Mizraith rode forth from Gurdock west along the well-traveled roads of central Terros.
After several days of travel, he finally reached the mountains. There, the road wound its way up and up, over the narrow range of jagged peaks, and finally down into Torryn Province, the northeasternmost part of the Midrythian Empire.
But before the pass lay one last obstacle on the Terrosian side of the mountains: the village of Veldath.
Fear and loathing in lost Veldath
When Mizraith approached this last speck of civilization before the mountain pass, he still had a couple of hours of daylight left, but not knowing the condition of the road ahead, he contemplated stopping for the night in Veldath if there was an inn there.
However, when he rode into town, he found the streets curiously deserted, shops closed, shutters on windows closed, and not a soul in sight.
Taking care, Mizraith wound his way through the village, and finally spotted some people. There was a small group of them, regular folk, but armed with pitchforks and farm implements. They appeared to be hostile, but they hesitated. One man stepped out from the group and walked toward him.
“What has happened here?” Mizraith asked the man who approached him. “Is everything all right?
The man had a crazed look in his eye and he pointed to the west. “Leave this place! LEAVE NOW while you still can!”
“What is wrong?”
“The water. That is what brings the blackness. Now GO.”
There was so much urgency in his voice that Mizraith decided to play it safe and leave. And none too soon… the mob of villagers began to move toward him, brandishing their improvised weapons.
Mizraith urged his horse to a gallop and bolted west and out of town, the villagers pursuing for a short time, but giving up once he reached the edge of the village.
He kept up his fast pace until he had put a few miles between himself and the strange, frightening village of Veldath. He still had some daylight left, and feeling unsettled after his recent encounter, he decided to press on.
The signs of those who had come before him
The battle mage picked his way through the rocky, narrow section of road that clung to the side of a mountain at the highest point of the pass, and from there the way down the other side was much easier travel.
When he was about halfway down, he saw something that caught his eye in the tall grass to one side of the road. Mizraith dismounted and approached, discovering the body of an armored human wearing a tattered red tabard. His chest was pierced by two arrows and had other punctures as well, apparently from a blade.
Looks like this is definitely the way Enris and Thuron came, he thought. The corpse had an empty scabbard and no coin of any kind on him, so he had obviously already been looted.
Mizraith remounted and continued on, picking up speed again as he wound down out of the mountains.
Torryn
Mizraith reached Castle Torryn well into the dark of night. There, he was greeted by Nendorin and Lord Sorsho.
He removed the glove from his right hand and held it up, showing the Duke his missing ring finger. “I saw a black cat this morning, my lord.”
Duke Sorsho grinned and gave the countersign. “Did you notice if it had nine lives?”
“You are Duke Verin Sorsho?”
The Duke nodded. “I am. And you are quite obviously a Field Agent. What brings you to my fair province?”
“I am Mizraith, battle mage and Field Agent to the Brotherhood of the Nine. I was sent here on an urgent mission to ensure that the two Field Agents that came before me–”
Nendorin interrupted. “Ah, let us not discuss such matters in the entry chamber, my lords. Come, Mizraith, let us move to the dining hall and we can serve you some food and drink.”
Duke Sorsho nodded in agreement and Mizraith studied the face of Nendorin. It looked like he was obviously trying to change the subject from his mission, so Mizraith went along. “Of course. By your leave, my lord.”
The Duke gestured toward the hallway that led to Castle Torryn’s dining hall and Mizraith made his way there with Nendorin and Duke Sorsho close behind.
Sorsho did not sit, however, and simply looked at Mizraith. “You are welcome in my home, brother, but I have much to do tomorrow and I must take my leave of you. I’ll have Nendorin fill me in on any Brotherhood business you may have, and I shall now retire for the evening.”
Mizraith bowed his head as the Duke walked upstairs. “As you wish, my lord.”
Then, once he was sure they were alone, Mizraith gave Nendorin a quizzical look. “He is not to know of my mission?”
Nendorin shook his head. “I assume you were sent because of Enris and Thuron’s amnesia.”
“Amnesia? Well, I did not know the cause of their behavior, but that may explain it. I was sent to keep them on task. Apparently this mission here is of utmost importance to the Brotherhood. Why is the Duke not to be informed?”
Nendorin smiled. “I was trying to help two young Field Agents save face on a critical mission, early in their careers. I did not tell Lord Sorsho of their malady, and instead have been keeping them on task myself, so far successfully.”
“So,” said Mizraith, nodding, “you have kept this from him for their benefit.”
“Yes. They have proved themselves competent, but they seem to have totally lost their memories, they have no recollection of even their very identities. I had to tell them their own names when they had arrived here. I know not the cause. But I do not think Lord Sorsho has to know at this point. He has many other things worrying him of late, and I do not think he needs a trifle such as this causing him to lose confidence in this operation.”
“Very well,” said Mizraith. “I shall use discretion. Where are Enris and Thuron now, and what phase of their mission are they in?”
Nendorin filled Mizraith in on the details, and advised that he meet up with them the next day to start working with them.
It seemed Mizraith was getting into the thieving business.
A map of Torryn province
