The bearded man tapped the sides of the plush leather wingback chair with one hand — the other hand gently resting on the blade of the claymore on his lap — staring out through the large hole blasted through the brick wall of the study. Hundreds of papers wafted in and out of the room indiscriminately past the squads of looting soldiers which scoured the lodge’s remaining structure for valuables to take back home to their misses’. The bearded man with the claymore lifted his left hand from the greatsword and began flipping through a photo album which had been resting on the side of the half-destroyed, bullet-riddled desk behind him. He remarked to a nearby soldier:

“What we do ain't honorable.”

The soldier turned casually to the bearded man in the chair, arms full of antediluvian writings and other trinkets. He responded dispassionately:

“It is what it is, Ross. That’s what we’re paid for.”

The soldier went back to searching for riches in one of the very few non-damaged bookshelves within the study, but Commander Ross went on, still scrolling through the photo album.

“Mhm. I suppose so.”

The sound of howling wind and crow caws embraced the study for a short while until Commander Ross threw the leather-bound photo album onto the dirty floor and spun around in the leather chair, proclaiming in a booming voice to any soldier in his proximity that would listen:

“Well, lads, that’s one more off the list! Not much longer until we reach Shurrery and we can finally tie a bow on this damn expedition, aye?”

Some soldiers mumbled in agreement, but most kept silent while sifting through the piles of rubble both inside and outside the once-lodge Ledgowan. Commander Ross continued:

“We can call this place home for a few days, but after then we leave these folks to themselves and we be on our merry way, aye?”

A similar response rocked the once-lodge. Commander Ross let out a quiet sigh and sheathed his claymore while getting out of the cushioned chair. With this kind of morale and an ever-fleeting chance for any kind of valuables to end up in the hands of the mercenaries, Ross wondered whether this MacDonald’s Northern Expedition would ever make it past Assynt.

[Expansion and Army Log]