The Thick Of It 45.

Winter.

They walk along the top of the south wall of the city of Kuradum. With lord Farque occasionally stopping to check the top of the wall, and to look away to the south.
The whole group is with the undead warlord this morning. Along with the loyalist officers, commander Tracklen, and the adjunctant Morris.
The loyalist army commander, who has been buoyed since yesterday morning.
When the hit and run attack upon one of the enemy supply lines in the south, that his adjunctant took part of.
Nods his head, then says "I do" followed by "It's because the south wall, is the weakest wall in the city".
In reply to lord Farque asking him "Do you know why they're attacking from the south in force?".
The large, heavily armoured deathlord nods his full helmed head to that response from the senior most officer in the army loyal to the ruling council of Kuradum.
Then the lord and ruler of the lands Farque comes to a stop again, forcing the others behind him and commander Tracklen to a stop as well.
The lord of the death realm looks directly down from the top of the wall, at one of the three bridges below.
That cross the river that runs along the south side of the capital city of Kuradum.
The deathlord of Farque, who also goes by the name of Draugadrottin, that the people of his lands know him by.
Has informed the group of the plans to defend the city of Kuradum, from the rebel enemy army, that's coming up from the south.
But he's yet to inform the loyalist army commander, or for that matter, anyone else in the loyalist army, and the ruling council.
It's the reason for the early morning walk of the walls of the city. The undead warlord is now telling commander Tracklen of those plans now. Well, at least most of them.
"Since the south wall is the weakest" says the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, who continues with "Then that's the one we want them to attack".
He briefly pauses, before adding "Thankfully that's what they intend to do".
The large, heavily armoured deathlord then looks away to the left, to the east, as the sun rises on what's a cold, though still, winter's morning so far.
"We'll  want them to eventually attack from the east side of the city" says Draugadrottin.
Both the loyalist army commander and his adjunctant, nod to that. As the east wall of the capital, with just it's one gate. Is the strongest wall of the city by far.
"But first we're going to do this" states the lord and ruler of the lands Farque as he turns and looks to the south again.
The lord of the death realm, who has the elven name of Des'tier, which means, The Destroyer.
Looks down off the top of the wall, and points down as he tells the two loyalist officers "First we'll start of with that".
As the undead warlord discusses the defence of the city of Kuradum with commander Tracklen and the adjunctant Morris.
Zam the ex mercenary yawns, as he's still getting accustomed to these early morning starts.
True, when he was mercenary living and working in the City of Ruins. He'd wake early every now and again.
Though nothing in comparison to the group he's with now. Who are up before dawn nearly every day. No matter where they are.
As he looks away to the south, the teenager who was born, and grew up here in the city of Kuradum.
And wonders when the enemy will show up on the horizon to the south.
Hears someone else yawn next to him. He glances down to find Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit.
Looking bleary eyed and tired first thing this morning. On what's a cold start to another winter's day.
"Wishing they'd just show up?" asks Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit as he leans against the crenalation next to the Kuradian ex mercenary.
"I do" is the quiet reply of Zam the ex mercenary, who just wishes the rebel army coming up from the south would just get here.
The halfling, who hails from the Sultanate of Dreese, which lies on the far east coast of the continent.
Nods his head, then quietly says "I understand" he briefly pauses before continuing on with "But trust me, the longer they take to get here, the better".
The hobbit, who is a former air sailor, who was part of the Sultan of Dreese's fleet, then says "Who knows?" followed by "With the way they've been bogged down so often, they could be another three days or so".
In response to Zam the ex mercenary asking him "Any idea how long it'll take before they get here?".
Then the halfling, who isn't exactly what he seems, quietly tells the Kuradian teenager who is the newest member of the group "Though lord Farque thinks they'll start showing up sometime tomorrow".
Zam nods to that, then following the hobbit who is a member of the personal council to lord Farque, he sits down on the top of the wall, with his back to one of the crenalations.
"What's that?" quietly asks the ex mercenary when he hears a metallic thunk from the halfling as he sits down.
"Oh just this" says councilor Littlefoot, who opens his cloak to one side, to reveal what he's got on a sling beneath it.
"It's a mage canister" quietly says the former air sailor in response to the inquiring look from the teenager who grew up here in the city of Kuradum.
Zam nods, as he's heard of mage canisters. As they were considered a rarity, and a more than valuable find if one was found in the City of Ruins.
"What's in it?" asks the ex mercenary who knows that a mage canister holds a spell within it.
"Don't know" is the reply from the halfling who isn't what he appears to be.
The hobbit, who is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra by the name of Zubutai Timaginson, who just happens to find himself inhabiting the body of Jarjin Littlefoot.
Tells the ex mercenary "Mira bought it and gave it to me" followed by "He has no idea what's in it".
The halfling who is a member of the personal council to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
Who has asked the three other spellcasters in the group. Helbe the elven thief, Beldane the cleric and Saanea the witch.
As to what's in the mage canister, only to be told they have no idea as well.
Looks along the top of the wall, to where lord Farque is standing with the loyalist army commander, discussing the defence of the city of Kuradum, and quietly says "I should really ask lord Farque what's in it".
Zam's eyebrows shoot up when he hears that. As he wonders how the lord and ruler of the lands Farque would know what's in the mage canister.
The ex mercenary, who has yet to be told what lord Farque actually is. Does know that the leader of the group isn't like any other human he's ever heard of. He just doesn't know why.
And the rest of the members of the group, with the exception of Dorc da Orc and sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who don't exactly know themselves.
Aren't willing to tell the ex mercenary who, and more importantly, what the lord and ruler of the lands Farque exactly is.
"Never been in anything like this" says the teenager, who grew up down below, in the south quarter of Kuradum, the poor quarter.
"Well, apart from what we did earlier in the week up in Gensa" adds the ex mercenary who joined the group back in the autumn.
"Won't exactly be like that" says Jarjin aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman, who continues with "For starters this will be a hell of lot bigger, not to mention the citizens will still be in the city, unlike what we did up in Gensa".
Zam the ex mercenary nods to that, then does so again, when the halfling former air sailor quietly tells him "Just stay close to the others, and you'll be fine".
The member of lord Farque's personal council briefly pauses before he adds "Though don't stay close to Dorc or Percy".
The hobbit from the far east coast of the continent then dryly says "Speaking from experience, you might end up dead if you're too close to those two lunatics during battle".
The Kuradian teenager frowns as he wonders what councilor Littlefoot means by, speaking from experience?
The ex mercenary who is looking towards the neighbourhood where he grew up in the poor quarter.
Goes to ask the hobbit from the Sultanate of Dreese what he means by that.
When Jarjin Littlefoot tells him "Come on, we're on the move again". And gets up, as lord Farque has resumed his walk along the top of the south wall of the capital city of Kuradum.
Commander Tracklen of the loyalist army walks in silence beside lord Farque as they continue along the top of the wall.
The senior most officer in the army loyal to the ruling council of the city-state of Kuradum is in shock after hearing of the plans the lord and ruler of the lands Farque has for the defence of the capital.
The local army commander would have a fit if he knew of the full plans the undead warlord has for the defence of the city of Kuradum.
Even so, what he's learnt so far this morning, on what's a cold, but still start to another winter's day. Is shocking enough as it is.
Commander Tracklen suspects that the ruling council won't be happy with this at all, and he voices this to the large, heavily armoured figure walking beside him.
"The council won't be happy with this at all my lord" quietly says commander Tracklen.
"That's their problem" says lord Farque, who after a brief pause adds "They only need to know, what's appropriate".
Glancing down at the senior loyalist officer walking beside him, the lord and ruler of the lands Farque quietly tells him "I'd advise you tell them the bare minimum".
Draugadrottin follows that with "They'll be glad we defeat the enemy, they won't care afterwards how we achieve that".
The loyalist army commander nods his head in agreement with that, though he's dreading what the council will think after they're victorious.
That's if we're victorious, commander Tracklen thinks to himself, who then gestures over the top of the wall, as they approach the middle of the three gates in the south wall of the city of Kuradum, and he says "Is it appropriate to".
"It is" says the lord of the death realm as he interrupts the local army commander.
"The best way to go about a battle, or for that matter a war" explains the undead warlord, who continues with "Is to think of the end result, and not necessarily about how you'll achieve it".
The large, heavily armoured deathlord then quietly adds "And to achieve it, is to do anything necessary".
Lord Farque nods his full helmed head down in the direction of the otherside of the wall, and says "And that includes using them".
Commander Tracklen nods at that, and does so again when the lord and ruler of the lands Farque adds "Things can be rebuilt, people can't".
Even though he has reservations with the mercenary leader's plans, a lot of reservations to put it bluntly.
The commander of the loyalist army is agreement that the conflict for control of the city-state of Kuradum.
Will be won or lost here in the capital city. And to win, those who are loyal to the ruling council. And those they're paying to fight on their behalf.
Have to do whatever is necessary to bring about a victory against the forces of the rebel army. Who are led by the self styled duke of Kuradum, councilman Hirrye.
They stop again, this time above the middle of the three gates in the south wall of the capital city.
Commander Tracklen looks at the southern neighbourhoods of the city, the part of the capital where he grew up.
Then he turns and looks down over the top of the wall, and watches those either entering the city, or leaving it, first thing this morning.
The senior most officer in the army loyal to the ruling council of Kuradum, tries not to grimace as he watches those down below, crossing the bridge that goes over this section of the river, that flows along the southern wall of Kuradum.
"Hell" mutters commander Tracklen as he contemplates what lord Farque has in store for the enemy when they show up to the capital city within the next couple of days . . . . . .