Captain Ikku decided to escort a lord to his newly appointed keep.

Anne sighs. "I guess we're heading to 'swamp castle,' then."

Vera asks if she can come along. 

Since Ikku cares deeply about Vera's well-being, he responded "No, it’s too dangerous for you."

Vera nods in understanding.

Ikku, Arlo, Anne, and Vera meet at the designated area to meet the noble who will be the new Lord of Swamp Castle. After about an hour of waiting, Ikku worry that he might have the wrong location, but then appears with a wagon full of goods and a young woman who seems to be his daughter. Arlo greets them, and they start riding south.

The newly appointed Lord of Swamp Castle is very quiet, and Ikku can't seem to get him to say anything. 

Ikku walk up to Arlo, and he nods when he reaches him.

Ikku asked, "Know anything about this new Lord?"

Arlo shakes his head. "He's a quiet fellow. Perhaps he did something to impress the King. You know, the previous King rose to power from Swamp Castle." He goes quiet and stares off into the distance.

Ikku then asked, "Know anything about this castle we're heading to?"

Arlo speaks without turning around. "It's known as Swamp Castle. It's quite old…ancient, even. With the proper management and time, it could become a respectable stronghold and trading hub in the region."

Arlo slows down a bit, still staring off into the distance.

"What in the world are you staring at, Arlo?" asks Anne.

"I thought I saw some movement in the trees over there," Arlo replies.

"Bandits?", Ikku ask.

Arlo shakes his head. "Not sure. Could be anything…should we check it out?"

They decide to see what's going on…

Unfortunately, they don't see anything. Arlo shrugs. "Must have been an animal or something…"

Anne is currently wiping some mud off her boots. "I hate swamplands…"

Ikku asked Anne, "Have you been to this area before?"

Anne nods. "Unfortunately, when I was younger. My parents tried trading here…apparently, the swamps are known for their herbs, which have almost magical healing properties."

Anne doesn't say anything else. She seems more interested in getting to her destination as quickly as possible.

Ikku then admire the scenery. For swamplands, it does have some kind of beauty. Suddenly, the group stops. Anne points up ahead, where the terrain looks a bit muddy.

"Should we go around or continue on the path?" asks Anne. "I would hate to get lost…"

They decide to find another path. It takes longer to get to their destination, but the group arrive without any further incidents.

After some time, they finally arrive at Swamp Castle.

Anne looks at it. "Hmm…a little better than I remember, but still a swampy mess."

The Lord pays them for the escort.

The castle looks strong, despite it being old. It looks like the former Lord did a lot of work to improve it. The people seem happy, and Ikku sees a busy market.

The group head back to the castle. On the way back, Ikku run into some ruffians. One of the ruffians blocks your way. "Hey, did you just come back from Swamp Castle?"

Ikku then responded, "Yeah."

"Interesting…well, you have to pay the toll tax then. All travelers do."

Anne eyes him suspiciously. "What tax? I never heard about such a thing."

The ruffian smiles. "It's a protection tax for travelers on the road."

Arlo grips his spear and nods, starting to understand. "Thanks, but I think we have all the protection we need."

The ruffians examined the captain Ikku for quite some time; eventually, they figure he isn't' worth the trouble. They let them pass.

Arlo seems a bit upset. "Shouldn't we take care of them? They could rob others."

Anne shrugs and looks to Ikku.

"Let's take care of them.", said Ikku.

Ikku head back and nod at Arlo. He hits the lead ruffian in the head with the back of his spear. The ruffian falls to the ground, groaning in pain.

"Next time, I'll use the pointy end," Arlo says.

The ruffians help their friend up and leave.

The group head back to the castle after the road has been cleared.

A servant delivers a letter to Anne. Anne reads it and gives a half-grin.

"Good news?" asks Arlo.

"Perhaps," Anne replies. "It's a letter from Eadic." She opens some windows to let more light into the room.

"Really? How is he doing?"

Anne shrugs. "He must be doing pretty well. Looks like he's set up shop in the Capital."

Arlo peeks over Anne's shoulder. "What else does it say?"

Anne starts to pull the letter away. "Hey now…he sent it to me, not you."

Arlo scoffs. "He knows that if he sent it to me, you'd read it anyway…"

Anne laughs. "Well, apparently he might have a job for us."

Arlo looks surprised. "Really? What are the details?"

Anne shrugs. "He doesn't go into too much detail. Just that he's looking to hire additional mercenaries, and one group unexpectedly didn't show up. He said he'll be in the Capital for the next week. We should probably stop by and see him."

Anne suddenly realizes something, then looks over at Ikku. "I mean…if the Captain agrees, of course."

Ikku asked, "Who's Eadic?"

"He was the first mercenary captain Anne and I worked under," replies Arlo. "Good guy…well, for a mercenary captain, that is. He always did right by us. He took Anne in right after—"

Anne gives him a sharp look, and Arlo stops for a moment before continuing. "He's one of the few mercenary captains we trust and consider a friend."

Anne nods in agreement, her eyes still locked on Arlo for almost mentioning something. Normally, her eyes are grey, but in the right light they can look blue, which they do now.

"Why did you leave his company, then?", said Ikku.

Arlo shrugs. "It wasn't an easy decision…just felt like we could make more by taking other mercenary contracts. That was a bit of a mistake, though…we soon found out that not all mercenary captains are like Eadic."

Arlo sighs. "Besides, we left on good terms…there was little risk, as we could always rejoin the company if we wished."

Ikku asked, "Did he mention how much money he's offering?"

Anne shakes her head. "No…but he's fair. I'm sure whatever he's offering will be worth our time."

Ikku then agrees, "Sounds like a good opportunity."

Anne and Arlo seem happy that Ikku agreed.