| 339 You feel no obligation to test any of the legends or rumours you have heard about this village so your decision is easy. It will take no longer to ride around the village than it will to pass through it, and Pallenten seems more willing to go around. Flicking Pallenten's reins you begin what you believe should be a simple detour about the village and its crumbling outer defences. Riding around the outer wall proves to be straightforward. The expertly chiselled stonework shows signs of long neglect, and evidence still remains of the damage that was caused to it in those last, desperate days before its breaching. You stay close to the wall, about 20 metres from its face there is the remains of a series of concentric ditch defences that follow the contour of the village and still hold a number of the pitfalls and water traps that proved so effective against the Horde Armies. You would prefer not to fall victim to one of these so you hug the stone face of the wall and make your way carefully to the western edge of the fortifications. As you turn to the north you are hit squarely in the face by the strengthening wind that has blown up whilst you were in the lee of the high village walls. Looking to the north you see the dark, menacing cloud banks of the approaching storm, and feel the distant rumble of thunder and the short, sharp flashes of lightning that cut through the blackness of its cloud. It would appear though that there is still some time before it will reach your position. Within a few minutes you reach the western gates of Kal Murda and find that a part of the old western road still exists, although it is nothing more than a patchwork of paving stones and clumps of grass. Turning onto the old road you place the ruins of the village behind you and set Pallenten again on her way to the south-west. The sky to the west is still relatively clear, the mountains ahead growing ever larger and more defined as you gallop towards the foothills of the Devkraager Tor. Quickly the old western road disappears into the grasslands and soon you can find no further evidence that a road ever existed. The plains are an unbroken vista of green, flattened by the strong wind that warns of the approaching storm. You look to the north and see that the weather front is closer and you realise that shortly you will need to find a shelter. When you turn your head back to the west you are startled by the figure of a man, dressed completely in black, standing directly in your path, no more than six horse lengths in front of you. Desperately you pull back on Pallenten's reins trying to bring the great horse to a stop. The man does not wait for you to bring Pallenten under control. Running forward he raises his arms and waves madly, shouting curses at your horse to make it rear up. Pallenten cannot go forward so she veers to the right and stumbles awkwardly into a series of shallow ditches that trip her, and throw you heavily to the ground. Rolling to your feet you search the surrounding grasses for your assailant. He stands before you, brandishing a wicked looking dagger and moving in like he has only murder on his mind.
| This Kalborean Assassin will kill you if you give him the opportunity. With a combat rating of 26 and an endurance of 14 he will provide you with a tough fight. You must fight this strangely clad man. If you defeat him then turn to section 301. He carries no equipment or food except for a dagger that you may take with you if you wish. (If you do, record this dagger on your character sheet). If however, the Assassin is too proficient a fighter, then it will be here on the wild, grassland plains that your quest will end. Be assured that in a latter life you may have better luck.
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