To War 22.

Summer. Southern Melaurn.

"Anything at all?" asks baron Wilmot as he looks through the trees off to the right of the road.
"Nothing" replies sir Holjma the vassal knight, who continues with "Even the locals we've found and questioned have no idea".
The baron of Pirtgott grunts, then looks ahead along the dirt packed road his army is traveling on, and he mutters "Where the hell are they?".
The baron is silent for a few moments as he sits upon his horse, as the army continues on it's way, then he quietly says "It's as though they've disappeared into thin air".
The vassal knight sir Holjma who has just got up into the saddle of his own mount, nods in agreement with the baron of Pirtgott.
They're still in the province of Karricaw. And they're searching for the forces of lord Gormica. The leader of the Karricaw forces in the border conflict with the province of Corlinda.
Lord Gormica, who happens to be the twin brother of baron Wilmot. Who leads the forces of the province of Corlinda.
For the past day and a half, they've traveled throughout the lands of lord Gormica, known as Salmah Forest. Here in the heart of the province of Corlinda.
Finding no sign of lord Gormica's army which retreated from the border a few days ago.
The baron's army traveled to the castle of lord Gormica just on the eastern fringes of the forest that gives this area of Corlinda it's name.
And as expected they found the castle destroyed, just a pile of rubble. The nearby village burnt to the ground, and the surrounding fields, and summer crops were scorched too. But no sign of lord Gormica, or his army.
The baron of Pirtgott's army is heading back west through the province of Karricaw.
And the baron, along with sir Holjma and the baron's personal guard, rejoin the line of march.
As they ride to one side, heading to the front of the army, lord Holjma voices his opinion again "It can be only one thing my lord baron".
The vassal knight briefly pauses, before he continues on with "They've obviously taken ship after coming back to Salmah Forest".
"We've discussed this Holjma" says baron Wilmot with a frown upon his face, as he adds "My brother doesn't have enough ships to move his army".
The vassal knight is silent for a few moments, then he says "I know my lord".
The baron who has led the forces of Karricaw in the border conflict with the province of Corlinda. Scowls at what his vassal knight is implying.
Then the nobleman, whose lands are called Pirtgott, which is close to the middle of the province of Corlinda, quietly says "Why would they do that?".
He's silent for another moment or two, before he continues on with "And what?" he then adds "A day or so after their hire with us came to an end, not even that".
Sir Holjma doesn't say anything for a little while as they continue towards the front of the line of march, with the baron waving out to his men every once and a while as they cheer him as he rides by.
Then the vassal knight quietly says to the baron of Pirtgott "Because they're mercenaries, it's what they do".
The baron briefly scowls again at the thought of the mercenary army from the lands Farque taking a hire from his twin brother Gormica.
He rather hopes they haven't, especially just after their hire for him and the province of Corlinda came to an end.
Wilmot of Pirtgott is silent for a few moments as he thinks about things, then he quietly says to his vassal knight riding beside him "My brother can't afford to hire them".
The baron continues on with "He and his allies here in Karricaw couldn't even get close to that last offer that won us the hire" he then adds "I doubt he can hire them now, what with most of the other nobles here in the province wiped out".
The vassal knight nods at that, and says "I know" before briefly pausing, then quietly adding "That's what I'm worried about".
The baron of Pirtgott briefly scowls again, then he smiles and waves to some of his cavalry which cheer him as he rides by.
The nobleman who has led the forces of the province of Corlinda in it's long running conflict over the issue of the border with the province of Karricaw.
Isn't entirely dismissive of Holjma's theory. After all, where exactly has lord Gormica and his army of over five hundred soldiers suddenly disappeared to.
It's just that what Wilmot and his allies in the province of Corlinda had to pay for the services of the mercenary army from the lands Farque.
Couldn't previously be matched by lord Gormica and the other nobles here in Karricaw.
Then there's no way in hell the lord of Salmah Forest could hire the Farqian mercenary army by himself.
"Though in theory you maybe right" says baron Wilmot to his vassal knight sir Holjma.
"There's no way my brother could hire them for even a few days at best, he just can't afford it" adds the baron of Pirtgott, on whose lands, the only city in both the provinces of Corlinda and Karricaw can be found.
"And they're adamant of being hired at a week on week basis" continues Wilmot of Pirtgott.
Sir Holjma nods and says "I agree my lord baron" he briefly pauses before quietly continuing, almost to himself "That's what i haven't quite worked out".
Baron Wilmot himself would like to have an easy answer like his vassal knight's theory.
But he's sure that it's something else his twin brother Gormica is up to. What exactly, the baron of Pirtgott isn't sure about.
But he wants to find out soon, as it's costing him both coin and time, the more time he spends here in the province of Karricaw, searching for his twin brother's army.
They get to the front of the army where Krissner, the son of baron Wilmot. Is riding alongside another of the vassal knights, sir Crissen.
"Some of the advanced scouts have come back in, then gone back out" explains Krissner to his father the baron.
"They've seen no sign of them" adds the baron's son, who like the others. Wonders where his uncle, lord Gormica, and his army have got to.
The baron of Pirtgott nods, then quietly says, more for himself than anything else "Maybe we'll find something out the further west we go".
They continue throughout the afternoon, riding westwards through the province of Karricaw, heading back to the border. Hoping to find any sign of lord Gormica and his army.
Late in the afternoon they've well and truly left behind the area of Karricaw called the Salmah Forest.
They question refugees who are also on the road, but they know nothing of the whereabouts of the lord of Salmah Forest.
At the front of his army, baron Wilmot looks at a group from a nearby village.
Standing off to one side of the road, watching the baron's army go by.
Looking at the forlorn figures in the afternoon sunlight on what's been another warm summer day here in the south of the kingdom of Melaurn.
The baron of Pirtgott is glad that these people are local to Karricaw. He couldn't imagine similar scenes across the border, in his home province of Corlinda.
Thinking of the border, the baron faintly smiles. As he's reminded of the new border between the two provinces.
Wilmot of Pirtgott in the disappointment of not finding his brother Gormica's army.
Often forgets that he and the other nobles in the province of Corlinda. Have been successful in their war with the province of Karricaw. Defeating them, making them no longer a military force here in the south of Melaurn.
But most importantly, having the border redrawn, to how he and the rest of the nobility in the province of Corlinda wanted it.
As the day gets later, and afternoon slips towards the end of the day. Baron Wilmot who is just thinking about where they should stop for the night.
Looks at his son Krissner, who says "Some of the advanced scouts coming back".
The baron of Pirtgott looks to where his son points to, and slightly nods as the vassal knight sir Holjma says "They're in a hurry, something must of happened".
"My lord baron" says a near breathless scout as he pulls up his mount beside those leading the army.
"What is it?" asks the nobleman who has led the forces of Corlinda in their border conflict with the province of Karricaw.
"The sergeant wants you to see something" replies the advanced scout, who follows that with "He and the others have got some of the locals, who have got important information".
Wilmot of Pirtgott shares a look with his vassal knight Holjma, then he says "Holjma, you and Krissner with me".
The baron looks at his other vassal knight sir Crissen, and tells him "Keep leading the army Crissen" followed by "And look for a suitable place to camp for the night".
Then the baron of Pirtgott says to his son Krissner and sir Holjma "Let's go".
And they follow the two mounted scouts, who head back the way they've come from.
As the ride, baron Wilmot wonders what the sergeant at arms has found out from these locals.
They ride for about another mile westwards of the army, before turning off the road, and heading north through some farmland.
"My lord baron, there they are" says the scout doing all the talking, baron Wilmot nods as he spots some of the other advanced scouts. At the base of a tree covered hill.
With them are a number of locals, from the farms around here. And a nearby village. Which was untouched by the attack upon the province of Karricaw by the mercenary army from the lands Farque.
Which until recently, was fighting for the forces of the province of Corlinda, against those here in Karricaw.
They stop just before the other scouts, and the locals they've rounded up.
After they dismount, Wilmot of Pirtgott quietly says to the sergeant at arms in command of this party of scouts "Morbic what is it".
"My lord baron" says sergeant Morbic, who then nods his head for the baron of Pirtgott to follow him out of listening distance.
"Stay here" says the baron to his son Krissner and the vassal knight, sir Holjma.
Baron Wilmot and the sergeant at arms walk away along the base of the hill, and when they're about thirty yards away from the others, they come to a stop.
"What is it?" quietly asks Wilmot of Pirtgott.
"Some of those farmers were up late last night searching for their stock that's got lost in all the chaos around here lately my lord" says sergeant Morbic, who continues with "Late in the night, after the middle of the night, a couple of them spotted a fleet of airships heading west".
"West?" says the nobleman in a tone of surprise.
"Yes my lord baron" says the sergeant at arms who has served in the baron's army for more than two decades.
"From the descriptions they gave us, most of the fleet were warships" continues sergeant Morbic.
The baron of Pirtgott slightly winces when he hears that, as he knows that there's only one fleet of airships, predominantly warships, in southern Melaurn of late, and it's not the king's fleet.
"Hell" mutters the nobleman from across the border in the province of Corlinda.
"That's not all my lord baron" quietly says the sergeant at arms.
"What else?" asks baron Wilmot, who deep down is starting to think that his vassal knight sir Holjma might be right after all.
"Some of the fleet put down nearby during the night, and got fresh water from a river not far from here" says sergeant Morbic, who briefly pauses before adding "The farmers saw some of them as they got off those ships, and from the running lights on those vessels, they swear that some of the men were in lord Gormica's army" he follows that with "They're certain of it, as they saw the lord of Salmah Forest's army a few days ago when they retreated from the border".
"Hell" mutters the baron of Pirtgott again, who also once again, winces. As that's definitely not what he wants to hear.
Baron Wilmot looks over at the group of locals, then quietly asks the sergeant at arms "Who knows of this Morbic?".
"Just me and this squad of scouts" replies the sergeant at arms, who then adds "And these locals of course".
The baron of Pirtgott nods, then says "Have the squad swear to secrecy of what they've learnt here".
After the sergeant nods that he will, the baron says "If word of this spreads within our army, I'll hang everyone of them myself" followed by "Including you".
"I understand my lord baron" says the sergeant at arms who does indeed understand the gravity of the situation.
Then Wilmot of Pirtgott gestures at the locals, who number about a dozen. Men, women, children, young and old.
"Take them up into the trees and kill them" states the baron, who doesn't want word of this to spread.
The sergeant at arms briefly pauses, then quietly says "Yes my lord baron".
The two of them then walk back along the base of the hill, to where the others are waiting.
After sergeant Morbic has a quiet word with the party of scouts, they lead the locals up into the trees on the hill, on a pretense of letting them go.
As the last of the scouts and locals disappear from view amongst the trees, baron Wilmot let's out a pent up breath, then looks at his vassal knight Holjma and quietly says "You were right".
It takes a moment for sir Holjma to realise what the baron of Pirtgott is referring to, then the vassal knight grimaces, and mutters "Shit".
The baron nods in agreement, then he looks at his son Krissner, who asks him "What is it father?".
"I'll tell you later" replies baron Wilmot as they wait for the squad of scouts to return.
They do, a short time later, and sir Holjma nods in understanding when he sees some of the men wiping their blades clean.
"We ride through the night" says the baron of Pirtgott as he gets up into the saddle of his horse, he follows on with "We head for the border, and home in Corlinda".
Wilmot of Pirtgott puts his heels to his mount, and it sets off for the road, that his army is heading west on.
As he's followed by his son Krissner, his vassal knight sir Holjma, and the squad of advanced scouts led by the sergeant at arms Morbic.
Baron Wilmot hopes to hell that his home province of Corlinda hasn't suffered the same fate as the province of Karricaw at the hands of the mercenary army from the lands Farque.
The mercenary army and it's fleet, which apparently now, has been hired by his twin brother, lord Gormica of Salmah Forest . . . . . .