The caravan made its way through the winding wood at a slow pace, the single wagon and two packs horses moving at a speed that was easy for the various guards to match.

A few of the guards were old hands, four of them all knew each other well and had worked with the merchants covering this route before. However this time the merchants had seen fit to bring on some extra hands.

As the group had travelled the road they'd come across a number of strangers,   each wandering the same long road. Out of practicality they'd decided to travel together, there being greater safety in numbers especially under the dark eaves of the forest that hung low over the road. They hadn't talked much but after several hours of long travel it was time to stop for lunch.

The caravan master brought the wagon to the side of the road alongside a small clearing and the merchants set about tying up the horses, as the guards settled down here and there to eat whatever rations they had.