The City-State Of Vexil.
Nighttime, and in the hill country of northern Vexil. Narladene the ground pixie rises up through the canopy of the forest, and looks away to the south when she's a few hundred feet above a hilltop.
It's no longer snowing here in northern Vexil, the night is clear. And much colder than it's been the last few nights.
So the naturally magical creature gets a clear view as she looks southwards from the hill country, towards the farmland in the distance.
The tiny winged creature slightly frowns at what she sees, then Narladene drops down through the canopy of the trees below her.
Then she goes off in search for Helbe the elven thief, who she senses isn't too far away to the east of her location.
The naturally magical creature picks up pace, and dives down into the ground, where she moves even quicker than she flies through the air.
Helbe the elven thief yawns after he wakes up from the sleep he's had this night. The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel is in a tent beneath the trees.
He's in the camp of the column of the mercenary army led by the mercenary captain Mackrin. Who has the Geist cousins and most of the Geist Trading Company forces with them.
Not to mention the company of the mercenary captain Hafnah, and his contingent of cockatrice. Who pretty much everyone is cautious around.
The elven magic user who is the grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel, exits the tent no one knows he's occupied.
And looks up at the clear night sky through the trees, and by the position of two of the three moons of Volunell he can see at the moment. He sees it's well after midnight, and closer to dawn than it is the middle of the night.
The blurred and shielded elven magic user stretches, then looks around to see if there's anything to eat that he can steal.
When the ground pixie who's attached to him, Narladene lands upon his right shoulder after she pops up through the ground next to the tent he's slept in.
"Trouble" quietly says Narladene the ground pixie in the elven language after she lands upon the right shoulder of the highly talented elven spellcaster she's attached to.
"Oh?" says Helbe the elven thief with a glance at the tiny winged creature standing upon his right shoulder.
"You better take a look" quietly says the naturally magical creature, who then nods up into the night sky.
The elven masterthief nods his hooded head, then he shifts up into the sky. Then after taking directions from Narladene, the elven practitioner of magic heads further west.
"Shit" murmurs the elven master assassin a short time later as he floats a few hundred feet above a hilltop, and looks away to the south.
The elven princeling nods his hooded head in reply to Narladene the ground pixie saying to him "Warships".
"Cutters and small frigates by the looks of it" quietly says the member of the royal family that rules the island principality of Laerel.
"Faster moving strikeships" quietly adds the elven master archer as he floats there above the forest top, while looking away to the south.
To the farmland in the distance, south of the hill country here in the north of the city-state of Vexil.
"They're preparing to move out" says the ground pixie who is originally from the Sunreach Mountains.
Prince Helbenthril Raendril nods his hooded head, then he looks away to the west and south, where not too far away is the center column of the mercenary army that the Geist cousins have gathered.
And though the column to the east where Helbe the elven thief spent part of the night, isn't particularly orderly.
It's a hell lot more organized than the center column, who have a ramshackle looking camp that's spread out over quite a large area.
"They're fucked" murmurs the highly talented elven magic user. On his right shoulder, Narladene nods her tiny head in agreement with him.
"Probably hit them early in the morning if they're leaving now" quietly says the grandson of Prince Raendril of Laerel.
"They are" says the naturally magical creature who was living in the city of Leeabra, the capital of the kingdom of Druvic, when she first met the elven masterthief and the group at the time.
"Those warships could pose a problem" murmurs the elven master assassin after he's silent for a few moments.
Then looking further away to the west of their position above the forested hill, the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel asks "Where's the others?".
"Further north" is the reply from Narladene the ground pixie as she points "Closer to the border" continues the tiny winged creature, who then adds "They didn't set up camp until late, that captain Marqand wanted to get as much distance between them and the last town they attacked as possible".
The blurred and shielded elven magic user nods his hooded head when he finally spots the camp of the third column of the mercenary army that the Geist cousins have gathered. They're further west, and much further north than the other two columns.
"At least that Marqand knows what to do" quietly says the highly talented elven practitioner of magic, who then grunts in agreement with Narladene who says "I think Tam has a lot to do with that".
After quickly looking back south towards the Vexilian forces, both army and aircorp that's gathered there.
The elven princeling quietly says to the ground pixie "If any of the columns are caught out in the open, they'll be wiped out from the air".
The elven master archer briefly pauses before continuing on with "Though that center column is already a goner".
"Think they'll cross the border, and pursue the others?" asks the naturally magical creature who hails from the Sunreach Mountains.
"Not sure" is the reply from Helbe the elven thief who is both a member of Lord Farque's personal council, and the undead warlord's envoy.
After a moments silence, the young elven noble, whose name Helbenthril translates to Quickstrike, quietly says "But I'm guessing that's what whoever it is that's behind all this, wants".
After another brief pause, the elven master assassin says "If the Vexilian forces cross the border to attack this mercenary army" he continues with "The Girdanians will have to respond in some way" he then adds "Most like with force of their own".
"What a mess" quietly murmurs Narladene the ground pixie, Helbe the elven thief nods in agreement with her, then quietly says 'I know, right".
The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel starts floating sideways to his right, to the west.
As he does, he quietly says to the naturally magical creature who is attached to him "Best we go and warn Tam and the others".
Tamric Drubine the field commander and Saanea the witch are wrapped up in each other's blankets, and each other as they sleep within the tent they share.
The young noble originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin, and who is now a field commander in the Armies of Farque..
Who is a fairly light sleeper, cracks an eyelid open when he hears someone softly clear their throat.
"This better be good" mutters Tamric Drubine the field commander when he sees that Helbe the elven thief is inside the tent, crouching nearby with a ball of soft light hovering beside him.
"It is" quietly says the elven masterthief, who continues with "This couldn't wait" followed by "The sooner you know, the better".
The elven princeling slightly grins when Saanea the witch who is lying in the arms of her lover, Tamric Drubine, opens her eyes then mutters "Do you mind?".
After shrugging, the elven master assassin quietly says "That Vexilian army away to the south, is on the move" followed by "Heading north".
The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel pauses for a moment, before he continues with "Oh they've got warships with them now".
Both Tamric Drubine or Tam as he's more commonly called by those who know well, and the witch from the Maldin Hills who is his lover, are both wide awake when they hear that from the elven master assassin who is Lord Farque's envoy.
"Probably best if you can get that Marqand to get this lot moving as quickly as possible" quietly says prince Helbenthril Raendril who follows that with "The center column is fucked, they're going to get hit early this morning some time".
The elven master archer continues with "It'll probably be safer once you're back across the border". Helbe the elven thief pauses for a moment before he says "Or it might not".
"What's that supposed to mean?" quietly asks field commander Drubine, who like his lover Saanea are getting out of their blankets, and putting on their outer clothes as they can feel it's freezing outside.
"Depends what orders they've been given" says the elven masterthief, who continues on with "Crossing the border might not offer any protection at all".
"If they attack the army on the other side of the border, the Girdanians will retal" says Tam, who is interrupted by the elven princeling, who says "Exactly".
"Shit" mutters the young field commander as he puts on his boots, who then sighs and resumes putting on the rest of his clothing and armour, as he thinks how easily it will be for things to escalate from the current situation. And war breaking out between the city-state of Vexil and the kingdom of Girdane . . . . . .
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