Aftermath 12.

The Kaldel Plains...

They stop in the afternoon for a bit of a break, as they've been walking all day since before dawn, apart from when they stopped at midday for something to eat.
They stop near some scrubby looking trees. Which is pretty much the only type of trees you'll find on the Kaldel Plains. If it isn't them, it's taller, knotty looking trees that are bare of leaves for most of the year.
"That looks massive" says Tamric Drubine the field commander as he looks away to the west, where the sky as far as the eye can see, is a mass of black clouds.
They can hear thunder in the distance, and see lightning in the dark clouds in that direction.
"Probably a couple hundred miles across" says Beldane the cleric, who continues with "An average sized storm here on the plains" he follows that with "They can get way bigger than that".
The nobleborn teenager from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin, who is now a field commander in the armies of Farque nods his head, then says "Good thing that's away to the west and heading south by the looks of it".
As they're far to the east of the storm that they can see across the horizon to the west of them.
"Getting caught in the storms out here on the plains isn't advised" says the cleric in the church of Glaine in a slightly dry tone of voice.
"That bad is it?" asks the young field commander, who is the former heir of a previous knight of castle Drubine, which is in the very north of the kingdom of Sarcrin.
"That it is" says the fighting cleric, who has spent time out here on the Kaldel Plains a number of years ago. When his church sent him out here, to help convert the plainsmen. Which he was never successful with.
Tamric Drubine or Tam as he's more commonly called by those who know him well, nods his head.
Then after looking at the late summer storm in the distance to the west one last time.
The nobleborn teenager, makes his way over to where Lisell Maera and Tovis the war engineer are collecting sticks, small branches on the ground and other bits of wood around the scrubby looking trees.
Which they'll use for firewood in the evening. As they could all do with a hot meal after a long day of walking. Not to mention it gets a little chilly at night, even though it's still the end of summer here on the Kaldel Plains.
After they all get a bundle of sticks and branches which they tie to their packs. They resume walking. Heading northeast. As they continue to follow the tracks of the wagons they've been following.
Which since just after midday today, have joined up with other wagon tracks. As they seem to now be on a popular route used by caravans that are found in this part of the plains.
The cleric Beldane has explained to them that the caravans used predominantly by the plainsmen, tends to usually travel north to south, and vice versa.
The plainsman tend not to travel across the plains from east to west, or west to east. And even those who are not native to the Kaldel Plains. Hardly travel in those directions. You'll only find determined travelers and adventurers heading across the plains instead of up and down them.
They continue through the scrubby trees, which are quite spread out. Some of which are hundreds of feet apart.
One thing that can be said about the Kaldel Plains. Is that you can see things from a vast distance.
And it's not that different a little later in the afternoon, as the sun starts to set in the west behind the dark clouds in that direction.
When Lisell Maera suddenly stops, and holds up a fist for the others following her to come to a halt, as she crouches beside one of the dry, scrubby looking trees.
The others keep low, and hurry forward to join the messenger in the armies of Farque, who is their acting scout as they head northeast across the Kaldel Plains.
"What is it?" quietly asks Tam in the elven language once he's beside the attractive young woman who is originally from the city-state of Brattonbury.
"Smoke" is the quiet reply in the same language from Lisell Maera the messenger, who points in the direction they're more or less heading as she adds "There".
Field commander Drubine gets out his brass, cylindrical eyepiece and looks through it in the direction the runner Maera has indicated.
"I don't see anything" murmurs Tamric Drubine as he scans the horizon to the north, then northeast.
"Ah smoke" adds the nobleborn teenager, who by way of rank, is the one in command of their small group, even though he's the youngest of the four of them.
"Think it's wagons" says the former heir of a previous knight of castle Drubine, who after a moments pause, continues with "Quite a way, away".
The young field commander in the armies of Farque gets up, and after returning his brass, cylindrical eyepiece to an inside pocket of his cloak, says to the other three "Let's go and have a look".
The four of them set off again, walking in silence. With the messenger Lisell Maera out infront. Followed at a distance by the war engineer Tovis. Then half again as far to Tamric Drubine, and Beldane the cleric.
It's near dusk when they get within a couple hundred yards of the wagons, that are either burnt down, or still smoking.
"A trap maybe?" quietly asks Tovis the war engineer "I think not" says the nobleborn teenager who is once again looking through his brass, cylindrical eyepiece "There's a few dead bodies lying around" adds the young field commander.
Who then looks at the cleric in the church of Glaine and asks him "Can you tell if someone is actually dead?". Tamric Drubine quickly glances over at Lisell Maera, who looks back at him after the powerful cleric says "I can" followed by "They're dead alright".
The fighting cleric from in the north of the kingdom of Girdane pauses as he continues to sense with the help of his mace, then he says "A couple are still alive" Beldane then adds "Though barely".
They move forward in the fading light of dusk, and as they do, field commander Drubine asks the member of the church of Glaine "Plainsmen?".
"Looks like it" is the reply of the cleric who is in his late twenties, and who like Tam, where's half plate armour. Though the fighting cleric's armour is heavier and thicker across the shoulders and chest compared to the young field commander's.
"Who do you think did it?" asks the nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin "Other plainsmen?" adds Tamric Drubine.
"More than likely" says the powerful cleric in the church of Glaine, who continues with "Or opportunistic travelers".
They find three wagons burnt beyond repair, and another one still smoking. And though there's a few dead horses about. Lisell Maera, or Lis as she's more commonly called by those who know her well. Points out that the wagon traces show that there were a lot more horses hauling these wagons than the few dead ones lying about.
They also find nearly fifteen dead people. All human, men, women and children, all plainsmen. Their dark colouring and their attire making it easy to identify them.
They find two still alive. Badly wounded. And before Beldane can heal one of them, the young man dies.
After casting a light healing spell on the sole survivor of the attack upon the caravan. Which keeps the teenage girl still alive, and nothing else.
The fighting cleric nods his head for Tam to step away with him so they speak out of earshot of the teenage girl lying on the ground near the wagon that's still got smoke coming off it. Her head is in the lap of Lisell Maera who remains by her.
While Tovis uses a rug from the back of the wagon, that hasn't burnt, to cover her body.
"If i try to completely heal her she might die from the shock" quietly says the cleric who is a follower of the god Glaine "That bad?" quietly asks the young field commander.
"That bad" quietly says the fighting cleric, who continues with "You see all those stab wounds in her?" followed by "There must be a dozen in her torso alone" Beldane then adds "That's usually a major healing spell on it's own, let alone all the other stab wounds she's got".
Tam winces, then after a moment's silence, the powerful cleric tells him "I don't think other plainsmen did this" the churchman continues with "I've seen the outcome of them fighting one another when two rival caravans come upon one another. No way do they kill their enemies like what's happened here".
The young field commander nods, then after a pause, the nobleborn teenager quietly says "Keep her alive for now, i need to talk to her".
The two of them return to where the young teenage girl is lying under the rug, with her head in the lap of the messenger Maera.
Kneeling down beside Lis, Tamric Drubine asks the sole survivor of the attack upon the caravan, who looks to be only a few years younger than himself "What happened?".
The young plainswoman says a couple of words that Tam has never heard before, and he looks over at the cleric Beldane, who quietly says "The gods of the plainsmen".
The son of a previous knight of castle Drubine in the kingdom of Sarcrin, quietly says to the teenager, who though is no longer in pain, is still not properly healed "I'm sure you're gods are still with you".
After a slight pause, when the young plainswoman nods her head, Tam once again says to her "What happened here?".
And in the fading light at the end of this late summer's day here on the Kaldel Plains. The four of them, the young field commander, the messenger, the war engineer, and the fighting cleric. Listen to what the teenage girl who survived the attack upon the caravan, has to say.
They were traveling north, a family group with a few family friends. As is normal for most plainsmen caravans.
They were heading to one of the gathering grounds that are found across the Kaldel Plains. To buy new stock for their herds.
Many plainsmen have small herds of sheep or goats, or a few cattle. Usually milking cows. That normally travel with them and their caravans.
They'd been traveling for five days, when earlier this afternoon. They saw a couple of wagons, and a number of riders approaching from the west.
They immediately knew they weren't other plainsmen. For the simple fact plainsmen don't, or hardly ever travel across the plains from west to east, or vice versa.
At first they thought the foreign travelers were friendly, as they called out and waved in greeting.
That was until they spurred their mounts forward, drew their weapons. And attacked the caravan.
Slaughtering men, women and children. With the exception of the women they kept alive to defile and rape, like they did to her.
And after they had their way. They took the horses from the caravan they didn't kill. Along with the small herd of sheep that the caravan had. And took off to the north. Following the well used route that goes through this part of the plains.
After the teenage plainswoman explains what happened earlier this afternoon, Tamric Drubine is quiet for a few moments, then in the fading light of dusk, he looks at the cleric Beldane, and quietly says to him "See what you can do".
Tam stands up, and the cleric in the church of Glaine kneels down next to the wounded teenager he's already cast a light healing spell on to keep alive.
The fighting cleric, who is exactly that. A cleric who specialises in fighting over the other cleric's skills and abilities.
Murmurs a quiet prayer to his god Glaine, and a silent prayer to the two gods of the plainsmen. As he knows he needs all the help he can get.
Then the churchman from the duchy of Phelm in northern Nastell, casts a healing spell upon the wounded teenage plainswoman.
The tension from her face disappears, and though she wasn't in any pain before. She now feels better. And knows that the wounds she had, have disappeared.
The young plainswoman who is just fourteen years old, smiles and says "Thank you".
Then after Lis squeezes her hand in reassurance. The teenage girl who survived the attack upon her family's caravan, goes to sit up.
When all of a sudden she stiffens, as the messenger Maera helps her to sit, then she gasps and falls back into the arms of the attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury.
"Shit" says Beldane, it's the first time any of them have heard the cleric swear. He has good reason, because the teenage plainswoman he's just healed, has just died.
There's a few moments of silence, which is eventually broken by the cleric in the church of Glaine quietly saying "The shock" followed by "She couldn't survive it".
The others are silent for a little while longer as they look at the dead teenager. Then eventually Tamric Drubine nods.
The young field commander looks at the cleric for a moment as dusk turns to night. Then he looks at the war engineer Tovis, who after a pause, nods to him.
Tam then looks at Lisell Maera, who is still cradling the dead teenage girl. Lis looks back at the nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin for a while, and eventually nods.
"That's that then" quietly says field commander Drubine, who then gives an order in elven to the messenger Maera.
Lis lets go of the dead teenager, then hands her pack to the war engineer Tovis. Then with her just her weapons, and her water bottles. She takes off running to the north as night falls.
The war engineer from the kingdom of Druvic looks over at the young field commander, who nods in the direction that Lis just took off in. Tovis carrying the messenger's pack, follows after her.
Tam takes one last look down at the dead teenage plainswoman, then he starts walking, heading in the same direction Lisell Maera and Tovis have gone.
Getting up off the ground, the cleric Beldane says "Shouldn't we bury them?".
"Come along cleric, you don't want to get left behind" is the reply from Tamric Drubine who doesn't look back.
The fighting cleric who looks down one last time at the dead teenage girl, then hurries to catch up to the young field commander.
Once he's alongside the nobleborn teenager, the cleric in the church of Glaine asks him "What are we doing?".
"Going after them" is the quiet reply of Tamric Drubine, who then starts running, after a moment, Beldane starts running too, as night falls across the Kaldel Plains . . . . . .