[center][b][i]Annabeth Gulch[/center][/b][/i]

[b]"Don't worry Colette, it's not like you did anything wrong. Just... Keep your cool, and I'm sure everyone would come to like you. Looks like most are already here!"[/b] Annabeth directed Colette to Liam and Aramir. Aside from their names, Annabeth didn't know either of them. Hopefully they won't have anything against vampires. [b]"I think we're only waiting for one more. I don't think I've introduced myself to most of you. I'm Annabeth Gulch. I'm hopeful that we'll complete this job without much trouble."[/b] Honestly, she did not expect to avoid the roc, and Lucilia likely didn't either. Hence why they were given the balista. Annabeth wished that more could come, or at least more capable people. She was starting to feel insecure, but shook the feeling off soon enough. Regardless if she was not the best for this job, she was already here. There was no turning back now.

[center][b][i]Caravan Escort[/center][/b][/i]

After everyone had gathered, the group was sent out of the college quickly. Unfortunately, there wasn't much space on the wagons for the four to ride on aside from some footholds, but the wagon did not go too fast anyways. On the way the caravaneer explained their route. 

"Right, so it'll be about a three-day trip to Hysteria if all goes well. We won't make it today, but if we keep going at this pace we ought to make it to a little village called Elsewhere by night. We'll rest up at the inn there and wake up a bit before sun up, and spend the rest of the day heading towards Hysteria. We'll likely have to make camp during the second day, but we ought to make it to the city by the third day, sometime in the afternoon or so. But from what we've been hearing, we'll be needing you on that second day. We'll have to take a bridge over a large ravine, which is where we hear most of the attacks take place. If it were me, I wouldn't even be a mile near that place, but any other route would make the trip take at least a week. And I'm told that you all would protect us, so I'm putting my faith in you. Oh, and we'll be going through a few of the Baron's territory too. Just leave the talking to me, alright? Djarkel doesn't take kindly to foreigners entering their lands without paying tolls, but your college gave me the story I'd need to ensure that they don't give you a hard time. That being said, if I'm not there, I can't really help you out. So uh... Don't stray."

After that the trip was largely uneventful even after they entered Djarkel lands. Slowly the Twilight Hold's verdant green grass changed to an ashy grey, if not a gritty brown from bare dirt. Scattered across the barren lands of Djarkel were the gutted remains of conflicts of the past, with only a few trees and growth feasting off the decay. Hours would past uneventfully, with the only notable shift being that the grass started to grow taller but still were a dull grey. The wagon followed along a dirt path that showed signs that many have traveled on it before, and more or less constituted as a "road". It wasn't until the caravan reached a bridge crossing a river did the party find their first sign of trouble.

The caravan stopped as at the edge of the bridge, two men were dueling each other. They each were armed with rapiers and a parrying dagger, fighting with each other furiously. They showed great skill, so much that neither could really land a decisive blow on another. More importantly, they were in the way. The caravan couldn't get on the bridge with the two duelist in the way, and the tall grass would make it impossible for the wagon to go around without getting tangled. The caravan leader looked to the students from the college. "Is there anything you all can do about this? I... Don't want to trouble them, but..."