It would only take a few weeks they said to Ally as she took on a job to guard some merchants on a journey towards Dale, the plan was for her to follow them across the mountains and then head back home..how that plain changed once they came there.
"Only over the mountains, that was the deal we made Eric" Ally said to the man in charged ofr the caravan as they crossed the mountains on their road to Dale "We need your sword and dagger miss Ally, look around you..there is only you, me and Archibald left" a man dressed as if he was ready to take on the entire world, armed to the teeth, the man was the one listening to name Eric. "That was not what was agreed Eric..I want double on what you offered me if I am to stay." Ally replied, The man shook his head "I can give half of hat you asking." Eric answered
"No, then I will turn around and head back to Bree" Ally gave Eric a stern look, gone it seemed was the timid girl that was picked up by the mercenary company The Bloody Dawn, the man sighed and nodded "Alright alright..I will pay the double when we reach Dale." Ally nodded and pulled Steinars reigns and started to ride along with the men and the caravan down the path.
They rode the entire day, icy winds and gruesome snowfall greeted them east of the mountains, Ally pulled her scarf up over her mouth and nose to cover most of her face from the cold wind that was howling around them as the snow blew in every direction making it almost impossible to see further than a few yards ahead. "We need to find shelter Eric!" Ally shouted to combat the howling wind. "I know! But where!" Eric shouted back to her as Archibald urged the caravan onwards on foot, his horse had succumbed to the cold a few hours earlier. "We need to get out of the wind before we freeze to death!" Archibald shouted back to Eric and Ally "We agree!" Ally shouted and urged Steinar on closer to the front of the caravan.
"Over here!" Eric shouted after having seen what looked at an abandoned farm. "It looks abandoned miss Ally!" he shouted "Even if it isn't I hope whoever lives there can let us find some shelter in their barn!" Ally shouted back as Archibald nodded to her and forced the caravan towards the farm. They came up to it, no lights could be seen in the windows of the house nor the barn "Lets get out of the wind!" Ally shouted and rode over to the barn, dismounting Steinar next to the door, she went down to knee deep snow "Eric! Come here and help me open the door!" she shouted and Eric came over to help her open the door and the caravan and the three guards went inside and closed the door behind them.
There they stayed the night as they found a hearth to get a fire started to warm themselves for the night. The following morning the snowfall and the wind had gone away, leaving sunshine and lots of snow, the caravan set out again and after a few days they found themselves in a dangerous situation again as bandits came at them when they were crossing a bridge, luckily the snow was just ankle deep around the bridge. Arrows whistled by them as the bandits charged the caravan, the bandits were poor archers, that Ally made clear for herself from the very first moment they attacked them, not hitting anyone.
They managed to drive off the bandits after a little while, only suffering from a few minor cuts and bruises, tho it could have gone worse Ally thought as they pressed on faster now as they could now see Dale on the horizon. What she did not know was that in the skirmish Archibald had perished, her own armour as she looked down on it was torn and full with cuts "Shite.." she said quietly for herself but they made it to Dale, Eric paid her and helped her to get a new armour, even a new dagger as she had lost her own in the fight in the river.
"Thank you miss Ally, I bid you safe travels home." Eric said as she nodded sitting up in her saddle on Steinars back and urged him into galop down the path she came down a few days earlier, the wind was still cold but wasn't too hard she thought as she began to think about home, home in Bree. Days passed as she rode only during the sunlight, resting both herself and Steinar during the darker hours. She made the way back home fast she thought as she crossed the mountains once more a week after leaving Dale.
It would not be long now she thought before she would be back in Bree, the payment she was given were stored in two large saddle bags, oe at each side of Steinar, she smiled for herself under her scarf, one large coin bag to the company and the captain and one for herself, feeling pleased she stopped for the night just a few leagues from Bree.
She laid down on her bedroll and pulled a thick fur over her, Steinar came and laid down behind her and they both slept to morning. Morning came and she mounted up and rode to Bree, nodding to the gate guard as she rode past him, as she suddenly remembered that she should probably seek out the captain and rode to the company hall, the guards on the grounds greeted her, telling her that the captain wasn't in now but should be back later.
Ally nodded to them and turned Steinar to her own home, stepping inside she sighed gently and placed the two heavy saddle bags on the floor and made fire in her fireplace and warmed herself water and had a warm bath, she would go see the captain in a day or so she said for herself and laughed softly for herself, as she thought she was worth some rest before he got her report.
