The coarse linen sheets scratched at his back and his equally itchy wool blanket didn't help much either, but the fridged feel of the air on his face made him keep the both the sheet and the blanket securely on his person. Hesitantly raising one eyelid, Tib looked out the small, slit of a window. Through the hazy glass he could see snow drifting down.

"Wonderful." Tib said with a yawn, as he turned on his side to face the clothes cabinet across the room. Aside from the bed, the cabinet dominated what little space there was, but somehow the cold made the trip of a few feet seem like miles on a normal day. The dull ringing of the hourly bells could be heard from the temples in the city, and each gong caused Tib to cringe a little more. Now allowing both eyes to open, Tib counted the bells; nine. People would be looking for him in the mess hall by now, looking to give him more work. Tensing his body Tib prepared for the worst. Springing from his bed, blanket flying aside, he cleared half the distance to the cabinet. Landing on the ground he gave out a little wimper, just as cold as he had thought. Residing himself to his fate, Tib preceded to get dressed and, locking the door behind him, left his quarters.

Crossing the narrow bridge that connected the living section of the keep to the main hall, Tib briefly glanced at the city below. The Rock was located on a cliff above town, and from his vantage point on the bridge, Tib could see the whole sprawling city of Ludlin. Looking as dreay as ever, he continued across the bridge, through the huge doors, and into the dining hall.

The Rocks dining hall served as a place of eating and as a place of employment, and the latter was Tib's goal today, although he hadn't eaten in some time. Little metal drawers were built into the walls of the hall, starting at the floor and rising to the ceiling. Great ladders slid back in forth to manage the mess. Each drawer had a single name on it, and it was in this drawer that prospective jobs were dolled out by the upper echelon of the Arbiters. luckily enough, Tib's box was near the floor and he didn't require a ladder. Pulling out a slender key and unlocking his box, tib peered inside. a dull scroll lay within. Greedily scooping it up, Tib read its contents.

"Village of Harbington, reports of rabid wolf attacks on villagers. Villagers think some shaman of sorts might be cursing them with the attacks, look into it."

After carefully rolling up the scroll, Tib went and got in line for what ever slop the cooks had made up this morning. Upon reaching the serving area, Tib noticed that Patrick, one of the cooks, was working today.

"Oi, Tiberious my friend, you managed to bring yourself to eat with the rest of us today." Patrick said, his disporportiantly large belly giggling in time with his speech.

"Oh you know me," Tib responded, "Can't stand to miss Mystery-Meat-And-Soup day."

"Watch yourself, never know when I'll be putting something truely vile in your soup, with talk like that coming out of you."

"Cute, Pat. Cute. Anyway, do you know where Harbington is? Just got an assignment to go there, havn't the faintest where it is."

"Harbington? Yeah, sure north of the city. About a two weeks north by horse, whats going on in Harbington that requires an Arbiter?" Patrick said, laying his huge ladle on the table in order to cross his pudgy arms and peer at Tib.

"Just some over Zealous village folk, say some local Shaman has cursed their town with wolf attacks, or some such nonsense." Tib said, as he took a wooden spoon from a box and plopped it into the soup, it took some time to sink in.

"Hunh. Can't understand why the posh big men upstairs can't send one of these runts to go in your stead, doesn't make much sense sending an experienced Arbiter on such a trivial thing. But, then again I never try to question their motives." Patrick said, picking up his ladle once more.

After finding a table and finishing his soup, Tib went back to his room and began to prepare his things. It was odd for him to be sent to do something like this, but he needed the money. The next day he left the city, heading north to Harbington.