The Intervening Year 3

The Winter Palace. The Lands Farque...

At the staging grounds, just outside of the town that sits at the base of the tor, on top of which is The Winter Palace.
Tovis the war engineer along with some of his workers watch as their gear and equipment, as well the parts for various war machines and siege equipment, are loaded upon on the airships.
The young engineer who hails from the Harkonin fief in the kingdom of Druvic. Looks up, and sees another airship, making it's way down from the Winter Palace above.
This one is a warship, unlike the transporters that are being loaded with the engineers equipment.
Tovis looks away to his left, as some of the engineer corp murmur about something.
The young man from the east of the kingdom of Druvic, which is faraway to the north from where he is at the moment.
Refrains from wincing when he sees the massive shape that's bounding this way.
It's one of lord Farque's wardogs, and it's more or less heading straight in this direction.
Tovis breathes a sigh of relief as he spots the senior wardog handler, Jessup, following behind the massive animal that's coming this way.
The war engineer in the armies of Farque refrains from flinching as the wardog stops right infront of him, and bends it's head down and sniffs at him.
"Axe you big lump, leave the engineer alone!" calls out the senior wardog handler Jessup, who then calls out something in a language that Tovis doesn't understand.
After another sniff, the massive animal which towers over the young engineering, wanders away. Heading away towards the nearest transporter that's being loaded.
As he does, the war engineer hopes the wardog, who he understands isn't alive. A concept he's still getting used to.
Doesn't get into it's mind, to start chewing on the equipment that's being loaded on the nearby airship. As lord Farque's wardogs, those both living and undead, pretty much do what they want.
"Everything getting loaded aboard engineer?" asks the senior wardog handler Jessup.
"Yes sir" says Tovis the war engineer as he turns to look at the man, who like the nearby wardog, isn't alive.
"I'm not a knight son" dryly says Jessup, who continues with "So you don't have to call me sir" the undead man then adds "Nor am i an officer" he follows that with "I was just a rank and file foot soldier until my lord's father made me one of the handlers of the wardogs. So if you're going to call me by something that's not my name, then handler will do, senior handler if you insist".
"Ah yes" says Tovis who at the last moment stops himself from adding "Sir" and instead he adds "Handler Jessup".
The senior wardog handler nods his head, then looks over at Axe, who has flopped down onto the ground, rolled onto his side, as he watches the nearby transporter being loaded here on the staging grounds.
"Big idiot" is what Tovis hears Jessup murmur good naturedly as he watches the wardog, tongue lolling, stubby tail wagging, as it lies on it's side, watching proceedings.
The young engineer knows that the senior wardog handler might not be a sir, or an officer of any kind.
But any of the living in the armies of Farque will defer to Jessup or any of the other undead army in the lands Farque, no matter what their rank is.
From generals and field commanders, if they're alive. They'll always defer to one of the undead.
The young engineer from the east of the kingdom of Druvic, nods his head when Jessup gestures at the nearby wardog, and quietly tells Tovis "They always know when others are going off to war" he continues with "Even his living kin know it" Jessup then adds in a soft tone "They're not called wardogs for nothing".
"You're not coming?" asks Tovis the war engineer, who thought some of the undead might come along. After all, this is the first time in nearly four and half centuries, that one of the armies of Farque is leaving their lands.
"That hasn't been decided as of yet" says the senior wardog handler, who was alive, and died the last time the armies of Farque departed their lands.
When they helped defend the Southlands against invasion from the Holy Norstran Empire. Who they eventually defeated. Though the then battlelord Kaiuss Farque, the current lord Farque. Died in that battle that led to the defeat of the invading army from across the Great Western Ocean.
The senior wardog handler Jessup, who died in the same battle nearly four and half centuries ago, says to the young engineer "I know you've been in just the conflict between your former lord, and that knight Percavelle's family previously".
Jessup continues with "And it will stand you in good stead to a point" the undead wardog handler then adds "But a campaign is a little different. So keep yourself safe, and those in your engineering corp too".
"I will" says Tovis, who remembers not to call Jessup "Sir". The war engineer from the east of the kingdom of Druvic nods his head, as the undead soldier quietly tells him "And listen to those who have been in a lot of battles, and wars".
The young engineer faintly smiles, as Jessup says in an extremely dry tone "Like the ork" followed by "The warleader".
The senior wardog handler shakes his head, and though he appears to be a greying, robust man in his late forties. He's actually dead, well undead to be precise. Who has been on the physical world of Volunell, for in excess of four hundred and fifty years.
"That ork maybe unpredictable, and flat out crazy" says Jessup, who continues with "But amongst the living, you won't find anyone more skilled at warfare than him".
"So take in what he says, it might just save your life one day, and that of your corp" says the undead man, who not only came down here to the staging grounds to talk to the war engineer in the armies of Farque.
But to keep an eye on the loading of the transporters. The larger and slower airships, that will soon be heading north with others in the fleet.
Jessup who is silently communicating by way of mindspeech of the undead, with commander Dolsyn. Who is up in the Winter Palace looking down at things below.
Glances sideways at the young engineer who lord Farque and the others who travel with the undead warlord, found in the kingdom of Druvic. After being revealed to them, by the power of foresight that Helbe the elven thief posses.
Jessup sees that Tovis is looking away at the warship that's just put down on one side of the staging ground.
The young engineer who is from the Harkonin fief in eastern Druvic is watching someone on, or near the warship. A frigate that's just put down.
It doesn't take the senior wardog handler long to see who Tovis is watching. Jessup spots the runner Lisell Maera amongst a number of squads of runners, scouts and rangers. Who are waiting to board the frigate. That's just landed upon the ground, on one side of the staging ground.
Jessup might not know Tovis all that well, as he's only spoken to him a handful of times since the young engineer arrived here in the lands Farque.
But what he does know about him. Is that he tried to romantically pursue Lisell Maera, who like Tovis is part of the group than travels with the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
And that Lisell Maera, or Lis as she's more commonly called by those who know her well. Spurned his advances. Much to the displeasure of Tovis. Not that he openly showed it.
But those who know him well. Found out soon enough. And it's from them that Jessup the senior wardog handler found out about it.
"How have things been here in my lord's lands for you?" asks Jessup, who continues with "Everything going well so far?".
"It has actually" is the reply of Tovis, who follows that up with "The people have been more than accommodating" who looks away to the right, where he spots Lisell Maera who is about to board the frigate, and he silently adds, unlike some others i know.
"Good to hear" says the undead wardog handler, who then tells the young engineer "Let's hope you return for more of that".
"I intend to" says Tovis who has one last look at the attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury, who rejected his attempts at courtship.
Then turns to Jessup and tells him "And I'll do everything i can to make sure as many of the corp return as well". The war engineer who has a number of other engineers as well as builders, and workers under his commander.
Nods his head when the senior wardog handler says to him "Make sure you do" Jessup then adds "Well, until then".
The undead man nods to the war engineer in the armies of Farque. Then he walks away, in the direction he came from. As he does, Jessup calls Axe to heel, in both the common language, and the ancient language of command. Which Jessup knows a few common commands in, as well as a smattering of other words. All to keep a careful eye and control upon the wardogs of Farque. Both living and dead. Though even he struggles to get any of the undead wardogs do what he says. As they've definitely got a mind of their own.
Such as right now, as Axe has ignored the command from Jessup.
Infact the sounds of snoring, and snuffling can be heard from the massive canine, who isn't even alive.
The undead wardog handler shakes his head as he walks away, checking out the other preparations here in the staging grounds, as one of the armies of Farque prepares to depart.
After watching the loading of the closest of the transporters for a bit more. Tovis the war engineer says to those of the corp standing nearby "Might as well load our packs onto the ship's we've been assigned to".
A murmur of agreement greets that, and the war engineer and members of the corp he's in command of. Pick up their packs, and head to the nearest transporters that they'll be flying on.
As he does, the young engineer glances to the side, and sees the large head of the massive wardog Axe lift up, and watch him as he walks by. After a while Axe lowers his head, and lies back down as Tovis approaches the airship that he'll be leaving on.
The war engineer who is from the east of the kingdom of Druvic, who now finds himself in the armies of Farque, and about to head off to war.
Boards the transporter with some of the other engineering corp.
And after he's shown to the shared cabin he's been assigned, since after all, he is a commander.
And he checks on how some of the siege engine, and war machine parts have been loaded.
Tovis heads up on deck, and keeps out of the way of the crew who are preparing the transporter for departure.
As he stands near a midships at the starboard rail, the war engineer watches the nearby warship. Cast off it's mooring lines, and start to lift off from the ground after the squads of some of the advanced companies, the runners, scouts, rangers and the like, have boarded it.
For a moment, Tovis thinks he spots Lisell Maera upon the deck of the frigate as it lifts off. And as it gains in altitude, and turns north, the young engineer hopes that the young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury who spurned his advances. Stays safe and well in the upcoming campaign they're heading to.
Not that she probably cares, Tovis the war engineer thinks to himself as he continues to watch the departing frigate.
On the deck of the twin masted warship, Lisell Maera looks back down at the staging ground next to the tor that the Winter Palace sits upon.
The attractive young woman who is a lead runner in the advanced companies in the army of Farque that's heading north.
Is watching one of the transporters that's down on the ground. On it she can see Tovis the war engineer standing at the starboard rail in a midships. Watching the frigate that she's on, which is continuing to gain in altitude as it starts to head north.
"Stay safe Tovis" Lisell Maera murmurs to herself, who knows that the young engineer is watching the frigate, because he caught sight of her on it.
Where we're going, we all need to be safe, the attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury thinks to herself, as the frigate she's on begins it's journey, heading north out of the lands Farque and onwards, further to the north, to war.