Winter. Northwestern Farque.
"I can't move" quietly says Sarill the mage with a look of disgust upon her face as she lies on her back on the forest floor.
Hamblin the teenage recruit comes back through the fog and quietly asks "What is it?".
"Sarill can't move" is the reply from Marshay, another of the recruits in the first group.
Kneeling down beside the prone mage from The Winter Palace, Hamblin quietly asks her "Can you break it?".
The small spellcaster as she lies upon the cold ground, can barely shake her head no, then mutters "I should be able to" followed by "Since I'm way more powerful than her".
The young mage sighs, then sourly murmurs "It's a good spell" and after a moment's silence, she says "I'm out".
Hamblin, the teenage recruit from the farming village of Polsten, who is the unofficial leader of the first group of recruits, who are based in the town of Gildin Dale this winter.
Nods his head, and quietly says "Until you can think of way to break free of it".
"Of course" dryly says the thirteen year old spellcaster who is from The Winter Palace, one of three citadels in the lands of Farque.
She then looks up, as does Hamblin, and Marshay. As they hear wings flapping above them.
And they see an owl passing above them in the fog that's thinning out as the morning progresses.
The three of them share a look, then Hamblin quietly says "Good thing we're speaking elven".
The other two recruits are in agreement. For the owl is a familiar of a spellcaster, who has only started learning the elven language since the autumn.
Unlike the teenage army recruits. Who have learnt and studied elven, along with a number of other languages since they've been old enough to speak.
They like everyone in their nation, well at least those born here. Learn elven and a number of languages alongside the common language.
So even now, as young teens, they can easily master a new language if they have to.
"Try and get free" quietly says Hamblin to Sarill, who is able to slightly nod in reply.
Then the son of farmers from the village of Polsten signals for Marshay to move off. To head away to the right, in the direction some of the others have gone.
The young teenage girl with a crossbow strapped to her back moves off.
While Hamblin, goes more or less in the same direction. But more to the left.
As he along with the rest of the recruits of the first group. As well as Sarill the mage, and Alisian the water elemental.
Are up against a number of opponents this morning in the forest to the northeast of the town of Gildin Dale.
Some of their instructors who have been training them this winter.
Hamblin knows that two of their instructors will be easy to find and locate.
As they're never that too difficult to find. For the simple reason it's not in their personalities to be stealthy and secretive.
Though the teenage recruit from the farming village of Polsten will be highly surprised to learn that those two can be extremely secretive when they want to be.
It's just that they can't be bothered doing so as they help to train the teenage recruits, who with the exception of Sarill and Alisian, are from northwestern Farque.
As for the other instructors who they're up against this morning. They can definitely be stealthy and secretive.
It doesn't help that one is a spellcaster, who has just taken out their own practitioner of magic, the young mage Sarill.
Hamblin just hopes their other advantage that the recruits have. The water elemental spouter Alisian. Isn't taken out so easily, just as Sarill was.
The fairly tall, and lean thirteen year old from the farming village of Polsten, which is located about forty five miles to the southeast of the town of Gildin Dale.
Comes upon his fellow recruit Lamis, who is standing behind a tree. The smaller teenage boy gives the signal to remain silent.
And Hamblin moves forward as quietly as possible, to stand beside Lamis, who nods around the to the otherside of the tree and whispers "The field commander".
Glancing around the thick trunk of the tree, Hamblin peers through the thinning fog, here to the northeast of the town of Gildin Dale.
He steps back and gives the signal for how far, to Lamis. Who replies with the signals for twenty yards, and moving away to the west.
Hamblin glances around the tree trunk again, and looks that way. And though he doesn't spot the field commander, Tamric Drubine heading that way.
He trusts that Lamis saw the senior officer in the armies of Farque, who is in charge of their training this winter.
The smaller teenage boy, whose preferred weapon is a shortsword. Gives the signal for follow? As Hamblin contemplates it, Lamis whispers "It could be a trap".
"I know" whispers back the tall, lean teenager who is the unofficial leader of the first group of recruits, followed by "But it's the best we can do".
Lamis nods to that, then quietly tells his fellow recruit in a whisper, that he'll move out first. So if indeed it is a trap, only he'll get caught. Allowing Hamblin to stay free, and continue with this morning's training. Here within the forest a few miles to the northeast of the town of Gildin Dale.
They move off, heading in the same direction that Lamis saw field commander Drubine go.
The smaller of the two teenage recruits goes first, while Hamblin silently counts to ten.
Before he moves out from behind the tree, and follows after his fellow recruit. On this typically foggy morning for this area of northwestern Farque.
As he quietly moves through the forest. Hamblin hopes the rest of the group are still in the exercise. Unlike Sarill, and before her, Claradene and Farnid.
Who have been taken out by their instructors this morning. As by far, this is the most difficult training exercise they've done so far this winter.
As he crouches behind a pile of moss covered rocks and boulders in a small clearing, Dorc da Orc sniffs deeply through his nose a number of times.
The large ork scowls in disgust at what he's caught the scent of. The ork warleader looks away to his right and grunts.
Saanea the witch shares a look with her lover Tamric Drubine the field commander. Who nods, and makes his way to where the ork general is crouching.
As the nobleborn teenager from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin and the big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world quietly chat about something.
The spellcaster who is from the Maldin Hills, briefly closes her eyes, and looks through the eyes of her familiar which is a few hundred yards away above the forest.
The familiar in the form of an owl, looks down. And with it's keen eyesight, it can easily see through the fog that's slowly burning away on this cool winter's morning.
The practitioner of magic, who is fairly short, and has dark, shoulder length hair.
Faintly smiles as she sees through the eyes of her familiar. Tamric Drubine walking through the forest in a quiet manner.
When in actual fact, the young field commander is just a few yards away. Quietly talking with Dorc da Orc.
The other nobleborn teen walking through the foggy forest is an illusion spell cast by Saanea.
To get some of the recruits to follow it. Which is exactly what it's doing.
As the witch from the Maldin Hills, spots two of the teenage recruits. Lamis and Hamblin, who are just out of sight of the illusion. Are following after who they think is field commander Drubine.
The pretty looking hillwoman opens her eyes, as her lover Tamric Drubine has made his way back to her side, as she stands behind a tree, at the edge of the small clearing.
"Alisian is heading this way" says Tamric Drubine the field commander in barely more than a whisper.
"More or less" continues the nobleborn teenager from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin.
"From this way" adds the senior officer in the armies of Farque who points in the direction that Dorc da Orc has caught the scent of Alisian the water elemental is coming from.
The son and former heir of a previous knight of castle Drubine, which is located in the forested north of the kingdom of Sarcrin then says "Dorc thinks he's in one of his water forms".
The young field commander, continues on with "There's no streams that way, so look for his body of water, or a patch of moving mist through the air" he briefly pauses before adding "Which might be difficult to find with this fog".
"It might" quietly says Saanea the witch, who follows that with "Still, I'll look for it".
The spellcaster from the Maldin Hills nods, when her lover quietly says to her in barely more than a whisper "Try and stop him with a spell of fire that will surround him".
"I know which one exactly" quietly says the pretty looking hillwoman, who continues with "A ring fire spell".
Then the witch who arrived here in the lands Farque with her lover, and others in the autumn.
Closes her eyes, and has her familiar fly away to it's left, heading in the direction that Alisian the water elemental spouter is approaching from.
After a little while, Saanea through the eyes of her familiar spots what's she's looking for.
It's a couple of the teenage recruits, moving slowly and carefully through the forest. Heading more or less in this direction.
The way they're walking, and the way they're spaced apart. The spellcaster from the Maldin Hills knows that they're following someone else.
When it appears there's no one else there infront of them.
Saanea has her familiar drop down, and land upon a branch in a tree to get a closer look.
Maselle the teenage recruit looks back, and signals for Markell who is following her, to stop.
The thirteen year old girl who has already stopped. Looks ahead through the fog that's continuing to dissipate.
And tries to spot Alisian the water elemental spouter, who she and Markell are following.
Maselle who thought she heard something up ahead, a branch in a tree, or a wing flap of a bird.
Slightly nods as she thinks she spots Alisian just up ahead.
A shaft a sunlight can be seen coming down through the treetops. A spot where the morning fog has noticeably thinned out.
She sees a swirling cloud of water droplets pass through the shaft of light, that's obviously not fog.
Maselle who is a certain that it's the water elemental spouter from a fishing village on the coast of the lands Farque.
Sets off once again, signaling for Markell to follow after her. As she now knows where Alisian is.
As they, along with the rest of the first group of recruits, go up against some of their instructors this morning.
In a training exercise, where either side has to render each one of the opposing groups useless.
So that they're unable to cause harm to those in the other group.
Maselle, along with Hamblin who is about fifty yards away, walking away in the wrong direction from where some of their instructors are.
Knows that taking on a number of their instructors, here within the forest to the northeast of the town of Gildin Dale.
Is a hell of a lot more difficult than opposing two of their instructors. The two largest, and most straight forward of their instructors.
On the open field next to the grounds, just to the side of the town where the teenage army recruits are based in this winter.
Maselle who gives a signal for the following Markell to spread out a bit.
Is looking at where Alisian the water elemental is. As she starts walking in that direction.
When all of a sudden a burst of flame appears from near that exact spot.
It's a ring of fire, about eight feet wide. Within which, Alisian the water elemental spouter suddenly appears in his human form. Holding his hands up above his head.
He looks back in the direction of Maselle. Who winces, then quickly nods to the water elemental. Who has a resigned look upon his face.
Maselle hurries away, heading after Markell. As Alisian the water elemental spouter calls "I'm out!" as he's no longer part of the exercise this morning.
"You hear that?" whispers Lamis as Hamblin catches up to him.
"Sounds like someone else is out" adds the smaller of the two teenage recruits "Sounded like Alisian" continues Lamis.
"I hope not" whispers Hamblin the recruit, who knows that the water elemental spouter is their best chance at locating the instructors, who are their opponents this morning. Now that Sarill the mage is no longer part of the exercise.
Lamis grimaces, and nods in agreement with the tall, lean farmer's son from the village of Polsten.
Then Hamblin, who is the unofficial leader of the first group of recruits, asks in barely more than a whisper "Where is he?".
"I've lost him" is the reply of Lamis referring to field commander Drubine who they were following.
Infact they were following an illusion of the young field commander. But the spell was dropped by Saanea the witch, when she cast the ring fire spell to capture Alisian the water elemental.
"He can't of got too far" says Hamblin, who follows on with "He might be heading to where some of the others are".
Referring to some of the other training instructors who are their opponents this foggy morning, just to the northeast of the town of Gildin Dale.
If Alisian has been taken out, Hamblin knows their chances of overall success this morning are gone.
But nevertheless, they've still got the chance of taking out some of the instructors before all of the first group have fallen to the instructors.
"Keep going in the way he was heading" quietly says the teenager from the farming village of Polsten, who continues with "Maybe we can pick up his tracks".
Lamis nods his head in agreement to that, as that's a sound of a plan they're likely to ever have, now that Sarill, and possibly Alisian have been taken out.
The two teenage army recruits move out from behind the trees and brush they've been behind, as the fog continues to burn away this cool winter's morning.
They're about five yards apart, keeping in sight of one another in the fog that's thinning out.
Hamblin frowns as he finds no sign of field commander Drubine passing by here.
As does Lamis, who could of sworn the senior officer in the armies of Farque walked by the tree he's just stopped next to, and is looking down at the surrounding ground, for any trace of the young field commander going by this way.
The small teenage recruit who is quick with his shortsword if he needs to be. Walks back to where his fellow recruit Hamblin is peering ahead through the fog that's burning away more quickly now.
"What is it?" asks Lamis as he stands beside the taller teenage recruit, who before he can answer, feels a tap on his right shoulder.
While Lamis feels one on his left shoulder, and a familiar voice quietly says to them "You have been caught".
The two teenage recruits share a look, then they both look up, and behind them.
And see who it is that's up in one of the branches of the tree that they're standing beneath.
"Councillor" says Hamblin the teenage army recruit, who bows slightly to Shur Kee the monk who is up in the tree.
Lamis does the same thing, then the short, statured monk points and quietly tells them "That way if you would please".
The two teens nod, and start moving in the direction indicated by the honorary member of lord Farque's personal council.
It's the same direction that Hamblin was peering towards through the dissipating fog.
A few moments later, both Hamblin and Lamis sourly smile. As they see sitting at the base of a tree. Are their fellow recruits Garmon and Jinsa.
Who by the looks of it, have also been taken out by councillor Kee.
When the two teenage boys who have just been caught by the physical adept.
Sit down next to Garmon and Jinsa. And they exchange information. And find out that they too were following field commander Drubine when the short statured monk took them out. Though they came from a completely different direction.
Hamblin sourly smiles again as he realises that they've been duped.
The teenage boy from the farming village of Polsten lets out a sigh of resignation as he comes to the conclusion that his group. The first group of recruits, living and training in the small town of Gildin Dale this winter.
Along with Sarill the mage, and Alisian the water elemental spouter are absolutely no match for their instructors this cool winter's morning, here in this area of northwestern Farque . . . . . .
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