The Borderlands

[The Forgotten God]

A one hundred mile north and south and one hundred fifty or so mile east and west section of land near Dorne and the Reach, starting near Sun House and extending past Starfall. Lately, bandits acting as slavers have been destroying villages in the region, sending hundreds of frightened people to their respective lords seeking aid.

[The Forgotten God]

///

As the coronations and weddings are planned, the full force of the Order of the Green Hand assembled at the Sun House to prepare to find and destroy the slaver threat.

[Prince Geralt Gardener]

Geralt is in fine spirits, upon a steed once more besides his brothers in arms, armored in white plate that felt a second skin, nothing to concern himself but the rations in his saddlebags and the foes on the road ahead. He rode beside Ser Garret Costayne and his sister, whistling a merry tune, not letting Melissa out of his sight for a moment.

[Princess Melissa Gardener]

Melissa was noticeably happier now than she had been in Oldtown. She wore her mail and had her sword at her side.

She grinned at her brother. "What a glorious day, Geralt. Thank you."

[The Forgotten God]

The lands they pass are rich and fertile, the breadbasket of Westeros, a war fairy tale setting for the adventure. It isn't until they get to the forty miles or so closest to the Dornish border that subtle changes take place; more sullen smallfolk, fear on every face, newly constructed holdfasts springing up to try diverting the bandits to easier prey elsewhere. The Commander of the Green Hand frowned. "The local lords should have acted on this earlier," he said. "Prince Geralt, take your sister and fifty men south and east and question any knights or warriors you find in addition to the village reeves. Order will be restored."

[Prince Geralt Gardener]

"We had an accord, Melissa," Geralt replied, with a bright smile. "Someone in this family has to value their word. Just stay close."

His smile darkened noticeably as their surroundings did the same, out of reverence or the hardships of those they passed. He nodded to Costayne and broke off a third of the Green Hand forces, riding southeast to see his orders carried out.

[The Forgotten God]

For six hours they ride, until the first of the destroyed hamlets is come across. Two dozen hovels are burned out, the area clearly picked over since then by scavengers, but Geralt sees the small manor of whoever had been the richest man there, its doors still barred although the place had been put to the torch. It looks rather like the bandits had locked them in, rather than it having been fortified. It is incongruous; the crops are overgrown but unmolested, chickens and ducks and dogs roaming about free, only the cattle and horses poached by slaver or neighbor. Ser Oswell of the Mander frowned and looked about. "A bloody abomination," he said, dismounting to look around.

[Princess Melissa Gardener]

Melissa's spirits remained high despite the changing scenery. While she understood the severity of their mission, she thoroughly enjoyed being out in the open with the men all around. The puppy, which she had named Gwayne, rode in a basket on the back of her saddle, currently sleeping. She didn't know their companions well but listened curiously to any banter the knights participated in.

[Prince Geralt Gardener]

Geralt was not sure why his sister had brought her new puppy on a bandit hunt, unless she was actually trying to embarrass him in front of his brothers in arms. He was already regretting having vouched for her, but a promise was a promise.

He dismounted and made his way to the locked manor, unbarring it and opening the doors, to see if anything was left inside the charred ruin or its inhabitants could be put to rest.

[The Forgotten God]

He can easily enter through the burned out doors, and he sees at least fifteen corpses in various states of charred annihilation, as well as destroyed furniture and the like. One of the corpses is missing a leg, its limb having fallen off some time prior in response to a foot-wide hole in the floor, and Geralt sees the outline of a trap door near it, revealed by the flame's purging.

[Princess Melissa Gardener]

Melissa left her horse and the puppy in the care of her squire then followed Geralt to the doors.  She was appalled by what she saw but determined not to show weakness.

[Prince Geralt Gardener]

Geralt opens the trap door, stone-faced among the carnage. Whoever has done this would face the Father's justice.

[The Forgotten God]

Looking down into the basement Geralt sees it is only ten feet by ten feet or so, two more corpses down there, but chained to the wall like they had been prisoners or some such. He also sees a chest with some silver coins in it, and a sword that looks like it had belonged to at least a knight of some means, real castle steel underneath the black char of the fires. It has a bird of some sort on it, a starling or raven or some such, hard to pick out amidst the damage. There is also a small silver coin he doesn't recognize, clearly foreign, a marsh or lake on one side and a palm tree on the other.

[Prince Geralt Gardener]

Geralt left the items when they were lay and returned to ground level. Though the dead had no use for them, he was not here to loot.

"Any survivors?" he inquired, after the knights in his charge.

[The Forgotten God]

"None we've found," Ser Theobald Florent said. "But there's three villages within a half hour ride. They would have fled to one of them." He looked about disgusted at the slaughter. "Bandits who don't want gold...never heard of it," he admitted.

[Prince Geralt Gardener]

"Did you find any tracks indicating which one it may be?" Geralt inquired further. A bandit that didn't want gold, but a slaver that killed rather than captured was stranger still.

[The Forgotten God]

"We saw tracks of the bandits coming from the north," he said, "and then they left to the south, and a few tracks heading east. I'd say that's our best bet fornsurvivors. South may take us to the scoundrels themselves."

[Prince Geralt Gardener]

"Our first duty is to protect the innocent, our second to punish the wicked. We head east," he said, mounting up again to head in the direction of the survivors. "Send word to the main force. The rest of you, with me."

[The Forgotten God]

A man heads off to alert Ser Garrett, as the remaining men prepared to head east. After five minutes or so, heading up a ridge line, to the north Geralt and Melissa see a camp about a mile away, a large one where the attack could have been launched from. The illage they seek is across the three mile valley; a larger one, with a sept visible at the distance and a few taverns, maybe a thousand souls all told.

[Princess Melissa Gardener]

Melissa followed Geralt. She had sobered up now, after seeing the corpses. Seeing that Geralt had left the coins they found, she took them, reasoning that they might as well be donated to the local people rather than be left to tarnish or be taken by thieves. She claimed the sword too, with the idea of discovering who it had belonged to, and perhaps returning it to the owner's nearest living relative. There was nothing they could do for the dead but perhaps they could bring relief and comfort to the living.

[Prince Geralt Gardener]

"Surround the camp," Geralt ordered, hefting a hardened ash ear lance from side of his destrier in preparation for hostilities. Someone had headed east, bandit or survivor he did not know, be he would not be caught unawares.

[The Forgotten God]

The knights split and ride in a great loop around the campsite, where Geralt sees a few people laying about in various states of illness. It looks like this camp could have held several dozen at one point. The inhabitants are maybe ten in number, starved and sick and possibly dying, and they shrink in fear at the armored columns' advance. "Seven...seven help us!" A woman cried out desperately. "Aid...mercy!"

[Princess Melissa Gardener]

Melissa turned to the knights the knights she said "Could you cover me, please, and check for hidden enemies? I'd like to approach on foot. They might be less suspicious of a woman." She looked at Geralt. "What do you think?"

[The Forgotten God]

Three of the knights take out crossbows and allow Melissa to approach the camp as they fan out to ensure no one comes after her.

[Princess Melissa Gardener]

Melissa advanced on the camp, slowly and with her hands visible so they could see she meant no harm.

She walked to the small group of people and said "I mean no harm. Were you attacked?"

[The Forgotten God]

"Attacked and brought here," a woman said, "until they found healthier people to take..." she coughed. "They just left us to die....here," she added. "All of them."

[Princess Melissa Gardener]

That made her frown. "I am sorry for you all, but we're here now and we'll help as much as we can. Try to stay calm, please."

She turned to the men with her and instructed one of them "Bring everyone closer and tell them not to alarm these people. If anyone has medical skills, their skills will be urgently needed."

She had no medical skills herself but immediately set about building a fire. "How many of you can walk?"