The Find 16.

Autumn.

The early morning, just before dawn. In the pit. Also known as the City of Ruins.
Zam glances at Hilmik as a group of wild goblins pass nearby, heading to the east wall of the pit.
A few of the goblins glance towards their hiding place. But they continue on, ignoring the young mercenaries.
"Maygam's not going to like that" quietly murmurs Zam as the last of the goblins scramble into a fissure in the east wall of the giant hole in the ground.
"Name something he does like" sarcastically says Hilmik, the older of the two young mercenaries.
Zam grunts in agreement, as in the short time both of them have been in the company, they've found their leader to be a thoroughly disagreeable person. Never liking anything, or the way the things are going.
Which is kind of odd, considering how successful the company is here, down in the City of Ruins.
As Maygam's company, which is based out of the Last Village. Is one of the more successful mercenary companies making a living down here in the giant hole in the ground.
On the partial roof of the dilapidated ancient ruin the two young mercenaries are on.
Zam lifts up his head as they lie there, and he spots Farnill across the way, on another rooftop.
This one a lot more substantial, and in one piece compared to the one that Zam and Hilmik are on.
Zam knows that Farnill is with three others over there. And like he and Hilmik, those four are all pretty recent hires to the company.
Zam who is originally from the city-state of Kuradum. Knows that they've all been given this position, because there's a good chance they could be wiped out if things go wrong.
The new hires in most mercenary companies working down here in the City of Ruins tend to always get the most dangerous of jobs.
Zam who couldn't make it in the army of Kuradum, or it's city guard, knows that he, along with Hilmik.
As well as Farnill and the three others with him, might not survive what's about to happen, as the darkness of predawn starts to give way to the gloom of false dawn.
"Hear that?" murmurs Hilmik, Zam shakes his head no, and murmurs "What?".
The young dwarf Hilmik, looks back to the south and then grunts, followed by "That wyvern from Jorkamin's company".
He continues with "It's just taken off" the young dwarf from the Colevar Mountain range then adds "Doing it's morning patrol no doubt".
"Probably" murmurs Zam, who still can't believe what some of the mercenary companies down here in the City of Ruins have at their disposal.
Rumour is that Jorkamin, who has one of the largest, if not the largest mercenary company down here in the pit.
Has a trio of wyverns, along with a number of airships, a couple of which are warships if rumours are true.
And though Maygam has one airship to his name. He can't compete against the largest of the mercenary companies here in the ancient city of Dalphene.
But when it comes to cost spent, and the returns he makes. He's almost as successful as the largest of the companies to be found in the giant hole in the ground.
Which is the home of every type of treasure seeker one can think of. As people from right across the Southlands, and beyond. Are drawn to find their fortune in the pit.
"See them yet?" murmurs Zam who after briefly pausing adds "Or hear them yet?".
As he knows that Hilmik has been given this spot because the young dwarf can see and hear better than just about anyone else in the company. With the exception maybe of the elven twins Gilvanéllé and Lolmildíll.
Who are far too experienced and important, to be put in harms way this morning.
"I can't see them" is the murmured reply of the young dwarf from the Colevar Mountains, who then adds "But i can definitely hear them".
He pauses for a moment or two, then he continues with "They're definitely heading this way".
The young mercenary from the city-state of Kuradum grunts, then he lifts his head up, and nods.
In the gloom of the false dawn, Farnill spots him, and nods in reply to his signal that their targets are approaching.
Ducking his head back down, Zam quietly says "Hope they don't have a spellcaster with them".
Hilmik grimaces, then mutters "You had to go and say that didn't you?".
The teenager from Kuradum winces too, and hopes to the gods, and all the hells. That there isn't a practitioner of magic with those they're about to target.
"They're getting closer" Hilmik whispers to Zam, the young dwarf then adds "Around that ruin with that big statute infront of it".
The young human mercenary nods in understanding, as he and the young dwarf wait.
As do others in Maygam's company, who have been tasked to get the ambush underway, as dawn takes effect down here in the giant hole in the ground.
Within which is the ancient city of Dalphene, or as it's more commonly called, the City of Ruins.
Maygam's mercenary company is fairly successful due to the one thing they do.
They don't bother digging for treasure. Maygam thinks that's just a waste of time, so they just take it from others.
Anyway they can, no matter what. And though a lot of mercenary companies, and bands of adventurers do the same thing.
Maygam and his company of mercenaries are amongst the most successful in doing so, down here in the City of Ruins.
Zam looks away to the south, where in the distance at the neutral zone, he can see the giant pyramid that dominates the middle of the pit.
He's never been in there, and like a lot of mercenaries and adventurers, new or fairly new to the City of Ruins, he'd like to go and explore inside of there.
But that will have to wait for another day, as he and the others prepare to ambush another company of mercenaries.
Who from the information Maygam has been able to ferret out, have been successful in digging out some valuable treasure.
Not the usual ancient pots, plates, amphorae and the like, collectors mainly from Eweteets and Kuradum pay top coin for.
But actual treasure, jeweled items, and precious metals, predominantly gold which is the most common of the precious metal found throughout the ancient city of Dalphene.
The young mercenary who hails from the city-state of Kuradum looks away from the pyramid to the south.
Then looks eastwards, as the sky in that direction is getting lighter.
Zam slightly nods his head, and sees that once again, Maygam's tactics can't be faulted.
As the company they're about to ambush are going to get the first light of the day in their eyes.
As they come from the west, before they turn to the south, and head to the neutral zone, which is about two miles away.
Hilmik slightly nudges the teenage mercenary lying beside him. The dwarf lies as flat as possible, with his head to one side.
Zam does likewise, and keeps completely still next to the young dwarf who hails from the Colevar Mountains.
After a few moments, Zam starts to hear movement on the ancient roadway to the right of where they are.
He can hear people trying to move quietly, as well what sounds like carts being pushed or pulled. Not by any animal or stock, but by people too.
The teenager from the city-state of Kuradum wouldn't be at all surprised that the company they're targeting, has hired caters to give the mercenaries free reign to guard them.
Zam glances at Hilmik lying beside him, who looks back at him. The dwarven mercenary whispers "Wait".
As it's Farnill and the other three with him, who will be the first to get the ambush underway.
Zam and Hilmik as they lie there on the partial roof of an ancient dilapidated ruin of a building.
Wait for Farnill to get things going, now that the target is on the roadway that goes by the ancient ruin they're on top of.
They don't have to wait too long, as there comes a groan of pain, followed by someone falling over down on the ancient roadway.
For though Farnill, like Zam and Hilmik is new to Maygam's mercenary company.
He unlike them is an experienced merc, who hails from the kingdom of Nastell, where he was a bowman in a local noble's army.
Until he had to leave in a hurry, because he was accused of poaching. Which of course he was doing.
Now he's poaching something else, as in the first light of dawn of another cool autumn morning, as there's shouting and yelling coming from the ancient roadway.
Farnill shoots off another arrow from his bow, this time shooting one of the carters in the back as they try to get under their cart for cover.
Both Zam and Hilmik are up with their crossbows. Hilmik's from the mountain hold his clan comes from in the Colevar Mountains. While Zam's is stolen from the city watch armory in Kuradum.
Resting their weapons on the broken wall at the lip of the roof infront of them.
The teenage human and the young dwarf shoot down at the mercenaries and carters on the roadway below.
The bolt from Hilmik's weapon slams into the arm of a merc, who screams in pain and drops his sword as he looks around trying to figure out where the attack is coming from.
Zam's shot is luckier, as the quarrel from his crossbow slams into the throat of another mercenary down on the roadway, dropping the man who grasps at his bloody throat, that has a bolt through it.
As the two young mercenaries crank their crossbows back into firing position.
An arrow shot from the shortbow of a mercenary down below, just passes over the head of Hilmik.
Who mutters something in the dwarven language, that sounds like a lot of swearing to Zam.
Another of the mercenaries down on the roadway goes down with an arrow in the side, shot from Farnill's bow.
While one of the others on the rooftop with Farnill turns out to be deadly accurate with a sling.
Dropping one carter with a rock to the side of the head, and another merc, with a rock to the face, smashing his mouth and nose so hard, they shatter and he falls to the ground, and doesn't move again.
"Don't let the carts get away" says Hilmik who has reloaded his crossbow.
Zam nods to that, as that was the most important thing that Maygam told them.
Infact, the mercenary captain reiterated that a number of times.
As he shoots off another bolt from his crossbow, that takes a mercenary in the thigh, as he tries to help push one of the carts that's come to a stop.
Zam knows that he and Hilmik, along with Farnill and the three others with the experienced mercenary, are at a disadvantage.
For the simple reason there's just the six of them on the rooftops looking down at the ancient roadway.
While there's more than thirty mercenaries and carters they're targeting, as the sun rises in the east. Casting light down here in the giant hole in the ground. Within which is the ancient city of Dalphene, or as it's more commonly called, the City of Ruins.
"If Uren and the others don't get here soon, this lot is going to get away" says Hilmik who shoots one of the carters down below in the back of the head, shattering the man's skull apart, and killing him.
Dropping him to the ground, causing the following cart, to go around his dead body.
So those pushing it, don't want to get the body caught up in the wheels of the cart.
"Or they find a way up onto the roof to us" says Zam as he cranks his crossbow back to reload it.
""I was hoping you weren't going to mention that" sourly says the young dwarf from the Colevar Mountains.
"Not to mention Maygam will be mad as all hell" says the teenage mercenary who hails from the city-state of Kuradum.
Then the dwarf next to him says in a triumphant tone of voice "Yes".
A few moments later, and Zam hears why Hilmik sounded so triumphant.
There's more shouting and yelling from below. This time it's from Uren the second in command of the company. And the others with her.
As they had to be further back, and out of sight from the mercenary band they've ambushed.
The second in command of Maygam's mercenary company, and the fifteen others with her.
Run out from the ruins that Zam and Hilmik are on top of. And hit from the side the mercenary band they've ambushed this morning.
Zam shoots off one more shot, before it gets too chaotic down below. Where there's just as good of a chance of hitting one of their own. Instead of the mercenaries and carters they've ambushed, on this cool autumn morning in the City of Ruins.
"I think we're going to do it" quietly says Zam the teenage mercenary, next to him, Hilmik the young dwarven mercenary nods in agreement.
As they watch down below, others in their mercenary company. Attack the mercs and carters that Maygam's mercenary company have ambushed this cool morning, down in the pit . . . . . .