The regiment sprawled throughout the main room of the tavern. The officers lounging nearest to the fireplace immersed in their conversations or contemplations, all the while keeping a keen eye on their soldiers. A shout erupted from a particularly rowdy group of soldiers all surrounding a mountain of a man.

“C’mon Red” came a shout, immediately taken up by the rest of the surrounding soldiers.

“Well…. He drawled out….eh’ wouldn’t want you getting all scared now, what with us passing through the Bursa Woods within the week”

“Like we would get scared over fairy tales” came the smug reply.

“Yeah … he said derisively… well this ain’t just no fairy tale, men – soldiers such as ur’selves have been lost to the ladies of the woods. For in the woods resides sprites, sprites that prey on young men such as ur’selves by assuming the form of beautacious young women, so all ye men watch ur’selves and be wary of any young women in those woods for you just might not be seen or heard from ever again.”

He finished with a wink to some of the older soldiers, those who had heard the tales many times before and ridiculed the young men over them.

“Well … Red said… you’ll all be able to see those sprites within the week, although I would strongly advise against that.”

And with that a cloaked figure silently rose and unobserved exited the room, striding out and vanishing into the dark of the night.