A Grand Design 22.

Winter. The Kingdom Of Girdane.

Some of duke Hilloc's men ride up over the hill, and look down upon the road. After bringing their mounts to a halt, more than a few of them glance at one another.
For down on the road, is a company of the king's army. About two hundred of them. Who have been wiped out to a man.
Though they didn't enter into battle with any of the rebels from the very west of the kingdom of Girdane.
The squad leader in command of the mounted patrol looks around. He contemplates riding down to the road to take a closer look.
But he decides not to, as he's heard the reports of similar situations, which have been traps.
The squad leader and the rest of his men look all around, especially to the east, the direction the enemy company were coming from.
Then not wanting to linger, as who knows what could be around. The leader orders the squad to turn, and head back to the army.
Watching them ride away, is a child amongst the trees on a hill on the opposite side of the road.
The child, who is wearing thin, thread bare clothes, and no shoes. Even though it's a chilly, early winters day. Wondered if the mounted squad in duke Hilloc's army would ride down to the road, and have a closer look at the company in the king's army who have been wiped out.
But prudence got the better of them. And they decided to turn around. And head back in the direction they came from.
Lucky for them that they did. For the child, a young girl of about seven or eight years of age.
Turns and heads back further into the trees. Where waits thirty or so other children and youngsters. Who like her, are all waagen. Who over the last couple of weeks. Have been attacking both sides of the conflict that's broken out in the west of the kingdom of Girdane.
Arvelle Ganard the plainsman dismounts, and hands the reins of his mount to one of his company.
The tall plainsman with a shaved head, looks down at the tracks and marks in the ground. Around the devastation of a combined company of the three dukes of the very west of Girdane. Who have been killed to the last man.
It's not difficult to figure out who did it. Because it wasn't the enemy. As both soldiers and horses, have been ripped and torn apart.
The tall plainsman who is a former illegal wrecker, looks over at one of his company for today.
"Still no sign of them?" asks Arvelle Ganard the plainsman "Nothing councillor" is the reply of Larris the sorcerer, as he looks across the muddy field, where nearly a hundred and eighty of the dukes Hilloc, Korros and Lombasil's soldiers lie dead, along with most of their horses as they were a mounted company.
The tall plainsman, who in actual fact is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra by the name of Zubutai Timaginson, who just happens to inhabit the body of the former illegal wrecker Arvelle Ganard. Looks over to where one of the scouts is pointing away to the right.
"They go that way?" asks the member of lord Farque's personal council "Yes councillor" is the reply of the scout, who then adds "No doubt they disappeared like the others".
"No doubt" quietly says Arvelle aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman, who after a moments silence, adds "Might as well have a look to make sure".
Once the councillor is mounted again, they skirt around the muddy field that's part of a farmstead, the house of which, along with the barn, or what's left of them, can be seen in the distance, smouldering.
Arvelle Ganard's mounted company don't ride very much further, when the scout in the lead stops, and points down at the ground.
The tall plainsman with the shaved head, along with subaltern Larris ride ahead.
And when they reach the scout, the former illegal wrecker who used to ply his trade up on the Kaldel Plains, asks the scout "How many this time?".
"Over twenty I'd say" is the reply of the scout, councillor Ganard nods, then he looks at Larris the sorcerer, who tells him "Rift most likely".
The tall plainsman nods, then asks "Any idea when?" followed by "This morning?".
"Most likely" says the spellcaster who is a subaltern in the armies of Farque, who then adds "If that smouldering farmhouse and barn is anything to go by".
Arvelle aka Zubutai the son of Timagin, shakes his head, then says in a slightly sour tone of voice "Fighting a war against the king is bad enough, but these attacks by these waagen are just plain annoying".
The sorcerer Larris nods in agreement, then councillor Ganard says "Let's head back".
Lord Farque walks through the woods, he's followed by Helbe the elven thief.
The undead warlord soon gets to his soldiers, most of whom, are on their knees. They bow their heads to the ground, as their lord and ruler walks by, who acknowledges them with a nod of his full helmed head.
Their officer is standing, and she bows to her lord, then says "That way my lord" as she points ahead.
The heavily armoured deathlord nods again, as he has already sensed the way to go.
The undead being, who is also known by the name of Draugadrottin to the people of his lands. Continues on his way through the woods. Followed now by both Helbe the elven thief and the officer.
The lord of the death realm walks another fifty yards or so, then he comes to a stop.
As across the ground, between the trees, and in bushes. Are the remains of a squad of a dozen of his soldiers in his army.
Lying with the torn apart bodies of his soldiers, are two dead children. Well, they were children. For they were waagen. Who reverted back to their human forms when they were killed. As they're riddled with arrows and crossbow bolts. And are covered in numerous wounds from various weapons.
The undead warlord looks at his dead soldiers, and the two children in silence for a while, then he turns to the officer.
"Have our people buried" says lord Farque, who continues with "I'll say a few words once they're rested in the ground".
"Yes my lord" says the officer, who bows, then turns and makes her way back to where the rest of the squad are waiting.
"Here?" quietly asks Helbe the elven thief as he looks at the Farqian soldiers who fought to the death against the waagen.
"No" says the heavily armoured deathlord, who like the elven magic user, speaks in the royal elven language.
"Too close to our dead" adds the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, who then reaches down and picks up the two dead children. One by an arm, and the other by a leg.
And he walks away through the woods, followed by the young elven noble who hails from the island principality of Laerel.
While behind them, the officer and the squad move forward to bury their fellow soldiers in the army of Farque.
As they walk between the trees on this chilly winters morning here in the west of the kingdom of Girdane.
Lord Farque, or Des'tier as he's known by older generation of elven kind who might know him. Nods his full helmed head away to the right.
And says to the elven masterthief following him "They went that way, a couple more wounded, one badly who might die".
On the right shoulder of the elven master assassin. The ground pixie Narladene, nods in agreement. As she has seen the tracks of the waagen the squad of Farqian soldiers fought.
Where they went too, before finally disappearing, most likely through a rift.
"How many in total?" quietly asks the grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel.
"By the looks of their markings, I'd say ten" is the reply of the lord of the death realm.
The highly talented elven magic user winces, as the squad of a dozen Farqian soldiers fought at least ten waagen.
And they managed to kill two of them, wounding two others, one badly too.
Prince Helbenthril Raendril doubts any other living soldiers in the world could of done that. With a squad of just twelve, against ten waagen.
The undead warlord finally comes to a stop, about five hundred yards away from the site of where the squad of his soldiers fought to the death.
Helbe the elven thief, with Narladene the ground pixie stays back as the deathlord of Farque drops the two dead children on the ground.
For over the years, and the number of times he's witnessed it. As has Narladene, it's always a little unnerving to see it in person.
Infact when they feel the air turn even colder, as the temperature drops. And blue light starts to emanate from the lord of the death realm.
The two of them look away. Looking off between the trees to the left as the heavily armoured deathlord raises the two waagen from the dead.
With horrific wounds, and arrows and bolts in them. The two children, one a boy of about eleven, and the other a girl around the same age.
After briefly being suffused by the same blue light that's glowing in the eyes of lord Farque. They unsteadily get to their feet and stare at him.
Draugadrottin looks closely at them, and seeing that the young girl is missing a fair chunk of her throat, and her lower jaw is gone, making it basically impossible for speech.
He slightly waves his right gauntleted hand, and she drops to the ground, after he returns her to a state of death.
The undead warlord then looks at the young boy, and after a few moments, there's a semblance of intelligence in the child's eyes.
Lord Farque slightly nods his full helmed head, then says "Speak" before he starts to ask a number of questions he wants answers to.
The field commander Tamric Drubine looks at the latest message that's just been delivered to him in his command tent.
And after reading it, he tosses it into a burning brazier, where it goes up into flames.
The nobleborn teenager who is originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin, makes his way out of the tent. Followed by a pair of Farqian soldiers, who he knows have been specially trained by prince Helbenthril Raendril.
Waiting for the young field commander outside the tent, is one of his officers, who has been his acting subcommander, the avenger sir Kamson.
"Where's the warleader?" asks Tamric Drubine the field commander "Behind your tent commander" says sir Kamson the avenger, who then adds in a slightly dry tone of voice "Sleeping".
Field commander Drubine listens carefully, then he rolls his eyes as hears the snoring coming from the otherside of his tent.
"Come on, we might as well wake him" dryly says Tamric Drubine who is more commonly called Tam by the others in the group.
He along with his two guards, and his acting subcommander make their way around to the backside of the tent.
Where they find Dorc da Orc, sprawled on the ground, fast asleep and snoring, with a couple of empty ale barrels nearby.
"Where the hell does he keep finding booze" mutters Tam, who then turns to one of the guards that's been assigned to him, and says "Galsin, your hammer".
The Farqian soldier hands the young field commander the hammer. Then the nobleborn teenager who hails from the kingdom of Sarcrin says "I'm certainly not kicking him" he continues in a mutter with "I'd probably break my foot" in response to the inquiring look directed at him by sir Kamson.
Field commander Drubine smashes the hammer down hard into the head of the sleeping ork warleader, to no effect.
Tam sourly smiles after hitting the large ork in the head a couple more times with the hammer, and is unable to wake him up.
The son and former heir of a previous knight of castle Drubine, which is located in the forested north of the kingdom of Sarcrin.
Looks at his two guards and his acting subcommander, and says to them "Who wants to try?" as he offers the hammer he's holding.
The two soldiers and the avenger all look at one another, then sir Kamson quickly grabs the hammer from the hand of his field commander. Then he smashes it down onto the head of the sleeping ork warleader.
The avenger, who is a former member of the Knights of the Dark, has to whack the large ork three more times in the head.
Before the big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world. Snorts in the middle of a snore, and he starts to wake up.
Looking at the hammer he's holding, sir Kamson quickly tosses it to Galsin, who hastily puts it in his belt loop as the ork warleader yawns as he wakes.
"Dorc, come along" says Tamric Drubine, as the ork weaponsmith sits up frowning, rubbing the side of his head, where sir Kamson whacked him a few times with the hammer.
"Huh?" says Dorc da Orc as he looks up and finds field commander Drubine standing there with the three others.
"We've got things to do" says the nobleborn teenager originally from the kingdom of Sarcrin.
"Hey evil knight" says the large ork with a chuckle when he recognises sir Kamson, who sourly smiles as the ork warleader always refers to him as that.
Dorkindle is of the opinion that anyone who was in the order of the Knights of the Dark, is evil. More so if they quit their order and became an avenger.
The son of the former matriarch stands up and stretches, then grunts in disappointment as he looks at the empty ale barrels.
Then after looking around, he looks at the young field commander and asks "We not fucken moving?" as the camp isn't being broken down.
"No" says Tam who then adds "Not yet" the nobleborn teenager who hails from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin then tells the ork weaponsmith "A shitload of them have been spotted turning south".
"Lookin' for fucken ground to fight on Dorc reckons" says the warleader of the ork race, who then adds "Some fucken where they can out flank us".
The young field commander nods in agreement as he sets of with the large ork beside him.
While his acting subcommander, and his two guards follow behind them.
The armies of the dukes of Dalmar, Girnath and Falosen. Though enthusiastic in their rebellion against the crown and king.
Not a lot of them are experienced in warfare. Infact just a small amount of them have been in a war before. And that was nearly twenty years ago in the battle of Vexil.
Where the kingdom of Girdane, and it's king at the time, king Jarnard the First of his name, the father of the current king.
Where one of the main antagonist against it's neighbour, the city-state of Vexil.
And while some in the armies of dukes Hilloc, Korros and Lombasil have been in battle before. For the most part their armies are inexperienced.
Something that Tamric Drubine, along with others in the armies of Farque, have to take into account as they command the campaign for the three dukes who have rebelled against the crown and king of Girdane.
As they head off to meet up with the dukes of the three most western duchies in the kingdom, field commander Drubine quietly tells the large ork "The waagen have again attacked both our armies and theirs over the last couple of days".
Dorc da Orc grunts, then asks "We kill any of them cunts this time?".
"Some of ours killed a couple of them yesterday" replies Tamric Drubine who then adds "Lord Farque and Helbe have gone to check on that".
The young field commander knows the undead warlord will get some answers to their questions, now that they've finally been able to kill some of the waagen. Who have proven to be elusive as they've randomly attacked both their forces, as well as the king.
"Hopefully we'll find out a bit more of what's going on" adds Tam, Dorkindle grunts as they go to meet the dukes of Dalmar, Girnath and Falosen to plan the next phase of their campaign against the crown and king . . . . . .