Twitchy limped up the castle main way in the early twilight hours. His feet hurt from all the walking while his scar throbbed. Partly do to the coming storm, but mostly it was from spending the most of the day and the previous night searching the city for clues. The trembling in his hands was worse than it had been in years. He sighed and tried to clench his fist to at least mask the shaking as anger. It wasn't hard considering everything he had found. The sheer horror. Ruthlessly he shoved the images down in his mind.

He slipped through the still open gate. They shouldn't have the gates open, he thought, they know it's not safe. Twitchy moved through the shadows without even thinking about it. At this point it was natural for him even if he hadn't been a thief in years. A simple glance at the guards who stood behind their torches allowed him to see the best way to avoid detection. Even though their night vision would be shot and it would be unlikely they'd spot him, he did not feel it would be safe if too many people noted his comings and goings. Had it been any other time the former thief would have taken pride in his skills, but not now. Maybe because he was going to meet the father of the woman he had cherished a deep love for.

Twitchy had been quite surprised by the Lord. No doubts about it, the nobleman was smart. He understood his people to boot. That was better than most lordlings managed in their lifetimes. But Twitchy couldn't deny that Lord Imrah was also fair to his people not matter their standing. He didn't rule with an iron fist or the tongues of a whip like plenty. His people walked with their heads up and easily conversed with strangers. Some even laughed and smiled while they worked. Most importantly, all of the Lord's people were protective of their employers. It was the kind of place he coulda easily seen Anna. Still, Twitchy didn't like the man.

Maybe it was cause he saw Anna in the other man's face and maybe not. Either way it made him angry. The world wasn't a safe place for a woman on her own. Least of all when she has a child like Arie. His mind went to darker thoughts from there. Would Anna have better off in the safety of this castle? Would she have lived? The image of the burnt out shell of his home, Anna's grave beside it rose in his mind. He had practically gone out of his mind with grief and fear. It was only the boy, Avery, who had saved him from doing something truly foolish. But the seeing what Arie had become. By the Gods, he swore to himself it wouldn't happen again. Never. Twitchy was almost relieved when he reached the Lord's office doors. It would at least take his mind off of Anna for a bit. He rapped his knuckles on the door, then waited.

"Come in."

Twitchy shoved at the wrought iron handle and entered the study. The room hadn't changed much since he was here the previous night. The only major differences were the lord's desk was cleared of all paperwork and there was a decanter of amber liquid on the desk with several glasses next to it. The Lord held a glass of the amber liquid while Sir Raoul, who sat across from Imrah held a class of chilled juice. Both men looked like they had been discussing something. But it was Imrah's eyes burning him with a strange intensity that reminded him little too much of Arie.

"You found something." Imrah made it a statement and directed him to sit.

Twitchy threw himself into the arm chair beside Raoul. "Lotta somethins."

The two lords exchanged meaningful looks that gave Twitchy pause. He was tempted to ask, but he remembered it was never wise to pry into nobles affairs. It was just safer for someone of his standing to hold his tongue no matter how generous the lords in question were.

"I first went ta look into a man, blacksmith by trade. Goes by the name Joel. Couple of years passed now, I remembered 'em comin' to call on Anna. It was durin the 'Emortals War. There were bodies up on the cliffs. Heard from some of his people. Worried about scavengers and bandits. Bad fer business suppose. But when he was over I remember he looked at Arie." Even all these years later he could still remember the look on the burly man's face. If he could have squished Arie like a bug, he would have. Such contempt and hatred; it was just wrong. "He hated er. Whispered somethin under his breath at er, foul somethin if I'm any judge."

Imrah's fist was clenched on his drink. His knuckles white against the glass. The young commander of The King's Own however looked unsurprised, but sadly resigned.

"I hada feelin, that's why I went to see em first. It never sat right his actin like that to such a lil girl." Twitchy took a breath to bolster his strength. Then let it out. "Well, he's alive an clean of poison. 'Bout all he got goin fer em. After Anna... died," He swallowed the emotions that churned in his chest. "His forge burned. With em an his family inside. Burned em bad. Joel's boots melted to his feet. His wife didn't have no hair left. Smoke killed er. Their son-." Twitchy stopped and just shook his head. He wouldn't repeat how the boy had died.

"It was no accident neither. Heard from the healers who patched em up. There was oil on the floor. And fire. I'll eat my knives if that was an accident. Even some of the stone melted, but nothin else nearby was even singed. No one wants to rebuild on it, thinks it's cursed."

Both lords looked a little green around the gills. But Twitchy noticed the sharpness in the older man's face.

"Obviously the fire was intentional, but something about it strikes you as relevant to the current issue. He wasn't infected and this incident happened a while back."

Now Twitchy licked his lips nervously. He wasn't sure how much Lord Imrah knew about Arie. Clearly he knew or at least suspected that she was his granddaughter. But that was very different than understanding exactly what had been done to her as a child. It was one thing to know a family member had been driven from their home, it was a complete different from understanding how that family member had been burned from their home and hunted by a mob. When they were a child no less. Twitchy was well aware people of his sanding had been killed for bringing such news to high born people such as the lords. Then there were his own failures to account for too. He had been there to protect Arie, even though he had sworn to her dying mother that he would. But the look in Imrah's eyes gave the former thief courage.

"A'ter Anna passed, bunch of people believed Arie had a hand in it, or just didn't stop it. Anna was beloved by everyone. No one didn't owe er their life, limbs, or sanity. Sure ya know what grievin men with a bit drink get. Well, they gathered at er house at night." He licked his lips again. "They put er house to the torch. With Arie inside."

Imrah stood up abruptly. His glass clattered and spilled across his desk and his chair toppled back. There was a wild angry and grief stricken look in his eyes. Twitchy felt the older man's need for violence rise. The thief waited for the condemnation, the demands to know why he hadn't stopped this. But it never came. Imrah stared not quite at him for a long time. The lord seemed to wrestle the storm.

"My Lord?" Raoul's voice was not what Twitchy expected. The younger man was gentle in the way one might address a frightened animal.

Imrah dropped his eyes from Twitchy. And he understood right away the man was trying not to weep. His voice rough and cracking voice confirmed it. "How?"

Twitchy didn't to ask what the lord meant. "She doesn't talk 'bout it, how she got out. Honest? Don't think she knows much how she escaped neither. Mosta what I know comes from a boy who's sweet on er. The house burned pretty quick, Avery thinks they used oil. Either way, the house burned purtty quickly. He says she clawed her way through the thatch roof. Said he thought the smoke hid er. Af'tur that neither of us are sure how they knew she gotta way. They hunted er first with dogs." He shook his head. "Dogs refused to give chase. No animal will hurt er on purpose. But the people gave chase. The boy, Avery, found er first. Thank all the Gods. He carried er out."

"It's a miracle she managed to get as far as she did. Her feet were burned. Even with er Gift fer healin she couldn't manage much fer awhile. What they did messed her, her Gift took a bit to come back. But he took care of er tell I got back. Found me even."

Twitchy's own fists were clenched on the arm chair. He remembered too clearly that brave girl laying in a bed. Her feet bound up in bandages. Shell shocked eyes staring out at nothing. Then nightmares that would send her screaming or crying from sleep. It had been a special kind of horror watching such a gifted kid having to relearn her legs. And if he never saw the looks of fear or sorrow in those grey eyes again it would still be too soon.

"Weren't enough that they took er home and hurt er. Nope. Joel was givin discounts to the people who had 'helped' chase the 'demon' from their home." He took a deep shuddering breath and swiped at the dust that was burning his eyes. "Shoulda killed 'em." But he remembered Anna. "She wouln't have 'proved." This he said more to himself than the two noblemen. The silence started to stretch between them.

Raoul cleared his throat bringing both Twitchy and Imrah back to the present. "What was your impression of the person doing this based on what happened to Joel?"

Twitchy mulled over the younger man's question while Lord Imrah picked his chair back up. Finally Twitchy said, "This is personal. It wasn't just Joel neither. People that hurt er had everythin taken from em. A baker's mill burned with workers inside. Couple of folks died in that fire. Some had a part in hurtin Arie some didn't. No one will hire on with em now. Think he wasn't careful. A butcher's shop and home went the same way. His whole family up and moved. Several fishing boats caught fire. One was out at sea during the rainy season. Bits of charred wood washed up on shore couple days later, no bodies. Merchants have their wagons pillaged and burned. Anything that can't be taken is killed and burned. Some people just plain vanished. No one's seen hide or hair of em."

"Who do you think could do this?"

"Not Arie." The denial was so firm and immediate that it surprised even Twitchy. True, he thought of the girl has his own daughter, but even he could recognize that Arie was physically capable of these acts. He seen sweet children become cold blooded murders, but Arie. No, she would not. She may not have her mother's gentle way, but she had more compassion than anyone else he knew. To do these acts would break her.

Raoul shook his head. "I don't believe she or even you could do this." The younger man smiled at Twitchy's cynical look. "We had you checked by Sir Nealan. You only have a little bit of Sight magic. You couldn't control the fire." He then added, "And I doubt you could afford the type of mage who would be willing and able to do so for hire," when he saw Twitchy's expression change.

Twitchy grunted to the truth of his statement.

"So the question is, who knew about what happened to Arie?"

The former thief sucked on his bottom lip in thought. "Not sure. You'd be better off askin the kid. Avery, not Arie."

"Do you trust this boy?" This time it was Imrah that asked.

He shifted in his seat and considered the question. Twitchy didn't actually know much about Avery, but he had watched this boy care for Arie. He had never raised a hand to the girl. Had always been very protective of Arie. The boy had never tried to take advantage of her even when she was bed bound. Twitchy had asked Arie about him and she had confirmed Avery was a good man. "He is loyal to Arie. She saved em and his father when they'd been in an accident."

Imrah nodded. "We will speak to him then. Were there any people who were infected?"

Twitchy bobbed his head yes. "A fair few. But they seem to be recent. All of them had contact with Edith when she treated them. They filled up that hospital you've got set up. Edith was definitely the oldest case."

Both lords exchanged another look. Then finally Imrah sighed. "Actually she's the second oldest."

Twitchy raised his eyebrow, but didn't say anything.

"My wife is the oldest. Arie discovered her illness this morning."