Winter.
"They sent another five hundred or so soldiers north yesterday morning" quietly says Nahor the assistant to councilman Kolmar.
"How many does that make now?" quietly asks the spy master of the rebel councilman Hirrye, here in the capital city Kuradum.
"About fifteen hundred isn't it?" adds the spy master, a fairly nondescript looking individual in his forties.
"About that" says the assistant to councilman Kolmar, who follows that with "That's quite a few from the city garrison now".
"Good" murmurs the spy master, who continues with "They'll be occupied up north in Gensa for some time hopefully".
Nahor nods in agreement, as the plans of councilman Hirrye and his military leaders are coming to fruition.
As their diversionary tactics to the north of the capital are coming into effect, now that word has reached the city of Kuradum that the rebel forces are marching on the town of Gensa, the largest town in northern Kuradum.
Infact Nahor figures that councilman Hirrye's forces up there are probably already laying siege to Gensa.
"Any word on the south?" quietly asks the assistant to one of the more influential members of the ruling council of the city-state of Kuradum.
"Nothing too much" is the quiet reply of the spy master, who then adds "Just that they're supposed to of started their advance by now".
He briefly pauses before continuing with "They definitely would've by now if they've learnt about what's happening up north".
Nahor nods in agreement with that, then just as he's about to say something, he falls silent.
As a squad of four city guardsmen walk by the table he and the spy master are sitting at.
Even though it's a cold winter's day here in the city of Kuradum. It is sunny, and the two of them are sitting outside the front of a wine shop.
Some of the other customers are too. As the wine shop has no fireplace. And outside in the sunshine is much warmer than the cold shop.
From time to time the spy master will meet his spies and informants out in public.
But this time he's doing so, as he has a sneaking suspicion that Nahor is being followed.
The spy master has lookouts posted around the vicinity of the wine shop. And that they know the locals and customers well.
And anyone out of the ordinary, will be identified and followed if they're deemed suspicious.
"Anything else of importance happening in the council?" quietly asks the spy master here in the capital, for the rebel councilman Hirrye.
"Nothing out of the ordinary" is the quiet reply of the assistant to councilman Kolmar.
The nondescript looking spy master grunts, then Nahor tells him "Just the usual" followed by "Them trying to hire more mercenaries, and purchase more supplies and weapons from beyond the borders".
"Good luck with that, they're going to need it" dryly says the spy master as he looks up and down the street the wine shop is on.
Wondering if his lookouts and spotters have found anyone of interest.
There is such a person, he's sitting on a chair, at a window, in a room on the second storey of a building.
On the same street as the wine shop, on the otherside of the street, almost directly opposite the wine shop.
That the spy master of the rebel councilman Hirrye here in the capital, and the assistant to councilman Kolmar are sitting infront of.
Helbe the elven thief yawns, then he glances down at the lookout, who is fast asleep on the floor of the room.
The blurred and shielded elven magic user, refrains from yawning again, as it was a long night.
Then he nods his hooded head when on his right shoulder, Narladene the ground pixie quietly says to him "They've fallen for it".
"Let's hope they continue to do so" quietly says Helbe the elven thief as he looks across the street, at the tables infront of the local, neighbourhood wine shop.
In particular the table that councilman Hirrye's spy master here in the capital, along with one of his informants. Nahor, the assistant to councilman Kolmar, are sitting at.
The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel scratches the side of his face as he thinks about the state of what's essentially a civil war here in the city-state of Kuradum.
And how the enemy spy master here in the capital, and probably councilman Hirrye too, think that their diversion in the north has been successful.
When in fact, the town of Gensa has burnt down to the ground, and with it over five thousand rebel soldiers.
And that the fifteen hundred or so loyalist soldiers, and city guardsmen from here in the capital who went north to help defend Gensa.
Along with the remaining Gensa garrison of loyalist soldiers, are now elsewhere, waiting for the main attack of the rebels which is coming from the south of the city-state.
"Find out anything useful?" quietly asks Narladene the ground pixie, who along with the elven masterthief and the rest of the group, returned to the capital city in the middle of the night.
Sometime between midnight and dawn. After the destruction of the large, walled town of Gensa. Which burnt down fairly quickly due to what was spread throughout it.
"A little bit" is the quiet reply of the highly talented elven magic user, who is a member of the royal family that rules the island principality of Laerel.
"Seems the spy master is also a criminal boss here in the city" quietly says the elven master assassin, who gestures at the sleeping lookout on the floor, and adds "That's one of his henchmen".
The naturally magical creature from the Sunreach Mountains slightly grunts, then she quietly says "That's no surprise really".
Narladene briefly pauses before she continues in a sarcastic tone of voice with "Considering he's a bookkeeper".
The grandson of the ruling prince faintly smiles, then he quietly says "Wonder if we should tell that adjunctant Morris, that his uncle's bookkeeper is Hirrye's spy master".
The elven master archer continues with "Probably should run that by lord Farque first".
"Might be best" quietly says the tiny winged creature as she looks up and out of the window, and says to the young elven noble she's attached to "I hear a wyvern approaching the city from the south".
"Loyalist one or one of the rebel's?" quietly asks the elven princeling from Laerel.
"Not sure" is the quiet reply of the ground pixie, who follows that with "I'll go and have a look".
The elven masterthief grunts, and the naturally magical creature takes off, heading out the open window, and up into the clear blue sky above the city of Kuradum.
The grandson of Prince Raendril of Laerel finds it a little annoying that both the ruling council of Kuradum.
And the self styled duke of Kuradum use wyverns and their riders as messengers and spotters in the war between their factions.
He shakes his hooded head as he waits for Narladene to return, and he goes back to watching and listening to the conversation at one of the tables infront of the wine shop across the street.
"Hopefully we should be getting word of what's happening down south" quietly says the spy master of councilman Hirrye here in the capital city.
"Either from our own sources, or from their's" adds the nondescript looking man in his forties, who is the chief spy in the city of Kuradum, for the so called duke of Kuradum, the rebel councilman Hirrye.
He's silent for a moment or two, then he quietly continues with "Once word reaches them that the bulk of our remaining forces are approaching from the south, panic will start to spread throughout the city".
Nahor, the assistant to councilman Kolmar nods his head at that. For so far in the war to control the city-state of Kuradum.
The city of Kuradum itself, has been left alone. And not been a part of the war between the ruling council, and the rebel leader Hirrye.
"Now with even less of their forces here to protect the city, it's ripe for the taking" quietly says the spy master, who knows councilman Hirrye is taking a chance with these tactics. Even so, things are falling into place, and in their favour.
With many on the ruling council thinking that hostilities would die down during the winter.
Especially the middle of winter, which it is basically now.
The spy master, along with the informant Nahor, knows that victory for councilman Hirrye could be sooner than expected.
"I should be getting back" quietly says the assistant to councilman Kolmar, who follows that with "Lunch is almost over here, and there's another meeting of the council scheduled this afternoon".
"Keep us informed of any new developments" quietly says the bookkeeping who is the spy master for councilman Hirrye, here in the capital city Kuradum.
"I will" quietly replies Nahor, who with a nod of farewell, gets up and makes his way from the front of the wine shop, and heads down the street.
Meanwhile, the rebel spy master glances around and spots some of his spotters.
Including the individual upstairs in a room in the building across the street, basically opposite the wine shop.
They all give a shake of the head, to indicate that Nahor, the assistant to councilman Kolmar, isn't being followed by anyone.
Though the spotter in the two storey building basically opposite the wine shop.
Is a little confused at the situation. As one moment he saw the spy master and his informant Nahor sitting down infront of the neighbourhod wine shop. And the next moment, Nahor is getting up and leaving.
The reason why is floating in the air, following the assistant to councilman Kolmar, who is heading back to the council buildings in the center of the Kuradum, the capital of the city-state of the same name.
Landing upon the right shoulder of the blurred and shielded elven spellcaster that she's attached to.
Narladene the ground pixie quietly tells him "Dispatch rider" followed by "They've just landed behind the barracks".
Helbe the elven thief, who has the ability to cast multiple spells at once. Something of a rarity, as most practitioners of magic struggle to cast two spells at once.
Nods his hooded head as he floats about a hundred feet above the city streets.
Directly above councilman Kolmar's assistant, Nahor. Keeping pace with him as he's making his way back to the council buildings in the city center, on this cold, but sunny winter's day in the capital.
"Wonder what's happened?" quietly murmurs the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel, who is a member of the personal council to lord Farque.
"Whatever it is, the satchel the rider has is stuffed full" quietly says the naturally magical creature from the Sunreach Mountains.
Prince Helbenthril Raendril nods his hooded head, then quietly says to the tiny winged creature "Might be word of the enemy's advance in the south".
The elven master assassin briefly pauses before he continues on with "They could be making their big push upon the city".
The ground pixie who attached herself to the highly talented elven magic user a number of years ago, nods in agreement with that assessment from him.
As he continues floating through the air, keeping pace with the assistant to councilman Kolmar, Nahor.
Who is totally oblivious to the fact that he's being followed, when he thinks he's taken all precautions to not be followed as he heads back to the council buildings.
On this cold, but sunny winter's day here in the capital of the city-state of Kuradum . . . . . .
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