The Branchalite Legionnaires

Chapter 5: Preparing for the Ball

Their progress the next day was uneventful. They did not meet any patrols and they drew into the vicinity of the Baron's estate early in the evening. Steven took an hour or so to find a good camping spot well off the trail in an easily accessible clearing. He also spent some time covering their tracks so that it would be hard for someone to locate them. Michelle roused Fandy and she prepared some dinner for them. They were all delighted to receive some venison with potatoes and lettuce. They had some of the warmed mead and Michelle waited until everyone had finished eating before looking at Fandy.

"Did you want to scout some tonight? Using that spell for seeing in the dark? I'll follow you to the gates, with the same spell, if you'd like. I want to get a feel for how that position is defended. The more intel we can get before we breach the better, but if you don't think you will find much at night, then it can wait."

"This why you ask Fandy rest today?"

"Yes. I thought scouting at night with your new spell would be safer."

Fandy nodded and then noted, "Ball start early evening. Not at night. Different patrols. Different people on duty. Fandy go tonight, then she still need go tomorrow. It okay, Fandy still get rest before mission, but this might not be ideal. Especially with snow reflecting light. If Fandy go tonight, she get idea of buildings, trails, animals, and trees. Things that not likely to change, but not good idea of people. It not bad idea though. Perhaps Michelle come with?"

Michelle knew that she wasn't at good at stealth as Fandy, but she liked the idea of giving Fandy some backup. "We'll go when the crescent of Solinari joins Lunitari in the sky," she said looking then to Sarah and Steven. "Sarah, you should continue to work on those potions. Steven.. you'll be keeping watch. It will be a late night for all of us, I suppose."

Michelle waited for their acknowledgment, and then went over to the wagons to pick out her gear for the night scouting. Sarah came up behind her and put her hand on Michelle's shoulder. "Be careful, sister. I'll give you four hours before Steven and I come in to get you."

"You'll foul the mission. If Fandy and I are taken, you and Steven have to complete the mission on your own."

"Yeah, like that will improve our odds," Sarah's tone was laced with sarcasm, her grin impish. "If you have to take someone out tonight, use the rapier not the sap. That will be one less to worry about when we go."

"That's not the goal of scouting, and you know it. If we have to use violence, we've already failed. It will be fine. I'm familiar with this spell Fandy uses. We'll see anyone coming long before they see us."

"Alright," Sarah said, looking away for a moment. "I just worry about you."

Michelle reached out and hugged her sister. "I worry about you too," she said in a lower tone. "Branchala's blessing will see us through. The Song of Life compels."

Sarah nodded and squeezed tightly for a moment before easing out of the embrace and moving away to work on potions in the back of a wagon. Michelle turned and then got into her gear – blackened studded leather, the sap just in case, a couple of potions, the new gloves, the rope, her scouting cloak and her shortbow and arrows. She walked over to join Fandy who had picked out similar gear for the scouting. She had foregone her armor, but had cloak, boots, sword and longbow and arrows. She also had a few potions and scrolls just in case.

Fandy cast the spells that would help their vision at night and they moved out, flickering shadows against the shadows from the trees, barely noticeable in the reflected light off the snow from the moons. It took them twenty minutes to return to the trail, then another ten to reach the turn off to the Baron's Estate. The trail took them to the gate which was guarded by a set of six men at arms. Michelle and Fandy moved off into the forest away from the gate and approached the wall that marked the perimeter of the Baron's holdings, far enough from the gate that they would not be seen going over it. Michelle noticed that the sky had stopped leaking snow.