Swordsman Apprentice Nathanial hurried down the hall to his master's office. Never patient, Master Clarton was known to singe the hair off of apprentices that did not answer his summons immediately. Nathanial skidded to a halt in front of the master's door and checked that he looked presentable, then knocked.

"Enter."

Nathanial opened the door and stepped through. Inside, the master stood at the window.

"I hurried as soon as I got your summons master." Nathanial said as he watched his master.

The master turned from the window. Years of sword work had left its mark. Scars could be seen on his face. Nathanial knew that the master carried more on his body. He'd seen them when the master worked out.

"Nathanial, the war goes badly. All the masters and the able journeymen are out fighting skirmishes all over. If we don't soon get the advantage, we may have to gather up our people and flee."

Nathanial stood with his mouth open. He knew that the war was rough, but he had never heard just how desperate it had become.

The master picked up a small scroll. "A messenger delivered this to me today. Inside is directions to the lair of the chieftain of the Herrion."

The Herrion had been raiding for years. A policy of torture by the Herrion had left the people scared and they gathered in and around the center of the last kingdom of man. Most people would not even go outside at night, and everyone barred their doors at night.

"Nathanial, I, no we, need you to deliver this scroll to the field commander at Farreach village." The master shook his head. I'm not sure if you can make it, but if you can, we can capture their chieftain and end this war."

Three days later, Nathanial topped a small hill five miles from Farreach. So far, he hadn't seen anyone, friend or foe. He moved during the day and camped deep in cover every night. Below, a small wood covered the valley between the hills. Nathanial thought about going around, but he had passed so many graves, burned out homesteads, and battlefields that he decided to risk the woods to save time.

Although small, the wood was dense. The leaves overhead blocked most of the sunlight. In the gloom, the wind that could get through rustled the dead leaves that carpeted the ground. Nathanial finally noticed the absence of singing from birds. Nathanial stopped and drew his sword. He scanned the trees around him. He saw nothing so he continued walking with sword in hand.

Deep in the wood it happened. A young Herrion, death mask in place and all four knife hands swinging, erupted from bushes near the trail. Nathanial dived to the side as the young warrior slashed where he had been. Nathanial felt the knife slide across the leather vest he wore. Nathanial rolled across the trail and came to his feet with his sword held at the ready. The Herrion ran up to him. Nathanial feinted a downward slash and when the Herrion dropped his arms to guard, he brought the sword up with all his strength.

Nathanial didn't feel the bite as steel met flesh, but the Herrion surely did. The Herrion dropped to his knees as his lifeblood spurted out of his ruined neck. Nathanial turned and ran as fast as he could.

Once he left the woods, Nathanial dropped to the ground and heaved as what he done sank in. Three years of sword practice never taught him the savagery of actual combat. Nathanial stayed at the edge of the wood a few minutes, gathering himself. Then he rose on shaking legs and continued on his journey.

As dusk fell, Nathanial spotted a lone inn ahead. He thought of continuing on, but after the attack in the wood, decided to stay the night at the inn. Inside, Nathanial saw that the common room was small. A large fireplace held a small fire crackling under the mantle. Four tables arced around the fireplace and all but one held guests. The innkeeper assigned a room in the back for Nathanial and turned away to answer a call from one of his other patrons. Nathanial decided to drop his few small possessions in his room and then return for a meal.

Once he returned, Nathanial sat at the empty table and ordered food. While he waited, an older man entered the room. Age had stooped the man and Nathanial noticed the limp as he walked to the innkeeper. Mug in hand, the man turned to look for a place to sit. Nathanial gestured to an empty seat at his table and the man smiled in greeting as he came to the table and sat down.

Nathanial wasn't interested in conversation, but the old man but he at ease and they talked for quite some time. Before Nathanial realized it the common room had emptied. He excused himself to the old man and headed off to his room. He turned as he entered the hall to his room and saw the door closing after the old man.

Nathanial opened the door to his room and stopped just inside the door. Everything was tossed around. Nothing escaped the attentions of whoever had searched his room. Nathanial hurried to the corner of the room where a small gap in the floorboards was. He pulled the twp strings carefully up and the scroll was soon in his hands again. Nathanial quickly gathered what items of his that were left and after opening the window, slipped into the night.

A mile from town, three men, one the older man from the inn, had met up with five Herrion warriors. As the youngest man dumped the contents of the bag they used on the ground, the older man's eyes bulged as he realized that the scroll was not among the items lying before him. The warriors raised their death masks as the men backed up.