Winter. The Lands Of Farque.
Lisell Maera the messenger makes her way through the Winter Palace.
The messenger or runner, as they're sometimes referred to as.
Is up well before dawn, as she is to leave soon. On what's a cold winter's morning here in the west of the lands Farque.
The runner rounds a corner, and comes to a sudden stop. As there's a rather large figure sitting there, blocking her way.
She hears the voice of senior wardog handler Jessup call out something.
The undead wardog Axe looks at Lisell for a moment, then moves to one side. Rather slowly and deliberately, an obvious sign he doesn't particularly want to move.
The messenger nods to the massive canine, who flops down with a huff. Before rolling on to his back, and wiggling back and forth on it.
The attractive young woman originally from the city-state of Brattonbury.
Breathes slightly in relief as she continues down the corridor.
You can never be too sure with the wardogs of Farque. Either living or undead.
They do what they please. And obey no one, apart from their master. And sometimes their handlers.
At the end of the corridor, Lisell Maera or Lis as she's more commonly called by those who know her well. Knocks on the door, and she's bid to enter.
Inside the office, stands senior wardog handler Jessup next to the desk.
Behind which, sits commander Dolsyn. One of the five undead commanders in the lands Farque.
"Ready to leave runner?" asks Dolsyn the undead commander.
"Yes commander" replies Lisell Maera the messenger.
"These are the messages" says the undead commander, who is originally in the heavy horse troops, in the armies of Farque.
The undead senior wardog handler Jessup, who was also in that division, hands a leather pouch to the runner.
"Just the six stops" says the undead commander, who continues with "All the towns where the winter intake of new recruits are being trained".
Lis nods as commander Dolsyn names all the towns here in the west of the lands Farque where she is to deliver the messages.
One of which is Gildin Dale, where the rest of the group she's traveled with, are now based at.
"It shouldn't take you too long, a couple of days at most" says the undead commander.
The runner nods to that, as the krean scoutship taking her, can get to the towns fairly quickly.
"The captain of the Skeedaemon might want to fly back straight, so it might take you longer to return" says commander Dolsyn.
"I understand commander" says the messenger in the scouts and rangers division in the armies of Farque.
The undead commander nods, then after he dismisses the attractive young woman from the coastal city-state of Brattonbury.
Lis turns as Dolsyn tells her "The scout Valdene will be going with you runner".
The messenger brightens at the prospect at that. As it's always good to chat with another woman. Even if that woman isn't a living human.
Out in the corridor, Lisell Maera eases around the bulk of Axe the undead wardog.
And with the pouch or satchel of messages. Along with her pack over one shoulder.
She hurries to head down through the Winter Palace. To the small airdocks, here on the rocky tor that sticks up out of the plains here near the west coast of the lands Farque.
The small citadel, on top of the fifteen foot rocky tor.
Is already fairly busy, even though it's not yet dawn.
Lis who is with part of the scouts and rangers division based here in the Winter Palace.
Heads down through the small citadel. Not knowing that Axe, after looking back at the office that commander Dolsyn. And senior wardog handler Jessup are in.
He gets up, and after stretching, the massive, black undead wardog heads in the same direction that Lis has gone.
Down to the airdocks, where the krean scout ship, the Skeedaemon is moored, and waiting for the messenger.
Who until the end of last spring, was traveling with lord Farque, and the rest of the group with the undead warlord.
Until the lord and ruler of the lands Farque and more than half of the group.
Disappeared through a rift/void that was accidentally cast by Mira Reinholt the mage.
As the sun rises in the east, the attractive young woman who hails from the city-state of Brattonbury.
Whose mother was a street prostitute. And her father, a man she never knew, was a sailor.
Boards the Skeedaemon, where she finds the undead scout Valdene waiting for her on the deck of the mastless vessel.
Valdene leads Lis below, and as she does, she asks "Got everything?".
"I do" says the messenger, who always finds it difficult not to call all of the undead sir.
The undead of Farque, who still serve their nation in death, as they did in life.
For the most part, don't involve themselves in too much of the day to day running of the lands Farque.
Nor do they interfere that much in the running of the armies.
Preferring to let the living do most of everything.
They tend to just come along for the ride, so to speak.
Which is exactly what the dark haired, and dark skin Valdene is doing this morning.
Below deck, as Lis gets strapped into one of the seats by one of the crew.
Valdene glances upwards, and slightly frowns, then they all. Including the messenger, hear a faint thump from up on the deck above.
"It's just Axe" states Valdene the undead scout, who shrugs her shoulders then says "Looks like it".
In response to Lisell Maera asking her "He's coming along with us?".
"I can't very well tell him to leave" says Valdene, who then dryly adds "He'll just ignore me".
Lis nods at that, then she nods to the crew member who says to her "You're set" followed by "Hold on".
"I will" says the messenger, who then nods again, when the dragon like krean says to her "Don't fight it if you think you're going to pass out".
The attractive young woman from the coast of the Southlands has been on krean airships a few times, but this is only the second time she's flown on one of their scoutships.
She knows there's a distinct possibility she could black out due to the incredible speeds it reaches.
Lisell Maera feels the airship leave the docks, it's a steady, not to mention quick departure from the Winter Palace as they prepare to go to the first town that they'll stop at.
The runner grabs the straps that hold her into the seat moulded into the hull of the scoutship.
The below deck officer calls out something in the krean language, and Valdene who is just standing there, says to Lis "Here we go".
The officer, a spellcaster, known as a navigator starts counting down, in the common language, for the benefit of the living human passenger.
The messenger feels herself pushed back in what's referred to the dummy seat.
And she knows somewhere in the sky out infront of the Skeedaemon, a rift is forming, and appearing.
Lis slightly grimaces as the scoutship increases in speed at an incredible pace.
Going well over a hundred knots, as the countdown goes from ten to eight.
And by five, it's moving at over two hundred knots. As the mastless krean scoutship is the fastest airship in the skies of Volunell.
The runner who is just glad the captain of the Skeedaemon has got his vessel flying fairly level.
Watches as all the krean below deck, are now off the decking, in the air, flapping their wings to keep up.
While the undead scout Valdene just stands there, next to the dummy seat that Lis is strapped into.
The messenger in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque.
Guesses, correctly as it turns out. That up on the flat, mastless deck above. The undead wardog Axe is probably just sitting there, watching the approaching rift in the sky.
The attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury feels the actual moment the Skeedaemon goes through the rift cast by the two navigators up in the wheelhouse.
She definitely knows when they come out of it, as it feels like her stomach is going to come up through her mouth as the krean scoutship suddenly decreases in speed.
As it heads to the first of the six small towns here in the west of the lands Farque, where Lis is to deliver a number of messages.
It's before midmorning the next day, that the Skeedaemon comes out through a sky rift, about five miles to the south of the sixth and final town they're visiting on this run.
A town in the northwest of the nation, the small town about twenty miles from the northern border. The town of Gildin Dale.
The krean scoutship comes out into a foggy sky. Which is a fairly typical sky here in this part of the lands Farque at this time of the year.
After unstrapping from the dummy seat, Lisell Maera heads up onto the deck of the Skeedaemon. She's accompanied by the undead scout Valdene.
Up on deck she finds the krean air marine officer, in command of the small squad of marines onboard.
As well as one of the ship's officers, one of the navigators if Lis recalls correctly.
"The captain thought it be best we got him something to eat" says the navigator in the common language who points to forward along the deck.
Lis looks that way, and sees the great bulk of Axe the undead wardog walking this way along the deck through the fog.
"You want something to eat Axe?" asks Valdene the undead scout as the massive black canine sits down next to them. The Farque wardog barks once in reply to his fellow undead being.
"That's a yes" says the scout, who died in battle four hundred and fifty years ago.
"We're here" says the navigator for the benefit of Lis, who lacks any of the high level of senses that the krean have.
Though what she does feel is the Skeedaemon though it's slowing down, it's also dropping in altitude.
And as they stand towards the starboard edge of the deck.
The runner looks down and over the side, and spots the small town of Gildin Dale down through the fog.
Then even before the krean scoutship touches down, the undead wardog Axe leaps overboard.
Lisell Maera, who has learnt that the undead scouts are the most daring, and risk taking of all the undead in the lands Farque.
Looks sideways at Valdene to see if she'll leap overboard too.
The undead scout quietly says to the messenger "No use making a dramatic entrance if no one down there can see you".
The runner in the scouts and rangers division in the armies of Farque smiles at that from Valdene.
The attractive young woman from the coastal city-state of Brattonbury as the Skeedaemon sets down on the south side of town.
Wonders if she we'll be promoted in the ranks within in the division anytime soon.
Made to a full scout just like Valdene is. As most runners or messengers. Are teenagers, and Lis is soon to be twenty.
The daughter of a street prostitute, and a sailor in the coastal city-state of Brattonbury.
Rather hopes so, for though there's an increase in pay. The most important thing to Lisell Maera at being made a full scout.
Is the autonomy one has when they're made a full scout.
Something that Lis has come to treasure from her time traveling with the group.
Some of whom are here in the town of Gildin Dale, here in the northwest of the lands Farque.
"I believe they're that way" says Valdene the undead scout once they've disembarked.
As Lisell Maera or Lis as she's more commonly called by those who know her well. Along with Valdene head around the small town.
The krean marine officer and the navigator head into town. To get something to eat for the undead wardog Axe, who has wandered off somewhere.
They walk alongside the river that runs behind Gildin Dale.
Lis peers through the fog, and spots figures further along at the water's edge.
The messenger glances at the undead scout beside her, who nods her head yes in reply to the questioning look from the tall, lean attractive young woman originally from the coastal city-state of Brattonbury.
The runner faintly smiles as she hears the voice of Tamric Drubine call out something.
She looks out through the fog, and across the water, and spots figures in the river.
Lis winces at the thought of being in the water on such a cold winter's day here in the northwest of the lands Farque.
"Lis!" says field commander Tamric Drubine in surprise and delight after the messenger walks up behind him, and dryly says "You training recruits, whatever is the world coming to?".
The two friends hug, then after the runner introduces the undead scout Valdene who the young field commander has never met before.
The nobleborn teenager originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin, asks Lis "What are you doing here?".
"Messages" says the runner, who gestures at the leather satchel she's holding.
Tamric Drubine or Tam as he's more commonly called by those who know him well, nods then says "I'll get to them shortly, once I've got all of this group back".
One by one, the new recruits, make their way out of the river, which they've crossed, after going on their trail run this morning.
Taking the trail to the east of the small town of Gildin Dale.
Lisell Maera doesn't envy them doing their training on such a cold morning here in the northwest of the lands Farque.
Dripping water, the new recruits head back to the barracks, when field commander Drubine tells them to warm up.
Once the last of the young recruits has swum back across the river, and heads to the houses that are essentially the barracks for the recruits based here in Gildin Dale.
The nobleborn teen who is a senior officer in the armies of Farque, leads the messenger and the undead scout to his home.
As they set off, Tamric Drubine calls out "Dorc!" then quietly says in elven to Lis "I've got to keep him fairly close to me".
"Oh?" says the runner, who in the same language, asks "What's he done now?".
The young field commander sourly smiles, and informs his former traveling companion.
That the ork general, Dorc da Orc, and sir Percavellé Lé Dic. Bitter rivals for at least fifteen years.
Have been doing their best of late, to try get one another killed.
Though they won't out and out attack one another.
They'll do their best to cause an accident or mishap, that will kill the other.
With last week being a prime example. Where Dorc da Orc tried to surprise the former paladin on the trail run to the north of Gildin Dale.
Where the ork leader hoped to scare the nobleman from the kingdom of Druvic.
So that the nobleborn knight fell off a bluff about five miles to the north of town.
Which had a chance of succeeding if it wasn't for the undead sentinel based here in Gildin Dale, sir Morcin the avenger.
"Better you than me dealing with those two idiots" dryly says Lisell Maera, who has known Tamric Drubine since they were children.
And though they'll never be the closest of friends. They share a bond through their travels and adventures that people in close friendships will never have.
A bond of shared experiences. Both good and bad. That can never be replicated.
Lis looks back, and further behind the undead scout Valdene. She spots through the fog the distinctive figure of Dorc da Orc, who grunts in greeting to her.
The attractive young woman who hails from the coastal city-state of Brattonbury, then glances sideways at her former traveling companion, then quietly asks him "How's Saanea?".
The runner in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque refrains from rolling her eyes, when she sees the goofy looking grin appear on the face of the young field commander at the mention of the witch he's in a relationship with.
As they walk to the house that Tam lives in here in Gildin Dale, and he talks about how Saanea is doing.
Lisell Maera wonders if she'll ever fall in love like Tam and Saanea have done. Considering what's happened to her in the past, she rather doubts it . . . . . .
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