The Hire 64.

Nastell. Phelm. Savariss...

They enter the city of Savariss through the breach in the north wall where the gates once stood.
Tamric Drubine looks at his fellow field commanders and says "Well, that was easy enough i suppose".
"This part was" says field commander Talbot, who continues with "They're still fighting further south in the city".
Both commanders Drubine and Leivyn nod in agreement to that. Then the youngest of the field commanders in the mercenary army from the lands Farque looks over at his subcommander Waiamin and asks him "Where are they?" followed by "And did any of them do us a favour and get themselves killed?".
"They're all alive" says subcommander Waiamin, which gets a muttered "Pity" from field commander Leivyn.
The subcommander to Tamric Drubine points up to the top of the wall behind them, then says "They're up there, congratulating themselves on their victory".
The large heavily armoured field commander, Talbot snorts in disgust. While the small and lithe, not to mention attractive field commander, Leivyn sourly smiles.
While Tamric Drubine, who is more commonly called Tam by those who know him well, just shakes his head as he looks to the top of the north wall of the city, where he can just make out the five robber barons of the unruled lands in the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains.
In the light of some of the torches up there. Talking enthusiastically to one another and their seconds, and others. About how well the attack upon the city of Savariss has gone this night.
Here in the north of the city, particularly along the north wall, and the surrounding streets and the nearby neighbourhoods. Is now under the control of the armies that have come down from unruled lands of the Colevar Mountains. The armies under the leadership of the Farqian mercenary army. Who are led by the trio of field commanders.
The three of them turn, as behind them. The councilor, and mage, Mira Reinholt. Walks in through the breach in the wall. Where the gates, that he destroyed, once stood.
The mage Reinholt nods his hooded head to an approaching rider coming along the street. It turns out to be Lisell Maera. Who reins up infront of the three field commanders and the once powerful mage who joins them.
"We've got some prisoners" says Lisell Maera, who continues with "One's important too". The attractive young woman who hails from the city-state of Brattonbury, who is now a messenger in the armies of Farque, then says to the field commanders "Thought you'd like to talk to him before that lot try and get his hands on him" as she nods up to the top of the wall, where the five robber barons are.
"Where?" asks Tam "There" replies Lisell Maera who is more often referred to just as Lis by those who know her well "In that tower" adds the runner in the Farqian mercenary army who points to a tower on the next street over from the one they're on, just behind the north wall of Savariss.
"Might as well" says Mira Reinholt the mage after commander Drubine glances his way. Then the nobleborn teenager originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin who is the youngest of the three field commanders in the mercenary army from the lands Farque, says "Let's take a look at these prisoners then".
Lisell Maera dismounts and leads the way on foot, as she does, she tells the trio of field commanders, their seconds, and the spellcaster who is a member of the personal council of the lord and ruler of the lands Farque. What she knows of the battle that's continuing further south in the city.
"Dorc and his goblins, along with that idiot Percy, as well as Shur Kee are the ones who broke them" explains the attractive young woman, whose mother was a street prostitute in the city of Brattonbury, and whose father, who she never knew, was a sailor.
"They ran into a large number of the enemy within the city streets, further to the west, and nearly wiped them out to a man" continues Lis, who then adds "They've been fighting ever since, against those who fled from here along the wall" she waves away to the south as she says "They're somewhere to the south of the city center the last i heard".
"Knew that part of the plan would work if they were able to get into the city" murmurs Tamric Drubine, who along with his fellow field commanders, came up with the plan to take the city of Savariss. Doing as least damage to the city as possible. As well as taking it fairly quickly. As it just now coming up to midnight. And more and more of the city is coming under their control.
They get to the next street directly to the south, and the tower there. Where they find Darid Parsen the cavalry commander and councilor, talking to a number of people near the front of the tower.
The cavalry commander and his second in command Kalleb make their way over to them when they walk up.
"This way" says Darid Parsen the cavalry commander after he greets them. The member of the personal council of the lord and ruler of the lands Farque leads them into the tower.
The cavalry officer, who is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra by the name of Zubutai Timaginson who just happens to inhabit the body of Darid Parsen.
Opens up a door to a side chamber on the ground floor. Inside the chamber, lies a dead body on a table. And from the style of the armour, and the cut of the fabric of the clothing. It's fairly obvious whoever it is, was important.
"Who is he?" asks Mira Reinholt to his fellow council member "A lord Chesié" is the reply of commander Parsen, who continues with "The senior most noble in the city, and the one in command of it's defence".
Darid aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman briefly pauses, before he adds "Well one of those in command of it's defence".
The cavalry commander, who a little over fifteen months ago, was a foot soldier in the army of lady Linara Lé Dic in the kingdom of Druvic, then says "He was leading a lot of their horse troop" Darid Parsen continues with "Unfortunately they ran into my company just after we entered the city".
The member of lord Farque's personal council closes the door. And leads them to the main chamber here on the ground floor of the tower.
And though there's a number of enemy prisoners under guard in here. The cavalry commander leads those with him to a set of stairs. And up to the next level in the tower.
On the next floor, Darid aka Zubutai Timaginson leads them down a hallway. Where halfway along it, a pair of soldiers in the Farqian mercenary army are standing guard infront of a door.
After commander Parsen slightly nods to them, one of them opens the door, and the councilor leads those with him into a room.
Inside of which, sits an armoured man without weapons, on a chair at a table. He's drinking from a bowl of soup, and eating a small round loaf of bread. He puts them down and looks at those who have entered the room.
"An officer in the city guard?" says Tamric Drubine in the elven language as he recognises the armour the prisoner is wearing.
"Not any officer" says Darid Parsen in the same language, the cavalry commander in the armies of Farque continues with "Their commander" he follows that with "The captain of the guard, a swordmaster, by the name of Gallene".
Darid aka Zubutai the son of Timagin, then says "He's the other one who was in command of the defence of the city" councilor Parsen briefly pauses before adding "He's a local commoner too".
Commander Drubine lifts an eyebrow in surprise at that. True, Nastell isn't a feudal kingdom like his homeland of Sarcrin. But it is still a monarchical kingdom. Whose nobility are those in the positions of power.
The nobleborn teenager who is a former heir of a previous knight of  castle Drubine in northern Sarcrin, looks over at the mage Reinholt and quietly says in elven to him "What does he know?".
The spellcaster who is in exile from his homeland, the city-state of Vexil, looks at the prisoner, who is sitting there, calmly looking back at his captors.
The mage, who is also a highly skilled swordmaster then reads the mind of the prisoner. Wishing that his fellow councilor, Helbe the elven thief was here to do it. As the elven magic user is far more adept at reading minds than he is. The young elven noble from the principality of Laerel is far more subtle at it than the mage Reinholt as well.
After the spellcaster, who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere in the Southlands, reads the mind of the prisoner. Who slightly grimaces as he now has a faint headache.
The Vexilian mage in exile quietly tells the others in the elven language what he's been able to find out from reading the mind of the captain of the guard, Gallene.
After he does, Mira Reinholt quietly says "I suggest we keep him, and not hand him over to that lot". The lot he's referring to, are the robber barons of the unruled lands in the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains who have hired the Farqian mercenary army to lead them in their campaign against duke Hargen, and the duchy of Phelm.
"I agree" says the other council member, the cavalry commander Darid Parsen who then adds "He's far too important to give to them".
The three field commanders nod in agreement with the councillors. Then commander Parsen says to them "Let's head up to the top of the tower, you can get a pretty good view of much of the city from up there".
They leave the room, not saying a single thing in common to the prisoner, who goes back to eating his meal after they depart.
Darid aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman leads them to the stairs, and up to the top of the tower. And up through the trapdoor onto the roof, which has a chest high crenelated wall running around the edge of it.
Already on the roof are a few of commander Parsen's cavalry company, as well as other officers in the mercenary army from the lands Farque.
"As good a place as any to oversee the rest of the battle here in the city" explains the cavalry officer who is a member of the personal council of the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
The trio of field commanders agree with that, and they and their seconds make their way to the south side of the roof, so they can observe the running battles further south in the streets of the city. And make quick decisions to quickly help those fighting against the remaining enemy within the city who are still sticking up a fight.
As they do, the two councilors, Darid Parsen and Mira Reinholt stand back from everyone else, and have a quiet conservation about certain things. While not far from them stands Lisell Maera, who doesn't look south. But the other way, back to the north wall of Savariss.
"He's only really worried about his nephew who's in his city guards" quietly says the Vexilian mage in exile who continues with "And also his brother, who just happens to be the commander of the duke's personal guard".
"He's here in the city?" asks the cavalry commander in a slight tone of surprise, who continues with "I thought the duke had gone further south?".
"He has" is the reply of the highly skilled swordmaster to the latter "But his commander and some of his personal guard are here in the city" adds the spellcaster who was the youngest ever member of the mage council of Vexil, when at the age of seventeen he was appointed to the council that help rules the largest city-state in the Southlands.
"If we could capture him, that might be something" quietly says Darid aka Zubutai Timaginson, Mira Reinholt nods his hooded head in agreement then says "Let's hope that we do".
There's a standing order in the Farqian mercenary army. That if possible, all enemy senior officers should be taken prisoner.
That doesn't always workout, since things just happen during battle. But a number of the senior officer staff of the enemy have been taken prisoner ever since the mercenary army from the lands Farque took over the campaign of the robber barons of the unruled lands of the Colevar Mountains, against duke Hargen and the duchy of Phelm.
"Any word on our spies?" asks the once powerful mage "None of them have been found so far' is the reply from the cavalry officer, who like the spellcaster standing beside him, is a member of the personal council of the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
"Four of them here isn't there?" asks the swordmaster Reinholt, commander Parsen nods his head yes in answer to that.
"Hopefully they've got out of the city and are safe" quietly says the exiled Vexilian mage.
Just then, a small and familiar voice quietly says to them "They have, and they are" followed by "Though Dalin got soaked doing so".
The councilors turn their heads sharply to the left, where they find Narladene the ground pixie hovering near the mage Reinholt.
"Where's Helbe?" asks the once powerful mage and the cavalry commander at the same time.
The eyebrows of the tiny winged creature arch up in surprise, then she says in elven which they've been speaking "I never knew how much you cared for him".
"Hardly" dryly says Mira Reinholt, who continues with "He just took off without telling anyone, and before the battle got underway too".
The spellcaster who is a member of the personal council of lord Farque nods his hooded head to where Tam stands, who is discussing things with his fellow field commanders and their seconds as they look south across the city. Then he nods over at Lis who is looking back to the top of the north wall of Savariss.
"He should be here keeping an eye on them" quietly says the Vexilian mage in exile to the naturally magical creature.
"You lot seem to be doing fine enough with that" quietly says Narladene.
The mage Reinholt rolls his eyes, while commander Parsen sourly smiles, then Darid aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman quietly says to the ground pixie "Well" followed by "Where is he?".
"Somewhere" is the rather elusive reply from the tiny winged creature who is attached to Helbe the elven thief, who then adds "He'll be back soon i imagine". Mira Reinholt is just about to say something, when Narladene vanishes from view.
"Fuck" mutters the once powerful mage, who looks at his fellow councilor, who shrugs his shoulders then says in a slightly dry tone "Well at least we now know he's alright" followed by "That's something i guess".
"Guess so" murmurs the once powerful mage, who then nods his hooded head at those, including the three field commanders, who are looking to the south across Savariss, and quietly says to cavalry officer "Let's see if we can help them end this battle before sun up".
Darid Parsen nods to that, and he and his fellow councilor make their way over to where the trio of field commanders and those with them are standing.
While nearby, Lisell Maera who didn't pay attention to anything the mage and the cavalry commander said. Continues to look at the top of the north wall of the city, watching the robber barons who are there . . . . . .