at the manor.

Unless...

Something in his mind takes over, and before he knows it, some of his silver is exchanged for a surprising amount of chalk-like powder. If anyone dares to watch him in the shadows, he'll track them down.

He will no doubt find Malkala a little perplexed over his purchase, but she'll find him still committed to this adventure.

As Zrak walks through the city of Restov and buys powder, Malkala finds a nearby bookstore and general store. She seems single minded in her purchases, as if she already knew exactly where to go and what to get. When she is done, Zrak finds that she bought a set of crafter's tools and two different books, one of which is blank. As soon as she exits the store, she starts reorganizing her papers into the blank book. When she is done, she looks to Zrak, "Ready."

The pair meet Linzi and Amiri at the gate to Restov and then start to head for what will become their eventual kingdom.

The journey to Oleg's Trading Post is quiet. For most of the trip, the four adventurers are the only ones visible out to the horizon. Occasionally they meet with other travelers, some merchants, some guards, and some adventurers like them. Word has already started moving throughout the pockets of civilization in and around the Stolen Lands of the groups attempting to conquer the untamable, and some of the travelers are quick to guess that Zrak, Malkala, Amiri, and Linzi are one such group.

Nights on the road are quiet. Only crickets, campfires, and conversation break the silence of the plains. No monsters or bandits show themselves, and Malkala is able to explain that the road provides protection in the form of the guards that patrol it. Even the stuborn, sometimes stupid, bandits eventually learn to avoid the path if they wish to find prey.

On day two of the journey, the four pass through a small village situated on the river they had been alongside since leaving Restov. The sign nearby points to the village named Nivakta's Crossing, with wooden palisades surrounding it. Those who leave the village whether it is to head west or east whisper of a small army that passed through the village on the way south toward Dunsward. Some of the ladies even whisper of a handsome nobleman wearing black leading it.

During day four, the group pass by a series of waterfalls ranging from ten to thirty feet tall. They decide to take a break nearby, letting the peace of the water calm their excitement and nerves. It is clear that this is a popular place for travelers to rest as they find two other groups sitting as well.

For the rest of the trip, there are no landmarks or villages. Around midday on the ninth day, Zrak is the first to see the wooden walls on the horizon. As the group approaches, though, Zrak finds it weird that the walls look more like battlements than a mere line of wooden posts like he expected from a trading post. There is a moment when the group wonders if they were at the right spot. Yet they continue, finding their way through the entrance with massive double wooden doors currently open.

As they do, they hear the sound of hammer against wood ringing rhythmically. Looking up, they find a human man somewhere between twenty and thirty on the roof of one of the buildings of the post. He seems to be hammering planks of wood into the roof, possibly trying to repair some damage. Before they can call out to him, though, a woman's voice, excited and jovial, calls from another building, "Oh! You must be the adventurers Restov sent!"

A young woman, around the same age as the man, quickly steps toward the group. Her bright blonde hair falls down in waves down her neck. A kerchief is tied around her head, the navy blue of it splattered by a white powder. The powder also spots her round face but does not do much to hide her bright blue eyes and barely controlled smile. She wears a simple blue dress and leather shoes, both of which are speckled with the dirt and grass of the ground. In her hands is a tray with various steaming bowls and a plate full of steaming bread.

When she reaches the group, she huffs and practically shoves the food at Zrak and Malkala, "It is wonderful that you have made it!"

Zrak grips the bowl of steamed thin meats and pulls them in front of him. "Finally, more food!" he says with an uncontrollable appetite. He throws off the cloak over his head while chomping down on a slice, chewy and tender all at once. He didn't mind the trip to Oleg's Trading Post; the path was surprisingly quiet and quite enjoyed the open space and quiet. The food on the road didn't compare to what's made in a proper kitchen.

Before anyone realizes, he scarfs down nearly half of the bowl. By then, the plate was pulled from his hands, leaving him with the bread and all the other food to devour at his pleasure. His own eating was rather dramatic, but certainly spirited in a sense.

"Mmm, mmm," he mumbles with more home-cooked goodness in his mouth. "This'll have us ready for hunting bandits." The crushing sound of his incisors punctures the intent. He and Malkala don't have an army on their side, unlike a certain noble wearing black, but Zrak shouldn't need much to handle bandits; he's seen plenty of those in Numeria.

The hammering of planks still ring in the distance , though it does not deter the ratfolk who enjoys the woman's hospitality. "It's been a peaceful walk here. Bet it ain't like that once we head southward." His eyes look over to the woman's. "So have the bandits been a problem here too?"

Malkala gently grabs the tray from Zrak, taking a few pieces of what remained before passing it to Amiri. Like Zrak, she starts devouring the food, so much so that Linzi wondered if she would get any. But, the barbarian woman finished quickly and handed the tray to the tiny halfling, who smiles and slowly savors the food. At that, the woman laughs, "Don't worry. There is plenty still."

At the mention of bandits, her cheer takes a small hit, "Unfortunately, yes. Here, let's sit down."

She leads the group around the building that the man is working on to a pair of tables. They flank a firepit approximately six feet in diameter and each have a pair of benches along the long sides. The wood is obviously weather-worn, but well cared for as they look as sturdy as if they were just put together.

As she passes by the ladder up to the roof, she yells up, "Oleg! Come down and meet our guests!"

After two more hits, the man sets down his tools down upon the roof, making sure they would not fall. He then carefully makes his way to the ladder and down. Now that he is closer, Zrak and Malkala can see that he leans more toward the thirty side of his age. Medium brown hair in a part barely covers his forehead and comes down into sideburns that continues into a beard that stops at his chin. His brown eyes convey seriousness and his mouth seems to be always in a frown.

Yet, when he approaches the group, he greets them with a smile and a handshake to each person, "Hello! I am Oleg Leveton, this is my wife, Svetlana. I assume you are the Greenbelt explorers we've heard much about?"

Malkala reaches into her pack, grabs the charter, and hands it to the man. He reads over it with Svetlana looking around his arm to read as well. Once done reading, he lets out a snort, "I'm not sure I am a fan of having anyone they find come around and take on the bandits. But, I cannot say I am not intrigued by the idea of no longer having the 'taxmen' come by."

Svetlana nods as she sits down, "We'd really appreciate it if you helped us with them. If you do, I'd be happy to let you stay here free of charge."

Oleg gives her a stern look, but she quickly knocks it down with a look of her own. He relents, muttering unhappily to himself.

Between Oleg and Svetlana's explainations, Zrak's remaining bowls of food disappear under his nose. It takes awhile for the ratfolk to realize how much of the food he was missing. He can't have eaten it all... right?

A quick glance around the table reveals they are now spread across the table for the other adventurers.

He shakes his head, keeping Oleg's words in mind rather than distracting with food. Zrak nods his ratty head towards Oleg, speaking with a more lively tone than before. "'Taxmen', huh? So that means they gotta be nearby then?" He isn't exactly a keen analyst, but he is a traveler. "How often do they come around here? And where from? Anything you know about 'em will help us a lot."

Any information will help when you are surrounded by featureless plains.

Svetlana looks down toward the table, her eyes glazing over in memory, "They come by once a month to collect their 'dues.' For the first couple of months, they came right at the first of the month. Lately, though, they have not been so strict with their scheduling. We believe that they won't be here for another five days. But they always seem to be in a hurry to return to camp, which makes me think that it's not far. Maybe a day or two ride away?"

There is a pause as she seems to dive deep into an uncomfortable memory, "The first time they came was the worst. There was ten, led by a cloaked man with a bow and a woman with two hatches. That woman had such a dark sense of humor. And her smile..." she trails off, then recovers, "She nearly cut off Oleg's right hand just for fun." At that, Oleg rubs at his right wrist in discomfort, "Instead, she ripped off my wedding ring as 'payment for not shortening Oleg's reach.'"

As if gaining energy after going through that memory again, she quickly adds, "The other visits were just the man with fewer men each time. We think they assume we have been cowed and have let down their guard."

Well that sounds like banditry at its finest...

Zrak shakes his head at the story, thinking how fortunate it is that Oleg keeps his right hand. Ten people sounds like quite a few, and certainly more than enough to be threatening. "Well, damn. That's a crummy thing to deal with," he responds, attempting to sound sympathetic while thinking how he would've just fought them right then and there.

Bah, none of them are from Numeria. He should know better than think they are as equipped as himself.

The rugged ratfolk thinks over what he knows. The part that struck him the most was the bandits' complacency. So perhaps they won't be prepared for adventuers when they come back? "Hey, Malkala?" Zrak gives his dragonborne companion a keen eye. "How good do our chances look if we ambush the thugs next time they come 'round?" He can see a glimpse of a plan, but the logistics and feasibility are better left calculated by someone else.

And in the case that it is a bad plan, Zrak looks back to Oleg and Svetlana. "Do you know the direction they arrive from and head off in?"

Malkala takes a moment to think. She looks around the trading post, at each of the four buildings, their alignment to the entrance of the post, and a variety of other conditions. She seems to come to a conclusion, "Honestly, pretty good. Especially if they are getting cocky."

Zrak can see that her mind is racing through the possibilities as if she was a general staring at a battlefield from on high. So much so that it is easy to tell that she is in her own world, no longer aware of what is going on around her. But Oleg and Svetlana don't seem to notice as they think. Svetlana eventually says, "I think they didn't turn after the entrance, so possibly they are south?"

Like his companion, Zrak appears to loses himself in thought at everyone's answers. His look is more clearly distracted by his own mind, staring idly away from the others with narrow eyes.

So they came from the south, one or two days away... Well that sort of narrows things down. Unless the bandits have put landmarks in the plains, they likely just travel in one direction, guided by a compass so they didn't lose their path. Even then, Zrak and Malkala may spend days wandering the plains.

At least there's a better plan.

"That's a bit to go with," he responds. "We're better off letting them come to us, then we'll make 'em take us back to their place." The ratfolk looks almost smug, smiling from end to end of his wide snout. His thin tail flicks happily behind him as he looks at Oleg and Svetlana. Then, Zrak remembers the wait: another five damn days. "But I'd go mad waiting for them to come back. Anything else about the bandits or troubles here that we can help with?"

His eyes look back to Malkala, hoping she has a plan.

Svetlana looks up to Zrak, "Unfortunately, nothing that would not take you too far away to come back for the bandits. But, we do have guests that you can talk to, and we are happy to buy and sell with you."

Malkala nods, "We need to make sure we are around. Just in case they decide to be unpredicatble and come around sooner that expected." She glances to Zrak, "But, in the meantime, we can plan an ambush. There may be some things around here that we can use to aid us in the inevitable fight." Her eyes narrow in sudden thought, "But I do wish to get a head start on exploring the Greenbelt."

Her head turns to Linzi and Amiri, who had been silently listening and eating, "Would you two mind going on a little expedition? Though things seem to be concentrated on the south, I would like to understand what is around us."

The two women exchange glances, then Amiri smiles a massive smile, "I'm fine with that. I want to find great beasts to kill!"

Relaxing as he can, Zrak gives Amiri a small smile. "Good thing you've got something to do. I can't imagine you'd enjoy just waiting around," he says with a sly look in his green eyes. "We'll need to get ready ourselves, so don't go worrying about us." Not that Amiri will, of course. She never seems one to worry, especially for