Northern Vexil.
"What did he tell you?" quietly asks Lisell Maera the scout as the line of march comes to a stop a bit further behind them.
"There's a Vexilian army lying in wait to the south" replies Tamric Drubine the field commander who is taking out a map as they move off the forest track they've been heading down this morning.
Beneath the branches of a tree, the young field commander in the Armies of Farque spreads out the map on top of a small boulder.
As the snow continues to lightly fall as it has done all morning, here in the hill country of northern Vexil.
"Here" quietly says Tamric Drubine or Tam as he's more commonly called by the others in the group, who follows it with "To the south".
The young field commander who is originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin, then explains to the others what Helbe the elven thief just told him a little while ago.
After field commander Drubine tells them the new information from the elven masterthief, Tovis the war engineer quietly says "That middle column is going to get slaughtered".
Tovis who hails from the kingdom of Girdane, continues with "Especially at the pace they've been moving" followed by "And especially if any of the survivors from yesterday's attacks get down to that Vexilian army quickly".
Malisse aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman nods her head, then quietly says "We should be fine I guess".
The rotund woman who is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra, continues with "This lot we're with will be heading back north to the border by the time that Vexilian army heads up here".
"Still, there could be complications" says Mira Reinholt the mage as he looks down at the map laid out on top of the boulder.
The once powerful mage, who like the plump woman in her thirties standing next to him, is a member of Lord Farque's personal council, then says "Hopefully things don't fuck up when, and after they attack that next town up ahead".
Tamric Drubine nods his head in agreement, then says "Good thing Marqand has got this lot moving in a timely manner" followed by "And they're doing what he's telling them to do".
The young field commander then tells Lisell Maera and Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy "Best you two head off and scout things out again" he then adds "That town shouldn't be too far ahead now".
The attractive young woman from the coastal city-state of Brattonbury, and the elven spy who is from the principality of Alínlae nod, then move off, heading back to the track, and moving south in the direction of the next target for the column of mercenary army that they're part of.
With a look away to her right, Saanea the witch communicates with her familiar, which is on a branch in a nearby tree.
A moment later, and an owl is winging it's way through the lightly falling snow, heading after the spy Tanith and the scout Maera.
Tamric Drubine looks over at sir Percavelle Le Dic and Shur Kee the monk, who were the only ones not gathered around, looking at the map.
Which the young field commander folds up, and as he puts it away, says "Come along Percy, Shur Kee" followed by "We're heading off".
As they walk beneath the branches of the trees as they make their way back to the nearby track that cuts through the forest, in this part of the hill country in the north of the city-state of Vexil.
Field commander Drubine quietly says "Zam head back along the track and tell captain Marqand that the town we're supposed to hit isn't all that far away".
The ex mercenary who is originally from the City Of Ruins nods, then hurries to the track, then heads back the way they've come from, as the snow continues to lightly fall.
"I gather that since Beldane hasn't come back, that they've gone south to the city of Vexil?" asks Mira Reinholt the mage as he walks alongside the young field commander in the Armies of Farque.
The young man, who is of noble birth, and is originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin, and is a former heir of Castle Drubine, nods his head then tells the exiled Vexilian mage "They have" followed by "The lord, him and Dorc left earlier according to Helbe".
Tam briefly pauses as they go around a bend in the track, that avoids a massive tree, then he says "Farque wants to find out what's actually happening" followed by "He's pretty sure that those Geist cousins are being set up".
Tamric Drubine may only be in his early twenties, but he's already a senior officer in the Armies of Farque, who says to the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster "Probably by this other cousin Misa" and after a slight pause, he adds "And possibly an elf as well, a noble born one at that".
Mira Reinholt, who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere in the Southlands, until he lost most of his powers when he went off world through a spell he miscast a number of years ago.
Eyebrows shoot up in surprise when he hears that last bit from the young field commander, then the practitioner of magic who is exiled from his homeland of Vexil, even though he's walking freely through the heavily forested hill country of northern Vexil, quietly says "Why do you say that?".
"A hidden spell that Helbe and Narladene found" is the reply of field commander Drubine, who then explains to the mage Reinholt that the pit the elven master assassin and the ground pixie attached to him found.
Had a hidden warning spell watching over it, a hidden spell that was elven in origin. And only those of noble birth amongst the elven race are spellcasters.
"That's an odd one for sure" quietly says the swordmaster Reinholt who follows on from that with "Even I know that elves won't have anything to do with digging a great big bloody hole in the ground in the middle of a forest".
Next to the black cloaked mage, the young field commander nods in agreement, then says "I know" he follows that with "That's why Lord Farque wants to know who it exactly is that's behind all of this".
The Vexilian mage in exile nods his hooded head, then rubs at his chin with a gloved hand as he wonders that's exactly going on here in the north of his homeland, the city-state of Vexil.
A little while later, and further ahead. Lisell Maera and Dalinvardèl Tanith look down at a town that the track they've been heading along, leads to.
The two of them share a look, then the spy Tanith quietly says in his native language "Looks like some of the survivors from yesterday's attacks must of got here".
From their position, up on a hilltop, they can see that the town looks to be at least half abandoned, and that others are quickly leaving it at this moment.
Either on foot, or horseback, or by cart and wagon. Heading south out of town, as the light snowfall that's been falling since before dawn, continues.
"By the time they get here, I'm guessing it'll be empty" says Dalinvardèl Tanith or Dalin as he's more commonly called by the others in the group.
The scout Maera grunts in agreement, then she looks back behind them, when the elven spy who is a commander in the Scouts and Rangers division of the Armies of Farque, quietly tells her "The others are approaching".
It's not too long before the rest of the group joins them upon the hilltop. And Tamric Drubine who already knows what to expect, as his lover, Saanea the witch informed of the situation in the town below. Nods his head, then quietly tells the others "Hopefully it's empty by the time the rest get here".
Tam who suspects captain Marqand himself isn't exactly pleased with what they've been doing, quietly says "I'll tell Marqand when he gets here".
Stepping forward to get a better look down at the nearby town, Mira Reinholt says "I'm guessing the Geist cousins will still want it destroyed".
Field commander Drubine nods, then says "That can't be helped" the young noble originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin continues with "At least that lot can't get into trouble burning the place down".
He briefly pauses before adding in a slightly dry tone "Well, not too much trouble".
Tamric Drubine then says to Tovis the war engineer "When they start showing up, have them stop a bit back down the track" followed by "Make up an excuse, like how it's best not to be seen from up here on the hilltop".
The son of a former Knight of Castle Drubine, which can be found in the forested north of the kingdom of Sarcrin, then glances at the mage Reinholt, before he says "I'll just go back and have a word with Marqand".
The young field commander heads back down the track, and he's followed by Mira Reinholt the mage, who soon catches up, and walks beside him.
"Best if we head directly north after hitting this town" says the practitioner of magic who is a member of Lord Farque's personal council.
"Get back over the border as soon as possible" continues the mage who is in exile from his homeland of Vexil.
Tamric Drubine nods in agreement with the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, then the young field commander says "That's what I'm going to talk to Marqand about".
The senior officer in the Armies of Farque then quietly says as they walk through the lightly falling snow "Who knows if that Vexilian army will continue on after attacking the center column".
The young field commander follows that with "They could veer off in any direction" he continues with "West in our direction, or out to the east to where that captain Mackrin is leading that column".
"If they do, I'm picking east" says Mira Reinholt the mage "Oh?" says Tam, who then asks the swordmaster from the city of Vexil "And why's that?".
"Because the Geist cousins are with that lot" is the reply from councilor Reinholt, who continues with "If whoever it is that's set this all this up, knows where those two are, then they'll be dead".
The Vexilian born and raised spellcaster, then tells the young field commander in the Armies of Farque "Remember this is my countrymen we're talking about".
Mira Reinholt after a brief pause, continues with "And I know them well" he follows on from that with "Our armies have a fair few spellcasters in them" he then adds "And in spellcasters, I mean mages".
Tam slightly winces, then nods in agreement with the once powerful mage, who quietly tells him "They don't fuck about" he continues on from that "I should know, I did duty with the Vexilian armies, both during my training, then during the war".
The war he's referring to is the Battle of Vexil, that took place a little over twenty five years ago. The largest war in the Southlands in over four and half centuries, since the invasion of the Southlands by the Holy Norstran Empire.
"Let us hope they don't turn their attention our way" quietly says Tamric Drubine the field commander, who along with Mira Reinholt the mage.
Falls silent as they start to encounter the first of the mercenaries whose column they're part of. They're Marqand's company, who at least know what they're doing, as they lead the rest of the mercenary companies who are with them.
The young field commander originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin, and the mage from here in the city-state of Vexil.
Remain silent as they walk through the lightly falling snow on this early winter's day, as they head back to where captain Marqand is.
Who the two of them will speak with about the town that's nearly abandoned up ahead, over the other side of the hill this forest track they're on, goes over, here in the north of Vexil . . . . . .
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