"If only we all had a grim and doughty warrior at our backs," Neniel smiled as he passed by Dwarf and Bard. "Alas, Master Belrac, you have missed a valuable opportunity. I would have regaled you with high and noble tales of Elvendom that have seldom graced the ears of outsiders, whilst you provided a most formidable barrier to the assassin's arrow."<br/><br/>Glancing up at the night sky as his horse broke into a trot, Neniel gauged the stars briefly. It was an old custom of his people to watch the heavens for any signs and portents before undertaking a journey of some importance. The constellation of the Bull seemed to be grazing far in the east, near a small patch of vivid red that painted the stars. There seemed to be nothing of significance at the moment, though that in itself might have had some meaning. What it was, the Elf was hard put to say.<br/><br/>Directing his gaze back at more terrestrial matters, he overtook Naomi and made his way to the guards. Only one gave him more than a passing look.<br/><br/>"Out hunting tonight?" The man grinned, eying the Elf's bow and fully stocked quiver. "Let me guess, Kodiak pelts?"<br/><br/>"Perhaps," Neniel replied, pausing nearby. "If the weather stays clear. What says the augur?"<br/><br/>Another guard spoke out, suppressing a yawn in the process. "Should be clear, but fog's been creeping low in the wee hours. Watch your horse."<br/><br/>"Aye, keep an eye on your horse," confirmed the first man. "And keep a spare on the side of the road. There's been far too many queer sightings these nights. I've been hearing all sorts of things and it's enough to trouble a man."<br/><br/>The Elf nodded politely but said nothing. The nights were certainly strange, and the center from where all this queerness radiated lay in a particular dank, festering quagmire. As it was their eventual destination, things could only get stranger from here.<br/><br/>Neniel urged his horse into a walk, and passed beneath the city gates. "Out on the road once more..." he said, taking a look around. "... with the stars above me and boon (and not so boon) companions at my back. Cities are well and good for men, but this is more to my liking."<br/>