The wind screamed and roared and OFFERED A BITTERLY cold attack on the four travelers as they made their way down into the valley. Layers of fog obscured everything beyond a few footsteps away. The white blankness served as a canvas for each of their nightmares. The gusts tore at their clothing and threatened to send them off the edge of the trail and tumbling down the sheer black cliffs.

Niz was the leader. She led them down the sharp, treacherous trail and into a vortex of madness. She didn’t believe the stories but she couldn’t afford to. She was the leader. Orange and red streaks painted her vision. She thought she saw faces in the afterimages, faint traces of horror. She ignored them. Making sure for the third time in the last minute the rope connecting to Himlester behind her was still secure, she plunged steadily downward.

Himlester was seeing something different in the white nothing. He could see nothing in front or behind, just two tendrils of rope extending in two directions. He swallowed a blast of anxiety and managed to keep his beard from catching fire again. He should have shaved. But beards don’t erupt in flames. Must be the hallucinations. They had been warned by Lord Yeyeerstermerieansis that the Valley of None contained an infinite supply of them. He could not fathom a time when he did not have a barrage of fears peppering his mind. If only he had listened to his daughter!

Verianella was third. Number three. Number three is the way to be. She laughed but couldn’t remember if it was her. Sometimes that happened. Sometimes it didn’t. The Valley of None was funny like that. Her breaths came in ragged rasps that amplified the psychotic thoughts penetrating her brain like a hail of arrows. Arrows. That reminded her of something. Reminded her of the arrows!!! She checked her quiver. Yep. Still empty. Or was it? No way to tell. The ropes connecting her to Himlester and Birrrrrrrrmaed were taut and vibrating. How do dddddddddddddddddd

Birrrrrrrmrameed was having a time of it. Coming in last was a treat. He had volunteered. He liked volunteering and that’s why he did it. Rounding out the four travelers was fine. He liked being at the end. He twisted his head around and arouuuuujndddd to look at all the whiteness. The wind had not ceased and that was fine. He liked the wind. Liked the wind and the rain. Reminded him of the Valley of None. He should go there someday. A strong pull on the rope attached to his belt reminded him he needed to jjjjjjjjjj. He resisted. But did he? He didn’t. There was a time when he might have argued against coming into the Valley of None. He had heard the stories. They all had!! But that was before he had come. Now that he was on his way, it didn’t seem to so bad. His feed trudged and plodded and marched marched marched. He had a job right? Something important. He came in last for a reason, but he could not remember that reason.