Chapter 1

Tal glances around before speaking up. "Do you have any leads on where they are, beyond out west, or do we need to find them ourselves?"

"The caravans were attacked two days ride from here," says Lord Aldwin. "We do not know where they are now, so i suggest you investigate the area. Perhaps you can learn more."

Sir Kar-Tesh awaits Lord Alwin to finish before enquiring.
“With respect! my Lord”he pauses after emphasing my Lord with a side glance towards Tal.

“Indeed we will head out to where the wagon’s were attacked,but firstly questions need to be answered here! “

“How do we know Orcs are reasponsible? If there are survivors I would very much like to speak with them! And how many wagons were in the Caravan's.?”

"Also how long ago was the attack? and who was the mage that was Taken and how long did it take the survivors to get back? "

"Still the attacking of a caravan is brave for orcs! attempting to grab a few things or a territorial issue!"

"Two Caravans! concerns me! it either means it they are searching for something or someone! or something larger is looming!"

"It could be the start of a possible blockade!"

Lord Aldwin turns to the castle guard on his left and says, "go get the caravan guard." The castle guard hurries out the side corridor while the lord returns his attention back to the group before him.

"The second merchant caravan was attacked three days ago. There has been only one survivor, a wounded caravan guard named Murtana. The missing Wizard named Gideon was a passenger on the second caravan."

Only a minute later the castle guard returns with a young, red haired woman wearing leather armor and a cloth bandage across her shoulder.

Mage guild members recognize the name Gideon. He is a researcher of lost spells and artifacts from the time of Anrahdynn.

"Gideon! that would be no easy feat!,I wouldnt think Gideon would be taken without a fight!"he ponders!
"And the mage guild cannot locate him!"

"My Lord! It would take a powerful spellcaster,to be able to conceal someone in such a way! "or he mutters something under his breath,before realising he is saying it allowed and cuts it off quick.

"This I believe is not just the work of Orcs!"

Bowing his head, Xaviien addresses Lord Alwin directly.
"If I may be so bold, milord?" he takes a step forward and raises his eyes to meet the gaze of the group. "I also believe Orcs alone would not be likely to kidnap such a powerful mage. I think it would serve us well to make haste, and make our way to the scene of the crime as fast as possible. With this weather about, it's likely any evidence may have already disappeared."
He lowers his head once more, this time out of shame, rather than respect. "I'm afraid I may not be much use in this investigation, however. I have done quite a lot of searching these past years, but I'm not so great at actually finding what I look for. Animals I can track, missing people are not so easy."

"It depends, Gideon was a great mage, but he was known primarilly for his research. If he were overwhelmed with numbers he might well be taken, and one he was bound, gagged, and probably blindfolded his magic would be of little avail to him. Also orcs may well have discovered some artifact which could easilly have both enboldened them and made the capture of a mage easier. Which is of course not to say that they had to have acted alone either, but we must be cautious before jumping to conclusions."
When the guard arrives he falls silent for a time, leaving the questioner to his work.

Murtana bows her head in respect towards Lord Aldwin and then confidently turns to face the group of people waiting for her to speak. "My name is Murtana and I am a caravan guard in the employ of the Merchant guild. Three days ago the caravan I was paid to protect was ambushed by orcs. We came under attack first by archers hidden in the woods on either side of the road. When many of us were dead or wounded, the orc warriors emerged to finish us off. There was a wizard in the third wagon, he managed to killed several orcs with fire from his hands. That is until he was engulfed in a cloud of smoke, I didn't see him after that. In the battle I was wounded and must have blacked out, when I came to, the wagons were empty and I had been left for dead."

Anuhea's smile vanishes and her face assumes a serious expression. She has personal experience with caravan attacks.

She remembers one sunny day on the trail to Westford, smiling and at peace with the world when a sharp pain in her leg and the thunk of arrows into wagons changed the mood into terror. The guards earned their pay that day. And, even wounded, she herself killed 4 bandits. It would have been 5, but the last was young and scrawny; he looked so helpless lying on the ground that she just felt tired of killing.

"Go!" she had said as she took her boot off of his chest, sword still at the ready. "You have your life. Don't ever waste it on something like this again."

They had lost two good men that day, Enli the Drinker and Loki Three-finger. Loki had been the best storyteller of the whole group.

Her eyes flick up and to the left as if she were thinking of something.

Garth, mostly, just stands there looking confused. What do caravan attacks have to do with chopping down trees?