To War 61.

Summer. Corlinda. Melaurn.

"That's him isn't it?" asks lord Gormica of Salmah Forest.
"Yeah that's him, alright" says baron Wilmot of Pirtgott, who then adds "I'd recognise him anywhere".
Next to him, his twin brother Gormica nods his head as they look at the body skewered on the spear, lying on the ground, beneath a tree.
One of about twenty such dead bodies lying here, not far from the border with the province of Moleau.
"Sorry" quietly says the lord of Salmah Forest, which is in the province of Karricaw.
The baron of Pirtgott, which is a city, and a baroncy in the central region of the province of Corlinda, grunts then says "He thought he was doing right".
Then the baron who is the older of the twins. Just shakes his head as he looks at the body of lord Milson of Mottman Deep.
A fellow Corlindian nobleman. Who was his closest ally in the recent war with the province of Karricaw.
Who because of their loss. Took it upon himself to take revenge on lord Gormica who led Karricaw in the recent war between the neighbouring provinces.
And now his actions have drawn in the king and crown of Melaurn.
Who is now at war with the Karricawian nobleman, lord Gormica. And by default, also against the province of Corlinda.
"What a fucking mess" mutters the baron of Pirtgott, who then looks at the other bodies that were impaled.
Then he, along with his twin brother Gormica, look over at the elven officer in the armies of Farque, who is standing close by.
"We had them impaled there, next to the road" says Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy who turns and points to the dirt packed road, that's nearby.
"Those in command of the enemy army came up over that brow first, and had the bodies taken down, and dragged over here before the bulk of their army could see them" adds the elven spy who hails from the principality of Alínlae, who is now an officer in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque.
"Of course they bunched up when the majority of their army got here" continues Dalinvardèl Tanith, or Dalin as he's more commonly called by those who know him well.
Who follows on from that with "Made worse as they had most of their cavalry following behind the infantry".
"That was a mistake" dryly says lord Gormica, his twin brother nods in agreement as they look along the road that heads south.
The battle here near the center of the length of the border between the provinces of Moleau and Corlinda, was two mornings ago.
And this late in the afternoon two days later there's still local villagers and farmers scavenging from the dead. Predominantly soldiers from the province of Moleau. From armies of various nobles in that province who answered the call to arms from the crown and king.
There's large craters along the road, and to the sides of it. Evidence of a bombardment from Farqian warships that took the lead in this particular battle with the enemy.
"We were outnumbered" says Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy who is a company commander in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque.
"But after the airships hit them, they had no chance against us" continues the elf who previously served in one of the more prominent noble houses of his homeland, the elven principality of Alínlae.
"Wouldn't want to of been in the middle of that" quietly says lord Gormica of Salmah Forest.
His twin brother, Wilmot of Pirtgott nods in agreement with him as they look at the destruction wrought by some of the ships in the Farqian fleet.
"Seen enough?" asks the spy Tanith as he looks at the twin brothers, who recently led their respective provinces in a war against one other.
"We have" says Gormica of Salmah Forest who finds himself at war against the king and crown of Melaurn.
Next to him, his twin brother nods in agreement after taking one last look at the skewered body of lord Milson of Mottman Deep.
The elven officer in the scouts and rangers division of the first army of Farque looks over at Beldane the cleric who has been standing silently nearby, and nods his hooded head to the powerful spellcaster.
Dalinvardèl Tanith then calls out a command in elven. And a number of scouts and rangers who were out of sight amongst the trees, come forward into view.
As they do, the gateway that Beldane the cleric has just cast, appears.
After a scout and a ranger run through it first, the elven spy who hails from the principality of Alínlae says to the nobleborn twins "After you".
Lord Gormica of Salmah Forest goes through the door sized gateway first, followed by his twin brother, baron Wilmot of Pirtgott.
Dalin goes through the gateway after the two of them. Then one by one, it's the other scouts and rangers.
Finally Beldane the cleric goes through the gateway he's cast. Once he's through it, and on the otherside. The gateway disappears as he drops the spell.
Onboard the fast frigate, the Mountain Dawn, Mira Reinholt the mage says "They're back".
The once powerful mage points to a nearby hatchway. And Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit looks that way.
A little while later, and Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy comes up on deck, followed by the twin brothers Gormica and Wilmot.
They're followed by the powerful cleric Beldane. Who looks councilor Reinholt and Littlefoot's way, and nods.
As the noblemen who are twins. One from the province of Karricaw, and the other from here in the province of Corlinda.
Make their way forward along the deck, where a number of their vassals and officers are waiting for them.
The spy Tanith follows after them. While the fighting cleric, who is a member of the church of Glaine heads to where the two council members are standing on the aft deck.
After the halfling, who is a former air sailor. Tells the captain of the warship, the Mountain Dawn. That he can lift off, and continue on their way. Heading further to the west along the border region between the provinces of Moleau and Corlinda.
Beldane the cleric quietly says "I don't think the baron was too upset" followed by "More disappointed than anything else".
"Well, he knows now" says Mira Reinholt the mage, who along with his fellow council members, Jarjin Littlefoot and Helbe the elven thief.
Decided to tell both lord Gormica and baron Wilmot of the fate of lord Milson of Mottman Deep.
The baron of Pirtgott's closest ally, who has plunged the southern provinces of Karricaw and Corlinda into a war against the king and crown of Melaurn.
As the fast frigate, the Mountain Dawn lifts off the ground, and starts heading westwards as the sun starts to slowly go down in the west, on what's been a hot summer day right across the north of the province of Corlinda.
Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit says "We should get to them sometime late tomorrow". Referring to the enemy army they're traveling to confront.
The halfling who isn't all that he appears to be, continues with "I don't know if we what to be fighting after the army has marched all that way".
As the combined army of lord Gormica and baron Wilmot are already on the move, and are further to the west of where the Farqian warship is at the moment.
"Best not" says the spellcaster who is from the city-state of Vexil, his homeland that he's in exile from.
"We've only got a small number of our own with them" adds the mage who is also a highly skilled swordmaster.
The mage Reinholt, who like Jarjin Littlefoot, is a member of the personal council to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, continues with "And besides i don't think we want the twins army fighting in what will essentially be the nighttime".
Both the hobbit, who is from the far east coast of the continent, the Sultanate of Dreese to be exact.
And the fighting cleric who hails from the kingdom of Nastell.
Nod in agreement with the once powerful mage from the city-state of Vexil.
"Think they're up for it?" asks Jarjin Littlefoot, 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 the hobbit, who is a former air sailor in the fleet of the Sultan of Dreese.
"Maybe" says the once powerful mage, who shares a look with his fellow practitioner of magic, Beldane the cleric.
"Maybe" says the powerful Nastellian spellcaster with a shrug of his shoulders, who continues on with "His highness seems to think they can".
Referring to Helbe the elven thief, who isn't here with them, onboard the Mountain Dawn at this time.
"That's not exactly comforting" dryly says Jarjin aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman, who follows on from that with "The royal thief isn't exactly known for being a tactical genius when it comes to a battle".
"Maybe not" says the spellcaster who was once the most powerful mage of his generation, to be found anywhere in the Southlands.
Until he was stripped of the vast majority of his powers when he went offworld, through a rift/void spell he accidentally cast one day over fifteen years ago now.
Mira Reinholt, who is in his early forties nowadays, looks at his fellow council member Jarjin Littlefoot who is standing beside him, here on the aft deck of the Farqian warship, the Mountain Dawn.
And knows that the hobbit from the far east coast of the continent, to be exact, Zubutai Timaginson.
Has had the most training in battle and warfare tactics, out of all of them here at the moment.
Having been taught by a number of the undead of the lands Farque. Though more in cavalry tactics, both light and heavy, more than anything else.
As he learnt alongside both the ork warleader, Dorc da Orc. And the young field commander, Tamric Drubine.
Whenever they've spent any extended amount of time in the lands Farque over the last decade or so.
Even since Tamric Drubine was found up in the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin. When Tam, as he's more commonly called by the others in the group. Was only eight years old, when Mira Reinholt, Dorc da Orc and Kail Ariss the sorceress. Who Zubutai Timaginson was inhabiting at the time. First found the son of a previous Knight of Castle Drubine.
"What do you think?" says the Vexilian mage in exile to the halfling who is a former air sailor.
"Are they capable enough?" adds the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster.
Jarjin aka Zubutai the son of Timagin thinks about it for a little while, then quietly says "They just might be".
Councilor Littlefoot, who will readily admit that his expertise when it comes to warfare, is more to do with mounted warfare, more than anything else.
Then says to his fellow councilor, and the fighting cleric "If we can find some open ground to fight on, i might be able to give them a bit of an advantage".
As a good third of the combined army of lord Gormica of Salmah Forest, and baron Wilmot of Pirtgott.
Maybe even two, fifths of it, is mounted. Both light and heavy cavalry.
"Their cavalry seems sound enough" says councilor Littlefoot, who continues on with "And they've got enough heavy horse to make an impact".
The once powerful mage nods, then quietly says "Remember we'll be up against the king's own army here" followed by "Not his allies from throughout the kingdom".
"I know" says the halfling from the far east coast of the continent, who served as an air sailor in the fleet of the Sultan of Dreese.
Before he died in battle, and came back to life with Zubutai the barbarian hordesman inhabiting his body.
"Even if we can repel them, it will be like a victory to the twins" says Jarjin aka Zubutai Timaginson, who continues on with "Remember we're badly outnumbered by the enemy".
The halfling who is on the personal council to lord Farque briefly pauses before he adds "Any respite after pushing them back will be good for our morale, and bad for their's".
Nodding his head, Beldane the cleric says "They'll be coming down here expecting to dominate things".
The fighting cleric, who is a member of the church of Glaine, a god predominantly worshiped in the north of his homeland, the kingdom of Nastell, then says "They know they outnumber us, so even minor setbacks will be seen as a loss to them".
Both councillors Reinholt and Littlefoot, nod in agreement with the powerful spellcaster who is the only member of the group that travels with lord Farque, who has yet to set foot in the lands of Farque. For obvious reasons. He's a cleric.
Jarjin aka Zubutai the son of Timagin, looks ahead, and as the sun sets in the west, he spots the combined army of lord Gormica of Salmah Forest, and baron Wilmot of Pirtgott.
And though there's a small number of the Farqian mercenary army with them.
Less than a hundred, made up of a couple of companies of scouts and rangers.
Otherwise the army of over three and a half thousand, are predominantly from the provinces of Karricaw and Corlinda.
The Mountain Dawn slows down and flies to one side of the army, that's heading off a road, to an abandoned farm to set up camp for the night.
Onboard the fast frigate in the Farqian fleet, lord Gormica of Salmah Forest looks down at their army.
The nobleman from the province of Karricaw who is on the bow deck of the twin masted airship, turns and looks at his twin brother, and quietly asks him "Think we can do it?".
The baron of Pirtgott, who until his army was defeated by the Farqian mercenary army in the recent conflict between the provinces of Corlinda and Karricaw. Was always confident in the ability of the army he leads.
Infact he was victorious in the war between Corlinda and Karricaw. For less than half a day. Until he stopped paying the Farqian mercenary army. Who his twin brother Gormica would immediately hire.
As the sun sets behind them, and the Mountain Dawn comes to a stop in the air. And as the army down below sets up camp across the empty fields of an abandoned farm.
Baron Wilmot of Pirtgott quietly says to his twin brother, who he still doesn't necessarily like "I think so".
The nobleman whose baroncy is in the central region of the province of Corlinda pauses for a moment or two, before he quietly adds "I hope so". . . . . .