Throughout Elowyyns travel through to the country side, she'd see the same thing: Most of the towns were destroyed. In the larger cities, refugee's were forced to sign on with the army just to make ends meet. The few settlements still standing were hard-pressed, and clearly falling apart. Many were fleeing their homes to avoid the coming flame, and those few that remained.....were left burying their dead. What sort of mad man, or woman, would do something like this?

Then there were the Slavers: Opportunistic scoundrels willing to murder anyone and anything to earn a living. Kill a child's family, then raise it into slavery, so it's all they ever know. Perfect way to keep them docile. There were so many, that most fights had to be avoided, or the situation ignored, due to the lack of available man-power.

However, on the day that Elowyyn, and whoever she took with, arrived at the town, the only word for it would be 'Secure'. There was a large, new stonewall erected, it couldn't have been there for more than a year, and there was a Militia guarding the entrance to the town. Their weapons were regular steel, and they were clad in hardened leather or Iron, but it was clear that they were well-trained, and well-prepared. The Farmlands inside the wall lacked the taint of the carnage from the outside, and though the Guards were wary, there was not the tense atmosphere of most of the other settlements.

Out of the guards, an Elderly Veteran stepped over. This man wore the flag of the kingdom over his shoulder, and obviously served in the Royal army, but he looked at Elowyyn with disdain. "I am the Captain of the guards here, my name is Benjamin Tallow. Tell me, why would the foolish son of Queen Yasmina, King Roxten, send one of his knights to the frontier? I thought we came out this far to get AWAY from the King. "he said. If he knew of Andy's previous occupation, he didn't show it.