A Grand Design 55.

Winter. The Kingdom Of Girdane.

They leave the city of Oaklynn in the middle of the night. Heading east out of the city, across the river Tambir, then south.
With the mercenary army from the lands Farque, are most of the armies from the duchies of Falosen, Girnath and Delmar. Along with the three dukes of those duchies who rebelled against the crown.
On this cold winters night, and under the cover of darkness. They enter the woods just two and half miles from the city that's the capital of the kingdom of Girdane.
Once they're in the woods, they head to a hole in the ground that's nearby, and enter it. Going underground into the tunnel beneath.
There they make their way through a portal in a gnome's tunnel. And from one moment to the next, they go from the duchy of Marsin in the east of the kingdom.
To being on the border of the duchies of Wostin and Fandell, in the central region of the kingdom, over a hundred miles from the city of Oaklynn.
They make their way up, and go through what was a lair of a white worm. And get above ground, in a completely different woods. Compared to the one they just left, over a hundred miles away.
They camp there for the rest of the night, in and around the woods, where the portal to the east of the kingdom was located.
And by early morning, they're on the move again, heading westwards as they make their way back to the very west of the kingdom.
They travel for the next four days through the central and western regions of Girdane. Spreading the word that lord Sammis is no longer the regent of Oaklynn, and that he has been executed. And that duke Furnek's oldest son Marcco is the new regent of Oaklynn.
But more importantly, they spread the word that the kingdom of Girdane has a new king, and that it is duke Tremane of Isanor.
When they get into the west of the kingdom, they're treated like heroes. Especially when they cross into the duchy of Dalmar from the duchy of Poldis.
When the locals see that their duke and his army has returned victorious. There's celebrations in villages and farming communities. Bringing the mid winter festival forward in some cases, as they celebrate the successful rebellion against the crown.
It's the same in the duchies of Girnath and Falosen when their dukes and armies split off from the others and return home.
Eventually it's only the duke of Dalmar and his army along with the mercenary army from the lands Farque who are traveling together.
And the duke's army slowly decreases in size as they cross the duchy, as the soldiers and their local lords return to their communities.
By the time they return to the town of Salme, the largest town in the duchy of Dalmar. There's just under a thousand soldiers left with their duke. Along with the mercenary army of nearly ten thousand from the lands Farque, who the dukes of Dalmar, Girnath and Falosen hired for their rebellion.
While most of the Farqian mercenary army continue westwards beyond the large town of Salme.
Some of them go into town with the duke and the remainder of his army.
An army that's greeted by the townsfolk like heroes as they make their way through the streets on a windy and chilly, though sunny winters day.
With duke Hilloc of Dalmar riding at the head of his army. While beside him rides his younger sister the lady Mera. Who has had tears of joy in her eyes ever since she first caught sight of her home town, which she has not seen in more than two years.
A little bit later in the day, in the Wayfarer Inn, some of the group after collecting what they left behind here in Salme.
Are in the back courtyard, sitting at some of the tables in the tree lined yard. Which is rather comfortable, as it isn't so windy here in the middle of town. And what wind there is, it's fairly light as the trees at the back of inn gives plenty of shelter from it.
As Dorc da Orc drinks from a barrel of ale as he sits beneath a tree, eating a leg of roast lamb. Lisell Maera the messenger asks "Where are we off to now?".
"I have no idea" replies Arvelle Ganard the plainsman who sits at the same table with the attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury, here in the back courtyard of the Wayfarer Inn.
The tall plainsman with the shaved head, looks over at his fellow councillor, Mira Reinholt the mage, who is sitting at the next table along, beneath one of the trees, where he's reading a book.
The once powerful mage who heard the question from Lisell Maera, shrugs his shoulders in reply to the look from his fellow councillor, Arvelle Ganard.
Then the mage Reinholt who is sitting with Shur Kee the monk, goes back to reading his book. A book on the theories of magic, more than actual spellcraft.
"See" says the tall plainsman who is a former illegal wrecker "No idea" adds councillor Ganard. Who is infact not a plainsman from the Kaldel Plains, but is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra by the name of Zubutai Timaginson, who happens to inhabit the body of Arvelle Ganard.
Lisell Maera or Lis as she's more commonly called by the others in the group nods her head, then she faintly smiles when Arvelle aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman dryly tells her "It would help if his royal thiefness fainted and told us if there was someone new to find".
"But apart from that" continues the former illegal wrecker from the Kaldel Plains in a more normal tone of voice, who follows that with "I assume we'll be looking for another conflict that's flared up somewhere across the Southlands".
On the wooden bench beneath the tree to the right of the table that Lis and Arvelle are sitting at. Sir Percavelle Lé Dic who is inspecting one of his swords. Grunts when he hears that. As the former earl of Lé Dic is still a little disappointed that he didn't see much in the way of action when he was with the mage Reinholt, the day the city of Oaklynn fell to their army, and the armies of the rebel dukes of Falosen, Girnath and Dalmar.
The cleric Beldane walks out from the back of the Wayfarer Inn, and joins Tovis the war engineer at another of the tables in the back courtyard, on this sunny winter's day, here in the town of Salme, in the duchy of Dalmar.
They, along with the others, with the exception of Dorc da Orc, look up to one of the trees, where Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy says "They're coming back".
The spy originally from the elven principality of Alínlae, climbs down the tree he's been up, where he's been looking towards the duke's castle, where it sits upon a hill nearby, on the western edge of town.
And he makes his way across the back courtyard to sit at the table that Beldane the cleric and Tovis the war engineer are sitting at. "They shouldn't be long" the spy Tanith informs the others.
And a short while later, Tamric Drubine the field commander walks from the back door of the inn, followed by Helbe the elven thief, and finally lord Farque.
The three of them have been meeting with duke Hilloc of Dalmar and others up in the nearby ducal castle.
"That everything?" asks Mira Reinholt the mage as Helbe the elven thief sits down at the table he and Shur Kee the monk are sitting at.
While Tamric Drubine sits down at the table where Arvelle aka Zubutai the son of Timagin, and Lisell Maera are sitting at.
"Yes" answers lord Farque who remains standing "Where too then?" asks the spellcaster from the city-state of Vexil, his homeland that he's in exile from.
"We'll leave soon and join the rest of our army" says the undead warlord who wanders across the courtyard to stand next to where Dorc da Orc is sitting against the base of a tree.
"They'll return home for now" adds the heavily armoured deathlord who is also known by the name of Draugadrottin to the people of his lands.
"While we search for another conflict, and if there's anyone willing to hire one of our armies" continues the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, who looks over at Helbe the elven thief as he adds "That's unless something, or i should say, someone else pops up".
The young elven noble who is from the island principality of Laerel rather hopes not. As he still has no control over his power of foresight. And he hates it when it arises, and takes over, knocking him out in the process.
It hasn't happened in about nine months, when it last revealed that they were to find Beldane the cleric.
The highly talented elven magic user who is the grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel, hopes it won't arise for another nine months, preferably longer, much longer.
"Got any control over that yet?" asks lord Farque in the royal elven language.
"No" sourly says Helbe the elven thief in the same language.
"You should probably work on that" dryly says the lord of the death realm.
I'd rather not, the young elven noble sourly thinks to himself.
Switching back to the common language, the undead warlord who is also known by the name of Des'tier to an older generation of elves who might know who he is, asks "Everybody got everything?".
Everyone responds in the positive, and after the deathlord of Farque nudges Dorc da Orc with a steel boot, and asks him in the ork language "You as well cunt?".
And the big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world replies with a grunt in the positive as he gnaws on the bone of the leg of lamb he's stripped bare.
The heavily armoured deathlord says in common to the group in the back courtyard of the Wayfarer Inn "We might as well get going then".
With all of their gear and possessions, they make their way from the Wayfarer Inn, and head west through the town of Salme.
Once they're on the road that goes west out of town, the lord and ruler of the lands Farque says "The others aren't all that far ahead" followed by "Just a few miles".
The undead warlord glances at Helbe the elven thief, and the elven magic user nods his hooded head, then with Narladene the ground pixie upon his right shoulder, the elven master assassin disappears as he shifts away.
They walk along the road, making their way westwards to catch up to the rest of the army from the lands Farque. Who are heading west out of the duchy of Dalmar, and the kingdom of Girdane.
As they walk down the road on this windy, though sunny winter's day here in the very west of the kingdom of Girdane.
Tamric Drubine the young field commander in the armies of Farque looks back at the town of Salme.
And in the afternoon sunlight, he spots a few people up on the ramparts of the ducal castle. Looking in this direction, watching them leave Salme, and the duchy of Dalmar.
Duke Hilloc of Dalmar after deploying some of his soldiers who remained here in Salme while the rest of them went east to fight against the crown.
Sending them out to patrol throughout the duchy, to keep an eye out for any of the waagen who might still be about, as there's some of them still in western and central Girdane.
Makes his way up through the ducal castle. Greeting those castle servants who remained here in Salme, quietly chatting with those he knows well.
All of whom are overjoyed and frankly relieved that their duke has returned. And returned after successfully defeating the crown in the rebellion. So much so that there's both a new regent of the capital city of Oaklynn. As well as a new king of Girdane. One who has already changed the tax laws concerning the three most western duchies in the kingdom.
The duke of Dalmar, who had a joyous reunion with his wife and young children, makes his way up a winding set of stairs in one of the castle towers.
And comes up on the south facing ramparts of the outer wall of the large castle that's been his family's ancestral home for nearly four centuries.
Duke Hilloc makes his way along the top of the wall, and stops and speaks with his cousin sir Passic the swordsman, his guard captain and a couple of other officers in his army.
They're all in cheerful mood, glad to be home, and glad to have success in their rebellion against the crown.
They chuckle over a joke that sir Passic shares with them. Then after the duke of Dalmar asks his guard captain to send out regular patrols more often throughout the duchy.
The duke makes his way further along the battlements, to where he sees his younger sister, the lady Mera standing on the parapet, looking away to the south.
Not far away, beside the next tower along, the house maid Lissa stands, waiting for the lady.
"Good to be home" says duke Hilloc of Dalmar as he stops beside his younger sister.
"That it is" says the lady Mera with a smile upon her face even though it's windy along the parapet.
The young noblewoman who left the town of Salme and the duchy of Dalmar over two years ago to visit the capital city Oaklynn, where she was taken captive by lord Sammis, and forced into marriage to him, then adds "It definitely is".
The duke of Dalmar puts an arm around his younger sister, who says to him "Think we'll ever see them again?".
"Who?" asks duke Hilloc "Them" replies the lady Mera who points at those on the road heading west that she's been watching for the last little while.
"I have no idea" says the duke of Dalmar as he sees who they are "Maybe" adds the nobleman who led the rebellion against the crown.
Duke Hilloc rather hopes he doesn't ever see the mercenaries again. As they've cost him, and duke Korros of Girnath, and duke Lombasil of Falosen a rather large fortune to hire.
For all that they were the reason the rebellion against the crown was successful.
The duke of Dalmar doesn't particularly want to see them again. Because it will mean there's conflict afoot. As he figures they'll seek out conflict and war no matter where they go. Something he doesn't want to see anytime soon, or ever again.

Author's Note - Here ends "A Grand Design". The main storyline will return in "The Lost Ones".