It took Erin a week of wandering to find her way to a road. It was a long week of walking. She sighed, with Bryan they would ride more than walk. No look on the bright side, she could now heal her blisters without thinking. It would’ve been a useful skill to have when---No. She stopped her soliloquy. Not in the open.

She could feel the pangs of sunlight starting to dim as she walked into a town. Erin’s pace began to pick up, after wandering for so long she was looking forward to a warm meal and a bed to sleep on.

As she entered the tavern, she noticed the tension in the air upon. There was a group of men in armor, fingering their weapons with grim faces. It was directed at a pair of boys a couple of years older than her, and a man—the blond’s father?

“Don’t be stupid. How could he do anything as deep as that? Even you should know he can’t keep a secret if his life depended on it.” A boy—not the blond—threw out to the party in front of him. “All he meant was bringing the entire town would be stupid, and could mess up the track marks.” he looked at the blond’s father, who nodded.

“So select a couple people, then go over it again with them,” an elderly man said, clenching the cane he held, “Sounds good?”

“Don’t worry about it. It won’t be required.” one of the men spoke with an air of superiority, “We won’t be able to find anything. After all what was goin’ on there was Monster smuggling. That’s plenty to send the Paladins out. And no one …”The man stared at the boy, “No one so stupid that they would leave evidence for the Paladins.” The men aside him, smiled in agreement.

Paladins. If she got involved with Paladins…

The boy glared at the man and spat out at him “We’ve done nothing wrong. Let the paladins come.”

One of the other men, this one about 20, spoke, “Why do you assume that is what we mean?” he tilted his head. The smirk in his voice was obvious, “Are you hiding something?”

There were a couple of men sitting directly behind the boys who silently switched seats to distance themselves.

The boy could not hold down his anger any longer, “Stop twisting our words! You know what I mean.” 

A redheaded boy scoffed and drew his sword, “oh, I think I know what you mean. Using Monsters. How could you fall so low?”

“Like we would need to use monsters against the likes of you!” the blond said, aiming his dagger at redhead.

“Prove it!” the redhead said, thrusting at the blond.

The other boy quickly blocked the attack at his friend. “Are you crazy?” he demanded.

 The leader of the other men spoke again drawing his sword, “They are resisting detainment, Stop them.” those who had not already follow suit. Encircling them and backing them against the table. On those who had moved from that table, Erin frowned at the regret and torment on their faces. How long ago was all this planed?

The blond’s father was using his bow to deflect the blows aimed at him, and it was already missing chunks. “Vernon! What is the meaning of this?”

The leader paused his attack and gave a brilliant smile. A smile like that of Bryan’s when he got a new “toy”. “Tom, Tom. Can you really not understand?”

This is going too far. That one spell should work.  What did the book say? She blinked, raking her brain. She heard a thud and a shriek. The formation must have broken.

Tom turned to look and faltered.

Healer’s Aura. That is what it was called. Project a peaceful aura into a raging mob. No problem.

Vernon pours mana into this swing. What is up with magic swordsmen? Magic should have been rare, so why did she have to keep getting involved with them?

Erin closed her eyes and reflected on when she has been in a state of peace.

The mana in Vernon’s swing suddenly dissipates. At the same moment that there was a loud shattering sound, Erin’s eyes opened.

“You Idiots!” a girl about 16 shouts, shoving her way to the old man. “What are you doing?”

The man who had helped bring around the situation opens his mouth.

“Oh, put a sock in it Neil.” The girl shushes him, “We don’t know what happened. So don’t go ‘round pointin’ fingers. Or are ya’ll just a murderin’ horde? Go use that energy to find some evidence ‘fore you go ‘round drawing your blades at your comrades.”

The Redhead glared at the more level-headed boy who was groaning on the table. The boy’s mouth was slightly ajar as he was looking between the redhead and the dagger that was in his chest. The redhead murmured something into the boy’s ear as he pulled out the dagger. He wiped it clean with a smirk on his face, before placing it into a sheath on his thigh.

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The girl continued scolding, but my attention was on the boy’s wound. The blond boy scrambled to the boy’s side and held his hands against the wound. Erin could feel their panicked auras, even across the room. It was not just the wound bothering them. There was something more.

The girl looked over and paled. She rushed to the injured boy’s side, crying out “Carlos lay back down.” Trying to force him down onto the table.

It was at this moment that everything unraveled. The redhead boy seized the girl into his arms, squeezing her so tightly that she could not squirm. A large bulky man had a sword at the neck of the old man who she had been standing next to.

Vernon walked toward the old man with a weird look on his face, and started talking, “I warned you Charles. I told you that you needed a firmer grip in your affairs. Now you see, look what has grown under your nose. And they almost got away.”

Shaking his head, he turn to address the paralyzed crowd, “See how things have gotten out of hand? Do you still believe that he can administer over Brookendale? Charles has grown old and can no longer do his job. He would’ve seceded already if not for the fact that his successor died several years ago. As the second highest in authority, I feel it my duty to claim the responsibility to minister over Brookendale.”

 A man robed in farmer garb stood up and addressed Vernon, “Charles’s bloodline has kept Brookendale for generations. Are you throwing your back against those that kept our home safe in anguished times, when the line still thrives?”

“If that is the complaint,” Vernon spoke, “It can be resolved. Charles’s successor had been his son-in-law. If I were to wed his daughter, then it would be considered suiting that I replace him. If you are anxious, we could have my nephew marry her daughter, in the case that I die heirless.” Vernon spread his arms “will that do?” The man nodded woodenly and sat down.

“Good.” An evil was on his face as he turned to where his men had been forcing Tom, his son, and Carlos, still bleeding, into a row. “My first order of business is to the traitors put to death.”

Vernon held his sword in the air, it point glinting, aimed at Tom’s heart.

Erin found herself speaking, “I would not do that.” The room turned to look at her, startled.

Vernon snarled, “What do you mean?” his hands clenched, eager for the kill.

He is too keen on this. Too bad for him that he forgot a little detail.

“You were about to execute traitors, yes?”

“So?” Vernon snapped, “What about it?”

“I also remember that this treason is big enough that the Paladins need to be called in.”  Erin said. Vernon swallowed as he nodded.

“Then it would be counter-intuitive to execute them.” the bystanders looked up with hope in their eyes. “It would be considered removing evidence to do so. You will be the one held accountable.”

The crowds’ eyes stared at the two of them. Vernon all but lunged at Erin. “What does an outsider know about are affairs?” he growled.

“Nothing,” Erin said, “Just, in the upheaval of the populace after this coup d'état is likely to lead someone to contemplate the strategic and coordinated nature of this affair, and that will dislocate the conclusion you have so meticulously formulated.”

The people listening had their mouths open in shock. Erin could not resist the smile that had been dancing on her lips, “I am sure that the Paladins would love to hear this story when they arrive. Oh, and you might want to let me through before the boy bleeds to death.”

Erin projected her aura into the air as she walked to Carlos. As she walked past the girl Erin could feel her becoming more resolute. There was a short yelp of pain behind Erin.

Carlos had collapsed from lack of blood. She willed the flesh to knit together, and murmured a prayer for his blood to replenish. 

She heard the girl say, “You say Gramps isn’t in his right mind, but what about you? What are you doing? There is no evidence for your claims, you even try to kill them when they don’t agree with you. Since when did you stoop to argue with children?”

There was a thud and the room turned to look. In the entrance there was a young man, who in his haste had knocked a chair down.

“Lynnbor,” he panted, “Lynnbor is gone.”