To War 63.

Summer. The Province Of Corlinda.

"What is it?" asks Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy.
"His highness will be here soon" says Beldane the cleric.
The elf from the principality of Alínlae, who is now an officer in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque.
Looks from the powerful cleric, over to the two councilors. Mira Reinholt the mage and Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit.
Both of whom shrug their shoulders when he looks their way.
The elven spy looks back at the fighting cleric, who tells him "He wants to talk to you about something".
Dalinvardèl Tanith or Dalin as he's more commonly called by those who know him well.
Looks down at the army of lord Gormica of Salmah Forest and baron Wilmot of Pirtgott.
Who have stopped now it's the middle of the afternoon. And the enemy army from all reports has made better time than expected. And is only a dozen or so miles to the north.
The members of the group in this part of the province of Corlinda, are at the starboard rail of the Mountain Dawn, on the aft deck of the Farqian warship that's only fifty feet or so above the ground.
"Probably wants you to do something particularly dangerous" says Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit.
"Or steal something" dryly adds Mira Reinholt the mage, which illicits laughter from the others.
"Talking behind my back i see" dryly says Helbe the elven thief as he suddenly appears beside them.
"Of course" says the once powerful mage to his fellow spellcaster, the elven magic user.
The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel, who like Mira Reinholt and Jarjin Littlefoot, is a member of the personal council to lord Farque.
Sourly smiles as he looks at the once powerful mage who he's known longer than anyone else in the group onboard.
Then the elven masterthief says to the spy Tanith "There's something i want you to do".
"What is it?" asks the elven spy who is a company commander in the scouts and rangers division of the first army of Farque.
"Let's head down to the cabin to talk about it" says the highly talented elven magic user to all of them.
Once down in the captain's cabin of the Mountain Dawn, the elf who is a member of the royal family that rules the island principality of Laerel says "The Quick Gull should be here fairly soon after it went east to rendezvous with the flagship".
That gets the others attention, and the elven master assassin tells them "It's bringing a prisoner with them".
The elven masterthief who is the grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel tells them about the battle between the Farqian force led by field commander Tamric Drubine, and the enemy army that came down from the province of Moleau.
Near where the provinces of Corlinda, Moleau and Mofosild all border one another.
"This general Sumic is fairly important to them" says prince Helbenthril Raendril who continues on with "He's given some vital information about who leads the enemy force the twins army will face".
The elven master archer follows that with "Though this common born general led the lot who fought against Tam and was defeated" he then says "Mostly because they were a mix of armies from a number of lords up in Olind and Sorros".
Helbe the elven thief then adds "The lot the twins will come up against is led by a lord from the city of Calinar".
Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit is the first to guess the gist of what the elven spellcaster is saying, and he says "Think they made a mistake there?" followed by "Should of had this general Sumic in command of the king's own the twins will face?".
That halfling who isn't actually what he appears to be, then adds "And this lord from Calinar in charge of that lot that Tam defeated".
"They should of" says the young elven noble whose family has ruled the island principality of Laerel, the oldest nation in the entire Southlands, since it's inception.
"Don't think it would of made of a difference to that lot Tam's army defeated" says Mira Reinholt the mage.
The spellcaster from the city-state of Vexil, which he's in exile from, continues with "That giant green psycho Dorc would of defeated them no matter who commanded them".
The mage, who is also a highly skilled swordmaster. Has known Dorc da Orc longer than anyone else in the entire group with the exception of lord Farque himself.
So he wasn't in the least bit surprised when Helbe the elven thief mentioned it was the tactics of the ork warleader that defeated the enemy army that field commander Drubine's force, fought against yesterday morning.
"That maybe so" says the elven princeling from Laerel, who follows on from that with "But the king's own the twins army will take on, would definitely benefit from having this general, who is one of their own, in command of them instead of a city lord, appointed by the crown".
"All the better for us and the twins army then" says Dalinvardèl Tanith or Dalin as he's more commonly called by the others in the group.
"Us, yes" says the elven master assassin who then adds "You, not so much".
"Oh?" says the spy Tanith who looks at the younger elf who hails from the island principality of Laerel.
"The prisoner is being taken to the capital to deliver a message to the crown and the king" says the highly talented elven magic user, who after a slight pause, adds "And you're going with him".
"Why me?" asks the Dalin as he looks at the elf who is the envoy for the armies of Farque, who for the most part, is the one who deals with whoever it is that's hired them.
"Because you're a spy that's why" dryly says prince Helbenthril Raendril.
Which illicits a chuckle from the two spellcasters, the mage Reinholt and Beldane the cleric. And a grin from councilor Littlefoot.
The elven spy who previously served in one of the more prominent noble houses of his homeland, Alínlae.
Faintly winces, then dryly murmurs "I sometimes forget about that".
The highly talented elven spellcaster nods his hooded head, then says to spy Tanith "You'll also get in contact with our agents who stayed in Calinar" followed by "Best to learn how both the populace, and the crown are doing now that there's a war here in the south of the kingdom".
Dalin nods to that, then he along with Beldane the cleric, Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit, and Mira Reinholt the mage.
Listen to what Helbe the elven thief has to say to the elven spy about what he wants done in the capital city of the kingdom of Melaurn, the city of Calinar.
A little later in the afternoon, the Quick Gull. The small, sleek, single masted airship originally from the far east coast of the continent. The Sultanate of Dreese to be exact. Comes into view from the east.
From up on deck, Dalinvardèl Tanith watches the small vessel approach the fast frigate from a stern.
Once the Quick Gull is a few hundred feet from the twin, masted Farqian warship.
The two elves, Dalinvardèl Tanith and prince Helbenthril Raendril disappear, as the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel shifts the two of them away.
After the two hooded elves disappear, the councilors Mira Reinholt, and Jarjin Littlefoot, along with fighting cleric, Beldane. All share a look.
Then the spellcaster who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere in the Southlands.
Who lost the vast majority of his magical powers when he went offworld through a rift/void spell he accidentally cast.
Says to the powerful cleric originally from that kingdom of Nastell, and the halfling former air sailor from the Sultanate of Dreese "Think it will work?".
Councilor 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.
Shrugs his shoulders as he looks at the Vexilian mage in exile, then tells him "Who knows?" followed by "Anything could happen".
Beldane, a member of the church of Glaine. A god predominantly worshiped in the north of his homeland, the kingdom of Nastell.
Nods his head in agreement with the halfling who is a member of the personal council to lord Farque.
Then the powerful Nastellian spellcaster says "Like Jarjin said, anything could happen".
The churchman, who because he's a cleric, hasn't ever stepped foot into the lands of Farque, then adds "It's worth a try i guess" followed by "So they might as well go for it".
Both councilors, one human, the other halfling, nod to that. Then all three of them look down at the combined army of lord Gormica of Salmah Forest, and baron Wilmot of Pirtgott.
Then as the Quick Gull passes by, overhead. The three of them look away to the north, the direction the enemy, consisting of the king's own, is coming from.
As they do, Helbe the elven thief appears beside them on the aft deck of the Farqian fast frigate, the Mountain Dawn.
Down on the ground where they've stopped in what can be described as a dell between hills.
Lord Gormica of Salmah Forest looks up into the sky, and spots the small, dark, sleek looking airship called the Quick Gull.
Flying away to the west, on what's been a much cooler summer day here in the north of the province of Corlinda compared to the weather of the last couple of weeks.
The nobleman from the province of Karricaw, who led that province to victory in the recent war, against it's neighbours here in Corlinda.
Looks at his twin brother, the baron of Pirtgott. Who was the leader of the province of Corlinda in that war.
And nods up into the sky, at the small airship that's flying away to the west.
"Something's happening for sure" quietly says baron Wilmot of Pirtgott.
"No question about it" says lord Gormica of Salmah Forest, who finds himself in a war against the crown and king of Melaurn.
The nobleman who has continued to hire the mercenary army from the lands Farque, quietly says to his twin brother "I guess we'll find out soon enough".
As he stands there blurred, completely invisible to the twin brothers Gormica and Wilmot.
Helbe the elven thief nods his hooded head in agreement with the leader of the province of Karricaw.
The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel then drops his blur spell. And it seems he suddenly appears beside the nobleborn twin brothers.
When infact, he's been there for quite sometime, listening to what the lord of Salmah Forest and the baron of Pirtgott have been discussing.
"Anything we should know about?" asks lord Gormica of Salmah Forest as he nods his head in the direction of the Quick Gull which is flying westwards.
"Not really" says Helbe the elven thief, who does decide to tell the nobleborn twins "It's going to the capital to see how things are there". Which is some of what it's doing, though definitely not all.
The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel then says "The enemy will probably stop for the night just five, maybe four miles from here".
The elven master assassin points to the hills to their left, to the west, and adds "Over those hills is probably the best spot to confront them".
The highly talented elven magic user continues with "We just have to get them there in the morning".
The Karricawian nobleman, lord Gormica of Salmah Forest nods in understanding, then says "You want to send out some of our men during the night" followed by "Get them in position so the enemy can follow them?".
Baron Wilmot of Pirtgott, the blunter of the two brothers speaks up and says "You want some bait for them?".
The elven princeling from Laerel, nods his hooded head, then says to the nobleborn twins who recently led their respective provinces to war against one another "Some of our scouts and rangers will lead them".
The elf who is a member of the personal council to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque continues with "Though the road the king's own are on goes near where we want them, it's still about half a mile from where we actually want them to be".
The elven masterthief who is a member of the royal family that rules the principality of Laerel, gestures away to the west and says "We'll go over there shortly so you can see where we want to confront them".
Prince Helbenthril Raendril then says "Some of the others will join us, and we'll go over with your senior officers so we can discuss how best to implement our plans".
The lord of Salmah Forest nods, then he asks "You think we've got a chance?". As they know they're outnumbered by the king's own army that's in this part of northern Corlinda.
"Of course" replies the elven envoy with confidence.
And though the fast frigate, the Mountain Dawn will be used to keep any enemy airships away.
Helbe the elven thief knows that if things get dire for the army of lord Gormica and baron Wilmot.
The Farqian warship will end up attacking the enemy army. Which is wrought with danger. Especially if the battle doesn't have clear decisive lines.
"Gather who you want to come along and see where we want to confront them" says Helbe the elven thief as he senses Beldane the cleric onboard the Mountain Dawn is about to cast.
A few moments later, and the fighting cleric, along with Mira Reinholt the mage and Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit.
Along with a few senior officers of the contingent of the Farqian mercenary army with the twins army.
Appear away to their right, then walk over this way.
Lord Gormica nods, then he and his twin brother Wilmot, turn then go and gather who they want to come along with them.
As they do, prince Helbenthril Raendril looks at his fellow councilor, the hobbit from the far east coast of the continent, and asks him in the elven language "You sure this is the best place?".
"Best place around here" is the reply in the same language from Jarjin aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman who is the one who has picked the spot in this part of northern Corlinda they want to confront the king's own army who have come down from the province of Moleau.
"We'll find out tomorrow after the battle if it is" says Mira Reinholt the mage who is the pragmatic one out of them.
"Until then, we can only plan, and speculate" adds the once powerful mage.
Which gets nods of agreement from Beldane the cleric, Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit, and Helbe the elven thief as they wait for the twins Gormica and Wilmot to return, before they head off to the spot where they want the upcoming battle to take place . . . . . .