To War 7.

Summer. In The Air.

"They don't look entirely happy" quietly says Saanea the witch.
Nodding in agreement, her lover Tamric Drubine the field commander says just as quietly "They've realised we mean business".
The pretty looking spellcaster from the Maldin Hills thousands of miles away up the coast of the Southlands.
Looks forward to a midships, where a number of the delegation from the province of Corlinda in Melaurn, have come up on deck.
Then she looks at her lover standing next to her, who quietly says "We're not doing what they're expecting, so there's that too".
They're onboard a triple masted battlecruiser, the flagship of the fleet from the lands Farque.
That's heading to the kingdom of Melaurn, off to the impending war between the provinces of Corlinda and Karricaw.
Two of the provinces in the south of the kingdom.
The fleet is over the southern tundra, heading southwest to Melaurn.
And though the delegation from Corlinda who secured the services of one of the armies of Farque.
Thought they'd be flying directly west into the north of Melaurn, then turn south and head down further south to their province.
Those in command of the first army of Farque, one of whom is field commander Drubine, have other ideas.
As they put into action the strategy that lord Farque himself has devised.
The two young lovers, the witch in her early twenties, and the field commander who is still a teenager.
Are on the aft deck of the flagship, just infront of the wheelhouse of the human designed, krean built warship.
Saanea who over the last year has learnt more of airships they she had previously.
Infact she had never been on one until she met Tamric and some of others in the group.
Knows that this large battlecruiser can fly a lot faster than other airships of a similar size.
Even though they're basically in the middle of the fleet as it heads over the southern tundra, or The Great Southern Tundra as it's often called on maps.
The young couple wander over to the starboard side rail, and look down.
And in the distance, a few miles away to the northwest, they spot a horde of barbarians. Slowly riding westwards with their herds.
Both the witch and the field commander wonder which horde it is. As there's quite a few of them who have territories in this part of the tundra.
Even further to the west, they spot what look like to be large creatures grazing on the summer grass.
After Saanea casts a farsight spell on herself, she informs her lover that they're tundra beasts, sometimes referred to thunder beasts.
Large, ponderous lizard like creatures. That are domesticated by the barbarian hordes. And often sold to those outside the tundra.
Those these ones in the distance to the west, are wild tundra beasts.
Unconcerned with what's around them, and what's about to fly over them.
Saanea the witch, and Tamric Drubine turn as the undead scout Dargarven makes his way towards them from the wheelhouse.
And though command of the first army is under general Salmic, and a trio of field commanders, one of whom is the nobleborn teenager originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin.
The undead who have come along with the first army and the fleet. Offer guidance as they undertake the strategy devised by the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
"Our lord will be coming by to discuss something with you" quietly says Dargarven the undead scout. Who wears just a leather armoured vest to go with his pants and boots. And has a full helm tied to his belt. And a longsword strapped to his back.
Field commander Drubine, who wears half plate armour. Though not at the moment, nods his head, then asks Dargarven "Do you know about what?".
"Of course" says the undead scout with a grin, who doesn't elaborate.
Instead, he changes the subject, and nodding forward to along the deck to a midships, he quietly says "They don't look too pleased with the turn of events".
"We were just talking about that" quietly says the spellcaster from the Maldin Hills.
Whose command of the elven language has improved so much, that she now feels comfortable speaking it. As her lover Tamric Drubine, and the undead scout are doing.
"They'll learn to deal with it" quietly says Dargarven, who died alongside his older brother Arveem four and half centuries ago, the same day their lord died.
"Especially if they want to win" adds the undead scout in a slightly dry tone of voice.
Both Tamric Drubine or Tam as he's more commonly called by those who know him well. Along with Saanea the witch, nod in agreement with the undead being.
"Wars don't go the way you want them to" quietly says Dargarven.
"Is that a famous quote from someone?" asks field commander Drubine who slightly frowns as he hasn't read that in any of the books he's studied.
"No" says the undead scout with a grin upon his youthful looking face, as he died around the same age Tam is now.
"I just made it up" adds Dargarven, which illicits a chuckle from the couple who are lovers.
Then the undead being, turns and looks up and to aft into the sky, and quietly says "Here they come now".
Both Saanea the witch and Tamric Drubine look back and up into the clear, near cloudless sky on this warm summer day.
And though the nobleborn teenager who hails from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin doesn't see it for a few moments.
The pretty looking dark haired hillwoman, who still has the spell of farsight cast upon herself.
Easily spots the mastless airship a few miles behind the rest of the fleet, high up in the sky, rapidly heading this way. It's a krean scoutship.
And though the battlecruiser they're onboard is the flagship of the fleet.
The scoutship is the command ship. As lord Farque himself travels upon the quick moving airship that's gaining on the rest of the fleet as they fly over the southern tundra, on the way to the kingdom of Melaurn.
In no time the krean scoutship is alongside the triple masted battlecruiser that's the flagship of the fleet.
The smaller mastless vessel comes alongside to starboard, less than twenty feet from the much bigger warship.
With the captain of the battlecruiser safe in the knowledge that the best airship fliers in the world are flying right next to his vessel.
One moment no one is on the flat, mastless deck of the krean scoutship.
The next moment one of the undead wardogs runs up from below deck, and without stopping, and only taking a few strides, the massive canine leaps over to the deck of the battlecruiser.
"And hello to you too Anvil" says Dargarven the undead scout as the undead wardog lands just a few feet from them.
Softly barks at the three of them near the starboard rail. Turn around a few times in a circle, then promptly lies down. For all intensive purposes looking like he's fallen to sleep as he lies there with his eyes closed.
While across on the deck of the krean scoutship, lord Farque has come up from below deck.
The undead warlord walks across the flat, mastless desk. And just as easily as his wardog. He leaps over to the triple masted battlecruiser.
Landing next to Anvil, who cracks an eyelid to look at his master, thump his stubby tail on the deck a few times as he wags it. Before stopping his tail wagging, and closing the eyelid he opened.
The large, heavily armoured deathlord glances at Dargarven. And field commander Drubine knows that they're silently communicating to each other.
"My lord" says the undead scout Dargarven a moment later, who bows to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, then nods to the young couple who are lovers, before turning around and making his way to the wheelhouse.
The undead scout looks over at some of the nearby crew, and a few of the soldiers here on the aft deck, giving them a hand signal.
They all turn to their lord, bow to him. And make their way off the aft deck.
Leaving just the lord of the death realm, the undead wardog, along with the witch and the young field commander on the deck infront of the wheelhouse.
"A word with you two" says lord Farque to Saanea the witch and Tamric Drubine the field commander.
"Of course my lord" says the son of a previous knight of castle Drubine, a castle located in the forested north of the kingdom of Sarcrin.
As the krean scoutship moves away about fifty feet from the starboard side of the flagship, and easily keeps pace with the much larger warship.
The undead warlord, who is also known by the name of Draugadrottin to the people of his lands.
Looks ahead in the direction they're going, southwest across the southern tundra, heading towards the kingdom of Melaurn. The southern most ruled nation in the Southlands.
The lord and ruler of the lands Farque is silent for a few moments, then he quietly says "Did you know my wife is from Melaurn".
The large figure in the full suit of blue, black heavy plate armour. That covers him from head to toe, quietly adds "Well, i should say her family is from there".
"I didn't know that my lord" says Tam, who knows that lord Farque was married, and had two children, twins. Who all died four and half centuries ago. During the invasion of the Southlands by the Holy Norstran Empire. A vast empire from across the Great Western Ocean.
That was eventually defeated by lord Farque in a war that lasted nearly three years. Which swept right across a lot of the Southlands.
Draugadrottin or Des'tier which is his elven name, which translates in common to, The Destroyer, nods his full helmed head before quietly saying "She is" he briefly pauses before adding in an even quieter voice "Was".
The couple see Anvil open his eyes and look at his master, then close them again when the undead warlord turns to the witch and young field commander and say to them "There's something i need to tell you".
The lord of the death realm is silent for a moment or two, then he says "Tam you know the order concerning couples serving together".
"Yes my lord i do" says the field commander who is still a teenager.
"If you two were married, you wouldn't be going off to war together" says Des'tier who follows that with "It's as simple as that".
The deathlord of Farque continues on with "Even couples in the same army, though not barred from serving together, aren't exactly encouraged to fight in the same battalion if they're serving in the same division".
The young field commander nods his head as he knows this. Next to him, Saanea the witch is learning this for the first time.
She has no formal position in the armies of Farque. And at the moment she's an acting adjunct to her lover, field commander Drubine.
She knows the only reason she's with the first army at this time. Is because she's a member, the newest member to be exact. Of the group that lord Farque has assembled over a number of years.
The first of whom was Dorc da Orc more than two decades ago. And the latest being Saanea, who joined last summer. When she was found by Tam and some of the others.
And though the make up of the group has changed over the years.
The undead warlord has more or less, kept them close to him. As they all play a part in the plans he has devised.
Chief amongst those plans, has seen the rebuilding of his armies over the last two and half decades.
And to see those armies start to be hired out, to wars and conflicts throughout the Southlands.
Just like they're doing now. Heading to the kingdom of Melaurn, to fight for the province of Corlinda, in their impending war against the province of Karricaw.
"Normally you two would be separated" says lord Farque as he looks at the couple.
"And wouldn't be in each others company during a war" adds the undead warlord.
"But since you're who you are" continues Draugadrottin referring to them being members of the group.
"We have this situation" says the heavily armoured deathlord.
The two lovers nod, after the lord and ruler of the lands Farque says to them "Do you understand?".
The undead being who has numerous names in numerous different languages, follows that with "Just remember anything could happen in the warzone".
The lord of the death realm continues with "Tam with what you are, i doubt you'll be in the thick of any action".
Referring to the nobleborn teenager originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin being a field commander.
Who will observe any battle the first army might get into from a distance.
Where he will direct the various battalions and divisions alongside the other two field commanders, and general Salmic.
"Nevertheless, this is war, so who knows what the fuck could happen" adds Des'tier, who then asks the couple "You understand the risks then?".
"We do my lord" replies Tamric Drubine "Yes my lord" adds Saanea the witch after she and her lover share a look.
"Good" says lord Farque making it clear he's warned them. And if anything happens to either of them, so be it.
Looking at the pretty looking hillwoman, the undead warlord says to her "I understand you'll help Tam communicate with the other spellcasters throughout the army".
"I will my lord" says the spellcaster from the Maldin Hills in reply.
The deathlord of Farque who has only known Saanea since the spring. When he and the most of the rest of the group got back to the lands Farque. After spending nearly a year away, a half a year of which was spent returning to the Southlands from the far east coast of the continent.
Will finally get to see the witch in situations of stress. And to see what her worth is to the group he's assembled over the years.
They all have a place in his plans. And it's time to find out hers.
"Remember you have no actual rank in my armies, so feel free to do what ever you want if you think of something different to any orders Tam or any other senior officer might give you" says the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
Saanea shoots a look at her lover the young field commander, then she says to the large, heavily armoured figure "Yes my lord".
Draugadrottin who towers over both living humans, nods his full helmed head. Then he looks forward along the deck of the battlecruiser to a midships.
Where half a dozen of the delegation from the province of Corlinda. Including baron Wilmot's son Krissner, and sir Jinpel who leads their forces.
Are looking back this way at the undead warlord, the field commander and the witch.
"They look a bit fucking sour don't they" quietly says the deathlord of Farque, the young couple next to him nod in agreement as he adds in dry tone of voice "Not getting their way with things tends to do that" . . . . . .