The priest nodded several times as Sir Shane explained his quest to him. He relaxed at the end, and smiled at the young knight. [color=fff79a]"Good to see you here, then. Especially with Malcolm gone, we need all the protection we can get. Please, follow me."[/color] He led the knight out of the church, to the man who first spotted the arriving Shane.

[color=fff79a]"Patrick is as hard-working a farmer as you can get, and this is Sir Shane from Stonehelm. He found Malcolm and brought his remains, to lay him to rest."[/color] At that, Patrick bowed to the knight with respect. [color=fff79a]"So, tell him what you found the other day."[/color]

The farmer shook his head several times with dismay before speaking. [color=fff79a]"Well, 'tis hard to say, really, I don't know, to be honest. It was something ... black, like mud, but putrid and ... moving. A little, not slithering away, you know, but wasn't still. Like someone splashed it from a bucket."[/color]