To War 74.

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

Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy looks across the street, and watches the Farqian scout heading this way.
The elf originally from the principality of Alínlae, is standing infront of a merchant's shop, that gives him a clear view away to the left, where across a square, stands the palace of the king of Melaurn.
"Anything?" quietly asks Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy when he's joined by the scout.
"It's confirmed" quietly replies the Farqian scout, who though dressed like a local, is wearing armour, and has weapons beneath his clothing.
Dalinvardèl Tanith, or Dalin as he's more commonly called by those who know him well, winces as the scout in the armies of Farque, who like him, is a spy, quietly tells him "Our contacts in there tell us that it was the dowager queen's men who took him".
"Shit" mutters the elven spy who previously served in one of the more prominent noble houses in the principality of Alínlae.
Dalin, who is an officer in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque, a company commander to be exact.
Tells his fellow spy "See what else you can find out" followed by "Especially where he's being held".
"That's easy" says the Farqian scout, who like the spy Tanith, is speaking in elven.
"In the palace dungeons" adds the scout who is also a spy.
The elf, who is part of the group that travels with lord Farque, winces once more when he hears that, then he quietly says "Well, find out whatever you can from our contacts" followed by "I'm going back, send word when you've got more information".
The scout nods, then he turns, and goes back across the street, and wanders in the direction of the palace.
Meanwhile, the elven spy who is a company commander in the scouts and rangers division.
Turns, and heads the other way. Making his way back to the safehouse that's nearby.
The spy Tanith doesn't even bother to look back to see if his shadow is following him.
He knows he's been followed, as his shadow has been watching him from an alleyway a bit further down the street.
The day is cloudy and overcast, but without any rain or drizzle. Though quite windy, as is often the case here on the coast.
And as it tends to do on the coast when it's windy. It's a much cooler summer day than further inland in the kingdom.
Much to the relief of the residents of the capital city Calinar. As the summer days here can often get humid.
It doesn't take long for Dalinvardèl Tanith to get back to the safehouse. The three storey building that has a clear view to both the west. To the port and the harbour, which the palace is close to.
And the north, to beyond the northern outskirts of Calinar. As just another handful miles north of the capital, lies the border with the lands Farque.
At the backdoor of the safehouse, the elven spy who hails from the principality of Laerel.
Looks across the lane behind the three storey building, to a gap between two buildings on the otherside of the lane.
He makes a beckoning motion, then says in elven "Come out" followed by "I need you to do something".
There's a slight pause, then from the gap between the two buildings across the lane, walks Dalinvardèl Tanith's shadow.
His shadow today is a young woman, in her early twenties by the looks of it.
Who is a scout in the armies of Farque. Who has had specialised training, completed by Helbe the elven thief.
The scout is no ordinary scout. She's also a personal bodyguard, and an assassin.
"Guard this door" quietly says the spy Tanith, who continues with "Don't let anyone in, including our own" he then adds "With the exception of the one i just spoke to near the palace".
The Farqian scout, who also happens to be an assassin, nods her head.
Then as Dalin turns, and goes to open the backdoor of the safehouse, the young woman quietly asks him "Sir, how did you know i was there?".
"One of the advantages of being an elf" replies the spy Tanith, who barely even heard her in the gap between the two buildings across the lane.
She was so good at keeping completely still without moving, that the elven company commander. Had to concentrate for a few moments as he listened to where she was.
The elven spy originally from the principality of Alínlae, makes his way into the safehouse.
A little while later, and Dalin enters a third storey room, closing the door behind him.
"Find out anything new?" asks the elven ranger at the window who turned when the spy Tanith entered the room.
"He's been taken prisoner" replies Dalinvardèl Tanith who makes his way over to the window, to join the other elf.
The window is the best spot in the entire safehouse, to give a clear view away to the west, and to the north.
"By the old queen's men" adds the elf who previously served as a spy in one of the more prominent noble houses of his homeland, Alínlae.
The elven ranger winces and mutters "Shit" when he hears that from Dalin.
The spy Tanith, who is the younger of the two elves, by nearly three hundred years, then says "He was unable to get any of the messages to the king".
The elven ranger, who is originally from the island principality of Laerel, which lies across the Kuyriers Straits from the kingdom of Melaurn.
And who like Dalin, is a spy. And who is in command of those Farqian spies here in the capital city Calinar.
Shakes his head, then asks the younger elf "So what now?" followed by "You're the one in charge of this".
The company commander in the scouts and rangers division of the first army of Farque, slightly nods, then after a brief pause, says "I've got an idea".
"Oh and what's that?" asks the elven ranger who at over five and a half centuries old, served under lord Farque when the undead warlord was still alive.
When he was the battlelord Kaiuss Farque, the heir to the then lord and ruler of the lands that bare his family name.
"We'll bust him out" says Dalinvardèl Tanith, the older elf blinks in surprise, then says "Er?".
Then watches as Dalin takes out something from under his cloak, that he got from down in the cellar, before making his way up to the third storey of the safehouse.
"Oh shit" says the elven ranger in the armies of Farque as he looks at what the spy Tanith is holding.
"Got plenty of these here" says the elf who hails from the principality of Alínlae, who continues on with "Might as well use them".
The older elf, originally from the island principality of Laerel, sourly smiles, and shakes his head as he looks at what the younger is holding, and quietly, and dryly says to him "The forest gods help us all".
Dalinvardèl Tanith flashes a grin, then he returns what he's holding, to under his gray cloak.
The company commander in the scouts and rangers division of the first army of Farque then says "Have someone go to the airdocks, and bring back the captain of the Quick Gull".
The ranger, who was a youngster, barely a hundred and twenty years old, when he fought under the command of the now lord Farque.
During the invasion of the Southlands by the Holy Norstran Empire.
Frowns as he looks at the younger elf, then asks him "Why do you need the airship captain?".
"He and his ship are going to provide a distraction" is the reply from the spy Tanith.
"I thought that's what you were going to use those for" says the elven ranger with a nod of his head to what Dalin has beneath his cloak.
"Not exactly" says the younger of the two elves, who follows that with "Actually going to use those to get him out".
The older of the two elves, who is also an officer in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque, though of a lower rank than Dalin, grimaces when he hears that.
"By all the damn gods, help us all" sourly says the ranger who hails from the elven island principality of Laerel.
Which on a bright, clear sunny day. And you happen to have enhanced eyesight like an elf. You can see it from the light towers at either end ot the city's harbour.
A little while later in the morning, almost three days since Dalinvardèl Tanith took the prisoner, general Sumic to near the gates of the palace, and released him.
A small group has gathered in the third storey room of the safehouse, here near the docks in the port.
One of those in the gathered group, is the captain of the airship, the Quick Gull, who frowns then says "You want me to do what?". After the spy Tanith explains to the group what he has planned.
The elf who hails from the principality of Alínlae, who is now a company commander in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque.
Once again, goes over the plan, specifically what he wants the captain of the Quick Gull, and his small, sleek looking vessel to do.
The airship captain who is originally from the Sultanate of Dreese, which is on the far east coast of the continent, then mutters in his native dialect "Fucking hell".
Then switching to the common language, as he isn't that fluent at the elven language, which he only started learning about half year ago, he asks "What do they do?".
As he looks from the spy Tanith, to another in the group, a man in his mid twenties, who looks like he's a journeyman of some kind, who plies a trade maybe in woodwork and carpentry.
Dalin shrugs his shoulders, then says "Anything from my experience in using them".
The fellow who looks like a journeyman carpenter, who is actually a sorcerer, nods in agreement, then says "Who knows".
Followed by "You might get a bunch of flowers from one knowing them" he continues with "Or the largest explosion imaginable from the next".
The captain of the Quick Gull sourly smiles, then he looks over at the elven ranger who tells him "Just treat everyone of them as if they'll kill you and destroy your ship".
The older of the two elves in the room, then says "Which from what I've seen of them over the years, is pretty much true".
"Great" sourly says the airship captain who hails from the far east coast of the continent.
Who along with his ship and crew, decided to stay in the lands Farque, and join the Farqian fleet after flying lord Farque and much of the group back to the Southlands from the otherside of the continent.
"Whatever you do, don't head north into the lands Farque" says Dalinvardèl Tanith, who then murmurs in a dry tone "I might have to flee that way".
The captain of the Quick Gull nods, when the elven spy who is a company commander in the armies of Farque tells him "Head out over the ocean if you're chased".
Dalin continues on with "I doubt there's a single ship in the fleet who can keep up with the Quick Gull".
"There isn't" says the airship captain, who has had a good look around the city airdocks.
At the vessels in dock, both in the fleet of the king of Melaurn, as well as merchant vessels.
Not a single one he judges as fast, or as agile as his airship, the Quick Gull.
The spy who hails from the elven principality of Alínlae looks at the others in the room, and asks "Any other questions?".
It's the older elf, the ranger originally from the island principality of Laerel, who speaks up, and says "If you do get him out, and you get the messages to the king".
The elven ranger in the armies of Farque pauses for a moment, before he continues on with "And by some miracle you actually get out of there alive with him" he then adds "Then what?".
"Like i said, it would be best if we hide out in the city" says Dalinvardèl Tanith who continues on with "But if that's not possible, we'll do as i suggest".
The company commander in the scouts and rangers division of the first army of Farque after a brief pause, adds "We'll go north".
There's silence in the room, as there was when the Dalin first outlined his plan.
Especially the detail of going north of the city. As there's only one place that way. The lands Farque.
Surprisingly this time, it's the figure standing in a corner of the room, who thus far has remained silent, who speaks up now.
"Is that wise sir?" asks the young woman who is a scout, but also an assassin and a bodyguard.
"You could send their men and ships towards our lord's lands" adds the bodyguard to the spy Tanith.
Looking over at his shadow, Dalinvardèl Tanith says "You're right, it could send their men and ships towards the lands Farque".
The elf, originally from the principality of Alínlae, where he served in one of the more prominent noble houses of his homeland, then adds "But they won't go there, no matter what".
After a slight pause, Dalinvardèl Tanith says "They know the consequences if they do" followed by "And if they do, well they'll face the consequences". Everyone in the room nods in agreement with that.
Then the elven company commander in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque then tells them all "Like i said, it'll only be my last option".
Which seems more and more likely if i actually do get him free and out of there, Dalin thinks to himself.
Who then gestures to the others to join him at the window, where they can get a clear view of the palace of the king of Melaurn.
So that he can once again go over the details of the rather audacious. And if he's totally honest with himself, rather crazy plan he's come up with to get the enemy prisoner, general Sumic out of the palace dungeons . . . . . .