in the fall and winter.  Here there is safety in numbers.  The only place
you are even partialy safe is inside the tunnels and inside the encampment.
Melara rules with an iron, though caring, fist.  It is clear she does what
she believes is best.

The other women tales stories of how when melara had first come it was old
human witch who had ruled the women as warden.  The old crone was soft and
had allowed a nursery to form with children as old as five summers hidden
away in the top of the barracks.  It was thought to help morale.  Shortly
after Melara's arrival the guards learned of the nursery and all the
children were taken away not to be seen again.  The witch was hung on the
gallows, her ehad still rests among thsoe skulls dangled from the fortress
walls.  Melara immediately stepped in and took her place.  The witches of
the fortress now make monthly visits to test for those who may be with
child.  they are taken away and returned "cleansed of seed" through arcane
practice.  It is a bloody and draining affair.

Still, you make friends well enough with your unique situation.  Many find
you refreshingly simple for a verrik.  Your talenst at meals also serve you
well, and some see your gift with the green blossoming.  You sue loresight
to entertain as a guessing agme, though you are careful of who you choose.
One such attempt neraly gets a dagger across your throat when you reveal one
sceret too many.  One of those who grows fond of you is Kulea.  A human from
the southlands she teaches of the Green and how others see and hear it.  It
is from her that you learn the fields are indeed fallow in this icey
weather, though there is something in her voice that whispers of a deeper
sadness.  Slowly you learn that the fields, once loved gently by a gifted
Mohj of the Green, now are under Nerull's supervision.  Nerull is an
effective taskmaster and good with the men, but his viscious tatse for women
is barely held in check by Holis, and it makes the fields, once a haven for
the women here, a dnagerous place to serve.

In time you are also introduced to Mystea and Jure, two followers of the
animal spirits, one of the hawk, the later the doe.  They work the mines and
help with the tending of wounds that melara oversees.  That are strong
womena nd grow fond of you, eventually convincing Melara to allow you to
approach Mondross about working with the animals.

Mondross puts you to work immediately, but clearly he is distracted.  He
spends much time arguing with a young loresong who follows the wolf totem
along with Mandross.  In eavesdropping you learn that the young warriors
totem companion was killed only the day before (four days after your
arrival) by Mydral and the pelt taken as offering to Holis.  There is much
afoot in the stockade that yyou are not made privy.  You are shocked to see
that as your companion Na heals, he is inducted into the brotherhood of the
wolf totem.  The pack is growing and you can smell the warnings of blood
upon the air.

The drunkard human sent here with you visits at times, and you are
astonished at home light-hearted he seems.  He passes freely and almost
without concern wherever he goes.  Men talk and joke with him, and he almost
seems to have forgotten that he is imprisoned here.  Almost.  He is too
quick in looking over his shoulder now and then and your senses tell volumes
of his true unease.  He has the look of prey attempting to ignore the hunter
so as to be able to move suddenly when leats expected.

You never see the loresong female and rarely see the human woman except at
night.  She is talkative, but secretive creature, yet even here she retains
and amazing feminie grace and beauty.

The fifth night into the week they come.  The ones you were told about--the
witches and armed men looking over the woman.  they take away nearly a
dozen.  You are shocked that among them is your companion.  After two nights
she is returned--pale, bleeding about her outer womb, and barely concious.

It easy to learn that Holis almost never leaves the tower.  Mydral and
Nerull speak for him and word is that he has chosen another as well.  Nerull
and Mydral have tracks that lead everywhere, though Nerull seldom frequents
the mines and Mydral seldom frequents the women's encampment.  Neither make
trips to the Liorian and Mohj encampment.

The Litorians travel out in packs no fewer than five when outside their
encampments, and you ahve yet to see a Mohj in daylight.   You can smell
their tracks though.  One still frequents the field almost nightly, and many
frequent an abandoned tunnel not far from their encampment with the
Litorians.

You have no success in finding anything that Holis values, though one night
you do see an armed group of men come from the fortress to the tower.   They
remain for a couple of hours and then leave.  You note little about them,
but are certain that one wears a purple robe with strangle silvery
engravings.  You mention it once to Kulea, who goes ashen and insists you
never speak of such again.