Wonderful 76.

The Principality Of Maladimbáh...

Riley Hait the mercenary ranger has the watch after taking over from sir Percavelle Lé Dic sometime after midnight. The heavily armoured knight went off in search of his bedroll in the darkness, muttering to himself, though loud enough for the mercenary ranger to hear him complaining about having to do a stretch of the night watch as they camp out in some woods.
The ranger Hait just shook his head as he listened to the nobleman from the kingdom of Druvic, who didn't stop muttering until he took off some of his armour, and got into his bedroll, on what is the coolest night so far since being in the elven principality of Maladimbáh.
Though it's still the latter part of summer, so it isn't exactly cold here in a valley between some peaks in the lands of lord Haldéilv.
Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman sits down, and leans back against a tree trunk after circling out from the campsite, the mercenary ranger who doesn't mind at all having the watch in the middle of the night, looks away through the trees, glad that all three of the moons are in the night sky tonight, making things are little bit easier to see.
The ranger Hait after sharpening one throwing knife, then another, then slightly oiling them before returning them to his belt, after which he circles out from the site where the group has camped for the night, before returning to the tree, and sitting back down again.
Recalls when he was a dwarf, infact a couple of times, after he originally died, and the advantages he had being one of the dwarven folk. True there was disadvantages, like being short, and worst of all, Dorc da Orc trying to kill him all the time.
But the enhanced eyesight and hearing, as well as the assured steadiness upon his feet, not to mention the excellent endurance, far better than being a human, are still things he misses to this day.
The only advantage he's retained from being a dwarf, is the dwarven language, which he's kept, in subsequent bodies he's been in.
The mercenary ranger who was raised and trained in the elven principality of Envadarlen in the Southlands, but who in actual fact is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra, shakes his head, and faintly smiles at the memory of being a dwarf, before he goes back to looking through the trees.
A little while later, and as the ranger Hait is just contemplating getting up and stretching his legs, and going for another walk. Sees out of the corner of his eye, movement. It's Helbe the elven thief, who has woken, and is sitting up.
Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman watches as the young elven noble gets up, and makes his way over to where Shur Kee the monk is sleeping. The elven princeling wakes up the acolyte in the order of Bru Li, and quietly says something to him. What he says, the mercenary ranger can't tell, as the elven masterthief is talking too quietly.
Then Helbenthril Raendril makes his way over to where the ranger Hait has just stood up, and is watching him approach.
"What is it?" quietly asks Riley Hait the mercenary ranger "Something's happened" is the quiet reply of Helbe the elven thief, who then glances to his right, and the mercenary ranger hears him murmur in the elven language "How far?".
The ranger Hait slightly nods as he knows the elven prince from Laerel in the Southlands, is talking to Narladene the ground pixie. The elven master assassin nods his hooded head, then says to the human ranger, who like him and the rest of the group, is from south of the equator "Let's go and check it out" he nods back to the camp site and adds "Shur Kee is taking the watch".
The elven magic user takes hold of the left arm of the ranger Hait, and the two of them disappear as the young elven noble shifts them away.
They reappear, and shift again, so quickly that Riley Hait just gets a brief image of trees in the night, before they shift away again.
This happens a handful of times, a couple of times in mid air, which causes the mercenary ranger to involuntarily gasp, as both times he wasn't expecting it.
It doesn't help that they weren't floating or levitating while in mid air, they were briefly falling before disappearing as the elven princeling would shift them away.
They appear near a stream, somewhere to the southeast of where they've camped, the ranger Hait isn't exactly sure how far away, but he would hazard to guess, at least over two miles, closer to three.
"What is it?" asks the mercenary ranger in a voice no louder than a whisper as they crouch near some bushes "Elven guards, they've been attacked" is the quiet reply of Helbe the elven thief, who then stands, and nods for Riley Hait to follow him, and he quietly adds "No one can see you" as he's blurred himself and the ranger Hait.
The two of them move through the trees, with the elven masterthief walking far more quietly than the ranger Hait, who is hardly making a sound himself. Then the elven magic user abruptly stops, causing Riley aka Zubutai Timaginson to stop too, a moment later the elven princeling quietly says "No one's around" he pauses before adding "Well, no one alive is".
They continue onwards after the young elven noble drops the blur spell he has cast upon the two of them. They walk about fifty yards through the trees, slightly uphill, until they come across the first body.
"One of lord Haldéilv's guard?" quietly asks Riley Hait as the two of them crouch beside the dead elf, Helbenthril Raendril nods his head, then quietly says "Seems likely" they head uphill again, until coming to a small clearing, at one end of which, is a trail, which by the looks of it, heads down to the road that they've been traveling along as they head south.
In and around the clearing they find other dead elven house guards, five in all, along with a horse that's wandering around in the night, a night that isn't too dark thanks to all three moons, Ilnari, Aeviss and Ovean being in the night sky.
The rest of the elven guards mounts have scattered, both the ranger Hait, and the elven master assassin spot the tracks of them, heading into the trees, or down the trail.
"Over here" says Helbe the elven thief, the mercenary ranger joins him near a fallen tree, about twenty yards uphill, there lies a dead human with a yard long shaft, shot from an elven longbow through his upper chest.
"Mercenary" quietly says Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman who continues in a quiet voice with "Better equipped than the one's we've come across" the elven princeling nods his hooded head in agreement, then he quietly says "Must of been elves with them, no way humans alone could take a squad of house guards unawares at night".
The mercenary ranger agrees with that, then they move out and search for any other bodies. They find one, well Narladene the ground pixie finds it, and she tells the young elven noble she's attached to.
It's another human mercenary, about a hundred yards down the trail through the trees "Fell off his horse dead most like" quietly says the grandson of  Prince Raendril of Laerel as they look at the dead mercenary with a yard long arrow through his back, with the broadhead sticking out of his chest.
After searching the body as he's done the others, Helbe the elven thief quietly says "Nothing" though he did pocket the coin pouch of the dead mercenary, which causes the ranger Hait to wryly smile.
"Wonder what's going on?" quietly says the mercenary ranger who is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra, he continues with "Have we stumbled into some conflict against this lord Haldéilv?" he gestures at the dead mercenary then adds "Or is this lot with those others who she's hired to attack us?".
"Maybe" murmurs the elven magic user, who after a slight pause as he looks around, continues with "These seem better equipped and armed compared to those two groups who tried to ambush us" the elven master archer follows that up with "Those others were a rather a poor lot if you ask me".
Riley Hait nods in agreement, then he says "Still, it's too much of a coincidence that mercenaries seem pretty abundant here, compared to elsewhere we've been in the principality" he points at the dead body on the trail then he adds "A better class of merc or not, there's still a good chance they're working for her just like those others".
They're silent for a little while, then after the ranger Hait looks back up the trail to where the clearing is, where the dead house guards are, he quietly says "I wonder" prince Helbenthril Raendril has already come to the same conclusion, and the elven masterthief mutters "Shit".
The two of them look at one another, then the mercenary ranger from the principality of Envadarlen dryly says "Great, that's all we fucking need" the elven magic user lets out a breath that's more sigh than anything else, then he says "By the forest gods she's hell bent on making things difficult for us".
"Well you did kill her lover" dryly says the ranger Hait, who then adds "Of course she'll do anything to get us" followed by "The vindictive bitch" Helbe the elven thief shakes his hooded head, then he says "And now most likely we've got her father's house guards after us, thinking that we've been attacking and killing them".
"Smart" murmurs Riley aka Zubutai Timaginson, the young elven noble sourly grunts to that, then he dryly says "Well she's got another arrow in her quiver so to say" the elven prince from Laerel continues with "Considering the rumours we've heard, that her father doesn't exactly recognise her, this is a way for her to get his guards and others after us".
"Great" sourly says the mercenary ranger as they head back up the trail to the clearing, as they do, the ranger Hait says "Mira better well be here, or this is going to turn into a giant shit show real fast" the elven master assassin definitely agrees with that.
After reaching the clearing, the elven magic user shifts the two of them away, heading northwest, back to where the group from south of the equator have made camp for the night. Riley Hait is just glad that Helbenthril Raendril informs him this time when they're going to shift into the night sky. Still his guts lurch up into his throat as the young elven noble doesn't bother to levitate or float them when they're briefly in mid air.
Once back at the campsite, the ranger Hait quietly says "I'll take over the watch from Shur Kee, then wake Tam for the early watch before dawn" Helbe the elven thief nods his hooded head, then goes over to where the short statured monk is standing watch and tells him to get some sleep.
The mercenary ranger makes his way back to the tree he was sitting against earlier, there he sits down, and continues his watch, taking out one of his long daggers as he does so, a long dagger that he sharpens, then lightly oils . . . . . .

Wonderful 75.

The Principality Of Maladimbáh...

"Anything?" asks Kaldeàlil Haldéilv the elven magic user, already guessing what the answer will be "No, nothing my lady" replies the mercenary "Well if anything comes up, send a messenger straight away to Farlithané" says the attractive elven maid "Will do my lady" is the reply of the mercenary who was hired in the lands of the Walashàele family.
The illegitimate daughter of lord Haldéilv turns and makes her way to where the mercenary guard from southern Belinswae, Linden waits with two more mercenaries, these two also hired in the Walashàele family's lands, but more experienced, and better equipped than most of those who the elven magic user hired there.
Kaldeàlil Haldéilv gets up on her horse, and the four of them ride out of the village, heading south along one of the lesser traveled roads in the central region of lord Haldéilv's lands.
"How many is that now?" asks Linden the mercenary guard who rides beside the attractive elven maid, while the two other mercenaries ride behind them, he continues with "Two groups now?". "Yes two of them" says Kaldeàlil Haldéilv whose plan is coming along as she suspected it would. True, she would like to see one of those in the group traveling with prince Helbenthril Raendril killed. But she's got what she's wanted, the young elven noble from the principality of Laerel in the Southlands, is now in her father's lands.
After riding just a mile along the road, they head off it, and enter some woods. When they get to a fairly wide opening between the trunks of the trees, the elven magic user creates a rift.
"You two through first" says Linden to the two older mercenaries, the two from the lands of the Walashàele family ride through the rift, while the fairly young mercenary from the southern coast of Belinswae, along with the attractive elven maid hold back for a little while.
"They might not be exactly happy that those hired with them are getting killed off so easily" says Linden who continues with "Though those and others who are better experienced, don't exactly care that those who are less capable are dead".
"And there's two more groups of them" says Kaldeàlil Haldéilv, who then adds "They'll get wiped out too if they run across them" the mercenary from Belinswae, who along with Harrick who is also from the southern coast of Belinswae, is more privy to the plans of the attractive elven maid compared to the mercenaries hired here in Maladimbáh, nods his head in agreement with what the illegitimate daughter of the local lord just said.
Linden heads through the rift, followed by Kaldeàlil Haldéilv, who has told both Linden and Harrick most of her plans, after all she has to trust someone. But she hasn't told them everything she's planning to do, after all she can't be too trustworthy.
Once through the rift, the elven magic user drops the rift behind her. The four of them are within some woods, though forty miles to the southeast of where they just were. They ride to a track about fifty yards away, and turn left, and follow the wagon track south. As they do, the attractive elven maid senses, and she senses in the distance, about four miles away, another elven magic user in the air, definitely upon a griffon because of how fast they're moving as they head south.
Kaldeàlil Haldéilv slightly nods, as it's one of her cousins, which one she has no idea. She was never close to her father's extended family, and they weren't, and aren't close to her.
The elven magic user is surprised she hasn't sensed more of them, or her father lately, she's just glad she hasn't. Though she would like to see more of her father's guards out and about in his lands. For she plans to use them without her father's knowledge, which she knows will more than annoy him once he finds out.
At a crossroads where the track which turns west towards a hamlet further in the woods, and a road that continues south, to the mountains just north of lord Haldéilv's seat of power. They meet up with Harrick and two more of the mercenary guards, though these two are elves.
The mercenary guard and the two elves from the lands of the Walashàele family, ride up from the stone wall next to a field they've been waiting next to.
When they reach the four riders who have come down from further north in the lands of lord Haldéilv, Harrick says "Trouble" the older of the two mercenary guards from the southern coast of Belinswae continues with "You've been spotted, and your father has sent out guards and others to find, and bring you in".
Kaldeàlil Haldéilv nods her head as she suspected as much when she sensed one of her cousins a short time ago, the attractive elven maid knows she's safe in the fact she can't be sensed by other spellcasters due to the amulet she wears around her neck.
Though if one of them has a sprite or pixie attached to them, I'm not so fucking safe, Kaldeàlil Haldéilv dryly thinks to herself, the elven magic user then says "How did you find out that I've spotted and they're after me?" Harrick gestures to one of the elven mercenaries, who then explains what he overheard last night in a tavern in a nearby village.
The illegitimate daughter of lord Haldéilv listens in silence, then shrugs her shoulders once the elven mercenary explains what he found out "It was to be expected" says the elven magic user, who was hoping it would be, as it is part of her plan.
Though she was hoping it would of happened when she actually found out where exactly prince Helbenthril Raendril and those with him are.
After pointing to the road that leads south, and all seven of them get underway, Kaldeàlil Haldéilv casts a spell so that the two elven mercenaries and the two human one's, all from the Walashàele family's lands, can't hear what she and the two mercenaries from the southern coast of Belinswae are talking about.
"I was hoping i would of got found out a little later" says the attractive elven maid, who continues with "No matter, we'll just have to deal with it" Harrick nods his head, then he asks "Should we go ahead with the next part now?". "Might as well" says the illegitimate daughter of the local lord, who then adds "We know they're coming south through my father's lands, so we might as well get his guards out and make them earn their keep" she slightly smiles then she says "Who knows, my father might actually come out, and come after me instead of just the others in my extended family".
Both of the mercenaries guards from Belinswae nod, then the elven magic user drops the spell that has kept their conversation private, and she says to the four mercenaries who were hired in the lands of the local lord to the east of lord Haldéilv's "You four ride out and tell the others to start spreading the rumours of my whereabouts" Kaldeàlil Haldéilv then adds "That I've been seen coming south through my father's lands" she pauses before she says "You know what to do".
After the four mercenaries from the Walashàele family's lands gallop away along the road, the attractive elven maid looks south to the mountains in the distance, she senses in all directions, though concentrating predominantly to the south.
She senses another elven magic user, this one on the ground, at what seems to be one of the larger villages or towns near the mountains. The elven noble is vaguely familiar, and Kaldeàlil Haldéilv slightly nods as she recognises it as one of her cousins, who was staying at the palace like tower that is her father's seat of power, when she was staying their recently, where she was keeping prisoner, the mage Mira Reinholt, until he was freed by the undead being who attacked the tower upon the tor.
Thank the forest gods they're not anywhere around, the attractive elven maid sourly thinks to herself, as she knows those two, along with the ork she held captive on the Great Western Ocean, would make a serious dent in her plans if they were about in her father's lands, or anywhere in the principality of Maladimbáh.
"Quicken the pace" says Kaldeàlil Haldéilv who continues with "I just might be able to hasten things along to our advantage by doing something" as the trio start riding more quickly, the elven magic user explains something to the pair of mercenary guards from the south of the region of Belinswae.
Later, in the early afternoon, three completely different looking riders make their way into a town near the base of a mountain. Harrick and Linden glance at one another once again, and can't help but shake their heads once more, as they look nothing like themselves thanks to the illusion spell cast by Kaldeàlil Haldéilv upon them.
The attractive elven maid looks completely different too, she's still an elf maid, and still attractive, as all elven maids are. But she's slightly fuller in figure, and a little shorter, not to mention her hair colour, and skin tone are completely different.
"At the house that's used as a garrison here" quietly says the illegitimate daughter of lord Haldéilv after they leave their mounts at a public stable, as they walk through the town, they spot one of the four mercenaries who was with them earlier, coming out of a tavern, where he's been spreading rumours about the whereabouts of Kaldeàlil Haldéilv.
He has no idea it's them when the three of them walk by him, infact he just checks out the disguised Kaldeàlil, and fails miserably in trying to hide his attraction to her changed look.
The three of them continue onto where a large house is situated just off the square near the center of the town, and after telling the disguised Harrick and Linden to wait outside. The elven magic user makes her way up the front steps of the large house, then she has a few words with the pair of house guards in the service of her father, who are on duty at the front door.
Kaldeàlil Haldéilv waits as one of the guards goes inside, he returns a short while later, and tells the attractive elven maid to follow him. They make their way through the entrance hall, then turn right, and head down a hallway, which is cool compared to the warmth outside on the late summer's afternoon.
They stop at a doorway where a pair of house guards, one a maid, are standing, the maid opens the door, and enters the room beyond, nodding for the disguised Kaldeàlil to follow her in.
Behind the desk in the room sits an elven noble who is a distant cousin of lord Haldéilv's illegitimate daughter, the attractive elven maid recognises him, glad that he's a fairly powerful spellcaster, who has the ear of her father.
"Yes, i understand you have some information" says the elven noble behind the desk "I do" says Kaldeàlil Haldéilv, who once again is glad that she has her magical amulet that hides her spellcasting abilities, and the spell she has upon herself that's changed her appearance.
The attractive elven maid explains something to her distant cousin, after she does, he frowns then says "Are you sure?". "I am" replies illegitimate daughter of the local lord, who then lets her distant cousin to see if she's telling the truth or not, when she senses he's about to cast a spell to do so.
"Bloody hell, apparently she's back, and now this" mutters the elven noble behind the desk, who then stands up, and says "Thank you for the information, lord Haldéilv's guards will travel north to find this group of travelers attacking the locals and others".
The elven guard leads Kaldeàlil Haldéilv out of the room, then escorts her out of the house, once outside, the elven magic user rejoins the disguised mercenaries from the southern coast of Belinswae, and they head back through the town to the public stables.
As they do, Kaldeàlil Haldéilv faintly smiles in satisfaction, then quietly says to Linden and Harrick "Things are in motion now that can't be stopped" the attractive elven maid quietly continues with "That lot and especially him, are going to find things difficult now" . . . . . .

TYOFT - Authors Note.

Happy Birthday! You're eight years old now!!!

18/5/09 -

Wonderful 74.

The Principality Of Maladimbáh...

Lord Farque looks away to the left, to the east. Where a couple of miles south he can see the smaller maroon coloured wyvern that Mira Reinholt the mage is on.
The undead warlord senses in all directions, and again he can't find the rest of the group that they're searching for.
"Probably just a bit further away knowing them" mutters lord Farque in the ancient language of command, the language along with the language of the Greater Dragons, he tends to use when he's talking to himself.
"Huh?" says Dorc da Orc who then adds "What you fucken say?" as he sits at the back of the saddle on the large glossy green, black wyvern that he and the heavily armoured deathlord are flying on.
"Nothing cunt" says lord Farque in the ork language, which he and Dorkindle converse in when it's just the two of them around.
"Didn't sound like fucken nothing" mutters the ork warleader, who then falls silent when the lord and ruler of the lands Farque glances back at him. The large ork shrugs his massive shoulders, and then as usual as they're flying, he starts grinning again as he looks all around. Though not particularly looking down at the ground below, nor looking for who they're searching for.
The ork weaponsmith just enjoys the sensation of flying, and looking at the world from the perspective of being over five thousand feet up in the air.
Though he's irritated by the afternoon sunshine on what's a warm late summers day, Dorc da Orc couldn't care too much about that, as he's flying. Which not so secretly, is one of his favourite things to do.
Draugadrottin as he's known by the people of his lands, is just glad the large ork is pretty quiet whenever they're in the air upon the wyvern. For the most part the warleader of the ork race is pretty quiet enjoying the flight, apart from when he starts complaining that he's too hot.
The deathlord of Farque with his unique ultra vision looks far and wide, and as usual at not finding the rest of the group they've been searching for since they left the city of Falnic on the coast of Belinswae.
He also doesn't see any griffons in the air here in the north, of what is now the lands of lord Haldéilv that they've crossed into.
Des'tier as he's known by to an older generation of elven kind that may know who he is, isn't all that surprised. As he figures the local elven lord, and those of his extended family who are griffon riders, are probably in the skies, when they are up, are in the south of his lands, where his seat of power is located, and where more of the population is.
Lord Farque looks once more to where the mage Reinholt on the other wyvern is, and he sees the Vexilian mage in exile who is now even further east, is waving for them to come over. With a command in the dragon language, the undead warlord sends the large glossy green, black wyvern to where the smaller maroon one is circling.
A little while later and the two wyverns land in a clearing in a forest, the deathlord of Farque can already sense why the mage Reinholt beckoned him to land here.
As Dorc da Orc hurries to get in the shade beneath the trees at the edge of the clearing, the lord and ruler of the lands Farque and the once powerful mage walk towards the trees the large ork is now beneath, taking shelter from the afternoon sunshine.
"I know" says the lord of the death realm as he interrupts Mira Reinholt the mage who is saying "Just up ahead, there's a number" the exiled Vexilian mage dryly adds, of course you know.
The two of them make their way into the trees, and after a moments contemplation, Dorc da Orc after sniffing a few times, decides to follow them, though the ork warleader does keep beneath the branches of the taller trees, so that he's in as much shade as possible.
"There's a forest road or wagon track just up ahead" says the mage Reinholt in the elven language, the heavily armoured deathlord nods his full helmed head, as he caught sight of the road in question from the air "They're next to it" adds the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster.
They keep walking amongst the trees for a little while, with Dorkindle following behind them, going from tall tree to tall tree, as he tries to keep beneath the canopy of the forest as much as possible.
They soon see the forest road, and walk out onto it, they turn left, and start walking south. The deathlord of Farque points at the ground, and the Vexilian mage in exile sees the indentation of horse shoes on the forest road, also heading south.
"Just up ahead" quietly says lord Farque, who a few moments later points to a fallen tree further along the road, behind the undead warlord and the once powerful mage, Dorkindle is slightly drooling as he has already caught wind of what's just ahead.
They stop at the fallen tree, and with a hand covering his nose after he takes a few steps off the road, the swordmaster Reinholt as he looks down, asks "How long ago?" the lord of the death realm who walks up beside the exiled Vexilian mage replies with "A day or so".
Draugadrottin gestures to further in amongst the trees, and he says "More of them there" the lord and ruler of the lands Farque turns and points to the trees on the opposite side of the forest road, and he adds "Four more that way".
"Ooohhh getting ripey" says Dorc da Orc when he walks up and looks down at the dead body that the other two are looking at. The large ork then spots another dead body a bit further away behind a tree, and after glancing at lord Farque and Mira Reinholt, he goes and checks out that dead body.
The spellcaster from south of the equator rolls his eyes as he knows what the warleader of the ork race is up to, then the swordmaster Reinholt follows the undead warlord who nods his full helmed head for him to follow him.
The two of them cross the forest road, and make their way amongst the trees there, they walk about thirty five yards or so, where they find the first body on this side of the road that winds through the forest.
As he looks down at the dead body, the mage Reinholt says "Mercenary by the looks of it" he spots another dead body lying on the forest floor, next to a bush, the spellcaster who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere in the Southlands, then asks "They all human?".
"Yes" replies lord Farque, who crouches down and looks closely at the dead mercenary infront of them, and he sees the dried blood in the ears, and in the nostrils in the man, who can't be much older than eighteen or nineteen.
"His mind was blasted" says the heavily armoured deathlord as he stands back up "Helbe?" asks the highly skilled swordmaster, as he knows the mind blast spell is a particular favourite of Helbe the elven thief "Probably" is the reply of the undead warlord, who then adds "Let's find out".
Mira Reinholt steps quickly back and out of the way as he slightly grimaces as he feels the intense coldness emanating from the lord of the death realm. Then slight tendrils of mist or fog roll off the heavily armoured deathlord, then a few moments later from the ground beneath the dead body, then from the dead mercenary too.
There's a momentary pause, then all of a sudden the dead mercenary stands bolt upright, lifting up off the ground in one unnatural movement, like a plank of wood being lifted up off the ground from one end, while the other end remains on the ground.
The head of the dead mercenary which is tilted to one side, straightens up, and a moment later the eyes that are closed, open up. Mira Reinholt glances away as the dead mercenary just stares at the lord of the death realm, who the once powerful mage figures is communicating with the dead mercenary, well that's undead mercenary now, telepathically.
After a little while, lord Farque slightly gestures with his right gauntleted hand, and the body of the mercenary drops to the ground, and the slight tendrils of fog disappear from it, as well as from the undead warlord.
Draugadrottin turns to the mage Reinholt and tells him "Helbe alright" the heavily armoured deathlord continues with "He caught sight of the thief" he then adds "He was the last to die, and the royal clepto appeared as he was dying".
The exiled Vexilian mage nods his hooded head, then asks "They just road bandits, or something else?". "Something else" says the lord and ruler of the lands Farque who continues with "She hired them, hoping to kill someone in the group, anyone really". "Bitch" mutters Mira Reinholt as the two of them walk back to the forest road, as they do, the once powerful mage quietly says "Pretty basic, and not to mention not a very inventive tactic form her" the swordmaster Reinholt who was a prisoner of Kaldeàlil Haldéilv the elven magic user for quite sometime, adds "I expected more from her".
"As do i" says the undead warlord as they stop at the edge of the forest road, Des'tier looks south for a little bit, then he adds "She's up to fucking something more, she's been after Helbe for three years, no way would she just hire mercs, and not very good one's at that, to ambush them, hoping just to kill one of them".
"Hopefully the thief and Zubutai, i mean Riley figure that out" quietly says the mage Reinholt, who after all these years that Zubutai Timaginson has been in different bodies, the last four and half of which have been in the mercenary ranger Riley Hait, he still thinks of him as the hordes outrider Zubutai.
Lord Farque nods his full helmed head in agreement with what the spellcaster from the city-state of Vexil just said, then with a gesture around them in the general area, he says "This happened yesterday around midday". "We're still a day or so behind them" murmurs the swordmaster Reinholt, the lord of the death realm nods in agreement again, then he quietly says "We'll keep flying late into the night" then after a brief pause, he adds "She's up to something, and these mercenaries here don't know what it is either".
"Probably hasn't told anyone" says the once powerful mage, who then adds "Or at anyone she doesn't trust, as she knows Helbe can find things out pretty easily" Draugadrottin says "More than likely" then he gets adds "Let's get going".
They start walking back north along the forest road, as they do, lord Farque glances back to the trees on the east side of the forest road, and he calls out in the common language "We're going cunt" he follows that up with "Don't bring any of that fucking body with you, eat what you're going to eat there" as Mira Reinholt rolls his eyes, the undead warlord mutters "It'll distract the stupid fucking wyvern".
Behind a tree, with a mouthful of thigh meat he's chewing as he sits on the ground, Dorc da Orc grunts when he hears what lord Farque just called out, the large ork gobbles up the meat in his mouth.
Then he takes the hand axe he's holding, and hacks into the other leg of the dead mercenary he's eating "Mmmmmm long pig" murmurs Dorkindle with a grin, who then adds "Get some!" . . . . . .

Wonderful 73.

The Principality Of Maladimbáh...

Tamric Drubine lifts his saddle bags onto his horse, then once they're strapped down behind his saddle, he leads his mount out of the stables into the early morning sunshine. The sun is rising a little later each morning as it gets closer and closer to the end of summer, though the morning is still warm, even up in the mountain village the group stopped in for the night.
The nobleborn youngster from the kingdom of Sarcrin in the Southlands gets up into the saddle. And for once he's not the last to get ready to ride out. It's Riley Hait the mercenary ranger this morning who is last to mount up after bringing his horse out of the inn's stables.
Though the mercenary ranger who was raised and trained in the elven principality of Alínlae in the Southlands, had an excuse.
He was discussing something with Helbe the elven thief, who as usual has gone on ahead, unseen and unheard by anyone.
Tam rolls his eyes after the ranger Hait tosses him the reins to prince Helbenthril Raendril's horse, the son of the former knight of castle Drubine in the Southlands kingdom of Sarcrin, finds himself riding just infront of Shur Kee the monk, who is at the rear of the group leading the two pack horses.
Infront of the nobleborn youngster rides Lisell Maera who is next to Riley Hait, while out front rides Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy and sir Percavelle Lé Dic.
The group from south of the equator leave the village they've spent the night in, and make their way down a wide track, that heads down the fairly wide based mountain they're on.
The ride downhill is fairly benign, with the track that's wide enough for a heavy wagon, quite smooth, especially since there hasn't been rain lately here in this part of the north of lord Haldéilv's lands.
With the morning sunshine warming him up, Tamric Drubine yawns, the youngster who is of noble birth, then stretches in the saddle, wishing that they had more time for a longer breakfast this morning, for it doesn't feel like he's had enough to eat this morning when they woke up well before dawn.
Tam yawns again, loudly too, and Lisell Maera turns around in the saddle and says to him "Do you mind" as she refrains from yawning herself, by covering her mouth with a raised hand.
"No i don't mind" says Tamric Drubine, who grins at the disgusted look directed at him by the teenage orphan from the city-state of Brattonbury in the Southlands as she rides infront of him.
Tam shrugs, then goes back to looking at everything around them, while listening to Shur Kee behind him, quietly chanting in his language which no one else in the group riding down the mountainside understands.
The nobleborn youngster from the kingdom of Sarcrin rather enjoys the melodic chant of the monk in the order of Bru Li. True, he can't understand a single word, but all the same he enjoys the rhythm and tone of the chants, which Shur Kee has told him are devotions to the monks spiritual guide, and founder of his order, the Jade Warrior Bru Li.
The son of the former knight of castle Drubine in the north of the kingdom of Sarcrin, glances back at the acolyte in the order of Bru Li and finds the physical adept riding with his eyes closed as he chants.
Tam shakes his head and faintly smiles as he watches the most enigmatic, and to him, quite frankly the strangest member of the group. And that includes those who are missing at the moment. And that's saying a lot, as the group has more than a few strange members.
Half of them are fucking nuts, Tamric Drubine thinks to himself, who as he goes back to looking down the track infront of them, then he silently adds, and the other half are fucking crazy!
The nobleborn youngster from south of the equator who is pretty sure most of the group are both crazy and nuts, stretches again, and starts softly humming to himself, matching the tone of the chants of devotion coming from behind him by the short statured monk.
Tam along with the others, with the exception of Shur Kee who still has his eyes closed, spot Helbe the elven thief standing near a boulder on the side of the wide wagon track, a hundred yards or so further downhill.
When they reach him, Helbe the elven thief says "Pretty easy going once we're off the mountain" he points southwards at the hills in the distance, and he adds "By the looks of it, once we get beyond those hills, the land looks pretty cultivated" the young elven noble continues with "A lot of farmland that way".
Then after looking at Riley Hait, where a message is sent to the mercenary ranger via mindspeech by the elven princeling from Laerel, the elven masterthief disappears as he shifts away.
"Rather hop around like Helbe with his spells, than ride day after day" Tamric Drubine murmurs to himself, the nobleborn youngster who though an accomplished rider, would rather not spend so many days in the saddle as they've done recently. It gets a bit monotonous, even with the constant change in scenery here in the predominantly mountainous principality of Maladimbáh.
Tam goes back to humming, to match the quiet chants coming from Shur Kee riding behind him. The short statured monk has resumed his chanting after briefly stopping when prince Helbenthril Raendril spoke to them.
The nobleborn youngster from the kingdom of Sarcrin ignores the sour look directed at him by Lisell Maera, who looks back at him, and who apparently finds his humming more annoying than his yawning from earlier.
They're soon down off the mountain, well before midday. And onto a road that they see leads to another village, well it's a hamlet really, as it's a bit too small to be called a village.
They pass through the hamlet which is next to a stream, just before mid morning, and they continue along the road that heads into a forest. The first thick forest they've encountered since coming over the mountains into lord Haldéilv's lands, as the mountains here in the south of Maladimbáh, tend not to be too heavily covered in trees. Probably having to do with being in proximity to the Nomads Plains to the south.
As they continue to ride along the road, which they've only seen a few people on, all heading to the hamlet they went through earlier. Dalinvardél Tanith looks for a glade to stop in as it nears midday, somewhere for them to have a meal, for eating while riding is inconvenient, not to mention annoying.
Just as the spy Tanith spots a glade off to the right of the road where they can stop, much to the relief of Tamric Drubine, who is hungry, he's been hungry since they had breakfast at the mountain village they spent the night at. Helbe the elven thief appears on the road, and says "We might have a bit of a problem".
"Oh?" says Riley Hait the mercenary ranger as he and the others rein up "What is it?" asks Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman. "There's some road bandits a couple of miles further along the road" says the young elven noble, the ranger Hait frowns as they haven't heard anything about bandits from the locals they've spoken to. Infact, the principality of Maladimbáh, even without a royal family, is a fairly settled nation, where road bandits and the like are highly uncommon. And where what local petty crime there is, not to mention the more deliberate and violent crime that is also fairly rare, is usually dealt to swiftly and strongly by the local lord or lady of the lands the crime has been committed in.
"The problem is" says the elven princeling, who after a brief pause adds "They're looking for us specifically" the eyebrows of a few of them go up in surprise at that.
Ignoring sir Percavelle Lé Dic who says to the young elven noble "Lead on my fine pointy eared prince of thievery, and I'll shall vanquish these criminal upstarts who wish to delay us on our journey". The ranger Hait says to the elven magic user "Her?".
"Her" says Helbenthril Raendril who continues with "She's hired them" the mercenary ranger who is in actual fact a hordes outrider from the southern tundra, asks "Many of them?". "Just eight" says the elven master assassin who continues with "Mercs, the cheaper kind who'll do anything for coin" the ranger Hait doesn't have to ask if they're all human, for it's fairly obvious that they will be.
"You want to take care of it?" asks the human ranger who was raised and trained by the elven warders in the principality of Envadarlen in the Southlands, Helbe the elven thief nods his hooded head that he will. Much to the disappointment of sir Percavelle, who let's out an overly dramatic sigh, followed by a murmured, it's a very loud murmur which everyone can hear "That's not very sporting wot".
"You'll know when to come along" says the elven masterthief to the mercenary ranger, who nods in understanding, then after the elven prince disappears, Riley Hait gestures to the nearby glade, and says "Might as well stop for something to eat while he deals to things".
They ride to the glade and dismount, much to the relief of Tamric Drubine who is famished, the nobleborn youngster from the kingdom of Sarcrin ties the reins of his horse, and Helbenthril Raendril's that he's been leading all morning, to a low branch, allowing the two mounts to crop at the green grass at the edge of the glade.
Then he sits down and leans back against a tree trunk after taking some food from his saddle bags, and enjoys his midday meal.
The small loaf of bread, the slices of cheese, the dried fruit, along with the fresh apple and pear, he's had, don't last that long. And after taking a drink from his water bottle, Tam contemplates what else he could have to eat, when Riley Hait says "Finish up" followed by "He's waiting for us".
The mercenary ranger who has just seen Narladene the ground pixie wave at him, and beckoned him and the others to come along, is up in the saddle first. The ranger Hait faintly smiles as he sees the slightly despondent look on the face of Tamric Drubine, who is no doubt still hungry, the youngster is growing quickly, and is eating a lot of late.
The group continues southwards along the forest road, and nearly two miles south of the glade they stopped at for lunch, they find Helbe the elven thief sitting upon a fallen tree to one side of the road.
"Four over there" says the elven magic user who points to the trees across from where he's sitting, then he hikes a thumb behind him, and adds "And four here" not too far behind the fallen tree the young elven noble from the principality of Laerel is sitting on, lies a man.
A mercenary in a rough looking set of leather armour, who is face down, either unconscious or dead.
After discounting, Riley Hait slightly frowns, then says "A little odd don't you think?" the elven masterthief nods his hooded head, then the mercenary ranger continues with "Percy could deal to this lot by himself" a loud disappointed sigh comes from the heavily armoured knight at hearing that.
"What's she thinking?" murmurs the ranger Hait as he takes a few steps off the road, and spots another body lying behind a nearby tree, Riley aka Zubutai Timaginson looks at the elven princeling, then quietly asks him "What did you find out from them?".
The mercenary ranger who grew up in the elven principality of Envadarlen in the Southlands listens in silence as the elven princeling via mindspeech, explains to him what he found out from the roughshod mercenaries who were posing as road bandits.
Then once Helbe the elven thief explains things, the ranger Hait quietly says "Probably hoping to get lucky, and knock one of us off before we find her". "More than likely" quietly says the elven prince who then says to the others "Keep vigilant, there's going to be a fair few like these so called bandits as we head south through these lands of lord Haldéilv" he continues with "They're a distraction most likely, though that still doesn't mean they won't be dangerous if I'm unable to find them first".
After the elven magic user disappears, the ranger Hait says to the others "You heard Helbe, all of you keep an eye out for trouble" then as Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman gets back on his horse, and they get underway again.
Tamric Drubine who is still feeling peekish, even though he ate fairly recently, looks carefully around, hoping that they do run into some mercenaries posing as road bandits hired by Kaldeàlil Haldéilv that Helbe the elven thief misses.
For he could do with a little bit of action and liven things up as they ride, for he briefly enjoyed the confrontation they got into with a number of elven guards and trio of elven nobles they had a couple of evenings ago at a lake side village, even though he didn't do that much then.
A good fight, beats riding any day, Tamric Drubine thinks to himself, who also wonders if they'll stop in a village or town tonight with a tavern or an inn, hopefully one serving a decent meal . . . . . .

Wonderful 72.

The Principality Of Maladimbáh...

Over the last few days, Kaldeàlil Haldéilv along with her hired guards from southern Belinswae, Harrick and Linden. Have hired mercenaries and others, and sent them into the lands of lord Haldéilv, to undertake a number of tasks for the illegitimate daughter of the head of the Haldéilv family.
The elven magic user, who for the most part, has kept in the lands of the Walashàele family to the east of her father's lands. Makes her way across the river that separates much of the lands between the two noble family's who are neighbours and rivals.
The attractive elven maid, who because of her illegitimacy, is not a noble. Crosses one of the bridges over the river, whilst in disguise.
Kaldeàlil Haldéilv has no fear at getting caught, the charm or talisman she wears on a thin silver chain around her neck. Blocks spellcasters from sensing that she too is a practitioner of magic.
The attractive elven maid as she walks in the morning sunshine, goes through the river side village across the bridge. Once through it, she walks along the road that heads westwards to her father's seat of power, which is only six or so miles away at the other end of the mountain valley they're in.
Kaldeàlil walks for a few hundred yards, before she takes to a trail off the road, a trail that heads north. After making sure that she hasn't been followed, the elven magic user looks northwards through the trees, and teleports away.
The attractive elven maid reappears up the side of a mountain, over five miles from where she was previously. The illegitimate daughter of lord Haldéilv looks back from where she came from. She looks down into the valley, and for a few moments she looks at the palatial like tower upon the tor, that is her father's seat of power.
She finally looks away from it, and looks further to the south, where in the distance she can see the vast, dry, arid plains that are home to the human nomads. Kaldeàlil Haldéilv slightly shakes her head, then she continues up the mountain pass that she's teleported up to.
The pass is a trail, that in places has steps that have been built, for further along the pass is a grove of trees, that is sacred to elven kind in this part of the principality of Maladimbáh.
Kaldeàlil passes a couple of other elves on the pass who are making their way down it, after visiting and spending the night in the sacred grove. They don't recognise the illegitimate daughter of lord Haldéilv due to the spell she has cast upon herself, though she recognises them. For they live in the village at the base of the tor which her father's tower is on top of.
The elven magic user passes the grove of pine trees that are sacred, and she continues up the pass, and over a saddle between this peak and the next. Once she's heading downhill again, Kaldeàlil Haldéilv drops the illusion spell she's used to disguise herself, then she teleports down the mountainside.
There's a wagon track amongst the trees below, that the attractive elven maid appears on. Somewhere away to her right she hears foresters and others collecting dead wood for firewood and other uses.
The elven magic user continues along the forest track, until she gets to a trail that goes off it to the left, to the west. She walks quickly along it, until she sees a hut, outside of which stands the younger of the two guards from southern Belinswae, Linden. With him are a pair of elven mercenaries who were hired in the east of the Walashàele family lands.
"Anything?" asks Kaldeàlil Haldéilv in the common language to the three outside the hut, which belongs to a human forester, who has been hired by the illegitimate daughter of the local elven lord.
"Nothing here" replies Linden the mercenary guard who continues with "Or in the surrounding area" the attractive elven maid nods her head, as she wasn't expecting anything here, as it's still pretty close to her father's seat of power.
"Harrick go north, after he checked things out to the west?" asks Kaldeàlil Haldéilv, the human mercenary from the coast in southern Belinswae nods his head yes, then says "He did" Linden continues with "Took some more of the newer one's with him".
"Good" quietly says the elven magic user, who doesn't expect her enemy to come straight at her father's palatial like tower to find her, for he isn't so direct.
Unlike that undead bastard who came and got the mage, Kaldeàlil Haldéilv sourly thinks to herself, the attractive elven maid, who is expecting the elven prince Helbenthril Raendril to head this way, from an unexpected direction, not from the south or west, the direction of the Nomads Plains, quietly says "Let's get going".
There's four horses tied up around one side of the hut, and they mount up, they turn back onto the track, with Linden in the lead, and the elven magic user at the rear. The human mercenary glances back at Kaldeàlil Haldéilv, who nods, the guard from the region of Belinswae stops, and a few moments later sparkling coloured lights appear a dozen yards infront of his horse, quickly the lights turn into a rift, which Linden then the others ride through.
They ride out onto a road in the northern region of lord Haldéilv's lands, Kaldeàlil drops her rift spell behind her, and she moves her horse up to next to Linden, the two elven mercenaries have already ridden away.
One is crossing some fields away to the west, fields with long yellow wheat stalks growing in the late summer sunshine. While the other mercenary is heading north along the road, before he turns off after a bridge, and heads along a track that goes into some woods to the northeast.
"Hopefully they get word from the others" says Linden as he and Kaldeàlil Haldéilv ride along the road northwards, heading towards the stone bridge that crosses a river "Hopefully" says the attractive elven maid who looks away to the west, for in that direction here in the north of her father's lands, is where she grew up with her mother's extended family.
The two of them cross the bridge, once they do, they pick up the pace, as the land for the most part is pretty flat, with few hills, and the only mountains in the area, are far in the distance to the north, and the east.
To the west is predominantly flat, with farmland, where a lot of the wheat and grain in the south of Maladimbáh is grown, it's a valuable source of income for lord Haldéilv, making him one of the more powerful lords, not just in the south of the principality, but in all of Maladimbáh.
Kaldeàlil Haldéilv who knows her father definitely doesn't want a noble family to take the vacant throne of Maladimbáh, rides beside the human guard from southern Belinswae as the road curves to the northwest, they pass a farm wagon heading northwest too.
The attractive elven maid doesn't recognise the elven farmer, and he likewise. The elven magic user wouldn't care if he did, for she has found out that here in the north of her father's lands, the local populace for the most part hasn't heard about the attack on her father's seat of power, which resulted in the escape of Kaldeàlil's prisoner, the mage Reinholt.
Nor have they heard about her being shunned again, and how she's not allowed to be in her father's lands again, nor her two hired guards from southern Belinswae, Linden and Harrick, who were escorted out of lord Haldéilv's lands.
"Nice place up here" quietly says the human mercenary, who continues with "Much more fertile than most of Belinswae" the elven magic user nods her head, then says "It is" she then adds "Though winters here can get a little tough" the illegitimate daughter of the local elven lord continues with "Least in Belinswae it's fairly warm all year round, apart from up in the north along the coast in the Stone Hills".
"Only dwarves and idiots live up there" dryly says Linden who continues with "You won't catch me up there" as he looks around as they ride deeper into the farmlands.
The mercenary guard Harrick nods his head, then asks "You sure?" the elven mercenary who has just rode in from the north, nods his head, then says "He's positive" the mercenary, who is from the east of the principality continues with "They all match the description of them".
Harrick nods his head again, then recalls the map of the north of lord Haldéilv's lands, then he says "What's that, about half a day's ride north?". "A little bit longer, maybe closer to a day" replies the elven mercenary as they stand behind the stables of the inn Harrick is staying at "Blew a horse out riding here, had to change to another in one of the villages further north".
"Hell, they could be here tonight" quietly says the human mercenary from the southern coast of the region of Belinswae, who then adds "Or at least tomorrow morning, especially if they come down the main road" the elven mercenary nods his head in agreement, then he quietly asks "When do you expect her?".
"Today, around midday" replies Harrick who looks up at the clear mid morning sky of the late summer's day, and he murmurs "Which is a good thing" the elven mercenary nods his head to that, then Harrick says "Come on, we'll tell the others" the two of them head to the inn.
Later in the day, and Harrick stands at the open window of his second storey room in the inn, it gives him a clear view of the road that heads southeast through the surrounding farmland, the human mercenary is looking down the road when he spots a couple of riders in the distance.
There's a knock at his door, and Harrick says "Yeah" the door to the room opens, and another of the elven mercenaries pops his head into the room, and quietly says "That's them on the road to the south".
The human mercenary nods his head, then says to the elf "Have the others get ready, then ride out and gather the rest in" Harrick continues with "We could be leaving in a hurry" the elven mercenary nods his head in understanding, then he hurries away.
Harrick puts on his sword belt, and exits his room, he makes his way downstairs, and through the common room, and out of the inn, he heads through the village, to the road to the southeast. He waits at the corner of a house on the edge of the village for the two approaching riders.
"They're here" quietly says Harrick when the two riders stop and look at him "Where?" asks Kaldeàlil Haldéilv as she and Linden dismount "About a day's ride north, they were spotted in a village". "You absolutely sure?" asks the attractive elven maid "The informant who told Jarmahílth is" replies Harrick who continues with "He described all of them, and we didn't inform him of any of the others apart from the elf in the white hooded cloak, just that he was in a group".
"Definitely them" says Linden, Kaldeàlil Haldéilv nods her head in agreement as they walk to the nearby inn, the attractive elven maid then asks the older of the two human mercenaries she hired in southern Belinswae "How many have we got here?". "A dozen or so" says Harrick in response to the elven magic users question, he continues with "There's others in the surrounding area, I've sent Farlithané to get them, and to get them ready".
Things couldn't proceed better, Kaldeàlil Haldéilv thinks to herself, though she knows what she plans, will depend a lot on luck, and good timing, for she knows to either capture or kill her quarry, a lot of things will have to go her way.
"Any of my father's guards in the area?" quietly asks the illegitimate daughter of lord Haldéilv "Apart from a small squad of four who rode through yesterday, i haven't seen any" replies Harrick, who continues with "I'll have to ask the others when they come in if they have".
"Do so" says the attractive elven maid, who hopes to use her father's guards unwittingly in her attempt to capture and kill the elven noble who killed her lover Xanderlith Karlavilt three years ago in the elven principality of Alínlae in the Southlands.
"All of them eh?" quietly says Kaldeàlil Haldéilv as they head around the inn to the stables "All of them" says Harrick who continues with "The ranger, the little preacher in the funny hat, the big knight, the elf in the greys, the two youngsters, as well as him". "At least that big guy, and the mage aren't with them" dryly says Linden, which earns him a couple of stares from Kaldeàlil and Harrick "Well, it's true" says the younger of the two human mercenary guards from the south coast of Belinswae.
"I know, but you don't have to bring it up" says the attractive elven maid as they enter the stables "I've been trying to forget all about it" sourly says Kaldeàlil Haldéilv as she leads her mount into a stall, she silently adds in a dry tone, and that bloody maniac of an ork isn't around too, at least that's something.
Once Kaldeàlil and Linden have stabled their horses, the elven magic user who is the illegitimate daughter of the local lord says "Once the others are all here, we're leaving by rift" as they cross to the inn, she adds "North to get them once and for all" Kaldeàlil Haldéilv pauses for a moment, before she continues with "To finally kill him".
Behind her the two mercenaries from southern Belinswae glance at one another, for they clearly heard the driven, and slightly unhinged tone in her voice when she said that . . . . . .

Wonderful 71.

The Principality Of Maladimbáh...

Mira Reinholt the mage yawns, then stretches as the maroon coloured wyvern he's on wings it's way south in the morning sunshine. The once powerful mage looks back, and is just able to see the other wyvern in the distance to the north.
It's a bit further behind because lord Farque had to go and get Dorc da Orc, as the large ork wandered off during the night. For when the undead warlord found the ork warleader, Dorkindle was busy raping a herd of wild mountain sheep that he had caught the scent of.
"Big fucking idiot" Mira Reinholt the mage dryly murmurs to himself with a shake of his hooded head, the Vexilian mage in exile, who doesn't fly as high up as lord Farque on the other wyvern, keeps an eye out for any griffons. As he knows that a griffon and it's nobleborn rider will almost certainly attack him, seeing as he has no legitimate business being here in Maladimbáh.
Wonder if i could pass myself off as a justifier from Belinswae? the mage Reinholt thinks to himself, it's not the first time the spellcaster from south of the equator has had this thought. Though he knows it would be hard to pull off, considering he doesn't have any guards with him, and that he's taller than average for someone from Belinswae, who are shorter in general compared to most other human populations.
The mage who was the youngest member of the mage council of the city-state of Vexil, stretches again, and as usual as he flies upon the wyvern, he looks down at the ground below as he flies above some hills, with peaks further back to either side of him.
The spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordsmaster sees the road that goes south through this part of the principality, is away to his right.
As he looks off to one side of it, and further to the south, Mira Reinholt spots something.
"Slow down you ass" says the once powerful mage when the wyvern doesn't immediately respond to him pulling back on the reins, the large winged creature after a few moments does slow down, and the mage Reinholt takes out his leather wrapped, brass cylindrical eye piece and looks through it at something on the ground he's spotted.
"Hmmmmm what's going on here?" murmurs the swordmaster from the city-state of Vexil in the Southlands, he sees an elf in the distance running across a meadow, trying to keep as low as possible. Less than half a mile away from the elf, rides a small squad of elven guards, who are going over a hilltop after riding off the main road that goes south.
The swordmaster Reinholt frowns as he sees that the guards are familiar, they're wearing the same tabards as the ones from the other day. Those who are in service of the elven lord who is after sir Percavelle Lé Dic and the others.
Who the trio of Mira Reinholt, lord Farque and Dorc da Orc, know are somewhere to the south, most likely on their way to the lands of lord Haldéilv, which is the the south of the principality of Maladimbáh, not too far from the Nomads Plains.
The once powerful mage looks quickly back, and sees that still the other wyvern, the large glossy green, black one that the undead warlord and the ork warleader are on, is still quite a distance back.
"Might as well" the swordmaster Reinholt murmurs to himself with a shrug of his shoulders, as he looks down to the ground further to the south, the spellcaster who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere in the Southlands, has the wyvern circle, dropping in altitude too, quickly as they continue southwards.
The exile Vexilian mage in exile draws the long sword, with the black blade that's been hardened by dragon fire.
He knows the mounted elven guards would easily see him if they were looking this way, but they don't as they're busy concentrating on the elf fleeing from them on foot.
"They'll hear me soon enough" murmurs the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, and that proves to be true, as a short whie while later as the wyvern continues downwards at speed, he and the large winged creature he's on are discovered.
The once powerful mage creates a ball of light and sound when he sees some of the elven guards, turn in the saddle and point up to him and the diving wyvern. The mage Reinholt lets the ball of light and sound fly, and it shoots off down to the riders below.
It may only be a ball of light and sound, but the mounted elven guards don't know that, for it looks very much like an energyball which a lot of them have seen before.
The riders scatter, and the ball of light and sound explodes amongst a few of them. Horses rear and buck from the loud bang and the explosion of light, and guards are thrown from their saddles.
The maroon coloured wyvern swoops down to the ground screeching loudly, Mira Reinholt pulls back on the reins hoping they don't plow into the hillside directly below them.
The wyvern rises up, rather slowly, with a horse between it's front claws, the rider is on the ground with a broken arm and a slashed open back, while his mount is neighing in pain between the front claws of the wyvern.
"Let it go you fucking overgrown flying lizard!" shouts the mage Reinholt, who thumps the wyvern a couple of times with the flat of the sword, the large winged creature, lets out an indignant squawk, then it lets go of the horse as it tries to circle back to the right.
The horse lands right infront of another horse, that it's rider is trying to get back under control after it took off in fright. The mount plows head first into the ground as it tries to leap over the horse that slammed into the ground right infront of it. The rider is flung forward over the head of his mount, and he slams into the ground too, before finally coming to a stop after tumbling forward a few times.
Mira Reinholt lets out a heavy breath, more sigh than anything else as the wyvern is flying more smoothly again, he looks down and sees that those few riders still mounted, are either fleeing, or trying to turn their frightened horses around, to return to where their fallen comrades are.
After the wyvern circles back around so that they're heading south again, the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster sees that the elf who is on foot, who was fleeing the mounted squad, has crossed the meadow, and is now heading up a hill, the Vexilian mage in exile heads to that hilltop.
The maroon coloured wyvern lands, and after returning the sword to the scabbard at his left hip, the once powerful mage gets down off the wyvern, and a few moments later he sees the elf come up over the brow of the hill, from between some trees.
"Greetings" calls out Mira Reinholt in the elven language "Greetings" calls out the elf a little warily as he looks at both the black cloaked and hooded figure of the exiled Vexilian mage, and the wyvern crouching behind him, which like all wyverns, has a rather distrustful look in it's eye. It isn't really distrustful, that's just it's natural look, they're more belligerent in reality than they ever are distrustful.
"You okay?" asks the swordmaster Reinholt who walks towards the elf, who he sees is pretty solid, or muscular for an elf, he can see how muscular his forearms are as he wears a short sleeve tunic, over which is a brown leather vest, that looks like it's been cut short from a longer smock.
A smith? the once powerful mage thinks to himself, as he adds "Don't think that lot will be bothering you anytime soon" and he gestures back to the hill to the north, where he and the wyvern dived at the mounted squad of guards.
"Thanks for that" says the elf as he briefly looks back to the north "No worries" says the spellcaster from the city-state of Vexil in the Southlands, then the highly skilled swordmaster asks "Any reason why that lot were chasing you?".
The elf pauses for a moment, then he decides to tell the mage Reinholt why he was being chased, the once powerful mage listens with interest, as it concerns the others who he along with lord Farque and Dorc da Orc are looking for here in the elven principality of Maladimbáh.
A little while later, and Harquínd, who is indeed a blacksmith, says "What's that?" after Mira Reinholt tells him "Don't worry they're friends, kind of". "What's what?" asks the Vexilian mage in exile "That big green thing on the back of that wyvern" says the elven blacksmith, the spellcaster from south of the equator dryly replies with "An idiot".
The large glossy green, black wyvern lands beside the smaller maroon one, and the heavily armoured deathlord and the ork weaponsmith get off it, and make their way over to where the mage Reinholt and the smith Harquínd stand.
"There's something you need to hear" says the swordmaster from the city-state of Vexil to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque after he introduces the elven blacksmith to the lord of the death realm and the large ork.
As Harquínd explains the reason why he was fleeing the guards of lord Parsenellé, the undead warlord slightly shakes his full helmed head.
Percy the fucking idiot, lord Farque sourly thinks to himself, after hearing what they've already heard rumour about, then after the smith Harquínd finishes explaining how sir Percavelle Lé Dic saved him from being pressed into the service of lord Parsenellé, the deathlord of Farque asks "They were definitely heading south then?".
"Yes sir, i mean my lord" says the elven blacksmith as he remembers that the human spellcaster told him not to call the large, heavily armoured human a sir "Well we're going the right way then" dryly says the lord and ruler of the lands Farque who is also known as Draugadrottin by the people of his lands.
Lord Farque looks around as he senses in all directions for as far as he can, then he says "We'll drop you off in the nearest decent sized village or town" the heavily armoured deathlord calls out to Dorc da Orc "We're going!" the large ork who has wandered down to the nearest trees to take shelter from the morning sunshine, grunts then makes his way back up to where the others, and the wyverns are.
They head south again, with the elven blacksmith on the maroon wyvern with Mira Reinholt, and later in the morning, they see a large village on the northern shores of a small lake, which Harquínd informs the exiled Vexilian mage, is in the lands of a lord Yardeníl.
They land just outside the lake side village where they see a couple of buildings in the north of it have been completely destroyed, and people are cleaning up the debris of them. The four of them enter the large village, with the swordmaster Reinholt and the lord and ruler of the lands Farque looking for information, while the ork warleader goes in search of some booze to buy.
It's fairly quickly that they find out what they're looking for, and as Dorkindle buys some barrels of ale from an inn, lord Farque and Mira Reinholt stand outside of it, with the Vexilian mage in exile saying "They left yesterday morning" he follows that up with "Still going south after they ran into some more of those guards, and the elven lord Parsenellé himself by the sounds of it"
"The north of lord Haldéilv's lands are little over a day's ride south through the peaks from here" continues the mage Reinholt "They'll be there by now" says the heavily armoured deathlord who then adds "And so will we tonight" lord Farque looks at the once powerful mage and tells him "If that bitch has returned, which in all likelihood she has, then she'll be waiting for them with a trap as they head down through her father's lands" Mira Reinholt nods his hooded head in agreement . . . . . .