Captain Renata led out to the opposite side of the camp, closest to the forest. There were multiple groups of people all running through pre-mission checks with practiced efficiency. I watched as a Beastmen checked his comrades’ armor. He sank his fingers into the collar and began pulling it, then moved to the backpack’s straps and inspected it with a tug.

Others took their partner’s weapon, running a finger over the metal. A Human sat on a log as an Elf checked the sole of their boots. An older one was staring down a younger-looking Human as he frantically repaired the fraying strap of a bracer. The atmosphere had a muted, familiar feel. The knowing tug was that, when everyone recamped again, many would not be returning.

Captain Renata called out to a stout Dwarf who was watching a group that ran the same checks, "Durak, your mission has changed."

The Dwarf turned his attention with a crisp salute. His black beard and hair were long but well-kept. His dark eyes looked over us with an approving stare.

"You’re a lucky one, Sir. We were fixin to move out," he said with his horse deep voice.

Durak gave me a short bow. "My Lord, Lady, that boy Fairchild spoke of your heroic tales; it’s an honor," he said politely.

I extended a hand to the Dwarf, which he shook with a hint of surprise under his wrinkled eyes. "Please, Durak, we’ll be spending a lot of time together. And Captain Fairchild also highly recommended you, so we’ll be looking forward to it," I said.

"Durak, you understand your mission, correct?" Captain Renata asked.

"Aye, Sir, I do. I’ll get ’em where they need to be," Durak answered firmly.

"Good, then I’ll leave you all to get acquainted. Make sure these two are up to date on the situation in the area. They have full permissions to see the maps and routes," Captain Reanta said before turning his attention to two soldiers. "Get these two their rations and supplies before they leave," he ordered.

"It’s alright, Captain, we brought our own supplies, so there is no need," I said with a wave as the two soldiers jogged off.

"I’m sure you brought your supplies, but I can’t let you go empty-handed, My Lord. Since you have a Spatil Ring, the best case is that you never use ’em and can return them after you’re done. Just consider it a precaution," he requested with a bow.

"I understand, thank you, Captain," I said as I extended my hand.

Captain Reanta shook it and bid us farewell as Durak took a final look at us. He scratched at his beard as he turned to Cerila.

"Miss Cerila, I was told you can read lips...I apologize, it must be difficult with my beard. I can shave it down for you, if you’d like," he offered.

Cerila smiled as her stone tablet appeared in her hands. She wrote a few things down before turning it over to Durak.

His eyes widened slightly as he muttered to himself and began reading, "Convieant, that one is. But I understand."

He handed it back to her as he extended a hand. "Well, it’s good to meet’ya too. Shall I introduce you both to the team so we can get going?" he asked.

Cerila shook his hand as we followed behind him. Durak began pointing out his team one by one.

"That Beastmen’s named Santer, good fellow and one of our best scouts," Durak said.

Santer was a True Beastmen bear but seemed to be on the smaller side. He wasn’t any taller or bigger than most Humans. His brown fur was kept padded down by his armor, his pack, alongside a bow and quiver, was firmly strapped to his back, alongside some other miscellaneous items like a knife or water skin.

"The Wood Elf with’em is Elowen, our other scout and wind mage. Keeps to herself round strangers, not much for talkin either. But she’ll warm up given the time," he explained.

Elowen heard her name and looked over to us as she narrowed her dark green eyes. After a brief moment, she parted her auburn hair and nodded to us. I caught sight of her unique weapon. It was a short spear on one end and a mage staff with a blueish-green crystal about the size of a finger glowed faintly at the other end.

"Ah, Captain, we’re finished with our checks," a middle-aged Human said as he walked over with a smile.

Durak’s gaze hardened at the man as he looked directly at his backpack. "Geoffrey, boy, I told you to have that strap replaced. It’s going to burst right off your back," he grumbled.

Boy? That man is old enough to be our fathers. But...I guess to a hundred-year-old Dwarf, what’s forty years?

"The quartermasters said it would last—"

"And what do those fools know, huffing oils and countin arrows? They haven’t seen the field in years," he gruffed. "When it breaks, you are gonna mend it yourself, you hear me? Don’t bother asking Thrak or me for any help, you hear? And when I tell you to replace it next time, you replace it."

"Yes, Sir..." Geoffrey muttered.

"Introduce yourself while you’re at it, Geoffrey. Then go get their packs from supplies. Captain has some boys getting them now," Durak ordered.

Geoffrey gave us both short bows, his surprised gaze lingering on me for a little too long. "Geoffrey, Sir Shado—"

"Lord," Durak corrected.

Geoffrey chuckled nervously as I waved the concern away. "We are going to be spending a lot of time together. I’d prefer you don’t hurt yourself from bowing every time we speak, so just call me Kaladin, and this is Cerila," I said.

"Then Kaladin, Cerila. I’ll run and go get your packs now," he said as he jogged off with a wave as his circular shield slapped against his pack.

Durak shook his head as I asked, "Problem child of the group?"

"No. Geoffrey’s a good one, even if he’s only been with us a few months. Boy won’t get a medal for fightin good, but he is braver than most. Takes orders well and can trust him to hold the shield til the end. Helps that he knows a thing or two about monsters," Durak said with a hint of pride.

I looked around but didn’t see the last two of the group. Durak caught me and shrugged. "Brother and sister duo are the last ones, had to handle some business before we set off. They’ll be around in a bit; they’ve been with me the longest, so they know better," he said.

Durak let out a deep breath before he called Santer over. "Show these two the map. Cap said they get all the permissions," he ordered.

Santer moved over as he unfurled a piece of vellum. He spread it out over a log and let the two of us look over it. There were dozens of notations; circled areas with different markings. There was clearly a system to the map, but without a legend, it wasn’t easy to decipher at just a glance.

Santer pointed a gloved finger at a few of the circled areas marked with a skull. "The no-go places. At least two or three teams to check, so we stay clear. Best to remember them. Filled with dangerous monsters or dungeons," he said in a rough Human tongue that was laced with a thick, almost bestial growl.

The no-go areas of the map were thankfully few and far between this close to the forest’s edge. They also seemed smaller on average and rarely intersected with one another. But as the map stretched into the mountains, those areas grew larger, and instead of one skull, some were marked with two or three.

Santer moved to a few more circles and explained them. A leaf meant it was an area that produced wild herbs and had small game. A rock meant a mining sight or a dungeon that was used for farming. There were trails cut into the zones marking animal or monster paths.

"All this probably change. The forest is dangerous, always moving, always different. Don’t trust map too much," he warned.

I nodded but reached to the far end, where there seemed to be the freshest addition toward the mountains. "Understood, but what is this right here? The sword marked circle?" I asked.

"Where you need to go I bet. Lots of sightings of bandits there, attackin the nearby mining village there and there. Always a pain," Durak answered as he dragged a finger across.

"Are bandits common in this forest?" I asked.

"Always have been, but we got a big uptake in them recently. Runnin from the army they are so they flooded into here. Monsters and us push’em, and they just go deeper. But...things been even worse," he muttered.

"What do you mean by that?" I questioned.

Durak shook his head. "Don’t know just yet. Just worse is all I know. Maybe I’m paranoid, or maybe you’ll see," he grumbled.

"Yo, Cap, we are ready to—oh...damn, it’s really the Dragonslayer..." a new voice trailed off.

"What? Did you think the lads upfront were lying to you, rock for brains?" another chastised.

The two newcomers must have been brother and sister. But it was very obvious they were as blood-related as Padraic and I. The first to speak was a lanky Human woman who seemed to be in her late twenties with short brown hair and deep blue eyes. A spear was strapped to her back along with a bow and a sword at her hip.

Her "brother" was a full-blooded Dwarf and was as short and stout as they came. His bright red beard was twisted into long strands, and his hair was chopped down to the scalp, except for the center part. I had been an entire lifetime since I’d seen a Mohawk on a person, but oddly enough, the Dwarf wore it naturally. His weapon of choice seemed to be a two-handed cudgel along with a sling.

Cerila nudged me and giggled. <Should we give Padraic that haircut when we get home?> she signed.

"Thrak, Ingra, this is Kaladin and Cerila. They’ll be coming along with us, so play nice," Durak said.

"Aye, Sir," the Dwarf, Thrak, bellowed.

"I’m not the one to worry about though..." Ingra muttered.

Thrak approached me first. He got right up to me and patted my arms a few times. "Big one, aintcha? Seen some other Dark Elves before, but the rumors don’t do ya justice, lad," he muttered. But as his eyes met mine and he shifted to Cerila, he shrugged and said, "Well, some’em true, I guess?"

"And which ones are those?" I asked.

Ingra coughed as she yanked him by the hair and put her hands together as she pleaded, "Please don’t take it to heart, My Lord. This one was dropped on his thick skull too many times as a baby, but he broke the stones every time. That’s just the kinda guy he is."

"Did not," Thrak muttered as he rubbed his head.

"It’s fine. I’ll be enjoying our time together then, Thrak, Ingra," I said with a nod as I also introduced Cerila.

We exchanged quick pleasantries as Geoffrey returned with our supplies. They were stashed into our rings as Durak clapped his hands. "Final check, everyone, get movin’. We’re already late as is," he ordered.

Durak came over to us and began pulling on Cerila’s gear first. "Always gotta make certain gear is intact. We are far away from any help, and if our gear fails, then we fail. This is good stuff though, all custom-made, huh?" he said as he pulled on the straps of her bracers.

Cerila just smiled, but Durak hesitated for a moment as he took in the large sword wrapped on her back. "Big weapon for a lady...well, bet you can use it just fine though," he muttered as he gave it a tug.

When the sword didn’t budge, he looked confused but shook his head anyway as he turned his attention to me next. "Good armor on you, too? Mythril at that. Pays to be a Dragonslayer, huh?" he said.

"A good friend of mine made it. Goes by Squeaks? Perhaps you’ve heard of him," I said.

"Squeaks? Who’se call’em themselves a mouse? Ain’t heard of a smith by that name, sorry," he said.

Durak checking over my gear was redundant. I had long since made it a habit but I wouldn’t turn him down. It was already a plus in my eyes to see the man so thorough not only with his crew but with us. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

He could have easily let us be, even ignored us politely. But rather than babying us, it appeared he saw us as equals. Or perhaps he was afraid of offending us? Or that if we were injured, it would be on his head. Either way, we were off to a positive start.

"Done, Sir," Santer said.

"Good, then we do it as we always have, yeah? Nothing changes, even with our two new additions. Let’s move in," Durak ordered.

We began to file out of the camp and head into the woods. I couldn’t help but ask, "How long til we run into trouble?"

Durak snorted. "We’ll be lucky if we make it three hours."