The Lost Ones 7.

Summer. Maldin Hill Country. Western Southlands.

Tamric Drubine the field commander makes his way through the village, to the winery between the northern end of the village, and the orchard and vineyard.
There he finds Dorc da Orc sitting in the shade on one side of the winery building, looking in through the open barn like doors, watching the hillmen inside at work.
"Watching the cunts fill up the little barrels" says Dorc da Orc in response to field commander Drubine asking him what he's doing.
The nobleborn teenager from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin faintly smiles when the large ork tells him "They gonna give Dorc some wines for killing them cuntheads who tried to attack the village".
"You haven't smelled any of them around have you?" asks Tamric Drubine the field commander, who then adds "The raiders who fled?".
"Nah cunt" replies the ork warleader, who sniffs a few times, then he turns his head and looks south and says "Oooh horsies".
Tamric Drubine or Tam as he's more commonly called by those who know him well, rolls his eyes, then says in a slightly dry tone of voice "Of course you smell horses, that's the village you're looking at".
Directing a sideways look of disgust at the young field commander in the armies of Farque, the big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world says "Not them ya cunt".
The ork weaponsmith continues on with "Other fucken horsies" Dorkindle tilts his head to one side, then he grunts and adds "Fucken wagon too".
Wonder who it could be? Tam thinks to himself, and a few moments later, one of the village youngsters comes running their way, calling out in the hillmen dialect to those in the winery.
"What them cunts saying?" asks Dorc da Orc who is a general in the armies of Farque.
"I have absolutely no idea" says the nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin, who has learnt some phrases in the local dialect, but he can't understand an in-depth conversation, especially when the hillmen tend to speak quickly in their own language.
As those in the winery head quickly to the village, field commander Drubine asks one of them "Darmin, what is it?".
Darmin the hillmen replies with "It's a" he then adds a word in the local dialect that Tam doesn't understand.
Seeing the slight look of confusion on the face of the young field commander, the hillmen Darmin tells him "It is a, you would say, traveling merchant, yes that's it".
"Ah i see" says Tamric Drubine who then adds "Thanks".
And as the hillmen hurry into the village, the senior officer in the armies of Farque, who is still only nineteen years old, says to the warleader of the ork race "Let's go and see what's being traded".
"But they not finish putting all the fucken wines in the little barrels" says Dorc da Orc in a disappointed tone of voice.
The big, burly ork from the frozen bottom of the world, grunts then gets up off the ground, picking up the small barrel of wine he already has, when field commander Drubine says to him "They might have something you like" followed by "Like booze".
The two of them, the young field commander and the ork general make their way into the village, where they're met by Shur Kee the monk who tells them "A trader is on the south road approaching the village".
The short, statured monk whose odd looking, conical shaped hat nicely protects him from the mid morning sunlight on what's another hot and dry summers day in this part of the Maldin Hills, then says "From what the hillmen quickly told me, they do not get many merchants coming this way, and usually only in the spring or early autumn".
The acolyte in the philosophical order of Bru Li, follows that with "Hardly ever in the summertime and the winter".
The three of them stand in the shade along one side of the house they're staying in, and look towards the road to the south.
Tam takes out his brass, cylindrical eyepiece and looks through it after Dorkindle grunts and says "Guards".
"Hired mercenaries" quietly says the young field commander as he looks through his eyepiece at the wagon and the half a dozen riders coming up the dusty road from the south.
"Pretty good armour and weapons too" adds the nobleborn teenager who is the son and former heir of a previous knight of castle Drubine, which is located in the forested north of the kingdom of Sarcrin.
"Bit much for a traveling merchant" quietly says Tamric Drubine as he sees the two people on the wagon seat are clearly the merchant, and his hauler as the large wagon that's pulled by a team of four horses comes up the hillside road from the south.
"They do get a bit of trouble around here" says Shur Kee, who continues with "Like the raiders we fought".
"Maybe" murmurs the young field commander, who looks even further away to the south through his eyepiece, then Tam asks the large ork "You smell anyone else away to the south Dorc?".
"Not north" mutters the weaponsmith from the wolf tribe of orks, who then adds "Nah, no one" after he sniffs a few times as he looks at the road that winds it's way southwards from the village, that's high up a hillside, a hill that's nearly a thousand feet up over the flatland to the west.
Field commander Drubine nods his head, then he hands his eyepiece to Shur Kee, and says "I'll just go and have a quick word with the villagers".
The nobleborn teenager from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin hurries down the path to where a lot of the hillmen are waiting along the south side of the village.
While the big, burly ork form the southern polar region of the world, and the short, statured monk from beyond the Southlands, the far east coast of the continent to be exact.
Remain in the shade along one side of the house they're living in, and continue to watch the merchant's wagon, and the half a dozen riders making their way up the road towards the village.
After Tam speaks with some of the hillmen, who are going to sell some of the armour and weapons they took from the dead raiders. As well the usual goods they sell to the traveling merchants. Like their wine, fruit preserves, cheese as well as dried meat. As well as the stone glazed pottery that's made throughout the hill country.
The young field commander in the armies of Farque make his way back up the path to where Dorc and Shur Kee are still standing in the shade of the house they're living in, Tam says to them "Come on, lets get closer" followed by "I want to watch, and hear what's happening".
They make their way down into the village, with Dorkindle muttering away to himself that he can hear and see what's happening from up the hill fine enough. Not like you stupid fucken humans.
The large ork who is the son of the former matriarch of the wolf tribe of orks, grunts in relief when they end up in somebody's home, after Tam asks the holder if they can observe things from inside, and they agree to it. As they'll be outside with most of the rest of the villagers, who have come to see what the traveling merchant has for sale.
The ork weaponsmith who is glad for of the cooler temperature inside, eats the rounds of cheese on a board on the table, as the three of them look out the kitchen window.
Down to what's essentially the only square in the village, a village like many others throughout the Maldin Hills, is terraced on many levels.
The square is on the south side of the village, where the road in that direction comes up to the village. Where the bulk of the hillmen, young and old, men, women and children have gathered. With many on the rooftops around the square.
Two of the riders are infront of the wagon, while the remaining four are following the large wagon, which has a team of four horses hauling it.
"The merchant and the wagon driver are definitely from the flatlands or along the coast" quietly says Tamric Drubine, who then looks carefully at the guards on their mounts as they ride into the hillside village, then he adds "Those mercenaries are from all over the Southlands by the looks of it".
Next to the young field commander, the physical adept who is an honorary member of the personal council to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, nods in agreement.
While behind the two of them, the ork general grunts in agreement with Tam.
Then after he sniffs a few times, Dorkindle says "They got fucken booze in that wagon" followed by "The good shit too" he then adds "Made from the dark sugar".
"Molasses liquor?" asks field commander Drubine "That's the shit" says Dorc da Orc who then adds "Me just go out and fucken get it".
"Not to worry" says the nobleborn teenager from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin, who follows that with "I told Darmin to buy any alcohol they might have, and that we'll pay for it".
"Fucken sweet" murmurs the warleader of the ork race in pleasure, who then goes back to sniffing, as the merchant and wagoner get down off the wagon, and start talking with some of the hillmen in the village square. While the hired mercenaries who are the merchant's guards, remain mounted, carefully watching the villagers.
"Hmmmm" murmurs the big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world, who has a frown upon his broad, green, brutish looking face as he looks at the mounted guards.
Tamric Drubine looks back at the large ork standing behind him and Shur Kee, and asks him "What is it?".
"A magicky cunt" replies the general in the armies of Farque "Who?" asks the young field commander, who like Shur Kee next to him, is suddenly a lot more interested in those who have just entered the village, as they know the large ork can smell who is a spellcaster.
"That asshead on the pretty horsey" says Dorkindle, who then adds "The cunt with the dark hair".
There's two dark haired guards out of the six of them, but Tam immediately picks the one who Dorc da Orc has identified as a practitioner of magic.
"The one wearing a leather vest, and no other armour?" asks field commander Drubine "Yeah, that the fuckface" is the reply from the ork weaponsmith who then takes another round of cheese from the table, and stuffs it in his mouth.
"Keep an eye on him Shur Kee" quietly says the son and former heir of a previous knight of castle Drubine, a castle that's in the very north of the kingdom of Sarcrin.
"I will" says the acolyte in the philosophical order of Bru Li, who then shakes his head no in response to Tamric Drubine quietly asking him "Can you tell when someone's casting?".
"Pity" murmurs the field commander in the armies of Farque, who knows that the short, statured monk is their best defence against magic. He's also their best offence against magic too.
"What about you Dorc?" asks Tam, who then adds "Can you tell when someone's casting".
"Yeah" says the warleader of the ork race, who then sourly adds "When the cunts trying to blow Dorc up with their magics".
Field commander Drubine rolls his eyes, then dryly says "Never mind" as they watch the hillmen and the merchant discuss their wares, what they're willing to sell, and anything else they wish to trade for.
The three of them remain inside, out of sight, watching the trading going on between the hillmen and the traveling merchant.
Business is done fairly quickly, and once goods are traded, with a lot taken from the wagon. To be replaced by what the villagers have sold.
The merchant and the hauler get back up on the wagon, and turn it around. And head back down the road to the south. Followed by the half a dozen mounted guards.
"That went fairly quickly and efficiently" quietly says field commander Drubine, who then looks at the physical adept beside him, and asks "Think that magic user cast at all?".
"I am not certain" replies the monk who is the living conduit of the Jade Warrior Bru Li "But i would hazard to guess that he did" continues Shur Kee who follows that with "Just from the way he was staring at some of the villagers".
As Dorc da Orc hurries outside, to get down to the square, to get the small barrel of dark molasses liquor. Tamric Drubine nods in agreement with the short, statured monk. For though he might not know when a practitioner of magic is actually casting. But the way that dark haired fellow was staring at some of the hillmen. The young field commander is fairly certain he was casting at times.
"How the hell did they get all that armour and weapons?" asks Spranen, who follows that with "You think it's true about what they said about those miners who tried to attack the village?".
"I have absolutely no idea" says Halnard as they ride behind the heavy wagon as they head downhill.
"They might be able to shoot their hunting bows at the wild goats in these damn hills, but i doubt many of them have the stomach to shoot another man" says Halnard, who like Spranen, is from the port town of Gilsom. The two of them are the least experienced of the group of mercenaries, who have been hired by Sharnd the merchant.
Well, he's a merchant when he wants to be. At other times, he's a whole lot more than that.
"Were that lot telling the truth?" asks Sharnd the merchant as he looks back up at the village, that's over a couple hundred yards away now, as the winding road heads down the side of the hill.
"Well, were they?" adds the merchant, who is from the flatlands between the hill country, and the coast of the Southlands, which is only about forty miles from this part of the Maldin Hills.
"They were" says Grunna the sorcerer as he rides to the side of the large wagon.
The spellcaster who is from further north along the coast, continues with "I wouldn't know, reading minds isn't my forte, but they were telling the truth" in response to Sharnd asking him "What were that lot thinking?".
"Hell, where did they get it in them to fight off some disillusioned miners" quietly says the flatland merchant, who then adds "That's not like the hillmen at all".
"If they get desperate, they can fight" says Brossic, who is riding on the otherside of the heavy wagon as they continue downhill.
Brossic, who is also a flatlander, though from further to the south, continues with "They've fought off invaders throughout the centuries".
He pauses for a few moments, and looks at the merchant who has hired him and his crew, then asks him "You still want to go ahead with it?".
Sharnd, who has taken out a parasol, and opened it, to give him some shade from the sun that's beating down upon the Maldin Hills on this hot, summers day, nods his head, then says "Yes".
The merchant, among other things, continues with "Summertime isn't the usual time for traders to ply their trade up here in the hill country, so they definitely won't expect us to return later in the summer".
"You'll need a lot more than us to take that village" says Brossic, a fairly short fellow, tan skinned, but with fair coloured hair.
"I'll leave that up to you lot" says Sharnd the merchant.
The two mercenaries Brossic and Grunna share a look, as they try to figure out how they can find some trust worthy mercenaries. As trust isn't exactly common in their line of work.
While Sharnd sits there on the wagon seat, silently contemplating the plans he has come up with. Which will see him push into the Maldin Hills, starting with the village that they've just been in, a village that he sees as a stepping stone to create a new nation here in the hill country . . . . . .