To War 72.

Summer. In The Province Of Corlinda.

They set off early, still nighttime really. Heading north and east. In the direction of where the borders of the provinces of Corlinda, Moleau and Mofosild all meet.
Now it's the morning, and the constant rain of the last day and a bit has ceased.
Now there's only a little bit of drizzle falling in this part of the northeast of the province of Corlinda, and that looks like it will stop soon. Though the early morning skies remain very much cloudy.
Dickhead Thirty Something is out infront, and he stops when he hears movement up ahead amongst the trees.
The goblin, who has been made a scout in the battalion. Knows that no human would of heard what he just heard.
So he remains completely still, trying not to give himself away. Hoping it's one of the actual scouts, or rangers up ahead.
Thirty Something as more often than not he's called by the others in the battalion.
Waits behind the trunk of a tree, and eventually he hears a quiet voice say something in the elven language, from up ahead of him in the trees.
Dickhead Thirty Something doesn't know what the actual word is, but he does know what the correct response to it is.
"Draugadrottin" quietly calls out Dickhead Thirty Something, who suddenly sees movement up ahead.
As a Farqian ranger steps out from behind a tree, and lowers his longbow before nodding his hooded head in greeting to the goblin.
Thirty Something breathes a sign of relief, and nods in return. Glad he didn't get skewered by the expert archer's arrow.
The goblin hurries forward, going over a fallen branch, without even tripping over it, much to his relief and amazement.
As he doesn't want to look like a complete fool infront of the ranger, who quietly tells him in the common language as he knows the goblin can't speak elven "It's just up ahead" followed by "Just a few hundred yards away".
Dickhead Thirty Something nods, then quietly says "I'll go back and get them, and bring them here".
Them, consists of Tovis the war engineer, Dorc da Orc, sir Percavelle Lé Dic, Shur Kee the monk Teabagger the Goblin Cunt. A squad of twenty or so goblins, one of whom is Dickhead Thirty Something.
As well as a handful of scouts and rangers from the first army of Farque.
And a dozen or so from the engineering corp in the Farqian mercenary army who have turned up over the last day from being over in the province of Karricaw, helping with the rebuild of the castles, keeps, towns and villages in that province.
With them is captain Domall, the captain of the guard of lord Measum.
They've gone northeast from the castle of lord Measum, the local lord here in the northeast of the province of Corlinda.
They've gone towards where the borders of three provinces, Moleau, Mofosild and Corlinda meet.
"This way boss, er captain" says Dickhead Thirty Something to Tovis the war engineer.
For though Dorc da Orc is a general in the armies of Farque. They all know that it's the young engineer Tovis who is in charge here.
Even all the goblins in the battalion prefer it that way. For their general is great at making decisions on the fly during battle.
Making decisions at any other time isn't the ork warleader's strong suit.
As invariably his decisions that aren't during the middle of a battle are either totally stupid, or just plain dangerous. More often than not, both stupid and dangerous.
Besides Shur Kee the monk is with them here in the very northeast of Corlinda.
And the short, statured monk is the highest ranked one of them here. For though he's an honorary member of the personal council to lord Farque.
He's still a member of the personal council of the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
And since the enigmatic acolyte in the philosophical order of Bru Li. Is letting captain Tovis make all the decisions. Then that's the way things stand.
Dickhead Thirty Something leads them further along from where he spoke with the ranger.
And eventually finds the ranger, along with two Farqian scouts, at the edge of some trees.
And while the bulk of them remain back amongst the trees.
Thirty Something, along with the war engineer, the ork general, the former paladin, the goblin commander, the physical adept, and the local captain of the guard.
Move forward to where the ranger and two scouts in their black tabbards and cloaks are waiting.
The Farqian ranger in the hooded cloak doesn't say anything, and just points instead.
"Any survivors?" quietly asks Tovis the war engineer, as he figures the ranger and two scouts have already had a closer look.
"None" replies the ranger from the lands Farque, who points further to the northeast, and adds "You can't see from here, but there's a couple of farmsteads that way" followed by "They've suffered the same fate".
The young engineer originally from the kingdom of Druvic nods, then he turns to the local with them, and switching to the common language, the war engineer says "No one survived".
The captain in the engineering corp of the first army of Farque continues with "Same goes for a couple of farms further to the northeast, closer to the border".
Domall the captain of lord Measum's guard, winces then mutters "Shit".
As they look down at the village that's in ruins just fifty yards from where they stand at the edge of some woods.
And though some of the houses have been burnt down, most are still standing and are in one piece.
As the heavy rain yesterday when it looks like the village was attacked. Stopped the other houses and buildings from being burnt down to the ground.
They can see dead bodies, scattered throughout the village. Men, women of all ages, as well as children.
"Didn't think soldiers would do that" murmurs Tovis, who though only in his early twenties, he previously served as the war engineer to a baron Harkonin in the east of the kingdom of Druvic, his homeland.
"What happened?" asks the young engineer with a nod of his head at the village that's been attacked recently.
"It was hit yesterday morning" says one of the two scouts, who continues on with "A company of about fifty rode in, and attacked it" he then adds "Then they went back north to the border".
"Moleau or Mofosild?" asks the captain in the engineering corp of the first army of Farque.
"Moleau" is the reply of the black clad Farqian scout.
"Raiders perhaps?" asks Tovis war engineer, who follows on from that with "Bandits or the like?".
The scout shakes his head no, as does the other one, as well as the ranger, who says "These were soldiers, or at least some nobleman's guards".
The cloaked and hooded ranger, continues with "The horses shoes were similar to or exactly the same as a some of that lot we fought against in that battle the other day".
"Damn" murmurs the young engineer, who then quietly says "We could very well have another army from Olind and elsewhere in Moleau just across the border".
There's a brief moment of silence, which is broken by Shur Kee the monk who quietly says "This was expected".
The captain in the corp of engineers in the first army of Farque nods, then says "Yes it was" he then adds "But not these tactics".
"Simple" says sir Percavelle Lé Dic in his overly loud and boisterous voice, who continues on with "They've learnt about that recent defeat at our hands, wot".
The nobleman from the kingdom of Druvic then says "Now this new lot are changing tactics" followed by "They must surely know they can not stand up to our army led by young Tam".
Though Dorc da Orc scowls at his bitter rival, the former paladin.
The large ork who is going from tree to tree, trying to find one good enough to give him shelter from the light drizzle that's falling.
Does give a reluctant sounding grunt in agreement with what his bitter rival, the heavily armoured knight just said.
Tovis the war engineer turns to Domall the captain of lord Measum's guard, and tells him "All the surrounding villagers and farmers will have been told to move to the castle".
As the large castle of lord Measum's essentially has a town within it's walls. Easily able to house far more people than currently live there.
The local nods his head, then the young engineer looks back to one of his officers in the corp, and gives him some orders.
A short time later, and a couple of runners have taken off, heading back to the castle they left well before dawn.
Meanwhile the rest of them, have made their way into the village that was attacked yesterday morning.
Tovis the war engineer warns Dorc da Orc not to touch any of the dead.
As the large ork is licking his lips, and starts to drool as they go by the first of the dead bodies on the ground.
Shur Kee the monk repeats that warning to the ork warleader. Who isn't even bothered by the drizzle that's falling. As he's too busy gawking at the dead bodies in the village.
The short, statured monk who is originally from the far eastern coast of the continent, where his homeland, the kingdom of Wah Lee is located.
And who is now the honorary member of the personal council to lord Farque.
Keeps close to the big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world.
To make sure he doesn't take one or some of the dead villagers. As the ork weaponsmith, has a preference for eating human flesh over anything else.
As usual  Teabagger the Goblin Cunt, who commands the goblin battalion in the armies of Farque is close to his general, the ork warleader.
As is the large ork's bitter rival, sir Percavelle Lé Dic. Who unconsciously, is always near the ork general where he doesn't think about it.
Otherwise, the nobleborn knight who like Tovis the war engineer, hails from the kingdom of Druvic.
Keeps as far from his bitter rival, the weaponsmith from the wolf tribe of orks, as much as possible.
Tagging along with that smaller group, is Dickhead Thirty Something. For the simple fact, one of them is his commander, and another is his general.
Thirty Something and Teabagger make their way out of one of the houses, followed by their general after they've had a look inside.
Outside, Shur Kee the monk asks the big, burly ork from the frozen bottom of the world "Friend Dorc is there anyone in the area?".
"Dorc not your fucken friend" mutters the warleader of the ork race in the incomprehensible language of the orks.
Then Dorc da Orc or Dorkindle which is his given name, sniffs as he looks around and says in the common language to the physical adept "Just fucken us cunts".
The son of the previous matriarch of the wolf tribe of orks. Who incidentally, he killed. Which was only fair, as at the time, she was doing her utmost best to kill him.
Ork relationships, no matter between who. But especially between family members. Are a little volatile to say the least.
That's putting it lightly. As one of the favourite pastimes of all orks, is killing one another.
Takes a just few steps towards the next house in the village, more so to get out of the drizzle than to actually see what's inside of it.
When all of a sudden he stops, tilts his head, and sniffs deeply a few times.
"What is it Dorc?" asks the short, statured monk who is the living incarnation of the Jade Warrior, Bru Li.
"Beast, doth you smell something?" adds sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who then quickly says "Wot" followed by another "Wot".
After a few moments, as he stands there in the falling drizzle, Dorkindle grunts, then scowls up at the cloudy skies this morning.
Before hurrying to the next house, that has overhanging eaves, that the large ork is able to duck beneath, for a little bit of shelter.
"Well, demon?" asks the former paladin who is a member of the order of The Knights of Saint Mar-che.
"Is there something or someone about?" adds the physical adept who is the honorary member of the personal council to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
The ork, who was named warleader of his race a number of years ago, by lord Farque, grunts in the affirmative to Shur Kee the monk's question.
Meanwhile the two goblins, Teabagger and Thirty Something, who have naturally enhanced hearing like their general.
Try to listen for something or someone, in the area around the village.
They don't notice anything, but their general has, who tells the acolyte in the philosophical order of Bru Li "There's a cunt to the north of here".
Shur Kee who is best suited to be out in any rain, due to the odd, conical shaped hat he wears, nods then asks "How far away?".
"Couple of fucken miles me guess" is the reply of the large ork who holds up the all the fingers of one of his large, meaty, skillet sized hands.
The physical adept nods, and knows whoever it is, they're between two and five miles from the village. Which would put them on the border with the province of Moleau if they're about five miles away.
The short, statured monk along with the large heavily armoured knight, as well as the two goblins, all look sharply at the large ork, who says "The cunthead just landed" followed by "On one of 'em little fucken dragons".
Shur Kee the monk slightly frowns, then after a moment, he nods in understanding, then says to the big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world "You mean a wyvern, friend Dorc?".
"Yeah one of them fuckers" says Dorkindle, who then mutters in his native language "And me not your fucken friend cunt".
The honorary member of the personal council to lord Farque turns to Dickhead Thirty Something, and tells him "Could you go and get captain Tovis" followed by "It is best he knows about this immediately".
"Yes councilor" says Thirty Something who hurries off to get the war engineer, to tell him about this new turn of events.
On this drizzly summer morning, here in the very northeast of the province of Corlinda, not far from the borders of the provinces of Moleau and Mofosild . . . . . .