Much further afield

Today we travelled to the land of the Beacon. Many years ago the Ogres placed Beacons in order to warn of danger from invaders. These Beacons were lit only once. Today they stand as a reminder of dangerous times. I feel they may again be lit, soon.

the land seem to be well looked after

 There were many benches along our route, these were for ogres to rest & enjoy the view. A place for quiet reflection. Were met many ogres along the way, sadly none of them had any food. I fear they do not know how to store harvests as they were not permitted to harvest the fungi that grew along the stumps.

a lovely lake, very refreshing & clean

 We did not cross on the bridge, it was closed off, we wondered if there had been trouble with Trolls living under but the area was clear, the knight-in-training made a good job of checking.

the sun shone well through the trees

 There were many Silver Birch trees in this woodland, much different to the trees in my lands. It made the area very bright, the leaves already falling as autumn is now here. Pathways had been lain for us to walk on which was very nice.

we found an Oak tree but they were very young.

 We didn't find many old trees, they all seemed so very young. This is due to the woodland being cut down to provide ogres with heat during the cold winters. I hear they also burn it to provide devices by which to write.

the silver birch smell very sweet

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 These type of trees do not provide any food harvest, I do not know what the ogres & other creatures will eat during the winter months. They need trees to provide food not just material to burn, maybe the ogres use this to trade with others.

Dwarves have left

We found evidence of Dwarves, they had once mined this land. They have left much behind but we found none of the precious stones or metals they were always so fond of.

another's kingdom, a very grand palace

I think the knight-in-training looks like a horse in this picture, with a saddle on. Lucky the ogre didn't try to ride her.

the ogre is getting slow in her old age

 We often have to stop & wait for the ogre to catch up with us, the young knight-in-training often runs ahead & has to keep returning, even I am slowing down, although I have to admit these walks have put a spring back in my step. I can also smell winter is on it's way and we all know that means snow.

a strange creature had left it's mark here

 The knight-in-training made sure she obliterated the scent.

the water levels here seem nice & high

some areas had been made for the ease of ogres

more strange smells

a very enjoyable day

a dirty knight-in-training but oh so sweet

a sweet kiss from the knight-in-training, she does love me really

We arrived back at the chariot which was thankfully still in one piece, however 2 other chariots had been broken in to & items stolen, that was not good.

Things are worse than I thought

Today we trespassed. The Knight-in-training took her packs, I took the Ogre. We headed into unknown territory. Things were bad, really bad.

There was no life to be found. No animals, no Ogres & not even Trolls. There was food, which should have been harvested, laying wasted. The dam bused, water no where to be found but the devastation left in it's wake was horrible.

someone's home torn apart

more devastation left by the water cutting through the earth

 We took the opportunity to harvest some of the fallen nuts, the pack came in useful & the Knight-in-training carried it well. Like me she got very tired & had to rest, she was constantly scouting ahead to make sure it was clear. We did not see a single soul.

checking everywhere

 We travelled far into the lands. The war has driven all away. This is what happens when a Kingdom is badly run. Civil war has destroyed all, not even the Trolls were safe. All their homes destroyed.

at a clearing

remnants of war strewn everywhere.

 This was the most desolate part of this land. What was once woodland reduced to rubble. Remnants of war with Ogres strewn all over the floor. Shells & mines had to be avoided & our Ogre kept us away from danger, knowing where to tread & where to avoid. We had a quick drink, a small puddle which tasted awful.

even the knight-in-training was exhausted

We left the clearing as quickly as we could, hiding in the woodland for a quick rest before heading back. We had almost reached the outskirts of this former kingdom, there was such a noise that we did not want to venture further, the Ogre was nervous too, she says the Ogres are revolting against tyranny & destroying many kingdoms in the process. I do not like the sounds of that.