To War 69.

Summer. Northern Corlinda.

With the constant rain, the ground is getting churned up in places.
So much so that lord Gormica of Salmah Forest slips over.
A good thing he does, as an enemy sword that's just about to hit, passes over him.
Then just as the lord of Salmah Forest tries to regain his own sword that's slipped from his hand.
A hammer whacks into the side of head of the enemy soldier who just tried to kill the nobleman the king and crown of Melaurn is at war against.
Hands grab Gormica of Salmah Forest, and help him up off the ground, and onto his feet.
Turning to his liege lord, the vassal knight sir Deemus asks "You okay?".
The nobleborn knight from the province of Karricaw swings his hammer at another of the king's own.
Who quickly backs away, as soldiers from the province of Karricaw rush forward to protect the two noblemen.
"Yeah I'm fine" says lord Gormica of Salmah Forest, who is breathing heavily as the constant rain continues to fall.
The nobleman who leads the province of Karricaw, and for the meantime, the province of Corlinda.
Looks around as his vassal sir Deemus says "We're finally pushing them back".
Lord Gormica nods, as from their position, that's what's looking like is happening.
The Karricawian nobleman who led his province in the recent war against the province of Corlinda.
And is now at war against the crown and king of Melaurn.
Asks his vassal knight "Do you see my boy?". Referring to his son, Elmond.
"I don't" says sir Deemus, who follows with "Last i saw of him was with our riders over in that direction".
The lord of Salmah Forest looks in the direction his vassal knight quickly points to.
And as the vassal knight calls out "After them men!" followed by "We've got the bastards on the run!".
Lord Gormica looks around wondering where his son has got to in the battle.
Then as he looks further to the left, or south of his position. The lord of Salmah Forest spots the forces of the army from here in the province of Corlinda.
And he wonders how his twin brother Wilmot is faring this morning in the rain, against the enemy army, the king's own.
Baron Wilmot of Pirtgott is breathing heavily as he looks around after he and one of his vassal knights, sir Crissen cut down a few of the enemy.
Before a number of the baron's men rushed forward to protect the pair of Corlindian noblemen.
A company of riders, led by another of the baron's vassal knights, sir Holjma, go racing by. Attacking the enemy who are backing away, and retreating along this section of the battlelines.
"Bloody hard going" says baron Wilmot of Pirtgott between breathes.
Next to the nobleman who led the province of Corlinda in the recent war against the province of Karricaw.
His vassal knight sir Crissen, who is breating just as heavily as the baron of Pirtgott, nods in agreement with the Corlindian nobleman who is the twin brother of lord Gormica of Salmah Forest.
"Finally pushing them back though" says sir Crissen the vassal knight who lifts the visor of his helm to wipe his brow with a damp cloth as the steady rain continues.
Just then, a young black clad messenger from the Farqian mercenary army rides up from behind, and says "Baron Wilmot have your men go there".
As the baron of Pirtgott looks to where the messenger points, the youngster says "They're pulling back towards the road" followed by "Trying to get a foothold there, so they can retreat properly".
Wilmot of Pirtgott nods in understanding, and says "Will do".
The young rider heads off, and the baron who led the province of Corlinda in the recent war against the neighbouring province to the east, Karricaw.
Says to his vassal knight sir Crissen "We've got the bastards on the run" he continues with "Have the reserves come up as well, that's if they let us".
The baron has put his son Krissner in command of their reserves. And he along with the Farqians who are in overall command of their army.
Have held back from using the Corlindian infantry reserves. Who number just over a hundred and fifty soldiers or so.
Sir Crissen nods, and looks back to the rear, glad that there hasn't been any explosions amongst their ranks lately.
Then he tells his liege lord "Looks like they've already got the signal to advance". As he sees his foot reserves heading forward.
"Good" murmurs the baron of Pirtgott, who then yells out to his men who can hear him "Advance towards the road!" followed by "To the right!".
As he sees that his orders, will complement the orders most likely given to his twin brother, Gormica of Salmah Forest. Whose infantry are now advancing, though to their left.
The Karricawian and Corlindian foot troops will advance until they meet. Creating a wedge to attack the army of the king's own, who are falling back towards the nearby road.
As the constant rain continues to fall across not just the battlefield, and northern Corlinda. But across a lot of the south of the kingdom of Melaurn on this warm summer's day.
Elmond, the son of lord Gormica circles back with his men. When he sees the bulk of the Corlinda army led by his father.
Is now advancing as the king's own heads back to the nearby road.
The young noble from the province of Karricaw flinches, as do the other riders around him.
As explosion occurs away to their right, just where they've been.
Elmond the son of Gormica hopes that all of his men are following him, and haven't been caught up in that explosion.
As both sides of the conflict utilize magic in this morning's battle, here in the north of the province of Corlinda.
The son of the lord of Salmah Forest sees a figure suddenly appear just up ahead, and to the right.
He immediately recognises the cleric in the halfplate armour as being in the mercenary army of Farque. Even though he doesn't wear a black tabbard, or a black cloak.
The young nobleman, still not yet twenty. As he rides by, sees through the falling rain, the fighting cleric swing his mace in the air, at what seems to be nothing.
Suddenly there's a white flash that shoots from the cleric's weapon. And a couple of moments later. Elmond and the other riders with him.
Hear an explosion back where they've come from. Back towards the enemy who are falling back towards the road.
As Elmond leads his horse company back to come alongside the flank of his father's army.
The young Karricawian noble glances back, and blinks as the rain continues to fall. And he no longer sees the cleric standing there.
On the otherside of the battlelines, the south side of the battle. Sir Holjma the vassal knight to baron Wilmot of Pirtgott, is heading back after leading a charge against the enemy, the king's own.
The nobleman whose lands are to the north and east of the baroncy of Pirtgott, closer to the border with the province of Karricaw.
Knows that he and his company of riders can't keep going into the enemy ranks.
Because one by one, he and his men will get isolated, and picked off as they take on the enemy.
So they're heading back, to come alongside the left flank of the Corlindian infantry, who are advancing on the king's own, who are falling back towards the nearby road.
Sir Holjma with his reins in one hand, and his broadsword in the other, blinks.
As through the falling rain that's continually fallen throughout the morning.
He spots a small, red ball of light, coming towards him and his company of riders as they wheel back towards the left flank of the Corlindian infantry.
The vassal knight to the baron of Pirtgott flinches as the small ball of red light, about the size of a small apple.
Shoots by, between him and the rider directly to his right. As it heads towards the enemy army who are falling back to the nearby road.
The Corlindian nobleman is just wondering what that could be. When a few moments later, he hears a thud in the distance back behind him and his company of riders.
Sir Holjma looks back over his right shoulder, and through the falling rain. He sees in a distance, a fiery cloud of debris mushrooming up into the rainy sky from amongst the king's own army back near the road.
As he looks ahead again, the nobleman from here in Corlinda, is just glad that whoever the spellcaster who did that. Is on their side, and not on the side of the enemy, the crown.
Lord Gormica of Salmah Forest looks away to their right, when his vassal knight sir Deemus gestures that way.
The nobleman who led the province of Karricaw to victory in the recent war against the province of Corlinda. And now finds himself at war against the crown and king of Melaurn.
Sees that his son Elmond, and his cavalry company have come back, and are now along the right flank of the Corlindian army.
That's advancing on the enemy once again, as the king's own are falling back to the nearby road, that comes down from the northeast.
"Keep moving forward!" calls out sir Deemus the vassal knight, the nobleman from Karricaw, who like his liege lord, is in a mix of plate, chain and leather armour, then calls out "Make way!".
As those at the front of their army, have once again engaged with the enemy army who have crossed the border from the province of Moleau, into Corlinda.
As the soldiers infront of the two noblemen start to part to allow the two noblemen and their guards forward.
A figure suddenly appears beside the lord of Salmah Forest, who recognises the man in the half plate armour who is suddenly beside him.
And though he doesn't wear a black tabbard, or black cloak. The Karricawian nobleman knows it's the cleric in the Farqian mercenary army who stands beside him.
"Best you not go forward at the moment with your men" says Beldane the cleric to the lord of Salmah Forest.
"Let them continue to join up with your brother's men" adds the fighting cleric who hails from the kingdom of Nastell.
The cleric who is a member of the church of Glaine, a god worshiped predominantly in the north of Nastell, continues with "They've still got an edge on numbers, even with all the fighting this morning".
Lord Gormica who'd hate to think how many of the combined army of Karricaw and Corlinda have been either wounded or killed this morning in the bloody battle, nods his head in understanding.
"Have our men in the fore go more to the left, and join up with Wilmot's men" says lord Gormica of Salmah Forest to sir Deemus.
As the vassal knight and some of the officers shout out that order. The nobleman who leads the provinces of Karricaw and Corlinda in the war against the crown and the king.
Walks forward, instead of rushing forward as he was intending to do.
The powerful cleric from the kingdom of Nastell continues walking beside him, telling him a number of things of what's happened so far this morning.
"Their commander has been captured" quietly says Beldane the cleric.
"He has?" says lord Gormica in surprise, who then frowns before he continues with "You wouldn't think it by the way they've been fighting".
Nodding his head, the fighting cleric says "He was appointed by the crown, and not much of a military leader to begin with".
"That lord from the capital?" asks the Karricawian nobleman.
"That's the one" says the powerful spellcaster who is a member of the church of Glaine.
Who has put wards around the lord of Salmah Forest without telling him.
"The senior officers are all the king's men, and they know what they're doing" says Beldane, who briefly pauses as he senses an enemy spellcaster, one that's still alive, is about to cast.
Sensing that, that particular spell isn't coming anywhere near here.
The fighting cleric who is a member of the group that travels with lord Farque, continues with "Though we'll definitely break them if they flee back up the road".
The member of the church of Glaine points away to the right flank of the Karricawian army.
And the lord of Salmah Forest, sees that his son Elmond's company of riders have been joined by the heavy horse troop.
And now they're turning away, heading further to the right, to the north.
Lord Gormica looks sharply at the cleric beside him, who says "We're going to let them get to the road and retreat" followed by "There the cavalry will hit them from the side as they flee northwards".
The Karricawian nobleman nods in approval, and says "Good plan".
Beldane the cleric nods too, and thinks the same of the plan devised by Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit as they battle the enemy army.
Who when they first showed up this morning along the road, badly outnumbered the combined army of the provinces of Corlinda and Karricaw.
But not now, as it's after midmorning, on a warm and rainy summer day here in this part of northern Corlinda.
As the war between the crown and king of Melaurn, against lord Gormica of Salmah Forest continues to rage on . . . . . .