The Hire 37.

The Duchy Of Phelm. The Kingdom Of Nastell...

Commander Berric, along with his subcommander Omrick. Make sure to keep duke Hargen well away from the fighting throughout the night.
The commander of the duke's personal guard has a number of his men positioned in and around the duke's tent, which is at the rear of the warcamp. Up and over the hill, that looks down into the valley that the enemy has attacked across.
Berric, who is a swordmaster. Might of kept the duke well away from the fighting. But along with his subcommander Omrick, and quite a few of their company.
They've pitched in and helped the duke's army, defend this side, the southern side of the valley. That the enemy, the army of the robber barons of the unruled lands to the north of the kingdom of Nastell, are attacking.
And although they're not technically part of the duke's army. And are specifically his personal guard. Their help is much appreciated by the two who lead the duke's army. General Yarmane, and lord Chesié.
Even though many of their nobleborn senior staff, don't particularly care for the common born commander of the duke's personal guard.
After helping out amongst the battlelines towards the front. Which have been breached and broken a number of times by the enemy.
Who have only been repulsed due to the superior numbers that the duke's army has over them.
Commander Berric heads uphill, and gets a bite to eat. Before he hops into one of the trenches towards the top of the hill, and gets some sleep.
The commander doesn't know how long he sleeps for. What he does know is that he's woken up by his subcommander with a shake to his shoulder, sometime before dawn.
"We're still holding i gather?" asks commander Berric after yawning, then taking a drink from his water bottle.
"Barely" is the dry sounding reply from subcommander Omrick, who gives his commander a hand, to help him up and out of the trench he's been sleeping in.
The swordmaster Berric, looks to one side, and in the light of false dawn, he sees a number of his company standing nearby.
Then the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard looks downhill to their battlelines, and into the valley below.
"I see those war machines of their's that were on fire are finally out" quietly says the swordmaster, whose younger brother is the captain of the castle guard back in the city of Savariss.
"We've destroyed another one, and damaged one other as well" says Omrick, who then details to his commander, how the battle has been going as he slept.
Duke Hargen's personal guard commander is silent as he listens to his subcommander, as he tells him what's been happening.
And how their battlelines have been breached a few more times. And the enemy have only just been able to be repulsed.
Especially the last time, as they got quite a way up the hill, almost up to a trenchline more than halfway up this side of valley. Before they were either killed, or pushed back down to the floor of the valley.
"They've got quite a few dwarves with them, and they can fight a hell of a lot better than us at night" says subcommander Omrick, who continues with "We haven't got that many dwarven or elven mercenaries with us here".
The commander nods his head in understanding, as he knows that their army further to the east in the duchy. The one led by general Palamé, have most of the non human mercenaries with them.
"Might of been a bit of an oversight not to spread out the non human mercenaries a bit more between the three armies" quietly says Omrick, the subcommander of duke Hargen's personal guard.
"Too late now" quietly says the swordmaster Berric, who after a pause, asks his subcommander "What else?".
Omrick continues on with his explanation of what's been happening during the latter part of the night. In the battle that's raged on the valley floor, and amongst the frontlines of duke Hargen's army.
The army of his that's furthest west of the three that's defending the north of his duchy, the duchy of Phelm.
Commander Berric slightly frowns as his subcommander tells him "I don't know what it is, but their war machines and their crews are a hell of lot better than we thought they could ever be" Omrick continues with "Their rate of fire is better than ours, as is their range, and that includes the wagon mounted ballistas they've brought forward".
"Both the general, and sir Chesié suspect they've hired foreign mercenaries, who have their own war machines" quietly says the subcommander "I wouldn't be surprised, considering how many foreign mercenaries we've hired as well" says commander Berric, who then pauses as he thinks of something.
The commander of duke Hargen's personal guard as he looks down into the valley, where he can just make out the silhouettes of some of the enemy war machines in the near darkness of false dawn.
Quietly says to his subcommander "With them having some many dwarven warriors with them, i suspect it's Markell and his army we're facing".
"It is" says subcommander Omrick, who continues with "At least that's what the general believes" he then adds "And considering how many spellcasters they're supposed to have, the general along with lord Chesié, think it's Markell we're up against".
Commander Berric nods his head, as that stands to reason. For it's common knowledge that the robber baron Markell likes to have spellcasters with him during battle.
Added to the fact, that his part of the unruled lands, is the part furthest north out of the five robber barons who have banded together to wage war upon the duchy of Phelm, and duke Hargen.
And that in that area of the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains, a number of dwarven clans are located. With their clanholds in the area that the robber baron Markell has claimed.
"A little odd that Markell would have so many foreign mercenaries with him" quietly says commander Berric, who then adds "If it was Solomard and young Gergus i could understand" he continues with "And if it was Almard and that old windbag Larimer, I'd be worried, as those two hate outriders. Hell, Larimer doesn't particularly like the other robber barons that much".
The commander of duke Hargen's personal guard falls silent for a few moments, then he quietly says "But Markell".
"What is it?" asks subcommander Omrick "I'm not entirely sure" murmurs the swordmaster who commands duke Hargen's personal guard.
The commander is silent for a few moments, then gestures down to the valley and quietly says "Markell isn't as solid or competent in war as old Larimer. Nor is he as forward thinking or daring as Gergus" he then adds "He's just, well Markell".
Subcommander Omrick is silent, and just nods his head, as he knows his commander will get to what he's explaining fairly quickly.
"But here he is with his army, pushing us hard, and getting through our lines a number of times already" quietly says the swordmaster Berric, who continues with "And we outnumber him by what?" he then adds "Two thousand men, nearly two and half thousand?".
Subcommander Omrick nods at that, then his commander quietly says "And this all at night too, and not during the day".
Omrick quietly asks the swordmaster who leads duke Hargen's personal guard "What could it mean?".
"I'm not entirely sure" quietly says commander Berric, who then adds "But" he pause for a moment or two, before quietly continuing with "I don't think it's Markell who is leading them here".
Omrick's eyes go wide at that, as he like his commander. And nearly everyone else in the north of the kingdom of Nastell. Especially here in the duchy of Phelm. Know what an independent lot the robber barons of the unruled lands of the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains are.
It's a bit of an anomaly that five of them have decided to band together to mount a campaign against duke Hargen and the duchy of Phelm.
So that the suggestion that someone else might actually be leading one of their armies. Is totally against what is known about the robber barons, and the way they do things.
With a wave of his hand in the direction of the enemy, commander Berric says "Oh I've no doubt that it's Markell's army we're facing, and that he's down there with them" the swordmaster briefly pauses, then adds "But with the way things are going, he's not the one leading them".
"Come on" says the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard, who continues with "We need to speak with general Yarmane and lord Chesié".
Subcommander Omrick gestures away to their right, and says "They're on one of the viewing platforms this way". The commander nods for his second to lead the way.
And they, along with those of their company who are nearby. Head across the face of the hill, to where general Yarmane and lord Chesié have been watching the battle.
As they walk, commander Berric can hear the sounds of the battle from down in the valley.
The shouts and screams, of soldiers and mercenaries on both sides of the conflict are to the fore. Along with the clash of weapons against weapons, and armour and shields.
It's interposed with the sound of war machines launching their loads. Occasionally with the thud of something fairly heavy hitting the ground, or the bulwarks and palisades that make up the frontlines of duke Hargen's army.
Those thuds are easy to differentiate from the thud of an explosion caused by spellcraft. Which for the most part, one can also see.
As commander spots the viewing platform up ahead in the fading darkness of false dawn, before the growing light of pre dawn.
He hears a thud, that's definitely magical in nature come from down towards the front of the duke's army.
The swordmaster Berric looks downhill, and slightly grimaces as he even in the fading darkness. He can see a substantial size chuck in one of the bulwarks and palisades, being tossed into the air.
It must be a near fifty foot long section of one of the palisades and bulwarks that's been destroyed. With much of the debris landing in the trenchline that's directly behind that particular palisade.
"Hell" mutters subcommander Omrick, who then adds "That's a definitive breach in our frontline" as he's also seen what's just happened.
So has someone on the viewing platform they're approaching. As an order comes from it, and a few moments later a number of soldiers and mercenaries head downhill, to help hold that particular battleline that's just been partially damaged.
Commander Berric along with his subcommander climb up onto the viewing platform. While those of their company who are with them, remain down on the ground. Either to the side, or behind the viewing platform.
Spotting general Yarmane, the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard, and his subcommander make their way over to the general, who like the commander is common born.
"Morning" says general Yarmane by way of greeting, the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard responds in kind, and adds "Well almost" as he nods to the east, where there's a faint line of light on the horizon, as it approaches dawn.
Then after looking around, the swordmaster Berric asks "Where's lord Chesié?".
"Up in the camp" is the reply of the general, who continues with "He went and got some sleep. I've just sent a runner up to go and wake him".
Berric nods, and looks downhill to their frontlines, and to the floor of the valley, and he quietly says to one of the leaders of the duke's army in this part of the duchy "They're not really letting up are they?".
"They're aren't" says general Yarmane, who continues with "Infact I'd say they're intensifying their attack".
The swordmaster nods his head in agreement to that, then he quietly tells the common born general "There's something i need to tell you?".
"What is it?" quietly asks the general, who nods his head to the side, and the two of them step towards the edge of the platform "It can wait until lord Chesié gets here, you both need to know" quietly says the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard.
General Yarmane nods, then he frowns as his senior spellcaster seems to be arguing with a runner about something.
"Kades, what is it?" asks the general "General" says the wizard Kades, who turns to the common born general, and those officers standing in his path, get out of the way, as he makes his way over to the general, and the swordmaster.
"Something amiss?" asks the senior most military officer in this army of the duchy of Phelm "Just that this runner has sent a message from the sorcerer Daninc i find hard to believe" says the wizard. "Oh?" says general Yarmane, while commander Berric watches in silence.
The wizard, who is of the opinion that the sorcerer, who is fairly young and inexperienced in warfare, must be mistaken. And he tells the general why.
"Daninc informs me that there's a mage amongst the enemy" says the wizard, the senior spellcaster in this particular army of the duchy of Phelm, continues with "He says that last big explosion that blew a hole in our frontlines was caused by a mageglobe that he spotted".
Slightly frowning, commander Berric speaks up and says "I'm no expert on the matter, but aren't mages all powerful" he then adds "At least wise, that's what I've always heard about them".
Slightly bowing to the swordmaster, the wizard Kades says "The commander is correct" he continues on with "If they had a mage, well" the wizard briefly pauses, before adding "Half of this hillside would of been blown up by now, and half of us with it".
The wizard follows that up with "Not to mention every single spellcaster in our army would of sensed a mage approaching from miles away" he then adds in a rather dry tone of voice "They're not exactly known for their subtlety".
The general nods his head, as he too has heard this about mages. Then he looks over to another of his officers, who is speaking with another runner who has just arrived at the viewing platform.
"General another report of these soldiers in the black uniforms" says the officer after speaking with the runner.
Commander Berric frowns when he hears that, and he shares a look with his subcommander Omrick, who has also frowned after hearing what the officer just said.
The swordmaster who is the commander of the personal guard to duke Hargen, is just about to mention to general Yarmane that what he has to say, might be in relation to that runner's message.
When suddenly one of the lookouts loudly says "There's a ball of light heading this way!" he looks around for the wizard Kades, spots him, then adds "It doesn't look like a spell, it's quite small sir".
"Where?" asks the wizard who moves towards the front of the platform where the lookouts are.
"There sir" says the lookout who points towards what he's spotted, a small ball of light, coming across the valley floor, heading more or less in a straight line in this direction.
"I can't sense anything" murmurs the wizard Kades, who then spots in the semi darkness of pre dawn what the lookout points out.
The wizard frowns as he watches it for a few moments, then he suddenly exclaims "Shit!" and says in a tone of shock and disbelief "Mageglobe!".
He turns and yells "Flee!" to those upon the viewing platform, as he slams up a barrier spell as the small ball of red light, heads uphill towards them.
Commander Berric doesn't waste anytime, he just jumps off the back of the viewing platform. As does his subcommander Omrick. They hit the ground, and take off running.
The small red ball of living magic that's about the size of a large apple. Increases in speed, and flies straight at the viewing platform. And at the last moment, in suddenly drops downwards, and goes into the ground, right beneath it.
For the wizard Kades, like almost all spellcasters. Put his wards up all around him and the platform, except beneath him. An often common, and lethal mistake by spellcasters.
Commander Berric is flung forward from the fairly large explosion somewhere behind him as he runs up the hill.
The commander of duke Hargen's personal guard goes flying forward a good twenty five feet, before he hits the ground. He groans in pain as he rolls over, glad to be alive.
Berric looks to his left, and sees his subcommander Omrick lying nearby, groaning as he tries to sit up.
The swordmaster Berric lies there, looking up at the dull sky of pre dawn, takes a deep breath, then mutters "Fuck" . . . . . .