Sava Nightshade regains consciousness beneath rough canvas, wrists bound before her and her bow and daggers gone. The cart jolts along a narrow forest service road.
Sava Nightshade
The bindings are tight. My weapons are missing.
Pine sap and damp earth seep through the cover. Hoofbeats keep a steady rhythm, while an unseen driver guides the cart and the captured agent sits nearby.
Chancellor's agent
You are awake. Stay quiet, and the journey may remain uneventful. His lordship wants you alive for questioning.
Through a narrow gap in the canvas, Sava sees the agent holding a sealed warrant. The Chancellor’s mark presses darkly into its wax beside a list of names.
The road divides ahead. One branch follows the forest edge, while the other climbs toward the manor’s outer grounds, where distant watchfires burn beneath the morning mist.
Chancellor's agent
There is the fork. Once we take the manor road, your pack will not find you before the gates close.
✓ Quest Accepted
Find out more