To War 80.

Summer. Measum Castle. The Province Of Corlinda. The Kingdom Of Melaurn.

"Should we send off a volley at them?" asks Domall, the captain of the guard.
"No" says Tovis the war engineer with a shake of his head.
The young engineer originally from the kingdom of Druvic, who is now a commanding officer in the armies of Farque adds "We'll wait until they're bunched up".
The captain in the engineering corp of the first army of Farque briefly pauses before he continues with "Even better, once they've set up camp".
Just down along the parapet, here on the west wall of Measum Castle, Dorc da Orc grunts in agreement with the war engineer.
While nearby, the large ork's bitter rival. Sir Percavelle Lé Dic, nods in agreement with what the young Druvician engineer just said.
The enemy army has turned up, infact a lot of them are still making their way along the road from the west that leads to the large castle.
Off to the south of the road, where the ground is more level. Their camp is starting to be set up. And wagons and carts are heading that way. As the first of the camp followers are setting up their camp.
Tovis the war engineer glances down behind them in the open ground between the wall and the small town that's inside the castle.
It's not really a courtyard, is far too large for that. It's just open ground. Which if the west wall is ever breached by an attacking force.
Will make an excellent killing ground for those defending the ancestral home of lord Measum.
Tovis who doesn't hope it gets to that. But has already planned for that possibility.
Looks to the southern end of the open ground behind the west wall.
There he's already placed a lot of his corps equipment, and weapons.
As he knew the enemy would set up camp to the south of the road.
The ground there, is just too good to pass up for a campsite. And it makes the war engineer's job a lot easier once he launches an attack upon the enemy army who have turned up.
Turning to his adjunct, Tovis quietly says to him in the elven language "Send a messenger to inform the chief range finder what he thinks of their position".
The adjunct nods and waves over one of the messenger, and tells him the order.
The youngster hurries away along the parapet, while the captain who commands the engineering corp in the first army of Farque.
Wanders over to where Dorc da Orc is standing, here on top of the west wall of Measum Castle.
The large ork who is looking both miserable, and excited. Such a thing is possible for an ork.
As he's miserable in the late afternoon heat and sunshine. But excited at the prospect of a battle.
Glances down at Tovis, who quietly asks him "What do you think Dorc?".
The young engineer originally from the kingdom of Druvic, where he previously served in the army of a baron Harkonin.
Knows that opinion of the ork warleader is essential if they want to hold out the enemy army.
For though you wouldn't take any other opinion from the ork general at any other time.
But when it comes to a battle, no matter where, or between who. The large ork's knowledge is indispensable.
As he has the knack of seeing a battle playing out in his mind. Something that comes both naturally to him. And something he's learnt from the lord Farque, who is a master at it.
"Too fucken spread out along the road for attacking 'em now" says Dorc da Orc who approves of Tovis waiting to attack the enemy.
The big, burly ork who is from the southern polar region of the world continues with "Good to fucken wait so they all fucken bunched up" he then adds in a mutter "The cunts".
The ork warleader nods to where the enemy, allies to the crown and king of Melaurn are setting up their camp, and he says "Fucken hit the cunts there when they all get here".
The ork weaponsmith who sticks up well over the merlon infront of them as he's so tall, looks down at the war engineer, and says to him "Attack the fuckers at night".
The son of the former matriarch of the wolf tribe of orks continues with "You fuckers are fucken use-a-less at seeing in the dark". Referring to all humans.
"Blind fucken cunts" mutters Dorc da Orc or Dorkindle, which is his given name.
Tovis sourly smiles, but he's in agreement with the warleader of the ork race.
The war engineer believes the enemy won't attack this afternoon. As they've been traveling all day.
And to attack them first, and at night. Looks like the best option.
Besides he has the advantage of general Dorc, a battalion of goblin soldiers. And a number of elven scouts and rangers with him.
Who can all see in the nighttime just as if it was the daytime.
A definite advantage over the enemy, whose army, along with their camp followers, are all humans.
The captain who commands the engineering corp in the first army of Farque then quietly asks the ork general "Smell any spellcasters down there Dorc?".
"Magicky cunts?" asks the ork weaponsmith who starts sniffing furiously.
"Yeah" says Tovis, who doesn't have his friend, Larris the sorcerer with him at the moment.
As Larris is with one of the other forces that makes up the first army of Farque.
Dorkindle grunts, then says "Can't fucken tell". The large ork has to be a little closer to smell if anyone reeks of magic.
The young engineer nods, and waves over his adjunct, and after nodding down to the southwest corner tower, says in elven to his adjunct "Have subaltern Heinë come here" followed by "There's things we need to discuss with her".
The adjunct calls over a runner, and sends him off all the way down to the southwest corner tower.
As he waits for the subaltern to arrive, the war engineer asks Shur Kee the monk if he can tell if there's any practitioners of magic amongst the enemy who have already shown up.
As he knows the short, statured monk has a number of unique abilities at his disposal.
Unfortunately, the acolyte in the philosophical order of Bru Li, can't tell if the enemy have any spellcasters.
Tovis, who finds himself in command of the defense of lord Measum's castle.
And engaging the enemy here, in what the locals call the Corlinda Corner.
Keeping them occupied, so that they don't go further southwards into the heart of the province of Corlinda.
Or southeast into the neighbouring province of Karricaw. The province that lord Gormica of Salmah Forest calls home.
Lord Gormica being the nobleman who has hired to the first army of Farque. As the Karricawian noble finds himself at war against the crown and the king of Melaurn.
"We'll attack them after sunset" quietly says the war engineer to the ork weaponsmith.
"Even their stragglers should be here by then" adds the young engineer, who is originally from the east of the kingdom of Druvic.
The Harkonin fief to be exact, which is the fief directly to the south of the Lé Dic fief.
Which just happens to be sir Percavelle's family's lands. Infact the nobleborn knight from the kingdom of Druvic, is the former earl of the Lé Dic fief.
The big, burly ork from the frozen bottom of the world grunts in agreement with that.
"The fucks won't know what hit 'em" says the weaponsmith who is the son of the previous matriarch of the wolf tribe of orks.
Who he killed in a fight, which was only fair. As she was doing her best to kill him at the time.
Then general Dorc looks southwards along the parapet as captain Tovis has turned that way.
The large ork, sourly smiles and says "Fucken magicky cunt" he briefly pauses before adding "Nice fucken tits though".
As along the parapet, walks subaltern Heinë, along with the runner who was sent to fetch her.
The subaltern, is an attractive young woman in her early twenties, around the same age as Tovis.
And while the war engineer is originally from the kingdom of Druvic.
The subaltern is a Farqian through and through. As she's from the Summer Palace, one of the small cities, or citadels in the lands Farque.
The captain in the engineering corp will easily admit he finds Heinë physically attractive.
He's not attracted to her in any other way. Such as he is to Lisell Maera the scout.
Who he knows he has no chance with. But he still dreams about the idea of being in love with the scout Maera.
The other runner gets back first, and informs the war engineer about what the chief range finder thinks of the situation.
The captain in the engineering corp of the first army of Farque nods after hearing that, then quietly says in elven to his adjunct "Have Gamedé prepare the loads" followed by "We'll begin the bombardment once it's nightfall". As the adjunct waves over a nearby signalman.
The other runner returns with subaltern Heinë, those nearby, with the exception of Dorc da Orc and sir Percavelle Lé Dic get out of her way.
As the subaltern is prickly at best. And bad tempered at worst.
Not exactly the best attitude when one is a spellcaster.
The only person the attractive looking subaltern pays any deference to, is Shur Kee the monk.
Heinë nods in greeting to the short, statured monk who is the honorary member of the personal council to lord Farque.
She stops before her commander, and Heinë the sorceress says in elven to the young engineer "You wanted to see me captain?".
Tovis who is always courteous to the attractive young woman from the Summer Palace, as both Helbe the elven thief and Mira Reinholt the mage.
Told him to treat Heinë as if she was a mage. As she has the born attitude of a mage. All the arrogance of the most powerful of the human spellcasters.
But as the mage Reinholt described to Tovis, it's lucky for everyone around Heinë that she's only a sorceress.
And not an actual mage. As she would be a nightmare to deal with.
The spellcaster from the city-state of Vexil readily admitted to the war engineer, that subaltern Heinë is almost as arrogant as he once was when he still had his vast amounts of power at his disposal.
And when Tovis asked Dorc da Orc, Shur Kee the monk, and sir Percavelle Lé Dic.
Who all knew Mira Reinholt when he was the most powerful mage of his generation, to be found anywhere in the Southlands.
If the sorceress Heinë was anything like the mage Reinholt when he was younger and all powerful.
They all admitted there was similarities. Though Dorkindle mentioned that Mira, or Killer as he calls him. Was way more cunty than Heinë the sorceress could ever be.
And that the attractive looking subaltern hadn't had her hand cut off yet like what happened to Mira.
Which sent the ork general into fits of laughter. While Tovis frowned, as he had always thought the once powerful mage has his left arm, below the elbow, bitten off by a dragon.
The young engineer looks down at the subaltern, who is just a couple of inches over five foot in height.
And he quietly asks her in the elven language "Any spellcasters amongst the enemy who have turned up?".
The sorceress looks out at the enemy, predominantly from the province of Olind. Who are allies to the crown and king of Melaurn.
Heinë briefly senses so as not to give herself away to any enemy spellcasters who might be close.
She slightly nods, then turning to the war engineer, she says in the elven language "None here yet".
The attractive looking young woman, with light brown, almost blonde, shoulder length hair, continues with "Though I'm pretty certain there's at least one, maybe two, further back on the road still coming this way".
The young engineer originally from the kingdom of Druvic, who is now a commanding officer in the armies of Farque, is silent for a few moments as he thinks about something.
Then the captain in the engineering corp of the first army of Farque quietly asks the subaltern "Think you can take them out once they're here?".
Heinë gives Tovis a haughty look implying that was one of the stupidest questions he's ever asked.
"Of course" says the sorceress in a tone of arrogance, who then adds in a slightly more respectful tone of voice "Captain".
The war engineer who is in charge of things here at castle Measum, and in what the locals call, Corlinda Corner.
Looks out at the enemy army as more and more of them turn up, as the afternoon gets later, and later.
Then as the enemy army, comprising of soldiers mainly from the province of Olind, as well as the provinces of Moleau and Mofosild.
Starts to send out some of their soldiers around to the north and south sides of the large castle that's the ancestral home of lord Measum.
Tovis the war engineer turns to his adjunct, and quietly tells him "Inform all our officers and sergeant at arms to be ready for an attack upon the enemy once nightfalls".
The young engineer then switches to the common language, and tells Dorc da Orc, Shur Kee the monk and sir Percavelle Lé Dic what he's just ordered.
Scowling as he wipes the sweat from his forehead, Dorc da Orc suddenly grins and says "Fucken get some".
As he contemplates the prospect of fighting the enemy once it's nighttime.
Here on another warm summer's day, in the northeast of the province of Corlinda, in the south of the kingdom of Melaurn . . . . . .