Original subtitles

19 years have passed

since Szorlok the necromancer slew the gods,

raised an army of the undead,

and was finally defeated by Marek and the Red Thorns.

The events Deirans now refer to as the year of the dead.

In the aftermath, Deirans retook their land

from the tenuous hold of their Vitalion occupiers.

But there's been little in the way of rebuilding.

Instead, the country is largely lawless and disordered.

Communities struggling to survive amongst the ruins.

And Teela's prediction that in the absence of the gods,

magic would soon fade from the world has proven prophetic.

The ways of mages and sorcerers are vanishing.

Only petty witchcraft remains in dark corners of the land.

Ho, there!

Didn't mean to spook your horses.

Now, my name is Rhistel Kriswood.

I'm a marshal of Deira.

And the elf, he's called Leyaris.

Now, these two, well, only introduction they need

is hanging around their stretched necks.

You see, Ley and me,

we've been appointed by the Magistrate's Council

to purge the last of the red and black rat bag

still befouling our otherwise beautiful and free land.

You see this?

Right there, yeah.

That is the marker of Vitalion legion.

No matter where these fikers run, no matter how many years,

they've been marked.

So there's no doubt.

So.

Who are you, friend?

Just a stranger.

All right.

Where are you headed?

Somewhere else.

What you got in your wagon?

That's not your concern.

Is that right?

I gotta tell you, we had a hell of a night

tracking those two bleeders into the valley.

I mean, they put up quite a fight.

You know, Ley and me,

we lost both our horses before our blades tasted flesh.

Bit stranded out here, to be honest.

You know, we could really use a ride to Desolation's End.

Yeah, it's a roadside inn a ways up the mountain.

What you say?

That's out of my way.

I need to make it through Cricket's Pass

before the storm hits.

I've heard of you.

Not just a stranger.

The Stranger, they call him.

Bounty hunter.

Mercenary.

Murderer.

Travels with a black iron wagon.

I'm an apothecary by trade.

By the look of it,

that wagon was built for more than herbs in medicines.

You, uh, you got a bounty capture in there?

Stay away from the wagon.

All right, Stranger.

You see, we've heard of Vitalions still paying good money

to get smuggled out of Deira.

We're awfully close to the border up here.

Could it be some rich Vitalion rotter

you're carrying in there, hmm?

I don't work for the red and black.

Never have, never will.

Well then, there's no reason

why you shouldn't give a Marshall and his deputy a ride!

I could order you, you know?

By authority at a Magistrate's Council.

That authority only gives you the right to kill Vitalions.

You have no command over law abiding Deirans

or their property.

And what if we insist?

You think you can stop both of us with those?

The tips.

- They're soaked in- - Manticore venom.

We'd be dead within 20 heartbeats.

Apothecary, my arse.

Ya bitch bastard!

Your companion's looking a little peaky there, traveler.

Found this boy injured on the road.

He's got the mark of a slave.

Might be someone's runaway.

Gods in their graves.

He's someone's runaway slave, all right.

Mine.

Arlin, bring the crop from the room!

The strong stuff!

Oh, if this one survives, he'll be getting a good beating.

Well, give it here, you daft girl!

Get started on a poultice!

Passed a couple of red and black hunters on the road.

The bloodthirsty kind.

I thought they might have cut the boy up for sport,

but that wound wasn't made with a blade.

- Oh, this is- - Magic.

Dark magic.

Good luck with him.

You're leaving?

I need to make it through Cricket's Pass

before the rest of this storm hits.

Well, you're too late for that by now!

Not with all what's coming down out there.

I'll take my chances.

There's no chances to be given, I assure ya.

We've been on this mountain over 40 years.

I know how she storms.

Unpassable for another day, at the very least.

You have any animals in your barn?

My wagon can't be kept with others.

Why is that?

What you got in it?

Delicate cargo.

I need my wagon untouched.

I need that barn to myself.

Nothing in the barn at the moment.

Likely to stay that way, long as the storm lasts.

I'm Giblock, by the way.

Owner and keeper.

What do they call you?

They call me Stranger.

Arlin here will take you to the barn

and help you stable your horses.

Keep an eye on you.

I'll do it alone, with my horses.

Arlin!

Our Stranger here needs his horses fed in watered.

Just one more moment with Erid.

The cheek on you!

Talking back in front of a guest!

You don't hit her.

You don't lay a finger on them while I'm here.

You returned the boy to me,

so I'll forgive you this once.

But no one tells me what to do under me own roof,

with me own property.

You got that, Stranger?

Let's go.

There you are.

Thank you for bringing Erid back to us.

You have any idea what happened to him out there?

She's good luck.

She keeps the barn clean and the vermin away.

She'll watch over your horses for you.

What's in your wagon?

It's alive.

It's hurt!

It's a dangerous animal, but it can't escape,

so you've nothing to fear from it.

Now, I need you to promise me something.

While I'm here, you won't come into this barn alone.

There may be others that are curious

about the contents of this wagon.

So if your master takes an interest,

or anyone else, for that matter, starts to ask questions,

wants to come in here, you tell me.

Agreed?

Agreed.

Boy's awake.

And he's got a story to tell.

Go on, lad.

Tell him.

The village.

Slaughtered.

Burned to the ground.

I saw the smoke this morning.

He ran away in the middle of the night,

got as far as Lynwith.

He saw the massacre himself.

Tell him what you saw.

A witch.

An, an old woman with a limp.

Half her face fallen and gray.

Who is this witch?

That's Mahitable Crow.

She lives alone on the mountain.

Used to be stories of her learning herself

the old dark magic

but it's been years since she's bothered anyone.

She wanted me dead.

The village is cursed.

The life drained out of them then.

Then, then the whole place caught fire.

She said it was the power of,

of Szorlok.

The necromancer is dead!

Defeated by Marek and the Red Thorns, 19 years ago.

The dark sorcerer was destroyed.

That woman's mad.

- Arlin- - You're safe now, Erid.

No, no, you don't understand.

What is it?

When I got up and ran,

she called to me,

screaming that she'd find me wherever I went.

She swore that I see her again,

before the sun rose the next day.

And that would be the last thing I saw.

Great hills.

She's out there.

She's coming for me.

She's coming tonight.

You're safe here.

You're home, we won't let anything happen to you.

Aye, lad.

Nothing to fear now.

Take this.

It will help you sleep.

Go on, lad, drink it.

Do your nerves good.

I think me own nerves could do some good doing to as well.

This Mahitable Crow, she know who the boy belongs to?

Would she know to find him here?

I don't know.

I never said word one to the woman.

Seen her shape across the mountain once a year.

Maybe smoke from her chimney on occasion.

You said it's been years since she bothered anyone.

What was it like when she did?

He's asleep.

Oh, good.

Best thing for him.

What now?

What are we going to do?

Do?

The witch, if she's coming here.

She's an old crone!

Walks with a limp.

I can hardly believe she made it down to Lynwith,

or making the climb up here in this storm.

Whatever happens, will you protect Erid?

Please protect him.

No evil will harm the boy tonight.

Even the hardiest of wayfarers

won't be brave in this weather.

Trust me, you're the last traveler

who'll have darkened this doorway before tomorrow.

Help me with the boy.

I'll take him to the larder.

Erid, come here.

Don't answer that door until I come back.

I'm coming!

Keep your undies on!

Who's there?

It's us, you bastard!

Who?

Rhistel and Ley.

You in the business of keeping inn or not?

We're soaked to the bone out here, Gib!

Anyone else out there with ya?

Well, there's a couple of Vitalion legions-

No, we're all alone!

All right.

Pissing buckets out there!

Your welcome's gotten a little cold

since last we lodged with you, Gib!

We wasn't expecting

to see anyone coming in out of that tonight.

You!

Well, isn't this just perfect.

Thought this place was too far out your way,

you lyin' sack of slop!

And how did the two of you make it up here

without your horses?

We fickin' hoofed it on our own two feet.

What's left of 'em, anyway,

between the boot rot and the blisters.

Ugh, not sure what's left once I take this boot off.

Oh, my poor dearies.

If I lose a toe 'cause of you,

I will cut yours in your sleep tonight.

There'll be no threat-swearin' under this roof, huh?

Or you'll be right back out there in that cold wet.

Oh, you got anything warm to eat, Gib?

I am dog hungry.

Ah, the lass will have soup ready not too long.

I can have her bring it to you,

if you wanna wait for it in your bed chamber.

No, I'll do my waiting right in front of that fire,

thank you very much.

Fine then.

You two know of any goings on down at Lynwith this morning?

I know what I seen

from across the valley before the storm hit.

It's burnt to the ground, mate.

Whole damn village.

You weren't close enough to see what happened.

Uh, no.

Had our hands full

with a couple of rascally Vitalion fikers,

as this man can attest.

Why?

What have you heard?

He saw the smoke, same as you.

Did you see anyone else coming from that direction today?

Well, besides you?

No.

How about tonight?

Anyone else coming up the mountain towards this end?

In that storm?

Well, you can't see shite out there mate!

I mean, I couldn't see Ley's arse in front of me face

when the lightning flashed.

Why?

You, uh, you expecting a guest coming in

outta that wet hill tonight, Gib?

Not expecting a damn soul.

I'm sorry I didn't go with you, Erid.

Two more borders for the night.

I'll turn the soup.

What are you doing when you touch his forehead like that?

It's all right.

I won't tell anyone.

It's a gift.

Sometimes when I touch people,

I see the things they want to hide.

What do you mean?

It's like my way with animals.

But when it comes to people,

I see what makes them different from animals.

I see their shame.

Animals don't feel it.

Pain, they can feel, fear, grief, even.

But animals don't feel shame, only people.

- Arlin. - Hm?

Do you know anything more

about what happened at Lynwith?

No.

Only, I know why Erid went there

to find the grave of his parents.

So he's been planning to run away for a while?

We both have.

I'm not ungrateful.

I'd imagine Giblock's a fairer master than many

when he's not been drinking

but Erid and I always wanted to see more of the world.

When it came to it, though, I didn't have the courage.

And, and I thought if I didn't go, he wouldn't either.

I told myself I was protecting him, but I was just a coward.

Don't be hard on yourself.

Your fate might have been like the rest of Lynwith

had you have gone with him.

Do you think it's true?

That the witch has found a way

to harness the power of death, like Szorlok?

I don't know much about that sort of thing.

But you were in Deira during the year of the dead.

Mm-hm.

Was it as horrible as they say?

What did they say?

They say it was an unimaginable hell.

That sounds about right.

Did you ever meet Marek?

Marek of the Red Thorns?

She defeated Szorlok.

She was a slave, did you know that?

A runaway.

I, I heard that.

Every guest that comes to Desolation's End,

I ask them for their accounts of the year of the dead.

If they've ever met Marek or Dagen.

If they know their stories.

But it's Marek I most like to hear of.

Most just repeat stories they've heard from others.

Some claim to have met her themselves

but most of those are probably lying.

But every tale I hear, I write down in this.

That's what Erid and me dreamed of.

We wanted to be like the Red Thorns.

They didn't leave the world the way they found it.

They sacrificed for the good of others.

They saved us.

Sometimes, I wonder if we were worth saving.

Tell me, what do you see from the boy?

What's his shame?

I think every orphan is the same.

The shame of being an orphan.

Arlin, the soup!

Sir, I said animals don't feel shame like people do.

There's one animal that does.

Only one I've come across my whole life that does.

And which animal is that?

The one you're keeping in your wagon.

How much coin you got stashed away here, huh?

'Cause I noticed you ain't spent much on upkeep.

You run this soup so thin,

you can read a book through it.

If you knew how to read.

Keep laughing, knife ears.

Shouldn't surprise you to hear I'm scraping by, lad.

No, I don't believe you, Gib.

There is a misers hoard here somewhere.

Believe it or don't, but it's true.

Desolation's End is a ghost to what it used to be.

Who the hell is out here tonight?

I guess there's someone even unluckier

than you and me, Ley.

You gonna open the door, Gib?

What, you've gotten too feeble

to slide the bar yourself, old dwarf?

Aye.

Who's there?

Master Dwarf!

My name is Aymon Thadruck,

I have a young woman with me who's been injured.

We're both in need of shelter tonight.

Drop your head.

What?

So I can see your faces.

Good evening.

And the woman?

Anyone else out there with ya?

I would hope not, on this trip tonight.

Welcome to Desolation's End.

Please warm yourself by the fire.

Thank you, good dwarf.

And hello to you.

As I said, my name is Aymon Thadruck.

This young woman is Resma Nigh.

You're hurt.

I came upon a village this morning.

Massacred, burnt to the ground.

Poor woman was the only survivor.

- Lynwith? - Yes.

We heard none survived.

Who did you hear it from?

Let's get Arlin to see to this.

Master dwarf, my horse is in need of stabling.

I trust you have someone that can feed 'em water.

Aye, that can be arranged.

And there is another matter.

We'll discuss that later, all right?

May I?

This wound,

it's not a burn.

It's dark magic.

I've seen something like it

in the northern tribes of my people.

Such wounds are difficult to heal.

Was it the witch of the mountain, then?

The witch was there, to be sure.

All night.

My sleep was full of terrors.

Then I woke to a nightmare.

Everyone dead.

Everyone but me.

Ghastly, the state of that village when I came upon it.

Dead in the road, in the homes, in the beds.

Young and old alike.

By some miracle, this woman was spared.

Fate, I suppose, led me to her.

Who is this witch in a mountain you're talking about, Gib?

Mahitable Crow.

An old recluse.

Lynwith was once her home

'till 17 years ago when she was banished.

Banished for what?

Evil.

They say she was a healer.

Quite skilled at it too.

'Till the year of the dead.

She saw Szorlok's power

and became obsessed with necromancy herself.

Determined to resurrect the children

she'd lost in their infancy.

She was deeper, darker,

she delved until she went mad with it.

The villagers, they got wise to her witchcraft

and forced her to leave.

But that weren't the end

of Lynwith's trouble with her, was it?

- The beast? - Aye.

Not one moon after Mahitable Crow left,

a monster came to Lynwith.

Killed more than a dozen villagers

before they drove it out.

Now, you tell me that weren't the witches doing.

Perhaps this morning were a new

and final act of vengeance on the village.

But why now?

The gods below only know.

I did the best I could.

You've got some skill there.

Where are you from, Gray Beard?

I'm from Gelton.

You're a long way from home.

What brought you to the valley?

What's that?

Or, wasn't with your destination?

Oh, no.

Um, I'm hunting Elk.

Elk?

Yes, a favorite hunting ground of my youth.

Sort of a pilgrimage to my glory days.

Any luck?

Hm?

The hunt.

No, but I think providence

has found me more a worthy purpose.

Master dwarf, my horse is still out

in the wind and the rain.

It'll be ruined by morning if it's not suitably shuttered.

Arlin, the man's horse.

Take it to the barn.

Let the girl stay put.

I'll stay with your horse.

Very good, fine.

Yes, thank you.

Let me do it.

I'll stable the man's horse.

You can't go out there alone.

Not tonight.

I don't want you leaving Erid.

I don't trust this man, Aymon.

He's hiding something.

I don't know what it is,

but he's desperate not to be found out.

Anyway, if the witch is coming here,

it's Erid she's after, not me.

It should be me that goes.

Straight back.

And stay away from the wagon.

That's a well-crafted hilt at your side, Gray Beard.

The rest of a sword is as masterfully made?

My name, again, is Aymon Thadruck.

This was a gift from Roghar,

when I commanded the sixth cavalry.

Roghar?

You fought the armies of the dead?

Defending Deira from the necromancer's hoards

has been my life's highest honor and privilege.

How long after the attack this morning

did Aymon find you there?

I can't be sure.

Two hours, perhaps.

And the decision to come here to Desolation's End,

was that your idea or his?

He said it was the nearest place to seek shelter.

Is it painful?

Your arm?

The girl's a natural healer.

Tell me, did you hurt your leg this morning as well?

I notice you favoring your left when you walked in.

No.

Something I've had since a child.

A bad foot.

I once had a friend with a similar ailment.

Stranger.

You have that right, that's what you prefer to be called.

Now, I've heard the colorful story

of what brings the marshal and his elf deputy

to Desolation's End tonight.

May I hear yours?

I'm just passing through.

Oh, come now.

Indulge an old man who enjoys hearing the wayfaring tales

of his fellow Deirans.

Yeah, The Stranger is a ruthless bounty hunter.

Oh!

So, we all have come hunting, it would seem.

Whose bounty are you currently after?

I'd rather not speak of it.

Yeah, he'd rather not say

because he's got him caged in his wagon

in that barn out there.

Ain't that right, Stranger?

Must be a hell of a bounty too.

Won't let anyone near it, nor tell the man's name.

Am I to understand,

you have a live prisoner out there in that barn,

in this cold?

You realize, come morning, you may have killed the man.

You told me nothing of this, lad.

It's not a man, it's a wild animal.

And the barn shelter is plenty.

A wild animal?

And my mare has just been sent to share its roof?

It's shackled and caged.

Your horse is fine.

You'll be safe and warm here.

Are you cold?

Hungry?

Can you hear me?

I hear you.

You're, you're not an animal at all!

Don't be so sure.

Who are you?

Was that Lynwith?

Lynwith?

What do you know of Lynwith?

Are you the beast?

The, the one that witch summoned years ago

for her vengeance on the village?

There's little I know, before.

Before?

Before the curse.

Was it Mahitable Crow?

Did she curse you?

I.

I can't.

I can't remember.

What can you remember?

A child, a girl.

Her mother was killed.

Stop.

Stop asking me to remember!

Was there any indication this morning

where Mahitable Crow may have headed to?

Whether she continued down the valley,

or back up the mountain?

No.

Did you see anyone on the mountain road

on your way up here tonight?

No, but truthfully, it was hard to see anything at all.

Well, you two asked me and Ley the same question.

What's this about?

They think the witch is coming here.

Oh, gods in their graves, that is what you think.

Now, what the hell is going on here?

What are you not telling us?

That witch, coming here, what for?

Is it true?

If you've reason to suspect it even a possibility,

I think we deserve to know.

I found Giblock's slave boy injured on the road,

and I brought him here.

He was down in Lynwith and saw the whole thing.

But before he escaped, the witch made a threat.

A threat?

She said she'd find him by night's end.

Kill him.

You mean to tell me

that that witch that just massacred an entire village

using dark magic and hellfire is making her way here?

There's no reason to believe that the witch

even knows where he's from, let alone where he went.

What's more, it's storming so hard right now,

the old crone couldn't make it up here if she wanted to.

Ah, well, these two just made it here.

And they ain't got powers beyond the natural.

Where's the boy now?

Resting.

Given Mahitable Crow's story,

I can make some cruel sense of her attack on the village,

but the boy is just a runaway.

Why would she be so determined to go after him?

Apparently he was born in Lynwith before he was orphaned.

Could, could I speak with the boy?

Perhaps our families knew each other.

Once he awakes.

You folks are acting like this is all well and good!

There is a murderin' mad hag out there

who's more than likely on her way to this inn tonight!

We will deal with the witch if she comes.

- Oh, really? - Yes, really.

That's all we can do.

Well, you know what me and Leyaris are gonna do?

If that witch comes here raising hell,

we're gonna offer her to boy

in exchange for her leaving in peace.

That's really your position as a marshal of Deira?

It is, Gray Bear.

Quiet!

Listen.

It's Arlin.

You sure about that?

Arlin, that you?

Yes, sir.

Anyone else out there with you, lass?

No, sir.

Uh, you see anything out there, sweetheart?

No.

Good.

Everything's all right in the barn?

There's no bow nor arrows with Aymon's horse,

nor on his person.

It strange to bring only a sword for an elk hunt.

Hm.

Arlin!

After you're done the washing up,

why don't you check on the boy?

Erid!

You shouldn't be up and about.

You need to rest.

No, I don't believe so, now.

Come on, then.

Let's give him a moment.

I've got some questions for you.

Now, this witch.

You saw her, boy?

- Yes, sir. - Yeah.

And what she look like?

She riding in on a horse, or on foot?

Witches don't ride horses.

They ride the wind.

All right, that's enough questions for now.

Erid.

This is Resma Nigh.

She was at Lynwith when it all happened.

Miss.

I'm glad to know I wasn't the only survivor.

It's given me hope there may be others who escaped like you.

Perhaps it would be less overwhelming for ya

if we spoke privately.

In your room, you could lie resting.

Could I have some supper first?

More than a day since he's had anything to eat.

Of course, you can.

♪ I wandered this world for so long ♪

♪ Many thousand years

♪ What names I could speak

The girl.

She's young to be so skilled a healer.

Where is she from?

Lynwith actually.

Same as the boy.

Not siblings though?

Might as well be.

Both lost their families years ago.

Far too young.

The girls' parents, do you know their names?

Sure, I have it written somewhere.

I'm curious.

How has a youth from Gelting come to hunt so far from home?

My father was a valet to Vitalion magistrate.

Afforded me some privileges of travel and education

not available to most young boys.

I was lucky.

What was the Vitalion magistrate's name?

Kaldeen.

Karis Kaldeen.

♪ All these tread to ash, and spread their death ♪

♪ Will you have me linger here

♪ All I've seen and can't forget ♪

I'm, I'm sorry.

That's all right, I'll get you another.

Get a rag and clean it up, you daft girl!

Erid, you look like you need to lie down.

We'll let him finish his supper first.

Erid?

Boy?

Come here.

Stay back!

What's going on here?

Keep your hand off that crossbow.

Let him go.

I can't.

You don't understand.

There's so much you don't understand!

You don't know what you brought here, Stranger.

Something evil.

You have doomed them!

Holy hell.

I fikin' knew it!

An alteration stone.

Well done, lad.

When the storm's passed,

we'll take her body out and burn her.

The animal you have in your wagon,

was it the beast that attacked Lynwith years ago?

It may be.

If it was,

then it's the beast that killed Erid's parents, and mine.

Why haven't you killed it?

I may yet.

There's something I've wanted to ask.

You don't have to tell me.

When I took your hand in the barn,

I heard something from you.

It was a woman's scream.

It sounded as if she was beaten.

That's from long ago.

I was young,

but old enough to have done more.

Before the year of the dead hardened us all,

I was a coward.

I was an apprentice to an apothecary, Nigeltin.

He had a slave girl with a lame foot.

One he was sure he could beat into submission,

but she was no ordinary girl.

A spirit wouldn't break.

But this only made the apothecary's anger grew,

until the night a Vitalion guard

brought her home as a runaway.

The apothecary was so angry

that he beat her within an inch of her life.

I should have stopped him.

I should have done something.

But that night,

I was just as much a coward as all the nights before.

So, she stopped him.

Nearly killed him in the process.

That was the night that she ran away forever.

She asked me to go with her.

Still, I was too afraid.

Marek.

That girl was Marek.

I've done a lot of shameful things

since the year of the dead.

But nothing haunts me more

than that night

when I stood by

doing nothing

while Marek was beaten

in the frozen street.

Stranger!

He's dead.

What happened?

I got up to put more coal in the stove,

the way he likes on cold nights.

What's wrong with his.

It's dark magic.

No!

Is it the witch?

Is her vengeance still among us?

The witch is dead, boy.

Let's get you back to bed.

Come on.

Fiker.

Could she have, um,

could she come back to life?

I mean, can they do that?

Why don't you and Leyaris

take the dwarf down to the cellar and find out for yourself.

Yeah.

Ley, we got work to do.

Find something.

What?

No.

I'm just looking for any hint of what may have happened.

Nothing of note.

Let's all meet in the front hall, shall we?

I'll tell the marshal and his elf,

once they move the body.

Still dead.

You'll be all right.

Stranger won't let anything happen to us.

The witch is cold as ice.

So.

Who killed the dwarf?

Well, if no one will say it, then I will.

Gray Beard, you were one that brought the witch here

in the first place.

That's ridiculous!

I thought I was helping a young woman in distress.

You know that!

What we don't know

is what brought you to the valley to begin with.

I've told you!

An elk hunt.

With no bow nor arrows.

If this really was your favorite hunting ground as a youth,

then you know better than I,

this is the wrong season for elk in this valley.

Their herds move west this time of year.

A migration so reliable that the

used to measure their age by it.

So what really brings you here?

I had business with the dwarf.

Business, what business?

Oh, is that the dwarf that's now lying dead in the cellar?

Ah, looks like you came out ahead in that transaction, eh?

There were certain papers I needed from him.

So that's what you were searching for in the dwarf's room.

What's it say?

Aymon Thadruck.

Deira born, Gelting.

These are your papers of identification.

I don't understand, why did Gib have them?

Because the dwarf was a forger.

By the looks of it, a good one.

So, these aren't his real name.

Nor where he's from.

What's your name, Gray Beard?

Kaldeen is my guess.

Kaldeen.

That's a Vitalion name.

Fikin' hell.

A red and black.

Roghar's right hand man, hm?

Well, look at that.

A legion commander.

How many Deirans lost their lives, dignity, and property

so you could earn that rank, hm?

It's true.

I carried out the will of the empire

but Deira has always been my home.

When the year of the dead came,

I did serve under Roghar,

fighting the armies of the undead alongside Deiran's.

That was no lie.

My wife is Deiran.

My son is Deiran.

I only sought out that forgery to protect them

from the stain of my past.

Well, commander,

looks like Desolation's End

is gonna get its third corpse tonight.

Sheath your sword.

What the hell, Stranger.

You're gonna prevent a marshal from performing his duty?

I guess I am.

What for, huh?

You think because he killed a few undead

alongside our countrymen,

that makes up for decades of abuse?

No, but being a Vitalion doesn't change the fact

that there is a murderer in here amongst us.

In fact, it proves it wasn't him.

How do you figure?

What if he killed the dwarf

to cover up his little secret?

When have you known of a Vitalion,

even before the year of the dead?

They knew the ways of old magic.

But who killed the dwarf, if you're so smart?

Well, there's the obvious answer, the elf.

Didn't ask you, red and black.

He's flaunted his knowledge of dark magic since I arrived.

The woman's wound, the witch's stone.

Clearly, he's seen plenty of it before.

How do we know he's not a practitioner himself?

After seven years partnered with this elf,

if he knew how to use magic to kill someone,

I'd have seen it before.

- Trust me. - I don't trust you!

You've been pocketing the dwarf's trinkets all night!

Did he find you out?

So you had your partner kill him in the night?

Yeah, keep talking, Vitalion.

Your noose is around your neck, the more you speak.

I don't hear a denial!

What did the witch say?

She said you brought something evil here.

What did you bring?

It's the animal he's got in his wagon.

That's what it is.

The witch.

What did she say?

Uh, uh, um, "You have doomed them all."

And now it's gone and killed the damn dwarf.

Just like she said.

That animal didn't kill the dwarf.

How do you know that?

Because I know.

Well, maybe that's not good enough right now

with the four of us trying to kill each other

in the middle of the night!

I think we deserve to hear a bit more about this animal.

Yeah, what the hell is it, Stranger?

Lower your blades

and I'll tell you.

I captured the Beast of Black River.

You lie.

I'm sorry, should I know this beast of Black River?

Yeah, for the past 15 years, maybe more,

no traveler dare cross the Black River forest.

There's a beast there.

It'll tear your limb from limb.

Large bounty on its head.

Most hunters gave up on it years ago.

Why?

Because they're dead.

The beast is shackled and caged.

And that iron has held strong across half of Deira.

It cannot escape.

In my experience, cages hold until they don't.

Hang on, hang on.

You had a chance to kill the Beast of Black River,

and instead, you captured it live.

- Why? - That's not your concern.

No, no, no, that is our concern.

Because if that's the beast that you've brought here,

you've put us all at risk.

Now, the keeper of the inn is dead,

in what seems like a fulfillment of a witch's soothsaying.

And I think we deserve to see for ourselves

whether that thing is still in its cage or not!

I have to agree.

You're not going to that barn.

Why the hell not, Stranger?

If you think that's so secure, then what's the danger?

The danger is there is a murderer in here with us.

Yeah, who is it, then?

I don't know!

But it's not the beast!

Are you sure?

Whatever's in your wagon,

it is cursed.

See?

Even the girl agrees.

Get back in the larder.

Stay with Erid.

Lock the door.

You, come with me.

You can see for yourself that it hasn't escaped.

You two, stay here.

The hell with that, we're coming too.

Fine!

But when we get back,

I don't wanna hear another word about this beast.

Understood?

Yeah, yeah, of course, mate, yeah.

I couldn't find them, Arlin.

I couldn't find my parents' graves at Lynwith.

Erid.

When I touched the woman's arm,

I saw the dead of Lynwith.

The village burning.

I saw it because she was ashamed of it.

And I thought it was just the guilt of surviving,

I didn't realize it was the guilt of having done it herself.

I still don't understand why she came for you, though.

The old witch went mad.

Your face.

You're hurt.

It must be from the witch grabbed me.

It's fine.

I think we need to tell the Stranger

you met Mahitable before yesterday.

No one needs to know that.

They wouldn't understand.

I think the Stranger would.

He knew Marek.

He was her friend.

The witch said it was Szorlok's power

that slaughtered the village.

Could it somehow be what killed Giblock as well?

I don't know.

The others have gone to check on the Stranger's wagon.

It may be what Mahitable will warned of when she died.

Erid, I think it's the beast

that attacked Lynwith years ago.

The beast that killed our parents.

- I want to see it. - No.

No.

I, I promised the Stranger we'd stay here.

Please.

Sleep, you need your rest.

That beast is a pitiful creature.

Whatever it is, it hates itself.

I think, deep down, all lethal things hate themselves.

See, secure.

Now, wait, how do we know that thing

is in there at all, huh?

We can't see nothing in here.

But, wait, no, no, not yet, there's something in there.

That's enough.

No, hang on, hang on.

Yeah, gimme that lantern, eh?

Hey, this ain't a beast!

I don't think this is an animal at all.

All right, come on down.

You've got a man in there, Stranger, huh?

Why are you lying to us about it?

Oh, I'm not lying.

Yeah, we'll see about that, eh?

There's only one reason

why you would want us believing that this is a beast,

and not a man.

See that?

You're a red and black lover, huh?

You've been transporting a Vitalion to his freedom!

Shut the door.

Oh, I'm sick of you acting like you're in charge.

I'm the gods damned in their graves marshal, not you!

Looks like we're gonna be spilling

some Vitalion blood tonight, eh, Ley?

Oh, you don't wanna fight back?

You think that's gonna make this go quicker for you,

you're wrong.

I'm enjoying this.

Ah, don't worry, your apothecary friend is next.

See?

Rhistel, leave him be.

Yeah, crawl away, scum!

You're a real bitch bastard, you know that, Stranger?

You know aiding in a Vitalion

in their escape from Deira is a hanging offense.

Are you hearing me?

You're a dead man, Stranger.

Lock the door.

Lock that door.

Erid.

Erid.

It was you.

You killed Master Giblock!

You, Erid!

You all right?

Yes, but Erid.

Thane!

Thane.

Erid?

Aymon, dead.

Leyaris.

Erid.

Erid!

He hasn't come back.

Oh, it's my fault.

I should never have brought the beast here.

Don't move.

Please.

I've sewn you the best I can but the wound is deep.

The boy's a murderer.

If that beast hasn't got to him already,

he's gonna pay for his crime.

Has Erid ever done anything like that before?

What he did to the beast?

Not like that.

There were times when we were young,

if he was upset, he could hurt people without touching them.

Hurt people?

Make them suddenly ill or weak.

Told Giblock about it once.

Called it Devilry.

Tried to beat it out of him.

It's been years since it happened, though.

We'd almost forgotten about it.

Almost?

I should have told you.

Erid was afraid to let anyone know.

But it wasn't yesterday he first met the witch.

Last moon, he happened upon her on the mountain

and she asked him about his gift.

How did she know about it?

I don't know.

But she said she wanted to help him with it.

Teach him to use it properly.

I, I told him to stay away from her,

but he thought it would get us closer

to becoming a team of heroes like the Red Thorns.

Twice, he snuck out at night

after Giblock had gone to bed to meet her at her cottage.

And Lynwith, did he go there to meet her too?

No.

I don't know.

That's not what he told me

but I fear he's been keeping secrets.

But you didn't suspect that he killed your master?

No, but.

When I examined again the witch's arm,

it became suddenly clear to me the same magic

that killed Giblock was used against the witch at Lynwith.

With who else would try

to protect the village from the witch but Erid?

Why did the beast go after Erid, like it was drawn to him?

I don't know.

I do.

It was sealed dark magic the boy wields.

Among my people,

when someone is cursed by dark magic,

he forever recognizes it in others.

The beast senses within the boy

that same power that has tormented him for years.

Ley, Arlin, he, he needs.

It's time to say goodbye, partner.

No.

And I won't say it, you knife-eared baster.

The boy.

To be so young

to wield the power of death.

It can twist a man.

Ley?

Ley?

Gods.

Oh, gods.

I heard you out there calling for Thane.

That beast wasn't Thane of the Red Thorns?

It once was.

What happened to him?

Well, sometime after the year of the dead,

after he and Teela had set up life together

as husband and wife,

Thane was cursed

by a sorcerer who called himself The Disciple.

The Disciple?

Yeah.

Thane remembers little about how it happened,

but one thing he's certain of,

The Disciple killed Teela.

For more than 15 years, Thane remained a beast.

How did you find him?

I was only after the bounty.

But when I realized that the creature was cursed,

I thought that curing it might be easier than killing it.

Finally, I worked out a mixture

of monkshood and star leaf that did the trick.

But I wasn't prepared for the man who emerged,

or the condition he would be in.

The little that Thane remembered only made him want to die.

And his form, his form wasn't stable,

so I had to keep him caged for his own safety

as much as anyone else's.

Where were you taking him?

They say there are still masters of the old magic

in Golgoshia.

So I was headed there

in the hope for a permanent release for the curse.

Finding Thane,

it felt like a chance to make amends to Marek.

I was too cowardly to help her in my youth

but now I could help her friend.

Her friend, who had been the brave companion

that she needed, to stand by her, when I wouldn't.

Failing Thane now

feels like failing Marek all over again.

Wait.

Your name is Egan.

The apothecary's apprentice.

You, you made Marek's leg brace.

She wore it for years.

She wouldn't have been able to escape without it.

She, she couldn't have done half the things she did

if it weren't for your kindness.

You've more than made up for any cowardice.

I failed you, and Erid as well.

Even trying makes you the most selfless man

to ever walk through those doors.

Arlin, there's something that I need to talk to you about.

Something that I found in Giblock's room.

Oi!

There's smoke, up on a mountain!

That's Mahitable's chimney.

Erid must have gone to a cottage.

He's alive!

Yeah, makes it easy enough, ey?

What, what are you doing?

You're going after him?

Oh, yeah, and I'm haul him to the Magistrate's Court.

He's just a boy, he's confused.

He's a slave who killed his master.

That's not going unpunished.

What's more, the dwarf's murder

directly led to my partner's death.

No, your own stupidity did that.

I'm putting that boy in shackles, right?

And if he shows any resistance,

magic or otherwise, I'm gonna kill him!

I'll come with you.

What?

So you can protect him from me?

If that elf was right,

then the beast is after the boy as well,

and you don't want to be alone when you cross its path.

I don't want the boy hurt.

I'll convince him to come willingly.

You can hardly stand up, mate.

How are you gonna climb that mountain?

Fine.

Fine, we'll go together.

You just remember, this is marshal's business, all right?

I'm in charge, eh?

You're in charge.

You've given up hope for Thane.

You're willing to kill him?

Trying to cure him has cost too many lives.

If killing him means sparing another of his victims,

then it has to be the right choice.

I want to go with you.

Whatever's happening with Erid,

he thinks he's all alone in it.

And he's scared.

You have to stay here in case he returns.

I won't let the boy come to harm.

You have my word.

You have doomed them all.

Where is it?

Erid.

Do you know who that belongs to?

It was mine.

Szorlok?

Yes.

Why is it here?

I cannot say.

Mahitable and her conjurings were after my time.

But you know one who can, don't you, Erid?

One who could grant you what you wish most.

To know where you come from.

To know who you are.

The Disciple.

Only he can give you the answers you seek.

Mahitable warned me to stay away from him.

Yes, she would.

She feared you, didn't she?

The Disciple will not fear you.

He will put you on the path to your destiny.

I don't want this.

You are singular.

The gift you bear is a burden,

and a lonely one.

The Disciple understands that, Erid.

You must seek him out.

Can Arlin then come with me?

Arlin wouldn't understand.

She sees you only as a murderer now.

Just as the witch did.

Only the Disciple can help you now.

You're lying.

Arlin's still my my friend.

You know I'm right.

You feel it.

Or you wouldn't have run away from her.

No.

Leave me alone.

Go away!

I'll go in alone.

I don't want the boy frightened.

If you are not back with him soon,

I'm coming in after you both, okay?

- Erid. - No.

You, stay back!

What are you doing here?

I just wanna talk to you.

Son, the beast is loose on this mountain.

We think he's coming after you.

I don't believe you.

This power you have,

the thing that came outta you when the beast attacked,

the power that killed Giblock.

It scares people.

But I bet it's pretty damn scary for you too, isn't it?

See, I once had a friend with the same power.

Marek?

Yes.

That power scared me.

It scared everyone who witnessed it.

And people told her that there was an evil inside her.

She began to wonder if they were right.

But Marek learned how to control that power.

She decided to use it for good.

It's that power that Marek used to save the world.

But it's also that power that the beast is drawn to,

that's why we need to get you off this mountain

and down to safety.

Mm, if I,

if I go with you,

what's gonna happen to me?

You killed your master.

You'll have to face the consequences of that

but I will be with you every step of the way,

right by your side.

I'll plead lenience in front of the magistrate.

I will protect you.

Maybe I don't need your protection

from the beast or the magistrate.

You saw what I did to it.

But you really want to spend the rest of your life

running in fear?

I'm an orphan and a slave!

My whole life has been fear!

Erid, it doesn't have to be that way anymore.

Please come.

Come with me, huh?

No.

- Are you- - I'm all right!

Erid, how could you?

He wants to see me punished!

That's all any of them want to do with me!

The witch, Master Giblock, all of them!

Why did you do it?

Why did you kill Giblock?

I gone down to the cellar to retrieve the talisman

from Mahitable's body.

The key to my past, she called it.

Giblock couldn't sleep.

You couldn't make sense of it.

The witch, so determined to kill me

she was willing to die trying.

When I got up from the cellar, he was waiting for me.

Boy.

It was you.

You know, you got evil in ya.

I've always known it.

Don't deny it, you snuck out before.

You're doing it again.

I don't want-

And let that be a lesson to you, lad.

He was gonna separate us, Arlin.

And then he figured out what really happened at Lynwith.

What do you mean?

The witch's vengeance

wasn't what curse the village, was it?

I didn't mean to.

It just happened.

I just wanted them back, Arlin.

Your parents?

You thought you could bring them back from the dead?

Is that, that's why you were looking for their graves?

I could have done it.

Is that what Mahitable was teaching you?

No.

The witch was scared of my gift.

She only wanted to show me how to restrain it.

When I got to the graveyard that morning,

my parents' names weren't there, among the dead.

But Mahitable Crow was there.

That's when she confessed.

It wasn't the beast

that killed my parents all those years ago.

It was her.

She wouldn't tell me why.

Only that she regrets it everyday since,

and that it was her fault

that I was born the way I was,

with this gift.

This cursed power of Szorlok.

I didn't mean to hurt the villagers.

Only her.

And when she saw what I'd done to Lynwith,

she blamed herself.

Erid!

Erid!

She said the only way she could fix

what she'd done was to kill me.

Erid, you should have told me.

I was afraid you'd hate me.

How could you not?

Your, your gift is so good.

Mine's evil.

I will never hate you, Erid.

You will never lose me.

We're a team.

We always will be.

But right now we need to get to safety,

'cause the beast is still on the mountain.

Right, that's enough jabbering on in here.

What's going on?

Rhistel, it's fine.

Did it again, did he?

Boy, you are gonna hang for what you've done.

I'll make sure of it!

No!

Erid!

Rhistel, wait!

He's more powerful than we think!

Don't you move, you little shite.

You try any of that dark magic,

I'll send this poison bolt right through your heart.

Rhistel, Rhistel, stay back.

Erid!

She doesn't understand.

None of them do.

They'll only fear you.

You cannot trust them.

You can only trust yourself.

Erid, no.

You shouldn't have come.

The witch's warning.

I realized it wasn't about the beast.

She meant Erid.

After what he did to Linwood.

Mahitable was trying to stop him

from harming anyone else tonight.

I didn't see it because I didn't want to

but Erid's become too dangerous!

Arlin?

Erid!

You said we'd always be a team.

We still can be.

You're right, Arlin.

I am dangerous.

And I don't need you anymore!

I'm sorry, Thane.

Erid!

Where are you going?

To find out who I am.

If you come looking for me,

I won't hold back.

We're enemies now.

Arlin.

I can redress this.

I can.

Please.

This is.

That belonged

to Teela.

Your mother.

My mother?

And.

And my.

My father.

Thane.

They would be so proud of you.

No, please, please don't leave me.

You'll be all right, Arlin.

You're braver than you think.

No, please, no!

No!

Arlin!

No, please!

Ey, Rhistel, where's my mead?

Yeah, all right, all right.

I've been waitin'!

Oi, keep your unders on!

Ah, you're off then.

Well, there's no claim on you for now,

but if any relation to Gibs turns up,

you'll be their legal property.

You'll go to them.

And so will this tavern you've taken ownership of.

Huh.

I guess we'll both be hoping

that old dwarf's the last of his line, eh?

Arlin.

Mind yourself out there, yeah?

♪ I wandered this world for so long ♪

♪ Many thousand years

♪ What names I could speak

♪ Mighty ones, mourned with ancient tears ♪

♪ Stars burned out, still I can't let go of you ♪

♪ Seas dried up and valleys move ♪

♪ Only you could move me

♪ Empires and races sunk beneath the Earth ♪

♪ And still, your names live on my breath ♪

♪ Echoes passing slowly

♪ A world that was free

♪ Golden leaves, forest full of wonder ♪

♪ Now known but to me

♪ All are gone

♪ No one's called me brother

♪ On these tread, all to ash and spread their death ♪

♪ Will you have me linger here

♪ All I've seen and can't forget ♪

♪ I would give my next 10,000 silver moons ♪

♪ Just for one more day with you ♪

♪ Take me home, across the sea

♪ Across the sea

♪ Echoes passing slowly