The Hire 100.

Almaic In The Duchy Of Phelm...

Looking away to the left, towards the enemy battlelines in that direction. Darid Parsen the cavalry commander asks "How close have they got now?".
"I'd say at least halfway" is the reply of Lisell Maera the runner who stands beside the member of lord Farque's personal council.
"Dorc's battalion leading the way of course" adds the attractive young woman who is originally from the city-state of Brattonbury.
"Of course" dryly says commander Parsen with a shake of his head.
Then the cavalry commander who in actuality is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra by the name of Zubutai Timaginson, who just happens to find himself inhabiting the body of Darid Parsen.
Looks away to directly left of them, where in the distance. The other army here to the north of the city of Almaic. Is making it's way forward, at a measured pace, towards the city that's the capital of the duchy of Phelm.
That army, which is led by the young field commander Tamric Drubine is steadily advancing even though it's facing no opposition.
They don't want to get in the way of their own forward elements, who are doing the actual fighting. And are amongst the enemy battlelines. Working their way towards the north wall of the city that's the provincial capital.
Both Darid Parsen and Lisell Maera look to their right, to where field commander Leivyn and her senior staff are standing. Where one of the spellcasters close to them, has just called out that smoke has been spotted on the river Mareb, to the northeast of the city.
"So that part of the plan is in motion" quietly says Darid aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman.
Lisell Maera or Lis as she's more commonly called by those who know her well, nods to that. And though she doesn't know the plan of attack in detail. She does know the main points of it.
One of which is the first real movement from the army to the east of Almaic, which is led by the Farqian general, general Halvane.
The councilor then looks at their own forward elements who are amongst the enemy battlelines. They're not as advanced as those in the army led by field commander Drubine.
But nevertheless, they're well within the enemy battlelines as they make steady progress.
Commander Parsen looks over at field commander Leivyn, and finds the lithe, attractive woman from the lands Farque looking at him.
Darid aka Zubutai Timaginson slightly nods to her.
And a few moments later, field commander Leivyn says to her officers "Order the front ranks forward" she pauses before adding "Front ranks only".
"How'd they take that?" quietly asks the cavalry commander, who knows that Lis is keeping an eye on the robber barons Gergus and Solamard, along with their senior officers.
Who are to the back and right, about twenty five yards away.
"That definitely got their attention" says the attractive young woman from the coastal city-state of Brattonbury, who is now a messenger in the armies of Farque.
Darid Parsen, who like the runner beside him, is speaking in the elven language, quietly says "No doubt" followed by "Considering the front ranks are made up of our army, and none of their's".
"Think they're talking about that matter right now" quietly says Lisell Maera, who after a slight pause adds "Pretty sure they're going to complain to the field commander about that decision".
Darid aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman nods to that, then in the common language, he calls out "Percy with me!".
Sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who once again is sitting on a nearby tree stump. Quickly stands up, and hurries over to join the cavalry commander and messenger, who are making their way to the right. To intercept the robber barons Gergus and Solamard, along with their seconds and senior officers, who are approaching field commander Leivyn and her senior staff.
Placing himself right in the path of the two robber barons and their senior officers. Darid Parsen gets in with "I'm sure the field commander will order some of your men forward soon enough" before they even have a chance to say anything.
And as the robber baron Solamard opens his mouth to say something, the cavalry commander quickly adds "It's still just the first morning of the battle, plenty enough time for you and your men to get involved in the battle".
"Well, you know, we could" says the robber baron Solamard, who is interrupted by Darid aka Zubutai the son of Timagin, who says "If you would excuse us, we've got things to attend to".
The councilor nods for Lis to follow him, and says "Come along then Percy" to the former earl of Lé Dic who has just hurried up behind them.
The cavalry commander and the messenger walk away, followed by sir Percavelle Lé Dic who says "Cheerio chaps" to the robber barons and their senior officers.
Who watch the trio walk away, with the younger of the two robber barons, Gergus. Keeping a close eye on the attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury, who he spent an intimate night with earlier in the campaign.
By the time they look away, they notice that field commander Leivyn and a couple of her senior officers, including her subcommander. Are gone, and are no longer with the rest of her senior staff.
The robber baron Solamard looks at one of his spellcasters, who tells him that the Farqian field commander and her subcommander have been teleported away.
Gergus, the youngest of the five robber barons from the unruled lands in the Colevar Mountains, who have banded together to wage war upon duke Hargen of Phelm.
Sourly smiles when he hears that. Then he glances away, to where Lisell Maera is walking away in the company of the cavalry commander. Darid Parsen. And the heavily armoured knight, sir Percavelle Lé Dic.
"Pray tell, where are we heading off too, wot?" asks the former paladin sir Percavelle as he follows the councilor and the messenger.
"One hopes into battle" adds the nobleborn knight who is from the kingdom of Druvic.
"To join up with my company" is the reply of Darid aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman, who then quietly asks Lis in the elven language "What are they doing?".
"Looking around for someone to talk to by the looks of it" is the quiet reply of the attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury who has just had a look back at the robber barons and their senior officers.
"Probably wondering where commander Leivyn has got to" adds the messenger, who is part of the scouts and rangers division in the mercenary army from the lands Farque.
"Good" murmurs the cavalry commander, who a year and half ago, was a foot soldier in the army of lady Linara Lé Dic in the kingdom of Druvic. Until he was killed in battle, and brought back to life, with Zubutai Timaginson inhabiting the body of Darid Parsen.
"So are we wot?" asks the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che who isn't particularly fond of others speaking in foreign languages around him "Going into battle?" adds the nobleborn knight who is in his mid forties.
"Yes" is the reply in common from councilor Parsen "Capital" says a suddenly cheerful sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who is more commonly referred to as Percy by those who know him well.
"We are?" quietly asks Lis in elven "We are" is response from Darid aka Zubutai the son of Timagin in the same language.
"Me too?" asks the messenger in the Farqian mercenary army.
Commander Parsen nods his head, then says "Like i said, I'm not letting you out of my sight today".
The member of lord Farque's personal council continues with "Unless you want to go over and join Tam's army, where Mira will keep an eye on you".
"I'd rather stay with you" says the attractive young woman who is originally from the city-state of Brattonbury.
Who is of the opinion that things tend to eventually blow up, both figuratively and literally around Mira Reinholt the mage in battle. And it's probably best, and most likely safer to stay with commander Parsen and his company.
As they walk behind the front ranks of their army, who are now advancing forward, towards the city of Almaic on this warm summer's day, here in the north of the kingdom of Nastell.
Sir Percavelle Lé Dic says "Hmmm where's that horse of mine?".
"We're not going mounted" says Darid aka Zubutai Timaginson, who then adds "We're going on foot like the others".
"Rather odd for a cavalry company if you ask me" declares the nobleman from the kingdom of Druvic, where a fief in the east of that kingdom, is named after his family, who have held it for more than five centuries.
"No one was asking you" dryly says the council member, which gets a grin from Lisell Maera, and a sour looking smile from sir Percavelle Lé Dic.
They meet up with commander Parsen's company, who are on the western edge of the front ranks who are now making their way forward towards the nearby city that's the capital of the duchy of Phelm.
Before they set off, the cavalry commander asks his lead scout Zaneff "Will you be needed over to the east of the city in that river?".
"Not anytime soon" replies Zaneff the water elemental spouter, who continues with "Besides it's the coursers who will be doing most of it over there". The company's lead scout then adds "I'll go over if they send for me".
Darid aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman nods to that, as he knows that Zaneff, who is one of only a handful of spouters, the most powerful of the water elementals, who are in the Farqian mercenary army.
Will prefer to stay with their company no matter what. Though he will head off and go somewhere else if needed.
The cavalry commander then looks at his second in command Kalleb, and asks him "Everybody got everything?".
"They have" replies Kalleb the second in command of the cavalry company, the officer from the hill country in the very south of the lands Farque then adds "We're just waiting for your order to head out, and follow this lot" as he nods at the front ranks of the army who have moved out, and are advancing towards the city of Almaic.
"Right then" says Darid Parsen, who then tells his second in command "Give the order, we're going into battle".
A wide grin splits the face of sir Percavelle Lé Dic when he hears that, it gets even wider when Kalleb gives the order to move out.
They set off, following after the front ranks of the army that's led by the Farqian field commander Leivyn.
As they walk forward in the midst of their company, both commander Parsen and his second in command, Kalleb. Warn the company to keep an eye out for anything that might come from the top of the north wall of the city. Whether it be magical or mundane.
For though there are spellcasters in the front ranks of the army with them. Their company doesn't have a spellcaster of their own.
Which is fine with Darid aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman. Who is of the opinion that spellcasters are more trouble than they're worth during a battle.
And that they're only effective if they work in unison with other practitioners of magic on their side.
Or unless they're extremely talented like Helbe the elven thief. Or overwhelmingly powerful like Mira Reinholt the mage once was. And at certain times, still is.
After seeing Zaneff disappear in a cloudy mist of water, and telling sir Percavelle not to hurry ahead, and to remain with the rest of the company. Which the heavily armoured knight grudgingly does. Commander Parsen asks his second "Found a spot yet?".
"I have" replies Kalleb, whose ancestry definitely includes the barbarian hordes of the southern tundra, which lies immediately south of the lands Farque.
"A fortification in their lines that was taken by our forward elements a short time ago" continues the cavalry officer who is from the very south of the lands Farque, a nation that lies nearly five thousand miles further south within the Southlands.
"Good view of the city, and the wall" adds Kalleb, who follows that with "As well as back and across, not just at our army, but also commander Drubine's one too".
The cavalry commander who is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra, who just happens to find himself inhabiting the body of Darid Parsen. Nods his head when he hears that form his second in command.
The member of the personal council of the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, then looks up towards the top of the north wall of Almaic when they hear one of the magetubes up there being fired.
"Not at us" says commander Parsen, who then mutters in the hordes dialect of the southern tundra "Thank the fucking tundra gods for that".
Darid aka Zubutai the son of Timagin then says "The closer we get to the city, the less we have to worry about those magetubes".
"This is true wot" says sir Percavelle Lé Dic in his overly loud voice from behind commander Parsen, Kalleb and Lis.
And in a cheerful tone of voice, the former knight of the first class, adds "We just have to look forward to those catapults up yonder on that wall when we are closer to the city, we'll be in range of them" he then says "Should be fun wot".
After rolling his eyes, Darid Parsen dryly says "Percy only you would find getting shot at by enemy catapults to be fun".
"Tis true, tis true" says sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who after a slight pause adds in his usual loud, and boastful voice "If one can't have a bit of fun during a battle, what's the point of fighting wot" . . . . . .