Prologue; Fear the Dead

He could still remember it clear as day, the trek of a continent's length, the cold winds, watching from his room as the foam gathered up along the shoreside. 

The Royal Lady of Ravendal at the time had remained in House Ravendal. And it so happened that the timely Lord Durham had honorably fallen in combat. Gerdrick smiled, thinking fondly of a time without worries. He recalled every second of his stay in Lion's Cradle, resting in their beds, comforting Lady Durham. He could still feel her soft skin as he moved his hands down her body. He could still smell the air from the sea as his lips met those of Lady Durham. He could still draw out every inch of her body. The oh so gorgeous Lady Aecor Durham.

After every night the two lovers spent together, Gerdrick would hear Lady Durham boast about the craft making skills of her maiden's and servants. 

Until Lord Ravendal received a gorgeous cloak, embedded with gold knitted knots and boasting a body of ebony raven hide, soft as Cira Aecor Durham's skin. 

"The cloak, here." Blun begrudgingly handed over his old General's cloak. The Ravendal brother had not been on the battlefield for years, being demoted from his position four years ago, yet Lord Ravendal allowed him to keep the old cloak. 'A remembrance of consequence' he called it.

Gerdrick carelessly ripped the cloak out of Blun's hands, stretching its fabric. Blun too cared greatly for his cloak, yet the Lord's say was final. He slowly turned his head, away from his prized possession being filthed by the man he saw as a devil. 

Even the young Thorley could sense the tension present here, 't was like a thick mist, clouding both men's judgment. 

Lord Ravendal lightly grunted as he threw the cloak over his shoulder, covering the sharp edges of the gate. "Word is that the dead walk here." Gerdrick hopped over the gate. "Let's try an' avoid joining them, shall we?" 

Berard smiled. "First the Koborn and now the dead. Losing your edge, Sire?". Gerdrick frowned. "Unless you'd like to have your head placed on the front end of a stick I'd suggest you shut it, Berard." 

"Oh come on Sire, 't was but a joke." Berard grinned, he knew his words had reached far under the Lord's skin. "Where to now? Don't see noth' but a bunch of old sepulchers." 

"The hag spoke of a grave bedded opening into the tomb." Gerdrick lowered himself onto one of the tombstones. "So find it." He adjusted the drape of his long, sable cloak. "Hells. You can't request us to mess with the dead!" Berard exclaimed. 

"We've ridden for too long to turn back now." Gerdrick said. "And I'm not requesting anything. I'm ordering you to start digging." The Lord huffed. "Fine" Berard muttered under the breath of his voice, before covering his eyes with one hand and thrusting his sword into the dirt beside one of the graves. "What's the issue, big man? Never dug into a grave before?" Blun asked as he too began digging. "A first for everything I'd say." 

"Do the dead frighten you, Soldier?" Blun mocked Berard. "It's… No fear, but something else. They disgust me. Those people in there, laying there all pretty. In their fancy graves, in a forest on the fence's edge." Berard scratched the scruff of his neck. "Filth…"

"They're dead. They shan't trouble you no more." Blun whispered mockingly. "Oh but what if they rise up from their graves?" He whispered again. "Me nan told me a story about those buried near the fence. That they'd rise up at night and hunt down those who wronged them. Far worse than Koborn they say. Vengeful beings they are, the undead." Blun chortled. "Oh if you look at that, it appears to be getting a tad bit dark do you not agree?" 

"Dead is dead." Berard's smile had faded. "We have no business with the dead."

Despite himself, he shivered. "Frightened?" Blun asked. 

"It's a cold wind." He answered. 

"What do you reckon killed them, Berard?" Blun asked casually. He dug his sword into another patch of dirt. "Could vary… Not Koborn though," Berard said with iron certainty. 

"I've seen many men who weren't as lucky as these in their demise. The fact that there's enough of them left to put in a grave tells all." He sighed. 

"Experienced man, no?" Blun grinned. "Never suspected you had it in you." 

"FOUND SOMETHING!" The men could hear a faint shouting of the youngling.