Welcome to chapter 40! It seems like a lot...but then again, not really, considering the people around here who can write 10-page chapters with no problem (mine average about 4 pages). Oh well :). Thanks to those of you who have stuck around for this long, and to those who've given critiques and all. I really do appreciate it.

And now for a short interlude wherein we become acquainted with this man Lavitz met at the bar.

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"I still can't believe you think some stranger you met at a bar, of all places, could help us."

It was not the first time that day Albert had said this in some form or another. "I told you...he's not a stranger. I've known him for a long time."

"Right, right."

Lavitz couldn't tell whether the king was amused, scared, or annoyed. He couldn't see Albert's face, as he had pulled the hood of his rain cloak over his head and the fabric hid his expressions. It was hard enough to read the king's mood even when you could see his face.

They walked at a slow pace through the southern streets of Bale. Albert had insisted on coming to meet Lavitz's acquaintance himself, despite the pain and exhaustion that still plagued him, and the cold rains that had not stopped since the avian messenger's arrival. He could have easily had this person summoned to Indels, but he insisted it would be nice to see a part of the city he hadn't been to in years.

Lavitz, on the other hand, was quite familiar with this area. Not only was it near his mother's house, but it was far enough away from Indels that he could find a quiet break from his job if he needed to. Relatively quiet, at any rate. He had been quick to learn in his early years as a knight that 'quiet', for him, should never involve more than a couple beers at once, and not in a public place like the bar. And most certainly never when Soren is around. Soa above, I swear that man has no idea what the word 'quiet' even means.

Despite that, Soren was the one man he believed could now help stop the Northland army that was on its way south through the Eastern lands.

"Do I really want to know how you met this man in the first place?" Albert said softly.

The knight shrugged, even though he knew Albert couldn't see the motion. "I'm entitled to do as I wish on my days off."

"That's what worries me. But at least you get days off," he muttered. He walked with a certain stiffness that was visible even though his cloak, as he tried not to jar his still-healing wound where the Moon Scintillation had been forced into his chest. "Are you sure he'll even be here right now?"

"Yes. Will you just trust me?" He knew this was a stupid question. Of course Albert trusted him. It had always been that way.

"I do trust you. That doesn't mean I can't question you though." Albert did turn and smile at him then. It was a smile with more than a hint of mischief.

Lavitz grimaced. "Don't look at me like that."

"Oh?"

"The last time you did, you got me in trouble with my father."

"Oh...that. Well, it's a good thing your father isn't here right now, isn't it?" The king was still smiling.

Lavitz didn't answer that. Sometimes, I just don't understand you.

Their destination now lay before them. It was a long low building, built from stone like most of the older buildings in Bale. A small brown dog was resting outside the door, pressed as close to the wall of the building as possible to avoid the rain that dripped from the sloped roof. He raised his narrow head to observe them as they approached, but was asleep again by the time they had arrive at the door.

Well...you had better be here. Lavitz gave his rain cloak a few shakes before stepping inside. He scanned the dim room quickly. It was fairly empty, as it usually was this early in the evening. But sure enough, he saw a familiar face at the far side of the room. He started towards the man, Albert following silently.

The man realized quickly that he was being approached, and he glanced up at them from his cup. His eyes were startlingly blue, even against the dim candlelight, a trait that immediately marked him as a foreigner. Very few native Serdians had blue eyes, at least, not those of Serdian ancestry. The man recognized Lavitz immediately, but his face relaxed into an expression resembling exasperation.

"Oh," he said simply. "You again." His voice had an odd lilt to it, noticeable even with the few words he spoke.

"Yes, me again." Lavitz grabbed a couple nearby chairs, turning them to face the man. Albert gratefully sat down.

"You're not dead and visiting me as a ghost, are you?"

"No. Sorry."

"Damn." He paused to take a sip of whatever it was in his cup. Lavitz honestly didn't want to know. "Well, I guess it has been proven that nothing on earth can kill you."

Lavitz only smiled. This man was one of the few people who knew exactly what had nearly claimed Lavitz's life near the beginning of the Second Dragon Campaign. Lavitz couldn't remember having told him about it, but he had still found out somehow.

"So, if you're not here to tell me you're dead..." He held up his hand, counting off the points on his fingers. "And I'm assuming you're not here to take me up on that drinking contest yet. Damn Serdian pansy," he added in a low voice. "And you're not here saying that some disaster has befallen my family...why are you here?"

"Yes," Albert said to Lavitz, "I believe you now that you've known him for a long time."

The knight sat up straight in his chair, a stance he always assumed when talking business. "We're here to ask for your help."

For once, the man had nothing to say.

"I suppose introductions are an order. Your Majesty, this is Soren Gairn. Soren, King Albert of Serdio."

What kind of reaction he had been expecting from Soren, Lavitz wasn't sure. Soren was infamous for not caring who exactly a person was; not that he had no respect for authority, he just claimed to want to treat everybody equally. Whatever the case was, the foreigner merely smiled and nodded politely to Albert. "Nice to meet you. Even if a bar is a rather odd place to find the king."

"I'm aware of that," Albert replied as he pulled back his hood. He was smiling again.

"Soren is from the East," Lavitz explained. "As far as I'm aware, he's one of the only Easterners to be living in Serdio at this time."

Soren nodded. "That's probably correct. We tend to like to stay in our own lands."

"I've...come to that understanding." Albert had tried to deal with the Easterners in the past regarding possible trade routes, with no luck.

"Which also means he's probably the only person around who's fluent in both the Easterner's language and our own."

Soren was eying them curiously now.

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" Albert turned to his knight.

"It didn't occur to me."

"So, what is this help you need from me?" Soren was leaned back in his chair now, but he still watched them with a unnervingly penetrating gaze. The Easterner often played the lovable idiot, but he had an intellect every bit as sharp as Albert's. "I assume this has something to do with my amazing multilingual talents."

"Indeed." The king was doing that talking now. He spoke in a low voice, partly so that no one would overhear him, and partly because he couldn't talk much louder without causing himself pain. In a few minutes, he had explained the situation regarding the invading Northland army to Soren, with a few details modified or left out entirely. Even if he was a trusted acquaintance of Lavitz, there were still certain things Soren was not entitled to be privy to.

The Easterner had listened in contemplative silence to Albert's speech. Now that the king was done talking, he continued pondering for a while. His quirky, friendly mood seemed to have disappeared. "So...what is it exactly you need me to do?"

Albert hesitated, still trying to catch his breath from the long spiel had he just given. "Would you...accompany a messenger to the Eastern clans to ask for their assistance in stopping the army?" It was not so much a question as an order.

"What? Me?" The shock on Soren's face darkened quickly. Lavitz recognized that expression...one of longing and pain. "I can't."

"Why not?" It was rare that anyone, especially a commoner, refused to obey Albert, and this perplexed him.

Soren smiled briefly, a small, noncommittal gesture. "Don't take my denial as offense. There's one thing you don't know, and that's that I'm not a citizen of Serdio. I'm only a resident here. I'm not obliged to obey you."

This was news to Lavitz, even if it did make sense to him. Foreigners residing in Serdio must apply for citizenship after a certain length of time, barring certain circumstances, such as the individual holding a political office in another country. I've always wondered if Soren was something more than what he makes himself out to be...

The look on Albert's face showed that he was thinking the same thing.

"Believe me, I would go back east if I could. As it is, though...it would be a bad idea. Both for me and you." He closed his eyes.

"How so?"

"I left that place because of...ah...a conflict between some of the clans." Again that pained smile. "I'll just say it was a matter of my family being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

So he is someone of political importance in the East. Whether this was a good or bad thing, Lavitz couldn't decide. Bad for Soren, obviously.

"I see." Albert glanced at Lavitz. The king would figure out the whole situation sooner or later. His curiosity often got the better of him in situations like this.

"Besides..." The Easterner had recovered his good-natured personality once more. "I doubt you'd want a musician dealing with political affairs anyway. We're not so trustworthy. We like to embellish things, you know." He grinned.

"A musician, huh?" Albert seemed amused by this.

"What else was I supposed to do in this city?" He took another drink of whatever it was that sat next to him on the bar. "Back to the subject at hand, I'd be more than happy to translate a missive for you to give to your messenger. I suppose I'd have to do it anyway, either by my own free will or by force, seeing as I'm the only one who knows the language around here."

Albert smiled with relief. "Thank you. If there is any way I can repay you..."

"Oh yes. The next time I see you outside of Indels, you had better be ready for a damn drinking contest. And Lavitz too, it's about time I showed you Serdians who can hold their liquor best."

The king gave a nervous laugh, holding up his hands apologetically. "I think I'll have to pass on participating. That might result in something bad for my public image."

"'Something bad' will happen at least once," Lavitz commented idly.

"Am I to assume you're speaking from experience?"

"What would make you think that, Your Majesty?"

Soren snorted, turning back to face the bar. He muttered something that Lavitz didn't quite catch; from experience he knew that Soren was probably giving them some good-natured insult in his native language, and that it was still usually best if such things went untranslated.

"Tomorrow, then?" Albert stood stiffly. "Before noon, preferably. I'll have one of the servants waiting for you in the courtyard."

Soren nodded once. "I'll be there."