The Find 32.

Autumn.

The neutral zone. The pit. The ancient city of Dalphene aka The City of Ruins.
"Think we should head up there?" asks Fossma as he looks at the others who have gathered around the table.
"The cap told us to stay here, until they came back" says Lamill, who is sitting on the otherside of the round table.
"So that's what we should do" adds Lamill, a fairly recent hire to the company, having joined at the start of the summer.
"He's right" says Daerdin, one of the older mercs, who has been with the company for almost a decade, he continues with "We should stay, no matter what we hear about what's happening up at the northern end of the pit".
Many of the others sitting around the table, and even more, who are standing around watching the conversation.
Nod and murmur in agreement with the experienced mercenary, who is one of the longest running hires in the company.
Daerdin then says "I'm sure if the captain wants us to head up there, he'll send word back down to us".
More nods and murmurs of agreement come after that from the experienced mercenary.
While Fossma slightly frowns, as he thinks that the captain might of sent a messenger, or messengers back to the neutral zone, to have the rest of the company go up north, to where the bulk of the company are.
Towards the northern end of the giant hole in the ground, where at the moment there's a rather large battle going on.
And from gossip and rumours heard throughout the neutral zone here in the City of Ruins.
The current battle up towards the northern end of the pit. Which involves the three largest mercenary companies down here in the ancient city of Dalphene.
And a number of other companies, including their own, that's been caught up in the chaos.
It's the largest battle in the giant hole in the ground, in quite a number of years.
Fossma is just about to mention that if messengers had been sent, they might of been killed on their way here.
When Gillar enters the room, and says to them "There's a couple of fellas outside asking about one of the new hires" followed by "Chilse is out there talking to them, keeping them occupied".
Fossma shares a quick look with Daerdin, then he asks Gillar "Know who they are?" followed by "Whose company they're in?".
"No idea" says Gillar, who like Fossma and Daerdin, has been with the company for more than five years.
"The younger one looks like a blacksmith, and the other looks like a knight" says Gillar, a slim, disreputable looking fellow, who resembles a sneak thief more than a hired fighting man.
"Or maybe a cleric, i don't know" adds Gillar who has a worried look upon his face.
"A knight and his squire perhaps?" muses Lamill, some of the others nod at that suggestion, and Daerdin says "Perhaps".
Then after he and Fossma share another look, Daerdin says "Let's go and have a look".
The experienced merc looks at the others, then quietly says "Get into position where you can see what's happening" followed by "And be ready for anything, this could be an attack by another company".
For though the neutral zone here in the City of Ruins, is pretty free of mercenary companies attacking one another. That doesn't mean it doesn't happen at all.
As more than a few companies over the years have attacked their rivals here in the so called neutral zone of the ancient city of Dalphene.
Especially when there's a battle going on further to the north in the giant hole in the ground. Not just any battle, but the largest battle in the pit in years.
Daerdin and Fossma follow Gillar through the ruins. One of two such in the neutral zone that their company use as a barracks while they're here.
"Be careful" quietly says Daerdin, who continues in a quiet tone with "If it is a knight, and things turn nasty, he'll be a handful to deal with".
The experienced merc then adds "If it turns violent, try and get him off his feet, they're more vulnerable on the ground and on their backs".
Fossma nods in agreement with that. As he's seen knights down here in the City of Ruins fighting against anyone and everyone.
They're usually in small groups, and most people tend to give them a wide berth.
Even large mercenary companies will leave them alone unless they outnumber them by at least ten to one, if they get into conflict with one another.
"Will do" quietly says Fossma, while infront Gillar nods in agreement as they continue through the ancient ruins, where they live when they're here in the neutral zone of the City of Ruins.
Outside, Beldane the cleric shares a look with Tovis the war engineer, as the woman they're talking totry, is clearly trying to delay them.
The fighting cleric who has quickly read her mind, looks at the various openings, and holes in the wall behind her, the side wall of one of the ruins here in the neutral zone.
A ruin that's more than a shell of an ancient building, but less than some of the ruins that have been done up, that they've seen since being in this area of the ancient city of Dalphene.
Beldane quickly tells the young engineer from the kingdom of Druvic something by way of a mindspeech spell.
Then as the war engineer, who is a captain in the armies of Farque steps back, and the member of the church of Glaine leans a hand on the end of his mace on his waist belt.
Three men walk out of what one might consider a doorway, but is actually a rough door size hole in the wall.
"Chilse I've got this" says Fossma as he and Daerdin and Gillar step out of the side of the ruin.
The female mercenary steps back and stands next to Gillar, who is to the right of Daerdin, then Fossma.
"How can we help you gentlemen?" asks Fossma, who along with Daerdin. Was left in charge of this group who remained here in the neutral zone.
There's another such group, in another of the ruins that the company have here in the City of Ruins.
They too are getting a visit this morning by strangers. An elf in a gray hooded cloak, and a tall, lean attractive young woman wearing a black hoodless cloak.
"So do you know this person?" asks Lisell Maera the scout as she holds out the piece of parchment for the mercenary to look at.
While slightly behind and to the right of the attractive young woman who hails from the city-state of Brattonbury.
Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy is keeping a close eye on the openings, and holes in the front wall of the ruin that some of Maygam's mercenary company use as barracks whilst here in the neutral zone of the ancient city of Dalphene.
Meanwhile, over a quarter of a mile away, Beldane the cleric who has read the minds of the mercenaries who made their way out of the ruins.
Informs Tovis of something, using the mindspeech spell he has cast to the young engineer, who is a captain in the armies of Farque.
"We've been hired by the family to look for them" says Tovis the war engineer, who continues with "Seems they're missed".
The fighting cleric from the kingdom of Nastell, lifts an eyebrow as this is side of Tovis he's never seen before.
Seems the war engineer, who previously served in the army of a baron Harkonin in his homeland of Druvic.
Is quite an accomplished liar, who can make up a story on the spot. Which seems to be fooling the mercenaries they're chatting to.
The four mercs nod, and two of them, the more experienced looking two. Will occasionally ask Tovis a question, as the young Druvician engineer, is doing most of the talking.
After sharing a look with Daerdin, Fossma the mercenary says to the two strangers "Just a moment please, while we discuss things".
The two strangers, one the older of the two, in heavy halfplate armour. Who has a brutal looking mace on his wide, waist belt.
And the younger one, who has a leather smock, that goes down below his waist, that he wears over his leather armour.
Step back, and away from the ruins. Whilst the four mercenaries move a little bit back, so that they're in one of the openings in the side wall of the ruins.
"They seem to know a lot about 'em" says Daerdin, who slightly shrugs before adds "Can't say i known 'em that well".
"Nor i" says Fossma, who nods as Gillar adds "Same". While Chilse, shakes her head, and murmurs "Typical newbie" followed by "Does anyone ever know any of them?".
Fossma slightly nods, then quietly says "I've only spoken to 'em a few times since they joined a little while ago".
The mercenary who along with Daerdin has been left in charge by captain Maygam of those staying here at this particular company barracks in the neutral zone.
Continues on after briefly pausing when the low thuds of magetubes can be heard firing in the distance, some three miles north of the neutral zone, with  "But these two definitely know where they're from".
Fossma nods his head in the direction of the two strangers, then he quietly says "I figure they're telling the truth, but do we have the right to give 'em up to these two?".
He briefly pauses again, before he continues on with "After all, many of us gave up and left our former lives for a reason" Fossma then adds "They might not want to be found".
"I agree" quietly says Daerdin the mercenary, who follows that with "Newbie or not, we can't give 'em up without any reason"
"So what do we tell these two?" quietly asks Chilse, who is one of about a fifth of the company who are women.
"Might as well tell them truth" says Daerdin, who was one of the first to be hired by Maygam, when the mercenary captain created his own company.
"We don't exactly know where they are" continues Daerdin, who follows with "Just that they're somewhere down here in the pit".
"That's true enough i guess" says Fossma, who follows up with "Might as well tell them that then".
Although it's Fossma himself and Daerdin who will make the decision. Fossma does look at Gillar and Chilse to see what they think of it.
Both of them nod, then Fossma who has quickly thought of something, so he quietly asks the other three "Know where they actually are at the moment?" followed by "Did they stay down here, or did they go north with the rest of the company?".
"They don't exactly know where they are" Beldane the cleric murmurs to Tovis the war engineer.
The powerful spellcaster who is a member of the church of Glaine, a god predominantly worshiped in the north of the kingdom of Nastell then adds "But they seem to think they went north with the rest of the company".
The young engineer originally from the kingdom of Druvic nods at that, then does so again when Beldane murmurs "They could be over at the other place they use as a barracks".
"We'll find out soon enough i guess" murmurs Tovis the war engineer, who then falls silent as the mercenaries turn back to them.
"I can tell you, that yes they're in our company" says Fossma the mercenary who continues with "Unfortunately they're not here with us".
"Sorry to hear that" says the Druvician who commands one of the engineering crops in the armies of Farque.
"Would you happen to know where they are?" asks the war engineer, who previously served in the army of a baron Harkonin, in the east of his homeland, the kingdom of Druvic.
With a shrug of his shoulders, the mercenary Fossma says "They could be anywhere down here in the pit".
He pauses, as the sound of thuds can be heard in the distance, as magetubes fire away, somewhere to the north.
As if to place emphasis on what Fossma just said in regard to one of the recent hires in Maygam's company, that the two strangers are looking for.
Both Tovis the war engineer, and Beldane the cleric share a glance, and by way of the mindspeech spell he's cast.
The fighting cleric who is a member of the church of Glaine informs the young engineer, that the mercenaries are speaking the truth.
"Thanks for that" says Tovis the war engineer to the mercenaries, he continues with "We appreciate it".
"No problems, glad we could help" responds Fossma the mercenary, who then nods as the two strangers turn and walk away.
He slightly nods again, when he hears Daerdin quietly say to Gillar and Chilse "Have some of the others discreetly follow them, i want to know what they do, where they go, and who they meet".
As they walk away, along what was a boulevard centuries ago, Beldane who has dropped his mindspeech spell, and cast a different spell so that he can eavesdrop upon those they were just talking to, quietly tells the young engineer "They're going to follow us and see what we get up to".
As they walk, in the morning sunshine on what's a cold day here in the City of Ruins.
Tovis the war engineer nods, as that was what they were hoping would happen, if they were unable to locate the person they're searching for.
"Now we wait" quietly says the young Druvician engineer who is a captain in the armies of Farque.
As they, and the rest of the group continue the search for the person they're looking for down here in the giant hole in the ground, within which is the ancient city of Dalphene, which is more commonly called the City of Ruins . . . . . .