Aftermath 31.

The Kaldel Plains...

They get some rest throughout the remainder of the day. With Tamric Drubine even able to fall asleep. Not so the other three, who are all slightly edgy after the young field commander tells them what they're going to do tonight.
The only time they show any nerves is when a couple of the younger locals, and one of the wreckers returns from the bushland a couple of miles to the south of the village, with the herd of goats they've grazed down there.
Instead of going directly to the village, they swing out to the east. Looking like they're heading for the small rise the four of them have been observing the village from over the last two days.
The herders and their goats get within a hundred yards of the rise, before they turn back into the village as the sun sets across the Kaldel Plains to the west.
Lisell Maera, Tovis the war engineer and Beldane the cleric don't even bother to wake Tamric Drubine with the herders and their goats not that far from them.
They only wake the nobleborn teenager originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin once the sun sets in the west, and night falls upon the Kaldel Plains.
Once he's awake, and gone down to stretch behind the small rise, then had something to eat.
Field commander Drubine takes out his brass, cylindrical eyepiece, twists the ring towards the end of it, which allows him to see at night through the magical instrument.
And observes the nearby village, especially the otherside. The western side, specifically the northwest corner of the village green, and the two storey house there.
"Looks like they're working into the night" quietly says Tamric Drubine as he sees some of the wreckers are still dismantling one of the damaged airships on the village green.
"Is that going to wreck our plans?" quietly asks Lisell Maera, who then quickly adds in a murmur "Sorry about the pun".
The young field commander in the armies of Farque slightly smiles as he shakes his head, then he says "Not necessarily".
Tamric Drubine or Tam as he's more commonly called by those who know him well, continues on with "At least that lot won't run into us if they're busy".
"You hope" dryly says the attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury, who is a messenger in the armies of Farque.
"I hope" murmurs the former heir of a previous knight of castle Drubine, a castle in the north of the kingdom of Sarcrin.
Field commander Drubine then says "We won't go until much later" he looks over at the cleric Beldane and asks him "Can you sense anything on that house, or in it from here?".
"There's nothing" is the quiet reply of Beldane the cleric, who then adds "That leader must be awfully trusting of his crew not to".
"I think the threat of violence keeps them in line, and not get it into their heads to steal any of it" quietly says Lisell Maera, who is more often or not, called Lis by the others.
"Besides if they do, they're just stealing from themselves" adds the tall, lithe young woman who is a runner in the scouts division of one of the armies of Farque "And no one really wants to do that" adds Lis.
The others nod in agreement to that, then the nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin who leads them, quietly says "We do it as quickly as possible" he then adds "And remember we don't have to take everything, just what we can carry" Tam follows that with "They'll definitely notice a handful of them missing".
"Then let the chaos ensue" quietly says Lisell Maera in the elven language, next to her, Tamric Drubine nods in agreement, and quietly says in elven "Indeed".
Then in the common language, the young field commander asks the cleric in the church of Glaine "Are you sure you're able to do it?".
"Easily" says the fighting cleric who hails from the kingdom of Nastell, which lies to the east of the Kaldel Plains.
The powerful spellcaster who is from the duchy of Phelm in northern Nastell continues with "It isn't far to the village, and the second one will be even shorter" Beldane then adds "It's always been distance relevant, and since it isn't far, it isn't difficult".
"And you're fine with casting multiple spells at once?" asks the nobleborn teenager who knows a thing or two about spellcasters and their abilities, having spent more than half of his young life around them.
Besides he has to know what they can and cannot do if they're under his command, and he has to use them in battle.
"I can" says the churchman who continues with "Two I'm fine with, three and it's a bit of struggle, while four is a push even for me".
Tam nods, as he knows most practitioners of magic struggle to cast two spells at once. As casting multiple spells has nothing to do with how powerful you are at magic. It has everything to do with how skilled you are, and how much willpower you have.
The young field commander is glad the fighting cleric has a good mix of both. He's powerful, as well as skillful enough to cast two or more spells at once.
"Were you able to get a good view of around the back of that place?" asks Tamric Drubine referring to the two storey house on the northwest corner of the village green. A house that Lisell Maera has described in detail from her time in the village today where she posed as a local plainswoman.
"I did" says the member of the church of Glaine, who continues with "When you were sleeping i took a wander away to our right, and looked through the eyepiece at it" the powerful cleric then adds "I got a good look all along the north side of the village".
"Good" murmurs the young field commander in the armies of Farque, who as he continues to observe what's happening in the village less than a quarter of a mile from them, quietly adds "Now we wait".
The four of them wait for quite some time, as throughout the night, the wreckers slowly leave the ships they've been dismantling, and make their way to their homes, to get something to eat, and have a good night's sleep, before starting again early in the morning.
After the last of the wreckers make their way from the village green, Tamric Drubine concentrates solely upon the two storey house at the northwest corner of the village green.
The house that's being used as the headquarters, and the abode of the leader of the crew of illegal wreckers, Arvelle.
The nobleborn teenager watches to see who enters and leaves that house during the night. Seeing a few people do so. Until finally the dwarf named Mac, and Arvelle himself enter it. After they've spoken with the blademaster named Pallen, and the woman named Sasha.
Tam watches the blademaster and the woman, who Lis found out are a couple. Walk away from the two storey house, heading to the southeastern edge of the village. Where the house they share, is a little away from all the other houses and buildings in the village the illegal wreckers have taken over.
Field commander Drubine quietly says "Looks like everyone is turning in for the night" then as he continues to watch the house that the leader of the illegal wreckers is living in, Tam adds "Hope there isn't too many night owls amongst them".
The others all whole heartedly agree with that, then the nobleborn teenager quietly asks the attractive young woman next to him "You absolutely certain it's just the three of them in there?".
"That's what she said" quietly says the messenger who hails from the city-state of Brattonbury, who continues with "Her, that Arvelle the leader, and that dwarf Mac".
"We'll have to careful" says Tamric Drubine, who follows that with "Especially of that dwarf" he then adds "Even if he's half awake, he'll hear us, no matter how quiet we are".
The others nod, and as one of the last summer's night gets cooler and cooler, as it often does here on the Kaldel Plains.
The four of them, who are in the armies of Farque. Watch as one by one, the houses in the village go dark as lamps and candles are blown out, as people. Both wreckers and locals, go to bed.
Soon there's only a few houses left where people are still up. Including the two storey house that's the abode of the leader of the illegal wreckers, the plainsman named Arvelle.
Eventually the lamps or candles in the upstairs rooms in that house go out too. And it like most of the village, is in darkness.
Even then, the young field commander originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin continues to wait. Then eventually Tamric Drubine quietly says "Let's go".
The four of them crawl backwards  then only when they're on the backside of the rise, do they stand up, turn and make their way down onto the flat ground.
There in the near darkness, only lit by the faint white glow of Beldane's mace, they check their weapons and equipment.
"Remember, only as much as you can carry" quietly says Tam, then after the others nod, the young field commander looks at the powerful cleric, and quietly tells him "Do it".
The churchman nods, then Beldane casts a gateway spell. He could teleport them as it's far quicker than a gateway, but he'd have to look at where he's going. And that would be another spell to see in the night.
But with a gateway, he has already seen where he wants to go. Besides, teleporting is all to do with weight and distance. And with what the four of them are about to carry, they're going to way heavier than they normally are.
The gateway starts to materialise, then once it froms. Beldane goes through first, when he normally goes through last. He's quickly followed by Lisell Maera, then after a moment, Tamric Drubine then Tovis the war engineer.
The otherside of the gateway, is right behind the two storey house on the northwest corner of the village green.
The fighting cleric who has dampened the light of his mace, takes a quick step to follow Lis, who came out of the gateway right behind him.
The messenger is right up against the house, at a window. And as Tam and Tovis come out of the gateway behind them. She takes her dagger, and carefully pushes it between the shutters, and quietly prys them apart.
Beldane has already cast another spell upon himself, so that he can see in the dark. And he moves up right beside Lis, and looks through the gap she has opened between the two shutters.
He nods, and as the attractive young woman from the coastal city-state of Brattonbury, quietly and carefully pulls her dagger free, and closes the shutters.
The fighting cleric in the church of Glaine who has dropped his night vision spell, and is already casting again.
It's another gateway, which he places right next to the first one. It doesn't take long to form, infact it's almost instantaneous.
Once it's complete, Tamric Drubine is the first one through, followed by Tovis the war engineer, then Lisell Maera and finally Beldane the cleric, who leaves both gateways up and open.
They're in a room on the ground floor of the two storey house. They're completely still, and Beldane's mace slowly starts to glow white.
The powerful cleric turns to his right, and the faint light coming from his magical weapon, illuminates what's on the floor.
Tam faintly smiles as they see the row of chests of varying sizes, stacked up against the wall that way.
The young field commander doesn't even say anything, or even nod. They all move as quietly as possible to get some of the chests, to carry back through the gateway to outside.
Mac the dwarf is half asleep when he's certain he hears something in the main room of the house.
The former shipwright from the Cascades, those low mountains and hill country near the coast of the Southlands, inland from the crescent port of Gilsom.
Sits up in bed, and listens carefully. The former shipwright, whose bedroom is on the ground floor. As he sees it's best that Arvelle has all the privacy he wants upstairs.
Slowly gets out of bed, and in the darkness grabs his axe, and blades when he's certain he hears something from the main room of the house.
The dwarf, who wonders how the hell someone got inside, when he himself looks all the doors and shutters to the house. Slips out of his room, and on barefeet, makes his way quietly down the hallway.
He's certain that there's more than one person in the main room of the house, by the sounds of it, there might be three or four of them. Even though they're moving about as silently as they can.
But his enhanced hearing has picked up them moving about. And by the sounds of it, they're moving and lifting some of the chests of gold and precious gems that are stored there.
Mac sneers in disgust and anger as he moves silently down the hallway, thinking about how they've been able to get inside, and to try and steal what's stored in the main room of the house.
The dwarf from the Cascades plans to show them what he thinks of their actions, and as he approaches the end of the hallway, he spots the faintest of lights coming from the main room.
The former shipwright who doesn't need light to see in the dark, sneers again as he hefts his axe, and takes a long dagger from baldric across his chest as he prepares to attack whoever it is that's trying to steal the chests of gold and precious gems.
Lisell Maera carries two of the smaller chests, fairly light as they must contain jems instead of coins. Through the gateway to outside the two storey house, she steps to one side, and biffs them through the other gateway that leads to the east of the village.
The messenger steps back to the side, and hurries back through the other gateway that leads back inside the house.
She steps into the room, unconsciously as by rote, holding her crossbow that's always loaded when she goes into dangerous situations.
The attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury glances to her right, where Tovis the war engineer is carrying one of the large ship's lockers by himself.
While Tamric Drubine and Beldane are carrying another one between them, on top of which is a slightly smaller chest.
Lis steps to the side of the gateway to allow Tovis through, when from the faint white glow of Beldane's mace, which is the only thing they can see by in the dark room. She sees a glint of metal away to her left.
The attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury instantly turns that way, and fires her crossbow. The bolt hits, and a body falls to the floor with a groan.
Lis pulls back on the underside of her crossbow, quickly reloading it, while Tamric Drubine quietly urges them to hurry.
As Tovis goes through the gateway, the messenger takes a couple of steps to the right, and can just make out that it's the dwarf named Mac she's shot, who is lying on the floor, grasping at the crossbow bolt in his chest.
Then as the young field commander and fighting cleric are about to go through the gateway, Tamric Drubine quietly says in elven "Bring the body".
The two of them go through the gateway as Lis shoots the wounded dwarf in the head, killing him.
She swings her crossbow on it's strap across her back, and grabs the dwarf under the arms, and drags him across the floor, hoping that Arvelle and the plainswoman upstairs don't wake.
As she gets closer to the gateway in the dark room, the messenger is joined by Tovis the war engineer who has come back through the gateway.
He helps her to lift the dead dwarf, and they carry him through the gateway to outside.
The two of them step to the side, and with the body of Mac the dwarf between them, they go through the gateway that takes them to the east of the village.
A couple of moments later and the gateway that goes into the two storey house disappears, then the other gateway they've gone through vanishes . . . . . .