The Hire 59.

The Kingdom Of Nastell. The Duchy Of Phelm. The City Of Savariss...

The captain of the guard Gallene finds himself outside of the broach tower he's been directing the defence of the city from. And is amongst his guards, and the soldiers and mercenaries in duke Hargen's army.
Fighting the enemy who are on top of the north wall of the city of Savariss.
The captain of the castle guard, as well as city guard, who also happens to be a swordmaster. Kicks an enemy soldier in the knee, then with his sword slashes across the back of the man's neck, as he staggers sideways.
The enemy soldier in the armies of the robber barons of the unruled lands in the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains. Topples off the top of the wall, and falls to the street below. Where the fighting is just as intense as it is up on the top of the north wall of Savariss.
Captain Gallene grabs a torch from it's holder, and shoves the burning brand into the face of another enemy soldier. Who screams in pain, and falls backwards off the top of the wall, between a pair of the long merlons.
The guard captain then biffs the torch into the opening of an enemy siege tower, setting alight the buckets of pitch and pure alcohol that's been tossed in by some of the defenders upon the top of the wall.
The swordmaster Gallene cuts down another of the enemy, this one a mercenary. Then he looks in either direction along the top of the wall, as there's a bit of a lull on this section of the wall.
"Bad?" calls out Gallene the captain of the guard "Bad enough" replies one of his officers who is a bit further along, and can see where the breach in the wall is more clearly.
The young officer, continues with "Though they're not coming through as much as they were a little while ago" he then adds "Some of the men are still down there, pushing them back".
"Well at least that's something" murmurs Gallene, who knows the advantage of the cavalry charge led by lord Chesié, was only temporary. He knew it would be when he ordered it. Though the guard captain didn't realise how temporary it would be. As the advantage was short indeed.
Oh well, so goes the tides of war, the swordmaster thinks to himself, who then looks and sees that just two of the enemy siege towers up against the wall, are on fire. As they're glowing beacons in the night. And that includes the one he just set alight.
While three more of the siege towers haven't even reached the north wall of Savariss, and it looks like they never will. For one isn't moving as the axle broke as it was being rolled forward.
And the other two, by pure luck more than anything else in the opinion of the guard captain. Aren't moving because they were struck by shots fired from the war machines in the city. Badly damaging the pair of enemy siege towers.
Though that still leaves seven of the siege towers up against the north wall of Savariss, the largest, and also the only city in the north of the duchy of Phelm.
And from them, the enemy are climbing onto the top of the wall, while the defenders are trying to repel them.
The guard captain who sees his men, along with the soldiers and mercenaries in the army of duke Hargen holding their own. Knows it won't last for ever. For even though the enemy are only attacking the one side of the city, they badly outnumber the defenders. Most of whom, are the remnants of two defeated armies.
Captain Gallene looks back in the direction of the broach tower he was in previously, hoping he doesn't see his nephew Poliss out on the wall. As he told his brother's oldest son to remain in the tower with a few of the others. And the crew of the small catapult on top of it.
He doesn't seem to be. And there's no enemy there too. As that section of the wall is quiet. And has been since the battle began. So much so, that earlier the guard captain sent the two squads who were there. Down to the street, to help out those defending the breach in the wall where the gates once stood.
The swordmaster Gallene doesn't know if those squads made it to the breach. As things were more than a little chaotic after the cavalry charge from lord Chesié and others.
And a number of the enemy who had come in through the breach. Moved further into the city streets.
The captain of the castle guard, just hopes that his brother Berric, the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard. Can deal to those enemy who have moved further into the city.
"Any that way?" calls out Berric the commander of the duke's personal guard, who is on a street in the northern quarter of the city.
"None commander!" is the reply from one of his men, who continues with "They must of gone west".
Commander Berric nods then calls out "Take two others, and any of duke's army you come across and go and search for them".
"Yes commander" says the member of duke Hargen's personal guard, who with two of the other guards, make their way quickly down an alleyway, and out of sight.
Commander Berric who is with about two dozen of his men, turns as one of his sergeant at arms runs up from the other end of the street.
"Fighting commander" says the sergeant at arms, who then adds "Subcommander Omrick and the others have engaged the enemy".
"Where?" asks the commander who gestures for the sergeant to lead the way.
"Off the square near that hostel with the old tower in it's courtyard" says the sergeant, who unlike the commander, isn't from the city of Savariss.
Berric, who like his younger brother Gallene, is a swordmaster. Nods his head, as he knows exactly where that is. And he also knows a fairly quick way there.
The commander of duke Hargen's personal guard takes the lead. And hurries down a set of small steps off a lane, which goes through a covered courtyard at the intersection of four buildings.
They come out into a narrow street. And the commander, whose company. And any of the duke's army who have been pushed back from the north wall of the city, they come across, and take under his command.
Are trying to find any of the enemy who have entered the city. Either through the breach in the wall where the gates in the north wall of Savariss once stood.
Or from topping the wall, and making their way down it. And pushed further into the city. Which a fair few have done.
The swordmaster, who is the highest placed commoner in the court of the duke of Phelm. Knows that as the night goes on, more and more of the enemy will be in the city, and on it's streets. It's only inevitable that they will.
The commander of the duke of Phelm's personal guard. Who is safe in the knowledge that duke Hargen is further south in the duchy. More than likely on the way to the city of Almaic, the provincial capital, in southern Phelm.
Isn't surprised at that from the enemy. After all they far outnumber those who are defending the largest, and only city in northern Phelm.
What commander Berric is surprised about. Is that the enemy from the unruled lands in the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains to the north of the kingdom of Nastell.
Have attacked just the one side of Savariss so far this night. Which is another warm summer's night in northern Phelm.
An attack on the north side of the city, that so has been fairly successful. Even though the swordmaster thinks the defenders are so far, still holding their own. And haven't yet capitulated, and let the enemy pour into the city.
That's something i suppose, commander Berric thinks to himself  as he quickly leads the way down an empty street. As are all the streets. The only people you'll find on them, are the combatants from both sides of the battle.
Those poor souls who were unable to get away before the gates of the city were closed when the enemy first started showing up out of the last of the foothills of the Colevar Mountains, just five miles north of Savariss.
Are inside, in their homes and other buildings. Trying to keep out of harm's way. As the fighting starts to spread down from the north wall of the only city in northern Phelm.
The swordmaster, who knows the city in detail. Can now hear the fighting not too far away.
And the sergeant at arms who brought word of the fighting between the enemy and a force led by subcommander Omrick, says from behind Berric "Just up ahead on the right commander".
Berric nods his head, he doesn't look back at his men who are following close behind, they know what to do when he leads them into combat.
The commander of duke Hargen's personal guard draws his sword as they quickly approach the corner on the street, a corner that turns right.
He leads the way around the corner, and into the square where the fighting is still going on.
"Phelm!" yells out commander Berric, who then adds "Nastell!" as well. Those fighting the enemy in the square, which has a few of it's street lamps lit. Shout out "Phelm!" and "Nastell!" when they recognise the voice of the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard.
Berric slams his sword into the back of an enemy soldier who is tussling with one of his company. The swordmaster then drives the blade into the stomach of another of the enemy, who has turned to confront him.
As that soldier from the unruled lands drops to the ground. Berric whips around, swinging his longsword as he does so. Getting under the guard of another enemy soldier, though this one in heavier chainmail armour.
The swordmaster, who like his brother, isn't particularly large. Nor are he and his brother tall. But they are both quick, and Berric who is in his late thirties, is just as quick with a sword, as he was twenty years ago, when he first attained the rank of swordmaster.
Commander Berric's blade slams into the chainmail coif of the enemy soldier. Right at the base of the neck.
And though the heavier chainmail is good protection. It can't stop the blade of  the swordmaster who is the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard. And the enemy soldier's head is almost completely severed from his neck.
As the dead soldier from the unruled lands to north of the kingdom of Nastell drops to the ground. Berric looks around, and sees that he and those of his company he's brought with him.
Have tipped the fighting in the square, in the favour of the defenders of the city of Savariss.
Some of the soldiers and mercenaries in the armies of the robber barons of the unruled lands in the foothills of the Colevar Mountains to the north of Nastell.
Flee the square when the see the fight has turned against them now that the new arrivals have turned up.
By the time that most of them are either dead or incapacitated, or have run away. There's only two of them left. And they're mercenaries. The mercenaries in the black tabbards and black cloaks.
There's already a number of commander Berric's men, and others in duke Hargen's army, dead and dying at their feet.
The two, one with a broadsword in half plate. And the other in lighter armour, wielding a pair of hand axes.
Fight in unison, as if they're one. Cutting down anyone who takes them on. Even though the two of them have been wounded, and are injured.
Not wanting any more of his men to get kill or incapacitated. Commander Berric has an archer and a pair of crossbowmen shoot the two enemy mercenaries. Who refuse to give up and surrender.
"Hell, those one's in black are bloody tough" says subcommander Omrick once the last two mercenaries are finally dead after being short a number of times with arrows and bolts.
The subcommander of duke Hargen's personal guard, who is breathing heavily points away to the west, and says "We saw more of them heading that way" Omrick continues with "I think they were chasing after some of the army who have been pushed from the wall".
After commander Berric orders his subcommander and the others to see to their wounded. The swordmaster and those of his company he brought with him. Take off west, in search of more of the enemy who have pushed deeper into streets of the city after entering Savariss.
The commander of the duke of Phelm's personal guard tells his men to keep an eye out for any of the enemy, and to listen for them.
It's not too long before one of the young guards is sure he hears a number of people moving about, somewhere on a street or lane away to their right.
The swordmaster Berric hurries down an alley followed by members of his company. The commander knows this part of the Savariss well, as he grew up here in the northwest of the city. With his younger brother Gallene. Sons of a foreign swordmaster, who married a local woman.
The commander of duke Hargen's personal guard gets to the end of the alley, where he stops and glances around the corner to his right. Down a street that's familiar to him, as it's where a number of prominent merchants and traders have their shops in this part of the city.
In the lamp lit street, the swordmaster Berric sees a number of soldiers hurrying this way. They're a squad in the duke's army. Who look vaguely familiar to the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard.
And when he spots the two short figures at the front, who at first he thinks are stocky children in armour, carrying weapons. He realises who they are.
He's about to call out to them, when the tallest amongst them, a figure in a hooded cloak. Lifts up his longbow, pulls it back and draws a bead on where exactly the swordmaster Berric is peeking around the corner from the alley.
The tall archer, then spins around and lets loose the arrow in his longbow. And the swordmaster sees in lamp light, it narrowly miss a figure who has stepped out from a corner at the other end of the street, who hurriedly scampers back around that corner.
"Squad leader, this way!" calls out commander Berric, who recognises the young squad leader, but can't recall his name. But he remembers seeing this squad after they entered the city, with others who were in the defeated army that was led by general Palamé.
The small squad, who have a trio of non human, foreign mercenaries with them, hurry into the alley that the swordmaster and his men are in.
"Commander" says the near breathless squad leader who immediately recognises the swordmaster who is the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard.
"We've been chased by a bunch of them since we were forced back and away from the wall" adds the young squad leader who then says "Around thirty of them i guess".
Commander Berric nods his head, then tells the squad leader "Go down this alley, then turn left, on the street, you'll see a small square, cut across it to a market lane, keep going east, and you'll find some more of my men, join up with them".
"Yes commander" replies the young squad leader, who after a nod from the swordmaster Berric, leads his squad down the alleyway.
Berric looks at the pair of dwarven warriors, who scowl at him as they pass, and who look like they want to hit him and his men with their weapons, as much as they do any of the enemy they might come across.
"Fine shot" quietly says the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard when the tall archer in the hooded cloak, who he sees is an elf, walks by.
"I was trying to hit him" dryly replies the elven archer, which is infact a lie. Not that the swordmaster, and even his own squad will ever know that.
Commander Berric nods at the fine shot anyway, then he glances back around the corner once the last of the small army squad has walked by, and gone out the other end of the alley.
The swordmaster spots a figure, then a second, creep around the corner at the other end of the merchant's street. Then with a third, fourth and fifth do so, followed by more from the armies of the robber barons of the unruled lands of the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains.
Commander Berric quietly says to his men "More of them coming this way" he continues with "Strike them, and strike them hard when they pass by the mouth of the alley".
The guards in his company all nod, then they and their commander wait for more of the enemy who have pushed into the city of Savariss this night, to walk by their position . . . . .