Winter.
Adjunctant Morris looks at the trio of condemned men, and slightly winces as he recognises one of them.
"Sarreb sir" quietly says Morris the adjunctant.
"I see him" quietly says commander Tracklen, who follows that with "He decided to join the otherside, this is what you get for doing so".
Next to the army commander, his adjunctant nods his head in agreement as they look across the square at the gallows.
The trio of condemned were brought in this morning by the foreign mercenary group led by lord Farque.
The three were taken from the eastern town of Holstein, which lies far behind the enemy lines.
The sergeant at arms overseeing the execution, looks across the square to where the commander, his adjunctant and assorted others are watching proceedings.
Commander Tracklen, though a young man, in his early thirties. Is the senior most officer in the army still loyal to the ruling council of Kuradum.
The army commander gives a nod for the sergeant at arms to get underway.
"By authority of the ruling council!" calls out the sergeant at arms from the raised platform that is the gallows.
"You three have been condemned to death for being part of the insurrection against the ruling council" continues the sergeant who then adds "May the gods have mercy on you".
He then nods, and the soldiers standing behind the condemned, kick out the three low stools the trio of enemy officers are standing upon.
The gathered crowd in the square cheer, well most of them do. As others are more pragmatic as they watch the trio hang there up on the gallows.
Commander Tracklen watches as Sarreb, the only one not to die instantly with a broken neck.
Kicks for the last time as he's strangled to death.
Then the army commander quietly says to his adjunctant and the others with him "Come on" followed by "Let's head back".
They turn, and leave the square and the gathered crowd, and head back to the council building, which isn't all that far away.
"Can you believe it sir?" quietly asks Morris the adjunctant as he walks alongside his commanding officer.
"About Sarreb?" asks Tracklen, who earned his position the hard way. As he came up through the ranks after joining the army as a young teen, where he started as a runner.
"No, the other thing" quietly says his adjunctant, who unlike his commander. Comes from one of the more wealthy and influential families in the city of Kuradum.
Joining the army is something his parents were explicitly against. And to this day, they're still annoyed at his decision to join.
Commander Tracklen slightly winces at what his adjunctant is referring to.
It seems councilman Hirrye, the so called duke of Kuradum. The man who leads the opposition to the ruling council. Isn't actually in the city-state at this time. He's somewhere else. Where exactly, no one is sure.
What they do know. Thanks to information gathered by the mercenary group led by lord Farque in the eastern town of Holmsted.
Which the enemy has been using as a supply and distribution depot.
Is that councilman Hirrye is beyond the borders of Kuradum. Buying up supplies, and more importantly mercenaries for his war against the ruling council.
"Trust him to be elsewhere" says commander Tracklen, who follows that with "No wonder we've had no sighting of him for over a month".
"And why even with the addition of lord Farque's mercenary army, our numbers are still less than their's" quietly says the junior of the two officers in the army that's loyal to the ruling council of Kuradum.
Commander Tracklen grunts in agreement with his adjunctant as they round a corner, and make their way onto the wide street, basically a boulevard, where the council building is located.
"We're making a serious dent in that now" quietly says the army commander.
His adjunctant nods in agreement. For since yesterday morning, the enemy have suffered a number of defeats behind their own lines.
Where the mercenary army from the lands Farque, sometimes with elements of the army still loyal to the ruling council.
Have attacked towns where councilman Hirrye's forces are located.
Lord Farque who has taken over the strategy for the ruling council's war against the usurper Hirrye.
Has concentrated the first phase of his plan behind enemy lines. And isn't really bothering about the frontlines of the conflict.
Which have bogged down due to it being winter. Where troop movement is difficult, especially when it snows and some of the roads become impassable.
"Them losing those towns in the east will make a difference" quietly says commander Tracklen, who continues with "And soon too".
The army commander as they enter the grounds of the city council building, then says "Word will get to Hirrye of the continuing losses, and i expect him to get back to Kuradum as quickly as he can".
"Let's hope so" says the adjunctant Morris as they enter the main building of the council of the city-state of Kuradum.
Looking up from one of the maps on the table, councilman Sammis asks "How was it?" when commander Tracklen and the others enter the room.
"Went as well as expected" replies the army commander, who follows that with "The crowd watching approved of it".
"As expected" says another of the councilors gathered around the table, who have been waiting for word of the public execution.
The senior most officer in the army still loyal to the ruling council is just about to say something.
When councilman Sammis gets in first with "He wants to see you" followed by a nod to a side door to a chamber off the larger room.
Tracklen nods, and along with his adjunctant make their way to the side chamber.
While the others who went to the execution with them, remain in the larger room where the council hold their meetings.
Entering the side chamber, commander Tracklen and adjunctant Morris find lord Farque and the group who are usually with him.
They're either standing around, or lounging on bench couches. With the exception of the ork, who is sitting beneath an open window, enjoying the cold air blowing in from outside.
"Take a seat" says lord Farque to the local army officers, as he gestures at an empty bench couch.
The undead warlord who is standing at the table in the center of the chamber.
Makes his way to the bench couch where Helbe the elven thief is sitting. It's opposite the one where the local army commander and his adjunctant sit, just six feet apart.
The large, heavily armoured deathlord after sitting, glances at the elven masterthief beside him, and slightly nods his full helmed head.
Looking at the two officers in the army still loyal to the ruling council of Kuradum, Helbe the elven thief asks them "How well do you two know Nahor?" followed by "He's an assistant to councilman Kolmar".
While commander Tracklen slightly frowns as he tries to recall the individual mentioned.
The adjunctant Morris says "I know who you speak of" followed by "Not well, but i know of him".
The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel, who is the envoy and chief negotiator for the armies of Farque, nods his hooded head.
Then the highly talented elven magic user says "Seems Nahor is a spy for the enemy".
The adjunctant Morris quickly looks at the closed door to the larger room, and says "He's in there with Kolmar and the other councilors".
"We know" says the elven master assassin who is a member of the personal council to lord Farque.
"Where we want him to be" adds the elven masterthief who is a member of the royal family that rules the island principality of Laerel.
Commander Tracklen, whose first instinct was to grab his sword, go into the next room, and strike down Nahor, one of the assistants to councilman Kolmar.
Nods his head in understanding, then he quietly asks "Why tell us?".
"Because you two can be trusted" says lord Farque.
"Even with, where some in your family's sympathies lie" adds Helbe the elven thief who nods at the adjunctant to the army commander.
Morris winces when he hears that, though he's not in the least bit surprised.
"Who?" asks the adjunctant Morris fearing the worst.
"Don't worry, it's not your parents" says the elf who is the grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel, Prince Raendril.
"They're pretty ambivalent to the war, and couldn't care less who wins" states the elven envoy.
The adjunctant Morris sourly smiles, then sourly says "Figures".
"Most of the rest of your family, both close and extended have similar feelings" says the elven princeling from Laerel.
Once again the adjunctant isn't all that surprised at hearing that.
"While two in your family can't be trusted" says the elven master assassin, who follows that with "More than their sympathies lie with councilman Hirrye's cause".
Prince Helbenthril Raendril briefly pauses before he adds "They fully back him and support him".
The elven magic user then tells the adjunctant who he's referring to.
Morris grimaces when he hears who the two family members who fully support the so called duke of Kuradum, councilman Hirrye are.
The adjunctant slightly nods, when next to him, his commander murmurs "Sorry Morris".
He nods again, when the elf in the hooded cloak sitting opposite to him, says "Best to leave them alone" followed by "We certainly will".
The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel then says "We've got more important things to worry about".
"Such as?" asks the commander of the army still loyal to the ruling council of Kuradum.
"Like that traitor in there" says the elven master assassin with a nod of his hooded head to the large room, the chamber they're in, is connected to.
"Nahor" adds the highly talented elven practitioner of magic, who briefly pauses before he continues with "This is what we'll do".
The army commander and his adjunctant are silent as the elven envoy explains to them what they'll do about the traitor Nahor.
Then Tracklen and Morris get up when lord Farque and Helbe the elven thief do, and make their way to the table.
It's a map table, and the army commander nods when the elf in the white hooded cloak gives them more of an explanation as to what they'll be doing about Nahor.
"I take it this isn't at all as it seems?" asks commander Tracklen.
"Correct" says lord Farque who until now has been fairly quiet.
"It's to draw a number of others out" continues the undead warlord, who then adds "And for them to lead us to others, in particular, councilman Hirrye".
The large, heavily armoured deathlord points at one of the maps, then says "We will attack some of those towns, but not all of them" followed by "Nahor won't know this, nor those he informs".
The lord and ruler of the lands Farque gestures to the larger room next door, then says "Best you inform the council that i intend to attack those six towns under the enemy's control over the next two days".
Both commander Tracklen and his adjunctant Morris nod in understanding.
They do so again, when Helbe the elven thief tells them "Ignore Nahor, don't watch for a reaction from him" followed by "We don't want him to suspect anything"
"We understand" says the local army commander, next to him, his adjunctant nods his head in agreement.
"Very well, get to it" says the undead being, who has the name of Draugadrottin that the people of his lands also know him by.
Commander Tracklen and adjunctant Morris, turn and make their way to the door to the larger room.
They make their way from the chamber into the larger room, where the army commander informs councilman Sammis and the rest of the ruling council what lord Farque intends to do against the enemy over the next couple of days.
Against one of the walls in the large room, are a number of benches. Where army officers, runners, pages, as well as assistants to each of the councilors are sitting.
One of the assistants to a certain councilman Kolmar, is paying particular attention to what commander Tracklen is telling the ruling council.
Making sure to remember every single thing the army commander has to say about the intended plans against the forces of councilman Hirrye over the next couple of days . . . . . .
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