The Hire 79.

The City Of Almaic. The Duchy Of Phelm. The Kingdom Of Nastell...

It takes them a while to pass through the outer defensive lines. But they eventually enter the city of Almaic in the early afternoon.
It helps that commander Berric is so well known and recognisable, that they were able to go through the lines fairly easily, then enter the city that's the capital of the duchy of Phelm.
For though Almaic is more or less in the central region of the largest duchy in the kingdom of Nastell. It's actually in the south of Phelm, as it lies to the southwest of the river Mareb. The largest river that flows in the north of Nastell, that goes all the way down to the south in the kingdom.
The river is seen as a dividing line in the duchy, everything to the south is the south of Phelm, while everything to the north of it, is the rest of the duchy.
And that's important, for the south of Phelm is where all the power and wealth is found.
While the central region is predominantly farmland. And the north, including the northern city of Savariss is basically a buffer against those on the otherside of the border.
The south is where most of the nobility are from. And where most if not all, of the wealthy merchants live and work in Phelm.
And though Phelm might be the largest duchy in the kingdom of Nastell. The southern part of the duchy is the smallest area in Phelm. Though it has the largest population, and the most wealth. In comparison to the central and northern parts of the duchy.
They come in through the north gates of the city. With most of them on foot, with the exception of commander Berric, and the prisoner sir Tanvar, a younger cousin of duke Hargen.
The three others they captured in the farmhouse during the night. They hanged in the barn next to the farmhouse. Then dumped in the corrals with the rest of the deserters and road bandits they killed in the middle of the night.
While the two women who had been captured earlier in the night by those they killed in the farmhouse. They've brought south with them to Almaic, which lies just over fifteen miles from the farmhouse they left early this morning, well before dawn.
Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy who has memorized all the defensive lines they've passed through to get into the city.
Walks with the dwarven cousins, Shawtus and Smawfri McQuade. Next to the swordmaster Berric, who has dismounted from one of the two horses they took from the barn next to the farmhouse.
Behind them is the experienced guard Ludoc and the squad leader Barron, who is leading the horse the bound prisoner is on.
While the two young women from the farmhouse, who were taken captive on the road as they fled south towards Almaic. Are walking amongst the rest of them who escaped the city of Savariss the night it fell to the enemy.
And though the streets in the north of the city, is full of soldiers and mercenaries to go along with all the city folk, and the others from further north in the duchy of Phelm, who have seeked refuge in the capital of the duchy.
No one so far has recognised the younger cousin of duke Hargen, and that his hands are bound infront of him as he sits upon the mount that is being led by the young squad leader Barron.
"Where too?" asks Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy "The duke's palace" is the reply of Berric the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard.
"Palace?" says Shawtus McQuade in surprise "The first duke of Phelm started building what's become a palace, he called it that too" explains commander Berric who then adds in a dry tone "The king at the time wasn't too pleased with that. And he forbade it being called that".
"I can well imagine" wryly says the slightly older and slightly taller of the McQuade cousins "But after a couple of generations or so, everyone up here in Phelm went back to calling it a palace, and have so for the last four hundred years" says the commander who is also a swordmaster.
Dalinvardél Tanith or Dalin as he's more commonly called. It's also the name he's going by whilst in duke Hargen's army, which he's infiltrated.
Turns his hooded head, and pretends to look at the others following them. What he's actually doing is looking up at the top of the north wall of the city that's the regional capital.
The elven spy who hails from the principality of Alínlae slightly frowns as he sees what's on top of the north wall of Almaic. Something he wasn't expecting to see.
Then he looks forward again, as the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard says "Turn left here".
They make their way through the streets and lanes in the center of the city. A city that's more of an armed war camp than anything else. As there's far more soldiers and mercenaries here than there was in the north of the duchy, when they fought against the robber barons from the unruled lands in the Colevar Mountains, who have invaded the duchy of Phelm.
"Where the hell was this lot when we were fighting those bastards up north?" says Smawfri McQuade in a disgruntled tone of voice, the slightly shorter and slightly younger, not to mention more temperamental dwarven warrior then adds in angry tone "Sitting on their arses drinking and eating most like".
Commander Berric winces, and behind them so does the experienced guard Ludoc, and the young squad leader Barron. For they know the reason why.
"Not many of the southern noblemen came north with the armies" quietly says the swordmaster from the city of Savariss, the commander who is the highest placed commoner in the court of the duke of Phelm, then adds "Men like lord Chesié are few and are far between".
"While the rest of their lordships are back down here sitting on their arses, while others go and die for them" says Smawfri McQuade in disgust, then the younger of the two dwarven warriors from the Sunreach Mountains adds "You and the others commander are fine enough in a scrap, especially the lad Barron here" as he briefly glances back at the young squad leader who is from further south in the duchy.
Then the disgruntled Smawfri says "But if your duke's paymaster doesn't pay up, me and my cousin Shawtus will be pissing off as so as possible, and bugger your duke if he doesn't".
"Tactful as ever asshole" mutters Shawtus McQuade in the dwarven language, his slightly younger and slightly shorter cousin ignores him, and as they exit a wide lane, and cross a street, Smawfri McQuade nods at the spy Tanith, and says "And i suspect Dalin here will piss off too if he's not paid".
The elven spy who is originally from the principality of Alínlae, and who now serves in the armies of Farque, who has infiltrated duke Hargen's army, nods his gray hooded head and says "I will if I'm not paid".
The elf in the gray hooded cloak who is posing as a mercenary ranger from his homeland of Alínlae, continues with "And we were due to be paid yesterday" he then adds "As that was two weeks since our last payment".
Commander Berric faintly winces as he knows the duke's army can't afford to lose experienced mercenaries like the trio of non humans, who are in young Barron's squad. Especially now, after he's seen what they can do in battle.
Not to mention they were the three who brought them safely south to Almaic after they all escaped the city of Savariss the night it fell to the enemy.
"I'll personally make sure you're paid" says the local swordmaster who commands duke Hargen's personal guard, who then adds "You have my word on it, whatever that's worth".
Smawfri McQuade just grunts, while his cousin Shawtus grunts a little more positively, and he nods too. While Dalin says "Fair enough commander" followed by "No doubt your word is worth something".
The spy Tanith looks around, and spots a nobleman and his guard walking the other way down the street, and he adds "Especially compared to some others you'll find here".
They continue through the streets of the city, a couple of times that get a view to the east of the city, where there's no wall. Where the river Mareb runs alongside Almaic. Where much of that side of the city is a river port.
While they can't see to the western side of the city. From what the spy Tanith has learnt from the others. Is that much of that side of the city isn't walled either. Unlike the north and south sides of Almaic, which are fully walled. Walls that are just as high, and as thick as the walls of the city of Savariss. Though newer, better constructed, not to mention sturdier. Able to withstand much more in the way of a heavy bombardment from enemy war machines, and even magic.
Once they get beyond the center of the city, and enter the slightly more quieter streets in the south of Savariss. They get their first view of the palace, where the duke of Phelm holds court, among other things.
"By Dovarn" mutters Smawfri McQuade, while his cousin Shawtus says "Hell, it is a palace" as they can see the duke's residence in the distance down a long street.
Commander Berric nods, and he looks back at the prisoner sir Tanvar, who the experienced guard Ludoc has now gagged too.
The swordmaster from the city of Savariss has spotted people as they've got south of the city center. Starting to notice the nobleborn prisoner, and recognising him as duke Hargen's younger cousin. Who also happens to be the duke's current heir.
"You think you might have problems when we get to the palace?" quietly asks Dalinvardél Tanith with a nod back at the prisoner on the horse behind them.
"Maybe" quietly admits the swordmaster Berric "Should've let me and my cousin kill him" sourly says Smawfri McQuade, who then adds "Would've saved you the hassle of dealing with him".
Though the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard would've liked to of done that. He has no real authority to execute a noble of the realm. Unless they are an immediate threat to the duke.
And from what he's found out. Captain Tanvar, who he's always thought of as a coward, and not cared for much whenever he's had anything to do with him in the past.
Was doing what he was doing out of pure greed. Him and his personal guard joined up with those road bandits, to steal from those who were fleeing the enemy, on their way to Almaic.
Commander Berric glances back at the two young woman walking with the others. One of whom looks to be only fifteen years old if that.
As he knows sir Tanvar who is captain in his cousin's army. Wasn't only stealing from those who they way laid on the road south to Almaic.
And from what the mercenary ranger Dalin says, was about to rape the youngest of the two woman when he interrupted the duke's heir in the farmhouse last night.
The swordmaster who commands duke Hargen's personal guard, knows they're going to cause a stir when they turn up at the palace, which isn't all that far away.
"Some of your men are on gate duty" quietly says Dalinvardél Tanith to commander Berric, as he recognises the uniforms of duke Hargen's personal guards on some of those standing at the gates of the palace in the distance.
"They are?" says the local swordmaster slightly in surprise, who is unable to see those at the palace gates clearly, as they're still a bit too faraway for his human eyesight to see up close.
"They are" says the spy Tanith, who continues with "With i assume those who are the palace guards" he slightly shrugs then adds "I've never seen their uniforms before, so i assume that's who they are".
"That's them" says the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard, who is slightly surprised at finding those of his company on gate duty. As he usually doesn't assign them to that. If ever at all.
He suspects the palace guard has been stripped of men. And that they've been placed into the army to help with the defence of Almaic. For that's about the only reason he can see those of his company on gate duty at the palace.
As they near the residence of the duke of Phelm, those of the duke's personal guard spot their commander, and cheer when they see that he and Ludoc are alive.
They're greeted like returning heroes when they get to the gates. Then they and the palace guards begin to notice the bound and gagged sir Tanvar upon the horse.
As they enter the palace through the gates, a couple of commander Berric's company walk alongside them, and one quietly says to the swordmaster from Savariss "Sir the duke has been worried sick about his missing cousin". The guard continues with "He'd thought he had been somehow captured by the enemy".
"No, something else" quietly says the commander of the duke of Phelm's personal guard "Did Ardell make it back?" asks the swordmaster Berric of one of his officers he put in charge of returning duke Hargen safely to Almaic.
"He did" replies the guard, who continues with "He's still commanding here" he briefly pauses then adds "Barely".
"What's this?" asks commander Berric in concern, who slows down, forcing the others behind them to slow as they cross the massive courtyard that lies directly infront of the main building of the palace.
"There's some at court who have been urging the duke to replace him, and name a new commander to his personal guard, since everyone thought you were dead" quietly explains the guard, who with half of the company, returned duke Hargen first to Savariss, then to Almaic. After the defeat in battle of his army that he was with, in the very north of Phelm.
"Hell, i wasn't gone for that long" mutters the swordmaster who commands duke Hargen's personal guard, who then shakes his head then quietly says "Only in times like these does decisions get made quickly at court".
Then the commander grimaces and shakes his head no, when the other guard asks him "Subcommander Omrick and the others sir, are they heading back too?".
"Some might show up in the next day" quietly says the local swordmaster who continues with "But i doubt it" he follows that with "The subcommander and most of our company died defending the city of Savariss".
Both of the guards swear under their breath, and the commander can only nod in agreement with their sentiments.
He then asks them a few questions about where certain people are, and what they're doing. He then tells them to go back to their duties at the main gates on the north side of the palace grounds.
As they head back to the gates, commander Berric quietly says to those at the front with him "Go around to the right side there".
"Where are we going?" asks Dalinvardél Tanith "To my company's quarters" is the reply from the swordmaster who is from the northern city of Savariss, who then quietly adds "There's some things we need to do before we see the duke".
The elven spy who has infiltrated the duke of Phelm's army nods, and does so again, as do the McQuade cousins, when commander Berric quietly tells the three of them "I haven't forgot your latest payment either. We'll get that sorted with the paymaster before we see the duke".
The spy Tanith looks at the palace of the duke of Phelm as they head around to the right side of the main building. He never thought he'd end up here of all places during the robber barons of the unruled lands of the Colevar Mountains, campaign against duke Hargen of Phelm.
Such is the life of a spy, finding yourself somewhere you least expect it, Dalin thinks to himself as he and the others follow commander Berric to the quarters of duke Hargen's personal guard, here in the palace of duke of Phelm in the city of Almaic . . . . . .