[IC] Chapter 1 - Concerning Orcs

The two start to make their seperate ways after they finalized their plans. Dennan can hear horses being prepared to ride. their way toward the mansion is illuminated by the light spilling out the open front doors. A drowsy guard stands watch, leaning against the doorframe.

The sides of the building have windows that also let the warm yellow light stab into the darkness. The opposite side of the building has a small out structure attached to the main mansion, it’s low roof gives the impression of a storage shed.

[continued]

[DENNAN]

You slip across the street. The slight glow of your hunters mark, only visible to you, lines the guards footprints like pale green moss. As you approach, you can quickly tell that there are three horses being prepared by the different whinny and stamping of hooves.

You reach a point maybe twenty feet from the open staves that gives you a good view. You two riders waiting in their saddles while your quarry tightens some saddle straps.

The mounted guards eyes keep darting back and forth as they fidget in their saddle, obviously uneasy. You pick up a few hushed words about a "message" and "incident" and "newcomers".

Your quarry finishes quickly and prepares to mount his horse.

[Veronica]

You make your way to the wall easily. The guard at the door is so aloof and your footsteps so soft that you could easily reach out and touch him without him being the wiser.

Peeking in the windows reveals nothing incriminating. The hall that the entrance enters into is a wide open area with a fire pit in the center. The wooden walls are covered with tapestries of ancient victories presumably that show the honor of the houses history.

In the entrance there are somewhere between 10 and 20 guards, no sign of Sir Antonic.

Some guards are sleeping on benches, others are playing dice in the corner. None notice Veronica at the window.

Deeper in the hall, you can see a grand staircase leading up to the second level of the mansion. The second floor has windows not visible from the ground and fills the back half of the mansion. A large chimney is over the fire through the vaulted ceiling.

Dennans quarry finishes saddling up and mounts his horse. The three trot out of town with a purpose, passing both Dennan and Veronica on their way out.

[VERONICA]

The horsemen pass your hiding spot at the windows and start to make their way out of town to the north, toward the mountains, at a canter.

You can hear some more noise coming from the stables. Inside no one seems to be doing much different or exciting. The night is winding down and their eyelids are getting heavy, duty be damned.

One of the guards, you assume a leader, goes up the stairs for only a moment before coming back down to the men. You are confident you have still not been seen in your hiding place.

[DENNAN]

With the guards gone, you enter the stables. There are a few horses to choose from and you make your selection, your knowledge of animals assisting you in choosing the one with best temperament and strength.

While it is unsaddled, the horse responds easily to your calming voice and lefts you mount bareback without much fuss. Quietly leave the stables and can see the tracks of phantom hoof prints lined with pale green leading toward the mountains.

You follow.

The road is rutted and rough as you leave town. After about 20 minutes of fast riding to not fall too far behind the train veers off into the treeline. The hastily covered trail betrayed by your hunters mark.

You make your way through the brush along the path for another 25 minutes when you hear a clanging of an armored figure moving and horses stamping the ground. The forest is glowing a flickering a campfire yellow ahead.

You can see the horses between you and a small clearing, the riders have dismounted.

[GRAMUN]

This night out in the forest is much like any other. The sound of insects is a constant, chirping of grasshoppers and the flickering of lightning bugs in the mountain forest north of the human town of Verge.

The night air is colder than usual but not so much so as to raise an eyebrow. Though something does catch your attention.

Woodsmoke, lots of it. In fact you can see the glow of a fire through the trees a good way off. It is coming from a clearing you know well and think you can be there in a bit of time if you were inclined to investigate.

With the weather it’s unlikely to be a forest fire.

[VERONICA]

About 45 minutes after the horses, and you can only assume Dennan, the guards in the mansion are either asleep or trying to go to sleep. They are laying sprawled across the floors and tables of the entry hall.

Gramun grumbles to himself. "Damn who's up to what now?" As he stares at the glow through the trees he wonders, woodcutters? No, he scared off the last bunch and besides they usually just want to chop the woods down not burn them. Maybe some arrogant noble from one of cities too scared, and unable to sleep comfortably without a fire as big as house. Maybe a orc or goblin raiding party they seem to love to set everything on fire. Hoping that it's not the latter thought (as he's not sure he could handle a full raiding party.) He strides through the trees towards the glowing embers keeping a steady stride until he gets closer with a plan of going for a more stealthy approach (gods willing) as he gets close.

In the forest, the fire is glowing bright and large, you can hear the snapping of logs within the center of the pile.

Back at the mansion, Veronica is able to easily climb the sheer wall of the mansion. In the bright window she comes to, she sees a small library or study. There is a small desk in the empty room. All is quiet as she inserts the crowbar into the edge of the closed window.

Silas comes out of the forest quickly and meets Dennan as he prepares to approach the clearing.

Dennan and Gramun approach the clearing from opposite sides. The clearing is about sixty feet across. In the center there is a group of three orcs and the three guards that Dennan had been tracking.

The humans edge closer to the orcs holding out the note with a straight arm.

"Orcs are here alone, no other orcs close" Silas tells Dennan after he casted speak with animals.

Both Gramun and Dennan are still unseen as the three orcs swagger up to the humans and snatch the note. The humans shift uneasily as the orcs say "you’re late, we are not be pleased".

Dennan would recognize some of the orcs as Thousand Axe who had previously imprisoned them.

[VERONICA]

The window pops open silently. Veronica slips into the room. There is a desk in the center, a leather chair near a small fireplace, a shelf of books as well as two doors on the opposite wall. You can hear a low murmer behind one of the doors.

The desk has some writing instruments as well as various nicknacks, a pile of papers, and a set of drawers.