The rising morning sun was already chasing off the cool of the night before as the group flowed out onto the ruined cobblestones of what had once been a city street.  The gate rattled shut, and there was the unmistakeable click of the lock falling into place, a final sound that severed, at least for now, the link between the group and the civilized world.  The group began to walk along the wall, stepping around puddles of water left from the night's storms.  Some of the puddles were a good ten feet across, and of unknown depth.<br/><br/>Those who were searching for higher ground would be, at least for the moment, disappointed.  Along the street to the left was a row of what had once been shops, but now were gutted ruins.  It appeared that fire had swept through the area a couple years ago, gutting several of the two-story shops that had once had living quarters above them.  There was no sign of habitation.  Off to the right was the carcass, well into decay, of what looked to have been a large dog, laying against the Wall the group had just passed through, the gate being fifty feet behind them.  An arrow protruded from the corpse, hinting at a likely cause of death.  Next to it was a burned-out cart with a couple more arrows stuck into it.<br/><br/>Down at the end of the street, which ended with what looked like a crude gate assembled from pig iron bars, there was movement.  Two dogs padded along at the end of the street, eyeing the group warily.  One began to emit a low growl...<br/>