From the Meirtyn Gate, the Company traveled five miles through tamed land, which was thinly lit by the first glow of day. The road east was tightly packed down with a layer of dirt and gravel, marked with only a few faint ruts. Field after field was filled with lines of pale gold broken stalks, hemmed in with well-kept wooden fences and rows of trees allowed to remain as boundary keepers. Here and there were wisps of smoke rising from distant cottages, and distant figures, still little more than shadows, stirring in the beginnings of their day.

By the time the sun bathed the countryside in brilliant gold, they came towards a lone iron signpost and a single guard keeping watch, the black pearl-ringed livery of Athkatla on his chest. Most likely they were coming to the outer limits of the City Guard's direct jurisdiction and out into the wilderness, though the farms seemed to continue for miles ahead.

The guard gave them a curt nod. "Careful out there," he said. "We've heard talk of bandits on the road, and with your gear you might seem a rich target."

"Heroes of goodness need no care! Where we tread, evil trembles!" Minsc said, affectionately patting the tawny hamster on his shoulder.

Anomen crossed his arms. "Rogues stirring up trouble, eh? No doubt the Order has dealt with them already."

"They're further back," the guard said. "More out into the wilds as you travel east."

Lidia considered this, her mind somewhat touched by languor. After a tenday or so of freedom, she was still having trouble falling back into a regular cycle of sleeping and waking. "These bandits - who are they going after?"

"They're not choosy," the guard said. He gave the Company a once-over. "They're bound to pick on the wrong folks sooner or later. Maybe that's you, but I give the warning nonetheless."

"Thank you," Lidia said. "We'll watch for them."

They continued down the road. The trees, still mostly bare-branched, grew closer and thicker, and wispy brown grass spilled onto the side of the road. They saw no animals larger than a rabbit, though the light was still dim enough to play tricks on their eyes.

Once or twice Lidia looked over to Jaheira. She briefly wondered how her friend felt about being on the road this time, under these circumstances. But as the dawn grew brighter, Jaheira's face remained still and reverent under her hood as she murmured prayers to Chauntea and Silvanus.

Aerie, for her part, hung back in the rearguard with Minsc and Anomen, regarding everything around her with wide-eyed trepidation. Every so often, she had to stop and adjust her shoes, though she always managed to catch back up to the group with a few quick paces.

After another two miles, they came to a second sign, this one a wooden post on the left side of the road. It bore only one symbol: an X topped with a bar and drawn upon the outline of a heart.

"This is the place," Anomen said. Earlier, he'd announced a need for a short errand to get the rest of his supplies. The Company followed him down a grassy trail formed by the trampling of many feet.

The trees suddenly gave way. In the middle of a vast, faintly green plain was a fortress, fashioned of dark grey stone, its keep and bailey built against a sheer cliff. From far away, the high outer walls bore the same device they had seen upon the post. This time the symbol was in color: the gold X and bar were set upon a red heart in a field of white. Surrounding the walls, several rings and sections of wooden fence, along with several stables and sheds, spilled out onto the plain. Even from here, one could see that this place was bustling, the plains filled with vague shapes of people and horses in constant motion. A series of horn calls resounded, clear as the brightening day.

Lidia was immediately reminded of Candlekeep, though the differences were obvious. For one thing, her old home was a library housed in a fortress, and if any of the guards had made this kind of racket, the monks would have immediately shown them the door. For another, Candlekeep always radiated specks of light from many windows, reflecting its inhabitants' tendency to study at all hours. This place seemed older and darker, a stern presence hewn from the side of the cliff itself.

"You look upon the redoubt of the Order of the Radiant Heart. The corruption in Athkatla, the Sythilisians to the east, and Tethyr to the south-there is no shortage of troubles, and no stronger and more righteous brotherhood to meet them," Anomen said with obvious pride.

Yoshimo surveyed the place. "So this is where they blaze forth to impose their will upon those around them?"

"They go forth to carry out the will of the High Hall," Anomen replied. For a moment he seemed to skate right past the sarcasm, but then added, "The only thing we 'impose' is law and order in a lawless world. No more, no less."

Lidia noted this exchange, and wondered whether more trouble would come of it. The Company was in relative safety here, but in wilder places bickering between her people could endanger the whole group.

"If that's your Order, what-what are you doing with us then?" Aerie asked. "N-not to sound rude-"

"It came about by chance, more or less. We crossed paths at the Copper Coronet," Anomen said, nodding in Lidia's general direction.

Aerie's nose wrinkled at the mention of the place.

Anomen continued: "My company recalled from the east last fall. They are moving south, possibly as a bulwark against the chaos there, though I cannot know for certain. But my Test comes in only four months' time, and I was given one order: to find good and noble deeds to do until then. I hope my time with this group will prove fruitful." He sounded as though he was having his doubts already.

"If it's trouble you're after," Lidia said, "all you'll need to do is wait for it to come to us."

"Yes indeedy!" Minsc declared, drawing his long sword from its sheath and holding it up, his massive fingers winding around the claw-shaped hilt. "You see, Larry and I are also buttkickers for goodness, and together we shall prove worthy of the Ice Dragon Berserker Lodge at long last!"

"You sure we can't kill something now, beefy?" the sword asked, its reedy voice ringing out from the blade. "You promised me a lot."

The rest of the group turned to Lidia for an explanation.

She shrugged. "What was I going to do, leave it with the mind flayer? It's a good sword, if a bit talkative."

Jaheira muttered, only half to herself, "Gods have mercy, he gave it a name."