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“ Inviting one fly to dine on a corpse breeds maggots” 
-	Famous statement made by Archon Hrl (1) after the Sacking of Urladeen (2) 
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“ We all take some matter of risk,”  Ogar replied while taking a bite of the roasted pike. The white flesh was flakey and good and thick. Pike like this was rare. You could only find it in the feast halls of kings, queens and nobles when they fished from their lakes. He wiped a smeck of grease from the corner of his chin. “I have no fire; I can’t see where I’m going. I have fire and beasts come upon you like moth to a light. It’s better to be attacked sometimes than to be completely blind.” 

The first thing that struck Ogar about the woman – this Estelle - was her accent. He couldn’t tell if it was Skoffian or Calesvolian but it sounded oddly like a flute. It was hard to make out her words and it often reminded Ogar of whenever his captain liked to use fancy sounding words to make himself sound smarter except without the part with complicated words. This woman wasn’t obvious a Yonderguardian [3] that was for sure. He didn’t knew no Yonderguardian but a Yonderguardian would have silently snuck up on him like a fox and slitted his throat across his entire neck. 

So, that was that. Ogar just watched the woman, orange light glimmering off his pensive face.  She had given her name to him. The manner of courtesies and small-talk slowly returned back to him, words long abandoned at Beningrad. He had talked to the refugees but it was all instructions and yelling. The greeting came out like a cough, forced and rehearsed. 

“Ogar.”  He paused and then, spoke again. “Ogar. That’s my name.”  He nodded to himself and his hand unconsciously gripped the axe to his side for comfort. It always did the talking, screaming and conversation for him. The whistle of the iron through the air and the feeling of flesh parting under its weight was how he made small talk. 

His fingers unclasped and clasped around the handle, continuing to watch her. What would happen after the campfire? Take her back to camp. Add one extra mouth to the already starving mass of peasants and stuck-up nobles he was forced to nurse like a wet mother? Ogar didn’t voice it out, instead, choosing to ask her in a measured tone. 

“ So, what are you doing out here in the YonderTimber?” Ogar asked, trying to not let his doubts show. “ You –“  [i] look like you’re running[/i] “ – look tired. Not many travellers come from this side of the River Red.”  

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Yuren had been looking at the obscenely large man and the woman for a few minutes now. They had split up and abandoned their wylderbeasts. This part of the YonderTimber, so near to the River Red, had roots and bushes that made it nearly maze-like. It was suffocating to travel together in a pack so Barabas had suggested to them to split up. 

He had chosen to go to the River Red instead of going north or south like the others. The others had said that the Lucroy had made it to the border but Yuren thought otherwise. People all across Durandelle and across yuren were naturally inclined to rivers as a source of water and refreshment. He wagered good coin with the others that he would be the first to find the Lucroy.

And now, he had won the bet. Yuren pulled the winch and loaded the bolt into the crossbow. It was a hunting crossbow made to take down the likes of fully reared war horses and fully plated knights in a single shot. The Lucroy would crumple like a tallow candle. He stilled his breath and aimed the crossbow at the back of her head. 

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[u]Glossary[/u]

Archon Hrl – A famous archon in Durandelle who was responsible for instituting the modern structures of the Arch Adminsration and most importantly, fostering relationship with the Archivist’s Guild.  

Urladeen – A former border town between Chamchir and Durandelle and one of the first open uses of a mercenary by the Arch Administration.  Often regarded by archivists as one of the key events symbolizing the corruption of the Arch Administration. 

YonderGuardian – A loose order of humans who hail from the Old Aeon and proclaim themselves the keepers of the YonderTimber. They are mainly responsible for the monitoring, guarding and ‘protection’ of the YonderTimber from foreign invaders. Many in the Arch Administration have often tried to issue decrees to formally reign them in as a military vassal but their decentralized nature and lack of formal leadership makes them especially hard to control.