South of the inn, deep in the forest, a motley group of men and women sat in the dark around a campfire, clutching mugs of tea and talking quietly. They were clearly on edge, glancing frequently into the gloom around them, starting at faint noises. Some were well dressed while others wore worn tattered garments that suggested their owners had not been able to replace them for some time. For all that, the quality of clothing did not seem to correlate with differences in rank.
Suddenly, conversation froze as they all looked towards the north where definite sounds of people approaching emanated from the darkness. Some hands reached for weapons lying on the ground beside them.
A large solid man with a full but neatly trimmed beard shook his head and growled, “Nah. Don’t bother. We’re not sur
