[Child of the 7th Age]

Guthwine:

Reluctant to trust the newest recruits, Guthwine had decided to bring Kandel and Soran, two members of the original scouting party, along with the young and impetuous Rudgar. At least the lad had a stout heart and could use his honied tongue to wriggle out of difficult situations. Guthwine hoped his choice of comrades would placate Lotar whose anger had spilled over upon hearing the news that an expedition had been planned without his knowledge or consent. In the interests of maintaining a modicum of peace between them, Guthwine had grudgingly backed down and agreed to let Lotar finalize the plans for the group.

By mid-afternoon, four outlaws huddled around a small table in Lotar's tent surveying a crude map that had been set down in front of them and listening to final instructions before setting out on their journey to Bree. They expected to arrive by early evening and spend a few hours studying the layout of the town, assessing its manpower and defenses, before returning to the camp later that night. Each of the men carried a dagger or sword hidden within the folds of his cloak or tucked under the belt at his waist.

At Lotar's insistence, the outlaws would be taking horses rather than travelling on foot. Strangers on horseback were a common sight in the streets of Bree and would elicit no special notice, since, even now, the town could boast a number of caravans arriving at its gates. And if the identity of the men was ever exposed, the horses would provide their swiftest means of escape.

The men hurried out of the tent and, heading southwest, strode across the camp mounted on their horses. On into the forest they trotted, being careful to avoid the smaller towns or any of the outlying farmsteads. The afternoon sun had dipped low in the sky, almost touching the far horizon, by the time the riders reached the northern outskirts of Bree and came to the opening in the hedge where they could slip through into the town.

Before they pushed through the hedge, Guthwine tugged on Rudgar's sleeve and beckoned to Kandel and Soran to come stand by his side. He looked around and whispered fiercely to them, "Go now, and have a look at the city, and gather the information that we need. Do not waste your time on idle feasting or drinking, but do the job we were sent to do. We will all meet this evening outside the Pony, the largest hostelry in Bree, two hours past dinnertime. Then we will make our way back to this place and push onward to our encampment."

"Meanwhile, be careful what you do and say. Listen to the conversations around you on the streets; do not be afraid to talk to others. Find out everything you can, but be careful to hide your true identity. And, wherever you go, do not get left behind in the city!" Here, Guthwine stared straight at Soran. The men nodded mutely in reponse, and then each pushed his body through the hedge and came out on the other side, within the boundaries of Bree.

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 12:10 AM December 29, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]