To War 50.

Summer. Melaurn.

"We hit them here, just over the border" says Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy who points to exactly where on the map.
"Four combined companies, the larger ones" adds the elven spy originally from the principality of Alínlae, who is now an officer in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque.
"They didn't know what hit them" continues the spy Tanith, who then says "Some of them tried to cross back into Corlinda but half a company were waiting in ambush for them".
Dalinvardèl Tanith or Dalin as he's more commonly called by those who know him well, briefly pauses before he adds "Those we didn't capture, we killed".
"Capture?" says Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit as he looks up from the map that shows a fairly long section of the border region between the provinces of Moleau and Corlinda.
The halfling who isn't what he appears to be. And next to him, Beldane the cleric look at the elven spy who is an officer in the scouts and rangers division of the first army of Farque.
"We've caught him" says that spy Tanith, who follows that with "He was one of the ones trying to cross back into Corlinda".
"The pussy ran away as his men were getting wiped out" mutters Jarjin Littlefoot, who is a member of the personal council to lord Farque.
"What a prick" dryly adds the halfling who is originally from the Sultanate of Dreese, which is a nation on the far east coast of the continent, which is well over ten thousand miles from the Southlands.
The hobbit, who is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra by the name of Zubutai Timaginson, who just happens to find himself inhabiting the body of Jarjin Littlefoot.
Is quiet for a few moments as he thinks about something, then the halfling who is the most senior in rank here in the cabin.
Looks at the fighting cleric standing beside him at the chart table, and asks "Can you go and get Mira?".
The council member follows that with "He's with the third company, checking on the enemy crossing the border here" as he points at a spot on the map.
"I know it" says Beldane the cleric referring to how he can create a gateway to the area that Jarjin aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman has pointed out.
"And before you go, get in contact with the command ship if you can" says councilor Littlefoot, who then adds "Lord Farque would probably like to know".
"That's if i can" dryly murmurs the powerful cleric originally from the kingdom of Nastell.
As getting in contact with the krean strikeship that's the command ship of the Farqian fleet here in the kingdom of Melaurn.
Doesn't really have all that much to do with him, and what he can do. But nearly everything to do with the krean navigators onboard their vessel. And what they're capable of doing.
Which is a hell of a lot more than i can ever do, Beldane the cleric thinks to himself, who then nods when Jarjin Littlefoot says "We better go and see him then".
And the three of them, along with the teenage messenger Lamis, who serves in the spy Tanith's company.
Exit the captain's cabin that the halfling councilor has taken over.
And they make their way up onto the deck of the fast frigate, that's put down in the middle of some woods, just on the Corlinda side of the border that it shares with it's neighbour to the north, the province of Moleau.
As the member of the church of Glaine, Beldane remains on deck, trying to get in contact with the krean strikeship, before he goes and retrieves Mira Reinholt the mage.
Jarjin Littlefoot, Dalinvardèl Tanith along with the teenage messenger Lamis.
Make their way over the starboard side, and down the cargo netting draped there, to the ground.
With the hobbit who is a former air sailor in the fleet of the Sultan of Dreese, muttering to himself in the halfling language about how he hates having short legs. Because he can barely climb down the cargo netting to the ground.
As the spy Tanith waits for councilor Littlefoot to make it down the side of the fast frigate, he quietly tells the teenage messenger "Have Manix bring the prisoner".
The spy who is originally from the elven principality of Alínlae, where he served in one of the more prominent noble houses of his homeland.
Points away to the left amongst the trees, and says "We'll be over there".
"Yes sir" says Lamis the teenage messenger, or runner as they're often referred to.
The youngster from the northwest of the lands Farqian hurries away as the grumbling Jarjin Littlefoot finally makes it onto the ground.
Dalin who knows not to offer the councilor any help, as he knows Jarjin aka Zubutai Timaginson will absolutely refuse it.
Points away to the left amongst the trees, and quietly says "We'll wait over there".
The halfling former air sailor grunts, then the two of them make their way into the nearby trees.
As the fast frigate is in the middle of a small clearing in the woods, just on the Corlinda side of the border it shares with the province of Moleau.
Standing amongst the trees, Dalinvardèl Tanith asks "Where's the Quick Gull?". Referring to the small, sleek, single masted vessel that Jarjin aka Zubutai the son of Timagin has been using recently.
"With Mira" replies councilor Littlefoot, who continues on with "He can get around on that, while I'll use the Mountain Dawn". As he points at the fast frigate, that's of krean design and make. Though modeled more in the style of a human designed ship.
Looking at the twin masted vessel made in the Krean Protectorate, and based in The Citadel, the capital of the lands Farque.
The elven spy nods his head, as the halfling quietly tells him "And Beldane can usually get to either one of us fairly quickly if he knows where we are".
The elven officer in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque then asks "Had word from his highness lately?".
Nodding his head, Jarjin aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman says "We have" followed by "They're up here in the border region now, away to the west".
The elf who previously served in one of the more prominent noble houses of his homeland, the principality of Alínlae then asks "And out east?" followed by "Tam and the others?".
"Last i heard they were in the province of Mofosild" answers the member of lord Farque's personal council who then adds in a slightly dry tone with "Dorc being with them, i guessing the crown's forces and their allies are having a bad time of it there".
Dalin nods in agreement with that. For if he was in the crown's forces fighting against lord Gormica of Salmah Forest.
The thing he'd least want to do, is come up against an opposing side that has Dorc da Orc in it.
For though the ork warleader who is a general in the armies of Farque is totally insane.
He's also a tactical genius when it comes to what's happening on a battlefield.
And true, he might not necessarily know, or for that matter care, what's happening overall in the campaign.
When it comes to a battle, whether impending, or one that's in progress.
The large ork can practically see which way a battle is going. And though a lot of that is an inborn ability he has.
The big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world has also learnt over the years from being constantly around lord Farque.
Who is the only one the spy Tanith has met, who is more of a tactical genius when it comes to battles, than the ork general.
And unlike the warleader of the ork race, the undead warlord always has the larger picture in mind.
Where the overall campaign is always more important than a single battle.
Though the lord and ruler of the lands Farque knows that a single battle can be pivotal in any war.
Such as the one where the lord of the death realm actually died four and half centuries ago.
Which led to the defeat of the Holy Norstran Empire which had invaded the Southlands at that time.
Looking away to the otherside of the clearing beyond the Mountain Dawn. Where amongst the trees there are a number of companies in the first army of Farque, along with Dalin's one.
The spy Tanith spots the veteran scout Manix walking alongside the young messenger Lamis.
Behind them walks two others in the elven spy's company. Between those two walks one of the prisoners.
Wrists bound, and his arms held by the two black clad Farqian soldiers walking to either side of him.
"Messy looking bastard isn't he?" quietly says Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit as they watch the prisoner being marched across the clearing towards them.
"That he is" says Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy, who when those of his company reach them, he points to the base of the tree next to him and the halfling, who is a member of the lord Farque's personal council.
The prisoner is shoved to the ground at the base of the tree. And scrambles to the tree, sitting with his back to it as he looks at his captors.
The spy Tanith orders the two other members of his company back to the rest, amongst the trees on the otherside of the clearing.
Then tells both the veteran scout, and the young messenger to stand nearby.
The prisoner who doesn't know what's being said, as he doesn't understand the language they're speaking in.
Demands to know what's going on. Until he groans, and doubles over after Dalin kicks him in the guts, then says in the common language to him "Silence".
Switching back to the elven language, the spy who is an officer in the scouts and rangers division of the first army of Farque, quietly says "To think he was one of the better nobles in with the baron".
"He recognises us too" says councilor Littlefoot, as the prisoner was part of the negotiation team for baron Wilmot of Pirtgott.
When the baron finally secured the services of the first army of Farque, in the war between the provinces of Corlinda and Karricaw.
The spy Tanith nods his head in agreement with the halfling former air sailor, who hails from the far east coast of the continent.
Then the two of them, elf and hobbit fall silent as they wait. They don't have to wait for too much longer.
For soon Beldane the cleric returns via a gateway, and with the fighting cleric is his fellow spellcaster, Mira Reinholt the mage.
The two practitioners of magic make their way from the fast frigate, to where Jarjin aka Zubutai Timaginson and Dalinvardèl Tanith are standing amongst the trees to one side of the clearing the Farqian warship is in.
"So" says Mira Reinholt the mage as he stands beside his fellow councilor Jarjin Littlefoot, and looks down at the prisoner.
"You've got him" adds the once powerful mage who hails from the city-state of Vexil, his homeland that he's in exile from.
"Dalin's company caught him" says the halfling who is a former air sailor in the fleet of the Sultanate of Dreese.
The elven spy then explains to the mage Reinholt how he and his company captured the prisoner, along with others.
After they ambushed them early last night, just across the border in the province of Moleau.
The once powerful mage nods his hooded head, then glances at Beldane the cleric, when Jarjin aka Zubutai Timaginson asks the fighting cleric "Were you able to contact the command ship?".
"I did" is the reply from the member of the church of Glaine, a god predominantly worshiped in the north of Beldane's homeland, the kingdom of Nastell.
"He can't make it" says Beldane referring to lord Farque.
"Too busy" adds the powerful cleric, who gestures at the prisoner and says "Make an example of him is what he reiterated".
The two members of lord Farque's personal council share a look.
Then the spellcaster, who was once the most powerful mage of his generation. Until he was stripped of most of his power when he went offworld after accidentally casting a rift/void spell.
Looks at the prisoner sitting on the ground at the base of a tree, looking more than a little disheveled, and most likely feeling totally miserable.
"Need that bloody Dorc here" dryly says the mage who also happens to be a highly skilled swordmaster.
"He'd make an example of him for sure" adds the Vexilian mage in exile.
Nodding his head in agreement with the mage Reinholt, Jarjin Littlefoot says "He isn't though, so we'll have to think of something".
The halfling from the far east coast of the continent is silent for a few moments, then he asks his fellow council member "Is that army you've been observing crossing the border anytime soon?".
"They'll be crossing over into Corlinda sometime in the afternoon" says Mira Reinholt.
Councilor Littlefoot nods his head, and after a few moments of silence, he says "I've got an idea".
Jarjin aka Zubutai the son of Timagin then explains what they should do.
The once powerful mage nods, while both Beldane the cleric and Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy wince.
"What say you?" asks the hobbit to his fellow councilor, the Vexilian mage in exile.
"Might as well" is the reply from the highly skilled swordmaster.
"The others as well?" asks Jarjin Littlefoot. The mage Reinholt responds with a nod of his hooded head.
Looking at the spy Tanith, Jarjin aka Zubutai barbarian hordesman says to him "Well take the other prisoners too".
Dalinvardèl Tanith nods his head in understanding, then he calls over the veteran scout Manix, and the messenger Lamis.
The elven spy who is an officer in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque, tells them "We're bringing all the prisoners".
Then with a glance at the trouble making nobleman from the province of Corlinda, lord Milson of Mottman Deep sitting at the base of the nearby tree.
The spy Tanith adds "And see if you can scrounge up some longspears" he briefly pauses before adding "Enough for at least one for each prisoner" . . . . . .