Bit by bit, moment by moment, time would pass. What was once early morning was now firmly noon. People were still going about their business but at the same time many were taking a break from the daily grind, drinking in taverns, eating meals, or other leisurely activities. But for many there was still work to be done. Some may still be continuing, others were just finishing up. Either way time goes on.

[hr]

As Hark walked towards Lord Dulbur, he'd notice that this part of the town was obviously much better maintained and had actual trained guardsmen instead of the militia recruits currently manning the walls and gates. The merchants here sold higher quality goods as well, such as fine textiles, jewelry, or sweet cakes and pastries. Certainly a higher class area. As for the keep itself it was rather plain compared to some keeps Hark has been to. But plain as it was it was functional enough to serve as the final bastion against an invading army; a moat to prevent troops from climbing to the walls, plenty of sniping ports for archers, and only two entrances both which could be withdrawn. The guards stopped Hawk for a short while when he arrived to the gate to inform Lord Dulbur that he wished to have an audience. Shortly after Hawk would be allowed to meet the lord, though the rest of his men had to wait in the courtyard.

Lord Dulbur was dressed in fairly plain clothes, suitable for hard work. From his heavy breathing and the blunt sword nearby the lord must've been training. When he sees Hawk he gives him a nod and sweeps his arm over the table before him. [b]"Commander Hawk. I imagine you're here to learn about the orcs? Fortunately I have some news."[/b] Taking a small stick Dulbur pointed towards a village to the north, about a day's journey away. [b]"My scouts report that this village, Neworth, will likely be targeted next. Apparently there had been small bands of orcish raiders who have robbed the caravans and stolen cattle from here, likely to prob for their defenses. It's a large farming community that yields at least twelve percent of the crops this city gets in taxes, which is a considerable amount. We don't know what their exact numbers are or who leads them, but my scouts do tell me that whatever Warlord controls these bastards isn't near this village. Likely he has a separate warband operating on their own, gathering supplies and plunder to bolster themselves before they join the warlord's main army.[/b] Dulbur marked various spots where the orc attacks had taken place with a small green figure.

[b]"Obviously I can't send my own troops as I'll be leading them towards the east to face-off against the insurgents. Those orcs may burn down a few villages, but only those traitorous bastards have the means to take my city. I don't plan to let them take one step on my lands. [/b] Dulbur pushed a medium sized blue figure, his army, towards the east to show where he'd be at. Hawk's army, represented as a small red figure, was pushed towards Neworth. [b]"So you'll be dealing with the orcs. I don't care what means you use to destroy them, just make sure that they don't do too much damage to my villages. Burnt fields and dead peasants are useless to me. Unfortunately I don't know where the bulk of the raiders are hiding, nor when they'll be attacking Neworth. However I still have scouts at the village who may know more by the time your men get there. I expect that you and your men will be ready to leave by tomorrow at the latest."[/b] Lord Dulbur stood up as a servant entered the room with two chalices full of wine. He took one, and one was given to Hawk.

[b]"Any questions?"[/b]

[@Elevation]

[hr]

As the two warriors went to look for work, they'll know that the captain of the guard was looking for willing and able fighters. With the lord of the city currently out on campaign, the city's seneschal was also looking for work. That being said, the captain of the guard would be the easiest to find as the seneschal had his hands full dealing with paperwork and other requests from the various guild to the recent raid. So the duo would eventually arrive to the barracks where the captain of the guard was easy enough to spot. He stood tall among the other soldiers, with broad shoulders, a firm jawline, and a grizzled face. A veteran of his own battles. He appeared to have been drilling a lesson to his soldiers about courage, duty, and the consequences of not following them. He seemed to have noticed Johnes and Garren, and then dismisses his soldiers after he finished his speech.

The captain walked up to the two men. He dressed in a sturdy looking gambison and had a fine sword on his hip. His hands were rough and gnarled, and his right eye seemed faded. He was either blind or had a hard time seeing out of that eye. [b]"You're not one of my soldiers. I'm guessing you're looking for work? I could use strong arms in these times. But before I hire you I'll want to make sure you're not just a bunch of cravens wearing stolen armor. Follow me."[/b] Should the two knights do as they were told, they would meet the guard captain in a dusty training field where many other soldiers were training. They were either doing squad tactics with spears and shields, target practice at the archery range, or hand-to-hand at a circular dirt area. The captain turned to the two knights. [b]"I've no doubt that you're both skilled fighters. But what I really need now are smart men. I want you to go to one of those three training areas and show my men something new and useful. Show me that you have an understanding of your own techniques and aren't just a dullard following his instincts."[/b]

[@ArkmageddonCat]