chronicler

199. Till Dragon's Rise

Till Dragon's Rise

Middanhal

From the mountain of Wyrmpeak, meltwater flowed down and fell as a waterfall into the eastern end of Middanhal. Here, it became the great river of the Mihtea, passing through the city before disappearing underneath the mountain of Valmark in the western end. For several miles, the Mihtea continued underground before appearing again south-west, providing the last source of freshwater before reaching Middanhal itself.

It was commonplace for wan...

198. Pieces in Place

Pieces in Place

Middanhal

Theobald looked up as the door to his study opened. The guard standing on post stuck his head inside. “There’s a man from Theodstan here.”

The captain of the city guard nodded. “Fine. Let him in.”

With a wink to the guard, Geberic walked inside. “My thanks, captain, for seeing me.”

“Theodoric is my kinsman, albeit distant. You’re his thane, aren’t you? I recognise you.”

“I was, once upon a time,” repli...

197. Within the Law

Within the Law

Middanhal

Eleanor came rushing into the rooms she shared with Arndis. “Have you heard?”

“I have not,” replied the other woman. She continued eating her breakfast in a calm manner, cutting cold ham into pieces. “What is amiss?”

“Lord Vale’s chamberlain is dead. He fell from a tower,” Eleanor explained, slightly out of breath.

Arndis’ movement froze. “Like Theodwyn,” came her voice softly. “Was anyone seen?”

“N...

196. Written in Blood

Written in Blood

Middanhal

In the small study afforded to him, the captain of the city guard had company.

“Something must be done!” The speaker was an aged man past eighty years; for the last many of those, he had served as the quartermaster of the Order. “These mercenaries will take anything their eyes fall upon, and I have no authority to command our soldiers to fight them!”

“Perhaps that is also best,” Theobald muttered. “I understand your concern,...

195. Written in Ink

Written in Ink

Middanhal

With his fellow Hawks, Jorund passed through the gate to the Citadel, soon reaching their quarters. The mood was subdued; even if no battle had been lost against Isarn, this was a clear retreat. None of Vale’s forces remained north of Middanhal, and their ally, Theodstan, had been abandoned. With low spirits, the Hawks simply tended to their wounds and washed the dust of the road from their bodies, seeking food and rest.

Jorund likewise cleaned...

194. Black Blades and White Walls

Black Blades and White Walls

Northern Adalrik

Surcoats with red hawks and black swords stalked each other across the open landscape north of Middanhal. With winter’s end, the armies of Isarn and their allies had left the jarldom and marched south-east once more. For weeks, the northerners had clashed with mercenaries in the employ of Vale. The latter, unwilling to give battle against an army under Athelstan’s command, had instead spread out their forces, engaging into mino...

193. The Engineer

The Engineer

Portesur

Less than a week after Fortönn had fallen, the armies of Alcázar reached the mainland. With Thusund’s fleet scattered among the northern isles, fighting rebels, the southerners had easy passage across the sea. Five thousand troops landed some thirty miles south of Portesur; nearly all that had been involved in the assault on Fortönn.

It was a small force, hardly enough to besiege one of the largest cities in Ealond, and vulnerable to immediate ...

192. Before the Storm

Before the Storm

Herbergja

Nearly past noon, a foot prodded the sleeping Damien. “Time to wake,” came the boisterous voice belonging to the count of Verbonne. “You cannot sleep away the whole war!”

“Begone, Hel-spawn,” Damien mumbled with eyes closed.

“I heard you took a swim last night.”

The baron finally opened his eyes, looking up to find a wide grin greeting him. “You know this, and yet you bother me.”

“I figured you needed to ...

191. Taking Measures

Taking Measures

Herbergja

As the march continued, Damien’s companions changed from day to day, with the exception being Verbonne, who rarely wavered from his friend’s side. Some came to see the name known to many, either from early deeds bestowing honour or latter years spent in ignominy. Damien paid them little heed, except when asked his opinion on the war ahead. Though the army of Ealond had other greybeards and veterans, the young noblemen had only seen battle when fig...

190. Cold Cuts

Cold Cuts

Western Ealond

Across Ealond, small bands of men trickled together to form a river of soldiers. It slithered across the land, following the winding roads along streams of water or around hills and other obstacles from one city to another. Day by day, the procession grew as more and more joined; they were noblemen, soldiers of fortune, and peasants levied for war. The Order, be it as knights or common soldiery, was conspicuously absent.

Rumour of the army’s ma...

189. The Breaking of Teeth

The Breaking of Teeth

Fortönn

At all times, the Order kept watch from the highest tower on Fortönn towards southwest. As the sails appeared on the horizon, the message was sent through the keep; the enemy had been sighted. The last ships able to leave fled the harbour, carrying children, women, and any not needed for the defence of the island. Soldiers remained along with certain craftsmen, such as smiths, fletchers, and masons. The rest were sent away, both for their own pr...

188. Last Shelter

Last Shelter

Herbergja

Activity in the great harbour of Herbergja followed the seasons. The mild summer months saw countless ships arrive and depart, carrying out trade between the inner lands and the South Cities. As the harvest months approached, commerce slowed to a trickle before being choked by winter storms. During the cold season, only a handful of vessels would enter or leave on shorter trips; either they conducted the simple trade still possible and needed during this...

187. Fortress and Forest

Fortress and Forest

Montmer

Eventually, the castle settled into some manner of routine shaped around the new baron. Damien would take off for several days, hunting and riding. On his return, he would spend half his time sleeping, eating, taking long baths; the other half was spent barking orders at his guards, exercising them around the courtyard. This would last a few days before he left again, allowing the sentries room to breathe until his next return and the inevitable res...

186. The Baron of Montmer

The Baron of Montmer

Montmer

A solitary figure trotted along the road that slithered through the small barony of Montmer. Approaching from the north, he reached the small castle town first, as the actual fortress lay further south. Curiously, he had one sword by his waist and another slung over his shoulder. His clothes had dirt and dust, signalling a long journey, and neither his hair nor his beard had seen comb or knife in a long time.

The town had no walls, and the tr...

185. Old Friendships and New Hostilities

Old Friendships and New Hostilities

Fontaine

The Mihtea, largest river in Adalmearc, flowed through Middanhal until it reached the sea in the west. Along the way, it passed by Fontaine, serving as the principal route between the two great cities. Ships passed in both directions, carrying goods and people in great numbers. Coldharbour was the eastern-most port available, as further up-stream, the river disappeared under the Weolcan mountains; Herbergja at the river’s mouth wa...

184. The Path to Tread

The Path to Tread

Dvaros

After the failed assault, the defenders remained on edge for hours; dealing with the dead and wounded could leave an obvious opening for another attack. Yet nothing happened, and while they kept watchful, most of them sought sleep.

When they woke, nothing had changed. In fact, there had not been any sign of their enemy since the attack. It was a strange occurrence; hitherto, the besieging forces had constantly been at work trying to open collapse...

183. Days in Darkness

Days in Darkness

Dvaros

When the siege began, the mood inside the castle had been anxious. Now, retreated into the inner part of the fortress, dread lay in the very air. Every other day or so, Harald’s men attempted to breach someplace new. They attacked the barricades in the entrance halls, or they worked to clear the rubble from the collapsed hallways and open new paths of assault.

Day by day, the situation grew ever more desperate. Many of the defenders had fallen or re...

182. Collapse

Collapse

Dvaros

Time passed slowly in the castle following the assault. While the mood remained tense, it became less anxious when the jarl’s men did not renew their attacks, but seemed content to continue the siege. Severed from the city, the courtiers had to find other ways of passing the time. Some sought the library, but with candles and firewood being rationed, reading was only possible in the brief hours of the day.

Half of the complex lay burrowed inside the mou...

181. A Ration of Hope

A Ration of Hope

Dvaros

Jana knocked softly on Brand’s door. Behind her, Glaukos stirred from the floor of the parlour where he had slept; Geberic was keeping watch on the walls, as he had not been in the assault last night.

“Brand? Are you awake?”

“I am,” he replied with a voice that suggested this was a recent development. “You may enter.”

She did so and found him as he sat up in his bed. Except for his armour and outer layers, Brand had slept...

180. Council in War

Council in War

Dvaros

The night passed without incident. Lacking siege weaponry, Jarl Harald did not attempt to assault the castle walls. Instead, his men set up barricades to enclose the fortress, keeping it besieged and protecting his sentinels from archers on the walls.

The defining feature of the castle made it both near impossible to assault yet also easy to besiege. Half of it lay hewn into the mountainside, against which Dvaros rested. No path led in or out. Thus,...

179. Council in Blood

Council in Blood

Dvaros

An hour after dawn, news of the king’s death had reached everyone in the castle. By the end of the day, the whole city would know. Eventually, ships would carry the news to the other islands and the mainland.

Normally, once the many islands of Thusund heard of the king’s demise, the jarls would set sail and gather in Dvaros within the next few weeks to choose a successor. This time, it would not be needed. Nearly all the jarls had already gath...

178. Council in Winter

Council in Winter

Dvaros

With the arrival of nearly all the jarls of the greater islands, about forty in all, it was time to celebrate the solstice. In Thusund, they paid greater heed to this the longest night than anywhere else in the Realms. The dark winters on windswept isles, where little grew and life was harsh, bred the hardiest people in Adalmearc, it was said. Solstice gave cause for revelry and caution both. Revelry in the knowledge that days grew longer; caution that...

176. Twain

Twain

Dvaros

On the morning of winter solstice, the sounds of weapons clashing guided Brand to the courtyard where the housecarls trained. He had been there several times, pitting himself against the best of Leiknarr’s warriors. Usually in the evening hours, but this time, he made his appearance in the morning.

While the king’s warriors let any join them in the evening, the early hours were another matter. Every day soon after sunrise, the lady Svana took command of ...

175. Prayers Unanswered

Prayers Unanswered

Dvaros

Ten days after arrival, Brand stood in the courtyard shortly after sunrise. Hitherto, he and Jana had spent their time much like on the first day, mingling at court. Now, he met a housecarl to accompany him outside; for the first time, Brand would be leaving the castle, though without Jana.

“Haki,” Brand said with a nod in greeting.

“Arnarson,” the housecarl replied. “I was told to accompany you. Where are we going?”

Bran...

174. Fading Twilight

Fading Twilight

Dvaros

The bell rang, summoning the inhabitants of the castle to the evening meal. The courtiers gathered in the hall, waiting for the king to arrive; Jana and Brand were among their number, attracting stares. A few housecarls stood nearby; while they also kept their eye on Brand, their expressions denoted caution rather than curiosity. Although Brand had been given the courtesy of remaining armed at court, the housecarls remained vigilant.

The king arriv...

173. Cold Winds

Cold Winds

Dvaros

After their meeting with the king’s counsellor, Brand and Jana were shown to the quarters made ready for them. A small wing with a chamber for each, connected by a parlour. Furniture was scarce, as was space, but this was no slight towards the pair; in Dvaros, all rooms tended to be cramped. Although confined to the castle, their quarters were not intended to insinuate imprisonment; even visiting jarls would not receive better.

As soon as the servant ...

172. The Carven City

The Carven City

Dvaros

They sailed through the nights, as the wind allowed; the oarsmen needed sleep, after all. The stars provided guidance for the captain or his helmsman, as they steered the longship across the open sea of Drake Run.

On the second day, small islands could be spotted on the horizon. All of them had their villages and towns, little harbours of fishing boats and moored longships, and each isle was ruled by its own jarl. The ship from Fortönn paid them n...

171. Arnarson

Arnarson

Fortönn

The Teeth stretched from the mainland in the east to the island of Fortönn in the west. In most parts, they were little more than reefs or shallow spots of land, treacherous to all vessels that dared brave them. Yet some did, smuggling goods through the narrow straits to be sent further south. In response, the ships of Thusund patrolled the Teeth in swift, light longships, able to traverse the dangerous waters with unmatched speed.

The harbour of Fort�...

170. By the Grace of Disfara

By the Grace of Disfara

Maleth

Maleth had neither size nor significance to be surrounded by walls. Various roads led into the town, with most traffic entering from the south. A pittance of farmland and pastures provided food for the inhabitants along with a few other goods; beyond that, most survived on the fish brought in from the sea. It was hard to see why there would ever be caravans moving between this settlement and Alcázar except for one reason. Maleth lay close to the...

169. Badawin

Badawin

Southern Wastelands

When Brand woke, his eyes slowly moved to survey his surroundings. By his right side, a pole was raised, holding up a tent. He lay on blankets and was covered by one. His left arm lay atop, and his hand was being held by someone else. Moving his head slightly, he followed the foreign hand up the arm to find Jana’s sleeping form next to him.

He opened his lips but managed only a croak. Instead, he squeezed her hand several times until she sti...