It had been too tempting. Tobias's will to remain at least partially safe splintered not long after he tried to convince himself not to go.

Even in the dark, he was glad he went. Though he did wish he'd brought some company. It all began when Tobias helped another physician treat a young man with a shattered foot. They'd begun discussing different types of cobwebs, and the physician went off on a tangent about buried ancient castles from the early reign of King Artolius I. Tobias struggled to get the physician to return to the subject, and when he did, he was struck with awe.

The physician explained that there were ruins several miles from Drylliad; ruins of an old castle built by Artolius himself. "There's hundreds of tunnel spiders," said the old physician. "But there's a monster haunting the dungeons where the best cobwebs are. I've never been down, but I saw the castle. Saw it with my own two eyes."

"And have you got a map? Tobias asked, all too eager.

"In my mind's eye. I can draw it for you, if you'd like."

"No, no, but thank you. If there's a monster, it'll be too- actually, I'm running out of cobwebs. I'd like a map please."

So Tobias got his map, saddled his horse the next morning, and rode out while the moon was still hanging in the sky. The directions took him through winding roads crammed with skeletal trees, past a settlement teaming with gaunt-eyed villagers, through more skeletal forests, and finally to a yellowing meadow.

The ruins of King Artolius I's castle lay in a towering heap by a dark wood. With the morning sun lighting his way, Tobias didn't feel too afraid.

But he did feel the first wishes of a companion. Amarinda would've appreciated the ruins and what they'd once stood for.

Tobias dismounted, and led his horse across the fading grass by the bridle. "At least the sun's out," he said. "Don't worry, I won't be long. Though I might be. I'll try to be on time."

His horse snorted, and stamped its hooves when Tobias draped the reins around a solid stone pillar.

During the height of Artolius's power, the castle would've been stunning. Tobias crept across a patched stone bridge that arched over a mildewed moat. He thought of the early ambassadors and other nobility that would've crossed the bridge. Three of the walls in the castle's main hall stood, but the wooden roof had rotted away and the fourth wall spilled out into the mildewed moat. Stairways that once led to chambers for guests now led out to the open sky. A tree grew where the throne would've been.

Beautiful, in a tragic way. King Artolius was long since dead, but the power of nature still chose to use his castle as a place of power.

Tobias clicked his tongue several times as he wondered where to start with searching for the dungeon. He'd get those cobwebs no matter what.

Hopefully.

What if he died?

He shook that thought out of his head, and pressed through the fallen stones. Most castles kept their entrance to the dungeons masked behind a false door. Typically there was a false step and sometimes a chute, the stairs to the dungeons often nestled slightly to the left. Tobias figured the best place to look for this path to the dungeons was the large dark cavity in the wall.

And he was right.

The sun lit up part of the fall leading to the dungeons. The stones were dark with moss. Or at least Tobias told himself it was moss. To the left of the tunnel wall, steps descended down. From where he stood he could see the faint shimmer of exactly what he'd come for.

Cobwebs spanning the width of the tunnel.

With a new spring in his step, Tobias whistled the first few notes of a tune, but stopped once he realized that he couldn't genuinely whistle. Besides- he didn't want to alert the alleged monster of his presence.

Not to his surprise, the first stone step wobbled beneath his weight. Decades of no use left the stairs in dire need of repair. Tobias dug his fingers into the wall next to him in case he fell.

Broken fingers were arguably better than a broken neck.

Down he stepped, holding onto the wall each time he suspected a loose stone. Most of the steps that were too damaged to be used had already fallen into the slick pit. Those that were left had yet to become completely dislodged.

Perhaps somebody had already been down here. Perhaps the alleged monster had escaped the dripping dungeon in favor of sunlight and warmth.

Tobias's theory that somebody else had been down the steps was soon confirmed. A web had been spun across the top of the ceiling, but a hole had been torn into its middle.

A hole the size of somebody's head.

He shuddered, and continued onwards.

Cracks in the ceiling from broken and missing stones lit Tobias's path. He could see part of the dungeon. He could see more dark patches that he continued to think of as moss. He could see a silhouette. He could-

He could see a silhouette.

Keep quiet Tobias, maybe it didn't see you. He blinked again, and the silhouette was gone as quickly as it had appeared.

Just a trick of the eyes, that was all. His eyes were playing jokes, nothing more, and nothing less.

Rusted chains hung on one of the walls. Several stones had been torn away, leading to a tunnel made from rock. In the distance, sunlight glinted. If Tobias did get cornered by a beast, he could escape through that tunnel.

"Let's get to work," Tobias said to himself as he shrugged off his satchel.

Candles, where did he put the candles? Oh, yes, there they were. His matches were dry and ready to spring to life. The dungeon was cast in a warm haze once the candles were lit and placed.

A smile spread across Tobias's face. Just as the physician said, thick cobwebs stretched across portions of the dungeon. Some sections of webbing were so thick, Tobias couldn't see through them. Those ones would do best accompanied by cloth bandages. The rest would be tamped down and stored in a jar.

Ah! The jars needed to be set out. Tobias crouched over his bag, and set each jar on the stone floor. The hairs on the back of his neck rose, however, when he peered over his shoulder, he was still alone.

Tobias patted the small knife at his belt. When he'd gotten it as a gift during the previous gifting season, he'd put it away with no intention of ever using it. But as it turned out, the knife's clean edge was perfect for cutting cobwebs from walls.

He liked keeping his hands cobweb free. Guaranteed that the cobwebs would be pure for use and that they didn't carry any dirt from Tobias's palms.

Without a clock, Tobias didn't know how much time ticked by. All he knew was cut, wrap, and store. Cut, wrap, store. Repeat. The cobwebs were relatively clean, some were dusty, but most were pure and corpse-less.

Come to think about it, the entire dungeon was clean save for the dark splotches scattered around the floor. Tobias was beginning to accept that the spots were likely remnants of a brutality against prisoners. He was no stranger to dried blood, but it was different here.

When the dungeon was nearly cleared, Tobias allowed himself a break. He leaned against the far wall.

He was proud of his work. The cobwebs would be put to good use. He'd be ready to clean up any head wounds without dirtying cloth bandages. Those could be saved for larger wounds. Judging by the change in light, it was late afternoon. He looked at his jars of cobwebs, looked to the dark hallways, and back to his jars.

If there really was a monster, it had been kind enough to stay.

Tobias knew better than to wear out his welcome.

His back bones creaked when he pushed himself up off the wall. Tobias rubbed his eyes, and began stacking his jars back into the bag. A fat brown spider scuttled across his shoe.

"You're certainly not shy," Tobias noted. He brushed the spider away with the tip of his finger. "Not everybody is as nice to spiders as me, shoo. You can make a new web now."

Jaron would've laughed at him if he knew Tobias was talking to bugs.

"Goodbye dungeon, thank you for not killing me instantly," Tobias said. He leaned over the first candle, but hesitated. "I'll leave the light on."

The bag full of cobwebs was heavy, but not unbearable. He kept a firm grip on the wall as he climbed up the shaking steps. He'd kept all of his blood in his body and his head was still on his shoulders. That counted as a success.

But the hairs on the back of his neck were rising again. No, no, he wasn't going to turn back. He hadn't run into danger yet. If he kept on his way, he'd be able to stay out of trouble.

He walked back down the steps.

If it weren't for the candles, Tobias wouldn't have caught the faint shifting of a distant figure in one of the empty, bloodstained tunnels.

Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, he told himself. He'd faced danger before with his friends. . . In the safety of a group.

A voice screamed at him to run back up the steps and launch himself onto his horse. He could ride fast enough to get home before it was too late in the evening.

"Run!"

No! Tobias could do it! He could be brave! His grip tightened on his bag handle. The jars inside wouldn't be a soft landing.

"What are you doing?! Move!" Yelled the voice. A man's voice.

A voice that didn't belong to Tobias. Multiple pairs of boots thudded against the stones, their owners calling for somebody to run away. Tobias glanced over his shoulder, and then it dawned on him.

He was the one who needed to move.

The first figure to burst into the tunnel out of the darkness wore a dirty blue jerkin. "Move! Tobias!"

"Jolly?" Tobias's feet were cemented to the ground. "What are you-?"

"We're running from this castle's cranky resident," said the second figure. She was much cleaner. "By all means, stay right there if you'd like, but we've got every intention to get cakes if we survive."

"Cakes? Merry? But I watched the pair of you leave-? Wait for me!"

Both Jolly and Merry were vaulting up the stairs. Stones clattered down as they came free. Jolly was caught in a cobweb, but still kept running. The web streamed from his head, much like a runaway spirit.

Tobias risked a glance over his shoulder as he ascended the steps as fast as he could.

He instantly wished he hadn't.

Behind them was the dungeon's monster the physician warned about, launching out of the tunnel Merry and Jolly had just escaped. The abandoned candles illuminated the monster's fists and cast a shadow over the monster's back.

Red hot anxiety surged through Tobias's veins. It was different than fear. He wasn't afraid at the moment; he was worried. Worried that he, Merry, and Jolly wouldn't be able to run fast enough. He didn't care what he felt, so long as he could keep running.

His heart leapt into his mouth when one of the stones gave way and he slammed his knee against the stairs. Sour pain tore through his knee. He'd scraped the skin bad enough that blood seeped through his trousers.

"Almost there Toby!" Jolly called. He sprung away from the last steps. Lucky troubadour leaping to safety too much like deer in the middle of an autumn hunt.

"Don't call me Toby!"

"Keep going Toby!"

More stones slid beneath his feet. Merry reached the top of the stairs, and reached out both her hands. Tobias felt her grip as both Merry and Jolly dragged him to the top of the stairs. The monster chasing them slid on a stone, and tumbled down the angled chute.

"What- what are the two of you doing here?" Tobias gasped for breath, and rested his hands on his knees. "I haven't seen you- in months!"

Jolly waved his hand, "Oh you've seen us, just not like this."

"Is that so?"

"One time, we paraded through Tithio dressed as a winged horse. The festival of fools, I think it was."

"Festival of Fools isn't until the winter months," Merry pointed out. She was panting, and rested both of her arms on top of her head.

The conversation was moving too quickly and in too many directions. Tobias glanced at the barely lit dungeon. A faint outline of a hunched figure was lurching forward just outside of sight. He cleared his throat, and pointed to the dungeon. Neither Merry nor Jolly noticed the gesture.

Had he really hoped they would? They were bickering about the date for the Festival of Fools, which was in fact in the first winter month, but that was beside the point.

"We love masks. Any party with a mask is a party to enjoy," Jolly finally said, the argument coming to a close.

Tobias frowned, old memories coming to surface. Memories of masks and scarred flesh and vomit. "I know."

"We're here, ah, looking for something we lost," said Merry. She patted the square outline on her torso. Tobias hadn't noticed it while they were running. Merry was proud of what she carried. "And we found it."

"I've seen enough children with things they don't own to know that that's a book," Tobias stood tall again. "What is it about?"

"Witchcraft."

"Well, Lord Branch is the husband of Bymar's ambassador. It wouldn't hurt to-," Jolly began.

"And he's a regent."

"I seem to recall one of you being in a little bit of debt to me," mumbles Tobias. He wished he could take the words back for a moment.

Merry's face twisted into an odd contraction of scowl and smirk. "It's a book."

"About…?"

"Witchcraft."

With a scoff, Jolly gave Merry a slight shove. "It's a book detailing laws of succession. Very important. Very much about all nations 'round the Eranbole sea, and very much not about Carthya."

Tobias peered over the edge of the drop off to the dungeon. "And why would you need a book on succession?"

"So Merry can inherit a fancy tiara, obviously."

"Do you like my curtsy?" Merry bowed, rather than curtsied, and then set her hand on Jolly's head. "I've considered swearing the oath of kings on Jolly's curls. But only if they're clean."

"I washed yesterday!"

"Then why did I see you in the tavern with a barmaid?"

"What were you doing in the tavern?!" Jolly crosses his arms, his usual grin curling down into a scowl.

"Clearly I was trying to find an ample washtub. I didn't want to use yours. My fleas don't like your fleas."

"You have fleas?!" Tobias spluttered. He took a step back, considering running for his horse. The longer they stood there, the more time the monster had to climb back up the steps.

Actually, making a break for his horse wasn't a half bad idea. He'd be able to leave Merry and Jolly to whatever they were doing and forget about seeing them. Tobias gripped the strap of his bag and inched away from Merry, Jolly, and their theoretical fleads.

The hairs on the back of Tobias's neck rose.

"I mean, who's to say we don't all have fleas. When was the last time you washed, Tobias?" Jolly waited for an answer for a moment, but his inquisitive nature soon diminished. "Ah, Merry?"

"Yes Jolly?"

"Do you remember the gamble we made about the monster?"

"That you'd give me five garlins if we were caught?" Merry rubbed her hands together. "Am I getting garlins tonight?"

"I'm never talking to you two again!" Tobias yelled. His voice echoed through the ruined castle.

All he needed was one glimpse of the monster to make a dash for his horse. The stones reached out to grab his ankles to trip him it seemed. Tobias looked over his shoulder.

And collided with a wall of flesh.

"I don't know what you want from me, but I haven't stolen anything more than a few cobwebs," Tobias held up his hands, and took a step backwards. "I don't think you'll want them back though, it's hard to fix them once they've been moved. I'm sure you understand, I hope. Do you need them?"

The monster barely reached Tobias's shoulder but was easily three times the width of Roden's shoulders. Come to think of it, the monster looked more like a man than a beast from illustrated holy books. A little ugly, but still a man.

"Don't worry Toby, I can handle this," Jolly's voice had lost its usual joking lilt. Light flashed off of his dagger as he yanked it free from its sheath. "Just hold still."

"Put that away, Jolly," Merry said. She held out her hand to the monster. "We're the ones causing trouble, not my friend. Please don't hurt him."

Tobias looked down at the monster. At the man. His eyes were bright blue, and a little lopsided. Some of his front teeth poked out from beneath his top lip. Shyness crippled the young man; his hands were curling up near his chin as more time ticked by. Words were struggling to form at his lips.

"My name's Merry," she said, her hand still extended.

The monster reached out a few of his fingers, but drew them back in. Merry's hand remained outstretched. She winked at Tobias, and he nodded in understanding.

He didn't mean to chuckle, but he did anyways. He hated feeling nervous. "I'm- I'm Tobias Branch," he sniffed. "I'm a physician for the king in Drylliad."

Once again, the man held out a few fingers before snatching them back. "So- so sorry I chase- chased you."

Merry shrugged, "I don't mind it, Jolly could go for a run a little more often."

"Very true," Jolly patted his stomach with the flat side of his dagger. "I have a crippling addiction to all sorts of cheese. I suspect it will kill me one day. Do you like cheese, friend?"

Only silence came from the man, who looked up at Tobias. "Do you fix people?"

"Are you in need of help?" Tobias asked, glancing over the man before him. No visible lesions on the skin. No sores either.

However, the man had a severe slouch caused by a hump on his back. Medicine had yet to fix deformities of the bone.

"No," the man shook his head, and finally took Merry by the palm. He patted the back of hand. "My name is- is Alan. I'd, ah, I take care of the cobwebs."

"So you were the one who cleaned the bloodstains and kept the webs clean," Tobias nodded. "And what about the book Merry stole?"

Alan held up a key, "Needs this to be opened."

"By the Saints," Merry tugged the book free from its hiding place, and inspected the cover. "We forgot the key."

"You can take it," Alan set it in her palm, and curled her fingers over it.

"At least let me repay you."

"No thank you, consider it a token of friendship. I didn't know- I didn't know how to approach you each."

Tobias made a face, an idea twisting through his brain. Cobwebs as perfect as the ones in the dungeon were hard to find. He thought of the village he'd passed getting here. It would benefit from the help of a physician, even one with little experience.

He could guarantee a friend for Alan.

"Ah, Alan, would you mind terribly continuing to care for the cobwebs?"

"Why?" Alan stepped back.

"So I can return for more, my friend." Tobias shook Alan's hand. "I'll teach you about herbs and their uses. You'll be able to help people."

The smile on Alan's face was almost worth nearly tripping and dying on the dungeon steps. Though, Tobias figured he'd be able to forgive Alan eventually.

But now, he had to schedule teaching the art of healing and chase a pair of unruly Bymarians out of the castle till they found their next misadventure.