Winter.
Tamric Drubine the field commander looks down at the river below as the enemy army continues to attack the south wall of the city of Kuradum, on this sunny, but cold winter's morning.
The young noble originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin, who is now a senior officer in the armies of Farque.
Sees that there's a few makeshift rafts now in the water as the rebels attempt to cross to the south wall of the city.
The catapult next to the field commander is being loaded with stones, rocks and broken bits of masonry.
As the crew attempts to target some of the rafts in the river that runs along the south side of the capital city of Kuradum.
Dorc da Orc not content to wait for the catapult to be loaded, then shoot. Picks up one of the baskets full of rocks, stones and bits of masonry.
Most of which has been taken from homes and buildings in the south of the city that have recently been pulled down.
The large ork takes a step forward so he's between a pair of the crenalations that runs along the top of the city walls.
And with a mighty heave, accompanied by a grunt of effort, the ork warleader biffs the basket full of debris off the top of the wall.
"Well, that'll work" dryly says Tamric Drubine the field commander as Dorc da Orc laughs after the basket full of rocks, stones and broken masonry, slams down onto the makeshift raft that has gotten closest to this stretch of the wall.
Some of the enemy soldiers are killed instantly, others are severely injured, ending up in the water, as the rest of them who escaped injury, ended up.
As for the raft, that breaks apart, with bits of it sinking, and the rest of it slowly floating away down the river, heading west along it.
Field commander Drubine looks away to the left along the top of the wall, as Lisell Maera the scout calls out to him "Tam, more of them are breaking off and heading east!".
The senior officer in the armies of Farque peers through the smoke of one of the burning siege towers in the river.
And he quickly spots what the scout Maera has called out about. Tamric Drubine, or Tam as he's more commonly called by the others in the group.
Clearly sees a good company sized portion of the rebel army, towards the rear.
Has broken off, and joined those heading east along the river's edge, making their way to the bridge about a mile to the east of the city.
"Good, that's more of them" quietly says the young field commander to himself.
Who then looks to the left, and sees Lisell Maera, or Lis as more often than not, those who know her well, call her.
Shoot a bolt off from her crossbow, a weapon that once belonged to Shur Kee the monk, a weapon that was designed by the ork weaponsmith, Dorc da Orc.
There's a build up of rubble, from one of the destroyed bridges here along the south side of the city.
It juts out into the river, and some of the enemy are launching the makeshift rafts from there.
And the attractive young woman who hails from the coastal city-state of Brattonbury, who is now in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque.
Has just shot a rebel soldier in the neck as he clambers over the debris of stonework, that juts out into the river.
Field commander Drubine looks the other way along the top of the wall, on the otherside of Dorc da Orc and the catapult.
There sir Percavelle Lé Dic, not wanting to be outdone by his bitter rival, the ork warleader.
Has taken a spear from a bundle of them up against one of the crenalations.
Spears that'll be used by the defenders if the enemy are able to top the south wall of the capital city of Kuradum.
The large, heavily armoured knight who hails from the kingdom of Druvic, pulls the spear back, and biffs it as hard and as forcefully as he can.
The spear slams into an enemy soldier, going right through him, and into the makeshift raft he's on.
The rebel soldier stands there upright for a few moments, with the spear that's right through his abdomen, keeping him up in that position.
Before he topples over into the water, ripping out the spear as he does so.
As it does, the front of the makeshift raft where he was standing, breaks off from the rest of the hastily put together raft.
And as that bit of the makeshift raft starts heading downstream, the rest of it. Which a handful of other rebel soldiers are on.
Starts to slowly spin around, as those still on it, try in vain to keep it going towards the wall.
And eventually afloat, as it starts to break apart with them still on it. It's not long before the rest of them are in the water.
Like so many others in the rebel army are facing. As quite a lot of them have ended up in the cold water of the river that runs along the south wall of the city of Kuradum, the capital of the city-state that it shares it's name with.
With Dorc da Orc to his right loudly muttering "Fucken knight cunt got lucky there".
Tamric Drubine the field commander looks back the otherway, and finds Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit hurrying this way towards one of the two catapults above the middle gates in the south wall of the city.
When the halfling who isn't what he appears to be joins him, the young noble from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin says "What is it?".
In response to Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit saying to him "I've noticed something about them".
The halfling, who is from the Sultanate of Dreese, a nation that lies on the far east coast of the continent, points to a few places in the enemy ranks, and he says "There, there and there".
"What about it?" asks the son and former heir of a previous knight of castle Drubine, which can be found in the forested north of the kingdom of Sarcrin.
"Their mercenaries" says the hobbit, who is a former air sailor in the fleet of the Sultan of Dreese.
"They're not in the front ranks" adds the halfling, who is a member of the personal council to lord Farque.
"They've held back so far" continues the hobbit, who despite appearances, is somebody entirely different than he appears to be.
As he's really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra by the name of Zubutai Timaginson.
Who just happens to find himself inhabiting the body of the halfling former air sailor from the Sultanate of Dreese.
Dorc da Orc or Dorkindle which is his given name, grunts and steps over to the halfling councilor, and the human field commander.
After Tam waves him over, to join the senior officer in the armies of Farque, and the hobbit who was previously an air sailor.
"What?" demands the big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world.
"Their mercs" says field commander Drubine who points out a trio of the larger group of mercenaries, who have been hired to fight for the self styled duke of Kuradum, councilman Hirrye.
"None are in the forward ranks" explains the young nobleman who hails from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin.
"Infact, some of them have already headed east" says Tam, who quickly adds "Not north".
Dorc da Orc or Dorkindle which is his given name, grunts at hearing that, and does so again when the young field commander adds "Seems they don't want to get too involved with what's happening so far this morning".
"They'll wait to get involved when something drastically changes, i bet" says Jarjin aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman.
The halfling former air sailor from the far east coast of the continent adds "Think we should have Beldane go and get".
"No" says Tamric Drubine as he interrupts the hobbit who is a member of lord Farque's personal council.
"Nah cunt" says Dorc da Orc to the halfling former air sailor at the same time Tam speaks.
The warleader of the ork race then grunts in response to the young field commander asking him "You know any of these companies Dorc?".
As the young noble originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin, figures the larger groups of mercenaries within the ranks of the enemy army, belong to their own companies.
The weaponsmith from the wolf tribe of orks is familiar with many of the larger and well known mercenary companies from across the Southlands.
Dorkindle looks to the groups of mercenaries within the rebel army that field commander Drubine has pointed out.
"Nah, not them cunts" the ork general loudly mutters, followed in a loud mutter with "Or them fuckers".
The big, burly ork from the frozen bottom of the world, then grunts and points and says "Them cunts there".
The ork who was named warleader of his race by lord Farque a number of years ago adds "Dorc knows them fuckers".
The large ork who often doesn't know what day it is, names the mercenary company he points out.
Then the ork who is the son of the former matriarch of the wolf tribe of orks.
Who he killed during a viscous fight between the two of them. Which was only fair, as she was doing her best to kill him at the time.
Says to the young field commander "Batter than some cunts, not better than others".
In response to the senior officer in the armies of Farque asking him "They any good Dorc"?.
Dorkindle, who is also a senior officer in the armies of Farque, infact as a general he outranks Tamric Drubine the field commander.
Just that the others in the group, don't remind the ork warleader of that.
Then tells the young noble who hails from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin "They better than this fucken lot, me know that".
As he waves a dismissive hand at the enemy army, who are predominantly made up of soldiers who rebelled against the ruling council of the city-state of Kuradum.
Tam nods his head when he hears that, then he shares a look with Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit.
"Think it might be best if you had Tovis target that mercenary company" quietly says the halfling who previously served in the air fleet of the Sultan of Dreese.
"Good idea" quietly says field commander Drubine, who just like the hobbit who is a member of the personal council to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, just spoke in the elven language.
Tam waves over the nearby signalman and gives him an order. The signalman in the engineering corp in the armies of Farque, relays that order to the closest trebuchet crew.
Which is situated across the square behind the middle gates, here along the south wall of the city.
The trebuchet where the captain of the engineering corp, Tovis the engineer can be found.
"Doesn't look like they've taken much damage" quietly says Tamric Drubine, who follows that with "Or for matter, any at all".
"Keeping out of the way by the looks of things" says councilor Littlefoot as they discuss one of the mercenary companies amongst the enemy army.
"My guess is that they're waiting for how things go here to see what they'll do" says the young noble who hails from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin.
"Or with a little bit of encouragement they'll head off to the east" continues Tamric Drubine who quickly adds "Not north". Much to the delight of Dorc da Orc. As every direction that isn't north, is not north to him.
That encouragement that field commander Drubine is mentioning arrives just a few moments later.
When the nearby trebuchet launches another load up and over the wall, and out of the city.
And of late, they've been targeting the enemy along the water's edge. This shot, is of a lower and longer trajectory.
Sending a netting full of rocks, and broken stonework and masonry flying further back amongst the enemy ranks.
The netting rips apart, and the solid missiles smash into the ranks of councilman Hirrye's southern army.
Most of it hits Kuradian soldiers who oppose the ruling council of the city-state.
But some hits it's intended target. One of the foreign mercenary companies hired by the self styled duke of Kuradum.
"Well would you look at that" says Jarjin aka Zubutai the son of Timagin.
Tamric Drubine nods in agreement with the halfling former air sailor, while Dorc da Orc grunts in agreement with him.
"Efficient" says field commander Drubine with a note of respect in his tone.
As the mercenary company targeted, grab and pick up their wounded, and leaving the few who died behind. They move off, out of the ranks, and head eastwards.
"Pass the word along the wall" says the senior officer in the armies of Farque to one of the runners at his beck and call.
"Keep an eye on that mercenary company there" adds Tam, who follows that with "And if able to, try and hit them".
"Yes commander" says the runner in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque, who moves off to carry out his orders.
"I'm guessing they'll stay out of range" says Jarjin Littlefoot, who continues with "Even of the trebuchets".
The hobbit from the far east coast of the continent, then says "Yep, that's what they're doing".
As they watch the mercenary company in question, fall back as they head eastwards, making their way to the bridge about a mile to the east of the city.
As the battle for the capital of Kuradum continues on this cold, but sunny and clear winter's morning, in this part of the city-state . . . . . .
No comments:
Post a Comment