Let me start my tale like this. I am a fox, from Dallrychnorre, the northern land. Rachan. That was my name. That was.

I sighed, rolling over in my bed. It was a typical northland bed, a cot, on which there was spread padding, cloth for me. For warriors it was fur, the fur of dead enimies. I pulled the thick, rough cloak over me. It was warm, well, not really warm, but warm for Dallrychnorre. Typically it was below freezing in a Dallrychnorr winter. It was midningt, and I was still not asleep. I was hot, yet if I pulled of the cloak then I would be icy cold. Somting was... wrong. I could feel it. I sat up suddendly, and threw of the cloak. Shivering I got dressed. I pulled on my dove-gray satin tunic, with lintels of yellow velvet. Over that I wore an emerald-green velvet doublet, buckled by a broad black leather belt, studded with bronze. I pulled on my boots, which matched my belt, then stood stock-still. "C'mon Skona! We'd better get about our work here." At first I thought that It was one of the gaurds, calling to the captian of his patrol, but the nme seemed strangly familiar. Skona, Skona. Dear Lord. I clutched at my heart and swayed. Skona Loosestrife! Skona Loosestrife was a ruthless killer, and many believed that he killed only for pleasure. Yet I thought differently. I thought that he raided to gain plunder to trade for stone and slaves, to build his own castle or fort. I seized my navy blue velvet cloak and ran to the door of my room, shouting to my father, the lord of the area, and my two brothers, Blackfire and Llan. "Father! Mother! Llan, Black! Come quickly, Skona Loosestrife! Skona Loosestrife!" Let me expliain how a Dallrychnorr house works. There is a cellar, which stores treasure and food, and in war is where you hide. It also contains the kitchen and eating area. For my family, there was the kitchen, but the eating area was on the ground floor. But anyway, on the ground there was a tower, and the first floor was the office, sitting room, and library. Then came a spare bedroom, which was also a childrens bedroom, then the childrens bedroom, then the master bedroom. For us it was first the longhall, whick had semicircles projecting from the sides, for these supported the tower, then the same rooms in the same order as I have already said. My brothers, Llan and Blackfire, slept in the first childrens bedroom, together, for they were sword-brothers and shared a room. I slept alone, under my parents bedroom, and I preferred it that way. My father, Rakxbrind, appeared on the landing. "What's the matter, Rachan?" "Skona Loosestrife! Skona Loosestrife!" My brothers appeared on the stairs, and already knew what was going on. "Rouse the guard, quickly! Firegild, come down, quickly!" Then he turned to me, and said, "Here, take these." He gave me a chainmail tunic and a sword. "Nay father, I cannea use the sword, It feels not right." "What do you mean? Quickly get on the tunic!" "Nay, the tunic I will put on, yet the sword I cannot use." "Then what will you use?" "The axe!" "Then go get it, quickly now!" I did so, and went to my brothers room, also the armoury. I took from a rack an axe, a fine thing. It had a short oaken handle, reinforced by and iron rod in the center. This rod ended in a spike, which was surrmounted on the top of the axe. Fixed to the shaft were two twin axeblades, sharp as they could be. “Come, Rachan!” My brothers called to me. “We must nay miss the fight!” I grinned, and rushed down the stairs. The fighting that followed was feirce, and I saw a freind of mine, Harkan, fall. After Læn Hærdtræck, he had been my best freind. I raced after Skona, my paws pounding like drums. I bowled into him, and backed off. He came after me, grinning, leering, and raised his blade to kill me. Everything was in slow motion, and it took my mind a while to register that- No! I'm going to die! Then, something silver-black hurtled in front of me, taking the fatal blow that was meant for me. "B- blackf-fire!" I choked out the words with horror and loathing. "Y-you k-k-killed h-him! Noooooo! I'll kill you, you- you- you, scum!" I dived after him, though he stopped me, and pushed me away. "Take this with you!" He called, and threw his dagger at my arm. It caused a jagged cut, and the sharp pommel scraped a second branch, making it look like a jagged fork of lightning. I swelled with rage, somting like bloodwrath. "AND YOU, TAKE THIS WITH YOU!!" I took my dagger and threw it straight at his heart, though, laughing, he sidestepped, and the dagger flew away. Still laughing, he vanished, leaving me to weep over my brothers corpse.