Winter.
Nahor the assistant to councilman Kolmar finds himself upon the south wall of the capital city Kuradum.
He's with the other assistants to the various councilors, following behind the ruling council who are being given a tour of the defences of the city by commander Tracklen.
Up ahead, the members of the ruling council come to a stop, and Nahor along with the other assistants stop too.
He looks down at the street below, that leads to the middle of the three gates in the south wall of the city.
There a large trebuchet has just been set up by the engineers in the mercenary army from the lands Farque.
Nahor who doesn't particularly know much about warfare, especially war machines.
Wonders how far a trebuchet can fling it's load. He suspects quite a distance considering the size of the heavy weapon.
The assistant to councilman Kolmar moves forward, so that he's right at the front of the assistants, just behind the group of ruling councilors.
Nahor, who is a spy for the rebel forces led by the self proclaimed duke of Kuradum, councilman Hirrye.
Slightly nods his head as he listens to what commander Tracklen has to say.
Councilman Kolmar's assistant figures any information gleaned here won't be particularly important.
As he guesses the rebel army approaching from the south will more or less know the defences of the city.
He looks to the south, wondering when councilman Hirrye's southern army is going to turn up.
Word is that they might start showing up later today, as that's the rumour Nahor has heard both within the council, and on the streets of the city.
He suspects it's so, as commander Tracklen has ordered that no one can leave the city via the south gates now, or enter it through there as well.
The gates in the other walls of the city remain open to traffic, those either entering the city, or leaving it.
The group gets underway again, walking around one of the smaller catapults up on the top of the south wall of Kuradum.
Then a short time later, they stop again, this time directly above the middle of the three gates in the south wall of the capital city.
As they wait for commander Tracklen to explain a number of things to the ruling council of the city-state of Kuradum.
The assistant to councilman Kolmar looks all around, and he spots a couple of warships.
One from the Kuradum loyalist fleet, and the other belonging to the mercenary army from the lands Farque.
They're passing over the eastern wall of the capital, having come from the east.
Nahor knows that onboard both airships will be soldiers from the loyalist army.
From the east of the city-state, where the main frontlines in the war between the loyalist and rebel forces are located.
As he looks across the city, the assistant to councilman Kolmar can see how busy things are.
As the capital's residents know that councilman Hirrye's forces in the south are marching upon the city of Kuradum.
Infact Nahor has never seen the capital so busy. Especially on a cold winter's day such as today.
Then he looks down off the top of the south wall, and sees a number of people down on the bridge that crosses this section of the river.
"Wonder what they're up to?" quietly muses Nahor the assistant to councilman Kolmar.
As he watches a number of the back clad mercenary soldiers from the lands Farque, are on the bridge at the moment.
"Probably checking the structure of the bridge" quietly says Kiopar, who is the assistant to councilman Porpallion.
Nahor nods his head in agreement with his fellow assistant as he watches those down on the bridge.
Who indeed look like they're inspecting and examining the bridge, probably making sure it's stable before the enemy show up.
That's what it seems like they're doing, infact some of the black clad soldiers from the lands Farque, seem to be inspecting the bridge.
As they have done to the first one away to the east, and what they'll do next to the third bridge here on the south side of the city, a bit later.
But what they're actually doing is something else entirely different. With those who look like they're examining the bridge, are doing so for appearances only.
As they're covering what two of them are actually doing on this, the middle of three bridges that crosses the river along the south wall of the capital city of Kuradum.
"Anymore?" quietly asks Helbe the elven thief after he casts another spell.
"One more should do" replies Mira Reinholt the mage as he gets up, after kneeling down to push another mageglobe down into the surface of the bridge.
This one on the far side of the bridge, as the once powerful mage creates another of the living pieces of magic, which appears in his cupped right hand.
They walk to their right, and the mage Reinholt pretends to study the edge of the bridge, as the highly talented elven magic user casts a type of shield spell upon the mageglobe.
The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel gives a hand signal as Mira Reinholt briefly kneels and pushes his latest creation into the edge of the bridge.
While the Farqian soldiers with them, start making their way off the bridge, and head down to the third bridge further along.
The two spellcasters, members of the personal council to lord Farque, make their way off the bridge too.
As they do, the mage who is from the city-state of Vexil, looks back across the river, and up to the top of the south wall of the capital city of Kuradum.
The mage, who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, faintly smiles as he spots amongst those on top of the wall, above the middle gate.
One of the enemy spies, and traitor to the loyalist cause, Nahor the assistant to councilman Kolmar.
"Bet he's wondering what's going on?" quietly says the spellcaster, who was once the most powerful mage of his generation, to be found anywhere in the Southlands.
Until he was stripped of most of his powers when he went offworld through a rift/void spell that he accidentally cast a number of years ago.
"Who?" asks Helbe the elven thief as they walk down to third of the bridges along the south side of the city of Kuradum.
"That spy Nahor" quietly says the mage Reinholt, who like his fellow spellcaster, is speaking in the elven language.
The elven master assassin, who is a member of the royal family that rules the island principality of Laerel.
Glances away, up to the top of the wall on the otherside of the river, and slightly nods his hooded head when he spots the person that his fellow practitioner of magic has named.
"That traitor doesn't know shit about war" says the elven masterthief who is the grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel.
"Nothing?" asks the mage who is in exile from his homeland Vexil.
"Nothing" says the elven master archer, who follows that with "Well, i should say next to nothing".
As they follow the black clad Farqian soldiers to the next bridge here on the south side of the capital city.
The highly talented elven magic user quietly says "He just passes information on, not really knowing what it is".
The grandson of Prince Raendril of Laerel continues with "They usually make the best informants".
Mira Reinholt nods his black hooded head at that, and with another glance across the river, and at the person they're discussing, he quietly asks "When are you bringing him and the others in?".
"Later" is the reply of prince Helbenthril Raendril who continues on with "Farque wants them taken when their army is basically knocking at the gates".
The once powerful mage nods his hooded head as they approach the third of the bridges here on the south side of the capital city.
The swordmaster Reinholt then asks his fellow practitioner of magic "Where exactly is their army at the moment?".
"Somewhere south of here" dryly says the youngest member of the royal family that rules the island principality of Laerel.
The exiled Vexilian mage looks sideways at his fellow councilor and sourly smiles. Which illicits a chuckle from the elven master assassin.
"We'll find out soon enough i suppose" says Helbe the elven thief, as he and his fellow spellcaster make their way onto the third of the bridges that cross the river here on the south side of the city.
As some of the black clad Farqian soldiers, start pretending to examine the bridge closely.
The two members of lord Farque's personal council make their way along the bridge, towards the closed city gates.
Once there, Mira Reinholt starts creating mageglobes, and as the elven magic user casts a spell upon it.
And the once powerful mage crouches down and pushes it into the top of the bridge.
The answer to the question of where the enemy army are is answered. When Narladene the ground pixie suddenly appears, and informs them what she's found.
Nahor the assistant to councilor Kolmar tries to refrain from yawning, as the tour along the city walls is more than a bit boring to him.
He fails, and loudly yawns. Earning him a few sideways looks from his fellow assistants to the ruling council members.
Though Kiopar does quietly chuckle, and murmurs to him "It's boring alright".
The assistant to councilman Kolmar nods his head in agreement, and does so again when the assistant to councilor Porpallion quietly adds "But this is our job, and this is what we do".
As they walk along the top of the wall, heading towards the third and final gate in the south wall of the capital city.
Nahor who though the assistant to one of the most influential members of the ruling council of Kuradum.
Is also a spy for the rebel forces, led by the self proclaimed duke of Kuradum, councilman Hirrye.
And he knows he wants nothing to do with the upcoming battle for the capital city.
He intends to be far from the south wall of the city when the fighting begins.
Preferably far away from the city, though he knows that will basically be impossible.
As the gates across the city will no doubt be closed once the rebel army come into view of the capital city Kuradum.
They walk by soldiers who have brought up bundles of bolts and arrows.
While others are bringing up baskets full of rocks and broken bits of masonry.
Nahor winces as he imagines rocks and broken masonry dropped from the top of the wall, hitting those trying to get into the city during the inevitable battle.
As up ahead, commander Tracklen and the members of the ruling council of Kuradum.
Come to a stop above the third gate in the south wall of the capital city. Nahor looks away to the south, once again wondering where the rebel army are.
He's just about to respond to Kiopar who has just said to him "One thing i know, is that i don't want to be up here when the fighting starts, that's for sure".
When they hear a shout from further along the wall, one of the lookouts amongst a group of them.
This one looking through a long, brass, cylindrical eyepiece that's on a tripod stand.
"Wonder what it is?" quietly asks Kiopar the assistant to councilman Porpallion.
"The rebels I'm guessing" is the quiet reply from Nahor the assistant to councilman Kolmar.
A runner leaves the group of lookouts when they spot commander Tracklen above the third of the city gates, here on the south wall of the capital of Kuradum.
Both Nahor and Kiopar try to get closer to hear what the runner has to say to the commander of the army loyal to the ruling council of the city-state of Kuradum.
They don't hear all of the conversation, but they do hear that advanced enemy elements have been spotted, about eight miles south of the capital city.
"Their scouts?" quietly asks Kiopar to his fellow assistant to the councilors who rule the city-state.
"I'd say so" is the quiet reply from the spy for the rebel forces led by the self styled duke of Kuradum, councilman Hirrye.
"They'll start arriving this afternoon" continues Nahor, who follows that up with "And the bulk of their army will start showing up later" he then adds "Probably during the night".
Next to him, Kiopar nods in agreement as they look away to the south.
As there's a buzz of chatter from their fellow assistants, and the members of the ruling council.
Now that the first of the enemy have been sighted away to the south of the capital city of Kuradum.
Commander Tracklen ends the tour of the city defences, and hurries away with his adjunctant Morris.
While the ruling council, along with their assistants, make their way to the nearest set of steps, as they start heading back to the council buildings in the middle of the city.
Nahor, the assistant to councilman Kolmar, is the last of the group to go down the steps.
Before he does, he takes one last look away to the south, on what's a cold winter's day here in the capital.
And he faintly smiles in satisfaction, knowing that his fellow rebels will be in view of the city walls later this afternoon.
And that the battle for the capital city of Kuradum will begin sometime during the night, or early tomorrow morning.
Nahor hurries down the steps after the others, figuring out what he'll do, and more importantly, where he'll be once the fighting starts . . . . . .
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