To War 84.

Summer. In The Northwest Of The Province Of Corlinda.

"You might want to circle around to the east maybe" says Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy, who pauses for a moment or two, before adding "Or the west".
"I'd rather not go either way" dryly says the captain of the Quick Gull.
Who then calls out some orders, and the small, sleek looking single masted airship turns to starboard, as the captain decides to go to the west of the woods just up ahead.
As they fly south, here in the northwest of the province of Corlinda.
The captain of the small airship, that's originally from the far east coast of the continent. The Sultanate of Dreese to be exact. And is now part of the fleet from the lands Farque.
Also has the helmsman have the Quick Gull rise in altitude. After all, there's a battle taking place, in and around the woods just ahead.
And the captain of the small, single masted vessel doesn't want any stray spells heading their way.
Dalinvardèl Tanith, or Dalin as he's more commonly called by those who know him well. Is with the captain next to the helmsman at the wheel.
He looks forward, to where the prisoner, general Sumic is standing next to the starboard rail in a midships. Looking down at the running battle in and around the woods below.
The enemy general, who has no complaints about his treatment. Infact his captors have kept him alive, when a faction in his own army. Had him captured and imprisoned on his return to the capital Calinar.
And once he was broken out of the palace dungeons by his enemies. They kept him alive, when the faction in the crown under the auspices of the dowager queen tried to hunt him down and kill him.
Something he'll never forgive, and never forget for the rest of his life. However long it may last.
"Think they'll welcome him back?" quietly asks the captain of the Quick Gull, whose command of the elven language is amongst the best of his crew. Who have only been learning it for less than a year now.
"Maybe" says the elven spy who is originally from the principality of Alínlae. Who is now a company commander in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque.
"Eventually i guess" adds the elf who is a member of the group that travels with lord Farque.
"Though I'm betting only if the dowager queen is no longer around" continues the spy Tanith.
The captain of the Quick Gull nods in agreement, as he keeps an eye on both the helmsman, and the rest of the crew of the small airship that's now part of the Farqian fleet.
Who led some of the crown's fleet on a merry chase over the city of Calinar, then out to sea just a few days ago.
Before they took off up the coast, to the safety of the lands Farque. Where yesterday morning they picked up Dalinvardèl Tanith and the enemy general who had fled to the safety of the lands Farque.
"I think they'll be surprised we've brought him back" says the airship captain.
Next to him, the elven spy who previously served in one of the more prominent noble houses of his homeland of Alínlae, before joining the group that travels with lord Farque.
Winces at that from the ship's captain, as Dalin was doing his best to forget about that.
No such luck now, as they're about to meet up with a fair few members of the group who travel along with the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
The lookout up the mast calls something out, and the spy Tanith steps to the starboard side rail, to get a better a view of things.
The elven spy who is a company commander in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque, steps back to be beside the captain of the Quick Gull, and tells him "There's a rise about three hundred yards south of the woods" followed by "They're there".
The airship captain nods, then starts calling out orders, as he has his vessel give the battle taking place down below on what's a relatively cool summer's day, a wide berth.
General Sumic looks to port, as the Quick Gull goes around to starboard.
The small vessel, is at a slight angle to starboard too, and the general in the king's own, gets a good look at the battle taking place down below.
Sumic who though a commoner, grew up in the palace in the capital city Calinar. As his parents were servants in the palace.
And their only son, Sumic became friends with the then crown prince, Harmard. Who is now king Harmard the Third of Melaurn.
Can see that the battle on the south side of the woods looks to be on an even footing from what he can tell.
He nods his head, as he sees how heavy the fighting has got between the opposing armies.
One fighting for the king and crown, made up of the king's own, and allies to the crown, from the provinces of Calinar and Alindar.
And the other a combined army of the provinces of Karricaw and Corlinda. Led by lord Gormica of Salmah Forest, who finds himself, through no fault of his own. At war with the crown and king of Melaurn.
As the small, sleek looking, single masted airship swings further away from the battle as it circles away to the west then the south.
The Calinarian general, sees a slight shift in the battle from his vantage point onboard the Quick Gull.
It looks like a calvary element in the combined army from the provinces of Karricaw and Corlinda.
Has broken through, and is wrecking havoc amongst the foot soldiers in the king's own, and the allies with them.
Then general Sumic suddenly catches movement out of the corner of his eye, as a figure suddenly appears out of nowhere on the aft deck.
The senior officer in the kings own, who can actually call himself friend of king Harmard the Third.
Nods his head, as he recognises the figure in the white hooded cloak who has just appeared next to those near the wheel.
"Fuck" mutters Dalinvardèl Tanith when Helbe the elven thief suddenly appears beside him saying "Why did you bring him back?".
The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel then says "Never mind, i know why".
"Do you mind?" sourly says the spy Tanith who scowls at the idea of his mind being read by the highly talented elven magic user.
"I didn't read your mind" says the elven masterthief, who then nods his hooded head to where general Sumic is standing in a midships, and adds "I read his".
The elven master assassin who is the grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel, who is slightly shorter than the elven spy who hails from the principality of Alínlae, says to him "Unless you want me to read your mind?" followed by "Which I'm perfectly happy to do".
Dalin just sourly smiles in response to that, which causes the elven master archer to chuckle.
Then the grandson of Prince Raendril of Laerel says to the captain of the Quick Gull "Captain go around to the south side of that rise down there" followed by "It'll be safe to land there".
"Aye councilor" says the airship captain who starts calling out orders.
As the small, sleek looking, single masted vessel originally from the Sultanate of Dreese, which is all the way over on the east coast of the continent, almost half the world away.
Starts to drop down in altitude, the spy Tanith nods his hooded head down at the battle raging in and around some woods, here in the northwest of the province of Corlinda.
"How goes it?" asks the elven spy who is a company commander in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque.
"We should be victorious" states the elven princeling who is a member of the personal council to lord Farque.
"Now" dryly adds the young elven noble who also happens to be a member of royal family that rules the island principality of Laerel.
"Oh?" says Dalinvardèl Tanith with a sideways look at the elven master assassin.
Prince Helbenthril Raendril tells the elven spy from Alínlae "I just captured their commander as you were flying over the woods".
"Another one?" says the company commander with a nod of his hooded head in the direction of the enemy general, Sumic.
A wince briefly appears on the youthful looking face of the elven masterthief, who then says in a slightly sour tone of voice "I might of killed him as i captured him".
Dalin rolls his eyes, as the highly talented elven spellcaster says "I didn't mean to".
Then after shrugging his shoulders, councilor Raendril adds "It happens sometimes".
"I bet" dryly says the spy Tanith as the Quick Gull drops down to the rise a few hundred yards to the south of the woods.
As the battle between the combined army of the provinces of Karricaw and Corlinda.
And an army consisting of the king's own, and allies to the crown and king of Melaurn, from the provinces of Calinar and Alindar continue to rage on. Here in the northwest of the province of Corlinda, on what's a cool day for the summer, in the south of the kingdom of Melaurn.
After the Quick Gull sets down on the south side of the rise, the two elves. One a spy from the principality of Alínlae. And the other, a prince from the island principality of Laerel.
Along with the prisoner, general Sumic of the king's own, disembark.
And make their way up the back of the rise, to the top. Where a number of people are observing the battle.
"What's he doing here?" asks Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit, when he turns around, and finds the prisoner, general Sumic with Helbe the elven thief, and Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy.
"A long story" says the Dalin, who after a brief pause continues with "We might of busted him out of the palace dungeons, and caused a bit of an incident in the capital Calinar".
"Hell" mutters the halfling who is not what he appears to be.
The hobbit, who is a former air sailor from the Sultanate of Dreese, which lies on the far east coast of the continent, shakes his head, then says to the spy Tanith "You better explain what happened".
As he keeps half an eye on the battle along the south side of the woods.
The halfling, who is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra by the name of Zubutai Timaginson.
Who just happens to find himself inhabiting the body of Jarjin Littlefoot.
Listens to the elven spy explain what happened in the capital city Calinar, where he and others took the prisoner, general Sumic.
As he listens, the hobbit who is a former air sailor who served in the fleet of the Sultan of Dreese.
Occasionally winces when Dalinvardèl Tanith tells him certain things about what happened in Calinar.
Jarjin aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman nods his head when the spy Tanith quietly tells him how general Sumic was captured and put in the palace dungeons by the dowager queen's men.
And the subsequent escape of the enemy general by Dalin and other Farqian spies who are in the capital city Calinar.
After the elven spy originally from the principality of Alínlae, who is now a company commander in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque.
Explains how he and general Sumic escaped the capital city, and made their way north into the lands Farque.
Jarjin Littlefoot, who like Helbe the elven thief, is a member of the personal council to lord Farque, says "Do you know if the king finally got those messages?".
Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy nods his head, then says "We got word yesterday just before we left Farque".
The elf who previously served in one of the more prominent noble houses of his homeland of Alínlae, then adds "Our contact in the palace, a sir Dalacain was able to meet with the king and give him the missives".
After a couple moments of silence, Jarjin Littlefoot shares a look with prince Helbenthril Raendril, then the former air sailor from the Sultanate of Dreese quietly says "Well, at least he knows, so that's something".
After a brief pause, councilor Littlefoot says "Wonder what he'll do?".
Dalinvardèl Tanith nods to that as he watches the battle taking place in and around the woods just a few hundred yards away from their position up a rise.
Then the elven spy who is a company commander in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque quickly looks around at those on the rise, then he asks "Where's Mira?".
"There" says Helbe the elven thief in a slightly dry tone of voice after they hear the thud of an explosion in the distance amongst the woods where the battle is taking place.
"Figures" murmurs the spy Tanith a moment later as burning debris can be seen rising up into the sky from within the woods just a few hundred yards away.
As the battle between the combined armies of the provinces of Karricaw and Corlinda.
Against an army consisting of the king's own, and allies to the crown and king of Melaurn from the provinces of Calinar and Alindar.
Continues to rage on, this fairly cool summer day here in the northwest of the province of Corlinda, in the south of the kingdom of Melaurn . . . . . .