The Valmyrris have a heated discussion about what to do. Tieghan is in favour of honouring her word to Baron Calder and somehow finding the food tithe. Ruormad and Hadrien refuse, insisting they have given enough tribute to the Fulcairns in their own blood. Tieghan eventually relents, and they make plans to leave immediately upon returning.
The Valmyrris pack up their household, but receive a strange missive-- a magical letter borne by a crow, evidently from Catriona Fulcairn, offering to waive their food tithe if they submit the baby, Moerel, to her, in order to divest him of his magical gifts which, according to Catriona, belong to the land by right. Ruormad and Etiene refuse to turn their child over, and Tieghan respects their wishes.
The Valmyrris leave the next day, forming a caravan with their men-at-arms and all the refugee families that were willing or able to join.
They travel south through Seamist, attempting to hunt and forage enroute as best they can in order to feed their large caravan. They skirt the heartlands, attempting to avoid the fighting that has plagued the lands near Stormpoint. Eventually they glimpse armed retinues flying the colours of Brosien; they attempt to avoid them. They glimpse fire and smoke rising from the land behind them; Tieghan calls a forced march to try and outpace the trouble behind them.
Rain begins to fall heavily, and Etiene glimpses something ominous-- a circling crow. Not long after, she and Ruormad see the caravan is being followed by thirty of the Fulcairn's Black Hounds.
Exhausted from the previous night's forced march, the Valmyrris attempt to set up an ambush in the woods while turning Moerel over to the servants and ordering the caravan to flee ahead.
The Fulcairns' forces attack, aided by a sorcerous mist that materializes from nowhere. The Valmyrris and their men-at-arms are exhausted, outmatched, and under-equipped; it appears hopeless. Tieghan and Anuvyn are gravely wounded by the Black Hounds but stand their ground, then Hadrien does something mysterious-- kneels and touches the forest soil. Moments later, the Valmyrris are aided by a pack of wolves that appear from the woods and attack the Black Hounds.
Screams of panic are heard from the caravan ahead, but pinned in fierce combat with the Fulcairns' captain, Kerendred, the Valmyrris are unable to help. Ruormad takes off in pursuit, worried about Moerel, but Etiene attempts to stay and help her sister, mother, and brother.
The exhausted Valmyrri armsmen are cut down by the Hounds, and only the appearance of the wolves staves off complete slaughter. Anuvyn, severely wounded and barely able to remain on her feet, fires her crossbow at Kerendred, bringing him down; his men drag him off the field, a horn sounds, and the Hounds retreat. But more panicked screams are heard from the caravan ahead, and the Valmyrris run to investigate. A strange choking grey mist has descended and is killing the peasants and refugees; their corpses are scattered everywhere, and panicked survivors run in all directions.
Etiene manages to find the servant Astrid, who is clutching Moerel, unharmed. Anuvyn and Tieghan search for their loved ones... then Catriona appears and demands to know where Moerel is. Catriona enspells Tieghan, charming her, and compels her to call out for Etiene and the baby. A tense standoff follows. Ruormad appears from the mist and tells Etiene the witch has ensorceled her mother. They devise a desperate plan-- he takes Moerel and gives Etiene a bundle of cloth to use as a decoy. Etiene slowly heads toward Catriona as she forces Tieghan to count down from ten. But as she reaches them, Catriona enspells her too. Anuvyn, hiding in the mist, attempts to take aim at Catriona, but she employs yet another sorcery, conjuring multiple images of herself. She advises Anuvyn to reveal herself, or someone will die; she remains hidden, and moments later, Catriona hurls magic at Tieghan, who, already gravely wounded and helpless, falls.
Etiene, Ruormad, and Anuvyn attack Catriona and her cadre of mirror images. She launches a terrifying bolt of magic which strikes Ruormad, toppling him from his vantage point in the trees; Anuvyn deals her a serious wound with a crossbow bolt, and she disappears. A crow, shrieking in dismay, is seen circling above the trees.
Etiene and Anuvyn rush to their loved ones. Tieghan is alive, but barely. Moerel is unharmed, secured in the treetops where Ruormad left him. But Ruormad has been mortally wounded by Catriona's magic and dies in Etiene's arms.
The caravan has been decimated. Only four men-at-arms have survived the fight with the Black Hounds. The Valmyrris find Hadrien, unconscious but alive... but they also find Dietric's body, slain by Catriona's poisonous haze, and clutching the signet ring that will allow them to take refuge at his family's lands in Islien.
Armed men appear, but this time, it is soldiers of Brosien, including the one-handed soldier the Valmyrri women saved in the mountain pass. They gather the survivors and render what aid they can to the devastated Valmyrris. With what remains of the soldiers and families, the caravan moves on.
With their remaining strength, the Valmyrri family makes it to Dietric's ancestral lands. Finding a large farmhouse, they are greeted by what appear to be Dietric's ailing parents; taken in as family, the Valmyrris settle in their new home. And this story ends with the family once again having dinner together, remembering the fallen but united by Moerel's laughter around the table.
The Valmyrris pack up their household, but receive a strange missive-- a magical letter borne by a crow, evidently from Catriona Fulcairn, offering to waive their food tithe if they submit the baby, Moerel, to her, in order to divest him of his magical gifts which, according to Catriona, belong to the land by right. Ruormad and Etiene refuse to turn their child over, and Tieghan respects their wishes.
The Valmyrris leave the next day, forming a caravan with their men-at-arms and all the refugee families that were willing or able to join.
They travel south through Seamist, attempting to hunt and forage enroute as best they can in order to feed their large caravan. They skirt the heartlands, attempting to avoid the fighting that has plagued the lands near Stormpoint. Eventually they glimpse armed retinues flying the colours of Brosien; they attempt to avoid them. They glimpse fire and smoke rising from the land behind them; Tieghan calls a forced march to try and outpace the trouble behind them.
Rain begins to fall heavily, and Etiene glimpses something ominous-- a circling crow. Not long after, she and Ruormad see the caravan is being followed by thirty of the Fulcairn's Black Hounds.
Exhausted from the previous night's forced march, the Valmyrris attempt to set up an ambush in the woods while turning Moerel over to the servants and ordering the caravan to flee ahead.
The Fulcairns' forces attack, aided by a sorcerous mist that materializes from nowhere. The Valmyrris and their men-at-arms are exhausted, outmatched, and under-equipped; it appears hopeless. Tieghan and Anuvyn are gravely wounded by the Black Hounds but stand their ground, then Hadrien does something mysterious-- kneels and touches the forest soil. Moments later, the Valmyrris are aided by a pack of wolves that appear from the woods and attack the Black Hounds.
Screams of panic are heard from the caravan ahead, but pinned in fierce combat with the Fulcairns' captain, Kerendred, the Valmyrris are unable to help. Ruormad takes off in pursuit, worried about Moerel, but Etiene attempts to stay and help her sister, mother, and brother.
The exhausted Valmyrri armsmen are cut down by the Hounds, and only the appearance of the wolves staves off complete slaughter. Anuvyn, severely wounded and barely able to remain on her feet, fires her crossbow at Kerendred, bringing him down; his men drag him off the field, a horn sounds, and the Hounds retreat. But more panicked screams are heard from the caravan ahead, and the Valmyrris run to investigate. A strange choking grey mist has descended and is killing the peasants and refugees; their corpses are scattered everywhere, and panicked survivors run in all directions.
Etiene manages to find the servant Astrid, who is clutching Moerel, unharmed. Anuvyn and Tieghan search for their loved ones... then Catriona appears and demands to know where Moerel is. Catriona enspells Tieghan, charming her, and compels her to call out for Etiene and the baby. A tense standoff follows. Ruormad appears from the mist and tells Etiene the witch has ensorceled her mother. They devise a desperate plan-- he takes Moerel and gives Etiene a bundle of cloth to use as a decoy. Etiene slowly heads toward Catriona as she forces Tieghan to count down from ten. But as she reaches them, Catriona enspells her too. Anuvyn, hiding in the mist, attempts to take aim at Catriona, but she employs yet another sorcery, conjuring multiple images of herself. She advises Anuvyn to reveal herself, or someone will die; she remains hidden, and moments later, Catriona hurls magic at Tieghan, who, already gravely wounded and helpless, falls.
Etiene, Ruormad, and Anuvyn attack Catriona and her cadre of mirror images. She launches a terrifying bolt of magic which strikes Ruormad, toppling him from his vantage point in the trees; Anuvyn deals her a serious wound with a crossbow bolt, and she disappears. A crow, shrieking in dismay, is seen circling above the trees.
Etiene and Anuvyn rush to their loved ones. Tieghan is alive, but barely. Moerel is unharmed, secured in the treetops where Ruormad left him. But Ruormad has been mortally wounded by Catriona's magic and dies in Etiene's arms.
The caravan has been decimated. Only four men-at-arms have survived the fight with the Black Hounds. The Valmyrris find Hadrien, unconscious but alive... but they also find Dietric's body, slain by Catriona's poisonous haze, and clutching the signet ring that will allow them to take refuge at his family's lands in Islien.
Armed men appear, but this time, it is soldiers of Brosien, including the one-handed soldier the Valmyrri women saved in the mountain pass. They gather the survivors and render what aid they can to the devastated Valmyrris. With what remains of the soldiers and families, the caravan moves on.
With their remaining strength, the Valmyrri family makes it to Dietric's ancestral lands. Finding a large farmhouse, they are greeted by what appear to be Dietric's ailing parents; taken in as family, the Valmyrris settle in their new home. And this story ends with the family once again having dinner together, remembering the fallen but united by Moerel's laughter around the table.
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