Kurokuma, leader of the bandit clan that had set up in these woods, sat quietly in his corner of the dark cave that was the sheltered portion of their semi-permanent camp. His scouts had come across a narrow passage between two bluffs deep in the woods while they were still wandering after moving on from their previous camp, which had been an old abandoned barn in a field, not worth spending much time in. The passage had twisted and turned, leading into a narrow ravine dotted with caves and crevices. A crevice directly to the left of the entrance to the ravine led out into a small clearing that also had a cave in it. The entrance was difficult to find if you weren't looking for it, but his scouts were particularly well trained, due to the expertise of his lead Scout, Grace. She had spotted the first passageway herself, and her three apprentice scouts had found the further passage that now led to the entrance of their camp.

Kurokuma had immediately claimed the back of the cave as his quarters. He felt more comfortable there for some reason, perhaps because it was slightly secluded from the other tents and members of his bandit clan. He'd always preferred his own company, he wasn't sure why. He did feel loneliness, and would have disliked being on his own, but while in a group, he liked to be by himself. Perhaps it was because it was the only time he could truly think things through. His eyes shifted towards the many small tents and campsites that dotted the clearing. He had built himself quite a nice bunch of bandits here. In all, there were about fifty of them, maybe a few more. Most of them were simply outcasts or brigands who had decided to join him, but he was very selective about who he let into his clan. He had to be sure that they would submit to his rules, few though they were, or they would pay with their lives. He'd had to make an example of more than one former cut-throat or thug who had though themselves above his rules. Those who remained learned quickly that if they wanted to keep their heads, they would not cross Kurokuma.

It wasn't as if he controlled this group with fear, however. He was, of course, considered the strongest of them. If he wasn't, he wouldn't have been alive very long. He'd even had some of his own men try to assassinate him before. They fared even worse than those who disobeyed. But Kurokuma strove to be fair, to make sure the loot was divided evenly. He did not take a larger share for himself. Also, he had chosen good commanders. Gehrhart was a strong warrior, fierce and loyal, but even more than that, he was moral and fair. These qualities were why he had been made second in command. Lucas was strong of character, silent but intelligent and watchful. He was a superb archer, and he had known suffering in his life, so he too had a certain set of morals, though they were perhaps harsher than Gehrhart's. Kurokuma, though he would never admit it, found that he understood the young archer, as if he were somehow a younger version of himself.

There were other talented souls among his group as well, each well equipped for the roles he had given them. However, the group was not self sustaining. They continued to raid and even pillage villages in this area, sometimes holding up caravans or travelers for their weapons or other belongings. Kurokuma had found that these ventures, while rather successful, were not particularly lucrative any more. He had noticed that the peasants he stopped on the road, or even the merchants, would have very little to offer him any more. The villages were often poor as well, having only the barest amounts of goods and supplies to sustain themselves. On one or two occasions, they had even found a village they intended to raid already in shambles, destroyed by fire or some unseen army. He'd also noticed an increase in military travelers, soldiers and heralds and envoys and emissaries from the Emperor or the local lords and ladies. The soldiers were largely ignored, as they would be more trouble than they were worth, unless in very small numbers. Likewise, emissaries and messengers from the nobles and Emperor were often outfitted with trained bodyguards to protect them, so they were also not prime targets.

It was simply becoming more difficult to raid successfully any more. Kurokuma heaved a sigh and stood up, almost cracking his head on the ceiling, but remembering not to rise completely moments before his head would have hit the ceiling. The cave was a decent size, but like most caves it grew more narrow towards the back where he made his own sleeping quarters, so the ceiling was lower and because of his great height, he'd hit his head more than once already. He walked towards the entrance of the cave, his eyes scanning the men and women of his bandit clan as they went about creating breakfast. His hunters had had a rather successful night last night, bringing home three whole deer and five wild quail. The leftovers, with the addition of the twelve fish they'd caught that morning in the nearby stream, would likely be enough to feed everyone again this morning. It was just in time as well. They had been subsiding on bread and cheese taken from a small farm to the northwest, but it was dry and beginning to mold.

Kurokuma's head suddenly snapped up and he glared towards the passageway that led out of the camp. He didn't know what it was, but something had shifted in the air. He sniffed, once, twice, but smelled nothing out of the ordinary. His nose wasn't particularly good, but he had a talent for sensing danger when it was approaching. He didn't feel that now, but something was not quite right. Perhaps it was a sign of some sort? Perhaps something was about to change, something that would cause all of their fortunes to turn, either for better or for worse. No, he couldn't afford to be superstitious like that. He had to keep a clear head about him. Still, as he made his way towards the meal pits, he couldn't shake the feeling that something in the air was different, and that it would never be the same again.

Within this same forest lurked another lonely soul. Around halfway between Bandits and kingdoms lay an abandoned shack nestled within the brush. Thick green berry-bushes, some poisonous, some not, along with creeping vines and mosses, had transformed the shack from a tiny, homely place into what looked like a small thicket. However, this was not the case. Between two of the larger bushes, the vines were detached from the ground, and the small, tarnished door handle could be seen at certain times of the day, glinting with a faint light. As if, though no longer shining and new, it had a purpose to fulfill.

Indeed, that little doorknob did have a purpose. Because it turned, and the door swung open, revealing a pale-haired, dark-eyed young woman. Had she lived in the kingdom, she may have been rather respected for her healing practice, all done with a gentle touch. Her slender frame drifted about like a ghost, checking the plants and plucking out an undesirable weed here and there. At first glance, she may have seemed like a lonely wraith, tending her garden in the afterlife. However, she was very much alive.

Brecken, the deserter. Though she had lost all sense of date and time, it was almost exactly two years ago since she'd left the kingdom for this life. When the tyranny got bad, what could a frail young woman do? Attempting any sort of backlash would get her killed. However, Brecken 'Dove' Aeire was much smarter than that. This little overgrown shack wasn't actually that bad on the inside. It was small, but the roof was watertight, and the bushes and vines made up for any holes in the walls. There wasn't any lighting, but she'd traded her services for little items, such as a small blanket here and there, or a needle and thread. Things such as that. It was her home now, and she wouldn't have it any other way... though a friend would be nice.

South of the forest, sitting on the edge of the river was a small cottage, not particularly special in any way. On the contrary, it was far from the highest quality craftsmanship, but was completely serviceable. Simple stone brick and mortar made up the walls, with a peaked slate roof that lead up to a chimney, happily pumping away fumes into the air. Within, in the fireplace that the chimney led was a metal grille, on which sat a few rather healthy-looking fish, de-boned and almost ready to be eaten.

The cottage was only one room, so the heat radiated easily from its source, warming everything nicely. A simple bed sat at the opposite end, though the mattress and blankets themselves seemed to be of the highest quality. As did the chest sitting at the foot of the bed, along with the contents, with shirts and trousers that had thread counts beyond counting.

Closer to the centre of the room was a table. This, while also not the best craftsmanship, was highly polished and looked very serviceable for whatever purpose, which was currently papers and notes and a large map of the land. Over all this, a tall man hovered, eyes darting.

Sure, he considered himself out of the game. Had been for years, now. But when rumors started to spread, and when he found that there was a seed of truth to all of them, he descended upon the story-tellers like a wolf on a flock of sheep, all waiting unsuspectingly for the predator to strike.

And the predator worked hard, indeed. The seeds of truth slowly coalesced into a believable pile of evidence, interviews with witnesses and victims. And in the centre of it all was the name Kurokuma. A strange name, to Tarvos at least. He was raised a noble, and kept away from most things different. Thankfully it hadn't been permanent, and he continued to learn more every day. But this was still an unknown name to him. Not one on the bounty list, last he checked. Mind, he hadn't seen the official bounty list for years, and for all he knew there was a new set of men on it.

But Kurokuma...that was a name. And a name was all Tarvos needed to track him down. Turning towards the fire, he grabbed the fish off and ate them quickly, impatient to begin his adventure. He filled up a rucksack with some salted meat he had on hand, along with some breads, and a canteen of water. Lastly, his trusty axe, that had helped him fell many trees to provide the good, but maybe not the best, wood plank floors.

And Tarvos was off, the cottage retreating behind him.

Sable wasn't camouflaged well with only a few green branches covering him as he sat watching a beetle battle a number of ants. The sound of a strange bird caught Sable's attention and he took off returning to the latest hideout. The strange bird in fact was a man, an informant in his local web who had been watching the cottage of a particularly nosy nobleman. The call was the sign that he had left and it was time to see if the Bear wanted a piece of the rich man pretending to be a simple man. Sable himself didn't know if he had any wealth but his past as a noble and the remaining high quality pieces that decorate his cozy cottage make him think a bit of the family fortune remains. He hadn't been to far out from the hideout so he arrived at the cave rather quickly, pushing past the lesser ranks in his way.

"Kurokuma" he said, dipping his head in his usually greating "That noble I've been tellin' you about, the one whose been extorting information about you from the locals. Well my informants say he left the house and..." Sable had to recall what was encoded in his informants bird call "He has left well supplied, like for a trip. What are your orders sir?" Greedily Sable wished he had the chance to rob the cottage and get a good look at what was hiding in the chest he had been told so much about.

Stopping halfway, Tarvos hailed down what he recognized as the mail carriage, trotting back to the capital. Leaning in, he fished out an envelope and a silver coin, the usual payment for delivery within the kingdom. As long as you looked rich, of course. Otherwise it was a few gold.

"The recipient is marked there. Just add it to the noble delivery schedule," Tarvos added, before he headed off again.

The mailman checked the envelope, marked Tonia de Vale. Seeing nothing wrong with it, the mailman put it in the bag and continued.

Tarvos kept going. Kurokuma was his goal today. Find the man, and then strike a deal. A deal that may or may not change the kingdom for the better or worst. At the very least, it would be a bit harder for the folks up at the capital to lay back in their seats in luxury while the people lived in squalor.

After a few more hours walk, he finally reached the end of the path, and the entrance into the forest. Checking for the most used path, Tarvos walked along it, holding his map in hand, checking any other paths that criss-crossed the main one. After reaching a blackberry bush, Tarvos grabbed a few, and pushed on through it, walking along for a few metres before another path resumed, this one new.

Tarvos was close.

"Come on then" Gehrhart barked at the young man before him "Stop trying to hit me and do it already." The poor youth had joined the clan a few days ago and as was the usual case Kurokuma had sent him to Gehrhart. The young man swung the wooden training sword clumsily and was easily deflected. "Listen to me closely boy" Gehrhart said as he circled the youth "When you fight someone it will not be simple, you must be prepared to kill" and with that he struck out with his training sword the youth barely blocking the strike and falling to the ground. "Whats more is you must be ready to die" Gehrhart finished as he placed the tip of the training swords blade under the young mans chin. Gehrhart put the sword down and turned away from the boy "Clean yourself off and go get some food, after you've eaten I want you to do the drills i showed you."

"Yes Sir!" The young man said as he scrambled up and hurried off towards the cooks tent. Gehrhart watched the young one scurry off and let out a sigh Kurokuma challenges me more with each new recruit he thought as he placed the training sword on its rack. Gehrhart saw Sable rush to Kurokumas' cave and so he strode briskly over and after knocking on the stone enterd the section Kurokuma had claimed.

Walking further, occasionally taking a sip from his canteen, he reached a cliff wall, running straight up. Can't go over it, can't go under it, so we must go... Tarvos idly thought, looking around, until he spotted a gap, ...through it.

Stepping inside the entrance of the gap, Tarvos didn't hear much apart from some drips of water running down the walls, along with the scuffs as his boots hit the floor, occasionally sending a rock loose. Don't try to sneak in, that'll make you look a lot more suspicious, he thought, walk in like you own the place, and they might just believe it .

Reaching a bend in the path, Tarvos started to hear more noises. Putting on his best stride, he walked on through, the walls moving away from him, revealing a ravine of sorts, where another opening revealed itself. Beyond, he noticed what seemed to be a clearing of sorts. Advancing on over, Tarvos moved through, revealing the full camp set up in the area. Bustling with activity, the people that made up Kurokuma's group milled about, doing their assigned tasks.

A few glances were thrown his way, some definitely more pointed than others, but Tarvos ignored them, moving forward purposely, to where he guess Kurokuma was. They should just think he has business, and his clothes weren't too noticeably good, unless someone had an eye for quality here.

Walking towards the back of the cavern, Tarvos noticed another man waiting at what seemed to be another tunnel, albeit this one looked like people had at least dusted the stone in front of it. The man himself was wearing what seemed to be military armor, though Tarvos noticed the marks, blatant and almost badges themselves, where emblems and seals had been removed. This man was considered a rebel. Now looking at the face, Tarvos felt a flick of recognition, from another time, but he ignored it. If the memory came to surface, it would do so in it's own time.

"So, this would be where Kurokuma is?" Tarvos asked, smiling easily at the man, adopting the posture of those who lived outside the empire, instead of those of the noble class. This man could only hold hate for them, if he wore those plain marks with something like pride. Let's hope I'm right.

Gehrhrart watched the man walk into the tunnels with a mix of interest and anticipation. The pauper noble who had been sniffing around Kurokumas' trail had walked right into their camp something done by two kinds of people fighters who don't feel threatened or men who think they have an advantage. He saw the shift in posture to mirror his and the way he walked like he belonged in the camp not to mention the keen way the mans eyes scanned him. Worse than any assassin Gehrhart thought Its a diplomat.

"And how does one such as you end up in a place such as this?" he asked stepping between the man and the entrance to Kurokumas place his hand falling to rest on the hilt of Bianca, his longsword.

He distrusts me, Tarvos thought, and refers to me as 'one such as you'. What to do...

Dropping the false posture, Tarvos kept the extremely genuine smile on his face, as he answered. "I wish to talk to Kurokuma. I've heard quite a lot of him in the past few days, and he seems to be more than some common bandit. No, he's definitely more than that."

This fellow, he has a string. I can pull it, I just need that name...

"You're interesting as well. A rebel, according to the kingdom. But nowadays that means anyone with a spine. I left of my own will, you were forced out. What do you see in this man that you are willing to follow? Oh, he has ideas, for sure. Some good ones, too. But we've had people like that before, and they decorated the spikes outside the castles for a few days."

I need to get that name.

"What's your story, then? Since we're both waiting here. Might as well use the time before we go in. You could introduce me."

Kurokuma had been talking with Sable, the man who had been keeping tabs on the preening peacock in the nearby cabin. Kurokuma had an innate distrust of nobles, reformed or not. He found them to be a generally pompous, blustering, ineffectual lot. This one had set up a cabin just a little ways down the road that passed outside the woods, and Kurokuma was careful to pay attention to anyone who lived nearby, especially someone as out of place as this noble. He'd rather surprised to see that the noble was building his cabin himself. It seemed rather out of character, and had made him decide to simply have him watched rather than immediately raided. The man had recently come onto his radar again, after he heard a rumor from one of his recent recruits that the man was asking about him in town.

He had told Sable that he'd done well, and had been getting more details about what sort of trip this man had gone on when Gehrhart appeared at the entrance to the cave. Kurokuma paid him no mind. Gehrhart was probably the closest thing he had to a friend in this camp. The others were all useful, yes, and they respected him, but his reputation and demeanor meant that they did not seek to involve him in social situations. He didn't really mind. But Gehrhart was different. The man was experienced, disciplined and a fine warrior. He was someone whom Kurokuma believed he could trust with most any task and have confidence that it would be carried out. More than that, he felt that Gehrhart was a man that he would trust to watch his back in battle and he would do the same for the other man.

He continued to speak with Sable for a few more minutes, but then he heard Gehrhart draw his sword and address someone who had approached the cave. Since Gehrhart had not raised the alarm, the visitor must not be hostile. Kurokuma's eyes met Sables and he said, "Follow me." Then he strode out towards the entrance of the cave. As he emerged, wrapped in his long black cloak, his form straightened and his full height was revealed as he viewed the man who Gehrhart was holding at sword's length. It was obviously the same man they had just been discussing. Kurokuma could tell by his clothes. He'd heard a bit of the conversation as he approached and he eyed the man in front of him, his massive build dwarfing the other man. His face was set in a scowl, and his eyes did not leave the noble. Finally, after a brief pause, he addressed the man in a strong low voice. "So, have you guessed why it is that men might follow me, if not for my ideas?"

A white haired man stood watching the in and outs of the camp. He tree swung from high up on a tree branch and his gray eyes darted past every one and everything on the camp. There was Kurokuma standing at his cave watching as new beginners started to train, and old ones retrained again and again. There were a few food gatherers out and a couple hunters he had sent out earlier this morning had returned with a buck. So all in all it was a pretty good day. He then saw a flicker out of the corner of his eye. and saw what looked like a noble walking straight up to the camp. He didn't look very lost either. He let out a cocky smile, this would be interesting. The young man scooted forward to get a better look and then quickly got bored. He really hated getting bored quickly and easily. But that is what probably made him so fun. He let out a smirk as he leaned back against the tree, watching the camp and its working again.

Lucas watched as the man went up to Gehrhart and bravely stand up to the man giant. It was funny. The people who meet when trying to survive on the land. He let out a coi smirk and then listened in on the conversation that was taking place below. He finally heard the rumbling footsteps of Kurokuma and him step out of his cave and into the daylight. He finally sat forward, intently trying to listen to the things Kurokuma had to say to the arriving noble. "Have you guessed why it is that men might follow me, if not for my ideas?" his deep bear like voice said. Lucas silently applauded Kurokuma. Kurokuma was intimidating when he was yelled at you to kill a soldier, he was even more intimidating when he told you to do something with his voice as low as a dog's growl. Lucas was silently laughing as he watched the exchange. You had the theif's leader, the pilager's trainer and a noble that didn't look like he could take on a rabbit. It was quite humorous to watch.

Ah, the man himself, Tarvos thought, looking Kurokuma up and down. Deep voice, trying to scare him, or at the least intimidate him. He was most definitely succeeding. Doesn't help that any one of them could easily kill me. He felt like he was back before his father, who questioned him mercilessly about exactly who had torn up the carpet. At least, before he learnt to lie.

Tarvos began, "Well, Kurokuma, your ideas are most definitely worth following, I'll give you that. Now, I've heard the ideas before. Small rebellions, crushed quickly. But you...you are different. Not only do you have an impressive amount of men following you, these men do seem to believe in you. At least, I've heard stories."

Staring at Kurokuma, Tarvos felt a small bit of sweat trickle down the back of his neck. Kurokuma was staring rather intensely at him. Well, I chose to spice up my life again, here's the entrance fee...

"Anyway, I would like to offer you some advice. It's your choice, of course, whether you'd like to follow it or not, but I feel that it may be wise. Those same stories I was talking about sometimes display you as ruthless, and the people you choose to raid only add to that image."

Tarvos took off his rucksack and pulled out a map, with some notes quickly scribbled on it. "This map shows the route of a small prisoner caravan. The nobles sure love showing off what 'criminals' they catch. These same criminals were some richer fellows I used to know, owned a small bit of land. The higher-ups didn't like the fact that the commoners liked, nay, adored these fellows, so they were sentenced to death for their treason."

Tarvos handed the map over. "Now, these fellows would appreciate their release. They'd thank you, and probably help you with whatever you wish, assuming their land hasn't been razed yet."

Tarvos looked at the group of men in front of him, Kurokuma, the familiar knight, the brutish looking man. "Er, if you wish, I can stay here. So you know I'm not tricking you. I just want to help."

Tarvos moved to the side, sitting down to relax, pulling out the canteen. He was going to be waiting for a while.

Brecken was unknowing of this plot to free the prisoners. In fact, the young healer woman had little idea what was going on in the world at all. Her world had shrunk from the bustle of the castle to the quiet life of the woods. She didn't even speak unless there was a patient for her to work with. Even then, she didn't do much small talk.

Of course, this didn't mean Brecken wasn't clever. She was very clever, what with having to have each berry and herb memorized, and mixing them up could be fatal. Brecken was simply uninformed. With her near-white hair brushed back from her face, she started to meander about. Few people ever came around here, and she knew this forest better than the freckles on her face. Wandering about was no danger to her. She seemed like a young doe. Gentle, dark-eyed, and harmless, but alert and ready to flee at the hint of danger.

“It simply will not do” said Lord de Vale as he sat in his cushioned chair in the audience chamber, several of his guardsmen were stood in the room, their cold steal armour gleaming in the light cast by the many lanterns and candles in the room. The room was furnished with many fine adornments, various tables covered with decretive platters, vases and other such clutter. The man knelt before Lord de Vale was nothing but a smear of dirt in comparison, his clothes were torn and ragged as well as covered in a thick layer of grime and mud. His face had a terrified expression as he stared in disbelief at what he was hearing.
“As I have already said” said Lord de Vale as he stood and began to slowly walk forwards with his hands behind his back “If you refuse to pay the taxes that are lawfully due to me under the laws of the empire then there is simply nothing else for it. Captain, put him in a small cell in the dungeon and seal the door permanently. Take your men to his farmstead and burn it to the ground, tell your men to make an example of everyone there. Kill the men and do what you will with the women, that should ensure that everyone pays what is required”.

The man scrambled to his feat and shouted “You can’t be serious! Please have mercy my lord!” As he did two guards moved in and grabbed each of his arms, already carrying out their master’s orders. The man broke out into tears and screamed and pleaded as the guards dragged him kicking and screaming from the chamber.

Lady Tonia de Vale sat nauseated in the adjacent chamber, waiting for her husband as she always did after such audience meetings. It had once been a ritual born out of love and care, but it was now just a hollow shell of what it once was. She hated overhearing his numerous cruelties and atrocities, she hated that afterwards he would speak to her as if he were not a complete monster. She straightened her face and prepared herself as she heard his footsteps approaching as the sounds of his guardsmen leaving to carry out their orders could also be heard.
“Apologies my dear” said Lord de Vale as he entered the room, smiling at her fondly with his dark brown eyes.

“No need to apologise” she said softly, her every word carefully considered before she spoke it “Such matters need to be addressed.”

“Yes” he said somewhat dismissively as he walked across the room to a table that was decorated by a large pitcher and several ornate golden goblets. He poured himself a goblet of wine and took a generous gulp before adding “It is somewhat a shame punishing a man’s family for his crimes, but such examples must be made in these hard times so that the people know where there place is.”

Tonia resisted the urge to say that the man’s wife and three daughters would be punished enough for his supposed ‘crime’, instead she simply nodded before standing and making her way over to him. “My dear, I am afraid that I feel a little drained by the last few days excitement, I will be in our bedchamber if you need me for anything”.

“Of course my darling” he said before kissing her softly on the forehead and turning away from her. She turned and walked away, glad to be leaving his presence. He wouldn’t come looking for her until he stumbled into the room drunk to pass out on the bed. Thankfully he had taken to enjoying young whores and harlots much more than he did her, something that she was eternally grateful for. His mood may be tolerable enough at the moment, but he had taken to flying into rants and rages paired with violently unstable behaviour at times. Ascending the stairs in the castle she pushed the thoughts of what would soon be happening at the poor man’s home from her mind, there was little else to do. A single tear ran down her cheek and she immediately wiped it away with her sleeve before vowing to harden her resolve further.

Gehrhart had listened to the noble with a passive interest electing to remain quite whilst he spoke with Kurokuma. Whenthe noble elected to stay in the camp Gehrhart was more than a little surprised. What game are you playing? he had thought.

Shortly after the noble had seated himself one of the younger recruits rushed up to the entrance to the cave and called in "Gerhart! There has been an accident." Gehrharts head snapped to the young man who visibly flinched when the steely gaze fell on him. Gehrhart gave one last glance to the noble and then nodded to Kurokuma and strode out of the tunnel.

"What happened?" he asked as the obviously nervou recruit walked beside him. "Wren and me were sparring and i hit 'im a bit to hard" the youth said reluctantly. "And?" Gehrhart asked giving the young one another look that he squirmed under. "I think i mighta broke 'is arm or sumthin" The recruit admitted as the turned and arrived to see another young recruit seated a filthy rag wrapped around his arm.

"Let me see" Gehrhart said as he kneeled next to the youth who slowly removed the makeshift sling, uncovering an obviously broken arm with a nasty looking cut to boot. "You sure put some force behind the swing" Gehrhart mumbled as he examined the wound. "Alright, we need a healer to clean and close the cut as well as set your arm" He said finally "I've heard there is one relatively close by"

"Couldn't you fix it?" Wren said his eyes red from tearing up. "I can set an arm but that cut will fester if it is not treated properly" Gehrhart said as he looked the obviously scared youth in the eyes "I'll get you to her, You are going to be fine I swear it." Wren sniffed and shook his head as Gehrhart turned to the other recruit "Help him to a horse and be ready to ride I will go and ask if one of the scouts knows the way to the healer"

Brecken eventually settled herself down on a stump that had once been a modestly-sized tree, which had been toppled in a storm some years ago. She closed her eyes, listening quietly.

This was not unusual for her. This meditation was what kept her sane through sometimes weeks or months of isolation. It was hard, sometimes, but Brecken didn't miss kingdom life, not one bit. If she had the chance to run away all over again, she'd take it in a heartbeat. Less than that, actually. She reopened her unusual dark eyes, letting one slender hand play with her pale hair almost subconsciously.

Sable took the map from the noble, he was more than a little frustrated none of the scouts had informed him that someone on their watch list was walking into camp. He held out the map for the bear to see it better, holding his arms awkwardly angled as he read the map as well. The path set was supposed to ride right though the middle of the local villages and eventually the parade would meet with a ferry to send off the prisoners to either a watery grave or an island to desert them. Sable guessed the prisoners in question weren't being publicly displayed at where they were being held now, a lords keep no doubt.

"If this were true, liberating them at one of the villages would be the most influential..." Sable said, almost mumbling as he envisioned his foes thoughts "sending the empty carriages to their masters would send a strong message... as would attacking the ferry that is expecting leashed prisoners. Now a prisoner caravan that goes missing without an alarm wouldn't send the right message... they wouldn't know who did it and assume the villagers freed the nobles they liked, possibly invoke a search of the villages we just helped... Your orders?" While he didn't make it known, he was now imagining the equipment that prison guards carried.

Tarvos coughed slightly, overhearing Sable's muttered words. "I have a suggestion, if you're willing to take it. One of the village's listed is where I've heard the most positivity towards Kurokuma and your group, Otfeld, along with the most negativity, Whiteshore, which is actually where the ferry is at. If you choose Otfeld, maybe they'd start to like you enough to actually support you. If you go for Whiteshore, then, if you helped them out with their own problems with the nobility, they might start pushing a movement to accept your group."

Feeling the man's eyes on him, Tarvos made himself appear a bit smaller. "Just a suggestion. I picked up most of the information about you guys from those places, so I know where the best and worst stories are told."

Tarvos, now having said his piece, moved his own gaze back to Gehrhart. That was the name. A disgraced knight, serving under the emperor, one of the few honest men amongst the lying and lazy. When Tarvos had heard about it, he considered it the last thing he'd put up with in the corrupted life of politics, and moved out soon after. But still, it was certainly interesting. Maybe they might have a bit more in common...

Kurokuma was mildly intrigued by the young noble, and more than a little bit suprised at his proposal to rescue these other nobles in order to further their cause. He listened to Sable's plan and the additional input of the noble, who had sat down nearby. His interest and curiousity were roused even further at the tactical mind of the noble, who apparently had given this quite a bit of thought. He turned to Sable when the noble was finished and said, "Well then, it seems as our young noble has decided to join us permanently, since he is so eager to help us build our reputation. Go and inform the men that they should prepare to move out. Oh, and fetch Lucas, and Grace if you can find her. I'd like to discuss my plan for this ambush, or rescue, or whatever it is."

His attention then turned back to the noble and he strode up to him, his piercing gaze boring into him. "I'll speak plainly, since you have already offered me that courtesy yourself. I don't like diplomats. I find that they are devious and selfish and worthless as men. However, you have piqued my interest with your willingness to provide information. In return, I won't have you killed, neither will you be regarded as a prisoner. However, I shall be keeping a close eye on you, so I wouldn't try to pull anything shifty. If I so much as suspect that you've led us into a trap, I'll have Sable go to work on you." A large grin spread over his face. "Sable is quite talented in extracting information. But I'm sure it won't come to that. Now, why don't you come with me and we'll see about coming up with a battle plan for this little job you've suggested. Not that I believe you'll have much to say in the way of suggestions, but your knowledge of the towns might prove useful. Besides, as I already said, I'm not letting you out of my sight. " He turned around again, striding into his cave once more, not even checking to see if the noble would follow. He knew he would.

Tarvos nodded, and let out a small controlled sigh of relief. This Kurokuma was going to be a challenge. And a bit of fun as well. Tarvos felt the familiar rush of being in a potentially dangerous situation flow through him, and he followed Kurokuma inside the cave. He noticed the multiple candles set up along the walls, providing light for people to see, lighting up a table in the centre of the room, which Kurokuma was kneeling in front of. Tarvos joined him, pulling out another map, similar to the one Sable had.

"Alright, so here's the two locations, Otfeld and Whiteshore. Whiteshore is where the ferry is now, and where the prisoners are probably going to go. Before that, they will be toured through the other villages like trophies. What I recommend is catching them in Otfeld, releasing these guys, and then moving forth to Whiteshore."

Tarvos leaned back slightly. "I'm not a fighting man, nor did I have the biggest roles in assisting with planning campaigns. But, I do know a few people in Otfeld from my time finding information about you, and they would be willing to help. Especially when you come swooping in to save the prisoners."

"I'm also going to ask one thing. If we intercept at Otfeld, leave me behind, along with a few of your men. I know the prisoners. Let me work at them for a few days, and I can get them on your side. Plus, they both owe me a favor, so it shouldn't be too difficult. From there, it's just Whiteshore and then making a statement. Knowing the ruling noble of this area, the best signal would be sending the cart back, with the guards locked inside. Those horses can find their way home. What do you think?"

Noticing the glance from Kurokuma, "These are, of course, just suggestions. Take them or leave them, your choice. Just, it's what I'd do."