The Hire 5.

The Unruled Lands. The Foothills. The Colevar Mountains...

"I still don't like it" says Hammind as they make their way through the village, where on the otherside lies the camp.
"Handing everything over to outsiders like this, it doesn't feel right" adds Hammind as they walk around a cart that's just brought in more supplies from further north in the foothills.
Next to Hammind, his brother inlaw Gergus. One of the so called robber barons of the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains just nods his head as they're followed by some of the soldiers in their army.
"It's part of the deal" quietly says Gergus, a man not yet thirty, who is the youngest of the five robber barons who have allied with one another to wage war upon duke Hargen of Phelm in northern Nastell.
The young robber baron, a relatively tall man who stands just over six feet in height. Whose open, carefree looking face, belies his ambition and drive to be one of the robber barons who lay claim to the unruled lands in the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains.
Tells his brother inlaw, who is married to his younger sister Jana "We've gained an army of six thousand" Gergus continues with "That's another third to what we already have. We now number nearly as much as the duke's army of twenty thousand" he then says "Which i might add is continuing to grow with the amount of mercenaries he's still hiring".
Hammind grimaces at the truth of that, then he mutters "Damn mercenaries". Then he sighs for well over a third of the combined force of the five robber barons is made up of mercenaries too.
They make their way out of the village, which is in the area of the foothills laid claim to by Almard. Another of the five robber barons who have banded together to wage war upon the duke of Phelm in northern Nastell.
The combined army's main camp is here because it's far enough north that it's away from prying eyes. Nor is too far north that it isn't too far from the border with the kingdom of Nastell.
It's where the five robber barons decided to base their campaign from. And now that the others who have taken over command of the war. Have decided that they too find it suitable for the main part of the combined army to be based at.
It's one of the very few decisions the outsiders have made since taking over. That the robber barons agree with. Other things, not so much.
"Hell, where are they?" mutters Gergus "Who?" asks Hammind, who continues with "Them?" followed in a slightly dry tone with "Or them?".
"I know they're at the other end of the valley" says the young robber baron who gestures away to the north, where it's more heavily wooded, as are the hills in that direction.
"I meant my fellow brothers in arms" says Gergus which is a reply to the second, drier sounding "Them" from his brother inlaw.
"Who knows?" mutters Hammind, who with a shake of his head, quietly adds "Well, since we're not making any decisions of relevance. At least they aren't too".
"See" says the young robber baron with a grin, who continues on with "That's one advantage of the outsiders taking command. My fellow brothers in arms aren't deciding what's to be done as well".
"That's one" dryly says Hammind who then adds "That's not saying much". "Better than nothing i suppose" says Gergus, which illicits a grunt from his brother inlaw.
They along with a squad of their soldiers, make their way through the large camp, heading north where they're to have a meeting.
Their own army is on the eastern side of the camp. And though previously the soldiers of the five robber barons didn't exactly get along.
They do so now, for some of the other robber barons soldiers. Call out in greeting to Gergus as he walks by.
The young robber baron nods, or says a word here and there to the other robber barons soldiers who greet him.
"See, that's two good things with them in command" quietly says Gergus to his brother inlaw Hammind, he continues with "All our soldiers get along now. Since we all dislike those outsiders being in charge".
"Alright then, two" quietly says Hammind, a short, rotund man, who even though he's younger than his brother inlaw the robber baron, he's already going bald.
Gergus, who doesn't know what his sister sees in Hammind, who he's been friends with since they were children. Who is fine and able leader of men, and a pretty good axe fighter.
But being a loving husband, and caring father to their two children.
Gergus wouldn't of believed it if he'd seen it. And he has seen it, for that's what Hammind is.
Which is totally opposite to what he knows of Hammind from when they were younger. As his brother inlaw before he married Jana. Was a womanizer, and a bit of a drunkard. Not now, since he has a young family to support.
"But i can't think of anything else" quietly says Hammind, who then asks his brother inlaw the robber baron "Can you?".
Gergus shakes his head no, in answer to that. Then falls silent apart from replying to any of the soldiers who greet him.
Soldiers who for the most part are predominantly in the five armies of the robber barons of the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains.
Most of them are human, but there's some dwarves from the clans who live further north in the foothills and mountains of the unruled lands claimed by the robber barons.
Elsewhere in the camp are mercenaries from all across the Southlands, including the kingdom of Nastell.
They're predominantly human as well, but occasionally you see some dwarven and elven mercenaries from other lands in the Southlands.
There's even a band of hobbit mercenaries from the Kaldel Plains. Which is nearly two thousand miles to the west. South of the kingdom of Druvic.
"There they are" quietly says Hammind after they've walked for some time, and almost gone through the large camp.
Gergus nods his head as he sees the four other robber barons who are waiting at the northern edge of the camp.
They too have a number of their own soldiers with them. As all five of the robber barons have been summoned for a meeting.
"You're late" says Larimer, the most irritable of the five robber barons. Who was totally dead set against the outsiders taking over command of the campaign against the duke of Phelm.
"I was checking on supplies" says Gergus, which is indeed what he was doing in the early morning "Someone has to do it" adds the youngest of the robber barons, he continues with "Just because they're in command now, doesn't mean we have to start letting things slip".
This just earns a grunt from Larimer. While Almard, who is the other robber baron who was totally against the outsiders taking command. And whose claim on the unruled lands they're in at the moment.
Just stares at the youngest of the five robber barons.
Gergus doesn't know if Almard is short sighted, or if the older man is glaring at him. But whatever it is. It always looks like he's got a dead looking stare when he looks at you.
As for the other two robber barons. Makel, and Solomard. They just nod in greeting to the youngest of the five of them who have decided to wage war upon duke Hargen of Phelm.
The two of them, Makel who is approaching his fifth decade. And Solomard who is just a few years older than Gergus. Were along with Gergus, the three who were more circumspect in the term of agreement with the mercenary army, saying that they would take command.
For those three of the robber barons of the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains. Weren't exactly pleased with that term. They also weren't totally against it like Larimer and Almard.
"They won't let our spellcasters attend" says Makel who is known to have quite a few spellcasters within his army. Not just those from here in the unruled lands north of the kingdom of Nastell. But others, mercenary spellcasters, who he has hired.
Gergus just shrugs his shoulders. As he's perfectly fine in leaving his practitioners of magic behind.
He has three of them in his army. And as far as he can tell. All three of them are next to useless. With only one of them, moderately adequate at healing the wounded and sick.
"Fine by me" says Solomard, who like Gergus, isn't really enamoured by those with the ability to cast spells.
"That's because you haven't got any spellcasters in your army" says Larimer "There is that" says Solomard with a grin upon his broad looking face. He may not be as tall as Gergus. But the second youngest of the five robber barons is the largest of them by far.
Outweighing any of the others by at least fifty pounds. He wears a heavy steel breast plate with ease as he walks beside Gergus. As they start making their way through the trees in the northern part of the valley.
The youngest of the robber barons of the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains is glad to be beneath the trees. As the morning is already hot.
Gergus knows that the summer is just going to get hotter. And the countryside and the wilderness between here and northern Nastell is just going to get drier.
The weather that predominantly comes from the northwest. Is stopped by the mountain range. And any rainfall at this time of the year. Tends to fall on the west side of the Colevar Mountains.
While here on the eastern side of the mountains and the foothills. Things are a lot hotter and drier. And if the start of summer is anything to go by. It's going to be a long, hot summer this year in the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains.
Up ahead through the trees, they spot a relatively tall figure in a white hooded cloak standing next to a tree, obviously waiting for them.
"The envoy" quietly says Larimer, stating the obvious as they see the elf named Helbe take off his hood, and nod as they approach.
"Envoy" says Gergus by way of greeting, which is echoed by the other five of the robber barons, who in years past, have been known to fight amongst themselves.
But not this year, as they've all banded together to attack duke Hargen, the duke of Phelm. Whose duchy lies to the south, across the border in northern Nastell.
After the other four robber barons echoes the youngest of them.
Helbe the elven thief says "Gentlemen" by way of greeting to the five robber barons of the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains.
The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel, then tells them "If you would leave your men behind here, i would appreciate it".
And before any of the robber barons can protest, the elven magic user tells them "You may bring your second, or a senior officer with you" he then adds "But the others must remain here. Rest assured, no harm will come to them here".
Gergus shrugs, and brings Hammind along with him. After all, his brother inlaw is his second in command.
The other four robber barons bring their seconds with them too.
They all follow the elf in the white cloak, who takes them along a trail through the thickest of the trees.
And since the envoy from the mercenary army isn't particularly in a talkative mood. The robber barons and their seconds remain pretty quiet too.
Only saying a word or two now and again. Mostly about something inconsequential, such as the weather, and how hot it is.
Nothing of importance infront of the elf, who they have no idea is a spellcaster.
The trees suddenly come to a stop. As does the elven envoy. Causing the robber barons and their seconds to stop too.
They would of stopped anyway, because of what they see just out infront of them, in a clearing at the base of a hill at the end of the valley.
There's a structure or building. That Gergus is pretty sure looks like an airship. Though no airship he's ever seen before, because the deck is completely flat, with the exception of what looks like a wheelhouse to aft. It has no masts, and because of that it resembles a structure of some kind.
It's lengthwise at the base of the hill, across the clearing from them. And there's a large tent, or pavilion against the side of it, facing towards them as they stand at the edge of the trees.
But that isn't really what's got the attention of the five robber barons and their seconds.
It's the couple of hundred soldiers. Men and women both. In all types of armour. From suits of full plate armour, to the lightest of leather armour. All completely coloured black.
Who are all kneeling on the ground, sitting back on their heels. With their backs to the trees and those standing at the edge of it.
They're in a fan formation, all completely still, and looking at the pavilion against the side of the structure. Not a single one of them has turned to look at the group who are standing at the edge of the trees.
Gergus and his brother inlaw Hammind share a look. With the young robber baron lifting his eyebrows. Which illicits a nod from Hammind as they both wonder what the hell in going on.
Just then a large figure, in excess of six and half feet in height. Head to foot in a full suit of heavy plate armour that's dark blue and black in colour, walks from the pavilion.
Suddenly all the soldiers kneeling upon the ground move in unison. As they all bow from the waist. With their heads almost touching the ground before they sit back up, and are completely still once again.
The large, heavily armoured figure standing infront of the pavilion nods once to the envoy. Before turning around, and going back into the pavilion.
Turning to the five robber barons and their seconds, Helbe the elven thief tells them "The lord will see you now" the elven princeling from the island of Laerel continues with "If you would follow me".
As they follow the envoy through an open path in the fanned out formation of kneeling soldiers.
The brother inlaws Gergus and Hammind once again share a look.
Both of them lift their eyebrows this time. As they wonder about the lord of the mercenary army they and the other robber barons and their seconds are about to meet for the first time . . . . . .