Twenty First day Eleventh Month Four Thousand six hundred and forty four rings of the Great White Tree

Amser Gwely Ap Breuddwy

As he entered the clearing which held the main confederate army. He looked around and saw how few soldiers made up the army resisting the Union occupation. No wonder they were accepting recruits with few questions asked.

He was dressed in the latest fashion from Cowden Wen Wych. A large black cavalier hat sat on his head. Sporting a colourful feather. He was dressed in bright green jacket over a spider silk shirt a clear indication that he was a rich noble. He had told the sentries of the camp that he was a scion of the Ap Brruddwyd a prominent family from the capital.

With his two loyal retainers he approached the officer who he assumed commanded the army. The famed Silver Fox, Cyffredinol Llwynog Arian.

"Hello I am Amser Gwely Ap Breuddwyd, I am here to join the army with my two of my loyal servants we have travelled here from Cowden Web Wych"

However before he could finish his introduction a voice interrupted him.

"Your not Amser, last I heard he was still in the deep sleep."

The deep sleep or Clefyd Cwsg was a condition or sickness that some elves developed that put them in a coma like state.

Sometimes this condition last decades even centuries. Some elves spent their entire life in the deep sleep.

Sometimes they woke and are able to give insight into past and occasionally they would have insights into the future and be able to predict what was about to happen.

This was why Clefyd Cwsg was seen as blessing of the one tree. The great seers and oracle's of the elven people all were once affected by Clefyd Cwsg.

He looked at the elf that had just outed his deception.

"Lancia"

Escaped his lips

His two loyal servant's trained assassin's launched into action. Intending to kill the Cyffredinol once and for all.

They drew large daggers that kept hidden under their cloaks and attacked.

Their blades were met by swords. As two sword wielding female elves intercepted them blocking them from their intended target. In a quick vicious combat both his conrades were dispatched by the maidens of the blade.

A sword rested at his neck it was held by a old elf.

He had failed in his duty to slay the enemy commander. He was about to give way to dispair when a face from the crowd caught his eye.

He had seen that face once before, when he was exiting the General's office straight after he had been given this mission.

So this was the true assassin moving through the crowd making his way towards the Cyffredinol.

Edging closer and closer he was almost within striking distance. Then a musket fired and the elf doubled over. The elf then transformed into a monstrous creature and lunged for the Cyffredinol.

The blade maidens that had efficiently disposed of his compatriots attacked the beast. The Cyffredinol also had his sabre drawn and was fending off the attacks from the beast.

He heard Lancia give a command and dozens of muskets fired at the beast.

In the confusion of the fight he attempted to sneak away only to run into an orc warrior with its sabre drawn. He drew his own sword but it was quickly knocked out of his grapse by the sabre wielding orc.

"Move again and I will gut you"

The orc warned

Unable to escape he turned his attention back to the fight. The old elf that originally had his sword to his neck darted within reach of the beast and decapitated its head.

The whole camp had come alive and soldiers were armed and looking for more assassin's.

He listened as the old elf talked to the elf that fired the first shot that exposed the beast.

"Dyn Blaidd lucky you discovered this creature but how was it that you knew this creature lurked in our ranks".

Dyn Blaidd answered

"He didn't smell right. I mean he was acting strangely and I followed him here I saw he was going for a weapon and so I fired musket."

The old elf frowned

"A doppleganger and it looks like it was doing the bidding of the union.'

He had heard doppleganglings but before today he thought the were creatures of myth and legend.

The old elf now turned looked at him in the face.

"Lancia this assassin seems to know you. Do you know who this is?"

He had grown up with Lancia however this did not appear to be the shy unassuming elf he knew from Cowden Wen Wych.

Lancia looked over at him and answered the old elf.

"This is Llysgennad he is the son of the embassator from Greyhaven who represented the union. We attended school together."

During his youth he had been brought up at Cowden Wen Wych. His mother had been one of golden elves and he had been brought up enjoying training and schooling that all young nobles received at Cowden Wen Wych.

Whilst not a close friend to Lancia they were of similar age and attended the same classes and training sessions.

He had left Cowden Wen Wych a couple decades ago to begin his military service with his father people. His looks which he took after his mother made him a suitable candidate for a spy or assassin. So now he found himself in his current predicament.

Cyffredinol Llwynog Arian approached him.

"So what are we going to do to this spy?"

As soon as he had been exposed he knew his fate was sealed. So he waited for announcement of his dismise.

"We should send him back to his master's and warn them not to do this again."

The old elf spoke up

He suggesting they let Llysgennad go. He was going to be freed. Let go unharmed.

"However before we do he should be marked as traitor so he can never spy on us again."

The old elf sword swung in the air and he felt it slice through his skin. Blood was dripping down his face.

The old elf then asked.

"Offeiriad y Goedwig can you please bless this wound."

He was now asking the priestess to heal the wound. That didn't make much sense.

The priestess placed her hands on the wound and began chanting.

Suddenly he felt intense pain coming from the wound as it burned into his face.

Suddenly he realised what was happening. From the stories and Ballard's of the past there were tales of the traitors mark. A mark placed on the face that permentally marked one as traitor.

He must blacked out from the pain when he opened his eyes he was in hospital ward at the Union fort outside of Dyffryn Dwfin.

He demanded to look into mirror from one of clerics that tended the injured. He looked at the mirror and at his face. The now bore a blacken scar covering his face. The mark of a traitor a mark of shame.