The Hire 45.

The Colevar Mountains. The Southern Reaches. The Kingdom Of Nastell. The Duchy Of Phelm...

They ride throughout the afternoon, and into the early evening without stopping. They finally stop late at night, when one of the scouts in the patrol, reappears.
The cavalry commander Darid Parsen reins in, and looks at the water elemental spouter Zaneff, who tells him "Halvíc isn't all that far away" followed by "Just under a couple of miles further south".
"Lead the way" says Darid Parsen, who then quietly tells his second in command, Kalleb "Have the patrol dismount" followed by "We go ahead on foot".
The order to dismount is given, and the cavalry patrol get out of the saddle. Then make their way southwards on foot, with the scout Zaneff leading the way, on what's a clear summer's night. That has two of the moons of Volunell up in the night sky, and it's still not midnight.
The cavalry commander Darid Parsen, who is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra, by the name of Zubutai Timaginson, who happens to find himself inhabiting the body of commander Parsen.
Walks beside the water elemental from the lands Farque. Who has been out infront of the patrol all day, and now at night.
"Some of them have definitely shown up from their defeat to field commander Drubine's army early this morning" quietly says the water elemental spouter, he continues with "All on horseback by the looks of it".
Commander Parsen nods his head, as he suspected as much. That some of the enemy would turn up at Halvíc after being defeated in the battle, further to the west and north.
At the hands of the army under command of the young field commander in the Farqian mercenary army, Tamric Drubine.
"Those on foot, must be on the road further west" quietly says Darid aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman, whose advanced cavalry patrol. Has been off the road they've been using since late this afternoon.
They've been traveling cross country since late in the afternoon. As they knew that had to cut to the southwest across the hills, if they were to get anywhere near the enemy staging grounds at Halvíc.
"Heading straight south to the city of Savariss" adds the cavalry commander, who is from the kingdom of Druvic. The spouter nods his head in agreement, then quietly says "It's going to be a right, royal mess down there". "That's for sure" murmurs Darid Parsen in agreement.
For earlier this afternoon, a messenger rode forward from their army. To inform them that another of duke Hargen's army, this one even further to the west in the duchy of Phelm.
Was also defeated in battle, some time early this morning. Defeated by the army that has come down from the unruled lands north of the kingdom of Nastell. An army led by another of the Farqian field commanders. Field commander Talbot.
"What's the layout of Halvíc?" quietly asks the cavalry commander as the patrol makes it's way through some trees "And how do things stand there?" adds Darid aka Zubutai Timaginson.
Commander Parsen listens in silence as the lead scout of the patrol explains to him how things fare with the enemy at the staging grounds of Halvíc.
A castle, that has a town infront of it. And off to one side, open fields which the enemy have been using as their staging grounds in this part of the duchy.
Many of those who had been there, went north to join their army, that ended up being defeated in battle early in the morning, by the army led by the young field commander Tamric Drubine.
From what the spouter Zaneff has been able to scout out. There was very few of the duke's men who had remained in Halvíc with the exception of the castle garrison.
And now a few hundred mounted soldiers from the army defeated by commander Drubine's army. Have turned up over the late afternoon and into the night.
Some have already left, heading no doubt, southwards to the city of Savariss. But most have remained in Halvíc for the night. Most likely to leave early tomorrow morning.
"No doubt they'll expect some of field commander Drubine's army to come down the road they've used" quietly says the cavalry commander Parsen once Zaneff has told him of what's happening at nearby Halvíc.
Darid aka Zubutai the son of Timagin, who is letting the water elemental pick out the way forward, for the simple reason his nightvision is a hell of lot better than his own.
"They won't know of our army coming this way across country" adds the cavalry commander, who fifteen months ago was a foot soldier in the army of lady Linara Lé Dic, in the east of the kingdom Druvic.
Until he was killed in a battle there. And he was brought back to life, with Zubutai the barbarian hordesman in possession of his body.
"You might be able to see it just up ahead through these trees" quietly says Zaneff the water elemental, who like his commander, is speaking in the elven language.
The second language of many if not most in the armies of Farque. For if you don't already know it. You are taught it in the armies of the nation named after the Farque family.
Darid Parsen peers through the trees ahead, and in the distance in the night he spots lights. From torches and lamps no doubt. From towards the top of the towers in the walled castle. Which he can just make out the outline of.
The town infront of it, is out of view at the moment. As there's another hill, partially in the way between here and Halvíc.
They make their way to the next hill along, and there on the side away from Halvíc. They tether their horses, and set up camp.
As the patrol does so, commander Parsen, his second in command Kalleb, the scouts Zaneff and Varric. As well as two others in the patrol. Head up to the top of the hill, to observe the castle and town of Halvíc this night.
"Too many for us to take on i guess" quietly says Darid's second Kalleb a little while later as he passes the magical eyepiece back to his commander.
Looking through the brass, cylindrical eyepiece, that at night, gives the person looking through it, an image that's green tinged, where anything that's bright, like lamp light and torch light, being a brighter greenish, white in colour.
Darid Parsen nods his head in agreement with his second in command. Then the cavalry officer who is a member of the personal council of lord Farque. Gives the two other soldiers who have come up to the top of the hill their orders.
A few moments later they're heading down the backside of the hill, to collect their mounts. They're soon heading back the way the patrol has come from.
As they're heading back to their army, who is led by the field commander in the Farqian mercenary army, field commander Leivyn.
"We wait?" quietly asks the second in command Kalleb "We wait" is the reply of commander Parsen who figures the army will turn up some time in the morning.
Darid aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman then details shifts of the cavalry troopers to observe the castle and town of Halvíc, and the enemy throughout the rest of the night.
Then he heads back down to the camp, to get something to eat and to rest. As the cavalry commander lies down upon his bedroll after having something cold to eat on this warm summer's night in northern Nastell.
He looks up at the stars in the sky, and wonders how the others he knows personally in the mercenary army from the lands Farque are faring. Especially the missing runner Lisell Maera.
The member of the personal council of the lord and ruler of the lands Farque is soon asleep as he wonders how the others in the groups he traveled with previously are doing.
Darid Parsen is woken just before dawn by his second in command.
Yawning, the cavalry commander asks his second "Anything happen there?".
"Not much" replies Kalleb, who continues with "Just some more rode in during the night" the second in command of the mounted patrol, then adds "We counted another thirty two" followed by "The last of which was a while ago".
After using a nearby bucket of water to freshen up. One of the advantages of having a water elemental with your patrol. Is that you always have water. As they can find it anywhere. Even in the dry hills here in the southern reaches in the north of the duchy of Phelm.
Then after he and Kalleb get a quick bite to eat, which consists of two day old bread and trail rations. The cavalry commander and his second in command head up the hill.
Once at the top they hunker down, and observe the castle and town of Halvíc in the darkness before dawn.
"The scouts?" asks Darid aka Zubutai Timaginson "Varric and a few of the others are on perimeter patrol behind us commander" is the reply of one the troopers who has been observing Halvíc in the last little while.
She then gestures down to the castle and town that's less than half a mile away, and continues with "After Zaneff woke, he went down there to snoop around again".
Commander Parsen nods his head when he hears this. For if there's one person in the patrol he really doesn't have to worry about it. It's the scout Zaneff. As the water elemental can definitely take care of himself no matter the situation.
As the darkness of the very end of the night starts to give way to the faint light of dawn. On what feels like it will be another clear, and hot summer's day.
A smattering of fine water droplets appear next to the those on top of the hill, observing the nearby town and castle of Halvíc, and the open ground to the west of it, that duke Hargen's army in this part of the duchy have been using as staging grounds.
The water droplets turn into the scout Zaneff, who once in human form quietly says "Morning".
The water elemental spouter from the coast of the lands Farque, who has been into both the town and castle of Halvíc just a little while ago.
Informs the cavalry commander what the enemy in Halvíc are up to at the moment.
"Hmmm over three hundred and fifty more of them going down to Savariss wouldn't be good" murmurs Darid Parsen after Zaneff informs him of the plans of the enemy in Halvíc.
"And the townsfolk?" asks the cavalry commander who then adds "And the castle servants?". "They're not privy to the enemy's plans" replies the lead scout in the patrol, who continues with "They'll be left to fend for themselves".
"Figures" mutters Darid aka Zubutai the son of Timagin, who hopes that the army led by field commander Leivyn turns up pretty soon.
If not, then he and his patrol, who number just forty. Will have to find some way to stop an enemy force nearly ten times larger than their own. From riding out of Halvíc, and heading south to the city of Savariss.
"There isn't any significant body of water near the road that goes south is there?" quietly asks commander Parsen to his lead scout, as behind them to the east, the faint light of dawn can just be seen on the horizon.
The water elemental spouter, who has already thought about this, as he figured the cavalry commander would probably ask him about it.
Quietly says "There's a river near it, and i might be able to flood the road for a bit so that it can't be used" he briefly pauses before adding "But, there's a pretty low hill to the otherside of the road there, that'll be pretty easy for them to ride up and over, to get further along the road where they can rejoin it" Zaneff then says "There's no cover there for us to attack from near there too".
"Ah shit" mutters Darid Parsen in the hordes dialect of the southern tundra, which causes his second in command Kalleb to grin, as he knows a little bit of the dialect of the people who live on the tundra to the south of the lands Farque.
The member of lord Farque's personal council slightly sighs as the dark sky to the east slowly lightens as dawn starts to take effect on a new day.
He's just about to his ask his second Kalleb and his lead scout Zaneff, if they've got any ideas. When the water elemental spouter looks quickly behind them and says "One of Varric's squad is riding in fast".
They look back down the hill, and across in the direction of the next hill to the east. And there they can just make out a rider coming out of the woods there.
Our army? Darid aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman thinks to himself, who then silently adds, or something else?
The cavalry commander, his second, and his lead scout head back downhill. While the others still upon the top of the hill, continue to observe the nearby town and castle.
"Councilor" says the trooper who has just ridden in once he reins up.
Darid Parsen's eyebrows rise, as his patrol normally refer to him as commander and not as councilor.
"You better see this" adds the trooper, one of the youngest in the cavalry patrol in the part of the Farqian mercenary army led by field commander Leivyn.
The commander and his second get onto their mounts, and ride with the trooper who has just come in. The water elemental spouter remains on foot as they head to the hill just to the east.
As dawn turns the sky lighter to the east, councilor Parsen as they approach the woods on and around the hill they're riding towards at a canter. Slows down as he spots the other scout Varric and the rest of his squad riding out from the trees at a walk.
A few moments later and Darid Parsen reins up, as does his second in command Kalleb and the young trooper with them. While Zaneff reappears beside them.
As they all see a large shape moving through the trees behind Varric and his squad. The water elemental spouter Zaneff grins as he can already see what, and who it is.
"By the tundra gods" murmurs Darid aka Zubutai Timaginson in the hordes dialect of the southern tundra, who then says in the common language "That's Axe".
As the massive form of the undead wardog Axe walks out from beneath the trees.
Commander Parsen then blinks in surprise as he spots two figures walking behind the massive wardog of Farque.
It takes a few moments to see who it is as the light is still dim. Then the cavalry commander smiles in relief as he sees that it's the missing runner Lisell Maera, and the missing robber baron Gergus. Both a little tired looking, but in good spirits.
With the smile still upon his face, Darid Parsen murmurs "Well i never". Then the cavalry commander looks at Axe, who has dropped to the ground, and is rolling around on his back, with his legs in the air.
The member of lord Farque's personal council then quickly looks back to the west in the direction of Halvíc.
Then he looks back at the massive shape of the undead wardog Axe rolling around on the ground as the sun starts to rise in the east.
Darid aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman suddenly grins as he comes up with an idea . . . . . .