The Thick Of It 53.

Winter.

Dorc da Orc plucks an arrow out of his face, then biffs it away off the top of the wall.
The large ork glances away to his right and growls as sir Percavelle Lé Dic laughs at him for getting shot by an enemy archer.
Then the ork warleader chortles when the nobleborn knight from the kingdom of Druvic, staggers backwards when an enemy crossbow bolt clangs off his full helm.
"By Saint Mar-che" loudly mutters sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who rights himself, then looks down at the enemy across the river, and demands in an offended tone of voice "Which one of you filthy villains did that?" followed by "Wot".
The ork weaponsmith is just about to call out to the enemy to keep shooting at the former paladin.
But decides not to as Tamric Drubine the field commander steps this way.
And the large ork remembers that he's actually a general in the armies of Farque.
And calling out orders and instructions to the enemy, might not be the best look.
The big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world grunts in response to Tamric Drubine who tells him "More and more of them are breaking off, and heading east" quickly followed by "Not north".
After grunting in satisfaction, Dorc da Orc says "Yeah cunt". The ork warleader then gestures at the enemy army attempting to lay siege to the city of Kuradum, and says "Some of them fuckheads still wanna come here".
The son of the former matriarch of the wolf tribe of orks, who he killed when he was younger.
Grunts in satisfaction as one of the nearby catapults here above the middle gate in the south wall of the city.
Flings a load of barrels, filled with water, that's been frozen solid, at the rebel forces across the river.
Then Dorc da Orc, or Dorkindle which is his given name, says "Some of them fucken cunts wanna get in here real bad".
As he nods at one of the siege towers being rolled forward towards the river through the ranks of councilman Hirrye's southern army.
Tamric Drubine, or Tam as he's more commonly called by the others in the group, nods in agreement with the large ork, who is a general in the armies of Farque.
Then the young noble, originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin, and now a senior officer in the armies of Farque quietly tells the ork weaponsmith "I think i know what they're going to do".
As he gestures at one of the enemy siege towers that's trundling towards the river that runs along the south wall of the city of Kuradum.
Dorkindle who is contemplating if he should waste a spear, and throw it at the enemy across on the otherside of the river.
Grunts then looks down at the young man who is former heir of a previous knight of castle Drubine, which can be found in the forested north of the kingdom of Sarcrin.
Then after the warleader of the ork race grimaces when an enemy crossbow bolt bounces off his forehead.
And he growls at sir Percavelle Lé Dic once again, who laughs at him again for getting shot.
The big, burly ork from the frozen bottom of the world listens to what field commander Drubine thinks the enemy are up to.
As they continue to attack the south wall of the city of Kuradum, on this cold, but fairly clear and sunny winter's morning.
Zam the ex mercenary is down low beneath one of the crenalations along the top of the city's south wall, just above the middle of the three gates on this side of the capital of the city-state of Kuradum.
The teenager from here in the poor quarter of the city of Kuradum, looks away to the right along the top of the wall.
Where next to one of the two catapults on this stretch of the wall. Tamric Drubine the field commander is deep in conversation with Dorc da Orc.
Then Zam, the newest member of the group, who only joined them during the autumn, looks to his left.
Next to him, sits Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit, who has his back to the crenalation they're behind.
For a moment the Kuradian ex mercenary thinks the halfling is asleep, as he sits there with his eyes closed.
But a closer look finds the hobbit, who is a member of lord Farque's personal council.
Is just sitting there with his eyes closed, quietly murmuring to himself in a language Zam doesn't understand.
The teenager from here in the city of Kuradum, looks to the next person to the left.
It's Lisell Maera the scout, who sends a bolt flying from here crossbow at someone down amongst the enemy.
The ex mercenary slightly smiles to himself when he hears a determined sounding Lisell Maera the scout say in triumph "Got the bastard".
As the attractive young woman originally from the coastal city-state of Brattonbury, slides back the underside of her quick loading crossbow.
Zam looks beyond her, at the next person in that direction along the top of the wall.
It's Shur Kee the monk, who like Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit, is sitting down on the top of the wall, facing in towards the city itself.
But unlike the former air sailor halfling from the Sultanate of Dreese, a nation that lies on the far east coast of the continent.
The short statured monk, who also has his eyes closed. Is sitting cross legged, with his staff across his thighs.
Obviously meditating, as Zam has become accustomed to seeing the physical adept doing.
Though this is first time the teenage ex mercenary has seen the monk in the strange clothing, and even stranger looking hat. Meditate during the middle of a battle.
Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy hurries up a set of steps to the top of the city's south wall.
The spy originally from the elven principality of Alínlae, who is now a company commander in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque.
Who has just come from one of the nearby trebuchets across the street, where he'd been discussing something with Tovis the war engineer.
Makes it up onto the top of the wall and heads right. The spy who previously served in one of the more prominent noble houses of his homeland Alínlae.
Heads along the top of the wall, until he gets to the stretch of it above the middle of the three gates.
There the rest of the group who are still on the wall are located. As the southern rebel army of councilman Hirrye attacks the city of Kuradum.
On this cold, but sunny and clear winter's morning in this part of the city-state.
The elven spy stops next to the two spellcasters, Beldane the cleric and Saanea the witch.
"Tovis would appreciate it if you could deal with some of them" says Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy as he nods towards one of the approaching siege towers.
The elf in the grey hooded cloak continues with "The ones not in line with his siege engines".
Both practitioners of magic nod their heads, then Beldane the cleric tells the company commander in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque "We'll get to it".
The fighting cleric who hails from the kingdom of Nastell then says "We've just got a few other things to deal with first".
The spy Tanith is just about to ask "Like what". When the powerful Nastellian spellcaster swings his mace.
A beam of white light shoots from the magical weapon, that strikes back amongst the enemy ranks on the otherside of the river that runs along the south side of the city.
"They teleported before it hit" says Saanea the witch, who continues with "I can't sense them now".
The member of the church of Glaine, a god that's predominantly worshiped in the north of Beldane's homeland Nastell, grunts when he hears that.
Then the powerful practitioner of magic says to the spy Tanith "Things like that".
Dalinvardèl Tanith or Dalin as he's more commonly called by those who know him well, nods his hooded head.
Then the elven spy who is a company commander in the armies of Farque says to the pair of spellcasters "Just help him out when you can".
The spy Tanith then continues his way along the top of the wall, here above the second of the three gates in the south wall of the city of Kuradum.
He goes by Shur Kee the monk who is just sitting there, no doubt meditating.
Dalin nods to his fellow member of the scouts and rangers division, Lisell Maera the scout, who is shooting at the enemy with the crossbow that once belonged to Shur Kee.
The elven spy walks by Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit, who like Shur Kee, is sitting there with his back against one of the crenalations.
Though the halfling originally from the Sultanate of Dreese, is watching one of the trebuchets across the square behind the gates, reloading.
The spy Tanith walks by the newest member of the group, the ex mercenary Zam.
The teenage Kuradian nods at the elven spy, who nods his hooded head in reply.
Dalinvardèl Tanith then stops next to one of the two catapults above the second of the gates in the south wall of the city.
Next to it, up against the nearest crenalation stands sir Percavelle Lé Dic.
Who doesn't notice the elven spy from the principality of Alínlae, as he's too busy watching the enemy army across the river.
Dalin stops near the rear of the catapult, where Dorc da Orc stands with Tamric Drubine the field commander.
"Beldane and his crews are having trouble hitting some of those siege towers" states the spy Tanith who continues with "The ones not in line with the trebuchets".
After nodding, Tamric Drubine the field commander says "I'll get Saanea and Beldane to help with that".
The company commander in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque nods his hooded head, then says "I've already spoken to them".
Dalinvardèl Tanith follows that with "They'll get to it after they deal with the enemy spellcasters".
The young noble originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin, who is in command of the defence of the walls of the city of Kuradum at the moment, grunts after hearing that from the spy Tanith.
"We'll figure something out" says field commander Drubine, who after glancing at the ork general beside him, says to Dalin "We've figured out what they're probably going to do with those towers now that there's no bridges to cross to the wall".
After the elven spy glances over at sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who shakes an angry gauntleted fist, and shouts out to the enemy with "I shall repeat it for those who are thou ignorant, and deaf, which one of you villainous swine shot, i the great sir Percavelle!" followed by a "Wot!".
Which causes Dorc da Orc to chortle as he looks at his bitter rival, the nobleborn knight from the kingdom of Druvic.
Tamric Drubine or Tam as he's more often than not, called by the others in the group, says to the company commander in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque "How far will they get across the river with those towers?".
The senior officer in the armies of Farque continues with "Maybe fifteen feet at most before they get bogged down?".
The spy who hails from the elven principality of Alínlae nods his hooded head in agreement to that, then says "Barely if that".
"Well what happens if they" says Tamric Drubine, who goes onto explain what he and Dorc da Orc think the enemy army will actually do with some, if not all of the siege towers that they're bringing forward.
After the young field commander finishes explaining what he and general Dorc thinks the rebel army will do with their siege towers.
Dalinvardèl Tanith slowly nods his hooded head as he can see that being a possibility, infact a distinct possibility.
Then after the catapult next to them flings a load of rocks and broken bits of masonry across the river at the rebel army of councilman Hirrye.
The spy Tanith points, and says "Well, we're about to find out". As one of the enemy siege towers has been pushed to the water's edge, almost opposite the second of the three gates in the south wall of the city of Kuradum.
On this cold, but clear and sunny winter's morning, here in the capital of the city-state of Kuradum . . . . . .