-----Their faces appear rough and redden by the springtime sun. The man standing in the middle, who is bald and wears a heavy beard, speaks up saying, "State yer business!" All five men glare at the party with an angry look in their eyes.
-----The Dread Pirate squints at the peasants, then glances about, wondering how five peasants could possibly think to threaten an armored and armed group of seven fighters on horseback. If he spies no one else, he glowers at the peasants and furiously barks, "Out of my way, you scurvy peasants! Think you to stop those who are to visit with Sir Zantar today? Go back to your homes afore ye get yerselves injured. And be certain that Sir Zantar will hear of yer holding up his guests. I foresee some harsh repercussions if you don't clear off and that right speedily. Your hands look to be more suited to pitchfork and plow than blade and bow. Ye'll do yerselves a great harm if'n ye try to keep us from our duty to the realm." Dread glares fiercely at the peasants and places his hand on the pommel of his cutlass.
-----Strangely, the bald, bearded man laughs. He then looks back at the Dread Pirate and says, "Bah! You jest ride to Redmarsh fer all the good it'll do ye! Zantar oughta be tucked nice n' cozy in 'is castle 'waitin' ye. Be sure n' ask 'em how he fares while we gits more help from Ravenhold'n we do 'im!"
-----Brandel tenses on his buckboard. A cold expression takes hold of his face although he remains silent. Marast leans forward in his saddle toward the offending peasant. The elf's eyes seem to become a deeper shade of green with a dangerous glare.
-----Runik gives the Dread Pirate a look as if asking to use his warhammer to clear the road.
-----The bald man then motions his companions to step aside of the road to let the party pass. Still, with a slight chuckle, he tells them, "Go on. Be on yer merry way. Give 'em our best in Redmarsh . . . if'n ye makes it that far!"
-----The Dread Pirate, glancing at the mercenaries, decides it would be best to move on, before bloodshed bogs them down and gets them into more trouble. Thumping Joren's sides with his heels, he urges the pony on past the peasants, heading towards Redmarsh.
-----Seth wonders at the reactions of the mercenaries, and waves at the peasants as they ride through.
-----Kazel rides past the peasants until she's a fair distance away, then turns back at them and asks, "Hey, men, you wouldn't know where we'd find Krondor's keep, would you?"
-----One of the men throws his hands in the air as if to wave her off. They then turn and walk up the road through the village to the north.
-----"How 'bout on the way back we pound sum sense inta sum noggins 'round here," Runik speaks up as he rides his own pony. He grabs his warhammer and waves it in the air although the men of the village have stopped paying the visitors any attention.
-----As they continue south of the village the road forks and Brandel instructs to take the one to the right. As they leave the last of the small houses and farms behind, the trail bows out to lead them to the southwest. For at least two miles surrounding them are wide-open plains. In the distance at about three miles they see the tall slender leafless trees of a swampy area. It looks as though they could pass this place in a little while.
-----Interestingly up ahead spaced between the ever-widening fork road leaving the village looks like ruined stone structures.
-----After riding for about a mile and a half, they draw ever closer to what appears to be a ruined village. The place seems certainly older than any the rogues had seen on their travels months ago between Hearthorn and Lut. Bare white stone columns extend skyward from roofs that had long ago crumbled away. In the tall overgrown weeds, other stone buildings in various stages of decay are also seen. Some are also so heavily covered with vines and other growths that their natural shapes are undetermined.
-----At one point, the trail road wanders within a few yards of some of the stone structures. As they approach, Marast keeps his eyes on the ruins over to his left. He then begins to slow somewhat finally reining his horse to a stop. Quickly catching the attention of the others, the elf informs them, "Marast see something big move." He points over to a couple of the closer structures.
-----Seth smiles at the word big and decides that the present safety level allows for a wise crack. "Is that Big! yum, let's catch it and eat it? Or Big! Let's ride like the wind?"
-----He smiles at his half joke and considers reaching for his harp, something he has not had the opportunity to do for some time. Instead he reaches for his new crossbow and begins to load it.
-----The Dread Pirate looks warily at the ruins, then says, "These are the ruins of an ancient Lathanian village. I do wonder why the townsfolk didn't just build their village on top of this one though. Or scavenge this ruin for building materials. It's most mysterious. Of course, the ancient tales also tell of the scourge that decimated the Lathanian Empire. Supposedly a leviathan of a dragon went on a rampage, destroying everything in its wake. Historically, it passed through this area. Its flaming breath annihilated all that stood in its path. Its talons were like great, vicious scimitars, eviscerating any so foolish as to stand in its way. When it flew it was as if the sun itself were eclipsed, so enormous was the beast. Its scales were of forged adamantite, no weapon could hope to pierce its hide. It so devastated the Lathanian Empire that it couldn't defend itself from its other encroaching enemies. Namely the barbarians and the sea pirates. Anyway, rumor has it that the dragon simply vanished one day, sated from all the folk that it had devoured and destruction it had wrought. The Lathanian Empire was left tottering on the brink of destruction from its rampage. In any case, I vote for Marast going to check out the 'big thing in the ruins'."