Part VI
Family Ties

Letter gripped in his huge hand, Dicer stared at the log palisade that could only be the Rogue Encampment. He glanced down at the tall, athletic blonde woman beside him; he had met Sassy a few days before, while both were making their way to a rendezvous with the sisters. She said she had been a barmaid, but said little else besides the occasional joke or pun when they had fought demonspawn in the Black Marsh. No matter;
she was deadly with a bow, and without her skills as archer and huntress, he would not have survived the passage through those dreaded swamps. They had fought their way across the endless fen, and had even disposed of an evil shade who inhabited the ruined tower. Sassy had proved a steadfast comrade, and a bit of a comedian.

"Sassy, I want you to meet my brother," Dicer said, setting out for the gate at a trot. "Let's hurry, the end of our journey is in sight."

"Sure, Dicer, but do you think we could meet him over a mug of ale? My throat is parched," Sassy answered, privately thinking that Dicer had a serious case of hero worship for his older sibling.

The two had no trouble passing the Rogues on guard; one of them gasped when she saw Dicer, and turned deathly pale. Ignoring this outburst, Dicer hurried into the camp. He sensed that something was very wrong. The whole population of the camp was clustered around something close to a large wagon. Rogues on the edge of the crowd fell back as he and Sassy approached, more of them growing pale at the sight of his face. Filled with trepidation, Dicer walked toward the center of the crowd as the archers parted before him.

His knees buckled. His worst nightmare came true before his waking eyes.
The body of his brother was stretched out on the ground, next to the partly burned body of an Amazon warrior. A howl of anguish burst from his lips.

The man and woman kneeling next to the bodies flinched, then looked up. Blood drained from both their faces as they rose to face him. Dicer, however, paid them no heed, but threw himself on the ground next to Slicer¹s body, beating the earth with his fists as he gave vent to his sorrow and rage.

After several minutes, calm seemed to descend over him, and he looked up to see the man who could only be Eddy and the dark, slender woman who could only be Sissy staring down at him with concern on their faces.

Dicer stood up.

"You must be Eddy of Westmarch" he growled. "Slicer spoke of you in his letter."

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