Chase was sitting with Andur on the hilltop watching the strange beast that was pulling a wagon of new adventurers back from the Kobold caves. Chuckling to himself Chase thought that perhaps Tyana was right about investing in the new Adventures guild since it would mean attracting professional adventurers rather then letting local settlers think they might be able to make a quick profit dealing with roaming bands of goblins. Better to keep the settlers at home with their families and let these adventurers take the risk for the sake of the kingdom. Also why send Lord Balian’s army or your own Stagriders, she said when these will adventurers will do the work for almost nothing? Tyana was right of course, the adventurers are cheaper with no upfront costs to pay for training or outfitting and any loot they find is taxable under the Kingdoms charter with the Guild.
The real reason Chase was out here though was not to keep an eye on them, but he was on his way back from the the Lonely Barrow to the east. He had ridden out with Andur to take some etchings of the glyphs and drawings on the walls and the tomb of the forgotten warrior inside. Chase was not sure if the Barrow had anything to do with lost artifacts of Erastil or the prophecies Jhod had been having, but he still wanted to get as much information as he could. He left Tyana in town with Katrina, they both wanted to do some shopping with the new southern merchants arriving in port yesterday and Chase did not mind having some time to himself with Andur to ride the plains.
As Chase turned his stallion towards Stagfell he saw in the distance a bird flying unnaturally as if searching for something....or someone. Chase took a moment to check his quiver and bowstring as he urged his stallions into a trot with Andur at his side.
“Do you see it?” Andur growled glancing up at the bird in the darkening sky.
“Yes.” Chase replied keeping one hand on the reins and the other on his bow.
It was then the bird seemed to notice them and started flying in a path that would intercept the pair. Out on the hilly plains as they were they could be seen for quite a distance and Chase knew that some hunters might use birds to locate prey, after all his riders used the same tactic in locating a pack wolves that were harassing farmers this past fall. One of his elder riders charmed a bird into looking for the pack and circling over them once spotted. As soon as the rogue pack of wolves location was known they were quite easily surrounded and dealt with.
Chase was wondering if that was the intention behind this strange birds erratic behavior, but as the bird came closer Chase reined in his horse and knocked an arrow to the bow string, thinking the overtly hostile action would cause the bird to veer away, but this one kept coming straight for the pair. As the bird flew closer Chase could could make out it was a large Raven, it’s black feathers almost making it invisible in the oncoming dusk if not for his special sight. As Chase sat there in his saddle waiting to see what this strange Raven would do it simply flew down and landed on the ground in front of them and cawed looking at them both as if waiting for them. Chase slid the arrow back into his quiver and held out his arm waiting to see if the bird would fly up. As soon as his arm was outstretched the bird hopped once then twice and flapped it’s wings landing on his arm looking as if nothing was out of the ordinary. It was then that Chase noticed a simple scroll case on the birds claw, removing the case Chase found s scroll from Tyana written in his native tongue,
My love please return to Stagfell as soon as this messenger finds you, Lord Balian has arrived in Stagfell with a messenger from Varnhold, it appears there is trouble though I’m not sure what is wrong, but the Castle is in an uproar and their is talk of n Expedition leaving at first light.
The Raven flapped it’s wing and took back off into the nights sky, “Who is the message from?” Andur asked.
Chase looked down at Andur, “Tyana, she says there is trouble in Varnhold, Lord Balian is already at the Castle.”
Andur growled, “Trouble in the East?, just as the Prophet has warned, shall I summon the rest of pack?”
Chase looked east over his shoulders in the general direction of the pass to Varnhold, “Yes, tell them to meet us on the road to the pass, I was hopping that we had more time, but I guess hope is the dream for fools.” and with that Chase cast a spell over Andur to allow him to move faster then normal.
Andur let out a long deep Howl into the night sky, as Chase’s stallion snorted as if sensing the tension in the air that might lead to a pursuit of something unseen, “Be as swift as the stag my friend.”
As Andur took off Chase could hear him reply, “Be as straight as the arrow m’lord.”
