01-12-2023, 09:27 PM
The Ranger | |
A harmless man is not a good man. A good man is a very, very dangerous man who has it under voluntary control. | The forest had suffered since the last time he had passed by this area. Less trees stood proud, and the amount of decapitated stumps had grown in answer. Though the smell of smoke was absent in the warmer season, he held little doubt that it would billow soon enough. There were no settlements aside from that of Sanctuary, but it resided on the other side of the mountain range, and he held his doubts that the reclusive residents there would stray so far for wood to feed their fires. Perhaps it was the churning machine for war, patrols becoming more frequent in the wilds, and yet the tracks that lingered behind in the flesh of the soil were not those of heavy sabatons. Rather the complete opposite. Light weight and carved of leather most likely, some so deep through their light footwear that the impressions of their very toes had been abandoned in the evidence left behind. He would shift the bow and quiver on his shoulders slightly as he picked up a leaf that had been blown over the tracks. His stare would follow in the direction the small group seemed to have been heading. Deeper into the forest, not into town. He would rise, allowing the vegetation he'd been idly twirling between his fingers to fall from his grasp. There had been no rain to erode the path, but they were dulled slightly by the muddle of other prints - deer, boar, bears and others that made their homes here naturally. It suggested that it had been at least overnight since they had passed through. He would debate on if he would follow them. Curiosity lingered, of course, but so did caution. He could easily find himself surrounded by unfriendly motivation in this day and age. A draft in the nation at his back, and usurpers directly before him. Strangers in the evergreens were no longer as questionably safe as they once were, and groups even less. Regardless, he would begin to trace them, at least until he could find some tangible evidence of their actions. If they were friendly folk simply wishing to avoid violence, he could still safely traverse the area without worry. However, if his findings proved to be dangerous, he would have to avoid this area. Good notes to have when acting as a guide. |
I am not a good man - nor am I harmless |