New Journey

[Briar]

The crisp night air held the stench of rotten flesh and excrement as the warlass made her way toward the Badger's Head. The rat she had killed to get the directions, she realized now, was too vague to make her way through the fortress as quick as she would have liked. The cloudless, starlit sky provided the only light at this early hour, for the torches had long extinguished themselves. It had taken several hours before the sleep draught that fell into the gatekeeper's ale had taken its full effect and it would be only moments before the sun would begin its ascent into the winter sky.

Shrouded in a heavy, hooded, emerald green cloak, Briar did not see the slumbering stoat sprawled across the walkway until she stumbled over him, nearly losing her balancing.

"Oi! Watch it now!" shouted the freshly aroused stoat before rolling over to a more comfortable position.

Briar hurried along, more careful now as to where she stepped. If that had been a member of my own guard, she thought to herself, he would have sounded the alarm. The thought made her think of her precious army she had lost during the most recent Badger War. Disgraced, she had been unable to return to her cold realm to the north and had to resign herself to missions like the one she was performing now.

As her thoughts returned to the present task at hand, she turned the corner and saw the dim candle light from the tavern created a faint beacon. She was relieved to see it since it meant all had vacated the establishment. The little attention she attracted to herself the better.  Never having been in particular fortress before, she knew that its warlord would not be too pleased with her presence in his territory.

As she approached the heavy oaken door to the tavern, she removed the hood from her head. A slight scraping sound of stones shifting across the road caught her ear and she froze, looking in the direction the noise had come. After what seemed liked an eternity of heavy silence, she convinced herself that it must have been her overactive imagination. 

With a quick glance around to ensure she was alone, she withdrew the folded parchment from her satchel. Carefully unfolding it, she scanned it one last time in the dim light shining from the window. With one swift motion, Briar drew the dagger from her side and buried the note in the Badger's Head's door with a loud THUNK.

To The Warlord Whom This May Concern

Warlass seeking clan to cause mischief and excitement in this dull land. Resourceful and clever, must be paid in gold and otterpops.

Launch the Raven if you have need.

B

With that, Briar disappeared into the dawn, awaiting a reply.