The Lost Ones 12.

Summer. Western Southlands. Maldin Hill Country.

"Can't say that i have" says the owner of the trading post, who continues with "But a lot of people come through here, so she might have" he follows that with "Ask around and you might find someone who knows her".
Nodding her head to that, Lisell Maera the messenger says "Thanks for that".
Then the attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury who has put a number of supplies on the counter, says "Yes, this lot". In reply to the shop owner asking her "All this lot then?".
The messenger in the armies of Farque pays for the goods and supplies, and with the help of the assistant, she carries the lot outside.
"Where the hell is he?" Lisell Maera mutters to herself in the elven language as she looks around.
She nods for the assistant to put the supplies down on the outside bench, and the young hillman who has been staring at the attractive young woman from the coast of the Southlands, does so.
Then continues to do so, until the trading post owner yells at him to get back inside. He reluctantly does so after one more look at the messenger who is in the scouts and rangers division in the armies of Farque.
Lisell Maera or Lis as she's more commonly called by those who know her well. Looks up and down the road that runs through the mining town. The largest town or village they've been too on this side, the eastern side of the Maldin Hills.
A slight frown appears upon the attractive young face of the messenger, who wonders where he could of got to.
Then Lis sourly smiles as she sees a some hillmen carrying out a number of barrels from the nearby tavern.
They're stacking them up out the front of the tavern, and a few moments later Dorc da Orc walks out of the tavern. Eating a haunch of roast lamb or goat. And drinking from a small barrel.
The large ork pays the hillmen, and after Lis yells out to him. And he puts the barrels in his sacks. And ties the remainder to his weapon harness.
The ork warleader who is now gnawing on the bone of the leg of meat he's eaten.
Makes his way over to the trading post that the messenger in the armies of Farque is standing infront of.
"That's all yours" says the attractive young woman from the coastal city-state of Brattonbury, whose mother was a street prostitute, and whose father, a man she never knew or met, was a sailor.
The ork weaponsmith looks at all the supplies on the bench. All of which is dried and cured meat. As well as rounds of cheese. There's a lot of it.
"Fucken sweet" says Dorc da Orc after he bites the lamb bone to bits and swallows it.
Then he starts stuffing all the supplies into his already full sacks that are bulging as they're full of small barrels. And other things he carries around.
After he does, Lis asks him "Where are the others?". The big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world nods to where he can smell the rest of the group.
The messenger, and the ork general, both of whom are in the armies of Farque. A nation that lies faraway to the south.
Start walking through the busy mining town. The mines of which, are up a wagon track further up the hillside.
It's the afternoon, and though still warm at the moment. It's much cooler than it was this morning. Which was one of the hottest mornings they've experienced so far on this side, the east side of the hill range.
Now there's actually a smattering of clouds drifting across the blue afternoon sky on this hot summer's day.
Lisell Maera looks up behind the buildings, to the smaller road that goes up to the mines. There she spots Tamric Drubine the field commander hurrying down the wagon track to the town.
The attractive young woman from the coast of the Southlands, and the big, burly ork from the frozen bottom of the world. Find Shur Kee the monk, and sir Percavelle Lé Dic. Both of whom are waiting for the nobleborn teenager originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin to come back down the hillside. The senior officer in the armies of Farque soon joins them.
"She worked up in the mines for a few months last year" says Tamric Drubine the field commander, much to the surprise of the others.
Except for Dorc da Orc who isn't paying attention to the others as they make their way to a covered porch behind one of the boarding houses in the hillside town.
In the shade of the covered porch, Lisell Maera says "That's not something i would expect". Both Shur Kee the monk and sir Percavelle Lé Dic nod in agreement with the messenger.
"She was helping the healer who deals with the injured and sick miners" says the young field commander in the armies of Farque.
"Well, that makes sense then" says the attractive young woman from the coast of the Southlands.
"True, wot" adds sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who has sat down at the other end of the porch from where Dorc da Orc is sitting.
"Did she move on again?" asks Shur Kee the monk as they watch the busy wagon track, and the trails on either side of it. Which are all busy as people make their way between the mines and the town, and vice versa.
"Yes, continued south" is the reply of Tamric Drubine or Tam as he's more often referred to by the others in the group. Not just those of the group here in the Maldin Hills. But the rest of the group, who are not here at the moment. As they disappeared through a rift/void a few months ago during the spring.
"Where?" says the nobleborn teenager, who continues with "No one knows that I've spoken to" he follows that with "We might have to ask around more to see if anyone else knows".
Then their conversation at this end of the covered porch is interpreted by a hoot of laughter from the other end, where Dorc da Orc is sitting in the shade.
They all look that way, where the large ork has burst into a fit of laughter. The ork warleader is holding his sides as he laughs uncontrollably.
"Uncouth beast" says sir Percavelle Lé Dic or Percy as he's more commonly called by those who know him well.
"What's set him off?" asks Lisell Maera as she looks around to see what's set the ork weaponsmith off into a fit of laughter. Which could be anything, as ork general finds an awful lot of things hilarious.
"Oh dear" says Shur Kee the monk after he hears Dorkindle gasp "Look at it" and point up the hill to the mines.
The short, statured monk has spotted up the hill, what it is that's set the warleader of the ork race off into a fit of laughter.
Tam rolls his eyes as he sees it too. Or to be exact, a who, not an it. Lis sees as well, and sourly smiles.
Eventually Percy sees as well, then says "Like i said, wot" followed by "An uncouth beast is what he is".
Up the hillside, making their way down to the mining town, is a group of miners. One of whom is a hobbit. Or halfling, as they're sometimes referred to as.
The hobbit isn't the only non hillmen in town. There's quite a few of them. From far and wide, they've come to work in the mines. And though there's a few goblin families in town. The hobbit is the only other non human.
There's no dwarves in town. If there was. Field commander Drubine wouldn't of stopped here. Because he knows Dorc da Orc would be uncontrollable if there were dwarves living in town, and working in the mines.
"Look at the fucken hobbitch" gasps the large ork between the laughter "It's a teeny weeny miner" adds the son of the former matriarch of the wolf tribe of orks.
The hobbit in question has a large lamp strapped to his back, while the other miners have candle lamps strapped to their heads.
As they carry their shovels and picks as they make their way down to the fairly large town. Well, large for the Maldin Hills. Especially the east side of the range.
The miners as they approach the back of town. All hear then see the ork warleader as he continues laughing.
The big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world is crying with laughter as he points at the hobbit.
Who has now realised, as have the other miners, what the ork weaponsmith is laughing at.
It looks like the halfling is going to say something, until he quickly figures out what exactly Dorc is.
Some of the other miners don't know what he is. And with their eyesight, they can't clearly see him as he sits in the shade beneath the covered porch.
So they come to the aid of their fellow miner the hobbit as they know he's being ridiculed.
"Hey, what are you laughing at?" demands one of the miners, which is echoed by another, then a third demands "Are you laughing at our friend?".
The hobbit in question, tries to get them to quiet, and move on. But they refuse to, and the one who spoke first says "Hey, we're talking to you!". As they reach town, and turn to the back of the boarding house.
"Hell, this is all we need" mutters Tamric Drubine, next to him, both Lisell Maera and Shur Kee nod in agreement.
While sir Percavelle, isn't exactly enamoured with the idea there might be a bit of conflict here, created by the behaviour of Dorc da Orc.
But the prospect of a fight is always exhilarating. And the large, heavily armoured knight leans a gauntleted hand on the pommel of one of his swords. As he watches with anticipation to see if a fight is about to begin.
Dorkindle who finally realises that the miners have walked this way to confront him, chortles under his breath. Then he stands up, which gives the miners pause. As he's hell of a lot taller and bigger than one thinks, compared to when he's sitting down.
The big, burly ork from the frozen bottom of the world who has to stoop as he stands under the covered part of the porch.
Steps off it, then properly stands upright and says "Yeah cunt, me is laughing at that fucken hobbitch" followed by "What you gonna fucken do about it?".
The large ork, with his deep, growling voice, and his thick accent is sometimes difficult to understand if you haven't spent a lot of time around him.
But the ten miners, one of whom is a halfling, originally from near the coast, and the port town of Gilsom. Clearly heard and understood what the ork warleader just said.
The miners, all of whom have backed up as they realise they're facing a seven and half foot tall, more than seven hundred and fifty pound maniacal psycho, who is covered in weapons from head to foot.
All glance at one another, as the hobbit amongst them, who actually knows that what they're facing is an ork.
And has got himself behind his fellow miners, and is tugging on the shirts of those at the back, imploring them to leave.
Wondering how they can get out of this situation without leading to violence. For though they have picks and shovels. And they've been hardened by their occupation. None of them are actually trained to fight or be in combat.
"Fucken thought not" says Dorc da Orc in his deep, rumbling and growling voice, the ork weaponsmith continues with "Now fuck off ya cunts".
The ork general then adds "And take that fucken hobbitch with ya" as he takes a threatening step towards them all.
The miners hastily back away, with some of them tripping over one another, and themselves.
Dorkindle bursts into laughter again, as the miners flee, with the halfling running just as fast as the others, which causes the laughing weaponsmith from the wolf tribe of orks, to say "Look at it's little fucken legs" followed by "Silly fucken hobbitch".
The miners flee into town with the sound of the maniacally laughing ork warleader behind them.
"Probably shouldn't stay here tonight" dryly says Tamric Drubine, who is relieved the large ork didn't just murder the group of miners.
Both Shur Kee the monk and Lisell Maera the messenger are relieved too.
Sir Percavelle Lé Dic not so much. As he was actually looking forward to a fight breaking out. The nobleborn knight who hails from the kingdom of Druvic is a little disappointed the miners after confronting the ork warleader, didn't actually engage in a fight with him.
The former paladin who is a member of the order of the Knights of Saint Mar-che was looking for a fight there. "Much disappointed" Percy murmurs to himself after the miners flee into town.
The former earl of Lé Dic, which is his family's fief in eastern Druvic. Lets out a sigh of disappointment.
Which Lis hears, causing her to roll her eyes, as she quickly, and correctly figures out why the large, heavily armoured knight sounds so disappointed.
"Come on, we'll go" says field commander Drubine after he asks Lis is she got all they needed in the way of supplies, and she replies that she did.
"It's cooler in the late afternoon anyway" continues the nobleborn teen from the kingdom of Sarcrin, who follows that with "And the early evening, so we can travel until late".
Tam as he hops off the porch, then says "We can stop at one of the farmholds or crofters on the road south of here. Apparently there's plenty of them that way".
Shur Kee, Lis and Percy follow him off the porch, and along with Dorkindle, they make their way around the boarding house. And go into town further, to get to the road that cuts through the middle of the mining town.
Who have a number of mines up the hill from it. Which are still producing gold, silver and tin. And which seem won't be mined out for decades to come.
Once on the road, they turn south. And as they walk through town. They spot a few of the miners who confronted Dorc da Orc.
One look at the big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world. Is enough to send them scrambling again.
As they make their way through the town, the warleader of the ork race, who does smell him, doesn't see the hobbit again. Much to the disappointment of the general in the armies of Farque as they leave town.
They continue on their way south, on the road that leaves the mining town.
As they walk through the late afternoon, then the early evening. They go by numerous little farmholds that are dotted up and down the hillsides. With sheep in their stone pens, that Dorc da Orc always eyes up as they pass them.
The large ork isn't just looking at them wondering what they taste like. He has other more nefarious thoughts towards them as well.
As the farmholds get further and further apart in the early evening. They eventually stop at one, where Tamric Drubine asks the hillmen living there if they can stay the night.
The farmer and his wife agree to, even though they're frightened of the presence of the ork warleader. More because he reeks than anything else. Dorkindle absolutely pongs at the moment, as he hasn't had an enforced wash since the spring time.
They also agree to let the group stay because field commander Drubine will pay for them to stay. And coins, which are often hard to come by for the hillmen farmers, are always welcomed.
The group set up outside, behind the farmhouse, where the holders have a table and benches where they have their meals.
Infact they're just about to have dinner when the group arrive. A meal they all share when the group add some of their supplies to what's being eaten.
And even Dorc da Orc shares one of his small wine barrels with everyone. Though only after Tamric Drubine tells him too. And the fact it's a barrel of the white wine that's made here in the Maldin Hills. Which he doesn't like as much as the sweet, red wine that's produced throughout the hill range.
As they eat and drink, and before they settle down for the night. And as the ork general chortles to himself every so often, remembering seeing a hobbit back in the mining town in the afternoon.
Tam asks the farmers if they've seen the woman the group are here in the hill country to find.
They answer that they have, as she stopped here one morning to rest at the beginning of last year. She stayed just that morning, before heading off to the south in the afternoon.
"Well, at least we know we're still going in the right direction, and she still continued on her way southwards" quietly says Tamric Drubine the field commander in the elven language after they've finished the meal, and settle down outside just before they go to sleep.
"Hopefully she has stopped somewhere for good, and hasn't moved around too much" quietly says Lisell Maera the messenger in the same language, as they put their bedrolls down next to one another.
"Let's hope so" quietly says the young field commander as they wonder where exactly the woman they're searching for has ended up here in the Maldin Hills . . . . . .