The Hire 87.

The City Of Almaic...

The squad leader Barron is woken well before dawn by a shake to his shoulder from Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy who quietly tells him "We've been ordered out".
Barron sits up in bed, and sees the others in their small squad are getting up too.
The dwarven cousins, Shawtus and Smawfri McQuade are none to pleased to be waking up so early. The two of them are muttering away at one another in their own language.
The young squad leader suspects whatever they've muttering about, is probably something rather unpleasant.
He looks to the other end of the quarters of the duke's personal guards. And finds most of the guards are already up and have gone. A few others are in the process of leaving.
"What's happening?" quietly asks Barron the squad leader "The enemy are here" is the reply from the elven spy in the armies of Farque, who has infiltrated duke Hargen's forces.
"We've been ordered to rejoin the army" quietly adds the spy Tanith, who continues with "We're to be sent to the east side of the city".
"Hell" mutters the young squad leader, who gets up out of bed, and dons his armour and weapons, and gets his pack.
They make their way out of the quarters of duke Hargen's personal guards. Outside is the swordmaster Berric the commander of the duke's personal guard. As well as a few others. Including the experienced guard Ludoc. Who along with the commander traveled south with them from the city of Savariss.
"Keep you and your men safe squad leader" says commander Berric "I will commander" says the young squad leader who is from further south in the duchy.
The swordmaster nods to Barron and the small squad. Who follow a nearby runner in the duke's army, who brought their orders, who is waiting nearby, holding a lamp.
"Any idea what's going on?" quietly asks Barron as they cross the yard infront of the quarters of the personal guard of the duke.
"Just that the enemy have been spotted to the north of the city" says Dalinvardél Tanith, who is more commonly called Dalin by those who know him well. It's also the name he's using whilst embedded in duke Hargen's army.
"And are approaching from the east" adds the spy Tanith, who nods to the young runner infront of them, then quietly says "That's all he knows really".
Barron nods his head, then he looks away to their right. Into one of the courtyards in this part of the palace.
There in the light of a few lit lamps. He can see the gallows where the body of sir Tanvar still hangs.
The younger cousin of the duke, who was also his heir. Was hung last night for his actions.
The young squad leader still can't believe what they've been involved in ever since they went north with the army.
And now the capital of the duchy of Phelm is under threat from the enemy who have come down from the unruled lands in the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains.
As they cross the palace grounds, Barron quietly asks the elf he thinks is just a mercenary from the principality of Alínlae "What do you think our chances are?".
"Not particularly great" is the quiet reply of Dalin, who then adds "Their armies are showing up just half a day after we got here" the elven spy who served in one of the more prominent noble houses of his homeland then says "That doesn't put the duke's army in a good light".
Barron looks back at the dwarven warriors from the Sunreach Mountains walking behind him and Dalin, and asks them the same question.
"We're fucked" is the reply of Shawtus McQuade, beside him, his slightly younger and slightly shorter cousin Smawfri grunts in agreement as he looks around in disgust at being up so early before dawn.
"But anything could happen lad" adds the slightly older and slightly taller of the dwarven cousins, who continues with "All these nobles have got their men here, and they didn't taste defeat like us and the others did up north against those robber baron bastards. So who knows, things could go our way".
"I fucking doubt it" mutters Smawfri McQuade in the dwarven language "Would you fuck up, I'm trying to give the lad a bit of confidence" mutters Shawtus McQuade in the same language.
"You're the one who told him we're fucked" mutters the slightly younger of the two dwarven warriors.
The slightly older of the two looks sideways at his cousin, and after muttering "Smart fuck" in dwarven at him. He says in common to the young squad leader "Lets just hope we get a bit of break for once" he continues with "Hell, we're going to the east side of the city. Those bastards will have to come up with something bloody clever to attack across that river".
"Shawtus is right" quietly says Dalinvardél Tanith to Barron "Walls can be penetrated. While the west side of the city is basically open to them. But it'll be difficult for them to attack across the river Mareb, which is basically the biggest moat in all the Southlands" continues the elven spy in the armies of Farque who has infiltrated duke Hargen's forces.
They make their way out of the palace grounds. And head east behind the young runner.
The streets are busy this early in the morning. As soldiers and mercenaries hurry to their assigned positions. And though it's still dark. A fair amount of the populace of Almaic are up. As word has spread that the enemy, the robber barons of the unruled lands in the Colevar Mountains, along with their armies. Are just outside the city that's the capital of the duchy of Phelm.
"Whatever happens, the battle for this city won't be short like the battle for Savariss" quietly says the spy Tanith to the young squad leader Barron. Behind them, both of the McQuade cousins grunt in agreement with the elf, they all think is just a highly skilled mercenary ranger from the principality of Alínlae.
Dalin doesn't know the specifics of the plan to attack the city of Almaic. Just incase he's captured and what he knows is forced from him. Either magically or by more mundane methods, such as torture.
But he can guess what is planned. And he figures a lot of it will center upon the attack across the river Mareb.
He'll know more one he sees which armies are attacking where. As he knows the army led by general Halvane will be used as a blunt instrument. While the armies led by the field commanders Drubine, Talbot and Leivyn will be used to penetrate the city walls in some way.
They hurry through the streets in the east of Almaic, ending up in a yard infront of a large warehouse near the docks, that's being used as a staging ground for the duke's army.
They're led to an officer in the army, who assigns them to a larger squad. As the officer speaks with young Barron. The spy Tanith looks around and sees that most of the soldiers and mercenaries here are with the many nobles from central and southern Phelm, who didn't go north to fight the armies of the robber barons when they crossed over the border into the kingdom of Nastell, and it's northern most duchy, Phelm.
"Some of this lot are a bit green" quietly says Shawtus McQuade to his cousin Smawfri and Dalin "Still, others seem to be fairly experienced and know what they're doing" continues the slightly older, and slightly taller of the dwarven warriors from the Sunreach Mountains.
"That's something i guess" mutters Smawfri McQuade who isn't particularly fond of early morning starts, especially one's that are well before dawn.
The McQuade cousins along with spy Tanith take note that the squad they've joined up with are predominantly made up of men in the forces of sir Yarrim. And they must of heard by now of their role in the demise of sir Tanvar.
If they have they don't speak of it as they set out for the wide boulevard alongside the docks.
For sir Yarrim's men are mostly quiet as they walk the short distance to the boulevard. Where they turn north towards one of the towers.
Barron who has been made the second in command of the squad of about thirty. Quietly tells the trio of non human mercenaries "We're to be lookouts at that tower up ahead" followed by "Because of you three".
Dalinvardél Tanith along with Shawtus and Smawfri McQuade nod in understanding. Then the elven spy who has infiltrated the army of the duchy of Phelm says "Keep our lot close".
The elf who is passing himself off as a mercenary ranger from his homeland of Alínlae continues with "They can be counted on" the spy Tanith then adds "These others look capable enough, but you never know once the fighting starts".
Shawtus and Smawfri McQuade grunt in agreement, then the slightly younger and slightly shorter of the dwarven warriors quietly says "Aye Dalin has the right of it" followed by "They might look like they know how to handle things, but once your friends start dying around you in the heat of battle, who knows how they'll react".
They're at the rear of the squad, and when they get to the tower that's at the base of a dock that sticks out into the river Mareb. Their new squad leader, a fellow by the name of Kamnix, calls them forward.
The squad leader from the very south of the duchy of Phelm, the border region to be exact. Sends the spy Tanith and the McQuade cousins up the tower that's about fifty foot high.
At the top, on the roof of the tower, they join others who are observing things, including a number of officers.
Dalin looks east, and immediately identifies the army that way. It's the army commanded by general Halvane. He can see the general's army, which is the largest to come down from the unruled lands, are still moving into position. Only their forward elements, and front ranks are dug in for now.
The spy Tanith suspects that's for a good reason, as they'll use the river in some way to attack the city of Almaic.
As one of the officers asks the McQuade cousins and Dalinvardél Tanith to describe what they see. The elven spy looks northwards as Shawtus tells the officer what the enemy to the east of Almaic are doing.
The elf who is originally from the principality of Alínlae, who is now in the mercenary army from the lands Farque, who has infiltrated the army of duke Hargen.
Is pretty sure that it's the army led by the young field commander Tamric Drubine that's to the northeast of the city. Dalin slightly nods his hooded head, as that makes sense.
As that army will have the best chance of entering the city along the north side, even though it's walled. And on top of that particular wall are war machines, as well as magetubes.
Because of who is part of that army that young Tam commands.
Nothing like a mad ork and bunch of goblins at your disposal to get things done, the spy Tanith dryly thinks to himself, who then looks back east, and nods in agreement with what Shawtus McQuade is describing to the officers as the faint glow of false dawn starts to appear on the horizon to the east.
Though it's still fairly dark to the humans and their eyesight. Which is limited to say the least, in comparison to non humans.
"There's a fair few of them out there across on the otherside of the river still approaching the city" explains Shawtus McQuade who continues with "Looks to be well over six thousand of them".
"Aye, maybe more" adds Smawfri McQuade, who continues with "Closer to eight is my best guess".
The McQuade cousins glance at the spy Tanith, who nods in agreement with their assessment, then says "Yeah looks like they could have up to eight thousand of them to the east".
One of the officers mutters "Fuck" then waves over one of the other soldiers, and has a quick word with him.
Once that soldier departs, and heads down the tower. The dwarven warriors from the Sunreach Mountains and the elven spy who is passing himself off as a mercenary ranger from his homeland of Alínlae.
Go back to observing the enemy army across on the otherside of the river Mareb.
"It'll be dawn fairly soon" quietly says Dalinvardél Tanith "Aye, first light is close" adds Shawtus McQuade. Then the elven spy who has infiltrated the army of the duchy of Phelm.
Walks along the roof of the tower, away from the McQuade cousins when he sees what, or to be exact, who appears right infront of his face.
As the spy Tanith stands on the northeast corner of the tower roof, looking that way. Narladene the ground pixie whispers in the elven language into his left ear "The attack on the city has begun".
The naturally magical creature who is 'attached' to Helbe the elven thief, continues with "In their battlelines along the north side of the city".
Dalin lifts a questioning eyebrow and glances sideways at the tiny winged creature who is visible only to him.
"You don't want to know" sourly whispers Narladene the ground pixie.
From that reaction, Dalinvardél Tanith can only assume that Dorc da Orc's goblin battalion must be the one's who have begun the attack upon duke Hargen's forces and the city of Almaic . . . . . .