Sitting in between her parents' graves in a peaceful corner of Surefall Glade, Lielay pulled the weeds that had crept up onto the scared resting places. Lielay tried desperately to cast a spell that would bring fresh flowers over her parents' graves, but she couldn't. A lone tear slowly climbed down her soft pale cheek and splattered on the soil below. Victoria leaned against a tree a few feet away, watching the sorrowful wood elf mourn over two old headstones. Being a dark elf, Victoria barely understood the wood elf's feelings since she, herself, had never been taught those emotions.

"What were you're parents' names?" Victoria stepped closer.

"Yanno and Lorilie." Lielay said proudly.

"Your daughter's name was Lorilie too, am I right?" the dark elf crouched beside Lielay.

"Yes. I wanted her to be named after my mother, but Lorilie met the same end as my mother." Lielay turned her head away to scrub the tears off her face. "What about your parents? I know your mother, Valamora, but who was your father?"

"You know as much as I. My mother never mentioned who fathered me." Victoria sneered. "I was brought up by my mother and her old 'gang' as she called them. You know 'em; Durk, Aaron, Erin, and Puma, but my mother left and only contacted Durk in later years."

"Oh." Lielay slightly muttered.

Lielay did not pursue her question any further; she just sat in silence and searched the graves of her beloved parents for any wretched weeds. Standing, Lielay adjusted her sleeveless tunic and looked to the waterfalls where Papsworth was placing his clue. Victoria slid back into the shadows and pulled the hood of her cloak over her head to avoid being seen by anyone since she and Vinx had secretly stole into the Glade.

The other dark elf, Vinx, was hidden on the opposite side of the clearing that Lielay rested in. He picked at his teeth and stared aimlessly at the trees that surrounded him. He snorted and without a sound crossed to where Victoria stood. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he kissed her forehead and gazed at the pale high elf and huge barbarian that were approaching.

Lielay's lips grew thin as Papsworth and the mysterious barbarian entered the grove. "Are you reenergized enough, my fair Lielay?" Papsworth took her arm by force and began to sway towards the Glade exit.

The two dark elves followed behind with their hoods drawn over their faces. "So, who is the barbarian?" Vinx eyed the mangy being that lumbered beside them.

"Rhade has joined our party for the remainder of our expedition." The high elf ducked under an outstretched branch of a tree.

"The pay is good." Rhade shook his shoulder-length greasy black hair as he spoke. "Isn't that the reason why you two are working for him too?" his deep gray eyes bore down into Vinx's shady piercing ones.

Papsworth motioned them to stop their conversation as they passed out of the Glade and by the stationed guards. The barbarian, Rhade, with his patched and frayed clothes, strutted along as if he were a nobleman out for a stroll. The dark elves curled their lips back in disgust and tried to ignore the new member of their party. Lielay slowly stepped a few feet away from the high elf and the others as they walked in the bleak plains. She was determined to get away. Again she took a few more small steps and readied herself to run.

"I don't think so." Rhade grabbed her forearm with his unkempt hand and pulled her back to Papsworth's side.

"You're never going to escape me, Lielay." Papsworth whispered in her pointed ear.

"You'll see. You'll see soon enough that I'll escape your little trap." She growled. "I'd rather walk with the dark elves than with you." She slowed her pace a bit and continued to walk on Victoria's left side.

Vinx started a discussion with the muscular barbarian. "What was your profession before you joined Papsworth?" the dark elf had to look up to speak with Rhade.

"I was a patrolman of Halas, but was fired because I was caught trading goods and supplies with well-known enemies of the city." He grunted.

The barbarian then started rambling on about nonsense and Vinx sighed and listened annoyed. The dark elf rolled his eyes and straightened the green robes he wore that were faded from travel. Victoria glanced at her lover with her purple eye while brushing her sheet of white hair out of her vision. The wood elf walked on her left side with a sulking look on her delicate face, but Victoria barely noticed since she wasn't paying attention too much except her nails.

Papsworth abruptly stopped his group and turned to Rhade. "I want you to watch over Lielay from now on." He then turned back and headed northwards.

"This will be fun." The barbarian chuckled and crossed to amble next to her.

Lielay sighed heavily and crinkled her nose from the dire, pungent smell that wafted off of the barbarian. Out of the corner of her alluring forest green eyes, Lielay saw Rhade looking her up and down. She pulled her tunic up more over her bosoms to hide them more and called ahead for Papsworth to provide her with a cloak. The high elf took one from a pack on his arm and tossed to back to her. Lielay fastened it on and pulled the cowl of her hood over her head.

The sky was very dark when Papsworth finally decided to stop for the rest of the night to get a few hours of sleep. "Rhade, stand guard over Lielay. Make sure she doesn't try to run off again." The high elf ruffled his vivid yellow hair and subdued a yawn.

"Do we have to watch her anytime in the night?" Vinx asked while taking a large bearskin blanket from his pack.

"No. Rhade and I will." Papsworth smoothed out his vest.

"Good." Vinx took Victoria's hand and led her a few feet away where they wrapped up in the one blanket and curled close together.

Lielay, not feeling that tired, sat with her chin resting upon her hands. She stirred the dirt and grass under her with her foot and sighed. She wished that Papsworth would just kill her now and get it over with, but she knew that wouldn't happen. Lielay fiddled with her hair for some time before pulling her knees to her chest and falling into a light slumber.