The dock consisted of little more than a wooden walkway extending into the water. The Valiant eased up, tying off on its port side against the beams before dropping its boarding ramp to facilitate the unloading of Stormcloud.
Valiant"I"m still not sure why you chose to bring her," said Danica. "It"s not as if she enjoyed the trip."
"True," said Charlaine, "but I"ll be riding back to Lidenbach."
"You"re not coming with us?"
"No. I need to assess the land in these parts. If the empire is determined to invade, the most direct route will be from here to the capital. I"d prefer to see the terrain now rather than worry about it later."
"You mean to pick out a place of battle," said Danica.
"Likely several. Somewhere that we can use their numbers against them. You and I both know that when
