Raven had hatched a plan, his mind worked better when in the midst of other things, and as he'd stalked away from camp and a thousand regrets had been circling in his mind he'd realised there was a way out. A way to save all those young men and women who would otherwise wake to a miserable and messy end, and save himself in the process. One single course of action that could undo all the foolishness caused by those hidden away in the abbey.

He knew what to do, he drew his sword as he stepped through the lonely swinging gate towards what he knew to be the kitchen where the staff the nobles had brought congregated throughout the day. His plan was simple but perhaps a step to far if he was allowed more time to think on it; he would charge into the abbey and take all the lords and ladies at sword-point, he would bind them and march them up, away from their armies and into the night until he met the encroaching army. Surely then it was just a case of negotiating a surrender, he could save everyone, redeem himself and throw those pretentious lords under the cart as he did it. He could and would make the right people pay for this mess and he could leave Alayne to go back to his adventures and return to a life that though he didn't fully miss, at least it was familiar.

A good plan, he'd thought, and fairly simple in theory to pull together.

Until it came time to do it.

He left Alayne and AJ to march through the swampy lands towards the southern pass they'd been watching for months and instead sneaking away and approaching the small rotted wooden door. He didn't expect it to be locked, the servants would work through the night to supply drinks, snacks and prepare the extravagant breakfasts these people expected, he hadn't prepared for what was actually inside though. Instead of 5 or 6 servants hard at work surrounded by the sounds of bubbling pots and knives scraping off wooden chopping boards, he found silence and the servants all cowering against the far wall, well away from both the exit he occupied and the door to his left that led to the main hall of the building.

He frowned as he saw them and although they recognised him clearly they did not relax in any way visible to him. Most of them watched the door to the hall, as if waiting for someone to come through at any second. There was real fear in all their eyes, skin white as flour, he had no respect for the lords anymore but their abuse wasn't that which caused this kind of fear, it usually caused a constant anxiety in the servants keeping them on edge but capable of work, this was far beyond that.

Something was wrong and whatever it was, it was clearly in the main hall. He didn't engage the servants in conversation, he'd saved small settlements from bandits and raiders on more than one occasion, he'd seen this kind of fear and knew they were useless to him right now. Instead he turned his attention to the hall, a heavy wooden door with a rounded top and thick iron fillings along the edge barred his way, hinges worn and causing the bottom corner to sit on the stone floor and ready to give his position away the moment it was dragged and screamed open.

There was no way to open it quietly.

He placed his hand on the iron ring that made up a handle and readied his sword.

Leaning back on his heels to throw himself forward as soon as the door was open wide enough, he took a deep breath.

Raven flung the door open with all his might and dived into the main hall of the abbey, the metal work of the door clattering against the stone wall of the kitchen behind him.

The main hall looked just like it had every time he'd visited for the 'strategy' meetings. There were braziers lit along both sides of the long room and in the centre was a large round table scattered with goblets and pitchers dripping with wine; and plates and plates of fruit and meat and puddings, of course this was all atop papers that denoted crucial information about their troops, holdings, inventory which was all barely legible from weeks of food stains dying the parchment.

What was different though was the current state of the nobility, instead of gathering around the table in their overly gilded chairs and laughing the night away, instead their seats were all lying on the sides or backs. The nobility themselves were lying in a similar vein, all bound and gagged, wriggling and writhing like maggots on the rugs that covered random parts of the hard stone floor.

There was only one man standing in the midst of them all, although Raven was careful to watch the shadows in the room even though it would be tough for anyone to hide in them.

Raven approached as the man standing, favouring one leg very obviously, drove his blade deep into the belly of Perelmor the youngest son of Duke Agelmar who uttered a muffled scream from his helpless position as he watched his son slowly bleed out. He noticed as he got within touching distance of everyone that they weren't all writhing as he initially thought, there were pools of blood all flowing inwards towards the killer. Only Agelmar, Sildaris, his daughter, and the Duke De'Clare were still alive or unhurt.

The figure turned, whilst wiping his blade on the back of Perelmor, the blade looked broken; tinged with blacks and oranges, like it was damaged or burnt.

Raven recognised the voice of Jaycob the old farmer instantly without him needing to turn fully. There was nothing but confusion in his mind, he couldn't even gather the words to form a question, the exiled farmer of his home had kidnapped the lords and was killing them one by one, he was shocked and his plan was quickly falling to tatters.

"We need them alive!?" was all he could pathetically squeak out.

"They've cost me everything, they don't get to live"

"Jaycob, we can end this war, we can take them to the new king, they can hang for what they did. But killing them in here means killing hundreds out there"

There was an icy calm in his face despite it been speckled with blood. It wasn't quite as cold as the undead monsters he'd met earlier but it wasn't to far off, something had broken inside the man and Raven hated himself that he had no time to help him.

"People like this, they talk well, better than people like us. You take them away and at least one will be given new lands and titles. No, No it's not worth the risk. Besides, it feels better to do things with your own hands, that's why I farm."

There was a sadness as he finished, like the anger was hiding pain that had just escaped for a moment.

It didn't matter.

Raven raised his blade slightly and stepped forward, speaking in a slow and soft voice to appear calm whilst ready to defend himself in a second should it come to it;

"Jaycob, lower your blade and let's drag those still breathing before the king."

Jaycob moved forward to meet Raven who had stayed a few steps outside the ring of bodies.

As he stepped over Sildaris he quickly flicked his blade and struck the man who started to gargle and choke, blood running into the mortar of the floor.

"Raven, they dragged us away from our homes to die here, away from my family...THEY DIED because I wasn't there. I need to see them bleed."

With a burst of anger that forced Raven to step back Jaycob hacked at Sildaris' still form 3, 4, 5 times, just sticking his blade deep over and over as the others cried through gagged mouths.

Raven didn't want to fight, and he expected Jaycob was the same despite his words, he raised his blade slowly and begrudgingly, he had to try and save everyone out there.

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But Jaycob was faster.

No hesitation as he darted at Raven sword high, damaged leg seemingly forgotten for the moment.

Raven was quick to defend and was pushed back with stroke after stroke of the sickly looking blade.

He was good with a blade but he could find no opportunity to parry or counter the old man’s attacks, instead being forced to retreat between each swing.

A constant clashing of steel on steel as step by step Raven was pushed further from the centre of the room.

Further still until his shoulders hit the back of a shadowed stone archway set into the wall.

He hadn't been focused on his surroundings, to much was going on, he was distracted to say the least and he hadn't realised he'd ran out of room and as his shoulders hit the wall his body jerked ever so slightly uncontrollably and forced a drop of his guard a fraction to his left.

The slightest little movement that would go unnoticed by most.

But not Jaycob, the farmer adjusted his own slash at the last moment to compensate for Raven's failing posture.

The dark blade took him deep into the shoulder, catching on his bone and causing Raven to scream.

He screamed again and his vision began to blur as the blade was ripped free.

Cold focus was all that occupied Jaycobs face, no anger, no regret, no joy.

Raven had failed the man long ago and he supposed this would right it in a way, even if Jaycob was unaware.

He made peace with his death surprisingly quickly and awaited the final blow as his legs gave way and his heart thumped loud enough to hurt his ears.

He had forsaken his oaths, abandoned his people and caused even more harm in a naïve attempt to save lives. Maybe this was better than hastily thought out redemption plans or following a bard into the night to commit further treason.

If not better, it was certainly easier.

Then the sound came, so quick and so loud he was sure the building shook, swords dropped to the ground but he didn't hear a clang, he held his hands to his ears that were now wet with blood but could do nothing to keep the deafening sound out.

Jaycob was the same, dropping to his knees curiously suffering worse than Raven seemed to be.

He slumped down the stone as pain from his wound and his head forced him out of consciousness for moments at a time.

Raven remembered little of what happened after but he knew he was called an 'idiot' as he was dragged through the creaky iron gate outside the kitchen.

Then he was swore at as he lay face up in what felt like wet mud and dragged once again.

He saw the marshy lands of the Valley of the Faithless passing underfoot as the rocky outcrop of the southern pass got closer with each long blink he managed, all the while there was panicked mumbling and grunting from his left as the familiar voice of Alayne Ducard complained the whole journey, although Raven couldn't make out what his issues were exactly.

Alayne dumped Raven against an orange rocky wall just after the entrance to the southern pass; it had taken him most of the remaining night to drag the injured man to. He didn't do it gently, although he regretted that after being reminded of his injuries by the blood smear that marked the wall behind him.

"AJ keep watch"

The boy grunted back

"I'll be quick, we need him"

Alayne grabbed handfuls of grass and a few sticks that had been blown or kicked towards this barren part of the trail. The southern pass was a thin passageway or sharp rock on both sides that opened into a forest after about an hour, the treetops could just be made out in the slight grey of dawn off into the distance. No army would ever come this way but for some reason the dearly departed lords had thought they would. Alayne shook his head and then got to work trying to create a fire. He was fairly good usually, but he was admittedly flustered and it caused his hands to be a tad less elegant than usual.

Raven groaned from his slumped position against the wall.

"Good you're awake, although it would be better if you weren't for the next bit in all honesty."

"Heal..."

"Yep, going to heal you up, good as new...ish"

"Magic?" His eyes fluttered as he spoke but not enough to see even the whites of his eyes.

"Oooo no, never really had any healing powers I'm afraid"

Alayne clapped and gave a small cheer to himself as the fire caught and stepped over to Raven, wrestling his sword that he still clenched tightly in his fist. He had to put his foot on the wall to push himself off, the man couldn't move but somehow had the grip of a dead man on his blade.

"What I do have though is something a woman called Singe taught me. See she was part of the church of the cleansing flame, really silly beliefs that fire will solve all problems. In hindsight it was a terrible decision by her employer at the time to send her on a jungle based adventure, the greenery is still struggling to grow back the last time I was there..."

AJ grunted as Raven groaned once more.

"I know he's dying, thank you. I was trying to lighten the mood and distract from the situation. The point is, Singe - which wasn't her real name, refused to use herbs or medicine and only used fire to heal. Which, whilst terrible for her and her haemorrhoids, is good for us because fire, as you can see, is all I have."

As always his tales were well timed and he lifted the blade he'd been holding over the fire and placed the heated metal against the still bleeding wound on Raven's shoulder. It sizzled as it closed the wound and Raven fell back to silence after a quick exhale of breath on the initial contact.

"Looks like we are still carrying him for a while yet, come on"

Alayne slipped the sword back into its sheath at Raven's side, which went awkwardly as he tried it first as he was sitting down, which was nearly impossible and he may have caused a few nicks in the man’s side which he decided to keep to himself. His second attempt was done as he held the man up with one hand and tried to ease it in with the other. His arms were aching when he could finally slot it in, he was not built for holding weapons, just drinks, instruments and the unwavering attention of an audience.

AJ grunted as he re-joined Alayne.

"You could have found plants that would be better than fire?"

"I also can identify many healing plants in this pla...pla...pla"

"But you both just let me mutilate the poor sod instead"

AJ grunted and crossed his arms as he walked

"I told you to keep watch, so you just abandon common sense, since when do you listen to me?"

"I couldn't help as I have no leg..le...le"

He still wasn't comfortable with the skull talking, it was just odd.

This was going to be the longest journey of Alaynes life, he was sure of it. Carry a dying man whilst his gobby apprentice carried a talking head as they left to do a thing for monsters from folk tales.

As silence fell on them and they walked towards the end of the rocky passage, Alayne finally got to be alone with his thoughts and they crashed into him and brought with them the reality of his situation.

There had been no time to think, time was low and they'd had to escape, and then Raven had gone and Alayne had found him just in time to save him with a simple trick of sound, then saving Raven had been his goal and now, now they were travelling with nothing but the sound of the wind whistling through the canyon to occupy him.

He'd spent his entire adult life chasing stories, trying to attach himself to those destined for fame or infamy and tell their tales and now the greatest story of his life was unfolding and it had found him for a change, unfortunately it was likely to end with him dead.

How could a simple bard take down the leader of most of the known world, an infamous madman with power beyond reason.

Even if he did, would the....Greymen simply kill him anyway.

Just knowing they existed out there sent shivers down his spine, he tried not to dwell too hard on them and focused on the tasks before him that weren't insane.

Get to Dread cove on the east coast and find passage.

Convince the Captain to take AJ, hopefully he'd come back for the boy but there was no way he'd take him on a suicide mission and whilst not quite sane the Captain could be trusted to look after his ward.

Then he could make landfall and put together a band of lovable and hopefully useful outcasts from people who owed him favours.

These were the things he could do, focus on these and then move to the impossible after.

Every fibre of his being told him to drop the man hanging off his shoulder, throw the skull as far as possible and run with AJ as fast and as far as he could.

But then he saw their faces again, dead and almost rotten, less life than most corpses staring at him and warning him.

They would find him and that would be that.

No, he needed to push ahead and get them on a ship. It was between 3 and 4 days to Dread cove if he had to guess, although that was optimistic with Raven as he was. Alayne was under no delusions, he'd stopped the young man from bleeding to death but that was it, he still needed real help. There was a small village a day from the cove he hoped he could find help in, otherwise it was pure luck whether Raven made it further in this journey.