It was mid-morning, and the travelers stood among some trees on a ridge that looked down toward the most formidable fortress in Escetia. The fortress was surrounded by a small but almost equally intimidating town. "There, sisters, lies the castle of King Cenred. Now would be a good time for us to have a plan."

Gwaine was trying to be magnanimous. The lack of preparation was a real sore spot for him. He had no idea how he was going to protect these women if they insisted on walking headlong down that hill. What disturbed him even more was the fact hat he knew he would go wherever Hildegard ultimately directed. He could not understand the compelling power she seemed to hold over him, and indeed over everyone she met.

Hildegard looked at Rachel. "Sister, this town was your home for many years. Surely there is someone here who will aid us in finding your family."

"Jared," Rachel said. "He was a friend of mine. He is a journeyman blacksmith, and his master is a good man. I am certain Jared would help us find my brother and sisters."

Gwaine asked Rachel to explain exactly how to find the blacksmith's shop. Then he sat down and tried to think. If he were arriving by himself he would have had little trouble wandering into the town. (In fact, he was sure he would have been well into his second drink by now.) But this was different.

"What troubles you, sir?" asked Hildegard.

"I am uncomfortable taking you into a town full of mercenaries. You're far too pretty for the likes of them." He couldn't resist the urge to wink at her. "You'll definitely draw the wrong kind of attention. But I cannot leave you two alone here, either. I think we have to risk it."

And thus, Gwaine and the sisters, leading their horses, walked headlong down the hill and into the town at Cenred's keep. Their luck was good, for no one in the town seemed to pay them any attention at all. It was a bit uncanny, really. In a matter of minutes they were at the threshold of the smithy shop. Rachel knocked on the door.

"Jared, the door!" boomed an enormous bass voice.

"I've got it," replied a lighter baritone, and the door swung open. A powerful-looking, cheerful-faced young man blinked at them for less than one second before erupting in an exuberant "Rachel!" He was hugging her and swinging her around in his arms long before anyone could have begun to speak. Then suddenly he stopped himself. "Oh, I'm sorry Rachel. I bet I wasn't supposed to do that. Forgive me. I'm just…" He seemed overwhelmed with pleasure at seeing her. "I'm just so glad to see you standing there."

Rachel's cheeks were bright pink, and her eyes glowed. "Jared."

The journeyman took Rachel by the hand and led her inside, gesturing for Gwaine and Hildegard to follow. He introduced Marcus, a tall olive-skinned master blacksmith with a soot-smudged face and kind eyes. Jared then returned his full attention to the woman whose hand he had still not released. "Rachel, what brings you here? I never thought I'd be able to look at your face again. Are you real?" Impulsively, he kissed her hand, then realized the impropriety of the gesture and let her go. The loss of contact seemed to pain him immediately. Ultimately, a subtle look of daring determination crossed his face, and he reached out and took her hand again.

Rachel indicated Gwaine and Hildegard with a nod. "My friends are here to help me find my brother and sisters. Cenred has them. Please, Jared, will you help us get them back from him?"

Jared immediately saw to it that everyone sat down, then asked Rachel to tell him all she knew. For the rest of the morning, the pair remained in close proximity to each other and talked quietly as they caught up on the last two years of lives spent apart. Gwaine and Hildegard listened politely, but Gwaine felt a bit unnecessary to the conversation. When Marcus mercifully asked Gwaine if he'd like to go with him on an errand, Gwaine jumped at the chance, and was soon walking outside with the mighty blacksmith.

"You'll have a difficult time retrieving those children," Marcus said bluntly.

"Had a feeling that would be the case," said Gwaine. "What can you tell me about them?"

"There's little I know, except that Cenred put them to work. The parents died, they were taken to the king, and he said he could use them in his household. As they're orphans, they had little choice in the matter. Cenred's an idiot. Probably thinks he's doing them a favor."

"They're living in the keep, then?"

"I would assume so, though we haven't heard from them. Jared has made inquiries, but he's not been allowed to see them."

"Cenred fancies keeping his doors locked, then?" asked Gwaine.

"Lately, he has. He wasn't always like this. There was a time when Cenred did right by his people as often as not. But he's been keeping bad company lately, and his subjects are made to suffer for it. His filthy house is no place for children, I can tell you that. Especially with that witch woman, Morgause, hanging about."

Gwaine noticed a group of men wearing chains, repairing the cobblestone street under the watchful eyes of several soldiers.

"Criminals?" asked Gwaine.

"That's the story," said Marcus. "Though all of them are strangers to the town. I suspect their major crime was to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when Cenred needed cheap labor."

Gwaine eyed the prisoners more closely, remembering Hildegard's promise to Martha. One of these men could easily be the old woman's husband. He wasn't fool enough to approach them now in daylight, but he hoped he'd find a better opportunity to investigate.

"Just out of curiosity, where does Cenred house such prisoners?"

He keeps them in one of the secure areas inside the keep, I believe," said Marcus. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious," said Gwaine. There was no getting around it: they needed a way into that castle. What they needed was a plan.