The Hire 48.

The Foothills. The Southern Reaches. The Kingdom Of Nastell. The Duchy Of Phelm...

In the early morning sunshine streaming down between the trees. Shur Kee the monk jumps over a fallen log, and hurries up the slope and dives to the ground near the top of the hill.
The short, statured monk in the strange looking white clothes. And wearing an even stranger looking hat. Scrambles and crawls forward until he's at the very top of the hill, where he comes to a stop next to Mira Reinholt the mage.
"Invigorating" quietly says Shur Kee the monk. Next to the physical adept from the far eastern coastal kingdom of Wah Lee. Mira Reinholt the mage faintly smiles then quietly says "That it is".
Then the mage who is in exile from his homeland, the city-state of Vexil, asks the acolyte in the philosophical order of Bru Li "See any of their stragglers about?".
"A few" is the reply of Shur Kee, whose breathing is already back to normal and is calm, after running a half mile to catch up to the once powerful mage.
"They did everything to avoid me and the others" quietly adds the short, statured monk who is from the very otherside of the continent from the Southlands.
"Well, you can't blame them for that" murmurs the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, then nodding his hooded head down to the bottom of the hill they're on, the mage Reinholt adds "There's more of them down there".
The short, statured monk lifts his head up to get a better look, as he looks down the hill they're on top of.
There the physical adept sees the road from the north, on which he can make out a number of the enemy, who are fleeing southwards.
The acolyte in the order of Bru Li quietly asks the highly skilled swordmaster "They are the last of them yes?" followed by "The rearguard?".
"What's left of them" is the quiet reply of the spellcaster who was once the most powerful mage of his generation, to be found anywhere in the Southlands.
Then Shur Kee looks away to their left, to the south. And the short, statured monk who has noticed the foothills they've traversed through early this morning. Are getting further apart, and smaller, asks "Is it far then?".
"Not too far" is the quiet reply of Mira Reinholt who continues to watch the enemy down on the road below add he says "Probably only five or six miles until you're out of the foothills for good" he briefly pauses then adds "And probably that distance again, and you're there".
The physical adept who hails from the far eastern coast of the continent, who is an honorary member of the personal council of lord Farque, nods his head, as he now knows how close the city of Savariss actually is.
"Our army will be there late this afternoon then" quietly says Shur Kee, Mira Reinholt nods his hooded head in agreement as they continue to watch the enemy. The last of the enemy who were defeated in battle by the army led by field commander Talbot.
The mage and the monk, who have gone ahead with the advanced forces. All of whom are in the mercenary army from the lands Farque.
For the simple reason field commander Talbot and his senior staff, along with the mage Reinholt. Don't entirely trust the robber baron Markell's men to be out infront of the rest of the army.
Oh they're competent enough in battle, especially the dwarven battalion he has with him. But to have them in advance of everyone else. That might not be a good idea.
As they might not follow orders when those in the Farqian mercenary army aren't around.
The swordmaster Reinholt looks away to his left, where he can just make out the scout commander who leads the advanced force. As a number of them are scattered across this hill, and the one opposite it, on the otherside of the road.
The scout commander notices the councilor looking his way, and he gives a hand signal. The Vexilian mage in exile gives a hand signal in return. Indicating that there is an enemy spellcaster down on the road below. And that he'll take care of whoever it is.
The spellcaster who at the age of seventeen was once the youngest ever member of the mage council of Vexil. Who is pretty sure he can hear fighting now on the road, where it goes around a bend to the north. As others in the advanced guard engage with the retreating enemy again.
Quietly says to the acolyte in the order of Bru Li "Get ready". Nodding his head, Shur Kee quietly says "I am" then the short, statured monk adds "Just like old times friend Mira".
A smile flashes across the face of the mage Reinholt who has known the physical adept since he was in his early twenties.
Then the highly skilled swordmaster after glancing at the monk lying beside him, quietly says in a dry tone of voice "Well at least you no longer have that crossbow of yours" he then adds in the same tone "You were danger to us, as much as you were to the enemy when you were using it".
Shur Kee snorts, and softly chuckles as he recalls the amount of times he accidentally shot at the others in the group they were traveling with at the time. Especially Dorc da Orc who he was often around the most in battle.
And even Mira Reinholt at times. Who was glad he had his wards up all the time in battle. As the monk actually shot him a number of times with his crossbow.
"Friend Lisell has that now, so you have nothing to fear" quietly says the acolyte in the order of Bru Li, the once powerful mage nods his hooded head when the physical adept adds "It was good to get word that she was found".
Then the spellcaster who is in exile from his homeland of Vexil, sees the scout commander away to the left along the hilltop, nod his head to him.
Mira Reinholt as he lies there, creates a mageglobe, that forms in the palm of his gloved right hand.
The living piece of magic gives a little hop, then it rolls off it's creators hand, and hits the ground, which it sinks into, and disappears.
The mage Reinholt slightly nudges the short, statured monk beside him, and points to a section of the road below. Where a number of the enemy are. Either on it, or off to the side of it. And unlike the others on the road that leads out of the foothills, and to the city of Savariss. They aren't fleeing southwards at the moment with the rest of retreating army.
Shur Kee watches the section of the road that the once powerful mage has pointed to.
And just a few moments later, that part of the road erupts upwards in an explosion that rocks the relative morning quiet. Sending debris, dirt and rock flying a hundred feet or more into the sky above the road.
The Vexilian mage in exile who is shielded thanks to the amulet he wears on a thin chain around his neck.
Watches and senses carefully, and slightly nods as he senses the enemy spellcaster is one of the first, if not the very first to die in the explosion caused by the mageglobe coming to the end of it's short existence beneath the road.
The member of the personal council of lord Farque looks away to the left to the scout commander, and sees that he's already given the signal for the others to attack.
As those with ranged weapons, up and down this hill. And the hill opposite, on the otherside of the road. Have started shooting at the enemy who are in chaos thanks to the explosion that just occurred amongst them.
"Might as well wait, and leave it up to the others" quietly says Mira Reinholt, next to him, Shur Kee who has just grabbed his staff, nods his head in agreement, and lets go of his only weapon.
The two council members, watch as a number of the advanced force get up from where they're hiding. And rush down the two hills on either side of this section of the road. To attack the enemy who are in disarray from the explosion.
Most of duke Hargen's soldiers and mercenaries on this part of the road try to flee southwards instead of standing and fighting.
A lot of them are cut down by the bow and crossbow fire from those with ranged weapons on the hills.
Very few of them get away, to continue fleeing south with those who are already heading that way to the city of Savariss.
"Less of them to fight once the siege at Savariss begins, the better" quietly says Mira Reinholt the mage who is now sitting up, as he watches what's happening down on the road below.
Shur Kee the monk sits up too. As one by one, the duke's men are killed by the soldiers in the black tabbards and black cloaks from the lands Farque.
They take no prisoners, unless there's an officer to be found. And as usual they find none fighting with the rearguard of the duke's army. Those that were here with this lot. Were killed in the explosion from the mageglobe created by the councilor Reinholt.
"Hopefully not too long of a siege" quietly says Shur Kee the monk. As they've got word that another of the duke's army, or what's left of it. Which was defeated in battle by the army led by the young field commander Tamric Drubine. Is also retreating to Savariss. The only city in the north of the duchy of Phelm.
"Let's hope so" says the exiled Vexilian mage who nods his hooded head in agreement with what the physical adept just said.
Further north along the road, at the rear of the army led by field commander Talbot.
The sorcerer Larris who is waiting with the war machines and siege towers as the bulk of the army has stopped, after getting underway early this morning, infact before dawn.
Is sitting on the front of one of the trebuchets, waiting as he looks ahead. Then one of the engineers, who has climbed up inside of one the siege towers, and is at the top of it, calls out "They're coming back!".
The sorcerer who is the second in command of the engineering corp in the mercenary army from the lands Farque. Stands up on the front of the trebuchet he's been sitting, and waiting on.
A few moments later, and he spots the war engineer Tovis and a number of the other officers in the engineering corp making their way back to the war machines and siege towers.
Who with the exception of the supply wagons, and the rearguard of the army that's come down from the unruled lands to the north of the kingdom of Nastell. Are at the back of the army led by field commander Talbot.
"What was it?" asks the sorcerer Larris once the young war engineer returns, and gives the order for them to get moving, as the army is once more underway this morning.
"The advanced forces have done a fairly large attack upon the fleeing enemy" says Tovis the war engineer as the two of them sit upon the trebuchet as it's being pulled by a team of horses.
"The councilors are with them" adds the young engineer who hails from the kingdom of Druvic, who now finds himself, just fifteen months after leaving his homeland.
In command of the engineering corp in this particular army from the lands Farque, that's traveled north from the far south of the Southlands.
To the unruled lands in the Colevar Mountains, where they've been hired by the five robber barons who have decided to band together, to wage war upon duke Hargen, and the duchy of Phelm, in northern Nastell.
"I can't sense the mage Reinholt" quietly says the sorcerer who is only a little bit older than the war engineer. The born Farqian, then dryly adds "That's not saying much, as i can't sense him even when he's standing right infront of me".
Tovis grins, then says "I suspect he's done something spectacular, since he and the monk decided to go ahead and join the advanced forces before dawn".
"No doubt" says Larris the second in command of the engineers, who then quietly asks the war engineer, who has the rank of captain in the Farqian mercenary army "See Markell up there?" followed by "Was he pestering the field commander?".
"He did for a little bit" says Tovis, who after briefly grinning, continues with "He and his second found a reason to get lost when that subaltern, what's her name?" he then adds "That's it Jaxs, when she showed up".
The sorcerer winces, then quietly says "No wonder they pissed off, i would to when she turns up too".
"Now, that's no way to talk about one of your fellow officers" says Tovis, who then adds "Hell, she's also the same rank as you".
"That maybe so" says Larris, who continues with "And she might be in the scouts division, but everyone knows she's an assassin".
Tovis blinks in surprise at hearing that about the tall, young woman who is part of the senior staff of field commander Talbot, then the war engineer says "I didn't know that".
"Well, almost everyone knows" dryly says the spellcaster, who is a fairly powerful sorcerer, he continues with "Rumour is that she even trained with his highness, prince Helbenthril Raendril when you lot came back from Druvic in the spring last year".
The young engineer slowly nods when he hears this, as he didn't see much of the others in the group in those first few months after arriving in the nation of Farque.
As he was busy training and studying, to be put in command of one of the engineering corps of the armies of Farque.
"I had no idea" murmurs Tovis, Larris nods then says "It's why people, even those who don't know she's one, tend to keep on their guard around her" the sorcerer continues with "Or they just plain old keep away from her, like the robber baron and his second did when you saw them".
Once again the young engineer slowly nods, while next to him, his second in command after glancing around, quietly says to him "She's not the only assassin in the senior staff of the field commanders".
Larris continues with "They're around for a number of reasons, but mostly just incase those who have hired us try something against us" he then adds "The robber barons and their seconds will be killed the instant they try to do something untoward".
"The things you know" quietly says Tovis the war engineer as they and the engineering corp, with their war machines and siege towers follow the rest of the army southwards along the road that leads to the city of Savariss . . . . . .