The Hire 110.

The City Of Almaic...

Throughout the morning, and now that it's just after midday. The smoke along the Mareb river has steadily been getting thicker and thicker.
And it's come down from the northeast of the city of Almaic, and made it's way along the river that runs down the east side of the city that's the capital of the duchy of Phelm. The northern most duchy in the kingdom of Nastell.
A half a mile down from the northeast corner of the city, the smoke along the river is really only tendrils at best. And only a handful of rafts have gone by with burning bushes onboard. Not really enough to have thick smoke along this part of the river.
Nevertheless, those defending this part of the east side of the city, keep a vigilant watch on the river, not just directly across from them. But also upriver, where the smoke is continuing to get thicker and thicker.
There's a large splash in the water where a boulder flung from an enemy catapult falls short of the docks and the long boulevard that runs along the east side of Almaic.
The young squad leader Barron glances to his side, and says "That smoke will get thick down here soon enough" he briefly pauses then adds "We won't be able to see what's coming from across the otherside of the river then" the young squad leader from further south in the duchy, then asks "Unless you can see through smoke?".
"Not well" says Shawtus McQuade, his cousin Smawfri nods in agreement, then Barron looks at third nonhuman in his small squad.
"Not that well either" says Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy, who draws his longbow back, and lets the cloth yard shaft to it, fly. Sending it across the river, at those who are attacking this side of the city that's the provincial capital.
"Shot" says Smawfri McQuade in congratulatory manner "Didn't hit anyone though" says the spy Tanith, who truth be told, wasn't trying to hit anyone. After all, those across the river Mareb, are his army.
"Got them running for cover, that's good enough" says Smawfri, the slightly younger and slightly shorter of the two dwarven warriors who hail from the Sunreach Mountains, where their clanhold is located.
Dalinvardél Tanith or Dalin as he's more commonly called by those who know him well. It's also the name he's using as he's infiltrated duke Hargen's army.
Nods as he looks across the river, to the enemy catapult that just flung a boulder this way. Which he just shot at, sending the arrow slamming into the cross beam of the war machine. Narrowly missing the head of one of the crew operating it. Sending him, and the rest of the crew scurrying for cover.
"Don't want to take too many shots" explains Dalin to the McQuade cousins and their young squad leader Barron.
The elven spy who is originally from principality of Alínlae, and is now in the armies of Farque, gestures at his quiver and quietly says "Don't exactly have a lot of shafts, and the duke's men don't exactly fletch a lot of longbow shafts".
Young Barron slightly winces at that assessment, even though he agrees with the elf he thinks is just a mercenary ranger from Alínlae, which is closest ruled nation to the kingdom of Nastell.
The squad leader is just about to say something, when a cloud of smoke drifts by them, causing some of the others in their own squad, as well as the larger squad they're part of, to cough.
"Damn smoke" mutters Barron, next to him Shawtus McQuade nods, as he puts a cloth he's wearing around his neck up to his face. His cousin Smawfri has one too, as does Dalinvardél Tanith. And they too, put them up to their faces as the smoke wafts by.
"I should get me one of those" murmurs the young squad leader who has survived two battles already in this campaign by the robber barons of the unruled lands in the Colevar Mountains, who have invaded his lord, duke Hargen's duchy.
"Keep it damp, it works better like that" says Shawtus McQuade to Barron, the slightly older and slightly taller of the two dwarven cousins waves away some of the smoke infront of his face then points out onto the Mareb river. Where just to the north of them, is a large barge, that's billowing smoke from it.
Smoke that's coming from the slow burning wax bushes on it. Or Keros bushes as elven kind call them.
"Those buggers should take a shot at it" mutters Smawfri McQuade, the more temperamental of the two temperamental dwarven warriors who gestures at the catapult that isn't too far from them.
"Those damn wax bushes can't burn if they're at the bottom of the river" adds the slightly shorter and slightly younger of the McQuade cousins.
A nearby officer has the same thought, and calls out an order to the catapult crew to target the large barge which is towards the middle of the river, and is floating south along it.
"They'll probably miss" dryly says Shawtus McQuade in the dwarven language to his younger cousin Smawfri, who grunts in agreement.
For though the crew manning the nearby catapult are fine enough. Who can shoot at fairly stationary targets across on the otherside of the river.
They're not exactly expert enough to shoot at a moving target on the water. Even though the large barge isn't moving all that quickly.
Someone also nearby must think the same thing. As a few moments later, from the next tower to the south of them on the long boulevard. A fireball comes from the top of it. As the spellcaster up there. Targets the large barge that's floating it's way down the Mareb river.
They watch as the fireball about eight foot wide, burns away some of the smoke that's wafted this way. As it heads straight towards the large barge.
Which it slams into, just behind the prow. Sending wood and water flying into the air, setting the barge on fire.
The Keros bushes, or wax bushes might be slow burning. But when the fireball hits them, they go up in a flash, burning completely away fairly quickly.
And where a few moments ago, white smoke was coming from the large barge. Thick black smoke is coming from it now. As it spins in lazy circles as it burns away in the middle of the river.
It's soon beneath the surface of the water, or what's left of it, is soon underwater. With the thicker black smoke wafting away in all directions quicker than what the white smoke was previously doing.
It's not long before this part of the river is again fairly clear of smoke. Though to the north, smoke continues to drift in this direction. As the smoke that way is still getting thicker and thicker.
Shawtus McQuade, who ignores the order to get back from the other squad leader Kamnix, who is from sir Yarrim's household. As are most of the other soldiers in the larger squad.
Moves onto the dock to look around the closer tower so he can get a better view to the north along the river.
After looking that way for a little while, the slightly older of the two dwarven warriors from the Sunreach Mountains, where they were the co-clan chieftains. Steps back and rejoins the others in the smaller squad.
"I can't see the corner of the city that way anymore" quietly says Shawtus McQuade, who continues with "Well, not down at ground level i can't" he then adds "I can barely see the top of the end of the wall that runs along the north side of the city" Shawtus briefly pauses before continuing with "The smoke is that thick".
"Are they going to push out and cross the river on rafts and other craft?" asks Barron, it's a question they've all asked various times throughout the day so far, ever since they first saw the rafts and barges with the burning wax bushes in them, being put into the water, to float southwards down the Mareb river.
"Doesn't look like it" says Dalinvardél Tanith who knows exactly what's going to happen, the elven spy in the armies of Farque who has infiltrated duke Hargen's army continues with "We haven't seen any rafts and the like, amongst those directly across from us".
Both Shawtus and Smawfri McQuade nod in agreement with the elf they think is a mercenary ranger from the elven principality of Alínlae.
"Aye they got none of them" says Shawtus McQuade, who after a slight pause, continues with "But they be up to something, there's no mistaking that".
"Aye" says Smawfri McQuade, the slightly shorter and younger of the dwarven warriors, who then adds "What exactly? I'm guessing we'll soon find out". His slightly older and taller cousin grunts in agreement with him.
The spy Tanith looks across the river and briefly sees a siege ladder further back amongst the army that's led by the general Halvane in the Farqian mercenary army.
The elf who once served in one of the more prominent noble houses in his homeland of Alínlae, quickly glances at the McQuade cousins to see if they spotted it too.
But the dwarven warriors who hail from the Sunreach Mountains are still looking northwards along the Mareb river.
Hell, by the forest gods i hope no one else spotted that, Dalin thinks to himself as he looks sideways at the tower that's closest to them, and hopes the lookouts at the top of the tower didn't see that siege ladder.
Or any of the other siege ladders that the elven spy knows are across the river, amongst the army that's led by general Halvane.
An army that's made up of some of the more unruly and undisciplined soldiers and mercenaries in all five of the robber barons armies. An army led by the Farqian general, and the larger part of the mercenary army from the lands Farque.
The army across the river Mareb is the largest of the armies attacking the city of Almaic at this moment.
Dalinvardél Tanith looks at Barron who has just said "Wonder where they're off too?".
The spy Tanith along with the McQuade cousins turn and look at what the young squad leader is watching.
And they see a number of soldiers, mercenaries and city guards, being led away from further south on the long boulevard that runs down the entire length of the east side of the city that's the capital of the duchy of Phelm.
They see about forty of them marching quickly away, following behind a pair of riders, and officer and a messenger.
"Must be needed elsewhere i suppose" quietly says Barron "Aye lad looks like it" says Shawtus McQuade, the slightly taller of the two dwarven warriors from the Sunreach Mountains continues with "They must be having a tough time of it on the north and west sides of the city".
Smawfri McQuade grunts in agreement with his slightly older cousin, then the slightly younger of the two cousins says "We're not exactly doing anything here on this side of the city" Smawfri McQuade then adds "I guess they figure we can spare a few of us to fight elsewhere".
The spy Tanith who has the hood of his cloak off his head at the moment, nods at that explanation from the slightly younger dwarven warrior.
Dalin was waiting for that to happen, and it's the first time he's seen it so far today. The elven spy hopes it continues, with more of those defending on this side of Almaic, sent elsewhere in the city to help out those who are in the midst of the heavy fighting.
As the plan of attack on this side, the riverside of the city. Will have a better chance for success if there's fewer and fewer defenders along the riverfront.
The elven spy in the mercenary army from the lands Farque, who has infiltrated the army of duke Hargen of Phelm, looks northwards along the Mareb river, then says "More of those rafts heading our way" as more puffs of smoke start wafting this way along the boulevard.
As archers with fire arrows shoot at the rafts floating this way, hoping to set them alight, burning them so that they sink.
The young squad leader from further south in the duchy of Phelm murmurs "What does he want?". As Kamnix, the leader of the larger squad they're attached to. Makes his way from near the base of the tower that's closest to them, to where they're standing just back from the docks on this part of the riverfront.
They know squad leader Kamnix hasn't moved much from his position near the base of the tower. Because there's a couple of bench seats there. And he's been seen sitting on them more often than not throughout the battle so far.
"They're up to something with all this damn smoke" says Kamnix, who is part of sir Yarrim's household guards, the squad leader after he waves his right hand infront of his face to clear away some of the drifting smoke, he looks at the two dwarven warriors and the elven spy, and says "You three keep a careful eye on what they're doing over there".
"What the fuck do you think we've been doing you dumbass" mutters Smawfri McQuade in the dwarven language, his cousin Shawtus grunts in agreement. While Dalin faintly smiles as he can more or less figure out from the tone of that from Smawfri, what the slightly younger and shorter, not to mention more temperamental of the dwarven warriors, is getting at.
"We will" says the spy Tanith to the squad leader from the southern border region of the duchy of Phelm "Make sure you do" says Kamnix, who wanders back towards the base of the nearby tower.
"Trip over and fall in the river and drown you fucking git" quietly says Smawfri McQuade after the leader of the larger squad has walked away. The slightly younger of the dwarven warriors who said that in common, continues in common with "And fuck that damn smoke" as he waves a hand infront of his face as more smoke wafts their way again.
As the McQuade cousins and the elven spy cover their faces once more with the damp cloths they've got around their necks.
Out on the river, one of the rafts out there is well and truly on fire, and is sinking. While another is on fire, and is giving off as much black smoke as it is white smoke.
While a raft further out on the water, is floating southwards, trailing white smoke from it, as it continues on it's way down the Mareb river.
Another fireball comes from the top of the tower further to the south of them along the boulevard. It heads out over the water, burning away some of the thickening smoke.
It's going for the raft further out across the river, towards the other riverbank. It hits the water about thirty feet behind it. And water explodes into the air.
Some of which splashes onto the raft that was the spellcaster's intended target. Threatening to overturn it, or at least put out a lot of the slow burning wax bushes.
And though some of the Keros bushes in their flat metal tubs are doused. Smoke continues to pour from them and the others onboard the raft that stays afloat, as it continues southwards along the Mareb river.
The McQuade cousins, and Dalinvardél Tanith glance at one another, then the trio of nonhumans in the small squad, look at the young squad leader Barron as smoke continues to drift this way along the river, smoke which continues to slowly get thicker and thicker.
"Well" says Barron, who after slightly pausing, adds "I guess we'll find out pretty soon what they'll do".
The spy Tanith nods to that, while Shawtus McQuade grunts in agreement with the young squad leader, meanwhile the slightly younger McQuade cousin loudly mutters "That's if we can actually see what the hell they're up to" . . . . . .