The Lost Ones 55.

Summer. The Coast Of The Southlands & The Lowlands.

It takes a bit of convincing on their part, and also a whole lot more in the way of pay.
But most of the crew of what can only be called pirates. Come along with them as they head inland into the lowlands.
While a small skeleton crew remain with the coastal raider, in the small port town that they docked in.
They head along a well used road that goes inland. Heading towards a fairly large town about ten miles away, that happens to be the hometown of one of them.
"I've got more stored there" quietly says Sharnd the flatland merchant as he walks beside Brossic the mercenary, who is also from the flatlands or lowlands as they're often called.
Glancing back at the pirates who are behind everyone else as they head east, towards Sharnd's hometown of Falmare.
Brossic the flatland mercenary quietly says "Good" followed by "The sooner we can pay that lot the extra we've promised, the better".
Next to the leader of the five who have plans to create a nation of their own up in the Maldin Hills.
Sharnd who is annoyed that they've lost his airship. Grunts in agreement with Brossic, as it's fairly obvious the crew of what can only be described as pirates. Aren't that happy to be away from their ship and the sea.
As for the others they hired in the port town of Gilsom. They're fine and doing what they're told. Following the lead of the mercenaries that Brossic, Sharnd along with Halnard, Spranen and Grunna had hired previously.
Infact many of them are looking forward to doing some work. As this is the first major job for some of them this summer. Usually the busiest time for mercenaries anywhere.
The road they're on, is going up one of the few rises in this part of the lowlands. Especially here, closer to the coast. As you're more likely to find undulating terrain further east, closer to the Maldin Hills.
Which on this clear summer's morning on the flatlands. Can be seen about thirty or so miles away.
At the top of the small rise, the wizard they hired has gathered about four of the other mercenaries to him.
And they disappear, reappearing further east on the road, about a mile away.
Grunna the sorcerer suddenly appears on the rise, and says to Brossic and Sharnd as they approach "Ready?".
The flatland mercenary Brossic replies with a nod of his head. And after the spellcaster from further down the coast of the Southlands, waves over three of the other mercenaries on the road to join them.
They all disappear as Grunna teleports them further to the east, about a mile away.
"We'll be in Falmare fairly soon as we keep doing this" says Grunna, who looks back to the west along the road, and a few hundred yards back, he spots the magic user they hired in Gilsom, appear with two of the other mercenaries off to the side of the road.
With a grunt, Sharnd the merchant says "Beats walking all the way there i suppose".
Nodding his head in agreement with his fellow lowlander, Brossic the mercenary says "I agree".
And though the leader of the crew who have designs of creating their own nation up in the Maldin Hills. Is a little worried that they're all stretched out like this along the road.
This part of the flatlands, like a lot of the land between the Maldin Hills and the coast. Is fairly safe, where road bandits and criminals aren't at all common.
And if any are in the area, the group who fled the large port town of Gilsom, and made their way south down the coast. Are large enough to deal with any trouble that might show up. As there's over a hundred of them now with the addition of the crew of coastal raiders and the other mercenaries they hired up the coast in Gilsom.
As Grunna disappears to go back and get more of the mercenaries who are following.
The two lowlanders Brossic and Sharnd continue on their way. Soon coming upon Halnard, who is waving those of the mercenaries on this part of the road onwards, as they head inland to the town of Falmare.
"Spranen out infront?" asks Brossic the mercenary.
"He is" replies Halnard the mercenary who is from the port town of Gilsom.
"Making sure we don't get too spread out" adds Halnard.
Brossic nods, as he wouldn't expect anything less from Spranen, who is the most cautious of the five of them who have plans to carve out their own nation up in the Maldin Hills.
"We should be in Falmare soon enough" says Brossic who like Spranen, Halnard and Grunna has been to Sharnd's hometown plenty of times in the past.
"Think we might be able to pick up some more mercs there?" asks Halnard as they walk along the road.
"Maybe" says Sharnd, who continues with "We hired a fair few of the first lot there" he follows that with "About the only ones we'd find there now, are those who are traveling through there".
The flatland merchant briefly pauses before he adds in a slightly dry tone of voice "That's if we can afford to pay for anymore of them".
"We'll be able to, and you know it" says Brossic the lowlander who leads the crew of mercenaries who have had a few setbacks of late.
"Especially considering we don't have to pay for the upkeep of an airship, and it's crew anymore" adds Brossic.
Which though causes Sharnd to scowl at first, though he does grunt in agreement with his fellow flatlander.
As he now has a bit more free capital as he no longer has an airship, or a crew for it.
"That maybe true" says Sharnd, who after a brief pause continues with "But getting about on an airship is a hell of a lot easier than what we're doing at the moment".
Halnard nods to that, then the mercenary from the port town of Gilsom says "Maybe we'll be able to buy some horses in Falmare?".
"Maybe" grunts Sharnd, who then adds "But no where near enough for all of us".
Brossic nods in agreement to that, and as the wizard they hired recently suddenly appears with three of the pirates they also hired in Gilsom, about fifty yards behind them.
The leader of the mercenary crew who have designs on creating a nation of their own up in the Maldin Hill range, says "We'll buy what we can".
Brossic pauses for a moment or two, before he adds "And then we continue onto the hill country, and carry out our plans".
The airship sets down upon the ground, just beside the coast, south of the hill range known as the Cascades.
The group of Tamric Drubine the field commander, Lisell Maera the messenger, Shur Kee the monk, sir Percavelle Lé Dic, Dorc da Orc and the newest member of the group, Saanea the witch, disembark.
As the merchant vessel they've caught a ride on. Is going further to the south, before it heads inland across the Southlands.
Well south of the southern tip of the Maldin Hills, which no doubt is the group's eventual destination.
Field commander Drubine waves farewell to the ship's captain as it lifts off. Then he hurries over to where the others have gathered.
Looking at the hillwoman he's attracted to, Tamric Drubine the field commander asks her "Where are they?".
"On a road heading inland" replies Saanea the witch who has been keeping an eye on those they're pursuing through her familiar.
As both Lisell Maera and Tamric Drubine take out maps, and Dorc da Orc, who has always been captivated by flying, watches the departing airship.
The spellcaster from the Maldin Hills says to the young field commander in the armies of Farque "To some town called Falmare".
The nobleborn teenager originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin nods his head as Lisell Maera the messenger says "Got it".
The attractive young woman from the coastal city-state of Brattonbury, who is now a runner or messenger in the scouts and rangers division in the armies of Farque, then adds "They must be on this road here".
Tamric Drubine or Tam as he's more commonly called by those who know him well. Quickly finds the road and the town of Falmare on one of his maps too.
"We can cut cross country here" says the nobleborn teenager who is the son and former heir of a previous knight of castle Drubine, that's located in the forested north of the kingdom of Sarcrin.
"We can get to that road fairly quickly" adds the field commander Drubine, who then looks at the pretty looking spellcaster from the Maldin Hills and asks her "Up for teleporting us a few times?".
"I am" is the reply of the witch who is the newest member of the group.
"Good" says Tam, who then looks at the others, then adds "Let's get going then".
Saanea teleports them a few times, getting them about four miles inland from where they were dropped off along the coast.
They then walk for a while, for the simple reason Tamric Drubine doesn't want the witch to get tired, that is tired magically.
As she might need to use a fair bit of her power when they eventually catch up to those they have pursed from the Maldin Hills, to the port town of Gilsom. And now here to the flatlands, or lowlands between the coast and the hill country called Maldin.
As they walk by a copse of trees, one of the numerous copses dotted across the lowlands.
The young field commander, who is a senior officer in the armies of Farque, asks the others if any of them have been to the town of Falmare before.
"I do not think so" replies Shur Kee the monk, while sir Percavelle Lé Dic answers "Sorry young Tam, i can't remember if i have or haven't" followed by "I might of flown over this place in the past, wot".
Next to the large, heavily armoured knight from the kingdom of Druvic. The short, statured monk from the far east coast of the continent, nods his head in agreement with him.
The nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin knows that Lisell Maera, like himself hasn't been there.
Nor has Saanea the witch, who until a few days ago. Had never been down into the lowlands to the west of the Maldin Hills.
Tamric Drubine looks back at Dorc da Orc who is following himself and the pretty looking hillwomen as they walk side by side.
"Dorc, have you ever been to this town of Falmare before?" asks field commander Drubine.
"How the fuck does Dorc know?" asks Dorc da Orc.
"Good point" murmurs Tam, who then nods when he sees the large ork tilt his head to one side, as if he's listening to something. Which is exactly what the ork warleader is doing. As he's listening to the myriad of voices in his head.
"Nah cunt" says the big burly ork from the southern polar region of the world, who continues on with "Don't think me been there" followed by "Dorc will fucken know when we get there".
The large ork who is a general in the armies of Farque, then starts to repeatedly sniff, to see if there's any scent in the area that interests him.
What he's actually doing is searching for any signs of dwarves. Which he always does no matter where he goes. As killing dwarves is pretty much his number one priority in life. Just behind eating and drinking, not to mention fucking just about anything.
With Lisell Maera the messenger out infront, followed by sir Percavelle Lé Dic and Shur Kee the monk. Then Dorc da Orc at the rear of the group.
Tamric Drubine the field commander asks the pretty looking hillwoman walking beside him "What are they up to now?".
Saanea the witch, a spellcaster from the Maldin Hills, closes her eyes as she walks, to see what her familiar is watching.
Brossic the mercenary looks at some trees just off to the side of the road, after he and Sharnd the merchant, and three of the other mercenaries reappear after Grunna the sorcerer teleports them here.
Brossic, who spots a small bird land in the branches of one of the trees, looks around then nods and says to the merchant beside him "This looks familiar" followed by "We're not all that far from Falmare, aren't we?".
Nodding his head, Sharnd the lowland merchant says "We're pretty close" the flatlander continues with "About a mile and half away".
Pointing up ahead along the road they're on, Sharnd says "Just beyond that copse up there, we'll be able to see it" the merchant who was born and grew up in this area of the lowlands then adds "The road follows a large stream to town".
"That's right" murmurs Brossic, who was last in Falmare with the rest of the group at the end of spring, when they first started hiring mercenaries, to help them with their plans to carve out a nation of their own up in the Maldin Hills, which they're getting closer and closer to. Which Brossic hopes to return to fairly quickly.
They walk the rest of the way to the town of Falmare. While the trio of spellcasters, Grunna the sorcerer, and the wizard and magic user they hired in the port town of Gilsom. Teleport those at the rear, mainly the pirates closer to the town that Sharnd is from, and still lives in when he's not traveling about.
As Spranen and Halnard send those of the hired mercenaries to a number of inns in town, to wait for their orders.
Sharnd tells Brossic "Don't know if i should go home at the moment" followed by "My wife might be annoyed that i show up out of nowhere".
Brossic the mercenary, who is also from the lowlands, nods his head. As he knows the merchant isn't particularly enamoured with his home life.
Oh Sharnd loves his wife fine enough. And he's loyal to her, and never cheats on her while on the road. Unlike Grunna the sorcerer, who is the other one out of the core group of five, who is also married.
It's just that the merchant from here in Falmare, finds his three children, aged from five to thirteen, totally annoying. And a nuisance more than anything else. It's why he's away from home quite often, on both legitimate and illegitimate forms of business.
"We'll head to my offices instead" says Sharnd the merchant.
Brossic nods his head, then says to one of the mercenaries in the small group with them "Go and tell Halnard and Spranen to meet us at Sharnd's offices" followed by "And have someone tell Grunna the same thing when he finally gets here".
They head through the streets of Falmare, one of the largest towns in all of the unruled lands west of the Maldin Hills called the lowlands, or as they're sometimes referred to, the flatlands.
As Brossic and Sharnd, and a handful of the other mercenaries they've previously hired make their way to the offices of the merchant Sharnd.
A small bird, a finch. Lands upon the eaves of a roof on this warm, and clear summer's day in the lowlands.
And looks down at the group on the street below as they head to the offices of Sharnd the merchant.
Saanea the witch opens her eyes, and looks at Tamric Drubine the field commander who holds her left arm as they walk.
"They're in the town of Falmare" states Saanea the witch, who continues with "By the looks of it, they might be there for a little while, at least the rest of the day" the pretty looking hillwoman then adds "Probably leaving early tomorrow morning".
Tamric Drubine the field commander, who reluctantly lets go of the witch's arm now that she's opened her eyes, nods his head and says "We'll get there well before then" he briefly pauses before continuing with "Then we'll take them by surprise again" . . . . . .