The Hire 13.

The Border Region. The Southern Reaches. The Colevar Mountains...

They break camp early. Well before dawn. Much to the annoyance of many of them. Including Hammind who stands there bleary eyed, eating a small round loaf of bread in the pre dawn light, next to his brother inlaw Gergus the robber baron.
Gergus who is more tolerant of the early morning starts compared to his brother inlaw the axe fighter,
Nudges his second, as a rider approaches them through the dim light, then reins up infront of them.
"Get your army moving" says Lisell Maera, who after a moment's pause, belatedly adds "Sir" as she looks down from the saddle, through the semi darkness at one of the two robber barons whose armies make up most of this force, that's led by field commander Leivyn.
"Of course" says Gergus the robber baron as he looks up at the rider, who even in the faint light of pre dawn, he can see is an attractive young woman.
The youngest of the five robber barons who have decided to wage war upon duke Hargen of Phelm. Turns to some of his men who are nearby, and says "You heard the". Gergus turns to the rider in the mercenary army from the lands Farque, a nation in the Southlands he didn't even know existed until a little over a month ago.
"Lisell" says the attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury in slightly wry tone, as she has no rank apart from runner or messenger.
As Hammind, who has finished his loaf of bread, lifts his eyebrows. Gergus clears his throat, then says to his men who are nearby "You heard her, get the men moving".
As those soldiers hurry away to do as their robber baron has ordered. Gergus turns to the rider and says to her "Tell commander Leivyn we'll be underway shortly".
"For your sake, you better be" mutters Lisell Maera in the elven language, then the daughter of a street prostitute and a sailor father, from a poor neighbourhood in the coastal city-state of Brattonbury, tells the robber baron in common "I'll just be off to inform your colleague Solomard that his army better be moving too".
The messenger from the Farqian mercenary army rides away through the pre dawn darkness.
The robber baron Gergus quietly says to his brother inlaw "Did you see her?" he continues with "Even in this faint light you could tell she's a looker".
Hammind slightly grunts as he looks sideways at his brother inlaw Gergus. And though the young robber baron, whose claim in the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains. Is the one most to the east of the five robber barons who have banded together to wage war upon the duke of Phelm.
Isn't married, he does have a couple of children to two different woman within his claim.
And from what Hammind's wife Jana, who is the younger sister of the robber baron, has told him. Gergus might very well have other children by other woman, not just in his claim.
But in the nearby claims of the other robber barons in the foothills of the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains.
"I'd be careful around that one if i was you Gergus" says Hammind who is his brother inlaw's second in command "Oh?" says the youngest of robber barons at war with duke Hargen of Phelm.
"Pretty sure she's the one who threaten some of Almard's men back at the main camp in the valley to the north" says Hammind who is a renowned axe fighter in the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains.
He continues with "One of them was drunk and grabbed her, she dropped him with a kick to the nuts. Then told him and the others that if any of them tried that again, she'd cut their cock and balls off".
Gergus winces as he looks in the direction the rider went. Then he slightly grins and quietly says "Sounds like my kind of woman".
Next to him, his brother inlaw, who is younger, though you wouldn't think it, as he's under thirty and already balding. Rolls his eyes, and wonders if Gergus is going to get himself in trouble again with another woman.
Hammind, who himself was a bit of a womanizer before he married the younger sister of Gergus.
Has a feeling his brother inlaw will regret any romantic advanced towards the young woman who just spoke to them.
And during a war too, Hammind thinks to himself with a shake of his head, who after a final look at his brother inlaw Gergus, goes off and gets his pack so that they can get underway as soon as possible.
The robber baron Gergus keeps his word to the messenger who spoke to him before dawn. And he has his army moving well before sunrise.
The army of the other robber baron in this particular force. Solomard's, is moving just a little bit later. His army is also on the go before the sun rises over the foothills here in the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains.
The army, which is led by the Farqian field commander Leivyn. Is the one furthest east out of the three armies that are led by the trio of field commanders in the mercenary army from the lands Farque.
Gergus and his second, Hammind. Who are on foot today amongst their men. Are in country that they recognise. The foothills that are near the border with the kingdom of Nastell, and it's northern most duchy, Phelm.
"They could of sent that pretty one again" quietly says Gergus to Hammind after a mounted messenger in the mercenary army of the lands Farque, informs the robber baron that field commander Leivyn wants a word with him.
After Hammind gets a couple of horses from amongst those their army has. The brother inlaws make their way forward along the line of march, to join the field commander in charge of this army.
They look back, and see that the robber baron Solomard, and his second Orum are riding forward too. It's obvious that they got the same message from the field commander.
Gergus and Hammind slow down, and are soon joined by Solomard and Orum.
"What do you think she wants?" asks the robber baron Solomard.
Me! Gergus thinks to himself with a silent chuckle, for the field commander is a particular attractive looking woman.
"Probably to tell us about the nearby enemy i guess" is what Gergus tells his fellow robber baron, who like him, is fairly young for someone of their position.
Gergus is under thirty, and Solomard who is a few years older than him, is just over thirty years old.
"We are fairly close to the border" adds the youngest of the five robber barons who are in the midst of a campaign against the duke of Phelm, duke Hargen.
Just after first light, they went by a village on this side of the border, that had been abandoned. No doubt some of the villages just across the border in the duchy of Phelm will be abandoned too.
As the locals who aren't involved in the war, will do their best to keep clear of the armies on opposing sides.
The four of them, the two robber barons and their seconds. Are soon towards the front of the line of march, where the diminutive form of field commander Leivyn, sits upon her horse just off to the side of the road with some others.
Gergus is pretty sure, the tall attractive young woman on one of the horses behind the field commander. Is the messenger that spoke to him before dawn.
In the light of the day, he can see how good looking she really is. And though he found himself attracted to her when he could barely make her out in the pre dawn light.
He's even more attracted to her now, as he eyes her up, while she ignores him.
"Gentlemen" says field commander Leivyn when the four of them rein up to the side of the road.
The slight woman in leather armour who leads the scouts and rangers division in the mercenary army from the lands Farque. And is in command of this particular army that's heading south into the kingdom of Nastell.
Indicates the young man on the horse beside her, and introduces him "This is cavalry commander Darid Parsen" she follows that with "He is also one of my lord's councillors".
The two robber barons and their seconds who didn't meet the councillor earlier in the week, when they were camped in a valley further to the north in the foothills of the Colevar Mountains.
Know that field commander Leivyn is the military commander here. But the young man she has introduced as a cavalry commander. Will order them around if need be, for the simple reason he's one of the handful who are councillors to the lord and ruler of the nation, whose mercenary army they've hired. An army, they've put in charge of their own campaign against duke Hargen, the duke of Phelm.
"Greetings" says Darid Parsen as he looks at the robber barons and their seconds. Then the cavalry commander in the armies of Farque, who is from the kingdom of Druvic.
Looks at the robber baron Gergus, and says to him "I understand your lands aren't all that faraway from here?".
"That's right" says the youngest robber baron at war with the duke of Phelm, who looks around then adds "Probably three or four miles east of here, you'll get to the southwest boundary of my claim".
"And that's just a mile or two from the border with Nastell isn't it?" asks the cavalry commander, who in actuality is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra by the name of Zubutai Timaginson, who just happens to find himself inhabiting the body of Darid Parsen. Who was once a foot soldier in the army of lady Linara Lé Dic in eastern Druvic.
"Yeah just a little under two miles from the border" says the robber baron, whose claim in the southern reaches, is the one that's closest to the kingdom of Nastell compared to the other four robber barons who he's joined up with to wage war upon duke Hargen of Phelm.
"Know much about that village across the otherside of the border?" asks Darid aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman, who continues with "The one called Dalbar Falls?".
With a nod of his head, the youngest robber baron in the campaign against the duke of Phelm, says "I do" followed by "My people trade with them quite a bit".
The village in question isn't the closest one to the border over in the duchy of Phelm.
But it's the largest one within five miles of the border, in this part of the foothills in the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains.
The cavalry commander and the field commander in the mercenary army from the lands Farque share a look, then Darid Parsen says to the robber baron Gergus "You and a squad of a dozen of your most able soldiers, all mounted, are to come with me".
He continues on with "If that includes your second here, then bring him along" the cavalry commander then adds "Leave your spellcasters behind". Darid aka Zubutai Timaginson knows the young robber baron has a trio of spellcasters in his army. And he also knows they're all pretty much useless.
Gergus clears his throat, then says "Ah if i bring my second Hammind here along, who'll led my army when we're gone?".
With a slight grin upon his face, commander Parsen says "Why field commander Leivyn of course" he continues with "As she has been anyway".
With a sour looking smile upon his face, and after he looks at his brother inlaw Hammind, who just shrugs. Gergus says to the cavalry commander "Of course counsellor".
"Once you've got your men, meet me at the edge of those trees up that hill there" says Darid Parsen pointing up to the hill directly to the east of the road they're on.
"Commander" says the cavalry commander to the lithe looking woman who is in charge of this particular army that's making it's way to the border with the kingdom of Nastell.
"Councillor" says field commander Leivyn with a nod of her head to the young man from the kingdom of Druvic, who then turns his mount, and rides away after having a quiet word in elven with Lisell Maera, who along with the others, has been watching the proceedings in silence.
After sharing a look with his brother inlaw Hammind, Gergus says to the field commander "Well just get our men". Then he and Hammind turn their mounts and ride back along the line of march. As they ride away, they hear field commander Leivyn saying to the other robber baron "Now Solomard, if you could have your".
The brother inlaws are silent as they ride back to their army, which doesn't take long.
"I don't like this" quietly says Hammind after Gergus orders one of his officers to collect the soldiers he wants to come along with him and his second.
"They're separating us from our army, if you want me to still come along too" quietly adds Hammind "I know" says Gergus the robber baron, who continues with "It's what they want".
"And what do they want us to do?" asks the younger brother inlaw, who then dryly adds "Well, apart from something to do with Dalbar Falls over in Phelm".
"We're about to find out i suppose" says the youngest of the five robber barons who are at war with the duke of Phelm.
Who looks back towards the front of the line of march as the men he wants to come along with him and Hammind start arriving.
Gergus suddenly grins as he sees who is riding back this way towards him and his army.
"This might not be so bad after all" murmurs the robber baron as he watches the messenger from before dawn, the attractive young woman named Lisell.
Riding back this way, no doubt to tell him and his newly gathered squad to hurry up and get going.
That is indeed what she does when she gets to them . . . . . .