Maiya Garney has now been in the armies of Farque nearly seven years. Joining at the age of sixteen after completing her four years of training. She has made her way up the ranks to be the lead scout of her company in the second division of the Fifth Army of Farque. Word is that she will make divisional scout soon enough.
Maiya along with most of the divisions of the Fifth, is barracked at the Winter Palace. The place she began her training when she turned twelve years old.
The young woman who is from farmland about a hundred miles or so to the south of the Winter Palace, is on her bed, reading letters from home.
The lead scout who due to her rank in the Scouts and Rangers division, has a room of her own, within the massive Tor that sticks up out of the countryside, which the Winter Palace sits upon.
Maiya who recently turned twenty three, is unmarried and has no children, and is not in any relationship at this time. Is more than attractive to say the least. In fact many would call her beautiful. With her shoulder length dark blonde hair, and almost elfin like facial features. Tall at five foot, ten inches in height.
Has a pensive look upon her face as she sits there upon her bed, reading the latest letter from her mother Fraylin.
Maiya who is glad her father Marcus has got over a recent bout of the flu he's suffered. Frowns as she reads that her parents haven't received a letter from Jovan in the last three months.
Nor has the lead scout received one from her little brother who left the Lands Farque over a year ago, when he turned sixteen years of age. Never to return. As is custom for one of his kind.
Maiya Garney lets out a sigh of frustration as she wonders how her younger brother is, and what he's up to.
After going over her mother's latest letter again, the lead scout puts it away in her chest, a wooden one at the foot of her bed. There's a knock on the door of her room, and Maiya Garney says "Enter".
"Scout ship arriving" says sergeant Blufont, followed by "Carnid says new orders are coming in". Referring to the sorcerer attached to their company.
"I'll be along shortly" is the reply of the lead scout, who gets up and heads over to her armour and weapons stand.
A short while later, and with the company sergeant, Blufont at her side. Lead scout Garney heads up a set of steps as they make their way up through the Winter Palace.
They're followed by others who are heading the same way, turning up into a corridor as they make their way to the airdocks that stick out of the top of the more than thousand foot high Tor that thrust up out of the countryside. Here near the coast of the Lands Farque.
The lead scout and the company sergeant come to a sudden stop, forcing those to following to do likewise, as the way is blocked.
"You could always jump him if you're feeling lucky" quietly and dryly says sergeant Blufont who is a decade older than the lead scout.
"Fuck that" is the quiet reply of Maiya Garney who continues in a dry tone with "I like my limbs attached to my body thank you very much".
The company sergeant grunts in agreement, while the lead scout is wondering what to call out, knowing that it'll probably be useless to do so.
When a nearby door opens up, and a voice says "Axe you fat lump, get out of the way".
Senior wardog handler Jessup walks out through the open door and adds "The lead scout and sergeant and these others want to get by".
The undead wardog who is lying across the corridor, on his back with all four legs in the air, cracks an eyelid open and looks at those wanting to get by him.
The massive animal who weighs in excess of fifteen hundred pounds, and stands over six and half feet tall at the shoulder.
Finally wiggles to one side after the senior wardog handler says something in the ancient language of command.
"Thank you sir" says lead scout Garney to the senior wardog handler who like the wardog, is undead himself.
Jessup nods then closes the door, and the lead scout, the company sergeant and the others following behind them, continue on their way as they head to the airdocks.
Once they make their way up and through the Winter Palace proper, they head outside and make their way down the steps to where the airdocks are located off to one side.
A small sleek Krean scoutship has just docked next to a twin masted frigate, the only other vessel in dock at the moment.
A number of people are disembarking from the mastless vessel, one of whom those who have made their way outside, immediately recognize.
"Field commander Drubine" quietly says sergeant Blufont to the lead scout, who nods when the company sergeant quietly adds "Something must of happened".
Maiya Garney then winces, and dryly says in a quiet tone of voice "Something has definitely happened". As she spots the ork warleader Dorc da Orc is with the field commander.
Along with some others she recognizes, like the foreign monk Shur Kee who hails from the other side of the continent. And the foreign paladin. Well, that's former paladin. The knight, sir Percavelle Le Dic.
With them is the scout commander Lisell Maera. Who is Maiya's own commander in the Fifth Army of Farque.
One of the officers who has also disembarked from the Krean scoutship makes his way over to where the lead scout and those with her have gathered.
And he tells them "Officers and leads report to the strategy chamber" followed by "The field commander has called a meeting".
"We are going to war" says field commander Tamric Drubine a short while later after they've all gathered in the strategy chamber on the first floor of the Winter Palace.
Maiya Garney as a lead scout of her company in the second division of the Fifth Army of Farque is essentially an officer. Equivalent to a captain in other divisions such as the heavy foot, light and heavy cavalry and so on.
Blufont who is the company sergeant, is also a lead. And is essentially Maiya's right hand man. Even though she has subalterns under her command.
As most of those gathered stand around a table map in the middle of the chamber. A handful of others are off to the sides.
Including the ork warleader Dorc da Orc. The general in the armies of Farque is sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall behind him, snoring loudly as he sleeps.
Nearby sits the short, statured monk, Shur Kee. Next to him is the former paladin, originally from the kingdom of Druvic, sir Percavelle Le Dic. Who with his full helm that he's holding in his lap. Has a sour look upon his face as he watches his long time rival. Or evil nemesis as he likes to call Dorc da Orc.
Sitting on another bench, on the opposite side of the chamber. Is the senior wardog handler Jessup. With him is commander Dolsyn, who like the wardog handler is undead.
The two undead, as all of the undead in the Lands Farque, are quiet. Preferring to observe what's going on. As they tend to let the living make the decisions that will mainly impact the living.
"Some of you might of heard the rumours over the last little while" says field commander Tamric Drubine who is only a couple years older than lead scout Maiya Garney.
"That there's been tension among some of the nations in the central region of the Southlands" explains the young field commander who is originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin.
"And in nations, I mean some of the city-states there" dryly adds the field commander who is from the nobility of his homeland.
"Thankfully the city-state of Vexil has kept out of the recent tension" continues the field commander who is the senior most officer in attendance.
Pointing at one place on the map table, followed by another, Tamric Drubine says "Their long-time rivals, the city-state of Tuledare not so much".
The young field commander points at another spot to the south of that particular city-state and adds "Things have come to ahead with the city-state of Phamal" followed by "And they've declared war on them".
The lead scout Maiya Garney gets a sinking feeling in her gut. As last she heard, her younger brother Jovan was heading north towards the city-states in the central region of The Southlands.
"They're fighting over the usual things" says the field commander who is formerly a noble from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin.
With a shrug of his shoulders he adds "Trade routes, lands etcetera" followed by "Like I said, the usual".
The young commanding officer who was named field commander at just seventeen years old, looks at each and everyone standing around the large map table, before he says "The city-state of Phamal over the last few weeks have been in negotiations with us".
Tamric Drubine briefly pauses before he continues on with "Last night a deal was struck, and they'll be hiring one of our armies".
The field commander then says "As you've already guessed, Lord Farque has decided it will be his Fifth Army that will be hired out in Phamal's war against Tuledare".
The former noble from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin follows that with "It will be the usual arrangement, we'll have full command of their war effort" he then adds "And they'll pay us till we win this war for them, or they can no longer afford us".
The young commanding officer pauses before he continues with "Our sources say they have enough to pay us for five, maybe six weeks".
Maiya Garney faintly similes, as do others around the map table as they all know that the sources field commander Drubine is referring to, is the elven envoy, and member of Lord Farque's personal council, Prince Helbenthril Raendril. Or a more often than not, Helbe the elven thief as he's more commonly known as.
Looking first at his long time friend, the scout commander Lisell Maera, then others in her division, including the lead scout Maiya Garney.
Tamric Drubine says "Those of you in the Scouts and Rangers division will be first in".
The former noble from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin continues with "Not just into Phamal and the disputed lands north of it, but also into Tuledare itself".
Field commander Drubine gestures at the map table, in particular the central regions of The Southlands as he says "We'll hit them on multiple fronts" he briefly pauses before adding "Including from within the heart of Tuledare, the city of Tuledare itself".
The lead scout Maiya Garney nods in understanding as she and the others listen to the overall plan that field commander Drubine and others have come up with for the city-state of Phamal in their war against their neighbours to the north, the city-state of Tuledare . . . . . .
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