The Hire 9.

The Colevar Mountains. The Southern Reaches...

"Let's hope this lot doesn't get us killed" says Kalleb "That would suck" says Darid Parsen the cavalry commander.
His second, Kalleb nods his head in agreement as they sit upon their mounts watching the army below marching south.
The cavalry commander in the mercenary army from the lands Farque. Who unlike anyone else, apart from the undead. Knows what it's like to die. Multiple times as well.
Definitely doesn't want to die again anytime soon.
Darid Parsen, who is infact a hordes outrider from the southern tundra, by the name of Zubutai Timaginson. Who just happens to inhabit the body of the cavalry commander who was originally a soldier from the kingdom of Druvic.
Has been in this body for fifteen months now. And he's grown accustomed to it.
He doesn't want to be placed into another body anytime soon. He quite likes this one. And he'd preferred that the army they're watching, doesn't get him and his squad into trouble. Which would end up with him being killed again.
"Whose is it commander?" asks the second Kalleb, who like all of the squad with the exception of one of their scouts, is in the cavalry in the armies of Farque, in particular the light horse.
"Looks to be a couple of them" says Darid aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman, who then gestures as they see a rider coming up the hill they're on.
"We'll soon find out i suppose" adds the officer in the cavalry of the mercenary army from the lands Farque.
"Don't envy our lot who are shepherding this bunch" quietly says Kalleb, who is one of the finest horsemen that Darid Parsen has ever seen.
And that's saying a lot, considering Zubutai Timaginson like all barbarian hordesmen. Is practically born in the saddle. And is riding the ponies of the southern tundra at a very early age.
"That's for sure" murmurs the cavalry commander who nearly a year and half ago, was a young soldier in the army of lady Linara Lé Dic in eastern Druvic.
Until he died in battle, and the soul of the hordes outrider, Zubutai Timaginson whose previous body. Riley Hait, who died in the same battle as Darid Parsen. Was placed into the body of the young soldier from the kingdom of Druvic.
Darid aka Zubutai the son of Timagin sees some of the squads from the Farqian mercenary army. Riding alongside the army from the unruled lands who are heading more to the southeast than directly south.
They're one of a number of armies that are moving south, now that the mercenary army from the lands Farque are in command of the campaign against the duke of Phelm in northern Nastell, duke Hargen.
"Lis" says Darid Parsen with a nod of his head to the messenger who has ridden up the hill, and joined them at the edge of the trees, where the mounted scouting party from the Farqian mercenary army is watching the army below moving south.
"Darid" says Lisell Maera who at the last moment remembers not to call the cavalry commander, either Riley or Zubutai.
For that is how she thinks of him. Especially as Riley Hait the mercenary ranger. Who the attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury knew him as. Since she first met him when she was only eleven years old.
"That's two of their's down there isn't it?" asks the cavalry officer, who got word earlier, that the armies of two of the robber barons would be coming this way on their way south towards the border with the kingdom of Nastell.
"Most of two" says Lisell Maera "Gergus and his bunch, along with Solomard's" adds the messenger who is in the scouts and rangers division in the mercenary army from the lands Farque.
The attractive young woman who hails from the west coast of the Southlands continues with "Probably four fifths of their armies are down there. The rest are with most of ours".
They'd be the troublemakers and the totally inept, Darid Parsen thinks to himself, as he knows the totally incompetent within the armies of the five robber barons. Have been weeded out, and are now kept close to the bulk of the mercenary army from the lands Farque.
The cavalry commander also knows that with four fifths of the armies of Gergus and Solomard the robber barons down below. Is a pretty high number, considering how useless a lot of those fighting for the robber barons are.
"They got more mercenaries than the others?" asks Darid aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman with a nod of his head down to the army that's passing below.
"Far more" is the answer from Lisell Maera, who is more commonly referred to as Lis by those who know her well.
"Those with less" adds the attractive teenager from the city-state of Brattonbury, who follows that with "Well, almost a third of their armies have been held back to stay with ours".
Both commander Parsen, and his second or adjunctant, Kalleb. Wince when they hear that.
"Damn" murmurs the squad second Kalleb, his commander nods in agreement, then Darid Parsen quietly says "Shepherding this lot would be preferable to babysitting the useless like the bulk of our army is doing".
Then the officer in the mercenary army from the lands Farque, sourly smiles as a grinning Lisell Maera, takes out a tiny rolled up missive and hands it over to him.
Anything but returning to our army and watching over the fucking useless from the robber baron's armies, Darid aka Zubutai Timaginson thinks to himself as he unrolls the missive, which he sees is written in the dialect of the hordes barbarians of the southern tundra.
The cavalry commander grunts as he reads it, and his second Kalleb quietly asks him "We haven't been ordered back have we?".
Behind them, the rest of the squad. All of whom are mounted with the exception of one of the scouts. Watch their commander to see what he says. And though the Farqian soldiers will follow orders without complaint.
None of them in the mounted scouting patrol, that's been ranging south into the duchy of Phelm in northern Nastell. Want to return to the bulk of their army. Who are looking after the useless and incompetent soldiers from the armies of the five robber barons of the southern reaches in the Colevar Mountains.
"Lucky for us we haven't" says Darid Parsen in response to his second's question. More than a few in the mounted squad sigh in relief when they hear that.
The cavalry commander then points down at the army passing the base of the hill they're on, and says to his squad "We've got to find a clear path for them and ours with them, to the border and across it" Darid aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman continues with "And to keep any of the enemy in the area away from them".
The cavalry officer rolls up the missive and pops it in his mouth and chews it. It's made of rice paper, and it's easy to swallow. Infact it's rather tasty since the ink used to write the message is fruit based.
"Thanks Lis" says Darid Parsen "Commander" says the messenger with a nod of her head. Who then turns her mount, and heads down the hill, back the way she came from. To rejoin the army that's passing below, most of whom are on foot.
The cavalry officer in the armies of Farque, who was formerly just a foot soldier in the army of the Lé Dic fief in eastern Druvic. Turns to his waiting squad and tells "Let's get going" he continues with "We'll get as far ahead of them as possible".
They all turn their mounts, and start riding amongst the trees as they go over the hill and down the south facing side of it.
The cavalry commander looks at the one scout on foot and nods his head. The scout, the only non human in the patrol squad nods in reply. Then he basically disappears in a fine mist of water.
And since the day is rather windy to go along with the usual dry early summer conditions here in the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains.
Zaneff the water elemental spouter floats quickly away through the trees. He moves quicker than the rest of the squad and is soon down the hill.
Scouting the way for the mounted patrol squad, who are lead by the cavalry commander Darid Parsen.
Meanwhile on the otherside of the hill, on the road that winds around it. Lisell Maera has rejoined the army that's making it's way to the southeast, towards the border with the kingdom of Nastell.
The messenger makes her way forward, to the vanguard. As she does, she watches the marching soldiers. Who are also being watched by others in the mercenary army from the lands Farque. Both on foot, and mounted.
Lis sees that for soldiers in the armies of the robber barons. In this instance, the robber barons Gergus and Solomard.
The soldiers are disciplined enough. Possibly because they've got a fair few mercenaries from throughout the Southlands mixed in with them.
The attractive young woman from the city-state knows that makes a difference.
As those armies of the robber barons who have the least amount of mercenaries with them. Are the lest disciplined. Those being the armies of the robber barons Almard and Larimer. The two oldest robber barons. Who consequently were the two who didn't want the mercenary army from lands Farque to take over the command of their war against duke Hargen, the duke of Phelm.
Lis ignores the looks directed at her from some of the marching soldiers. She knows she can't stop them from looking. Nor how she looks. But word has spread through the armies of the robber barons.
That she's not to be triffled with. Or any of the women in the mercenary army from the lands Farque for that matter.
As you might find yourself incapacitated. Possibly missing some vital part of your anatomy if you try anything against their wishes.
The messenger in the armies of Farque rejoins a mounted group in the vanguard. They're all Farqian or in the mercenary army from the lands Farque. The most senior of whom, is one of the three field commanders in the Farqian army. Commander Leivyn, the head of the scouts and rangers battalion.
"Give the cavalry commander the message?" asks commander Leivyn "I did" replies Lisell Maera.
The field commander, a rather slight diminutive figure, is stunningly attractive with her fine features, and her dark shoulder length hair, nods her head, when Lis adds "They'll be well out infront of us in no time".
The attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury, who is now in the armies of Farque, continues with "They've got Zaneff with them".
"Ah" murmurs the field commander Leivyn, who then says "Yes, they'll definitely be further ahead in no time". As she knows that the water elemental Zaneff. Who is a spouter, the rarest and most powerful of the water elementals. Can move as quickly as a spellcaster, or a krean air marine.
And that commander Parsen and his patrol squad, will definitely have an advantage over the enemy once they cross over the border.
Particular as there's already other water elementals in the mercenary army from the lands Farque over the border in the duchy of Phelm.
As are the spies in lord Farque's army, who have infiltrated duke Hargen's army. And are sending constant information back across the border to the mercenary army from the lands Farque.
The lithe field commander, who is in her late twenties. Stands up in the stirrups, and looks back at the bulk of the army that's making it's way to the southeast, to the northern border of the kingdom of Nastell.
"I've seen worse, but I've definitely seen better" quietly says field commander Leivyn who then tells one of her adjunctants "Have them increase pace before the heat of the day takes hold at midday".
As the subofficer turns back to give that order, the field commander says to one of her spellcasters "Send word back to the general where our army is at the moment".
As the wizard in the cowled robes does so, field commander Leivyn picks out a number of runners or messengers, one of whom is Lis.
And she says to them "I want you to tell all of our accompanying squads".
The field commander explains what she wants done. After she does, the messengers ride back to inform those Farqian squads who are riding alongside the armies of the robber barons Gergus and Solomard.
Lisell Maera as she rides back down the line of march. Goes by the two robber barons themselves. Who are riding  with their seconds and their personal guards.
As she rides by them, Lis wonders how the two youngest of the robber barons are going to accept the latest order just given by field commander Leivyn.
The attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury knows that they'll grin and bare it. Even if they don't like the latest orders that effect them and their armies.
Lisell Maera wonders if it will always be like this. Or if the robber barons will finally start chafing at those who are now in command, and are running their campaign against the duke of Phelm.
Someone is bound to, Lis thinks to herself, she then silently adds, it might not be one of these two, but definitely one of the other three will eventually give in, and rebel against our command.
The messenger in the armies of Farque knows that will eventually happen, but when and by who, she's not so sure.
That's for those higher up in the command of the mercenary army from the lands Farque to figure out, and to sort out once it arises . . . . . .