Brandon Dubois steps into the bite of the night, the hidden scroll pressed close beneath his cloak. Frost whitens the road, and the wake-house door hangs open behind him like a last ember of warmth.
The Mentor's Wife
Keep to the king's road, Brandon Dubois. Bring that scroll to High Point, and let no shadow turn you aside.
She lingers in the doorway for one last breath, sorrow in her shoulders, hope in her eyes. Then she draws back into the firelit room.
The door shuts. Wood thuds against frame, and the warmth vanishes at once.
Brandon turns toward the road. From the dark ahead, horse hooves strike in a steady rhythm, growing clearer with every beat.
A lone rider approaches through the cold mist, and the snow-dim night seems to hold its breath around him.
“I hail the rider and demand his purpose”
SUCCESS (Fair Diplomacy, rolled +0)
The hoofbeats slow before the wake-house. Mist beads on the rider’s cloak as he draws rein, watching Brandon with a stillness that feels chosen, not accidental.
Brandon Dubois
I ask his purpose, and tell him to say it plainly.
The Stranger Rider
Plainly, then. I ride for High Point, and I do not linger on roads that carry secrets.
He tips his head toward the scroll hidden beneath Brandon’s cloak, as if he can sense its weight without seeing it.
The Stranger Rider
Your hand says you have a burden, sir knight. Mine says I know the king’s roads better than the fog.
The Stranger Rider
If that seal is real, then this night has become worth the cold.
The rider’s horse paws once at the frost, then settles. The road behind him disappears into white mist, and the lit doorway of the wake-house glows faintly at Brandon’s back.
The Stranger Rider
If you mean to travel to High Point, speak now. I will share the road, if your errand is the kind that merits company.
“I accept the rider's company to High Point”
SUCCESS (Great Agility, rolled +2)