Bleddyn Dur, the son of a woodcutter, from western Lenfald, begins his long journey to Stonewald to deliver a load of precious Lenfels silverdorn wood.
Another angle
Here begins the tale...
Bleddyn and his father, Blaidd, have a load of rare silberdorn wood to deliver to Stonewald; but they need to get it to the city quickly. The beautiful and distinctive swirling pattern of the woodgrain fades a week after the tree is cut down, unless it is kept moistened with moon oil. If the wood dries out, it’s not even good for firewood. But if it stays oiled, the color and pattern of silberdorn wood make it the most exquisite and sought-after exotic wood in the known world. This load of silberdorn will bring enough gold to feed the family for the rest of the year.
The night before the two were to set out on their journey, Bleddyn and his father went to the tavern for a celebratory drink. Too much ale made Blaidd’s tongue loose, and he spoke too loudly, attracting the attention of some unsavory characters hanging about the darker recesses of the tavern. As Bleddyn and Blaidd stumbled toward home, they were ambushed. Fortunately, the town blacksmith heard the commotion, and came running to help his friends, swinging his hammer and roaring at the top of his lungs. Two outlaws fell, unmoving, but one managed to flee, disappearing into the night.
The blacksmith helped Bleddyn carry his father back to the cottage. Blaidd would heal, but he was in no condition to make the dangerous journey to deliver the wood. Bleddyn would have to go alone – and quickly, before the outlaw brought more friends.
Just how much did the outlaw overhear? Blaidd reassured his son that he and his mother would be all right – and the blacksmith nodded reassuringly.
Bleddyn harnessed the horse to the loaded cart, carefully setting the small jar of moon oil in a safe place. He hugged his mother, shook hands with this father and the blacksmith, and set off into the night as quietly as he could, and as quickly as he dared.
