Finish The Firebrand, cross the bridge south of Stoneward Post, then search southeast for Sara beside a collapsed cabin. Rescue her before the two-day objective deadline, ask to join the manumits and follow her to the camp. Mert’s optional breakout is not required to start this quest.
Find the rendezvous beyond the bridge
- Track the bridge objective received from The Firebrand. Follow the road south past the Small Bridge shrine and cross to the southern bank. Check that the journal changes to the rendezvous search.
- Go southeast into the search zone, find the meeting of three roads, then continue southeast toward the ruined cabin. Sara is tied beside a tree with two soldiers guarding her. If enemies block the crossing, handle them before continuing; do not confuse a bridge encounter with the two rescue guards.
Still tracking the bridge after arriving?
From Stoneward Post, follow the southbound path downhill to the small wooden crossing. Walk across the planks rather than along the bank, then check for Reach the rendezvous point. ATH reports a crossing trigger, not a loot or interaction requirement. If the old objective remains, recheck the tracked bridge and cross its full length. Shrine discovery is a separate check.
Resolve Rescue Sara before taking another detour
- Once the Rescue Sara objective activates, prioritize freeing her. The checked sources support a two-day limit from locating her, rather than from starting The Firebrand. Claims that this quest has no failure state are incorrect against that evidence. Check time-cost prompts before committing to unrelated activities.
- For the peaceful route, claim Sara is your sister, then choose the offer of coins to answer the accusation. The documented bribe is 100 Denarius. If you cannot or do not want to pay, defeat the two guards instead.
- Approach Sara after the guards are resolved, finish her interaction and explain that Mert sent you. Ask to join the manumits so she agrees to lead you to Crake. Killing the guards alone does not finish this conversation stage.
Follow Sara all the way to the handoff
- Stay with Sara along her trail. Let her stop to signal and resume moving; do not race into an unrelated camp because its marker looks nearby. At her final stop, check for a Talk prompt if the objective has not advanced. Use your configured interaction control rather than assuming a universal keyboard binding.
The pictured route has no snow and shows an unusual save-specific day count. Neither scenery season nor that counter establishes a required weather condition or a passive walking time cost. Follow the objective and actual interaction prompts.
Finish the camp sequence
Ambush, Crake’s questions and leaving the camp — spoilers
- The arrival trap and capture are scripted. Continue the scene instead of reloading because Coen was caught. When Crake asks for proof of your intentions, use the deeds available in your own dialogue, such as the Laslea mine action or rescuing Sara.
- Continue until you agree to the later Svartrau meeting. If Coen remains restrained and a break-free prompt appears, complete it. Confirm Shadows in the Woods has ended in the journal before treating the next meeting as ready.
ATH’s recommended interrogation sequences contradict one another: one recommends dismissing the conversation, while another warns against that same answer. This guide therefore does not present a universal numbered answer sequence or promise that every prior deed is available in every save.
Check the reward and the next objective
The corroborated reward is 1,000 XP, not the 1,000 Denarius listed in one ATH table. A level-up is not a completion requirement. Where Loyalty Lies is the next manumit quest, requiring Infamy IV (Notorious) or higher and a daylight plaza meeting; an unrelated quest becoming tracked does not make it the direct sequel.
See Crake’s guide for the wider chain and Under Watchful Eyes if you still want to complete the optional Mert rescue.
Continue to the Svartrau meeting
Reach Infamy IV or higher and visit the plaza by daylight. Follow the blood trail and roof-entry steps in Where Loyalty Lies。