Handy paused. What had once seemed like a brilliant idea now seemed altogether too reckless. He looked hard at Whirlwind, thinking. If he went through with this, he would effectively be entrusting his entire kingdom and everyone within it to this… utter clown of a stag to track down whatever the previous lord in winter had been hunting. Sure, if he fucked up, his people would suffer as well, so he had every incentive to succeed. But if he didn’t, then the new pact could not be made, there would be no Lord in Winter, the deer would be decimated by the season, the Hearthfire would remain unlit so their magic would fade, and the forest would turn against those who remained. “Excuse me for a moment.”