You decide that the trial is too small and too close to your previous mine to be the new mine turn off so you continue North at a reasonable pace.


Through the day you pass a couple of even smaller trails but you decide they could be nothing but animal trails as they often pass under bushes and shrubs so you continue till nightfall. You can out into the trees again and have the last of your cooked hare meat. You fall asleep reasoning that if the mine is still ahead that you should pass it tomorrow.


Morning arrives and you set off North again but as noon comes and goes and you start to pass into the evening you still see nothing. You start to feel like maybe you made the wrong choice but you push on till night fall and make camp again.


In the morning light you take stock, you decide that you can head back and try the original trail, as long as your careful if you see the men approaching you on the road you can always double back North again. Or you can continue on and hope its still ahead of you.

You carry on North

You decide there isn't any point in going back so soon and head off North as a fast pace again, most of the day passes without signs of a trail.  As evening falls you see clear signs of damaged undergrowth and a clear path off into the hills. It must be the mine!


Glad you carried on North you strike off the road into the trail and head into the foothills loosing sight of the road behind you. You walk for an hour or two carefully following the trail further in when you see a man leaning against some trees beside the trail. He gives a small nod in your direction so you approach and ask if this is the entrance to the new mine.


"New mine? Now where did you hear that?"


You explain about your work on a mine further south and that you had heard rumors from your old Forman about a new mine opening in this area.


He looks at you thoughtfully for a minute then says "Alright if your fresh from another mine job keep going on this track for a bit till you see a big man with a woodman's axe, his names Pug, tell him Clay sent you, He'll tell you whats going on and get you sorted out."


Thanking Clay you set off again down the trail

You pug

You walk for about half an hour until you see a huge man chopping some wood and stacking it into a cart, he pauses and leans on his axe while you approach.


"Are you pug?"


"That would be me, now who would be doing the asking all the way out here?"


"Clay told me to come speak to you, I'm a miner looking for work. He said you'd be the one to get me sorted out and explain the work here"


The big man laughed and said "right you are then, I'll be happy to explain it to ya". He waved the axe indicating the hill just behind him "Just over that rise is our camp, and even though I'm in charge I'm the only one that can ever be bothered to chop the wood for the fires, well I also enjoy it which is part of the reason I'm always the one here doing it but anyway you didn't come here for me to tell you about chopping wood. Were a small band here at the moment which makes it easier but sadly for you I wouldn't say were a mining camp"


"Not a mining camp?" your not sure how to take the news that they aren't a mining camp but Pug seems nice enough and you'd be happy enough to do logging or hunting work too "So what work are you doing out here then?"


Pug gives you a grin "Ah that would be banditry mostly, some robbery, looting and such like."


Your trying to think up a reply to his statement when you feel the wind being knocked out of you, looking down you see a steel arrow head pointing out of your chest. You fall backwards away from the grinning Pug to see Clay and a couple of others holding loading crossbows walking towards your head.


"Always nice when they come to you isn't it! This one said he just came off a job so should even have some good coin on him"


You try to say something but can only gurgle a little before darkness closes your eyes