The Hire 53.

The City Of Savariss & It's Surrounds...

The majority of those in three of the armies that have come down from the unruled lands in the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains. Are to the north of the city of Savariss. Less than a few hundred yards in some places.
And while there's some around on the other sides of the largest, and only city in the north of the duchy of Phelm. They only number a couple of hundred at most, and that's on the east side of the city, which along with the north side, has the two main gates of Savariss.
It's late in the afternoon, and as the last of those in the army led by the field commander Leivyn, who were the last to arrive, get set up into position.
One half of the main gate on the north side of the city suddenly opens up, and a trio of riders come out from Savariss.
"What are they doing?" murmurs Tamric Drubine, who then looks at his two fellow field commanders, Leivyn and Talbot, and says "Is that a herald you think?".
"Looks to be" is the reply from field commander Talbot, and field commander Leivyn nods her head in agreement with him.
"Great, that's all we need" mutters the youngest of the trio of field commanders in the mercenary army from the lands Farque, who are leading the three armies, that are comprised of mostly soldiers and mercenaries in the armies of the five robber barons of the unruled lands to the north of the kingdom of Nastell, who have banded together to wage a war upon the duchy of Phelm, and it's duke, Hargen.
"No one inform the robber barons" quietly says field commander Leivyn, the small, lithe, and attractive woman from the lands Farque, then dryly adds "They'll want a chat with whoever it is, knowing them".
Talbot the oldest of the three field commanders grunts in agreement, while Tamric Drubine, who is more commonly called Tam by those who know him well, agrees by nodding.
The nobleborn teenager from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin who is now a field commander in the armies of Farque. Looks around at the others, and finds the person he's looking for, isn't here at the moment.
Of course, he wouldn't be here, Tam dryly thinks to himself as he can't see Helbe the elven thief anywhere.
Then as the trio of riders who have ridden from the city of Savariss, stop about halfway between the city and the armies to the north of it. And one of the riders, holds up a white banner.
The youngest of the trio of field commanders in the mercenary army from the lands Farque, says "No doubt they'll want to talk" Tamric Drubine looks at those nearby, and adds "What should we do?".
Surprisingly it's Dorc da Orc who immediately answers. Though not surprising, is what the large ork actually says.
"Fucken kill 'em" says Dorc da Orc, the ork warleader who is standing with the goblin commander Teabagger, continues with "We still gonna fucken attack at nights. Nothing these cunts gonna say, is gonna stop that".
Tam shares a look with his fellow field commanders Talbot and Leivyn. Then the three of them glance to where members of lord Farque's personal council are standing.
Mira Reinholt the mage, Darid Parsen the cavalry commander, and the honorary member of lord Farque's personal council, Shur Kee the monk.
"The fat idiot has got a point" says Mira Reinholt the mage "Who the fuck is he calling fat?" loudly mutters the ork warleader "You boss, cause you are fat" murmurs Teabagger the goblin Cunt in his native tongue.
Which earns him a growl from his general, who doesn't like Teabagger and the other goblins in their battalion to speak their language around him.
"Dorc's right" adds the once powerful mage ignoring the glare directed at him from the big, burly ork.
"We're still going ahead with your plans" continues the mage who is in exile from his homeland, the city-state of Vexil.
"Whatever they've got to say, isn't going to dissuade us from that" says the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster.
Next to the mage Reinholt, Darid Parsen the cavalry commander nods in agreement with the Vexilian mage in exile.
While next to commander Parsen, who in actual fact, is really Zubutai the barbarian hordesman who just happens to inhabit the body of the young man from the kingdom of Druvic.
Stands Shur Kee the monk, who doesn't say anything, or even nod. He just looks on calmly, and is silent, as he often is.
Tamric Drubine looks over at the runner Lisell Maera. And though they'll never be the best of friends. But due to their shared experiences in recent years, they are close friends.
Lis, who is one that's glad prince Helbenthril Raendril isn't actually here at the moment. As she knows he has habit of reading people's minds when ever he wants.
Shrugs her shoulders when the nobleborn teenager who is a former heir to a previous knight of castle Drubine looks her way.
Tam then looks over at sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who is as faraway from Dorc da Orc as possible, though still close to the field commanders, their senior staff, and the others.
From the sour look upon the face of the former paladin, it seems he agrees with the suggestion from the ork weaponsmith to kill those who have ridden out from the north gates of Savariss.
Finally the youngest of the trio of the field commanders in the Farqian mercenary army, look at their three senior subcommanders.
They're all silent, as this is a decision for him, and his fellow commanders, Talbot and Leivyn to make.
"What say you?" quietly says Tamric Drubine to his fellow field commanders "It has merit" quietly says field commander Leivyn, who after a slight pause, adds "I guess".
Nodding his head in agreement, field commander Talbot, quietly says "If we do, it will make it abundantly clear to those still in the city, that we're here for one thing, and one thing only".
The large, heavily armoured field commander who is in his late twenties, and is older than Tam by a decade, continues with "And that's to take the city no matter what they say or do".
The nobleborn teenager who hails from the north of the kingdom of Sarcrin. A feudal kingdom about a thousand miles to the west of southern Nastell.
Might be the youngest of the trio of field commanders in the Farqian mercenary army. But when the three of them are together, he often takes the lead, and the two older field commanders defer to him.
"Are we in agreement then?" quietly asks commander Drubine "We are" is the reply of commander Talbot "We are" adds commander Leivyn.
"So be it" says Tam, which illicits a grin, and then a chuckle from Dorc da Orc whose suggestion has just become an order. An order that's given by Tamric Drubine to his subcommander, Waiamin.
They wait upon the north wall of the city of Savariss, watching the herald and the two soldiers who went out with him as guards.
Commander Berric glances at his younger brother Gallene, and lord Chesié. As they watch the court functionary sir Alarak, and the two soldiers with him. Who have stopped about halfway between the city, and the enemy army.
"What are they waiting for?" quietly says lord Chesié as sir Alarak has been there for quite some time, and the enemy hasn't done anything yet.
"Think we might of taken them by surprise?" quietly asks Gallene the captain of the castle guard, who continues with "Our plan might actually work" followed by "We might delay them for a bit at least".
"Think they're probably deciding who to send out, and what to say" quietly says Berric the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard, who continues with "There's five of those bastard barons, and i bet they all want a say".
The commander, who like his younger brother Gallene is a swordmaster, then says in a sour tone "How those five all work together is beyond me".
Lord Chesié and captain Gallene nod in agreement with the commander of the duke's personal guard.
As it's a known fact that the robber barons of the unruled lands in the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains to the north of the kingdom of Nastell. Don't exactly get along with one another.
As they're fierce rivals when it comes to most things. Where they often at odds with what one another does.
So that five of them have got together, and joined forces to wage war upon duke Hargen, and the duchy of Phelm, is a rarity indeed.
Commander Berric is just looking to either side of them along the top of the wall. At the soldiers and mercenaries, waiting in anticipation to see what will happen with the herald sir Alarak, and the terms, if any, the enemy have for those inside of the city of Savariss.
When his younger brother, and fellow swordmaster Gallene, quietly says "Movement".
The commander of duke Hargen's personal guard sees a couple of riders moving forward through the enemy lines. The swordmaster Berric, and everyone else watching along the top of the north wall of the city, see that the riders are those in the black tabbards, and black cloaks. As are all of the enemy, and the very front of their ranks.
"Those mercenaries" murmurs lord Chesié, who then slightly shrugs, then says "Makes sense i suppose" followed by "I bet those five couldn't decide on who to send amongst themselves, and probably what to say too" the senior nobleman in the city then adds "So they've probably sent a couple of officers from that mercenary force they've hired".
The swordmasters who are siblings, nod in agreement with the logic of the nobleman who comes from further south in the duchy of Phelm.
Just then the two riders stop amongst the war machines at the very front of the enemy lines. Next to the covered wagons between a couple of the trebuchets.
"What are they doing?" murmurs Gallene the captain of the castle and city guard, who will be the one to actually command the defence of the city once the enemy attacks it.
"They seem to be discussing something" quietly says lord Chesié, who is tempted to ask one of the spellcasters to find out what they're talking about.
But he refrains from doing so, as he knows that if their practitioners of magic were to cast anything in the slightest bit intrusive. The enemy spellcasters will most likely retaliate in force.
Then suddenly the canvas over the top of those wagons are pulled away. To reveal ballista in the wagon beds, ballista that are loaded and ready to fire, as their crews jump into the back of the wagons.
A moment later, and before anyone on the north wall of the city can shout a warning. Two of the heavy ballista shoot off their missiles. Two ten foot long, heavy spears.
One of which easily hits one of the soldiers with the court functionary sir Alarak. Flinging him off the back of his mount, with the heavy spear right through his body.
The other soldier, the one holding up the white banner of truce. Head explodes when the other missile hits him.
The headless body, still holding the white banner, falls out of the saddle as the horse bolts away in fright.
While the herald, sir Alarak, has turned his horse. And put his heels to it's flanks, which sends it running back to the city of Savariss.
It only gets about twenty yards, when a slight thunking sound comes from the frontlines of the enemy army.
A couple of moments later, and the court functionary, sir Alarak goes tumbling forward over the head of his horse, as he's propelled forward.
The herald who goes cartwheeling and tumbling forward across the ground, is dead as there's a ten foot long, heavy spear that's hit him in the back, and gone almost completely out the otherside, through his chest.
As the court functionary's horse takes off running in fright, and sir Alarak's body finally rolls to a stop.
There's a moment of stilled silence, which is quickly followed by shouts of anger and abuse, from many upon the north wall of the city of Savariss, who have just witnessed what's just happened.
"Well, i guess that was their terms" sourly says lord Chesié to the brothers Berric and Gallene, as many to either side of the three of them, are shouting in disgust at the enemy. Who in the entire ordeal with the herald sent from the north gate of the city, have been silent. Well, at least those in the front, in the black tabbards and cloaks have been silent. Apart from when those two on horseback spoke to those who ended up shooting sir Alarak and the two soldiers who accompanied him under the banner of truce.
"What was all of that about?" demands the robber baron Almard, who follows that up with "We could of spoken to them you know".
Next to him, his fellow robber baron Larimer nods in agreement. As does the robber baron Markell who is standing nearby.
While the robber baron Solomard watches on in silence. Not saying anything, or nodding in agreement with the others.
The robber baron Gergus is the last to arrive and join his fellow robber barons, who have come forward to near the front ranks, where the field commanders in the Farqian mercenary army and others are.
Lisell Maera seeing Gergus walk up, steps behind Dorc da Orc who mutters at her "What the fuck you doing?".
The attractive young woman who is originally from the city-state of Brattonbury, just shushes the large ork. Who after scowling at her, goes back to looking at the robber barons who have come forward to see what's just happened.
"They might of given up the city" says the robber baron Larimer, who along with Almard is the most argumentative of the five robber barons who have decided to wage war upon duke Hargen, and the duchy of Phelm.
As the hot sun of the late afternoon continues to beat down upon the north of the kingdom of Nastell, Tamric Drubine after looking at all five of the robber barons, and their seconds, with the exception of Gergus, who still hasn't named a new second in command after the death of his brother inlaw Hammind.
Says to the five of them "It doesn't matter what they would of said" the youngest of the trio of field commanders in the mercenary army from the lands Farque, continues with "More than likely, they were just trying to delay us".
The nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin, who is now a field commander in the armies of Farque pauses for a moment or two, before he says "Things will continue as planned, we will being the attack once night falls".
The young field commander looks at each of the robber barons in turn, then tells them "We've accommodated your request to see that the city isn't wantonly damaged or destroyed as we take it" he then adds "That is as far as we're willing to alter what we really would like to do".
Tamric Drubine then says "So until then, it doesn't really matter what we do" he then tells the robber barons from the unruled lands to the north of the kingdom of Nastell "Make sure your men are ready and in position, if not, then they won't take part in the attack upon the city".
There's silence from the robber barons as they look at the young field commander and his fellow commanders Leivyn and Talbot.
A silence that's finally broken by the robber baron Gergus, who nods and says "My men will be ready commander". Then he turns and makes his way back through the ranks to his army. Though only after he catches a glimpse of Lisell Maera standing behind the large green creature, that's apparently an ork.
Then one by one, with predictably Larimer and Almard being last. The robber barons agree with what the young field commander has said, and they too head back to their armies.
Tam looks at his fellow field commanders after the robber barons walk away, then he looks over at Mira Reinholt the mage, Shur Kee the monk, and the cavalry commander Darid Parsen. Before finally looking at sir Percavelle Lé Dic, then Dorc da Orc as well as Lisell Maera.
"At nightfall then" says field commander Drubine, while between their armies and the city, lie the first three of those who will die in the battle for the city of Savariss . . . . . .