The Hire 76.

Central Phelm...

"Sir wake up" quietly says the squad leader Barron as he shakes the left shoulder of Berric, the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard.
The local swordmaster who feels like he's only just closed his eyes to go to sleep. Opens them, and finds the young squad leader from the south of Phelm kneeling beside him.
"What is it?" asks commander Berric, who then mutters "And what time of the night is it?".
"After midnight" is the quiet reply of Barron, who then quietly tells the commander "You better come along sir".
Swordmaster Berric grunts, then he gets up off his cloak that he's been sleeping on, then looks around.
They've made camp this night by a brook in some woods, at the edge of a farm.
They could of stayed in the nearby farmhouse, which has been abandoned. But it is a little too close to a road. Which from the looks of it. Has had a lot of recent traffic on it.
Duke Hargen's personal guard commander, who suspects they'll see the city of Almaic some time in the middle of the upcoming day.
Sees that the others have been woken up, or are being woken. He also notices that the trio of non humans aren't anywhere around.
And he looks at the squad leader Barron, who quietly tells him "This way commander"
The swordmaster who is from the city of Savariss in the north of the duchy of Phelm, gestures to Ludoc to come along with him. And the two of them follow after Barron, who leads them to the edge of the woods.
There they find the dwarven cousins Shawtus and Smawfri McQuade, who are standing near some trees, looking towards the farmhouse which is about two hundred yards away.
"We've got company" quietly explains Shawtus McQuade pointing towards the nearby farmhouse, which has a barn off to one side, and a couple of corrals for sorting out stock, next to the barn.
Even with two of the moons in the night sky, commander Berric would normally have difficulty seeing the farmhouse. But not tonight, as there's light coming from the dwelling, from within it, as well as from a couple of lamps that are on the porch, that runs along one side of the farmhouse.
The local swordmaster along with the experienced guard Ludoc, can make out figures on the porch. But they can't identify them. They also spot of couple of people, walking from the barn to the farmhouse.
And after a couple of moments, commander Berric is certain he hears a horse in the barn whinny, before settling down.
"Who are they?" quietly asks the swordmaster who is the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard "Soldiers" replies the slightly older and slightly taller of the two dwarven warriors, who are from the Sunreach Mountains.
"The enemy?" quietly says Berric the swordmaster in surprise, who thought they were well clear of any of the following enemy.
"Ours" quietly says Shawtus McQuade, which causes both commander Berric, and the experienced guard Ludoc, to sharply look at the slightly taller McQuade cousin. Who then tells them "They're with some others as well".
"Who?" quietly asks the local swordmaster, who then notices that Dalin, the elven mercenary ranger isn't anywhere to be seen.
"And where's Dalin?" quietly adds the commander who is the highest placed commoner in the court of duke Hargen of Phelm.
Pointing at the nearby farmhouse, Shawtus McQuade calmly says in a quiet tone "He's there, getting a closer look at who they all are".
"Hell" mutters the swordmaster from the city of Savariss "He'll be fine" quietly says Smawfri McQuade as he speaks up, the slightly younger and slightly shorter of the two dwarven warriors then quietly adds in dry tone "Any of them won't be if they run into him".
Shawtus McQuade grunts in agreement with his cousin, then quietly says "If you haven't guessed, the ranger is the deadliest one of us all, he's got nothing to worry about" he then waves in the direction of the farmhouse as he quietly adds "They on the other hand, definitely do if Dalin gets in his mind to do something". Shawtus McQuade briefly pauses, before he continues on with "Even if they are on our side".
"And the others with them?" asks the commander of duke Hargen's guard "No idea" quietly replies Shawtus McQuade, who then adds "That's why Dalin is having a closer look".
The dwarven warriors, who were formerly the co chieftains of their clan, until an escapade of their's, which saw them end up in a war between nobles in the southern kingdom of Melaurn went disastrously wrong.
Fall silent as they continue to watch the farmhouse a couple of hundred yards away. The trio of humans, Berric, Ludoc and Barron are silent too as the look towards the farmhouse.
It's just a little while later, and Smawfri nudges his cousin Shawtus, and gestures away to the left of the farmhouse. The slightly older McQuade cousin looks that way, and grunts, then he quietly tells the others "He's coming back".
The swordmaster Berric doesn't spot the elven mercenary ranger until he's less than twenty yards away, and only then it's because he's watching where the dwarven warriors are looking.
Once the elf from the principality of Alínlae stops infront of them, commander Berric quietly asks him "Who are they?".
"Deserters" is the quiet reply of Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy. The local swordmaster looks at the elf he thinks is just a mercenary ranger in shock, then he says "Really?" followed by "We're only fifteen miles or so from the Almaic, are you sure?".
"I'm sure" quietly says the elven spy in the Farqian mercenary army who has infiltrated duke Hargen's forces "Survivors from the battles up north in the foothills" adds the spy Tanith.
As Smawfri McQuade mutters something rather uncomplimentary about deserters in the dwarven language, the swordmaster Berric quietly asks the elven spy "Who are the others with them?".
"Criminals i guess, road bandits" quietly says Dalinvardél Tanith who is more commonly called Dalin by those who know him well. It's also the name he's going by, whilst here within the army of the duke of Phelm.
"They've banded together to way lay those fleeing from further north in the duchy" quietly explains the elven spy who is passing himself off as a mercenary ranger from his homeland of Alínlae while he's in duke Hargen's army. "They're doing a pretty good job of it over the last few days by the sounds of things" quietly adds Dalin.
"Bastards" mutters Ludoc, who is one of the more experienced members of the personal guard of the duke of Phelm.
Looking towards the nearby farmhouse, the spy Tanith quietly says "A few more of them just rode in after the others" Dalinvardél Tanith briefly pauses before adding "They've got some people with them".
"People?" asks the local swordmaster with a frown upon his face "Women" quietly answers the elven spy who once served in one of the more prominent noble houses in his homeland of Alínlae.
"Women?" murmurs the young squad leader Barron "Willingly?" asks commander Berric "Definitely not willingly" is the reply of Dalin who then adds "They were bound and gagged".
"Fucking hell" mutters Ludoc, while commander Berric says "We have to do something".
After briefly glancing at the McQuade cousins, Dalinvardél Tanith quietly says "Sure" followed by "Just that there's over thirty of them, which is more than twice our number".
"Fucking hell" mutters the experienced guard Ludoc again, while the local swordmaster after faintly wincing, quietly says "We still have to do something".
The spy Tanith glances at the two dwarven warriors again, and Smawfri McQuade just shrugs his shoulders, while Shawtus McQuade quietly says "Might as well" followed by "The three of us can easily take care of half of them".
The slightly older and slightly taller of the dwarven warriors from the Sunreach Mountains looks at the trio of humans and says "I'm sure you lot and the others can deal to the rest".
"We're about to find out" quietly says the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard, who then tells Ludoc "Quick, get the others".
As the experienced guard hurries back into the woods to get the rest of their party, who all escaped the city of Savariss as it fell to the enemy.
Dalin tells the McQuade cousins, swordmaster Berric and squad leader Barron "Well, there's two less of them we have to worry about".
The elven spy in the mercenary army from the lands Farque who has infiltrated duke Hargen's forces, then says "Had to take out two of their sentries on this side, when i almost accidentally ran into one coming back"
"Accidentally?" says Smawfri McQuade in surprise, who then adds "You?".
"He was an elf" dryly says the spy Tanith, who continues with "A mercenary in the duke's army like myself" Dalin then adds in a mutter "Only saw him at the last moment".
"Well, that's two we don't have to worry about" quietly says Shawtus McQuade "Good" murmurs Smawfri McQuade.
The others get to them fairly quickly, then Dalinvardél Tanith leads them all out of the woods. Heading out the way he came back from the nearby farmhouse. On a bit of a circular route. For if they went straight towards the farmhouse, those on the porch that runs along one side, might spot them approaching.
The elven spy is out front, followed by the dwarven warriors. While the others follow them, since even as they try to move as silently as possible. They're still no where near as silent as the trio of non human mercenaries. Especially the elf who they think is a mercenary ranger, who they can't see, let alone hear.
The swordmaster Berric who is side by side with the young squad leader Barron. He can just make out the two short figures of the McQuade cousins who are just a little bit further infront of him and Barron.
And about fifty yards from the farmhouse, which they're now approaching from the north side. The local swordmaster Berric sees Shawtus McQuade raise a hand for those following to halt.
"Stop" quietly murmurs commander Berric to Ludoc who is behind him and the young squad leader Barron.
The experience guard murmurs that to those who are following him, and they all come to a halt.
The swordmaster from Savariss, and the young squad leader from the south of the duchy move forward and join the dwarven warriors.
Where Shawtus McQuade murmurs to the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard "When you hear things kick off, you lot rush the place".
The slightly older and slightly taller of the dwarven warriors who hail from the Sunreach Mountains, which are over two thousand miles to the west of the kingdom of Nastell, points to the nearby farmhouse, and quietly adds "Go around to that side with the porch, no doubt a bunch of them will run out from that side once they realise they're under attack".
"Will do" quietly says commander Berric who along with the young squad leader Barron, is leaving things up to the dwarven warriors and the elven ranger.
"Good lad" murmurs Shawtus McQuade, the local swordmaster then quietly asks him "Where's Dalin?".
It's the slightly younger and slightly shorter, Smawfri McQuade who quietly answers with "There" as he points at the farmhouse, followed by "He just killed another one".
Then the older McQuade cousin quietly says to the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard "Right we're off" when he sees Dalin gestures for him and Smawfri to come forward.
"Remember when you hear things kicking off, rush the place" adds Shawtus McQuade, who along with his younger cousin Smawfri, then hurry forward towards the farmhouse, to join the elven spy who they all think is just a mercenary ranger.
While commander Berric and squad leader Barron, both of whom have crouched down, wait with the others as they get ready to attack those who are in the farmhouse.
Shawtus, then Smawfri McQuade hop over the dead body of a deserter, then come to a stop up against the north side of the two storey farmhouse, where the spy Tanith stands.
"The back door is around to the right here" whispers Dalinvardél Tanith who knows he can speak as quietly as possible as the dwarves can hear him perfectly fine.
"Go in through that way and take them by surprise, there's about a dozen of them downstairs in the main room" adds the elven spy from the principality Alínlae.
"And you?" adds Shawtus McQuade who immediately grasps that Dalin didn't mention himself.
The elf who is passing himself off as a mercenary ranger from his homeland of Alínlae, points up at a window above and to the right of them, about twenty feet up, and whispers "I'm going in up through there".
Smawfri McQuade looks more than a little sceptical, and his older and slightly taller cousin lifts a questioning eyebrow as he looks up at the elf in the gray hooded cloak.
"Trust me" whispers Dalinvardél Tanith "If you say so lad" whispers the older of the two dwarven warriors from the Sunreach Mountains.
"Besides, they're dragging one of their captives up there right now" whispers the spy Tanith who then adds "Listen".
The McQuade cousins do, and nod when they hear what Dalin just described.
"Get going" whispers Shawtus McQuade "Here, take this" whispers the elven spy who places a small, paper wrapped bundle, the size of an acorn into the right hand of the older McQuade cousin.
"Throw it at the floor infront of them" whispers Dalin "What is it?" asks Shawtus in a whisper.
"Baledíl" whispers the spy Tanith, who continues with "What you lot" referring to dwarves. "Call flash powder" adds the elven spy who has infiltrated duke Hargen's army.
"Hell" mutters Smawfri McQuade, while his slightly older, not to mention slightly taller cousin whispers to Dalin "What kind?" followed by "The noisy kind or the foul smelling one?".
"Noisy" whispers Dalinvardél Tanith "Well the others will definitely get the signal to attack" dryly whispers Shawtus McQuade who then tells his cousin Smawfri "Let's go".
They move off, heading around to the right side of the farmhouse to enter through the back door.
As they do, Shawtus looks back and sees Dalin has bent down, and adjusted something on his boots, now he's backing up. As he does, he pulls something forward from both of his sleeves, and quickly wraps straps around both of his hands.
The elf then runs forward, and leaps up, and basically sticks to the wall with amount making much of a sound. He then starts climbing the flat side of the farmhouse, going up towards the open window.
As he and his cousin Smawfri go around to the back of the farmhouse, Shawtus McQuade suddenly gets the feeling that Dalin isn't just an ordinary mercenary ranger.
His thoughts are disrupted by his younger cousin Smawfri who has stopped next to the back door, whisper to him in the dwarven language "Ready?".
"Aye" whispers Shawtus in the same language, and when his slightly younger and slightly shorter cousin takes a hold of the door handle, he whispers to him in dwarven "Go" . . . . . .