The Hire 78.

Central Phelm. The Kingdom Of Nastell...

Lisell Maera with another messenger ride forward along the road, hoping to catch up with mounted patrol led by the cavalry commander Darid Parsen.
The attractive young woman who is originally from the city-state of Brattonbury, which lies upon the coast of the Southlands.
Suspects the other messenger is with her, just to keep an eye on her. She's right on that account. As the experienced messenger in the scouts and rangers division of the Farqian mercenary army is also an assassin who has trained under prince Helbenthril Raendril.
Lisell Maera or Lis as she's more commonly called by those who know her well. Knows that she's probably not going to be left alone ever since she went missing for a few days earlier in the campaign.
And that there will always be somebody with her. Which though reassuring, she does find a little annoying.
They soon come upon the rear scouts in the cavalry patrol led by commander Parsen. And as the morning sun beats down upon the central region of the duchy of Phelm.
They find that the mounted patrol has gone down a side road, that's more to the west of the main one that they, along with the following armies have been using.
Lis looks around, and sees that much of the fields and pastures here in the middle of the duchy, are still green. And if they are going brown, it's only recently that they've started turning.
A sure sign that water is more accessible here further south, than it is in the north of Phelm. Especially north of the city of Savariss. Where much of the southern reaches had turned brown at the very beginning of summer.
They meet up with one of the rear scouts, who informs them that the mounted patrol, which is one of the forward elements out infront of the following armies.
Are making their way to a farmhouse that the lead scout Zaneff found a little earlier. And suggested that commander Parsen and the others should check it out.
They continue along the road, until they spot the cavalry patrol at the farmhouse in question. Which is up a wagon track a hundred and fifty yards from the road.
As they ride towards the barn that you get to first, Lisell Maera and the other messenger start to smell the familiar smell of death.
And after they dismount, and hand their reins to a couple of the troopers. They make their way around the barn on foot. And find in the corrals next to it, dead bodies. Recently dead by the looks of it, for even in the heat of another hot summer's day here in north of the kingdom of Nastell. The bodies aren't too corrupted.
Lis with a hand covering her mouth and nose form the stink, nods her head when the other messenger quietly suggests that they most likely died during the night.
The attractive young woman from the coast of the Southlands, takes one more look into the stock pens, and sees that though the enemy are amongst the dead. There's others with them, in various types of armour and clothing. But clearly not military in any way.
The two messengers move on, and Lis spots the heavily armoured knight sir Percavelle Lé Dic, and Shur Kee the monk. Standing with a number of the patrol in the shade of a few trees at one end of the farmhouse.
And as usual, the former paladin from the kingdom of Druvic, is talking above everyone else. About himself too. Which isn't unusual at all. As that's his favourite topic.
Lisell Maera nods to the short statured monk who notices her, and briefly waves to her.
The attractive young woman who originally hails from the city-state of Brattonbury, who is now a runner or messenger, in the armies of Farque.
Thinks that the physical adept's attire makes a hell of a lot of sense in the long, hot dry days they've experienced here in the north of the kingdom of Nastell. And previously over the border, in the unruled lands in the foothills of the Colevar Mountains.
As the odd looking, but wide brim conical shaped hat Shur Kee wears, along with his thin white clothing, and the sandles he wears. Seems to be way more comfortable than what anyone else is wearing.
Especially in comparison to those in heavy plate armour, like sir Percavelle Lé Dic. Who Lis can't believe doesn't cook in his armour in this heat.
But the nobleborn knight from the kingdom of Druvic, doesn't complain at all about the heat. The messenger suspects that because he's been wearing heavy armour day after day, for decades. In all types of weather. From hot summer days to freezing cold winter nights. That he's grown completely accustomed to it.
She knows that's definitely something she couldn't do. For even in the light armour she wears. She gets hot on days like today. And that's even with the thin, black silk cloak she wears. Which is rather cooling, especially if there's a wind blowing at all.
Lis and the other messenger are stopped by Kalleb the second in command, who tells the other messenger to circle around to the north of the farmhouse to deliver his message to commander Parsen.
The attractive young woman who has noticed that none of the cavalry patrol are that close to the farmhouse. With the exception of those under the few trees about twenty five yards from the southern end.
Glances at the second in command of the patrol, and arches an eyebrow in question.
"The commander and Zaneff are working out what happened here" quietly explains Kalleb in the elven language.
Lisell Maera nods her head in understanding, for those two. The cavalry commander who is a member of lord Farque's personal council. And the water elemental spouter are the two most likely to figure out what happened here.
Especially when Kalleb quietly adds "None of our forward elements were here in the night when this happened" followed by "Zaneff was the first one to find this place a little earlier this morning".
"Any idea what happened?" quietly asks Lisell Maera in the elven language "Yes" replies the officer in the Farqian mercenary army, who then adds "But my thoughts on the matter might be completely wrong".
The attractive young woman from Brattonbury, whose mother was a street prostitute, and whose father was a sailor. Nods back to the corrals where the dead are, and quietly asks "How many of them?".
"Over thirty" is the reply from the second in command of the cavalry patrol, who continues with "And with what little from what i can make out, they were wiped out by a force of less than half their number".
Kalleb points away to the west, to some woods about two hundred and fifty yards away, then says "Whoever they were, they came from there during the night" he then adds "Zaneff found signs of a campsite in there".
The cavalry officer who is from the hills in the south of the lands Farque, whose ancestry is definitely of the barbarian hordes of the southern tundra, which is to the south of those hills.
Then tells the messenger as he points to corrals where the dead have been dumped "They attacked that lot in the middle of the night, when they least expected it".
Lisell Maera nods, and is about to ask something else, when the other messenger comes back around from the north side of the house, and says "Lis the commander wants to see you" he then adds "And you too subcommander".
Kalleb nods his head, and he and the young messenger who is part of the scouts and rangers division in the mercenary army from the lands Farque make their way around to the north side of the two storey farmhouse.
There they find commander Parsen, about twenty yards back from it, looking up at an open window on the second storey.
Lis takes a small rolled up missive from a hidden slit in the inside of the left sleeve of her tunic, and hands it to the cavalry commander and says "A message for you sir".
Commander Parsen nods, unrolls it. Then steps away to read it. Lisell who has seen the message, has no idea what it says. As it's written in a language she doesn't understand.
After nodding a few times as he silently reads the missive, the member of lord Farque's personal council steps back towards the other two.
"Here read this" says commander Darid Parsen to his second in command Kalleb, who he hands the message to.
As the born Farqian reads it, Lis gestures to the farmhouse, and asks the cavalry commander "What happened here?".
"In a moment" says commander Parsen, who in actual fact is a hordes barbarian outrider by the name of Zubutai Timaginson, who just happens to find himself inhabiting the body of Darid Parsen. Who a year and half ago, was a foot soldier in the army of the lady Linara Lé Dic in the kingdom of Druvic. Until he died in battle. The same battle, that the previous person Zubutai the barbarian hordesman inhabited. Riley Hait the mercenary ranger, was killed in.
"Well?" asks commander Parsen as he looks at his second in command "Wait a moment" says Kalleb who then adds in mutter "It's been ages since I've read my grandfathers language"
After a few moments, the second in command of the cavalry patrol nods his head, looks at his commander, and says "Interesting".
"That's one way of putting it" says Darid aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman with a quick burst of laughter, then the member of lord Farque's personal council quietly adds "We'll have to wait and see what eventuates".
"Maybe they'll do us all a favour and kill each other off" quietly says Kalleb in a wry tone of voice "We've had this conversation before" says the cavalry commander, who then adds "If they do that, who'll pay us then?".
"I'm still working on that bit" sourly says the second in command of the cavalry company.
Darid aka Zubutai Timaginson just shakes his head, then he looks at the attractive young woman who is originally from the city-state of Brattonbury, who is now a messenger in the armies of Farque.
"As for what happened here" says commander Parsen to Lis "Zaneff can explain it better than i" he gestures at the farmhouse and adds "He's gone inside again to have another look".
They don't have to wait too long before Zaneff makes an appearance. He comes from around the otherside of the farmhouse as a cloud of mist that's roughly man shaped.
The next moment he's suddenly his human form, standing beside the cavalry commander, his second in command, and the messenger.
"Well?" asks Darid Parsen "I'm more than certain that lot over by the barn are deserters" says Zaneff the water elemental spouter "And the others with them?" asks the cavalry commander "Criminals most likely, probably road bandits they had joined up with".
"And those responsible for them ending up dead in those stock pens?" asks councilor Parsen who is fairly certain who is responsible, though not specifically who.
"The enemy" replies Zaneff "And i know exactly who it was too" adds the lead scout in the cavalry company with certainty.
Lifting an eyebrow in surprise, Darid aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman says "Oh?" followed by "Explain".
The water elemental spouter, who hails from the coast of the lands Farque, the largest nation by size in the Southlands. Though population wise, it's no where near the largest.
Points behind them, and says "They come from those trees in the distance" he continues with "And they stopped probably thirty yards behind where we're standing right now".
"A few came forward while the others laid in wait out here. Two of those who came forward i could track easily, even though they were fairly light footed for their kind" says Zaneff, who then adds "A pair of dwarves who entered through the back door, around the side there, that leads into the kitchen" he continues with "They let off some flash powder inside, which had the obvious effect upon those inside".
"Nasty stuff that" murmurs Kalleb, Darid Parsen nods his head in agreement, then says to his lead scout "You said a few come forward?".
"The third i couldn't even track, no boot marks or foot prints anywhere" says the water elemental who points at the back wall of the farmhouse infront of them, and adds "Apart form small marks that lead up to that window" he continues with "That one climbed up that sheer wall to the window".
"How the hell did they do that?" murmurs Lisell Maera "Easy for a spy who happens to be an elf" says Zaneff the water elemental spouter.
"Dalin" says Darid aka Zubutai the son of Timagin immediately, the lead scout nods in agreement with his commander then says "The very one, I've no doubt".
"The enemy squad he's in has a couple of dwarven mercenaries" quietly says the cavalry commander who is a member of the personal council of the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
"And they've also met up with" quietly says commander Parsen who then falls silent.
"With?" asks Lis "No one" replies the council member who knows exactly who else Dalinvardél Tanith is traveling with, thanks to the latest information from Narladene the ground pixie. Which the other messenger, just delivered to him.
Didn't sound like nothing, the attractive young woman from Brattonbury sourly thinks to herself with a slight shake of her head.
"No wonder they wiped out more than twice their number" says Kalleb, who continues with "Dalin and a couple of battle hardened dwarven mercs, they'd be a force to be reckoned with".
Especially those two crazy fucking dwarves, Darid aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman dryly thinks to himself. As he knows exactly who the two dwarves in question are.
As he's fought against them in the past. And for a brief amount of time. When he, Zubutai Timaginson first died well over a decade ago. He was a member of the dwarven warriors crew, on their dreadnought. Infact he was briefly one of their cousins.
The cavalry commander slightly shakes his head at the memories, then he asks the lead scout "They head south to Almaic?".
"They have" is the reply of the water elemental who is the only one in the cavalry company without a mount "Left well before dawn is my best guess" adds the lead scout.
"With Almaic less than twenty miles away from here" quietly says councilor Parsen, who continues with "More like fifteen really" before he adds "Even on foot they'll be there soon enough, early this afternoon most likely".
Zaneff nods in agreement with his commander, then adds "Should we follow after them?".
"No" is the definitive answer from Darid aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman, who continues with "Even if they don't make it to the city this afternoon, we must not get in the way of one our spies and their mission" the cavalry commander then silently adds, especially as Dalin is now traveling with the duke's personal guard commander.
"We'll head back to the main road and continue south out infront of the armies" says Darid Parsen who continues with "I suspect we'll start running into resistance the closer we get to Almaic".
The councilor then tells his second in command "Kalleb get the company moving, we'll head back to the main road".
Kalleb nods and moves off, while Zaneff disappears in a cloud of droplets, as he heads off without being told what to do, as he already knows he has to get out infront of the rest of the company.
While Lis and Darid follow after Kalleb, as they go and get their mounts, as the cavalry company led by commander Parsen will continue on it's way towards the city of Almaic, the capital of the duchy of Phelm . . . . . .