"Captain, ensure that the trade goes smoothly, please and see to it that the ship is ready to depart as soon as I return. I shall endeavour to return within two weeks. If I have not returned by then, sail to Specularum and sell the cargo. Our factor will help with that and will also help to source a new cargo that you should return with. He will also arrange yours and the crew's pay."
Captain Decentius nodded. It seemed strange to him that the young man would willingly wander off into danger, but he certainly looked ready for it, clad as he was in shining plate armour and weighed down with weapons and supplies. He also moved as if his load weighed nothing. Clearly Broneslav was much stronger than he appeared to be.
Broneslav waved to those watching and marched off up the trail and through the gates. Warriors atop the towers on either side watched him go. Some appeared to be making bets on whether the beardless warrior would return at all and he guessed that most were betting against him.
He settled his pack on his back once more and set off. He had been told that there was a trail all the way to some tar pits that were about a day's travel from The Wall. That would be his first stop. Then he would head into the trackless interior.
As he walked, Broneslav took note of the terrain around him and scanned for danger. He was not expecting much this close to the village, but you never knew. The thin jungle around him for the first half of the day would easily have provided cover for bandits, were they looking for a fight. The track led through hills and then between swampy areas. It was hot, so he hung his helmet from his belt. He spent a large part of the afternoon slapping mosquitoes that had decided he was their next meal. It was late when he reached the tar pits. The only disturbances through the day had been the alarmed calls of birds that he had disturbed and the rustling of small animals in the undergrowth.
It had been an easy day, but the next would be harder, because there was no track from hereon in. From the tar pits, he had the choice of wading around the edge of the swamp to the hills to the east or to the mountains he could see in the distance in the west. As he prepared his evening meal, Broneslav considered his options, before settling down for the night.
The map's a bit rough, so I need to fettle it a wee bit, but that is partly because the areas around the edges have not been filled in yet. I'll update it as Broneslav progresses and hopefully it will start to look good before too long.
No comments:
Post a Comment