The Firebrand walkthrough
See Should you kill the soldiers in The Firebrand? for the mill encounter's consequences.
Evidence: PowerPyx provides the starting location, prerequisite, fail state, rewards, time costs, and complete objective list; PC Gamer's guide confirms the Stoneward Post route.
Start, timing and fail state
Start at Vladimir's Hut / Mert's Mill in Briar Sloughs after Smoke and Ashes. Going to the mill costs 1 segment, speaking to the overseer costs 1, and questioning Mert's corpse costs 2. If you do not reach Mert before dawn on the fourth day after the objective, Mert dies.
Steps
- Search Vlad's Hut and inspect the flour sack for the silver arrowheads.
- Go to the mill and speak with the overseer at Stoneward Post.
- Complete optional Renna, merchant, or Cerbus interactions only if the journal leaves them active.
- Speak with the miller. If Mert died, find his body behind the tower.
- Use Compel Soul, then loot Mert's wedding ring from the nearby tent.
- Use the ring as the catalyst to reveal the rendezvous; Shadows in the Woods starts automatically.
Reward: 75 XP for Renna, 75 XP for the soldiers encounter, and 75 XP on completion. Keep a save before the first mill visit.
Source: PowerPyx Firebrand walkthrough and PC Gamer guide.