Aftermath 18.

The Kaldel Plains...

Once again they set off early in the morning. After spending the night down on the ground, amongst some of the scrubby like trees that are dotted across parts of the Kaldel Plains.
They also set off after Dorc da Orc has taken his morning dump. As the large ork tends to take a crap just after he's woken up, and eaten something.
The jolly boat once it's a couple hundred feet off the ground, heads northeast. As they continue their journey in that direction. As they know the ones responsible from bringing down the Farqian destroyer. Are somewhere in the northeast quarter of the Kaldel Plains.
It's mid morning, on what is a noticeably cooler day than the warm day yesterday. And nothing much has happened apart from the usual argument between sir Percavelle Lé Dic and Dorc da Orc. Which resorts to basically a scowling contest between the two after Mira Reinholt the mage threatens to biff them overboard.
When the once powerful mage, who is looking through his leather wrapped, brass cylindrical eyepiece spots something away to the east.
"What's that?" asks Mira Reinholt the mage "Where?" asks Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy who has briefly taken the tiller from the Vexilian mage in exile as he looks through his eyepiece.
"Away to starboard, about ten miles" replies the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, who after a brief pause adds "A river?".
Ignoring the "Stay the fuck away from there then" that comes from Dorc da Orc as he sits on the bench in the middle of the small air boat.
Dalinvardél Tanith, or Dalin as he's more commonly called by the others in the group, frowns as he looks away to the east, using a hand to shade his eyes.
"Not sure" says the elven spy who is originally from the principality of Alínlae, where he served in one of the more prominent noble households.
"If it is, it's pretty damn deep" adds the spy Tanith, the mage Reinholt nods in agreement then says "We'll head up and get a better look".
The spellcaster who is in exile from his homeland, the city-state of Vexil, takes back the tiller, and gradually pulls up on it, sending the jolly boat higher into the morning sky as they continue flying to the northeast.
When they get to a height of over five hundred feet, and start approaching seven hundred feet. Dalin nods his head, then says "It's a canyon" the spy Tanith continues with "Fairly long one too" the spy in the armies of Farque then adds "There's another in the distance to the east, probably even longer. Looks like they run north, south for the most part".
The mage in the thin black hooded summer cloak, nods his head, then glances at Darid Parsen the cavalry commander, who like him is a member of the personal council to lord Farque.
"Might as well check it out" says the swordmaster Reinholt "Might as well" says Darid Parsen the cavalry commander "If nothing else we can follow it north since we're going that way" says the once powerful mage, the cavalry commander nods in agreement to that.
And the Vexilian mage in exile turns the jolly boat more to starboard, and has Shur Kee the monk slack one of the lines of the sail. As the small air vessel quarters into the wind, which is coming directly from the east this morning across this area of the Kaldel Plains.
A little bit later in the morning, and they're over the first canyon. Teabagger the goblin Cunt who is leaning over the starboard side gunwale, or gunnell as they're often referred to. Is grabbed by his general Dorc da Orc before he can fall overboard.
"Silly fucken gob-a-lin" says the big, burly ork who hails from the frozen southern polar region of the world as he puts Teabagger down on the bench beside him, then say "Stay".
"It's deep" says Teabagger the goblin Cunt, the commander of the goblin battalion in the armies of Farque adds "And there is a river down in it, but just a little one".
"Me fucken tell 'em to stay away from it, but do them cunts listen to Dorc?" mutters the ork warleader in the incomprehensible language of his race "No, the fucken cunts don't" continues Dorkindle in a mutter.
Ignoring the mutterings of the ork weaponsmith. Which is rather easy to do, considering no one knows what the hell he's saying when he speaks in his native language.
Darid Parsen says "It must be at least a few hundred feet deep". The cavalry commander, who in actuality is a hordes outrider from the southern tundra by the name of Zubutai Timaginson who just happens to inhabit the body of Darid Parsen.
Looks at Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy, as does the mage Reinholt, when the elf from the principality of Alínlae says "There's something away to the north" he continues with "Head up higher so i can see what it is".
As the Vexilian mage in exile sends the jolly boat higher into the morning sky, the spy Tanith nods his head, then says "It's a village, well if you can call it that".
"What?" asks councillor Reinholt, who continues with "In the canyon?".
"It is" replies the Dalin, who continues with "About another four miles to the north".
The swordmaster Reinholt looks at his fellow councillor, Darid aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman, who shrugs his shoulders.
Then the spellcaster all in black says "Might as well check it out" followed by "If nothing else, at least we can find out some information".
As the mage in exile from his homeland, the city-state of Vexil, starts following the canyon northwards, he asks the spy Tanith "Think they're plainsmen there?".
"Probably" says Dalin, who after a slight pause, adds "What, with this being the plains and all".
"Smartass" mutters Mira Reinholt, while his fellow councillor, commander Parsen, chuckles at that witty quip from the elven spy.
A little bit later in the morning, and they're over the village in the canyon. Calling it a village, is more than a little optimistic. As it's just a handful of roundhouses, with a few other buildings. It's more of a settlement than a village. And it's inhabitants are plainsmen.
Who come out and watch the small air boat drop down into the canyon. And land just outside the settlement.
The plainsmen are just about to greet those onboard, when Dorc da Orc suddenly stands up and stretches.
Half of the plainsmen scream in fright, and the other half have already turned around, and ran back inside their houses when they caught sight of the big, burly looking ork. Who stands seven and half foot tall, and weighs around seven hundred and fifty pounds.
The other half who screamed, men, women and children, turn and take off running to their homes too.
"Dorc" says Mira Reinholt in an exasperated tone of voice "What?" asks Dorkindle, who then adds "What the fuck did me do?".
"You were born" says sir Percavelle Lé Dic in a droll tone of voice from where he stands up in the bow, and hops overboard.
"Fuckhead bitch" mutters the ork warleader with a glare directed at the heavily armoured knight "Dorc gonna make a shit pie, and shove it in that cunt mouth of yours, and make you eats it" adds the weaponsmith from the wolf tribe of orks.
"Stay with the boat Dorc" says the mage Reinholt, who continues with "Can't have you scaring everyone away while we try to get information".
The son of the former matriarch of the wolf tribe of orks grunts, and surprisingly stays put. Though only after Teabagger the goblin Cunt says "I'll stay with you boss, er general".
And Shur Kee the monk says "I will remain with the boat and friend Dorc".
The others head into the settlement, as they do, the ork warleader calls out to them with "Oi cunts, get some booze!" followed by "Me fucken smells some in there".
The Vexilian mage in exile nods that he will, then he along with Darid Parsen, sir Percavelle Lé Dic and Dalinvardel Tanith enter the small settlement located at the bottom of the canyon.
The four of them are received more warmly without the large ork in their midst. And as the four of them speak with the plainsmen, it's the spy Tanith who discovers who was here in the settlement earlier in the week.
After speaking with some of the locals, the four of them meet up outside one of the roundhouses.
Where the elven spy originally from the principality of Alínlae says "Tam and the others were here the day after the ship went down".
Dalin points away to the east, as he continues with "There's something that way we should go and take a look at".
"You find out which way they went?" asks the spellcaster who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere in the Southlands.
"North" is the answer from the spy Tanith, who then adds "Specifically the northeast".
They head back to the jolly boat, with the cavalry commander Darid Parsen carrying a couple of large clay fired jugs, which hold mead.
Much to the delight of Dorc da Orc when he sees them.
Then once the four of them are onboard the small air boat, the mage Reinholt takes the tiller. And sends the air vessel up and out of the canyon.
"There" says Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy who continues with "That dry lake bed".
"I see it" says the swordmaster Reinholt, who slightly turns the jolly boat to starboard, and sends it more to the east.
The exiled mage from the city-state of Vexil nods his head when he spots what the spy Tanith points at.
"What is that?" asks Shur Kee the monk "What's left of an airship" replies the elf who hails from the principality of Alínlae.
The mage Reinholt sets the jolly boat down on the ground in the dry lake bed, next to the remains of an airship. Which isn't much, just a few of massive ribs of the underside of the hull. Everything else of the vessel, which looked like to be a cargo ship, is gone.
"They took it down in the spring" explains Dalin, who continues with "The plainsmen back in the canyon watched them strip it down, and salvage pretty much everything including the keel".
"They get around, don't they?" quietly says Darid aka Zubutai the son of Timagin referring to the illegal wreckers who brought down the tri-masted destroyer they were on. Who also took down this vessel.
"I do say, over here" says sir Percavelle Lé Dic, the nobleborn knight from the kingdom of Druvic continues in a sour tone with "The foul beast has discovered something".
They make their way over to where Dorc da Orc and Teabagger are standing. The ork weaponsmith grunts, then points at the ground and says "Tam".
"All four of them?" asks councillor Reinholt "Yeah cunt" is the reply from the warleader of the ork race.
"North?" asks the once powerful mage, the big, burly ork from the frozen bottom of the world grunts in reply to that.
"They can't of got too far since they're only on foot" says Darid Parsen as they make their way back to the jolly boat.
The cavalry commander who is a member of the personal council of the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, continues with "We might be able to catch up to them late tomorrow, or early the following day".
The swordmaster Reinholt nods his hooded head in agreement as he works out the distances one can travel on foot, in comparison to flying on the jolly boat. Even with less than favourable winds.
"Probably the day after tomorrow" says the Vexilian mage in exile, as he hops back into the small air boat with the others.
Then just as Mira Reinholt goes to take the tiller in hand, Helbe the elven thief appears saying "I wondered where you lot had got to".
The young elven noble originally from the island principality of Laerel, looks over at what little remains of a transport airship, then says "Those illegal wreckers have been busy haven't they?".
His fellow councillors the mage Reinholt and commander Parsen nod in agreement, then the highly skilled swordmaster tells his fellow spellcaster "Tam and the others were here the day after our ship went down".
The elven magic user in the all white hooded cloak nods his head, and Mira Reinholt tells him "They've gone north".
The once powerful mage looks over at the spy Tanith, who tells the elven masterthief "There's also a caravan route further to the north and east, which is pretty well used, especially during summer".
Dalin points to the north, and adds "You can see wagon tracks leaving here, heading in that direction".
The young elven noble glances at his right shoulder, and Narladene the ground pixie who is invisible to all except for the elven magic user she's attached to. Nods her head, and drops off his shoulder, and dives down into the ground.
"I'll go and check it out" says Helbe the elven thief who is the grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel. The elven master assassin then adds "At least they're going the same way as us".
Then prince Helbenthril Raendril disappears as he blurs himself and shifts away, heading north and east. The same way Narladene is going, though she's underground.
Mira Reinholt takes the tiller, and lifts up on it, sending the jolly boat into the air.
The spellcaster in exile from his homeland of Vexil doesn't take the small air boat up too high, as the winds are actually better closer to the ground today, on what's a fairly cool late summer's day.
After he gets Shur Kee to undo a line, and as Dorc da Orc drinks from one of the clay jugs of mead. The mage Reinholt points the jolly boat to the northeast, and they continue their journey above the Kaldel Plains in the aftermath of the warship they were on previously, was knocked out of the sky by a crew of illegal wreckers . . . . . .