The Thick Of It 35.

Winter.

"Here, here and here" says Tamric Drubine the field commander as he points at a map of northern Kuradum.
"A lot of them are on the main road up there" adds the young noble originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin.
"Not bothering to hide that they're coming south" continues the senior officer in the armies of Farque.
"And you think this a diversion?" asks commander Tracklen of the loyalist army.
"We do" is the reply of field commander Drubine as they look at the maps on the table.
"With those numbers, that's a pretty big diversion" quietly says the Kuradian senior officer in a worried tone of voice.
Next to him, his adjunctant Morris nods his head in agreement as they look at the tags on the map that represent the enemy.
"It's basically what we expected" states Tamric Drubine or Tam as he's more commonly called by those who know him well.
The field commander in the armies of Farque points at a spot on the map, then he says "The town of Gensa is in for a hard time of it I'm afraid".
Commander Tracklen grunts as that was to be expected, then he says "Is there anything else we can do for them?".
As the loyalist army has already sent an extra three hundred soldiers to the large, walled town of Gensa.
Which is located in the north of the city-state of Kuradum, about fifty or so miles north of the capital city.
It lies on the main road in the north of the city-state. At a crossroads, with the busy east, west road that goes through northern Kuradum.
Tamric Drubine the field commander glances over to where lord Farque silently stands.
After a moment the undead warlord slightly nods his full helmed head in reply to the glance from the senior officer in his army.
"There's something we might be able to do" says Tam to commander Tracklen.
The son and heir of a former knight of castle Drubine, which lies in the forested north of the kingdom of Sarcrin then adds "We'll discuss it later".
The loyalist army commander nods in understanding. As this meeting isn't one of the private ones that he and his staff have with the mercenary army from the lands Farque.
This one has a number of the ruling council of Kuradum in attendance. Along with their offsiders, such as their assistants and others.
Some of whom, at least a couple that commander Tracklen knows. Are out and out spies for the rebel army.
Who are led by the rebel councilman, Hirrye. Who intends to rule Kuradum by himself.
As he's already calling himself the duke of Kuradum. And if he's successful in his war against the loyalists. He will be the ruler of a newly formed dukedom.
Commander Tracklen then says "If this is a diversion, even such a big one".
He continues with "Where do you expect the actual attack to come from?" followed by "Their true offensive push?".
Looking straight at the loyalist commander, so that he makes eye contact with him.
Tamric Drubine says to him "We're not entirely sure" he continues with "We're still trying to figure that out".
Commander Tracklen grunts at hearing that. But from that look directed at him by the young field commander in the Farqian mercenary army.
He knows that they know exactly where the enemy will make their major push from in their war against the ruling council of the city-state of Kuradum.
"From the south" says Tamric Drubine a little bit later in one of the side chambers here in the main building of the ruling council.
In attendance now are just the group, along with commander Tracklen, his adjunctant Morris.
As well as a few senior officers of the loyalist commander's staff. All of whom are trusted. And by magical means. Proven to be loyal to the ruling council of Kuradum.
"Any reason why?" asks the loyalist army commander who grew up on the streets in the poorer quarter of the capital city.
"Just a number of things we've worked out" replies the field commander in the army from the lands Farque.
Who the ruling council of Kuradum have hired in their war against the rebel army and councilman Hirrye.
"Some of our airships have attacked and destroyed their's down in the south" says Tam, who then adds "A couple of days ago, one destroyed a trio of enemy warships, as well as two merchant vessels those three were protecting".
The young noble originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin continues with "A few prisoners were taken before one of the ship's was destroyed, and we found out a number of important things".
The Farqian field commander explains what they are. And why the main push by the enemy in this winter campaign will come from the south.
The senior officer in the armies of Farque then says "Not only that, the warship in question attacked a small group upon the ground who were watching things from a distance".
Tam glances at lord Farque, who looks at Helbe the elven thief, and says to him "Show them".
"This is from one of the spellcasters onboard our vessel" says Helbe the elven thief, who continues with "The view at first will be skewed, but it will become clearer after a few moments".
"Skewed?" asks commander Tracklen, who then adds "Why's that?".
"Because they were upside down at the time" dryly says the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel, who starts casting a spell.
The spell is an illusion spell. Of a viewing spell shared with him by one of the krean navigators onboard the strikeship that destroyed the trio of enemy vessels, and a pair of merchant vessels. In the south of Kuradum a couple of mornings ago.
To the side of the table they're gathered around, basically up against one of the walls of the side chamber. The spell manifests, and comes into view.
"What the hell?" mutters the adjunctant Morris in astonishment, who tries to tilt his head so he can see the moving image the right way up.
Then he quickly straightens up, as do a couple of the other loyalist officers who were doing the same thing. As they don't want to look like idiots infront of the group of mercenaries.
"What language is that?" asks commander Tracklen with a frown upon his face as they can now hear what's happening too.
"Not common" is the reply of lord Farque, who doesn't elaborate on that. Nor does anyone else in the group.
They watch as the view quickly flips, now with everything right side up. With the sky above, and the ground below. As the moving image began the opposite way round at first.
Away to the right, which the loyalist officers figure is to starboard. As the viewing spell is from onboard an airship of some kind.
They spot the remains of a burning airship, broken in two, falling out of the sky.
And from the way they catch a glimpse of the ground zipping by in the distance.
This airship is flying a hell of a lot quicker than any vessel that they've ever been aboard.
Then they hear what's obviously a command in the strange language. And instant later they hear a barrage of magetube shots.
They see a number of them, well over twenty of them, streaking through the sky, away from the airship the spellcaster is on. Heading towards a hill in the distance, a hill that looks to be a couple of miles away.
Whoever the spellcaster is, they're looking at the hill in the distance. One moment they're looking at it normally.
The next instance, they're looking close up at that hill. To be exact, the top of the hill, and those who are on it.
"Freeze it" commands lord Farque, and that's exactly what Helbe the elven thief does with the viewing spell given to him by one of the navigators onboard the krean strikeship.
There's silence for a moment or two as they look at the still image, then commander Tracklen says "Holy shit, that's Hirrye".
As they can all see the rebel councilman amongst those on top of the hill the magetube shots are heading towards.
The adjunctant Morris speaks up, and points as he says "Pretty sure that's Phogarn with his back to us".
"Yeah that's definitely the subcommander" says another of the loyalist officers who then adds "And over there is general Ukaj".
"The prick" mutters commander Tracklen who never liked Ukaj, then he points at another of those in the group on top of the hill, and adds "There's that young sorceress that Hirrye was sniffing around before he rebelled and declared war on the ruling council".
The loyalist commander, follows that with "What was her name again?".
"Losmena" is the quiet reply of the adjunctant Morris, who knows the sorceress fairly well.
Commander Tracklen glances at his adjunctant, but doesn't question him about the sorceress, who he knows Morris was an acquaintance of.
"There's a few others there i recognise" says commander Tracklen, who continues with "Like those there, those former city guards who were always hanging around Hirrye and doing whatever he wanted them to do".
"Probably his personal guards now is my guess" says the adjunctant Morris, who tries to get thoughts of the sorceress Losmena out of his head, but is unable to.
Helbe the elven thief interrupts the talk of the loyalist officers, and says "The sorceress quickly casts a rift, and only a small group of them get through it".
The highly talented elven magic user continues with "The rest of them are killed".
The elven masterthief unfreezes the image, and the viewing spell from the krean navigator continues.
They watch as the sorceress Losmena takes councilman Hirrye by the arm and points at the rift she has hastily cast.
The rebel leader and his assistant subcommander Phogarn rush through the magical portal first.
Following quickly behind them are general Ukaj, and his adjunctant. As well as a pair of the councilman's personal guards.
The sorceress herself is next, on her heels is a young soldier, a runner by the looks of it.
Then the rift disappears, trapping the rest of the group on top of the hill. And the next moment the first of the magetube shots hit. Quickly followed by the second.
Obliterating all of those still on the hilltop. Not that there's much of a hilltop left, or for that matter a hill after more than twenty magetube shots slam into it, and explode.
Sending most of the hill flying across the countryside in that part of southern Kuradum.
The viewing spell ends after the airship it's taken from, turns away. And passes over the burning debris on the ground of one of the enemy warships it destroyed.
After a few moments of silence, commander Tracklen says "They were lucky there".
The senior loyalist army officer who knows a thing or two about portals, as he's gone through a number of rifts and of late gateways, continues with "Even if they were on the otherside, if one of those magetube shots had hit the rift if it was still up, they'd be all dead".
Helbe the elven thief, along with the other spellcasters in the group. Mira Reinholt the mage. Beldane the cleric and Saanea the witch all nod in agreement with that.
"Lucky bastards" murmurs the adjunctant Morris, who though annoyed that the leader of the enemy escaped. Is more than a little bit relieved that the sorceress Losmena survived.
"Any idea where they went?" asks commander Tracklen of the loyalist army.
"Further south is all we know" is the reply from Tamric Drubine the field commander, who follows that with "Where exactly, we're not too sure".
After a bit of silence, the senior most officer in the army loyal to the ruling council of the city-state of Kuradum quietly says "If Hirrye's down there himself, then the push will definitely come from the south".
Field commander Drubine nods to that, then he says "With the timing of the diversionary push upon Gensa in the north, we can expect them advancing from the south in the next few days".
"Any idea where exactly?" asks commander Tracklen, his adjunctant Morris and the other loyalist officers are thinking the exact same thing.
"No where specific" is the reply of the young noble originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin. Who is now a senior officer in the armies of Farque.
Tamric Drubine steps aside, and lord Farque takes his spot infront of the main map on the table.
"Even with our recent victories on the frontlines in the east, they still have the numbers on us" says the undead warlord.
"If they're smart enough, they'll do this" adds the large, heavily armoured deathlord, who makes a sweeping gesture in an arc or crescent shape across southern Kuradum.
"Attack across a broad front so that they'll stretch our defences" continues the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, who then says "I suspect they'll do it".
The undead being, who the people of his lands also know him by the name of Draugadrottin, says "It's what i would do" he then silently adds, it's what I've done.
As the deathlord of Farque did exactly that, infact twice. And was victorious both times. Nearly four and a half centuries ago when he was still alive. When he was the battlelord, Kaiuss Farque.
First against the founder of the city of Kuradum when the heir to the lands Farque was still a teenager. Then a few years later when he was just twenty one. Against the Holy Norstran Empire. Who had invaded the Southlands and had occupied the city.
Now the undead warlord is defending the city of Kuradum, and the wider city-state. Something four and half centuries ago, he never thought he'd be doing . . . . . .