Fire licked through the corridors in flashes of searing dragon's breath. The air shimmered with heat and smoke and it gagged them as they came to a halt. It was impossible to reach Yseult's chambers now, and it would do them no good anyway. It was obvious that the fire mages had already moved on, and the line of fires burning anything flammable was a good indication in which direction.

Idelle called the others to follow as she took a different path to Aelga's room. It was longer, but it was the one that the fire mages hadn't already torched. She picked up the speed to try and make up for it, crashing through corridors and pathways, until she slammed into the wall just beside Aelga's door.

She jostled the doorknob but it was locked. Without a moment's hesitation, she reared her leg up and kicked as hard as she could. The wood splintered and the door swung indoors, revealing the empty ante-chamber beyond. The smell of smoke was still strong, though the flames had not yet reached these rooms, thank goodness. Idelle passed all the couches and sofas, heading for the door to Aelga's bedroom. As she opened it, she knew already that it was occupied. A feeling of dread ran down the back of her neck.

Reynard stood just at the side of the large bed, looking down at Aelga's supine form. She, somehow, was sleeping as peacefully as a small infant in its mother's arms. A small smile played on her lips and her hands were folded softly on her stomach. Whoever had put her to bed had not changed her into her nightgown, so she still wore a large sapphire gown and her velvet slippers. For all the world, it looked as if she had been happily flopping onto her bed after a night of dancing, and had somehow fallen deeply asleep.

Except that there was no ball and the castle was filling with smoke and the sound of shouting and screaming from servants trying to escape the flames. Aelga didn't even stir at the commotion, and Idelle would have thought her dead had she not seen the rolling rhythm of her chest falling and rising.

"Back away," Idelle shouted, drawing her sword and approaching Reynard. She heard Sabena and the others enter after her, but when she glanced back she saw that Torran must have been lost in the rush. His leg didn't allow him to run very fast, but Idelle was glad he was not present. She didn't know how this confrontation would end, and she was happier to know that Torran could escape the blood, if it came to it.

Reynard looked up, his old face somehow more terrifying due to its ancient wrinkles and glowing white hair. She had thought him silly looking when she'd first met him, but now she saw that he had been hiding a shrewd wolf behind his old facade. Their suspicious of him had been even more justified then they could imagine.

"I see you've come to see the downfall of the little powerless wench," he said, reaching down and grabbing a handful of Aelga's red curls. He yanked on them, lifting her head from the pillow, and still she did not react.

"What did you do to her?" Idelle said through clenched teeth, edging even closer. Her sword pointed at Reynard's chest, but he seemed not to care.

"Yseult gave her a sleeping potion, like she normally has since you were so disgracefully discharged," he said. "It's better to keep the little kitten sleepy, and then she'll be even more pliable."

"You told your fire mages to kill Yseult," Idelle said. "Why would she help you by giving Aelga a sleeping potion?"

Reynard laughed. "Ah, yes, she should be dead by now. What a relief that is to say." He smirked. "The sleeping potion is a happy coincidence. I won't have to fight her in order to slit her throat." He reached into his purple robes and pulled out a glimmering dagger. He lowered it, aiming at the side of Aelga's throat, but Idelle yelled and leaped forward. She wouldn't have had enough time to stop him, but Walliam, from the doorway, shot an arrow just above Reynard's head. He didn't have the clearance to actually shoot Reynard without hitting Idelle too, but it was close enough to startle the old man and give Idelle enough time to swipe at his arm with her sword.

Reynard yelled and dropped the dagger, clutching his bleeding arm, and staggered away from the bed. Idelle pressed after him, swinging her sword up and overhead, this time aiming to kill. Her blade whistled through the air, heading for his neck, but before it could make contact, he raised his hands and smiled.

Idelle hesitated at the sight of his smile, so unnatural in such a dire time. Her sword hovered in the air, and in those few seconds of uncertainty, he swooped one hand in front of him. At first, it seemed as if he was just gesturing at her, but then she heard the clattering from behind her. She barely had time to turn and see pebbles working free from the wall before they were hurtling toward her.

Ducking, she managed to avoid most of the projectiles, but the ones that made contact stung with all the pain of an arrow. She hissed, looking down to see that the pebbles had buried into the skin of her thigh and stomach, and that blood was now seeping through her pants and tunic. She looked up to see that Reynard had grabbed a heavy iron candlestand and was swinging it at the wall. Heavy chunks of rock rained down onto the floor, and he turned to them with a laugh that sent chills through Idelle's gut.

He was an earth druid. It should have caused more shock in her, but she was too busy keeping alive. She let the betrayal splash into her stomach, and then bottled it up. Whether he had magic or not, he was the enemy. And she had to survive in order to save Aelga.

With his new ammunition, he waved his hands in the air before him, manipulating the rocks into the air and hurtling them toward Idelle and the Guards. She heard the sickly thump of stone against flesh, and saw the collapsing bodies of the Guards who were not fast enough to dodge the basket-sized pieces of wall thrown at their heads. She didn't have time to mourn them, though, as she ducked and weaved to save her own life.

It wasn't until Reynard ran out of rocks, and had to bash more from the wall, that she had the opportunity to gain ground toward him. She managed to flash out a kick to his ankles before he sent more rocks her way, and he grimaced and dropped to one knee. She couldn't get close enough to use her sword, but she kept him busy by managing to dodge most of his rocks and even pick up a few to send back at him. Walliam, with his bow, also created some cover, and Sabena managed to throw most of her thin knives at him.

Though they were managing to survive for now, it was not a fight they could win at the moment. They were in too small a room, with Aelga unprotected, and they didn't have enough ranged weapons. Already, the floor was littered with Guards, and Idelle could feel her strength sapping more and more as she dodged behind furniture and rolled across the floor. Thankfully, what resistance they could expend was keeping Reynard over by the windows and away from Aelga. He was still closer than them, but for right now he couldn't reach her.