Some weeks ago I learned that a Dwarf hired us to retrieve a Rune-stone from the Barrow Downs and I was selected to participate in the search for it. I was waiting for the day to come, eager to fight and of course help the Company with the contract. Days were passing waiting for it and then I suddenly learned that Hyrien was no longer in charge of it, she had to leave for another contract, and the Captain appointed me as the leader of the band which was to go. The Captain had already selected Xeplemen and Edhelong to come with me, the others I had to assemble by myself.
I was in the Prancing Pony making sure that the supplies were ready when the new-blood Rahjawyn stepped in the inn, so she was my first selection. I was with her talking in the back rooms when the other two arrived and Falarthin was with them, he wanted to come, he wouldn't leave Edhelong go alone he said, I had no objections since we could use one more sword out there. Luck had it, and Felanarth found us there while strolling aimlessly around the backrooms, it turned out he was appointed to come with us too so he came. I was giving them my final instructions when Quineven appeared out of nowhere, she is the housekeeper of the Dawn but she wanted to come. "Nimeway taught me well and I can tend injuries" was her claim and without much thought I accepted her in the band, and I didn't regret it.
It was already midnight when we started galloping towards the Barrow Downs, the trip was short and quiet, but the Barrows where even more quiet and dangerous... We arrived at the first area and after consulting the map we entered the first Barrow, we found nothing except for some spiders which we killed easily, but we lost time... After getting out of it we decided to split, Rahjawyn, Quineven and I were to search the two South Barrows and Xeplemen, Edhelong, Falarthin and Felanarth the two North ones before proceeding in the southern area. The ones we searched were small and we finished early, so we got first to the meeting point and rested while waiting for the others to come. After a while they arrived showing me a strange rock with an inscription on it in a strange language, maybe it was the rune, so we kept it, but they were one man short, Felanarth got lost in a Barrow... I asked how did that happen and they said that he was the last in line and must have taken a wrong turn somewhere. As we were argueing about who's fault it was, he arrived... He was pale and afraid, we were relieved to see he was in good health but some were frustrated... "A hand pulled me..." was what he said about losing the way, something attacked him in the dark and he lost his way, fortunately enough he found it and found us, and we were ready to proceed southern.
After a while we started moving South. We followed the path up and down the hill, the more we walked in the area the thicker the mist became... We followed the map and stood near a hill to be sure that we would not be flanked from both sides in case of an ambush and proceeded cautiously... We were hearing noises... Hisses, moanings, steps, sometimes crawls... We couldn't see and we couldn't split so we continued forth till we found a lake, form there we had to go straight to a structure in the map. My thought was that if the Rune was there it should be up there and we continued on... We were getting close to the structure and the mist became thicker, thicker and thicker... But the it disapeared along with the sounds, we were alone before the pillars of an ancient building which was seemingly empty, we started ascending the stairs cautiously. There was a grave on the west with some wights which me and Felanarth killed easily since they were two, we pushed further forward and found the main building. We searched every pillar, every wall and every hollow there and found nothing but when we got in the edge of it we started hearing sounds again, steps and moanings getting closer and closer to us. We were all alone till then... Our blood run cold but we couldn't just stand there, we took a defensive formation to keep them away while evaluating the situation, then we changed into offensive and cut a path through them, there were bones and blood everywhere, cut limbs, arrows flying and they kept coming, and we kept slashing... I had Quineven in the middle of the formation and I went to the rear to open the path with my shield while Felanarth was shooting arrows from our left, Xeplemen and Falarthin were fighting in the back and Edhelong and Rahjawyn in the middle defending out flanks. We moved forward in that position till we got to the stairs, and then I saw it... Something was gleaming in the distance, a strange red light "That must be it" I thought and ordered them to head that way. We descended the stairs and all of a sudden the wights disappearing, they were just fighting to keep us away from their home... We marched towards the gleaming and we saw a tomb, it was there all alone, no trees, no grass, no wights to defend it, nothing. It was the tomb of an ancient King maybe, and on the cover of it was an anaglyph of him and on his helmet was a rock, again with an inscription on it in a strange and gleaming in red, we took it and left. On our return some wights were shooting arrows on us and one hit Falarthin on his leg, then Quineven showed us how skilled she is with bandages and we left.
The trip was quick and we all needed rest, rest and ale! And when we met again in the Pony the ale seemed sweeter and more refreshing than usually.
