Meeting

The communal bed chambers were stuffier than I would have liked. I suppose it was to be expected, it being a big, dull building full of nothing but cots and beds. Not a single window was present on the walls, and the door leading outside was shut tightly. Sleeping in conditions like this would be a nightmare, I could already picture the long night ahead, dripping sweat and tossing uncomfortably in the cot I was sharing with some other woman and her kid. I wasn't tired yet, and there wasn't really anyone else in here, so I instead opted to get some practice done on my lute.

After a small bit of tuning, I absentmindedly strummed on my instrument for a bit, wondering what song or tale I should practice. "Svengard Burning" and "Blackstone March" were my go-to's, but I found myself not wanting to sing them, just thinking their names was enough for me to recoil into myself. Picturing the Warden with the likes of those brutes, it complicated the picture, so to speak. A complicated song with multiple tones was absolutely fine, but not when the song is supposed to be victorious and bombastic pretty much exclusively. Raising my knees a bit and resting my head against the wall, I wondered what sort of song the Warden did bring to mind.

He was a proper knight, that was a given. A song of epic conquests and glorious battle could be a good fit, I thought. But as I tried strumming a few more chords, something just didn't feel right to me. Yeah, he was a fighter, and a darn terrifying one at that, but it almost felt like telling part of a story, not the whole thing. I tapped against the top of my lute, this was harder than I'd expected to be. I could practice a worship song, one of those seemed to fit him just fine in the cave last night. No, that was for the faith, not him, that certainly wouldn't work.

"Look at you…" I said to myself, smirking and shaking my head slightly. "…Letting your thoughts be consumed by a man you've only just met." It was dumb, I knew that from the moment I recognized what I was doing. Yet, when I tried to divert my attention, it almost seemed to bounce right back to him. Why was I so intent on finding a song to match him? It wasn't like we had some strong attachment, I'd known him for all of two days, and we hadn't done much more than march through thigh high snow in that time. He was an acquaintance, hired muscle to keep me safe and nothing more. Nothing more, I realized. Was that why I was so stuck on this? He had been a far better traveling companion than I expected, gentler, more considerate, more…

I snapped back to myself when I noticed I'd been strumming this whole time, without even realizing it. Moreover, I recognized this tune. It was the first song I ever remembered hearing, my father had played it for me when I was little. Smiling a bit, I let myself keep playing the notes, closing my eyes and recalling those long nights back home. When daddy would just sit by the fireplace, strumming away while I laid my head in his lap, dreaming of storybooks and fairy tales as he played. There were never any words to the song, just soft, happy little notes that filled my mind with fantasies and hopes, convinced I'd be just like him one day. My fingers almost seemed to move on their own as I let myself sink into my memories. Daddy playing his lute, momma cooking up rabbit stew, shaking the broth just a bit, because I was convinced that made it taste better.

I could almost feel the fire ticking the edges of my face, hearing that music again. Back then nothing could touch us, I was so convinced that as long as they were around, I'd never have to be afraid of anything. Suddenly, my smile faded a bit, and I opened my eyes as I thought over what I was thinking. Why had thinking about the Warden brought back those memories? I hadn't thought about mom or dad in years, at least not as vividly as that. What the heck was going on with me?

"That was a nice song, Miss." Cane a sudden voice, interrupting my thought. I gasped and jumped a bit from the sudden sound, looking towards it. By the foot of the bed I could see a brown-haired boy no older than ten, probably younger, standing and resting his head just a few inches from my feet, big blue eyes staring back at mine. My heart settled a bit when the boy lifted his head a bit, backing away from me. I must have been so engrossed in my own head that I hadn't noticed his approach, I'd have to make a note not to let something like that happen again.

"I'm sorry miss, I didn't mean to scare you." He said. From his tone, I couldn't quite tell if he was genuinely sorry, or just saying it so he wouldn't get in any trouble. The scared look in his eyes told me that it was probably a mix of both. I decided that the kid seemed harmless, if not a bit nosy, and gave him a soft smile as I sat up a bit straighter in the bed.

"You know it's rude to sneak up on people like that, little boy?" I asked nicely. The boy brought his hand together and looked guiltily at his feet, as if hoping I'd forget about him if he couldn't see me. It was kind of adorable, really.

"I just thought your music was pretty, I'm sorry." He squeaked, lisping slightly on his r's. Everything the kid was doing seemed to put me at ease, my momentary alarm and panic having completely vanished at this point. I straightened myself a bit more and turned away from him, focusing instead on my instrument.

"Well, thank you boy, that's very nice of you to say." I said, strumming the chords once more. I kept my attention more focused this time, resisting the urge to reminisce about the past, or about the Warden. Soft footsteps approached me, and out of the corner of my eye, I could see the boy slowly making his way back towards me. I spared him a sideways glance, just so he knew I could see him, then turned back to my instrument. Not ten seconds after I resumed playing, the kid spoke up again.

"Is that song a special song, Miss?" He asked. I sighed and turned back to him. He seemed to be staring at my lute more than he was at me, which I was more than fine with.

"It is to some people, sure." I responded. I tried turning away from him again, but he didn't seem to pick up on the clue and asked another question.

"Is that why your eyes were closed?" I sighed and shook my head a bit, partially hoping that the boy took the message and stopped talking. He wasn't annoying by any means, but when you're trying to practice, it's best if you're able to focus on what you're doing. Playing twenty questions at the same time made that a bit difficult. Unfortunately, my silence did not deter the boy.

"My daddy always closes his eyes when he eats really good soup. That's why I asked." He explained. Pretty sure I didn't ask what made him so curious, but I tried my best to ignore that little statement. For about a minute, the boy sat there in silence, listening to me practice and resting his head along the foot of the bed. I almost found myself drifting off again at one point, but I was able to catch myself and remained conscious of my surroundings. Then came the kid again.

"I like slow songs like yours, they help me go to bed when I'm feeling sleepy." He said. I inhaled and stopped playing, resting my hand on the top of my instrument. With a loud exhale, I looked over at the kid, he was standing up straighter now, grasping the back of the bed with both hands as he did a small jump. I didn't want to be rude to the kid, but he was starting to get on my nerves a bit. Trying to stay calm, I smiled sweetly and said;

"Listen kid, what did you say your name was?" The boy did another short jump as he answered.

"Adam." He said. I nodded back and continued.

"Adam, if you're getting sleepy, why don't you finish getting ready, and go to bed?" I said in a far nicer tone than I initially wanted to say. To my frustration, the boy shook his head.

"I'm not sleepy yet, daddy just sends me in here when the scary men come." I raised an eyebrow at this. Scary men? The heck was that supposed to mean? My mind immediately jumped to when my own father would say goblins were coming to get me unless I got to bed. I wished this kid would get the message as easily as I got it when I was his age. Still, I smiled sweetly and just sat back.

"The scary men?" I asked. Adam nodded and stepped away from the bed.

"Yeah, the big tall men who wear orange and black. They're the ones that take our food." I swear I could feel my stomach rise up into my throat. Orange and black? Those were Blackstone's colors, what in God's name was Blackstone doing in a backwoods place like this? I remember the elder mentioned something about a legion taking more than they had, was he talking about Blackstone? Did he think it wasn't important to mention that they were being watched by the largest legion in Ashfeld?! What was with this man? Looking towards the front door, I cleared my throat and swung my legs over the bed, setting my instrument where I had been laying only a moment ago. I needed to know what was going on, now.

"Why don't you stay here, Adam? I'm gonna have a look outside." I said, my tone much more urgent than it had been. I wasted no time in grabbing my furs and boots from the side of the bed, my heart must have been beating a mile a minute as I rushed towards the front entrance and practically threw open the door. The frigid air nearly stunned me in place as I felt it rush full force into my chest and face, but I forced myself through the intense cold, holding my hand in front of my face as I ventured out. The wind had picked up from when I had been out last, chilling my exposed skin even further. Only compounding my discomfort was knowing that the Warden was still out there somewhere, and he'd have to be suicidal to try making his way back here at this time of night and in this weather. The unwelcome possibility of him not returning at all crossed my mind before I steeled myself and lifted my hand long enough to get a good look around me.

Torches attached to the front of each building flickered wildly in the unrelenting winds, barely lighting a few feet in front of the doors and revealing nothing but white powder. I could just see the faint outlines of dark clouds in the sky, so there were no stars to light the place up either. I couldn't see any other shapes in the darkness, not a soul seemed to be outside any of the only light I could make out was coming from the entrance to the hamlet,being held by a central figure surrounded by what looked like two other figures.I recognized the elder from his bear fur, the warrior from earlier was standing next to him, that bucket of a helmet glinting slightly from the torch he was carrying. The third was a man I didn't recognize, soI walked a bit closer and furrowed my eyes, trying to get a good look at him. His skin seemed to be the same color as the elder's, he wore what looked to be dark browns and whites, with a cloak that seemed a size too big, though the bulk of the attire made me guess that there were furs underneath them. A longbow was slung over his shoulder, with a quiver of arrows resting over his shoulder. A ranger, maybe? Some kind of lookout?

The three of them appeared to be deep in some conversation, one they probably didn't want anyone else hearing. I slowly made my way towards the wall of one of the next buildings over, carefully stepping through the snow to keep my footsteps as minimal as I could. When I made it, I slid behind it, peaking out only enough to see the outlines of the men. I couldn't see any trace of Blackstone knights anywhere, though the fact this place was so empty did give me the impression that everyone was hiding from something. I found myself really wishing that the Warden had made it back from his little excursion. I was about to try getting closer when I noticed something in the distance.

Beyond the entrance to the hamlet, there was what looked like a small, dim orange light gradually increasing in size and strength with each passing moment. The light was just enough to illuminate vague shapes directly behind them, one of them a massive looking giant of a man. Another directly next to him seemed to have a rounded head, was noticeably shorter than their compatriot, and looked to be carrying something in each hand as they approached. On his other side was yet another figure, this one somehow even bigger than the first one. As both of them seemed to get closer, I realized both of them were carrying long, pole-like weapons with ax heads at the end of them. Lawbringers, maybe? I wasn't sure what the second one was, though. I'd never heard of knights carrying two smaller weapons. I tried to get a second look at the last knight, but as I turned to look back at the shape, it was gone.

My nerves began to act up again, my heart was pounding in my chest. I looked all around me, scanning every rooftop and what little of the treeline I could perceive. I knew that there had been a third figure, right next to the one holding the light, where had it gone? There was no way I could have imagined it, there was something there. Calm down, I told myself, I needed to calm down, maybe the third one was acting as a lookout, yeah, that had to be it. Vanishing so suddenly like that, whoever it was had to be serving as a lookout for the other two. At least, I hoped that's what was happening...

Settling my nerves with a deep inhale and exhale, I turned my focus back to the approaching men. They'd gotten close enough to catch the light of the three men from the hamlet, and sure enough, I was able to catch the orange and black markings on their armor. These guys were Blackstone alright, and worse yet, they were armed to the teeth. I'd seen drawings and heard stories of Lawbringers, titanic warriors covered head to toe in armor, not a spec of skin visible. It was one thing to hear and read about, actually seeing it was... well,it was a strange mix of awe-inspiring and terrifying at the same time. I held my breath and pulled back a bit, trying to keep out of their sight. I realized I hadn't grabbed my gloves in my rush outside, the cold wood stinging like a hundred bees as I clasped onto it. I bit my lip and stifled a yelp as I sunk a bit deeper into the snow.

With a steady breath, I focused back on the meeting men, the elder stepped forward and held his arms out in a wide gesture to the foremost Lawbringer, his pauldrons adorned by the visages of lions. The second Lawbringer stepped forward first, I noticed his pauldrons were much simpler, dotted a few times before one larger piece seemed to extend over his neck. The second seemed to lower his weapon, grasping it with both hands as he made his way forward. The elder backed up slightly before the first held the torch in front of the second. The two exchanged a look for a second, then the second backed up, lowering his weapon. Well, glad they weren't here for a slaughter.. Not yet, at least. The men seemed to speak to each other for a bit, though between the distance, and the wind picking up speed and volume, I couldn't for the life of me figure out what they were saying. It didn't help that the ones without helmets had their backs turned, preventing me from reading anyone's lips.

The men spoke for a good few minutes, at least enough for me to start shivering. What was it with these types being so bloody comfortable talking in the worst kind of weather? Hadn't they considered the idea of taking their business inside? Then again, I'm sure they were just cozy in all their layers and armor. I groaned a bit and rubbed my hands together as they finally started moving towards one of the other buildings. The first Lawbringer, the one with the lion shoulders, actually led the way, the elder following behind him as the more brutish Lawbringer followed behind him. The ranger looking guy and the warrior flanked the elder, the warrior seemed to be keeping his hand close to his sword. Yeah, good luck looking intimidating next to two Lawbringers...

I backed up a bit further, trying to stay as far away from the torch light as I could, the last thing I needed was to be seen eavesdropping on a meeting with members of Blackstone. When I was halfway down the building, I crouched down and made myself as small as I could, my legs protesting when the cold started penetrating the thin fabric of my pants. I grit my teeth and shivered away as I watched the group pass by me, my back pressed against the wall so hard that I was half-convinced I was gonna fall through it. Now that I was closer, I realized a few more things. First, the ranger looked exactly like a younger version of the elder. I realized that this ranger was his son, probably. The second thing I noticed was that the brute was a good head taller than the lion, and had slung the poleaxe onto his shoulder, casually resting it there. The easiness of the Blackstone knights further unnerved me, how many times had they come around here? They seemed awfully comfortable walking the pathways around here. Despite myself, I found myself wishing that the Warden was here.

I berated myself internally, what was going on with me? If the Warden were here, that would almost certainly make things worse. He'd abandoned Blackstone, and from what I could gather, Blackstone didn't seem like the type to forgive something like desertion. Wishing for the Warden was wishing for trouble. At least, that's what I tried to tell myself, but the desire didn't seem to fade. I shook my head of these thoughts and waited for the group to pass, only following once they had passed the building I'd just come from. Satisfied they were unaware of me, I emerged quietly from the shadows, and watched as they made their way to the central building, where the Warden and I had first spoken with the elder. I quickly moved from building to building, timing my advance so the group's back was always towards me when I moved.

I still hadn't gotten sight of the third knight by the time I'd reached the building just before the central hall, my feet and ankles completely covered in snow at this point. I was shivering violently from the cold, but I couldn't give up without knowing what Blackstone was doing here. If they were just here for their supplies, then fine, big deal. But if they weren't, there was the potential for our lives to become a lot trickier. The Lawbringers stepped to the side, looking like a pair of old statues as the elder walked forth and opened the doors to the hall. He entered first, taking one look at the ranger before disappearing inside. The Lawbringers stepped inside next, followed by the warrior. The ranger, however, did not enter with them, instead he slammed the door shut, then proceeded to look around the area. I ducked behind the building when he looked in my direction, keeping sure to lower myself to the ground.

After a moment of observation, the ranger seemed satisfied and walked away from the hall, and into the darkness of the night as he flipped what I assume was a hood over his head, hiding his features. Before long, I'd lost sight of him, making it two figures I knew were somewhere around here, but not exactly where. I sat silent for a moment, weighing my options. I knew the door was likely being watched by the ranger, or the third knight, if not both at the same time. Trying to get close enough to hear what was inside was a big gamble, and one that might not even be worth the trouble. For all I knew, the legion was just checking to make sure Herongale was staying in line, a lot of good that information would do me. But if I was wrong, and the legion was taking an interest in affairs I was involved in? I knew darn well I'd want to be one step ahead. And if they were trying to find the Warden...

I sighed and steeled myself, clenching the wood tightly. I'd made my choice. With a cautious shove, I pushed myself off the building and snuck my way behind it, tracing the wall with my hand. Using the previously untouched snow and near pitch black before me, I moved slowly towards the central hall. I thought that the Warden had better be worth all the trouble I was going through for him. It took what felt like an hour, but I finally managed to reach the side of the central hall, and waited for a moment. I waited a solid few minutes, looking for any sign that I'd been spotted while making my move. When I was confident about being in the clear, I again traced my hand along the wall, more dragging my feet through the snow at this point. I was running out of steam, fast. I could barely feel my face by the time I got to the end of the hall.

Just outside the torchlight, I took one last look at the rooftops, hoping for nothing, but ready to bolt if I spotted anything. The buildings were still clear of any shapes or figures, a small miracle at this point. I turned my attention to the treeline next, furrowing my eyes and focusing with all my might to see something, anything within them. No good, it was still too dark, I couldn't make out a thing. My heart was still pounding when I forced my gaze away from them, and peered around the corner to the door. Shut tight, but not locked based on what I could see. There was no way I was sneaking in there, but if I could crack the door just a bit, I might be able to hear what was going on in there.

Even then, I'd have to stay near the door to actually hear anything, right in the view of the torch light. If no one was watching, it wouldn't be a problem, but I knew better. With two outside factors, the odds of that were slim to none. But I'd come too far at this point, if I turned back now, I'd be cold, tired, and clueless. If I risked it, I would at least have a small bit of information that might prove useful. I thought back to the elder opening the door just a minute ago, and even further back to when the Warden had opened the door for me earlier today. Both pulled on the door, just a crack would be enough to hear the goings on. I was almost there, just one more dumb move, then I was done.

With careful steps, I snuck closer to the door, the familiar visage of a heron still easily visible. I wasn't sure if I was shaking from the cold or nerves when I planted my palms across the harsh, cold wood. I exhaled one last time and gave a gentle tug, not so much trying to open it, as much as it was to confirm my suspicions. There wasn't resistance, certainly not enough for it to be locked. Well, it was now or never. Using a bit more force, I pulled the door and winced as it groaned slightly. I shut my eyes and waited, listening for any conversation or approaching steps. I heard neither. Okay, they hadn't heard that, still in the clear. Another tug pulled the door free, and I held my place as what little resistance there was ceased. Almost immediately, I could hear faint voices.

"…that you have taken five of our strongest? We have no more to give you, unless you would see us starve." The faint echo made it difficult to tell who was speaking at first, but all I really cared about for now was what they were saying. I placed my back against the door and again tried to make myself as small as possible. Before long I heard the response to that statement.

"We are not here to take any more of your people. There are rumors spreading in Ashfeld, we seek to know how true they are." The voice was new to me, but it had an air of authority to it that far surpassed anything I'd heard before. That had to be one of the Lawbringers.

"Rumors? You traveled to our hamlet to confirm rumors? My lord, you are vastly overestimating if you think we can do this." The elder replied, his voice was distinct enough that I could recognize. That meant the first voice must have been the warrior.

"These rumors pertain to a Knight, one said to be traveling through Herongale despite bearing no colors." Came the Lawbringer again. My heart sank when I heard those words, the Warden, they were looking for him. Either him or his friend at least, and there was no way he'd abandon him, not after coming all this way. Despite the cold, I felt a fire rise in me. If those pricks ratted us out, Blackstone would be the least of their worries. I eased closer to the gap, hoping to hear the conversation better, probably not the smartest move, but now I really needed the information.

"Can you at least clarify these rumors? We don't exactly see a great deal of commerce here." The warrior asked.

"Some days ago a Conqueror with no legion passed through the town of Morrowgale. Five days later, a Warden passes through, same situation, no colors..." Another new voice. This one was... I don't even know how to describe it, it was just wrong. It didn't sound like a person trying to talk, it sounded like some animal trying to mimic what a person sounds like. I could barely process what I had just heard when I realized he had continued;

"According to one of our scouts, both were seen entering your hamlet. Different times, never crossing paths, but both crossing through an unmarked, otherwise uninteresting little place." He said.

"You can understand why we would need to look into this." Said the other. Crap, there was a lot they knew, and if they knew that much, odds were good that they knew about me too. All at once my heart stopped. That third knight, was he looking for us? My eyes darted back to the rooftops, desperately searching for any sign of him. Nothing, just shadows and snow, so why didn't I feel safe? I needed to leave, now. I pushed the door shut and quickly made my way to the main path back to the lodge.

Folding my arms under my chest, I looked all around me to find any sign of that last knight. If I was right, and at this point I had to be, he had been searching for the Warden and myself this whole time. I felt so stupid, why had I been so dismissive about him? I'd already had my suspicions, why would I ignore the red flag I had seen? There was nothing behind me either, maybe I would get lucky and he wouldn't find me. I turned back around and sped up, looking at the path in front of me...

…and came face to face with the Knight. A hooded, still, frightening looking woman carrying a decorated sword, and a sharp looking dagger. Her helmet, if you could even call it that, was like looking into the face of a demon. Her eyes were almost pronged in a way, like some kind of malformed star, with what looked like horns engraved between them. I realized now why I hadn't seen her so easily before. I was face to face with a Peacekeeper, assassins that were only seen if they wanted to be. I'd always hoped they were just scary stories, fear mothering for the enemies of Ashfeld. How wrong I was…

I wanted nothing more than to run and get the heck out of there, but I couldn't move a muscle. Even when she slowly stepped towards me, twirling that dagger between her fingers, I couldn't force my legs to move, despite every instinct I had practically screaming at me to run away.

"Awfully nosy, listening in on Blackstone business." The Knight said, her words almost had a sort of hypnotic effect on me. I'd heard my share of stoic voices over the years, but this one, it was like there was nothing in it at all. A cold, lifeless sound with no hint of emotion, fitting I suppose, for an assassin. The Knight continued her slow advance towards me, my feet still frozen in place. She was only a few feet from me now, one wrong move and she could thrust a blade in me easily. I dared a look to the right, the path was too narrow, I couldn't slip around her. But there was a building there, doors shut, if I could reach them in time, I could force them shut. Would the people in there-

"Don't try it." The words were so sudden I wasn't even sure I'd heard them at first. I turned back to the Knight, her stance had shifted, one foot pointed towards the building, the other at me. Her sword was aimed right at me, and her dagger was directly in line with the door. How had she known what I was thinking? Was it that obvious? Maybe the claim of Peacekeepers reading minds had water to it? Stop it, I told myself, I had to get out of my head. I stared back at the Knight, and she stared back at me. I probably could have stayed there for hours, trapped between her and my only lifeline. But that's when she made her accusation.

"You're not a native here. You were with him." I don't know what came over me. Maybe I was just so scared that I snapped, maybe I thought I'd die otherwise, maybe I was actually trying to keep the Warden safe. Whatever it was, it sent me flying towards the building as I turned away and ran like the devil himself was chasing me. Or at least I tried. I'd barely gone five feet before I saw a flash of movement, and the Peacekeeper was in front of me, blades ready. What happened next was practically a blur as she charged forward and thrust her closed fist at my chest, knocking the wind out of me before ramming it up into my chin and knocking my head up. I suddenly felt myself being forced forward, stumbling before I felt something that felt like a boot slam into my back.

The wood greeted me as I slammed into the door on my shoulder, pain exploding into my body as I yelled out in alarm. Even that didn't last long though, the Peacekeeper had already dashed towards me and slammed me against the door in a terrifying display of speed. I tried to scream but she had already clasped one hand over my mouth and placed something sharp against my side, poised to stab. The whole thing had taken only a few seconds, but I was completely at her mercy. I was dazed, cold, in pain, but most of all I was scared. My breathing grew heavier and heavier as I stared into those cold, empty holes where eyes should have been. I still couldn't see her face, even this close. Maybe she really was a demon.

She was a few inches taller than me, which she must have realized too, because she used those inches to loom over me like a wolf stalking a hare. I whimpered against her hand as I felt something wet falling down my cheek. Normally I wouldn't be caught dead crying in front of someone, but I hoped to God that it was just tears. The Peacekeeper was silent for a time, letting me simmer in my fear as she tilted her head at me, as if appraising an animal to butcher.

"A confession of guilt, then. Where is he?" She demanded. For a moment I considered telling her. Looking back, I'm not proud of it, I was so frightened, I just wanted it all to be over. Then I thought of him standing for me, pulling me behind him to protect me from the warrior. Any thought of complying fled me after that. Tears were flowing freely as I steeled myself expression, showing nothing but contempt for the Knight before me, even if that brave face was a farce. When she moved her hand for a moment. I told her exactly what I thought of her.

"Go to hell, Blackstone." I spit. The Peacekeeper didn't even flinch, instead grasping my throat and clenching down, hard. I choked out a startled gasp before I felt the air rush out of my lungs, then I started choking. It lasted only a second, but in that moment I truly felt powerless, unable to even breathe like that. She loosened her grip and I coughed several times, my throat still burning from a still too tight hold on it.

"Don't test me, I don't want to kill an unarmed woman, but I will." She said. There was venom in her words but still none in her voice. Did this woman have no emotions at all? I gagged a bit as I tried to swallow, feeling the blade at my side dig slightly into me. The steel was cold and was pressing ever so slightly into my side, just enough to penetrate and send new ripples of pain throughout my body. I winced and whimpered again as more tears streamed down my cheek, it was all I could do to keep from sobbing at this point. I didn't want to die here, but it felt so close I could see it… I didn't want to die…

"Tell me where he is." The Peacekeeper said, slowly this time. I didn't want to die, but I didn't want to give up the Warden either. If I did, they'd just kill him instead. What was I supposed to do? With what little courage I had left, I closed my eyes and shook my head. Maybe if I didn't look it would be as bad…

"That's enough, Blackstone." A new voice filled my ears, a regal sounding voice that radiated confidence, and my eyes shot open as I looked at the Peacekeeper. Just beyond the corner of her shoulder, I could see the faint outline of the Ranger, his bow drawn and aimed square at the Peacekeeper's back. Relief flooded my body as I heaved heavily, the Knight didn't so much as flinch.

"If you plan to shoot me, you won't hit me. From that angle I could avoid it easily. Then I would be on you in but a moment." She retorted. She was so calm, so sure of herself that I believed her at once. Her eyes never once left mine as she spoke. My relief was gone in a moment.

"That woman is a protected guest of Herongale. You harm her, and you break the deal to protect us and our charges." The Ranger said back. The Peacekeeper did tilt her head slightly at this. I felt her grip loosen ever so slightly as she turned to the Ranger, I fought back the urge to try and break free.

"I caught this one eavesdropping on our meeting. And now she seems to be hiding information from me." She said. My heart continued pounding like a drum, I felt like a thief caught in the night. The Ranger didn't flinch.

"Then she will be handled according to our laws and customs. It was Herongale regulation she violated." He said. The Peacekeeper turned back to me, her grip tightening again as I whimpered. I could feel the cold air freezing my tears to my face, but I dared not move. She pressed her face closer to mine, her mask nearly coming to the tip of my nose, I yelped as I shrunk into myself.

"Help your ears to where they don't belong again, and I'll cut one of them free for you." She whispered, even her threats were void of anything, and somehow that made it all the worse. She didn't wait for my response, dropping me and pulling the dagger out of my side just as swiftly as she had grabbed me. I coughed and sunk to the ground, placing my hand on my chest as I breathed deeply, and heavy. My mind was racing with a bizarre mix of terror, relief, and sorrow. I was okay, but I was marked now, the Peacekeeper knew I was connected to the Warden, there was no leaving this now. I was still panting heavily when the Ranger knelt toward me, lowering his eyes to meet mine.

"Lady Bard, are you alright?" He asked, his voice calming and soothing. I looked up to him, fresh tears still flowing. For all my skill with words and songs, I couldn't make a sound, save the heavy breaths. I couldn't see any of the man's features aside from his eyes, a mask blocked his nose and mouth. I realized again just how cold I was, seeing him so fully covered. He placed a hand at my side, held it there a moment, then pulled it away, a small bit of crimson dotting his glove.

"You're bleeding, let's get you inside, hurry!" He said urgently. I didn't fight him when he hoisted my arm over his shoulder, only looking to the land around me. The Peacekeeper was gone, not even footsteps showing where she had gone. A sinking dread filled me as I limped, helped by the Ranger, inside, and I wondered just how much danger we were now in.

Guess I'd find out, whether I liked it or not…

A/N Hey guys. I'm thinking of keeping a weekly release schedule for this story. It gives me more time to properly plan how I want to continue, but is still a fairly regular update timeline. I wanted to know your thoughts. In any case, God bless, and see you next week.