To War 78.

Summer. Northeastern Corlinda.

After the rain and drizzle of the last few days. It's once again fine, with a smattering of cloud in the skies, here in the northeast of the province of Corlinda.
Tovis the war engineer who has made it up onto the walls of lord Measum's castle.
Makes his way along the battlements, to the northwest tower of the large castle.
And though the day is fine, it's once again warm, after the last few days, were it's been cooler due to the rain.
Up here on the parapet, there's a breeze blowing, unlike down in the castle proper, where it's warm and muggy.
The young engineer who is originally from the kingdom of Druvic. And is now an officer in the engineering corp of the armies of Farque.
The captain in the first army of Farque, briefly stops, and looks down into the castle.
The keep is back near the east wall, while towards this end, the west end, stands what's essentially a town.
A town that was relatively quiet a couple of days ago, is now busy as more and more people from the surrounding countryside make their way into lord Measum's ancestral home.
The war engineer who previously served in the army of a baron Harkonin in his homeland of Druvic.
Looks down towards the main gates of the castle, which is in the west wall.
There a couple of farmers, their wives, and children are coming in with a flock of sheep.
They're not the first to do so, and they won't be the last. As the populace here in the very northeast of the province of Corlinda. Seek the castle of lord Measum for protection.
Tovis continues on his way along the north wall of the large castle, heading for the northwest tower.
The young engineer, enjoys the breeze along the parapet. Making it much more comfortable up on the battlements, than down inside the castle itself.
Another person enjoying the breeze along the parapet is Dorc da Orc. The large ork is standing in the open doorway on the north facing side of the northwest tower.
Eyes closed, as he stands there trying to cool down in the shade on that part of the wall, with the breeze blowing in his direction.
The ork warleader opens his eyes and grunts when Tovis the war engineer stops infront of him, and asks "Any enemy wyvern riders around in the area Dorc?".
"Nah cunt" is the reply from Dorc da Orc as he looks away to the north, then the northwest.
"Ships?" asks the war engineer, who though is a lower rank in the armies of Farque than the big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world.
He's the one who is actually in charge of things here. Not the large ork who is a general in the armies of Farque.
The ork weaponsmith grunts in a negative manner in reply, and does so again, when the young engineer asks him "Enemy soldiers?".
The big, burly ork from the frozen bottom of the world, who is repeatedly sniffing, trying to catch the scent of whoever, and whatever is in the surrounding countryside.
Pauses for a moment or two, then a grin appears on his broad, green brutish looking face, and he says "More fucken sheeps come in".
"Yes" wryly says the war engineer, who is just glad that it's a flock of sheep that's come into the castle.
And not goats, as herd of goats wouldn't last long with the large ork around.
As Tovis knows Dorc da Orc, or Dorkindle which is his given name. Would rape, kill, and eat a herd of goats. Sometimes in that order too.
As the large ork isn't all that picky about how he goes about killing, eating and fucking animals.
"Dorc likes me some sexy sheeps sometimes" murmurs the warleader of the ork race.
Who suddenly realises he just spoke out loud, and he quickly looks at the war engineer who hails from the kingdom of Druvic.
Tovis just sourly smiles, and doesn't say anything in response to what the large ork just murmured.
Instead the captain in the engineering crop of the armies of Farque gestures for the large ork to move out of the way.
The weaponsmith from the wolf tribe of orks grunts, then moves to one side.
The young engineer steps into the tower, followed by the ork general, who instantly scowls as he looks over at one of those already in the tower room.
"I'm afraid not, wot" says sir Percavelle Lé Dic who continues with "Just more of the peasants is all".
In response to Tovis the war engineer asking him if there's anyone on the road.
The captain in the armies of Farque steps outside the other door, onto the west wall, and looks in that direction.
And spots more people on the road heading towards the large castle that's lord Measum's ancestral home.
Farmers and others from the villages here in the very northeast of the province of Corlinda.
Where the provinces of Moleau, Mofosild and Corlinda all meet. Sometimes referred to by the locals as the Corlinda Corner.
Tovis steps aside as one of those in the tower room comes outside. It's Shur Kee the monk, who looks away to the west along the road that comes from that direction, before it turns away to the north, and the border with the province of Moleau.
"The scouts and rangers report no more attacks upon the farmsteads to the north and east" quietly says the young engineer who is originally from the kingdom of Druvic.
"Probably because most of them are here in the castle now" adds the captain in the engineering corp in the first army of Farque.
Next to the war engineer, the short, statured monk in the strange white clothing, and the even stranger looking conical shaped hat, nods.
Then Shur Kee the monk quietly asks "Do you think they will come in force now?" followed by "Not these small roving bands of riders?".
"I'm not sure" is the quietly reply of the war engineer, who then glances away to their left. Where a number of the goblins are making their way along the parapet.
Tovis inwardly winces hoping none of them trip over, and fall off the back of the battlements.
Which is an all to strong possibility, as goblins can be extremely accident prone at times.
As many of them see their demise caused by one another, but more often than not, by themselves.
The young engineer who is a member of the group that travels with lord Farque.
Sees that most of the goblins are going onto guard duty here on top of the wall.
And unlike the soldiers in lord Measum's guard. The goblins couldn't care less about being out in the sun and summer heat for long periods of times.
And unlike their human equivalents. The goblins who are in a battalion of them, serving in the armies of Farque.
Have the advantage of naturally enhanced hearing and eyesight. Making them much better lookouts in comparison to the local guards.
Two of the goblins continue on their way along the parapet towards the northwest tower.
It's the goblin commander, Teabagger the Goblin Cunt. And one of his newly promoted officers, Dickhead Thirty Something.
The goblin commander Teabagger doesn't spend too much time away from his general, Dorc da Orc.
So Tovis as he goes back to looking out along the road, isn't that surprised the goblin commander is coming this way.
"Getting busy down in there captain" says Teabagger the Goblin Cunt after he greets the war engineer, and the physical adept.
"It'll get busier too" adds the small, bright green goblin, who is actually a higher rank in the armies of Farque than Tovis.
But the young engineer is in charge of them all here, based at the castle of the local nobleman, lord Measum.
"Or so captain Domall says" continues Teabagger, who glances through the open doorway, and sees his general sitting in the tower room, near the other doorway. Keeping in the shade, and out of the sun. As today is much warmer than it has been the last few days, that were quite rainy here in the northeast of the province of Corlinda.
Tovis nods in agreement with the goblin commander, then points away to the west, and says "There's more of them there".
Teabagger, who is originally from here in the kingdom of Melaurn, the northern province of Sorros to be exact.
Is like most, if not all goblins. And is fairly short compared to most humans.
The goblin commander, who doesn't stand five foot tall. Has to step to one side, so he can look between two of the merlons.
So that he can get a clear look of the road that's away to the west. His offsider, Dickhead Thirty Something does likewise. And they see a number of locals on the road, heading this way.
Teabagger whose eyesight is much better than either Tovis or Shur Kee, slightly frowns.
Then he quietly says "Looks like some of those villagers have been attacked".
"Oh?" says the young engineer, who hails from the east of his homeland, the kingdom of Druvic.
The small, bright, lurid green goblin nods his head, then says "A few of them are bandaged up, and some are struggling to walk".
Next to him, Dickhead Thirty Something, or just Thirty Something as he's more commonly called by the others in the goblin battalion. Nods his head in agreement with his commander.
"Another patrol of enemy riders perhaps?" says Shur Kee the monk, who is the honorary member of the personal council to lord Farque.
"Perhaps" quietly says the war engineer, who is a captain in the armies of Farque.
"We'll soon find out" adds the young engineer, who hails from the kingdom of Druvic.
That's what they find out a little later, when those locals reach the lord Measum's castle.
The captain of the local lord's guard, captain Domall. After speaking with the new arrivals, about twenty five of them. Men, women and children, all from the same village.
The guard captain seeks out Tovis the war engineer. And soon finds him up on the castle walls.
"They're all from the same village" says captain Domall, who wears a steel breastplate along with his leather armour. Which distinguishes him from the other soldiers in lord Measum's garrison.
"They were the only ones to escape after it was attacked two days ago" adds Domall, the captain of the guard.
"Where's the village?" asks the young engineer, who is a captain in the first army of Farque.
The Farqian army that has been hired by lord Gormica of Salmah Forest. The nobleman from the province of Karricaw, who finds himself at war with the crown and king of Melaurn.
"It's the one closest to the border" says the captain of the guard, who follows that up with "In the very west of my lord's lands".
Tovis nods, then asks "Riders?". The guard captain nods in the affirmative, then says "They were mounted".
"Damn" murmurs the war engineer, who was hoping the enemy would come across the border in force, and not continue raiding in mounted parties.
As the whole point of him, and the others in the first army of Farque he's in charge of here in the castle of the local nobleman, lord Measum.
Was to draw a substantial sized enemy force this way. And to hold them up in a siege. So they wouldn't carry on further south into Corlinda. Or southeast into the neighbouring province of Karricaw.
The young engineer who is standing on the west wall of the large castle, next to the northwest tower.
Is about to turn and enter the tower room, when from nearby, Dickhead Thirty Something says something in goblin, followed in common with "Boss, er captain, riders on the road".
Tovis looks to the west, and is just able to make a couple of riders in the distance heading this way.
"Ours?" asks the young engineer originally from the kingdom of Druvic.
"Yes captain" replies Thirty Something, who continues with "Scouts".
The war engineer who commands the engineering corp in the first army of Farque nods his head.
Then he heads inside the tower room, and starts making his way down the stairs.
He's followed by Shur Kee the monk, the captain of the guard, Domall. Teabagger the Goblin Cunt, Dickhead Thirty Something. And eventually Dorc da Orc, and sir Percavelle Lé Dic.
They head to the main gates of lord Measum's ancestral home. And in the gatehouse they don't have to wait long for the two Farqian scouts to make their way across the drawbridge, and enter the castle.
The young engineer, who previously served in the army of a certain baron Harkonin in eastern Druvic.
Speaks with the two black clad Farqian soldiers in the elven language while the others look on.
After the two scouts tell captain Tovis what they've found out, he gives them some orders.
They hurry away with their mounts, heading to the barracks and stables, so they get fresh mounts, before they head out again.
Turning to the others, Tovis the war engineer says "Those mounted raiders of their's are advanced parties alright".
The young engineer who hails from the kingdom of Druvic, which is far away to the north from the kingdom of Melaurn, then says "They're part of an enemy army that will soon cross the border" followed by "If it hasn't already".
Pointing out the gates, and along the road that eventually turns north, the war engineer says "They're coming down the road" he continues with "So there's a good chance they'll come by here".
Dorc da Orc grunts when he hears that, while his bitter rival, sir Percavelle Lé Dic nods.
As the two of them are both looking forward to some action. After a number of days waiting around doing nothing.
Meanwhile, it's Shur Kee the monk who asks the young engineer "How large is this army friend Tovis?".
"Not as large as that one you lot fought against with Tam and the others" says the commander of the engineering corp of the first army of Farque, who after a slight pause adds "But from the best guess of the scouts, they say it's easily over two thousand strong, maybe two and a half".
General Dorc grunts, as does his bitter rival, the nobleborn knight originally from the kingdom of Druvic.
While Shur Kee the monk nods, and the two goblins Teabagger and Thirty Something share a look.
And the captain of lord  Measum's guard, Domall mutters "Hell".
Tovis the war engineer looks at them all, then he says "Time to prepare for their arrival" . . . . . .