Lynde, Arlen, and Rose had been brought to the castle keep of Roran Stronghammer, shackles around their wrists. His hall reminded her of the hall in Cathalorn, only this one wasn't as old, and its ceilings were higher and its doors larger. There were tables there for feasts, though there was no food on them currently, and benches for guests to sit at. There were no tapestries lining the stone walls, though why was unknown to Lynde. As Roran sat at the head of his table, in a chair with a velvet seat next to two others, he stared at the trio. "What am I going to do with you?" he said.

The question didn't seem to be directed at any of them but to himself. Rose didn't seem to realize this, or she didn't care. "You can free us." Roran frowned. "I will not escape, out of respect for you and your deeds during the war. I would ask, though, that you let us go. One of our companions was captured coming here, and we would like to rescue them."

Roran sighed. "I don't know about that. But you did kill one of the Queen's Magicians, and you must pay for that."

"He tried to kill me!" Rose countered. "I was only defending myself!" Then she mumbled. "No matter how one-sided it was."

Roran was about to say something when the doors burst open. Lynde turned around and saw a nasty Urgal walking into the hall, club in hand. Her heart pounded as the Urgal lumbered forwards. The guards next to her and the others didn't let them run. Roran stood up and pulled out his hammer, ready to fight, when the Urgal said in the mangled speech that seemed common among Urgals, "I am Dulvoc the Unyielding, and I don't want to fight you, Stronghammer. I only want your prisoners."

Roran did not relax. "Why?" he demanded.

"They slaughtered my clan-brothers, and we demand justice." He didn't even mention Artsanna, if he knew about her, which Lynde counted as somewhat lucky. If Roran knew, then he would probably tell Queen Nasuada, and who knew what horrible punishments they would receive.

Roran sat back down, considering it. Lynde didn't know which would be worse—the Empire or the Urgals. She didn't try to think how it would be worse for either, and waited for Roran to choose. "No," Roran said. "What they did to your people can be understood—you attacked, they defended themselves, you lost. But I heard how this one," he pointed at Rose, "killed the Queen's Magician, and she must answer for that. Though I have no idea why her companions are with her."

"Too bad," Dulvoc said. He swung his club and smashed the table. "We will just have to take them."

Roran stood back up, and the guards pointed their spears at Dulvoc. Dulvoc was about to attack when Rose stood up and said, "Wait!" All eyes went to her, and Dulvoc stopped his club. "I will fight him, one on one, to the death. If he wins, my companions go with him. If I win, then Roran gets us."

Lynde's eyes widened. "Rose, no," she said, trying to stop her from throwing her life away.

"No," Rose said, iron and fire in her voice. "I'm done running and hiding. I'm going to stand and fight."

Roran was fine with this, and Dulvoc accepted the challenge. While Lynde urged Rose not to do it, her pleas were ignored. They were going to fight, and Rose was going to die.

They stepped out of the hall into the courtyard. It was very open, and didn't have much in it. She wondered if it would have any effect on the fight.

Dulvoc took his place on one side of the courtyard, while Rose took her place on the other. One of the guards walked over to Rose to unlock her shackles when she pulled on them and snapped the chain between her cuffs. Lynde assumed she had used some spell she hadn't heard, because there was no way she was strong enough to break them. Dulvoc put the animal skin he was wearing and his club to the side, and looked at Rose expectantly. Rose frowned. "If you're waiting for me to take off my clothes, then you might as well be waiting for the sun to fall out of the sky," Rose said defiantly.

"Very well," Dulvoc said neutrally. Lynde wondered if Rose's effectiveness would at all be improved if she wasn't constricted by her ranger's garb. Maybe, but with how cold it was, probably not. "No magic and no invading each other's minds," Dulvoc said. "This is a battle of strength, not mind."

"Awfully eloquent for an Urgal," Rose replied. Dulvoc growled angrily. "But I agree; this is a test of our bodies' might, not our minds'."

After Roran said "Fight!" the two charged each other. Dulvoc was running with his head down, and his horns pointed at Rose. She didn't waver, despite the obvious danger. As they were about to collide—and Rose was about to be impaled on Dulvoc's horns—Rose jumped several feet into the air, and landed on Dulvoc's back. She jumped off the Urgal's back, and landed with a roll on the ground. Dulvoc stumbled forward, and skidded to a halt in the snow.

Dulvoc then charged Rose again, not as fast this time, and not with his horns pointed at her. He swiped at her with his fist, but Rose crouched faster than Lynde could see, narrowly dodging the punch. She then kicked him in the shin with both feet, and something snapped. Dulvoc fell to the ground, clutching his leg.

Rose then punched him in the gut, and Dulvoc groaned with primal rage. He swiped at her again, but this time Rose caught the punch. "I'm done holding back," Rose said. How strong was she?

She grabbed his arm, digging her fingers into his flesh. Dulvoc screamed and tried to hit her with his other hand. She blocked it with her elbow, and grabbed that arm too. She put her foot Dulvoc's chest, and pulled on his arms. After a few seconds of primal screaming, Dulvoc's arms were ripped from their sockets.

Rose then grabbed his horns and pulled. It wasn't long before she ripped his head off. "I have won," Rose said. And then spoke a sentence in the Ancient Language that Lynde didn't recognize, but assumed was just the same phrase repeated.

How did she win that? There was no way she had such strength; it was nearly impossible—according to Rose—to grant someone enough strength to overpower an Urgal with magic! Her strength was beyond what any human could achieve naturally. No Human since or before Roran Stronghammer had beaten an Urgal unarmed and alone. How did Rose do that?

Lynde stared at Rose, wanting an explanation. Rose met Lynde's gaze and said, "I'll tell you later."

Roran, shocked at what had transpired, as almost speechless. After a few minutes, he said to the guards, "Throw them in a cell."

The guards escorted Lynde, Rose, and Arlen through the castle, and into a small prison. There were only a couple of cells, and the three of them were put in one of them. They were made of cobblestone, smelled dank, and had a couple of benches on the walls. The wall facing the hallway was completely made of iron bars, with a door of iron. There wouldn't be much privacy here.

They were unshackled, and thrown into the cell.

Lynde turned to Rose again, as did Arlen, wanting answers to how Rose had such strength. Rose hesitated, and said, "Are you sure you want to hear this story?"

"Yes," Lynde said automatically.

"What about you, Arlen?" He nodded and Rose sighed. "Very well." She sat down on a bench, and Lynde and Arlen sat on the opposite bench. "It's time you know who I am, and what I am." She hesitated again and said, "I'm an Elf."