The roar of hoof beats and rattle of wagon wheels preceded the small crew's advance through the equally small game trail. Ahead of the group the ranger rode with the hood of his cloak pulled over his head, masking his facial features under deep shadows.
"Big day for you ranger?" Gilan turned to see the crew chief riding up to him. He smelled of just about everything that could be burnt, blown up, or combusted, a heavy apron with matching burn marks covered his shirt that no doubt was covered in more holes.
"Hello Merle, I can't say I've ever seen this sort of operation done before." He held an exterior expression of calm. Inside he was feeling nervous. His only order had been the safe guard of Merle's men and wagon. A joke, he could only guess, by the ranger commandant. This demolition crew of ten men were tasked with the killing of a kalkara that had sprung up in the kingdom. Gilan couldn't imagine how this rag tag group of men were supposed to kill one of the most fearsome beast to ever appear in Araluen but he thought it might have something to do with the large wagon.
"Neither have I young man!" The demolitionist laughed at Gilan's sudden surprise. "''Tis the first time any ones thought to kill a kalkara in this way. That being said I know my way round what we got in the wagon back there."
"What do you have back there? Seems if we're fighting a kalkara this much equipment would hinder us rather than help us." The ranger noticed how Merle would avoid actually saying to the ranger what was inside.
Now it was Merle's turn to be surprised, "Who said anything about fighting it? Do you see a knight waving a sword around my crew? No we don't plan on fighting the beast."
"How do you plan on killing it then?" Again he had avoided the question but he was persistent to know what his plan was.
"You'll see in due time," was Merle's reply. "Boys!" He turned in the saddle to look back at his men riding beside the wagon. "Keep the wagon from bumping harder than you making love to your wives! We don't want the show to start before we get to the stage!"
Freshly dispatched from the his apprenticeship under Halt, Gilan couldn't help but blush a little at Merle's inappropriate banter to his men who only laughed. He was grateful for the cover the cloak provided.
Suddenly Blaze was stirring beneath him. "No doubt we're almost there." Normally a ranger's horse wouldn't react in this way, trained as they were, but in the close proximity of a kalkara, Blaze's reaction was a warning. He brushed Blaze's mane to call him down. "I know boy, I know."
