Barony of Silverthorn, Rural Deci Options

[Will]

The two men near silently moved through the waters in the half light of dawn until they joined a third man laying half submerged in the cold rivers waters of the ford. From here they kept silent watch on both sides of the river the ruins of the small keep that sat on the south bank and the small one time hamlet now a mass of fetid tribal poles, fetishes and crude tents against once well-tended homes.

As they watched and waited one of the new men occasionally threaded coloured beads onto a long twine, while the first would tie knots of varying complexity in three strands of leather. Patient and willing to suffer and endure the cold grasp of the icy river dawn turned to day turned to dusk turned to night. As fires began to be lit on both sides of the river the third man tapped a signal on his shoulder and like three watery ghosts they slid across to the bank and up into the shadows at its edge.

As one they kept low and headed east picking their way through the rubble and stones at the water’s edge.

***

He stood over the makeshift table looking at the rolled out hide with the key points of the small barony marked upon it. He placed a small number of blue beads at the point noted as Chade O’Rose and a larger number of red beads nearby across the river where an intricate heart was noted.

There was a brief blast of cold air as the flap of the hide tent opened and the fire in the brazier spat embers into the air as the wind touched it. The aged, weathered looking veteran that entered came quickly to the table.

“Fred reports Starfall village is empty, and seemingly reclaimed by nature like it’s been abandoned for a decade rather than twelve seasons. I confirm the trail from the mine is clear, found signs of an old camp, likely the Maws’s but it is a good four seasons or more since anyone Hobgoblin or otherwise used it.”

“Now Silverthorn is a different matter, the Rats are dug in for sure but they aren’t seemingly leaving in more than threes or fours when they do skulk out.”

“Yesterday’s numbers seem to tally with all our other wider scouting of the North and South of the river.” The first man nodded.

“Then it is time, I shall gather and engage the mercenaries to commence with the mine. It will have to be negotiation with the Ratfolk, we do not have the resources for anything more and history has shown us the children of Amora’s Gaius are best entreated with. Thimon is an example of how they can strengthen the Empire. If they won’t bend we’ll have to find another solution but our first priority remains here.”

He placed a single black stone etched with a silver runed S just an inch south of the red stones. “Get some hot food and some rest, then at dawn take the rest to the agreed point, hunker down and I’ll join you as swiftly as I can. We’ll soon drench our steel in the blood of the tribes again and finally claim my shattered home.”