Following up on some information taken from the brigands around Chetwood, I was able to locate the area in which their friends were operating - An old ruin, just along the great east road and not a stone's throw from the village, was what I would find. Allegedly, they were those responsible for looting dozens of caravans travelling along the great east road.
Although, this is not something I should handle by my lonesome. Upon my way there, I decided to give Recruit Thomas Eckther a chance to prove his mettle.
Upon our approach of the ruin, I found that perhaps hiring along a slightly mentally slow fifteen year old with a limp and the combat prowess of a termite, may have not been the best idea.
But we are fairly hard pressed for troops right about now.
I had to stop twice to remind him, to avoid stepping on twigs, not deliberately do so. By some miracle we made it that far unheard, likely because the brigands are all partially missing bits of their eardrums, or something. We were able to look around the area, unnoticed from out vantage point, and saw where they had indeed been stashing stolen crates of various goods and wares.
So then we continued forward, to catch a better glimpse of the cargo they had swiped. Things did not go smoothly. Thomas was hastily attacked by a a scout who caught him in his gaze. Thomas offered no fight, forcing me to draw a blade against his attacker! Disappointing though it was, I reminded Thomas that if they attack him, he is supposed to attack back. Apparently he knows not the meaning of the phrase, 'Self defense'.
Alas, every other spat I engaged in was by myself. Thomas cowered like a little girl behind me whilst I shouted for him to assist me, as I can only hold back a few men at a time, no matter how poorly trained they are!
I finally got so frustrated, that when the next man jumped on Thomas I told him, "You're either beating that one down yourself or he's beating you!" Eventually, he actually Did something for once.
Stabbed his attacker with a Dirk I'd given him, didn't stop until he had no life left in him.
Though I usually dub one 'constable' after surviving such an encounter, Thomas will only be called 'Recruit' for the time being, only acting as a temporary diversion for some of the men that tried to chase him down instead of pummel me. The worst part is, we discovered that all the cargo from this location had already been moved to somewhere in the walls of Bree, already preparing to be sold..
We have had one lead to this thus far - Thanks to my other watchers for their extensive efforts
To Be Continued..
