Chapter 4: Orcish Encounters
----- The party begins to move southward through the swamp with Raven and the white dog leading the way. Quickly, they ride until the swamp becomes a narrow strip of land rising above the water. Here the pace is slowed and tall, thin trees lurch up on each side.
-----More signs of life are seen. Birds flitter and sing in the still air. Rings appear in spots in the dark water where unseen fish disturb the surface.
-----Soon the land begins to widen out and the swamp begins to thin out. Ahead to the south can be seen a large hill. Raven rides on through some tall grass that appears to have been trampled.
-----As they finally clear the swamp, Raven dismounts and checks the ground. The dog moves quickly beside him; nose to the ground and sniffing furiously. Suddenly the dog's head jerks up and it takes off running toward the hill. Raven nods, mounts, and rides on after the dog.
-----At the base of the hill, Raven slows, but does not dismount. He points out smoothed grass and broken stems that indicate the passing of a large number of creatures. The party begins moving slowly up the hill. Ahead they see no places an ambush could take place on the treeless mound.
-----The sun reaches its highest point in the clear blue sky as the four men reach the top of the hill. A slight chill still hangs in the air, but the sunshine helps warm them. From here, the men get a view of the surrounding countryside. To the north and northwest lies the swamp they just left. To the northeast, east and southeast are flat plains. To the west can be seen a small lake a couple of miles away. To the southwest is a small swamp fed by the overflow of the Altor River. The river can be seen about a mile and a half to the south.
-----At this point, the men realize that the dog is no where to be seen. Raven calls for the dog, but all remains still around them. Also distressing, the tracks seem to be lost.
-----Then suddenly, Raven spots a small tree on the southeast side of the hill. One or two of its limbs look somehow misplaced. Moving closer to it, it is apparent there has been large movement in this direction.
-----The four riders carefully descend the hill on this side. To the southeast, about a half-mile away, the men can see what appears to be the buildings of a village. After studying the ground, Raven indicates that the tracks lead there.
-----Onward they ride, although at a careful trotting speed. All around the men, it seems like a normal spring day. The scene ahead is somewhat unsettling as no people are sighted between the buildings.
-----As they approach, they see their destination to be the ruins of an old village. There are over a dozen old structures in various states of decay. Some buildings are no more than foundations, some are shelters with collapsed or missing roofs, and two of them seem to be fully intact.
-----The riders stop within 120 yards of the nearest structure. It is now an hour after high noon. All is quiet in the surrounding countryside except for the activity of birds. There appears to be no activity in the deserted buildings, but on further investigation, the tracks lead toward the ruins.
-----Raven gets off his horse and ties the horse to the nearest tree. Raven then readies his short bow. Raven then moves closer to the group. "I'll scout ahead and see if there is anyone home. If you hear me scream, it
means I found something or something found me." Raven smiles. "You guys stay here. Okay?"
-----"Now is not the time to separate," Thalog warns Raven.
-----Arliss frowns as he looks upon the ruined village. "Well...I don't like this, not at all. Still, Thalog, I feel that Raven can look after himself, and I have no doubt that he is the best equipped of we four to scout around a bit. I am in favor of his plan...but do be careful, Raven. If you have need of us, we'll be there for you. And where did that dog get off to, anyway?"
-----"It would be safer if someone went with Raven, I volunteer to do that. The ruins are of an old Gorian village, there is no telling what might be down there now". Rand gets off his horse and starts walking towards the ruins of the village.
-----Shrugging impassively, Arliss responds, "It makes no difference to me, Rand. I would suppose that it is up to Raven whether or not he wishes you to accompany him. Either way, I am content to wait here."
-----With that, Arliss and Thalog watch Raven and Rand move cautiously toward the village ruins. About sixty yards from the nearest building, the ground is covered by flattened, tall grass not yet recovered from the winter weather. The foliage seems to surround all of the ruined buildings ahead.
-----Raven checks the ground and then looks in the direction of the deserted village. The ground under the grass must prove to be somewhat muddy. At different times, Raven stops and looks around as if to check for any sign of motion in the silent structures.
-----Finally, the first structure they stand beside is a small stone foundation; perhaps part of an old house. Next to it, a small one-story structure stands; its roof long ago caved in. After motioning to Rand to wait, Raven ducks beneath a window opening; slowly rising to peer in. Obviously, nothing seems to be amiss for Raven turns from the window and kneels to inspect the ground. He looks past the roofless building at the structure adjacent to it. Slowly, Raven rises in a crouch, moving cautiously around the corner of the building. He motions for Rand to quietly follow him. At this point, they move out of sight of the others . . .