A rogue by name. A rogue by nature. Sareth knew his position in the world’s hierarchy. Nothing would change his status……..except………wealth. With wealth, even a rogue could do well. He dreamt of sitting in a grand hall surrounded by gold, jewels and buxom wenches with his only decision being which buxom wench would warm his bed tonight. A rogue by name. A rogue by nature indeed.

To gain that wealth he would need to make sacrificices. Do things he didn’t want to do. See things he didn’t want to see. To that end he had rowed his boat for hours to land in Beloch. He hated the town. Full of stench, smelly humans and even smellier lowland dwarves. On this night though this smelly town could change his life. Nemeth, full of mulled wine had found his tongue loosened. As well as his drink he had spilled secrets. One of which had led to Sareth to this point.

Picking locks was far too easy these days. If humans were so lazy as to not protect their greedy trappings then so be it. 

The spiral stairway was dark and damp but his glow spell was working well. Even better that humans could not see the light emanating from his entire body. He swiftly and quietly traversed the stairs. One last door stood between him and his target.

Picking the last lock took no more than two seconds. Sareth gently pushed the door. It creaked. He had a spell for creaking doors but he couldn’t remember it. The way things worked out sometimes it was almost as if someone was directing his life from somewhere else. He threw that thought back down the staircase and pushed the door once more. 

Inside there was an empty bed, a table and……a safe. 

To protect something so valuable, the safe’s resistance was a major disappointment. Sareth opened it like a halfling opening it’s eyes. He swiftly took the pouch which would change his life and headed back down the stairs. 

The body of Tanlin Beath lay where he’d left it. He didn’t like to kill humans. Dwarves and Elves…yes…but humans. With age though Sareth was less immune to emotion. He stepped over the glistening Mr Beath, stepped through the front door and out into the dark street. 

At this time of night the dock was empty. It stank of ‘things’. Sareth had hidden his boat in a crevice under the Loki bridge. He pulled the rope, trying not to breath in the stagnant air that was the town of Beloch. He had to move quickly. The watchguards would be carrying out their hourly patrol soon. He pulled harder on the rope. Slowly his route out of Beloch edge it’s way toward him. Soon he was rowing his way quietly up river. The stench of the town gave way to the countryside. Sareth felt the bad thoughts of what had happened tonight leave him.

As he rowed he remembered the words of the inebriated Nemeth.

‘I’m nosh shupposed to tell you sish’

‘Tell me what Nemeth?’

‘Aboush the jewelsh’

‘What jewels Nemeth?’

‘Tankin Beash he hash shem. Be risher shan she wurrrrrrr…….ld’

‘Nemeth……..wake up………where are these jewels…….wake up!’

As his oars gently skimmed the surface…..he smiled…….now was the time his luck turned. No longer would trickery and slight if hand be only what he was known for. He’d live out his life as a rogue no more……..

Three hours later he was home. 

He raced through to his bedroom, eager to view his ill gotten wares. The contents of the little bag would change his life. Buxom wenches were just around the corner. 

He pulled the pouch open and emptied the contents into his bed. He stared, then stared some more. Staring turned to glowering, then fuming.

Stones. Not diamonds, rubies and emeralds. STONES……..

He’d murdered Tankin Beath for nothing. He had one last look in the pouch. Something caught his eye. He reached in. Paper. A piece of paper. He took it out and opened it. A map. He recognised the roughly drawn terrain. Beloch was clearly marked with a trail leading to the north. To the mountains of Crechor. Perhaps he hadn’t been foiled. Perhaps the Grand Hall and buxom wenches were not thrown into pure fantasy. He started to pack his bag………

A hundred leagues away, Halik, a ranger of the Palinin, hunkered behind a large rock. A very large and very angry Repia stood only yards away, readying itself for the best meal it had had for a long time. Despite his animal skills, Halik had never attempted to calm a Repia, and this one had particularly large sharp teeth. Drool dripped from its mouth. It moved slowly towards him. 

Halik had one more look behind him. The sheer drop over the waterfall was still there. The choices were clear. Hope he could use his Ranger skills to appease the beast, leap to his death, or be eaten alive. 

Making sure the map was safely coseted in his coat, he moved toward the Repia. The skills rangers had in relation to taming wild animals were well known. Wild bears, wild boars, anything with the term wild in front of it were within most rangers skill set.

The two stared each other out. Who would blink first?

Halik’ a animal calming spell always worked. He was one of the best. He settled himself and felt the warmth inside him grow as he prepared to cast. The only thing wrong with his plan was the Repia’s lack of patience. It leapt forward at speed knocking Halik to the ground. The only lucky part of Halik’s fall was him hitting his head on a rock on the way down. This meant he wouldn’t hopefully feel a thing as the Repia devoured him alive. 

The now unconscious Halik not only did not see the drooling moth and razor sharp teeth of his assailant, he also didn’t hear or see the arrow pierce the Repia’s head killing it instantly. 

When Halik eventually awoke, he found himself next to a fire pit, a shelter of bracken and Tonia branches and the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Actually, Arwyn was Elven. One of the best archers in the whole land of Deah. 

‘Where’s the……’

‘Dead……..as you nearly were. What on earth were you doing? A simple spell won’t tame a Repia. It would have been dragging you off for dinner by now’

‘Thank you. You saved my life. I am in your debt’

‘I don’t know why I saved you. I wasn’t going to then….something made me. Next minute I was letting the arrow fly……and, one shot……gone. You should learn to use a bow and arrow. It can come in useful on days such as this’

‘My name is Halik’

‘Arwyn’

‘You are far from Elven land. Where are you headed?’

‘North….I am headed north.

‘Me too……perhaps we could……’

‘Don’t even think about it. I don’t need extra baggage. We rest tonight. We will part company at first light’ 

‘