Joseph Reed looked to the darkened sky as he loaded his revolver, packed his bags, and paced towards his horse, eager to find out what was going on. His first instinct was to ride to Blackwater but, in his disrupted state, he began to ride west instead of east until he found himself approaching Thieve's Landing.

From afar, he could see that the town was in turmoil. Buildings and homes were set ablaze and pieces of wood scattered across the streets. He began to contemplate whether this was a good idea or not.