northwest of the Lé Dic fief.
Lord Milburn nods in understanding when he sees the baron fall silent, and share a look with his army commander, sir Taevar.
"It was down, wasn't it?" says the Range Lord, who continues with "Ha!" he then adds "Alvaré got what he deserved" sir Parvin continues with "He should've been more observant, or at least his own flag bearer should of told him of the situation".
"Be that as it may, that's still no" says baron Harkonin, who is interrupted by the Range Lord, who looks away and loudly says "I'm not listening!".
"Fat fool" mutters Raevar Harkonin as he looks at the large nobleman chained to the tail gate of the wagon the prisoners are held in the back of.
Then looking at lord Milburn, who is the most senior of the enemy prisoners he holds captive, baron Harkonin says "Your granddaughter refuses to surrender Lé Dic castle, and hand herself, along with that raving lunatic Percavelle, over to me".
"Well, that's to be expected" says lord Kievar Milburn, who thought that was going to be a pretty obvious reply to the demand from the baron to those in the massive castle to surrender, and that lady Linara Lé Dic and sir Percavelle Lé Dic hand themselves over to the head of the Harkonin family.
"Yes" says the baron of the Harkonin fief, who follows that with "It was expected, wasn't it".
He briefly pauses before continuing with "What wasn't expected, is something that involves all you four" the baron then adds "Which is the worse part, well for you it is".
"Lord Milburn, it seems your granddaughter has refused a prisoner swap" says baron Harkonin, who continues with "I was willing to release you lot, in exchange for the lord of the Long Reaches, lord Sarvaine" he then adds "But that's not going to happen now".
There's silence from the four prisoners in the back of the wagon. Three of them are stunned silent. As they thought they'd be exchanged for lord Sarvaine who is held prisoner in castle Lé Dic.
Lord Milburn is actually shocked that his granddaughter didn't at least allow him, and maybe even Jared to be swapped for lord Sarvaine.
And while the grandfather and grandson, as well as the Lé Dic army commander, sir Galmot are stunned silent as they contemplate their fate, that's now at the whim of baron Harkonin.
Sir Parvin Dé Gorveré is silent as he's contemplating something. The Range Lord suspected they wouldn't be released in a prisoner exchange. Not with Percavelle Lé Dic now guiding his niece, the lady Linara Lé Dic.
Though to be frank, he's a little bit surprised his lady, didn't ask for the release of either her grandfather, or her cousin. Both of whom she adores.
Wonder why she didn't ask for their release? the Range Lord thinks to himself, who suddenly comes to a realisation about something, he slowly grins, then says "Oi Kievar".
The lord of Milburn estate looks over at the bound, and chained knight at the very back of the wagon.
"She knows Kievar" says sir Parvin, who continues with "She knows you killed her father".
Lord Milburn goes to say something, then falls silent, when the baron of the fief to the east says "That's what we suspect" followed by "Somehow she's found out about your little conspiracy Milburn" the head of the Harkonin family pauses for a few moments, then he says "So she's condemned you for it".
Baron Harkonin looks at the four nobleborn prisoners, whose lives are in his hands. And since he has no chance of getting lord Sarvaine back, unless he's able to take castle Lé Dic fairly quickly.
It would be best to use the four prisoners he holds captive as an example to those in the massive castle, if anything untowards should happen to the lord of the Long Reaches.
"So since your lady has condemned you" says the head of the Harkonin family, who then continues with "Then that's what we'll do".
Sir Parvin Dé Gorveré, who instantly knew that his life was over, when he was first captured when the Lé Dic army was destroyed.
Holds no grudges towards the young girl who is the lady of the Lé Dic fief. Or more precisely towards his long time friend, sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who was probably the one that made the decision, that has condemned him with the other three prisoners. The three who all had a part in the murder of the previous earl of the Lé Dic fief, Maxiss.
Infact, it just reaffirms what the Range Lord has been contemplating as they've made the journey back to castle Lé Dic, since they were taken prisoner across the border in the Harkonin fief.
And as baron Harkonin says "You'll learn your fate soon enough" and he adds "And you can easily guess what it'll be" then he turns to walk away with his fellow noblemen from his fief, and his advisor.
Sir Parvin says "Raevar, i demand the right of combat since you're going to execute us" and as the baron and those with him, stop and look back, the Range Lord adds "You know the code of the nobility of the kingdom, i can represent myself and fellow prisoners in a bout of combat to the death if we're to be executed".
The baron glances at his army commander sir Taevar, who frowns, though he does nod.
Silent until now, the baron's advisor, the dark druid Palvarc speaks up, and says "M'lord, i don't think it's wise to".
"Stay out of it druid" interrupts sir Parvin Dé Gorveré, who quickly continues with "This is for your betters to decide, this is between nobles" he pauses then adds "Not your kind". The Range Lord says the word "Kind" in a tone of disdain as he looks at the follower of the old ways.
Baron Harkonin raises a hand for his advisor to stay silent, for this indeed is a matter for the nobility, and the nobility only.
"Very well Parvin" says the head of the Harkonin family, who continues with "If it's combat you want, then it's combat you'll get" the baron of the fief to the east, then asks "Who do you wish to challenge then?".
"Why you of course Raevar" says sir Parvin Dé Gorveré, who though he'd dearly like to face baron Harkonin in one on one combat to the death, he knows it won't happen.
And he's proven right, when the baron says "I accept" and though both Jared Milburn and sir Galmot are gobsmacked that the head of the Harkonin family said that. Lord Milburn, like sir Parvin, knows otherwise.
"And as the noble who holds you captive, i get to choose a champion on my behalf" says baron Harkonin, who then adds "Who of course is another noble under my command".
"Of course" says the Range Lord, who slowly smiles when the baron after looking at those with him, says "And i choose the knight of Althilgah, sir Dontast".
As i figured you would, the grinning sir Parvin Dé Gorveré thinks to himself as he looks at the popular nobleman, who is the best knight in the Harkonin army by far, sir Dontast, a knight in the order of Althilgah . . . . . .