The Homecoming 155.

Leaving...

In the early morning sunshine just after dawn, Tamric Drubine yawns as he stands upon the south wall parapet of castle Lé Dic.
Below him, the moat is slowly being emptied. The gates on the river to the north of the castle have been closed.
And the water level in the moat around the massive castle is slowly dropping.
The moat has to be cleared of debris and the dead. If not, the spread of disease could be devastating for castle Lé Dic and the town of Massic.
The nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin looks further south. To the tourney field, where the Harkonin army had set up their camp.
There he can see castle servants, townsfolk and soldiers in the Lé Dic army going through the abandoned camp. Gathering everything that can be used.
A defeat in a battle or war in any kingdom, not just here in Druvic. Isn't just a defeat of lives. But of resources. As economically, the victors get the spoils.
And in this case, those of the Lé Dic fief, are taking everything of worth that the survivors of the Harkonin army left behind.
Tamric Drubine or Tam as he's more commonly referred to by the rest of the group,
who woke early, and had breakfast well before dawn. Turns and looks back down into the main south courtyard of the massive castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family.
The son of the former knight of castle Drubine in northern Sarcrin, looks at the ship's boat down in the courtyard.
There he sees Shur Kee the monk, followed by the Lé Dic soldier, Darid Parsen putting their packs into the flying boat that lord Farque and Mira Reinholt the mage used to get here to castle Lé Dic.
Tam who has already put his pack into the ship's boat, watches as the short, statured monk and the local soldier quietly chat about something as they stand next to the flying boat.
Then the nobleborn teenager who hails from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin spots the elven spy Dalinvardél Tanith coming from the main keep of the massive castle that's been the home of the Lé Dic family for centuries.
As the elf from the principality of Alínlae makes his way to the flying boat and joins Shur Kee and Darid Parsen after he puts his pack into the bottom of the ship's boat.
Lisell Maera makes her way from the central keep of castle Lé Dic. The attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury who is carrying her pack.
Is closely followed by Tovis the war engineer. The young engineer from the Harkonin fief, is carrying a pack he has borrowed from the Lé Dic army.
Baron Raevar Harkonin's former war engineer hurries to keep up with Lisell Maera. Keeping on her heels as she makes her way to the ship's boat, where the others are waiting.
A little while later, after Tamric Drubine has wandered further along the top of the south wall of castle Lé Dic.
He spots Mira Reinholt the mage walking from the central keep of the massive castle that's been home to the Lé Dic family for generations.
The once powerful mage crosses the courtyard to the ship's boat, which he puts his pack into.
The spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, turns and watches the front of the central keep of castle Lé Dic, as the others in the group standing next to the flying boat are doing.
It's some time before lord Farque and Dorc da Orc exit the central keep of the massive castle. With the undead warlord infront, while the large ork follows behind him.
Over the right shoulder of the ork warleader is the prisoner that the deathlord of Farque and the mage Reinholt brought with them early yesterday evening.
By the looks of it from where Tam is on the battlements on the south side of castle Lé Dic, it looks like the wizard in the Druvician aircorp, who is draped over the right shoulder of the big, burly ork seems to be unconscious. While over the left shoulder of the ork weaponsmith is a body wrapped in blankets
Dorkindle who is carrying a pair of ale barrels under each arm, shrugs the unconscious prisoner off his right shoulder when he gets to the ship's boat behind the heavily armoured deathlord.
Then as instructed by the lord of the death realm, he places the blanket wrapped body in the bottom of the boat.
The nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin makes his way down a set of steps to the courtyard. As he does, he sees sir Percavelle Lé Dic makes his way from the central keep in the company of his niece, the lady Linara Lé Dic, and others of her court.
When the son of the former knight of castle Drubine in northern Sarcrin finally gets to the ship's boat, the lady Linara Lé Dic is farewelling the group who have traveled to her family's fief, and who have helped defend her family's castle, and defeat their enemy, the Harkonins.
"And it was a pleasure meeting you m'lady" says Tamric Drubine in response to the lady Linara Lé Dic saying to him "It was a pleasure meeting you m'lord" as she farewells him last, with the exception of her uncle, the former earl of Lé Dic.
As everyone starts to climb aboard the ship's boat, which can easily hold fifteen people. So the group, which includes one large ork, who carries a lot in his sacks, not to mention two decent sized ale barrels. Can easily fit, and travel in the flying boat.
The young girl who rules the Lé Dic fief, looks around then asks "Where's his highness this morning?".
It's Tam who answers with "He left early m'lady" the nobleborn teenager continues with "To get a head start, and to get there before us".
Tamric Drubine glances at the undead warlord who is at the tiller, who nods for him to get aboard. The former heir to the knight of castle Drubine climbs over the starboard rail, and waits for sir Percavelle Lé Dic to farewell his niece and hop onboard.
"Why of course i will Linny" says sir Percavelle Lé Dic in reply to his niece saying "You will return won't you uncle?".
"And it won't be years between visits" says the heavily armoured knight, who said his private farewells to his niece a little earlier in their family's rooms within the central keep of the massive castle that's their ancestral home.
"And now you have those more able, and more willing to guide and advise you" says the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che with a look at his ex-wife the lady Marsaé Duc de Laér, and her sister, the governess of young Linara Lé Dic, the lady Hollis Duc de Laér.
And though his former wife wryly smiles, the lady Marsaé Duc de Laér does nod in agreement with what her former husband just said.
While the lady Hollis Duc de Laér, who genuinely smiles, quietly says "As we've always done".
The former earl of the fief nods, then he kneels down and hugs his niece, and whispers to her "Remember Linny, you're the lady of the fief, you're the one in charge". "I know uncle Percy" whispers back the nobleborn girl who rules the Lé Dic fief.
The heavily armoured knight whispers something else to his niece, which causes her to grin and giggle.
The former paladin stands up and winks to his niece, gives his ex-wife Marsaé a haughty look, that gets an eye roll from her. And he grins at the lady Hollis Lé Dic, who smiles in return.
Sir Percavelle Lé Dic then says to his niece "Fare thee well Linara" he continues with "I leave our family's fief and home in your safe hands" the former earl of Lé Dic then adds "And by Narille and Saint Mar-che i shall return one day".
The landed and ordered knight jumps onboard the ship's boat after he bows to his niece, which illicits a laugh from her.
And as the flying boat with lord Farque at the tiller lifts off from the cobblestones of the courtyard, sir Percavelle or Percy as he's more commonly referred to by the rest of the group. Waves to those who have come to see them off.
Cheers go up from many in the courtyard, and along the battlements of the massive castle as they watch the ship's boat with their former earl onboard, rising up into the air.
With the exception of the heavily armoured knight, who is calling out farewell and shouting his family's name to those cheering them as they lift up into the morning sky. The group onboard the ship's boat are silent.
Watching the massive castle below, that they with the exception of lord Farque and Mira Reinholt the mage, helped defend. And helped defeat the Harkonin army who assault it.
They maybe silent, but a few of them are waving to those down in the courtyard below.
Lisell Maera is smiling as she looks down and sees the lady Linara Lé Dic point up at her, and wave. The attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury waves back to the nobleborn girl.
Shur Kee the monk, waves to many down in the castle, and those on the walls.
While Tamric Drubine waves at them too, especially to a few he spots, who were under his command along the west wall of castle Lé Dic during the battle yesterday.
Lord Farque breaks the silence amongst the rest of them, when he tells Tam and the mage Reinholt to raise the sails.
As they do, the undead warlord turns the flying boat to port, and they go out over the west wall of the massive castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family, then fly over the town of Massic.
Stepping over the unconscious wizard at the base of the mast, then over the blanket wrapped body next to him, Tamric Drubine makes his way aft after making sure Dorc da Orc stays seated in the bow of the ship's boat.
The nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin joins the heavily armoured deathlord in the stern.
Sir Percavelle Lé Dic is there too, the former paladin is looking back at his family's home as they fly over the town of Massic. Where the townsfolk have started to clean up the fire damaged town.
"You will return one day won't you Percy?" asks Tamric Drubine "Of course lad" replies the former earl of Lé Dic who in the years to come, will keep his promise to his niece Linara Lé Dic, and return to castle Lé Dic, not just once, but a number of times.
The heavily armoured knight who has his helm off, and is carrying it under his right arm, glances down at Massic, and says "The people will rebuild, and my home will be better than ever".
Tamric Drubine doesn't doubt that, the people of the Lé Dic fief here in the east of the kingdom of Druvic area an industrious bunch. They started cleaning up yesterday right after the survivors of the Harkonin army fled. There wasn't much in the way of a celebration for the victory against the enemy. As the clean up after the battle was more important.
Tam sits down upon the aft bench, and quietly says in elven to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque "Where are we going to bury him?" as he looks at the blanket wrapped body of Riley Hait the mercenary ranger.
"We'll find an open space somewhere amongst some trees" says lord Farque in the same language "He'd like that i suppose" adds the heavily armoured deathlord.
The nobleborn teenager nods as he looks at the blanket wrapped body of the ranger Hait lying near the base of the mast.
Then he grins as he looks forward to where Darid Parsen stands, quietly talking with Shur Kee the monk, and Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy.
The former heir of castle Drubine in northern Sarcrin then asks the undead warlord who is also known by the name of Draugadrottin to his people "How long will it take us to get to the capital?".
"At least two days" is the answer from the lord of the death realm, who then adds "Maybe three if the winds stay light".
Des'tier as he's known to an older generation of elven kind, then glances at sir Percavelle Lé Dic who is standing next to them, looking back at the massive castle that's been his family's home for centuries.
Switching to the common language, lord Farque quietly tells the former earl of Lé Dic "You know you married the wrong sister".
Tam winces, as does Lisell Maera who is standing nearby. Some of them have all thought that. They've even spoke about it. But never infront of the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che.
The former paladin goes completely still for a few moments, then he slightly grimaces. Sir Percavelle Lé Dic in a moment of clarity, when for once he isn't always thinking about himself, says "I know" after a brief pause he continues with "It wouldn't of been fair to the lady Hollis if she had of married someone like me".
Both Tam and Lis nod at that rear admission from the usually bombastic nobleborn knight.
"At least you know your failings Percy" quietly says the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, who then dryly adds in the elven language "Well, at least some of them".
The former earl of Lé Dic, sir Percavelle stands silently there in the stern, looking aft back at his family's home, castle Lé Dic. Well into the middle of the morning when the massive castle is finally out of sight as they fly west, heading to the capital of the kingdom of Druvic, the city of Leeabra . . . . . .