The road twisted and turned as he trotted along. Unexpectedly it came to a fork. Ned was surprised of a fork being there. He had walked this trail numerous times and did not remember a fork leading back to his town. It probably led to another town, he thought. He must have a taken a wrong turn somewhere. He decided he better walk back up the trail and find out where he made the mistake. As he was about to turn, he was grabbed from behind and up against his throat was a rather small dagger.

He managed to get a whisper out before the blade was pushed harder against his throat. "Nimmer ..." he started but feared the blade would cut him if he moved his throat.

"Guessed right," the nimmer said, searching Ned’s pockets for anything valuable. "Come on. Hand over your valuables, now." Then the golden gleam, of a medallion hanging from Ned’s neck caught the nimmer’s eyes. The gold medallion was round with what seemed as a crack from a piece missing in it. There were swirls on it, of which his dad told him were engravings used to represent the winds, when he gave it to Ned. He told Ned to treasure it with his life; that it was a very important medallion and if it was brought into the wrong hands, who knows what could happen. His father told him he did not know exactly what the medallion could do or was, but was told it was very dangerous if in evils grasp. The man spoke again, "Seems like I’ll be taking this." The man placed his hand on the chain holding the medallion.

Ned struggled to free himself, trying to make the man let go of his medallion. This medallion his father had told him specifically to protect and now he seemed to be failing at protecting it. The man had Ned’s arms held together behind his back, the man holding them with one of his hands. The man was larger than Ned, also showing he had more strength by holding both Ned’s arms with one of his own. As Ned was about to try to free his hands, in an attempt to escape; the man’s grip loosened, then the nimmer’s whole body just slumped down behind Ned. When Ned turned around he noticed the man was laying face first with a dagger jutting from his back, a puddle of blood forming around the body.

As Ned looked away from the man he found another man standing there. The man looked more aged than Ned and certainly less built. But how did this man come undetected and manage to kill this nimmer so cunningly? Ned had heard no footsteps and was sure that the nimmer hadn’t either; otherwise the nimmer would not be laying face first in the ground now? It seemed as if the man had just appeared out from no where. That didn’t matter; though, the man had saved Ned’s life. That…was all that mattered.

"Thank you. You just saved my life. Is there anything I can do to repay you?"

The man gave Ned a reassuring smile. "It was nothing, my son. The name is Jared. I have been traveling this path in search for the town of Windelton, in hopes of making it there for the Coming of the Winds festivals to hear the beautiful voice of Karen. I’m sure you have heard of her, almost everyone around the continent has heard of her. I was wondering; if perhaps, you could point me in the direction? That would be pay back enough for me."

Ned returns the man’s smile, happy with what the man had asked in payback for saving Ned’s life. "That is not enough to repay you for what you have done, but I will be glad to lead you to Windelton. I live in Windelton and was heading back there right now, until I got jumped."