Give him the sword.

“Fine,” you say, reach to your belt and take your sword. You give it to the grinning landlord.

“Thank you,” he says, grabs something beneath the countertop and gives it to you. It’s a map of the lands around this village.

“Thanks,” you say and walk out the door. It’s already dark outside and a lot more freezing than before. You feel so **** without your sword, but what else could you have done? Anyway, you have to set out for your journey. You leave the village looking at your map. On the left side of the map you see the village you are right now and on the right you see the Mystic Ponds. So, how could you get there? Near your village the map shows another village named Darkling Inns. You could go there and stay there over night. But there’s also a way through the Dampling Forest which seems like a shortcut.