A Grand Design 42.

Winter. The Central Region Of Girdane.

Arvelle Ganard the plainsman reins in, then says "Any sign of them?".
"Nothing councillor" replies the scout who stepped out from the trees when he saw the cavalry company approaching.
"Damn" mutters the former illegal wrecker who is from the Kaldel Plains.
"If we keep going north we'll definitely run into the enemy" muses the member of the personal council to lord Farque.
The scout nods in agreement, then quietly says "They're just a few miles from here" followed by "Their outer scouts as they continue eastwards".
The tall plainsman with the shaved head grunts, then mutters under his breath "Where the hell are they?".
After receiving the message from lord Farque, who is now in the capital city Oaklynn.
The army from the very west of the kingdom of Girdane, who are led by the hired mercenary army from the lands Farque.
Have turned south, then east, and are no longer actively pursuing the retreating forces of the crown of Girdane.
The bulk of the army who have rebelled against the crown are further south and east. And are heading to the border region between the duchies of Wostin and Fandell, here in central Girdane.
While a few companies in the Farqian mercenary army, including the mounted company led by councillor Ganard.
Are further north, closer to the retreating enemy. Searching for the force formerly led by lord Farque. Who have been harassing the enemy from the east.
The tall plainsman with the shaved head, who in actual fact is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra by the name of Zubutai Timaginson, who just happens to find himself inhabiting the body of Arvelle Ganard.
Asks the scout "You know where the courser is by any chance?". As two of the water elementals are with this part of the mercenary army from the lands Farque.
While the rest are with the force that was led by lord Farque, who took them up onto the Kaldel Plains, before turning east, then coming back down south into the kingdom of Girdane.
To attack the enemy from the east, and to attack anymore of them who come west from the eastern duchies. Like the duchy of Marsin, where the capital city Oaklynn is located.
"I don't councillor" says the scout who then adds "If anyone's going to find them, it'll be one of the elementals".
Arvelle aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman definitely hopes so, and after he tells the scout to continue the search. And the scout runs back amongst the trees.
Councillor Ganard turns to his second in command, and says "Move out". The cavalry company sets off, continuing eastwards, as they resume their search for the part of their army that's somewhere in this part of the kingdom, still engaged with the enemy.
The sorcerer Larris has climbed up onto the roof of a farmhouse, where he stays low, before lying down flat on his stomach at the edge of the roof, on what's a cold but clear day here in the central region of the kingdom of Girdane.
In the distance, across some fields, nearly a mile away, is a winding ribbon of road, that cuts through this part of the duchy of Fandell.
On the road is the enemy, who are retreating, presumably to the trade town of Summerton, the largest town in the duchy of Fandell. A town about ten miles further to the east.
"Good place to attack them again" quietly says the subcommander, who is lying to the right of the powerful young sorcerer.
"That it is" quietly says Larris the sorcerer in agreement with the subcommander, who leads their force since lord Farque and the others left.
On the sorcerer's otherside, lies one of the scouts. Who happens to be one of the water elementals in their force, he nods in agreement too.
The water elemental then quietly says "They don't seem to be moving as quickly as they were in days previously" he continues on with "No longer moving at a hustle, scattered across half the countryside".
The water elemental, a fairly non descript looking young man, whose only sign that he's actually in the Farqian mercenary army, is his black tabbard that you can just see beneath his leather tunic, quietly adds after a brief pause "As though they're no longer being pursued".
The sorcerer and the subcommander share a look, then the subcommander of the force that originally numbered around three thousand when they went up into the Kaldel Plains at the end of last week, quietly asks the scout "You sure?".
"Definitely" quietly says the water elemental who continues with "Those on foot are marching in a more orderly fashion, and they're not moving so quickly".
The subcommander is silent for a few moments, then he quietly says to the other two "You think the others have stopped attacking them?".
"Could be" quietly says Larris the sorcerer who is a subaltern in the armies of Farque. The scout lying beside him on the roof of the farmhouse, nods in agreement.
"Now why would they do that?" murmurs the subcommander, who has been taught to adapt to new circumstances, and to create new plans.
"Things must've changed" quietly says the subcommander, who then looks at the water elemental who is a scout, and tells him "Go west, and see what you can find out what's happened".
"Yes subcommander" quietly says the scout, who suddenly disappears in a spray of mist, which quickly floats away in the cold morning air.
"I gather we're not attacking them?" quietly asks the powerful young spellcaster.
"Not this time" replies the subcommander as they watch in the distance, the more orderly retreat of the enemy, who were defeated in battle by the rebels from the three most western duchies of Girdane, the duchies of Falosen, Girnath and Dalmar.
"Maybe some other time" quietly says the subcommander, who then adds "First thing we've got to do, is to try and find out what's happening".
Larris the sorcerer nods, then says  "I can" in response to the more senior officer asking him "Think you can help out with that?".
The two of them crawl backwards across the roof they're on, then they hang over the side of the farmhouse, and drop down to the ground.
There's a small number of their force, waiting for them behind the farmhouse.
And as they all hurry across a field, keeping the farmhouse between them and the road in the distance to the north.
Larris the sorcerer who has been holding his power within himself, senses in all directions. Mainly to the west, in the direction the rest of their army are.
He doesn't locate any other spellcasters at all. Not even amongst the enemy in that direction.
So he starts sensing to the northwest, and the southwest. Alternating between the two, hoping to locate any of his fellow spellcasters in the Farqian mercenary army.
Arvelle Ganard dismounts, and looks at the ground, trying to find any recent tracks across a field beside a wagon track, which is muddy and churned up.
The tall plainsman with the shaved head, who is a fairly decent tracker, looks at the officer who is his second in command, and quietly tells him "Bugger if i know if somebody's been through here lately".
The officer, who is still mounted, nods his head in agreement, then he points away to the south, and a cluster of farm buildings, and says "They look empty" he then adds "Probably took off at the first sign of the armies in the area".
"Probably" murmurs the member of the personal council of the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
Who after looking around, is about to hop back up into the saddle, when he suddenly feels a cold mist beside him.
He turns and sees a man like shape standing beside him, that changes from a misty form, to a human, fairly instantaneously too.
"Councillor" says the water elemental courser, who is one of the scouts sent out to locate the force in their army, who are somewhere further to the east, here in the central region of the kingdom of Girdane.
Arvelle aka Zubutai Timaginson nods in greeting to the scout, who then tells the former illegal wrecker from the Kaldel Plains "I'm pretty sure I've found them".
"Where?" asks the tall plainsman with the shaved head.
"Further north, and to the east" replies the water elemental courser, who continues on with "Over in the duchy of Fandell".
"No wonder we couldn't find them" murmurs Arvelle Ganard, the scout then tells the member of the personal council to lord Farque, "They've been shadowing the enemy eastwards" he continues with "I came back when i first saw sign of their passing".
The former illegal wrecker, who used to ply his trade up on the Kaldel Plains nods, then turns to his second in command, and tells him "Send two messengers down to our army, and have them inform the field commander and his highness, that we've found where they are, and that we're going to get them, and bring them down to the rendezvous point".
The second in command nods, and calls out to two of the other riders. As he does, councillor Ganard asks the water elemental courser "How long do you think it will take us to find them".
The scout looks up at the position of the sun in the sky this, clear though cold winter's morning, here in central Girdane, then says "After midday councillor" followed by "Probably in the early afternoon some time".
Arvelle aka Zubutai the son of Timagin nods, then he gets back into the saddle. And once the messengers ride off, heading south.
The tall plainsman with the shaved head, says to the scout "Lead the way" Arvelle Ganard turns to his second in command, and tells him "Give the order to move out".
And a moment later, the cavalry company are on the move again, heading east into the duchy of Fandell.
The subcommander looks over at Larris the sorcerer, who shakes his head no, and quietly says "Nothing of ours".
The subcommander grunts, then quietly says "Keep trying" he then asks "Any of the enemy?".
The powerful sorcerer who is a subaltern in the armies of Farque, nods his head, then says "I've sensed a couple of their spellcasters lately, still a few miles away".
They've rejoined their force, and though the scouts to their north, are still observing the retreating enemy.
They're now out of view, heading more south, as they shadow the enemy who are on their way to the town of Summerton here in the duchy of Fandell.
Their force, which numbers around three thousand soldiers in the mercenary army from the lands Farque, who are traveling lightly on foot.
Have been harassing the enemy army with ease. Now they're holding back as the enemy are now retreating in an orderly fashion.
A sure sign that the rest of their army, and the rebels from the very west of the kingdom of Girdane, are no longer in pursuit of the crown's forces here in central Girdane.
As they walk near the front of their force, another of the water elemental scouts appears, and says to the subcommander "I've just come back from the town of Summerton".
The scout then informs the subcommander and the subaltern that the enemy are in numbers at the largest town in the duchy of Fandell.
With more of them coming in from the east all the time.
"How many do you think?" asks the subcommander "Must be nearly twenty thousand there already, more were coming in as i watched them".
Both the subcommander and the spellcaster wince when they hear that number, then the water elemental tells them "Soldiers belonging to various lords and dukes from the east of the kingdom, along with mercenaries" he then adds "I caught sight of a mercenary company about two hundred strong on the road to the east approaching the town, and further behind them was some lord's army at least five hundred strong".
"Hell, the eastern dukes and lords have joined with the crown and the regent to fight against the rebels" quietly says the sorcerer Larris who continues with "Who knows how many more they'll be able to bring in".
The subcommander nods in agreement, then he and the subaltern look at the scout, who nods behind them, and says "Another one of us coming in" meaning another water elemental scout.
It's the courser, who was with them earlier in the morning, who went off to the west to see what's happening.
The fairly non descript looking young man says "We have to turn south sir".
"South?" says the subcommander in surprise, the water elemental courser nods, then says "And back west to the border with the duchy of Wostin".
The scout then explains that he came across another water elemental scout, who is with a cavalry company led by councillor Ganard, who have been searching for them.
"We're on our way then" says the subcommander, who then tells the other water elemental "Go and tell the other scouts watching the enemy what's going on" followed by "And that we're heading south, and back west to the border with Wostin".
As that water elemental disappears, the subcommander says to the courser "Lead the way" then he calls out an order to turn southwest.
As the fairly substantial force in the Farqian mercenary army turn and head southwest to the border between the duchies of Fandell and Wostin, the subcommander quietly says to the subaltern who is his second in command "Something significant must of happened for them to stop pursuing the enemy".
As they walk in the weak sunshine of the early afternoon, Larris the sorcerer nods in agreement as he resumes sensing, the powerful spellcaster then says "We'll soon find out what" as he suddenly senses another practitioner of magic in the Farqian mercenary army he recognises about four miles to the southwest, the direction they're heading . . . . . .