Nothliun has never know war and the only reason the village Guard was kept intact was to protect the coast from raiders and the Shadow Wolves.

Vayden had been hunting and killing Shadow Wolves well before his trials of the Guard ,he simply referred to them as *spawn*.The beast that came from the Eastwall mountain ridge in his opinion were unnatural ,foaming at the jowls with eyes not of life but of death and much harder to kill than a whole pack of northern grey wolves.

Beyond the main gate patchy frost glittered in shadowed hollows, but clear morning sunlight touched the village’s stone walls to warm the soul. The road sloped steadily down to the village’s colorful roofs, the Serem River swept around its western flank in a dark blue bow, gilded with silver sun-flash, and the final line of rapids and cataracts foamed white less than a league above the docks. The sails of small craft dotted the Serem's broader reaches below the into the Northern sea, lush farmland stretched away from the river in both directions, and the mighty, snowcapped peaks of the Eastwall Mountains towered far beyond it.

Erasmus,Nothlium’s elder had returned from his hunt and Vayden had grave news for him.

“Erasmus welcome back old friend.” said Vayden. Erasmus waved to Vayden and signaled his escort to continue on inside the gate.
“Vayden my dear friend is all well? “asked Erasmus. “I should be asking you first elder”The Hunt?
Erasmus smiled from ear to ear. “Four doe, two buck and a Spawn!” “not bad for a weeks hunt ey Vayden.” said Erasmus. Vayden laughed and patted the elder on the shoulder ,as he met the elders gaze with his own he whispered in a venomous voice “We have word from Durden,
and your not going to like it.”