Elterys Mheadros's Story

Fires crackled merrily in the hearth of the council chambers, resplendent in the colors of Eldanoore. Banners sewn with amazing skill in bright greens that dazzle the eye, held by lightly sweating heralds. In the midst of all this lay the Royal Council of Eldanoore. The King and his mightiest nobles, all gathered to make a decision upon the major issues that beset the realm. One elf, a tall, lanky fellow smacked the beautifully carved table with his hand. He spoke in a soft, melodic tone "I, High Seneschal Mereanthyn, do call this meeting of the council into order. Your Grace, my lords and ladies, we have before us three major issues that need to be determined. One, the slaughter on our frontier with the orcs. It seems that a few of their clans have been pushed out of their tribal lands and are now seeking new land. This has led to bloodshed with the border-lords and their people. At least one hundred of the Elda have perished. An unknown number of savages are dead. Two, tensions with the human realm of Ethiafell have risen to an all time high. War seems imminent, and we need a solution, whether diplomatic, or something more.... Forceful. Thirdly, the budget for the next decade must be decided. I now concede the floor to our Most Glorious Monarch, Defender of the Realm and Lord of the Elda, Elorion II." And with a short bow of the head directed at the King, a haughty looking Elf who sat stiffly in his seat at the head of the table. The King nodded, and then began to speak in a voice that oozed authority.

"I will of course require a full report on the disposition of our forces, but it seems to me that the only thing that these humans respect is strength. For too long have we sat within our borders, ignoring the juggernaut to our south, we must now make a show of strength. The humans take full priority at this moment. The budget will be put off for now. March-Warden, you will now outline our current forces and give us the outline of the plan that I know you have been working on." This parting salvo was directed at Elterys Mheadros, arguably one of the most important figures at the table, for it was in his hands that the defense of the realm lay. He gave a quick nod to the King, and stood.

His voice came out in a booming baritone that spoke of power "Ah yes your Grace. As you all know our army is split into two parts. We have the standing Royal Army, which consists of two thousand infantry and five thousand archers, along with the Levy. Based on our last counting of the population, we could probably levy another eighty thousand warriors. This of course would be if we fully mobilized and abandoned the frontier. Which, as March-Warden I cannot condone with this threat on our northern frontier. As such this is the plan that I propose. The Royal Army, along withe southern levies will march to the border of Ethiafell to make a display there, establish some fortifications and what not, while I march north with my Grey Guard. The northern Levies will remain uncalled so that they may defend their lands while I and the Guard move about crushing the invaders. I think we need to get started as soon as possible, and as such, I would like to get moving immediately." And with that, Elterys sat down once more, while the various lords began arguing over who was counted as northern and southern, and who would feed the troops, and so on and so forth.

King Elorion yelled over the crowd "SILENCE! There will be order! I demand it!," the nobles grew silent, and the king's voice lessened in volume, "Now then, Lord Elterys, while your plan has merit, I believe it requires some refining. Here is my plan. We'll use your plan except for one thing.. I want the entirety of the Levy to march to the border with the humans. You should be able to handle that, right?," Elterys' eyes widened as he realized what his King was commanding, but before he could open his mouth to retort the King had already begun to speak. "Good. I'm glad you agree. We seem to have come to a consensus, I declare this meeting adjourned." The other nobles looked around and began to talk to each other again while the King stepped out of the room. Elterys quickly got out of his chair and stormed out of the room, mumbling to himself in anger. Not looking where he was going, he slammed into Ethiafell's ambassador to Eldanoore, Evan Deadroot, who fell to the ground with a loud "oof!"

"My word! Oh, pardon, didn't realize it was you Lord Mheadros.. Haha, quite silly of me no?" the words quickly spilled out of Evan's mouth in a genial tone that bespoke of a kindly man. He gave a rueful smile as Elterys quickly helped him up.

"No, no sir. Tis my bad. I was in a hurry and didn't see you there. Say, why are you here? You aren't supposed to be here you know..." as he said this, he gave a questioning look to Evan.

"Oh you know. I was wandering about in thought when I found myself in this area. Seemed interesting so I decided to explore. What with all the shoutings and what not, it seemed like the place to be."

"You see, this is why we shouldn't allow you out of your quarters!"

"Shit on that, if you'll excuse my coarse language. I'm a free man, invested with the power of Ethiafell's crown. I go where I please." As he said this, he gave a serious look to Elterys, who merely looked back, a pause grew from it, and then raucous laughter burst forth. They then walked back to the main part of the palace, chatting like the old friends they were.

The sharp tip of a finger-guard tapped gently against the delicate wood, too soft to be heard over the loud voices. It seemed a requirement of politics was to have a voice that carried from one border to another, still at least it stopped things from devolving into mindless chaos.
A soft sensation against her fingers caused even to look down, seeing the red and blue spider nesting gently on top of her hand.
Yveine returned her eyes to the council, her thumb absent mindedly stroking the spider as she listened carefully. The information was not new. For one thing, there had been tensions and conflicts arising for quite a long time and for another, her Lumens had gathered most of the details presented. What was important was how it was being dealt with. After Elterys spoke, the other members began arguing. Again. She kept quiet. No need to enter a discussion unless you had a contribution and besides, she approved of the plan. It spread things out, kept every side covered and allowed for dealing with the threat quickly and efficiently. The other bickering was merely over territories and forces, all to deal as little damage to themselves as possible.
Then his majesty spoke.
Her finger hovered mid tap at his words, blinking slightly in disbelief.
The entirety of the levy?
After the king abruptly left chatter started up again, not as loud this time but somehow even more tense. He actually wanted to put the entirety of the levy into a display of force? Leaving the main land unguarded? There was nothing stopping either race from making a move away from the border and the frontier, she’d had reports of rouges doing just that, so this made no sense. Besides which, out of the two threats the humans were the lesser ones. They needed to be kept under watch, but the orcs were more likely to start a sporadic attack.
Sighing to herself, Yveine listened to the other council members but found little of value in their words. She waited a moment before standing up, clicking her tongue slightly until the spider scuttled up her arm to rest on her shoulder. Taking her leave, she made her way out of the room and instantly caught sight of a blonde woman in light armour, her face shadowed by a hood. The woman noticed her appearance and walked over.
“If I may have your ear Etoile?” She asked in a low, quiet tone, extending her hand in a sign of respect and bowing her head.
Yveine touched the outstretched palm before responding “You always have it Aino. I assume more of the same.”
The two of them began making their way along the corridor as Aino spoke, “Indeed Etoile, the Orcs continue to move against us. There have been citizen deaths again. Nothing major from the humans but talk is spreading, there have been more ranger sightings and moving around the border is more risky than ever.”
“That’s to be expected from them, they won’t strike until it’s necessary.” She muttered to herself, eyeing her Lumen carefully. “Your face suggests something else.”
“Nothing certain Etoile. Much like with the humans it’s just talk. But it concerns the demons.” Aino saw Yveine raise an eyebrow, quickly adding “No sightings and no witnesses, but their presence has been mentioned increasingly over the past months. It seems to be merely rumours and suspicions.”
“Suspicion is sometimes more dangerous than truth… Keep your ears to the ground. Inform the other Lumen to return to the estate, we may have to change our positions. I’ll brief you later.”
“Understood Etoile.”
The two of them had arrived in the main part of the palace, and Aino bowed deeply before heading towards the main doors. Yveine scanned the room for a moment, contemplating her next decision… and caught sight of Elterys with the human ambassador. Evan Deadwood. She had no issues with him, in fact she approved highly of his role as ambassador, but it was Elterys she wished to speak to; if she was going to plan how to place her Lumens she needed to know where they were needed.
“Better perform our civic duty Aranea.” She murmured softly to the spider before making her way over to the two. “My lords.” Her voice was gentle but it carried, as she stopped before them and bowed her head respectfully to each in turn. “Forgive the interruption, but if I may have your ear a moment my lord Mheadros?”

Elterys and Evan had just been standing in the main hall, conversing about various sundry things when they were interrupted by a gentle voice parted their conversation like a wind parting leaves. "My lords.. Forgive the interruption, but if I may have your ear a moment my lord Mheadros?" and thus the young noblewoman Yveine stepped into the light. Evan gave a smile, bows, and as he turns away from the two elves he gives a quick wink to Elterys, who shakes his head wryly as he turns to fully face Yveine.

"Of course milady. What is it that you require of me?" His voice came out as an attempt at courtesy, but it did not truly cover the exasperation that he was feeling, for the realization that he would be defending the entire frontier.

Yveine nodded politely to Evan as he left before returning her attention to Elterys.
She did not miss the tone in his voice at all, and knew exactly what it meant. The weight of the situation was far greater than it had been before, and she had to wonder what was going through the Kings mind. Still, all the more reason to make movements now.
“It is more what you require of me my lord.” She began, meeting his eyes directly. “Given his majesty’s… decision, I realise that forces are going to be spread a bit thin. Therefore I’d like to offer my services. My Lumens are at your disposal should you need them, wherever reinforcements are required. I realise that they are not much compared to the Grey Guard, but they will serve to their last breath for our kingdom.”

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Elterys nodded at her words for they made sense, and studied her a little more closely. Perhaps this is what he needed?
"Interesting. I will of course require the numbers of your Lumens, but perhaps we could establish an information network, so that nothing enters our borders without us knowing, as well as tracking raiding groups and leading the Guard to them. Yes, this could work. Hmmm... Of course, this will mean you will be acting under my command, and that means you require a title. You'll be my Mystikos, the Master of Whispers. I'll get the pay and paperwork figured out at another time of course, but this will have to do for now." He was now standing with arms crossed, one arm supporting the other as he stroked his chin. "Also, I would like as much information as you can get me on the situation on our borders." his words rolled out in the tone of someone who is used to orders being followed immediately, without question. He then fixated his gaze upon Yveine, awaiting her reply.

Yveine couldn’t help raising an eyebrow in amusement at how quickly he agreed, and at the instant spill into regulations and organisation. Talk about dedicated to the job.
“Mystikos? How quaint. If that is more convenient for yourself then I accept it, but the Lumens shall continue to refer to me by my family title of Etoile.” She said calmly, deciding to be direct as possible. “As for numbers, I have fifty in total; each of them are skilled in stealth and speed, with focus on staying unseen. I’ve had their focus on the southern border for the moment, as that is the most unpredictable, but there are several placed towards the northern frontier to keep an eye on the orcs. All reports come directly to me, and while all information shall of course be shared with you and your guard, I should like things to remain that way. Where you need information to come from and how far the network spreads shall be at your discretion.”
Aranea had begun crawling down Yveines arm, her beady eyes watching Elterys as she moved across her owners hand, freezing as it lifted to help her balance better. Yveine continued to speak to Elterys as if nothing had changed, although her eyes were now on the spider.
“As you say, all the details can be worked out in time. Regarding what I can give you now, there is nothing new regarding the orcs attacks. The humans are getting restless but nothing has been acted upon, the worst incidents have been a few ranger sightings. Nothing you’re not aware of and simple enough to provide.” Her eyes slid away from Aranea and back to Elterys, her expression taking on that underlying knowledge that had earned her such an untrustworthy persona despite her loyalty. Yveine smiled slightly, her voice lowered as she added “The information I don’t know how to deal with... is that regarding demon activity.”

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Elterys began pacing, listening to what she had to say, when his attention was caught by a bright orange and blue spider crawling onto Yveine's hand. His eyes widened slightly, but when she did not complain, he decided not to mention it. He stopped moving though at her last comment. Demons had not been seen in an extremely long time, and for them to resurface at this time was a coincidence that he did not want to consider. "Demons? How many are we talking here? What rumors are there?," his voice came out in a fast cadence, a tone of worry beginning to leak in as he calculated the possibilities. They weren't good. "Now come, walk with me. I have to assemble the Guard, and you can fill me in on the way. Also, I assume you will be coming with us on our journey to the border, correct?" He turned his body to begin moving down another hallway, glancing back at Yveine.

Yveine noticed the sudden worry in his voice, clearly this was right to see. She began walking alongside him, lifting Aranea back onto her shoulder before starting to speak again.
"Unfortunately there are very few details I can give you. The reason I haven't brought it up to the council is because it's all rumours and suspcicions at the moment, we haven't been able to get eyewitnesses or certain evidence. However over the past few months these rumours have been increasingly frequent, so unless they're proven wrong I'd rather not dismiss them." Her expression had become thoughtfull, truthfully this had been bothering her ever since the first time her Lumens mentioned demons.
Apart from the fact that demons were by far the most dangerous and violent race, posing a grave threat to all of them, the mere mention of demons would certainly get the other lords interested in the void again. If another expedition took place before the current conflicts had been dealt with, this would be all the excuse the humans would need to attack. War would break out instantly, and if going to the void was as disasterous as last time then there was no telling what they would face this time around.
"It is my intention to join you, yes." She responded, looking back at him. "The orcs are the most active threat right now and need to be dealt with before the humans mobilise. Besides, the areas of the orc attacks are the closest we've found to a source for the demon rumours. Perhaps it can provide more clues."

Elterys strode down the hall, listening intently to Yveine as she spoke. A new plan was formulating in his mind as he thought over the geography of the frontier and began considering how to deploy his extremely limited resources. With only one hundred and fifty actual warriors, and fifty intelligence agents, he had to use them with the precision of an arrow. The demon problem only compounded his other problems. All this ran through his mind as he listened to her. They passed a few passing noblewomen who gave each other knowing looks at the sight of the well known to be single March-Warden walking alone down a fairly quiet hallway with an attractive young woman. Soon rumors that Lord Elterys had picked a lady to pursue would spread throughout the entire palace. Such was the activity of bored young nobles with nothing better to do. Engrossed in their conversation however, he did not notice the looks and whispers directed at them. He and Yveine continued until they were near his suite where he and the Guard slept when they came upon one of his finest archers, an elf by the name of Telorin, fully armored and armed standing guard at the door. When he saw Elterys he quickly saluted by banging his fist to his heart. "My lord! The Guard are armored and standing ready to march. Lheandore had us prep for a march, stating that regardless of the outcome of the meeting, we would be going somewhere."

"Very good. We'll heading north, to the frontier. Have to teach some orcs a lesson. Now head back in there and tell the rest of the warriors to pack everything up. We leave in four hours."

"Yes milord!"

Elterys then turned to Yviene, and said "Gather anything and anyone you need. Meet me at the gates within four hours. Any questions?"

Yveine kept her focus on Elterys but didn’t miss the looks of the passers-by. Typical nobles, nothing better to do than gossip. At least with them heading for the frontier she'd be out of the way before the rumours started getting too ridiculous. She nodded at the archer, noticing the general soldier air about it. This was going to be an interesting experience. Then her attention was drawn back to Elterys as he mentioned preparing to leave; a bit sooner than she expected but still, the March-Warden understood these things better than herself.
“Nothing I can think of my Lord, I’ll return to my estate to gather the Lumens then we’ll head to the gates. I’m expecting thirty of them there, the other twenty are split between the borders and the rest of the kingdom. We can figure out where you want them at another time.” With that she bowed her head before him before adding “I’ll see you later then my lord, glad to be of service.” She gave a charming smile and then turned to head back out to the main entrance.
There were still a few looks as she made her way outside, it seemed that news travelled fast. Part of her wondered if they would be more or less shocked to know that she was doing this for military service. As she reached the stables, standing patiently beside her horse was a female Elf, dressed in hooded garb like Aino had been, who stretched her hand out for Yveine to touch as she approached.
“Back to the estate Etoile?”
“Only for a short while Althea, we need to gather whoever is here and get ready to head to the frontier.”
“As you wish Etoile.” Althea responded, helping Yveine up onto the black horse before getting up behind her.
“Lady Cielo!” The voice floated over to them just as Yveine was taking the reins, causing her to turn her head and sigh when she spotted an elegantly dressed nobleman heading towards her. “Glad I caught you before you left, I was hoping we could discuss something.”
“Unfortunately I’m previously engaged, my Lord Nefarian. Another time perhaps.”
“Oh come now, it will only take a moment.” He responded, smiling a little too widely as he looked up at her, putting a hand on the side of the horses head... before snapping it back when Aranea appeared just above it. "You see, I do have some concerns regarding the implementation of my forces in this display on the border. I know your little... group, has been keeping an eye on things and you haven't reported anything desperate. Perhaps you could put in a good word with Lord Mheadros, work your silver tongue a bit? It would be foolish to waste resources on something so small." His words came out just a little bit too measured, and though he kept smiling it was clear that having Althea and Aranea watching him made him comfortable.
Yveine had to stop herself from rolling her eyes at his words, keeping a polite face as she said "I'll certainly take that into consideration my lord, and I'm flattered you would come to me for this. Good day."
"Wonderful, thank yo-"
He was cut off abruptly as the horse suddenly started off, going at a steady trot, heading down through the capital towards the outskirts.

Elterys gave a curt smile and bow as Yveine left, then strode into his suite into a display of military discipline. Grey Guardsmen were packing their belongings into packs made of shaped leather, all dyed grey, emblazoned with the eye of the Guard. However all this activity ceased when Elterys walked in, every warrior there snapping to attention and saluting. He returned the salute and bade them continue, continuing his movements. He strode to his comrade Lheandore, clasping his arm and greeting him "Greetings. Tis good to be out of that bloody pit of syncophants known as the Royal Council. Bunch of arse-kissing lay-abouts who think their talent with magic will save them from an orcish blade. Speaking of which, we're headed to the frontier. Which I assume you knew?"

Lheandore's voice was warm and full of life as he replied, the beginnings of laughter bubbling into his words "Ah good to see you my lord. I'm sure they weren't all that bad, I mean you turned out half decent right? And you are of the same rank as them! But yes, I figured we'd be heading out there, hence the extra clothing the lads are packing. I've requested about three hundred quivers of arrows from the arrowsmiths, as well as a multitude of other things. It'll take them about three hours to get all the arrows over here but-"

"Send a runner and tell them to bring the arrows to the gates. Thats where I want all supplies taken to while we prep to move. Also, I know five of the Guard are good healers, but do you think we should hire an expert or three?"

"Well I don't know of any experts who would leave their cushy place here in the nice safe capitol to go freeze their rears off, while worrying about getting stabbed by a bloodthirsty orc."

"Guess I'll have to ask nicely. Send a few warriors and have them bring me two good healers. Do whatever is necessary. Every Elf must do their part. That goes double for those with skills useful to our mission. I'll pay their price. But they must come." His voice cracked out like a whip at these last few sentences. Lheandore saluted and walked off, calling names and briefing them, secretly worrying about his friend. Elterys however merely walked to his room and began to pack. First he armored himself, placing his silver greaves on his shins, wrapping his torso in the armor. He picked up his pack, putting a change of clothing in it, as well as a warm grey cloak. He leaned his bow against the wall, next to the door, along with his spear. He didn't have all that much to clear out. Just a few changes of clothing for more formal occasions which he would not need. Within thirty minutes the room was clear, everything packed or left in a neat folded pile on the bed. His pack and quiver were on his back, his bow strung and paced over his shoulder, his spear in his right hand, and he strode out looking like a Warrior-Prince. His power was evident for all who saw him in his glory. But what would this mission gain him? What was actually out there? Could he do his duty, and defend his people? All these questions went through his mind, chinks in the armor that was his confidence...

Three hours later, at the mighty gates of the city, twenty one of Eldanoore's finest warriors stood, gleaming in their silver armor. They paced as they conversed with each other, waiting for the final order to move out. Elterys was standing there, tapping his foot impatiently, waiting on the arrows. He thought he was gonna explode when a few Elves came over pulling a cart full of quivers. They bowed, and walked off. Elterys began calling out orders to his soldiers,and four of them quickly moved to the cart, ready to pull it. All that remained were the healers and Yveine. Another few minutes passed, and a pair of of the Grey Guard came back, with three Elves in distinguished and well made robes between them. One of them, a male with a look of indignation on his face came striding up, lifting his hand in the air and began yelling at Elterys. "Who do you think you are that you think that you can just force me out of my abode to go freeze in some barbarous frontier land away from people who actually need my skills!!! The audacity is unreal!" Elterys slapped the Elf's hand away.

"I am the March-Warden of Eldanoore, and I require your skills. I am willing to pay a fair price. You will obey me. Our nation is more important than your comfort Master Yeleryn, and I expect you to realize this right about now. Warmer clothing will be provided for you and your assistants at Himring. Am I understood?" His voice came out in a crisp tone that brooked no defiance, and the healer bowed his head, cowed for the moment. He wandered back to his comrades. Elterys shook his head at Yeleryn's cowardice and continued his pacing. He was ready to move, for every moment that was wasted put more Elven lives at risk...

The group of Lumens made their way along the road back towards the gates of the city.
Riding at the head was Yveine with Althea sat behind her as always, with Aino on horseback just behind. Two or three others sat on horseback while the rest walked on foot, all in identical dark blue or green attire, very lightly armoured with hoods pulled over their heads, keeping faces in shadows. There wasn’t a military discipline to their movements, yet they weren’t disorganised or rambling by any means. It was a strangely unnerving sight, and they got several strange glances as they moved closer to the city. But Yveine was used to this, especially as she had left the hood of her travelling cloak down to leave hers as the only face to be seen. Ever since she first introduced the Lumens they had been getting odd looks, but no one argued with the results. Aranea scuttled along her owners arm to sit on top of the horses head, her bright colours a stark contrast to the dark shades of the group as a whole.
Yveine couldn’t help but smirk, hearing familiar voices as they approached the gates. Her eyes took in the soldiers, resplendent in their armour and stood to attention, much like their leader who appeared to be dealing with some healers. They were an awkward bunch, but she doubted they would go against commands when the
“I hope we did not keep you waiting my lord.” She said, her soft voice carrying clearly across as she stopped before Elterys, bowing her head respectfully before him and giving an approving smile to the warriors. Althea also nodded her head briefly and it even looked like Aranea made some kind of bowing movement, while behind them Aino made some gestures with her hand that instantly got the group to stop still before them. “We leave at your command.”

Elterys's face broke into a quick smile at the arrival of Yveine and her Lumens, and he bounded forward, leaping onto the cart full of quivers, feet spread apart as he balanced, and raised his arms in greetings and to quiet everyone. "Alright everyone! The time has come! On this day, on this hour, we march to the frontier! We march, not for glory or self-preservation as some here in this very palace may claim, but for the good of our Nation! The glory of our people! Some may call us insane for proposing to take on entire tribes of orc! I say they are insane for not believing in us! What say you!"

The Grey Guard lifted their arms and yelled "Aye!" in a wall of sound.

Elterys lifted his spear, and yelled "March, March for me! March for your Land! March for your people! Know that every step you take brings you one step closer to the salvation of our race! Forwards!" his voice ringing like a trumpet, galvanizing every soul within earshot. The Guard formed into a column, armor shining in the sun, and began marching in perfect unison, foot after foot hitting the ground, raising little plumes of dust as they did so. Then they began to sing. They sang of war and of victory, of blood and death, and of their love for Eldanoore. This was their tribute. This was their time. This was the might of the Elda marching to war in all their brilliant power.

The Lumens all shared expressions of pride at the words, with a few of them even shouting “For Eldanoore!” amongst the shouting of the Grey Guard, but for the most part they remained quiet and reserved throughout. Some of them seemed unsure how to react, as they had never been involved in or trained for large displays like this. Yveine herself wasn't one for big shows such as this, but even she had to admit she was impressed, not only by Elterys’s words but by how quickly the soldiers began to mobilize.
Once the Guard started to march, Yveine turned her head and indicated for Aino to come over before saying “Let’s move into position for the march. Those on horseback flank either side, the rest follow on behind the Guard. Remember, keep alert at all times. If the March-Warden makes a command to halt then follow it, otherwise report to me.”
Aino nodded, turning around and making several different gestures towards the other Lumens who soon fell into place amongst the guard. Yveine waited a moment, observing the two groups merge together.
“So eager to fight, their dedication knows no bounds.” Althea commented, watching the marching soldiers.
“That’s true Althea, but it’s genuine at least. Eldanoore couldn’t ask for more.” She responded, her horse moving forward as she made her way back over to Elterys. “Strong words my lord, you certainly know how to motivate them. Perhaps you could do something similar for Lord Nefarian, he approached me earlier claiming he was uncomfortable about sending his men to Ethia's border.”

The sight of his warriors marching, singing, inspired by his words, it made his heart swell with pride, and love. Yes, love. Love for this nation that had birthed him, for this realm that he would bleed for, die for, and kill for. He merely watched them for a few seconds, watching as the Lumens integrated with the guard flawlessly, their skills evident. For the umpteenth time he was glad that Lady Yveine had joined his forces. Speaking of which, she came to him and said “Strong words my lord, you certainly know how to motivate them. Perhaps you could do something similar for Lord Nefarian, he approached me earlier claiming he was uncomfortable about sending his men to Ethia's border.”

Elterys bobbed his head at the compliment as he walked, looking up at Yveine on her horse, and then said "Nobles like he are much harder to inspire to do anything that doesn't directly help their self interests. My words would be lost on him I fear. But ah well, he is the King's problem, for today we go north! This is the day we begin to forge our glory on the anvil of destiny!" His voice, quiet at first, swelled into the ringing tones he had used earlier. Then, his voice quieted once again, and he said "Now to business. I like the way you have your Lumens arrayed around the column, but here is the plan I devised. I want two two man teams three miles out on both left and right sides of the column, to scout and warn us of obstacles. You know your agents better than I, so I will leave it to you to choose them." All this while, the singing had not ceased, and what a marvel it was to listen to. The Elda are the fair folk indeed! Their voices were a melodious blend of ringing tenors and dark baritones and rumbling basses, all blending into a wonderful harmony that would make an Elven heart swell at the sound.

Yveine couldn’t help but laugh at his comment, imagining the look on Nefarian’s face, and probably the faces of several other lords, when coming before the king to explain their unwillingness to use their forces. Her expression turned thoughtful as Elterys spoke to her regarding the scout teams. She had considered something similar herself, as she needed to ensure they would be able to get information quickly, and was pleased that this was being implemented so early. It would certainly be more suited to the Lumens skills than marching, though the others would prove themselves in time.
“That won’t be an issue, the sooner we establish a link the better our communications will be anyway.” With a nudge to the horse she trotted towards the group of Lumens, scanning them a moment before calling out “Jonik! Aesar! Rolim! Eloen!” Four Lumens, three men and a woman, soon slid effortlessly out of the group without disturbing the flow of movement. They lined up, each bowing their heads as Yveine approached before stretching a hand out to her. She touched each one individually, looking at them all directly before speaking “Scout ahead covering a three mile radius, Jonik and Rolim will take the left, Aesar and Eloen cover the right. Be alert at all times, connect to your chosen conduits quickly and report as soon as something arises. If you get in trouble, you know what to do.” They spoke “Yes Etoile.” in unison, bowing their heads again before splitting into their allocated pairs and making their way to both directions. Their movements were swift and speedy, still somehow elegant as they dashed across the plains. As they watched the quickly disappearing figures, Yveine turned her head to Althea behind her. “Althea, connect to your conduit and give the command.”
The command was responded with a quick nod. “Corvus.” Althea spoke, her voice ringing clear as she looked up to the sky, drawing on her aura to seek what she needed. Down flew a black raven, cawing loudly as it settled down upon Altheas now outstretched arm. Her eyes stared directly into that of the bird as she let out her command “Servo.” The raven stared at her for a few more moments before giving another caw and flapping it’s wings, quickly returning to the sky where it began to circle over the group, following the movements of them. “He will follow us as we make our journey and cry out if anything approaches.” She said, her head turning to Elterys while Yveine listened with a touch of pride. “That way no matter what occurs we will get warning of it sooner rather than later.”

Elterys nodded at the swiftness that Yveine carried out his orders, and watched with a slight amount of amazement at the speed the Lumens moved to accomplish their task, noting their dedication to Yveine. They marched for a time, then Elterys decided to lend his voice to the Guard's. Thus an hour passed, marching and singing, and another hour, until it was mid-afternoon. Elterys called the column to a halt for a fifteen minute break for a luncheon. With precision everyone stopped marching and began getting out food. Within five minutes every warrior was eating a meal called teloren, or "Ever-Fresh" because it never goes bad. It consists of a piece of meat, wrapped in bread, enchanted with a spell to never go bad. Every single person who has ever had it agrees that it lacks any kind of flavor. Elterys wandered over to Yveine, clutching his own teloren, and said "So what do you think of the fare? Exciting eh?" A chuckle bubbled up from his throat at this, and then he asked "Do you have any ideas you would like to share to get this mission accomplished as quickly as possible? I'm open to any and all suggestions, so long as they make sense and save lives."

Once the group had stopped, Yveine and Althea got down. The Lumens all joined in the break, even beginning to interact with the guard, yet compared to the warriors they were far more on edge, still continuing to observe their surroundings. Yveine and Althea sat down on the ground, with Yveine lifting Aranea onto a bush to let her get her own food, while Althea found herself eyeing the area like the others.
Yveine looked up, and she smirked slightly at Elterys’ comment. “Indeed, it’s a wonder we don’t serve this at our meetings. As to ideas, I feel the biggest concern is regarding how the orcs are likely to move. From the reports it’s only a few clans causing these attacks, so as long as it remains that way they it should be simple to deal with. Should the entire tribe get involved… that could be a problem. As I've said my Lumens are trained for stealth, so we will need the chance to observe their movements properly to best ascertain how to approach.” Her eyes flicked back to Elterys as she continued “You and your men have had more experience in such matters, what can we expect from them? More importantly, what do you think we can't expect from them?”

Elterys nodded as he listened to Yveine, and said "The orcs are disunited, which makes our job easier. They will move based on clan and tribe, with the strongest orcs or the smartest orcs being the leaders. When a leader dies, chaos ensues as the clan or tribe splinters. That's why when we engage them we need to hit their leadership. Now, as to the unexpected, I honestly don't see any real strategy behind this push of theirs. It seems to me that it is more of a migration of the weaker tribes who have been forced out. They shouldn't pose a serious threat to us, but we must be cautious nevertheless. Also, magic is not their forte. So we will be facing mundane weaponry powered by brute strength. Not much in the way of stealth, your Lumens should be operate with impunity. Have I answered your questions?" As he finished speaking he looked slightly to the right to see the slightest bit of grey on the horizon... Clouds? Or smoke?