The path to Malkier was an enlightening experience for Ashar. The farthest north he had ever travelled, the kind weather had failed to deny geography its due, it was getting colder. He'd been glad for the extra layer of furs he had picked up in Merrilor on the advice of those who knew better, even more glad he'd been able to secure some extra clothing for the others on the coin of the merchants who had employed them. Even now it was a welcome respite from the bite of a chill wind that contrasted with the sun that had blessed their path. The wagons at least had travelled well with little hassle. Only one axle had broken a week north of Merrilor, the teamsters had made a quick fix and Jerinvar Alanda, the merchant in charge of the expedition, was even handed and easy to approach. He seemed to have the confidence of years despite not even being thirty. Apart from his Jerinvar's guardsmen, led by a burly Illianer called Nikos, Ashar's group was somewhat settled. In addition to himself, and the trio he had recruited on the first day made up of Kai, Kaylee and Eb, he'd also found two more to round out their crew. Tolin never gave his last name, or contributed that much to conversation, but at least his sturdy frame could keep to the saddle and his chipped mace with its fins looked like it had seen plenty of use. That then left Uno who had come to see him a day later. He'd decided that the call of the road was his to answer, something which had led to more than one conversation with Donal who had eventually given his reluctant blessing. It had been a source of tension given his first meeting with the others, but Ashar wasn't overly concerned. There hadn't been any blow ups yet, and if people kept civil and did their jobs, then that should be enough for the run. Days were spent on travel with Ashar ranging forward with Kai and Tolin scouting ahead while Kaylee and Eb stayed with the wagons and acted as spotters. When they weren't travelling it had been an opportunity to observe their interactions, Eb and Kai had taken Uno under their wing and were providing him training and tips. Tolin occasionally offered an acerbic comment or a grunt, but Kaylee worried him a little more. They'd had a few chats here and there, but she was still guarded, hopefully that would ease over the course of the trip. Things proceeded well up until they crossed the border into Malkier. The sun was shrouded by the clouds more often than not, and the land was . . . he'd heard stories of the Blight, and while this didn't match what he had heard it was still not quite right. The land still had patches where life stubbornly struggled to take root, leaving patches of despoiled and browned grasses desperately eking out their existence. Elsewhere, it was like the land was still trying to decide what it was, patches of trees that lacked the age of the forests in the south like the Braem Wood that he had visited. Maybe in another twenty to thirty years Malkier would take shape, but for now it was still . . . young? Ashar struggled to quite conceive it. One thing Ashar did not appreciate was the way that the morning fogs rolled in, making their scouting difficult but if nothing else, the lack of options for cover and shelter had made their nights easy to plan for. A couple of budding groves and then bare plains occasionally interrupted by hillocks, scouting was no longer an ambling affair as they had to remain alert in case of attack. Despite the road guiding the way and the occasional patrol sighted, much of Malkier was still unsettled. When Ashar had raised the question, Jerinvar's observation was that many of the communities that had been founded had looked for the most fertile places for crops and were mostly self contained. The major highways had been the priority in development along with the settlements themselves, the paths that would normally splinter from the highway would take time to develop. A week into Malkier was when the weather became ugly. The wind that had been chilly now threatened to cut through their clothing even with the cover, the horses were suffering for it as well. Three days away from their first settlement to visit, Jerinvar took the decisiont that they should search for cover and outwait the weather as it was only getting worse with intermittent sleeting that was getting heavier. The clouds had turned ominously dark, thunder roared in the distance, there was nothing to be gained from trying to foray through the storm that was coming. Ashar had led the scouting party amongst the hillocks that now dominated the landscape, but it was Kai who had found them shelter. A large cavern, its maw extending as far as twenty feet high but only ten feet in width, it offered a possibility of shielding themselves against the worst of the approaching elements. A cursory inspection showed that it opened into a wider space once past the entrance, but there seemed to be no end to it as it began to descend. In the absence of any immediate danger and a lack of other options, Jerinvar had made the decision for them to bring the convoy there. The decision had been proven wise when within half an hour of arrival, the full storm struck. The lay of the land shielded them from flooding, but the rain was so thick that it one could barely see ten feet ahead and the thunder reverberated about them when lightning struck from the sky, sometimes close enough that the flash outside was immediately followed by a roar that both echoed and washed over them. They had pushed further into the cave after the first day to mitigate this, but by the fourth day it was clear that the weather was not shifting. It was also clear something had to change. Jerinvar's instructions were simple to Ashar, gather his people and get them ready for plan B. They had spread the wagons out a bit to give space as some had found their current predicament claustrophobic enough as it was with Nikos' people maintaining sentries. With the cavern extending so far, the choice had been made to simply keep themselves safe rather than range out too far and invite further problems. Ashar wondered if that was about to change, but Jerinvar would be able to explain more by the campfire he was seated by when everyone was assembled. OOC: A chance to set the scene for how your characters have been going during the trip and what they might be up to on their down time normally.