Jumping the fence first, Brand reached his hand over to grab his companions packs. With ease, Slith leapt over and watched his father fly though the air. Aubrey laughed, and asked for some help over the fenced farmland. Kel was up in the sky and needed no assistant for obvious reasons. The griffin gazed down on his friends and then scouted ahead to the large farmhouse that lay two miles north.

It was mid-afternoon when the five arrived at the territory in the Karanas that was owned by the farmer Corlendol. The smoldering sun hung high in the sky and beat almost insufferable sunrays down upon the exposed necks of the travelers. Not a cloud dotted the sky as the rescuers continued towards the farmhouse; on rare occasions did this whether occur because the rain god ruled the Karanas.

Two horses raced in front of the odd group and kicked up a trail of dust as the dwelling came closer. A relatively hefty hog waddled under their feet while snorting as it walked. Slith gave a feeble laugh and watched the swine join with two other hogs that were as large as it.

Finally coming to the house, the group placed their gear on the ground and waited for the farmer to come out. A hundred yards away, two young sunburnt lads hammered a log into place of a newly built enclosure. They straightened up, gathered their tools, and headed towards their family quarters. As they neared, they waved to those waiting and shouted friendly greetings. Three young maidens then came out of the house with glasses and a large jug of cool water. Behind them, their father, Farmer Corlendol stepped down from the porch and approached Brand and his group.

"You the ones that the high elf wanted me to greet?" he spat and took a glass from one of his daughters.

"Yes, we are." Aubrey spoke.

"Good. I've been waiting for you to get here. I need a certain job done." He crossed his tanned arms.

"Well, that's what we're here to do, and then collect the information for the next clue." Brand took off his vest and shook the neck of his thin off- white shirt. "What do we have to do?" the bard ran his fingers through his bright blonde hair.

Corlendol smiled and ushered his girls forward to offer them drinks. His two tired sons joined them and threw down their tools. "See that new pen over there?" he pointed. "I need all my pigs to be placed in there." He nodded.

"We have to wrrrangle pigsss? How many arrre therrre?" Kel said.

"You talk!?" Farmer Corlendol jumped back in surprise.

"Yesss. Now tell usss how many pigsss you have." The griffin said annoyed.

"I've got twelve. They are all scattered over my lands. It's gonna take you some time to find them all. Tell me once you're done and I'll give you the information you want." He walked in his house with his five children trailing behind.

Slith's mouth hung open in astonishment. "He hasss twelve pigsss that are sssomewhere out there." He motioned to the wide-open plains.

"We better get started then." Aubrey sighed and headed out to where they saw the group of three pigs.

Brand, taking off his shirt and shoving it into his pack, took off running in the opposite direction while shouting something this sounded like "sue- eee! Here piggy!". Kel, thinking he would do much more help by flying above, took flight. He began to circle the farm like an oversized vulture looking for his meal.

"I'll go eassst and you go wessst." Mirk tossed his robe onto the ground and sprinted towards the eastern fence without any clothes on.

Shaking his head slowly, Slith gradually peeled off his black robe, like his father did, and carefully put the cloth into his pack. Hissing softly, the young lizardman ran freely over the lands. Copying the half-elf, Slith started to scream loudly for the pigs, hoping they would make his task easy and come to him, but he didn't count on it.

Aubrey tried to move the two hundred pound beast towards it new enclosure, but the animal barely moved. Gritting his teeth and taking a deep breath, the human grabbed the swine's curled tail and pulled it hard. The hog let out a shrilly squeal and began to trot. Aubrey blocked it from different directions by stepping in its way and forcing it to turn to his desired course. Seeing another pig, Aubrey ran to it and lightly kicked it so it would join his fellow smelly friend towards the pen.

A nasty welt was forming on Brand's stomach where he was kicked by the pig he was trying to catch. Sweat glistened off his chest and fell onto the dry grass where it was soaked up instantly. The bard tried to throw his belt over the animal's head, but failed. Breathing heavily, Brand tossed the loop on the pig one more time and succeeded. He quickly tightened it and began to lead the pig to its new habitat.

Kel glided close to the ground as he herded four small-terrified pigs. They squealed highly and tripped over one another as Kel laughed and snapped his beak at their tails. The gate of the corral was open, and after pushing the pigs through, the griffin shut the wooden fence and went off to find some more victims.

Slith crept up behind an unaware hog that was grazing pleasantly in a small patch of green grass. The lizardman lunged through the air and tackled the pig to the soil. It just so happened; that where Slith had hit the ground there was a mud puddle that hadn't been dried up by the sun. The iksar kept a firm grip on the hog with one hand and with the other wiped the mud from his eyes. Grabbing the fat at the base of the animal's neck, Slith pulled it to the pen.

Mirk had the same idea about chasing the pig to the pen and soon after when he had two pigs running from his sharp claws; he met up with the human. Combined, they chased five horrified pigs. Looking ahead, Aubrey noticed the gate was closed; he cursed aloud. He shouted to Brand who was almost at the pen with a pig being dragged by his belt. Brand heard the human and rushed ahead with his pig to open the gate.

"Only one more!" Brand said happily as he threw the gate shut after the five pigs from the Mirk and Aubrey and Slith's one entered.

"But where isss it? We sssearched everywhere." Mirk said.

"Come frrriendsss! I have found the lassst ssswine. It isss hiding behind sssome trrreesss." Kel swooped low and shouted. "Follow me!"

The four hurried after Kel to a small grove of trees that were scattered in a semi-circle. The last pig was lounging in the shade while digging his snout into the fallen leaves and dirt. Brand motioned for Slith and Mirk to sneak up behind the pig while he came from the front and Kel and Aubrey took the sides. They all moved in and made their move. The pig jumped to its feet and ran into Brand's legs, causing him to fall onto its back. The half-elf clung onto the animal's sweaty, dirty, hairy back as he was dragged along the scorching ground without a shirt on.

"Hold on Brrrand!" Kel dove and knocked the hog off of its hoofed feet.

Aubrey, Mirk, and Slith all pounced on the swine and tied a belt around its neck. Rising to his feet, Brand brushed the dirt from his naked chest and began to walk towards the farmhouse. The others first took the animal to the pen to join the eleven others before accompanying Brand to Corlendol's residence.

Farmer Corlendol and his children stepped out when the five reached the wooden deck. He eyed his pigpen and counted the animals. He nodded before congratulating the rescuers and giving them a fancy letter that they recognized as Papsworth's. Then, his three daughters handed each person a cool damp cloth to clean themselves from all the muck and sweat. The girls had to wipe down Kel themselves since the griffin couldn't; Kel didn't mind at all though.

"Hope you gain whatever you want from that high elf." Corlendol shook their hands as his two sons placed about ten water flasks by their packs.

"We thank you for your generosity." Brand bowed.

"Ahh, I'm not generous. I was paid." He chuckled and disappeared into his home. His children followed shortly after.

"Read the letter boy!" Aubrey smacked Brand's head.

The bard shot the human a brief glare before clearing his throat to speak. "I say, was that a dirty task or what? My companions and I thought this would be hilarious for you to do. I don't think Lielay enjoyed the idea though. Now on to your next clue! You must travel to Surefall Glade and search the waterfall tunnels for one of my glowing orbs. It contains more information on where Lielay is. Well, I think you're getting the concept of these letters, so farewell till you find your next clue! Signed Papsworth." Brand sighed and passed the parchment to Aubrey who pocketed it.

"Well, Lielay isss worrrth all of thisss. Even though I didn't know herrr that well becaussse I didn't meet herrr until Caleb was fifteen. I only lived with Lielay'sss family forrr two yearrrsss beforrre that set-up of herrr fake death." Kel bowed his head.

"Of course Lielay isss worth it. Now letsss go to Sssurefall Glade ssso we can become a ssstep clossser to ssseeing her glowing face again." Mirk hoisted his packs up and started to walk, still without his robe on, away from the farm and the awful smell of the pigs.