Author's note - Thank you for the kind reviews. You may have noticed some nods to Tolkein in the last chapter. I wish I had the skills to write my own songs for Lyra but sadly I don't. For the time being I will give credit where I borrow from other authors/franchises.

Chapter Three

Redbrand Ruffians

Lyra tried the diplomatic approach.

"Look here, I'm sure this is all a misunderstanding. No need for steel."

It was a little late for that, three of the ruffians held short-swords and the fourth hefted a crossbow. Beorn snatched up his axe and leapt to his feet, his face red with anger.

"These wastrels were leering at a little girl, couldn't have been older than thirteen! I saw the whole thing."

"What's it to you, dwarf?" the Redbrand on the left demanded. He was not an attractive fellow, Toby thought. His nose was misshaped, probably having been broken several times in the past, his teeth were brown and a stink of sweat and ale wafted off him. "We were just paying the bitch a compliment."

Emmaline drew her sword with a snarl and Lyra grabbed her by the arm to hold her back.

"You can't be serious?!" Emmaline cried, looking at Lyra in wide eyed fury. "We can't let them get away with this!"

"Not at all," said Lyra. "I just wanted to do something first."

Then she threw out her arm in a sweeping gesture and each of the Redbrands began to glow lurid pink.

"There, now they're easier to hit," Lyra explained smugly.

One of the ruffians charged towards her with a roar and she dodged out of the way. Emmaline brought her sword around and dealt the man a biting blow in the ribs. He crumpled, clutching his bloody wound and Beorn bonked him on the head with the blunt end of his axe.

"I'd stay down if I were you," the dwarf growled menacingly, kicking the unconscious bandit aside.

The other three were incensed and charged, all except the crossbowman who backed off and took aim at Beorn. The bolt pierced his leg and he grunted in pain. Toby squared his shoulders and lifted his hands, spreading his fingers wide. He cried a spell and a bolt of fire shot towards the crossbowman and found its mark. The ruffian yelped and dropped the crossbow to beat at the flames. Toby took the opportunity to back away as he did not fancy being skewered by the other two.

Beorn and Emmeline kept them engaged and blades flashed in the sunlight, the clashing of metal reverberated down the street and Toby saw frightened villages peering down from the upper floors of buildings. One brave soul called out,

"That's it! You give 'em what for!"

Lyra hurried over to Toby's side.

"This isn't going as planned," she lamented, wincing as Emmaline took a nasty cut to the cheek. She narrowed her eyes at the perpetrator and muttered something under her breath. The man suddenly dropped his sword, clapped his hands over his ears and fell to the floor, laughing hysterically.

"Tasha's?" Toby asked and Lyra nodded. "I do believe I taught you that."

The fourth Redbrand, after seeing two of his companions go down and the third set on fire, decided to make a break for it. After spitting on the ground at Beorn's feet he sprinted towards the east side of town. Beorn made a grab for him but he was too slippery and the red cloak whipped out of his hands. Toby aimed a spell it him but it missed.

"Ah let the coward go," Emmaline said with a grimace. "These three at least can spend some time in the cells!"

She placed a boot on the smoking Redbrand who'd been crawling away and trained the tip of her sword on him. He bared his teeth at her,

"Glasstaff will have your heads!" he snarled.

"That would be your mysterious leader, yes?" Lyra asked as she tied up the still wheezing Redbrand. "What luck, we'll be wanting a chat with him ourselves. You wouldn't happen to know where to find him would you?"

The Redbrand only glared at her sullenly.

The townmaster was not at all pleased when the party dragged the three Redbrands into the hall. Harbin Wester was a rotund human of around sixty, with a walrus moustache and head as bald and shiny as an egg. When the prisoners were dumped at his feet and flinched.

"Oh no, oh dear me, what happened here?" he asked tremulously.

Beorn jabbed one of the Redbrands in the back with his axe.

"This lot were causing trouble, so we gave them a good hiding!"

Wester took a step back and wrung his hands.

"Well, I thank you for your service but this won't do! I won't do at all! Please release these men at once!"

"You're got to be kidding me!" Emmaline cried. "You can't let them go. They've been shaking down your merchants and terrorizing the locals for weeks!"

"I'm sure it was all a misunderstanding. These men are just mercenaries, here to guard against goblins raids."

One of the Redbrands lifted his head and spread his lips wide in a nasty grin.

"Yep, just a misunderstanding. I'm sure Glasstaff will realise you had nothing to do with this townmaster, so long as you set things straight."

Toby and Lyra exchanged a dark look. Wester's lip trembled and he looked at the party pleadingly.

"Let them go, at – at once! A – and if I catch you lot making trouble again I'll – I'll –

"You'll what, exactly?" called a familiar voice. Everyone turned to see Sildar Hallwinter stride into the reception room. It seemed he'd been in the library and had heard every word. Wester drew himself up to his full height but with his paunch this only succeeded in making him look like a puffed up bullfrog.

"This is none of your concern, Master Hallwinter. This is a local matter."

"On the contrary, it is very much my business," said Sildar with a stern frown. "As a representative of the Lord's Alliance I need to oversee all security threats to this town. And these Redbrand hooligans are certainly that."

He swept his arm wide to indicate a heavy wooden door, banded in iron, behind the reception desk.

"I believe a few nights in the cells is the least we can do. Beorn? Emmeline? Would you be so kind as to help me escort these gentlemen downstairs?"

Toby's friends were more than happy to oblige and together with Sildar they hauled the Redbrands to their feet. The bandits cursed them and Wester, who'd gone rather pale, turned on his heel and disappeared upstairs, muttering under his breath. Lyra tisked.

"That's gratitude for you! We take care of three nasty outlaws and he wants to let them go?"

"This Glasstaff must be a scary character," Toby mused. "Odd name. Sounds like something a wizard would choose."

"Maybe that lot know something," Lyra suggested, following the others through the door to the cellar. "Time for a little interview."

A set of stone steps led to the lower level and Toby saw at once that this had not been built to be a prison, but a wine cellar of some kind. The ceilings were arched and vaulted and the 'cells' were just poky little rooms with recently reinforced doors. Two of the Redbrands were shoved into these whilst Sildar marched the third to a table. He shoved the bandit into a chair and secured his bound hands to an iron ring on the table.

"Alright," Sildar growled, taking the chair opposite. "Time we put an end to this nonsense. Who is this Glasstaff you spoke of? Are they your leader?"

The Redbrand pressed his lips together and glowered at Sildar, not saying a word. Sildar scowled.

"Alright. What about Iarno Albrek, does that name mean anything to you?"

The Redbrand shrugged.

"He's a wizard and a member of the Lord's Alliance. He came to Phandalin two months ago to oversee the mining operation. Around the same time your company arrived in fact. He's disappeared. Would you know anything about that?"

More silence and the Redbrand started nonchalantly picking at his fingernails as best he could with his hands bound.

"This will go a lot easier for you if you just answer the questions," Beorn growled, gripping his axe threateningly. The Redbrand sighed in a bored kind of way.

"Don't know the bloke."

"He's a short human man in his thirties, with black hair and a beard," Sildar supplied. The Redbrand shook his head.

"Doesn't ring a bell."

Beorn suddenly brought his fist down on the table, making them all jump.

"Enough messing around!" he boomed. "Tell us who your leader is and where we can find them! Or I swear things are going to get ugly for you!"

Sildar stood up and put a warning hand on Beorn's shoulder. The Redbrand laughed.

"You think you can scare me blondie? You're full of shit. I know this ponce here is with the Lord's Alliance, likes their 'due process' they does. All trials and fines and a stint in a jail. He ain't going to let you lay a finger on me now that I'm his prisoner."

Beorn's face went red with anger and Sildar drew him away to the other end of the cellar to have a whispered conversation. Lyra waited a moment before sliding into the vacant seat. The Redbrand leered at her.

"You going to have a go now sweetheart? You going to threaten to crack my ribs if I don't talk?"

"Gods no, far too much effort," said Lyra. She kept her voice lower than usual so her words were just about lost of Sildar. "But I do think we can help each other. You're a smart bloke, you can see which way the wind's blowing. You lot have had a cushy job here these past two months, no guards, no one to keep you in line, had the run of the place right?"

The Redbrand said nothing but his eyes narrowed. Lyra nodded her head towards Sildar.

"Things are about to change. He's not here on holiday you know, the Lord's Alliance want this place to succeed. Dagnult Neverember wants this place to succeed. That means inspections, a guard presence, regulations. So why don't you do yourself a favour and tell us what you know? We can take care of your boss and you'll get off lightly with a fine I recon. And I can always make it worth your while."

Toby saw Lyra rub her fingers together and a gold coin appeared. She twirled it between her fingers and then made it vanish up her sleeve. Toby's well-trained eye picked out the minor illusion magic. The Redbrand chewed this over for a moment and then sighed,

"Fine. I had a feeling the jig was up when that busybody rolled into town. Glasstaff, yeah he's in charge. Never seen him meself, he just stays in Tresendar Manor and sends us messages. His rooms are somewhere at the western end of the hideout."

"Why is he called Glasstaff?" Toby asked curiously.

"Cause he's got this glass staff, duh!" the Redbrand sneered. "Some magic doohickie. I heard that he's been working with someone called the Black Spider."

Toby glanced at Lyra in alarm but she kept her countenance and her eyes fixed on the Redbrand.

"Who's that?" she asked.

"I don't bleedin' know!" the Redbrand sighed. "Some bandit I recon. Told us to scare off any adventuring types, like yourselves, and to keep the locals in check. No idea why. He means business though, sent a couple of bugbears as extra muscle."

"Bugbears?" Toby winced. "Well that's not good. Where are they?"

"In the hideout, guarding Glasstaff's quarters. Nasty brutes if I'm honest."

Lyra cocked her head and then nodded.

"Thank you sir, you've been most helpful."

She and Toby joined the others at the stairs and Emmaline looked questioningly at them.

"Well? Did you get anything?" she asked and Lyra grinned.

"Oh yes, Tresendar Manor is where we'll find our thugs. I take it that's the house up on the hill?"

She directed this last at Sildar who nodded.

"That's right, but it's been abandoned for years. Surely people would have noticed if there were activity there?"

"Why don't we go and ask the townmaster about it then? If he's willing to lift a finger of course," Lyra snorted.

The party mounted the stairs whilst Sildar remained in the cellar to process the prisoners. Lords did so love their paperwork. Once they were back in the entrance hall, Lyra turned to Beorn.

"There's something you should know. Apparently the Redbrands are in cahoots with the Black Spider."

Beorn drew up short and his eyes grew sharp.

"Better and better," he growled. "We get to clear out a nest of lowlife bullies and find a lead to my cousin!"

The townmaster was less than helpful. They tracked him down in his office on the first floor, an over-the-top kind of room with gold upholstered sofas and poufs and a mahogany desk, hardly fitting for a backwater little mining town.

"Tresender manor? No one's been up there for years!" Wester puffed, nervously rearranging the papers on his desk. A cursory glance told Toby they were mining contracts and supply receipts. "We would have liked to use it has a town hall but the builders said the roofs were unstable or some such rot. The Redbrands certainly don't go up there, they mostly stay at the Sleeping Giant."

"Their leader would hardly stay at the inn, they sound like the shady sort. They'll have a hidey-hole and his man in the cellar said it was up and the manor!" Emmaline snapped. Her words get the gears turning in Toby's head.

"The Tresender's were a wealthy family in their day," he mused aloud. "Before the orc raid of course. They would have a crypt, and storage space beneath the manor, surely?"

They all turned their heads towards Wester who pressed his lips together.

"There are crypts," he admitted grudgingly. "But they'd be just as dangerous as the rest of the house! And I've no idea where the entrance is. Probably caved in decades ago."

None of them bothered to offer empty thanks, they simply left the townmaster to his simpering. It was nearing lunch time but the party didn't stop at the inn, they made their way straight to the east side of town. Some of the locals smiled at them as they passed and one even told them,

"Ruddy marvellous job with those ruffians. Saw the whole thing from my bedroom window! Hope you give the rest of them a kick and all!"

Tresender Manor must once have been a handsome building, standing proud at the top of the hill with stone steps leading up to the front doors. It had three stories and was built entirely of stone with a slate roof. Gargoyles perched on the walls, keeping watch over the ruin. The grass and brambles had grown wild and a large wooden sign at the foot of the slope read in Common and Elvish,

'DANGER! UNSTABLE – KEEP OUT.'

"I think it might be dangerous," said Emmeline dryly and Lyra snorted. They gazed up at the house and Toby could see most of the windows were broken and tiles were missing from the roof, exposing the beams.

"Well it certainly looks abandoned," he mused. "And how in Avernus are we going to get up there through this mess?"

Beorn drew his battle-axe and strode towards the bushes.

"With a bit of elbow grease," he said, swinging the axe and starting to clear a path. Emmaline joined in with gusto whilst Lyra and Toby hung back, raising eyebrows at each other.

"If the Redbrands are using this as a hideout, surely there's a path they use?" Toby suggested even as Emmaline swore. It seemed there were nettles hidden among the thorns.

After much huffing and puffing the party made it to the top of the hill and after some snooping around the back of the manor, they found a rickety back door. Emmaline did the honours and kicked it down whilst Beorn winced.

"We'll pay for that," he muttered as they crossed the threshold.

"You mean you'll pay for that," Lyra retorted, but only loud enough for Toby to hear.

The air in the manor was dusty and smelt strongly of damp. As they walked down the narrow hallway they heard a flutter of wings above as they disturbed roosting pigeons. Emmaline paused at a door that was ajar and peered inside.

"Kitchen," she said quietly.

"Why are you whispering?" Lyra whispered back.

"In case someone hears us!" Emmaline replied and Toby frowned.

"You already kicked in the door," he pointed out. They all look at each other and Emmaline opened her mouth to argue, then closed it again with a shrug.

"I guess you're right," she said at normal volume before pushed the kitchen door wider. It squealed on its hinges.

They found themselves in a large room with slate countertops and a huge oak table, tipped on its side and missing two of its legs. They looked like they'd been torn off judging by the splintered stumps left behind. Lyra soon found the door to the cellar. At the bottom of a short flight of stairs, it opened onto a five foot wide landing some fifteen feet above the cellar floor. Stone steps led down on the left and right and a large cistern filled with water occupied the western part of the room. Beorn cast light on the end of his axe for Emmaline's benefit and the party descended the steps cautiously.

There were kegs and barrels lining the walls and Toby spotted a door next to the cistern and another tucked away beneath the stairs on the northern side of the room. Lyra peered into the barrels.

"Food supplies," she called. "Salted pork and beef, apples, flour, that sort of thing. Look like this place is definitely occupied."

Emmaline, who had investigated the room beyond the door by the cistern, reappeared.

"She's right, there are beds and spare clothes in here, and look," she held up a dirty and bedraggled red cloak. Lyra took it from her with a musing expression.

"You never know, might come in handy," she shrugged. Toby gazed at the door under the stairs. It was carved from fine wood and had a symbol wrought in iron pressed into it. The sigil of the Tresendars.

"I think this leads to the crypts," he said excitedly, beckoning the others over. Lyra pushed open the door and was about to step confidently over the threshold when Toby grabbed the back of her shirt.

"Are you mad?!" he hissed. "I just said this is a crypt! Don't you remember what happened last time you went running into one of them?"

Lyra rolled her eyes.

"Are you still on about the tomb of Theirastra? It was just a mild bit of scorching!"

Toby scowled at her and leaned more cautiously around the door.

"You know how the old families loved to trap their crypts to catch out thieves."

Thick dust covered the flagstones of this sombre hallway. The walls were decorated with faux columns every ten feet and double doors at the end were sheathed in copper plate, now green with age. A relief carving of mournful angel graced the doors. Staying close to his friends, Toby took two small steps into the corridor and narrowed his eyes. It only took him a moment to spot something wrong.

"There," he pointed. "You see? That patch of floor, the tiles are loose. That's a pit trap, I'll bet my life on it."

Lyra came up behind him and looked over his shoulder.

"Oh yes," she said mildly. "But it seems stable around the edge. I'll give it a try."

She pushed Toby aside and gracefully shimmed along the wall, arriving unscathed on the other side of the trap. She put her arms wide like an acrobat completing a trick.

"See? Piece of cake."

That was easy for her to say, Lyra had always been nimble on her feet. Emmaline had little trouble, but Beorn was bulky and Toby clumsy. With some outright grabs from the girls they were able to get around the trap to the safety of the other side. The double doors were a little harder to get open as they'd rusted shut with age but with a combined effort they were able to make a gap big enough to squeeze through.

"Wow, look at this!" Toby breathed, his eyes sparkling.

Three large stone sarcophagi stood within this dusty crypt and propped up against each one was a human skeleton clad in rusty mail. False columns along the walls were carved in the image of spreading oak trees. Another door stood at the far end, also sheathed in tarnished copper plate.

"This is so well preserved," said Toby and he ventured over to one of the coffins, but Beorn put a hand on his shoulder.

"I know this is sort of your thing, but can we press on? We've more important things to do at the moment."

Toby glanced between the dwarf and the coffins and then sighed, his shoulders sinking. They walked across the crypt without examining anything interesting. However, as they neared the doors, Toby heard a creaking sound and then a blade came swishing down in front of him. He jumped back in fright only to feel something heavy crash into his shoulder. He yelped in pain and spun around, clutching his arm and found himself face to face with three angry skeletons, no longer inanimate. Lyra also cried out as she took a blow to the chest from a rusty mace and Emmaline swiftly drew an arrow and shattered the offender's skull.

Beorn dispatched the second skeleton, sending bones clattering to the floor with a bash from his hammer, and Toby collected himself enough to cast Firebolt and destroy the final foe. There was a moment of silence in the immediate aftermath whilst all three of them caught their breath. Toby looked with concern at Lyra who was rubbing her chest, but she shook her head and smiled to show she was alright.

"See, I told you we should always explore first," Toby sniffed.

As they moved again towards the doors, Lyra swooped down and picked up one of the skeleton's hands.

"Look, some sort of signet ring?" she asked Toby, pointing to a handsome silver ring on the middle finger. Toby pulled it gingerly off the bone and studied the crest. It showed an oak tree.

"Yes," he said with a smile. "The Tresendar crest, it was in the book I was reading on the way here. Might take this home to mother."

He pocketed the ring and followed the rest of the party into the next area. This was a long room partitioned into three areas, with iron bars walling off the left and right sides. Filthy straw lined the floors of the cells, the hinged doors of which were secured with chains and padlocks. Toby felt a chill as he saw two dishevelled human women in the cell to the right, whilst a boy was confined to the left. All were dressed in plain grey tunics and had iron collars fitted around their necks. A heap of discarded clothing was piled carelessly against the far wall.

At the appearance of the party, the captives all stood up and backed away against the far walls of their cells. They all had expressions of terror on their faces and didn't speak a word. The party all looked at each other, appalled, and Lyra ventured towards the cell that contained the two women.

"Hey, it's ok, we're not here to hurt you. I'm Lyra and these are my friends, what's your name?"

She addressed herself to the older woman, who looked like she might be the mother of the two teenagers. She didn't answer but shook her head frantically. Her daughter, who seemed to be about eighteen, put her finger to her lips and then said in barely a whisper,

"The Redbrands might be nearby."

"None that we could see in this part of the crypt," Emmaline said, also whispering now. "They must have left the skeletons to guard this area. Who are you?"

The mother and daughter looked at each other and then the girl spoke again,

"I'm Nilsa Dendrar, this is my ma Mirna and my brother, Nars."

"Dendrar?" Lyra muttered, her frown etching her forehead. "Sister Garaele mentioned you! She said the Redbrands attacked your home a tenday ago."

Tears welled up in Nilsa's eyes and her mother gathered her closer as she began to shake.

"They killed my husband, Thel," Mirna sobbed. "Right in front of us! Then they dragged us here. Heard them say they'd sell us as slaves! I don't know where we are."

"You're under Tresendar manor," Toby explained. "I'm so sorry this happened to you, but we're going to get you out!"

He glanced around but couldn't see a set of keys anywhere in the room. In fact, there was very little of anything apart from the clothes and a three-legged stool. Beorn cocked his head.

"Did they bring you through a secret entrance?" he asked the captives. "Only we came through the manor and we couldn't see any evidence that the Redbrands had been up there."

"There was a tunnel in the forest," piped up Nars. "It led to some caverns and then this place."

Toby nodded his head wisely.

"We were right, they've got an entrance hidden away from prying eyes."

Lyra had been prodding through the pile of clothes, probably also searching for a key, and now she stood up with a frustrated sigh.

"Nothing, Toby? You couldn't do Knock could you?"

Toby scrunched up his face.

"I could, but it'll make an unholy racket and we don't know how many Redbrands there are lurking about. I think we should clear them out before we try anything so loud."

Lyra nodded and then turned to the prisoners.

"We'll be back soon, I promise!"

There was no way forward from the prison room so the party left, with the Dendrars wishing them luck. Once they were back in the room with the coffins, Beorn pointed out another door they hadn't noticed before, tucked away in the northern corner. It led to a narrow corridor that twisted around and opened onto a storage area and then a large, damp cave. Beorn threw out an arm to halt the others and held his lit hammer high.

The light glistened off the wet walls and revealed a deep crevasse running the length of the cave. Lyra leant gingerly over the edge.

"Can't see the bottom," she said. Though she spoke quietly, her voice bounced off the walls.

A rickety rope bridge crossed the ravine and on the far side, Toby could see a tunnel, likely the one leading the forest, and a wooden door. As they all listened closely they heard male voices coming from the other side. Quiet as temple mice, the party crept across the rope bridge and pressed their ears to the door.

"At least four blokes," Lyra surmised, "Playing knucklebones."

Toby could hear bets being placed, the rattle of the dice, and then roars of approval or disappointment. It sounded like the game was getting pretty heated.

"Recon we can take them?" Emmaline asked from the corner of her mouth and Lyra suddenly had a shrewd look on her face. Toby didn't like that look, it never bode well.

"Let me try something," his friend said. She took the red cloak they'd found earlier out of her pack and tied it around her neck. Toby's eyes went wide.

"Have you lost your mind?!" he hissed. "That'll never work! You – well, you're obviously not one of them! They don't seem to be the most gender equal workforce!"

"Oh ye of little faith," Lyra sniffed.

She clicked her fingers and her appearance shimmered. Her hair shortened and turned muddy brown, her freckles disappeared to be replaced with stubble and her body changed to be more masculine.

"Wow, nice trick!" Emmaline said appreciatively and Lyra grinned, revealing that her teeth had yellowed.

"Thanks," she rasped. "It's just an illusion but I recon I can pass meself off as a new recruit."

Toby knew Disguise Self didn't alter one's voice but Lyra had a gift with mimicry and now she affected a harsh Neverwinter accent. She motioned for the others to stand on either side of the door before opening it and striding inside confidently. She left it slightly ajar so the rest of the party could hear what went on inside better.

"A'right lads? Knucklebones is it? Count me in!"

They heard a bench scrape as Lyra sat down.

"Ain't seen you around 'afore," said one of the Redbrands suspiciously.

"Started coupl'a days ago, didn't I? Mick brought me in on it, you know Mick?"

There were grunts of general assent and then Toby heard the chink of coin being set on a table.

"Anyway, got me a fat pouch 'ere an I'm looking to fill it some more," said Lyra.

As she began to play Emmaline leant forward and hissed in Toby's ear.

"She's freakishly good at pretending to be a bloke."

The game continued for several minutes and the Redbrands voices rose in volume again. It became obvious at once that all four were drunk and then suddenly the party heard a loud bang that made them all jump.

"Filthy cheat! Them's dice are loaded!" Lyra roared. The guilty Redbrand made an angry protest but the accusation threw the room into a frenzy.

The other three Redbrands turned on the cheater and a fight broke out. The party heard a great deal of banging and shouting as furniture was smashed. The door suddenly flew wide open as Lyra was thrown bodily through it. She landed with an 'oomph!' on her back barely a foot from the ravine. Toby tried to hurry to her side but Emmaline grabbed him and Lyra rolled to her feet and joined them at the side of the door.

"Let them think I'm out cold," she whispered, though it was hard to hear her over the noise in the next room. "I say we wait till they wear themselves out."

That didn't take too long, soon the splintering of wood stopped and all that could be heard were some pained groans. When the party entered the room they found it in disarray. Several wooden tables and chairs had been upended or smashed to pieces. Bits of broken pottery crushed underfoot and the smell of spilled ale was in the air. All four of the Redbrands lay unmoving in the carnage but two hulking Bugbears sat on the floor nursing their heads.

They looked up sharply as the party appeared but Toby threw out a hand and cast Sleep. The bugbears slumped and both began to snore.

"Lucky they'd already taken a few hits," he sighed. "Or else that might not have worked!"

Lyra casually scooped up some of the coins which had spilled off the dicing table and pocketed the loaded dice for good measure.

"You never know," she shrugged at Beorn's disapproving frown.

There was only one other door in this room and after peering through the keyhole to make sure no one was inside, Emmaline opened it with her short-sword at the ready. Toby saw at once that this was a wizard's workshop. It was filled with a bubbling dripping sound. A black rat scurried away across the floor and took refuge under a large worktable set up with alembics, retorts, distillation coils and other alchemical devises. Bookshelves were crowed with sheaves of parchment and strange-looking tomes.

"Can't see any other way out of here," Emmaline mused, looking around the walls. "We should take a proper look around, might be we'll find the keys to the cells."

"This must be where Glasstaff does their work, I said it sounded like a wizard name," said Toby.

He was rather excited by the amount of things to investigate in here. It only took him a moment of glancing over the potions and scribbled notes to realise whoever worked here was trying to brew potions of invisibility – not that they were succeeding so far.

Lyra thumbed through the books and after flicking through a worn, leather bound tome she beckoned Beorn over.

"This is in Dwarvish, what is it?" she asked. Beorn ran his eye over the words.

"Looks like a diary," he said. "Belonging to someone called Urmon. This page talks a bit about the history of Phandelver, it mentions the orc raid and – yes – here – this is about the Forge of Spells."

He took the book from Lyra and began looking through it properly whilst Toby helped himself to some of the spell components lying around.

"This is interesting. Toby, have you heard some a weapon called Lightbringer?" Beorn asked and Toby frowned in thought.

"Can't say I have," he said and Beorn tapped the diary.

"It was mace, commissioned by the priests of Lathander. The mages working under the Phandelver Pact created it, but it was lost during the orc raid on Wave Echo Cave."

Emmaline was kicking a blank stretch of wall in the corner. She then gave a triumphant 'aha!' as it clicked and a secret panel slid open to reveal another room.

"Well spotted," said Lyra appreciatively. She poked her head inside and then called, "All clear."

It was bedchamber, the walls were covered in drapes of scarlet cloth. The furnishings included a small writing desk with a matching chair, a comfortable looking bed and a wooden chest at its foot. Lyra sniffed.

"Can you smell that? Is that perfume?" she asked.

"Yes, someone's been here very recently. And look!" Beorn pointed into the corner by the writing desk. There was another secret door slightly ajar, as if someone had just slipped through and forgotten to close it properly. Beorn strode across the room and looked through the door.

"Damn, no sign of them. They must have heard the fight and done a runner."

Emmaline joined him in the corner.

"Look like this leads back to the cavern with the big crack in the floor. Should we follow?"

"They're probably long gone, but maybe you can see where they went?" Lyra suggested and Emmaline gave a thumbs up and marched off purposefully.

The other three remained in the bedroom to look for clues. Lyra rummaged in the chest at the foot of the bed and gave an excited whoop.

"Spell scrolls," she sang, waving the tightly bound parchment at Toby. "Glasstaff must have been in a hurry to leave these behind. And some pouches of coin and clothes, not much else in here."

Various papers and notes were stacked neatly on the desk, mostly consisting of handwritten orders to apothecaries and alchemists in nearby settlements for more magical materials. A letter caught Toby's eye and he snatched it up.

Lord Albrek,

My spies in Neverwinter tell me that strangers are due to arrive in Phandalin. They could be working for the dwarves. Capture them if you can, kill them if you must, but don't allow them to upset our plans. See that any dwarven maps in their possession are delivered to me with haste. I'm counting on you, Iarno. Don't disappoint me.

And below this, in place of a signature, was a drawing of a black spider. Beorn, who had read the letter of Toby's elbow, gave a cry and took it from him.

"They are working with the Black Spider!"

"Iarno? Iarno Albrek?" Toby said in astonishment. "Lord Hallwinter's contact from the Lord's Alliance? He wasn't kidnapped or killed! He's leading these rats! He's Glasstaff!"

Lyra peered over Toby's other shoulder at the letter and gave a low whistle.

"Sildar will want to know about this. Let's see if Emmie found something."

They went through the second secret door and found themselves back in the central cavern. Emmaline was no where to be seen but when they called for her she appeared at the mouth of the tunnel leading to the forest. She shook her head bitterly.

"It's no good, whoever it was moved very quickly. But look what they dropped!"

She held up a set of keys on an iron ring.

"Good work," said Beorn. "Let's free those poor people and get back to Sildar. I've had enough of this place."