Gathering himself, Zahn bundles the wolf pup in his cloak and makes his way down the mountain, returning to Stone Moor to repay Enwyn the Old and take solace in their hearth. He ties the ring around the neck of Old One Eye and whispers to his companion to return to Bleak Frost and bring news. Watching the bird fly away, he approaches Stone Moor. The gates swing open to him but rather than a hero’s welcome, he is shunned by the settlement. Children are pulled from his path and a mangy dog growls at him, suspiciously.
[Sojourn: Miss, Match event: Manipulate Weakness.]
Elywn snatches the pup from Zahn’s arms and snarls at him. He did warn him that the killer of Hhurn would be cursed. The shadow of the wolf lies over him now – he cannot stay here. With a wave of his hands he summons his Shield Guards and has Zahn hurled from the settlement gates, out into the night.
[Make Camp: Miss, It is stressful -2 spirit]
With nowhere to turn, Zahn trudges into the forest, looking for a place to settle for a few days and bind his wounds. Every time he settles down, eyes burn into his soul from the darkness. Animals watch him, birls make hellish noise. The creatures that slither and crawl rise up to bite him. He is truly cursed and cannot settle. Days go by and still he does not rest.
[Endure Stress: Miss]
Finally, exhausted, Zahn slips into a fitful sleep, collapsed at the side of the road – cold and vulnerable. He dreams of the She Wolf, her jaws locked around his arm once again, dragging him through the bones to feed his living flesh to her children. Why did he take the pup? Why did he not swear on iron? He awakes with a start, as a solid beak pecks at his face and blood drips into his eyes. Old One Eye has returned and he is injured.
[Secure an Advantage: Miss: A person or community you care about is exposed to danger, Raven -1]
An ancient spirit has risen from the rising winter storms – a giant raptor spirit with talons of ice. It is terrorising Bleak Frost and has stolen one of the settlements few remaining cattle. He is their Scourge and he is sworn to hunt the beast.
[Companion Endure Harm: Miss: -1 momentum]
Old One Eye was beset by the spirit as he flew back to Zahn and barely escaped with his life. Zahn is woken from his malaise, and spends time tending to the bird. He cannot heal him here, but he can make sure he suffers no more from the wound. The time spend is worth it. The Ravens protect Zahn and he must repay the kindness.
[Swear an Iron Vow: Miss Defeat the Ancient Raptor Spirit (Dangerous)]
Zahn grasps his iron spear head and solemnly swears to defeat the raptor spirit and protect Bleak Frost. Almost as if answering his dedication, the wind rises in a howl of wolf-like resonance and the snow begins to fall. Soon it is lashing around him, making progress slow and the likelihood of disaster only one slipped footstep away. Gathering Old One Eye in his cloak, he presses on – he cannot go back to Stone Moor so he sets out for White Stead to see whether he can gain some solace there.
[Undertake a Journey: (Troublesome) Weak hit – storm]
Zahn eats more than his fair share of supplies as he forces his way through the snow. He has always lived off the land when he travels, as he was taught, but with the snow driving hard, foraging is almost impossible. Finally, he arrives at White Stead. Will the doors open this time?
