1

“OW!” Perry shouted, swatting away Avenell’s hand. “What is that drivel?”

“It is an herbal balm, Sir Perry. Please, just let me—”

“No!”

Perry jumped off the bench and held up his hand to block Avenell from approaching.

“That one burns! There must be something wrong with it! Get me Falbrin’s.”

“Sir Perry, Falbrin has still not responded to my letters.”

“Still? It has been several weeks?”

Avenell nodded.

“Then how did you come by the recipe for that?” Perry asked as he pointed to the lumpy gray slop that sat in the stone mortar.

“I asked around town.”

“No,” Perry insisted as he re-tied the bandages around his arm. “I will simply wait for Falbrin’s recipe.”

“Sir Perry, you cannot avoid it any longer, your wounds will fester if you leave them be.”

Avenell scooped up more of the balm into his hands and approached Perry.

“No, Avenell,” Perry warned, “You will come no closer!”

“I am sorry, Sir Perry…”

Avenell lunged at Perry, grabbing for his arm.

“Enough! Back away, Avenell!”

Perry fought him off, grabbing for a nearby chair and holding it between them.

The two struggled a few moments more before the doorknob began to turn.

“Is everything alright?” Ingrid asked as she stepped into the room.

“Ah, Ingrid. Please assist me in holding down Sir Perry while I apply the medication.”

“Ingrid, do not listen to him! I am your captain!”

“I’ll help!”

Ellis jumped into the room from behind Ingrid with an evil grin on his face.

“Ellis! I am warning you…”

Ellis stood next to Avenell and the two began to descend upon Perry like a pack of wolves cornering a wounded faun.

“Ingrid, take them from here!” Perry stumbled backwards, keeping the chair in front of him. “Ingrid!”

She watched on mercilessly.

“I am sorry, Sir Perry. But your wounds must be tended too.”

Ellis and Avenell continued their advance, one small step at a time, until Perry felt the wall behind him.

He was trapped.

“Avenell…” Perry pleaded. “Ellis!”

The two of them sank low, ready to pounce…

“No!”

“Is everything alright?”

Telhari stepped into the room with a look of confusion.

Perry had his back to the wall, his foot on Ellis’s chest and his uninjured arm pushing Avenell away.

“Ah, Master Telhari,” Avenell said, “Please, won’t you assist us.”

“What is it that you need assistance with?” Telhari asked, turning to Ellis.

“Avenell is trying to give uncle some medicine, but he doesn’t want it.”

Telhari crossed the room and peered down into the mortar.

“This is the medicine?” he asked as he stuck his finger into the slop.

“It is a recipe I acquired from the East Street butcher’s wife.”

“Gloria!?" Perry roared. “That woman is senile!”

Perry grabbed the nearest cloth and wiped the balm from his arm.

“She may be senile, but she does have experience dealing with flesh wounds,” Avenell corrected with a shake of his head.

“If it is medicine you need, I would be more than happy to assist,” Telhari offered.

“You are skilled in medicine?” Perry asked.

Telhari nodded.

“Perhaps not as skillful as your physician, but there are common herbs whose potency can be enhanced with simple spellwork.”

Perry shifted his weight uncomfortably.

“Healing…with magic?”

Telhari looked around at Perry, Avenell and Ingrid, all of whom seemed uncertain.

“Is…that something you would be comfortable with?”

Ingrid and Avenell looked to Perry for an answer.

He thought for a moment.

“Considering Falbrin has yet to respond…if you are certain it will be useful, then I would be willing to try.”

“I can assure you it is perfectly safe. I have used it many times, both on myself and others.”

“I suppose I won’t need this anymore...” Avenell sighed.

Perry watched with relief as Avenell took the mortar away from him and covered it with a cloth.

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“Please,” Perry said as he gestured around the room, “Take what you need.”

There were several wooden cabinets that lined the walls and a countertop that ran along the perimeter of the room. Telhari looked around, opening the cabinets one at a time and searching inside for anything useful. Most of the cabinets contained only dust, with a few having empty glass vials and tinctures that were unlabeled. There were a few bunches of dried herbs wrapped in old cloth, some of which had soft white and blue patches of mold growing between their leaves.

“I should be able to find what I need in the wild,” he said, closing the cabinet. “It shouldn’t take more than a day.”

Telhari crossed the room and headed towards the door.

“Wait!” Ellis called out, “I want to go, too.”

“It’s tedious work, Ellis. One person is enough,” Telhari told him.

“I know,” he admitted, “But Uncle Perry’s wounds are my fault. So, I think it’s my responsibility to help fix them.”

Telhari nodded.

“Let us proceed then.”

The two left the room without another word.

Perry stared at the spot where Ellis had been and smiled.

“My nephew is becoming quite the reliable young man.”

“Indeed,” Avenell said as he moved closer, smearing the remaining balm onto Perry’s arm.

“AVENELL!”

2

“Are you sure you’ve packed everything you might need?”

Perry knew the answer before Ellis even opened his mouth, as it was at least the fourth time he had asked it.

“Yes, uncle. It’ll be a quick trip.”

“I’ll make sure nothin’ happens to him,” Mary said. She then tightened the straps on her horse’s saddle and hoisted herself up. “Promise.”

It had been less than twenty minutes after Telhari and Ellis had decided to head into the forest that Mary had found out about it and proceeded to join them. By the time the two had made their way to the stables, Mary was already there and halfway done with her preparations.

Ellis swung his pack over his shoulder and positioned himself to mount his horse.

“Don’t worry, Uncle Perry. We’ll get the herbs just like we said.” Ellis pulled himself up onto his horse. “It’s not the first time we’ve gone into the wild, anyway.”

Perry didn’t doubt him. But even still.

It was one thing to have knowledge of their escapades after the fact. It was another thing entirely to be aware of it. Perry silently cursed his sentimentality, but he couldn’t help it.

“Alright, alright,” he said, backing away from the horse begrudgingly. “You are correct. So long as you steer clear of the Dags, it shouldn’t be dangerous. Unlike the forests of Edge.”

Perry gave a snide look to Ellis who turned away in embarrassment.

Satisfied, Perry stepped aside to let Ellis and Mary move past him. Once outside of the stables, the two trotted their horses over toward the path that headed west. They would take this path to the border of Perry’s land before heading up into the mountain forests. Telhari, seeing Ellis and Mary finally ready to depart, brought his own horse towards them. He had made it a third of the way when Perry stopped him.

“Telhari! Might I ask you a question before you leave?”

Telhari pulled on the reigns.

“Of course.”

Perry wore a calm but stern look.

“Is it true that you were approached by the Magistrate?”

“Yes,” Telhari said plainly. “How did you come to find out?”

“Ma Mileena and I have quite the history.”

“What else did she tell you?”

“She said ‘If you wanna know anymore, ask Alfy’.”

Telhari smiled.

“I see.”

Telhari was still suspicious of Zorren, and he did not want to endanger anyone unjustly by involving them in whatever he might have planned. But Perry was a capable man. And what’s more, Telhari was in the process of building trust with him. If at all possible, he did not want to keep things from him.

“I was approached by Zorren Zalphineas XI.”

Perry clenched his jaw.

“For what reason did the head of the Omnirian Magistrate contact you?”

“He was hoping to hire me for a job. To destroy an unknown item for an unknown purpose.”

“And did you agree?”

Telhari shook his head.

“Those are not the demands of someone trustworthy.”

Perry nodded.

“Good. I know he has done many things for this country, but Zorren must be handled with caution.”

“Zorren?”

Perry caught himself.

“Yes, Zalphineas is so cumbersome to say— too many vowels,” Perry said, laughing. “Thank you, Telhari, for being honest with me.”

Telhari eyed him.

“I prefer to be honest with my allies. Even when it is inconvenient.”

“Indeed.”

“Telhari!?” Ellis called from a few yards off, no doubt eager to set off.

“Well,” Perry said with a clapping of his hands, “I trust they will be safe with you.”

“I will protect them with my life, Sir Perry.”

The two exchanged one final look before Telhari turned his horse toward the road and set off. Perry watched the three of them pick up speed as they headed west along the dirt path. Once out of view, Perry walked briskly back to the manor and headed to Avenell’s quarters.

“Avenell!”

Perry knocked on the door with more force than he had intended. The door swung open, and Avenell looked back at him with a hint of concern.

“Sir Perry?”

Perry pushed himself inside the room and closed the door.

“Is something wrong?” Avenell asked.

“Falbrin has not responded to our summons over these several weeks, is that correct?”

“You are correct.”

“He has not responded at all? Not even word from an assistant at his personal behest?”

“No response,” Avenell repeated. “Not even a letter of denial.”

“I see…”

“Is something the matter?”

“I hadn’t thought anything of it, but…” Perry paused, gripping the back of a chair tightly in his hand. He let out a long breath and turned to Avenell with a grave look. “Telhari was approached by Zorren.”

“Zorren!? For what purpose!?”

Perry held up a finger to his lips.

Avenell nodded and calmed himself, waiting patiently for Perry to continue.

“To destroy an object.”

“It…it couldn’t be?”

Perry shook his head.

“There is no telling what Zorren is conspiring— that was always what I disliked about him. Regardless of our suspicion, we can take no action against the Magistrate without certainty.”

Avenell leaned against his desk.

“And you believe Falbrin’s silence has something to do with all of this?”

“It’s too soon to tell. Falbrin left no word with me regarding his intentions…but perhaps he spoke with the others?”

Avenell stood up at once and nodded firmly.

“I will summon them at once.”

“Please. But tell them to await further details.”

“You wish for them to wait?”

Perry tapped the chair with his finger as he thought.

“Telhari is no fool. If we hold a meeting on the premises while he is here, he will certainly become suspicious.”

Avenell shifted his weight.

“Sir Perry, if I may? Would it not be to our benefit to have Telhari on our side? Should it come to a show of force, he would undeniably be a powerful asset.”

“There is no need to burden him with such things,” Perry said, shaking his head.

He then stood up fully and folded his arms with a smile. “After all, he is my nephew’s teacher. I would much rather he continued to look after Ellis and stay far from all of this. It is my greatest wish that Ellis’ life be free from this looming darkness.”

Avenell stood there silently for a moment.

“I will press the matter no further.”

“Thank you,” Perry said as he crossed the room and put his hand on the doorknob. “Inform the others of my intent. Have them ready to meet when the time should come.”

Avenell sat down at once and pulled open the desk drawer to retrieve paper.

“And Avenell…”

At Perry’s words, Avenell stopped and turned over his shoulder.

“Yes, Sir Perry?”

“Tell them to be careful.”