To War 71.

Summer. The Kingdom Of Melaurn.

The heavy rain for the most part has stopped. Though away to the east, it looks like it's still raining pretty heavily in that direction.
Lisell Maera the scout wipes her face as she stands beneath the branches of a tree.
The attractive young woman originally from the city-state of Brattonbury sourly smiles.
For though the heavy rain has stopped, and it's only drizzling at the moment.
Fat drops of water continue to fall from the branches above her, occasionally hitting her as she looks away to the north.
Lisell Maera or Lis as she's more commonly called by those who know her well.
Looks to the right, and gives a hand signal to the ranger in that direction.
The black clad, Farqian ranger nods in reply, then he moves out.
The tall, lean, athletic and attractive young woman who hails from the coast of the Southlands moves out too.
Lis has only taken a few steps away from the tree she's taken cover under.
When there's suddenly a fairly heavy sounding thump just behind and to the right of her.
The scout whips out her shortsword as she spins around. Then she wryly smiles as she sees what it now behind her.
"Anvil" says Lisell Maera the scout as she looks at the massive undead wardog who is standing there, with what can only be described as a grin upon his maw, as his tongue is lolling out the side of his mouth.
The attractive young woman who is in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque, frowns as she wonders where Anvil has come from.
Then she quickly looks up into the cloudy sky, and through the drizzle she sees the large, heavily armoured figure of lord Farque suddenly appear in midair, about fifty feet above the ground.
The undead warlord falls to the ground, landing right next to his wardog. Barely bending at the knee as he lands on his feet.
"My lord" says the scout Maera in the elven language.
"Lis" says lord Farque in greeting in the same language.
The heavily armoured deathlord then calls out to the nearby ranger, telling him that the only people in the area. Are some local tree cutters, about half a mile to the east. And that there's no enemy in the direction the ranger and scout were heading.
After ordering the ranger back to the army, the lord and ruler of the lands Farque says to Lisell Maera "Back to Tam and the others" followed by "There's things we need to discuss".
With tongue lolling, the undead wardog Anvil gets up, and turns, then takes off running to the south.
The deathlord of Farque, and the scout who is originally from the city-state of Brattonbury, follow after the massive canine.
As they walk quickly through the trees, the lord and ruler of the lands Farque says to Lis "I gather Dorc and his battalion of goblins went east to join up with Tovis?".
"They did" says the attractive young woman whose mother was a prostitute who worked on the streets of the city of Brattonbury.
And whose father, a man she never knew, nor met. Was a sailor, who plied his trade on the Great Western Ocean.
"Percy went with them to that castle out there" continues Lis who serves in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque.
"I don't know if that's a good idea" dryly says the undead warlord, who is also known by the name of Draugadrottin to the people of his lands.
"Tam sent Shur Kee with them" says the scout Maera.
A grunt of approval comes from behind the faceplate of the heavily armoured deathlord's full helm.
"Well if there's one person who can keep those two fuckwits in line, it's the monk" dryly says the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
Lisell Maera grins as she nods in agreement, as they walk through the falling drizzle, heading back to the army led by the young field commander, Tamric Drubine.
A rather wet, and disheveled looking owl flies right into the tent through the open front flap.
After landing on a camp seat, it suddenly turns into a cat. A rather displeased one as it hisses, before meowing in a plaintive manner.
"It doesn't particularly care to be out in the rain, even if it is only drizzling at the moment" says Saanea the witch, as she picks up her familiar, and pats it, trying to mollify the upset magical creature.
"I don't blame it" says Tamric Drubine the field commander, who follows that with "I don't particularly care to be out in the rain as well".
Saanea's familiar meows in agreement with the nobleborn teenager who hails from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin.
Who commands a force of about a third of the first army of Farque. Who are here in the kingdom of Melaurn. Fighting on behalf of lord Gormica of Salmah Forest. Who has hired them, as he fights a war against the crown and king of Melaurn.
"Lis is coming back" says the pretty looking spellcaster who is from the Maldin Hills.
A long hill range near the coast of the Southlands, far to the north of the kingdom of Melaurn.
Not far from the port town of Gilsom, which is itself, over fifteen hundred miles to the south of the coastal city-state of Brattonbury.
"Her squad find something up that way?" asks the nobleborn teenager, who is the son of a former Knight of Castle Drubine, which is located in the forested north of the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin.
Saanea shakes her head no, and says "She's coming back with lord Farque" the pretty looking witch continues with "The command ship is in the area".
Tamric Drubine or Tam as he's more commonly called by those who know him well, nods in understanding.
Then steps outside, and tells one of his adjunctants to gather the senior officers here, in the command tent.
Since the battle, they've been heading westwards through northern Corlinda.
Searching for signs of the enemy, who might attempt to cross over the border from the province of Moleau.
Field commander Drubine who knows that there's an enemy army of the king's own further to the west in northern Corlinda.
Knows that the combined army of lord Gormica of Salmah Forest and baron Wilmot of Pirtgott have gone into battle against them, either today or yesterday.
The nobleborn teenager who is originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin. Who is the lover of Saanea the witch.
Suspects the lord and ruler of the lands Farque has come here to inform him about that.
And to tell him about what else is happening in the war between lord Gormica of Salmah Forest, and the crown and king of Melaurn.
Wonder how that general did in the capital? Tamric Drubine thinks to himself, as he wonders how the prisoner, general Sumic, faired in the capital city, Calinar.
As his subcommander and other senior officers turn up to the command tent.
The young field commander spots outside, the two undead brothers, Arveem the heavy foot trooper, and Dargarven the scout. Wandering through the camp in this direction.
Tam knows that they already know lord Farque is in the area.
And he figures they're silently communicating with him already. As he knows the Farqian undead have the ability to mindspeak with one another.
Looking at one of the messengers standing beneath the overhang at the front of the command tent.
Tamric Drubine after quietly asking his lover Saanea something, the senior officer in the armies of Farque says to the runner "Furnid, lord Farque is that way".
As he points in the direction the undead warlord is coming from, the young field commander adds "Escort him here to the command tent".
"Yes field commander" says the messenger Furnid, who Tam helped to train during the wintertime.
The nobleborn teenager originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin slightly grins as he watches the young messenger hurry away.
As lord Farque is perfectly capable of finding where they are. After all, he's an undead warlord who can sense all life for miles and miles in all directions around him.
Tamric Drubine who wanted to give young Furnid the honour of being in the presence of his lord.
Looks over at the undead brothers Arveem and Dargarven again. And sees the young teenage adjunct, Hamblin is following right behind them.
The teen from northwest Farque, who Tam, along with Saanea and others also helped to train during the winter.
Is now a junior officer in training, learning as much as he can as the assistant to the undead heavy foot trooper Arveem.
Who truth be told, doesn't need a young adjunct to assist him whatsoever.
But it's the training of the young teens that count. And the youngsters, whether they're runners, messengers, adjunctants or other junior officers in training.
Are getting an awful lot of training on the job so to speak. As they're part of the first army of Farque.
Who have been hired by the Karricawian nobleman, lord Gormica of Salmah Forest, who finds himself at war against the crown and king of Melaurn.
As his officers quietly chat amongst themselves, field commander Drubine quietly asks his lover Saanea "Anything else in the area?".
"Nothing that i can tell" is the reply of that spellcaster from the Maldin Hills.
The witch continues with "I'm figuring lord Farque will tell us if there is".
The nobleborn teenager originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin nods to that.
As he and the others wait for the lord and ruler of the lands Farque to show up.
It's not too long before Tam spots the massive shape of Anvil coming through the camp, that the army has set up along a belt of trees that a farmer has between his fields.
The undead wardog trots through camp, until getting near to the command tent.
Where he wanders over to the undead brothers Arveem and Dargarven, who are beside some of the trees.
There the massive canine sits down, then lies down, letting out a heavy sigh.
Before rolling onto his back, and lying there with his legs in the air, with his head at an angle, so he looks straight into the command tent.
Tamric Drubine is pretty certain the undead wardog is looking at Saanea's familiar, which is in cat form, in the arms of the practitioner of magic from the Maldin Hills.
Soon the young field commander spots the unmistakable figure of lord Farque making his way through the camp.
As the six foot, seven inch tall, three hundred pound undead being, encased from head to foot in a suit, of dark blue, black heavy steel plate armour, or so it seems.
Walks through the camp, those soldiers not outside, make their way from their tents. And join the others, and bow to their lord as he walks by.
Next to the lord of the death realm walks the scout, Lisell Maera.
And though near six foot tall herself, and being lean and athletic. The attractive young woman originally from the coastal city-state of Brattonbury. Has to hurry to keep up with the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
As does the young messenger, Furnid. Who is closely following behind the undead warlord and the scout.
Lord Farque, who has the elven name of Des'tier. Which translates to, The Destroyer.
Nods his full helmed head as he walks by the undead brothers Dargarven and Arveem.
The deathlord of Farque walks by the runners and messengers at the front of the tent, nodding in reply to their bows.
Then he enters the command tent, along with the scout, Lisell Maera.
After Tam's senior officers and adjunctants bow to their lord and ruler.
Lord Farque nods, then gestures outside and says to them in elven "Wait outside for the meantime".
A chorus of "Yes my lord" comes from them, before they exit the command tent of Tamric Drubine.
Once they're outside, the undead heavy foot trooper Arveem and the undead scout Dargarven enter.
With Dargarven, the younger of the undead brothers closing the front tent flap behind him.
"Silence spell around the tent if you please" says the heavily armoured deathlord to Saanea the witch.
"Of course my lord" says the pretty looking spellcaster, after Tam lifts an eyebrow at that request from the heavily armoured deathlord.
The lord and ruler of the lands Farque makes his way over to the map table, waving for the others to join him.
Once they're all around it. With Tam, Lis and Saanea on one side. And the undead brothers, Arveem and Dargarven to either side of it.
The undead being who is over four and half centuries old, who is on the opposite side of the map table from the trio of living humans, says "So this is what's been happening".
Lord Farque briefly pauses for a moment, as field commander Drubine, the scout Maera, and the witch Saanea look at him, then he adds "And this is what you lot will do next".
Before he goes onto explain the current situation of the war between lord Gormica of Salmah Forest, and the crown and king of Melaurn.
And what he wants the army led by Tamric Drubine to do next, when they move out early tomorrow morning . . . . . .