[Child of the 7th Age]

After the departure of the scouts, the members of the company had occupied themselves the best they could. Each of them had inspected and cleaned their weapons, making certain they were ready for the assault on the bandit camp planned for later that night. Once all the swords and bows and daggers were battle ready, Elentari found herself pacing back and forth in anticipation of the Rangers' arrival. Unfortunately, that was still hours away.

She considered sending out a spy or two to reconnoiter the area where she suspected the bandits to be hiding. But, with the sun bright overhead, and no cover of mist or rain, this seemed too risky. Still, it bothered her that she knew so little about the band, how many members they had, and what kind of weapons they were toting.

The minutes and hours dragged by slowly, far too slowly for the impatient Elf and her companions. Tempers were beginning to fray when Elentari suggested setting up some friendly competition with bow and blade within the company itself. That way they would keep busy, but still get in needed weapons practice. For the remainder of the afternoon, the Elves and Dwarves and Men took turns aiming at various targets, some stationery and others moving. Laughter and teasing filled the air, followed by moments of intense concentration, as the men and women competed for the honor of besting all their companions. A few went off later and practiced with their swords, being careful not to inflict any real injuries upon each other.

As the sun slipped below the horizon, the practice came to a halt. Elentari had the companions gather under the tangled branches of a thickly wooded grove, sitting silent in the darkness as they ate plain bread and cheese. There would be no warm dinner, since any sign of a campfire might alert the bandits to their presence. Callo stood guard outside, lying down on top of the hill to ensure that no one crept up and surprized them.

It was Callo with his keen ears and eyes who first sensed the approach of the returning scouts. He could hear the noise of hooves beating rhythmically on the hard packed eart, and came back triumphantly to annnounce, "They're here. They're here. Four horses! One bears Grain and Rowan. But there are three others. The riders look to be well armed, and the steeds are swift."

The Rangers quickly pulled into the grove, dismounting and extending their arms in greeting. Elentari smiled when she saw they were led by Aravorn, "Thank goodness you've come." she said, rushing forward. "For you know more about these ruffians than we do."

Aravorn nodded solemnly, "That is true. We've seen these men strike many times and leave the dead and bleeding in their wake. I wish that I could have brought more Rangers, but I had to leave some at camp to protect the roads up there. Unfortunately, there is more than one band of brigands loose on the roads. But these folk are the worst, and I would dearly love to see them pay for their insolence and cruelty."

For the next hour, Elentari consulted with Aravorn learning as much as she could of the thieves' ways and schemes. "So there are only seven of them? she questioned. "Then we should definitely prevail."

"Don't be sure!" Aravorn stood up, addressing the entire company. "These men are fiendish. They have constructed a tunnels through the tall grass where they may walk without letting anyone know they're coming. Rumor has it that they've dug giant pits hidden by branches so that the unwary can slip in and receive serious injury. Even if we all work together, it is not certain who will prevail. But I will willingly risk my neck for a chance to get back at these thugs who have brought tears and misery to so many."

After that, everyone mounted on their steeds, with Aravorn and Elentari in the lead, silently threading their way through the tall grass in the direction of the bandits' lair.

[ June 14, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]