The Hire 41.

In The North Of The Kingdom Of Nastell...

Lisell Maera wakes up to the sound of something nearby. The attractive young woman from the city-state of Vexil turns her head, and finds Gergus the robber baron asleep next to her, with an arm over her naked midriff, as sunlight pours down through the branches above her.
The runner in the mercenary army from the lands Farque faintly smiles as she recalls the events that ended their night.
Then once again, she hears whatever it is that's close by.
Not wanting to face whatever it is that's nearby, half naked.
Lisell Maera, or Lis as she's more commonly called, moves out from beneath the comforting arm of the robber baron.
Then slips on her tunic and breaches. And then she shakes Gergus by the shoulder to wake him up.
As his eyes open, she holds up a finger to remain silent, and nods in the direction she has heard something.
The robber baron sits up, and pulls on his leggings and his tunic. All thoughts of what happened at the end of the night disappears.
As he thinks of what happened earlier in the night, and throughout yesterday.
Gergus grimaces as he thinks of his lost brother inlaw, Hammind. Then he grimaces again as he looks at his sword belt. Which is minus his sword and scabbard. Which were lost in the river last night.
All he has is a hand axe, and a dagger to protect himself.
While Lis has her crossbow, which was safe as it was strapped to her back. But she has no quarrels for it.
Nor does she have her sword. As that too was lost in the river, when she jumped into it.
But she does have a dagger on her belt, which she takes in hand. As they both hear something approaching. Something rather large.
The robber baron, one of five from the unruled lands to the north of the kingdom of Nastell, who have banded together to wage war upon duke Hargen and the duchy of Phelm.
Gets into a crouch as he takes his small axe to hand.
Memories of yesterday and last night, fleeing from the the land dragons fresh in their minds.
The two of them look around for a way to flee, and heading back to the incline behind them, that leads down into the gorge and the river might be their best option.
And just as Gergus is about to nod his head in that direction. The thick lower branches of two trees just infront of them parts.
Lisell Maera grins and puts a restraining hand on the left arm of Gergus the robber baron and quietly tells him "It's alright, he's a friend".
Looking sideways at the attractive young woman he laid with at the end of the eventful night, the robber baron Gergus murmurs "You sure?" followed a moment later by "Because that's the biggest damn dog I've ever seen".
Lis grins again, and says "Hi Axe". The undead wardog Axe barks a few times, wags his stubby black tail, then sits down on his haunches, and watches the two of them.
The runner in the Farqian mercenary army can easily identify the two undead wardogs lord Farque has brought with him.
Simply by looking at their heads. For though the two of them are almost identical in size and colour. Axe's head is slightly more pointed. While his brother, Hammer's head is slightly broader.
The robber baron is a little sceptical of Lis saying the massive canine is a friend. After all it's the size of a horse, and looks like it could easily bite him in two.
Not to mention the look in it's eyes as it watches them. Which is far more intelligent than Gergus has seen in the eyes of any other animal or creature he's ever encountered.
Seeing the scepticism on the face of the man who made love to her last night.
Lisell Maera quietly says to the robber baron "He's one of my lord's dogs". Gergus slowly nods as the attractive young woman he slept with quietly adds "He won't harm you" she quickly follows that with "Just don't touch him though".
Axe who has got up and softly barked a few times at the mention of his master.
Then approaches the two of them, and he sniffs at the robber baron, before moving back and sitting back down again.
After slightly gulping, Gergus clears his throat, then quietly asks Lis "If i did touch him?".
"He'd probably bite your arm off" dryly says the runner in the armies of Farque, who continues with "So i wouldn't do it if i was you".
The robber baron nods, then stands up as Lisell Maera has done. Even standing he finds the massive dog, whilst sitting, is taller than him.
Then after he gives the attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury a lingering look, Gergus quietly asks her "Now what?".
Knowing that the robber baron is referring to more than their current predicament. Lis decides to take things safe, and answer that instead of the underlying question.
She gestures at the massive shape of Axe, and says "Go with him i suppose" then she says to the undead wardog "Axe do you want us to go with you?". The Farqian wardog gets up and barks once.
"Once means yes, and two barks means no" the runner in the mercenary army from the lands Farque quietly says to Gergus.
She continues with "The lord and those who are the dog's handlers can communicate with them, but that's all i know".
"Makes sense" murmurs the robber baron in a quizzical tone, who then adds "I guess".
They look at the massive canine, who has turned and is looking back at them, clearly expecting them to follow him.
Axe pushes through the branches he appeared from. And Lis gestures for Gergus to follow after the undead wardog.
"We're safe with him" quietly says the attractive young woman who is originally from the coastal city-state of Brattonbury "Nothing can harm him" adds the runner in the Farqian mercenary army, who continues in a slightly dry tone with "And anything that gets in his way ends up dead".
"I can well imagine" murmurs the robber baron, who ducks, and pushes through the branches that Axe went through, while Lisell Maera follows behind him.
Suddenly Gergus exclaims "Fuck" and he staggers back into Lis after she's just pushed through the last of the branches.
The robber baron finds himself eye to eye with a land dragon. Then as Lisell Maera asks him "What is it?" he realises it's the head of a land dragon, that's obviously been ripped from the rest of it's body.
Lis steps around Gergus, and seeing the head of the land dragon, she looks around and spots Axe nearby, rolling around on his back, growling in pleasure.
"Did you do that Axe?" asks the messenger in the mercenary army from the lands Farque, who is pretty certain what the answer will be.
The undead wardog rolls over, then stands up, and barks once.
"Are there anymore of them around?" asks Lis pointing at the head of the land dragon, then she quickly adds "Alive?".
The massive animal barks twice in satisfaction, wagging his stubby tail as he does so.
"See" dryly says Lisell Maera to the robber baron "I told you he'd kill anything that gets in his way" adds the attractive young woman who hails from the coast of the Southlands.
"So i see" murmurs Gergus, who watches as the fifteen hundred pound canine, who stands over six and half foot tall at the shoulder.
Wanders over, and grabs the head of the land dragon between his jaws, even though it must easily weigh a couple hundred pounds.
He gives it a shake a few times, growling in content. Then with it still in his maw, he trots away. He stops and looks back at the two humans.
"We'd better follow him" says Lis, who suspects lord Farque sent Axe to find her after she was separated from the patrol led by the cavalry commander Darid Parsen during the attack upon the village of Dalbar Falls, where the enemy had a warcamp.
They follow after the undead wardog, who leads them westwards. With Axe biffing the head of the land dragon away every so often, then to run after it and retrieve it, as he plays a game of fetch by himself.
While Lis and Gergus follow behind him. The two of them are silent for the most part. Saying little, and of little importance too.
Until the robber baron from the unruled lands to the north of the kingdom of Nastell brings up the topic of what happened late last night after they got to safety, once they got out of the river.
"About last night" quietly says Gergus, who is interrupted by Lis saying "You don't have to mention anything about it".
The robber baron looks at her as they walk side by side, then he quietly says "It wasn't just a". "I know" quietly says the attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury as she interrupts him again, she then adds "You don't have to explain".
Gergus slightly nods, then he briefly clasps the left hand of Lis. Before letting it go when Axe runs back in their direction after going to fetch the head of the dead land dragon he tossed away again.
The undead wardog leads them out from the trees they've been walking through. And they find they've been walking along this side of the gorge.
Which eventually gives way, with the river bank on this side, being not that far above the level of the water.
The two of them refill their water bottles, then continue after Axe. Who is now biffing the head of the land dragon into the swift moving river, and retrieving it, as much as he throws it onto the ground on this side of the river.
The massive animal easily retrieves the head of the land dragon whenever he biffs it into the river.
Gergus is amazed at how powerful the massive canine is through the fast flowing water, and mentions this to Lis.
She doesn't even tell him that Axe can move way more quicker and powerfully than has been so far on this clear and sunny, not to mention hot day.
The runner in the Farqian mercenary army doubts the robber baron would believe her. Unless he saw it for himself.
As they walk, they often look across to the otherside of the river. Where that side is still fairly high, as it's still part of the gorge. Which they jumped from during the night.
Around mid morning, Gergus frowns as he spots something on the otherside of the gorge. And as they approach it from this side, the robber baron mutters "Hell" and comes to a stop.
Lis stops beside him, and looks to the otherside of the river. Which is about eighty feet across here. And the gorge wall is about forty feet high over on that side.
Strewn across it, are parts of land dragons. How many, they're not too sure. But probably between six and ten.
Axe has trotted back to them after retrieving the land dragon head again. A head that's been chewed all over, and is more than a little bedraggled, and soaked after being tossed into the river so many times.
"Did you do that Axe?" asks Lis pointing across to the otherside of the river, she's not surprised when the undead wardog barks once in reply.
He seems happy with what he's done, as he stands there, looking across to the otherside of the river, growling in contentment as his stubby tail wags from side to side.
The robber baron Gergus after glancing at Axe, he looks back across the river, and he quietly says "I wonder if he saw" he can't quite finish what he wants to say.
The messenger in the mercenary army from the lands Farque knows Gergus is thinking of his brother inlaw Hammind.
The attractive young woman from the coast of the Southlands, says in elven which she knows Axe can understand "You didn't happen to see a man over on that side of the river did you Axe?".
Lis then describes the robber baron's brother inlaw Hammind. Lord Farque's wardog replies in the negative.
Lisell Maera slightly winces, then she quietly tells Gergus "He didn't see him at all".
The robber baron grimaces when he hears that, then he looks away from the otherside of the river. And starts walking in the way they've been heading.
Axe glances at Lis, and softly whines "It's alright boy" quietly says the runner in the Farqian mercenary army in the elven language, she then adds "He's lost someone close to him".
She sets off after the robber baron. Then after a moment, Axe with the rather mauled looking head of a land dragon firmly in the grasp of his jaws. Takes off, and runs by the two humans, as he continues to lead them westwards.
It's near to midday, when Gergus finally speaks again, and mentions that he's more than a little hungry.
Lisell Maera is too, as they didn't have anything to eat all yesterday, and most of the day before that too.
Axe hears this, and he trots back to them, and dumps the head of the land dragon right in their path.
The massive canine then rolls it towards them with his nose.
"Er" says the robber baron, while the attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury says "Ah thanks awfully Axe, but we can't eat that" as the two of them look at the offering from lord Farque's wardog.
Axe looks a little disappointingly at the land dragon's head. Then after he looks around, he picks it up between his jaws, and trots away. Looking back in his way, to make sure Lis and Gergus follow him.
They do, and he leads them away from the river. Where a few hundred yards away, they get amongst some trees again.
The undead wardog dumps the head of the land dragon, then barks and yips a few times at the two humans.
Then he looks at the head of the land dragon, and growls at it, and barks loudly at it, before he looks back at the attractive young woman and the robber baron.
"Ah we'll keep an eye on it Axe" says Lisell Maera, who continues with "Make sure it doesn't go anywhere".
The undead wardog barks in satisfaction, then he turns and he takes off running between the trees.
Gergus blinks in surprise as the massive animal is gone from sight. He thinks he sees a blur of motion in the distance. But he can't see Axe anywhere now.
"I guess we wait for him now" says Lis who takes a seat upon a log, Gergus sits down beside her. Gently taking her left hand is his right.
The messenger in armies of Farque knows all about the reputation of the robber baron sitting beside her. How he even has children to a number of different woman in the parts of the unruled lands to the north of the kingdom of Nastell, that he lays claim to.
Even though she knew that, she still let him couple with her last night. Something she has never willingly done before in her life. For in the past, as a young girl, and a teenager, she was taken against her will.
He was in need, and frankly so was she. After their near death experience yesterday and last night as they fled the pursuing land dragons, which ended with the wild ride in the swift moving river, which they both barely got out of.
"Lisell" quietly says Gergus, who turns to her, then tentatively kisses her. Which she responds to.
After a few moments, they move their heads back, and find that they're both smiling.
Lis is about to kiss the robber baron again, when she spots a dark blur coming towards them, from the direction Axe took off in.
"He's coming back" quietly says the attractive young woman from the coast of the Southlands.
Though Gergus remains seated beside Lis, he lets her hand ago. And a moment later, Axe comes into view, with a dead deer between his jaws.
It's infact a stag, which he places on the ground infront of the two of them. Then barks a few times.
"Why thank you Axe" says Lisell Maera, who nudges Gergus, who adds "Ah yes thanks".
The undead wardog barks a few times, then he wanders over to the head of the land dragon, lies down and starts gnawing on it.
"Well i guess i can dress it" says the robber baron looking at the dead stag, that died of fright when Axe ran at it.
"You think it'll be safe for a fire?" asks Gergus, who then dryly adds "I don't fancy eating it raw".
"I'm sure it'll be safe" says Lis who nods over to where Axe is gnawing on the head of a dead land dragon.
The two of them get up off the log they've been sitting on, and after grinning at one another at the situation they're in. Gergus takes his dagger from his belt, and starts to field dress the stag, while Lisell Maera goes around collecting wood for a cook fire . . . . . .