I was weak, exhausted. I may have planned to kill everyone that took a part in this coup, but I couldn’t do it right away. You cannot kill a god on an empty stomach.

I looted in the burned down settlement. Found some dried meat there, some fish there. Most things were burnt to a crisp, but that was to be expected. I didn’t find my axe, my whole house was just ruble. It was a fair distance away from any other buildings, but they took special care of my belongings it seems. Should have also taken special care of me. I couldn’t find any weapons, any gold. They thought this through. They prepared. All I had was a dagger, they didn’t notice it when they were dragging me. That will have to make do.

The bastards cut my hair as well. From the long brown hair that our clan was famous for I had a crude short cut, it was uneven, unceremonious and humiliating. It also revealed the tattoos on my forehead. They made sure to desecrate everything we stood for. They had no honor, no principals. They were the worst that sea-men had to offer and they would rule if I wasn’t successful.

There were way too many bodies. Even though most were already on the pile, I had to bring the others there too. They were good men in life and they deserved a good end in death. After getting every body I could find, I brought branches and leaves and other things that didn’t manage to burn in the big fire. Just to light them ablaze here. I may have a lot ahead of me, a lot I need to prepare for, but I couldn’t let my brothers decay. They will burn, so they have at least the little chance to end up anywhere but hell.

The smell was even worse now, as the flesh and insides burned. I relied on my stomach and had to watch on. There should be living at every funeral and I was the sole one here. But my presence should prove honor enough. It took a whole day for the pile to reduce to bone and ash. I took that ash and ruffled it into my hair, it may be obvious, but I wasn’t no herbalist. I didn’t know dyes and had to at least try to look different.

I had to start somewhere and I had only one friend that may still be alive. I set off on foot, never looking back at the sea. I don’t want Fothi to take notice, it would be better to avoid any big bodies of water, until I'll be ready. And I will be ready.

The town of Gorsk was far larger then the now burned down Kriposhka. There were stone walls surrounding the towns important points. A holy building inspired by the dry-men churches to the one god, that stood in the center of the town, paying homage to Kerth, the god of light, bread and harvest. A sympathetic fellow. A keep for the local king has been built on top of the hill. The whole town was built around the hill, which was rumored to be a mound for kings and heroes of old. That well may be true, the opening to the hill was rumored to be just under the church and since nobody wanted to desecrate the holy place, nobody tried to enter the hills caverns.

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Our folk don't generally do the annoying things that dry-men do, like checking the identities for the ones that enter. Something I am rather fond of today. Ravenbeaks do not live here, they are on a different island, but as all big clans, they do have some branches here. Poisoning the city with its roots no doubt. If someone spotted me on entry, things could be bad.

I didn't recognize anybody at the gates. Good. I know most of the birdie worms.

When I finally made my way to the inn, dark shadows had overtaken the sky. The lady Nirith had swallowed the sun once more.

We don't tend to name the inns anything. They are just inns. So when you try to talk about a specific one, you have to describe where it is. This one I would call stuck in between. There were two very big stone houses on either side of it, making it look like they are squishing the little inn.

It was my favorite, at least in Gorsk.

Inside the inn, the walls were laden with pelts, as were the seats. They were the most comfortable seats I ever came across. But I wasn't here for that now.

It didn't take long for me to spot him. He was lying there on the table, surrounded by empty mugs. He was a tower of a man, a hulking mass of muscle, yet one of the most gentle and kind people I've ever met. Shame he didn't put his strength to good use.

I stopped next to him and nudged him a little, which didn't do anything. I was never patient, especially now. I found his temple and knocked at it with deliberate force. That was finally enough to wake the man.

"What in the hells are you doing you!" as he laid his eyes on me his face turned from angry to surprised in the time most blink. His eyes welled with tears and he spread out his lengthy arms for an embrace.

"I thought ye dead! I thought ye buried! Log!" he roared.

"Shut it! Nobody can know I am alive!" I put a hand over his mouth and put him back on the chair.

"Yes, yes sure. Nobody will know, but I am so glad! I heard of the attack on Kriposhka and I knew you wouldn't just die!"

"What attack?"

"Well, you were there weren't you?" He looked at me startled. "The dry-men, they followed your ships, angry that the mighty Logher took all their worth in gold."

"Who specifically."

"The Nomars. The Ravenbeaks escaped with naught but their own life, they are cowardly everyone knows that, so its not that big of a surprise. They must have seen the ship on the horizon and flee."

"Listen to me Hurac and listen close. No dry-men were involved. It was the Ravenbeaks, they killed the king and massacred the clan."