The Sum of Duty

     Dugal crossed into Rethwellan without incident. It didn't seem much different from Valdemar, except for the colors on the Road Guard's uniforms and the fact that he had to stay at inns instead of the Waystations. But his gleaming white uniform and Companion attracted comment from the people he met. Most were openly curious, and he was happy to accommodate their questions. Though many had heard of the Heralds on this side of the border, few had seen them.
     It wasn't until he reached Lord Auson's territory that he noticed any significant difference between the two nations. In Valdemar, the villagers tended to be openly friendly to commoner, soldier and noble alike. Most of the lords knew that the most productive of farmers were the ones that enjoyed their work, so they kept taxes as reasonable as they could, treated them fairly and were often rewarded with bountiful crops. The same held true far what Dugal had seen of Rethwellan, up until now.
     It was reflected in fields he passed. Dugal had grown on a rather rustic holding, and had picked up quite a bit on the science of growing crops. To his eyes, the fields he passed seemed ill-tended. Staple crops like corn and barley had been planted too late in the season, and were barely half-grown. In other fields he could see crops that had been damaged by weather, with no attempt having been made to protect them, or harvest them early.
     It's no wonder Auson's tithes have been skimpy; it doesn't look like his crops have been very bountiful, Dugal thought to himself. Was this just a reflection of an indifferent Holder, or the villagers' way of silently protesting some wrong?
     He put these scattered facts and musings away in the back of his mind. He was not here to judge, only to gather information so that others might judge. He would not indulge in idle speculation.
     Eventually he arrived at Auson's keep, at the center of his lands. The keep had four simple stone walls surrounding several buildings, with watchtowers at the four corners. A dry moat, the bottom of which was filled with wooden stakes, surrounded the structure. The walls of the keep seemed to reflect the air of neglect that permeated the farms. As Dugal approached, he could see stones missing from the top of the ramparts. Along the outer wall of the keep, ivy grew, undoubtedly loosening the mortar in the wall as the roots dug their way in.
     He crossed over the drawbridge and halted before the gate leading inward. A lone sentry guarded it. She was dressed in ill-kept chainmail that was obviously rusting and suffered from breaks in the link weave. Overtop her mail was a red tabard that featured the outline of a yellow dragon. The tabard had been better kept than the mail. It was clean, and well cared far, but showed signs of having been mended several times. The colors were unfamiliar to Dugal, for he knew that Auson's house colors were simple silver and green striping.
     "Hail and be recognized!" the sentry shouted, trying to keep her voice from squeaking. She was half a head shorter than Dugal's height, and appeared to be about seventeen or so. Her face tried to show grim determination, but with his Empathy Dugal could see that she was more than a little awed at his imposing bright white uniform and steed.
     "I am Herald Dugal Andersonn of Valdemar," he answered her formally, "I am here to see Lord Auson on a mission for the King and Prince Darin, Consort to Queen Selenay of Valdemar."