Last light bleeds across the river crossing, turning the shallows to copper. Kahlani comes in low and quick, wings tight beneath her cloak.
A messenger lies half in the water, breath shallow, one hand twitching against the mud. Blood darkens his sleeve.
A squire stands over him with a drawn blade, not guarding, just poised. The steel catches the dying sun.
The Squire
Stop there.
The Squire
You saw nothing on this road.
He shifts his feet, weighing Kahlani and the messenger together, as if deciding which problem can vanish fastest.
The messenger is still alive.
The river murmurs around the stones. The squire’s sword tip dips a fraction, then lifts again toward Kahlani, waiting for her next move.
✓ Quest Accepted
Disarm the squire
“Freeze the squire to the ground”
SUCCESS (Superb Frost Magic, rolled +1)
Kahlani thrusts her staff toward the ford. Pale frost races over the shallows, bites the squire's boots, and flashes up his ankles.
The ice thickens in a blink, locking his feet to the stones. His blade jerks, then stops short as his balance vanishes.
The Squire
What, no, wait.
He strains once, hard, and the frozen grip only cracks the water around him. The sword sags in his hand, no longer a threat.
The Messenger
He can barely turn. Now is the moment.
The messenger lifts his head from the mud, staring between Kahlani and the trapped squire, breath shaking.
The Squire
Back off. I am protecting someone you do not understand.
Quest Complete
Disarm the squire
“"And I don't like being threatened. You decided to get me involved."”
SUCCESS (Good Willpower, rolled +3)
Kahlani
And I do not like being threatened. You chose to drag me into this.
The Squire
His jaw tightens. “You think this is about you? I am keeping him alive long enough to matter.”
The Messenger
His eyes widen at the squire’s words, then flick to Kahlani, as if begging her to hear what is not being said.
The squire’s sword arm sags farther. Frost climbs the blade guard, and the anger in his face gives way to something rawer, fear pressed thin over duty.
The Squire
I am killing no one here. Not him. Not if you leave this ford and let me finish my orders.
The Messenger
No, listen. He is not protecting me from you. He is protecting someone from me.
The messenger spits river water and lifts a shaking hand, revealing a dark seal ringed on his wrist, half-hidden in mud. The squire sees it and goes pale.
✓ Quest Accepted
Force the squire to reveal the name he is killing to protect
“What symbol is that?”
SUCCESS (Legendary Perception, rolled +1)
Kahlani
What symbol is that?
The messenger turns his wrist toward the light, mud and water sliding from the seal.
It is a black crescent, cut through by three fine lines like claws or rivers, stamped over older scratches.
The Messenger
A court mark. Not mine by choice.
The Squire
No. He should not be able to say that aloud.
The squire stares at the seal as if it has named him, and his frozen grip tightens on the hilt.
“Is the court mark tied to the squire?”
NO, AND WORSE (Likely, rolled 94)
The Squire
It is not mine, nor is it his. It belongs to the one who hunts us both.
Kahlani
The mark is a brand of ownership, and it is not limited to the messenger.
“I ask who owns the dark seal”
FAILURE (Good Reasoning, rolled -1)
Kahlani
Who owns the dark seal?
The words land between the stones and the current. The squire flinches like the question has a blade in it, not the river cold.
The Squire
You should not ask that aloud.
The Squire
His jaw tightens, and his eyes cut once toward the messenger's wrist, then away.
The Squire
It is not a house name. Not any lord's. It is the mark of the one who takes people and makes them useful.
That answer comes out thin, reluctant. The messenger sees the opening and pulls his sleeve higher, exposing the black crescent fully.
The Squire
If you want the truth, look at the seal itself. The court uses it for reclaimed witnesses.
For a heartbeat, the squire is not threatening anyone. He is frightened, warning her, and waiting for Kahlani to decide whether to press him or turn to the messenger.
“Not interesed in getting involved with dark magic”
SUCCESS (Good Willpower, rolled +2)
Kahlani lets the question hang. She does not step nearer the seal, and the river noise fills the silence she leaves behind.
Kahlani
The mark is still there, plain to see.
The Squire
Good. Keep your distance from it.
The squire eases his sword point down, not in surrender, but in tired restraint. His trapped boots scrape uselessly against the ice.
The Squire
I do not know the man's true name. That is the worst of it. The court names are masks, traded like coin.
The Messenger
Then say what you do know.
For a breath, the squire looks like he might refuse. Then his shoulders sink, and the fear in him turns to grim duty.
The Squire
I am killing to keep him from being taken back to the Black Court.
“I let the squire go and fly away”
SUCCESS (Superb Agility, rolled -3)