[Mkguild] Plain and Simple part 6

[Chris]

***************


   Who had built first in this spot in the past was unknown. When the
Seuliman had arrived there was already a centuries old settlement
standing there. But even then there had been odd mounds and strangely
shaped ditches that were far older. Neither Misha nor George were
interested in those hills today. What held their interest was far
younger. The tumbled down ruins had until two years before been a good
sized castle and town. It had been home to over two hundred knights and
soldiers until Nasoj had attacked it. The fight had been long and bitter
but never in doubt. The odds were too great. The Lutins had overwhelmed
the castle and killed almost everyone in it. Only a handful of people
had survived.

   Before the siege it had been a squat, stone tower seventy feet tall
surrounded by a stone wall barely a third that high. Still for all its
simplicity the structure had served its purpose well over the years,
playing home to the soldiers who patrolled against the ever-present
threat of lutin attacks.

   What was left was not a pleasant sight. The tower was barely half its
height, the top a ragged line of burnt and shattered stones like the
ragged neck of a decapitated man. The wall had been reduced to low
mounds of rubble in many places. Both had been hammered down by the
repeated battering of siege engines over the course of the long siege.

   Creeping along slowly around the ruins the two carefully examined the
place.

   The ruins were littered with the detritus of war, shattered weapons,
armor and unidentifiable bits of wood, metal and stone. A shattered
siege tower, burnt and worn down stood, listing to one side in front of
the tumbled down remains of a stone wall.

   Behind that ruined wall hunkered the stone tower that must have once
been very impressive but was now just a battered, blackened stump.
Still, even ruined it was an impressive sight. Misha also noticed that
even ruined the tower looked to be fairly sturdy. He noted that the
floor had survived in many places and the interior was probably for the
most part dry on the lower floors.

   Misha noted the countless places where a person could easily hide,
lots of piles of debris, tumbled down walls and collapsed roofs all
overgrown with bushes and weeds. A large group of people could hide in
these ruins and never be spotted. Certainly not by someone riding past
on horseback.

   The first sign of lutins Misha had wasn’t sight or sound. It was
smell. His sensitive vulpine nose picked up the sharp scent of an
unwashed lutin body and he wrinkled his nose at the foul odor. He
motioned with one hand towards George and then pointed to his nose.

   The old scout nodded in understanding and smiled. Then George pointed
to a large pile of tumbled stone blocks.

   Misha had to stifle a laugh. George had spotted the lutin long before
he had even with his heightened animal senses. The fox slowly hefted his
axe and pointed to the place where the Lutins were hiding. George shook
his head no.

   Misha nodded and pointed to the left of the Lutins and made a walking
sign with his hands.

   With slow and silent steps Misha and George quietly made their way
around the sentries always mindful of how close they were. It would take
only one poorly placed foot or hand to make a noise and give themselves
away. In the distance he heard a night bird chirping. A small object
suddenly fluttered past him and Misha instinctively ducked. He hefted
his axe but didn’t attack when he recognized the object as a bat. The
nocturnal flier was probably hunting the insects that thrived in the
forest nearby.

   Still he didn’t move for several minutes listening and watching for
any sign of trouble. Finally he started moving again, inching his way
forward one silent step at a time.

   It was several minutes before they were safely past the Lutins and up
to the rubble that had been the curtain wall. Moving slowly and
carefully through the wreckage Misha stepped into the interior of the
castle.

   The interior of the old fortress was vast, over six acres in size.
Once in the distant past it had been a Seuilman fortress and home to an
entire legion. Then the courtyard had been crowded with all manner of
buildings; barracks, workshops, warehouses even a bathhouse and a small
temple. After the fall of the empire it had played host to a good-sized
town whose citizens were loyal to the Duke instead of some far distant
emperor.

   Now all that was gone. In its place was a labyrinth of tumbled down
stone walls. Some walls were scarcely ankle high, others were almost
shoulder height and still others towered high overhead. None were
intact, merely ruined and weathered remnants. One building towered over
the entire area. In one corner of the vast area stood the large squat
tower Misha had seen earlier. It wasn’t a Seuilman construction. It had
been built later by one of Duke Thomas’s ancestors who had taken
advantage of the still standing walls. In this vast area of ruins there
were countless places a person could hide. Lots of nooks and crannies to
tuck a body into and not be seen by a passing patrol. A person would
have to sweep the ruins on foot, checking each and every ruined building
and tumbled down stone one at a time. Only then could you be sure the
place was clear of lutins.

   George walked up to a wall and ran his hand along the top. Misha
looked where the old scout had his hand. The fox noticed how the stone
along the top was a darker color than the rest of the wall. He also saw
the faint scratches and gouges. Someone had been removing the blocks
from the wall for use elsewhere. That alone meant little as Seuliman
stones were highly prized and old ruins like this were routinely
scavenged of their stones for new construction. But no humans lived
anywhere near this place. All the locals had been killed or driven off.
That meant not only were the Lutins here but they were using the stones
to build something. Neither boded well.

   George motioned towards the tower and Misha nodded in agreement. The
keep was the obvious place for them to find Lutins. Certainly there
wouldn’t be many there. The Keep was far too noticeable a place to hide.
Any Keeper patrol moving though the old fortress was sure to give the
keep at least a cursory inspection. But it was the tallest structure and
a perfect place for a single person to hide and observe everything for
miles in all directions.

   This time Misha spotted the Lutins first. The distinct, musky, stale
scent that all Lutins seem to have came to his nose. Misha stopped and
dropped to his knees.

   Without a word or a gesture George followed suit and knelt next to
his friend.

   Sniffing the air the fox traced the scent to a clump of trees. Sharp
ears picked up the faint sound of feet being shuffled back and forth.
The fox touched his nose and pointed to the trees.

   George nodded his head slowly and pointed to the left of the trees.
The two slowly and quietly made their way past the sentries and deeper
into the ruins.

   Within five minutes they spotted more Lutins, this time hunkered down
in the ruins of an old building. They spent more time slowly working
their way around this group.

   They had gone barely twenty feet when they came upon another group of
Lutins and more time was lost in maneuvering around them.

   The two knelt next to a large stone that was leaning against the base
of a stone wall. It looked like any of a dozen other rocks nearby but
this one had a large patch of brown and green moss on it. The dirt and
earth in front of the stone were faintly disturbed. To any but an
experienced scout familiar with the flora and fauna it would be just
another rock, but to George and Misha that spot stood out as a glaring
signal. This rock had been moved and replaced many times.

   Misha carefully ran his hand around the inside edge of the stone
feeling for a wire, a piece of wood or anything else unusual. Those
usually signaled a booby trap of some sort. When he found nothing Misha
began to slowly and carefully lift the rock off the ground. The fox
moved slowly as George leaned forward and looked behind the rock for any
sign of a trap or some sort of trip wire.

   The old bandit shook his head and Misha pulled the rock the rest of
the way from the wall. Where the rock had rested was a good sized hole
that ran deep into the ground. Misha looked down into the hole and
sniffed. His nose was assaulted by a sour, dank smell that spoke of
sweat and sewage left piled up somewhere down below. He recoiled and
shook his head to try and removed the terrible smell from his nose.

   George smiled at his friend’s antics and then motioned for the fox to
put the stone back in place. Gratefully Misha slowly put the large rock
back where he had found it making sure to place it exactly as it had
been before. Then they slowly backed away from the spot being sure to
rub out any tracks they had left leaving no sign that they had ever been
there.

   Slowly the two made their way along the wall looking carefully at
everything that lay around them. They would pause frequently to examine
something. Often they found what they were looking for under a rock or
behind a small shrub or bush. Within an hour they had found the
entrances to over a dozen tunnels and a lot more Lutins on guard. They
seemed to be everywhere. Thankfully most seemed to be asleep.

   The ultimate find was located near the tower itself. In the midst of
the ruins Misha came upon something unexpected; wagon tracks. Curious
they followed them as they wound through the ruins till they disappeared
into a pile of wreckage.

   There they found a large pile of burnt timbers that looked too neat
to have just simply fallen from the burning tower. After a moments
examination Misha found no less then four traps scattered around the
pile. Each one had to be carefully disarmed before he could turn his
attention to the pile itself.

 The pile looked heavy but it lifted easily when Misha pulled on one
edge of it. The entire pile had been built on hinges and was carefully
counterweighted.  Beneath it a ramp large enough for a wagon led down
into the bowels of the earth. It was an impressive piece of workmanship.
The ramp had even been carefully paved with stone blocks and showed
signs of heavy use.

   After closing the large hatch, resetting the traps and removing all
traces of their presence the two retreated quietly from the fortress.
They didn’t stop till they were well out of sight of the ruins.

   “I knew they were in the ruins, I just never knew there were so many
and so well organized.”

   “Forget looking over the rest of the valley,” George ordered. “We’re
going right back to the Keep. This is too important to wait.”

   Misha didn’t argue and the two trotted off into the safety of the
forest together.


***************************


   They were in the armory turning in their weapons, armor and whatever
other equipment they no longer needed. The first thing they had done
upon arriving was sending word to Thomas that they wanted to meet with
him immediately. Then they had gone to the armory to get rid of all
their equipment.

   Misha noted that George kept back a pair of gauntlets and a pair of
boots. He couldn’t help but laugh as when the curse took hold both would
probably no longer fit.

   As the two of them left the armory they were greeted by a messenger.
The boy handed Misha a sealed envelope and then turned and left without
uttering a word.

   “It’s from Phil,” Misha said examining the envelope which had been
sealed with wax in the shape of a carrot.

   “And who is he?” the old scout asked.

   “The Duke’s Chief spy. One of the most brilliant and strangest people
I’ve ever met.” The fox explained as he opened the envelope. “He’s also
a rabbit.”

   “A bunny?” George asked and smiled. “Complete with the ears?” he
waved his hands next to either side of his head imitating a set of long
ears.

   Misha nodded in reply.

   “How does he handle being near you? Foxes eat rabbits.”

   Misha was silent for a moment and shook his head slowly. “Poorly.
Very poorly. His rabbit instincts are VERY strong. I’ve never been able
to get closer then ten feet to him. Mostly we communicate through
letters.”

   The fox pulled out the letter and started to read it. “He has a long
list of questions for both of us about our little trip. He also has some
good information. The rabbit confirms that Nasoj had some sort of plan
in motion but they couldn’t locate where. Also he agrees with your plan
to rebuild the fortress.”

   George laughed. “I like this rabbit already.”

   “He’s also been investigating you and all the friends you brought
with you, especially Arthlow. Phil tells me that Prince Harry’s eldest
son, Gergard has started causing trouble for his uncle.”

   “Little Gerry?” the old scout asked smiling and with a warm tone to
his voice. “He was just a child the last time I saw him.”

   “He’s grown into a noble, young man and he remembers both you and
me,” the fox commented. “He sent the Duke a letter that spoke very
highly of both of us and he offered a large amount of coins to get your
help.”

   George laughed and threw up his hands in mock despair. “I’m suddenly
popular. Too bad it’s too late to take him up on the offer.”

   “Can you think of someone who can help him?” the fox asked. “It’s a
good cause.”

   He nodded in response. “Pliny would be good,” the old bandit
answered.

   “I thought Pliny was dead.”

   George shook his head. “No. He was in Isenport back in December and
probably still is.”

   “I’ll send a message off to him and Gerry tomorrow.”

   “You could also mention Adon,” George commented.

   “Who?” Misha asked, puzzled.

   “I don’t believe you’ve ever met him. I can’t pronounce his real name
but he’s called Adon the Assassin.”

   “Now that is a name I’ve heard of. How would Gerry contact him?”

   George shrugged. “No idea. But Gerry is a prince. Nobles have a nasty
habit of knowing how to find assassins when they need to.”

   The fox scout nodded in agreement. “All right. I’ll add that into the
letter. Let HIM worry about it.”

“I’ve an idea in mind,” George said suddenly changing the subject. “Back
when I was fighting for Prince Harry we had that group of elite scouts –
The Ghosts. All were great scouts good at ambushing and raiding. They
really caused havoc.”

   “I remember them. You want to raise a unit like that here?” Misha
asked.

   “No I want you to do it,” the bandit answered. “I am going to be busy
getting the scouts into shape but I could use a good group of elite
scouts to do the really dangerous tasks.”

   “No George. I’m not a leader,” the fox countered flatly.

   “Everyone says you are constantly going north and killing Lutins and
causing havoc. All I want you to do is bring along some friends to help
with the killing.”

   Misha gave a bark of laughter. “You make it sound like I’m going on
picnic outings.”

   “I’m fully aware of just how dangerous and suicidal some of the
things you do really are,” George answered, “but I don’t intend to just
sit around waiting for Nasoj to attack us. I mean to hit him first. And
the things I want you to do you cannot do alone, not even with that axe
of yours. I even know who to recruit first.”

   “Craig?” Misha asked.

   George smiled and nodded.

   “Good choice. He’ll be a very good choice.”

   “And why are you complaining? You helped me raise the Ghosts,” George
commented. “I’m surprised Arthlow didn’t demand your head as well as
mine.”

   Misha nodded. “Me too. But it has been over a decade since then. He
must really be mad to still want your head after all these years.”

   “He was always a petty fool,” George said shaking his head. “I was
hoping he would have gained some wisdom over the years.”

   The fox shook his head. “Nope. Some people get older and wiser and
others just get older.”


**************************


   “What did you find?” Thomas asked the two scouts.

   “The ruins are full of Lutins,” George answered.

   “We saw signs of at least fifty or more Lutins scattered around the
ruins on guard. Probably at least four times that many in hiding,” Misha
added.

   “They are slowly rebuilding the old Keep, strengthening the walls and
floors as well as clearing out the cellars and digging new ones,” George
commented. He sat down in a chair and poured himself a large cup of
wine.

   The staff had already learned George’s habits and when he and Misha
had arrived in Thomas’ private audience chamber there were already three
bottles of wine resting on the table next to a large platter full of
pastries and other baked delicacies.

   “Why?” Thalberg asked.

   “A hiding place. When finished they would slowly fill it with
supplies and troops. A few each night,” George explained as he selected
a piece of pastry covered with some sticky goo. “Then when they were
ready they would strike. You’d wake up one morning and there would be
several hundred Lutins wrecking havoc.”

   “Our first warning would probably be screaming and flames,” Thomas
commented.

   “We need to strike now,” Misha growled. “Before they get too well
emplaced.”

   George nodded in agreement. “I’ll need a few weeks to see my scouts
and get them into decent shape before we move.”

   “Scouts will go in first,” Misha commented. “They’ll take out the
sentries and clear the way for the infantry.”

   “One unit will surround the place while the other will sweep the
ruins from one side to the other checking every hole and pile of rocks.
Whatever they find they kill or destroy,” George said complementing the
fox perfectly. “Then when they’re done with the sweep they’ll do it
again and again till they stop finding things.”

   “How many troops will you need?” the stallion asked.

   George turned to Misha instead of answering the Duke. “Both groups
will have to be the same size as the regiment that we took Warlington
with ten years ago.”

   Misha nodded. “Two groups of two hundred infantry each,” the fox said
to the stallion.

   “A mix of heavy and light foot backed by mages,” George added. “And a
good sized group of cavalry in case we run into more then we expected.”

   “That’s a very large force by Metamoran standards,” Thomas said.

   “Would you rather wait till it filled with several hundred Lutins?”
Misha asked caustically.

   “Don’t worry about the regular soldiers,” the older scout added. “My
scouts will probably do most of the fighting. The real trouble will come
afterward when they realize what we’ve done.”

   “True,” Thalberg agreed. “They are sure to attack in strength.”

   “It will take more then four hundred troops to defend that place.
Troops we cannot spare for such an errand,” Thomas commented flatly.

   “Didn’t we already have this argument?” Misha asked sarcastically.

   “Either we go as I’ve planned or Misha and me will go with our own
people, alone and do the job our way,” George said flatly. “We’ll lose a
lot of them of course.”

   “Are you threatening me?” Thomas asked coldly as his nostrils flared
in anger.

   “I do not threaten,” George answered calmly. “What I say I’ll do, I
do. No idle threats. Fitz Williams will support that. I told them what I
would do if they betrayed us.”

   Misha chuckled suddenly cutting the tension. “We did cut quite a
swath through the city.”

   “It’s their own fault for using such cheap building material. We only
burned the Guild hall.”

   “Yes,” Misha added, “but the fire spread to half the town.”

   “No. That fool mage they hired tossing fire spells around set the
town on fire. Besides. I warned them Betray us and I’ll pull this pretty
hall down on your heads.”

   “You didn’t pull it down, you burned it,” Misha corrected.

   George shrugged. “Close enough. They should have paid us what they
owed.”

   “Certainly would have been cheaper!” Misha added.

   Thomas gave a short neigh interrupting the two scouts reminiscing. “I
do not like risking so much of my army but I see little choice. We need
to attack them before they attack us again.”

   “How long will you need to prepare?” Thalberg responded.

   “A month,” George answered. “That is as long as we can delay
attacking. After that we run the risk of them attacking us first.”

   Thomas nodded his equine head. “We will discuss this more at a later
date but for now we will move ahead with the training and planning.”

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