Two moons and over a hundred miles from Tormunn, Alera was longing for her feather bed in the castle, though she was ashamed to admit it. It wouldn't be so bad if not for the rain. Halfway through the first moon it had ambushed them, rolling from the coast and darkening the sky. The moon had set and risen since then and still it showed no sign of stopping. The men had started grumbling, seeming to forget that she paid them an advance out of her share from the Tarn bridge "tax". She was loath to pay them before the job even started, but the journey was a long one and her plan was not without risk. Extorting a company of Dindran knights from the safety of a tower was one thing, stealing a cart load of steel from under their noses was another.
So there they were, trudging through the mud of No Man's Land towards Dawn Castle. Alera spit the rain out of her mouth and brushed the porcelain-blond hair from her eyes. After half a moon of rain her cloak had turned into nothing more than a sopping wet burden, and it became pointless to keep the hood up. She made a mental note to get her coin back from the trader who had sold it to her as "a right marvel, rain, snow, hail; ain't nuffin' gonna get frough dis' here garment."
"How much longer m'lady?" One of her Cloaks called from behind. "Perhaps we should stop and make camp?" A lightning flash and a crack of thunder punctuated his plea.
"Not until we are in sight of the castle." Alera replied. "I want to be able to get a lay of the place by the next moon." The men grumbled behind her. "What was that? Are you big strong men tired? Perhaps I should let you all rest and whine for mother while I go ahead and get the job done." They fell silent.
Alera scowled and tried to think about the job. This was no simple theft. Dindran steel was valuable, but it was also heavy, and they would need to transport it. Sneaking up to Dawn Castle with a cart was out of the question, (avoiding the springs was hard enough on horseback), so they had brought two extra horses and a whole lot of caltrops. Alera felt sorry for what the spikes might do to the Dindran horses, but they were necessary if she and her Black Cloaks were to get away.
"Halt!" She held up an arm and stopped her horse just as she rounded a bend in the road. A straightaway flanked by short but dense pines stretched out before her. The outline of the castle was visible against the storm clouds. "Let's find a spot to make camp in the trees! Trill!"
"Yes capn'!" The skinny second in command answered.
"I want you to scout the castle like we talked about. Find us a path through the forest."
"Yes ma-am, er... capn'" He blanched from her glare and rode into the trees. The rest followed him and set about finding what shelter they could. Alera remained on the road, staring at the castle. Henry snorted and stomped a white booted hoof in the mud.
"I know boy," Alera soothed. "I'm impatient too, but we'll get there." She examined the castle for a moment longer. "We'll get there."
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