Nano – Day 4
Not much done today. Tired. I hope to catch up some tomorrow.
D4 Goal: 6667
Word count: 304
70% of target.
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The soldiers broke ranks and set about gathering their gear for the patrol. The horses were stabled on the other side of camp for sanitary reasons which allowed the troopers to stop by the mess to grab some rations and the Blacksmith area to gather extra ammunition for their bows. Within the hour the squad was mounted and and ready to move. Corporal Meirien walked is mount to the head of the formation then wheeled about to address the squad.
“This is going to be a reconnaissance by force. We are going into the border territory between the Overlands and the Demimonde. I don’t have to tell you that we will be surrounded but all sorts of nasty beasties intent on putting us into their cookpots. Stay frosty. We may be in our own territories but Demi patrols have been spotted not a few leagues from here and deeper patrols are probably lurking around undetected. Burn, when you are ready take the lead.”
Burn did as ordered. He filed his horse through the gate, waving to the guards on duty as he passed.
“Good Luck and Good Hunting!” the sergeant-at-arms called out as the squad rode past. “Give ‘em hell.”
Once outside the palisade the squad formed up into a large inverted vee. Burn’s team was arrayed in a smaller inverted vee at the front of the formation while Granis and Talia formed their teams in similar formations to the left and the right about a hundred paces back. The troopers kept a distance of about thirty paces between each other and Meirien kept the the center of the squad. Every now and then he would move up to Burn and get an report of the situation. In about an hour they were at the edges of the Hollow Lands.
There was no gradual transition for Overlands to Demimonde territory. One moment the troopers were moving through lush, green vegetation. The next minute they were riding through the blackened, charred remains of what was once a vibrant forest. What wasn’t covered in grey soot was charred black and lifeless. Troopers loosened long, curved sabers in their scabbards and nocked arrows to their shortbows.
