The Hire 55.

The City Of Savariss...

"Well so much for the gates" sourly says Shawtus McQuade the dwarven warrior who looks away to the right and back down along the north wall of the city of Savariss, where he can just see where the gates were.
"Why the hell are we up here again?" asks Smawfri McQuade the dwarven warrior who has an angry looking scowl upon his face as he looks at the army that's attacking the walled city.
"We're just fucking targets up here" adds the slightly younger and slightly shorter of the McQuade cousins, who are from the Sunreach Mountains.
"I agree" mutters their squad leader Barron, as they're doing no good up here on top of the wall, apart from being targets for the enemy, who are still bombarding the north wall of Savariss.
Targeting the north gates, or more precisely, where the north gates were, as they were just blown up in a rather large explosion.
The enemy who have come down from the unruled lands to the north of the kingdom of Nastell, who have invaded the duchy of Phelm.
Are out of range of the defenders upon the north wall of the city. And the war machines in the city as well.
As the larger trebuchets and catapults are down on the streets behind the north wall. While the smaller catapults are on the quartet of towers that are dotted along the wall, are also unable to reach the enemy's position at this moment.
"Ballista taking aim towards us again" calmly says Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy, who along with the McQuade cousins can clearly see what's happening amongst the enemy this night.
While the others catch glimpses of them, from the occasional torch that's been lit amongst the front ranks of the enemy, which is made up of their war machines.
The squad including their leader Barron drops down behind one of the long merlons that the walls of the city has. As do a number of the other soldiers and mercenaries, and city guards to either side of them.
While the spy Tanith, and the McQuade cousins remain standing, as they the see wagon mounted ballista isn't pointed directly at them, but at the squat broach tower about thirty feet to their left.
And that's where the missile, a ten foot long heavy spear hits. Slamming into the front of the small catapult up there, and sending it's crew scrambling.
"Why don't we have those ballistas?" mutters Barron as he picks himself up, and resumes his position next to the elf and the two dwarves. Who in his opinion, are taking the attack upon Savariss rather calmly.
The young squad leader from the south of Phelm looks along the top of the wall, in the direction of the gates, or to be precise, where the gates were.
"Is that spell still holding?" asks Barron as they watch another pitch covered boulder, well alight and on fire, get flung from an enemy trebuchet, and come streaking through the night sky towards the north wall of the city, towards where the gates were.
"Seems to be" says Dalinvardél Tanith, who is more commonly called Dalin by those who know him well, and it's also the name he's going by, whilst infiltrating the army of duke Hargen of Phelm.
"Won't bloody last much longer with the way that lot are firing those war machines of their's" says Shawtus McQuade, his cousin Smawfri grunts in agreement, then says "Those buggers know how to shoot those things off as good as anyone I've ever seen" his slightly older and slightly taller cousin Shawtus nods in agreement with him.
The two dwarves from the Sunreach Mountains who have been in many a battle during their lives. Know they're up against it here in Savariss.
And though the robber barons of the unruled lands to the north of the kingdom of Nastell make up the majority of the enemy force that's laying siege to the city of Savariss. It's not them they're worried about. It's the mercenary force in black that they're worried about.
"As good as this mercenary army those barons have hired are" says Shawtus McQuade after glancing at his younger cousin Smawfri, adds "Still beats me why they're attacking just this one part of the city".
The young squad leader Barron has thought that very same thing himself, and he looks at the elf standing next to him, who he thinks is just a mercenary ranger from the elven principality of Alínlae.
"What do you think Dalin?" asks the young squad leader from southern Phelm "They must have their reasons" says the spy Tanith, who once served in one of the more prominent noble houses in his homeland of Alínlae.
The spy in the armies of Farque, who has infiltrated the army of Phelm where he's passing himself off as a mercenary ranger then says "And i don't think it's just a distraction for an attack somewhere else around the city".
As that's been speculated by those in the squad. It's also partially true. Though something else will happen somewhere else around the walled city.
Dalin after all knows what's going to happen, all at least the plans of what the army attacking the city of Savariss are. As Narladene the ground pixie has informed him of them.
She has also told him of a way to escape the city. As it's probably best he's not here when the city walls are breached, and the army that's come down from the unruled lands in the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains to the north of the kingdom of Nastell, enter the city.
For though his fellow soldiers in the mercenary army from the lands Farque will recognise him. The soldiers and mercenaries in the armies of the five robber barons won't.
Looking to either side of them along the part of the wall they're on, to make sure an officer isn't within earshot, and seeing that none are. Barron quietly asks the trio of non human mercenaries "You think we're done for?".
"Definitely" says the McQuade cousins in unison, the young squad leader looks at Dalinvardél Tanith "Definitely" adds the elven spy who hails from the principality of Alínlae.
Barron grimaces then mutters "Fuck" as he thinks of all the effort it took them to even reach the city of Savariss after the army they were in, was defeated in battle by the enemy.
After Dalin warns them of another ballista missile is going to be shot in this direction, at the slightly damaged catapult on the top of the tower to their left.
And this time Barron like the McQuade cousins and the spy Tanith doesn't bother to duck down behind the long merlon, which Shawtus and Smawfri can't even see over anyway.
The elf posing as a mercenary ranger from his homeland of Alínlae says "Once the wards the duke's spellcasters have up fail, they'll rush where the gates are" he quickly adds "Well, where they were".
"Aye" says Shawtus McQuade in agreement, who continues with "It'll be a bottleneck there for sure, so it'll be a bit of a bloodbath no doubt" the slightly older and slightly taller of the two dwarven warriors from the Sunreach Mountains then adds "But that lot in the front of their ranks seem to know what they're doing, and don't seem fazed at the prospect".
They all look away to their right, as a blue flash occurs in that direction. And as they see a fireball leave the top of the wall heading towards the enemy army. They see a silent explosion of blue flames about three hundred feet away, near to where the gates once were.
And they see the blue flames sweep some of the defenders off the back of the wall there. Burning blue figures briefly light up the night as they fall to the street that runs behind a long stretch of the north wall of Savariss,
"Good fucking thing we're not closer to where the gates were" sourly says Smawfri McQuade after he mutters something in the dwarven language that Dalinvardél Tanith recognises as swear words.
Shawtus McQuade nods in agreement with his cousin, then the older of the two dwarven cousins says "Think those spells on the wall infront of the gates are failing" his cousin Smawfri grunts in agreement as Shawtus adds "Hit them hard enough and often enough, they'll fail".
The dwarven warriors from the Sunreach Mountains know a fair bit about magic. For they've been around it for most of their lives. And they've seen it in use often enough in battle.
Mostly by their uncle Maddee McQuade, a dwarven delver, though more than slightly mad. Mostly because he had to deal with his bickering nephews all the time. Was an extremely powerful dwarven spellcaster.
Who died in battle over a decade ago now. In a war far to the south in the Southlands, in the kingdom of Melaurn.
Though for someone who died in battle. The delver Maddee McQuade wasn't killed. He died casting as his old age finally caught up with him, and his heart gave out.
The McQuade cousins might not admit it. But they miss their stubborn and deranged old uncle, who was old even when they were young. And the two of them are around two and half centuries old now.
The enemy certainly seem to agree with the assessment from Shawtus McQuade, as the rate of fire from their catapults and trebuchets suddenly increases, as they continue to target where the gates once stood, and the sections of the wall to either side of it.
"Their ranks are moving forward" says Dalinvardél Tanith who continues with "It's the robber baron's men, they're finally coming forward towards their frontlines".
The dwarven warriors who are cousins nod in agreement, then Shawtus the older of the two says "This is it by the looks of it".
"Great" sourly murmurs Barron who continues in the same sour tone with "This isn't going to end well".
"They're moving forward" says says commander Berric, who points then adds "There, can you see them?".
"I think so" says lord Chesié, who is squinting as he looks towards the enemy, after a few moments the nobleman from further south in the duchy of Phelm, adds "Yeah i see them, looks like the bastard baron's men are finally moving forward".
Next to him, the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard nods in agreement, as they watch the assault upon the north wall of Savariss, from the top of a tower just back from the north wall that's coming under heavy bombardment from the enemy.
"Beats me why they have lobbed anything into the city itself, or attack any of the other walls too?" mutters lord Chesié, it's a question the two of them have asked repeatedly since nightfall, a question they have no answer for.
Commander Berric looks down at the top of the wall, which is lit by torches every so often along the length of it.
The commander of duke Hargen's personal guard looks to one of the four squat broach towers along the wall. There his younger brother, Gallene the captain of the castle guard, is directing the defence of the city.
Berric, who like his younger brother Gallene, is a swordmaster. Hopes that his brother keeps safe. Because he definitely isn't out of harms way.
The commander of the duke's personal guard looks away to the right, as lord Chesié looks that way and says "It's still holding?".
"Not for long" is the answer from the wizard Melce, who is from the nobleman's own household further south in the duchy.
"I'm helping them now" adds the wizard, who though bald, and looks rather dignified in his robes of midnight blue, is actually fairly young, and is only in his early twenties.
"Not that it's doing much good" continues the young wizard who is helping the other spellcasters in the city to ward where the gates in the north wall of the city were.
Lord Chesié nods, and he looks at commander Berric, who quietly tells him "You know, the only thing i can think of, is that they don't want to do too much damage to the city".
The nobleman from further south in Phelm, slowly nods his head, then quietly says "Makes sense i suppose" he looks towards the enemy army, where part of it's front ranks is it up, as a fireball from one of the spellcasters in the city has finally got through their wards, and exploded upon one of their catapults, which is burning furiously .
Then he says "Those bastards Markell and Larimer and the rest of them want the city for themselves, they probably don't want to put too much effort and coin into rebuilding it if it's badly damaged in battle".
The swordmaster Berric nods, then says "And that mercenary army they've hired are damn good enough with those war machines of their's that can pinpoint just the one spot to attack".
Then the two of them, the common born commander, who is from the city of Savariss, and the nobleman from further south in the duchy, quickly look over at the wizard Melce, who says "It's going to fail" followed by "Another dozen direct hits i say".
The commander of duke Hargen's personal guard slightly winces, while lord Chesié mutters "Hell".
"They know too" quietly says the Berric, who points as he adds "Look, some of their war machines are on the move forward" the swordmaster continues with "And the soldiers are moving forward en masse, they'll be in their front ranks soon".
The order must of been given by the captain of the guard Gallene, because the war machines on the street right behind the north wall. Which are too large and heavy to be placed on top of the wall. Have started firing off their loads.
As have the smaller catapults on the four broach towers dotted along the length of the north wall of the city, a wall that isn't really straight, it's slightly curved inwards towards either end, though more so to the east end of the city.
"Those soldiers on the march forward will be in range of our war machines soon" quietly says lord Chesié, as the boulders, rocks, broken masonry and burning barrels of pitch that light up the night sky, that are flung from the city's war machines, fall just short of the advancing enemy.
Then as a rather large boulder shot from an enemy trebuchet hits the north wall of the city with a loud thud just to the left of where the wards are, the wizard Melce says "That one probably would of done it".
The wizard in lord Chesié's household pauses for a moment, as two more boulders, one covered in pitch and on fire, flung from enemy war machines, hit one after the other in quick succession, where the wards are in place, right infront of where the gates in the north wall of Savariss once stood.
Then he says "That did it" followed by "The barrier spells are down, the north wall is open to them".
There's almost a momentary pause from both sides of the battle for Savariss this evening.
Then commander Berric quietly says "Well here we go then". While next to him lord Chesié nods in agreement, as they watch on. As the enemy who have come down from the foothills in the unruled lands to the north of the kingdom of Nastell, resume their advance, with many in the armies of the five robber barons shouting and yelling as they do so.
While those upon the north wall of the city, and on the street that runs behind it, try everything they can to stop them from entering the city of Savariss . . . . . .