[center][h3]Camp of the Nirmathi Rangers[/h3][/center][hr]
As the group questioned Gavirk, he ordered one of his men to hand out the down payment of their services. "The river Marideth runs within sight of the Keep. If the Molthuni soldier is smart, he likely has a watch stationed overlooking the water." The accidental display seemed to barely phase Gavirk, as he quickly shifted his attention to the next question. "When Nirmathas claimed her independence from Molthune, they built Fangwood Keep as a sort of border fort: an aggressive posture towards the Nirmathi. We have conquered and lost the Keep many times over the years, the latest of such excursions being nigh a decade ago when we took it back. Since then, we've been in talks of peace with Molthune, and this rogue soldier is endangering those efforts. That's why we are sending you instead of going ourselves; if Nirmathas took the fort back, it would signal another step in the ongoing war. If Molthune stormed the Keep, it could be seen as a sign of weakness, and elements of our army may try to take advantage. This is a delicate situation, and I trust you will keep the details to yourself?"

Without bothering to await an answer, almost as if he implicitly trusted the paladin in the group, Gavirk turned his attention to the next question. "The woods hold the standard dangers. Not much in the way of quicksand, and the brambles typically don't hunt you if you leave them alone." His response was deadpan, and not even a hint of a smile showed on his face. "There's been reports of hobgoblins along the path, and there's a troll that has a cave not too far from the Keep. He's never bothered us, so we haven't tried to root him out. Other than that, not abnormal dangers to speak of. The woods are fairly quiet." With his answers delivered, he turned to check on some of his men. "If you excuse me, I must see to the training of some new recruits. Please do not delay."

With Gavirk busy, the group purchased their requisite supplies at the quartermaster, spending some of their newly-earned gold before making their plans. A makeshift tavern was an ideal location to plan. The "structure" was little more than a large tent with a plank set upon two barrels serving as the bar, but there were several soldiers mulling about the area. Someone had embedded a pamphlet into a nearby tree via use of an arrow, and the pamphlet had a crudely drawn image of a troll on it. "Bounty: 1000 gold to whomever brings me the head of Sigurx. I'll be at Fort Ramgate -- Signed, Arther Cossack."

It was decided after a short time that the best option would be to begin their adventure immediately, push as far as they could in the remaining light of the day, and break camp along the trail. The journey for the first day was uneventful, and the night's watch equally so. They had traveled for a few hours the following day when they stumbled upon a cavern system. The area outside the caves seemed bare, although the grass was worn within several feet of the cave entrance as if a makeshift path had seen the pounding of thousands of footsteps.