by Rodger Carr
Shortly after eleven bells, Gerrod gathered up his things. He removed an extra pair of fur leggings from his pack and put those on, buckled the belt that held Flicker around his waist, and slipped into his backpack. Lastly, he slung his quiver of arrows over one shoulder, and his bow over the other. Gerrod carried his world on his back. It was time to wake the others and head out.
Ace was awake already. He slid out of bed and right into his trousers. He'd prepared his light leather armor from a closet where it had been stored. It had been a long time since he had occasion to wear it, and he struggled with the many buckles that strained under his girth. "Too much of the soft life," Gerrod reminded him jokingly as he helped him. Ace agreed. On top of his armor he slid a black tunic that hid his form, blending him into the darkness of the night. A small sling sack over his shoulder and a large steel helmet on his head, and he was battle ready, except for one thing.
From under his bed, Ace slid an ancient wooden box. Its hinges, along the length, were made of gold, and highly decorated. The wood was a beautifully finished mahogany, and even though a layer of dust covered it, Gerrod could make out the runes carved there. From what little dwarven writing he had learned in the mines, he recognized the inscription as a special honorary merit of some kind.
With steady fingers, Ace undid the complex latch, probably with several poisoned traps built into it. Once undone, he took a nervous breath before opening the lid. There, in all its splendor, was a double bladed axe. A scraggly cloth of leather sheathed the blades, but the steel handle was intricately carved. With its short handle, the weapon was just the right size for Ace. He pulled the weapon out and fitted the handle under his belt. "Now I'm ready," he said confidently.
Ace went down to fetch their horses from the stables as Gerrod went to wake Corinna. He stopped outside her room and pulled out a disk full of runes. He repeated the words of magic Corinna had given him. He knew that the many wards and protective spells she had cast upon her door would now allow him to pass through. Gerrod shuddered to think what might happen to someone who tried to violate the wards Corinna often placed around her. He envisioned gruesome tortures such as the melting away of a living man's flesh, or being over run by a horde of biting and stinging insects. Corinna didn't like to be disturbed.
Gerrod opened the door and stepped inside, quickly closing the door behind him. The room was dark, and the light from the lantern he carried cut a clean beam through the blackness. The silence was unsettling; he couldn't even hear his own breathing or heart beating. His steps did not make any of the familiar creaks of aging wooden floors. He recognized the effects of a spell of silence.
Gerrod made his way to her bed and tried to call out her name, though he knew no words would come from his mouth. It was common for her, he remembered, to cast a silence spell around her when she slept. She did this for several reasons. First, Corinna snored rather loudly. This spell kept the deafening tremors quiet, to not awaken everyone else at the inn. Secondly, Corinna talked in her sleep. In order to keep any magical incarnations from forming on her lips, which might trigger some magical spell or another, this silent veil kept her from mistaken, magical utterances. Thirdly, the silence allowed her to sleep more in peace. Not only didn't noises in the room disturb her precious rest, but it also kept any enemies from using any verbal spells or command words for magical devices against her.
Corinna slept flat on her back, closed eyes fixed shut. He could see her chest rhythmically moving up and down with great fervor. Her lips trembled at the passage of air, but the spell kept her silent.
In the tumble and roll of restless sleep, she tossed back her blankets. Her heavy black robe, rarely removed, was hanging on a peg hook next to her bed. She was dressed in a simple, light cotton nightshirt, which revealed her delicate form. He couldn't help noticing she had managed to keep herself fit and trim. She'd always been rather curvaceous, Gerrod remembered fondly, but she usually kept it well hidden under the bulk of her thick, black robe. With her hands resting comfortably on the flat of her stomach, she looked as peaceful as one stretched out on a funeral pyre. Only the constant heaving of her breath would have kept her from being ignited. He pushed that scary thought from his mind.
Gerrod approached her carefully. It was normally difficult for him to cross the worn wooden floor without constant creaking, but the spell took care of that. He glided across the floor as silently as a master-thief like Ace. However, as he approached her bed, he remained leery. Gerrod never knew what other surprises Corinna might have waiting for him. Once, he remembered, she had an invisible, magical shield surrounding her bed. He had walked right into it, smashing his face out of shape in the process. She sometimes set out guardians to watch over her as she slept, but that night he saw no signs of any. Besides, without sleeping and studying, he reminded himself, there was little magic Corinna was capable of doing. Still, caution seemed wise.
Gerrod reached her bedside with no problems, and sat down on the edge of it. Corinna was a deep sleeper, and she didn't notice his presence. She seemed so peaceful, and so beautiful in that peace, that he hardly dared disturb her. With a careful, quivering hand, he reached out and touched her on the exposed leg. There was no response, so he gripped her firmly just above the knee. Still nothing. Finally, he gently shook her leg until she stirred from the cobwebs of sleep.
She seemed a bit dazed at first, not quite awake. She tried to speak, or at least it looked like it from the movement of her lips as she sat up on her elbows, but of course there were no words. Almost as if annoyed by the inconvenience, she waved her hand in a magical gesture that resembled chasing a fly away. The room suddenly seemed to come alive, as sounds crashed in from all directions.
There was a bit of commotion on the guard wall outside, as an officer hustled his troops to ready themselves. The Guard was assembling to leave!
Corinna seemed to instantly snap awake, as she scurried about readying things. The light nightgown flowed behind her, billowing in the breeze of her movements. She disappeared behind a changing curtain with her robe. Without saying a word, she changed and reemerged with no sign of the gown. She no doubt stored it away into one of the infinite number of bottomless pockets that she hid inside the massive robe.
Seeing she was awake and about, Gerrod went down to help Ace with the horses. By the time Gerrod got there, Ace had his own mount, a thick boned, short pony by the name of Spade, all loaded down with packs full of supplies. However, Ace seemed to be having problems reaching Corinna's tall mare.
Ace knew better, of course, than to near Misty, Gerrod's horse, before he was there. Despite getting on in age, Misty was a spirited beast, and could be most difficult and dangerous for anyone but her master to handle. Over the years, they had established an understanding, so she rarely gave Gerrod any problems. Gerrod always felt, however, that it was Misty who was always in control of their relationship.
Frustrated, Ace moved a small step stool over to Thunder, Corinna's horse. He still had trouble tossing the heavy saddlebags over the top of the horse. Gerrod walked up to help him. "Don't see why you kids feel the need to sit so high up in the air," Ace grumbled. "Must be thinking you're royalty or something."
It was amazing. The same bantering as Gerrod remembered from all those years ago. Ace never did like their taller horses, which towered over his small ponies. It made conversation while riding interesting. He always held a fear that one of those tall legs would bring a hoof down to split his head open. And, on a bad day, Gerrod wouldn't have put it past Misty, just for spite.
By the time Corinna came out, they had her horse saddled and ready, and Misty almost done. She carried a staff and a small sack slung over a shoulder, which she tied onto the horn of her saddle.
Twelve bells tolled from the castle's time keep, and they knew there wasn't much time for conversation. They climbed on their mounts and made their way toward the east gate.
Oswegonia was a very
well protected city. The guard walls, known to the locals as the Walls of Indifference, not only ran around the outer perimeter of the city proper; but they also divided the city into different sections. Each walled-in section represented another division of social class, and a different tax rate. These walls kept the people in the slums same as they did wild animals out of the rich, upper class sections. These walls were patrolled constantly to keep people from moving about on unauthorized business between the sections, which was exactly what the members of Wefpub were doing.
It seems that the more complicated things are made, the easier it is to get around them. Ace had a nice way of working his way around the city. Through certain connections, he had learned many unauthorized ways over his years. This was a time when that really paid off. They easily made their way across the expanse of the city. They moved quietly behind the dark shadows cast by the large, brilliant moon, and through unknown passages under the Walls of Indifference.
They arrived at the east gate, and into another hiding place, before the Guard left. They waited there, watching the mass of assembling troops, until it was time to leave. The troop's confusion, as they gathered into some semblance of formation, distracted their attention. This allowed Ace, Gerrod, and Corinna to secretly slip away from the city wall and into the woods. Once adjusted, their eyes picked up enough of the ample moonlight so, like the Guard, they didn't need torches to see where they were going. While it slowed their pace, it kept from attracting any unwanted attention.
They waited under the cover of forest while the Guard assembled into formation and snaked its way past and down the King's Highway. It was quite a stirring sight to see; the bold, confident bronze armor shining in the light of the moon. There were about a hundred and seventy-five foot soldiers divided into their familiar command groupings. It was the most Ace had ever seen gathered in one place. The guards tended to keep within their small groups, despite the mass of fellow guardsmen all around. The still, cool night air filled with mist from their warm bodies. With the harsh sounds of brutish laughter, the mist rose to the star-filled sky. They built no fires to warm themselves, and many paced around nervously, trying to fend off the impending chill.
Large carts mixed among long, slender lines of soldiers, which ribboned out four abreast. These wagons carried supplies for the army; everything they would need for their long journey into the night. War-horses pulled these heavy wagons. The horses were all different hues beneath their colorful tack. They proudly displayed the markings of the King's Guard on the richly decorated cloths they bore across their backs. Large plumes of breath escaped their warm nostrils, ready to strain against their heaving loads.
The command structure of the army rode horses among the men on foot. In the lead was LaBairne, Captain of the Guard. He proudly held a bannered staff in a polished rest on his saddle, boldly announcing the passing of the King's Guard of Oswegonia. Brandishing his gold-crested helm, he held his head high, as if this was a parade for nobility. A spreading smile let everyone know he was in his glory. Following him was a small band of his elite guard, whose duty was more to protect LaBairne than anyone else. They rode on fine looking war-horses, and other than their obvious, older age, they had only their white-crescent helms to denote their prestigious rank. Ace said in hushed whispers that most of the elite guard had been with LaBairne back in the old regime, when the Guard was still a thing of honor and pride. Their confident stature on their mounts reflected this.
Riding with their divisions, the rest of the command ranks barked out orders to their men, tightening lines and keeping pace with the whole of the group. Any important orders were barked down the line, until delivered to the pertinent parties. These commanders wore blue crescents in their helms, which picked up the light of the moon as well.
Some of the wagons the army pulled along stood out more than the rest. Instead of being filled to capacity, carefully loaded to make the most of their space, these carts carried only single, though notably large chests. These great chests were wrapped in heavy chains and sported proportionally sized locks. Other than this, there seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary about them. Curious, Corinna scanned the parcels for magic, reporting that they did emanate a faint aura. Ace instinctively spit on the ground. Judging by the strained steps of the huge war-horses that pulled those wagons, they drew no lighter a load than the others. This must have been Rai'dley's "luggage" LaBairne had referred to in the 'Pub. Seeing these only convinced Corinna that they were on the right track with this lead.
They watched and waited, under tall elms and brush, for the last of the long parade to pass. They then waited a while more, only to give the army a fair head start ahead of them.
"Are they gone, yet?" Corinna asked, straining to see in the bright moonlight. The rear guard carried no torches or lanterns, as the rest of the parade did, and they faded away into the darkness of the night.
Gerrod squinted his eyes and stared. As he concentrated, the pale, dim grays of reflected moonlight were replaced by a thousand shades of red. He could clearly see the warm bodies of the rear guard glowing brightest, as they disappeared from sight. He looked to Ace whose dwarven night vision, or infravision as the elves called it, was much better than his.
"Yeah, they're gone," he confirmed. "We'll be safe at this distance. Without night vision, they won't be able to see too far into the darkness."
"Just like me," Corinna agreed, reminding them of her human heritage. The rear guard had slipped into the darkness of her limited vision minutes ago.
With paranoid caution, they stepped out of their hiding spot and into the openness of the King's Highway. The shrub brush, which lined both sides of the tree lines, was trimmed back from the paved roadway. Long ribbons of magically created stonework stretched out into the night, as far as the eye could see. The only stone roadway in all of Carrona, it stretched from as far south as Seaway, all the way north to Seagate. There was a large tee to reach the capital city of Oswegonia. The King's Highway sliced the lands apart and divided the territories. It was the easiest way to move anything such as an army over land, and that road called out to them.
The members of Wefpub were some of the rare few that, through some point of their lives, had traversed every bit of this roadway. The King's Highway was not for the weak of heart or the lone stranger to be traveling. For all the convenience it offered, it had its perils as well.
Many times the open road had called out to them. In their youth, during the wild times when Wefpub was young and so were they, they sought adventure and wealth on this road. Tonight it carried the King's Guard of Oswegonia off to an unknown destination, and like the favored days of yore, they chased after them on that twelve bells march.
Gerrod had always been a friend of nature and the forest. But while the King's Highway ran through some of the most untamed forest in all the four lands, he never felt comfortable here. The woods held a comforting closeness. It tended to wrap itself around him, inviting him in. The open roadway, stone laid down by magic-users in unnaturally straight lines, ripped its way across the land. It was an open wound that sliced through nature itself. Not just the forest, but the whole world separated to make way for its passing. Many secrets hid along the pockets of bushes that lined the path. Most proved not as inviting as the comforting forest.
The road had its own dangers. Besides the entire army ahead, that may not be happy to have adventurers tagging along to look into their business; there were always monsters and beasts that preyed on small parties as they passed. Gerrod knew, especially here in the open, that they were vulnerable to an ambush.
Several times they saw movement or heard strange sounds coming from behind the mask of fall foliage. Ace, who rode point, stopped in his tracks until Corinna and Gerrod, a few lengths behind, rode up beside him. He held out his hand as if to stop the sound of their horses with that gesture. Misty looked about nervously, and Corinna scanned the brush.
>
Ace pulled out his heavy battle-axe, preparing for whatever might be waiting to meet them. A low growl came from the left, or maybe from the right. It was hard to tell . It may even have come from both directions at the same time. A rustle to the left gave them a location, and all eyes darted to that spot in the distance up the road. Another rustle showed the shadow stalker was getting closer. There was no use moving from the middle of the road. They might have just as easily moved into a trap without knowing.
Another growl, louder this time, taunted at Ace's impatient nerves. "All right, come outta' there!" he shouted at the brush. The brush gave another rattle in answer, spooking the pony. Spade, took a nervous sidestep. Irritated even more that something might have the gall to spook his steadfast mount, Ace edged his anxious pony toward the noise. "Well, I warned ya," he said threateningly, preparing to enter the bushes or at least drive the offender out from hiding.
Corinna readied her staff to launch a spell Ace's way if necessary.
As Ace approached the area where the rustling came from, a large white wolf leapt from its hiding place, startling him. Spade reared on its short legs and fled, seeking the safety of Misty and Thunder. Misty let out a whinny that sounded a bit too much like laughter as Ace pulled Spade under control. At the same time, Gerrod slid from his saddle and got down to meet Star, who bounded up to him in a playful canter. He crashed into his friend's waiting embrace as always, and gave his cheek an affectionate lick.
"Why that flea-bitten dog!" Ace fumed, surprised and embarrassed now more than he was angry. "You could have told me it be your wolf, Gerrod!"
"What, and miss out on your expression when he came breaking through the brush? Not a chance, Ace. It was priceless!"
"That wasn't very nice, Gerrod," Corinna scorned, trying to suppress her own smile. "You could have given poor Ace a heart attack. Least of all gotten him thrown from Spade and sent the pony off running with our supplies."
"You're right, Corinna," I admitted, half seriously. "Sorry Ace. No harm meant."
"Awe, that's alright," Ace accepted, not willing to admit his shame of fear. "You know I love that pup."
As if it was an invitation, Star ran over to Ace and jumped up on his leg so he could get a petting from the old dwarf.
"He's been following us for quite some time now," Gerrod admitted. "He was just waiting for the perfect time. It was his idea to surprise you like that. I had nothing to do with it."
"I'm sure, Gerrod," Corinna smiled.
He returned a sheepish grin.
Star proved to be a good companion to have for this trip. In his playful, curious nature, he bounded up and down both sides of the road, flushing out countless birds that nested among the branches there. Occasionally he'd chase after a rabbit or some other shadow he'd seen, only to pop back out through the brush somewhere down the line. These surprise bursts from the bushes kept Ace and Corinna uneasy, but Star managed to make enough noise so you'd know it would have to be him. At times he'd come to try to get Gerrod to play, but when he told him he was busy, he'd go romping off again, understanding.
Gerrod was sure that a wolf jumping through that brush managed to scare more than birds away. It was comforting to know that he was never far away, should they ever need a friend.
At one point, the next morning, a large deer gracefully made its way across their path. It bounded across the road some several hundred paces ahead of them. They stopped in silent awe. A buck, it boasted a huge rack of horns. They simply stopped and admired the spectacle, and it passed by, barely giving them much notice at all.
It was not until close to sundown the next day that they noticed, on the distant horizon, the King's Guard stopping their otherwise incessant march for the first time. Leery, they waited a bit to see which way the guards may be going to head off the road. Instead, they made camp right where they were. No one ever made camp in the middle of the road. Travelers considered it the polite thing to do to get off to the side giving way to any traffic that might pass through. However, the arrogant Guard plopped down where they were, blocking off the right-of-way completely. Gerrod guessed that when you've got a whole army, you can set up camp wherever you want to.
Not wanting to be seen by the Guard, they made their way to the side of the road and slipped into the cover of the forest. The forest was unusually quiet, probably from the passing of the army. With its cover of colored leaves, the forest proved much darker than the open roadway had been. Corinna stumbled about in the void. They didn't dare build a fire or light a torch. The army could send scouting parties out to cover their perimeter. That would be standard procedures for them, and they didn't want to help the army find them. Any kind of light or fire would be a beacon to them in the darkness.
Ace groaned as he rose from his saddle, breaking the silence that they had ridden with for most of the way. Instinctively, Corinna and Gerrod both spun around at the sudden sound. "Sorry, kids. I guess it's been a while. I'm a little out of shape." Corinna and Gerrod couldn't help laughing as their stout friend hobbled around, exaggeratedly stiff from the long ride.
"I told you, Ace," Gerrod teased again, "too much of that soft life."
Not wanting to waste the energy, he just waved his tired response.
They tied their horses near their encircled camp, and groomed them. They rubbed down their mounts' tired legs with a paste Gerrod made to help soothe their joints and swelling muscles. They wrapped their legs with strips of cloth to hold the healing herbs in place, and brushed down their thick coats. They were all too tired to move, but they knew the importance of properly caring for the horses. They couldn't imagine being those foot soldiers, having made the long, exhausting march all the way on their own feet.
They kept the horses near their camp. Along with Star, they would help warn them if anyone neared. Ace and Gerrod set up snares around the perimeter, as Corinna cleared stones away for bedrolls. Exhausted and sore, they all drifted away to their dreams in no time.
It was hard to say what woke him in the middle of the night. It could have been the screeching of an owl, or the stirrings of some forest creature. It could have been a leaf falling in his face or the rumblings of his hungry stomach. Whatever it was, Gerrod was awake.
The ranger looked around to check the camp. The horses were fine, sleeping with steady breathing. Ace, too, was snoring away. His rounded form billowed up and down under his blanket. Star laid next to Gerrod, no doubt still chasing rabbits in his dreams. He gazed over at Corinna, but he couldn't tell whether she was there or not. With that black robe of hers, it was difficult to see in the dim, filtered moonlight. Gerrod blinked his eyes and concentrated, letting the red of the infravision float through. He could see that the area she had been lying in was still warm, but it didn't glow the bright red it should have. He scrambled to his feet and began to scan the area. He slowly turned, searching for any bright red spots that might clue him in on her trail. After making a complete circle, he returned to the most likely direction. He could barely see the thin tracings of what could have been footprints on the ground, leading away from her pile of blankets and the camp.
Gerrod made his way over to the tracks, and knelt down to examine the ghostly signs. They were Corinna's all right. A single set, so she wasn't dragged or carried off. She was walking on her own, which was good. The trail was fading quickly, as the heat of her soft steps dissipated into the cold ground. If the night had not been so cold so as to chill the ground so, he would not have a trail to follow. Leaving Star to guard over Ace, he set off after what he could see, hoping not to lose the warm trail.
She had traveled some distance, in a wandering pattern, before he caught up to her. It seemed as if she was looking for something. He could see her through a thicket of briars. This undergrowth was typically around a clearing, where sun and water could reach to feed plants smaller than the over powering shade of the trees. Gerrod's alert ears detected the babb
ling of a small creek. He stopped and hid in the bushes, to see what Corinna was doing. It was unusual for her to leave camp like this, and he feared some sort of spell was used to enchant his mage friend away from them.
Corinna's form was dark to his infravision, her heat hidden under the warmth of her robe. It looked as though she was making some sort of symbol in the dirt. The icy stream running next to her was so cold it appeared black to him. She dragged what looked like a long stick across the ground, her staff he guessed. First in one direction and then another.
He heard soft incantations. They sounded like a spell, but were soft and quiet. Next, to his surprise, she took off her robe and clothes and laid them down in the middle of her symbol. Without the protection of her clothing, she would freeze in no time. This must be some kind of enchantment, he decided.
Gerrod entered the clearing and startled her. Once she saw it was him, however, she didn't get up or even bother hiding her naked body. She sprawled out on her robe. The bright moonbeams shone down through the opening in the forest canopy, illuminating the soft curves of her slender body. The light bathed her in a blue-gray aura. The now perfectly full moon reached its zenith over the hole in the leaves above. He realized it was this clearing she had been looking for in the dark.
"Oh, Gerrod, it's you. Come on in and join me," she invited. She shivered as a chill breeze caressed the length of her body. Her skin exploded with goose bumps, and she giggled with delight at the sensation. It was a light, playful giggle; one he had not heard in a very long time.
"You're crazy," he replied, pulling his leather shirt tighter around him. Embarrassed, he tried not to look at her. Besides, just the thought made him cold all over. "It's freezing out here." It felt colder now than when they left their camp.
"More like exhilarating," she corrected. "Come try it, it's great."
"What are you doing? Let's get back to camp. I don't want to leave Ace alone too long."
"Don't you remember, Gerrod? We used to do it all the time, the summer before I left? Moon bathing! It's fantastic. I can feel the warmth of the moon beams on my body like the rays of the sun."
As quickly as his mind flashed back to those golden days and precious nights, when they went everywhere and did everything together, when he shared the most intimate of moments with her, he forced his mind back to the cold reality of the present. "That's only because your body's gone numb from the cold! Come on, Corinna. Get dressed and come back to camp."
"Go on, if you want to," she replied indifferently. She refused now to even look at him, preferring instead to stare up into the star-filled sky above. "You and I both know that Ace is more than capable of taking care of himself."
"You're scaring me, Corinna. This isn't like you. We're chasing an entire army to who knows where and what. We can't afford to be playing around like this. Who knows what's going to happen next?"
"Exactly, Gerrod." She was suddenly serious and stern. She sat up on her elbows and looked at him. Her dark eyes penetrated the bright moonlight. "Who knows if any of us will ever see this moon again? We're in deep this time. Rather, I'm in deep. You guys just got dragged in for the ride. I don't like it. Even if I do have my magic back, I don't know if I can protect you. I don't know what would happen if you ever got hurt because you were following me."
She was visibly upset, and instinctively, Gerrod took her in his arms and held her tight. It frightened him to feel how cold and damp her skin had become. She shivered in his embrace, but he didn't know whether it was because she was upset or because she was cold. He could feel the warmth of his touch flow into her, warming her heart as well as her body. "There, there. We'll be okay," he tried to comfort her in a tone he had heard Ace using before. It felt like a pitiful attempt to defeat her arguments.
"I don't trust this whole deal with this Orb, Veste and everything," she confessed. "I'm in way over my head -- I can feel it. I don't know if I'm going to be able to control what ever we run into, and that scares me." She paused to collect her thoughts, but her arms refused to release their tight grip from around him. "I know this quest is something I have to do, but you guys don't have to. I can't bear the thought that something might happen to you guys because I dragged you into this."
"Look, Corinna," Gerrod matched her tone, "I'll admit there was a time when I used to let you call all the shots. You were great at it, and I'd follow you anywhere because I loved you. But that was a long time ago. Ace and I aren't here now because you have some sort of spell over us. We're here because we're your friends and you need us. We choose to be your friends, just like we chose to come with you. I take responsibility for my own life now, not you. If something happens to us, it's because we chose to come. You don't need to take care of me anymore, and you're not making me do anything I don't want to do."
Gerrod couldn't believe he had said it, and he wasn't even exactly sure what all it was he'd said, but it seemed to work. She eased up her hold on him and sat up, looking dazed. The tears that had formed in the corners of her eyes had disappeared, and she looked as if a great weight lifted from her shoulders.
"Besides, both Ace and I are more than capable of taking care of ourselves," he smiled. She laughed more with relief than at his comments. She gave him another quick hug. For the first time ever, Gerrod thought it felt more like hugging Ace than a lover, but it felt good. For the first time, Gerrod realized, Corinna respected him as an equal, and he truly respected himself.
Corinna got dressed, requesting privacy, and they headed back to camp. Sure enough, they found Star and Ace sleeping like a log. Ace had never known they had left. The rest of the night went by uneventfully.
Chapter 8
Thieves' Triangle