Arden ducked as the long curved blade failed to pass over his surprised figure. His boots slipped on the muddy ground taking precious seconds away form his escape. Balder had managed to pry his sword from the ill fated sign announcing that the building behind it had been voted to Teirm's best inn for the month of March and Arden had only made it a dozen feet. Balder's wicked smile retained it's shape but lost it's life as his gaze moved inexorably up from Arden's feet, revealing three men and two women now standing behind him. He grunted ."Don't get involved in this, for your own good. If you or any of your friends are caught prying where you shouldn't be for a second time I will, against my will, be forced to execute you, boss's orders."

The trader Arden, his friends and co workers watched as the burly man walked away through the rain, back towards the ministry. "Arden, what were you thinking!" Asked Iona, she had clearly been running and so had the others. "I will tell you, but first, lets not stand around in this weather, come to my house. There is plenty of space, now." He gave them a half joking smile and led the way as the evening closed in on Teirm. Iona nudged her husband "What in the name of Eragon our savior? Why did Arden..." Steiner cleared his throat. "Well let's get one thing straight, Arden's sister disappeared. How would you react? He probably just wanted to check the shipping records for himself, to see if there was any mention of her."

Iona looked skeptical "Why the shipping records at the ministry?" Steiner shrugged "Arden must believe the ministry had something to do with his sister's disappearance. That place has always given me the, well, you know." Iona lowered her voice "I thought it would sound silly so that's why I didn't tell you before. You remember how I like to sleep with the window shut during the night? It's that place across the street is what. I would be afraid to walk past it at night, because if I heard something in there when all the officials had already packed their things and headed home..." Steiner put his arm around Iona and they walked through the darkening city towards Arden's home while the others talked among themselves.