"Hold on, gotta take a piss."

Teldryn curled his lip as he stopped. How many breaks did four guards require? They'd left far too late in the day to make it to the Water Stone before nightfall, and at this rate they'd be lucky to make it out of the withered, ashen portion of the Hirstaang. He'd already quieted their asinine blathering, unable to endure whatever petty subjects they thought important enough to distract him from keeping an ear to their surroundings. If these men were some of Modyn's best, his discipline left much to be desired. Between them and Fethis, it was going to take a month to cross this island. Or it would feel like that, at least.

The situation was not improved by the fact that not long ago he'd recognized the break in the trees that led to a dismal cave, hidden and unmarked on the map, that carried within its walls unspeakable memories. He had been too late from the beginning, ignorant and always a step behind, continually finding her bruised with that look in her eyes that he so wished he could draw out from her. Take it and inflict it on any and all who had a hand in putting it there.

He glanced down at the mer beside him, quite stalwart despite his age and Teldryn could admit Fethis had kept up surprisingly well. The old man's eyes were shadowed by more than his threadbare hood, shoulders weighed beyond the pack that hung on them, likely remembering his daughter's desperate and tearful farewell as they'd departed. Dreyla had turned a rather steely gaze upon himself as well, intoning shakily that he was to look after her father before she'd swept away without the slightest acknowledgment of Modyn, who'd been at his side. Once they stopped for the night, he'd have a few words and get a measure of how well he'd be able to carry out that demand.

And he fully intended to reach Damphall mine by sundown, with or without his apparently water-logged dead weight. As the guard came around a tree to rejoin his companions, still adjusting his armor, Teldryn approached the group of soldiers.

"Did your mothers manage to house train you or shall I fashion some swaddling to keep you dry? No more breaks, you can piss yourselves for all I care."

He stalked back toward Fethis, resting a light hand on his shoulder to pull him from his thoughts as he passed by. They continued on in silence, the ash and dried branches under their feet giving way to soil and a dusting of snow, the cold seeping into Teldryn's bones as they skirted the edge of Red Mountain's reach. He adjusted the blue shawl tighter over his face, grateful for the thicker fabric. A rising rock formation split the path ahead, leading further up into the Moesring Mountains or forwards through the narrow tidelands where the sea lapped restlessly at the shore, spitting a frigid spray that hung in the air as if it didn't know which way was down against the icy palisade. Through the mist, he could make out the outline of the tower that rose to meet the bridge that stretched out from the entrance of the old barrow in the rock face.

Something else caught his eye and he stopped, raising his hand in a silent command to the others. A wagon sat alone within the heavy fog with no signs of life to indicate it would find its destination.

Not good.

Teldryn motioned up the cliffside road, taking careful steps to make as little noise as possible as he crept along the ridge to get a better look. There had been Reavers in the tower at one point and if more had set up it was extremely recent since workers had been investigating the potential of Damphall as of late. He turned and pointed at one of the guards, directing him with hand signals to go further up to scout the tower. He scooted nearer to the edge, careful to avoid slipping on the sheen of freezing moisture that coated the rocks, peeking over to study the scene below him.

The wagon was untouched, full of what looked like tools and supplies. It had been going North. There were no bodies he could see, only dark patches of dried blood that were frozen into the landscape. Not reavers, then.

Even the guar that would have been pulling the wagon was gone.

Wolves. The thought surfaced just as his eyes picked out a shape under one of the crimson smears. Whoever had encountered the beasts had felled one in the battle for their lives. Judging by the spread of blood, they had lost. He heard his scout returning and pushed back from the edge, standing up as the man approached.

"Nothing, Serjo."

He nodded and faced the group. "There's a dead wolf down below. Go and assess the damage, all of you. Fethis and I will join you in a moment."

A frisson of hesitation passed over the group before they all seemed to silently agree on not making him repeat himself and they headed down the path, leaving the old man standing alone. Fethis pulled his hood back, raising his chin but not able to make his eyes do the same.

Teldryn stepped forward. "The cost of your folly climbs ever higher."

"Teldryn, you know I never meant for them to come here."

"But they did," he clipped out. "You're either a liar or an idiot to say you believed they wouldn't."

Fethis' eyes snapped up to him. "Regardless of what I am, it is not as if I drove those wolves out on my own. You cannot blame me for that."

"Oh, I can. You opened a channel that would not have been otherwise."

Fethis looked away. "I'm sorry for all that has happened but-"

"Save your empty words," Teldryn seethed. "One way or the other, the East Empire Trading Company will be leaving this island, and for your daughter's sake you had better do your utmost to make it happen."

"That is what he hopes, hm?" Fethis straightened his back, a bitter grin twisting his mouth. "Your brother has sent me along in the hopes to get rid of me."

"Oh fuck off," Teldryn dismissed, sneering. "Modyn doesn't give a shit about you, Fethis. He wants those N'wahs gone, plain and simple."

"And you?" Fethis narrowed his eyes up at him. "Since when did you become his executor?"

Teldryn leaned in, speaking through clenched teeth. "Since your meddling nearly cost me everything." Fethis held his stare for a moment before dropping his eyes to the shawl, his expression inscrutable as he looked back up. Teldryn turned away to join the guards, stopping after a few paces and adding over his shoulder, "Don't tarry, old man, there are wolves about."


The scene around the wagon was more troubling up close. It was no wonder he had not seen bodies. Among the swaths of frozen blood laid torn clothing and bits of bone fragments, leftovers from the predators' feast.

"It was Doran and Kaela, they've traveled this way a few times recently," one of the guards said, lifting a bloodied spear from the ground near the dead wolf that- despite being smaller than the others- would tower over its southern grey cousins. "I suppose they felt it was safe enough to go without escort."

"Er...found the guar..." said another as he hefted up a large rounded piece of skull with plenty of gouge marks from a prolonged chewing session.

Teldryn picked up a dagger near the wagon, looking it over. It was a fine weapon, ebony, Glover's mark on the blade, and yet- not a spot of blood on it. Its wielder surely paid plenty of coin for it. A lot of good that had done. There were a few scant scorch marks around where they'd tried to use fire to ward off the beasts but underdeveloped magic only went so far.

It consistently amazed him the carelessness with which others struck out into the wilds. He turned to Fethis- who was taking in the view with silent horror- and held the hilt of the dagger out to him.

"Hopefully this will serve you better."

Fethis took the blade with a resigned look and Teldryn returned to the wagon where a couple of guards were already picking through the supplies. "We'll take along what we can carry without slowing us down," he said as he pulled out a wound up a length of rope. "What's left will have to be retrieved later."

The group worked quickly around the gore to gather up anything they could stuff into their packs. The wagon was mostly full of sandbags, lumber, and iron tools so it wasn't long before they were on their way. They kept along the shoreline between the jagged cliffs and the sea that glowed violet and orange as the sun hovered threateningly over the horizon, motivating a quick pace so as not to be forced to camp in the midst of the gusts of wind that were plastering the frigid mist to every surface, including them.

In the distance, at the base of a dip in the rocks, laid a stack of stones with a red flag indicating the path that would wrap around the cliff up to the mine. Teldryn stopped and surveyed the base of the ridge, looking for a cleft he knew would provide a shortcut. It was a little steep and would be a bit more treacherous- he'd surely have to assist Fethis- but it was preferable to having to go all the way around and lose daylight backtracking. Ah, there it is.

"This way," he said as he walked toward the cliff face, smirking a little when he did not hear footsteps following him. He ignored their skepticism and cast a magelight up the narrow passage that cut through a lower part of the wall, getting a lay of the rocky path as the light reflected off the moisture until it came to rest at the top. He scraped his boot over the first stone. Not too slick.

By now the rest had joined him and he turned around, jutting his thumb over his shoulder. "Up you go." At their hesitation, he waved them along. "It's faster. Come on, you four first, then Fethis and I'll bring up the rear."

The guards began picking their way up while Fethis huffed, his hood pulled tightly around his head as he peered through the opening left by his similarly secured cowl. "I'm too old for rock climbing, my bones already feel petrified even without walking all damn day," he groused.

"It's not as bad as it looks," Teldryn said. "Better to get out of this wind."

The fabric of Fethis' cowl puffed out as sighed, "Very well." He stepped forward and began working his way up and Teldryn followed closely, watching with growing curiosity as Fethis gripped the crags and made slow, deliberate foot placements.

"So how old are you anyway?"

Fethis chuckled, a little out of breath. "Not as old as Geldis."

Teldryn raised a hand quickly when it looked as if Fethis foot might slip, but he kept his balance. "And how old is Geldis?" he drawled, humoring the evasion.

"Last time I asked him he was around three-hundred-fifty," Fethis replied with a grunt. "That was before the mine dried up though."

They both quieted as they heard someone call out a cautious greeting atop the ledge. One of the guards peeked over as he offered his hand to the last of his companions to pull him up. "It's just Adosi. He came down to investigate the light."

Teldryn huffed in relief and nudged Fethis to get moving. "Nearly there."

Some minutes later, the waiting guard reached out to help Fethis up the final step, then moved to make way for Teldryn. The guard that had been stationed at the mine approached with a lantern and Teldryn extinguished his magelight.

"Wasn't expecting anyone to come up this way," Adosi said curiously. "Though we have been looking out for a wagon. Thought they'd be back yesterday, have any news on that?"

The creeping darkness seemed to grow heavier and Teldryn sighed as he fished into a pocket for a packing list he'd pulled from the wagon. He held out the rolled-up parchment.

"We sure do."