Almost as soon as the riders had vanished orders came again. The sudden veil of fear which had so closely cloaked their bodies washed away as the thrill and terror of the hunt set in. Deirdre's eyes flashed open as the heat of the moment washed over her. The abject chill which had frozen her only an instant before was gone and almost without thinking her body was in motion, form pulled away from the tree into an all out sprint. The riders were moving to Breetown but for what purpose remained unknown. 

As she moved Deirdre held herself low to the ground, feet moving quickly over rock and soil and root, expertly navigating the broken terrain. It was only with the sight of Breetown in the distance that she slowed her pace and the adrenaline began to wane. The fatigue set in close after combined with the uncertainty of what could lay within. As the companions drew closer she could see the ultimate fate of the town's foremost gate: trampled under the black hooves of terror beasts from the edges of one's farthest most nightmares. It didn't take long to track The Nine. Where they'd went a swath of destruction lay until at last the trail vanished before the Prancing Pony and the host fell upon the inn with all the courage and vigor they still possessed.

Once inside the interrogation of the inn-keep and their mysterious commission kept Deirdre on her toes. All of it made little sense, at least, it made little sense to the nomadic warrioress who had no sense of the world's greater politics. All she could see was a mysterious man tempting her newly met captain into what seemed to be their group's imminent destruction. Still, the promise of coin and adventure was enough to keep her determination firm and as Raven outlined their plan she remained silent and observed. 

When at last Raven was done speaking a few others chimed in with their concerns or suggestions which ranged from different pathways to various forces upon which they could call for aid. Again, Deirdre had little conception of what their quest could bring them, only that the forces of the Dark Lord were involved and that the Ring of Power had been found. This alone was enough to seal her commitment and as the conversation ended she was quick to return to the stables. Deirdre removed the mail shirt as well as the rest of her leather bindings, stowing the armor upon Lowain for easy access in the morning. The majority of her weapons were stored in a similar fashion, though she kept a simple pair of knives upon her person in case of something unexpected.

The rest of the night passed quickly and Deirdre got little sleep. The prospect of a long morning's ride and the threat of combat kept her awake. She was not often jittery upon the eve of battle, but this night had proven that the morrow's combat would not be against the typical brand of brigand or raider. The evil they now fought was something unlike anything she'd seen before; she was fearful.