To War 88.

Summer. Southern Melaurn.

The young adjunct in training Hamblin slightly jumps when he turns around and finds Arveem the undead heavy foot trooper has walked up behind him without making a sound.
"Relax Hamblin, nothing to worry about" says Arveem the undead heavy foot trooper.
"Yes trooper" says Hamblin, who is an officer in training, who is the aide to the large, heavily armoured undead foot trooper.
The youngster from the northwest of the lands Farque looks back to the north, trying to spot any movement in that direction.
"Nothing that way" says Arveem, who like the fourteen year old from northwestern Farque, is speaking in the elven language.
"Unless you don't count that idiot brother of mine" dryly adds the undead being who stands near seven foot tall, and is well in excess of three hundred pounds in weight.
"I head that!" calls out a voice in the distance away to the north.
"I was hoping you had" says Arveem with a shake of his full helmed head.
As the undead scout Dargarven makes his way back to where Arveem and his aide Hamblin are waiting.
The undead heavy foot trooper says to the young officer in training "The scout Maera is away in that direction".
Arveem who is pointing away to their right, continues with "She's heading this way" followed by "Go and inform her that this way is as a good as any".
The large, heavily armoured figure then adds "The field commander will want to know".
"Yes trooper" says Hamblin the adjunct in training, who took some time to not initially say "Yes sir" all the time, in response to the heavy foot trooper.
Who like his brother Dargarven, and the many other Farqian undead who aren't officers, or knighted. Absolutely dislike being referred to as sir.
The teenager from the northwest of the lands Farque, turns to his right, and hurries away.
Going in search of the scout Lisell Maera, who is heading in this direction.
The army led by the young field commander Tamric Drubine. Is in the north of the province of Corlinda.
Not all that far from the border with the province of Moleau. Which they'll soon cross, and enter the province immediately to the north of Corlinda.
After meeting up with the young adjunct in training Hamblin. Lisell Maera the scout makes her way back to the bulk of the army, who are coming up a road in the very north of the province of Corlinda.
The attractive young woman originally from the city-state of Brattonbury, who is now in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque.
Finds field commander Drubine riding near the front of the army. Who are all in the first army of Farque.
Tamric Drubine, along with his lover, Saanea the witch. Along with some of the field commanders staff.
Make their way off the road to where the scout Maera is waiting for them.
"Not that far from here" says Lisell Maera the scout, who follows that with "About a mile and half further up the road, there's spot where we can go cross country, and enter Corlinda".
Lisell Maera, or Lis as she's more commonly called by those who know her well, then says "No need to use the road" followed by "And it's quicker going cross country by the sounds of it".
"Any enemy in the vicinity?" asks Tamric Drubine the field commander, who has dismounted and is letting his mount crop at the summer grass just off the side of the road.
"No one for twenty miles apart from local farmers and villagers" says the attractive young woman from the coastal city-state of Brattonbury.
Whose mother was a street prostitute, and whose father. A man she never knew, or for that matter, ever met. Was a sailor who plied his trade along the coast of the Southlands, out on the Great Western Ocean.
The nobleborn field commander,who hails from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin, nods his head in understanding.
As he realises Lis got her information from one of the undead brothers, Arveem or Dargarven.
As they can sense up to twenty or so miles away. Anything living, or for that matter, dead.
Who can easily locate large bodies of people, such as armies within the limits of their ability to sense.
Field commander Drubine, who is still a teenager. Who knows that lord Farque himself can sense even further. Looks at his lover, Saanea the witch. Who has closed her eyes.
After a few moments, the pretty looking spellcaster who is from the Maldin Hills, opens her eyes.
"I know where it is" says Saanea the witch, who has just been looking through the eyes of her familiar. Which at the moment, is a bird of prey, flying away to the north of the army.
"It will be quicker than the road" continues the witch, who joined the group that travels with lord Farque, last summer.
Though the undead warlord, and most of the rest of the group weren't actually in the Southlands.
When Tamric Drubine, Lisell Maera and a few others in the group, found the pretty looking hillwoman.
"Which goes more to the west, than directly north into Moleau" adds the witch, who is just a few years older than her lover, field commander Drubine.
The son and former heir of the Knight of Castle Drubine, a castle and it's lands that can be found in the forested north of the kingdom of Sarcrin.
Nods his head, then says "We'll go that way then".
Tamric Drubine, or Tam as he's more commonly called by the others in the group, says to Lis "Tell Dargarven and Arveem we'll head that way" followed by "We shouldn't be long".
The scout Maera, who rose in rank from runner or messenger, to full scout, in the autumn last year. Nods her head, and takes off at run.
While Tam remounts, as does Saanea the witch and the others, and they get back on the road with the rest of the Farqian mercenary army.
Who have been hired by lord Gormica of Salmah Forest. As he finds himself at war with the crown and king of Melaurn.
Just a little while later in the morning, and the force of about three thousand of the ten or so thousand strong, first army of Farque.
Cross over the border, and enter the province of Moleau.
Though minus the goblin battalion, and number of others they had with them previously.
Who have remained in the very northeast of the province of Corlinda. In the area known as the Corlinda Corner. Where that province, along with the provinces of Karricaw, Moleau and Mofosild border each other.
Hamblin the adjunct in training, stands on a low bluff. Looking away to the north, at the province of Moleau, which they're now in.
The teenager from the northwest of the lands Farque, looks down to the left of the bluff.
And watches the foreriders of the Farqian force led by field commander Drubine, leading the way north.
Hamblin, who knows that there's actually Farqian scouts and rangers even further to the north.
Knows that this is the first time a significant force in the first army of Farque has left either Corlinda or Karricaw, and gone north into the province of Moleau.
At least a third of the mercenary army from the lands of Farque is now going northwards.
Essentially invading the province of Moleau, taking advantage of the recent defeats the crown forces have suffered of late.
Hamblin, who doesn't know how the war is going further to the west. But he assumes it's going just as well, as it is here, further to the east.
Looks at the undead brothers Arveem and Dargarven, who he's with on top of the bluff.
Both of whom, turned and looked to the northeast at the same time.
The young teenager from the northwest of the lands Farque. Always finds it uncanny how the undead brothers can basically move in perfect unison at times.
Speaking outloud, so his aide doesn't feel left out, Arveem the undead heavy foot trooper says "Heading this way, you think?".
"Maybe" replies Dargarven the undead scout, who continues with "Either way, if it keeps coming westwards, it should spot us".
The much larger of the two brothers, who is also the older of the two by a few years, nods his full helmed head, then explains to his aide Hamblin "Wyvern and it's rider to the northeast".
The adjunct in training nods in understanding when the undead heavy foot trooper tells him "It's heading west, and should be able to see our army if they look in this direction".
"Hopefully it's an inattentive rider" says Dargarven, who though an inch or two over six foot, is absolutely dwarfed by his near seven foot tall older brother.
"Though i doubt it" dryly adds the undead scout, who though he wears a sleeveless light leather armour vest, wears a full helm that encloses his whole head.
A few moments later, and Dargarven says "Told you". As both he and his brother Arveem both sense and see the wyvern nearly twenty miles away to the northeast, turn south as it continues flying westwards.
The undead scout takes a running leap off the bluff, falling about fifty feet, before landing on a game trail that winds it's way up the face of the bluff.
As Hamblin watches Dargarven turn into a blur of movement as he runs down the rest of the bluff.
He's suddenly grabbed by the undead heavy foot trooper Arveem. And the next moment they're falling through the air.
The young officer in training barely gets out a gasp in surprise before they hit the ground, on the game trail up the face of the bluff.
"Back to the army Hamblin" says Arveem who sets his aide down. Then the undead heavy foot trooper takes off down the trail at a run. Quickly turning into a blur of movement, like his brother Dargarven, who Hamblin can't even see now.
The young teenager from the northwest of the lands Farque takes off running too.
Hoping he doesn't fall and break his neck as he heads down the game trail on the face of the bluff.
Knowing that he'll rejoin the army, well after the undead brothers Dargarven and Arveem.
Who are already gone from the face of the bluff, with the undead scout Dargarven already almost halfway to the Farqian force that's led by Tamric Drubine the field commander.
Who have just crossed over the border, and entered the province of Moleau.
When he gets to the army heading north, Dargarven the undead scout waves at field commander Drubine.
Who along with his lover, Saanea the witch, and a few others. Ride out of line to join the undead scout who is soon joined by his older brother, the heavy foot trooper, Arveem.
"How far?" asks Tamric Drubine the field commander once the undead scout has explained what's happening.
"Not all that far, probably about ten miles now" says Dargarven, while next to him, his older brother Arveem nods his full helmed head in agreement.
"Most likely can see us now" says Arveem as he joins in on the conversation.
And as his aide, the young adjunct, Hamblin comes into view from the nearby bluff, huffing and puffing from running so fast.
The large heavily armoured undead foot trooper looks at Saanea the witch, and asks the spellcaster "Can you do anything?".
"Not a spell that far away" says Saanea the witch, whose grasp of the elven language is slowly improving the more and more she uses it.
The pretty looking hillwoman, who is the lover of the young field commander on the horse next to her.
Briefly pauses before she continues on with "Though there's something i might be able to do".
The spellcaster from the Maldin Hills closes her eyes. And near instantly she's looking through the eyes of her familiar.
Which is circling the army at the moment, and she instructs it to fly quickly northwards.
He spots it well after his mount, which has been squawking and growling for the last little while, as he tries to get the unruly beast under control.
As it headed against his commands, more to the south, than the west the direction they're supposed to be going.
Eventually he sees it away to the south, and his mouth drops opens in surprise.
"Damn" murmurs the surprised wyvern rider as he watches the army away to the south.
That by the looks of it, has crossed over the border into the province of Moleau as it heads north.
The flyer in the king's own, immediately knows it's the enemy. As even from where he is, he can see that pretty much all of them are in black.
As his mount continues southwards, the rider who is trying to count how many are in the enemy army that's come over the border from the province of Corlinda.
Scowls as his mount, lets out an agitated squawk, followed by a rumbling growl.
The flyer in the king's own, thinks about shouting at it. As it, like all wyverns, are highly agitated and temperamental to say the least.
But he doesn't bother, as he finds himself gripping the reins as it goes to dive without him ordering it to.
As his mount lets out a squawk, the flyer in the king's own. At the last moment sees a dark shape coming right at him.
Next thing he knows, he's screaming in pain, and he grasps his bleeding face that's been badly clawed.
He's let go of the reins, and before he knows it, he's slipped out of the saddle, and falling out of the sky, screaming.
As the wyvern lets out a loud squawk, and tries to turn and dive.
The falcon that's just attacked the wyvern rider in the king's own.
Has already turned, and is winging it's way back to the south.
As it does, it looks back and watches the flyer fall to the ground, with the wyvern diving after him.
"He's dead" says Saanea the witch when she opens her eyes, after watching the enemy wyvern flyer fall five hundred feet to the ground.
They all look away to the north, and a couple of miles away in that direction. They see the wyvern circling for a little while, before it turns, and slowly wings it's way to the north.
"Good" says Tamric Drubine the field commander, who then after a brief pause adds "Let us continue northwards" . . . . . .