Alicia heard what had been ordered and then looked around her for anything to do. “So...what are we supposed to do until then?” she asked, looking slightly confused at their orders. Didn’t they need to go all together somewhere?

As the others made their way off towards the castle, and the [i]elf[/i] started barking orders at his countrymen, Alan clicked his neck, rolled his shoulders, and started to look about the place. The trees were dense and dark, a promise of hostility encircling the beginnings of their camp, and Alan nodded to himself at Balidvar’s command to avoid them. If you can’t see the far side of the room, you don’t go wandering there without a torch.

Alan’s ears perked as a curious looking woman with an alchemist’s satchel voiced her confusion.

“We’re meant to get on with our own jobs, whatever they are, Miss…” He quirked an eyebrow as he trailed off, inviting her to give him her name.

“Alicia Fairbright. Nice to meet you...and I do recall we were supposed to be working as team on this expedition. I can’t do anything here or find anything rare by waiting outside while everyone goes off to play hero,” she stated.

“So then? What is your story? Also...what do you think we should do?”

Alan’s other eyebrow raised to meet the one already cocked. He had not been working as Karl for a while now and he hoped, in a way, that he would not need to. He preferred being naturally expressive - as inexpressive as he really was.

He withdrew his hand from his belt, and cracked his knuckles.

“Name is Alan. Nice to meet you, too - but I don’t quite know what you mean by my story.” He added on, not quite as an afterthought. “As for what we should do? Dunno about yourself, Alicia, but I think I’m gonna get some of these boys organised into a watch, set a rota or something. You seem to have an understanding of chemistry an’ what not, so perhaps you can scan the area [i]away from the trees[/i] for anything harmful or poisonous.”

Alan leaned down to heft his pack onto his back. Didn’t want it getting lost. Or stolen.

“Losing horses, or worse, losing men, ain’t something we can easily afford. If you do find something you reckon will fuck us up, do us a favour and destroy it if you can.”

“Hmm. Well...our boss did tell us to wait here and not go wandering off and getting caught or spotted. So I could perhaps stay around and help set up watch? Perhaps as we are keeping our eyes open for any monsters or bandits I may spot something valuable around here?” offered Alicia - her entire speech being rapid and rather without a filter.
“Anyways. Let us get some sticks and torches ready…” she cheered. “Wait...how long did he say he’d be gone?”

Alan stopped for a moment, turning back from the group of idle men he’d been about to shout at with a look of almost-confusion edging its way onto his face.

“I don’t think he gave us an exact deadline, Alicia. He’s sweeping an until-now abandoned enemy fortification for threats. That could take hours, or it could be a task that stretches over a couple of days if it proves particularly difficult. Similarly, I suppose they might be out in minutes, if there’s somethin’ truly awful in there.” Alan nodded as he finished, as if tapering off the sentence in his mind, before turning back again to those idle fools who were pulling pipes out to smoke.

“No smoking! If the fuckin’ elves can smell that shite for a hundred feet, you bet that wolves and monsters an’ all sorts of horrid things can too.” He growled. “Air in these places don’t move. Smells longer for hours and hours. Go without at least until we’re in the castle. And make yourselves busy.”

“So...no torches then?” asked Alicia, groaning in response - seeing as she was pretty sure the mosquitos would soon be upon them. 

Though compared to getting eaten by monsters, or attacked by bandits. She expected for things to be...less than stellar against smoking.

“...darn...so then. How shall begin watching things? Up high? Or down low?”

“We’ll take it in shifts, an’ give the guards alternative patrol routes. I don’t want anyone not watching someone else’s back, and I don’t want anyone without their own back bein’ watched in turn. Guards can swap posts every hour, so they don’ get bored an’ nod off.” Alan started to organise the idle soldiers into twos and threes, assigning them to the various corners of the provisional camp and giving them their instructions.

“We’ll join the watch ourselves, o’ course. As for torches, we might see if we can set up some lanterns or somethin’ once darkness encroaches fully - but they make us obvious, and they ruin your night vision. I want our boys keeping their eyes good.”

Alan’s ears perked again.

“What do you mean up high or down low?”

“I mean should we set up posts on the highest reaches we can. I’know...seeing higher to down. Or just keep plenty of people watching the roads and paths...either one could work or fail…” she explained to him.
“Anyways. Are we setting up camp here already? I thought were supposed to wait until those others came back. Or are we staying in this vicinity for longer?”

Alan gestured to the area inside the short wall around the castle itself, previously isolated by a gate, now open to the exterior of the castle grounds and the darkness of the woods around that.

“Inside the walls, I reckon we can set a few things up for the time bein’. How much we set up precisely is gonna depend on how long the Lord takes inside, but we can at least get a place to feed and tie horses goin’. Maybe…” Alan stepped just inside the gate arch, and looked up at the wall from the other side.

Some time ago, years or more, men had been able to gain a height advantage from the parapet there - the broken, unstable parapet.

Thinking of what Alicia had just said, Alan thought he could see a few places along the wall where men might gain that advantage once more.

“Up high. Not a poor idea at all, I don’t think. Lady Alicia, would you help me find some useful timbers in these ruins, so we can set a place for our bowmen to keep watch Up High, while the other men keep their watch Down Low?”

“Sure...perhaps we can find some useful herbs in the area too…” she said, smiling at him.