The Huntress
Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2007 6:41 am
The Huntress
Chapter 1: News
The messenger trembled as he delivered the message to the young Shadow Knight. He knew the content of the message was not good news and he had heard of the temperament of this particular lady. Still he could not tear his eyes away from her sinister beauty. Her white hair framed the oval of her delicate-looking indigo face. Her steely eyes scanned the parchment as she read the missive. A wicked smile came across her face as she finished her reading. The Shadow Knight looked intently at the messenger and saw the fear in his eyes. “Good.” She thought to herself. “He knows to fear me.”
“Are you expecting some kind of reward for delivering this news to me?” She asked.
“No, My Lady.” Replied the messenger. “I just needed to know if you wish to send a reply to the sender.” The Shadow Knight thought for a few moments and drew her sword. She swung her sword toward the messenger and halted the blade just as it touched his neck. A small trickle of blood dripped from the slight cut that the razor sharp edge of the blade made.
“Take this reply back to Emperor Crush. Tell him that the daughter of D`Vinn declares that his cowardice shall be rewarded.” The Shadow Knight pulled her blade away from the messenger’s neck. “Now get out of my sight before I change my mind about your fate.” The messenger departed quickly upon his errand quite relieved to still have his head upon his shoulders. The Shadow Knight wiped the small amount of blood from her sword and put it back in its scabbard. The Shadow Knight removed the violet armor of her mother’s house that she wore and carefully put it on its stand. “R`Lith!” She shouted. A few minutes later an elder male Teir`Dal also dressed in violet entered the room and knelt before the Shadow Knight.
“Yes Mistress.” He said, keeping his eyes to the floor. “What is your bidding?”
“Take my armor and have it cleaned. It’s reeks of Koada`Dal blood.”
“As you wish Mistress.” R`Lith took the stand with the armor and left the room. R`Lith had served her mother’s house for several generations and had done so quite faithfully. The Shadow Knight entertained the idea of raising his salary. She would discuss that with her mother. It had been a long day so the Lady took a quick bath and went to her bed. As she lay naked with her sword next to her, she thought about having a male brought in to pleasure her but decided against it. She rolled over on her side, draped her arm over the hilt of her sword and drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 2: Sanguine
The creature slipped into the room quietly and saw his target in her bed. This creature had once been Teir`Dal but was now something else. Neither living nor dead and it had an insatiable thirst for blood. He came here to feed but when he saw her naked on the bed he decided he would turn her instead. He silently crept closer to her until he got within striking range. He stood there for a moment looking at her back until suddenly she sprang up from her bed, her sword slicing the air toward him. He could not move out of the way fast enough. The sword sliced his chest open. The Teir`Dal maiden then spun around and thrust the sword through his heart. A normal blade would not have harmed this creature but the enchanted blade swung by this mistress of death could and did. The creature fell over dead at the maiden’s feet. R`Lith, upon hearing the commotion came rushing through the door. Upon seeing his mistress’ naked form he lowered his eyes to the ground.
“I am sorry Mistress,” he said, “I heard a noise and thought I should make sure you were well and safe.” The maiden grabbed the silken robe that was hangin on a hook next to her bed, put it on and tied the sash in front.
“R`Lith, you may look upon me now. Get this body out of here. Sanguine! Oh how they disgust me. They are a disease upon our people. I hate them more than I do the Koada`Dal.”
“As you wish Mistress.” R`Lith left the room and sent a couple of other servants in to retrieve the body for disposal. The maiden sat on the edge of her bed, lost in thought for a few minutes.
Sanguine! Scum of Norrath! It was a curse that had been plaguing the Teir`Dal for some time now. Many Teir`Dal were converted against their will. Still, though, there were those who chose embrace the curse and become followers of Mistmoore. The priests and priestesses of the temple were working hard to find a way to remove the curse. Spies had reported that all clergy everywhere were working on the cure. This curse had even found its way among the Koada`Dal and threatened to engulf all of Norrath in its evil. These creatures were very similar to vampires but worse. They were smarter. The only two cures that the maiden knew for this curse was a stroke of her blade or one of her enchanted arrows through the creatures’ hearts.
The Sanguine that had attacked her had been stalking her for the last few nights. She knew he was there and knew that he would come for her. She did not know if he was going to try to turn her or just feed off of her but she did know that she would not let either happen if she could help it. She had to let this one get close so she could strike. Ever since Queen Christanos denounced this new culture as a disease upon the Teir`Dal, the maiden had devoted herself to hunting these creatures. Most times she would lure a male to her room with the promise of some intimacy and then slay it on arrival. They may be undead with a thirst for blood but they still had other urges too and those urges are what the maiden played upon. The bodies were taken to the fire pit on the bottom floor of the house to be destroyed.
The maiden closed her windows and reset the magical wards that would alert her if anyone entered. The huntress cleaned her blade, put the robe back on the hook beside her bed and drifted back off to sleep with her sword beside her.
Chapter 3: Becoming The Huntress
D`Nar Vel`Dynn was not of royal blood but her family was among the upper class of Neriak’s families. Her mother served as a member of Queen Christanos’ Royal Guard. Sviri Vel`Dynn went to Crushbone seventeen circles ago and spent quite a bit of time with Ambassador D`Vinn. When she found out that she was with child, Sviri returned to Neriak until the child was born. Sviri returned to Crushbone with the child to show D`Vinn his daughter, but he spurned the two of them and had them thrown out of the fortress. Sviri raised D`Nar with the help of the house staff. D`Nar was enrolled in the Shadow Knight Academy as soon as she was old enough to hold a blade. She advanced through her training a little slowly at first but after the second circle of training she caught on quickly and soon learned to excel in the art of the sword and the bow. D`Nar loved to hunt her targets. She would sometimes stalk them for days before moving in for the kill. When she graduated from the Academy, D`Nar celebrated by scoring her first Paladin kill in Lavastorm Mountains. D`Nar then entered the service of Queen Christanos. When the Queen made her denouncement of the Sanguine culture, D`Nar requested to be released from the service of the Queen to hunt and exterminate these creatures. The request was granted and D`Nar began her career as a Huntress.
D`Nar despised her father for treating her mother the way he did but then that is a rather common thing among a people who know only hate. Still, the death of her father should not go unpunished. It was a matter of honor, not her father’s but her own. Ambassador D`Vinn had been slain by a Human Paladin. D`Nar would have to hunt this one down after she dealt with Crush.
Chapter 4: A New Hunt Begins
The huntress woke early and began her normal routine. She went to her training room and worked out for a couple of hours. D`Nar took a quick bath afterward and went to see her mother, Lady Sviri. After the meeting with the elder Vel`Dynn, D`Nar returned home to pack for her journey to Crushbone. D`Nar took the portal to New Tanaan and then went to the portal there to Felwithe. The portal near Felwithe was seldom patrolled unlike the one near Kelethin. The Shadow Knight carefully avoided all creatures of the forest as she made her way to Crushbone. When she got to the main gate, the Orc Guards seeing that she was a Teir`Dal, let her in without challenge. D`Nar walked into the throne room and found Emperor Crush sitting on his throne. As soon as Crush saw that she was a female Teir`Dal, he knew who she was. The Orc monarch ordered his guards to attack her but they perished quickly to the skilled blade of the Shadow Knight. Crush fled the citadel and was running for the gates when D`Nar drew her bow and put an arrow through his head. The other Orcs, seeing this Lady Knight of Shadow in action, trembled in fear of her and bowed down. D`Nar grabbed one of the Legionnaires.
“Tell me of the Human Knight that came here and killed Ambassador D`Vinn.” Lady Vel`Dynn demanded.
“He is called Shadowbane.” Said the Orc. “He has been a thorn in the side of our people for a long time in Greater Faydark. The Ambassador killed his Father many circles ago. He has not been seen in the forest for several weeks now.”
“Well then since he was probably here just to kill my father, he has probably moved on. Why did you not protect the Ambassador?”
“Shadowbane is too powerful for us now. He kills Orcs as easily as you killed the Emperor.”
“Run.”
“What?”
“Run. I take one shot. If I miss you live. If not then, well, you know.” The Orc ran as fast as he could. D`Nar drew another arrow and sent it through the Orc’s heart. D`Nar addressed the remaining Orcs. “If Shadowbane returns to the Greater Faydark, you are to send word to me. If you fail, then many more of you will die as easily as these have this day.” D`Nar left the fortress and returned to her home.
Chapter 5: Revelation
It was a room that was seldom used in the house these days. The sickly green bricks glowed eerily. Several torture machines were placed along the south wall of the room and along the north wall were several bookcases filled with books. In the middle of the room was a small rolling table as well as a chair. The Teir`Dal female was hanging by her wrists with a chain that came down from the ceiling.
“She is in here Mistress.” Said R`Lith as he opened the door for D`Nar. “I left her as undamaged as possible.” The Shadow Knight entered the room clad in her violet armor and gracefully walked to the captive Teir`Dal. The captive had a few bruises and scratches, indicating that she did not submit to R`Lith peacefully. D`Nar walked around the hanging Teir`Dal examining her. She was still quite youthful in her appearance and would have made a nice living in any brothel in the city. D`Nar completed her circle around the captive and looked into her obsidian eyes.
“You will tell me all you know about me and who you passed that information on to.” D`Nar hissed venomously at the hanging Teir`Dal. “How you tell me will be up to you. Know that your life is forfeit either way.” D`Nar pulled her Katana from its scabbard and swung it around, stopping it suddenly at the captive’s throat. “I can make your death quick and almost painless or I can do it the slow way.” D`Nar pulled the cover off of the small table, revealing some small instruments of torture. “It matters not to me but know that I have forgotten more about dispensing pain than you will ever know.”
“There will be no need for those measures.” Said the captive. “I hold no loyalty to who I passed the information on to beyond the coin she put in my pocket. I know of your activities concerning the hunting of the Sanguine and I know of the death of your father and your subsequent desire to kill the one who took his life. The one I gave the information to is Inspector Licinia DuQeynos of Qeynos.”
“It is amazing that you know of my Sanguine hunting when even they know not who hunts them. I am sure by now that Shadowbane knows that he is to be hunted and by whom. I suppose it would be in my best interest to just issue the challenge to him and invoke the code. I have just reconsidered my thoughts on your demise. If you can tell me how I may send a message to Shadowbane, I will give you a chance to live.”
“There is an abandoned barn in the Plains of Karana. The leader of one of the Sanguine covens discovered it recently. You may leave a message there and I am sure someone will pick it up and get it to Shadowbane.”
“Very well then. R`Lith, open a portal to the forest for us.”
“Yes Mistress.” Replied R`Lith. D`Nar released the captive from her bonds as R`Lith cast the spell that opened the portal to Nektulos Forest.
“Run to the Commonlands, Lavastorm or Neriak’s Gates, I care not. If you can evade me and make it to either of those locations then you shall live. If not then, well, you know.” With that, D`Nar threw the Teir`Dal through the portal. “R`Lith, Fetch my bow and quiver.”
“Yes Mistress.” R`Lith bowed and left the room to return a few minutes later with the Shadow Knight’s bow and quiver. D`Nar took the items from her servant and stepped through the portal.
It did not take long for the Huntress to figure out which direction her quarry took. D`Nar called her trusty steed to her and mounted up to begin the hunt. In a matter of minutes D`Nar caught sight of her target. The Shadow Knight reined her mount and drew her bow. D`Nar took careful aim before sending her deadly missile through the fleeing Teir`Dal’s neck. The female fell to the ground and died. D`Nar returned to her home and sent R`Lith to retrieve the body.
“What shall be done with this one, Mistress?” Asked R`Lith as he deposited the wrapped up body at his mistress’ feet.
“Have it delivered to Licinia DuQeynos when I return. I am going to that abandoned barn in the Karanas. Be sure to have it well preserved. I do not want it rotting in my house while I am away.”
“As you wish, Mistress.” R`Lith took the body to be prepared and D`Nar fetched her traveling cloak. Traveling to the Karanas was not as difficult these days as it had been in the past. The wizard’s council in New Tanaan had decided to add a portal to World Arena. The exit from the Arena went to Lake Rathetear and Lake Rathetear connected to the Southern Plains of Karana. The Huntress drew shadows to herself to render herself invisible to the guards at the bridge to the Northern Plains. D`Nar had no trouble finding the barn that the spy had referred to. D`Nar arrived at the abandoned barn and looked around cautiously. The barn had seen some use recently but not to hold livestock of any sort. After making sure that no one was around, she lowered the hood of her traveling cloak. She lit the candle that was sitting on the table and let it burn for a couple of minutes to build up some molten wax. The Teir`Dal poured a small puddle of wax on the table and stuck an open parchment to it that read.
Greetings in the name of the Father of Hate;
I am Lady D`Nar Vel`Dynn of the House of Vel`Dynn. I understand that you harbor the one responsible for the death of my father, Ambassador D`Vinn. Now that my business is finished with the cowardly Emperor Crush, I am giving notice that I will hunt down the Human Paladin scum who took my father's life. Not that I held any affection for the bastard, it is a matter of personal honor. Being that Shadowbane is a knight as I am, I hereby invoke the code. If we meet face to face then it shall be one on one to the death. If he will not face me then I will hunt him down like the dog that he is.
In His Name,
Lady D`Nar Vel`Dynn of Neriak.
D`Nar blew the candle out and walked out of the barn, pulling her hood back over her head. The Lady mounted her black steed and rode back to Neriak. The next day R`Lith had the body of the spy sent to Qeynos.
Chapter 1: News
The messenger trembled as he delivered the message to the young Shadow Knight. He knew the content of the message was not good news and he had heard of the temperament of this particular lady. Still he could not tear his eyes away from her sinister beauty. Her white hair framed the oval of her delicate-looking indigo face. Her steely eyes scanned the parchment as she read the missive. A wicked smile came across her face as she finished her reading. The Shadow Knight looked intently at the messenger and saw the fear in his eyes. “Good.” She thought to herself. “He knows to fear me.”
“Are you expecting some kind of reward for delivering this news to me?” She asked.
“No, My Lady.” Replied the messenger. “I just needed to know if you wish to send a reply to the sender.” The Shadow Knight thought for a few moments and drew her sword. She swung her sword toward the messenger and halted the blade just as it touched his neck. A small trickle of blood dripped from the slight cut that the razor sharp edge of the blade made.
“Take this reply back to Emperor Crush. Tell him that the daughter of D`Vinn declares that his cowardice shall be rewarded.” The Shadow Knight pulled her blade away from the messenger’s neck. “Now get out of my sight before I change my mind about your fate.” The messenger departed quickly upon his errand quite relieved to still have his head upon his shoulders. The Shadow Knight wiped the small amount of blood from her sword and put it back in its scabbard. The Shadow Knight removed the violet armor of her mother’s house that she wore and carefully put it on its stand. “R`Lith!” She shouted. A few minutes later an elder male Teir`Dal also dressed in violet entered the room and knelt before the Shadow Knight.
“Yes Mistress.” He said, keeping his eyes to the floor. “What is your bidding?”
“Take my armor and have it cleaned. It’s reeks of Koada`Dal blood.”
“As you wish Mistress.” R`Lith took the stand with the armor and left the room. R`Lith had served her mother’s house for several generations and had done so quite faithfully. The Shadow Knight entertained the idea of raising his salary. She would discuss that with her mother. It had been a long day so the Lady took a quick bath and went to her bed. As she lay naked with her sword next to her, she thought about having a male brought in to pleasure her but decided against it. She rolled over on her side, draped her arm over the hilt of her sword and drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 2: Sanguine
The creature slipped into the room quietly and saw his target in her bed. This creature had once been Teir`Dal but was now something else. Neither living nor dead and it had an insatiable thirst for blood. He came here to feed but when he saw her naked on the bed he decided he would turn her instead. He silently crept closer to her until he got within striking range. He stood there for a moment looking at her back until suddenly she sprang up from her bed, her sword slicing the air toward him. He could not move out of the way fast enough. The sword sliced his chest open. The Teir`Dal maiden then spun around and thrust the sword through his heart. A normal blade would not have harmed this creature but the enchanted blade swung by this mistress of death could and did. The creature fell over dead at the maiden’s feet. R`Lith, upon hearing the commotion came rushing through the door. Upon seeing his mistress’ naked form he lowered his eyes to the ground.
“I am sorry Mistress,” he said, “I heard a noise and thought I should make sure you were well and safe.” The maiden grabbed the silken robe that was hangin on a hook next to her bed, put it on and tied the sash in front.
“R`Lith, you may look upon me now. Get this body out of here. Sanguine! Oh how they disgust me. They are a disease upon our people. I hate them more than I do the Koada`Dal.”
“As you wish Mistress.” R`Lith left the room and sent a couple of other servants in to retrieve the body for disposal. The maiden sat on the edge of her bed, lost in thought for a few minutes.
Sanguine! Scum of Norrath! It was a curse that had been plaguing the Teir`Dal for some time now. Many Teir`Dal were converted against their will. Still, though, there were those who chose embrace the curse and become followers of Mistmoore. The priests and priestesses of the temple were working hard to find a way to remove the curse. Spies had reported that all clergy everywhere were working on the cure. This curse had even found its way among the Koada`Dal and threatened to engulf all of Norrath in its evil. These creatures were very similar to vampires but worse. They were smarter. The only two cures that the maiden knew for this curse was a stroke of her blade or one of her enchanted arrows through the creatures’ hearts.
The Sanguine that had attacked her had been stalking her for the last few nights. She knew he was there and knew that he would come for her. She did not know if he was going to try to turn her or just feed off of her but she did know that she would not let either happen if she could help it. She had to let this one get close so she could strike. Ever since Queen Christanos denounced this new culture as a disease upon the Teir`Dal, the maiden had devoted herself to hunting these creatures. Most times she would lure a male to her room with the promise of some intimacy and then slay it on arrival. They may be undead with a thirst for blood but they still had other urges too and those urges are what the maiden played upon. The bodies were taken to the fire pit on the bottom floor of the house to be destroyed.
The maiden closed her windows and reset the magical wards that would alert her if anyone entered. The huntress cleaned her blade, put the robe back on the hook beside her bed and drifted back off to sleep with her sword beside her.
Chapter 3: Becoming The Huntress
D`Nar Vel`Dynn was not of royal blood but her family was among the upper class of Neriak’s families. Her mother served as a member of Queen Christanos’ Royal Guard. Sviri Vel`Dynn went to Crushbone seventeen circles ago and spent quite a bit of time with Ambassador D`Vinn. When she found out that she was with child, Sviri returned to Neriak until the child was born. Sviri returned to Crushbone with the child to show D`Vinn his daughter, but he spurned the two of them and had them thrown out of the fortress. Sviri raised D`Nar with the help of the house staff. D`Nar was enrolled in the Shadow Knight Academy as soon as she was old enough to hold a blade. She advanced through her training a little slowly at first but after the second circle of training she caught on quickly and soon learned to excel in the art of the sword and the bow. D`Nar loved to hunt her targets. She would sometimes stalk them for days before moving in for the kill. When she graduated from the Academy, D`Nar celebrated by scoring her first Paladin kill in Lavastorm Mountains. D`Nar then entered the service of Queen Christanos. When the Queen made her denouncement of the Sanguine culture, D`Nar requested to be released from the service of the Queen to hunt and exterminate these creatures. The request was granted and D`Nar began her career as a Huntress.
D`Nar despised her father for treating her mother the way he did but then that is a rather common thing among a people who know only hate. Still, the death of her father should not go unpunished. It was a matter of honor, not her father’s but her own. Ambassador D`Vinn had been slain by a Human Paladin. D`Nar would have to hunt this one down after she dealt with Crush.
Chapter 4: A New Hunt Begins
The huntress woke early and began her normal routine. She went to her training room and worked out for a couple of hours. D`Nar took a quick bath afterward and went to see her mother, Lady Sviri. After the meeting with the elder Vel`Dynn, D`Nar returned home to pack for her journey to Crushbone. D`Nar took the portal to New Tanaan and then went to the portal there to Felwithe. The portal near Felwithe was seldom patrolled unlike the one near Kelethin. The Shadow Knight carefully avoided all creatures of the forest as she made her way to Crushbone. When she got to the main gate, the Orc Guards seeing that she was a Teir`Dal, let her in without challenge. D`Nar walked into the throne room and found Emperor Crush sitting on his throne. As soon as Crush saw that she was a female Teir`Dal, he knew who she was. The Orc monarch ordered his guards to attack her but they perished quickly to the skilled blade of the Shadow Knight. Crush fled the citadel and was running for the gates when D`Nar drew her bow and put an arrow through his head. The other Orcs, seeing this Lady Knight of Shadow in action, trembled in fear of her and bowed down. D`Nar grabbed one of the Legionnaires.
“Tell me of the Human Knight that came here and killed Ambassador D`Vinn.” Lady Vel`Dynn demanded.
“He is called Shadowbane.” Said the Orc. “He has been a thorn in the side of our people for a long time in Greater Faydark. The Ambassador killed his Father many circles ago. He has not been seen in the forest for several weeks now.”
“Well then since he was probably here just to kill my father, he has probably moved on. Why did you not protect the Ambassador?”
“Shadowbane is too powerful for us now. He kills Orcs as easily as you killed the Emperor.”
“Run.”
“What?”
“Run. I take one shot. If I miss you live. If not then, well, you know.” The Orc ran as fast as he could. D`Nar drew another arrow and sent it through the Orc’s heart. D`Nar addressed the remaining Orcs. “If Shadowbane returns to the Greater Faydark, you are to send word to me. If you fail, then many more of you will die as easily as these have this day.” D`Nar left the fortress and returned to her home.
Chapter 5: Revelation
It was a room that was seldom used in the house these days. The sickly green bricks glowed eerily. Several torture machines were placed along the south wall of the room and along the north wall were several bookcases filled with books. In the middle of the room was a small rolling table as well as a chair. The Teir`Dal female was hanging by her wrists with a chain that came down from the ceiling.
“She is in here Mistress.” Said R`Lith as he opened the door for D`Nar. “I left her as undamaged as possible.” The Shadow Knight entered the room clad in her violet armor and gracefully walked to the captive Teir`Dal. The captive had a few bruises and scratches, indicating that she did not submit to R`Lith peacefully. D`Nar walked around the hanging Teir`Dal examining her. She was still quite youthful in her appearance and would have made a nice living in any brothel in the city. D`Nar completed her circle around the captive and looked into her obsidian eyes.
“You will tell me all you know about me and who you passed that information on to.” D`Nar hissed venomously at the hanging Teir`Dal. “How you tell me will be up to you. Know that your life is forfeit either way.” D`Nar pulled her Katana from its scabbard and swung it around, stopping it suddenly at the captive’s throat. “I can make your death quick and almost painless or I can do it the slow way.” D`Nar pulled the cover off of the small table, revealing some small instruments of torture. “It matters not to me but know that I have forgotten more about dispensing pain than you will ever know.”
“There will be no need for those measures.” Said the captive. “I hold no loyalty to who I passed the information on to beyond the coin she put in my pocket. I know of your activities concerning the hunting of the Sanguine and I know of the death of your father and your subsequent desire to kill the one who took his life. The one I gave the information to is Inspector Licinia DuQeynos of Qeynos.”
“It is amazing that you know of my Sanguine hunting when even they know not who hunts them. I am sure by now that Shadowbane knows that he is to be hunted and by whom. I suppose it would be in my best interest to just issue the challenge to him and invoke the code. I have just reconsidered my thoughts on your demise. If you can tell me how I may send a message to Shadowbane, I will give you a chance to live.”
“There is an abandoned barn in the Plains of Karana. The leader of one of the Sanguine covens discovered it recently. You may leave a message there and I am sure someone will pick it up and get it to Shadowbane.”
“Very well then. R`Lith, open a portal to the forest for us.”
“Yes Mistress.” Replied R`Lith. D`Nar released the captive from her bonds as R`Lith cast the spell that opened the portal to Nektulos Forest.
“Run to the Commonlands, Lavastorm or Neriak’s Gates, I care not. If you can evade me and make it to either of those locations then you shall live. If not then, well, you know.” With that, D`Nar threw the Teir`Dal through the portal. “R`Lith, Fetch my bow and quiver.”
“Yes Mistress.” R`Lith bowed and left the room to return a few minutes later with the Shadow Knight’s bow and quiver. D`Nar took the items from her servant and stepped through the portal.
It did not take long for the Huntress to figure out which direction her quarry took. D`Nar called her trusty steed to her and mounted up to begin the hunt. In a matter of minutes D`Nar caught sight of her target. The Shadow Knight reined her mount and drew her bow. D`Nar took careful aim before sending her deadly missile through the fleeing Teir`Dal’s neck. The female fell to the ground and died. D`Nar returned to her home and sent R`Lith to retrieve the body.
“What shall be done with this one, Mistress?” Asked R`Lith as he deposited the wrapped up body at his mistress’ feet.
“Have it delivered to Licinia DuQeynos when I return. I am going to that abandoned barn in the Karanas. Be sure to have it well preserved. I do not want it rotting in my house while I am away.”
“As you wish, Mistress.” R`Lith took the body to be prepared and D`Nar fetched her traveling cloak. Traveling to the Karanas was not as difficult these days as it had been in the past. The wizard’s council in New Tanaan had decided to add a portal to World Arena. The exit from the Arena went to Lake Rathetear and Lake Rathetear connected to the Southern Plains of Karana. The Huntress drew shadows to herself to render herself invisible to the guards at the bridge to the Northern Plains. D`Nar had no trouble finding the barn that the spy had referred to. D`Nar arrived at the abandoned barn and looked around cautiously. The barn had seen some use recently but not to hold livestock of any sort. After making sure that no one was around, she lowered the hood of her traveling cloak. She lit the candle that was sitting on the table and let it burn for a couple of minutes to build up some molten wax. The Teir`Dal poured a small puddle of wax on the table and stuck an open parchment to it that read.
Greetings in the name of the Father of Hate;
I am Lady D`Nar Vel`Dynn of the House of Vel`Dynn. I understand that you harbor the one responsible for the death of my father, Ambassador D`Vinn. Now that my business is finished with the cowardly Emperor Crush, I am giving notice that I will hunt down the Human Paladin scum who took my father's life. Not that I held any affection for the bastard, it is a matter of personal honor. Being that Shadowbane is a knight as I am, I hereby invoke the code. If we meet face to face then it shall be one on one to the death. If he will not face me then I will hunt him down like the dog that he is.
In His Name,
Lady D`Nar Vel`Dynn of Neriak.
D`Nar blew the candle out and walked out of the barn, pulling her hood back over her head. The Lady mounted her black steed and rode back to Neriak. The next day R`Lith had the body of the spy sent to Qeynos.