[Ransom]

As far as many Gondorians were concerned, there was very little in Harad besides sand and cutthroats. They could hardly be blamed for their error—political dialogue between Umbar and Minas Tirith was nonexistent, never mind educational exchange. Still, Barak had found that the arid land harbored a number of unusual (and sometimes quite useful) animals and objects. Whenever he had a few hours off, the Gondorian could often be found wandering through the crowded markets that dotted the city of Umbar. In the race event that he had a few days off, the knight would often drag Mara into the countryside to observe the wildlife. Some of this constant searching had paid off quite nicely—more than a few people had unexpectedly left the mortal coil shortly after discovering some sort of poisonous animal in their house. Other discovers weren’t nearly as useful, but amusing nonetheless. Pluffy, the black cat that was the center of Mara’s attention at the moment, was a perfect example of such a discovery.

Barak turned his attention away from the energetic ball of fur and back to the map that lay on the table in front of him. They could not possibly cover enough ground to reach the next village today, and the snow certainly didn’t look like it would end tonight. No one had particularly enjoyed the cold ride from Minas Tirith, and the knight was fairly certain that none would want to attempt the same journey in the middle of the night. His hand traced the path of the Great West Road as its traveled south from Minas Tirith. There—a small outpost on the side of the road about halfway between their current position and Arbrook. With any luck, the party could ride the distance before nightfall. The knight cleared his throat loudly.

“Ladies and gentlemen. If you’d be so kind to come over here.”

Reluctantly, the group gathered around the table. No one was particularly enthusiastic in continuing the long winter ride.

“Unless any of you are particularly partial to riding through the night, we’re going to head to the outpost here. At the very least, it’ll be a warm place to spend the night and plan for the morrow. Let’s start moving. I’m sure not one of you wants to be outside after dark.”

[ May 31, 2003: Message edited by: Ransom ]