And so they walked and walked and walked. The stories, being stories of course, usually left this part out. The part about walking endlessly until they reached their goal. Only the wealthier of soldiers could afford mounts of course, and even then you didn't very well ride to battle. You walked, or well, rode.

Ozlo spent most of his day trying to stay awake and most of his night sleeping off the tiredness that seemed to seep into the very core of his soul. A weary ache that encompassed the young lads very being. Annoying enough, these aching feelings didn't seem to affect their captain. In fact, captain Boyd seemed even cheerier than his usual self.

"Hey there lads, are you excited? It feels good to get away from the wife and feel the clean air on my face you know. In fact, I remember when I-" The captain's speech was thankfully cut short by the horn. "Ahem, I'm sure you'll all be happy to know that we're here. We've arrived. The goblins are half a mile uphill towards a small cave previously used to mine iron and the occasional shard. Provided we handle things cleanly and smoothly, we should be home before next week is done."

The nobleman, having finished his speech, promptly climbed back into his cart while the various captains went about organizing the camp.

"Well, looks like we're at the boring part." The boys looked over at their captain with astonishment. Andrew being the first to pipe up. "This is the boring part? We just spent the past four days walking!"

Boyd gave him a big grin before chuckling. "Well lads, here's how things work. The big boys, you know, the nobles and their high carded men will be on the front. Those with stealth and information cards will be scouting out the place, watching for ambushes and traps. And once that's done, us "conscripts" well, we just kind of mill about waiting for them to need us. Hell, I once spent an entire campaign learning how to sew. Got quite good at it too, never could get the cross-stitch to look as good as the wife's but you can't win em all."

Ozlo looked around and saw what their captain said to be true. Barring a few groups that took off with the nobles, most people were milling about, tending to their camps and doing various assorted tasks. One group even set up a forge and it looks like another had set up a stall on the side of a wagon that looked to be the beginnings of a shop.

"Ahem, that's not to say that your tasks aren't important of course. Andrew, I need you to keep us stocked on firewood. John, you're going to be with me learning how to cook. Ozlo, you're in charge supplies. You'll take stock of everything we have, everything we need, and when the time comes, if the time comes, you'll be helping me haggle."

Boyd took off towards a flat empty section towards the west end of the camp and reluctantly, the boys followed. Ozlo's previous fear of goblins tricking, trapping, or otherwise maiming the young man soon forgotten due to the monotony of their tasks.

Despite Ozlo's academic impairment, it didn't take him long to log all of the supplies they had brought with them and he soon found himself without something to do. "Boy. Finished already?" Ozlo's captain, seeming to appear out of nowhere, startling the boy, spoke up. "If you're done with your tasks you should do your best to keep busy. Don't wear yourself out too much, but you know what they say about idle hands being the devils playthings and all that. Anyways, go do something boy. The world is your oyster, so go digging!"

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Unsure of what he was supposed to do, Ozlo gravitated towards the most familiar thing in the camp, the forge. After arriving Ozlo was greeted by a short broad shouldered man with a beard that had been singed in many places and eyebrows that looked like they had received twice the heat.

"Still setting up boy, but if you've got the shards I'll let you get first dibs on my wares." The man turned his back to Ozlo, and while Ozlo was about to leave the man suddenly whipped back around. "Go on, no wares made yet, just a bunch of iron. I still need to get some charcoal made and some water barrels filled before I can get the forge hot."

Ozlo started to move away when the short man once again ran up to him. "Hmm. You've got a look about you. Ever work in a forge? My current assistant is a bit... Let's just say he's busy. Anyway, what say you? Want to make some coin?"

Ozlo shook his head in the affirmative and receive a painful but well meaning slap on his back. "Good, I thought so. Anyway, I'll need someone to work the bellows once the coal is done cooking and I'll need someone to sharpen the blades with the stone. You and my assistant can work out which you're doing but don't get to fighting now. save that for the beasties."

Standing there dumbfounded, Ozlo did his best to process the rapid series of events that took place. "I have a job now. Maybe this won't be as boring as Boyd said it would be." Ozlo's new boss jostled him out of his thoughts with a light slap on his wrist.

"I said my names Manfred. Course folks call me Manny. My pa had a sick sense of humor and since I was a boy and his name was Fred... Well you get it. Anyway, Assistants name is Jorgen and he'll be back shortly. Until then, unload those boxes for me and I'll get the kindling going."

Doing as instructed, and thankful that the job seemed very simple, Ozlo started unloading the boxes and placing them on the makeshift table that encircled their "shop". "Pay is five percent. That's once twentieth of whatever I make. So if we have a good day, you get payed well. If we don't, you don't get squat. Jorgen gets ten percent and I get the rest. And if you don't like that the door is uh." Manny seemed confused for a minute and his waving hand dropped. "Well there isn't a damn door, but you get my point."

Ozlo made short work of removing the contents from the boxes and placing them neatly on the table. Various assortments of tools, metals and of course, hammers filled the table and Manny took a moment to inspect each and every tool before declaring that his job was completed. "Alright lad, you're done. I'll get me a steady supply of coal after tonights work is done, there's always unskilled labor to be had after all.

Like clockwork, Jorgen approached his master with a confused look on his face. Jorgen was a tall, gangly man with browne yes and a crooked nose. He looked to be about seventeen or eighteen and his face and hands were covered in soot from the charcoal.

"Good, you're finally here. Put the charcoal down next to the forge and say hello to my new assistant. This is uh... Shit." Manny gestured at Ozlo, seeming to just realize that he hadn't gotten the boys names. "Ozlo, my name is Ozlo." Jorgen gave Ozlo a shy smile and did as his master instructed while Manny looked a bit embarassed.

"There I go putting the cart in front of the horse and all that. My Ma always said I needed to slow down and be nice to people. She's probably right, not that I would admit it. Anyway, Ozlo. I tell Jorgen what to do, he tells you what to do, and unless what I tell you goes against what Jorgen says to do, the job should be simple. I swing the hammer, you two sell the goods and maintain the shop. Understood?"

The two young men both gave a firm nod towards Manny and, seemingly satisfied, he turned back to the forge. "Alright lads, this fire isn't going to light itself. Unless you boys have a fire card?" Manny waggled what remained of his charred eyebrows at Ozlo, who quickly nodded to in the negative. "Damn, couldn't get that lucky. Ahem, Jorgen, light the fire, Ozlo, work the bellows. Manny, go have a drink." Manny gave the boys a toothy grin. "Oops, said that last part out loud."