(011) The Expedition North

[waysoftheearth]

verhaden wrote:
Mads the Fair

"Hrm." He considers for a moment, scratching the stubble on his face. "I say we ford the river here, while we can, and make our way north. There's not much road to speak of anyway."

[waysoftheearth]

tonneau wrote:
"I must say I agree with the fair Mads", says Gustave. "Lets get moving before more vegetation asails us", he adds, glancing back at the swamp.

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
The noon time break is done with, and rations are stowed and packs slung once more onto backs. As nobody is in violent disagreement, the company elects to ford the stream as soon as it is practical, and heads down to the babbling watercourse.

Anwyn and Olaf move ahead along the stony river bank in search of an easy crossing, while the rest of you clamber along behind with the cart. The river itself is only a score of feet wide, but the muddy water is icy cold and swift running, despite its being relatively shallow. For a river.

Soon enough those scouting out a crossing return to report an ideal ford ahead, and within the hour the whole of the company has reached the place where the river splays to twice its width as it streams across a wide embankment of pebbles. Here the cold water is scarcely greater than ankle depth, and the crossing is made without incident.

The trek north then continues.

The terrain on the western flank of the watercourse seems to be more forgiving, primarily as the stout heath steady thins down to sedgy grassland as you progress. The afternoon brings yet more marching in cold blustery winds, but thankfully the rain that does fall comes in light, brief showers. In all, you make something approaching "good time" for the the greater part of the afternoon, covering a handful of miles of undulating sedges in a two column formation with the little cart bringing up the rear.

(1d6)

As the wan sun tilts toward evening in the sky, you find the wind has at last stilled, and that you are approaching a number of steeply rising ridges of stony earth ahead and west of you. It appears that you could attempt to traverse these ridge-lands either atop the ridges, or along any one of a number of gullies. Alternatively, you could turn east, back toward the river, in an attempt to circumnavigate this new obstacle.

In either case, the bridge is nowhere in sight. There are a but a few hours of grey light left in the day, and there hangs about you the foreboding premonition of rain tonight.

[waysoftheearth]

tombowings wrote:
"We aren't going to see much in this haze and even less if it begins to rain," says Flewellen. "why don't we make camp and continue our progress at first light."

[waysoftheearth]

heartless wrote:
"Lets look around these steeply rising ridges for an over hang we can shelter under from any bad weather this night", suggests Padrig. "I don't fancy getting damp again!"

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
You spend the last of the afternoon searching out a suitable place to establish the evening camp among the rocky protrusions.

(1d6=5)

The task is not overly difficult, for there are many rocky overhangs and small caves which must, at one ancient time, have been carved out of the rock by flowing water. Within the hour you have located an ideal place only a short way up one of the gullies -- where stony walls rise twenty or even thirty feet around an overgrown chasm perhaps a dozen feet wide. A wide, low recess with space enough for all has been eroded from one rock face, and with a little work the fighting-Men have soon cleared the bulk of the vegetation out of the little cave. Much of it is even dry an will make decent fuel for a fire.

By the time all this is established, a winter's dusk is descending, and everyone is eager to settle in for the evening meal and a... safer night than the last.

[waysoftheearth]

makofan wrote:
Caine is in good shape and does not have to worry about spell memorizing. He volunteers to take the middle watch.

[waysoftheearth]

mushgnome wrote:
MIchele volunteers for first watch.

[waysoftheearth]

coffee wrote:
"I'll take the third watch, then," Dieter says with a grin. "I'll be up anyway, from fighting whatever horror finds us tonight."

[waysoftheearth]

eris wrote:

"I'll take the third watch, then," Dieter says with a grin. "I'll be up anyway, from fighting whatever horror finds us tonight."

"Let's hope for a full night's sleep!" Olaf says, "I'm sure we all could use it."