The Hire 68.

The Duchy Of Phelm. The Kingdom Of Nastell...

"Wonder where we are?" quietly says one of the younger squad members "Nastell" sourly says Smawfri McQuade, who then adds "Now shut the fuck up you idiot, he's trying to listen if there's any of them about".
The squad member falls silent, while up ahead, Dalinvardél Tanith faintly smiles as he looks ahead through the woods.
After a little while, he looks back in the direction of the others, and gives the all clear signal. The squad leader Barron and the others hurry forward, and join the spy Tanith, who leads them across the clearing to the trees on the otherside.
After their wild ride in the night as they were washed down the stream that came out of the west wall of the city of Savariss.
They all eventually got out of the water, and met up again. Though the McQuade cousins, who went under the water a fair bit. Far more than the rest of the squad.
Were in a thoroughly disagreeable mood once the small squad were whole again. And they're bad tempered to begin with.
When they were all together again. They set off heading west from Savariss as the battle continued to rage on behind them in the night.
Once they were a few miles west of the only city in the north of the kingdom of Nastell. They turned south, as always Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy leading the way.
The spy in the armies of Farque who has infiltrated duke Hargen's army. Kept them moving, eventually finding them a track, a wagon track more than anything. Which eventually led them to an abandoned village just before sunrise.
There they stopped, and rested throughout the first half of the morning, on what's another clear, warm, summer's day here in the north of the kingdom of Nastell.
After resting, and scrounging what food and supplies they could find in the village. Which by the looks of it, was only abandoned within the last week. Most likely when word of the enemy armies from the unruled lands in the Colevar Mountains, were heading this way into the duchy of Phelm. They continued on their way southwards.
Now it's after midday, and approaching the middle of the afternoon. And Barron the young squad leader calls for a brief stop, to fill up their water bottles when they find a stream going through the woods they're in.
Dalinvardél Tanith or Dalin as he's more commonly called by those who know him well, it's also the name he's going by, whilst in the the army of the duchy of Phelm.
Sits upon a large rock beneath a tree, with his back against it's trunk after he's filled his water bottle.
The elven spy who is from the principality of Alínlae, where he once served in one of the more prominent noble houses there.
Has been traveling near a track that's led south from the abandoned village that they stopped at earlier. As he told Barron and the rest of the squad that it must eventually lead to a road.
Dalin knows it does from the maps he's seen of this part of the duchy of Phelm. And because Narladene the ground pixie told him of it. When she found him this morning at the empty village that the small squad had stopped to rest in.
The naturally magical creature who is attached to Helbe the elven thief, informed the elven spy to keep heading more or less directly south from the village. And he should be fine, as the forces of the robber barons from the unruled lands in the Colevar Mountains, led by the Farqian mercenary army, will be further to the east.
Dalin opens his eyes as the McQuade cousins come and sit down next to the rock he's sitting on. And the younger, and slightly shorter of the two dwarven warriors from the Sunreach Mountains, Smawfri quietly asks him "Seen any sign of them at all?".
"Nothing" is the quiet reply of Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy, who after looking over to the stream where Barron and the others are, he quietly tells the McQuade cousins "I think they'll be more to the east, on the road that goes directly south from Savariss" he then adds "Which by my best guess, is probably at least ten miles away".
"Makes sense" quietly says Shawtus McQuade, the slightly older and taller of the two dwarven warriors, continues with "Especially if they took the city fairly quickly".
"Which they probably did" sourly says Smawfri McQuade, his cousin Shawtus grunts in agreement with him.
"Still" quietly says the spy Tanith who continues with "If what we've seen of them so far is anything to go by, they'll put out roving patrols on their flanks and in advance of their forces" the elven spy who is passing himself of as a mercenary ranger from his homeland of Alínlae then adds "We'll have to keep a watch out for them if we want to make it to safety further south in the duchy".
Both of the McQuade cousins grunt in agreement with that, then the younger of the two, Smawfri quietly says in a dry tone "I wouldn't exactly call the rest of the duke's army any more safer than what we've been through already".
Smawfri nods towards the rest of the squad as he quietly continues with "Young Barron here and the rest of the squad are some of the better one's in the sorry bunch of an army, and they've only survived because of us three".
Both Shawtus McQuade and Dalinvardél Tanith nod in agreement to that assessment from the more bad tempered of the two dwarven warriors from the Sunreach Mountains.
They do so again, when Smawfri McQuade quietly says in a sour tone of voice "I think we've signed up to the losing side in this war".
After a few moments of silence, the elven spy in the mercenary army from the lands Farque who has infiltrated duke Hargen's army quietly says "Ah well, we just have to keep them out of trouble and alive until hostilities cease".
"By Dovarn that'll be a miracle" murmurs Shawtus McQuade, his slightly younger and slightly shorter cousin Smawfri grunts in agreement with that.
A few moments later, and Barron the squad leader orders a resumption of their march south. They set off, once again with Dalin out infront of the rest of the squad.
They've only gone about another four or five hundred yards when the spy Tanith suddenly stops, and gives the signal for the others following to stop too.
Then the elven spy who hails from the principality of Alínlae, and who is now serving in the armies of Farque. Points at the McQuade cousins and Barron, and waves them forward. Cautioning them to be silent as they do so.
Once they've made their way to the elf they think is just a mercenary ranger, a skillful one at that. The young squad leader Barron quietly asks him "What is it?".
"Movement to the east and north of us" is the quiet reply from Dalinvardél Tanith who quietly continues with "On the track that way is my best guess".
The dwarven warriors who are cousins, quickly turn in that direction and listen carefully. After a few moments, Shawtus McQuade nods, then Smawfri McQuade nods.
"How many?" quietly asks the squad leader who is from the south of the duchy of Phelm "Not that many" is the reply of the elven spy who has infiltrated duke Hargen's army, who continues with "They're on foot, trying to move with stealth" he quietly adds "On the track about half, maybe two thirds of a mile away".
Barron looks at the trio of mercenaries, who are far more experienced in warfare than he and the rest of the small squad combined, and he quietly asks them "What should we do?".
"Check out who it is" quietly says Dalin "Aye" quietly says Shawtus McQuade in agreement, his cousin Smawfri nods to that as well.
"Whoever it is, there's less of them than us, so it shouldn't be a problem" quietly says the spy Tanith. After quickly thinking about it, the young squad leader quietly says "Might as well" he looks at the elven spy he thinks is a mercenary ranger, and quietly tells him "Lead the way".
The elven spy from the principality of Alínlae does so. With the McQuade cousins next, about forty yards behind the elf in the grey hooded cloak. Dalin trusts the two dwarven warriors to be near silent. For though they're quite heavy for their height. And they carry a lot of things. Predominantly weapons. The McQuade cousins, like all of their race, can move about in a quiet fashion if they want to.
Unlike the vast majority of human beings. It's why the spy Tanith has Barron and the rest of the squad follow the dwarven warriors at a distance.
Out infront, the elven spy in the Farqian mercenary army who has infiltrated the duchy of Phelm's army. Can cleary hear those he's approaching by stealth. The landscape south of Savariss is fairly benign. And what hills there are in the area, are gentle and rolling. Especially compared to the foothills of the Colevar Mountains further north in the duchy.
The spy Tanith quickly makes his way up a hill through the trees, and at the top he looks down upon a track, he can't see anyone at the moment, but he can hear them.
Dalin works his way along the top of the hill, and when the McQuade cousins get to the top, he gives the signal for them to remain where they are. The elven spy trusts the dwarven warriors to keep Barron and the rest of the squad back too.
The spy Tanith hurries down the hill towards the track, making as little noise as possible. He drops down behind some bushes near the edge of the track. And waits as he hears someone approaching along the track.
He figures it's a scout for those who are coming this way from the north. Dalinvardél Tanith suspects it's someone in the duke's army, as none of those in the armies of the robber barons of the unruled lands in the Colevar Mountains are supposed to be this way.
Nevertheless, Dalin is cautious. And waits for the person to get alongside the bushes he's hiding behind. As they go by, the elven spy stands up without a sound, and punches a young man in the side of the head, knocking him out.
The spy Tanith catches him, and slings him over his right shoulder. And hurries back up the hill, as he hears those on the track further to the north, are still some distance away.
The elven spy who hails from the principality of Alínlae, where he served in the household of one of the more prominent noble families there. Runs back along the top of the hill, to where the McQuade cousins, along with the rest of the squad are waiting.
"Who do you have there?" quietly asks Barron the squad leader "Their scout" is the quiet reply of the tall figure in the gray hooded cloak, who drops the unconscious fellow onto the ground.
Rolling him over, Dalinvardél Tanith quietly says "He's one of ours" the elven spy continues with "Well, he's in the duke's army".
"Why did you knock him out?" asks another in the small squad "Wasn't sure who it was until the last instant, by then i was in act of punching him" quietly says the spy Tanith.
"Looks like light infantry to me" quietly says Shawtus McQuade, his cousin Smawfri grunts in agreement, then they look down to the track, as Dalin is doing.
"Drop down" quietly says the elven spy to the others, he continues with "They won't be able to see us if we're not standing". The squad drops down to the ground, some lying flat, while others crouch or kneel.
"Deserters you think?" quietly asks Barron, who winces when Smawfri McQuade quietly says in a dry tone "Technically we're deserters since we left the city as the battle was still going on".
"More likely those who escaped the city when the enemy took it" quietly says Dalinvardél Tanith, who gestures at the soldier he knocked out, as he quietly adds "Scout in name only, he isn't much of one, as he wasn't paying much attention to his surrounds, and he was walking out in the middle of the track, breathing heavily as if he's been on the go for some time".
"Probably been fleeing the enemy" quietly says Shawtus McQuade "More than likely" quietly says his slightly younger and slightly shorter cousin Smawfri, who then quietly adds "Here they come".
The elf and the two dwarves clearly see who they are first, recognising the one infront. After a few moments, and the young squad leader from the south of Phelm recognises who it is out infront on the track below.
"Hell, that's" quietly says Barron, who falls silent as Dalin holds up a hand for him to be quiet. The young squad leader lifts a questioning eyebrow, and the spy Tanith quietly says to him "Listening to see if they're being followed".
The elven spy serving in the Farqian mercenary army who has infiltrated the duchy of Phelm's army listens intently. And after a few moments he glances at the McQuade cousins, who both shake their heads no.
"No one's following them" quietly says Dalinvardél Tanith to Barron, the elven spy then quietly adds "You can call out to them" followed by "Not too loudly though".
Berric the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard stops, and looks up the hill to his right when he hears his rank and name called out.
He spots a number of figures standing on top of the hill, who he recognises as soldiers in the duke's army. The commander looks back at Ludoc and the others, and gestures them up the hill, which he starts heading up.
As he gets closer, the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard, who also happens to be a swordmaster. Recognises who they are, it's the small squad he briefly encountered during the battle last night. Who have a pair of dwarven warriors and an elven ranger with them. The small squad whose leader is from the south of Phelm.
After quick introductions, commander Berric quietly says "No worries, I'm sure he'll be fine" in reply to the elven mercenary named Dalin quietly telling him "Sorry about your scout, i knocked him out before i knew who he was".
They briefly exchange stories of how they escaped the city of Savariss. Then Barron and his small squad after they wake up the scout that the spy Tanith knocked out, lead the commander and those with him back to the nearby stream they briefly stopped at earlier. As they've not had any fresh water since early in the morning.
As Dalin and the McQuade cousins lead the way, they listen to Barron quietly talking to commander Berric. The elf and the two dwarves glance at one another when the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard informs the young squad leader that Savariss fell during the night. And by now the bulk of the enemy armies are on the move south, not just their advanced forces.
"Where are you headed?" asks commander Berric "Almaic" replies the squad leader Barron, who then adds "Or at least the closest staging grounds near to there" he follows that up with "We'd figured the duke has gone there to join up with the rest of his army".
"He has" quietly says the commander who also happens to be a swordmaster, who is the highest placed commoner in the court of duke Hargen of Phelm "We'll travel there together then" adds commander Berric.
As the McQuade cousins quietly mutter away at one another in the dwarven language about something. Probably about those they've joined up with, and their inadequacies.
Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy can't believe his luck. He's now in the company of the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard. And hopefully once they safely get to the city of Almaic, commander Berric will keep Barron's small squad close.
Then they'll be around duke Hargen himself. Which is more than the spy Tanith could ask for as he continues to gather information on the enemy, to help bring about their defeat . . . . . .