A Grand Design 7.

Mid Autumn. The Town Of Salme. The Duchy Of Dalmar. The Kingdom Of Girdane.

"I don't like this, i don't like this one bit i tell you Hilloc" says duke Korros of Girnath as they make their way along the battlements of the inner wall of duke Hilloc's castle, looking out and down at the surrounding town of Salme.
They stop beside the top of a guard tower, and the duke of Girnath, the duchy that lies further to the north and west of Dalmar, then says "Now that word has reached us that the king is sending some of his army out here to the west" Korros then dryly adds "To help stop the spread of the plague".
Duke Hilloc of Dalmar grunts at the mention of that, then the younger man from the duchy of Girnath says "Added to that, Lombasil isn't here yet".
"He'll be here in the next day or two" says duke Hilloc referring to the duke of Falosen, the duchy that's furthest north of the three most western duchies in the kingdom of Girdane.
"Remember he has to travel further than you" says the duke of Dalmar who is the older, and larger of the two noblemen upon the battlements.
"And word is he's had particularly more trouble with the plague up there than the two of us" adds duke Hilloc, whose family has ruled the duchy of Girnath for more than five centuries. Longer than any other family has ruled any other duchy in the kingdom of Girdane.
Duke Korros of Girnath grunts, then sighs and says in sympathy for their fellow duke "Poor bastard".
Duke Hilloc nods in agreement, then looking down at the shorter man, who is a dozen years younger than himself, who at times can act impulsively and on the spur of the moment, he says to him "Has the plague spread much further through your lands?".
Slightly frowning as he thinks about it, duke Korros says "Not too much" the duke of Girnath continues with "Certainly not as much as when it first hit".
"Same as here in Dalmar" says duke Hilloc a man over six foot tall who is in his mid thirties, who continues with "I think the cooler weather has something to do with that" he then adds "My advisors agree, the colder weather has stopped it spreading so quickly compared to when it first hit at the start of the autumn".
"Makes sense" quietly says duke Korros, who a short man at only a few inches over five foot, and in his early twenties who was recently married during the summer that's just gone.
"Though what doesn't make sense is all the missing children and young folk" quietly adds the duke of Girnath, the duke of Dalmar grimaces, and just nods to that. As he like his fellow duke, and their advisors, don't know what to make of all the missing children and youngsters from the rual communities in their lands.
When the plague first hit at the end of summer, the start of autumn, here in the very west of the kingdom of Girdane.
Duke Hilloc at first wasn't too worried. As the plague and pestilence often breaks out in the smaller villages during that time of the year.
He remembers as a child when one summer here in Dalmar, a plague wiped out scores, if not hundreds of people in many of the villages and farmsteads throughout the duchy.
That was the worst one he'd ever experienced, until this plague that hit not just the duchy of Dalmar, but also the duchies of Girnath and Falosen.
The three most western duchies in all of Girdane. Which coincidentally, are the three duchies where rebellion has been brewing against the crown for more than a little while.
Duke Hilloc of Dalmar doesn't believe in coincidences. And has come to the belief that the crown, and the king has had something to do with the plague that's hit the three most western duchies in the kingdom, and no where else.
By bringing in someone or some people who were already infected with the plague. Or by some other means. Duke Hilloc isn't entirely sure.
But now, he's pretty sure that the crown had something to do with it's spread here in the west of the kingdom.
And now they have a perfect excuse to bring their army out west. Under the premise to help stop the spread of the plague. In the three duchies where rebellion has been brewing for a while.
"I can believe the king and his cronies might of had the plague spread throughout our lands" quietly says duke Korros of Girnath as his fellow duke has mentioned his thoughts about that to him.
Then as he looks out over the rest of the castle, and the large town of Salme, which is effectively the center of the rebellion here in the very west of the kingdom he adds "But what i can't believe is that they've taken our children and youngsters away".
Duke Korros who likes to wear heavy iron plate armour, even though he's a short, and not particularly hefty looking man, then says "For what reason? To protect them from the plague?".
"Who knows?" quietly says duke Hilloc, who has thought over and over about the many reasons why the children and youngsters from the villages and farmsteads affected by the plague have gone missing.
As yet, he along with his advisors, and allies like Korros, haven't come up with any plausible reason why those children and young folk are missing.
The duke of Dalmar looks down to the outer bailey, and spots who has just entered through the main gates of his castle. Duke Hilloc grunts, and his fellow duke asks him "What is it?".
"Persistent bugger" mutters the older of the two noblemen "Who?" asks the duke of Girnath "Down there, the plainsman with the shaved head" is the reply of the duke of Dalmar.
The younger of the two noblemen looks down into outer bailey, and spots the tall plainsman in question. With him is another tall individual, this one in a white hooded cloak.
Behind them is a horse drawn cart surrounded by some of the duke of Dalmar's soldiers.
The duke of Girnath sees that there's a rather large locked chest. Which looks to him like it's a locker chest from an airship of all things. Which is in the back of the horse drawn cart.
"Is that your ah" says duke Korros who after a brief pause adds "Associate" before continuing on with "From up on the Kaldel Plains?".
"That's him" says duke Hollis, duke Korros nods but remains silent on the matter, as he knows his fellow duke and the plainsman below have a deal, that has helped to fund the rebellion that has begun out here in the very west of the kingdom.
A rebellion, that begun with the rumoured tax increase from the capital that became a reality a couple of years ago. But a rebellion that duke Korros knows has turned personal for his fellow nobleman, duke Hilloc of Dalmar.
As the duke of Dalmar became the brother inlaw of lord Sammis the regent of Oaklynn eighteen months ago. Not that he wanted to, or had any idea he was going to.
As Hilloc's younger sister the lady Mera, was by all intensive purposes, forced into marrying the regent of the capital Oaklynn.
Lady Mera who duke Hilloc hasn't seen since she left to travel to the capital city Oakland, a little over eighteen months ago.
Korros of Girnath is more than sympathetic to his fellow duke. As he's of a similar age as the lady Mera, and grew up with her when he was squired here in Salme to one of Hilloc's cousins.
And if circumstances were different, and if there was any political advantage to both sides, it would of been he who would of married the lady Mera.
But alas that didn't happen. As she was forced into marriage with a man nearly twenty years her senior who has already had two wives. Both of whom died in suspicious circumstances.
And he, Korros married in the recent summer. To a noblewoman from the south of the kingdom, that his mother the dowager lady of Girnath, thought would be a good match for him, both politically and romantically.
"Suppose i better go down and speak to him" says duke Hilloc who continues with "If i don't, he and his cohort will annoy everyone in my court for the rest of day".
The duke of Girnath nods, and as they make their way along the battlements, heading to the nearest set of steps that lead down, Korros of Girnath asks his fellow duke "What do they want outside of the, ah particular arrangement you have?".
The duke of Girnath knows of duke Hilloc's deal with the plainsman, who apparently leads a crew of illegal wreckers up on the Kaldel Plains. Who bring down airships illegally, then strip them, and sell everything of value for a profit. And that duke Hilloc who helped to set up and originally fund the plainsman when he first started, takes a cut of the illegal wreckers profit.
And that cut he takes, has helped fund the burgeoning rebellion here in the very west of the kingdom of Girdane against the crown.
"They want me to hire a foreign army of mercenaries in our fight against the king" quietly says duke Hilloc as the two of them make their way down the steps.
"I was against the idea at first, as were all of my advisors, but I'm open to it now" quietly adds the duke of Dalmar, who continues with "Especially with the king about to send some of his army out our way".
"Good idea, maybe you should" quietly says duke Korros as they get down into the inner bailey, then as they make their way across to the main keep of the castle that sits upon a hill that dominates the town of Salme, the younger of the two noblemen asks his fellow duke "How much do they want?".
"A bloody fortune" mutters the duke of Dalmar, who then tells the younger and shorter nobleman, exactly how much they want to be paid a week.
Duke Korros winces when he hears how much, then the duke of Girnath wryly says "That is rather a lot".
Then Korros of Girnath glances up at the taller man walking beside him, and says "They might be worth it" duke Korros then asks "How good are they?".
Duke Hilloc blinks in surprise as he along with his advisors had never thought to think about that.
"You know what" says the duke of Dalmar, who continues with "I have no idea".
"Maybe you should" quietly says the younger of the two noblemen, who follows that with "Who knows, they might actually be worth that much".
Duke Hilloc nods, and does so again when the younger and shorter duke says "We need all the help that we can get".
As they both know that their potential rebellion is badly outnumbered by forces that the king of Girdane can bring down upon them.
Off to the side of the main chamber of attendance in the main keep of the castle where duke Hilloc's court is held.
In a side chamber, the two dukes look down at the open chest, and Korros of Girnath murmurs "Hell" as he sees how much gold and silver coins are in it.
He knew Hilloc was receiving funds from the Kaldel Plains, he just didn't know how much.
Then the young duke of Girnath realises that their potential rebellion wouldn't even be off the ground if it wasn't for the payments the duke of Girnath was getting from the tall plainsman with the shaved head who leads the crew of illegal wreckers up on the Kaldel Plains.
As the last tax increase imposed upon just the duchies in the very west of the kingdom. Supposedly to fall in line with the rate of tax paid by the nobility in the rest of the kingdom.
Has severely hampered any additional costs the dukes of Dalmar, Girnath and Falosen have incurred.
Such as the build up of a potential revolt against the crown and king of Girdane.
Duke Korros looks at his fellow duke beside him, then he looks at the two men seated in the middle of the side chamber.
As he looks at them, the duke of Girnath realises that only one of them is a man. The tall plainsman with the shaved head.
While the other one, the one in the white hooded cloak, whose face Korros can't see all that clearly as the front of the hood of his cloak is down almost to his eyes. Is definitely an elf.
Then after a glance at his fellow duke again, the duke of Girnath makes his way over to one side of the chamber off the main chamber where duke Hilloc holds court.
And takes a seat on one of the benches there, where some of his and the duke of Dalmar's advisors are sitting.
"How much this time?" asks duke Hilloc after looking down at latest payment to come from the Kaldel Plains.
The duke of Dalmar slightly nods when the tall plainsman named Arvelle who leads a crew of illegal wreckers up on the Kaldel Plains, tells him how much is in the large open chest.
Hell, that's a lot, duke Hilloc thinks to himself, then looking at the two on the chairs in the middle of the chamber, the duke of Dalmar says "You've been here a few weeks now, whose running things up on the plains?".
"You remember my offsider Mac?" says Arvelle Ganard the plainsman "The dwarven fellow" says duke Hilloc, who continues with "I remember him".
"He's got things in hand" says the leader of the crew of illegal wreckers, who are based in the very northeast of the Kaldel Plains, nearly two thousand miles north of the border with the kingdom of Girdane.
"And when i left, we had a trio of ships still to strip, that will take a bit of time" adds the tall plainsman named Arvelle.
Three! duke Hilloc thinks to himself, the nobleman whose family has ruled the duchy of Dalmar for more than five centuries then silently adds, hell, no wonder this latest payment is so large.
Duke Hilloc nods, then steps back from the open chest, and leans against the table behind him, as he looks at the two sitting in the middle of the chamber.
Then the duke of Dalmar glances over to the side of the chamber, where some of his and the duke of Girnath's advisors are sitting.
He looks at his fellow duke, and remembering what Korros mentioned a little earlier outside.
Duke Hilloc looks back at the two sitting on the chairs in the middle of the chamber, and says to Arvelle the plainsman "About the other thing we've been discussing since you arrived in town" he then adds "I'm willing to discuss the terms of hire".
The duke of Dalmar momentarily pauses before continuing with "Though there are some conditions though".
"Such as what lord Hilloc?" asks the tall plainsman named Arvelle "Such as how good exactly are these foreign mercenaries?" he continues with "I'd like to know what I'm exactly paying for".
The leader of the crew of illegal wreckers up on the Kaldel Plains nods to the elven fellow sitting beside him, and says "Some of their officers are here in town with me" Arvelle the plainsman continues with "I'm sure we can arrange something so that you can see what you'll be paying for".
After a moment as he thinks about it, duke Hilloc of Dalmar nods, then says "We'll do that then" . . . . . .