The Hire 70.

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

They get going again early the following morning. By then all three of the smaller armies have gone by the larger one led by general Halvane.
Mira Reinholt the mage has remained with the army led by field commander Talbot. Which has the war engineer Tovis and most of his war machines and siege towers with them.
Though from all accounts, siege towers won't be necessary for where they'll eventually end up. The city of Almaic. Which though has walls, it isn't completed surrounded by it's walls.
Meanwhile, Helbe the elven thief is with the army led by the young field commander Tamric Drubine. For the simple reason, that army is mainly made up of those from the armies of the robber barons Almard and Larimer. The two robber barons who are the most difficult to deal with.
It's also why they've decided to break the combined force that took the city of Savariss, back up into three separate armies. So all five of the robber barons aren't all together. For when they're all together, they're bound to be more of a hindrance than a help. As they all travel further south into the duchy of Phelm, on what is another clear, hot summer's day here in the north of the kingdom of Nastell.
The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel, Helbe the elven thief, has got himself a horse. And is riding near the front of the army led by Tamric Drubine. He's with the young field commander and some of his senior staff.
"Anything from up ahead?" asks Tamric Drubine the field commander, who the elven magic user knows isn't referring to their own scouts. Or those in the advanced elements further infront of the armies, like the cavalry patrol led by Darid Parsen.
"Nothing so far this morning" is the reply from Helbe the elven thief, who is speaking about Narladene the ground pixie.
The elven masterthief who is a member of the personal council of the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, then says "Quite faraway is my best guess" the elven princeling follows that with "Probably won't hear anything until later this morning, or early in the afternoon".
As he knows that the tiny winged creature who is attached to him. Has been checking up on the spies who have infiltrated duke Hargen's army. Including the three, one of whom is Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy. That escaped the city of Savariss during the nighttime battle a few nights ago.
The highly talented elven spellcaster, who is the grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel, is about to tell the nobleborn teenager something else.
When he suddenly feels someone get in contact with him via mindspeech. Prince Helbenthril Raendril listens to what they have to say, then slightly nods as he replies to them.
Affer the contact by the other spellcaster is broken off, the elven master assassin says to the young field commander who originally comes from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin "I'll be back in a little while".
The young elven noble turns his horse, and heads back down the line of march. Not going all that far, stopping near some of the following mounted troops in the Farqian mercenary army, who are with this army that's predominantly made up of the forces of the robber barons Larimer and Almard.
The member of lord Farque's personal council, who is also the envoy mainly dealing with the five robber barons who have banded together to wage war upon duke Hargen and the duchy of Phelm.
Nods his hooded head to one of the Farqian horse troopers, a junior officer. Who turns his horse out of line, and makes his way over to where the young elven noble is off to the side of the road.
"Go forward and ride with the field commander and his senior staff" quietly says councilor Raendril in the elven language, he continues with "You know what to do" the elven magic user follows that with "And if you see those two robber barons come forward to try and pester the young field commander, discourage them from doing so".
"Permanently?" asks the young officer in the horse troop of the Farqian mercenary army "No" sourly says the elven princeling from Laerel "Pity" murmurs the horse trooper.
Helbe the elven thief then quietly tells him "Go on, get going" followed by "And take my horse".
"Yes councilor" says the born Farqian, the elven masterthief after handing the reins of his mount to the horse trooper, disappears as he blurs himself and shifts away.
While the junior officer in the horse troop of the Farqian mercenary army, who is also an assassin, whose training was completed by prince Helbenthril Raendril.
Heads forward to join field commander Tamric Drubine, and his senior staff. To keep an eye on the young field commander, and watch over him, to keep him safe.
The elven master assassin heads back up the road, to the third of the smaller armies, which is trailing the other two. For the simple reason they have most of the war machines and siege towers with them.
In the army led by field commander Talbot, that's comprised mainly of the army of the robber baron Markell. Helbe the elven thief finds his fellow councilor and spellcaster, Mira Reinholt the mage where he expects him to be.
Near the rear of the army, where the young war engineer Tovis is with the siege towers and war machines.
The highly talented elven spellcaster appears beside the once powerful mage who is sitting on the back of a wagon, with his legs dangling off the open wagon tail, where he's studying a map he's got open on his lap.
The spellcaster who is from the city-state of Vexil barely even starts at the sudden appearance of his fellow councilor beside him.
"Something important i gather?" quietly asks Mira Reinholt the mage who folds up his map, and returns it to his small pack.
"Something like that" replies prince Helbenthril Raendril who like the mage Reinholt, is speaking in elven.
The elven magic user who is casting a mindspeech spell to a non spellcaster at the front of this particular army led by field commander Talbot, says to the exiled Vexilian mage "We have to go somewhere".
The spellcaster who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere in the Southlands, just lifts a questioning eyebrow, but doesn't ask his fellow councilor where. Instead he just nods his black hooded head.
Then Mira Reinholt looks to those following, as the elven masterthief is doing. Specifically at Tovis the war engineer who is with a crew and their team of horses hauling one of the larger trebuchets.
"I've got someone coming back to keep an eye on him" quietly says Helbe the elven thief, the Vexilian mage who is also a highly skilled swordmaster nods in understanding, as he knows who the young elven noble from the island principality is referring to.
They wait a little while, and eventually a rider comes back, going by the wagon the two of them are on.
She acknowledges the two of them with a slight nod. Then the tall, attractive young woman in the tight, black leather armour, who is a subaltern in the scout division of the Farqian mercenary army.
Continues on her way back along the line of march to where Tovis the war engineer, his second in command Larris the sorcerer, and others in the engineer's corp are.
As he sees subaltern Jaxs, another of the assassins he's helped train, make her way to where Tovis is.
Helbe the elven thief flips a spell gem to the mage Reinholt, and quietly tells him "Teleport us as far as you can to the northwest".
"Oh?" murmurs Mira Reinholt as he catches the spell gem that only has magical power stored in it "How far?" asks the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster.
"Just keep doing so, until we get to where we're going" says the young elven noble who is the grandson of Prince Raendril, who then dryly murmurs "I don't exactly know where we're going".
The mage Reinholt's eyebrows go up at that, but he has a fair idea where they'll eventually end up, and who they're going to see.
The spellcaster who is in exile from his homeland from the city-state of Vexil, puts a gloved hand upon the left shoulder of his fellow council member. And the two of them disappear as he teleports them away.
"Any idea where?" asks the mage Reinholt after he's teleported them for the tenth time, and they've got about five miles from where they started. "No idea" replies Helbe the elven thief with a shrug of his shoulders.
The swordmaster Reinholt sighs, then says in a slightly dry tone "Days like this, i wish i really did have all my powers back". Then he teleports the two of them again. Going another half a mile or so to the northwest.
When in the past, before he accidentally went off world. He could of easily covered all the ground they've gone since leaving the armies with a single teleportation spell. Infact he could of doubled it with ease. But once again he goes about half a mile.
After they appear again, the two spellcasters look into the morning sky in the direction they're going.
Then as the Vexilian mage in exile murmurs "Have to go up that hill so i can see where the hell we're going".
The elven magic user who is sensing, and who is able to sense a lot further than the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster. Holds up a hand and says "Wait" to his fellow councilor.
The spellcaster who at the age of seventeen was the youngest ever member of the mage council of Vexil, the council that helps rule the largest city-state in the Southlands.
Glances at the elven princeling, who says "I think" just as he disappears. A moment later, and Mira Reinholt finds himself gone too.
In the space of a few heartbeats, the once powerful mage finds himself beside the young elven noble again. The two of them are a couple of thousand feet in the air, about eight miles from where they were previously.
They find themselves standing upon a flat deck of an airship. Face to face, with someone who obviously isn't human, or elven for that matter. Whose dragon like visage briefly smiles at them.
"Navigator" says Helbe the elven thief "Navigator" adds Mira Reinholt the mage. The junior krean navigator who has just teleported them onboard the strikeship Fídiablo. Nods to the two of them. Then turns and walks back along the deck of the airship that has no masts.
As he walks back to the wheelhouse that's aft. A human, a man in his middle years, in leather armour, though he does have a steel breastplate on too. Walks the other way, passing the krean spellcaster as he walks to where the two councilors are standing.
"Took you long enough" says the senior wardog handler Jessup when he comes to a stop infront of the two spellcasters who are members of the personal council of the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
"I can't exactly teleport long distances anymore you know" sourly mutters the mage Reinholt.
"I know" says Jessup who appears to be in his mid to late forties "I just wanted to say that to annoy you mage" adds the senior wardog handler who flashes a grin.
The once powerful mage sourly smiles. As over the years he has learnt that pretty much all the undead in the armies of Farque have a perverse sense of humour. Who like to make fun of anything and everyone, especially the latter.
"Come on then, he's waiting for you" says Jessup who has been in the physical world of Volunell for well over four hundred and fifty years, with the exception of the brief amount of time after he died, then came back as undead, which was less than a day.
The senior wardog handler gestures for the two spellcasters to follow him. And he leads them to the nearest ladder that goes below deck.
"Out of the way Hammer you big lump" says Jessup as they get to the bottom of the steps, and find the massive undead wardog Hammer in their way. The senior wardog handler gives a command in the ancient language used to control the wardogs of Farque.
It takes a few moments, but Hammer eventually gets out of the way. By flopping down, and rolling onto his back. Leaving just enough room for them to pass by him single file in the passageway.
Jessup leads them to a cabin, which is usually used by the captain of the Fídiablo. He knocks on the door. And a moment later it opens. On the otherside stands the undead scout Dargarven, who nods for them to enter the cabin.
In the cabin, off to one side. Lies the undead wardog Axe. On his back, legs in the air. Snoring as he rests. Since he doesn't actually properly sleep.
While standing at the table in the middle of the large cabin that goes right across the width of the krean strikeship, and is below the aft wheelhouse. Is the large, heavily armoured figure of lord Farque.
Who is looking at a number of maps on the table.
Mira Reinholt the mage and Helbe the elven thief come forward, and stand at the table as lord Farque tells them "Here, look at this". The undead warlord continues with "The lead navigator will be down in a little bit to create a visual map of the area i want you to study".
Both of the councilors nod their hooded heads in understanding, as they know lord Farque will show them what he would do now in the campaign against duke Hargen.
And they're to compare it to what general Halvane and the field commanders Talbot, Leivyn and Drubine will do now as they head further south into the duchy of Phelm as the war continues . . . . . .