We were worried by recent reports of an orc threat in the north, of an encampment established only a few hours’ ride from Bree, led by an orc known as the Red Reaver. Their proximity to Bree concerned us, so five of us – Myself, Ceolaric, Calebriorn, Finellan and Herfi – Set off, with the intention of discovering more about these orcs, and raiding their camp if possible.
I led the group in Adilyr’s absence. We left Bree from the west gate, and the ride up to the northern fields went without fault. Once there, we were forced to leave our horses unattended in the forest. I feared for their safety, but nothing they encountered there could be as bad as the orcs.
Calebriorn had scouted the area beforehand, so he led us up to a cliff overlooking the camp. The sight terrified me – Far too many orcs to count, all armed. We acknowledged that this threat had to be dealt with, or we would be severely compromising Bree’s safety.
After a little more scouting, we found the only options for entering the camp to a path guarded by orcs or jumping down a cliff. The orcs attempted to resist us, but the strength of the Red Company was able to slay them regardless. They grew thicker as we journeyed deeper into the camp, and striking each one down proved a challenge, but we were still able to cope, even when it seemed as though their numbers were endless.
At last, we came across the Red Reaver. He stood a head taller than all of the others, and carried a weapon in each hand. But even so, he was not able to withstand the Red Company, and before long, we had slain him. A short celebration followed, for having ridden Bree-land of these orcs and their leader, but we still sensed that our duty was not yet over.
The entrance to a cave lay in a cliff to the north. Hearing voices from inside, we decided we ought to investigate, so we did so. Upon entering, it transpired that these voices were from brigands. They attacked us, but we were able to defeat them, and travel further into the cave.
We came across the chieftain and a man named Bill Ferny – Unfortunately, we made enough noise to give ourselves away and Ferny fled, but we were still able to best the chieftain.
These events worried us on a number of levels. Firstly, I couldn’t believe how close the orcs had gotten to Bree. If we are to protect Bree, we must keep them much further away, or we could be under a serious threat of invasion. In our discussion later at the Prancing Pony, we decided that one our next steps ought to be to travel to Trestlebridge, and see what we could do there to prevent orcs from making it any further south. For us in Bree-land, they are the last line of defence against orcs from the north, so we must do everything we can to aid them.
Secondly, orcs and brigands working together cannot be good. We must do everything we can do bring both of these groups down, and all residents of Bree-land ought to remain vigilant to both threats.
