The Cliving guards pulled the gate doors as the brothers approached with their horses "Stay vigilant out there, not all who wander return in one piece.." said the guard. They payed little heed to his warning as they spurred their horses into a gallop. It was a red dawn, covering the clouds with an aura as if they were about to rain blood. The silence was unsettling, only the sound of galloping hooves filled the air as they made their way into the Wold. Black birds of Dunland seared down into the dry grass to the remains of some animal "Hold brother!" Ulfdred said, as he steered his horse where the crows landed.
The crows took flight as the two horses surrounded the corpse. They took a closer look as they saw it was not a beast but a man. Hildred dismounted covering his nose against the stench of rotting flesh. Hildred grabbed a crude looking axe covered in blood near the body "Orcs, this is an orc weapon". He turned the man around but his face was mauled beyond recognition. Disgusted he dropped the man on the ground "What are we to do with this poor man?". Ulfdred gestured to follow "Harwick is not far off, lets warn the riders there. Let us not linger here..".
Harwick, a large settlement in the midst of the Wold famous for its grand stables and horse trainers. They brought the news of the dead man to the guards, who in turn did not seem suprised. Clearly this had not been the first victim of late nor would it be the last.
Since they were in Harwick a visit to the mead hall could not be resisted. They found themselves an empty table and ordered a round of mead. An old man swayed towards them, nearly tripping over his feet "Tiss too early to zrink *hic* forr riderzz".
Ulfdred gave him a stern look "Go away old man, mind your own business".
Old man stumbled to the bench and sat next to Hildred "Buzzinesz! I got no Buzz*hic* nez! Not anymore!"
Hildred gave the old man a nudge with his elbow who nearly fell of the bench "You heard him, leave!"
The old man crawled back up the bench "Wooo! zzspinning, no needz to harm me, you oaf!"
Ulfdred looked at his brother shaking his head "He is too drunk to be reasoned with".
The old man looked upset "I'm notz dr-drunk, you, you.. say who are yez anyway.. where are you going?".
Hildred sighed sipping his mead "north, Stangard."
The old man started to burst out in laughter "NORTH! he zays, *hic* north! And they callz old Gar*hic*ulf mad!.
Ulfdred frowned "get it together old man, what do you know?".
The old man suddenly looked sour, almost fanatic "I tell yez whatz north *hic*, the black men are north *hic*, the DARK skinned! Burning my farm they did *hic* Burning. Blue gown messes with my head, sorcery it was! They made me see things *hic* foul things! Mind you the blue wizards! Burning all *hic*!"
Hildred pushed the old man back on his seat "Thats right about enough out of you and your fairytales. Here have a silver and be off!" With a strong shove of Hildred the old man stumbled away to get another mead.
They finished their meads, but the silence that hang around here brought no cheer "time to go..". Outside the mead hall they stared northwards over the fields. Ulfdred rubbed his chin "What was that man talking about? Sorcery?". Hildred shrugged "Rubbish. He was drunk as a mule, we best be going. The sooner we get this over with the better.."
