Aeva stands beside the old stone bridge, the torn red cloth and broken leather tie cold in her hand. Fresh snow gathers along the northern wagon ruts.
The trail remains readable for a little way, marked by churned snow and the deep passage of wheels. Beyond the alders, a faint bell sounds once.
Aeva
The wagon has not gone far.
Wind moves through the bare branches, carrying the bell northward before silence closes over it. The eastern road toward the lord’s lands lies empty behind her.
No companion has joined Aeva. The nun remains with the wounded fugitive at the burned hovel, while the leading retainer and his riders have gone their separate way.
The red cloth’s torn edge and the leather tie point toward the wagon’s guarded passage, but neither reveals what waits ahead. Snow begins to soften the newest prints.
Another muted peal rises from beyond the northern trees, nearer than before. The bridge, the fading trail, and the buried evidence remain before Aeva as the light thins.
✓ Quest Accepted
Reach the wagon
“Can I hear the wagon moving beyond the northern trees?”
YES, BUT (VeryLikely, rolled 82)
The bell sounds again, followed by the muffled grind of wheels beyond the northern trees. The wagon is moving, though the snow hides its exact distance.
Aeva
The wagon is still ahead.
A gust shifts the branches, and one iron rim strikes stone with a sharp clatter. The sound carries back across the bridge, betraying that someone has heard movement behind them.
the red-scarfed rider
Hold there. Did you hear that?
The wagon’s bell stops at once. For several breaths, only the stream moves beneath the ice. Then a horse stamps, and harness leather creaks beyond the alders.
the red-scarfed rider
Search the bridge. Quickly. We are not alone on this road.
The wagon remains ahead, but its guards now know the trail is followed. Snow drifts over the ruts while dark shapes shift among the northern trees.
“I advance toward the wagon through the alders”
SUCCESS (Fair Agility, rolled +2)
Aeva advances through the alders, keeping low as branches shed snow across her shoulders. The wagon’s bell hangs silent, but wheels grind steadily beyond the trees.
She reaches the edge of the thicket and sees the wagon in a narrow clearing, its canvas dark with snow. Two mounted guards flank it, while a bound figure lies beneath a blanket in the rear.
Aeva
The wagon has stopped only long enough for the guards to search.
the red-scarfed rider
There. Among the alders. Keep your hands where I can see them.
The red-scarfed rider turns his horse across the path, blocking the wagon’s front. His scar catches the gray light, and one hand closes around the shaft of his ash spear.
the red-scarfed rider
You followed us from the bridge. Come out plainly, shieldmaiden, and tell me whether you serve the lord or the clans.
Get past the guards
Quest Complete
Reach the wagon
Attribute Upgrade: Agility Fair→Good
