~ The guild master’s offices of a branch of the hunters guild.

Sarge was sitting at his desk impatiently thumbing there miscellaneous items. Mostly requests for the guild to take down whatever random monster that happened to wander by their villages. You think in this day and age where there are so few monsters around that business for monster hunters would dry up but if anything people were getting even more high strung, calling the guild over whenever a wolf or goblin was sighted close to their homes. “ In my day you wouldn't call the guild till an orc warband started to attack the town.” Sarge complained to himself.

“ Guildmaster.” A reasonably cute secretary poked her head through the door. “ The recon team we sent to scout the Rubicon wastes.” 

 “ Speaking of orc warbands.” Sigh. “ Lead them in.” he told the secretary who at once left the room. About a minute after that a group of two men and two women entered the guildmaster’s offices. They were all dressed in brown and green travelers clothes though if you were especially perceptive you would notice the chain mail hidden just underneath. You didn’t have to be perceptive to notice the swords hanging off their belt however.

“ Travis, Mirena, It's nice to see you again.” Sarge held out his hand and shook the hands of the two leaders of this little group. “ Excuse me, but can we skip the pleasantries? What did you see out there?”

“ I see you just as much of a hard ass as you've always been, Sarge. Anyway, just as the reports have been saying, a large group of orcs have been moving out of the Rubicon wastes and are heading into the Border forests. It will be about a week Before they hit the forest and about another week before they hit any towns.” Travis said.

“ So we have about a week to prepare huh. I guess depending on their numbers that could be just enough time to prepare a small force to meet them at the border forest.”

“ About that.” Mirena said. “ The orcs number about…”

“ They have, how many?!” Sarge said, practically leaping out of his chair and slamming his hands down on the desk in front of him.

“ You heard us right old man.” The youngest man, basically a boy, said with all the confidence of a rookie who was asked to join an elite group right out of training. Sarge shot his grandson a look and he immediately backed down. “ Sorry sir, I meant to say that the information we have acquired is accurate.” 

Deciding to let that little outburst slide, Sarge continued with the conversation. “ It hasn’t been that many years since the last orc raid there is no way that they could have replenished their numbers that fast.”

“Well sir,” Mirena said. “ Most of the orcs that are approaching the borders are women and children. As far as scouting can see the group only consists of a group of warriors up front and a larger group of non combatants in the back.”

“ What!!” Sarge said, confused. Normally orcs only raid the nearby settlements and towns to their home in the waste. They typically don’t invade with the intention to settle a region.  

“So what do you think, Sarge?” Travis said. “ If we haul ass we should be able to mount a force to stop the orc before they enter the forest.”

“No, I don’t think so.” Sarge said reluctantly. “ Going to have to go report this to the lord. This whole situation is just strange. You four.” He said pointing in the direction of the scout team. “ take a breather to recover from your journey then head back out to the wastes and try to find out what it is that's driving the orcs to invade.”

“Yes sir!!”