To War 77.

Summer. The Kingdom Of Melaurn.

"Do you know where it is?" asks the sorcerer Tamille.
"I do" replies Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy, who then adds "Though i don't know where it comes out".
"About a quarter mile north of the city" says the Farqian spellcaster who just happens to be a spy.
"You know where that first stretch of woods is?" asks the sorcerer Tamille, who looks and dresses like he's a journeyman woodworker, not a practitioner of magic, who then adds "On the coast side of the road?".
"Yeah i do" says the elven spy who is originally from the principality of Alínlae, who continues with "It's there, is it?".
"It is" says the sorcerer, who continues on with "Hopefully you'll be able to get to safety from there".
"Hopefully" murmurs Dalinvardèl Tanith, or Dalin as he's more commonly called by those who know him well.
"Luck" says the spellcaster who is an adjunctant in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque.
"Thanks" quietly says the spy Tanith, who nods in gratitude to the sorcerer Tamille.
Who exits the alleyway they're in, and turns right down the lane at this end of the alley.
"Let's get going" quietly says Dalin as he turns to the enemy general Sumic.
Who nods his head, and follows the elven spy out of the alleyway.
And the two of them turn left down the lane. And make their way through the northern districts of the city of Calinar. The capital city of the kingdom of Melaurn.
After the sorcerer Tamille teleported Dalin, the ranger Falnic, the scout Sethil, and general Sumic out of the palace grounds. They spilt up, as the enemy were soon chasing them through the city.
Tamille teleported himself, the spy Tanith, the enemy general and one other away from the palace, into the northern districts of Calinar.
As the search is on for the prisoners who escaped the dungeons beneath the palace grounds.
And though general Sumic's incarceration was only known to the faction at court, loyal to the dowager queen.
They make up a fairly decent proportion of those searching for the escaped prisoners, and those responsible for getting them out of the palace dungeons.
The elven spy who is a company commander in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque.
Looks back down the lane, and says in the elven language "Might as well keep up with us". As his shadow is following him and the enemy general.
The young woman who is a Farqian scout, and who also happens to be an assassin and bodyguard, whose training was completed by Helbe the elven thief.
Sourly smiles, though she hurries up, and joins the two of them as they make their way out of the lane, and onto a street.
The three of them briefly pause, as they see down the end of another lane across the street.
A squad of mounted soldiers ride by on the next street over, coming from the direction of the palace of the king, and heading further into the northern districts of the city of Calinar.
Then they continue on their way, heading north through the capital city of the kingdom of Melaurn.
As they do, the prisoner, general Sumic who though still in his leather armour, is out of uniform, quietly says in the elven language "Is this wise?".
Dalinvardèl Tanith who is basically dry again after taking a drenching earlier in the morning by a rather watery explosion as he, the ranger Falnic, and the scout Sethil, busted the enemy general out of the palace dungeons, says "Yes".
Then the spy, who previously served in one of the more prominent noble houses of his homeland, the elven principality of Alínlae.
Glances sideways at the commonborn general in the army of the crown of Melaurn, more commonly referred to as the king's own. And quietly tells him "For you as well".
"If you're caught again by her men, I'm guessing you won't last all that long" adds the spy Tanith.
The enemy general, who was taken prisoner during a battle between a force of the first army of Farque, against an army of allies to the king of Melaurn.
An army that general Sumic was basically forced into commanding. As the dowager queen, the mother of the king of Melaurn. Had Sumic take command of that army.
Instead of his regular post, as a commander of an army in the king's own.
Slowly nods in agreement with the elf who brought him here to the city of Melaurn. To deliver messages to the king.
Which he was unable to do, as the dowager queen's men caught him before he was able to complete that task.
"Next on the right is quicker" quietly says the young woman behind the two infront.
The spy Tanith nods his head in appreciation, then he turns right onto another street as they head to one of the safehouses here in the northern outskirts of the city of Calinar.
A safehouse that has in it's cellar, the entrance to a tunnel, that leads all the way out of the city, a quarter of a mile to the north of it to be exact.
As Dalinvardèl Tanith intends to take general Sumic to safety. And the safest place there is, happens to be the lands Farque.
The border to which, is just a handful of miles to the north of the northern outskirts of Calinar, the capital city of the kingdom of Melaurn.
Meanwhile, back in the palace of the king, the sovereign is more than a little displeased there's been an attack in his palace this morning.
Not only that, there's also been one in the city airdocks and in the port, with the docks and the harbour not all that far from the palace.
In an antechamber just off the throne room, a captain in the king's air fleet is giving the sovereign a report of what's happening.
"They've chased it out to sea your majesty" says the airship captain, who follows that with "They're having trouble keeping up with it, and have been unable to knock it out of the sky".
The king of Melaurn, a man in his mid thirties, nods his head, that has the less formal, ring crown on it today, then says "Whose ship is it?" followed by "From the lands Farque?".
As that seems the most logical explanation, as the southern lords he's at war with at the moment.
Don't really have a fleet to speak of. And the most likely ship to attack the capital, would seem to of come from the lands Farque.
As one of the armies of Farque, is fighting on behalf of the nobleman from the province of Karricaw.
Lord Gormica of Salmah Forest, who the crown is at war with.
"It doesn't appear to be your majesty" says the airship captain, who continues on with "It's a design we haven't seen from the Farqians".
He follows that with "A small, single masted vessel, that's obviously foreign in design that what we wouldn't normally find down here in this part of the Southlands".
Sir Dalacain the underlord looks around at those in the antechamber.
He figures more than half of those in attendance, the nobility that is, not the servants or soldiers.
Are truly loyal to the king outright, while the bulk of the rest, are loyal to the dowager queen.
That's not to say they're traitorous in anyway, far from it. As they support the king and pretty much everything he does.
It's just that they prefer the decisions their majesty makes. Are ideas that his mother, the dowager queen has come up with first.
As they prefer her more traditional, conservative ideas of how politics should be here.
Not just at court, but right throughout the kingdom of Melaurn.
Sir Dalacain looks over to where the old queen is sitting, surrounded by some of her sycophants.
Looking like an old buzzard amongst the brighter, more colourful looking plumage of those who fawn over her.
The underlord has always thought the dowager queen looks like how one describes an old crone in stories.
The fact she still wears mourning black for her dead husband the former king has something to do with it.
Her husband, if whispered rumours of the last dozen years since his death is anything to go by.
She might of a hand in his demise. Where officially the cause of death was a failed heart. Though many believed, and still do. His wife, the then queen, had him poisoned.
So that she could have her son take the throne, as she had more influence over him, than her husband.
Sir Dalacain doesn't know for sure if those rumours are true. But he can definitely believe that is something the dowager queen might of had done.
As the conversation in the antechamber continues. The underlord sees that the current queen hasn't returned.
She briefly showed up earlier, to see what was going on out on the palace grounds.
But when she caught sight of the dowager queen sitting with her sympathisers. The queen and her ladies in waiting departed.
Sir Dalacain isn't at all surprised at that. As the entire court, and probably the entire city. Knows that the current queen and the dowager queen don't exactly get along.
All because the queen isn't from a noble family of importance. Who is a southern noble too.
Who the king married when he was the prince, and heir. Against the wishes of both his parents.
As the king of Melaurn, Harmard the Third says "Have more of our men sent out to find these escaped prisoners" followed by "And make sure the city guard knows who to look for too".
Sir Dalacain the underlord glances sideways to his right, and quietly says "I need an audience with the king" followed by "As soon as possible" he then adds "Right now would be best".
His liege lord, sir Macell glances sideways at him, and murmurs "Are you nuts?" he then adds "With everything that's going on at the moment?". The underlord nods yes, and quietly says "Make it happen".
Sir Macell, who is one of the city lords, making him one of the highest ranked individuals at court, sighs then sourly says "Fine".
The city lord then continues with "I can't guarantee anything of course".
Sir Dalacain who is a vassal to the city lord, who has him at a disadvantage, as he knows his liege lord's secret.
Which would get him in trouble with both sides of court. As over the last few years, sir Macell has been selling weapons and goods to the upstart nobility in the southern province of Selvah Na. The most rebellious province in the entire kingdom.
And though sir Macell is firmly in the king's camp. As he despises the dowager queen. If the king was to find out what he's been doing. He'd been executed.
As trade to and from the province of Selvah Na is dictated, and controlled by the crown.
"A private audience" quietly says sir Dalacain the underlord to his liege lord, sir Macell the city lord, who sourly mutters "Any other miracle you'd like me to achieve?".
The underlord just faintly smiles as he knows his liege lord will make it happen.
North of the city, beneath the ground. Dalinvardèl Tanith who has the advantage of low light vision.
Leads the way through the dark tunnel, they entered in the cellar of one of safehouses in the northern districts of the city of Calinar, the capital of the kingdom of Melaurn.
The spy Tanith who stands a few inches over six foot, has to slightly duck down as they hurry through the dark tunnel.
While general Sumic, and the young Farqian assassin can walk upright as they both hold onto Dalin's cloak as he leads the way.
They soon get to the end of the tunnel, and climb the dirt packed steps to a wooden trapdoor, that the elven spy opens.
The three of them make their way up and out of the tunnel. And after Dalinvardèl Tanith closes the trapdoor, and he and the young assassin kick dirt over it to hide it.
The spy originally from the principality of Alínlae, who is now a company commander in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque.
Nods his hooded head to the north, and quietly says in the elven language "That way".
The three of them break out into a jog as they head northwards through the woods.
After about a mile and a half, the trees start to noticeably thin out, as the nearby road curves closer to the road.
Dalin stays off the road for as long as possible, but eventually he decides to get on it, as it's the quickest way to the border, which lies just handful of miles to north of the outskirts of the city of Calinar.
Though the summer day is partly cloudy now, and fairly windy. Once on the road there's a clear view to the vast rocky mountain like tor on the coast, that marks the border.
Dalin along with the young Farqian assassin who know exactly who and what's is in that tor.
Who no doubt are watching them now, that they're on the coast road to  the border.
Keep an eye on the prisoner as they hurry northwards along the road. Which has very few people on it. As is often the case. As the only ones going north to the border most days, are returning Farqians.
"Not far" says Dalinvardèl Tanith who sees the lone sentinel standing about fifty yards infront of the tor in the distance, the exact spot of the border.
As they get closer to the lands Farque, the elven spy hears riders on the road behind them, and he says to his shadow "Riders to the south" followed by "Heading this way".
"How far?" asks the Farqian scout who also happens to be a bodyguard and an assassin.
"About a mile" is the reply from the spy Tanith, who continues with "Just near the end of the woods".
The young Farqian assassin nods, then she says "I'll slow them down sir" she nods at the prisoner as she adds "Just get him there".
Dalin nods his hooded head, and before he can say anything to the young scout, she's turned around and is heading back the way they've come from.
As she walks quickly, she starts taking out weapons from beneath her black cloak.
"Run" says the elven spy to general Sumic.
The commonborn senior officer in the king's own breaks out into a run as he keeps up with the elf who is a company commander in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque.
As they run the spy Tanith doesn't look back behind them. As he's fairly certain the approaching riders are in the king's own.
Searching for the prisoners who escaped the palace dungeons. And those responsible for breaking them out.
It's not long before Dalin and the prisoner approach the border. And the two of them sprint to where the large, heavily armoured figure is standing still like a statue.
Breathing heavily as they come to a stop about five yards from the sentinel.
Dalinvardèl Tanith says between breathes "Draugadrottin".
The sentinel slightly moves his full helmed head, and looks directly at general Sumic.
"A prisoner" says the spy Tanith, as now even the general can hear the riders on the road heading this way.
There's a momentary pause, then the sentinel says "Enter".
Dalin nods in appreciation, and holding onto the right arm of general Sumic, walks forward and goes by the sentinel.
Once they step by the undead being, the elven spy knows that they're finally safe and in the lands Farque.
At the exact same time, back in the city of Calinar. In the palace of the king.
Sir Dalacain the underlord is having a private audience with king Harmard the Third. Who blinks in surprise as he reads the missives the underlord has just handed to him . . . . . .