The Keenest Edge

[Townopolis]

It is a cool spring day, a light morning rain leaves the air crisp and clean, and the sky all but cloudless. The sun strives to warm the earth, but the wind nips at the caravan as it trundles along the road, their cloaks flapping against their legs as the wind blows at their backs, almost as if ushering the travelers forth.

The road so far has been relaxing and uneventful. Simon, the merchant heading the caravan, sets a ground-eating but not exhausting pace, and the plains are giving way to the foothills that will take the caravan into the mountains and through the pass leading to the coast and Fennan. Only two other merchants have joined Simon, three small wagons carrying a mish-mash of supplies and trinkets. The bulk of the caravan is made up of seven guards, and without those guards, even these traders would not travel this road, for the village of Fennan is under siege, blocked off from the rest of the world by an ogre, or many ogres, it depends who you ask.

After two days' journey, the travelers have gotten themselves in a good traveling state, and time begins to compress and lose consistency as they begin to climb and cart across the hills.

[Lycar]

Jason marches along, quietly most of the time, lost in thought.

On the other hand, whenever someone was open for a little chat, Jason gladly used the opportunity to learn something about his fellow travellers and warriors.

He was quite happy to get a chance to talk to Daesha about tactics, as he is fond of outsmarting and outmanouvering a foe himself. He didn't mention her gender though. Seems like she has.. issues. But true to what he expected of an elf, she was an agile and quick fighter, wielding her twin swords (rapiers ?) with zeal and determination. She certainly wouldn't be just standing around, trading blows with her foe.

The other elf, Amras, seemed to be a bit too... enthusiastic about fighting. Orks are enthusiastic about fighting too, but then again, they have the stregth and stamina to back it up. Elves usually are better off fighting cautiously. Or so he learned at the academy. Jason wondered if this one was going to prove some of his teachers wrong.

Garpak, the dwarven crusader, didn't seem to think too highly of what he called 'flashy manouvers'. If it doesn't hurt the opponent, it is useless. Jason believes that helping your fellows hit the enemy is also hurting him, but he thought better then to try and change a dwarves mind about anything.

At least he was also fighting with a shield. Jason decided that it would probably best to stick close to the crusader, so they could use their shields for mutual benefit. But then he also remembers his lessons at the academy, that dwarves are more concerned about killing their foe then keeping their fellow dwarves alive. Oh well, only time would tell how much truth this lesson really contained.

Wotan on the other hand, was a warblade, just as Jason himself. Gruff, even for a dwarf, he didn't seem too keen on socializing much, seemingly content to keep to himself and his sword. Quite a big weapon to wield for someone of a dwarve's stature...

Kiehn Sondergaard, the third dwarf, seemed to be the odd man out, what with his fighting style apparently being heavily influenced by the sworsage school of magic. Strange choice for a dwarf. But interesting nonetheless.

And then there was Ranik, the gnome. Jason didn't know much about gnomes, save that they were... secretive. And this fellow certainly made sure to live up to expectations. What kind of combat style he would favour ? It might be interesting to see him fight. Although Jason had a feeling that that would be easier said then done. Especially if one should be preoccupied by trying not to get brained by an ogre.

Jason idly wondered about how they should coordinate their fighting. After all, he was basically heavy infantry, as were Gapak and Wotan. Daesha and Amras, well, they appeared to be skirmishers mostly. Best suited to quick hit and run tactics or executing flanking manouvers. He would have to talk to them about that. Kiehn, however, was handicapped by his short legs. Hrm.

And Ranik... well, the gnome was an unknown.

Lycar

[BooNL]

Ranik

Ranik spent the journey riding on one of the supply wagons. There he spent most of his time in meditation, his legs crossed and a dagger resting lightly in both his hands. His prayer was silent and it often seemed like he was sleeping.

The other part of his time was spent observing his party. A strange mish-mash of races, with a large representation of dwarves. He hadn't made his mind up about them yet, for he had not seen them in combat. The coming days would prove whether or not these warriors had it in them. All of them looked very young and Ranik assumed they were all fresh students, like himself.

Traveling was new to Ranik and despite his studies, there was no preparation for the open road. Years spent in the shadowed halls of the Dark Moon academy left his eyes a little clouded to the heavy sunlight.

[Abardam]

Garpak

Garpak was not pleased with his traveling companions. To know that he would probably in the future be sharing the battlefield with this lot... Maybe I shoulda gone with them other orc mercenaries, he thought. No respect for the ancient, revered teachings of the mighty most-high Elder Council, plus they smell like a tub of lizard crap, but at least they know how to fight.

Eh, he could tolerate them for a little while more, at least. Don't judge an axe by its edge, but instead by the number of infidel skulls one cleaved with it, his mam always used to say. Well, actually, she was a tiny bit touched in the head, but whatever.

[demihappycow]

Wotan

Wotan grimly trudges along with the group. Occasionally rolling his eyes and sighing heavily at conversational attempts made by those around him.

[GimliFett]

Kiehn Sondergaard

Kiehn Sondergaard is lean and tall for a dwarf, an effect heightened somewhat by his choice of weapon: the trident. Ever-present, it seemed the swordsage never released his grip on the weapon, and his constant twirling and spinning of the weapon seemed to indicate nervousness, or at least an abundance of energy. He wore a gleaming chain shirt under his tough explorer's outfit, and a wide-brimmed leather hat covered his head when the sun rode high in the sky. He carried a light crossbow and a dagger, though neither appeared to have seen much use.

The dwarf was intrigued by his companions. The introspective White Raven was obvious. He would probably manage the group tactically, given his training. Garpak and Wotan reminded Kiehn of his own clansfolk, set in their ways but solid and dependable. Hopefully he would be able to gain their respect soon, if not their admiration. The male elf, Amras, seemed typical of his kind as well, somewhat distant and apart from the others. His apparent eagerness to meet the ogre in battle boded...something, but Kiehn couldn't discern what the result would be. Daesha had some reason to have a chip on her shoulder, and the elf carried it as if it'd be knocked off if someone sneezed in her direction. The gnome seemed much quieter and less talkative than any Kiehn had met previously, and thus had been unable to determine much at all other than he was a devoted Dark Moon operative.

Still, Kiehn was happy to be on the road and have a mission. To truly start his own path in life.

[Kai-Palin]

Daesha

Daesha walks along willingly, and occasionally begins a few steps of a pattern dance, stepping in time with the rumble of the wagons' wheels. She holds a round stone in her hand, flipping it between her fingers. She actually seems quite kind to Jason, when they begin speaking. Sure, she was a little defensive to start out with, but she begins to relax around her new allies.

She doesn't talk much to any of the others, beyond sharing some traditional greetings with Amras. The gnome, Ranik, seemed to have a good idea of what he was doing, but she also did not wish to distract him with conversation.

Of the dwarves, she eyes Kiehn mostly, feeling that he didn't do things in a traditional manner, and approving. She largely ignores the other two, seeing in them two traditional dwarves, as solid as stone and quite as boring as a boulder.

Jason, in fact, seems to be the only one willing to speak, and so she strikes up a conversation. "So, Jason, what was your training? I learned individual fighting, and about holding off multiple foes at once. What kinds of fighting do you prefer?"

[Lycar]

Daesha
"So, Jason, what was your training? I learned individual fighting, and about holding off multiple foes at once. What kinds of fighting do you prefer?"

Jason smiles, happy to have some conversation to break up the monotony of the march.

"Ah well, you know how Comduke made the world. Orks are strong but too savage, Dwarves are sturdy but simple, Elves are agile but fragile, and Gnomes are... Gnomes. Supposed we humans have everything in balance but... well... We aren't strong enough to hold our own against Orks by strength alone. We aren't fast enough to keep up with Elves by speed alone and we aren't sturdy enough to outlast Dwarves. So what we have is unity."

His words might sound condescending at first, but he says them with a smile and a tone that suggest, that he himself doesn't take everything too seriously.

"A single human legionaire is weaker then an Ork, less enduring then a Dwarf and slower then an Elf. But a group, held together by a common goal, by a unifying belief and led by a strong and wise leader is more then the sum of it's part. In a legion, every soldier does not only fight for himself but for the empire. For his people. For the man next to him. I've been accused of hiding behind my shield too much. It isn't entirely untrue. We have these shields for more then show. A trained group of legionaires is capable to cover not only themselves, but also the men next to them with their shields. That way we are strongest when we fight in close formations."

Jason pauses a bit to sort his thoughts.

"My father used to say, in a civilisation, each man, or woman for that matter, has his or her specific place in the greater whole and by performing his or her function to the utmost degree, the whole empire prospers, form peasant to emperor. Same in the army. The infantry is the foundation of each legion, but we get support from archers, skirmishers, scouts, the siege engineers and the cooks and medics."

He pauses again, gesturing with his shortspear.

"Look at our group: The Dwarves are the epitome of the heavy infantrist. Strong and enduring, they can slug it out toe to toe with whatever foe they might face. Dwarves are the undisputed masters of static defense. Just don't ask them to change position quickly. You and Amras, you are fast and agile, consumate skirmishers. You can dictate the terms of engagement to your enemies, but you cannot hold up in a prolonged melee. You are strongest when you can flank your foes, hit them where it hurts and withdraw before the enemy can mount a counterattack. Orks are... well.. shock troops. They just assault the enemy position with brutal stregth, hoping to crush the resistance in their first onslought. If they breach the enemy line, they can inflict horrible casualties. Especially against Dwarves, who are excellent individual combatants but lack the cohesion to reform once their formations have been broken up. If the line holds, however, the Orks tend to pay for their bravery with horrible casualties."

He looks back at Daesha "So where do i fit then ? My family has been one of leaders and officers since the first valley kingdom. When i return from my journey, i surely will become an officer in the legion. So i better learn how to direct my troops, assign each soldier a task that plays to his strenght. For example, the White Raven Order teaches combat manouvers that aim not at directly damaging the opponent but to hinder him, render him immobile and defensless. I can lock my sword or shield with the weapon of the enemy, so that he cannot take opportunity of someone running past him to get in his back. Or i simply lay down a hail of blows, ineffective in damaging the enemy, yet forcing him to concentrate his defenses on me, so that he is unable to adequatly defend agains attacks from others."

Jason pauses again for a moment before continuing "Of course, squad leadership is nice and all, but as a warrior i'd betterbe able to hold my own too. Fortunately we had some Ork trainers too. They tought me how to forget about my own safety and attack with with total focus on striking true. For those occasions when you just have to score a hit."

He looks at Daesha again, smiling "So what fighting style do you prefer ?"

Lycar

[Kai-Palin]

Daesha

Listening intently to the monologue, Daesha blinks as Jason comes to a rather abrupt halt.

"Ah, so you like collective fighting. I don't see much in that, to be honest. It seems to me that twenty highly trained and swift-moving warriors would not only be easier to feed and equip, but they would be able to tear apart, say, a hundred disciplined warriors fighting in rank and file. After all, the greater the number of warriors in a group, the slower the collective reaction time becomes. Thats also why battle-mages can be so devastating, as they usually don't need very many to achieve a passible effect."

Grinning ruefully, she continues, "Now I just sound like Shinga. Personally? I don't fight. I fence, I duel, I kill, but 'fighting'? Not for me. I strike the opponent, and then let him defeat himself. No opponent is perfect, and if you just keep up your defense well enough, you'll always have an opportunity to counter his attacks and destroy his defense. I find mental fighting far better than strength fighting. Brain over brawn, you know? It seems that since I can think faster than I can move, and as you said, I'm an elf, and I can move fast, if I just outthink my opponent, then I will invariably outfence him as well."

"After all," she says, her expression becoming distant and her voice taking on a sing-song recitative quality, "Bend, never break; strike first, never expected; concentrate what you have, never dissuaded; requite with deeds, not words; make your mindfulness your weapon and your shield, never hesitate. Thus you may shape the world, guiding it to harmony."

Her eyes bright, she turns to her companions, noting the two swordsages. "Do you know any pattern dances? I'd like to practice, but its far more fun in tandem."

She draws one of her wide rapiers, holding it lightly in her left hand, and once again begins a complex set of steps, kicks, lunges, and imaginary thrusts and parries, all the while keeping a steady rhythm with regular drummings of her feet on the soil.

((If anyone knows the Sapphire Nightmare Blade or Shadow Blade techniques, feel free to join her. I'm kinda assuming that some basic steps are shared in most schools.))

[demihappycow]

Wotan
"In my House we have a saying; a well honed mind holds the keenest edge." he says with a nod toward Daesha. Though he does not join in her exercises, he does watch her movements closely.

[BooNL]

Ranik

Ranik listened to the conversation between Jason and Daesha with closed eyes, pretending to be meditating.

On Daesha's offer, he slowly stands up. "Fighting, whether in unity or through skirmish is always dependant on it's strongest source. For legions its it's leadership, take out the command and the army will fall. For skirmishes it's the mobility, pin the enemy and they will be unable to hold a line."

He eyes Jason and Daesha intently, trying to read their expression. "Remember every stance and style has a weakness. To win in battle, it is imperative you find that weakness. That is the way of the Shadow Hand and that is how the gnomes fight their conflicts.

Suddenly, he's down on the ground, standing in front of Daesha with his dagger drawn. It happened so quickly, it seemed he never moved. "Now, let us show these "shock troops" how to remain unharmed in combat."

He follows Daesha's movements and mirrors them with his Shadow Blade stance.

[The_Shaman]

Amras had stepped down from the cart, instead keeping a brisk walk to keep himself occupied for a while. During the conversation, he has been walking with an inscrutable expression, and lifts an eyebrow at Jason's analysis. It is always amusing to hear yourself characterized by another... And useful, too.. He looks around as the human speaks, curious of how the others would react at how they were characterized.

After the Daesha and Rankl in turn presented their views, he nods. It appears we have rather diverging views on what constitutes fighting, does it not? Certainly on the manner of whether two long blades are the best possible armament, but I guess we'll find out soon enough how good she is at it I suppose we'll soon be able to put them to the test. he says, although the second sentence is almost a whisper.

His eyes follow the movement of the Daesha and Ranik closely, as he judges which element of their training is shared in his. His hand is on the hilt of his sword, and should any of them attempt training practices he knows, he will join them with a simple salute with his sword before beginning.

[GimliFett]

Kiehn Sondergaard

Kiehn smiled broadly at Daesha's invitation, and admired the gnome's speed and skill with the Shadow Blade maneuver.

"My turn!" he calls as he jumps in and matches Daesha step for step with his own Sapphire Nightmare Blade, utilizing his trident in ways most would never consider effective, comparable to rapier or shortspear or even the bastard sword. Once completed, he performs Wind Stride, maneuvering himself quickly behind Daesha and winking.

"And, just for difference's sake," he grins even more broadly as he performs the Stone Bones maneuver with a flourish.

With a bow to Daesha, he turns and faces Jason. "As you can see, I've some ability in what folks consider typical of dwarves, though my preferences lie in other areas," he salutes the Legionnaire, then takes a few moments to concentrate and recover his expended maneuvers.

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Martial Lore: (1d20+5)[14]

[Lycar]

Kiehn SondergaardWith a bow to Daesha, he turns and faces Jason. "As you can see, I've some ability in what folks consider typical of dwarves, though my preferences lie in other areas," he salutes the Legionnaire, then takes a few moments to concentrate and recover his expended maneuvers.

Jason smiles broadly at the dwarven Swodsage "That was impressive ! Good to see that you are not only concentrating on the lore of your own forebearers. You will be a real boon for your people." He shoots a quick glance at Garpak "... although maybe not everyone will agree..."

He watches Daesha and Ranik dance a bit, then turns to Amras "So we have quite different fighting philosophies. Maybe we should spar a bit after setting up camp this evening. As Ranik said, everybody has a weak spot. Best we find out about ours before the ogres do."

Then Jason remembers what Wotan said and he looks at him.
"What did you say ? A sharp mind is the keenest edge ? That sounds like something a student of the Diamond Mind would say. Where did you learn about that ?"

Lycar

OOC: Argh.... getting on this board is quite a drag lately. Pages take 5 minutes to load, if they load at all.

[demihappycow]

Wotan
"We aren't warriors in my family, not traditionally. I sort of taught myself." Wotan says, somewhat haltingly. He seems uncomfortable to be speaking about himself.

[Townopolis]

The caravan continues to make its way over and across the hills, winding westward, as the sun travels an opposite path in the sky, eventually falling towards the horizon and igniting the sky in a fiery sunset. The merchants have kept to themselves throughout the journey, leaving the warriors alone to their own social circle, discussing trade and news amongst themselves. However, as he does every evening, Simon gets up from his seat next to his driver and half stands, one foot on his seat, the other on a crate in his cart. he clears his throat to call attention to himself and addresses the caravan.

"We'll be going a bit further tonight, so best be lighting your lights to keep the road seeable. There's a good camp spot a bit up the mountains themselves, used it plenty of times before and it's nice and sheltered. it's a short hike from where the pass really bottlenecks. I 'spect the ogres will be waiting for you there. This way, it's close enough you can meet them fresh as dew in the morning, just a few hours from where we'll be camping, if they're there, and I don't know any other place they could keep the town so isolated from. Until then, though, try not to miss your step.

The caravaneers begin to light lanterns to illuminate the road, hanging from wagons or hands. Simon himself comes down from his cart to walk beside his horses with a bullseye lantern in one hand and the other used to calm the beasts.

It is not long before the sun falls below the horizon completely, with one last surge of light and then the darkness of night settling in. The stars begin to wink into existance, and the travelers continue on into the night. Climbing the ever steeper hills keeping an eye on the footfalls of those walking before them and following.

[demihappycow]

Wotan

Following Simon's words, Wotan makes his own quiet suggestion "I think perhaps, umm, we should place those of us whom can see most clearly through the darkness ahead and behind the caravan. Kiehn? You seemed to be able to sprint quickly when needed, perhaps you could follow behind? It seems to me that opponents are more likely to come from ahead or from the side, so whomever is beyond the lights to the rear should be the fastest sprinter of those of us that see in, uh, the dark. And Ranik, would you go ahead slightly? I suspect you've sharper ears at least than myself or Garpak, so... Umm, and I suppose Garpak and I can each take one side. I just think, maybe we could get more warning of an ambush, not that one is likely, but we might notice attackers sooner than they would be expecting. You know, if they judge by our, uhh, lights." Wotan finishes, staring out not quite at any single person, stock still and obviously very tense.

[Lycar]

Jason smiles at Wotan. "Well, i do say, for someone who has no family background for military training, you make some damn fine suggestions about force deployment. Actually, i don't think there is much to add to this. People who can see better in the dark or under low-light conditions in the front and back to better spot trouble."

He looks between his fellow warriors.

"Since i'm pretty much the only one who is as blind as a bat as soon as night falls, i'll better stick with the convoy. At least that way i can help defend the civilians."

Personally, Jason was not so keen on keeping marching into the darness. But then again, he was not the caravan leader and the merchants should know about the safe resting spots. They did this for a living after all.

Lycar

[Abardam]

Garpak

"Oh, awrigh', awright," Garpak yawns, getting up and scratching himself. Picking up his shield and axe, he swings his feet off the caravan and stumps to the front. "Gods, it'd be nice to be fightin' instead about talkin' about fightin', for once!" He scratches his head. "Well, I get confused if ye lot were talking about fighting or dancin'."

[GimliFett]

Kiehn Sondergaard

The swordsage nods at Wotan's suggestion. "Sure, I can cover rear-guard. Good ideas, Wotan!" With a twirl of his trident and a tip of his hat, Kiehn heads to the back of the caravan, about twenty feet or so behind the last wagon.

[Kai-Palin]

Daesha.

"That sounds fine, I'll take point with Ranik."

Holding her lightblade, Daesha jogs forward, shadows beginning to flicker around her, obscuring her form.

Hearing Garpak's grumble she pauses a moment and turns back, chuckling, then calls, "What difference is there, Garpak? It's all in the footwork!" before disappearing into the shadows ahead of the caravan.

Once she is 20-30 feet in front of the caravan, she keeps alert and moving, making sure that she is aware of everything that comes near. She attempts to move quietly, as well.

((Make any necessary Spot, Listen, or Move Silently checks))
HP: 18/18; AC: 17, Touch: 15, Flat-footed: 12; Maneuvers Readied: Wind Stride, Sapphire Nightmare Blade, Mighty Throw, Counter Charge, Clinging Shadow Strike; Stance: Child of Shadow (Concealment)

[Lycar]

Jason just sticks with the caravan. He decides to talk to the merchants a bit.

"Right then. The others scout ahead and bring up the rearguard, so we should arrive at your camp spot safely. Just won't have time to set up a real defense there. And tomorrow, we take care of the ogre or ogres and you can fianally bring the long awaited supplies into the town."

Lycar

[Townopolis]

Simon nods to Jason, not lifting his eyes from the road. At this point, the caravan has almost reached the foot of the mountain, and the road rises steadily.

"Least that's the plan. As for the camp, never had that kind of trouble once I get on the mountains. Our spot's nice and snug, and bandits prefer the hills. Suppose we won't be setting a fire tonight though, cold rations." Simon chews his lip a bit after the last bit whilst guiding his horses around a bend in the road.

"For the ogres, well, I sure hope you seven can do it, else this is my last trip out this way, probably my last trip anywhere." Simon shrugs and sags a little. "Guess that'd make them right, but this is my best route, hard to give up."

[GimliFett]

Kiehn Sondergaard

The dwarven swordsage follows the caravan in the darkness, occasionally stopping for a moment or two to check the path behind, then moving to catch up to twenty feet or so behind the last wagon. He constantly spins and twirls his trident in an impressive display of dexterity, unusual in dwarven manner. A smile plays about his lips, a constant reminder that he enjoys the open road more than his people usually do.

[The_Shaman]

Amras

Amras' eyes open slightly more widely as the others switch to the Diamond Mind discipline, and he performs the training maneuvers calmly. His movements might be less interesting than his peers' skill with two weapons or a trident, but his swordwork is no less impressive.

Then, looking at Kiehn, he performs a passable version of his next move.

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An oak soars to the heavens, for its roots are deep in the ground

, he says in his native tongue, and salutes the dwarf. It is good practice, though I suppose we will have occasions enough to measure our skills when we arrive.

He nods at Jason's suggestion, but for now travels to the side of the carts. How many ogres do you suspect are there, master Simon?

[Townopolis]

Simon shrugs at Amras' question.

"Never been close enough to see any myself, always stayed far enough away so as not to get eaten, see. Afraid your guess is as good as mine, son."

From behind, one of the drivers speaks up "I heard there were seven of them, four big ones, with hands the size of a man's skull, and two little sneaky ones, and a big boss who has horns above his eyes and sword-sharp claws."

Next to the driver, the merchant he works for scoffs. "Nonsense, There's only supposed to be the one big one, that's what all the first stories said, and don't trust anything once it's been in gossip long enough. Just the one one-eyed one."

The driver and merchant then begin to bicker, quietly, among themselves over the number and traits of the besieging ogres. Simone himself gives Amras another shrug. "That's the best we know. I'm afraid anyone who could tell you for sure, well, isn't here."

[Lycar]

Jason smiles. "We will see for ourselves soon enough. The important part is that you stay behind. If we fall, well, no need for you to get eaten too."

His tone suggests that he doesn't really believe that that is going to happen though.

He does wonder while they march on.

(Hrm. Maybe it started with one ogre and others showed up later. When it turned out there were easy pickings to be made there. Seven of the brutes would be bad news though. Would be a bad idea to face them all at once...)

Lycar

[The_Shaman]

Amras

The elf nods, and looks to the side for a moment. Then he shrugs and he seems to worry no more about it. In the twilight, he takes a moment to quickly see if those in the front have any ranged weapons, before falling in step to Jason.

He walks alongside the human for a short while before asking I trust you were planning a reconnaisance?

[Lycar]

Jason turned to Amras with a slight smile.

"Why, are you volunteering ? An army's strength is wasted if it is blind to see where to strike. Likewise, getting surprise on the enemy is a huge advantage. Scouts are the eyes and ears of every armed force. From what i have learned, this is one of the areas elves excel in."

"It does of course depend on us not stumbling upon the ogres while we still plan our moves."

Jason walked on for a few moments, then continued.

"Maybe we should ask Ranik how good he is at recon duty. But we can only really worry about that tomorrow morning. After a day of marching, we need the rest."


Lycar

[Townopolis]

As the darkness thickens around them, the caravan climbs higher into the mountain. Eventually, however, Simon turns the lead off the main road onto a smaller path. The path winds around the mountain only a short way, pushing forward until solid rock rises to the right and a steep drop falls of to the left, and then the path quickly widens into a small plateau.

"Here we are." Simon declares, and the drivers soon have their three meager charges circled in a cliffside campsite that could have twice the caravan's size. Bedrolls are taken off the wagons, and lain out beneath the carts, where the merchants and drivers are wont to sleep for safety's sake.

One driver draws flint from his pack and his dagger, but the merchants quickly have it put away.

"No fire, remember? Don't want those ogres seeing it and coming to have a look."

The lack of a campfire makes the quickly assembled camp dismal and cold, even more so when everyone is picking at cold rations in the dark. Drivers mutter to themselves and the merchants all cast glances filled with mixed complaint and doubt at the warriors, wondering if the trip was worth it, if the seven would succeed. Simon finishes his rations quickly, and comes to hunker down near Jason.

"Well, this is it, end of the road for us if you don't come back here with ogre ears. In the morning, follow the wagon path back to the main road, and continue up the mountain like we were. It's about an hour up to the real thin bit o' pass where I 'spect the ogres will be. Narrow place there, just wide enough for one small cart to get through without scraping the rocks, goes on for about half a mile, then the mountain opens up again." Simon chews on his lip a little.

"Know you all will be needing your sleep, but we were all hoping for at least one watchman tonight, being so close to danger and what." His smile is uncertain, but his eyes gleam hopefully.