Hill Country. Northern Vexil.
They head south through the heavily forested hill country of northern Vexil. With Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy and Lisell Maera the scout out in front of everyone else.
After making a brief return, there's no sign of Helbe the elven thief again. While Lord Farque is up in the sky on a wyvern he took earlier from a rider in the Vexillian aircorp.
They occasionally come across combatants from both sides of the mornings battle, here in the northern hills of Vexil.
With most giving the group a wide birth when they catch sight of them. Especially when they see Dorc da Orc, who tends to trail the rest of the group, with the exception of Shur Kee the monk, who keeps an eye on the large ork.
They come across a wounded mercenary, who recognizes them from being part of captain Marqand's company.
He informs them that further south in the direction they're heading, is a fairly large force of the mercenary army.
Those with commander Kilmas of the Geist company guards. And others in the mercenary army who have gone along with them.
Beldane the cleric heals the wounded mercenary. Which ends up being a waste of time just a few moments later.
As tends to happen when one is healed by either magic or a magic potion. The mercenary is a little dazed as he staggers away, not really looking where he's going.
And where he's going, is right into Dorc da Orc, who has stopped to look into one of his sacks for something to eat.
And the ork warleader being who he is, lashes out without even looking at who has bumped into him. And with a backhanded swipe, the big burly ork from the southern polar region of the world. Caves in the skull of the recently healed mercenary.
Much to the chargin of Beldane the cleric who yells at the ork weaponsmith to watch what he's doing.
The ork general in the Armies of Farque pulled his head out of the sack he was looking into, and looks down at the dead body at his feet.
Then after shrugging, and ignoring the fuming cleric in the church of Glaine, the large ork went back to looking into the sack he just had his head inside of.
A little bit later, and Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy and Lisell Maera the scout come to a stop halfway up a hill.
As they look down to the south, to be exact the southeast, the elven spy originally from the principality of Alinlae, spots a fairly large column of Vexillian foot soldiers in the distance, making their way up one of the forest roads in this area of the hill country of northern Vexil.
As they wait for the rest of the group to catch up, Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy points and quietly says "There in the trees, further to the right".
The spy Tanith who is speaking in elven, quietly continues with "Must be some of those in the mercenary army".
Nodding her head when she looks to where Dalinvardèl Tanith has pointed, Lisell Maera quietly says in elven "Probably commander Kilmas and those with him".
As they watch a spot in the forest over a mile and a half to the south of the hill that they're part way up.
Dalinvardèl Tanith or Dalin as more often than not he's called by the others in the group, is fairly certain he spotted some of the cockatrice riders in captain Hafnah's company in that direction too.
Then points to a clearing a bit further west to where they assume, correctly as it turns out, is commander Kilmas and those with him are.
"There, that clearing" quietly says the spy who previously served in one of the more prominent noble houses of his homeland Alinlae.
"There they are" adds the elven spy who is now a commander in the Scouts and Rangers division of the Armies of Farque.
Lisell Maera or Lis as she's more commonly called by those who know her well, can't see them all that clearly because of the distance, and she lacks the eyesight of an elf.
But even from this distance, she can see the distinctive shapes of horse drawn wagons crossing the forest clearing that Dalin has pointed out.
"Hell" quietly says Lisell Maera the scout, while next to her the spy Tanith nods his hooded head in agreement with her.
Then the two of them look up, and they both quickly find Lord Farque and the wyvern he's riding, up in the clear blue sky, on what's a cold winters morning here in the hill country of northern Vexil.
The elven commander in the Armies of Farque is just about to say something, when he suddenly turns and looks behind them down the hill.
And instead says "Something's up" he follows that with "Zam's hurrying up here".
The scout Maera looks back and after a few moments she too spots the ex mercenary originally from the City Of Ruins, making his way quickly up the hillside to where they are.
A short time later, and the trio of Lis, Dalin and Zam the ex mercenary are back with the rest of the group.
And the spy originally from the elven principality of Alinlae asks "What is it?" followed by "Zam said there's a bit of a problem".
Tamric Drubine the field commander nods his head, then says "You could say that". The young noble who hails from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin, after glancing sideways at Mira Reinholt the mage, looks over at Beldane the cleric and says to him "Tell them".
"Bit of a problem alright" dryly says Beldane the cleric, then after a brief pause, the powerful practitioner of magic who is a member of the church of Glaine, says "Pretty certain a mage is after us".
"Oh great" sourly says Lisell Maera the scout, who after immediately looking at the mage Reinholt, as she figures it's got something to do with him, she asks the powerful fighting cleric "And why's that?".
"Because Mira killed one earlier that's why" states Beldane the cleric, who shakes his head, as the mage Reinholt just stands there and shrugs his shoulders.
As he couldn't care less that a mage in either the Vexillian army or aircorp is after them. Since he killed one earlier in the morning, after a mageglobe was sent their way. And he sent one back in return to where that particular one came from.
And the living piece of magic created by the once powerful mage was highly successful to say the least.
Now there's another mage from the military of the city-state of Vexil hunting after whoever it was that killed their fellow practitioner of magic in the Vexillian forces. That whoever, being the mage Reinholt .
"We'll be fine" says Mira Reinholt the mage, who silent adds, I hope. Before he continues with "We can deal with any threat to us".
Though the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, wouldn't mind having his fellow practitioner of magic, Helbe the elven thief back here with them.
As he knows the highly talented elven magic user can easily kill any spellcaster, no matter how powerful they are.
And mages, especially those with all their powers. Are the most powerful of all the human spellcasters.
The once powerful mage who is a Vexillian, looks at his fellow practitioners of magic. Beldane the cleric and Saanea the witch. Both of whom are holding their power within themselves.
And he tells them "Make sure that you remain undetected" dryly followed by "If any of us are located, we're fucking done".
Both spellcasters just nod, knowing that it will be either one, or both of them who will have to protect everyone else if they're found by a Vexillian mage.
"Let's keep going then" says Tamric Drubine the field commander, who gestures for them all to continue.
Which causes Dorc da Orc to grunt, as he wants to get going. As he found standing around doing nothing, particularly aggravating since he knows there's fighting going on here in the forests of northern Vexil.
The group head of again, going along the game trail they've been following as they continue southwards through the forested hills, here in the north of the city-state of Vexil.
Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy and Lisell Maera the scout, who are only a short distance out in front of the others at the moment.
Come to a stop when the elven commander in the Scouts and Rangers division of the Armies of Farque hears a familiar whistle come from behind them.
And it's not too long before the rest of the group catch up to the two of them who are out in front as they make way south through the hill country of northern Vexil.
"Dorc smells some people close by" quietly says Tamric Drubine the field commander when he and the others join Dalin and Lis.
The spy Tanith looks at the others, and notices that Saanea the witch is standing there with her eyes closed.
The commander in the Armies of Farque slightly nods to himself as he realizes that the spellcaster who hails from the Maldin Hills is communicating with her familiar at the moment.
"That way" quietly says Saanea the witch after she opens her eyes after looking through the eyes of her familiar, which is a tawny owl at the moment.
Dorc da Orc or Dorkindle which is his given name, who is actually paying attention for once, grunts in agreement with the practitioner of magic, who is the partner of field commander Drubine.
"Who?" asks Lisell Maera the scout "Vexillian soldiers" replies Saanea, who follows that with "Cut off from the bulk of their forces further west as they chase after the mercenary army".
"How many?" Tamric Drubine asks his lover, the dark haired witch from the Maldin Hills, which is far to the west, near the coast of The Southlands.
Saanea replies with how many, and the young field commander nods his head and thinks about it for a moment.
He quickly makes a decision after Saanea tells him which way the nearby Vexillian soldiers are going.
"Dalin, Lis you can start taking them out if they go across our path" quietly says the young noble who is originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin.
The two of them nod, then quickly move off. Shortly followed by the rest of the group, who Tamric Drubine warns to be ready for any Vexillian soldiers who might come their way.
He also quietly tells his lover Saanea to keep an eye out for the Vexillian mage in the area, who in all likelihood is searching for them. To be exact, searching for Mira Reinholt the mage.
Field commander Drubine looks up into the clear blue sky on this cold winters morning, when Malisse aka Zubutai Timaginson quietly says "He's coming back this way".
After a moment, Tam spots up in the sky, the wyvern with Lord Farque on it, circling back this way.
Looking down at the forests and hills below, Lord Farque looks to the south, and sees those he's set in motion, about to converge and meet up.
The undead warlord slightly nods his full helmed head, then he looks straight down beneath him, as he has the wyvern slow down.
The lord and ruler of the Lands Farque who is about five hundred feet above the treetops here in the hill country of northern Vexil.
Spots the group, who he has been keeping a constant look upon. Though look isn't the correct word, as he's been constantly sensing them.
The large heavily armoured deathlord who senses a number of others, not all that far from the group.
Has the wyvern continue to circle, and in a few moments, the lord of the death realm sees that it's a number of Vexillian soldiers who are fairly close to the group.
The undead warlord slightly nods to himself again, as he sees that though the group is relatively small.
They'll easily take care of those Vexillian soldiers who in most likelihood, they'll run into fairly quickly.
Lord Farque after sensing further west, where he locates Helbe the elven thief and Narladene the ground pixie.
Has the wyvern turn back south, so that he can keep an eye on the column of nearly four hundred Vexillian foot soldiers who are making their way northwards, or to be precise to the northeast.
Which the lord and ruler of the Lands Farque definitely doesn't want them going to, as he has plans for a nearby old gold mine, which they might come across if they keep going to the northeast .
On this cold winters day, here in the heavily forested hill country that's the border region between Vexil and it's northern neighbour, the kingdom of Girdane . . . . . .
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