The servant of that section of the castle slipped into the suite that had been assigned to Lady Paige and Walter. She carried two bundles with her. She opened each one and got the clothes out of them and hung them up. She inspected each one closely and nodded as there weren't any wrinkles she needed to deal with. She began going through her routine of stirring the embers in the fireplace and then adding a few new logs to what was still in it. She went into the bedroom Ralph should have been in. She smiled not seeing Ralph and so she pulled the covers off the bed and put them in a basket before she picked up his clothes and sat them on top.

She remade his bed before she carried the basket out of Ralph's room and sat it down. She quietly passed into the master suite carrying the clothes she'd brought up. She smiled seeing Lady Paige sound asleep with her son and husband. She hung them on the valet stand. She slipped into the bathing room for the master suite and began running water into the tub.

She brought out six small vials and set them by the tub's spigot. She broke out fresh towels and hung them up. Once the tub was filled she turned it off and collected the towels from last night. She slipped out of the bathing room and sat the towels in a basket. She walked over and quietly moved the curtains back allowing the early morning light into the room. The room's window faced the North with a slight East angle but it wasn't yet late enough in the year for the sun's orb to pierce directly into the room. She walked over and collected the other clothes left in the room and added them to the basket and then stepped to the door and carried the basket out with her.

Lady Paige woke suddenly hearing the latch of the door click as the door closed. She looked about the room and rubbed her eyes for a moment. She started to roll over to Walter and then smiled as she found Ralph half lying on her and half on Walter. She slipped out of the bed and reached back into the bed and slipped her arms under Ralph and picked him up and carried him out of the room and back to his own room. She smiled at the young man as she tucked him back into his bed and she walked back to her room. She smiled at Walter still sleeping as she flipped the lock before the door closed. Her smile changed to a grin as she pulled her night gown off and climbed back into the bed.

Walter woke suddenly as he felt her kissing down his chest. He smiled and reached over and caressed Paige's head. Paige looked up at him for a moment and grinned as she went back to kissing him as she moved on down his torso.

Sir Sylvester stood on the balcony looking out over the wall that separated the courtyard from the rest of the city. He saw many people moving about the city. He looked to his watch and then looked back into the suite he shared with Ray, Cabe and Allie. He shook his head and looked back out. He'd gone to see Lady Paige but no one had answered his knock so he came back and walked out onto the balcony.

While he had helped Lord Beyon yesterday he still had been a bit put off he couldn't join with her and Walter to seek out vengeance. "Stupid shadow." He grumbled.

Ray stepped out of the suite and smiled hearing Sylvester's comment. "Morning Sir Sylvester."

Sir Sylvester spun around shocked at first. He hadn't heard a sound. "Don't do that." He grabbed his chest as he breathed hard.

Ray smiled. "What is wrong with the shadow?"

Sylvester grumbled. "Nothing if you are able to enter and move around inside of it."

Ray nodded. "Yea, I understand. Getting left behind because we couldn't take you with us had to sting a little."

Sylvester nodded. "I like to feel like I am shouldering my share of responsibilities. Why is everyone sleeping so late?"

Ray shrugged. "I can't speak for everyone but Cabe, Allie and I went out to settle the score with Agger late last night."

Sylvester frowned. "Wait, who is Agger and why was there a score to settle with him? And no one thought to include me?"

Ray took a sip of the brandy he had poured himself before stepping out. "Agger is the guy who made the explosive that Tim used to try and kill Walter and Lady Paige. I'd thought I had killed him but he sent some kind of entity to the castle last night to kill Lady Paige and her family. So we went after him."

Sylvester's frown grew into anger. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

Ray shrugged. "You were sleeping so soundly you didn't hear the fighting. As far as going with us Allie took Cabe into the shadow, I don't know how to do that so there was no way to bring you with us."

Sylvester's mood got worse at that point.

"Walter was pretty wiped out after everything he did yesterday so Lady Paige took him back to bed after they killed the entity. Allie, Cabe and I decided to take care of the matter so they didn't have to worry with it today." Ray told him as he looked over the edge of the balcony.

"I'll be glad to get back out on the road again. At least there I feel more useful." Sylvester bemoaned.

They both heard a click and looked into the suite and saw Allie step out in her red leather. Ray smiled. "Morning Red."

Allie rolled her eyes. "Morning Ray, Sir Sylvester."

Sylvester just grunted.

Ray chuckled. "You'll have to forgive our friend here. He's a little sour that he couldn't go with us in the shadow, yesterday or this morning."

Allie smiled. "I am sorry Sir Sylvester. Perhaps next time Walter can leave Lady Paige behind and take you with him."

Ray nearly spit his last drink out of his mouth. "Oh I'd pay good coin to see that look on Lady Paige's face."

Cabe stepped out just as Ray recovered. "What look is that?"

Allie turned with a smile. "The look she'd have if Walter left her behind and took Sir Sylvester into the shadow with him to do something."

Cabe's eyes widened. "I'll pass on that myself."

Ray grinned.

There was a knock on the door and Cabe walked around the table and opened it. He smiled. "Good morning Ralph. How are you this morning?"

Ralph smiled. "I'm good. Mom would like everyone to come down to our suite for breakfast."

Cabe nodded. "We'll be down there in just a moment."

Ralph grinned and turned and ran back down the hallway as Cabe turned and gestured and everyone walked towards him. "Our Lady wants us to come down to their suite for breakfast."

Allie smiled as she reached out taking his hand and they stepped out of their suite. As they began walking down the hall Ray and Sir Sylvester stepped out and followed behind them. "You think we'll be staying another night?" Ray looked at Sir Sylvester.

Sylvester shrugged. "Possibly, our Lady might wish to replace as much of their things that were lost in the explosion as possible. And she likes to get an early start on the road so we'll probably leave tomorrow."

Ray nodded. "Makes sense to me." He replied as they stepped into the suite of Lady Paige.

They saw Lady Paige and Walter with Ralph along with Happy, Toby and Alicia sitting at the table and a large variety of food waiting on them. Ray smiled as he clapped his hands together. "Now this is what I call breakfast."

Lady Paige smiled as Walter shook his head. Ray had started to reach out for the plate of sausages and stopped as he looked at Walter and saw his eyes starring at him. Ray sighed and pulled his hand back. Lady Paige prayed before everyone began filling their plates. As Paige finished they began passing the food about to each other. "Are we spending another night here my Lady?" Ray asked after swallowing a bite of a sausage patty.

"Yes, I'd rather be back on the road but Walter and I still need to replace a few things that were lost in the explosion." Paige told him.

Walter cleared his throat. "On that note, is the matter of Agger settled?"

Allie and Ray both nodded. "We also brought back a bunch of his texts and formulas. We didn't think Lord Beyon would want any of that falling into the hands of other people. I'd thought about burning the place out but I wasn't sure Lord Beyon or our Lady would appreciate that." Ray told them.

"Restraint from you Ray, I'm astounded." Walter teased him.

Ray grinned. "But not on these sausages." He grabbed the plate again and pulled off a number of sausages.

Happy looked at Paige's finger and grinned. "Finally got you an engagement ring huh?"

Paige smiled as she reached over and stroked Walter cheek. "Yes, my Love had just purchased it before Tim tried to attack him yesterday. Along with these that Ralph got for me." She pulled her hair back and revealed her earrings.

Happy grinned. "You got good taste Ralph. Where did you get the money for them?"

Ralph grinned. "Dad said it was something called an allowance he owed me."

Happy nodded. "Well you did a good job picking them out. They match your Mom's engagement ring."

After they were done eating Lady Paige and Walter were preparing to go out into the city Walter picked Ralph up and put him on top of his shoulders with his legs around his neck and Lady Paige smiled at them as she took his hand and they left the castle.

As they reached the edge of the market Ralph looked down at Walter. "Dad, do we need to go get your bag from the hotel first?"

Paige looked over and frowned as Walter laughed. "The remainder of my reward, I'd left it in the safe inside of the hotel." Walter told her.

Paige nodded. "We should probably get it then."

Walter nodded and they skirted the edge of the market until they reached the hotel. The concierge was quick in retrieving Walter's bag for him. Walter smiled as he took the bag and kind of hefted it a moment and set it down. "The young woman who was killed in the explosion, did she had a family?"

The concierge nodded. "They were pretty devastated of course."

Walter nodded as he opened the bag and pulled fifty of the platinum pieces out of the bag and stacked them on the desk. "Would you give them this? It can't replace her but hopefully it will make things a little easier for them."

She smiled and nodded. "That is very generous my Lord."

Walter winced and shook his. "I'm no Lord. It is my wife who is the noble."

Paige sighed and slapped his arm playfully as the concierge smiled and nodded. "Of course, our manager wanted me to stress how sorry we are that this happened to you here and you are welcome back anytime."

"Thank you." Lady Paige told her before they turned and left the hotel. She looked at Walter. "That was very kind of you to do for them my Love."

Walter smiled as he pulled her hand up to kiss it. He turned his head to his right and up a bit to see Ralph. "Are you doing okay up there Ralph?"

Ralph nodded. "It is fun being able to see over all the heads in a crowd instead of only seeing belts."

Walter and Paige both laughed at his observation. Walter held the bag up to Ralph. "Do you wish to carry the bag for me?"

Ralph stared at him for a moment before he reached out and took it. They heard him grunt at the weight. Paige looked up at him. "Perhaps it might be best to put it in my bag."

Ralph's face was a little darker in color and he nodded and he was relieved as Walter took it back and handed it to Paige. "I can't wait until I can pick things up like you and Mom."

Paige just smiled as she opened her bag and placed Walter's bag inside of it before returning it to her belt.

After all that had happened yesterday the market wasn't very busy. They found it very easy to move through as more than half of the normal shoppers were staying away from the market and those that went there were only there for specific things and they didn't dawdle, they got what was needed and left. The little family spent most of the morning moving through the market. To even a casual observer they weren't so much shopping as they were enjoying their time together as a family.

As lunch time approached Walter pointed towards an open air eatery and Paige nodded as they changed direction. Ralph seemed to be a little appalled at the benches before the tables and was hesitant to sit down on one. Paige rolled her eyes and Walter shook his head. "You dine along with us in the open all the way here Ralph, what is wrong with the bench?"

Ralph looked at his Dad sitting there. "But I don't know who cleaned this. What if there is bird poop I don't see?"

Paige sighed as Walter shook his head. He opened one of the packages holding a shirt he had bought and laid the paper down on the bench. "How do you feel about that?"

Ralph smiled and nodded. Walter grabbed him and yanked him up off the ground and Ralph flew up in the air a little higher than Walter's head and then Walter pulled him in and hugged him before he sat Ralph on the paper. Walter grinned at the young man and then ruffled his hair. Walter's eyes looked up suddenly as he heard his name in a whisper. He saw a member of the Elite force. "Allie said you wanted to speak with us before we left for Krammer." She whispered.

Walter nodded as he leaned over to Paige. "Excuse me my Love, a member of the Elite wants to speak to me."

Paige looked at him and over to where he looked and saw the woman standing by a bush by the entrance of an alley. She nodded and Walter kissed her before he got up and walked over.

Walter looked at the woman. "Where is your partner?"

She smiled. "She's in the shadow beside me."

Walter nodded. "You know your mission is to gather information on where King Andrew might be traveling to and when correct?"

She nodded.

"Good, I'm calling in all the debts owed me by the Elite force. You have to take great care as he is an ancient necromancer but I don't want that information, I want him dead." Walter told her.

Greetings! Hoping this finds you all well! I've been dealing with the 2nd shot of Moderna and it has had me struggling. Yesterday was the worst of it with elevated pain levels and finger joints that were painful and sluggish to move. Spent 17.5 hours in bed from yesterday until this morning. Took a lot to get this chapter done. Hopefully I'll get back on track quickly now.

Railman - hehe Thank you!

Franxine - I would never laugh at you!

Margaret - Let's hope their journey to Hesperia is rather boring after all of this! lol

Susan - So glad you enjoy this! I didn't study it like a class or something but I was drawn to it first through Thor comic books to the original stories of the Norse mythology. But in the Navy it grew because of AD&D (Advance Dungeons & Dragons). Both as a player and a DM. For a long time my creative outlet was designing adventures to run players through. I was drawn to certain books like The Elfstones of Shannara, Wishsong of Shannara, The Belgariad (5 book fantasy story) and it's follow up series The Mallorean. Yes, at this time when they speak of Allie's sisters it is the other women in the Elite guard that are being spoken of.

To the Adventure! -Tim