CHAPTER 8
Show mercy to those who,
In their pain and suffering, strike
out blindly at those who
Mean no harm.
-FROM THE BOOK OF ST. ALBANS-
A fresh layer of dazzling white snow crunched under our boots as we made our way through the forest. The first light of dawn filled the air and revealed a forest encased in a thick blankets of winter with heavy patches of fog rising like arboreal ghosts from out of the ground. The air was bitter cold and absolutely still. Dark shadows within the trees created menacing havens for Evil to lurk, and ominously, the forest was as silent as a long-lost tomb of a forgotten king.
Into this deadly stillness the Niscian and I entered. With drawn swords and eyes searching for any possible traps the two of us sought the starving and cold refugees.
Every ne
