The Hire 31.

The Border Region. Northern Nastell...

"They're definitely just going to keep sitting there" says field commander Talbot, who then adds "Wait for us to do something".
Nodding his hooded head in agreement, Mira Reinholt the mage says "It's what i would do too" the once powerful mage continues with "All they have to do is hold us out, and make sure we return back north".
The mage who is in exile from his homeland, the city-state of Vexil, looks back behind him at the army that's come down from the unruled lands north to the kingdom of Nastell, and says "We can't stay here indefinitely, and they know it".
The large, heavily armoured field commander in the mercenary army from the lands Farque grunts, then wipes his sweating forehead.
As the day is fairly clear, with just a smattering of clouds in the sky. After what's been two days of constant drizzle, which followed a day of a heavy rain.
And with the rain gone, the hot temperatures here in the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains have returned.
Though the recent rainfall, has added quite a bit of colour to the valley, that has two opposing armies on either side.
The grass is fairly green, and not so brown and flaxen looking. And the trees look less parched like. But considering the hot temperatures returning, the valley will only look like this for a week or so, before it reverts back to what it looked like before the rain.
The spellcaster from the city-state of Vexil, who is also a highly skilled swordmaster looks back across the valley to the enemy that's little over a mile away.
As the field commander in the armies of Farque says to him "They've definitely got the advantage of numbers, especially with more and more of them arriving from the south".
Field commander Talbot, who leads the army that's predominantly made up of the army of the robber baron Markell. The army that's furthest to the west of the three from the unruled lands to the north of the kingdom of Nastell, that's pushed south into it's northern most duchy, the duchy of Phelm.
Says to the spellcaster, who is a member of the personal council of the lord and ruler of the lands Farque "We have to find a way to draw them out from behind their fortifications, and to attack us".
The exiled Vexilian mage nods his hooded head, then gestures towards the hamlet that's at the western end of the valley, as the opposing armies are at the northern and southern sides of it.
"Well i know Markell wants that abandoned hamlet to remain more or less intact" says Mira Reinholt, who continues in a slightly dry tone with "Just incase he's the one who'll take over the duchy if we're victorious".
The field commander and the once powerful mage share a wry look as to what they think of that.
For if the campaign against duke Hargen and his army is successful. Out of the five robber barons who have banded together to wage war upon the duke of Phelm.
Markell, probably won't be the one who'll end up being the new duke of Phelm.
The best bet is on the oldest robber baron Larimer, or the robber baron Almard. The two most conservative of the robber barons. Both of whom were dead set against the mercenary army from the lands Farque being in command of their campaign against duke Hargen.
If not those two, then it's the youngest of the five robber barons waging war upon the duchy of Phelm, the robber baron Gergus.
Though his age might count against him with some of the people in the unruled lands of the Colevar Mountains, to the north of the kingdom of Nastell.
"But we could burn it down, and destroy it" says the mage Reinholt as he looks at the nearby hamlet that's been abandoned for at least a few weeks.
"That might draw them out and forward" adds the spellcaster who was once the most powerful mage of his generation, to be found anywhere in the Southlands.
"Though the destruction of much of the valley hasn't done that so far" says the highly skilled swordmaster in a slightly wry tone of voice.
The large, heavily armoured field commander, who is also the commander of the heavy foot division of the mercenary army from the lands Farque nods his head in agreement with the Vexilian mage in exile.
Dotted across the valley, mostly leading up to the sides of the valley that each army has occupied. Are craters, pock marking the ground. Where spellcasters from either side of the conflict have cast spells.
There's also burnt and destroyed trees across various parts of the valley. Which is definitely more noticeable as they contrast with the burst of colour added to the valley due to the recent rainfall.
There's also signs along the battlelines on the north and south side of the valley, where spellcasters have hit the opposing bulwarks and palisades.
Recent repairs to the bulwarks, and the predominantly wooden palisades can be seen in various spots on both sets of the battlelines.
"Whatever you do" says the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, who continues with "It's up to you, your subcommander, and the likes of the war engineer Tovis as to what we'll do".
After a moment, the field commander from the lands Farque, nods his head. As he knows that the likes of councillor Reinholt and honorary councillor Kee. Will leave the military decisions up to him and his senior staff. One of whom is the war engineer Tovis.
Though he can certainly ask the once powerful mage and the short, statured monk for advice. As he's doing now.
"Well councillor, you get to be the one to tell Markell we'll destroy that hamlet" says the field commander in the mercenary army from the lands Farque.
"I look forward to it" says the swordmaster Reinholt with a slight grin upon his face.
They briefly pause as they both spot a ball of energy leave the enemy battlelines, heading in this direction.
A few moments later, and a similar looking energyball leaves their own frontlines, heading across the valley towards where the enemy's position.
"They'll both miss" quietly says the mage Reinholt in a confident tone.
He's proven right a short while later, when both energyballs plow into the ground, short of either battlelines. And explode, sending dirt and rock flying into the air.
"We might have to make a few feints to get them to react" says Talbot the field commander, who follows that up with "Send out a number of squads across the valley to get close to their lines".
"We might have to" says the highly skilled swordmaster. Which is a bit of a rarity for a spellcaster. As they normally have to spend all their time and effort into honing their magical abilities. Not devoting their time to another specialised skill.
"You do what you think best commander" says Mira Reinholt the mage.
The field commander nods his head, then quietly says "I intend to". Then Talbot tells the exiled Vexilian mage "Excuse me councillor, i shall be off to inform the senior officers as to what we'll do".
The field commander, who is also the commander of the heavy foot in the Farqian mercenary army. Many of whom are here with this particular army that he leads.
Nods to the mage Reinholt, then makes his way to the end of the bulwarks. Which he then hops down off, where a few of his senior staff have been waiting. As Talbot and the once powerful mage have been having their quiet conversation in the elven language.
The spellcaster, who was the youngest ever member of the mage council of Vexil. Until he betrayed his homeland during a war, and he was kicked off the council. And forcibly exiled from the city-state of Vexil during the middle of a battle.
Looks along the bulwark he's on. In the other direction from the way field commander Talbot went.
The highly skilled swordmaster heads that way along the bulwark, hoping down off the far end. And making his way to the next palisade along. The mage Reinholt makes his way to where a ballista is on one of the platforms behind the palisade.
There the war engineer Tovis is checking over the war machine with a couple of his engineers.
The young engineer who hails from the kingdom of Druvic, spots the councillor approaching. Tovis quietly tells his engineers to continue on with their work. While he makes his way over to where the mage Reinholt has stopped at an empty shooting platform on the bulwark.
"Talbot will be making some decisions soon, he'd probably like your thoughts on the matter" quietly says Mira Reinholt to the young engineer in the mercenary army from the lands Farque.
"We going to try and draw them out?" quietly asks Tovis the war engineer. For it's no secret, on both sides of the valley. That the army from the unruled lands to the north of the kingdom of Nastell. Will want to draw out the army of duke Hargen from behind their battlelines.
As the duke's army has dug in, as they prepare to halt the advance of the army from the foothills to the north of the duchy of Phelm.
"That's the field commander's plan" says the once powerful mage who is originally from the city-state of Vexil.
"No thoughts of going around the valley, and continuing south?" asks the war engineer who is from the Harkonin fief in the east of the kingdom of Druvic.
"No" replies the highly skilled swordmaster who continues with "They'd harassed us from the rear and the flanks if we did that" the mage Reinholt then adds "And with them outnumbering us, that would be problematic".
Mira Reinholt nods his hooded head towards the otherside of the valley to the enemy's position, and says "A battle that goes our way here is our best chance to advance deeper into the duchy. Especially with the roads apparently in good condition further south of here".
Tovis nods in understanding. For he knows that's the reason a lot of the war machines, especially the siege towers, came south with this particular army.
As the roads here further to the west in the duchy of Phelm, are better the further south you go. Especially once you get closer to, and reach the city of Savariss. The northern most city in the kingdom of Nastell.
The war engineer is just about to say something, when a warning shout comes from one of the spellcasters further to the left along the palisades.
The mage Reinholt, who is permanently shielded thanks to an amulet he wears on a chain around his neck. Slams up a barrier spell around himself and the young engineer from the kingdom of Druvic.
Just thirty feet away from them, a bolt of lightning strikes the palisade. Sending wood flying, and flinging a couple of soldiers backwards off the bulwark. Sending them over the trench behind the palisade, to hit the ground beyond that.
Tovis glances at the councillor beside him. And he can see the once powerful mage, who is looking across to the south side of the valley. Is itching to do something in retaliation against the enemy.
But the war engineer knows the Vexilian mage in exile is holding himself back. So that he can surprise the spellcasters in duke Hargen's army on the otherside of the valley, when the time is right.
"Hmmm"murmurs Tovis, who then says "I'll have to get some more of the corp down here to repair that section of the palisade". As a field surgeon, and one of the spellcasters in robber baron Markell's army check on the two soldiers who were flung off the bulwark.
While another spellcaster, this one in the Farqian mercenary army. Who is further up the hill, on one of the viewing platforms. Sends a fairly decent sized energyball southwards towards the enemy.
"That" says Mira Reinholt with a nod of his hooded head at the ten foot wide energyball heading south across the valley "Is going to hit them".
It's not too long before the energyball slams into the enemy lines. Exploding, sending dirt, rock, and wood flying where it strikes one of the enemy palisades. This one further up the hill from the very front of their lines.
"That will make them a bit more cautious" dryly says the once powerful mage.
The war engineer Tovis nods his head in agreement. Then he looks back up to the viewing platform that the energyball came from. And he sees that it was his second in command, the sorcerer Larris who sent the ten foot wide ball of red magical energy into the enemy battlelines.
The young engineer waves to his second, who spots him and waves back.
Next to the war engineer, the mage Reinholt is slightly frowning, as he's pretty sure he can hear something from within the enemy lines across on the otherside of the valley.
"Is that cheering?" asks Tovis a few moments later as he hears something too from the enemy army. "I think so" quietly says the exiled Vexilian swordmaster, who after a pause adds "Which is a little odd considering Larris just blew up a fair chunk of one of their palisades".
"That is a little odd" quietly says the war engineer in the Farqian mercenary army, who then asks the member of the personal council of the lord and ruler of the lands Farque "What could it mean?".
"The only time an army really cheers is if it's won a battle, or something significant has happened" explains Mira Reinholt the mage who continues with "And neither one of those have happened".
The once powerful mage is silent for a few moments, then he quietly adds "The only other time is if someone has turned up and joined their ranks" the mage Reinholt briefly pauses before adding in a thoughtful tone "Someone important".
"You think that's happened?" quietly asks Tovis the war engineer, the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, nods his hooded head yes for an answer . . . . . .