Nodding at the old monk, Morr answered "Very well then. Know however that, if fatigue overwhelms you, we can not stop, another attack may happen any time."<br/><br/>Turning around, facing everyone attending, Morr raised the volume of his voice for all to hear "That counts for all of you, we can not stop, bare breaks is all that I can grant. Which is why, if you can walk no longer, tell me and I shall carry you, or have you carried."<br/><br/>Spotting the figure of Valetni, balanced on his cane, the trunk that had formerly rested on the wagon beside him, Morr would take it upon himself to carry it, knowing that the others rather held their distance in fear from whatever viscious substances the alchemically-capable monk stored in there.<br/><br/>---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/><br/>The two groups, messengers and quest-expedition, seperated after passing the gate. The march itself was uneventful, thankfully, even if the group was tense, always ready for a possibly ambush. If Valetni would have listened to some meaningless group-chatter, he might have heard how Rodario, in a joking manner, suggested to Herdpack that if 'everything went south, we can still just throw Valetni's trunk at them!', earning him some panicked stares.<br/><br/>After about two days of almost constant walking, at about afternoon, the sun slowly lowering on the horizon, the group, a good amount of them most certainly quite exhausted, was finally able to set their eyes upon the port-town of Pikewall, the last major population center before the temple, home to, if weibel Belatia stood right, about 1500 people.<br/><br/>The town's first detail to be identified would have been the high stonewalls at its borders, guards in simple chainmail, clad in the green and orange colors of their city, patrolling said walls and regulating the ones seeking access into the city at the gates.<br/><br/>Or so they would have done, if there had been any who sought access, except for the expedition that was currently approaching said gates. No trade-caravans leaving with imported goods from the port, no farmers bringing in their wares to sell.<br/><br/>Looking at it from outside, it almost seemed like a sort of terrorizing tension, greater even than that of the group during the march, hung over the city. In other words, the walls seemed to radiate fear, not for those seeking to intrude with violence, but rather for those who chose to stay inside.<br/><br/>As they began to near the gates, Morr, still carrying brother Valetni's trunk, had the group stop.<br/><br/>Turning around slowly, the knight adressed the old monk "Brother Valetni, you must be aware that the guards may attempt to search us. Is there anything in this case that may cause them to reject our entrance?"