KaelRavenheart — Roleplayer Guild

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.

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