Chapter One: A Stranger in the Night

Magda gulped, pressing her right hand to her thudding chest. Gathering her tattered mage’s robes around her body, Magda stared up at the heavens, trying to time the flashes. As soon as there was a pause, she darted forward, weaving in and amongst the trees. With each passing moment, the satchel grew heavier, pressing hard against her shoulder and the side of her neck. Fear gripped Magda’s lungs in a vice, clouded her rational mind with darkness and terror. Every time she thought she has escaped their clutches, covered her tracks so precisely no one could follow, she’d been proven wrong.

Why did she ever think she could outwit them? A mere journeywoman against a master!

A pause in the lightning. Magda darted forward, running for the next patch of darkness—and collided with the broad side of a building. The journeywoman stumbled backwards, clasping both hands over her mouth, stifling an involuntary cry of pain and surprise.

Magda’s heart thudded painfully against her ribs. Slowly, she drew her hands away, finding them sticky with blood. Gods. Magda swore, reaching around to the frayed edge of her journeywoman’s robe and tearing a strip away. She pressed the dirty wool to the bridge of her nose, hoping that her pursuers were too far away to smell the blood.

Of course, she’d been wrong a dozen times before.

Despair settled in her chest, a black band that threatened what little resolve she had left. Magda took a deep breath and slowly drew the strip of wool away. Tentatively, she patted her nose, finding a scab already starting to form. Quick healing was a small blessing to her now. Magda inhaled deeply once more, loosed it slowly, then curled her fist. The strip of wool soaked in her blood began to smoke. Curving her body around the smoldering scrap, she let it burn in the confines of her fist until there was naught but ashes. Lifting her chin, she raised her fist to her lips and blew. Grey ash coiled upwards from her palm to spiral away in the flickering darkness.

Dusting off her hands, Magda hitched the satchel across her body. She was tired—so very tired.

Another flash of lightning lit the sky and the surrounding buildings. In the split second between darkness and light, Magda could see the squat shape of a hut in the distance. A rumble of thunder rolled throughout the heavens, followed quickly by another bolt of lightning. Within the building, a horse grumbled, pawed at the floor.

Magda exhaled in relief. A stable! With the grace of the gods, perhaps the storm would buy her some time. Quickly, she skirted the stable, searching for the door. A roll of thunder, a flash of light, and there it was—and blessedly unbolted!

Magda slipped inside, shutting the door quickly. The scent of warm hay and equine bodies filled her nostrils. It was a small stable, with only a half-dozen occupied stalls. Magda paused as one of the horses lifted its head, bright, curious eyes locking onto her. The horse huffed, shaking its mane as Magda found an empty stall, its sides piled high with soft straw. She darted into the stall and collapsed in a corner, clutching the satchel tight to her chest.

A wave of exhaustion slid through her body. Goddess, she was tired! Magda yawned, jaw popping. She’d curl up here and pray that she would make it through the night.

The journeywoman lifted the satchel from her shoulders and wedged it firmly under the straw. “I won’t let him use you,” Magda murmured, stroking the egg, feeling the subtle pulse of life beneath her fingers. She flipped the cover of the satchel over the smooth surface, piled straw over the precious bundle, and fell asleep sitting upright.

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Main Prompt #1: What is this?
Weather: Rain-soaked morning. Sky is clear and it’s getting warmer.
Someone has been in the stable! But there’s no intruder in sight. Showcase your team in the process of uncovering the satchel or examining the contents. How do they react to the discovery of this most unlikely object?

Extra prompt #1: Follow the yellow straw road.
Your team notices a thin trail of hay leading away from the stable and into the woods. Do they examine the trail? Or ignore it completely. Maybe your horse is hungry …

Extra prompt #2: Rock of ages.
There’s nothing in the woods. How odd. But the rock your team found does seem to sparkle prettily in the summer sun. Does your horse play with it, or do those faint sounds coming from within give it pause? Nibble, nibble …