The forest flashes by you at an incredible rate, the background fading into a blur. Your breath pounds against your chest, and the sweat that covers your body lets the chill of the night air reach to your bones. Faster, and faster still, your legs nagging at you to stop, but stopping is not an option.

Suddenly, the forest opens into a large grassy field. In the middle of the field stands a man in a long black cloak, the night covering his face. The taste of fear and hatred fill you.

"You've come for me, I suppose," the mans echoing voice sounds like the grinding of metal on metal.

Terror fills you as you realize you are surrounded. Strange, wolflike shapes fill the shadows, and other men in long dark cloaks begin to move to join the man.

"You! You killed my mother, and my uncle! You won't see the end of this night!" You scream in rage, charging at the man.

Two hundred yards separate you and the man, and as you being your charge, you sense the wolflike creatures behind you as they begin to follow you. One hundred yards. A man steps out from your left side, but you welcome his heart with your dagger. Fifty yards. A wolf jumps up from in front of you, but you loose a bolt from your crossbow dropping him. Twenty yards. Two more creatures jump at you, but now that your sword is drawn, you cleave through them with ease. Fifteen yards. A man. No man. Ten yards. Two more dark men. Five yards. Good enough.

The slice is clean and true, and separates the man's head from his shoulders. The shadows disappear, and the moonlight shines brighter still. Moving to stand by the mans head, you turn it so you can look into his eyes.

Your uncle's eyes.

You wake, sweating.

Outside, the sounds of celebration fill you. Not used to this city thing. To much noise, to much hustle. Today should be a good day, though, what will all the tournaments, games and parades going on today. This will be the first Festival of Rath you've been able to attend since you went to live with Nicolf.

I miss him already.