The early summer is still relatively cool in these parts; a light breeze chases patches of cloud across the sky above Yelmed. It is market day, and the stalls in the square are loaded with summer crops: beans, cucumbers, tomatoes and melons, as well as snake fish, rabbits and quail all dangling in the sun, smoked, salted or pickled. It is too early for wine, but small kegs of beer are available, and all manner of tools, everything the villagers need for their daily tasks whilst Nemri the flower girl has her usual array of bright colours and woven stems available. For those seeking something more exotic there is limited selection of spices, annatto seeds and saffron, but they will cost a hefty amount of gold, as will the single bottle of dwarven brandy Orlin has somehow managed to secure.<br/><br/>Meanwhile, amid the usual village gossip, there is also talk of the price of iron being set to drop. Even if this is true, a small village like Yelmed will be unlikely to be effected much maybe spare a couple of silver, but for the kingdoms and courts of the land, one can only guess. There have also been sightings of a wind hound on the northern plains, fierce creature from the Feywild infused with elemental power, these fast and precise predators that hunt alone, but are said to be loyal companions to any who can tame them. However, none of that seems to really hold the attention of the villagers, as the elven visitor is the topic of choice. Wearing the silken slash of the Royal Court, she rode in on a thoroughbred riding horse in the early hours, and left a message pinned to the village post. On thick, fine parchment in silver ink, with large, precise letters, it reads in Common:<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>  By decree of the Royal Court of Arashalu, the bandit known as Grey Eyes, who has pillaged the Frax-side Trade Road and kidnapped two of the Royal Court’s own Snow Rangers, is to be brought before the throne of the crowned Prince Tolvegac the Erudite, to answer for his crimes against the elves and other people of this land. <br/><br/>  To those who would do this service, the Royal Court offers the following compensation: <br/><br/>  300 gold coins for the Grey Eyes’s head, 500 for the man alive<br/>  250 gold coins for the safe return of each Snow Ranger and their equipment, 50 for their corpses provided their equipment is intact<br/>  10 gold coins for the head of each bandit slain beyond the Grey Eyes<br/><br/>  Durothil Elaric, Manciple of the Royal Court</em></span><br/><br/>For added impact, the parchment was pinned in place by an elvish dagger, elegant craftsmanship, a thin blade of polished steel, a woven net sprouting leaves serving as a hand guard, with a pommel of bright amber. A foolish choice, as by noon it is gone and someone had to find an iron spike to replace it. Many people wonder what they could do with a potential total of over a thousand gold coins, but few are in any position to match out and seek this Grey Eyes, but some of the village militia are tempted.<br/><br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Anyone familiar with elven culture</div><div class="spoiler_body">For elves, “Grey Eyes” is a very mildly derogatory term for a human, a counter point to the more offensive “Glow Eyes” humans, and dwarves, sometimes used to refer to elves, which comes from a belief that elven eyes glow in the dark.</div></div>