Just short of an hour had passed since the delegates from the Shadow Riders had left Yarfell, a space of time in which Lord Tolan had received the written commission from the Princess, collected the first installment of wages for the mercenaries, spoken to two company sergeants about why they would not provide escort, changed clothes, evaded his sister, (or so he thought) and saddled his horse. Following what he had been told, he rode east, alone, the coffer of coins strapped to the saddle and the commission safely tucked in a message bag. From his familiarity with the countryside around the city, he had a fairly good idea of what grove the Shadow Riders had chosen to set up camp.
His guess was accurate, and he reined his horse in a good distance from the camp, assuming there were guards hidden around the perimeter. Perhaps it would be best to avoid blindly charging by them and appearing to be an aggressor.
He could not see them as of yet, but his other senses told him they were there nonetheless. Holding the reins with his left hand, he held up his right in what he hoped would be understood to be a friendly gesture. "Shadow Riders!" he called loudly, realizing that his mouth was dry from a minor case of nerves. Kirriam was right, riding into a mercenary camp alone like this could cause a bit of a tense situation. But he had no other option, and could only hope this worked out for the best. "I am Lord Tolan, High Councillor of Yarfell! I have business with Captain Irzen and wish to enter your camp peacefully!"
