Before going back to the farm to inform the girls, I do some shopping. I get some steel tipped arrows at a fletcher stall. I spend time testing the elasticity of each arrow shaft and put them in my storage. I could make them myself, but I don't have the time at the moment, and I need something better than my flint arrows if I am to impress my new party members. As I pay the fletcher assistant, the young man speaks up. "Looks like you know your arrows. Only rarely do I see archers spend as much time as you selecting arrows." Strange, I would have expected even an amateur archer to know about archer's dilemma.

Back at the farm I tell the girls about my meeting and the arrangements. "Teckar and Lak are both C rank hunters. For them to accept an E rank as an equal party member they must see potential in you." Kira's comment interests me. I can see the logic in pairing me up with experienced and high ranking hunters to help me advance in the ranks quickly. I guess Marka is really looking out for me. "Yes, as soon as I said what I can do for them, they told me about the job as if my acceptance was assumed." Kira grins. "Get used to it. There is an unspoken rule in the guild that high ranking members can boss around the junior members as long as it is on the guild's terms."

At the east gate I meet up with the others. They indicate for me to follow them. As we approach a large wagon with four attached horses, I see a number of people getting into the wagon. It seems to be like a bus. It looks like a slightly longer version of the old western settler wagons. Inside people are packed in like sardines. No room to stretch your legs. "Get in, with no delays this will get us to the frontier village south-west of here by early morning." Teckar instructs us to get on. Looks like fees have already been paid. Party expenses I guess.

The wagon sets off at a trot. It is a good pace, though I would be able to keep up if I ran. It isn't a particularly comfortable ride. It must have shown on my face, as Lak grins at me. "Your first time on one of these?" I nod. "Quite handy these. They provide cheap and quick transportation between villages and towns. I think the company that runs it has a monopoly. Rumor has it that the company owner got the monopoly by offering to ferry troops for the crown for free." Interesting bit of knowledge that. I have noticed that the trot the horses are keeping is relentless. Lak explains that these horses have been bred specifically to be able to maintain a trot for more than a day.

After a rough night's sleep in the wagon, we arrive very early in the morning at the frontier village. It looks as heavily fortified as the other village I saw further up north. The wagon stops outside the gates and the people get off. While all the other passengers are queuing to get into the village we set off along the outside of the stockade to get to the western side of the village and head off into the wilderness. Teckar sets a brisk pace.

As the terrain gets more rough, I ask Teckar if he wants me to scout ahead. We should be running into beasts any time soon. Teckar gives me a direction and I head off. With the exception of a few minor beasts I take care of while scouting we arrive at a farmhold deep in the wilderness by evening. We must have walked at least 50 kilometers that day. In this world people seem to measure things by different measurements. Paces and foot are also used. There is a clear lack of uniformity.

At the farmhold I notice that the main gate has recently been repaired. Inside we meet the few families that live there. An old man, presumably their leader addresses us. They thank us for coming so quickly. It has been less than a week since the orcs raided the farmhold. For a raided settlement I don't see a lot of signs of death or fighting. The elder's explanation fills me in. The orc group broke in, killed anyone who resisted and took whatever supplies they wanted. Teckar tell us to settle in, as we have been given quarters to stay in.

The people at the farmhold seems relived that we are here and are in no hurry to send us after the orcs. Teckar accepts their hospitality and starts gathering information to plan our hunt for the orcs. While he is busy, Lak shows me how to fight with axes. Dain sits in a corner reading a book. This is my first chance to really talk with Lak, since I was scouting the whole walk here. "Why are we in no hurry to chase after the orcs?" I ask Lak. "Orcs are known to be a warrior race, they go raiding not for loot, but to find worthy opponents to fight. The raiding is just part of it. They see no reason to kill weak civilians unless they get in their way or annoy them." That explain why the rest of the people in the farmhold were spared.

In the evening Teckar explains his finding to us. "No girls were taken so, they most likely do not have contact with any goblins. Still they are quite far from the mountain wall to be acting so brazenly. They must know that hunters will come for them." "You know what they are like, they raid a farm, wait for hunters to come and have a nice fight." Lak's explanation is a lot more easy going. I am starting to appreciate Teckar's thoughtfulness. He is clearly weighing up all the risks. Teckar still looks a bit uncomfortable with the situation as he turns towards me. "We will be needing your tracking skills tomorrow as we go looking for them."