The Thick Of It.

Winter.

He ducks down when an arrow clangs off the rubble next to him. He takes a deep breath, gets up and makes a run for the corner of the building to his left, hoping he doesn't get shot at as he does so.
He gets around the corner of the building without incident. Breathing heavily, and shaking his head at the situation he finds himself in.
"Keep up" says Tovis the war engineer, who follows that with "Don't want to get left behind".
Still breathing heavily after running around the corner of the building, Zam just nods his head in reply to the young engineer who hails from the kingdom of Druvic.
When he does get his breath back, Zam the ex mercenary mutters "Never thought I'd be back here, fighting against my own people".
"That hasn't been decided" says the war engineer who continues with "Remember we haven't actually been hired by a side yet".
Zam grunts, then says "Tell that to whoever is trying to kill us".
"That'll be both sides" says Tovis, who moves, keeping close to the side of the building.
The ex mercenary who joined the group in the autumn, keeps close to the young engineer.
"And I'll remember to do that, the first lot we get close to" says the war engineer who is an officer in the armies of Farque.
Then Tovis nods away to their right, and he says "There" he continues with "Run for it" followed by "Keep your head down".
Zam nods, then he grimaces as Tovis takes off running. The ex mercenary takes off as well, muttering to himself as he does so "What the hell am i doing back here".
The winter finds them in the city-state of Kuradum, the homeland of the former mercenary, Zam.
There's a war going on, essentially a civil war. Between two factions of the ruling council of Kuradum.
And though conflict hasn't yet reached the city of Kuradum itself. The same can't be said for the villages and towns further out from the city.
Especially those towns out to the south and east, where the city-state borders the unruled lands in that direction.
For even though it's winter, fighting has been pretty heavy in and around those locations.
Zam finds himself following Tovis around the side of an inn, he lets out a sigh of relief when he sees Lisell Maera the scout, who tells them "We're safe here".
The attractive young woman who is originally from the coastal city-state of Brattonbury, then adds "Both sides, or i should say, those of them in town, are concentrated on the side of town we entered from".
Zam just nods, and does up his cloak. For though it isn't especially cold, it is more than a little chilly today.
The ex mercenary from here in the city-state of Kuradum, who is the youngest in the group.
Wanders along the side of the inn, while Tovis and Lisell quietly chat in the elven language.
A language Zam has only started to learn over the last couple of months, and he doesn't know that well.
He slightly frowns as he hears grunting coming around from the back of the inn.
The ex mercenary looks around behind the inn, as he does, the scout Maera spots him doing so, and says in the common language "I wouldn't look around there if i was you Zam".
The former Kuradian mercenary wishes he had listened to Lisell as he looks into the small courtyard behind the inn.
For he sees Dorc da Orc with his pants around his ankles, fucking a dead horse. Zam backs away, turns and vomits.
"What is it?" asks Tovis the war engineer as he sees young Zam throw up.
"Dorc, a horse, you figure it out" dryly says Lisell Maera in the elven language, which causes the young engineer from the kingdom of Druvic to grimace.
As Zam wipes his mouth, Mira Reinholt the mage suddenly appears out of thin air, saying "There you lot are".
"What's wrong with him?" asks the once powerful mage as he sees Zam hunched over, trying not to vomit again.
"He saw something he regrets seeing" dryly says Lisell Maera the scout.
"Oh" says the spellcaster who hails from the city-state of Vexil.
"Dorc with a horse" adds the scout in the armies of Farque.
The mage in the black hooded cloak, who also happens to be a highly skilled swordmaster, rolls his eyes.
Then he walks around to the back of the inn, and says "Dorc leave it alone" followed by "You've fucked it dead already".
"Dorc finished" declares Dorc da Orc, who didn't actually realised he had fucked the horse dead.
The large ork turns around, and the mage Reinholt tells him in a dry tone of voice "Pull your pants up Dorc" followed by "Nobody wants to see you like that".
Lisell Maera, who along with Tovis the war engineer, have walked around to the back of the inn, and she says "You know, for someone so big as you are, that's not exactly big". As she points at the ork warleader's groin.
Dorc da Orc, or Dorkindle which is his given name, scowls as he pulls up his knee length pants.
"Dorc gotta bigger dick than you" states the ork weaponsmith.
"Well of course, I'm a girl, i don't have one" says the scout who is originally from the city-state of Brattonbury.
"See" says the large ork who grins, and he follows that with a cackle, then says "Told ya i gotta bigger dick than you".
Mira Reinholt rolls his eyes, then he says "Hurry up" followed by "Gather round".
Zam takes a tentative look around to the back of the inn, then steps into the courtyard when he sees Dorc da Orc is no longer fucking the horse that lies dead in the middle of the small courtyard.
"Closer" says the Vexilian mage in exile, who slightly grimaces as the ork warleader, who absolutely stinks, crowds in close.
The scout Maera doesn't even bother trying to hide her disgust at the fragrant smelling ork who is a general in the armies of Farque.
She tells him "Hell, you fucking stink Dorc" before she covers her nose and mouth with a gloved hand.
While both Tovis the war engineer and Zam the ex mercenary turn their heads, trying to not to breathe in the foul smelling odour coming off the large ork.
Mira Reinholt looks away between the buildings behind the back courtyard of the inn.
Then after the mage who is a member of the personal council to lord Farque.
Drains some power from a gem he's holding in his gloved right hand. The five of them disappear as he teleports them away.
They reappear on the northern outskirts of town. And walk towards a burnt out shell of a building. Once a warehouse by the looks of it.
And though a lot of the stone work is still standing, most of the wood has be burnt away in a recent fire. And the wood that does remain, is all charred.
Around the burnt out warehouse, are mercenaries from a number of companies.
As well as soldiers from one of the factions in the war that's taking place here in the city-state of Kuradum.
"Councilman Hirrye's lot" quietly says Mira Reinholt the mage, the others recognise the name, well Dorc doesn't.
For Hirrye, who styles himself the duke of Kuradum. Is the leader of one of the two factions at war to control the city-state of Kuradum.
Though they're stared at, no one challenges them as they make their way into the burnt out shell of a building. Where the rest of the group are.
Inside are representatives of duke Hirrye's faction. A couple of his military leaders, as well as a trio of mercenary leaders.
For hired mercenaries are the key to the winning of the war here this winter in the city-state of Kuradum.
As mercenary companies, small and large. From right across the northern central region of the Southlands, and beyond.
Are being snapped up and hired by either faction in the war for control of Kuradum.
The five of them go and stand with the rest of the group, while Helbe the elven thief is speaking with councilman Hirrye's negotiators.
"How many?" asks one of the senior officers in the army of the self styled duke of Kuradum.
"Ten thousand, more or less" is the reply of Helbe the elven thief, who briefly pauses before adding "Basically an army".
The senior officer in councilman Hirrye's army shares a look with his fellow officer, who is sitting behind a table with him.
While the three mercenary captains stand off to one side, watch the negotiations.
"What type of army?" asks the officer after he and his comrade quietly discuss matters.
"The best kind" says the elven magic user, who slightly grins before continuing with "The ones who'll keep on fighting no matter what, just as long as they're kept on getting paid".
The officer doing all the talking, clears his throat, before saying "Yes, of course" he then adds "But, what I'm referring to is, what's".
"The make up of the army?" says the young elven noble as he interrupts the officer in the army of councilman Hirrye.
"Infantry, light and heavy. Along with cavalry, both light and heavy" states the elven masterthief, who follows that with "As well as a detachment of engineers".
That gets the attention of the mercenary captains, as well as the two senior officers in the army of the self styled duke who wants to rule the city-state of Kuradum.
"There will be a number of spellcasters in the army too" adds the elven master archer, which definitely gets the attention of those on the side of councilman Hirrye.
Even more so, when the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel says "Including a mage or two".
The two senior officers representing duke Hirrye's cause, quietly and quickly discuss matters.
While the highly talented elven magic user glances back at the others, and lord Farque slightly nods his full helmed head in reply.
The elven master assassin looks ahead again, and interrupts the two local army officers who are quietly chatting with one another.
"Gentlemen, that's our terms" states the member of lord Farque's personal council, who is the envoy and chief negotiator for the lord's armies.
"You either accept them or you don't" continues the grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel.
"You have until tomorrow morning to make up your minds" adds Helbe the elven thief.
There's a few moments of silence, then the senior officer who is the chief negotiator for the self styled duke, says "And if we don't accept the terms?".
"Then we'll offer them to the otherside, and see if they'll hire us" is the quick retort from the elven princeling.
"And if we don't allow that to happen if we don't hire you lot?" says the local army officer.
Which garners a slight wince from his fellow officer sitting beside him. And scowls directed at him by the trio of mercenary captains.
"You won't do that" states the elven practitioner of magic, who continues with "Because if you do".
Here the elven master assassin gestures at the three watching mercenary captains as he says "They'll leave with their companies" followed by "Mercs have the right to negotiate with any side in any war, and to deny that right, will earn the ire of other mercenary companies and armies".
The chief negotiator for councilman Hirrye glances at the three mercenary captains standing off to one side.
One of whom nods at the elven masterthief, and tells the local army officer "He's right" followed by "We won't take kindly to anything like that".
The chief negotiator for the self styled duke of Kuradum glances at his fellow officer sitting beside him, who slightly nods his head.
Then the chief negotiator for councilman Hirrye clears his throat, then says "You'll have your answer by the end of the day" followed by "Word will have to be sent to the city for a hire this big".
"I completely understand" says the grandson of Prince Raendril of Laerel, who follows that with "We'll be waiting for your answer".
The elven masterthief then says "If you need a way to the city, we'll be more than happy to help with that".
"That's okay" says the local army officer, who continues with "We have a way".
"Then we'll hear from you later" says the elven magic user, who slightly nods to the two officers in councilman Hirrye's army, then nods to the watching mercenary leaders.
Then he turns, and joins the others, who are already making their way outside, led by lord Farque himself.
They head out of town, making their way to the patch of woods just to the northwest of town.
And though there's skirmishes on the otherside of town, over here to the northwest, things are clear.
While lord Farque and Helbe the elven thief are at the front of the group, quietly discussing how the negotiations went.
Zam the ex mercenary, finds himself at the back of the group, walking alongside Tovis the war engineer as they walk along a dirt packed road.
The Kuradian ex mercenary, who is the newest member of the group, looks around, then back at the town they've just left.
Then he looks ahead again after slightly shaking his head at the situation he finds himself in.
Back in Kuradum, potentially fighting in a war. When he left his homeland little over a year ago, he never thought he'd be back, and in the middle of a war of all things.
Once again, Zam the ex mercenary slightly shakes his head as he thinks about what's happening to him, and what he finds himself in the middle of . . . . . .