"All clear." Adam nodded to Dormir who shapeshifted into his cat form and prowled off ahead of the group. Shortly after they had begun their trek into the Alterac Mountains, they had been confronted by members of the syndicate, an organization decidedly out for themselves and against Ravenholdt.

It had been easy to deal with them between Adam and Dormir with Ileeya and Jelune backing them up. Adam had to give his friend some credit. The hunter had tamed yet another new pet, a turtle this time. When the syndicate members had approached, one wouldn't have been able to tell that the hunter was fairly weak. He had stood his ground next to his sister, despite having no weapons.

Ileeya traveled in her bear form to let Amy ride while holding Adorei. The fur of the bear form helped to keep them warm in the chilly mountain region. Luckily for them, they would only need to travel in the snow for just a short period of time. The rest of the group had to keep close to stay warm.

Adam held Kristie close as they traveled. He could tell she had something on her mind, but he didn't ask because he had a good idea what it was. After a while, she cleared her throat. "Have you talk-"

"No." He just wanted to get to Ravenholdt Manor and get home by this point. Maybe once they were all safe, he'll have a chat with Lord Aron. A cuff to the back of his head had him turning and glaring at Kirlothenin.

The mage gave him a pointed look before saying quietly with a smirk, "Don't be an idiot." He then moved off towards Ileeya, leaving Adam standing still and watching him with annoyance. Adam had a feeling that Kirlothenin had been just waiting for an opportunity to get him back from earlier. And here he had just given him a good reason. With a growl to himself, he rubbed the back of his head, hating that the elf was right.

Adam glanced at Kristie and started to walk again. She had a curious light in her eyes. "I'm sorry," he told her. "I shouldn't have snapped at you." He glanced at his father who was walking ahead of them. Adam could feel himself tense up just thinking about talking to that man. Yet, for the life of him, he couldn't think of a good excuse to delay the talk right now. With a sigh, he decided that maybe it would be best just to get it over with. "I'll be back in a minute," he mumbled to Kristie.

With forced steps, he caught up to Lord Aron and walked beside him for a few minutes. In his peripheral vision, he saw his father glance at him in surprise. There was a small line of perspiration on his forehead. His father wasn't used to all this travel and exertion. Adam remained silent. Now that he was here, he wasn't sure just how to start. Finally, he decided to speak what was foremost in his mind. "Kristie told me what you did."

Lord Aron looked at him but said nothing. Adam waited and sighed when he realized the man wasn't going to make this any easier. He gritted his teeth. "Thank you for helping them."

"I don't want your thanks."

Adam didn't expect this response. He turned his head and looked at the man he once called father. He shouldn't ask this. He shouldn't. Walk away, Adam. He stayed where he was. "What do you want, then?"

Lord Aron stopped, fully facing him now. "Isn't it obvious?" Adam stopped as well and refused to respond. His stubbornness and hatred of nearly fourteen years prevented him from responding. His father answered his own question. "You. I want my son back, Adam."

Adam avoided the man's eyes in an effort to hide his own conflicting emotions. His heart began to pound in his chest. Whether it was from anger or otherwise, he wasn't sure. He wasn't ready to forgive and forget. He couldn't just forget what his father had done.

The noble seemed to realize what Adam was thinking. "Just, think about it, Adam." He opened his mouth to say something else, closed it, then spoke anyways. "Here's something else for you to think about. You may refuse my name, but can you refuse your responsibility?"

Adam narrowed his eyes and finally looked at the man. "What responsibility?"

"What do you think will happen after I pass away? What will happen to our land? Who will take care of the peasants who make a living on our land? If I have no heir, the land will be split up. Those people would be forced off our lands and have no protection. We have a responsibility to look after them."

A growl emitted from deep within Adam's chest. "So that's what this is all about? You're more concerned about them than you are your own family!"

"You're wrong, Adam! I love my family. But I have a responsibility not only to my family, but to those under my protection as well! That's how it is with nobility. King Varian has a responsibility to those under him, just as we have a responsibility to those under us."

"If you're so concerned about their welfare, sell them our land!"

Lord Aron sighed and glanced at the others who had to stop to wait for them. He made a motion towards them. "We're keeping them waiting." The two began walking again as Lord Aron continued. "And I did offer to sell some of the land. Only two accepted. The fact is, some can't afford it. But most just want to keep things as they are. They prefer having us responsible for their protection and other matters we usually take care of. Believe it or not, our family has always treated those on our land well. And they love us for it."

Adam said nothing. He was surprised that his father had sold off some of their lands. "You sold some of our land? You?" Adam ignored the man's glare. His father was well known for being rather conservative when it came to the matters of money and land.

"Adam, for thirteen years, I thought you were dead. I thought that I had no heir. I was trying to do what I could for them." Lord Aron's voice was so soft, Adam almost didn't hear it.

"Wait! What? You thought I was dead? Thanks for the vote of confidence!" he growled.

"I hadn't heard anything from you, Adam. I would have rather believed that you were dead than to believe that you wouldn't even write me a letter to let me know that you were alive and well somewhere."

Adam didn't respond as a pang of guilt hit him, and he didn't like it. For the first time, he was seeing things through his father's eyes. Without another word, he moved ahead of his father to catch up to Kristie. Luckily, she opted not to ask him about the conversation. He had a lot to think about.

…

By the time the group of weary travelers reached the base of the mountain that Ravenholdt Manor was located on, the sun was just beginning to set. Adam told them to let him lead the way as they walked up the narrow trail to the short tunnel. When they came to the exit of the tunnel, they stopped and Adam gave his hand signal. But because he had more than one person with him, he didn't move forward. One of the patrolling guards approached with a cautious step. "How many?"

"Six, plus two children."

"Children? You brought children here?" The guard glanced at the group behind Adam in disbelief.

"No choice. I'll be glad to explain once we are allowed inside."

The guard pulled out a parchment and stylus. "Names?"

…

Baros sat at the table with Shaw, Maggie, and Lord Jorach. They were waiting for the servants to bring in the first course for dinner. Lord Jorach was making some sort of polite conversation with Shaw and Maggie. He refused to participate. Shaw and Maggie could leave anytime they wanted. Instead, he decided he would eat the man's food and take advantage of his hospitality, but deny him anything else in silent protest to his kidnapping.

One of Ravenholdt's lackeys entered the dining hall and quickly made her way to the lord of the manor. She handed him a piece of paper and spoke a few quiet words. He took the paper, looking it over and raising an eyebrow at something he read. He whispered something back to the lackey who left the room. Lord Jorach then called over a servant, asking him to set some more places at the long table.

Finally, he looked at his guests, standing up as he did so. "It seems, my friends, we have some unexpected guests."

Baros didn't really care about this announcement until he saw Shaw and Maggie exchange a look. Why did he get the feeling this wasn't a surprise to them. Leaning over, he asked Shaw quietly, "What's going on?"

Mathias glanced at Baros and whispered, "If it's who we think it is, then it's good news and bad news. And things are about to get a lot more complicated." Shaw paused, then added, "And don't blame me!"

Baros frowned. How can it get even more complicated than it already was? A shuffle was heard behind them as the company entered the room. Shaw, Maggie and Baros all turned around. "Kristie!"

"Dad?" Kristie's face was utter shock at seeing him.

Baros stood up and walked quickly over to his daughter. As he gave her a hug, he asked, "What happened? What are you doing he-" He suddenly got an idea of why they were there and he turned quickly to face Lord Jorach who had a smug grin on his face. "You!" he accused. "You wouldn't dare-"

"No I wouldn't." Jorach interrupted, waving a hand dismissively. "Their being here is as much a surprise to me as it is to you. But I do find it to be quite an interesting coincidence, Mr. Alexston."

Baros looked at his daughter once more, noticing the bruises on her nose. "Who hit you?" He glanced at the group and saw a blood elf in shackles and narrowed his eyes in anger. "Did you do this to her?"

The blood elf narrowed his own eyes in disdain. "No."

"Dad, it wasn't him. It happened when-"

Whatever else she was going to say got lost in the total chaos that ensued. Baros demanded to know what was going on. Adam and Kristie were asking their own questions. Maggie, Shaw, and Lord Jorach were trying to ask and answer questions as well. Each was trying to speak louder so as to be heard over the others when a loud roar caught everyone's attention and they all turned to see a huge bear near the elves.

Once everyone was silent, Dormir shapeshifted back to his elven form. "I realize there are a lot of questions and confusion going on right now. But how we are going about it will not give us the answers we seek."

"Well said, sir." Lord Jorach immediately sought control of the situation. "Let us all sit down to dinner and we'll each have our turn to talk."

Adam shook his head. "With all due respect, Lord Jorach, it is imperative to get this elf freed from his shackles. He is a mage and can take us out of here. We may have been followed by those who had tried to imprison us."

The lord of the manor waved his hand with no concern. "Nothing will happen to you on this estate. You all have obviously come a long way. You need nourishment. I am providing that. And I can guarantee that you will not get the help you are seeking until after dinner has been served." Although his voice was cordial enough, there was an undertone of warning as well that Baros recognized.

Ravenholdt either didn't see the glares in his direction, or he ignored them as he sat back down at the head of the table full of confidence that he was in control here. The rest of them filed silently over to the table and each found seats. As they ate their dinners, Adam and Kristie relayed their adventures to Lord Jorach, Maggie, Shaw, and Baros.

When they finished, it was Baros' turn to tell why he was there. "I was kidnapped," he said matter-of-factly. The others stared at him, unsure of whether he was kidding or not. Baros glanced up and then nodded his head towards Jorach. "Ask him if you don't believe me."

Ravenholdt smiled. "I'm trying to convince him to do a job for me. Mr. Alexston seems to be rather ...stubborn."

"He's not the only one," muttered Shaw. To this, Lord Jorach only laughed.

The others weren't quite sure how to take this. Here they were eating dinner like nothing else was going on. Baros wasn't guarded by any of Ravenholdt's men. He wasn't locked up. And Mathias Shaw, the leader of SI:7 of all people, was sitting right next to him.

"What job do you want him to do?" Kristie's concerned voice broke the silence.

"Oh, don't worry, my dear. It's nothing illegal. I just want him to draw up some renovations of the manor for me."

"Renovations. Here? In a place that houses an organization for rogues. Um, you don't know my dad very well, do you, Lord Jorach?"

A snicker was heard from Maggie across the table, and Baros threw her a glare.

"I'm learning more and more about him during his stay here." Lord Jorach smiled amiably. "To be honest, I rather like the old man."

"Look who's calling who, old." Baros muttered.

Again, he was ignored as Lord Jorach stood. "Now then, let me take a look at those shackles."

As the mage moved to let the man examine the shackles, Baros glanced at Shaw who had a worried look on his face. "What's eating you?" he whispered.

Shaw didn't look at him as he quietly responded. "I'm just trying to figure out Ravenholdt's angle. He seems almost too accommodating."

"You mean he wouldn't normally help someone in a situation like this?"

"Hm, maybe. He'd likely charge a fee or something like that. But this is different. It involves Kristie now. I know how he works. He's going to turn this around to his advantage where you're concerned, Baros."

Now Alexston was concerned. "You don't think he'll hurt her do you?"

"No. But he will use her in whatever way he can to get to you."

"Shaw..." Baros' voice was low and warning.

"I know. I know." Mathias sighed. "I'll do what I can."

Another guard entered the room and approached Lord Jorach with some quiet words. Ravenholdt stopped his examination of the shackles and frowned before replying. When the guard left he cleared his throat. "Gentlemen. Ladies. We have more company." His voice was ominous this time and Baros had to wonder just who it was this time.

A few minutes later, he had his answer. All he saw were three bodies entering the room before chairs were shoved back amongst the sounds of gasps and the shuffling of feet. Adam, Kirlothenin, and Jelune all moved forward in defensive positions. Dormir, Shaw, and Maggie followed their lead. Baros found himself standing next to Kristie who was holding the elf baby. In answer to his unspoken question, she whispered, "It's them. Jerold survived." She seemed to be in shock. "How did they find us?"

"Thank you, Lord Jorach, for receiving us." Baros recognized the gravelly voice of a forsaken. He tensed up and moved so that he could see the three undead. Only, there were now more than three. Apparently, four more had joined them after his view had been blocked.

"As always, my doors are open to both Alliance and Horde, Mr. Grimmort. What can I do for you this evening?"

"It seems you are hosting some escaped prisoners of mine."

"You've got a lot of nerve, Jerold!" Adam's voice was low in warning, his hand on his dagger.

The forsaken turned and smiled at the rogue. The sickly sight of that oversized grin unnerved Baros. "And I ask that these two," Jerold pointed to Kirlothenin and Adam, "and their accomplices be placed in confinement for crimes against me."

"I am not a police force, Mr. Grimmort." Lord Jorach told him with a raised eyebrow as if the forsaken should know this.

"Of course, Lord Jorach. I would be glad to pay you for your organization's services. A ...bounty of sorts."

"I see." Lord Jorach glanced around the room as he thought over his options. "Well, it seems I am in quite the circumstance. On the one hand, I have opened my doors to provide assistance to this group of Alliance people. On the other hand, business calls in the form of these Horde members. As I am, and must remain, neutral to both factions, I cannot in due course help either side until a solution is found."

He raised a hand to motion for one of the guards who had escorted the forsaken into the room to come forward. After giving him some quiet instructions, the guard left and Jorach addressed the room once more pointing to Kirlothenin's wrists. "I will not allow the removal of these shackles by anyone in this Manor tonight." He pointed to the forsaken. "And I will not allow you to take anyone from here tonight."

About twenty guards or so filed through the doors to surround everyone. By this action, Lord Jorach had just silently let everyone know that he was still in control. "You are on my land, and therefore, under my rules. Until further notice, I ask that you all remain here over night. I will make my decision by the morning." Here, his voice hardened. "Should anyone leave from either group, the rest will be automatically found guilty of the others accusations and I will send out my assassins to take care of everyone from that group. Do I make myself clear?"

Everyone seemed to understand as they glanced at the guards surrounding them and slowly nodded. Then Lord Jorach looked pointedly at Mathias Shaw. "And I expect you to keep to your self-appointed role of bodyguard, Mathias. Remember that you have no authority here. As much as I want the architect's services, I will not compromise my guild to get it. Understood?"

At Mathias' nod, Ravenholdt turned to a rogue near him. "Take the forsaken to the south wing on the second floor. Give them one or three rooms, whatever they need, and the usual comfort items, but they are not to leave here until I say so." He then turned to another rogue. "Give the others here rooms near Mr. Alexston's. The same goes for them as for the forsaken. Make them comfortable but they are not to leave the premises until I say so." Ravenholdt then left the room without another word.

Baros growled at Mathias as they were ushered out of the dining room by twelve of the guards. "So you're just going to accept this and do what he says?"

Shaw raised an eyebrow, irritation showing in his eyes. "Just what do you think I should do? Take on the entire Assassin's League by myself?"

"Obviously not. You have Maggie and Adam and those druids-"

"Reality check, Baros!" Shaw turned his head to look at the clueless man. "Adam, Kristie, and everyone else have been walking all day. They are in no condition to fight. And even if they were, we're outnumbered here. Do you really think these twelve guards are all there is? You'd be surprised how many rogues are in the Assassin's League."

Baros hated Shaw's condescending tone. "I just thought you'd do something instead of just giving up."

"I'm not running a suicide mission, here. There are other options to consider. Ravenholdt is smarter than you seem to give him credit for. Delaying his decision was the best thing he could have done. It gives him...and us time to consider all of our options."

Baros sighed, then looked away. "Forget I asked," he mumbled.