The best Inn in DOM in my opinion, is the Nightshade.  The crossroads of danger and depravity.  To be banished permanently from the Shade you'd have to do something pretty foul.  It's the one place that you are expected to watch your own purse.  If it is stolen there, then you are the fool who allowed it to happen.  You could get barred for outright murder, but a deadly bar fight was always a possibility.  And if Hiram the Innkeeper told you to back down, you did - or suffer the mortal consequences.  Your body would never be found and I don't imagine that your kin would come poking around asking questions.  Ah but to steal a fat purse in the Shade was a right of passage for a clever clip.  I had done it I must admit.  It was during the Midwinter Festival a few years back.  Lots of fat purses down here before the Festival of Lights.  Out of towers mostly, trying to prove themselves brave.  More than a few did not go back home I can tell you that.  But I didn't kill no one, just clipped a fatty.  It was easy really.  They think they're watching out for it - but there's just too much going on.  Mine was the Blaadi Icekregger Captain.  Blaad won the game that year and I know it was due to that kregger's anger after having his purse lifted out from under him.  I was long gone when he discovered it.  Japes later figured out it was me and they were cold to me in the Shade for a week or so on account of Dorcer losing, but we eventually all laughed about it.

My need-to-know status with Forcellus was elevated.  "Vin" he said as we came to a stop before the locked door leading to the underground "we need to know how it is down there.  Go check it out and come back.  We need to know if there are Morits.  Don't get caught if there are."  I was pretty sure that he did not need to give me than advice, but I nodded.  "Come back tonight" he said quickly.  I added "and make sure I'm not followed" trying to hide the hint of sarcasm.  I'm the better soldier here, I thought.  I'm on home turf.  But I did not say so.  Forcellus looked at me for a moment.  I could tell that he was momentarily anxious that I might give away the game so I placated him and said "don't worry, I'm your best man below and I am your man."  My sincerity was as pure as I could manage.  It seemed to work. Just before I went Zef spoke up "No one talks to the Morits about the entrances to the underground, but they probably know there are lots of them".  he said this like an admission of guilt.  I could tell he felt bad about the squealing the Fortan Guild probably did.  He was a member of the Font, you see.  The Black Font is the Fortan clan's strong arm.  Eli separated himself from his father's Corvarran bluster by latching onto a rival clan.  What Eli would not dare tell his dear dad is that the Font would've had his tavern long ago if not for his joining them.  The City Guilds are run by the Fortans and the Font does their rough duty.  They can make a business suffer pretty bad if they want to, and a Corvarran tavern at the end of a Dorgat bridge would make them want to.  I knew this too, but speaking of it can get you barred from the Tooth, and that would never do.

And so the door closed behind me and I was alone.  I stood there letting my eye grow to the darkness, which was more complete than I remember.  In better days there would be the glow of lamps along the way hidden behind thick glass windows no bigger than your fist.  The Tooth had dowsed theirs.  I should be able to see across the street to Boros Saddlery from here, but I could see nothing.  Still, there was only one way to go from here, and that was north to Soubridge and so I began to walk, feeling my way.

Next: The Bailey

My son, I cannot tell you how happy I was when our little boat finally found the correct shore.  As you probably know Lake Efrem Dorcer is vast.  Forcellus, Guwek and I were only traveling across the narrow portion of the lake as it approached the city, but it still took us all night.  We rowed as a blanket of snow descended upon us, traversing the current that would have naturally carried us toward Norgat. Finally spotting land we rowed toward it - only to discover that we were approaching Dorcer Island with the castle wall before us.  At that point we were faced with going back out and rowing directly against current to travel further south.  We had all taken turns with the oars, though but probably none bested Guwek in distance covered.  If Morits had attacked us upon our arrival in Sougat, we could not have lifted a sword much less swung it.  Well, at least I couldn't have.  Luckily for us the snow did not let up, and the shore of Sougat near Guidries Landing was deserted.

The longest night of my life was still not over, but continued into the next day as light started creeping into the clouds revealing a world sheathed in white.  Beautiful, but more beautiful would be my own bed.  We trudged on, bringing our knees up nearly to our chests in many places in order to walk.  When we reached My shack on the land of Heston Coros, we were too tired to skulk.  We simply entered and collapsed.  I graciously offered Forcellus my bed in the loft, he ungraciously accepted.  So much for my dreams. 

We slept until noon.  The view from my cabin door was spectacular, but only if you were not going anywhere.  I somehow doubted that Forcellus would be content to enjoy the comforts of my humble abode for very long.  And in truth, I really had no food to speak of.  I had not been home since the invasion - having spent nights at Janos' farm in Wesgat.  "Let's go to the Tooth" said Forcellus clomping down the stairs from my loft.  Not sure that's such a good move, I thought.  So close to Sou'bridge.  Surely it must be watched.  But then again, there was a good excuse to bundle up.   Who would recognize Forcellus covered head to toe in skins?  Indeed he still had the bear pelt from my bed wrapped around him.

The Broken Tooth Inn is the favorite of Sougat farmers.  Or rather Sougat Corvarran landowners who employ farmers.  Here they get to talk as if they themselves till the fields, which they don't.  The average farmer could not afford the Broken Tooth, and would more likely turn up at the Ox and Mule on Gendry St.  But I digress, the Tooth is a good Inn, and Forcellus was buying the drinks. 

The Inkeeper of the Tooth is Eli Zavras.  He's a Veil, but he's also an arrogant bastard who imagines himself an equal to Heston Coros and the other Corvarran landowners because he has some famous Corvarran in his family tree.  He only owns an Inn and a few stables.  "This legendary Inn has been Corvarran since the Dorcer Kingdom began" he is overly fond of saying in that nasal voice of his.  I guess you can tell that I like the Ox better, but neither is my favorite.  It was not old Eli that Forcellus probably meant to speak to, but his more approachable son Zef.  We did not discuss the matter, but the Tooth does have an entrance to the underground.  I was suddenly on a need-to-know basis with Forcellus.  If he got in with Eli, I would be outranked as far as the Veil goes.  I wouldn't complain.  I already had quite the adventure - and I suppose canoodling with a cutpurse might dent his image.  Besides, I knew that I would find it hard to stomach aristo small talk for very long.

Next: The Nightshade

"There will be no help by sea" said Karsh Petros.  He, Tirian, Veltek and a room full of councilors murmured dissatisfaction.  "Portha has turned traitor to the crown.  We have no more navy." 

Tirian had never felt so tired.  Even the direness of the situation did not stop him from nodding off at one point.  The last four days had been grueling.  They had left the rented hut in Northway and went north as snow began to fall.  They made it to a lonely farmhouse and paid the inhabitants to spend the night.  They had never seen a Raylan before, but somehow never imagined that their visitor was the famous Tirian.  In the morning they paid the farmer handsomely for a mule to carry their packs and they hiked off into the snow.  "We have to get to Corvarras fast - we are nearly out of funds" he had said to Veltek, and worried how they would get there if there were no ship in New Dorcer prepared to take them.  The mule turned out to be more hinderance than help.  They found themselves longing for old Nan "at least she's easier to push" grumbled Veltek who resorted to touching him with Shock to keep him going.

The snow was up to their knees when they reached the villiage of New Dorcer.  They sold the mule at a loss, and headed for the docks.  At first they anonymously attempted to bribe the captain of the only merchant ship docked to take them south, and when the only fortune they could amass proved not enough, they identified themselves and appealed to his patriotism.  The man still refused, "I'll drown the head of the Church of Unity if we go out in this and I'll be hanged" said the man.  Tirian knew that it was merely an excuse to keep from going.  In the end, Veltek had to intimidate the man with a well placed Energy Bolt which had them quickly on their way.

The going had indeed been rough.  The Great Sea was choppy and visibility was non-existent.  They took on water, and had even exposed themselves briefly to a Morit warship, but thanks to the blanketing snow they were able to change course apparently undetected.  They entered the Straits of Isban in the dark.  The snow lessened to a degree as they meandered south and they were occasionally able to follow starlight.  Sailing all through the night and the following day, they arrived in the port city of Corvarras, the capital of the Grand Dukedom of Petros in the evening.  Once there, they went immediately to Castle Corvarras and were ushered in to see Grand Duke Karsh Petros, the young son of King Lythe Methlin Petros II.

In the great hall of Castle Corvarras, Karsh continued his tirade, now standing.  "Moritania controls the sea lanes if Portha is lost to us.  The autumn will insure that we have no overland help until spring, when Moritania will doubtless send more ships and men.  We need to plan ahead.  If they cut off reinforcement by sea, all help of any size will have to march south through Fortan and across the Fortan mountains .  If they reinforce that pass, and the two coastal passages at north and south, they can keep us at bay for quite some time."  Tirian was awake again - long enough to have heard the gist.  "My lord" he said.  "Yes master Tirian?"  Stifling an ill-placed yawn, Tirian went on, "what if we take the city back during the winter?"  Karsh looked at him as if he were mad.  "With what?  You have already told us that the DOM Guard were killed.  Our own stupid laws state that Dorcer cannot have a standing army, so we have no troops!"  "That is true my prince" said Tirian "but Forcellus is there, and the underground is not well patrolled.  We have the Green Veil with us, intact.  There is a limited number of Morit troops, and we have all winter.  Perhaps we can give them a nice midwinter surprise."

Next: Sougat

A mere half hour had passed since Guardsman Guwek Tyno entered our rented hut, yet outside the ground was already sheathed in white.  One look and we knew that our Blaad journey was not to happen.  Guwek called it first by uttering "tank" the Castan word that meant both "it begins" and "it is inevitable."  We had been lucky so far this autumn.  Usually the end of summer is marked by a flurry of snow.  "Tank" meant that no large army would be on the march until spring.  The blasted Morits had timed this perfectly.  Midwinter might see some help perhaps.  Every year a small contingent from the dukedoms and their provinces brave the frozen cold in the dead of winter, when even the snow is too frigid to fall. They come to the capital to convene the Grand Council and for a great festival of tournaments culminating in the grand festival of lights.  It is a massive street party above and below ground.  At least most years it is.  I imagined the Festival to be moot this year.  And yet… the festival is many snowy months away.  Anything could happen between now and then.

Forcellus announced that we would be returning to the capitol.  "We cannot spend the autumn in Northway."  Which is exactly what we would be doing if we stayed even another day.  I did not relish a slog south through the storm, but there was nothing for it.  Wek had said that he had another way into the city besides Norgat.  Ol Nan was in luck, it did not involve a horse, but we were not to be so lucky because it involved a boat.  "We go around to Lake Efrem and take a fishing boat across to Sougat" the young Castan explained.  Forcellus looked interested.  I said "don't we have to pass by guard towers on both sides?  Dorcer castle on one side and the Sougat city wall tower on the other?"  "Yes" he said and pointed out the window of the hovel "in that."  If we managed not to get lost on the lake, we would most certainly be obscured by the sheets of falling white that he pointed at.  "Let's go now." said Forcellus standing.  "We can still reach DOM by nightfall - we'll add darkness to the mix."  Great, I thought.  We're going to end up in Fortan.

And so, out into the near whiteout we marched.  Wind and snow howled around us as we slowly made out way out of town.  We could not be sure that we were not followed, but good luck to them if we were.  I wished that we had someone to follow, as we more than once found ourselves off the road and nearly in a pond or other sign of gross error.  Mercifully the cascading snow let up at one point just long enough for us to catch a glimpse of Mount Fortan, showing us where south by southeast was.  And we had walked this road before, there were a few notable trees and small farms that helped us along. 

Darkness was upon us by the time we approached the city.  We avoided the Circle road surrounding the city wall, and cut across farms using hedgerows as guides and rejoined the circle road east of Norgat crossing.  The silence was profound.  Even our footfalls were muffled by the fresh snow.  Dim firelight emanating from farmhouse windows and reflected by the snow provided us with meager cheer and occasional direction.  We were thoroughly exhausted as we finally spotted the black expanse of great lake Efrem to our right.  The harbor house had a light on inside, but the windows were cloudy and obscured by snow.  We felt our way down to the water looking for boats.  We saw several, overturned and blanketed by snow.  There were no oars.  "I hid some beneath the Harbor House" whispered Wek answering my look of concern.  Within minutes we were on the lake and disappearing into the abyss of snow and darkness.

Next: Tirian and Petros

We parted at dawn.  I could tell that the others had spent many hours together and had many adventures.  Their leave-taking was not without emotion.  They all knew that Karek would not be returning to DOM.  He longed to return to his arid homelands.  Tirian too would probably not return until the city was back in the hands of the Dominion, he was too recognizable and Veltek would undoubtedly accompany him wherever he went.  Forcellus and I did not count on either of them returning to the Gaping Maw.

Our first order of business was to head for the Grand Dukedom of Blaad.  We stabled ol' Nan at the Northway Inn intending to procure real horses.  We would have ended up with a peasants purse if we had had to buy the mounts, we had very little actual money left, but we took Bardol partially into our confidence and he agreed to loan us the horses for nothing if we needed them.  Bardol had convinced Forcellus that he was indeed "a true Dorcer man" and so Forcellus had identified himself as a member of the DOM guard showing the innkeeper his Royal Guard chain.  "I've seen another one of those recently" he had said in a low voice as we stood in the stables.  "When… and where?" replied Sir Forcellus.  Bardol eyed us carefully, looking for signs of trickery, but Forcellus possessed such earnestness that it was hard to believe that he would lie.  In truth, he is as he seems. "In the tavern" the barkeep finally said.

Seated in the back corner of the Northway all by himself was a large but youthful red haired Castan man that Bardol pointed out secretly.  He was nursing a finger of ale and looked a little nervous. Every few seconds he would scan the room for others who might discover him.  He was not exactly finessing this, but then I'm an expert and a harsh critic. I doubt the other patrons would have noticed.  Forcellus bought the man an ale and had the wench delivering it also give him a cryptic message "the cleft oak says hello."  The man carefully looked around after the wench departed and caught Forcellus' eye.  Forcellus then left the inn and we walked slowly back toward the rented hovel.  Snow began to float down as we walked.  This was not a good sign.  As we suspected, the man exited the Northway and followed us.

Once inside I stoked the coals of the fire as our stranger knocked and was let in.  "How is it that you are out of the city?" began Forcellus.  Small talk was not his forte.  The man recognized Forcellus.  "Sir" he began "I was sent out to find you by inkeeper Palen.  I am all that is left of the Guard.  By all rights I should be dead.  My entire unit was either killed or taken prisoner.  I survived by a trip to the privy.  Good timing is all.    Then to answer the alarm on Forcellus' face he added "I promise you that I was not followed.  But they are looking for you sir.  Someone recognized you in Norgat and told the Morits.  They are asking around, poking into taverns.  Norgat is not safe for a return sir.  That's what I'm here to tell you."  "What is you name?" asked Forcellus.  "Guardsman Guwek Tyno sir" was his immediate answer.  He was well trained.  Usually the Castan are a independent lot of boorish drunkards, but that may be my Corvarran showing.  "How well known are you, guardsman?  You stand out a bit" said Forcellus.  "I was new to the unit sir.  Only three days in service.  Just out of Forcellus Academy."  "That explains a lot" said Forcellus clearly impressed.  And it did explain a lot, The Forcellus Military Academy at Blaad is the premier military training school in the kingdom.  "You'll serve with me, guardsman" pronounced Forcellus.  The large man beamed "Thank you sir -  yes sir"

Next: Autumn Descends