“A few years after the first settlers came to these lands, before Frayne and Skarlan had even been formed, a landslide revealed the passage to the North,” Ren began, pointing ahead at the sloping path. “The people agreed to send out their strongest warrior to discover this new land, and as a reward, he would be crowned king of his discovery. Two villages both insisted that their chosen warrior was the strongest, so the people decided to send them both. They agreed that the warrior who first planted his flag at the top of the tallest hill would claim all the land within sight. Those warriors' names were Frayne and Skarlan.” Ren glanced at Anik, who was watching him intently. Ren had heard this story told so many times, he could probably tell it in his sleep.

“They raced through the passage together, herds of huge stags watching them curiously, unafraid. Finally, when they had been riding all day, the passage ended, opening into a vast, rich land full of animals and plants. But it was late in the day, and the North was freezing cold, so the two warriors decided to share a tent. In an attempt to win Frayne's trust, Skarlan made love to him that night.

“The next morning, before Frayne woke up, Skarlan went out to search for the tallest hill, and he spotted it in the distance. Returning to their camp, Skarlan told Frayne that he had found the hill, and proposed that they claim it together so that they might rule as one. Blinded by his new affection for Skarlan, Frayne agreed. Skarlan offered to pack up the camp and told Frayne to go ahead to the hill, but sent him off in the wrong direction. As soon as Frayne was out of sight, Skarlan ran to the hill and planted his flag. From the top of his own, much smaller hill, Frayne spotted Skarlan and rushed to meet him, demanding an explanation. Skarlan revealed his deceit, telling Frayne that he had always planned on ruling the North alone.

“Overwhelmed by anger, heartbreak, and sadness, Frayne drew his sword and impaled Skarlan, killing him. He planted his own flag where Skarlan's had stood and returned to the settlers. When he arrived, his village worshipped him as a hero. But Skarlan's family demanded to know what had become of their own warrior. Not wishing to cause bad blood between their families, Frayne told them that Skarlan had been killed by a massive bear in the night, and that Frayne had found his body in the morning, already cold. Then, a member of Skarlan's family saw the blood on Frayne's blade and accused him of the murder.