Almost Civilisation

We were woken before dawn by a red-faced farmer's wife.  She had a plate of rustic bread and some bacon and sausages.  We certainly weren't expecting this - it was most welcome.  She told us that she and her husband had been talking together, and with a couple of the other families in this settlement, and they were keen to see some of the local bandits brought to account for what they'd done.  She told us of several times during the last year this settlement and others close by had been attacked, and the farm workers had been hard pressed to fend them off.  The raiders mostly took food or small numbers of livestock - perhaps they figured they could raid whenever they needed more supplies.  When the attacks first happened, they were quite sneaky, but were opportunistic and disorganised.  Recently, though, the numbers and organisation of the attackers had been growing.  This is quite a concern to the local people.  The food and accommodation overnight were a gift to us, she told us, in goodwill that the bandits might be dealt with.

After we moved on we rode between several small settlements, these were dotted around, little more than half a mile or so from each other.  Once beyond there, we spent the morning catching up with a rapidly disappearing trail.  Progress has been excruciatingly slow as Barr has had to walk his horse most of the journey.  As we approached lunchtime we were little more than six or seven miles from the last of the settlements, but we'd stumbled over a most interesting place.

Before us, and hidden from the view of the rolling plain behind us, was a sunken valley.  The land here had collapsed down, and on three sides there was a sheer cliff, here on the eastern side and curving around to the south and the north.  Across the area, on the far side, the land sloped upwards and was covered with grass.  The whole depressed area is probably three miles long from north to south, and a mile and a half across to the far slope from this side.  The location is perfect for anyone wanting to keep out of sight of either the caravan road or the settlements, both of which are away to the east behind us.

We carefully sneaked up to the edge of the valley, and peered over.  Below us is a drop of maybe thirty or forty feet, but the land at the bottom is level and grassy.  Set into the cliff further to the south are several cave entrances, some with small fires outside.  Looking carefully through the gloom we can see a paddock and some men walking around in what looks like leather armour.  These are quite possibly the bandits we seek.

Now we need to observe them - it would be nice to gather some information about their numbers, patrol sizes and times, and where their supplies are, etc.   We want to mount an assault, but I get the feeling this place will be too well defended for us.  We might have to bring in help - although there should be enough traders back in Loudman, and enough of the local settlers to muster some kind of force to assault this place.

Barr is still watching - and we'll probably gather information until late this afternoon.  Then we'll need to make decisions about how we attack these bandits.  We may choose to pick off their patrols if they're sending any out.