The Find 44.

Autumn.

The pit. The ancient city of Dalphene. More commonly called The City of Ruins.
"Over here i think" quietly says Bracniss the mercenary, drawing the rest of the group, including Gilvanéllé the elven mercenary over to him.
"What do you think Gil?" quietly asks the veteran mercenary who joined Maygam's company around the same time as the elven twins Gilvanéllé and Lolmildíll.
"It's them" says Gilvanéllé the elven magic user who points then adds "That's dwarven boot prints".
"Hilmik's" quietly says Bracniss, who due to length of service in the company, is in charge of the five humans with the elven noble from the principality of Alínlae who is with them.
As for Gilvanéllé, or Gil as he's more commonly called by the others in the company.
No one here is in charge of him. Infact he basically does whatever he wants to do.
Though like now, he will do what Maygam has requested of him. And that's to find the group of mercenaries from their company that Gil ran across earlier in the afternoon.
The powerful elven spellcaster looks at the tracks that lead up and out of the pit.
Which he can see far more easily than the five humans, as it's essentially dusk here in the City of Ruins.
Then the elven noble who hails from the principality of Alínlae, says in his harsh voice to the others "Stand close".
They quickly do so, surrounding the elven spellcaster. The next instant they disappear, and a moment later they reappear about forty yards away, up and out of 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.
"By the forest gods" mutters Gilvanéllé of house Jilenthàl as he looks down and can't make out the tracks on the ground of the group they're supposed to be looking for.
"What is it Gil?" quietly asks Bracniss, who is the only one game enough to speak with the elven magic user who is a pariah.
Who along with his twin brother, is quite well known throughout the City of Ruins by the other mercenary companies, and groups of treasure seekers.
Having some what of a disreputable reputation. For the simple reason they're well known killers. Not to mention both are rapists if things are to believed. And that Gilvanéllé is apparently someone that often eats those he kills.
Bracniss who has known the elven twins long enough, to know that at least half of the rumours about them are definitely true. And the other half are probably true.
Looks down and tries to decipher the tracks scattered across the ground, here at the edge of the pit, overlooking the ancient city of Dalphene.
It's now too dark for the human mercenary to clearly see what's going on.
But with what little he can see, he's pretty certain the tracks of Hilmik the dwarf have disappeared amongst a myriad of other tracks that go all over the place.
"What the hell?" mutters Bracniss the mercenary, who continues with "It looks like a flock of rampaging sheep went through here".
"Goblins" sourly says Gilvanéllé the elven magic user, followed by "Wild ones".
Bracniss and some of the other mercenaries wince when they hear that.
Then the elven noble who is originally from the principality of Alínlae looks away to the east, then to the west.
Gil shrugs his shoulders, then says "Who the hell knows which way they've gone".
The powerful elven spellcaster continues with "That lot either turns up back south or they don't". Gilvanéllé then says in a harsh tone "Stand close, we're going".
No one argues with him, even though Maygam wanted Almard the mercenary and those with him found.
The five human mercenaries stand close around Gilvanéllé the elven magic user. Who looks away to the south across the City of Ruins as dusk gives way to nightfall.
They all disappear when the elven mercenary from the principality of Alínlae teleports them all back south. Meanwhile the five mercenaries from their company who they were looking for. Are now to the west of the pit.
After going south for about half a mile after they left behind the mob of wild goblins who chased them for a bit.
Almard the mercenary thought it would be best to stop for the night.
Especially since they've basically been on the run since yesterday afternoon.
And most, if not all of them. Are bone tired after being on the run, with nerves frayed as they've made their way out of the giant hole in the ground, within which is the ancient city of Dalphene.
Nowadays, or for that matter, for the last millennia and a half, has been more commonly called, the City of Ruins.
Now with night having fallen, and the early evening even colder than it was during the day.
The five of them are looking for shelter. Heading further west, away from the pit. Down in which is the ancient city of Dalphene.
It's Hilmik with his dwarven eyesight who spots it. They knew there was farmland further west of the City of Ruins.
And in the distance, a good mile and a half from the western edge of the giant hole in the ground.
The young dwarven warrior from the Colevar Mountains. Spots an old ramshackle looking barn.
Which as they get closer and closer to, even the humans with the help of one of the three moons already up in the night sky. Are able to see that it hasn't been in use for a number of the years.
Nevertheless it gives shelter to Zam, Hilmik, Farnill, Melmear and Almard. All of whom, even the dwarven warrior. Are tired after the ordeal they've gone through since yesterday afternoon.
And though they haven't got much in the way of food amongst their supplies.
That may be so, but the five mercenaries who are part of Maygam's company.
Are just glad to be out of the cold wind, which has picked up since the sun set in the west, on what was a clear and sunny, but cold autimmn day here in the north, of the central region of the Southlands.
Yawning as he scrapes dirt to one side with his right footed boot, so that he can have somewhere fairly level to lie down.
Zam the mercenary quietly says "Least we're out of that wind now" followed by "Forget how windy it can get up here".
To make his point, some of the loose boards of the wall away to his right, rattle as a gust of wind blows by.
For down in the pit, one becomes accustomed to the lack of wind. Where the strongest the wind really ever gets on a normal day is a strong breeze every so often.
And even during a storm that might cross the area. The wind down in the City of Ruins will be significantly less than it is up top, in the surrounding countryside.
Melmear nods in agreement as she lies on her bedroll, having brought it with her. The only one to do so.
The teenage girl from the Last Village down in the giant hole in the ground. Also has a bag of trail rations. Dried fruit in this instance. Which she shares with the others.
While Hilmik has a flask of grog, which he always has on him. The young dwarven warrior from the Colevar Mountains shares it with the other.
As they pass around the flask of grog, and sip from it. The five mercenaries from Maygam's company quietly discuss what they'll do.
"We'll set off early before dawn" quietly says Almard the mercenary, who is more or less their leader.
For the simple reason he's the helper of Uren, who is the second in command of Maygam's mercenary company.
"Shouldn't be too much trouble heading south" adds Almard who figures there's about nine more miles worth of travel to get to the southern end of the pit.
He continues on with "Apart from the occasional band of bandits up here, it's a lot more safer up here than it is down in the pit".
They all nod in agreement to that. For apart from the towns and villages down in the southern end of the giant hole in the ground, along with the neutral zone in the middle of the pit.
The City of Ruins is one massive free for all. Where you take what you want, from whoever. As the lure of treasure and coins is great down there.
It's why mercenary companies, usually the larger ones. Have thrived down in the ancient city of Dalphene.
In comparison to smaller bands of adventurers, and solo treasure hunters. Who are usually preyed upon by the larger mercenary company.
A smaller band of adventurers down in the pit, not easily preyed upon by larger mercenary companies.
Is the band led by lord Farque, who are down in the pit searching for someone.
Who at this moment, is top side in an old barn, about a mile and a half to the west of the City of Ruins as night settles upon the northern, central region of the Southlands.
One of the members of the small group of adventurers, as per normal when they're doing things.
Is away from the others, infront of them as they're close to a group of mercenaries who in the early evening, are planning to attack some other mercenaries, who aren't all that far away, in one of the underground chambers beneath the ancient city of Dalphene.
Helbe the elven thief gets close to the mercenaries, to watch and listen to them. Mercenaries from Jarnok's company.
The blurred and shielded elven magic user from the island principality of Laerel, who is a member of the royal family that rules that nation.
Rolls his eyes, when he finds out that Jarnok's company, well about sixty of them at least, don't exactly know who it is they're planning to attack.
The young elven noble who is a member of the personal council to lord Farque, makes his way into one of the nearby ruins.
Where some of Jarnok's company have taken shelter in, on what's a cold autumn evening down here in the giant hole in the ground.
Within which is the ancient city of Dalphene, more commonly called the City of Ruins.
Sitting down with his back against a fairly solid wall, Lopaphil the wizard looks up, as Greason the wizard hisses to some of the men "No fire".
As they were about to set and light a fire, to keep themselves warm here in the ruins of a large building.
The wizard in the fiery red coloured robes, makes his way over to his fellow spellcaster.
And with a grunt sits down next to the wizard in the green coloured robes.
Greason lifts an eyebrow, as the air around Lopaphil is fairly warm, well it's not cold for certain.
The green robed wizard parts one of his outer robes, to show him holding a small ball of dull light, that's giving off heat.
"Smart move" murmurs Greason as he sits closer to his fellow wizard, so that they're shoulder to shoulder.
After closing his outer robe up, Lopaphil the wizard quietly asks "Habbane and those others find that tunnel again?".
"He says it close by" is the quiet reply of Greason the wizard, who is as different in appearance and personality as his fellow spellcaster as one can get.
He's short and lean, with a bit of an abrupt personality. While Lopaphil is tall and pudgy. Who is the more of a gregarious individual.
Greason is the older of the two wizards. But the two of them are in charge of this group that Jarnok has sent to deal with some other mercenary company that is nearby.
They don't know who it is, just that Habbane and a couple of the others, earlier in the day followed some mercenaries to a nearby tunnel.
Which they observed throughout the afternoon, watching a number of people entering it throughout the afternoon.
They don't know who they exactly are, Jorkamin's company is their best guess.
But they could be from any mercenary company. Who got caught up in the battle, here to the north of the neutral zone in the City of Ruins.
"I didn't sense anyone" quietly says Lopaphil the wizard, who like his fellow practitioner of magic.
Is now holding his power within himself, just incase there's a spellcaster close by who might sense them.
"Nor did i" quietly says Greason, who continues on with "At least that's something".
His fellow wizard nods in agreement, then the younger of the two spellcasters quietly asks "Darmos still away to the east?".
Greason sourly smiles at the mention of the wizard who is his former friend, who is now basically Jorkamin's second in command.
"Last time i checked he was" mutters the short and lean wizard in the fiery red robes.
Lopaphil nods, then quietly says "Well whoever it is that's nearby, there's no spellcaster with them".
Greason the wizard is silent for a moment, then he quietly says "You hope".
He briefly pauses before continuing on with "I think you're right though" followed by "Who they might be, I've no idea" continued with "Best guess is from Jorkamin's company as there's so many of them up here in this part of the pit now".
Lopaphil is just about to say something, when one of the mercenaries, Chamiss comes over and quietly says to them "Habbane and the others have just spotted a group of about five or six of them heading towards that tunnel".
The wizards share a look, then Greason quietly says to Chamiss "Spread the word, we're moving out".
The two spellcasters, who are glad that they're in charge. And that Jarnok didn't send Tunga the troll to lead this lot.
Have decided to attack whoever it is that's underground nearby. When more of whoever these mercs are, turn up. So that they can follow them through the tunnel to the underground chamber.
The sixty or so from Jarnok's company move out from the ancient ruin.
While Helbe the elven thief watches them, wondering how he can divert the attack they plan to do on those in Maygam's company who are nearby in an underground chamber.
As the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel follows them.
Narladene the ground pixie turns up, and informs them that the elven magic user Gilvanéllé and the five other mercs in Maygam's company he left with late in the afternoon.
Have just turned up, and just gone into the tunnel, that Jarnok's men, led by the two wizards, are heading to on this cold, autumn night down here in the City of Ruins.
"Well, this is about to get interesting" Helbe the elven thief whispers to Narladene the ground pixie as he follows those in Jarnok's mercenary company . . . . . .