Far, Eyre 17, 998 YK
The Seawall Mountains, Breland-Darguun Border
The warm spring weather that graced the arrival of the Iron Ravens in Starilaskur graciously persists for the band's journey south, making the five day trek to the Brelish border a relatively pleasant excursion. Arlas, mounted upon a spirited chestnut mare, rides up and down the line of horses constantly, swapping stories accumulated over the past four years with the rest of the Ravens. Nakaz, on the other hand, is his usual laconic self. What rare speech the burly Shifter utters is generally directed toward Galec, their shared heritage the basis for a comraderie that might otherwise be absent. Meanwhile, Edaura rides point, with Izril not far behind. The two converse mainly amongst themselves, though Edaura oftens calls Farsis up to consult the former scout for aid and advice once the group veers off the long highway and into the open plain on the third day of their journey.
At night, around the campfires, things are almost as they were during the days of the Last War, when long campaigns would result in the Ravens spending months at the time in the open country. Off to one side, Arlas aimlessly plucks out a handful of tunes both familiar and foreign on a lute engraved with flights of sparrows, while the rest of the group gathers close to the flames, drinking and joking. Despite the air of familiar and nostalgia, the absence of so many former comrades, not to mention the Captain himself, is keenly felt, and occasionally the group falls silent as the memory of an absent comrade wafts into the conversation.
By noon of the fifth day, the group has already spent considerable time picking their way through the foothills of the mighty Seawall Mountains, eyes ever watchful for signs of a presence other than their own in the region. It is not long after the group finishes breaking for a midday meal that they find themselves dipping toward the mouth of a valley perhaps some fifty feet in width. Scarcely one hundred feet ahead, two paths diverge, the left winding further upwards towards the higher reaches of the Seawalls, while the right slopes gradually toward a long, dried up streambed, half out of sight in the distance. For the moment, the two paths do not venture far from one another, though the line of tall, thin trees does obscure much of the visibility between the two paths.
"This does much to facilitate our earlier plan to split our force to avoid notice." Izril comments, calling his response back over his shoulder to the rest of the group. "Should the need arise, I can manage a spell to establish brief contact between the two groups. What say the rest of you?".
"Of course, we may wish to remain together, for there is safety in numbers. We are near the area the Captain wished us to search in, though from here on his briefing can provide us with no more aid. Which road, then, is the likely path?"
