Lieutenant Berkley entered his captains' office a little after lunch, a fresh report clutched tightly in his hand. "Captain, sir!"
"Yes, lieutenant?"
"Latest from the northern front, sir!"
Captain Neddick grasped the offered page and glanced over the first line.
He sat up reading it again.
It read:
Incursion of host from North.
He sat a moment. The rest of the report gave little useful information. General unrest among the populace in that area, houses burned…
He contemplated a moment, and then queried his lieutenant, "Has anyone seen this?"
"None but you, sir!"
"I see," he paused. A large Elvin force would have trouble making the Northern pass this early in the year. It would have to be a smaller party, scouts perhaps, but they wouldn't be causing so much destruction. Nor would they have been detected as easily. Something was strange. Also strange was how far north this force had come. The elves had never struck this far north. Something big was going on. "Lieutenant; ready the regiment. We leave at first light tomorrow."
"Trouble, sir?"
"You have your orders."
"Yes sir!"
The man saluted smartly, turned on his heel and left Neddick to his own troubled thoughts. This next week would be eventful, that's for sure…