001

A contented calm has fallen over Granhaven in anticipation of the coronation ceremony. The captain of the guard, Linas Everstead, has decided to use the opportunity of this lull in activity to send two of his newest recruits into the hinterland to patrol some remote paths and make contact with the Garhims that brave life beyond the sturdy walls of the city.

 

Falki and Gunnar rose before dawn, eager to prove themselves worthy of the task set before them. They first donned their padded cloth tunics, kept warm beneath their covers during the night, and then their shirts of woven mail. The only solid steel armor that these two young recruits possessed were their domed helmets, but these they left at the foot of their bunks. The weight of the metal would slow them on their march, and the restriction in their field of vision was a disadvantage that two lone scouts could not afford.

 

The guardsmen sang the songs that were popular at the nightly coronation festivities in Granhaven to pass the time as they marched, but as the road became narrower and more rutted the further they drew from their home, the songs became less frequent. Soon the sound of their spears tapping against the path to warn animals of their approach was their only intermittent companion.

 

After carefully picking their way over a particularly dubious stretch of road, the two guardsmen finally drew within sight of a welcoming orange glow emitting from a small cave.

 

"At last!" Said Gunnar. "This must be the home of the hermit that Captain Everstead told us about."

 

"I believe you're right," replied Falki. "This must be the cave of Arvid the Hermit. We have a few small supplies that he might find useful, and we should see what information he can provide us with as well."

 

As the pair approached the entrance of the cave, Gunnar cried out in pain. Falki turned to see the remnants of a tightly packed snowball running down his companion's face.

 

"Who goes there?" came a voice from the bushes.

 

"I guess we should have worn our helmets after all, Gunnar," chuckled Falki as he turned to address the voice.

 

"No need to worry Arvid, your friend Captain Everstead sent us. Come out and let's talk."

 

"Lieutenant Everstead, you mean?" said Arvid as the emerged from his place of concealment. "Or has it really been that long since Linas last traveled this way? I suppose that his duties keep him in Granhaven these days, however. Now, what can an old man do for you?"

 

Falki produced some bread from the guardsmen's satchel and the trio talked of the hermit's life.

 

"I do well enough for myself in this cave," said Arvid, "but the nights chill me to the bone."

 

"You have a delightful fire going now," mentioned Gunnar. "Doesn't it keep you warm at night?"

 

"Fires at night are a liability as of late," replied the hermit. "I have had to bar myself inside the cave each night to avoid the pack of wolves that is troubling this region. They only come at night, but as I was sealing the entrance to the cave one evening, I saw one of the beasts. It was twice the size of any wolf I've seen before, and what's more troubling… I could swear that I heard men traveling with the pack last night, shouting orders. Please, return to your captain and tell him of my worries."

 

"Will you not come back with us, Arvid?" asked Falki.

 

"No. This is my home, and I shall stay here, whatever the cost. I thank you for the supplies, the trousers in particular will brace me against cold nights huddled by the embers of yesterday's fire. Go well, my young friends."

 

Arvid disappeared back within the cave. The guardsmen exchanged a worried glance, and set off for Granhaven without a word.

 

Done