To War 67.

Summer. The City Of Calinar. The Capital Of The Kingdom Of Melaurn.

They arrived in the city of Calinar before dawn. And like elsewhere across the kingdom of Melaurn it's raining.
Though here on the coast, in the north of the kingdom it started raining yesterday afternoon.
Now this morning, the skies above the capital are still cloudy. But the constant rain has stopped.
It's only an intermittent drizzle that's dousing the city of Calinar this morning.
Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy who made his way off the Quick Gull right after they put in at the city airdocks.
Has made his way to one of the safehouses here in Calinar that the spies in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque use.
A handful of them are in the city at the moment. Along with others from the lands Farque. Which isn't all that far from the capital city of the kingdom of Melaurn.
Infact the border is just a handful of miles, three to be exact, from that northern outskirts of the city.
And the spy Tanith, who is looking out of a north facing window on the third storey of the safe house.
Can easily see the lands Farque in the distance to the north through the drizzle that's falling upon the city of Calinar this morning.
"Where is he?" asks the elven scout in the Farqian armies, one of the others who remained here in Calinar.
When the others went east during the war between the provinces of Karricaw and Corlinda just a few weeks ago this summer.
"Still onboard" is the reply from Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy as he looks away from the lands Farque to the north.
Then looks to the left, closer to the harbour and ocean, where the castle of the king of Melaurn is just back from the shoreline.
"I'll take him there a bit later" says the elven spy originally from the principality of Alínlae, who is now a company officer in the scouts and rangers division of the first army of Farque.
Dalinvardèl Tanith or Dalin as more often than not, he's called by those who know him well.
Nods in the direction of the nearby castle, and adds "After i find out what's been happening there" followed by "And elsewhere in the city".
The elven scout, who is from the island principality of Laerel. Which can be seen across the Kuyriers Straits on a clear, sunny day from the light towers at the ends of the harbour.
Says to the spy Tanith "What do you what to know?".
After a moment's silence as he continues to look at the palace of the king of Melaurn, the spy Tanith says "Everything".
The scout, who is twice the age of Dalin. Infact he was alive when lord Farque was alive.
And fought in the army led by the then battlelord, Kaiuss Farque as he was known then.
Dryly says "Hell, that's a lot" the scout momentarily pauses before continuing on with  "Well, for starters when we've been able to get someone into the palace, or when we've been able to bribe one of the courtiers, we've found the same thing over and over again".
"Oh, what's that?" asks the spy from the elven principality of Alínlae, where previously he served in one of the more prominent noble houses of his homeland.
"It's that the dowager queen who is the one driving the campaign against lord Gormica, and the provinces of Karricaw and Corlinda" says the elven scout in the first army of Farque.
"The king's mother?" asks Dalinvardèl Tanith, who knows the old queen had a lot of influence at court. He just didn't know how much, especially when it comes to the war down in the south of the kingdom.
"The very one" says the scout, who is originally from across the Kuyriers Straits, where the island principality of Laerel can be found.
"We've got it from very good authority, that she wanted to get the crown involved during the war between Karricaw and Corlinda" adds the elven scout, who continues on with "Before things spilled over into the province of Moleau".
The older of the two elves briefly pauses before he says "It's why the king's own and some of their allies got down into the south fairly quickly once word of what was happening across southern Moleau got to the capital"
The elf from the island principality of Laerel, then says "A lot of them were prepared for war anyway".
"Interesting" murmurs the elven spy who hails from the principality of Laerel, who is now a company commander in the scouts and rangers division of the first army of Farque.
Dalinvardèl Tanith then says "She's from the province of Sorros too" followed by "In the field we've encountered hardly anyone from there".
Nodding his head, the elven scout originally from the island principality of Laerel says "I doubt you'll see many from there anyway" he continues with "They're busy fighting themselves half of the time, so it isn't just her wanting to keep them out of what's happening down south".
"The crown can only get the other provinces in the west and the north, and in the middle of the kingdom to join in with them" says the spy Tanith, who then adds "Nobody down south will go to war against Karricaw and Corlinda" followed by "And the eastern provinces along the border with the tundra couldn't care less at what's happening in the rest of the kingdom".
The scout, who with a number of others, have remained here in the capital, nods in agreement with the spy who hails from the elven principality of Alínlae. Who is now a company commander in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque.
"We'll put a dent in any more of the allies from the west, and along the coast they send to Corlinda" quietly says the spy Tanith.
The older elf lifts his eyebrows in curiosity at that. But Dalinvardèl Tanith doesn't elaborate on that.
As the less people who know about the dissatisfied nobles of the southern province of Selvah Na have joined lord Gormica of Salmah Forest, the better in the opinion of Dalin.
The elf who is part of the group that travels with lord Farque, nods his hooded head in the direction of the palace and says "The king?" followed by "Any reluctance there on his part?" he then adds "Does he actually want this war during his reign, or is he just being pressured into it?".
The elven scout who hails from the island principality of Laerel, shakes his head, and says "His mother might be the driving force behind the war" he continues with "But he's fully committed to it, and has been ever since word got here about those attacks across the south of Moleau".
Dalinvardèl Tanith grunts, then dryly says "The one responsible for that is now dead" the elven spy continues with "I helped capture him" followed by "And execute him".
The elf who hails from the principality of Alínlae, where he worked as a spy for one of the more prominent noble houses of that nation.
Then quietly says "Not that, that would appease the crown since they're fully intent on making a point about what's happening down south".
The elven scout, who has served under lord Farque since before the undead warlord actually died, says "Successive royal families for at least three or four centuries have either willfully neglected the southern provinces, or straight out disliked them".
He follows on from that with "Hell, you'd have to go back to the time around when our lord was alive when Melaurn was a kingdom truly at peace and all the provinces got along".
The scout who is originally from the island principality of Laerel pauses for a moment or two, before he continues with "Which you'd think it would be like nowadays, considering the queen is from Corlinda".
Dalinvardèl Tanith blinks when he hears that, and he says "His wife?" . As he didn't realise the king's wife is from the southern province of Corlinda.
The older of the two scouts nods, then says "That's her" followed by "From a family along the border with Karricaw".
"I didn't know that" murmurs the spy Tanith who after a moment, frowns and says "That's not much of a political match" followed by "How the hell did the crown and the palace court allow that to happen?".
"They didn't" says the elven scout, who continues on with "He was crown prince at the time, and fell in love with her, and married her against the wishes of his father and mother".
"Now that is interesting" quietly says Dalinvardèl Tanith who is silent for a few moments, before continuing with "Anything else from the palace" followed by "And what about the rest of the city?".
After being updated about the situation here in the capital city of Calinar, especially in the palace of the king.
The spy Tanith leaves the safehouse, and heads back to the city airdocks. The elven spy faintly smiles as he briefly catches a glimpse of his shadow.
One of the scouts specifically trained by Helbe the elven thief. A scout in name only, as they're really spies and assassins.
As he walks through the drizzle back to the airdocks. Dalin listens to the conversations of the people who are out and about.
As a little bit of rain on a summer morning, isn't really going to slow down life in the largest city in the kingdom.
And as expected, not too much conversation he hears, is about what's happening specifically down in the provinces of Corlinda and Karricaw.
It's more to do with how the war is effecting them here in the capital, more than anything else.
From prices going up, as the king's own, and his allies taking the bulk of the supplies.
To loved ones no longer here in the city. As they're either in the king's own, or one of the allies armies. Or they've become camp followers.
Those who seek out a living as they follow behind the armies that have gone off to war against the Karricawian nobleman, lord Gormica of Salmah Forest.
The spy Tanith gets back to the airdocks, and heads to the dock where the Quick Gull is tied up.
Though part of the Farqian fleet, the small, single masted, sleek looking airship looks nothing like any ship from the lands Farque. Or for that matter, from here in the kingdom of Melaurn.
It looks like a foreign vessel, a pleasure ship really because of it's size. And all of it's crew, who though Farqians now. Are actually from well beyond the Southlands. As they're from the far east coast of the continent. The Sultanate of Dreese to be exact.
Onboard the Quick Gull, Dalinvardèl Tanith heads quickly below deck to the captain's cabin.
There the prisoner waits under guard of two of the crew.
The spy Tanith has the two guards wait out in the passageway as he speaks with the prisoner.
Dalin has found the enemy general to be an affable fellow. Even though the common born senior officer in the king's own hates that he's a prisoner.
He hasn't acted out against it. Nor has he complained at his treatment once he's been onboard the Quick Gull.
The elven spy originally from the principality of Alínlae, spent much of the journey from Corlinda to the capital Calinar talking with the prisoner.
Would readily admit the general, who is in his early forties is a decent enough man. Who just got caught in the wrong situation.
Leading a force he wasn't entirely pleased to be leading in the first place.
That ended up facing in battle a superior trained force who had less soldiers than his own army.
"You've mentioned you're somewhat friends with the king" says Dalinvardèl Tanith who knows the prisoner only attained his rank because he knows the king of Melaurn.
For no matter how good he is, he wouldn't ordinarily be a general here in Melaurn, in the king's own, because he's a commoner.
"How well do you know the queen?" continues the spy Tanith, who briefly pauses before adding "Both of them?".
Dalin notices the slight grimace on the face of the prisoner before he answers the question.
"I've meet the queen a number of times, and she's always treated me fairly" says general Sumic, who grew up alongside the king of Melaurn. As his parents were servants in the palace here in Calinar.
"And the dowager queen?" asks the spy Tanith, who figures the prisoner spoke truthfully there.
"I've met her" is the answer to that question from the Melaurian general.
Well, he definitely doesn't like her, Dalin thinks to himself after hearing that blunt answer to his question.
The elven spy originally from the principality of Alínlae then silently adds, i wonder if the feeling is mutual?
The spy Tanith is silent for a few moments as he thinks of something, then he says "Concerning your appointment to that army of various lords forces from Olind" followed by "Instead of the king's own like you usually do".
Dalin watches the prisoner carefully as he asks him "Think the dowager queen had something to do with that decision?".
"Maybe" is the answer from general Sumic after a few moments of silence, he then adds "I'm not certain, but it's a definite possibility".
The elven spy who is a company commander in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque, nods his head, then he asks "Got those messages?".
General Sumic taps where they are in his cloak, and says "I do".
"Come along then" says Dalinvardèl Tanith, followed by "Best i get you to the palace".
The elven spy continues with "Whatever you do when you get into the palace, don't let yourself or those messages get into the hands of the dowager queen".
General Sumic nods in understanding, and says "I won't" followed by "I'll kill myself before I'll let that happen".
They leave the captain's cabin, head up on deck, and disembark from the Quick Gull.
And make their way through the airdocks, and head for the king's palace here in the capital city Calinar.
With the prisoner, general Sumic walking as if he's going into battle.
Which in an odd way, is exactly what he's doing . . . . . .