The Lost Ones 9.

Summer. The Maldin Hills.

Tamric Drubine the field commander hops back out of the way as the water comes down the wooden sluice dug into the ground, and starts filling up the low trough.
The nobleborn teenager from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin looks over at Shur Kee the monk, who he finds is grinning like himself.
"Ingenious" says Shur Kee the monk "That it is" says Tamric Drubine the field commander as some of the hillmen start filling their buckets up from the trough, which they carry further into the orchard and vineyard.
As the villagers start watering the individual vines and trees. The young field commander looks towards the winery.
There he sees the large form of Dorc da Orc sitting in the shade, looking this way.
Tamric Drubine or Tam as he's more commonly called by the others in the group. Can't see the ork warleader's face that clearly as he sits in the shade. But he can imagine the look of disgust on the broad, green brutish looking face of Dorkindle as he watches them help the hillmen with their irrigation system.
A system that sees their vineyard and orchard thrive in the hot, dry conditions of the Maldin Hills, especially during the summer.
After washing their hands in the water of the trough. The young field commander and the short, statured monk make their way through the orchard and vineyard. Heading to the winery that's located between them and the village proper.
"Do you think they shall return today?" quietly asks the acolyte in the philosophical order of Bru Li. It's a question they've asked one another quite often over the last couple of days.
"I hope so" is the quiet reply of the son and former heir of a previous knight of castle Drubine, which is located in the forested north of the kingdom of Sarcrin.
The physical adept in the lightweight white clothing, wearing an odd conical shaped hat, that protects him from the harsh sunshine.
Nods his head in agreement with Tam. As that's all they can really do. As both Lisell Maera the messenger and sir Percavelle Lé Dic are overdue by at least a couple of days.
Both the young field commander and the monk who is an honorary member of the personal council to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque. Hope nothing untowards has happened to the messenger and the nobleborn knight.
Who only went north, to check out a couple of villages further north of an old mining town, which is less than twenty miles from here.
The nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin, and the short, statured monk who is from the far east coast of the continent, who has been in the Southlands for fifteen years now.
Get to the winery, where they find the ork warleader sitting in the shade drinking from a small barrel of the white wine, that he's less favourable towards. Though he's not complaining about it, as the villagers are giving him the wine for free.
Because of him killing most of the raiders who attempted to attack the village. And because he dug most of the trench that the sluice is in.
"Any sign of them Dorc?" asks Tam "Huh?" says Dorc da Orc with a frown upon his broad, green feral looking face.
"Can you smell them yet?" asks the nobleborn teen who is a senior officer in the armies of Farque.
"Who?" asks the large ork, who often forgets what he's supposed to be doing.
"Lis and Percy" dryly says field commander Drubine with a shake of his head. While behind him, Shur Kee refrains from grinning as he looks at the big, burly ork who is from the southern polar region of the world.
"Oh them cunts" says the ork weaponsmith, who after slurping some of the wine in the open barrel, starts sniffing, deeply and repeatedly as he looks northwards.
"Nah can't smell lil Lis and that cunt, sir Fuckface of Fuckland" says Dorkindle making it clear what he thinks of his bitter rival, sir Percavelle Lé Dic.
Tam nods his head, then he and the acolyte in the philosophical order of Bru Li start making their way to the village.
When they stop after only taking a handful of steps, and look back when the warleader of the ork race suddenly says "Wait a fucken mo".
He briefly pauses as he sniffs in deeply through his wide, flaring nostrils, then he adds "Me smell horsies".
Dorc da Orc grunts, then says "Yeah it's them cunts" followed by "Coming fucken this way from the north" the large ork then adds in a loud mutter "Me was hoping that knight cunt would fall off his horsey and brake his fucken neck".
Shaking his head in disappointment, the weaponsmith from the wolf tribe of orks continues muttering with "No such fucken luck".
Tam and Shur Kee walk downhill, through the orchard and vineyard. To where the road that goes north is.
There they wait under one of the trees at the edge of the orchard.
The physical adept looks westwards out over the flatlands, or lowlands as they're often referred to.
And in the distance he spots an airship, that's most likely come over the Maldin Hills, and is now heading towards the coast.
Most likely to the port town of Gilsom. Which is a major hub of activity in this part of the Southlands. Especially over last fifteen years or so. Since trade was opened up across the Great Western Ocean. When the empire of Nors and Tran fell at the hands of a number of the group.
Including Shur Kee who was over in the continent to the west at that time with some of the others in the group, like Dorc da Orc.
"It is odd do you not think" quietly says the acolyte in the philosophical order of Bru Li, who continues with "That more airships do not stop here in the hills".
Nodding his head, the young field commander says "I know what you mean".
As the nobleborn teenager from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin looks northwards along the road, he says "The only real thing of value in the range apart from what's in the mines, is the wine and fruit the hillmen produce" he continues with "The lamb and cheese, as well as the glazed pottery they make is of varying quality across the hills" Tam follows that with "I can see why few airships actually stop in the hills".
The young field commander who is a senior officer in the armies of Farque after briefly pausing, continues with "And the fact there's no docks for large, shallower cargo vessels to berth at, is a bit of a problem".
Shur Kee the monk nods in agreement as Tamric Drubine adds "Not to mention the high winds that supposedly hit this side of the range in the wintertime is probably enough for any ship to not put down in the hills".
Though both field commander Drubine, and honorary councillor Kee suspect more vessels could put down and trade with the hillmen during the late spring, and early autumn. If they truly wanted to. But for the most part they choose not to.
The two of them wait under the citrus tree for quite some time, until eventually they spot Lisell Maera and sir Percavelle Lé Dic in the distance, riding along the dry and dusty road that winds it's way from the north along the side of the hill, towards the village.
They're both surprised to see that the pair who went north to find any information about the person they're all looking for in the Maldin Hills.
Have another mount with them, a pack horse by the looks of it.
As the attractive young woman from the coastal city-state of Brattonbury, and the nobleborn knight from the kingdom of Druvic get closer to the village.
Both the field commander and the physical adept step out from beneath the citrus tree they've been waiting under.
The short, statured monk from beyond the Southlands waves to the approaching riders.
And when they rein up infront of the two waiting beside the road, and after they greet them. Lisell Maera the messenger says "We may of found her".
"Where?" asks Tamric Drubine "Further south down the range" replies the messenger in the armies of Farque.
The young field commander frowns when he hears that, then he slightly nods as the attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury says "Over on the otherside of the range, the east side".
"Tell us what you've found out" says the nobleborn teenager who is the son and former heir of a previous knight of castle Drubine, a castle and lands located in the very north of the kingdom of Sarcrin.
After sir Percavelle Lé Dic and Lisell Maera dismount, the messenger quickly explains what she and the nobleborn knight from the kingdom of Druvic have found out as they've traveled north towards the end the range of hills.
As they walk into the village, and hearing what Lisell Maera or Lis as she's more commonly called by the others in the group, has to say.
Field commander Drubine says "Shur Kee go and get Dorc".
"Are we leaving?" asks the short, statured monk, who then adds "All of us?".
Tam replies with a nod of yes to both questions, and the physical adept heads off, making his way to the winery where the ork warleader is.
While the other three head up through the terraced village, to where the house they're living in, is located.
As they head up the path, the senior officer in the armies of Farque says "We can leave late in the afternoon or early in the morning".
"Early tomorrow morning" says Lis who continues with "Travel down this side of the hills as it's still fairly cool, then cross over to the east side, when it's cooler in the afternoon there".
"Makes sense" says the young field commander as he contemplates traveling down the less populated east side of the Maldin Hills.
When they get to the house, and Lis and Percy lead the mounts into the rough looking shelter for the animals.
The attractive young woman from the coast of the Southlands asks "What's been happening here while we've been gone?".
"Nothing much" says Tam who follows that with "This morning we finished the last of the trench and sluice to the trough they built".
"Doth it work?" asks sir Percavelle Lé Dic who dug a fair bit of the trench in competition with his bitter rival, Dorc da Orc.
"It sure does" says the young field commander, who then adds "Quite well too".
"Capital" says the heavily armoured knight who takes off his full helm after putting his mount and the pack horse in the rough stable.
As they walk to the house, and enter it, Tamric Drubine says "Oh and traveling merchant visited a few days ago".
The nobleborn teenager from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin tells them of the traveling merchant who stopped in the village to trade and sell things to the hillmen.
"That's quite few hired guards for just one wagon, no matter how big it is" muses Lisell Maera who pours herself a goblet of water from the jug on the table in the kitchen.
"I thought so to" says Tam who continues on with "But you can run into trouble at times here in the hill country" followed by "Like those miners who tried to raid the village".
The messenger in the armies of Farque nods to that, and as the former earl of Lé Dic starts taking off his armour, and the young field commander goes over to help him.
Tamric Drubine says "The odd thing was that they actually turned up now in the summertime, when the villagers say they hardly see any of the traveling merchants during the summer or the winter".
"Makes sense with the weather they get up here in the summer and winter, not to travel here with laden wagons during those times" quietly says the attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury, whose mother was a street prostitute, and whose father, who she never knew or met, was a sailor.
"The truly odd thing though, was that one of the mercenary guards was a spellcaster" says Tam, the eyebrows of both the messenger and the former paladin lift up in surprise when they hear that.
"You sure?" asks the messenger who is part of the scouts and rangers divisions in the armies of Farque.
"Dorc smelled he was a spellcaster" says the young field commander, the nobleman from the kingdom of Druvic sourly smiles when he hears that.
Then he grunts and nods, when Tam says "Shur Kee recognised he was a spellcaster too".
"Those mercs weren't cheap then" quietly says Lis "I know" says field commander Drubine, who then nods when the attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury says "I wonder what else they're up to while they're up here in the hill country".
Tamric Drubine has thought exactly the same thing ever since seeing the traveling merchant, and his hired mercenary guards.
The nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin continues to help sir Percavelle Lé Dic or Percy as he's more commonly called by the others in the group, take off his heavy plate armour.
While Shur Kee and Dorc da Orc show up. And as the large ork scowls at his bitter rival, the former paladin who is a member of the order of the Knights of Saint Mar-che.
Field commander Drubine tells him and the short, statured monk what they'll be doing, and that they'll all be leaving early tomorrow morning.
Grunting when he hears that, Dorc da Orc says "Better get me some heaps of fucken booze to take" followed by "Fucken thirsty work being in these fucken hills".
They leave early the next morning, well before dawn, and on foot. For the simple reason Dorc da Orc can't ride a horse as he's far too big and heavy to do so. Not to mention he'd fuck any horse that was given to him.
As they leave, Tamric Drubine informs those villagers who are up early to watch their departure. That they'll return no matter what. For the simple purposes off getting their mounts which they purchased here, and left in the care of the hillmen.
Tam who hopes they return with the woman they're searching for. Has Lis walk out infront of the rest of them, as their forward scout as they walk along the dry and dusty road that goes south along the hillside.
While in the fading darkness before dawn, Dorc da Orc walks the rear guard. With the big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world, has his sacks stuffed with small barrels of wine. Not to mention others that he's tied to his weapon harness. And even more he's carrying in his arms.
As the first light of the new day starts to show on the crest of the hill range, they walk south, hoping to finally find the woman they've been searching for in the Maldin Hills . . . . . .