Silver Bond in Shadow

Story So Far

The protagonist's desperate scramble down a ridge leads to a confrontation with armed men over a mysterious silver creature and a leather satchel. Through quick thinking and a well-placed arrow, they force Bram and his Crossbowman to retreat, though not before learning that the satchel holds unusual animals destined for a buyer in Thornwall.

The silver creature guides the protagonist west toward the Greymere, a safe pool in Ashenveil, while the protagonist nurses an injured forearm from a broken crossbow string. Following fresh boot prints to a cedar blind, they establish a hidden position as danger closes in from multiple directions.

The Crossbowman appears at the pool, wounded and searching, only to be struck down by the protagonist's arrow before he can raise an alarm. Bram arrives moments later, unaware of the threat, and is similarly felled before he can react or call for help. The forest falls silent as the protagonist retrieves the satchel's contents: oilskin paper, a mysterious vial of pale liquid, and a silver chain depicting a creature that matches the one watching nearby.

The creature shows recognition of the chain but does not claim it, instead pointing northward toward another similar being or captive. The protagonist and the creature move together deeper into the forest, where the creature demonstrates an ability to detect and avoid traps. In a clearing ahead, they discover a pale man sprawled unconscious near a saddled horse, showing no visible wounds but clinging to life.

The protagonist unties the horse, which accepts them readily, and searches the man for supplies. They find a small purse and a leather document case containing letters and a duty roster both addressed to Warden Cael at Thornwall Post. Now mounted and followed closely by the shadowy creature, the protagonist turns their horse eastward toward Thornwall and whatever awaits there.