It was a quiet night along the tree-lined banks of the river Eldar, here to the north of the mainlands in the Quadrill Mountains. The air was cool and the sky clear, with only the light of the moon and stars to see by. A light breeze came from the south, carrying with it the seeds of the mighty cottonwoods lining the river, making it look as though a light snow were falling on a quiet winter evening.

Jed had just finished his work in town and was making his way back to the house where he and his parents lived. He guided his horse along the old trail that followed the river from the town of Eldar's Crossing, where he worked, all the way down to the port town of Aridnell, stretching some three hundred miles before it ended. Hundreds of side trails branched off of the main trail here and there, leading to other family's homes out here in the Great Forest. Occasionally, he could here the sounds of laughter drifting down from some of the neighbors' homes, as the families gathered together to call a halt to the day's work. He could even smell the cooking from some of the homes that were a little closer to the river, making him that much more hungry. He hadn't eaten since he left home this morning, except for a piece of pie Master John's wife had given him at lunch break.

Jed was an apprentice to Master John Holdsclaw, the only Blacksmith between Eldar's Crossing and Aridnell. Master Holdsclaw was a nice man but he worked Jed very hard, teaching him the ways of working metals. Jed liked the work and it showed. He was almost done with his training, and he had the arms and muscles that made it obvious that he worked with a forge hammer all day. In a few more years Master John would retire and Jed could take over the business. But that was still a ways off.

For now Jed was happy just helping out, making all kinds of different tools and ornaments for people from all over. Sometimes they would get orders for swords, battle-axes, and long-knives and such. These were Jed's favorites. He had always been intrigued by the stories he heard of heroes and wars and magic and adventure. He always wanted to know when a warrior or a band of elves traveled through town. And each time he and his friends would find the inn where they were staying and sneak in to the common room at night hoping to here more stories of the outside world and the adventures that were to be had.

Jed hadn't traveled much. The furthest he had been from home was an occasional trip with his Pa to Aridnell. He knew the country here around home like the back of his hand though. He and his friends had spent hours and days in the Great Forest pretending to be on one kind of adventure or another. One time he and his best friend William even went as far as Krill's Cave, where it is said monsters and demons live. Of course, they didn't really go much further than the entrance, but it was still something to brag about to the other boys in town.

Turning on to the side trail that led to his home, at least a half mile from any of the neighboring homes, the first thing Jed noticed was the silence. Something was wrong. He should be able to see the lights from the kitchen window by now, but it was dark. Maybe his parents had gone to town, or to one of the neighbors, but not likely. Not without telling him before he left for work this morning.

Jed dismounted from Wind and tied her off on the rail in front of the porch that he and his father had rebuilt just a month ago. The front door was unlocked and Jed walked in to a scene from a nightmare. The house was torn apart.

"Mother?" He called out, quite alarmed, "Father? Are you here?" No answer.

Fearing the worst, Jed searched the house. It was a mess. He had to crawl over upturned tables and chairs. The contents of every drawer in the house were spilled out onto the floor. The kitchen cupboards had been emptied as well. Almost every window in the house was shattered. Every mirror was as well. The back door was in splinters. It looked to have been hacked apart by an ax.

When he went into his parents bedroom he dropped to his knees and screamed...