To War 23.

Summer. The Province Of Corlinda. The Kingdom Of Melaurn.

Lord Milson, the lord of Mottman Deep looks back down at his castle, or what's left of it.
His home has been destroyed, and is in ruins.
Though he's glad that the town just outside the walls of his castle, or where the castle walls were.
Is still intact, and doesn't seem to be damaged in any way.
For that he's thankful as he looks at the town on the eastern shores of the lake, that gives this area in the province of Corlinda it's name.
The lord of Mottman Deep looks over to the track that comes up the hill he's on.
And sees one of his men, Grimmard coming back from town. With him is one of the town folk that lord Milson recognises. The tanner Marrin, who is hurrying to keep up with Grimmard.
The nobleman steps back out of the sunshine, and stands beneath the trees.
As Grimmard, one of the mounted scouts to escape the attack on the army just outside the city of Pirtgott.
Heads uphill with the tanner, on what's a warm summer morning here in the south of the kingdom of Melaurn.
"My lord, you live" says Marrin the tanner in a tone of surprise, mixed with relief at seeing his lord alive.
Lord Milson shakes hands with the tanner when he and Grimmard the scout get amongst the trees up near the top of the hill.
"Marrin tell me what happened" asks lord Milson of  Mottman Deep with a nod of his head, down to the castle which is destroyed, and the town, that's still in one piece.
The nobleman from this area of the province of Corlinda winces as Marrin explains to him what happened.
Lord Milson along with a number of his army have made it back to his lands.
Others are scattered elsewhere throughout the province of Corlinda.
While most of them were killed just outside of the city of Pirtgott.
It was just dumb luck that they were approaching the city when it was attacked by the mercenary army from the lands Farque.
There was no way in hell, lord Milson's army was going to stand up against the fleet of warships from the lands Farque.
He was lucky to get out of there alive. And the return to his lands just to the west of the baroncy of Pirtgott has been fraught with danger.
The lord of Mottman Deep just nods when the tanner Marrin tells them how a couple of airship turned up.
And some of those onboard one of them, went into the castle and spoke with those inside.
A short time later, and those in the castle. Who included Milson's wife and children were fleeing it.
The nobleman who is glad his family got away. Shares a look with the scout Grimmard.
When the town's tanner tells them, that after the inhabitants of the castle fled.
Those black clad soldiers from one of the airships who went inside. Come back out carrying chests, and strongboxes from lord Milson's treasury.
Once onboard their vessel, it and the other warship. Fighting frigates from what Marrin describes.
Opened up with a barrage of magetube shots, which quickly destroyed the home of lord Milson's family for centuries.
The lord of Mottman Deep let's out a deep sigh, then arches an eyebrow when Marrin tells them "One of the warships went up over crofters lane".
The road just north of the town, where the tanner says "Stopped over mad Maude's place" followed by "When the old lady came out of her ramshackle place, the warship went on it's way".
The lord of Mottman Deep nods, then says "They can identify spellcasters, and when they saw the old hedge witch wasn't worth bothering with, they left".
The nobleman who looks down at the ruins of his castle, and the town still standing, asks "Which way did they go?".
"Northwest my lord?" replies Marrin the tanner.
"And my wife and children?" asks lord Milson.
"In town my lord" replies the tanner, who continues with "You want me to show you down to them my lord?".
"No" says the lord of Mottman Deep, who follows that with "Just tell my wife i live".
The nobleman who has been baron Wilmot's strongest ally in the war against the province of Karricaw, sourly smiles, then says "We did".
In response to the townsman saying "We got word the other day we were victorious in the war with them Karricawians, didn't we my lord".
The lord of Mottman Deep, then says "And now we're paying for that victory" he then adds in a sour mutter "Literally".
Lord Milson then gives Marrin the tanner some instructions and sends him on his way, back down to the town that's on the eastern shore of the lake called Mottman Deep.
The lord of said lake, and the lands around it, looks out across the massive lake, the largest one in the entire kingdom, for a few moments.
Then he quietly says to the scout Grimmard "Let's get going".
The two of them, the disheveled looking nobleman, who in all the chaos of the attack upon his army, kept his battleaxe on his back as he fled.
And the scout, who grew up on one of the many farms north of the town and castle down on the lakeshore.
Hurry through the trees, making their way to the next hill along, here in the range of them just to the east of the lake called Mottman Deep.
As they alternate between walking quickly and jogging. Lord Milson wonders if the mercenary army from the lands Farque. Which took most of his fortune in his castle before destroying it.
Also took the rest of his wealth, which he had in the counting house in the city of Pirtgott, when they attacked it. The lord of Mottman Deep sighs as he figures they did.
Then as he starts jogging again alongside the scout Grimmard.
Lord Milson sourly smiles as he now knows how lord Gormica of Salmah Forest in the province of Karricaw. Is paying for the services of the mercenary army from the lands Farque.
Who by himself, couldn't normally pay for their services. When just a few days ago. They were fighting for the province of Corlinda in the war between the neighbouring provinces here in southern Melaurn.
"We should've kept paying them" mutters lord Milson as they jog through the trees along the hilltop.
"And had them wipe out Gormica and his army" adds the nobleman in a mutter.
"What was that my lord?" asks Grimmard as they start going down the north side of the hill, and across the saddle back to the next one.
"Nothing" says the lord of Mottman Deep, who then adds "Just thinking out loud".
Lord Milson always thought it was a mistake that baron Wilmot wanted to deal to his brother, and his brother's army himself.
Though the lord of Mottman Deep, never thought it would come back and bite them on the ass like it has.
By the gods, no way in hell i would've thought Gormica would hire that army from Farque right after their hire with us came to an end, lord Milson thinks to himself, who then silently adds, and damn well pay them with our own fortunes!
The nobleman who had an army nearly eight hundred strong, and again that number in camp followers. Who has a fair idea at least three quarters of them didn't survive what happened early yesterday morning just outside the city of Pirtgott.
Sighs to himself again as he and the scout Grimmard run up amongst the trees on the next hill to the north of the one they were just on previously.
There within the trees, they find the others who have been waiting for them.
Those of the lord of Mottman Deep's army he's been able to gather to him when they fled the attack just outside the city of Pirtgott yesterday morning.
Lord Milson seeks out the wizard Smesall, and finds the spellcaster with their horses.
The wizard who has just repacked his pack, and tied it to the back of his saddle, looks at the nobleman who rules these lands around Mottman Deep in the province of Corlinda.
"What happened?" quietly asks Smesall the wizard, who grew up in the town on the shores of the lake.
"They destroyed my family's home" replies lord Milson.
The spellcaster who is of similar age as the disheveled and sloppy looking nobleman winces, then asks "The town?".
"It still stands" says the lord of Mottman Deep.
"Your family my lord?" asks the spellcaster after a moment's pause.
"Alive" says lord Milson, who in slightly dry tone of voice, adds "Suppose i should thank them for kicking everyone out of the castle before they destroyed it".
The wizard nods, and sourly smiles, then he mutters "Fucking hell". When the lord of Mottman Deep tells him how lord Gormica of Salmah Forest is paying the mercenary army from the lands Farque.
As they fled the baroncy of Pirtgott, the two of them, nobleman and wizard.
Discussed how the baron's twin brother, lord Gormica. Who has led the forces of the province of Karricaw in the border conflict between the neighbouring provinces, here in the south of the kingdom.
Could afford to hire the mercenary army from the lands Farque. Which cost a fortune for the province of Corlinda to pay for. And that was just a single week's payment.
Now they know, he's using the wealth of the nobility here in the province of Corlinda to pay them.
"Those mercenary bastards don't care where the coin comes from" says the wizard Smesall in a tone of disgust, who then adds "Just as long as they get paid".
Milson of Mottman Deep nods his head in agreement, then he says "Still" followed by "We should of paid them for another week's service" he briefly pauses before adding "And had them wipe out lord Gormica's army like they did the rest of the forces in Karricaw".
The spellcaster winces, and seeing the truth of the lord of Mottman Deep's words, he nods and says "Yes my lord".
They're silent for a few moments, then the nobleman quietly says "I should've tried harder to talk the baron out of going after his brother".
"You did what you could my lord" says the wizard, who has got rid of his orange robes, and looks like a tradesman, or a journeyman of some kind with the clothes he's wearing at the moment.
"Everyone knows that the baron can't be talked into doing anything else, when it concerns his brother" adds the spellcaster, who became friends with lord Milson when they were children.
The nobleman sighs, then nods as he knows his friend the wizard is right.
Wilmot, the baron of Pirtgott. Is a fine leader, and a pretty good military leader too.
Who got the nobility across the province of Corlinda together over the last few years.
In an attempt to finally end the long running dispute over the border between the provinces of Corlinda and Karricaw, here in the south of the kingdom of Melaurn.
And this summer, they were able to build up their army along the border. Then hire a mercenary army from the lands Farque. Which brought about a victory for them in the war with the province of Karricaw.
Though the victory has turned out to be only short lived. To be exact, extremely short lived. Not even a night is lord Milson's best guess.
As the terms of hire the mercenary army from the lands Farque ended at midnight the other night.
And the next morning, just after dawn, it's fleet attacked the keep in the city of Pirtgott.
And near totally wiped out lord Milson's army that was passing by the city of Pirtgott at that time.
The lord of Mottman Deep, takes the reins of his mount from the wizard Smesall, who quietly asks him "What will we do?".
"Like we discussed" replies lord Milson, which illicits a grimace on the face of the spellcaster, who falls silent.
As he does, the nobleman looks over at the scout Grimmard who has been patiently waiting nearby.
"We're leaving" says the Milson of Mottman Deep, followed by "Get the others going".
"Yes my lord" says the mounted scout Grimmard, who moves off to get the others amongst the trees.
As lord Milson checks his mount, the wizard Smesall quietly asks him "Is this wise my lord?".
"No" replies the lord of Mottman Deep, who then asks the spellcaster he's known since childhood "Do you think it wise?".
"Not in the least" answers the wizard with a shake of his head.
"What choice do we have?" asks the nobleman who rules the lands around the lake called Mottman Deep, here near the center of the province of Corlinda.
"None that i can see my lord" says Smesall the wizard.
"Well, there you go" says Milson of Mottman Deep, who continues on with "That's why we'll do it".
They get up on their mounts, and move off, and join the others in the lord Milson's army they've been able to gather, all of whom are mounted too.
"We ride" says lord Milson of Mottman Deep, who sees only one way they can get out of the situation that the province of Corlinda is in at the moment.
They can't fight against lord Gormica of Salmah Forest, and the mercenary army from the lands Farque and hope to win.
So the best thing is to expand the conflict out beyond the borders of the provinces of Corlinda and Karricaw.
Because if the conflict spreads into the surrounding provinces. Then the crown, in particular the king, and his army will be forced to intervene.
"We ride for the border with Selvah Na" says lord Milson, who turns his horse to the south, and rides off, followed by Smesall the wizard, Grimmard the scout and the others . . . . . .