To War 85.

Summer. Corlinda.

"Let them go" says Mira Reinholt the mage, who follows that with "We want them to retreat northwards".
The Farqian subaltern with him nods, then steps away and starts shouting in common at some of the soldiers from the provinces of Karricaw and Corlinda who are preparing to chase after the enemy who are retreating.
The once powerful mage looks down at the dead body on the ground infront of him.
One of the young messengers in the scouts and rangers division of the first army of Farque, and he grimaces.
Then as the subaltern walks back to him, the spellcaster from the city-state of Vexil, who is a member of the personal council to lord Farque points at the dead runner, and quietly says "Have the youngster buried" followed by "Don't leave him out for any scavengers to get to".
"Yes councilor" says the subaltern, who then waves over the sergeant at arms and some of the others in the small company that the mage Reinholt had with him during the battle.
While the Vexilian mage in exile, who also happens to be a highly skilled swordmaster, walks away.
The spellcaster, who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere in the Southlands.
Until he was stripped of most of his powers, when he went offworld through a rift/void spell he accidentally cast.
Stops by a tree, and leans against it, and watches the enemy army, or what's left of it. Retreating northwards away from the woods where the battle took place.
The mage, who was the youngest ever member of the mage council of Vexil.
Which he was kicked off, when he committed an act of treason during the Battle of Vexil. And he was sent into exile from his homeland.
Hopes the enemy keeps going north, across the border back into the province of Moleau.
Then head more to the northwest. As in that direction, waits the army of rebellious lords from the southern most province of Selvah Na.
Who went around the province of Corlinda, and into the province of Romial, before going up into Moleau.
Avoiding the crown and king's forces so far in the war between the crown and king of Melaurn, against lord Gormica of Salmah Forest.
The swordmaster Reinholt knows that the survivors of this enemy army consisting of the king's own, along with allies to the crown from the provinces of Calinar and Alindar.
Will have no chance against the large army from the province of Selvah Na. That's lying in wait to the northwest in the province of Moleau.
The spellcaster, who can rightfully boast that he was more powerful than any other human spellcaster in the Southlands for a few years when he was a younger man.
Glances away to his left as he senses another practitioner of magic approaching from that direction.
The next moment, Beldane the cleric suddenly appears walking this way after teleporting from further around the woods.
Stopping next to councilor Reinholt, Beldane the cleric says to his fellow spellcaster "They are in full retreat then?".
"They are" replies Mira Reinholt, whose family owns one of the most wealthy and influential trading companies, not just in Vexil, but the entire Southlands.
The fighting cleric who hails from the kingdom of Nastell, turns and looks back at the black clad Farqian soldiers carrying away the body of one of the young messengers in the scouts and rangers division of the first army of Farque.
Beldane, who is a member of the church of Glaine, a god worshiped predominantly in the north of the kingdom of Nastell, slightly scowls as he watches the black clad youngster being carried away.
Glancing sideways at the powerful spellcaster beside him, who he sees scowl.
Mira Reinholt the mage quietly says "You couldn't of done anything to help him".
The highly skilled swordmaster continues with "He was killed instantly".
Beldane grunts when he hears that, then he turns back around, and faces north like the Vexilian mage in exile, and watches the retreating army in the distance.
"Tovis has come back" says the Nastellian cleric, who is the sole member of the group that travels with lord Farque.
That's yet to step foot into the lands Farque. Because he's a cleric, who are banned from entering the lands ruled by the undead warlord.
The mage Reinholt nods his hooded head as he thought as much. As he caught a glimpse of the Quick Gull in the sky during the battle.
"I thought so" says the practitioner of magic who is a member of the personal council to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
Then the spellcaster, who also happens to be a highly skilled swordmaster.
Eyebrows shoot up, and he looks at the fighting cleric in the halfplate armour, who quietly tells him "He brought back that enemy general he took to the capital with him".
"What the fuck?" murmurs Mira Reinholt, who after a brief pause, adds "Why the hell did he do that?".
The member of the church of Glaine tells him why as they head back through the trees.
The once powerful mage occasionally nods, but stays quiet as he listens to the powerful cleric who hails from the kingdom of Nastell.
It's only after Beldane informs the mage Reinholt that the king, did indeed get the messages that general Sumic took to the capital.
That the highly skilled swordmaster speaks up and says "Well, at least that's something".
The fighting cleric nods in agreement, and glances away from where some of the Farqian soldiers are killing a number of the wounded and injured enemy.
Even the soldiers in the combined army of lord Gormica of Salmah Forest, and baron Wilmot of Pirtgott.
Keep well away from the killing of their injured enemies by soldiers in the first army of Farque.
"Think it'll make a difference?" quietly asks Beldane the cleric as they walk southwards through the woods.
"The missives sent to the king?" adds the powerful practitioner of magic, who is originally from the kingdom of Nastell.
"I hope so" says the exiled Vexilian mage, who continues on with "I don't want this war dragging on into the autumn".
"Same" murmurs the churchman in the halfplate armour.
Who then slightly nods as the once powerful mage quietly tells him "It all depends on what the king does".
The spellcaster, who is a member of the personal council to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque briefly pauses before he continues with "Or what i suspect, he's actually able to do".
The fighting cleric from the kingdom of Nastell looks at his fellow practitioner of magic, and nods in agreement with him.
As they learnt from questioning the enemy general, Sumic. Or more precisely, from Helbe the elven thief reading his mind.
That the crown of Melaurn, is a bit of fractured power base at best.
And though the king of Melaurn, king Harman the Third. Does have absolute control over the crown and kingdom.
There's a faction at court, that's hugely influential. That faction being led by the king's mother.
The former queen of Melaurn. Who is referred to as the dowager queen of Melaurn.
As if she still has some sort of power at her disposal. As she did when she was the wife of the former king.
Who are if rumours are true, she might of had killed off. So that her son could take the throne.
As she thought she would have more  control over him, compared to her husband the previous king.
And though that was certainly true when the current king was younger, before he took the throne.
It's certainly not true now, especially since he married just a few months before his father died.
Married a noblewoman of little consequence from the province of Karricaw, against the wishes of both his father and mother.
Now the dowager queen tries to carve out power wherever she can. Like now with the war with lord Gormica of Salmah Forest.
And though the king was onboard with it to begin with. Because of the unprovoked attacks in southern Moleau. Wrongly attributed to lord Gormica.
It's the dowager queen and her faction at court, who are the ones most pressing for the war in southern Melaurn to escalate.
Though that might all change thanks to the missives sent with general Sumic to the capital city Calinar Which the king of Melaurn, has now apparently read.
The two spellcasters, one from that city-state of Vexil, and the other from the kingdom of Nastell.
Make their way out of the woods. There, the cleric in the church of Glaine teleports the two of them to a rise a few hundred yards south of the woods, where a battle just took place.
"Did he tell you?" asks Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit after Mira Reinholt and Beldane the cleric appear next to him.
"He did" says the once powerful mage, who looks around then asks "Where's that general?".
"On the Quick Gull" replies the halfling who isn't exactly what he appears to be.
"Down the backside of the rise" adds the hobbit who is a former air sailor from the Sultanate of Dreese.
A nation all the way on the otherside of the continent from the Southlands.
"And where's his royal thiefness?" asks the swordmaster Reinholt who looks around and can't find any sign of Helbe the elven thief anywhere, which isn't unusual.
"Who the hell knows" dryly says the hobbit, 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 the halfling from the far east coast of the continent.
"He said he was going to follow their retreat" says the hobbit who like the mage Reinholt, is a member of the personal council to lord Farque.
"So take of that, what you will" adds the former air sailor who served in the fleet of the Sultan of Dreese.
The Vexilian mage in exile, along with the cleric from the kingdom of Nastell.
Follows Jarjin aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman who leads the way up and over the rise, and down the otherside.
Where the small, sleek looking, single masted airship, the Quick Gull is moored.
"Dalin is with him" says councilor Littlefoot, who continues with "Seems the general has had a change of heart".
The hobbit from the far east coast of the continent, then says "Seems he's had a change of heart for good reason".
"Oh?" says the once powerful mage as they approach the vessel, that like Jarjin Littlefoot, is originally from the Sultanate of Dreese.
Nodding his head, the former air sailor says "Oh he's still loyal to the king, nothing will ever stop that, considering the two of them are friends".
The halfling, who is a member of the personal council to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, briefly pauses, before he adds "After what's happened recently in the capital, he's not too fond of the crown though".
As they make their way onboard the Quick Gull, Jarjin aka Zubutai Timaginson, quietly says "He's never really liked the dowager queen anyway, but after his treatment at the palace, the general absolutely despises the old queen now".
"Interesting" murmurs Mira Reinholt the mage, while next to him, Beldane the cleric nods in agreement.
Once onboard the small, sleek looking, single masted airship, originally from the Sultanate of Dreese.
The Vexilian mage in exile asks his fellow council member "He have any idea how the king reacted to the missives we sent?".
"None" is the reply of the halfling from the far east coast of the continent, who follows that with "He would of if he had been there when the king read them".
Jarjin aka Zubutai the son of Timagin then adds "But since it was one of our contacts in the palace, who actually gave the king the messages, we don't know yet" followed by "Word hasn't got to us from the spies in the capital yet".
The mage Reinholt nods his hooded head, as he and his fellow spellcaster, Beldane the cleric.
Follow hobbit council member below deck, and to the captain's cabin. In which, Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy waits with the prisoner, the enemy general in the king's own, Sumic.
Once they're in the captain's cabin, the Vexilian mage in exile, who also happens to be a highly skilled swordmaster.
Reads the mind of the enemy general, which he suspects Helbe the elven thief already did before he left.
The once powerful mage slightly nods his hooded head, as he finds that general Sumic doesn't just dislike the dowager queen after his treatment in the capital.
He absolutely hates the old queen, who is the mother of king Harmard the Third of Melaurn. Who he wants to see dead, preferably at his own hands.
Not bothering to hide what they say, as general Sumic understands the elven language.
Mira Reinholt says to both the prisoner, and the spy Tanith "Think the king will go for any of those suggestions?".
"Beats me" says Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy with a shrug of his shoulders.
While the prisoner, general Sumic is a little slower to answer, and eventually says "He might do".
The enemy general momentarily pauses before continuing on with "If he finds out that i was in the middle of all that commotion in the palace, he might change his thoughts about the war here in the south".
The two spellcasters, the halfling and the elf all share looks, then the mage Reinholt as he looks at the enemy general, asks him "But will the old queen do?".
"Yes, that is the question, isn't it" says the general in the king's own, who after a brief pause adds "She could do just about anything, especially if it prolongs the war down here in the south" . . . . . .