The Hire 127.

Almaic. Phelm. Nastell...

"We'll go out and have another look" says Berric the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard.
"From every report we've received, the city is still holding" continues the commander, who then adds "So that's something".
The commander of the duke's personal guard company, who also happens to be a swordmaster. Hasn't checked on the battle himself, since he and some of his men watched it earlier this morning.
It's now mid afternoon, and the swordmaster wants to see what's happening. Especially now since earlier in the afternoon. The enemy encountered a setback along the east side of Almaic.
The commander of the guard, along with the veteran guard Ludoc, and a handful of others are making their way out of the main building of the ducal palace.
Swordmaster Berric has left captain Ardel in charge of the duke's safety here in the palace as he and the others go and check on the battle that's been raging all day.
As they cross the marshalling yard infront of the main building of the palace. The veteran guard Ludoc asks "Back to the old tower at the church of Glaine?" as that's where they observed the battle from earlier in the morning.
The commander of duke Hargen's personal guard shakes his head no, and says "Not this time" followed by "We'll go to the north wall itself since the latest report the duke got from there is that the enemy are attacking it in force".
The guard commander and those with him, are making their way to where others in their company are at the gates with some mounts for them.
The swordmaster and the others are looking forward to riding through the city, compared to walking as they did earlier in the morning.
The experienced guard Ludoc is just mentioning something along those lines as he says "Taking a horse beats walking all the way". When he's interrupted by one of the men behind him and the swordmaster, who quietly says "Commander, away to the right".
Berric, who hails from the northern city of Savariss, which fell to the enemy just four nights ago.
Slightly nods his head, after looking that way, and sees sir Yarrim the sorcerer and two of his personal household guards, cutting across the marshalling yard, heading to the main building here in the palace.
The commander of duke Hargen's personal guard doesn't particularly care for the nobleborn spellcaster. As he knows sir Yarrim, for all that he does in the defence of duchy. Has his eyes on the ducal seat.
And now that his lady love, the lady Elaine, is the new heir to her older brother, duke Hargen.
The powerful sorcerer from the southern border region of the duchy of Phelm, is now one step closer to holding the ducal seat.
For all that, the commander of the duke's personal guard gives a friendly wave to the second most important nobleman in the duchy, and calls out to the sorcerer "Well done sir Yarrim!" followed by "We heard that it's you we should be thanking for the defeat of the enemy along the east side of the city!".
"Thank you swordmaster!" calls back sir Yarrim, who in turn, doesn't particularly like the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard. For the simple reason he's a commoner. A commoner who is more important than many of the nobility in the duchy, in the eyes of many. Mostly the common folk themselves. As no commoner has even held such an influential position at court as commander Berric does now.
"But it was the crew of his lord's frigate who deserve as much praise!" adds the nobleborn spellcaster.
Having heard that the twin masted warship in question, went down somewhere to the east of the Mareb river.
The commander of duke Hargen's personal guard calls out "How are the crew?".
"Back here in the city!" replies sir Yarrim, who continues with "Infact here in the palace, in the yards behind your headquarters, with the other ship there!"
"That's good to hear!" calls back the swordmaster Berric, who along with his men, having reached the others with their mounts, calls out to the powerful sorcerer "We're off, we'll catch up when my men and i return!".
The commander of duke Hargen's personal guard hops up into the saddle, and after giving another friendly wave to the nobleborn sorcerer, who waves back in return.
He along with those men coming with him, ride out of the main gates here on the north side of the dual palace.
"Wonder where they're off to?" quietly says one sir Yarrim's personal household guards "Who cares" says the powerful sorcerer in a dismissive tone, who then adds "Come on let's go" and continues on towards the main building of the ducal palace.
As the nobleborn spellcaster from the southern border region of the duchy, senses the fixed wards he has around the palace grounds. To make sure they haven't been breached again by the enemy. Like they were this morning. By all things, a mageglobe. Not a powerful one, but nevertheless, it was a mageglobe.
His two personal guards walking behind him, glance at one another after hearing the dismissive tone towards commander Berric, after one of them asked where he thought the commander and some of his men were off to.
They know that their lord, doesn't particularly care for the famous swordmaster, because he's a commoner like they are. And though they usually believe everything their lord believes. They can't take it to heart, and totally dislike the commander of the duke's personal guards.
And true, there's some rivalry between all the personal household guards of many of the nobility in Phelm. And the duke's personal guards.
They would never put the safety of either the duke or the duchy itself, at risk in any rivalry they may have.
The same goes for the sorcerer Yarrim too. Though to a point. For though he'd never admit it to anyone. He wouldn't exactly be crestfallen if the duke went and got himself killed during the battle for the city.
And though he wouldn't wish any harm upon duke Hargen. He also wouldn't shed any tears if he was to lose his life in some way.
Well not any meaningful tears. As he'd put on show of mourning if the duke was killed. Especially infront of his lady love, the lady Elaine. Who is the younger sister of the duke. And who the duke late yesterday afternoon, named as his new heir.
The nobleborn spellcaster and his two personal guards enter the main building of the palace. And spots the chamberlain sir Lamard speaking with a couple of officers, and a messenger.
Sir Yarrim briefly interrupts them, and asks the chamberlain where he can find sir Alfred. The powerful sorcerer briefly pauses when sir Lamard informs him that sir Alfred has gone to help out with the defence on the west side of the city.
The nobleborn spellcaster thanks the chamberlain. And continues on to the chamber where the duke has been most of the day since the battle began.
Sir Yarrim wonders why his ally, sir Alfred. Who happens to be the former lover of the lady Elaine. Has gone and got himself involved with the defence along the west side of the city.
As he wanted him with the duke at all times. To counter the presence of commander Berric, who only arrived here in Almaic yesterday afternoon, having escaped from the city of Savariss, that fell to the enemy.
Sir Yarrim slightly shrugs his shoulders, then he along with his two personal guards, enter the chamber where the duke and many of his advisors, and others here at court, have been throughout the day, as the battle for the city of Almaic continues to rage.
On the city streets, heading north through the capital of the duchy of Phelm. Commander Berric reins in when he gets to a wide street. That when you look eastwards along it. Gives you a view all the way to the long boulevard that runs down the east side of the city, and the river Mareb that flows southwards along that side of Almaic.
"Can't make out much" says the highly accomplished swordmaster to the experienced guard Ludoc "It seems things are quiet that way" adds the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard.
"Looks like it" says Ludoc as he peers to the east down the long street, the longest in the city, that's over a mile in length in total.
The experienced guard is about to add something, when swordmaster Berric says "Look who we have here" he grins and adds "Seems they're still alive and in one piece".
From a side street a group of people have made their way onto the long street. A group who both the commander and the experienced guard know well. As they fled south with them from the city of Savariss.
"Barron!" calls out the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard to the leader of the small squad in the duke's army, who survived one of the battles up on the northern border of Phelm, then the battle for the city of Savariss. Now they find themselves in the battle for the city of Almaic, the capital of the duchy of Phelm.
Barron and his small squad, which includes a trio of nonhuman mercenaries. An elven ranger, and a pair of dwarven warriors to be precise. Turn and make their way to where the commander and a number of his company are on their mounts.
"I see you lot are still alive" says the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard "We sure are swordmaster" says the young squad leader Barron "Aye, the bastards haven't got us yet" adds the slightly older, and slightly taller of the two dwarven warriors, Shawtus McQuade.
Both commander Berric and Ludoc grin when they hear that, then the highly accomplished swordmaster who along with his younger brother Gallene, are the two most well known swordmasters, and commoners in the entire duchy, asks the young squad leader "Where did they send you?".
"To the boulevard along the east side of the city" replies Barron "You see them being pushed back there?" asks the commander of the duke's personal guard "Some" says the squad leader, who then adds in a slightly dry tone "It was fairly smoky over there when they attacked, didn't exactly see a hell of a lot".
The swordmaster from the northern city of Savariss nods, then he asks the young squad leader who hails from further south in the duchy "What are you doing now?".
"Looking for the enemy" says Barron, who then explains to the guard commander, that some of the enemy who got across the Mareb river, fought their way through those defending along the riverfront, and were able to enter the city itself.
"How many?" asks commander Berric who looks around "Not many" is the answer from Berric, who continues with "Under a hundred" he then adds "Fifty to sixty at most i guess". He glances at the elven mercenary Dalin, who nods in agreement at that assessment from the young squad leader. "There's quite a few of us who were along the riverfront boulevard searching for them" says Barron.
"That's good to know" says the swordmaster who along with his men are looking in both directions of the long street, which is fairly empty. Trying to spot any of the enemy who were able to enter the city after crossing the Mareb river, after it was briefly halted in some way by the enemy on that side of Almaic.
"We must be off" says the common born commander of the duke's personal guard "But it was good to see you lot, and to see that your all in one piece" adds the swordmaster Berric. Who rightly attributes the small squad still being whole, to the skills and experience of the trio of nonhumans in their ranks.
As he knows the small squad of just twelve, survived a battle along the northern border of the duchy, then the battle for Savariss, now here in the battle for Almaic. Complete, without a single loss to their numbers.
"Good to see you as well swordmaster" says the young squad leader Barron, who waves in reply to the wave from commander Berric, who along with the others in his company, continue on their way northwards through the city of Almaic. Riding to the north wall of  the city that's under attack from the robber barons of the unruled lands in the Colevar Mountains, who have banded together, and come south to wage war upon duke Hargen and the duchy of Phelm, here in northern Nastell.
As they ride through the city streets, which for the main part, are empty, as they have been all day.
Commander Berric says to the experienced guard Ludoc, who is riding beside him "That lot are extremely lucky to be in one piece after all they've gone through".
"Hopefully some of that luck rubs off on us" says Ludoc, who continues with "After all, we did travel with them for a few days".
"That we did" says the swordmaster from the northern city of Savariss, which fell to the enemy less than a week ago "And hopefully some of it does" adds commander Berric in reference to the luck the small army squad, he and Ludoc, and a few others in the duke's personal guard company traveled with to get to Almaic.
The commander of duke Hargen's personal guard and those with him, continue northwards through the streets of Almaic, as they make their way to the north wall of the city as the battle continues to rage, on this hot and sunny, summer's day here in the north of the kingdom of Nastell . . . . . .