Trees... and greenery... my brother had sent word of the lush wonders in this distant land, so very different from the white sands and brown shrubs of home. I had never believed him; and yet after long journey, the caravan brought me to the place where last I had word of dear Ahmid.

They called this place Ludlow, a small village in the Black Mountains not far from Camelot, the seat of Albion. There were many people about, some of whom I recognized from home. They were not happy (perhaps a little surprised) to see me here, I think, but they were civil enough to my face. We Saracen came to this land in service to Arthur the Uniter. Now we make our home on these shores as equals to these stern pale men. Surely the seeds of wisdom we bring will take root here; not always by conquest is great treasure won; and yet conquest does have its place.

Our father was sick abed and had sent me north to summon my brother back with all speed to attend to his inheritance. As the last heir to our family name, he must be present to hear Father's last words. Ahmid sent word to our father that he could be found learning the leathercraft in this small village, but my search proved fruitless.

As I wandered about in search, I found a misplaced loaf of bread and a flask of water carelessly left behind with which to break my fast. A guardsman doubted my story and sent me off to talk to a dark fellow about the roguish professions or face the guard captain. I got nothing from the dark fellow except a training dirk, a stern warning and a mission to defend the common fields from warrior ants, piglets and spirit wolves. I was hurt by his insistence that those several copper were properly left in his pocket; I merely wanted to see whose face was stamped upon them; it was Arthur yet, though the coins were worn. None had stepped up to claim the kingship, then, and the gates to Camelot itself were barred. Nobody had news from inside.

I sold the bits and pieces carved from the animals I drove from the place to the craftspeople, and soon had enough to buy a siluric leather vest to better protect me from those creatures who mean me harm. As I scoured the fields clean, I would see tall men run screaming from bandits and strange creatures made of stone. The guardsmen made short work of them; but I was troubled. What sorcery ruled this place?

It was not too long that I and the others sent to the fields had cleared them of all ill life. Careful savings had given me enough to buy some leggings to match my tunic.

Of my brother, no rumours came. A stonemason who made for me a flint knife, mentioned he had seen Ahmid set out for distant Prydwen Keep in search of honor and glory, having become bored with the leathercrafter's tools. I set out for there, but my heart was heavy. Ahmid would have sent word. Could he have forgotten his duty to his family?