The General & The Knight 40.

Winter. North Of The Border. In The Unruled Lands.

Hamblin the teenage recruit glances to his right, where his fellow recruit Golmard has just muttered in the elven language "This is fucking crazy".
Hamblin, who is the unofficial leader of the first group of recruits, agrees with Golmard.
It doesn't particularly help that this is Hamblin's idea in the first place. So he can't exactly criticize his own plans as the two of them walk towards the warcamp here in the unruled lands to the north of the border.
They all agreed that they need to find out what the raiders are up to. And more importantly if they've got plans to attack south across the border into the lands Farque.
And the best way to find out, is to get it straight from the horse's mouth so to speak.
Straight from one of the actual raiders in the makeshift village. Which as Hamblin and Golmard get closer. It more and more resembles a warcamp.
The initial idea came from the ork general, Dorc da Orc. Who was all for just straight out attacking the raiders warcamp. And grabbing one of them to see what their plans were.
The ork warleader's bitter rival. The foreign knight, sir Percavellé Lé Dic. Who usually disagrees with everything and anything the large ork thinks up.
Totally agreed with the ork general's idea to attack the makeshift village they've observed from a rise about a mile to the north of it for most of the day.
Hamblin, who though only thirteen years old, is the unofficial leader of the first group of recruits. All of whom are either thirteen or fourteen years old.
Talked the big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world. And the nobleman from the kingdom of Druvic, out of attacking the warcamp.
As there's at least three hundred and fifty or so people in the makeshift village at their best guess.
And the teenage recruits who number just nine at the moment in the group. With Claradene having returned to their lord's lands.
Along with their two instructors, the warleader of the ork race and the former paladin.
Who have come along on patrol with them here, north of the border in the unruled lands.
Wouldn't stand a chance against so many armed and armoured men in the warcamp.
Though from the mutterings of both general Dorc and sir Percavellé. Hamblin is of the opinion that they think they could easily take on a force so much larger than their own, and come out victorious.
The young Farqian army recruit from the farming village of Polsten. Which lies about forty five miles to the southeast of the forest town of Gildin Dale.
Is also of the opinion that both of them are totally crazy if they think they can defeat a force so much larger than their own.
Though as Hamblin walks alongside Golmard towards the makeshift village that's been built here in the unruled lands, by the looks of it, over the wintertime.
What he and his fellow recruit are doing is pretty crazy if truth be told.
The son of farmers from the village of Polsten as he walks towards the warcamp.
Quickly decided that both he and Golmard would go and find out what's happening. By taking one of the raiders, so they can get the information they're after.
The unofficial leader of the first of four groups of teenage recruits, from across northwestern Farque.
Who lived and trained in the forest town of Gildin Dale for most of the winter.
Before making their way out to the coast at the end of winter to complete what's essentially the basic training for the armies of Farque.
Quickly decided that both Dorc da Orc or Dorkindle which is his given name. And sir Percavellé Lé Dic or Percy as he's more commonly called by those who know him well.
Shouldn't go down into the raiders warcamp. For the simple reason those two will just attack it. As subtlety and discretion aren't exactly things those two are good at. Or even understand from what Hamblin's seen of them this winter.
He also decided that none of the teenage girls in the group would go into the makeshift village.
As by the looks of things, the only women in the warcamp are those who have been captured by the raiders.
Who are being mistreated and abused. If what they've seen from up on the rise to the north of the warcamp is anything to go by.
That just left Markell, Furnid, Lamis, Dammis, Golmard and Hamblin himself to go down into the makeshift village. To take someone so they can find out what the raiders are planning to do.
Hamblin pickled himself, along with Golmard. As out of the six teenage boys in the first group. The two of them are the tallest. And can easily pass as young men.
Especially Golmard, who is the tallest and largest of the teenage recruits in all four groups from across the northwest of the lands Farque. Who have spent most of the winter, living and training in the forest town of Gildin Dale.
Infact Golmard is the same height as sir Percavellé Lé Dic, a couple of inches over six foot. And though not as heavy as the former paladin. Golmard is still around two hundred pounds in weight. And he's only fourteen.
While Hamblin, is much leaner. Is still about six foot tall. And can easily pass for someone older.
Especially considering the two of them have smeared dirt across their faces. And they look a little slovenly. As they've seen from observing the warcamp of the raiders. That the men in the makeshift village don't particularly care about their appearances.
Both teenage army recruits have taken off the black tabbards of their uniforms.
And while Golmard is wearing one of sir Percavellé's spare long sleeve tunics over his black leather armoured vest, and shoulder roundrels.
Hamblin is wearing just his leather vest along with his black cloak. Which he's cut short. And torn the bottom of. Making it look like tattered strips.
Both of them are still wearing their leather leggings. And while Hamblin has kept his boots on. Golmard is gone bare footed as they walk towards the makeshift village that the raiders have built out here in the unruled lands.
The teenage army recruit from the farming village of Polsten waited for the opportune time to head into the village.
And they got lucky, when the twin masted airship moored near the middle of the warcamp.
Left, taking more than a hundred and twenty of the raiders with it. Both crew and those going along for whatever they're up to. Raiding most like.
They also got lucky that the airship. Which like they saw a couple of days ago closer to the coast.
Didn't rise up into the air all that high. And nor did it head north from the makeshift village.
Because if it did, they would of been found out if the twin masted vessel went over the rise to the north of the warcamp.
Instead the airship and those onboard headed east, further inland. Probably going towards the other settlements in that direction here in the unruled lands.
Hamblin the unofficial leader of the first group of recruits. Who from the maps he has back in his pack with the others.
Knows that this warcamp is about twenty miles or so inland from the coast.
And even though they've come south since they left the town on the coast that was attacked by the raiders. A town that's forty miles north of the bordertown of Halmard.
The warcamp is still about forty miles north of the border of the lands Farque.
As the border as it goes inland to the east, it heads southwards from the town of Halmard for quite some distance.
Hamblin glances at Golmard again as they near the warcamp the raiders have built over the winter.
And slightly nods, Hamblin the teenage recruit then murmurs in the elven language "We've got this".
The larger, and slightly older teenage boy from northwestern Farque nods in agreement with Hamblin as they approach the makeshift village.
They decided to head to the raiders warcamp late in the afternoon. On what's been another extremely mild day for the end of winter. A day that's more comparable to the middle of spring than it is to the end of winter.
With the sun low in the sky to the west. The two teenage Farqian army recruits approach the makeshift village from the northwest.
They've seen no patrols, either on foot, or on horseback all day.
And those raiders on guard duty they've observed through the day. Spend as much time, if not more. Chatting with others, and looking into the warcamp. Than they do looking out and away from the makeshift village they've built over the winter.
Infact the two teenagers from northwestern Farque aren't even spotted by anyone in the warcamp.
Until they're about twenty yards form it. One of the guards a bit further along to their left finally spots them.
And presumes the two Farqian army recruits are from further to the right around the camp, towards the southwest side.
And all he does is wave to Hamblin and Golmard. Who wave back in return as they walk into the makeshift village, while behind them in the west, the sun starts to drop to the horizon.
The teenage boys from the northwest of the lands Farque share a look as they start heading further into the warcamp.
They casually walk through partly muddy streets. Well, they're more paths than anything else. That go between the tents and the buildings that have been built.
And they see what they observed from up on the rise to the north of the warcamp. That it is indeed entirely makeshift.
With little in the way of planning. As a lot of it is haphazard to say the least.
Hamblin wouldn't be surprised if disease has broken out here in the warcamp with the way things are.
And he's not surprised when he hears a lot of coughing form within the tents and buildings he and Golmard walk by. As dusk soon takes effect in this part of the unruled lands near the coast of the Southlands.
The two teens, who are army recruits from northwestern Farque are heading towards the center of the makeshift village.
As they're more likely to find someone of importance, such as an officer, or similar. Near the middle of the warcamp.
As from their observations up on the rise to the north of the makeshift village.
The middle of the warcamp, near where the cleared area where the twin masted airship was moored.
Seems to be in better order than the rest of the raiders village that looks like it was built throughout the winter.
And though a fair few of the raiders departed with the airship earlier in the afternoon.
Hamblin is glad that the light is fading now that it's dusk. And soon night will fall.
As there's still quite a few of the raiders in camp. Well over a couple of hundred have stayed behind in the makeshift village.
That it seems the raiders are using as their base of operation here in the unruled lands. Where they launch their raids from.
Hamblin who is wondering if or when the self styled raiders will head south across the border into the lands Farque.
Gestures away to his and Golmard's right. To away between a couple of row of tents that are fairly well organised compared to elsewhere in the warcamp.
As a group of raiders. One of whom is carrying an unconscious woman over his right shoulder.
Head towards them along the muddy path the two teenagers from northwestern Farque was just on.
The young Farqian army recruit from the farming village of Polsten. Wants to avoid any of the raiders if they can.
For though his and Golmard's accents won't stick out that much with what he's heard so far as they walk through the makeshift village.
The unofficial leader of the first of four groups of teenage army recruits, from across the northwest of their lord's lands.
Doesn't want to risk the chance of being caught out by any of the raiders.
Especially before he and Golmard get the chance to take one of them for questioning.
The two teenagers, who for most of the winter. Have been living and training in the forest town of Gildin Dale. Before coming out to the coast to complete their training.
Quickly duck behind the side of one the buildings that has been built recently.
When a couple of men, pull a struggling woman into one of the nearby tents.
And though both teenage boys would like to do something about that woman's situation.
They know they've got something else to do whilst here in the warcamp. 
And that's to find someone of importance. And to take them for questioning.
"Straight and to the right" quietly says Golmard in the elven language after quickly glancing around the otherside of the building they're up against.
The two of them head that way, as dusk starts turning to early evening. On what's one of the last days of winter.
And though the day definitely felt like that is was the middle of spring. Now with the sun going down in the west, the temperature is going down too.
So it's starting to feel like it's going to be a night, that's more like the very end of winter compared to the day which was spring like.
Hamblin and Golmard as they walk listening to snippets of conversations from the raiders in the tents and buildings they pass.
They realise some of the ramshackle looking buildings are like taverns. And though there's a few cook fires here and there.
Most of the raiders they see as night starts to fall. Are getting something to eat and drink in these buildings.
And drink is what a lot of them are doing. It's barely early evening, and more than a few of the raiders are drunk.
Discipline is pretty nonexistent in the makeshift village amongst the raiders.
Arguments can be heard in all directions. As well as scuffles, especially near or in the buildings that are taverns.
The two teenage army recruits from northwestern Farque pass a fight between a pair of the raiders. Pummeling one another as they trip over tent lines.
While other raiders egg them on, yelling and shouting in encouragement.
The two raiders seem to be fighting over one of the captive women. Who Hamblin spots cowering infront of a nearby tent.
"Right" murmurs the teenager form the farming village of Polsten in the elven language to his fellow recruit Golmard.
The two of them skirt the edge of the clearing in the middle of the warcamp where the airship was moored.
They hear, then see an argument between a couple of the raiders standing outside one of the buildings.
Which is better built and constructed than the others they've seen in the makeshift village.
The argument is abruptly cut off when a man steps out from a nearby tent, larger and better quality than the other tents elsewhere in the warcamp.
And in a tone of authority, not loud at all, says "If you two don't shut it, you'll go on guard duty at the edge of the camp for the rest of the night".
The two raiders arguing fall silent fairly quickly, then after nodding to the man who spoke to them.
They turn and enter the building behind them. Another of the taverns, though the men inside are well behaved, and not raucous compared to some of the other ramshackle looking buildings throughout the makeshift village.
"Him" quietly murmurs Hamblin in the elven language with a nod of his head to the man who spoke, who has just made his way back into his tent.
Golmard nods in agreement, and the two of them make their way towards the tent.
Keeping out of the light from the burning torches in the ground infront of the nearby building that houses a tavern.
Looking quickly around when they reach the front of the larger tent, Hamblin nods to Golmard.
Who in the common language, quietly says "Sir there's a problem".
The two teenage Farqian army recruits share a look as they hear the man inside the tent say "Damn it all, what the hell is it this time?".
Then the front flap of the tent opens, and Golmard throws a punch that connects to the side of the man's jaw.
Dropping him instantly to the tent floor as Golmard, then Hamblin quickly slip into the tent.
The larger of the two teenage recruits grunts as he lifts the unconscious man up, and with the help of Hamblin puts him over his right shoulder.
"Back" murmurs the unofficial leader of the first group of recruits in elven with a nod of his head to the other end of the tent.
Golmard heads that way with the man he knocked out. Hamblin follows, briefly stopping at the camp table where he takes some maps and some missives, and stuffs them down his vest.
He takes a low burning lamp from the camp table, and biffs it into a corner of the tent.
Golmard who has taken his dagger, and cut down the back of the tent. Slips outside through the slit into the night, followed by Hamblin.
"Back to the right" quietly says the teenager from the farming village of Polsten in the elven language.
The two teenage army recruits from the northwest of the lands Farque, head back through the warcamp.
With the unconscious man over the right shoulder of Golmard.
While behind them, getting further away as night has well and truly fallen. The tent they were just in, that they took the man from. Is starting to catch on fire from the lantern that Hamblin tossed onto the tent floor . . . . . .