This piece takes its title from one translation from Ovid's Metamorphoses: "Near the Cimmerii a cavern lies deep in the hollow of a mountainside, the home and sanctuary of lazy Somnus, where Phoebus' beams can never reach at morn or noon or eve, but cloudy vapours rise in doubtful twilight . . .there silence dwells: only the lazy stream of Lethe 'neath the rock with whisper low o'er pebbly shallows trickling lulls to sleep. Before the cavern's mouth lush poppies grow and countless herbs, from whose bland essences a drowsy infusion dewy Nox distils and sprinkles sleep across the darkening world."

Like most superior beings, Innes knew something about everything. He could tell by the hue of the sky if a storm was nigh. He knew how to track wild kyssra, a rare bird that took as its home the sheer rock faces of Frelia's northern cliffs, and, more importantly in his opinion, how to track the kyssra's many predators. He understood all of Frelia's, and many of Renais', regional dialects, even those that cascaded into other languages altogether. He knew what under what conditions the Queen's Gambit worked in chess, and how a similar, albeit very risky, version of the same thing worked on the battlefield. He knew how to string a bow in the dark.

The few things he didn't know, Innes arranged to be told. His network of spies, although commonly assumed to be Frelia's, answered directly and only to him. Through them, he learned of the whimsical secret journey of the young princess of Rausten. He was informed of a series of prison breaks around the southern coast of Grado, where he knew only men who had committed the most serious of crimes had been incarcerated. He had been told of the illness of Emperor Vigarde, and of the frantic efforts of his son, Prince Lyon, to counteract the inevitable.

His spies had been unable to get close to the Emperor or his son of late, but it was clear enough to Innes that at least one of them had to have gone mad, to start a war without provocation and with the sole discernible goal of destroying the Sacred Stones. The Grado forces he had seen were coordinated and skilled, but their newest generals were better known for cruelty, unusual practices, and violence against civilians than any kind of bravery or valor.

Now, in these dark times, though he could catch the slightest whisper in the air, could see a good twenty meters further than most men; though he considered himself superior to all others, even Innes knew that he needed help if he was going to do anything about the madness sprawling across the continent.

Princess Eirika of Renais was bound for Rausten with a rather large force at her disposal to inform the theocracy of Grado's intents. Her brother, Prince Ephraim, was headed for Grado with but a handful of knights to search for answers and to try to put a dent in the empire's movements. That left Innes headed for Jehanna by the overland route, and he knew from experience that it would not be easy travel. His knowledge of the terrain was spotty at best, and even with some of Frelia's finest at his side, his chances of survival were not so high as he would have liked them to be. Even if he arrived alive, gaining access to the palace itself could prove problematic, even for a royal such as himself. He needed all of the assistance he could get.

"To Jehanna, you say?"

Innes stared down the mercenary across from him. Even in the dim light of the tavern he found himself in, Innes could see that the mercenary was lean and tanned, and without an ounce of fat on his body. The few scars he could see intrigued him. The first was on his right arm, likely a byproduct of his chosen line of work. The second was across his nose, the cut too thin and too deliberate to be anything but a sword slice, and one made while the victim was on the ground. At some point, this man had lost a fight and gotten a mark because of it. Innes dismissed any further thought of it, as it looked too old to be relevant.

The last one, though, the one on his cheek, was most interesting. That was the freshest. It was ragged and thin: a dagger had done the deed. With a hit that close, and on the face, Innes had to assume that the mercenary had been attacked by someone close to him. His very survival told Innes of the outcome of that fight.

Innes was starting to like this man.

"Jehanna," Innes confirmed. The mercenary downed his drink, then ordered another with a wave of his hand.

"You know," the mercenary said, "the only way to Jehanna from here is by land. Going around the coast of Rausten is too dangerous for any merchant vessel."

"If I wanted to sail," Innes said, "I wouldn't need mercenaries."

The man laughed. It was deep and full-bodied, the likes of which Innes only heard from commoners and knights. One of the tavern wenches dropped off another ale, and the mercenary took it in hand immediately. "Right you are," he said. Innes could tell that the mercenary was looking at him, really looking. He straightened his spine and bit back what he most wanted to say.

"You will, of course, be amply compensated."

"It's not the money I'm worried about, Prince, but survival. No job's worth the risk if you won't live to see the rewards." The mercenary leaned forward, resting his forearms on the wooden table. Innes noticed that he kept his elbows off of it. So the mercenary had some breeding. Interesting.

"My country may be at war," Innes said, "but for the time being, my army marches not to do battle but to warn. We need to reach Jehanna. The plan is to move quickly and without drawing the attention of the Grado Empire. I'm not looking for a fight."

That was a lie. Innes wanted nothing more than to put an arrow through Emperor Vigarde's eye for all of the trouble he had caused amongst the civilian population, to say nothing of the destruction of Frelia's Sacred Stone. Innes' blood boiled at the thought.

"I get the feeling that's not the full picture," the mercenary said. Innes said nothing, and the mercenary watched him for a long moment. "What do you need to warn Jehanna Hall about?"

Innes drummed his fingers on the tabletop. "I don't see how the reason behind my expedition is of any of your concern."

The mercenary sat back. "I respectfully disagree, Prince. You see, this is a strange job. You put in a claim to the guild for their best man without giving any particulars or even any price. Most others wouldn't have even considered it, but here I am. I can be reasonable, but only within reason. I'm not sending myself and others out to get killed without knowing what I'm going up against and why."

The mercenary had a point, though it was one Innes was loathe to admit. Many of Frelia's generals still did not know that the Sacred Stone had been destroyed, much less that there was an alleged plot on the part of the Grado Empire to eliminate the others. He had to be careful.

Innes paused before saying, "Grado's motivations for starting a war are anything but clear. What is clear is that her soldiers have penetrated the Frelian border. Only one month past, they attacked the Tower of Valni, where Frelia's Sacred Stone has rested for generations. I trust you know the stories behind the Stones."

The mercenary pushed his drink aside. "You mean to tell me," he said, "that Grado sent its army after one of those relics?" Innes nodded. "Why?"

"As I said, Grado's motivations are anything but clear. However, the threat therein is. Where the armies of Grado have crossed the border, savagery and death have been permitted free reign. Frelia has an alliance with Carcino, but that is not enough to hold back the Empire. We would have Jehanna on our side to help counter this madness."

The mercenary steepled his hands. "What about Rausten? Renais?"

"Renais has borne the brunt of the fighting. Its armies are decimated, its knights are scattered, and its king is dead. One of the Renais royals, however, is currently sailing to Rausten in hopes of gaining assistance. The other faces Grado head-on in hopes of stalling the Empire's advances." Innes spread his hands. "As you can see, our resources are spread thin."

"That's where I come in."

"Exactly."

The mercenary smiled. "Jehanna, huh?"

Innes nodded. "Jehanna."