To War 44.

Summer. The Southwest Of The Province Of Moleau. The Kingdom Of Melaurn.

They're somewhere in the very southwest of the province of Moleau. Maybe even in the province of Romial.
Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy isn't exactly sure. They could be over the border for all he knows.
The spy originally from the elven principality of Alínlae, who is now an officer in the scouts and rangers division of the first army of Farque.
Leaps over a fallen tree as he runs through another section of woods. Here in the border region between the provinces of Moleau and Romial.
He and his company, or what's left of it. Have been on the run since late yesterday afternoon.
It's now early afternoon, on what's another warm summer day in this part of the kingdom of Melaurn.
And the spy Tanith briefly stops so he can listen to what's behind them in the woods.
Dalinvardèl Tanith or Dalin as he's more commonly called by those who know him well.
Slightly winces as he can still hear their pursuers, and he takes off running again.
The elven spy who hails from the principality of Alínlae, who once served in one of the more prominent noble houses of his homeland.
Is just glad that there's no road that goes through this stretch of forest they're in.
As some of their pursuers are on horseback. And though they're mounted, they not moving especially quickly. Or catching up to the small company from the scouts and rangers division of the first army of Farque that the elven officer is in command of.
The spy Tanith looks forward, and away to the left, where the veteran scout is running through the woods.
The elf with his superior eyesight blinks as he's pretty sure he briefly spots a small bright light go shooting by in that direction through the woods.
Heading in the direction the spy Tanith and his small company have come from.
Dalin looks ahead, then sees another one, this one is bright red, about the size of an apple. And it comes flying straight at him through the trees.
"Shit" mutters Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy as he ducks as the small, bright red light, goes shooting over him, passing just a foot or so over his head as it goes by.
"What was that?" asks the veteran scout as he runs over to the spy who is an officer in the armies of Farque.
"Mageglobe i think" says the spy Tanith with a thoughtful look upon his face, as the two of them stop.
The veteran scout who is breathing heavily, lifts his eyebrows in surprise.
While Dalin, who is also breathing heavily, as they haven't stopped to rest at all as they've been chased. Slowly nods his head, then says "Mira".
"The councilor?" says the veteran of fifteen years in the armies of Farque.
"The very one" says the spy Tanith, who knows that mageglobes are usually used by mages when they battle other mages.
But Dalin knows that there's one mage who uses mageglobes however he likes. And that's Mira Reinholt the mage.
The elven spy and the veteran human scout set off again, and a few moments later, the elven officer spots another small, bright light speeding towards them through the trees.
This one, also the size of an apple, stops when it gets to them, and circles around them a few times.
Jumping up and down in midair when it hovers infront of the spy Tanith for a bit.
"Follow it" says Dalin as the small, white mageglobe heads more or less back in the direction it's come from.
Then a couple of moments later, they hear an explosion in the distance behind them in the woods.
The elf and the human share a look as they run, then the next moment, they hear another explosion.
This one way louder, and way more powerful as the ground beneath their feet briefly shakes as they run.
"Definitely Mira" dryly says Dalinvardèl Tanith as they run.
The elven spy looks back over his his right shoulder, and up into the blue, early afternoon sky through the trees.
And in the distance, he sees flaming and burning debris and trees go flying up into the summer sky.
And knows that a lot of their pursuers have just been killed.
His naturally enhanced eyesight picks out half a horse covered in flames, go tumbling through the air a good hundred feet above the ground amongst all the burning debris.
Dalin looks ahead again, and follows the bright white mageglobe which circles around a couple more of the company.
"Follow it!" calls out the elven officer in the scouts and rangers division of the first army of Farque.
Then the elf originally from the principality of Alínlae frowns as he hears a thumping sound coming from somewhere ahead of them in the forest. Getting louder, as if whatever it may be, is coming towards them.
Then Dalinvardèl Tanith spots a black blur moving through the trees at speed in this direction.
Moving so quickly that the elven spy even with his naturally enhanced eyesight can barely see the blur.
As it approaches them through the trees, it slows so that the spy Tanith can see what it is.
Dalin grins as he sees the massive bulk of Anvil the undead wardog, tongue lolling out the side of the mouth as if he's smiling.
Look his and the veteran scout's way. Before he turns into a blur again. Going by the two of them, away to their right and disappears in moments as he moves too quick for even an elven eye to see.
The massive canine is heading in the direction of the two explosions.
And the elven spy in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque.
Knows that if any of the enemy survived the mageglobes of Mira Reinholt.
They're good as dead now, with Anvil the undead wardog heading their way.
Dalin spots another dark fast moving blur heading their way, and he says to the scout beside him "Hold up".
The two of them stop, and the dark blur comes through the trees directly towards them in an instant.
"My lord" says the veteran scout when he finds his lord and ruler suddenly standing infront of him and the elven officer.
Holding up a gauntleted hand to stop the scout from bowing, lord Farque says to the two of them "Follow Mira's mageglobe".
The undead warlord continues with "There's a clearing nearby which it'll lead you to".
The heavily armoured deathlord who is speaking in the elven language looks at Dalin and tells him "We'll speak soon".
The lord and ruler of the lands Farque then dryly adds "Now i have to go and get that idiot dog of mine, and stop him from wandering off after he kills everyone that way".
As he gestures in the direction Anvil has gone, where the explosions took place further back in the forest.
Then the lord of the death realm, who is also known by the name of Draugadrottin to the people of his lands.
Takes off at a run, and is soon a blur to the eye, and is quickly gone from sight as he goes after his undead wardog.
"Come on, let's go" says Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy to the veteran scout as he points to where he can see the small white mageglobe in the distance, leading some of the others in the company southwards.
A little bit later, at the edge of a forest clearing, beneath the shade of the branches of a tree.
The elven spy in the scouts and rangers division of the first army of Farque says "Thanks".
After he takes another long drink of cold water from the water sack that one of the krean air marines has given him.
Which Mira Reinholt the mage has cooled with a spell that he's cast.
Nodding his hooded head as he looks around, Mira Reinholt the mage quietly asks in the elven language "How many in your infiltration company?".
"Twenty" is the reply from the spy Tanith who continues on with "And that includes two runners as well".
The once powerful mage slightly winces as he sees that there's only twelve of the black clad soldiers in the scouts and rangers division in the company. And he sees that includes one of the runners too.
"The other runner got away too" says the elf who hails from the principality of Alínlae, where he served as a spy for one of the more prominent noble houses of his homeland. 
He then tells the spellcaster who is a member of lord Farque's personal council about the young messenger who escaped by taking an enemy horse.
After he destroyed one of the targets, which was an airdock, in a town in the west of the province of Moleau.
Dalin then informs the mage who hails from the city-state of Vexil, which Mira is in exile from.
About one of the soldiers in the company, who was captured by the enemy. One of the company that the spy Tanith had to kill.
The practitioner of magic, who also happens to be a highly skilled swordmaster, slightly grimaces when he hears that.
"It had to be done" quietly says the mage Reinholt, who after more than a decade of speaking the elven language, still has a horrible accent.
Whose pronunciation of the language is even worse. So much so that Dalin feels like cringing every time the member of lord Farque's personal council speaks it.
The spellcaster who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere in the Southlands.
Until he was stripped of most of his powers when he went offworld through a rift/void spell he accidentally cast.
Then tells the officer in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque "Can't have them fall into enemy hands" followed by "Especially scouts and rangers".
Who tend to know a bit more in overall tactics, especially in the areas they're working in.
Compared to infantry and mounted forces in the first army of Farque. Who have been hired by lord Gormica of Salmah Forest. In a war against the king and crown of the kingdom of Melaurn.
"I know that" quietly says Dalinvardèl Tanith who after a brief pause, quietly adds "Doesn't make it any easier".
Mira Reinholt glances sideways at the elven spy, then he nods his hooded head.
The elf who is an officer in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque, then asks the spellcaster "What's been happening?".
The mage in the black hooded cloak then tells the spy Tanith what's been happening, starting with "The nobles in Selvah Na are joining us".
The exiled Vexilian mage continues with "Lord Gormica was able to convince them to join him in the fight against the crown".
The spellcaster who also happens to be a highly skilled swordmaster then adds "Apparently it didn't take too much convincing on his part, as apparently that lot down there hate the crown".
The mage who is a member of the personal council to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque follows that with "Nor did it cost him that much to have them join us".
"That's something at least" murmurs the elven spy after the once powerful mage informs him how much lord Gormica of Salmah Forest has paid the nobility of the province of Selvah Na to join them in the fight against the crown of Melaurn.
"Their armies are coming up from the south" explains the swordmaster Reinholt who continues with "They'll be engaged with the enemy in another day or two".
The spy Tanith nods in understanding, then the spellcaster who was exiled from his homeland, the city-state of Vexil, for treason during a time of war.
Tells the elven officer in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque what he knows about the others in the group they usually travel with, and what he knows of what they've been doing.
A short time later, and lord Farque walks through the trees, and joins them at the edge of the clearing.
The undead warlord nods his full helmed head in acknowledgment to the bows from the surviving members of Dalin's company, who are standing around the edge of the clearing, in the shade beneath the branches of the trees.
The spy Tanith looks away to the left, where he spots the undead wardog Anvil with the burnt hindquarters of a horse between his jaws.
The massive animal sits down and starts gnawing on the burnt remains of the ass end of a horse.
Happily growling and softly barking to himself as he does so.
After rolling his eyes when he glances at his wardog, lord Farque looks at Dalin and asks him "You complete your objective?".
"Yes my lord" replies the elven spy who continues on "Destroyed the airdock in that town, and we also burnt down the inn they were using as their headquarters".
Draugadrottin, or Des'tier which is his elven name, which translates to, The Destroyer.
Nods his full helmed head as he knows the spy Tanith's small company were targeting nobles and their armies from the province of Alindar, allies of the crown and king.
"We'll take you to your ship" says the heavily armoured deathlord.
As every small company from his first army that's in enemy territory, are being dropped off, and picked up by a either a fast frigate or a cutter in the Farqian fleet.
The lord and ruler of the lands Farque then gestures at the mage Reinholt and says to the elven spy "Mira tell you what's been happening?".
"He has" is the reply from Dalinvardèl Tanith who then takes another long drink of cold water from the sack, or pouch he's holding.
"The more you and the other small infiltration companies do, the better" says lord Farque, who continues with "It not only distracts the fuck out of them, it stops them reinforcing their larger armies".
The lord of the death realm then adds "Making it easier for Tam and the other field commanders taking on their larger armies".
The undead warlord briefly pauses before he says "Even with the addition of that lot from Selvah Na, the crown still outnumbers us" he continues with "The more we fuck their allies up, the more likely it is we'll gain a victory for lord Gormica".
Both Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy and Mira Reinholt the mage nod in agreement.
Then lord Farque steps out into the clearing a bit, looks up in the clear afternoon sky, and raises a gauntleted fist.
A moment later, a large rift appears one of side of the clearing, and Draugadrottin orders "Back to the ship".
The krean air marines who have come down are first through the rift back to the strikeship that's high in the afternoon sky.
Next is Dalin's company, followed by the spy Tanith himself, then the mage Reinholt.
"You as well you idiot" dryly says the lord and ruler of the lands Farque to his wardog Anvil.
The reason why the rift is larger than a set of large double doors.
The massive canine, still with the burnt hindquarters of a horse between his jaws, goes through the rift. Holding his head to the side so the burnt horse hindquarters goes through with him.
Then lord Farque goes through the rift, which disappears once he's through it, and onboard the krean strikeship on the otherside . . . . . .