You find yourself on horseback, atop an unfamiliar hill. The land below stretches into distant mountains, their contours etched in moonlight and shadow.
You turn to see a man you have never met before, astride a horse much like yours. His cap and vest are made of leather so worn it could be fabric. His eyes are fixed on the horizon. "In the light of day, this place can be most cruel," he says. "At night, it is a wonder." You nod and look down into the valley again, tracing the expanse of low mounds and half-buried rock.
Something in the midst of the scenery catches your eye: a figure, cloaked in garb as gray as stone, nearly invisible against the rocky earth. "We are being watched," you hear yourself telling your companion.
He must squint his eyes for a moment, to make out the form of the stranger. "Perhaps it is merely a traveler," he suggests. You feel certain that he is wrong, but there is no time to tell him why. There is only one thing to do now…