117 Preparations

The wedding had passed most of a week ago and the couple finally came out of the room for more than a few minutes and headed towards the planning room. The room was already in use by the group he took into the tower, minus Topaz, with Theren added in. They had already mapped most of the way to the neighboring Earl's land. It was not that far of a trip but it was not that quick either. There was also a risky area that was prone to orc tribes migrating through.

"This looks like a pretty clear route but I am not sure about it?"

Theren looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "What issues do you see with it?"

"It is not exactly an issue with the route but I am concerned that the Earl will have a lot of people along this route and all the towns and they will get a message to him quick and he will be better prepared for us. I am wondering if it would be worth the extra time to take this trip through a more remote area."

Rurik coughed. "I see what you are talking about but the problem with the more remote paths is the creatures that live in that area. The orcs are not that big of an issue since we can kinda predict their paths. But there are a few things this way that will be a hard fight."

Novum notice that he was looking at a particular area on the map. "What is there Rurik?" There was no accusation in his tone it was asked as a simple question that let him know that he knew something was up.

Rurik let out a short chuckle and a sigh. He should have known that Novum would notice if something was wrong. "That area is controlled by the Iron Hammer Clan. They are very racist and greedier than any other dwarfs that I have ever met and that is saying a lot. They will even go as far as to take other dwarfs hostage and if they can't sell them back to the old clan they will turn them into slaves. If they were any worse I would compare them to gray dwarfs."

Everyone in the room except Shannon shuddered at that thought. When she saw Novum's reactions she shivered as well. She knew anything that would make him and Theren shudder was very dangerous. "How big of an area do they control?"

Rurik drew a few light lines on the map. "This is the area that they actually patrol on a regular basis. Well, I say they do it but there is a group that works for the Duke over there. He provides them with security and slaves and they only sell to him. He is the only human that they sell too. There is a chance of bumping into patrols moving back and forth to the patrol area."

Theren was shaking his head. "So, not only are there patrols but they are going to be heavily armed and armored patrols. With the area that they are working in the Duke will make sure that they are well taken care of. The question becomes if we bump into them as we travel through the area not under their normal patrol but as they are moving back and forth how will they react."

Erica looked at him. "Why does that matter?"

Berry shook her head. "You need to stay out of that guards room and back to your books. If they do not care about us as long as we are not in the area around the mine then it is no big deal. If they are hostile to anyone despite where they are we are in for a fight and when a patrol goes missing it will be a big deal. And if they are on good terms with the Earl and know what we look like, even if they are not necessarily hostile towards us, they can send him a message and then we are still not on the best terms."

Erica looked a little embarrassed. "Oh, I can see why that would make a huge difference. I know that I just asked a stupid question but I would like to say that I think it would be best to go through the woods and deal with that. With Theren in woods it would be hard for anyone to sneak up on us and a lot easier to avoid the patrols. If we avoid them totally then we do not have to worry about how they feel about things."

They all looked at the young girl with a sense of pride. "Now that is using your head. I bet if you had thought before you spoke earlier I would not have been so mean to you."

"I know Berry. I will try to do better and I have been studying a lot. I even learned a few new spells."

Theren looked at the terrain and map again. "If that is your intention then we are going to have more supplies as well as a few more things to make sure that we can make it the entire way without restocking. It will add at least a week to the trip."

"I understand that. You go ahead and start planning the route to the best of your abilities with input from the other and have Melissa bring in a few of the council members that have lived in the area a long time and see if they are willing to provide some experience and input into the area. Also, try to find something that Granny wants to bribe her to look at the map and provide her input."

"I did before we started with this plan. It was not as expensive as I thought it would be. Actually she is where we got most of the information on the things in the area. According to her, not my words but hers, the information is a little outdated but animals do not change nearly as fast as humans."

"That is good to know. I will head to the capitol and buy some of the extra stuff that we need and if necessary pick up some storage items. I am glad that the Duke lowered the taxes as a wedding present. You guys have most of an hour before I head out to get me a list of anything that you think we might need."

Novum left them there to make a list and Shannon acted as the scribe to try and fit everything on one list. They were not sure where Novum was going but the look on his face said that he needed to take care of it by himself.

The hidden room behind the throne was the most secure physically and magically in the entire manor and this was his destination. Once the door was sealed he pulled out the sealed messenger bag that he kept on him at all times and set it on the desk beside him. He was quick and efficient as he wrote out the short list of stuff that he wanted.

Topaz,

I need a map of the wild areas in that region and I would like it as detailed as possible. Buy it and I will send you the coin. Also need a patrol plan for the Iron Hammer mines. It might be hard to get since it is a small group that reports to the Duke but see what you can get. We are headed out tomorrow and I will try and keep you posted as I travel.

Novum

Now that the letter was written he needed to take care of a few other things. He walked out and was not surprised to see Melissa was waiting on him. "Baron."

"I will be taking a trip in the next day or so but please do not announce it to anyone. I am going to see about Aureus coming and sitting in my seat while I am gone but I am going to try and make it so that people do not notice for a while that I am gone. I am out of the way enough that it is not a big deal if a lot of people do not see me and as a newly wed it will be even easier for me to pretend. I will have her here to assist in anything that you are not sure about."

"Thank you Baron. I think it would be best to have another noble on hand to deal with things in the event that something unexpected come up. Also, the Duke wanted me to inform you that the assassin you stopped at your wedding was found dead in the mines this morning. He was beaten very badly and he died when they cut off his tongue and he bled to death."

"That is the price for telling Shannon that it was the Earl that sent him. I am sure that the Duke sent his counterpart a letter of rebuke and got the Earl in trouble. Thanks for the update. Anything else?"

"There have been quite a few requests from the people about the reason behind the tax only being cut by three quarters and not half. I was not sure what to tell them."

"Tell them that they can pay three quarters for two years and average them out or they can pay fifty this year and a hundred next year. It is up to them I was trying to reduce the cost as much as I could."

"I see. I had not considered that. I will let them know."

"Thanks. I am leaving for the capitol shortly so please get a list together for me from all the staff."

"Right away sir."