24 Ashan 721
…continued from this thread
”This looks like a good spot,” suggested Oram.
The gray-haired ranger next to looked around. ”For the observation post, absolutely. We still need to find a campsite, though.”
Oram scowled and glanced over at Hop. ”Do *we* have to do that?
Rosser Hopkins thought a trill. ”Technically, no. But we have to know where it is, so we can find it ourselves if need be, without pestering whomever’s on watch.”
Oram nodded thoughtfully, realizing the sense in that. The sky peeking between the budding branches overhead was mostly light, although the sun had not yet cleared the mountains to the east. Wispy shreds of pre-dawn mist still clung here and there. The rest of the party, nine rangers in all, huddled quietly at the edge of the nearby clearing, shuffling next to their mounts.
Oram and Hop had figured out the trial before that they only actually needed one post, north of Rorn’s farm, to watch the roads leading east of the bridge from Scalvoris, as well as coming up from Egilrun. A second *camp*, with two trios of rangers, would set up northwest of the bridge; one team would watch the bridge, the other would patrol north of it for any fording activity. The bridge would soon become contentious, everybody knew, and both sides of the conflict would be looking for fording sites to circumvent it.
The traveler ran over this scheme in his head, deciding what to do next. ”How about we let this team set up and pick their own site,” he suggested, ”while we take the rest over the bridge to pick theirs. We can come back and inspect here when we’re done.”
Hop moved his index finger back and forth, indicating the additional shuttling he and Oram would have to do. ”That’ll add a bit more riding for you and me,” he observed, ”but it might be faster all the same, if we’re not supervising the building of two campsites. And it gives us more time to talk. I like it if you do.”
Once Oram had indicated that he did, Hop turned to the nearby knot of rangers. ”Atal!” he called out. He had a gift for projecting his voice without making a sharp, loud sound. ”Set up your observation post here. Set up a camp where you see fit. Mr. Mednix and I will inspect it upon our return from emplacing the other teams.”
Mr. Mednix. The formality made Oram uneasy, but the senior rangers had all assured him that such things were important, maybe even necessary.
The biqaj ranger nodded seriously, his eyes a steady, pearly grey. As Atal and his team led their horses deeper into the treeline, Hop and and Oram emerged into the clearing to mount their own equines. All of the party except Oram rode horses, who had declined a horse in favor of his familiar and beloved Mule.
The bridge was not that far away, not even a half-break’s ride. Hop had the party halt, and several of the rangers dismount and post security. These crouched a few paces away from the group with their bows in hands, arrows nocked. The remaining rangers, still mounted, automatically spread out. Oram, having been advised of this maneuver before they had set out, followed suit.
This was a security halt, routine enough. Something Hop had deemed wise to do before crossing the bridge. He, Oram, and all the Rangers looked around quietly, searching for any sign of pursuit, ambush, or other untoward thing. Oram looked west, out over the run and the bridge across it. Behind him, the sun was just starting to emerge from among the mountains, causing the party’s elongated shadows to stretch westward across the ground.