Winter.
"Then you deal with it!" shouts councilman Hirrye as he storms out of the office.
There's almost a snarl upon the visage of the self proclaimed duke of Kuradum as he makes his way down the hallway.
Behind him in the office is the mayor of Simsar. One of the largest towns in the freelands to the north of the city-state of Kuradum.
The mayor shares a look with his deputy, who shrugs his shoulders and quietly says "Something must of happened".
"Obviously" says the mayor of Simsar as he wonders what's set the so called duke of Kuradum off this time.
"How bad?" quietly asks Hirrye of Kuradum as he enters the antechamber here in Simsar's mayoral house.
"Bad I'd say" is the quiet reply of Phogarn, the subcommander in Hirrye's army who has just given him the latest report of the war back in their homeland.
Phogarn, a tall, dark haired, lean man in his early thirties, who is one of the councilman's closest confidants.
Then tells the so called duke of Kuradum "Not just those towns in the east, but the frontlines as well".
Hirrye, a man in his early forties, of middling height, slightly overweight, but a shrewd looking individual for all that, scowls when he hears that from his confidante and friend.
"Where in the lines?" asks councilman Hirrye as they step outside, into the cold, windy day here in the town of Simsar.
Which lies about forty miles to the north of the city-state of Kuradum.
If you travel directly south from here, you'll eventually end up somewhere in the northwest of Kuradum.
The two men from the city of Kuradum are surrounded by soldiers from their homeland who were waiting outside for them.
The councilman gives them an order, and they all move off, with Hirrye deep in conversation with the subcommander in his rebel army.
"This new mercenary army those idiots on the council have hired?" quietly asks the self titled duke of Kuradum.
"Because i don't think your friend Tracklen could of achieved this" adds councilman Hirrye.
"I agree" says subcommander Phogarn after he gives one of the men an order.
As that soldier hurries ahead, the subcommander quietly says "This mercenary army is a force to be reckoned with".
Phogarn briefly pauses as he's yet to reveal the extent of the damage done to their forces over the last few days in their homeland to the man who wants to rule Kuradum by himself.
Then the subcommander in the faction of the Kuradian army whose loyalty lies with councilman Hirrye, quietly says "We've lost over a half of the southern quarter of our lines".
The so called duke of Kuradum almost trips when he hears that, as he can't quite believe what his confidante and friend has just told him.
Hirrye stares in disbelief at Phogarn for a moment or two as they walk through the town of Simsar, surrounded by soldiers in their army.
"Fuck" says the councilman from the city-state of Kuradum.
The subcommander in the rebellious army can only nod in agreement with that from his friend.
The so called duke of Kuradum is silent for a bit as they walk through town.
Then the councilman who has rebelled against the ruling council of Kuradum, quietly asks "What do you suggest?".
"That we get back as quickly as possible" says subcommander Phogarn, who follows that with "Losing the eastern towns like Salmet Crossing and Holmsted was bad enough".
The senior officer in the rebellion army who still doesn't know how that was achieved, continues with "But this attack upon our frontlines must be seen too" he then adds "We have to retaliate for the attacks on the line".
Councilman Hirrye nods his head in agreement, then he quietly says "That's what we'll do then".
Looking at the mast of one of their airships sticking up from behind some of the buildings they're heading towards.
The self styled duke of Kuradum, who hopes to disband the ruling council.
And replace it with what's essentially a ducal seat, or duchy. Where he will be the sole leader.
Bringing in a nobility, where a council voted upon by various segments of Kuradian society, is no longer needed.
"Instead of flying back" says councilman Hirrye, who continues on with "We'll go back the other way" followed by "Have Losmena ready for our departure".
"I got one of the men to run ahead and inform her" says subcommander Phogarn.
"Good" grunts the self proclaimed duke of Kuradum, who knows getting back to their homeland is the most important thing at the moment.
As they need to stop the momentum that the loyalist forces have had over the last few days.
Reading a book in her room, Losmena the sorceress looks up when there's a knock on her door.
It's one of the soldiers, who informs her that the councilman is returning from his meeting with the local mayor.
And that councilman Hirrye and subcommander Phogarn wish to discuss something with her.
"I'll be there shortly" says the sorceress Losmena, who after the soldier departs. She looks out the window of her room, at one of their airships next to the inn, on the edge of town where they're staying.
The sorceress suspects they'll be heading back to Kuradum.
She's proven right a little bit later. Though she was expecting they would be going back the same way they got here, by airship.
No, they're going back by way of a spell cast by her.
"What happened sir?" asks Losmena as they stand next to the pair of airships they traveled here from Kuradum on.
"Some defeats" sourly says councilman Hirrye, who then glances sideways at the spellcaster.
Losmena, is fairly young. Not yet twenty, still a teenager at eighteen years old.
Slim, with blonde hair she keeps fairly short. She knows that she's attractive. And that councilman Hirrye is attracted to her. Even though he's a married man with a family.
He's not the only one. More than a few of those close to the self titled duke of Kuradum.
Are attracted to the young practitioner of magic from the city of Kuradum.
But none of them have tried anything on her. For the simple reason she's quite a powerful sorceress.
Infact, she's more than quite powerful. She's a very powerful spellcaster.
Far more powerful than most sorcerers and sorceresses. The most common of all the human practitioners of the arcane arts.
Subcommander Phogarn walks over to them after speaking to a few of the officers.
And as the vast majority of those who traveled with them to here in the freelands to the north of the city-state of Kuradum.
Prepare to depart in the same way they got here. By the pair of airships moored on the ground next to the inn.
The councilman, his friend and confidante the subcommander, the sorceress, as well as the councilman's personal guards.
Depart the town of Simsar and the freelands by another way.
"Where to exactly?" asks the young attractive spellcaster from the city of Kuradum.
"One of the usual places in the east?" adds Losmena the sorceress.
Councilman Hirrye and subcommander Phogarn share a look.
Then the man who wants to rule Kuradum by himself, quietly says "Probably best if we didn't".
"Or anywhere in the south too" adds the subcommander in the army of the rebellion.
The sorceress lifts an arched eyebrow at that. As both the south and the east of city-state of Kuradum. Well most of it at least. Are under their control.
"Good chance a lot of the places in the east and the south have been infiltrated by the enemy" says subcommander Phogarn, who quietly continues with "Don't want them knowing when and where we've turned up".
Councilman Hirrye nods in agreement with that, then he quietly says "Somewhere in the northwest" followed by "Somewhere random that you know".
Even though the northwest, like a lot of the west of Kuradum, is still under the control of the ruling council.
Subcommander Phogarn is in agreement with the self appointed duke of the city-state of Kuradum.
"Very well" says Losmena the sorceress who continues with "I know a place".
She steps to one side, and starts casting. It's just mere moments and a rift starts to appear.
Once it forms, subcommander Phogarn sends a couple of the councilman's guards through first.
Then he goes through after them, followed by councilman Hirrye himself, and the rest of his personal guards.
The sorceress Losmena is the last through the rift that's she cast to a location in the northwest of the city-state of Kuradum.
"We need to get in contact with our friends in the capital" quietly says councilman Hirrye a short time later, as they wait in a small clearing in some woods.
It's far colder here in northwestern Kuradum, than it was up in the freelands to the north of the city-state.
"And others elsewhere" adds the former member of the ruling council of Kuradum.
The self styled duke of Kuradum is sitting on a large rock. With his travel satchel on his lap.
He's got out his writing instruments, and on small pieces of parchment, he's writing a couple of messages.
After completing the messages, and handing one each to a pair of his guards.
Hirrye nods to the sorceress Losmena, who creates a rift, that quickly forms.
One of the councilman's personal guards with a missive hurries through it.
The rift vanishes, and another one is quickly cast by the powerful sorceress from the city-state of Kuradum.
After the second rift disappears when the other personal guard to the councilman has passed through it.
Councilman Hirrye, subcommander Phogarn, the sorceress Losmena, and the councilman's remaining personal guards.
Move off, heading through the woods, that are located somewhere in the northwest of the city-state of Kuradum.
"Galmond Falls" says Losmena the sorceress, who follows that with "My grandmother grew up here".
"Thought it looked familiar" says subcommander Phogarn, who then adds "Came through here about a decade ago when i made rank".
"Never been here" says councilman Hirrye as they look down at the town in the valley below.
At the southern end is the falls the town is named after. While the town sits at the northern, the more elevated end of the valley.
"How far to Kilmond from here?" asks the self proclaimed duke of Kuradum, referring to one of the largest towns in the west of the city-state.
"Not far, a little over a day's ride from here" replies the powerful sorceress.
The subcommander in the rebel army nods in agreement, then he looks at his friend the councilman "Ride there?".
Hirrye, who started this rebellion for a number of reasons. Foremost he thinks he can rule better than the current ruling council of Kuradum.
Thinks about it for a few moments, then he nods and says "We ride".
Subcommander Phogarn after quickly thinking about something, says to the remaining personal guards of the councilman "You three go into town and buy some mounts".
After throwing a pouch of coins to the senior most guard, the subcommander adds "Get some travel supplies for us all too".
"Yes sir" says the senior most guard, who along with his two comrades, move off and head down the track to the town of Galmond Falls.
"They should be fine" quietly says Phogarn the subcommander, as the trio of soldiers aren't exactly in uniform. Nor for that matter is he. As they look more like traveling mercenaries than anything else.
The senior officer could of gone into town as well. But he thought better of it.
As he thinks it's best to keep close to councilman Hirrye. For a number of reasons. Foremost to protect the man who wishes to rule the city-state of Kuradum. And not just from threats, but also from himself.
As Phogarn has seen how the councilman has a growing infatuation with the sorceress Losmena, that's bordering on being obsessive.
The subcommander doesn't want the councilman doing something he regrets.
As for the sorceress herself. Phogarn doesn't know if she suspects councilman Hirrye is infatuated with her. But he has a feeling that she does.
After all, subcommander Phogarn as he follows the two of them back amongst the trees to wait for the guards to return. Won't let the councilman be left alone with her at anytime.
Even the attractive, young, and relatively inexperienced sorceress must of noticed this by now . . . . . .
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