THE IVEY SHROUDED Armiger Hall of the House of Gallant looked desolate, but Helkild Glaef and Skaenn Dhan had been there for hours discussing places to look for Fynna. After delivering the news to Blade Shield Keep three days ago, they had ridden all night to return to the area Tarns Vintenar had encountered Medgar's Magus attack.

Helkild had decided to meet Tarn's unit on the road to Delthir Pel but instead they met with disaster. Neris' coach at the bottom of the ravine in a tangled mass, every single horse gone, their men dead, and Fynna no where to be found. Some yards away from the coach, they found Avesa, sound asleep against a rocky outcrop disheveled and bruised, and being unable to wake her they hoisted her up to Skaenn and they brought her with them to Armiger Hall where she still slept to this very moment. Skaenn nursed her all the next day but to no avail. Avesa wasn't waking up. Now, he and Helkild drank sour yill as they paced the hall.

"I tell you Helkild, it's a spell," Skaenn grunted.

"Of course, of course it is. We'll go back. Perhaps Fynna is in the same condition, and we overlooked her. We'll leave two men to watch Avesa and head out."

Skaenn shook his head. "I disagree. We need every man. I'll fetch a Grell to stay with Avesa."

Helkild laughed out loud. "No Grell will come here. You know that Skaenn," he grumbled. "In fact, just the two of us will go. A large unit is too noisy." He topped off his yill and tossed it back. "I'll tell the men."

Helkild strode off and Skaenn gathered his gear, sheathed his sword and when Helkild retuned the two of them made their way down the long, tapestried hallway to the gate house. It was dark inside this room which hadn't been used for some time and wispy cobwebs clung to the ceiling corners. They were heavy with dust as was the furniture, sparse as it was.

Tothinn, like so many other towns and villages in Hannelore, had been overtaken by Medgar and Helkild hadn't been here for quite a long time. In the past, Armiger Hall had been his home, but Tothinn was now a haunt for all sorts of riffraff, including the sorcerers and mage soldiers put in place here to command the area and skim the goods of the Grellian population. It was any wonder Helkild, and his men had even made it into the Manor grounds. He attributed that to coming in under cover of darkness.

Unfortunately, they would need the light of day to continue the search for Fynna. With these thoughts he and Skaenn grabbed the huge iron rings bolted to the double doors of the gatehouse and pulled them open, to gasp in utter bewilderment to see Fynna, covered in sweaty dirt and disheveled, standing there.

Helkild cursed under his breath and Fynna wept, thrusting herself into his arms. He hoisted her over his shoulder as he and Skaenn slammed the doors back and together they ran back down the hall where the rest of the men greeted them in shock and great happiness. There was disbelief all around and they bombarded Fynna with all manner of questions as they fussed over her wellbeing. Helkild brought her a cup of heated mead which she drank down like any skilled mercenary after which she told them through tears that she hadn't been able to find Avesa and was sure she had been murdered by Medgar's wizards. Helkild led her to a side room sleeping chamber and pointed. Fynna's breath caught, and she ran to the cot where Avesa slept soundly, unaware of anything. Fynna tearfully shouted her name and shook her to no avail. Helkild placed a beefy hand on her shoulder. "It won't do any good Fynna, she's out until we can find a way to lift the spell."

"The spell?" Fynna echoed. "This is no spell Helkild. This is my fault. Father pressed me to drink a calming concoction before we left Ashling Rim, but I didn't drink it. I gave it to Avesa," Fynna grimaced comically. "By the bells of Mithras, we've got to leave here and get her to Blade Shield. Father is there and he will know how to reverse the effects. Tell the men to prepare. We pull out on the stroke of the noon bells!"

Helkild jumped into action. Never-mind it was broad daylight and the dangers ten-fold. He was simply happy to be the one to return Fynna to her father's supervision. As commanded their contingent pulled out at the stroke of the bells of Mithras with Avesa again in tow with Skaenn. Wasting no time, they pulled out at a full gallop slicing through the village like berserkers and giving no quarter to anything in their way. Grells cheered them on waving scarves from the tiny windows of their upper rooms or waving simple farm implements and the men of Riagon Nor shouted back, informing all around that their children had been released from the grip of Medgar and would soon be returned to them. Fynna, hearing this for the first time looked over at Helkild as they barreled through the dirt streets, who gave her a nod of affirmation, to her utter shock. She leaned low over the war horse she rode goading him harder and the group wound around the narrow passages to the gates of Tothinn where they exploded out into the countryside and down the winding road that would take them to the Blade Shield.

~

The inner hall of Blade Shield was alive with activity. Neris, along with several of the men who had returned from Crescent Cove, lounged along couches in the opulent quarters and talked but Neris hardly heard their bantering as his attention was on the young man who sat alone at a table nearby eating a hasty meal prepared for him by the cooks. This hall was rarely used for meals, being arranged instead for meetings and ceremonies with its raised marble, carpeted floor and fine tapestried walls, plush furnishings, and well-lit interior. But here they were feeding a scraggly hound of a man and acting as if it was just the norm. Neris nodded lamely at some remark, but his ire finally got the best of him, and he interrupted their friendly exchange.

"Tamsin, who is the young man?" he asked with a click of his tongue against his teeth.

Tamsin, the Oath Guard who had been in charge of the search party to Crescent Cove grunted. "Just some poor lad what crossed words with Terthil. Nothing to be concerned with."

"What's his story?"

"Story, Sire? He ain't got a story, much."

"Then why is he taking supper here? In the hall at that, Tamsin?"

"I don't know," Tamsin growled.

"You are the Oath Guard in charge, and you don't know? That is unacceptable. Didn't you question him? Perhaps he is involved with my daughters disappearance. Or any other manner of crime."

Tamsin bowed up to Neris and the two stood nose-to-nose. "Youuu ask him then." Tamsin whispered heatedly, eyeballing Neris before striding off in a temper.

"They're a testy bunch."

Neris turned to see Magne who was Tamsin's standard bearer.

"He rode with me Neris, and Tamsin is just riled for time. Riagon wants a report of the findings at Crescent Cove. He thinks Terthil is harboring Medgar's henchmen. Rumor has it that Terthil burned one of Medgar's mage summoner's alive and Riagon fears it will cause Medgar to strike out in revenge."

"Do you think our starving guest is one of Medgar's?"

"No. He's a Grell. He washed up in Crescent Cove a few nights ago and Eiliq Clack found him. He told me he was told to come here. To come here and wait for some chippie, Kitra, who helped him, to come fetch him. He said he had to escape before King Terthil killed him too."

Neris' mind was clicking along with what Magne divulged. If indeed this was a Grell, Neris wanted to know more about him. Until Fynna was safely returned, anyone could potentially be a help or a hindrance. Neris drew closer to Magne. "See that this young man is put up in my quarters. I want a guard on him at all times."

Magne barely hid a look of surprise to the strange request. "Your quarters Sire? But where will you stay then?"

"I will be fine in the guest rooms Magne. Just do as I say. I want an Honor Pledge at the door to my quarters and see the room is filled with all manner of foods."

"Aye, but you know he isn't staying. He'll be leaving with that chippie when she gets here. If she does."

"If, she does. I want some time to question him, as it were. And I need you to see to it that this, chippie, doesn't find her way into Blade Shield. I want men on the walls and at every entrance keeping watch for her appearance. Arrest her, lie, I don't care but she's not to find him. That's an order. I need leverage until Fynna is returned to me unscathed. Do you understand?"

"Aye," Magne said nodding. "But I just don't think the lad is all that important."

"Magne. If, he is a Grell, he is a Grell that has been years in Medgar's control. I want him kept tight. Right here at Blade Shield. More than likely, he escaped with the others. I want you to make sure this Kitra doesn't find her way inside. I want a search party lined up to patrol the grounds outside up to a mile out and also, find your most trusted Honor Pledge to fetch Eiliq and bring him here. Give him the message that I have a commission for him, but get him here. Do you have an Honor Pledge who is scheduled for graduation into the Guild?"

Magne nodded. "Young Neswren is scheduled."

"Good. He will be the one you send to collect Eiliq. Make sure he knows his graduation is contingent on this order."

"As you say Sire," Magne shrugged. "I'll be right on it."