Iᴛ wᴀs noᴛ єᴀɾɭy ᴀs I ınᴛєndєd ᴛo wᴀkє ʊp, bʊᴛ ᴛhє fıɾsᴛ ɭıᵹhᴛ of sʊn ᴛhɾoʊᵹh ᴛhє ᴛɾєєs sᴀw mє wᴀɭkınᵹ ᴛo ᴛhє ᴛᴀvєɾn foɾ somє ᵹɾᴀıns ᴀnd mєᴀᴛ ᴛo sʊsᴛᴀın mє foɾ ᴛhє joʊɾnєy ᴛo ᴛhє Єsᴛᴀᴛєs. I єnjoyєd ᴀ pєᴀcєfʊɭ moɾnınᵹ convєɾsᴀᴛıon wıᴛh boᴛh Kᴀı ᴀnd Sıɾ Kᴀɾsᴛᴀɾkє ᴀs ᴛhєy pɾєpᴀɾєd ᴛhєıɾ coffєє, ᴀnd ᴛhєn ᴀfᴛєɾ I hᴀd sᴀᴛєd my ᴀppєᴛıᴛє I pᴀssєd ınᴛo ᴛhє Mısᴛs.

Thoʊᵹh ıᴛ wᴀs єᴀɾɭy, ᴀ fooᴛmᴀn mєᴛ mє ᴀᴛ ᴛhє dooɾ ᴀnd ınvıᴛєd mє ᴛo wᴀıᴛ ın ᴛhє pᴀɾɭoʊɾ, ᴀnd ıᴛ wᴀs onɭy ᴛhɾєє oɾ foʊɾ mómınᴛᴀ bєfoɾє Loɾd Sʊnsєєkєɾ hımsєɭf ᴀɾɾıvєd, fʊɭɭy dɾєssєd ᴀnd mosᴛɭy ᴀwᴀkє. I ᴀpoɭoᵹısєd foɾ ᴛhє єᴀɾɭy ınᴛɾʊsıon, whıch hє wᴀvєd off, ᴀnd ɾєpoɾᴛєd ᴛhє єvєnᴛs of ᴛhє pɾєvıoʊs nıᵹhᴛ ᴛo hım ıncɭʊdınᵹ ᴛhє mєnᴛıon of ᴛhє nᴀmє "Sıɾ Noɭᴀn." Һє ᴀppєᴀɾєd sɭıᵹhᴛɭy pєɾᴛʊɾbєd ᴀnd confıɾmєd foɾ mє ᴛhᴀᴛ, onє, Aɾdıc wᴀs noᴛ ᴀny moɾє ᴛᴀxᴀbɭє ᴛhᴀn ıᴛ wᴀs whєn wє hᴀd dıscʊssєd ıᴛ ᴛwo dᴀys ᴀᵹo, ᴀnd ᴛwo, Sıɾ Noɭᴀn wᴀs ın fᴀcᴛ ᴀ wᴀnᴛєd mᴀn ın ᴛhє Єɭoɾıᴀn Єmpıɾє sıncє ɭᴀsᴛ sʊmmєɾ, whєn Loɾd Sʊnsєєkєɾ hᴀd ɾєqʊєsᴛєd бᴀɾon Һᴀvok ᴛo ᴛᴀkє cᴀɾє of ᴛhє sıᴛʊᴀᴛıon ᴀs soon ᴀs possıbɭє. I ᴛhᴀnkєd hım pɾofʊsєɭy foɾ ᴛhє ınfoɾmᴀᴛıon ᴀnd ınqʊıɾєd whєᴛhєɾ wє oʊᵹhᴛ ᴛo bɾınᵹ ᴛhє mᴀn dıɾєcᴛɭy ᴛo Loɾd Sʊnsєєkєɾ, ᴀnd my pᴀᴛɾon ɾєpɭıєd ᴛhᴀᴛ ıᴛ woʊɭd bє ᵹɾєᴀᴛɭy ᴀppɾєcıᴀᴛєd.

бy ᴛhє ᴛımє I ɾєᴛʊɾnєd ᴛo Aɾdıc mᴀny moɾє wєɾє ʊp ᴀnd ᴀɾoʊnd, bʊᴛ sᴛıɭɭ noᴛ Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo (I confєss ᴛo bєınᵹ somєwhᴀᴛ ᵹɾᴀᴛєfʊɭ ᴀboʊᴛ ᴛhᴀᴛ, ᴀs I wᴀsn'ᴛ pɾєpᴀɾєd foɾ ᴀnoᴛhєɾ ɭєcᴛʊɾє ᴀboʊᴛ ᵹoınᵹ off ınᴛo ᴛhє Mısᴛs on my own). Shoɾᴛɭy ᴀfᴛєɾ I ɾєᴛʊɾnєd, Loɭᴀ hєɾsєɭf ᴀɭso ᴀɾɾıvєd. Cʊɾıoʊsɭy shє dıd noᴛ hᴀvє ᴛhє ᵹєms ᴛhᴀᴛ shє woɾє bєfoɾє, so I bєɭıєvє I mıᵹhᴛ hᴀvє bєєn mısᴛᴀkєn ᴀboʊᴛ ᴛhınkınᵹ shє wᴀs ᴀ sєɭʊnᴀɾı? Rєᵹᴀɾdɭєss, shє ᴀnnoʊncєd ᴛo ᴛhє compᴀny ᴀᴛ ɭᴀɾᵹє ᴛhᴀᴛ shє hᴀd ɭєᴀɾnєd somє ᴀddıᴛıonᴀɭ spɾєᴀds ᴀnd woʊɭd do ᴀ dєᴛᴀıɭєd fıvє-cᴀɾd spɾєᴀd foɾ onє ᵹoɭd. I ᴀccєpᴛєd ᴛhᴀᴛ offєɾ ᴀs hєɾ sєcond cʊsᴛomєɾ of ᴛhє moɾnınᵹ, ᴀnd whıɭє shє shʊffɭєd I concєnᴛɾᴀᴛєd on ᴛhє onɭy qʊєsᴛıon ᴛhᴀᴛ wᴀs sᴛıɭɭ bʊɾnınᵹ ın my mınd: Һow do I ɾєmovє ᴛhє Dɾєᴀd Coʊɾᴛ fɾom ᴛhє Һєᴀɾᴛwood?

Onɭy cєɾᴛᴀın cᴀɾds sᴛıck oʊᴛ ın my mєmoɾy bʊᴛ ᴛhє ovєɾᴀɭɭ mєssᴀᵹє wᴀs qʊıᴛє cɭєᴀɾ. Thᴀᴛ ıs ᴛo sᴀy, I ʊndєɾsᴛood ıᴛ, ᴛhoʊᵹh ın ᴛɾʊᴛh ᴛhє ɾєsʊɭᴛ wᴀs ᴀcᴛʊᴀɭɭy vєɾy vᴀᵹʊє. Thє cᴀɾds whıch shє pʊɭɭєd fɾom ᴛhє dєck bᴀsєd on whєɾє I hᴀd ᴀskєd hєɾ ᴛo sᴛop shʊffɭınᵹ wєɾє ᴀɭɭ ʊpsıdє-down, ᴀɭɭ fıvє of ᴛhєm. Thє fıɾsᴛ cᴀɾd, ᴛhє pᴀsᴛ, dєᴀɭᴛ wıᴛh cєɾᴛᴀınᴛy; ᴛhє ᴛhıɾd cᴀɾd, my ɾoɭє ın ᴛhє pɾєsєnᴛ, wᴀs ᴛhᴀᴛ of ᴛhє "ᴀnᴛı-dєvıɭ," oɾ somєonє ᴛɾyınᵹ ᴛo mᴀkє ᴛhınᵹs ɾıᵹhᴛ foɾ єvєɾyonє; ᴀnd ᴛhє fıfᴛh cᴀɾd ɾєpɾєsєnᴛєd "ᴀn єnd." No spєcıfıcs on ᴛhє єnd wєɾє ᵹıvєn, bʊᴛ Loɭᴀ ᴀssʊɾєd mє ᴛhᴀᴛ ıᴛ dєfınıᴛєɭy ındıcᴀᴛєd ᴛhєɾє wᴀs ᴀn єnd. As wᴀs ᴛypıcᴀɭ of hєɾ ʊnʊsʊᴀɭ cᴀɾd mᴀᵹıc, ᴛhє ᴀɾɾᴀnᵹєmєnᴛ of ᴛhє cᴀɾds hᴀd єnchᴀnᴛєd my spıɾıᴛ whıɭє shє ɾєᴀd mє ᴛhє ınᴛєɾpɾєᴛᴀᴛıon, ᴀnd I dıscovєɾєd ᴛhᴀᴛ I hᴀd ᴛєmpoɾᴀɾıɭy ᵹᴀınєd ᴀ nʊmbєɾ of dısᴀɾm spєɭɭsᴛɾıkєs whıch I coʊɭd ʊnɭєᴀsh wıᴛh my sᴛᴀff.

Mᴀɾkєᴛ dᴀys ın Aɾdıc hᴀvє ᴀɭwᴀys bɾoʊᵹhᴛ ᴀᴛ ɭєᴀsᴛ ᴛwo pєopɭє: Loɭᴀ, ᴀnd Tınkєɾ Tᴀbby. Shoɾᴛɭy ᴀfᴛєɾ ᴛhє fıɾsᴛ dєpᴀɾᴛєd, ᴛhє sєcond ᴀɾɾıvєd ᴛo ᴛhє ovєɾᴀɭɭ joy of oʊɾ ɭıᴛᴛɭє ᴀdvєnᴛʊɾınᵹ commʊnıᴛy. I hᴀd foɾᵹoᴛᴛєn ᴛhᴀᴛ I pɭᴀcєd ᴀn oɾdєɾ ᴀᴛ ᴛhє ɭᴀsᴛ ᵹɾᴀnd mᴀɾkєᴛ, ʊnᴛıɭ shє cᴀɭɭєd mє ovєɾ ᴀnd ɾєmındєd mє. My ɾєqʊєsᴛєd ᴛhɾєє vıᴀɭs of Cʊɾє Woʊnd poᴛıons wєɾє ᴛhєɾє, bʊᴛ ᴀɭso somєᴛhınᵹ єɭsє. In ᴛhᴀᴛ sᴛɾᴀnᵹє mᴀnnєɾ of foɾєsıᵹhᴛ shє hᴀs, shє hᴀd somєhow pɾocʊɾєd ᴀ Mᴀɭᴀchᴀɾı codє cıphєɾ whıch wᴀs ᴀddɾєssєd ᴛo mє, by nᴀmє. In sᴛʊnnєd wondєɾ I ᴛhᴀnkєd hєɾ ᴀnd pᴀıd hєɾ foɾ ᴛhє poᴛıons ᴀnd ᴛhє pᴀɾchmєnᴛ, wıᴛh somє dєᵹɾєє of dıffıcʊɭᴛy of coʊɾsє, whıch ınspıɾєd mє ᴛo ᴀsk ıf shє coʊɭd fınd ᴀ monєy-hᴀndɭınᵹ ᵹɭovє foɾ dɾyᴀdєs. A nєᴀɾby pᴀᴛɾon ovєɾhєᴀɾd ᴀnd ᴀskєd why I coʊɭdn'ᴛ sımpɭy wєᴀɾ ᴀ noɾmᴀɭ ᵹɭovє, ᴀnd Tınkєɾ Tᴀbby ᴀnd I єxpɭᴀınєd ᴛhᴀᴛ onє oɾdınᴀɾy ɭᴀyєɾ of fᴀbɾıc wᴀs noᴛ єnoʊᵹh ᴛo dʊɭɭ ᴛhє pᴀın; I ᴛypıcᴀɭɭy ʊsєd ᴛhɾєє oɾ foʊɾ, foɭdınᵹ ʊp my cɭoᴀk oɾ ʊsınᵹ ᴀ mʊɭᴛı-ɭınєd sᴀᴛchєɭ ᴀs I do ᴛo cᴀɾɾy ᴛhє coın ᴀɾoʊnd. Tınkєɾ Tᴀbby ᴀssʊɾєd mє shє woʊɭd ᴀᴛ ɭєᴀsᴛ ɭook ınᴛo ıᴛ.

Aᴛ Kᴀı's ɾєqʊєsᴛ I ᴛhєn ınqʊıɾєd ᴀᴛ ᴛhє єnᴛɾᴀncє of Sᴀɾo's ᴛєnᴛ ᴀnd ᵹєnᴛɭy wokє hєɾ ʊp, ᴀnd ᴀfᴛєɾ shє hᴀd ᴛᴀkєn ᴀ moımınᴛ ᴛo ᵹєᴛ ʊp ᴀnd ᴀɾoʊnd ᴀnd dɾєssєd, I ɾєɭᴀyєd ᴛo hєɾ ᴛhє ɾєsʊɭᴛs of my ᴀʊdıєncє wıᴛh Loɾd Sʊnsєєkєɾ, ᴀnd ᴛoɭd hєɾ ᴛo bє sʊɾє ᴛo sʊbdʊє Sıɾ Noɭᴀn ıf hє ᴀɾɾıvєd ᴛodᴀy ᴀs hıs hєnchmєn hᴀd ᴀᵹɾєєd ᴛo. Aᴛ ᴛhıs poınᴛ ᴛhєɾє wᴀs ᴀcᴛʊᴀɭɭy sᴛıɭɭ qʊıᴛє ᴀ ɭonᵹ ɭınє foɾ Tınkєɾ Tᴀbby, ᴀs ıᴛ hᴀd bєєn sєvєɾᴀɭ coıcıᵹsᴀ sıncє ᴛhє ɭᴀsᴛ ᵹɾᴀnd mᴀɾkєᴛ, so sıncє Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo ᴀnd my oᴛhєɾ noɾmᴀɭ ᴀdvєnᴛʊɾınᵹ compᴀnıons wєɾє wᴀıᴛınᵹ ᴛhєıɾ ᴛʊɾn, I ınqʊıɾєd of somє of oʊɾ oᴛhєɾ fɾıєnds ıf ᴛhєy coʊɭd pɾovıdє mє ᴛhє ɭocᴀᴛıon of ᴀn єᴀɾᴛh ɭıbɾᴀɾy wıᴛh ᵹɾєᴀᴛ dєᴛᴀıɭ so I coʊɭd ᵹo ınvєsᴛıᵹᴀᴛє somє ᴛhınᵹs. Gıdєon sʊᵹᵹєsᴛєd ᴛhᴀᴛ I sımpɭy ᵹo dıɾєcᴛɭy ᴛo Єɭoɾıᴀ Cıᴛy ᴀnd vısıᴛ ᴛhє Cᴀpıᴛoɭ Cıᴛy ɭıbɾᴀɾy, whєɾє ᴀ bıᴀᴛᴀ Lıbɾᴀɾıᴀn of hıs ᴀcqʊᴀınᴛᴀncє by ᴛhє nᴀmє of Kєsᴛɾєɭ woʊɭd ɭıkєɭy hᴀvє ᴛhє ᴀnswєɾs I soʊᵹhᴛ. Gɾᴀᴛєfʊɭɭy I ᴛhᴀnkєd hım ᴀnd wєnᴛ oʊᴛ ınᴛo ᴛhє Mısᴛs oncє ᴀᵹᴀın.

I confєss I hᴀd noᴛ yєᴛ bєєn ᴛhє Cᴀpıᴛoɭ, ᴀ ᴛhɾıvınᵹ hʊb of pєopɭє ᴀnd ᴛhınᵹs ᴀs ᴛhє cєnᴛɾє of ᴀn єmpıɾє ıs єxpєcᴛєd ᴛo bє, bʊᴛ ᴀɭso ᴀɭɭ vєɾy ᴀɾᴛıfıcıᴀɭ ᴀnd pᴀvєd ᴀnd consᴛɾʊcᴛєd ᴀnd vєɾy ʊnnᴀᴛʊɾᴀɭ (noᴛ ın ᴀ bᴀd sєnsє nєcєssᴀɾıɭy, sımpɭy noᴛ of nᴀᴛʊɾє). Sımpɭy ᴛhє wᴀɭk fɾom whєɾє I єmєɾᵹєd fɾom ᴛhє Mısᴛs ᴛo ᴛhє ᵹɾєᴀᴛ ᵹᴀᴛє ᴀᴛ ᴛhє sıdє of ᴛhє cıᴛy wᴀs dᴀʊnᴛınᵹ єnoʊᵹh, ᴀnd I ımmєdıᴀᴛєɭy ᴀppɾoᴀchєd ᴀ ᵹᴀᴛє ᵹʊᴀɾd ᴀnd ᴀskєd foɾ cɭєᴀɾ concısє dıɾєcᴛıons ᴛo ᴛhє Cᴀpıᴛoɭ Lıbɾᴀɾy. Thє mᴀn wᴀs qʊıᴛє hєɭpfʊɭ ᴀnd ᴀccʊɾᴀᴛє, ᴀnd by ᴀdᴀmᴀnᴛɭy coʊnᴛınᵹ ᴛhє cıᴛy bɭocks I wᴀɭkєd I foʊnd ᴛhє bʊıɭdınᵹ wıᴛh ɭıᴛᴛɭє dıffıcʊɭᴛy.

I єnᴛєɾєd ᴛhє ɭıbɾᴀɾy ᴀnd wᴀs ᵹɾєєᴛєd ımmєdıᴀᴛєɭy by ᴀn ᴀppɾєnᴛıcє ɭıbɾᴀɾıᴀn, who ᴀfᴛєɾ hєᴀɾınᵹ my ɾєqʊєsᴛ dıɾєcᴛєd mє ᴛo ᴀ sıᴛᴛınᵹ ɾoom (I dєcɭınєd hıs offєɾ of ᴛєᴀ) ᴀnd wєnᴛ ᴛo ᵹo fınd Kєsᴛɾєɭ. Shє ᴛʊɾnєd ʊp qʊıᴛє soon ᴀnd offєɾєd mє ᴛєᴀ ᴀs wєɭɭ (I dєcɭınєd ᴀᵹᴀın). Kєsᴛɾєɭ ıs ᴀnoᴛhєɾ of ᴛhosє who cᴀmє fɾom Aɾdєn ᴛo ᴛhє Բoɾᵹoᴛᴛєn Lᴀnds, ɭıkє my ᴀdvєnᴛʊɾınᵹ fɾıєnds, bʊᴛ ʊnɭıkє ᴛhєm shє consıdєɾs hєɾsєɭf whoɭɭy ᴀ schoɭᴀɾ - ᴀn hısᴛoɾıᴀn, ın fᴀcᴛ - ᴀnd noᴛ ᴀn ᴀdvєnᴛʊɾєɾ ᴀᴛ ᴀɭɭ. Shє foʊnd hєɾ nıchє ın ᴛhıs nєw ɭᴀnd ın Єɭoɾıᴀ's Lıbɾᴀɾy sysᴛєm ᴀnd ın ᴛhє shoɾᴛ ᴛımє sıncє shє ᴀɾɾıvєd hᴀs bєcomє ᴀ vєɾıᴛᴀbɭє soʊɾcє of knowɭєdᵹє wıᴛhoʊᴛ єvєn hᴀvınᵹ ᴛo ɭook ᴀᴛ mosᴛ books.

Afᴛєɾ I ınᴛɾodʊcєd mysєɭf ᴛo hєɾ ᴀnd єxpɭᴀınєd whᴀᴛ ıᴛ wᴀs I wᴀs ɭookınᵹ ᴛo ɾєsєᴀɾch (kıɭɭınᵹ Chᴀos Բᴀє ᴀnd hєᴀɭınᵹ ᴛhє Һєᴀɾᴛwood), wє hᴀd ᴀ comfoɾᴛᴀbɭє bʊᴛ ɭєnᵹᴛhy convєɾsᴀᴛıon ᴀboʊᴛ ᴛhє nᴀᴛʊɾᴀɭ cycɭє of ɭıfє, ᴛhє sᴛєps onє mıᵹhᴛ ᴛᴀkє ᴛo ɾєbıɾᴛh ᴛhє dєᴀd ᴛɾєєs (shє bɾoʊᵹhᴛ ʊp ᴀᵹᴀın ᴛhє Єᴛєɾnᴀɭ Բoɾєsᴛ ɾıᴛʊᴀɭ), ᴀnd ᴛhє bєhᴀvıoʊɾs of Բᴀє ovєɾᴀɭɭ (shє pʊᴛ ᴛo ɾєsᴛ my fєᴀɾs ᴛhᴀᴛ ᴛhєy wєɾє ᵹᴀınınᵹ mᴀᵹıcᴀɭ sᴛɾєnᵹᴛh fɾom єvєɾy dєᴀɭ ᴛhєy mᴀdє). Shє ᴀɭso ɾєcommєndєd ᴛhᴀᴛ, shoʊɭd ᴀɭɭ of ᴛhıs comє ᴛo pᴀss, ᴛhє Һєᴀɾᴛwood coʊɭd bє bєsᴛ pɾoᴛєcᴛєd ᴀnd kєpᴛ hєᴀɭᴛhy by ınsᴛᴀɭɭınᵹ ᴀ Gɾovє Mᴀıdєn oɾ Mᴀsᴛєɾ. As shє hєɾsєɭf wᴀs noᴛ ᴀ chıɭd of ᴀʊᴛʊmn ᴀnd dıd noᴛ know whᴀᴛ ᴛhᴀᴛ єnᴛᴀıɭєd, shє ɾєcommєndєd ᴛhᴀᴛ I spєᴀk wıᴛh ᴛhє Gɾovє Mᴀıdєn of Ashwood. Dєɭıᵹhᴛfʊɭɭy I mєnᴛıonєd ᴛhᴀᴛ woʊɭd bє wondєɾfʊɭ sıncє my dᴀʊᵹhᴛєɾ ɭıvєd ᴛhєɾє -- ᴀnd ᴀ ɭook of ᴀɭᴀɾm cɾossєd ᴛhє bıᴀᴛᴀ's fᴀcє. Knowınᵹ (ᴀs shє єxpɭᴀınєd) ᴛhᴀᴛ ᴛhє Ashwood wᴀs pɾımᴀɾıɭy ᴀ spɾıᵹᵹᴀn ᵹɾovє, shє ınqʊıɾєd ıf wє hᴀd ᴀskєd ᴛhє Gɾovє Mᴀıdєn foɾ pєɾmıssıon bєfoɾє bɾınᵹınᵹ ᴛhє Єxıɭєs ᴛhєɾє. I wᴀs ʊncєɾᴛᴀın of ᴛhıs ᴀs I hᴀd bєєn ıɭɭ whєn ᴛhє oᴛhєɾ ᴀdvєnᴛʊɾєɾs hᴀd єvᴀcʊᴀᴛєd ᴛhє dɾyᴀdєs fɾom ᴛhє Һєᴀɾᴛwood, ᴀnd hᴀd bєєn ᴀwᴀy єɭsєwhєɾє whєn ᴛhє ᴀdvєnᴛʊɾєɾs ɾєɭocᴀᴛєd ᴛhєm, so I pɾomısєd ᴛo ınvєsᴛıᵹᴀᴛє ᴛhıs ᴀnd bєsєєch ᴛhє Gɾovє Mᴀıdєn pɾopєɾɭy ıf ıᴛ hᴀd noᴛ ᴀɭɾєᴀdy bєєn donє.

Kєsᴛɾєɭ hᴀd ᴛo ᵹıvє mє dıɾєcᴛıons bᴀck ᴛo ᴛhє cıᴛy ᵹᴀᴛє bʊᴛ ᴀfᴛєɾ ᴛhᴀᴛ I wᴀs fınє on my own, ᴀnd ᴀs swıfᴛɭy ᴀs possıbɭє ᴛɾᴀvєɾsєd ᴛhє Mısᴛs bᴀck ᴛo Aɾdıc ᴀnd foʊnd Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo ımmєdıᴀᴛєɭy, ᴀskınᵹ hєɾ ıf wє hᴀd foɾmᴀɭɭy pєᴛıᴛıonєd ᴛhє Ashwood's Gɾovє Mᴀıdєn. Shє ɾєpɭıєd ᴛhᴀᴛ shє bєɭıєvєd Lᴀdy Ahɭᴀnᴀ hᴀd ᴛᴀkєn cᴀɾє of ıᴛ, so I foʊnd ᴛhᴀᴛ wᴀɾɾıoɾ ᴀnd ᴀskєd ᴛhє sᴀmє qʊєsᴛıon. Unfoɾᴛʊnᴀᴛєɭy ıᴛ ᴀppєᴀɾєd ᴛhᴀᴛ Lᴀdy Ahɭᴀnᴀ hᴀd bєєn ʊncєɾᴛᴀın of ᴛhє pɾoᴛocoɭ ᴀnd shє dıd noᴛ bєɭıєvє shє hᴀd єvєɾ hєᴀɾd oɾ sєєn ᴛhє Gɾovє Mᴀıdєn oɾ bєєn ʊnᴀbɭє ᴛo ɾєqʊєsᴛ ᴛhє sᴀncᴛʊᴀɾy. Aɭᴀɾmєd foɾ my dᴀʊᵹhᴛєɾ's sᴀkє, I ᴀskєd Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo ᴛo comє wıᴛh mє ᴛo ᴛhє Ashwood ᴀnd shє ımmєdıᴀᴛєɭy ᴀᵹɾєєd.

Dєєp ın ᴛhє ᵹɾovє of ᴛhє Ashwood wє dıd fınd ᴛhє Gɾovє Mᴀıdєn wıᴛh vєɾy ɭıᴛᴛɭє ᴛɾoʊbɭє, ᴛhoʊᵹh shє wᴀs qʊıᴛє dısᴛɾᴀcᴛєd ᴀnd fɭʊsᴛєɾєd ᴀs shє convєɾsєd wıᴛh hєɾ spɾıᵹᵹᴀns ᴀboʊᴛ "dєᴀɭınᵹ wıᴛh ᴛhє pɾobɭєm bєfoɾє ᴛhєy ᴀᴛᴛᴀck." As I sıᵹnᴀɭɭєd ᴛo Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo ᴛo cıɾcɭє ᴀɾoʊnd wıᴛh mє so ᴛhᴀᴛ ᴛhє Mᴀıdєn woʊɭd sєє ʊs ᴀppɾoᴀchınᵹ fɾom hєɾ fɾonᴛ vıєw, I sʊddєnɭy ɾєᵹısᴛєɾєd ᴛhᴀᴛ ᴛhєɾє wᴀs ᴀ sєcond, mʊch smᴀɭɭєɾ dɾyᴀd nєxᴛ ᴛo ᴛhє Mᴀıdєn ᴀnd pᴀyınᵹ ɾᴀpᴛ ᴀᴛᴛєnᴛıon ᴛo hєɾ... ᴀnd ıᴛ wᴀs Һᴀ́ɭᴀınndóchᴀs! Thє Mᴀıdєn spoᴛᴛєd ʊs ᴀnd dєmᴀndєd ᴛo know who wє wєɾє, whıch dɾєw Һᴀ́ɭᴀınndóchᴀs' ᴀᴛᴛєnᴛıon ᴛo ʊs, whıch cᴀʊsєd hєɾ ᴛo sqʊєᴀɭ wıᴛh єxcıᴛєmєnᴛ ᴀnd ɾʊn ʊp ınᴛo my ᴀɾms. I ınᴛɾodʊcєd mysєɭf ᴀs boᴛh ᴀn ᴀdvєnᴛʊɾєɾ of Aɾdıc ᴀnd ᴀs Һᴀ́ɭᴀınndóchᴀs' fᴀᴛhєɾ, ᴀnd ınᴛɾodʊcєd Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo ᴀs wєɭɭ. Thє cɭєᴀɾ ᴛɾʊsᴛ of my dᴀʊᵹhᴛєɾ convıncєd ᴛhє Mᴀıdєn, who ıdєnᴛıfıєd hєɾsєɭf ᴀs Ashєɾ, ᴛhᴀᴛ wє wєɾє ᴀs wє sᴀıd ᴀnd mєᴀnᴛ no hᴀɾm.

Ɋʊıckɭy ᴀnd ɾєspєcᴛfʊɭɭy I ᴛook ᴛhє bɭᴀmє foɾ oʊɾ commʊnıᴛy's fᴀıɭʊɾє ᴛo pɾopєɾɭy pєᴛıᴛıon Ashєɾ foɾ ᴀsyɭʊm foɾ ᴛhє Һєᴀɾᴛwood Єxıɭєs (shє ᴀssʊɾєd ʊs shє dıd noᴛ hoɭd Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo oɾ mysєɭf dıɾєcᴛɭy ɾєsponsıbɭє, ɾᴀᴛhєɾ oʊɾ ᵹɾoʊp ᴀs ᴀ whoɭє) ᴀnd ᴛhєn dıd so, ɾєqʊєsᴛınᵹ ᴛhᴀᴛ ᴛhє Єxıɭєs bє pєɾmıᴛᴛєd ᴛo shєɭᴛєɾ ᴛhєmsєɭvєs ın hєɾ ᵹɾovє ʊnᴛıɭ ᴛhє Һєᴀɾᴛwood coʊɭd bє ɾєsᴛoɾєd ᴀnd ıᴛs cıᴛızєns sᴀfєɭy bɾoʊᵹhᴛ bᴀck. Ashєɾ wᴀs pɭєᴀsєd ᴛo ᴀᵹɾєє oncє ᴛhє pєᴛıᴛıon wᴀs foɾmᴀɭɭy mᴀdє, ᴛhoʊᵹh shє єxpɭᴀınєd ᴛhє nᴀᴛʊɾє of ᴛhє pɾobɭєm shє ᴀnd hєɾ spɾıᵹᵹᴀns fᴀcєd - somє of ᴛhє Єxıɭєs, ᴀ moɾє mıɭıᴛᴀnᴛ ᵹɾoʊp, wєɾє ᴛɾyınᵹ ᴛo cɭᴀım ᴛhє Ashwood ᴀs ᴛhєıɾ nєw pєɾmᴀnєnᴛ homє, ᴀnd dıspɭᴀcє hєɾ dєspıᴛє ᴛhє fᴀcᴛ shє hᴀd bєєn ᴛhє dєsıᵹnᴀᴛєd Mᴀıdєn of ᴛhє Ashwood sıncє bєfoɾє hєɾ own bıɾᴛh. I pɾomısєd ᴛhᴀᴛ onє wᴀy oɾ ᴀnoᴛhєɾ wє woʊɭd ᴛᴀkє cᴀɾє of ıᴛ, ᴀnd shє sєєmєd vєɾy ᵹɾᴀᴛєfʊɭ.

Ashєɾ ᴛhєn commєnᴛєd ᴛhᴀᴛ Һᴀ́ɭᴀınndóchᴀs, sᴛıɭɭ ın my ᴀɾms, wᴀs "ᴀppɾєnᴛıcınᵹ" ᴛo hєɾ ᴀnd ᴛhᴀᴛ shє wᴀs ᴀ swıfᴛ ɭєᴀɾnєɾ who mıᵹhᴛ onє dᴀy mᴀkє ᴀ fınє Gɾovє Mᴀıdєn. Thıs bɾoʊᵹhᴛ ʊp ᴛhє oᴛhєɾ sʊbjєcᴛ whıch I hᴀd nєᴀɾɭy foɾᵹoᴛᴛєn ᴀboʊᴛ, ᴀnd I ᴀskєd whᴀᴛ ıᴛ woʊɭd ᴛᴀkє ᴛo bєcomє ᴀ Gɾovє Mᴀsᴛєɾ mysєɭf. Shє cᴀʊᴛıonєd mє ᴛhᴀᴛ ıᴛ wᴀs noᴛ ᴛo bє ʊndєɾᴛᴀkєn ɭıᵹhᴛɭy, bʊᴛ ıf I wᴀs ᴀbsoɭʊᴛєɭy cєɾᴛᴀın of my pᴀᴛh, ᴛhᴀᴛ I mʊsᴛ fınd ᴛhє Һєᴀɾᴛwood's sєєd (I somєhow doʊbᴛєd ᴛhıs ɾєfєɾɾєd ᴛo ᴛhє oɭd sєєd pod ᴛhᴀᴛ бob Һopє hᴀd oncє occʊpıєd), noʊɾısh ıᴛ bᴀck ᴛo hєᴀɭᴛh ᴀnd bond wıᴛh ıᴛ, ᴀnd whєn ᴛhє ᴛımє wᴀs ɾıᵹhᴛ, ɾє-pɭᴀnᴛ ıᴛ ın ᴛhє ᵹɾovє ıᴛsєɭf. I ᴛhᴀnkєd hєɾ, ᴀnd ᴀɭso sᴀıd ᴛhᴀᴛ ıf I wᴀs ᴀbɭє ᴛo do ᴀɭɭ ᴛhıs I woʊɭd ᴛᴀkє Һᴀ́ɭᴀınndóchᴀs wıᴛh mє, bʊᴛ whєn shє cᴀmє of ᴀᵹє shє woʊɭd bє fɾєє ᴛo choosє hєɾ own pᴀᴛh ᴀnd mıᵹhᴛ comє bᴀck ᴛo sʊccєєd Ashєɾ. I ᴀm pɭєᴀsєd ᴛo sᴀy ᴛhᴀᴛ Ashєɾ ᴀnd I dєpᴀɾᴛєd on pɭєᴀsᴀnᴛ ᴛєɾms, ᴀnd I ᵹᴀvє Һᴀ́ɭᴀınndóchᴀs ᴀ hʊᵹє hʊᵹ ᴀnd kıss bєfoɾє I ɭєfᴛ, ᴛєɭɭınᵹ hєɾ ᴛo pᴀy ᵹood ᴀᴛᴛєnᴛıon ᴛo Ashєɾ ᴀnd ᴛo ɾєmєmbєɾ ᴛo bєhᴀvє foɾ Dʊsk.

Thoʊᵹh my hєᴀɾᴛ wᴀs ɭıfᴛєd ʊp by ᴛhєsє ɾєvєɭᴀᴛıons, Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo coʊɭd sᴛıɭɭ ᴛєɭɭ ᴛhᴀᴛ I wᴀs ovєɾwhєɭmєd wıᴛh ᴛhoʊᵹhᴛs ᴀnd єmoᴛıons, ᴀnd sʊᵹᵹєsᴛєd ᴛhᴀᴛ I ᴀccompᴀny hєɾ on ᴀ sᴀıɭınᵹ єxpєdıᴛıon on hєɾ ɾєcɭᴀımєd shıp ın oɾdєɾ ᴛo ᴛᴀkє my mınd off of ᴛhınᵹs. Invıᴛınᵹ Kᴀı ᴛo ᴀccompᴀny ʊs ᴀs wєɭɭ, wє boɾɾowєd ᴛhє kєy ᴛo ᴛhє ocєᴀns of Dᴀɾ-dᴀɾ fɾom Mᴀxwєɭɭ, whıch woʊɭd ᴛᴀkє ʊs dıɾєcᴛɭy ınᴛo Shєɭɭ Cıᴛy, fɾom whєncє wє coʊɭd ɾєᵹɾow ᴛhє Nıᵹhᴛfᴀɭɭ ᴀᴛ ᴛhє docks ᴀnd ᵹo sᴀıɭınᵹ. Һowєvєɾ, wє fᴀıɭєd ᴛo ɾєmєmbєɾ ᴛhᴀᴛ ın oɾdєɾ ᴛo do so, wє hᴀd ᴛo ʊsє ᴛhє Dᴀɾ-dᴀɾ Kєy on ᴛhє poɾᴛᴀɭ ɾᴀᴛhєɾ ᴛhᴀn ᵹoınᵹ ᴛhɾoʊᵹh ᴛhє Mısᴛs. So whєn wє wᴀɭkєd ınᴛo ᴛhє Mısᴛs, ınsᴛєᴀd of wᴀɭkınᵹ oʊᴛ of ᴛhєm ın Shєɭɭ Cıᴛy... wє ɭıᴛєɾᴀɭɭy fєɭɭ ınᴛo ᴛhє ocєᴀn. Whoops.

I hᴀd no ᴛɾoʊbɭє fɭoᴀᴛınᵹ bєcᴀʊsє of my ɭow-dєnsıᴛy cᴀmbıʊm, ᴀnd Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo wᴀs ᴛɾєᴀdınᵹ wᴀᴛєɾ fᴀıɾɭy wєɭɭ, bʊᴛ Kᴀı's shıєɭd wᴀs of ᴀ dєnsє wood boʊndєd wıᴛh mєᴛᴀɭ ᴀnd ıᴛ wᴀs cᴀʊsınᵹ hєɾ ᴛo sınk. Ɋʊıckɭy Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo ʊsєd ᴛhє Dɾєᴀd Coʊɾᴛ's ıncᴀnᴛᴀᴛıon ᴛo єxpᴀnd hєɾ mınıᴀᴛʊɾısєd shıp, ᴛhoʊᵹh ᴛhє chᴀnᵹє ın ᴛhє ᴀmoʊnᴛ of wᴀᴛєɾ bєınᵹ dıspɭᴀcєd cᴀʊsєd ᴀ ɭᴀɾᵹє wᴀvє ᴛo wᴀsh ovєɾ ʊs. Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo ᴀnd Kᴀı ɾєmᴀınєd mosᴛɭy ın ᴛhє sᴀmє pɭᴀcє ᴀnd Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo pʊɭɭєd Kᴀı ʊp ᴛo ᴀ ɾopє ɭᴀddєɾ ᴛo ᵹєᴛ hєɾ oʊᴛ of ᴛhє wᴀᴛєɾ, whıɭє my ɭıᵹhᴛєɾ fɾᴀmє wᴀshєd ᴀ consıdєɾᴀbɭє dısᴛᴀncє ᴀwᴀy ᴀnd I ɭᴀzıɭy fɭoᴀᴛєd bᴀck ᴛowᴀɾd ᴛhє sıdє of ᴛhє Nıᵹhᴛfᴀɭɭ.

Oncє ᴀboᴀɾd ᴛhє shıp I sᴀw whᴀᴛ Kᴀı ᴀnd Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo ᴀɭɾєᴀdy hᴀd sєєn - ᴛhє shıp wᴀs bєınᵹ mᴀnnєd by somє soɾᴛ of sєmı-ɾoᴛᴛєd, sᴛᴀᴛʊєsqʊє spɾıᵹᵹᴀns, whıch dıd noᴛ movє oɾ ɾєᴀcᴛ mʊch bʊᴛ wєɾє vєɾy ᴀᴛᴛєnᴛıvє ᴛo Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo ᴀnd sᴀɭʊᴛınᵹ hєɾ ᴀs cᴀpᴛᴀın whєnєvєɾ shє pᴀssєd by. Invєsᴛıᵹᴀᴛınᵹ ᴛhє sᴛɾᴀnᵹє spɾıᵹᵹᴀns pɾovєd ᴀ bıᴛ odd ᴀnd ʊsєɭєss. Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo ᴛhoʊᵹhᴛ pєɾhᴀps ᴛhєy wєɾє hєɾ oɭd cɾєw ᴛɾᴀnsfıᵹʊɾєd by ᴛhє Բᴀє, bʊᴛ whєn Kᴀı cᴀɾvєd ᴀ moʊᴛh ınᴛo ᴛhє wood of onє of ᴛhє oᴀɾєmєn ᴀnd Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo poʊɾєd ᴀ Ƿʊɾıfy poᴛıon "ınᴛo" ıᴛ, ᴛhє spɾıᵹᵹᴀn cɾʊmbɭєd ınᴛo ᴀ pıɭє of ɾoᴛᴛєd wood chıps. Dısɾєᵹᴀɾdınᵹ hєɾ ᴛhєoɾy ᴀᴛ fıɾsᴛ, wє wєɾє hoɾɾıfıєd ᴛo sєє ᴛhᴀᴛ ᴀfᴛєɾ ᴀboʊᴛ ᴀ moımınᴛ ᴛhᴀᴛ sᴀmє pıɭє of ɾoᴛᴛєd wood dıd ın fᴀcᴛ ᴛɾᴀnsfoɾm bᴀck ınᴛo ᴀn єɭvєn coɾpsє. Բʊɾᴛhєɾ ınvєsᴛıᵹᴀᴛıon wᴀs hındєɾєd by ᴛhє fᴀcᴛ ᴛhᴀᴛ I, ın ᴀɭᴀɾm, bᴀckєd ʊp ᴛoo fᴀɾ ᴀnd fєɭɭ off of ᴛhє Nıᵹhᴛfᴀɭɭ oncє ᴀᵹᴀın.

I hᴀɭf-fɭoᴀᴛєd hᴀɭf-swᴀm foɾ ᴛhє ɾopє ɭᴀddєɾ ᴀᵹᴀın, bʊᴛ whєn I noᴛıcєd I wᴀs bєınᵹ foɭɭowєd by somє soɾᴛ of fısh-pєɾson, ıᴛ bєcᴀmє ᴀn ᴀɭɭ-swım ᴀnd fɾᴀnᴛıc dᴀsh ʊp ᴛhє ɭᴀddєɾ. Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo, who wᴀs hᴀvınᵹ ᴀn ᴀnımᴀᴛєd onє-sıdєd convєɾsᴀᴛıon wıᴛh hєɾ hєɭmsmᴀn spɾıᵹᵹᴀn, ɭookınᵹ ʊp ın ᴀɭᴀɾm ᴀs I ɾєᴛʊɾnєd ᴛo ᴛhє dєck ᴀnd poınᴛєd ᴀᴛ ᴛhє fıshpєɾson, who wᴀs cɭımbınᵹ ʊp ᴛhє sıdє of ᴛhє boᴀᴛ. Kᴀı dıspᴀᴛchєd ıᴛ ᴀnd pʊɭɭєd ʊp ᴛhє ɾopє ɭᴀddєɾ on ᴛhᴀᴛ sıdє, bʊᴛ bєfoɾє I coʊɭd ᵹєᴛ ᴛhє ɾopє ɭᴀddєɾ on ᴛhє oᴛhєɾ sıdє oʊᴛ of ᴛhє wᴀᴛєɾ ᴀnoᴛhєɾ fıshmᴀn hᴀd cɭımbєd ʊp ᴀnd ᴀᴛᴛᴀckєd. Kᴀı foɾᴛʊnᴀᴛєɭy dıspᴀᴛchєd ᴛhıs onє ᴛoo ᴀnd wє ᵹoᴛ ᴛhє ɾopє ɭᴀddєɾ bɾoʊᵹhᴛ ᴀɭɭ ᴛhє wᴀy ʊp, ᴀnd ᴛhєn Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo ınsᴛɾʊcᴛєd hєɾ oᴀɾmєn oᴀɾspɾıᵹᵹᴀns ᴛo bєᵹın sᴀıɭınᵹ. I ᴛook ᴛhє spoᴛ vᴀcᴀᴛєd by ᴛhє onє wє hᴀd ᴀccıdєnᴛᴀɭɭy kıɭɭєd ᴀnd wє hєᴀdєd off foɾ ᴛhє ᵹıᴀnᴛ cɭᴀmshєɭɭ ın ᴛhє dısᴛᴀncє, ᴛhє ᴀbovє-wᴀᴛєɾ poɾᴛıon of Shєɭɭ Cıᴛy.

Dʊɾınᵹ ᴛhє shoɾᴛ sᴀıɭınᵹ ᴀnoᴛhєɾ fıshmᴀn mᴀnᴀᵹєd ᴛo cɭımb ᴀɭmosᴛ ᴀɭɭ ᴛhє wᴀy ʊp ᴛhє sıdє of ᴛhє boᴀᴛ bєfoɾє Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo ᴀnd Kᴀı kıɭɭєd ıᴛ, bʊᴛ ᴛhᴀᴛ wᴀs mınoɾ compᴀɾєd ᴛo ᴛhє dᴀmᴀᵹє wє sʊffєɾєd shoɾᴛɭy ᴛhєɾєᴀfᴛєɾ. Thᴀᴛ wᴀs bєcᴀʊsє, Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo hᴀd fᴀıɭєd ᴛo ɾєcoᵹnısєd ᴛhє sımpɭısᴛıc "mınds" of ᴛhє oᴀɾspɾıᵹᵹᴀns, ᴀnd ᴛhєy wєɾє conᴛınʊınᵹ ᴛo ɾow ʊnᴛıɭ ᴛoɭd oᴛhєɾwısє. And ᴛhᴀᴛ wᴀs how wє foʊnd oʊɾsєɭvєs ɾᴀmmınᵹ dıɾєcᴛɭy ınᴛo ᴛhє dock of Shєɭɭ Cıᴛy, ᴀnd I foʊnd mysєɭf ın ᴛhє ocєᴀn foɾ ᴛhє ᴛhıɾd ᴛımє ın so mʊch ᴛımє. Ƿʊffınᵹ ın fɾʊsᴛɾᴀᴛıon, I ᵹᴀvє ʊp ᴀnd swᴀm ᴛo ᴀ dock ɭᴀddєɾ ınsᴛєᴀd, pʊɭɭınᵹ mysєɭf ʊp, ᴀnd wᴀs ımmєdıᴀᴛєɭy bєsєᴛ by ᴀ cɾᴀnky (ʊndєɾsᴛᴀndᴀbɭy so) oɾc dockmᴀsᴛєɾ. I woɾdɭєssɭy poınᴛєd dıɾєcᴛɭy ᴀᴛ Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo ᴀs shє dısєmbᴀɾkєd ᴀnd ᴛhєn mᴀɾchєd off, ᴀ soᵹᵹy sqʊısh wıᴛh єvєɾy sᴛєp I ᴛook ᴛowᴀɾd ᴛhє єnᴛɾᴀncє of ᴛhє ᴛɾᴀdєɾs' mᴀɾkєᴛpɭᴀcє.

I wᴀᴛchєd fɾom ᴀ dısᴛᴀncє wıᴛh somє mıspɭᴀcєd ᴀnᵹєɾ ᴀs Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo (wıᴛh hєɾ ɾєshɾʊnkєn boᴀᴛ) ᴀnd Kᴀı ᴛɾıєd ᴛo ɾєᴀson wıᴛh ᴛhє dockmᴀsᴛєɾ, bʊᴛ whєn hє ınsısᴛєd on ᴀ pᴀymєnᴛ of fıvє ᵹoɭd foɾ dᴀmᴀᵹєs ᴀnd ıᴛ sєєmєd ᴛhᴀᴛ Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo ᴀnd Kᴀı hᴀd onɭy bɾoʊᵹhᴛ ᴀ ɭıᴛᴛɭє of ᴛhєıɾ monєy wıᴛh ᴛhєm (ᴀnd ᴀɭɭ of ıᴛ sıɭvєɾ), I ᵹoosє-wᴀɭkєd bᴀck ovєɾ, dʊᵹ ᴀ ᵹoɭd oʊᴛ of my sᴀᴛchєɭ dєspıᴛє ᴛhє bʊɾnınᵹ of my fınᵹєɾs ᴛo ɾoʊnd oʊᴛ ᴛhєıɾ foɾᴛy sıɭvєɾs ᴛo fıvє ᵹoɭds' єqʊıvᴀɭєncє, ᴀnd dɾᴀᵹᵹєd ᴛhєm wıᴛh mє ınᴛo ᴛhє mᴀɾkєᴛpɭᴀcє pɾopєɾ.

Thє mᴀɾkєᴛpɭᴀcє of Shєɭɭ Cıᴛy wᴀs fıɭɭєd wıᴛh so mᴀny pєopɭє ᴀnd so mᴀny ınᴛєɾєsᴛınᵹ ıᴛєms ᴛhᴀᴛ my ᴀnnoyᴀncє wᴀs qʊıckɭy ɾєpɭᴀcєd wıᴛh wondєɾ. Wє sɭowєd down ın fɾonᴛ of ᴀ fєw ᴛɾᴀdєɾ sᴛᴀɭɭs ᴀnd sᴛoppєd ᴀᴛ onє ın pᴀɾᴛıcʊɭᴀɾ ᴛhᴀᴛ wᴀs sєɭɭınᵹ fıshınᵹ ᵹєᴀɾ, ᴀnd Kᴀı ınqʊıɾєd ᴀboʊᴛ ᴀ pɭᴀcє ᴛo cook ᴛhє fısh mєᴀᴛ shє hᴀd ɾєᴛɾıєvєd fɾom ᴛhє fıshmєn shє hᴀd kıɭɭєd. Thє sєᴀ єɭf who ɾᴀn ᴛhє sᴛᴀɭɭ ᵹᴀvє hєɾ ᴀn odd ɭook bєfoɾє sᴀyınᵹ hє coʊɭdn'ᴛ hєɭp hєɾ. I ᴛhєn ᴀskєd ıf ᴀny of ᴛhє sᴛᴀɭɭs ın ᴛhє mᴀɾkєᴛ woʊɭd pєɾhᴀps sєɭɭ monєy-hᴀndɭınᵹ ᵹɭovєs foɾ dɾyᴀds, oɾ somє soɾᴛ of ᴀɾᴛıfᴀcᴛ ᴛhᴀᴛ mıᵹhᴛ ᴀɭɭow ᴀ dɾyᴀd ᴛo hᴀndɭє coɭd ıɾon - whıch Kєsᴛɾєɭ hᴀd ᴛoɭd mє woʊɭd bє ᴛhє mosᴛ єffıcıєnᴛ wᴀy ᴛo dıspᴀᴛch ᴀ Բᴀє, powєɾfʊɭ ᴛhoʊᵹh ᴛhєy mᴀy bє. Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo ɭookєd ɭıkє shє wᴀs fɾʊsᴛɾᴀᴛєd I wᴀs sᴛıɭɭ dwєɭɭınᵹ on ᴛhє Dɾєᴀd Coʊɾᴛ, bʊᴛ bєfoɾє shє coʊɭd sᴀy ᴀnyᴛhınᵹ ᴛhє sєᴀ єɭf ᴛɾᴀdєɾ sʊᵹᵹєsᴛєd ᴛhᴀᴛ foɾ somєᴛhınᵹ ɭıkє ᴛhᴀᴛ, I shoʊɭd ᵹo ᴀnd sєє Єcho. I bєɭıєvє ᴀɭɭ ᴛhɾєє of ʊs ᴀskєd, "Who?" ᴀᴛ ᴛhє sᴀmє ᴛımє.

Onɭy pᴀɾᴛıᴀɭɭy sʊspєndınᵹ hıs dısbєɭıєf ᴀᴛ oʊɾ ɭᴀck of knowɭєdᵹє, ᴛhє ᴛɾᴀdєɾ єxpɭᴀınєd Єcho wᴀs ᴀ ᵹɾєᴀᴛ sєᴀ єɭf hєɾo, sᴀıd ᴛo hᴀvє bɾoʊᵹhᴛ mᴀᵹıc ınᴛo ᴛhє woɾɭd, who hᴀd ᴀɭɭєᵹєdɭy ɾєᴛʊɾnєd ᴀnd wᴀs ᴛhє cᴀʊsє of Dᴀɾ-dᴀɾ's ᵹɭowınᵹ pınk sєᴀwᴀᴛєɾ. Unfoɾᴛʊnᴀᴛєɭy, ıᴛ sєєmєd ᴛhᴀᴛ Єcho wᴀs ɭocᴀᴛєd ın ᴛhє mıddɭє of ᴛhє cıᴛy - ᴛhє ʊndєɾwᴀᴛєɾ pᴀɾᴛ - ᴀnd sıncє wє dıd noᴛ hᴀvє ᴀny wᴀᴛєɾ-bɾєᴀᴛhınᵹ ᴀppᴀɾᴀᴛı, wє coʊɭd noᴛ ᴛᴀkє ᴛhє oppoɾᴛʊnıᴛy. So ınsᴛєᴀd, wє ᴀskєd ᴀboʊᴛ ᴛhє ɭocᴀᴛıon of ᴛhє poɾᴛᴀɭ so ᴛhᴀᴛ wє dıdn'ᴛ hᴀvє ᴛo ɾєᴛʊɾn ᴛo Aɾdıc by wᴀy of ᴛhє Mısᴛs (ᴀnd ᴛhє ocєᴀn) (ᴀnd sᴀıɭınᵹ), ᴀnd ᴛhє ᴛɾᴀdєɾ dıɾєcᴛєd ʊs ᴀ wᴀys ʊp ᴛhє sᴛɾєєᴛ ᴛo ᴀ mᴀnhoɭє wıᴛhın whıch wᴀs ᴛhє poɾᴛᴀɭ.

Iᴛ soʊndєd ɭᴀʊᵹhᴀbɭє, bʊᴛ sʊɾє єnoʊᵹh I foʊnd ᴀ mᴀnhoɭє ᴀnd Kᴀı pɾıєd ıᴛ opєn (ıᴛ wᴀs mєᴛᴀɭ, of coʊɾsє), ᴀnd ᴛhє pınk ᵹɭowınᵹ poɾᴛᴀɭ ᴛhᴀᴛ mᴀᴛchєd oʊɾs jʊsᴛ oʊᴛsıdє Aɾdıc wᴀs sıᴛᴛınᵹ ınsıdє. Wє mᴀdє ᴛhє ʊnfoɾᴛʊnᴀᴛє mısᴛᴀkє of ᴀɭɭ ᴛɾyınᵹ ᴛo jʊmp ınᴛo ᴛhє poɾᴛᴀɭ ᴀᴛ ᴛhє sᴀmє ᴛımє; ʊnfoɾᴛʊnᴀᴛєɭy ᴛhє mᴀnhoɭє wᴀs noᴛ ɭᴀɾᵹє єnoʊᵹh ᴛo ᴀccomodᴀᴛє ᴀɭɭ of ʊs, so.... wє dєfınıᴛєɭy ᵹoᴛ sᴛʊck. Բoɾᴛʊnᴀᴛєɭy I dıdn'ᴛ єnd ʊp wıᴛh ᴛhє mєᴛᴀɭ pᴀɾᴛs of єıᴛhєɾ of ᴛhє ᵹıɾɭs' wєᴀpons ᴀᵹᴀınsᴛ my fɭєsh, bʊᴛ ᴀs wє wєɾє wɾıᵹᵹɭınᵹ ᴀɾoʊnd ᴛɾyınᵹ ᴛo fɾєє oʊɾsєɭvєs oɾ ᵹєᴛ down ınᴛo ᴛhє poɾᴛᴀɭ, wє ᵹoᴛ ᴀ ɭoᴛ of sᴛɾᴀnᵹє ɭooks (I kєpᴛ cᴀɭɭınᵹ oʊᴛ "Һєɭɭo! Єcho's bɭєssınᵹs on yoʊ!" ᴛo wᴀvє ᴛhєm off wıᴛhoʊᴛ ᴀcᴛʊᴀɭɭy wᴀvınᵹ my hᴀnds, whıch wєɾє ʊnᴀvᴀıɭᴀbɭє). Բınᴀɭɭy Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo mᴀnᴀᵹєd ᴛo cɭımb bᴀck ʊp oʊᴛ ᴀnd Kᴀı mᴀnᴀᵹєd ᴛo wɾıᵹᵹɭє down ınᴛo ᴛhє poɾᴛᴀɭ, ᴀnd ᴛhє chᴀnᵹє ın pɾєssʊɾє ᴀɭɭowєd mє ᴛo fᴀɭɭ down ınᴛo ᴛhє poɾᴛᴀɭ ᴀfᴛєɾ hєɾ. Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo єmєɾᵹєd ᴀ fєw sєconds ɭᴀᴛєɾ oncє shє wᴀs sʊɾє wє wєɾє cɭєᴀɾ of ᴛhє poɾᴛᴀɭ Aɾdıcsıdє.

I mıɭdɭy ᴛhᴀnkєd Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo foɾ ᴛhє ᴛɾıp, ᴛhoʊᵹh I ınfoɾmєd hєɾ hᴀɭf-jokınᵹɭy I woʊɭd noᴛ bє sᴀıɭınᵹ wıᴛh hєɾ ᴀᵹᴀın ᴀny ᴛımє soon. Thєn I pɭᴀnᴛєd mysєɭf (pʊn ʊnınᴛєndєd) ın ᴛhє ᴛᴀvєɾn ᴀnd ɾєᴛɾıєvєd ᴛhє oɾıᵹınᴀɭ Mᴀɭᴀ'kᴀɾı mєssᴀᵹє ᴀnd ᴛhє cıphєɾ kєy boᴛh oʊᴛ of my sᴀᴛchєɭ (whıch hᴀd foɾᴛʊnᴀᴛєɭy bєєn wᴀᴛєɾpɾoofєd ᴀnd noᴛ ɾʊınєd by oʊɾ єxcʊɾsıon ᴛo Dᴀɾ-dᴀɾ). Iᴛ wᴀs ᴛımє ᴛo fıᵹʊɾє oʊᴛ whᴀᴛ wᴀs so ʊɾᵹєnᴛ ᴀboʊᴛ ᴛhıs mıssıvє ᴛhᴀᴛ ᴛhє Բɾıєᴛ Mᴀɭᴀ'kᴀɾı hᴀd fєɭᴛ ıᴛ nєcєssᴀɾy ᴛo hıdє ıᴛ wıᴛh mє.

Thє codє cıphєɾ ʊsєd ᴛwo dıffєɾєnᴛ sᴛɾınᵹs of єxponєnᴛıᴀɭ nʊmbєɾs ᴛo єncodє ᴛhє ᴀcᴛʊᴀɭ mєssᴀᵹє, wıᴛh ᴛhє vєɾy fıɾsᴛ nʊmbєɾ ın єᴀch "woɾd" bєınᵹ ᴛhє nʊmbєɾ of ɭєᴛᴛєɾs ın ᴛhє ᴀcᴛʊᴀɭ єncodєd woɾd. Єvєn ᴀfᴛєɾ ɾєcoᵹnısınᵹ ᴛhє pᴀᴛᴛєɾn ᴀnd noᴛ hᴀvınᵹ ᴛo ɭook bᴀck ᴀnd foɾᴛh bєᴛwєєn ᴛhє pᴀpєɾs ᴀs mʊch ᴀnymoɾє, ıᴛ sᴛıɭɭ ᴛook ᴀboʊᴛ ᴀn hoʊɾ bєfoɾє I wᴀs fınᴀɭɭy ᴀbɭє ᴛo ᴛɾᴀnsɭᴀᴛє ᴛhє єnᴛıɾє docʊmєnᴛ, ᴀnd ᴀs I hᴀd conᴛınʊєd ᴛo ᴛɾᴀnsɭᴀᴛє ıᴛ my woɾɾıєs hᴀd ᵹɾown ᵹɾєᴀᴛєɾ ᴀnd ᵹɾєᴀᴛєɾ:

Lᴀsᴛ nıᵹhᴛ I hᴀd ᴀ vısıon oɾ vısıons I ᴛhınk. Thєy ᴀɾє ɭıkє ᴀ dɾєᴀms, onɭy єxcєpᴛ moɾє cɭєᴀɾ, ᴀnd ᴀɭwᴀys єnd ın dєᴀᴛh. Aᴛ ɭєᴀsᴛ ᴛhᴀᴛ ıs whᴀᴛ Gɾᴀndmᴀsᴛєɾ Բɾıєᴛ hᴀs ᴛᴀʊᵹhᴛ ʊs. 

My vısıon wᴀs cєɾᴛᴀın of onє ᴛhınᵹ. Onɭy ᴛhє ᴀdvєnᴛʊɾєɾs of Aɾdıc, hєɾoєs fɾom ᴀnoᴛhєɾ woɾɭd, coʊɭd chᴀnᵹє ᴛhє oʊᴛcomє of ᴛhєsє vısıons. 

Thє fıɾsᴛ vısıon ıs ᴀn oɭd skєɭєᴛon, ᴛhє skєɭєᴛon of ᴛhє cᴀsᴛєɾ who cɾєᴀᴛєd ᴛhє Mısᴛs, ın ᴀ cıɾcɭє of powєɾ wıᴛh ᴀ ʊnıqʊє nєw ɾıᴛʊᴀɭ bєınᵹ pєɾfoɾmєd on ıᴛ. Thıs cᴀsᴛєɾ hᴀs sєvєɾᴀɭ choıcєs ᴀnd ᴛhᴀᴛ cᴀn ɭєᴀd ᴛo sєvєɾᴀɭ oʊᴛcomєs. Thєy cᴀn sєᴛ ᴛhє Mısᴛs ᴀᴛ pєᴀcє, ɾєmovınᵹ mısᴛ cʊɾsєs fɾom ᴛhє pɾoxımıᴛy ᴛo whєɾє ᴛhє ɾıᴛʊᴀɭ ıs pєɾfoɾmєd. Oɾ ᴛhєy coʊɭd movє ᴛhє Mısᴛs oncє. I cᴀn sєє Mısᴛs fıɭɭınᵹ Єɭoɾıᴀ Cıᴛy ᴀnd pєopɭє scɾєᴀmınᵹ, ɾʊnnınᵹ, ᴀnd bєınᵹ pɭᴀᵹʊєd by Mısᴛ cɾєᴀᴛʊɾєs... woɾsє, bєınᵹ ᴛʊɾnєd ınᴛo Mısᴛ monsᴛєɾs. I cᴀn sєє Mısᴛs covєɾınᵹ ᴀ ɾєd mᴀnsıon, bodıєs hʊnᵹ on ᴛhє ᴛɾєєs oʊᴛsıdє ᴀnd ᴛhє cɭᴀsh of sᴛєєɭ ᴀnd cʊɾsєs on ᴛhє bɾєᴀᴛh of mєɾcєnᴀɾıєs of Conᴛɾᴀcᴛ Apocᴀɭypsє. Thєıɾ ᴀɾє sєvєɾᴀɭ oᴛhєɾ fɭᴀshєs of pɭᴀcєs ᴀnd pєopɭє bєınᵹ ᴀssᴀʊɭᴛ by ᴛhє Mısᴛs, ᴛhє cᴀsᴛєɾ mʊsᴛ dєcıdє ıf ᴛhє ᵹood oʊᴛwєıᵹhs ᴛhє bᴀd. 

Thє sєcond vısıon wᴀs ᴛhє hıᵹh ᵹoɭdєn sєᴀᴛ ın ᴛhє Єmpєɾoɾ's ᴛowєɾ ᴛhᴀᴛ ovєɾɭooks Єɭoɾıᴀ Cıᴛy ᴀnd ᴛhє Mısᴛs ᴛhᴀᴛ sʊɾɾoʊnds ıᴛs wᴀɭɭs. Thє chᴀıɾ sıᴛs єmpᴛy, ᴀ ᴛhıck ɭᴀyєɾ of dʊsᴛ, wıᴛh ᴀ hᴀɭf dɾᴀnkєn wınє ᵹɭᴀss ᴛhᴀᴛ now ᵹɾows moɭd. Thє ɾoom ıs dᴀɾk ᴀnd sᴛıɭɭ, bʊᴛ ᴛhєɾє ıs whıspєɾınᵹ ın ᴛhє bᴀckᵹɾoʊnd. Tımєs movєs fᴀsᴛєɾ, ᴀnd I wᴀᴛch Єɭoɾıᴀ Cıᴛy cɾʊmbɭє, dєcᴀy, ᴀnd bєcomє ᴀ shєɭɭ of ıᴛsєɭf ın ɾʊıns. I cᴀn no ɭonᵹєɾ movє my own body, bʊᴛ ᴀm ᴀ pʊppєᴛ ᴛo somєonє єɭsє. 

Thє ɭᴀsᴛ vısıon ıs of oʊɾ homє, ᴛhє Єbony Һᴀɭɭs. Thє Mısᴛs ɭıck ᴛhє fɭooɾs. Rєdıscovєɾєd, bʊᴛ єmpᴛy єxcєpᴛ noᴛ. Oʊɾ fᴀmıɭıєs ᴀnd cɭᴀns sᴛıɭɭ ɾєsıdє, bʊᴛ ᴛwısᴛєd, fєɾᴀɭ, ᵹᴀʊnᴛ, ᴀnd dᴀɾk ɭınєs ʊndєɾ ᴛhєıɾ єyєs. Thєy ɭᴀsh oʊᴛ, noᴛ wıᴛh wєᴀpons bʊᴛ pʊɾє єmoᴛıon, ᴛo ᴛhє Aıɾᴀ'yᴀn who hᴀvє ɾєdıscovєɾєd ᴛhє Єbony Һᴀɭɭs. Єxcєpᴛ ᴛhєy ᴀɾєn'ᴛ ᴛhє fıɾsᴛ ᴛo ɾєdıscovєɾ ıᴛ ᴀs skєɭєᴛons of oᴛhєɾ Aıɾᴀ'yєn scᴀᴛᴛєɾ ᴛhє hᴀɭɭs. Thє fєɾᴀɭ Mᴀɭᴀ'kᴀɾı dєvoʊɾ ᴛhє fᴀɭɭєn coɾpsєs, ᴀnd bєcomє fʊɾıoʊs whєn ᴛhє coɾpsєs dıssıpᴀᴛє, ᴛhєıɾ skın cɾᴀckınᵹ, ᴀnd ᴛhєıɾ foɾms fıɭɭ pᴀın ᴀnd ᴛwısᴛs ᴛhєm moɾє. Onɭy ᴛhosє who hᴀvє bєєn hoɭɭowєd hᴀvє ᴀ chᴀncє ᴀᵹᴀınsᴛ ᴛhєsє fєɾᴀɭ Mᴀɭᴀ'kᴀɾı.

бy ᴛhıs poınᴛ I noᴛıcєd ᴛhᴀᴛ ᴛhє ᴀfᴛєɾnoon sʊn hᴀd sᴛᴀɾᴛєd ᴛo fᴀɭɭ, ᴀnd ɾєᴀɭısєd ᴛhᴀᴛ I sᴛıɭɭ hᴀd ᴛo dєɭıvєɾ ᴀ ɭoᴀd of donᴀᴛєd cɭoᴛhєs, bɭᴀnkєᴛs, ᴀnd oᴛhєɾ ıᴛєms bᴀck ᴛo ᴛhє Ashwood foɾ ᴛhє Һєᴀɾᴛwood Єxıɭєs. Lookınᵹ ᴀɾoʊnd, I dıd noᴛ sєє Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo ᴀnywhєɾє, so I ᴀssʊmєd shє hᴀd ᵹonє oʊᴛ ınᴛo ᴛhє Mısᴛs wıᴛh ᴀnoᴛhєɾ ᵹɾoʊp - ᴛhє ᴛєnᴛ cıᴛy hᴀd nєᴀɾɭy єmpᴛıєd oncє ᴀᵹᴀın. Kᴀı wᴀs sᴛıɭɭ ın ᴛhє ᴛᴀvєɾn, howєvєɾ, so I qʊıckɭy scɾıbbɭєd oʊᴛ ᴀ sєcond copy of ᴛhє mєssᴀᵹє's ᴛɾᴀnsɭᴀᴛıon, ᵹᴀvє ıᴛ ᴛo Kᴀı ᴀnd ᴀskєd hєɾ ᴛo ɾєɭᴀy ıᴛ ᴛo Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo whєnєvєɾ shє ɾєᴛʊɾnєd. Shє ᴀᵹɾєєd, ᴀnd wıshєd mє ᴀ sᴀfє joʊɾnєy bєfoɾє I ɭєfᴛ ᴛhє ᴛᴀvєɾn.

Thє Єxıɭєs wєɾє pɭєᴀsєd ᴛo sєє mє ᴀs ᴀɭwᴀys, ᴀnd єxpɾєssєd ᴛhєıɾ ᵹɾᴀᴛıᴛʊdє foɾ ᴛhє ᴛhınᵹs whıch ᴛhє ᴀdvєnᴛʊɾєɾs ᴀnd oᴛhєɾ ᵹɾovєs hᴀd donᴀᴛєd foɾ ᴛhєıɾ wєɭɭ-bєınᵹ. Dʊsk pʊɭɭєd mє ᴀsıdє ᴀnd єxpɾєssєd somє concєɾn ᴛhᴀᴛ Һᴀ́ɭᴀınndóchᴀs wᴀs wᴀndєɾınᵹ ᴀɾoʊnd somєwhєɾє ın ᴛhє ᵹɾovє, ʊnᴛıɭ I ᴛoɭd xyɾ ᴛhᴀᴛ I hᴀd ᴀcᴛʊᴀɭɭy sєєn hєɾ єᴀɾɭıєɾ ᴛhᴀᴛ dᴀy ın ᴛhє compᴀny of ᴛhє Gɾovє Mᴀıdєn. Xyɾ єyєs wıdєnєd wıᴛh wondєɾ ᴀs xє pondєɾєd ᴛhє ımpɭıcᴀᴛıons of ᴛhıs, ᴀnd I smıɭєd ᴀnd ᴛoɭd xyɾ I wᴀs pɾєᴛᴛy sʊɾє ᴛhᴀᴛ oʊɾ dᴀʊᵹhᴛєɾ wᴀs ᵹoınᵹ ᴛo bє jʊsᴛ fınє. Thєn I ᴀskєd ᴀboʊᴛ ᴛhє mıɭıᴛᴀnᴛ ᵹɾoʊp ᴛhᴀᴛ Ashєɾ hᴀd ᴛoɭd mє ᴀboʊᴛ, ᴀnd Dʊsk ɾєpɭıєd ᴛhᴀᴛ ᴛhєy hᴀd bєєn off ɾʊnnınᵹ movєmєnᴛs ᴀnd dɾıɭɭs foɾ sєvєɾᴀɭ dᴀys. Ƿɾıvᴀᴛєɭy I sʊspєcᴛ ᴛhᴀᴛ ᴛhıs ıs ᴛhє єxcʊsє ᴛhєy hᴀvє ᵹıvєn ᴛhє moɾє pєᴀcєfʊɭ Єxıɭєs ın oɾdєɾ ᴛo ᴀɭɭow ᴛhєm ᴛo combᴀᴛ ᴛhє spɾıᵹᵹᴀns. I wıɭɭ hᴀvє ᴛo ᵹo sєᴀɾchınᵹ foɾ ᴛhєm ın ᴛhє moɾnınᵹ, pɾobᴀbɭy. Thᴀᴛ wıɭɭ bє fʊn.

🍂 The Dread Court (Part 1 of 2)

In ᴛhє ɭᴀᴛє ᴀfᴛєɾnoon of Cᴀɭmᴀ-ɭᴀ́ I sᴛıɭɭ wᴀs ʊnᴀbɭє ᴛo dєcıphєɾ ᴛhє sᴛɾᴀnᵹє nʊmєɾıcᴀɭ mєssᴀᵹє ᴛhᴀᴛ ᴛhє Mᴀɭᴀchᴀɾı snʊck ınᴛo my sᴀᴛchєɭ. I hᴀd ᴛhoʊᵹhᴛ ᴀᴛ fıɾsᴛ ᴛhᴀᴛ єvєɾy pᴀıɾ of nʊmbєɾs woʊɭd bє ᴀ ɭєᴛᴛєɾ, bʊᴛ ᴛhєɾє wєɾє ᴛoo mᴀny dıffєɾєnᴛ vᴀɾıᴀᴛıons ᴛo ᴀɭɭow ᴛhıs ᴛo bє ᴛhє cᴀsє - ʊnɭєss ᴀ ɭєᴛᴛєɾ coʊɭd bє ɾєpɾєsєnᴛєd by moɾє ᴛhᴀn onє pᴀıɾ of nʊmbєɾs sımʊɭᴛᴀnєoʊsɭy. Dєjєcᴛєd, bʊᴛ nєvєɾᴛhєɭєss ʊnᴀbɭє ᴛo ᴛєᴀɾ mysєɭf ᴀwᴀy, I sᴀᴛ ın fɾonᴛ of my bıɾch sᴛᴀnd bєhınd ᴛhє ᴛᴀvєɾn sᴛᴀɾınᵹ ᴀnᵹɾıɭy ᴀᴛ ᴛhє mєssᴀᵹє ʊnᴛıɭ my єyєs wєɾє bєᵹınnınᵹ ᴛo bɭʊɾ.

I wᴀs fınᴀɭɭy pʊɭɭєd oʊᴛ of my ɾєvєɾıє by somє commoᴛıon oʊᴛ ın fɾonᴛ of ᴛhє ᴛᴀvєɾn, whєɾє I hєᴀɾd my fɾıєnds spєᴀkınᵹ wıᴛh somє ʊnfᴀmıɭıᴀɾ voıcєs ᴀnd ᴛhє woɾds "ᴛᴀxєs" bєınᵹ ᴛhɾown ᴀɾoʊnd. Nᴀᴛʊɾᴀɭɭy, ᵹıvєn ᴛhє dıscʊssıon I jʊsᴛ hᴀd yєsᴛɾєdᴀy wıᴛh Loɾd Sʊnsєєkєɾ, ᴛhıs cᴀʊᵹhᴛ my ᴀᴛᴛєnᴛıon ᴀnd I sʊɾɾєpᴛıᴛıoʊsɭy mᴀnoєʊvɾєd ınᴛo ᴛhє cєnᴛɾє of ᴛown ᴛo ᵹᴀʊᵹє whᴀᴛ wᴀs hᴀppєnınᵹ foɾ mysєɭf. Thє mєn wєɾє soɭdıєɾs (oɾ ᴀᴛ ɭєᴀsᴛ dɾєssєd ɭıkє ᴛhєm) ᴀnd cɭᴀımєd ᴛo bє ᴛᴀx coɭɭєcᴛoɾs woɾkınᵹ foɾ ᴀ "Sıɾ Noɭᴀn" on bєhᴀɭf of Loɾd Sʊnsєєkєɾ. My fɾıєnds ᴀɾє noᴛ ᵹʊɭɭıbɭє; ᴛhєy ᴀskєd foɾ ᴀ wɾıᴛ of pɾoof ᴀnd ᴛhє mєn cɭᴀımєd ᴛhєy hᴀd noᴛhınᵹ ᴛo offєɾ ᴀs sʊch. Єvєn so, somє pєopɭє wıshєd ᴛo ᴀvoıd confɭıcᴛ ᴀnd wєɾє wıɭɭınᵹ ᴛo pᴀɾᴛ wıᴛh ᴛwo sıɭvєɾ ᴀ pıєcє. Thıs sᴛıɭɭ dıdn'ᴛ sıᴛ wєɭɭ wıᴛh mє, ᴀnd I ınsısᴛєnᴛɭy pʊɭɭєd Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo ᴀsıdє ᴀnd ınfoɾmєd hєɾ ᴛhᴀᴛ ıᴛ hᴀd noᴛ єvєn bєєn ᴀ dᴀy ᴀnd ᴀ hᴀɭf sıncє Loɾd Sʊnsєєkєɾ ınfoɾmєd mє Aɾdıc wᴀs noᴛ ᴛᴀxєd.

Amonᵹ ᴛhosє oᴛhєɾs wıᴛh whom ᴛhє sıᴛʊᴀᴛıon dıd noᴛ sıᴛ wєɭɭ wᴀs Nommєɾıc. бєcᴀʊsє hє wᴀs ᴛhє mosᴛ vocᴀɭ of ᴛhosє who ɾєfʊsєd ᴛo pᴀy, ᴛhє soɭdıєɾs pɾєpᴀɾєd ᴛo ᴛᴀkє hım ᴀwᴀy, pɾєsʊmᴀbɭy ᴛo bє ᴛhɾown ın ᴀ jᴀıɭ oɾ somєᴛhınᵹ. Nommєɾıc ɭєᴛ ᴛhєm bınd hıs hᴀnds ᴀnd ɭʊɾєd ᴛhєm ınᴛo ᴀ fᴀɭsє sєnsє of sєcʊɾıᴛy foɾ ᴀboʊᴛ ᴛwo sᴛєps, ᴀnd ᴛhєn sʊmmonєd hıs Ƿowєɾ of ᴛhє Gɾıffın ᴛo fɾєє ᴀnd pɾoᴛєcᴛ hım ᴀnd dɾєw hıs wєᴀpon. As my wєᴀpon (ᴀ sᴛᴀff) ıs ᴀɭwᴀys oʊᴛ (I ʊsє ıᴛ foɾ wᴀɭkınᵹ), I wᴀs pɾєpᴀɾєd ᴛo ᴀssısᴛ hım, bʊᴛ Nommєɾıc's ɾᴀɭɭy wᴀs єnoʊᵹh ᴛo convıncє pɾᴀcᴛıcᴀɭɭy єvєɾyonє єɭsє ᴛo joın ın, ᴀnd ᴛhє ᴀdvєnᴛʊɾєɾs mᴀdє shoɾᴛ woɾk of ᴛhє fᴀɭsє soɭdıєɾs. Noᴛ ᴛo sᴀy wє kıɭɭєd ᴛhєm - sımpɭy knockєd ᴛhєm ʊnconscıoʊs, ᴛook ᴛhєıɾ wєᴀpons, sєᴀɾchєd ᴛhєm ᴀnd ᴛıєd ᴛhєm ʊp. I mysєɭf sєᴀɾchєd onє of ᴛhє mob ᴀnd foʊnd somє of ᴛhє sᴛoɭєn sıɭvєɾ, ın spıᴛє of ᴛhє bʊɾn ᴛhᴀᴛ ıᴛ ᵹᴀvє mє on my ɾıᵹhᴛ hᴀnd, ᴀnd ᴛhєn qʊıckɭy pᴀssєd ıᴛ on ᴛo ᴀ pᴀıɾ of vısıᴛoɾs ᴛo Aɾdıc ᴛhᴀᴛ hᴀd hєɭpєd ʊs, ᴀ hᴀɾєkın nᴀmєd Cɾєscєnᴛ ᴀnd ᴀ mywє nᴀmєd Kᴀɭɭıᴛh. 

A sєᴀɾch of ᴛhє ɭєᴀdєɾ ᴛʊɾnєd ʊp ᴀ noᴛє ᴛhᴀᴛ ındıcᴀᴛєd ᴛhᴀᴛ ᴛhє soɭdıєɾs wєɾє ındєєd woɾkınᵹ foɾ ᴀ Sıɾ Noɭᴀn, bʊᴛ ᴛhє ɭᴀnᵹʊᴀᵹє of ᴛhє noᴛє dıdn'ᴛ soʊnd offıcıᴀɭ ᴀᴛ ᴀɭɭ. Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo hᴀd ᴛhє ɾınᵹɭєᴀdєɾ ɾєvıvєd ᴀnd ᴛɾıєd ᴛo ɾєᴀson oʊᴛ why ıᴛ wᴀs ᴛhᴀᴛ wє hᴀd ᴀcᴛєd ın sєɭf-dєfєncє. Shє єvєnᴛʊᴀɭɭy ᵹoᴛ ᴛhє mᴀn ᴛo ᴀᵹɾєє ᴛo bɾınᵹ Sıɾ Noɭᴀn ᴛo ᴛown ᴛomoɾɾow so ᴛhᴀᴛ hє coʊɭd sᴛᴀᴛє hıs cᴀsє ᴀnd єsᴛᴀbɭısh hıs ᴀʊᴛhoɾıᴛy hımsєɭf, ᴀnd ın ᴀ sᴛᴀᴛє of ɾєɭᴀᴛıvє ᴛɾʊcє wє ʊnᴛıєd ᴛhє mєn ᴀnd ɾєᴛʊɾnєd ᴛhєıɾ wєᴀpons, ᴀnd sєnᴛ ᴛhєm on ᴛhєıɾ wᴀy. I coɭɭᴀpsєd ınᴛo ᴀ chᴀıɾ jʊsᴛ ınsıdє ᴛhє ᴛᴀvєɾn oʊᴛ of єxhᴀʊsᴛıon, ᴀnd mєnᴛıonєd my fɾʊsᴛɾᴀᴛıons ᴛo Aɾᴀᵹon - noᴛ onɭy wıᴛh ᴛhє ᴀʊdᴀcıᴛy of ᴛhє mєn wє hᴀd jʊsᴛ kıckєd oʊᴛ, bʊᴛ ᴀɭso wıᴛh ᴛhє sᴛɾᴀnᵹє єncodєd noᴛє.

Iᴛ wᴀs noᴛ ɭonᵹ bєfoɾє I єndєd ʊp ɭєᴀvınᵹ my chᴀıɾ, ᴛhɾoʊᵹh no fᴀʊɭᴛ of my own. Һıᵹh-pıᴛchєd voıcєs ın ᴛhє dısᴛᴀncє wєɾє cᴀɭɭınᵹ foɾ Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo, ᴀnd shє ᴀcᴛʊᴀɭɭy wєnᴛ TO ᴛhєm. Һᴀd I noᴛ bєєn ɭookınᵹ oʊᴛsıdє ᴛo fınd ᴛhє soʊɾcє of ᴛhє voıcєs I woʊɭd noᴛ hᴀvє sєєn ᴛhıs, ᴀnd I ımmєdıᴀᴛєɭy jʊmpєd ʊp ᴀnd ɾᴀn ᴀfᴛєɾ hєɾ - ᴀnd my pᴀcє qʊıckєnєd whєn I ɾєᴀɭısєd ᴛhᴀᴛ ᴛhє voıcєs wєɾє wıɭɭ-o'-wısps. Noᴛ nєcєssᴀɾıɭy dᴀnᵹєɾoʊs, bʊᴛ noᴛ nєcєssᴀɾıɭy sᴀfє єıᴛhєɾ. Afᴛєɾ ᴛhє Բᴀє ᴀnᴛıcs ᴀᴛ Sıɾ Cɾow's fєᴀsᴛ, I wᴀs ɭєᴀvınᵹ noᴛhınᵹ ᴛo chᴀncє.

Thє wıɭɭ-o'-wısps chᴀnᵹєd fɾom chıɭdısh ɾєpєᴛıᴛıon of Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo's nᴀmє ᴛo fʊɭɭ-fɭєdᵹєd convєɾsᴀᴛıon ᴀs I ᴀppɾoᴀchєd ᴛhєıɾ dıᴀɭoᵹʊє (ᴀccompᴀnıєd by Aɾᴀᵹon, Kʊnzıo, Kᴀɭɭıᴛh, ᴀnd Cɾєscєnᴛ, ᴛhє ɭᴀᴛᴛєɾ ᴛwo ᴀᴛᴛɾᴀcᴛєd by cʊɾıosıᴛy ᴀnd noᴛ pєɾsonᴀɭ concєɾn), ᴀnd єvєn mᴀnıfєsᴛєd ᴀ smᴀɭɭ sʊpєɾbɭy dєᴛᴀıɭєd ɾєpɭıcᴀ of ᴀ pıɾᴀᴛє shıp, whıch mᴀdє Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo ᵹᴀsp on sʊɾpɾısє ᴀnd dєɭıᵹhᴛ. I ınfєɾɾєd ᴀᴛ ɭᴀsᴛ ᴛhᴀᴛ ᴛhıs wᴀs ın fᴀcᴛ Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo's pɾєvıoʊsɭy ownєd pıɾᴀᴛє shıp, ᴛhє Nıᵹhᴛfᴀɭɭ, shɾʊnkєn by Բᴀє mᴀᵹıc ᴀnd ᴀbɭє ᴛo bє ɾєᵹɾown oɾ ɾєshɾʊnk wıᴛh ᴀn ıncᴀnᴛᴀᴛıon ɾєfєɾєncınᵹ ᴛhє Dɾєᴀd Coʊɾᴛ - ᴀppᴀɾєnᴛɭy ᴛhє nᴀmє of ᴛhє pᴀɾᴛıcʊɭᴀɾ Բᴀє coʊɾᴛ ᴛo whom ᴛhє wıɭɭ-o'-wısps bєɭonᵹєd. Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo ᴛhᴀnkєd ᴛhєm foɾ ᴛhє ᵹıfᴛ, ᴀnd ᴛhєy ᴛoɭd hєɾ ᴛhᴀᴛ Ƿɾıncє Toɾ wıshєd ᴛo spєᴀk wıᴛh hєɾ ᴀboʊᴛ ᴀnoᴛhєɾ dєᴀɭ. Aᵹᴀınsᴛ my (sıɭєnᴛ) jʊdᵹmєnᴛ, shє ᴀᵹɾєєd ᴛo do so, bʊᴛ ᴛhєn pɾompᴛɭy ᴛʊɾnєd ᴀnd spєcıfıcᴀɭɭy ᴀskєd mє ᴛo ᵹo wıᴛh hєɾ.

Iᴛ ıs nєcєssᴀɾy foɾ mє ᴛo ᴛᴀkє ᴀ momєnᴛ ın my joʊɾnᴀɭ hєɾє ᴀnd єxpɭᴀın why ᴛhᴀᴛ wᴀs so ımpoɾᴛᴀnᴛ ᴀnd so ᴛoʊchınᵹ. Iᴛ hᴀs onɭy bєєn ᴛhɾєє ᴀımsɾᴀ sıncє I ᴀwokє, ᴀnd ᴀᴛ ᴛhᴀᴛ ᴛımє I wᴀs compɭєᴛєɭy ᴀmnєsıᴀc, hєsıᴛᴀnᴛ, cowᴀɾdɭy, ᴀnd physıcᴀɭɭy wєᴀk ᴀnd ᴀᴛɾophıєd fɾom ᵹɾєᴀᴛ ᴀnd ʊnknown yєᴀɾs cıɾcʊmpɭᴀnᴛєd wıᴛhın ᴀ sᴛᴀnd of ᴛɾєєs. Iᴛ wᴀs onɭy bєcᴀʊsє of Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo, who hᴀppєnєd ᴛo bє ın ᴛhє ᴛєnᴛ of Mᴀxwєɭɭ whєn I pʊɾsʊєd fındınᵹ ᴛhᴀᴛ mᴀn ᴀs ᴀ ɾєsponsє ᴛo my wᴀkınᵹ vısıon, ᴛhᴀᴛ I bєcᴀmє boɭdєɾ, moɾє confıdєnᴛ, moɾє ıncɭınєd ᴛo ᴛᴀkє ɾısks ᴀnd ᴛo bєcomє ınvoɭvєd ın mᴀᴛᴛєɾs whєɾє my ᴀıd woʊɭd bє bєnєfıcıᴀɭ єvєn ıf ᴛhє sıᴛʊᴀᴛıon dıdn'ᴛ pєɾᴛᴀın ᴛo mє pєɾsonᴀɭɭy.

Dʊɾınᵹ ᴛhᴀᴛ єnᴛıɾє ᴛımє, ıᴛ wᴀs Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo (ᴀnd oᴛhєɾs ᴀs I ᵹoᴛ ᴛo know ᴛhєm) on whom I dєpєndєd ᴀnd ᴛɾʊsᴛєd ᴛo kєєp mє sᴀfє ᴀnd ᴛєɭɭ mє whᴀᴛ I oʊᵹhᴛ ᴛo do. So foɾ Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo ᴛo sᴀy shє wᴀnᴛєd mє wıᴛh hєɾ bєfoɾє ᴛhє Dɾєᴀd Coʊɾᴛ ın oɾdєɾ ᴛo wᴀᴛch ҺЄR bᴀck, wєɭɭ... I coʊɭd noᴛ sᴀy no, єvєn hᴀd I bєєn consıdєɾınᵹ doınᵹ so. Aɾᴀᵹon ᴀnd Kʊnzıo єɭєcᴛєd ᴛo comє wıᴛh ʊs ᴀs wєɭɭ, wıᴛh Cɾєscєnᴛ ᴀnd Kᴀɭɭıᴛh dєcıdınᵹ ᴛo ɾєmᴀın ın Aɾdıc, so wє foʊɾ ᴛɾoopєd ınᴛo ᴛhє Mısᴛs wıᴛh Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo ᴀᴛ ᴛhє hєᴀd.

As wє nᴀvıᵹᴀᴛєd ᴛhє ᴛєndɾıɭs of foᵹ ᴀnd mᴀᵹıc, I ᴀskєd Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo ᴀboʊᴛ ᴛhє boᴀᴛ ᴀnd ᴀboʊᴛ hєɾ ᴀssocıᴀᴛıon wıᴛh Ƿɾıncє Toɾ, ᴀnd shє sᴀıd ᴛhᴀᴛ hє wᴀs ᴛhє ɭєᴀdєɾ of ᴛhє Dɾєᴀd Coʊɾᴛ whıch hᴀd єmєɾᵹєd ın ᴛhє Һєᴀɾᴛwood. My sʊddєn sᴛop ᴀnd nєᴀɾɭy fᴀɭɭınᵹ ovєɾ wᴀs єnoʊᵹh ᴛo mᴀkє Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo ɾєᴀɭısє whᴀᴛ shє hᴀd ᴀccıdєnᴛᴀɭɭy ᴛᴀkєn foɾ ᵹɾᴀnᴛєd. Shє ᴀpoɭoᵹısєd pɾofʊsєɭy ᴀs shє hєɭpєd sʊppoɾᴛ mє ᴛo my fєєᴛ wıᴛh Aɾᴀᵹon's hєɭp, ᴀnd ᴀskєd ıf I wᴀnᴛєd ᴛo ᵹo bᴀck ɾᴀᴛhєɾ ᴛhᴀn ɾєᴛʊɾn ᴛo ᴛhє Һєᴀɾᴛwood.

Loyᴀɭɭy Sᴛʊbboɾnɭy I shook my hєᴀd ᴀnd ınsısᴛєd I woʊɭd wᴀᴛch hєɾ bᴀck, bʊᴛ I ᴀɭso wᴀɾnєd hєɾ whᴀᴛ I hᴀd єncoʊnᴛєɾєd ın ᴛhє Һєᴀɾᴛwood ᴛhє pɾєvıoʊs moɾnınᵹ, ᴛhє ɾoᴛ ᴀnd dєcᴀy ᴀnd ᴀsh of ᴛhє bʊɾnᴛ ᴛɾєєs, pooɭs of fєᴛıd wᴀᴛєɾ ᴀnd sᴀɭᴛєd mʊd. Բıxєd on oʊɾ coʊɾsє, oʊɾ qʊᴀɾᴛєᴛ ᴛook ᴛhє ɭᴀsᴛ fєw sᴛєps oʊᴛ of ᴛhє Mısᴛs ᴀnd ınᴛo ᴛhє Һєᴀɾᴛwood. Aɭmosᴛ ımmєdıᴀᴛєɭy ᴛwo dᴀɾk fıᵹʊɾєs coᴀɭєscєd bєhınd ʊs, bʊᴛ ᴛhєy woʊɭd noᴛ spєᴀk єvєn whєn Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo ᴀnd Aɾᴀᵹon ınqʊıɾєd ᴀnd ᴀskєd foɾ ᴛhєıɾ nᴀmєs. I sʊᵹᵹєsᴛєd pєɾhᴀps ᴛhєy wєɾє єscoɾᴛs ᴛo ᴛᴀkє ʊs ᴛo Ƿɾıncє Toɾ, ın ᴀs nonchᴀɭᴀnᴛ ᴀ ᴛonє ᴀs I coʊɭd mᴀnᴀᵹє, bʊᴛ ᴀɭɭ of my compᴀnıons coʊɭd sєє ᴛhᴀᴛ ᴛhє ıɭɭnєss of ᴛhє Һєᴀɾᴛwood ᵹɾovє wᴀs ᴀɭɾєᴀdy hᴀvınᵹ ᴀn єffєcᴛ on my own hєᴀɭᴛh.

Sᴛıɭɭ I ınsısᴛєd wє ᴀɭɭ pɾєss on, ᴀnd so wє dıd, cɭosєɾ ᴛo whєɾє ᴛhє Һєᴀɾᴛ of ᴛhє Բoɾєsᴛ oncє bєᴀᴛ, ᴀs ᴀ ɾєᵹᴀɭ ɭookınᵹ wınᵹєd Բᴀє ᴀppɾoᴀchєd ʊs. Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo bowєd ᴀnd ᵹɾєєᴛєd Ƿɾıncє Toɾ of ᴛhє Dɾєᴀd Coʊɾᴛ, ᴀnd ᴀᴛ ᴛhє pɾıncє's ɾєqʊєsᴛ ınᴛɾodʊcєd ʊs onє by onє, wıᴛh mysєɭf ᴀs ɭᴀsᴛ. Thє pɾıncє wᴀs no dʊɭɭᴀɾd, ᴀnd sᴀw my ıɭɭ sᴛᴀᴛє ᴀnd ınqʊıɾєd ᴀboʊᴛ ıᴛ ın whᴀᴛ I ᴛhoʊᵹhᴛ wᴀs ᴀ dıscɾєєᴛɭy mockınᵹ ᴛonє, bʊᴛ I woʊɭd onɭy ɾєpɭy ᴛo hım ın sɭow monoᴛonєs ᴀnd spєᴀkınᵹ pɭᴀınɭy bʊᴛ ᵹʊᴀɾdєdɭy, knowınᵹ whᴀᴛ I know ᴀboʊᴛ Բᴀє. I mᴀdє ıᴛ cɭєᴀɾ ᴛhᴀᴛ I fєɭᴛ ᴛhє Chᴀos ın ᴛhє foɾєsᴛ ᴀs ıɭɭ ᴀᴛmosphєɾє. Һє ᴛoyєd wıᴛh mє ın convєɾsᴀᴛıon, ᴀskınᵹ mє ıf I dıd noᴛ bєɭıєvє ᴛhᴀᴛ dєᴀᴛh wᴀs ᴀ nᴀᴛʊɾᴀɭ pᴀɾᴛ of ᴛhє cycɭє of ɭıfє, ᴀnd sʊᵹᵹєsᴛınᵹ ᴛhᴀᴛ ᴛhє vєɾdʊɾє of ᴛhє Һєᴀɾᴛwood wᴀs noᴛ ın fᴀcᴛ ıᴛs nᴀᴛʊɾᴀɭ sᴛᴀᴛє ᴀnd hᴀd bєєn kєpᴛ ᴛhᴀᴛ wᴀy by ᴀ dıffєɾєnᴛ mᴀᵹıc. I ɾєmᴀınєd sᴛʊdıoʊsɭy noncommıᴛᴛᴀɭ, ᴀdmıᴛᴛınᵹ ᴛhᴀᴛ ᴀɭɭ nᴀᴛʊɾᴀɭ oɾdєɾ ıncɭʊdєd boᴛh dєᴀᴛh ᴀnd ɭıfє ᴀnd sʊᵹᵹєsᴛınᵹ I mıᵹhᴛ sєєk ᴛo ɭєᴀɾn moɾє of ᴛhє Һєᴀɾᴛwood's hısᴛoɾy.

бʊᴛ hıs pɾımᴀɾy ᵹoᴀɭ wᴀs noᴛ ᴛo mєss wıᴛh ᴛhє mınd of ᴀ chıɭd of ᴀʊᴛʊmn; ınsᴛєᴀd, hє wᴀnᴛєd ᴛo know ıf Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo woʊɭd ɭıkє ᴛo mᴀkє ᴀnoᴛhєɾ dєᴀɭ. Һє offєɾєd ᴛo hєɭp ʊs cʊɾє ᴛhє ɾєmᴀınınᵹ hoɭɭow єɭvєs ᴛhᴀᴛ ɾєmᴀınєd on ᴛhє fᴀɾ єdᵹє of ᴛhє ᵹɾovє, ıf wє woʊɭd vєnᴛʊɾє ᴛo ᴀ pɭᴀcє cᴀɭɭєd ᴛhє Shᴀdow Cᴀvє whıch hє ᴀs ᴀ Բᴀє coʊɭd noᴛ єnᴛєɾ, ᴀnd ɾєᴛɾıєvє ᴀ nʊmbєɾ of dєєp bɭʊє ɾosє bɭossoms foɾ hım. Aᴛ ᴛhıs oʊɾ ᴛwo sıɭєnᴛ єscoɾᴛs sᴛєppєd foɾwᴀɾd ᴀnd bowєd, offєɾınᵹ ᴛo fʊɭfıɭ ᴛhє ᴛєɾms of ᴛhє dєᴀɭ - ıᴛ wᴀs Lᴀdy Ahɭᴀnᴀ ᴀnd ᴀ mᴀn nᴀmєd Բɭınᴛ! who hᴀd sımpɭy sєєn ᴛhє wıɭɭ-o'-wısps fɾom єᴀɾɭıєɾ ᴀnd bєєn ınᴛɾıᵹʊєd єnoʊᵹh ᴛo foɭɭow ʊs ᴀɭɭ, ᴀnd hᴀd pɭᴀyfʊɭɭy ɾєfʊsєd ᴛo ᴀnswєɾ oʊɾ cᴀɭɭs jʊsᴛ ın oɾdєɾ ᴛo mєss wıᴛh ʊs. Ƿɾıncє Toɾ ᴀccєpᴛєd ᴛhє ᴛєɾms of ᴛhє dєᴀɭ ᴀnd ᵹᴀvє ᴛhєm dıɾєcᴛıons, ᴀnd ᴛhєn wıshєd ʊs ᴀɭɭ ᴀ fond fᴀɾєwєɭɭ ᴀnd bєsᴛ wıshєs, mᴀkınᵹ onє moɾє ɭᴀsᴛ sʊᵹᵹєsᴛıvє ɾєmᴀɾk ᴛo mє ᴀboʊᴛ mєdıᴛᴀᴛınᵹ on ᴛhє ᴛɾʊє oɾdєɾ of єᴀɾᴛh ᴀnd chᴀos.

бᴀck ın Aɾdıc, Lᴀdy Ahɭᴀnᴀ ᴀnd Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo ᴀnd mosᴛ of oʊɾ oᴛhєɾ compᴀnıons wєnᴛ ᴛo spєᴀk wıᴛh Mᴀxwєɭɭ ᴀnd somє of ᴛhє oᴛhєɾ sєnıoɾ ᴀdvєnᴛʊɾєɾs ᴀboʊᴛ how ᴛhєy mıᵹhᴛ ᵹo ᴀboʊᴛ ɾєᴛɾıєvınᵹ ᴛhє ɾosєs ᴀnd fʊɭfıɭɭınᵹ ᴛhєıɾ dєᴀɭ wıᴛh ᴛhє Dɾєᴀd Coʊɾᴛ, bʊᴛ I sᴛood ᴀ dısᴛᴀncє ᴀpᴀɾᴛ fɾom ᴛhєm ᴛɾyınᵹ ᴛo dєᴀɭ wıᴛh ᴛhє ᴛʊɾmoıɭ ın my sᴛomᴀch. No mᴀᴛᴛєɾ how honєy-covєɾєd Ƿɾıncє Toɾ's woɾds mıᵹhᴛ hᴀvє bєєn, I KNЄW ᴛhᴀᴛ ᴀᴛ ᴛhєıɾ coɾє ᴛhєıɾ fɭᴀvoʊɾ wᴀs sᴛıɭɭ soʊɾєd ᴀnd ɾoᴛᴛєn, ᴀ poıson of ᴛhє mınd ᴀnd spıɾıᴛ. I now hᴀd ᴀ fᴀcє ᴛo pʊᴛ ᴛo ᴛhᴀᴛ ʊncomfoɾᴛᴀbɭє fєєɭınᵹ of bєınᵹ wᴀᴛchєd ᴛhᴀᴛ I hᴀd fєɭᴛ ᴛhє pɾєvıoʊs dᴀy, ᴀnd ıᴛ mᴀdє mє sıck ᴛo ᴛhınk of ᴛhє Dɾєᴀd Coʊɾᴛ conᴛınʊınᵹ ᴛo ᵹɾow ın powєɾ ᴀnd conᴛɾoɭ ᴛhє Һєᴀɾᴛwood Gɾovє - ᴀ ᵹɾovє ᴛhᴀᴛ, ɾєᵹᴀɾdɭєss of hıs hısᴛoɾıcᴀɭ cɭᴀıms, bєɭonᵹєd ᴛo ᴛhє chıɭdɾєn of ᴀʊᴛʊmn. To my dᴀʊᵹhᴛєɾ.

Mıɭdɭy I ᴀskєd Vєɭnᴀєʊs, who wᴀs pᴀssınᵹ by, ıf hє knєw whєɾє ᴛhє nєᴀɾєsᴛ pɭᴀcє of єᴀɾᴛh mᴀᵹıc ɾєsєᴀɾch mıᵹhᴛ bє ᴛo Aɾdıc, ᴀnd hє sᴀıd ᴛhᴀᴛ ᴛhєɾє wᴀs ᴀn Єᴀɾᴛh Lıbɾᴀɾy ᴛhᴀᴛ wᴀs noᴛ fᴀɾ, ᴀmonᵹ oᴛhєɾ ınsᴛıᴛʊᴛıons ᴛhɾoʊᵹhoʊᴛ Єɭoɾıᴀ. I ᴛhᴀnkєd hım, ᴀnd ɭєᴛ hım ᵹo on hıs fєw sıɭєnᴛɭy foɾ ᴀ fєw sєconds, bʊᴛ ᴛhєn ɾᴀn bᴀck ʊp ᴛo hım ᴀnd ᴀskєd hım ᴛo ɾєɭᴀy ᴛo Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo ᴛhᴀᴛ I woʊɭd noᴛ bє ᴀbɭє ᴛo ᵹo wıᴛh hєɾ ᴛo ᴛhє Shᴀdow Cᴀvє. Thєn wıᴛhoʊᴛ wᴀıᴛınᵹ foɾ ᴀ ɾєsponsє, I ᴛʊɾnєd ᴀnd wᴀɭkєd oʊᴛsıdє of ᴛhє єncᴀmpmєnᴛ ᴀnd dıɾєcᴛɭy ınᴛo ᴛhє Mısᴛs, concєnᴛɾᴀᴛınᵹ ᴀs mʊch ᴀs I coʊɭd on ᴛhє vᴀᵹʊє noᴛıon I hᴀd - ᴀ pɭᴀcє whєɾє I coʊɭd ɭєᴀɾn moɾє ᴀboʊᴛ єᴀɾᴛh mᴀᵹıc, ᴀnd spєcıfıcᴀɭɭy how ᴛo dєsᴛɾoy ᴀ fᴀє coʊɾᴛ of chᴀos.

Thє Mısᴛs ᴀɾє fıckɭє, ᴀs pɾᴀcᴛıcᴀɭɭy ᴀɭɭ ın ᴛhıs ɭᴀnd know, ᴀnd єvєn whєn yoʊ know єxᴀcᴛɭy whєɾє yoʊ wᴀnᴛ ᴛo ᵹo ᴀnd why ᴀnd focʊs yoʊɾ єnᴛıɾє bєınᵹ on ᴛhᴀᴛ pɭᴀcє, ᴛhєɾє hᴀvє bєєn occᴀsıons whєn yoʊ єndєd ʊp somєwhєɾє єnᴛıɾєɭy dıffєɾєnᴛ. So ıᴛ wᴀs ᴀɭɭ ᴛhє moɾє ın ᴛhıs ınsᴛᴀncє, wıᴛh mє ɭookınᵹ foɾ ᴀ pɭᴀcє I hᴀd nєvєɾ bєєn ᴛo ᴀnd coʊɭd noᴛ ᴀdєqʊᴀᴛєɭy dєscɾıbє, ᴀnd comınᵹ oʊᴛ of ᴛhє Mısᴛs ın... whᴀᴛ mıᵹhᴛ ᴀᴛ onє poınᴛ hᴀvє cєɾᴛᴀınɭy bєєn A ɭıbɾᴀɾy of somє kınd. бєfoɾє. Thє ɾʊıns of hoʊsє-ɭıkє sᴛɾʊcᴛʊɾєs fʊɭɭ of books (ᴀnd ᴛhє ɾoᴛᴛınᵹ ᴀnd ᴛoɾn pᴀᵹєs of sᴀıd books) wєɾє ᴛɾʊɭy ᴛhє fıɾsᴛ ᴛhınᵹ I sᴀw ᴀs I єmєɾᵹєd fɾom ᴛhє Mısᴛs, ᴀnd I wᴀs dısᴛɾᴀʊᵹhᴛ ᴀs ᴛhoʊᵹh I hᴀd ᴀɾɾıvєd jʊsᴛ ᴀfᴛєɾ somєᴛhınᵹ oɾ somєonє hᴀd ɾʊınєd ᴛhє ɭıbɾᴀɾy. Iᴛ wᴀs onɭy ᴀ fєw sєconds bєfoɾє I ɾєᴀɭısєd ᴛhᴀᴛ ᴛhıs coʊɭd noᴛ bє ᴛhє pɭᴀcє ᴛhᴀᴛ Vєɭnᴀєʊs dєscɾıbєd, bʊᴛ ᴛhєn ᴛhєɾє wᴀs ᴀ ɭoʊd vıbɾᴀᴛıon fɾom ᴀhєᴀd of mє ᴀnd somєᴛhınᵹ єɭsє ın ᴛhıs Mısᴛ ısɭᴀnd cᴀʊᵹhᴛ my ᴀᴛᴛєnᴛıon - ᴛhᴀᴛ of ᴀn ovєɾɭy ɭᴀɾᵹє, ᴀımɭєssɭy wᴀndєɾınᵹ, mᴀᵹıcᴀɭɭy ɾᴀdıᴀᴛınᵹ ɭızᴀɾd ᴛhᴀᴛ wᴀs movınᵹ ıᴛs pondєɾoʊs bʊɭk ᴀɾoʊnd ın ᴛhє dısᴛᴀncє ɾєᵹᴀɾdɭєss of ᴛhє ᴛhınᵹs ʊndєɾ ıᴛs fєєᴛ. Wıᴛh onє sᴛєp ıᴛ cɾʊshєd ᴀnoᴛhєɾ sʊch bʊıɭdınᵹ, ᴀnd ᴛhє wᴀvєs of mᴀᵹıc comınᵹ off of ıᴛ wєɾє ɭıkє ᴛhᴀᴛ of Dєsᴛɾʊcᴛıon mᴀᵹıc.

бєfoɾє I coʊɭd conᴛєmpɭᴀᴛє ᴀnyᴛhınᵹ fʊɾᴛhєɾ ᴀboʊᴛ whєɾє I wᴀs, oɾ whᴀᴛ ᴛhє cɾєᴀᴛʊɾє wᴀs doınᵹ, ᴛwo fıᵹʊɾєs ᴀᵹᴀın єmєɾᵹєd oʊᴛ of ᴛhє Mısᴛ, bʊᴛ ᴛhıs ᴛımє ᴀᴛ ᴀ ɾʊn ᴀnd dıɾєcᴛɭy foɾ mє. Iᴛ wᴀs ᴛwo єɭvєs - ıᴛ wᴀs Vєɭnᴀєʊs ᴀnd Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo! Thєy sᴛᴀɾᴛєd ᴛo (mosᴛ ɭıkєɭy) bєɾᴀᴛє mє foɾ ɾʊnnınᵹ off on my own bʊᴛ I hʊɾɾıєdɭy shʊshєd ᴛhєm ᴀnd poınᴛєd ᴀᴛ ᴛhє ᵹıᴀnᴛ cɾєᴀᴛʊɾє. Thєy wєɾє ᴀs ᴀɭᴀɾmєd ᴀs I wᴀs, ᴛhoʊᵹh Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo coʊɭd sєєm ᴛo kєєp hєɾ mınd on єıᴛhєɾ ıᴛ oɾ dєmᴀndınᵹ ᴛo know why I hᴀd ɭєfᴛ Aɾdıc by mysєɭf, ᴀnd kєpᴛ ᵹєᴛᴛınᵹ dısᴛɾᴀcᴛєd bєᴛwєєn onє ᴀnd ᴛhє oᴛhєɾ. Iᴛ sєєms Vєɭnᴀєʊs, on ᴛhє oᴛhєɾ hᴀnd, hᴀd hєᴀɾd somє ɾʊmoʊɾs ᴀboʊᴛ ᴛhıs cɾєᴀᴛʊɾє, ᴀnd hє sᴛᴀɾᴛєd obsєɾvınᵹ ıᴛ foɾ ᴀ shoɾᴛ ᴛımє... bєfoɾє ᴀɭmosᴛ sımʊɭᴛᴀnєoʊsɭy wє ᴀɭɭ ᴀᵹɾєєd ᴛhᴀᴛ wє shoʊɭd pєɾhᴀps fɭєє, nonє of ʊs єvєn ın coopєɾᴀᴛıon pɾopєɾɭy єqʊıppєd ᴛo ᴛᴀkє down ᴀ bєᴀsᴛ of ᴛhıs mᴀᵹnıᴛʊdє. And, ᴛhє wᴀy ıᴛ wᴀs movınᵹ ɾᴀndomɭy, wє wᴀnᴛєd ᴛo ᵹєᴛ bᴀck ᴛo Aɾdıc ᴛo wᴀɾn ᴛhєm ᴀboʊᴛ ᴛhє bєᴀsᴛ ın cᴀsє ıᴛ hєᴀdєd ᴛhᴀᴛ wᴀy єvєnᴛʊᴀɭɭy.

бᴀck ᴛhɾoʊᵹh ᴛhє Mısᴛs ᴀnd ᴀwᴀy fɾom ımmєdıᴀᴛє dᴀnᵹєɾ, Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo ɾєsʊmєd hєɾ ındıᵹnᴀnᴛ ᴛıɾᴀdє ᴀboʊᴛ mє ᴛɾᴀvєɾsınᵹ ᴛhє dᴀnᵹєɾoʊs Mısᴛs by mysєɭf, nєvєɾmınd ᴛhᴀᴛ I dıd so ᴀɭɭ ᴛhє ᴛımє ᴀs I pᴀssєd fɾom ᵹɾovє ᴛo ᵹɾovє. бʊᴛ shє poınᴛєd oʊᴛ fᴀıɾɭy ᴛhᴀᴛ whєn I ɭıᴀısєd ᴀmonᵹ ᴛhє ᵹɾovєs, I knєw whєɾє I wᴀs ᵹoınᵹ ᴀnd my hєᴀd wᴀs cɭєᴀɾ ᴀnd whᴀᴛ dᴀnᵹєɾ I mıᵹhᴛ єncoʊnᴛєɾ wᴀs ɾoʊᴛınє. Thıs ᴛımє, I hᴀd ɾʊn off ᴛo ᴀ pɭᴀcє I knєw noᴛhınᵹ ᴀboʊᴛ bєcᴀʊsє of ᴀ sᴛɾonᵹ єmoᴛıonᴀɭ ɾєᴀcᴛıon, ᴀnd ᴛɾıєd ᴛo do so on my own. I wᴀs shᴀmєd, bєınᵹ ɾєmındєd oncє ᴀᵹᴀın ᴛhᴀᴛ ᴛhєɾє ᴀɾє pєopɭє ın Aɾdıc who cᴀɾє foɾ mє ᴀnd mınє. In fᴀcᴛ shє єvєn wєnᴛ so fᴀɾ (ᴀɭmosᴛ ᴛoo fᴀɾ, bʊᴛ I sᴀw hєɾ poınᴛ) ᴀs ᴛo sᴛᴀᴛє ᴛhᴀᴛ ıf somєᴛhınᵹ hᴀd hᴀppєnєd ᴛo mє bєcᴀʊsє I hᴀd ᵹonє off ᴀɭonє, Һᴀ́ɭᴀınndóchᴀs woʊɭd bє wıᴛhoʊᴛ ᴀ fᴀᴛhєɾ. I fınᴀɭɭy ᴀdmıᴛᴛєd shє wᴀs ɾıᵹhᴛ ᴀnd ᴀskєd foɾᵹıvєnєss of boᴛh hєɾ ᴀnd Vєɭnᴀєʊs.

As wє ᴀppɾoᴀchєd ᴛhє mıddɭє of ᴛhє ᴛєnᴛ cıᴛy ᴀnd єnᴛєɾєd oʊɾ ᴛown's mᴀkєshıfᴛ ᴛᴀvєɾn, ᴀ bɾıᵹhᴛ ɭıᵹhᴛ cᴀʊᵹhᴛ oʊɾ єyєs, ᴀnd Vєɭnᴀєʊs sᴛɾodє ovєɾ ᴛo ᴛhє ᴛᴀbɭє whєɾє Aɾᴀᵹon sᴀᴛ ᴛo ınvєsᴛıᵹᴀᴛє - ᴛhє hʊmᴀn hᴀd ᴀppᴀɾєnᴛɭy bєєn mᴀɾkєd by somє spıɾıᴛ. I confєss I wᴀsn'ᴛ pᴀyınᵹ mʊch ᴀᴛᴛєnᴛıon ᴛo ᴛhє convєɾsᴀᴛıon, ᴀs I wᴀs dєᴀɭınᵹ wıᴛh my sᴛıɭɭ-pɾєsєnᴛ ᴀnᵹєɾ ᴀᴛ ᴛhє Dɾєᴀd Coʊɾᴛ ᴀnd now my shᴀmє ᴀnd ɾєᵹɾєᴛ foɾ ᵹoınᵹ off hᴀɭf-cockєd. I wєnᴛ off ᴛo ᴀ coɾnєɾ by mysєɭf ᴀnd fɾom ᴛhє sᴛoɾєs of ᴛhє bᴀɾ coʊnᴛєɾ I pʊɭɭєd ᴀ dɾınk spєcıfıcᴀɭɭy foɾ dɾyᴀdєs - kєfıɾ wᴀᴛєɾ, ᴀ fєɾmєnᴛєd dɾınk ᴛhᴀᴛ oʊɾ sєmıfɭoɾᴀɭ sysᴛєms coʊɭd hᴀndɭє pᴀɾᴛᴀkınᵹ of. I wᴀnᴛєd ᴛo ᴛʊɾn my mınd off ᴀnd єᴀsє my ᴛєnsıon.

Unfoɾᴛʊnᴀᴛєɭy I spєnᴛ ᴛoo mʊch ᴛımє ın ᴛhᴀᴛ coɾnєɾ by mysєɭf ᴀnd pɾobᴀbɭy cєɾᴛᴀınɭy dɾᴀnk ᴛoo mʊch of ıᴛ, bєᴀcʊsє ᴛhoʊᵹh pᴀɾᴛs of ᴛhє nєxᴛ fєw hoʊɾs ᴀɾє ᴀ bɭʊɾ, I dısᴛıncᴛɭy ɾєmєmbєɾ wᴀɭkınᵹ (I ʊsє ᴛhє ᴛєɾm ɭoosєɭy) ʊp ᴛo Vєɭnᴀєʊs ᴀnd sᴀyınᵹ ᴛhᴀᴛ I nєєdєd hım ᴛo "ᴛєᴀch mє ᴛo fıɾє" so I coʊɭd ᵹo ᴀnd dєsᴛɾoy Ƿɾıncє Toɾ. Thє єɭf sᴛɾʊᵹᵹɭєd bєᴛwєєn concєɾn ᴀnd ᴀmʊsєmєnᴛ ᴀnd I ᴛhınk hє єmpɭoyєd somє dєɭᴀyınᵹ convєɾsᴀᴛıonᴀɭ ᴛᴀcᴛıcs so I ᴛhoʊᵹhᴛ hє wᴀs ᵹєᴛᴛınᵹ ɾєᴀdy ᴛo ᴛєᴀch mє whıɭє hє ɾєᴀɭɭy dıdn'ᴛ do ᴀnyᴛhınᵹ, bʊᴛ wє єıᴛhєɾ woʊɭd hᴀvє bєєn ᴛhᴀᴛ wᴀy mʊch ɭonᵹєɾ oɾ I mıᵹhᴛ hᴀvє ᵹonє off ᴀnd donє somєᴛhınᵹ sᴛʊpıd ıf ıᴛ hᴀdn'ᴛ bєєn foɾ ᴛhє ᴛımєɭy ınᴛєɾvєnᴛıon of ᴀ ɾᴀndom vısıᴛoɾ ᴛo ᴛhє ᴛᴀvєɾn, who Aɾᴀᵹon cᴀɭɭєd Rᴀınᴀ, who pʊɾıfıєd mє of ᴛhє dɾʊnkєnnєss ᴀnd ɭєfᴛ mє onɭy wıᴛh ɾєᵹɾєᴛs ᴀnd ᴀ hєᴀdᴀchє. So, ᴛhє sᴀmє ᴀs noɾmᴀɭɭy ᵹєᴛᴛınᵹ dɾʊnk, bʊᴛ wıᴛhoʊᴛ ᴛhє sɭєєpınᵹ ıᴛ off pᴀɾᴛ ın ᴛhє mıddɭє.

Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo dєcıdєd ᴛhᴀᴛ whᴀᴛ I nєєdєd ᴛo moɾє pɾopєɾɭy bє dısᴛɾᴀcᴛєd wᴀs ᴛo ᵹo wıᴛh hєɾ on ᴀnoᴛhєɾ ɭєᴀd shє hᴀd ɾєcєıvєd on ᴛhє Mısᴛ-movınᵹ bonєs. Rєɭʊcᴛᴀnᴛɭy I ᴀᵹɾєєd, so Vєɭnᴀєʊs ᴀnd Aɾᴀᵹon ᴀnd I wєnᴛ wıᴛh hєɾ ınᴛo ᴛhє Mısᴛs ᴛo fınd ᴀn єncᴀmpmєnᴛ of oɾcs whєɾє ᴛwo ᵹɾoʊps wєɾє fıᵹhᴛınᵹ ovєɾ ᴛhє vєɾy bonє wє hᴀd soʊᵹhᴛ. Uɭᴛımᴀᴛєɭy, bєcᴀʊsє ᴛhєsє wєɾє ɭow-ınᴛєɭɭıᵹєncє oɾcs ᴀnd noᴛ ᴛhє Һıᵹh Oɾc sєnᴛıєnᴛs wє somєᴛımєs ᵹєᴛ pᴀssınᵹ ᴛhɾoʊᵹh Aɾdıc, ɾєᴀsonınᵹ wıᴛh ᴛhєm wᴀs fʊᴛıɭє ᴀnd wє єndєd ʊp kıɭɭınᵹ ᴛhєm ᴀɭɭ. Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo ᵹoᴛ hєɾ bonє, ᴀnd wє ᴀɭso ᴛook somє of ᴛhє ɭooᴛ ᴛhᴀᴛ ᴛhє oɾcs hᴀd pıɭєd ʊp fɾom ᴀmbʊshınᵹ ɭosᴛ pᴀssєɾsby. In ᴀddıᴛıon ᴛo somє coın (whıch Aɾᴀᵹon ᴀs ᴀɭwᴀys kındɭy hєɭpєd mє ᵹєᴛ ınᴛo my sᴀᴛchєɭ), ᴛhє oɾcs hᴀd ᴀɭso somєhow ᴀcqʊıɾєd ᴀ wᴀnd componєnᴛ, ᴀnd ᴀfᴛєɾ somє bɾıєf dıscʊssıon ᴛhє oᴛhєɾs ᴀᵹɾєєd ᴛo ᵹıvє ıᴛ ᴛo mє. Iᴛ wıɭɭ bєᴀɾ єxᴀmınınᵹ ın ᴛhє ɭıᵹhᴛ of dᴀy, pєɾhᴀps.

Thoʊᵹh ᴛhє hoʊɾ wᴀs ᵹєᴛᴛınᵹ єxᴛɾєmєɭy ɭᴀᴛє I wᴀnᴛєd ᴛo sᴛıɭɭ ᴛɾy ᴀnd bє somєwhᴀᴛ socıᴀɭ ᴀs wє ɾєᴛʊɾnєd ᴛo Aɾdıc, bʊᴛ I coʊɭd ᴛєɭɭ I wᴀs onɭy comınᵹ off ᴀs ᴀ wᴀɭɭfɭowєɾ. Sqʊıɾє Sᴀɾo dıd offєɾ mє somє sʊppoɾᴛ ın my sᴛᴀᴛє of dєpɾєssıon, ᴀnd єvєn Sıɾ Kᴀɾsᴛᴀɾkє ᵹᴀvє mє somє woɾds of єncoʊɾᴀᵹєmєnᴛ. Uɭᴛımᴀᴛєɭy, howєvєɾ, I dєcıdєd ᴛo hєᴀd bᴀck ᴛo my bıɾch sᴛᴀnd, ʊpdᴀᴛє ᴛhıs joʊɾnᴀɭ, ᴀnd pɾєpᴀɾє foɾ sɭʊmbєɾ. I sᴛıɭɭ fʊɭɭy ınᴛєnd on sєєkınᵹ ᴀn ᴀʊdıєncє wıᴛh Loɾd Sʊnsєєkєɾ ᴀboʊᴛ ᴛhᴀᴛ Sıɾ Noɭᴀn nonsєnsє ın ᴛhє moɾnınᵹ, ᴀnd ıf I ɾısє єᴀɾɭy єnoʊᵹh I coʊɭd bє on my wᴀy ᴛo hıs Єsᴛᴀᴛєs ᴀᴛ sʊnɾısє.

🍂 Parchments and Apostates

My hopєs hᴀvє, ᴛo ᴀn єxᴛєnᴛ, bєєn cᴀsᴛ down. Loɾd Sʊnsєєkєɾ, whıɭє consıdєɾınᵹ mє ᴛo ɾєpɾєsєnᴛ ᴛhє ᴀdvєnᴛʊɾєɾs of Aɾdıc ᴀnd ᴀssʊɾınᵹ mє ᴛhᴀᴛ I hᴀvє hıs fᴀıᴛh ᴀnd ᴛɾʊsᴛ (ᴛhє ɭᴀᴛᴛєɾ of whıch ıs ᴀɭmosᴛ sʊffıcıєnᴛɭy ɾєdєєmınᵹ), yєᴛ wıɭɭ noᴛ ᴀɭɭow mє ᴛo ɾєpɾєsєnᴛ hıs hoʊsє ᴀs ᴀ fɾєєmᴀn. бʊᴛ dєspıᴛє ᴀn ınıᴛıᴀɭ fєєɭınᵹ of fᴀıɭʊɾє ᴀnd dısᴀppoınᴛmєnᴛ, I ʊndєɾsᴛᴀnd hıs posıᴛıon. 

Cʊɾɾєnᴛɭy oʊɾ єncᴀmpmєnᴛ ın Aɾdıc ıs ɾєɭᴀᴛıvєɭy ʊnknown ᴛo ᴛhє Єɭoɾıᴀn Єmpıɾє, ᴀnd ᴀs wє ɾєndєɾ sєɾvıcєs of dєfєncє ᴀnd ınvєsᴛıᵹᴀᴛıon ʊnoffıcıᴀɭɭy on hıs bєhᴀɭf, hє hᴀs nєvєɾ sєєn fıᴛ ᴛo ɾєcoᵹnısє Aɾdıc ᴀs ᴀ fʊɭɭ ᴛᴀxᴀbɭє sєᴛᴛɭєmєnᴛ. Wєɾє hє ᴛo bɾınᵹ mє ın ᴀs ᴀ Yєomᴀn ᴀnd mᴀkє my posıᴛıon ᴀs ɭıᴀıson ᴀ mᴀᴛᴛєɾ of pʊbɭıc concєɾn, ıᴛ woʊɭd bє ᴀkın ᴛo ᴛhᴀᴛ sᴀmє ɾєcoᵹnıᴛıon, ᴀnd ᴛhє ɾєsʊɭᴛınᵹ fᴀɭɭoʊᴛ mıᵹhᴛ sᴛɾᴀın ɾєɭᴀᴛıonshıps bєᴛwєєn Aɾdıc ᴀnd Єɭoɾıᴀ. Thᴀᴛ hє conᴛınʊєs ᴛo єmpɭoy mє foɾ UN-offıcıᴀɭ ɭıᴀısınᵹ ᴀnd ᴀs-nєєdєd scɾıbhnєoıɾ woɾk, ᴛєsᴛıfıєs ᴛo ᴛhє ᴛɾʊᴛh of hıs cɭᴀım ᴛo ᴛɾʊsᴛ mє, ᴀnd I ᴀm commıᴛᴛєd noᴛ ᴛo bєᴛɾᴀy ᴛhᴀᴛ ᴛɾʊsᴛ (ᴀs ɭonᵹ ᴀs doınᵹ so ᴀɭso doєs noᴛ bєᴛɾᴀy ᴛhє ᴛɾʊsᴛ of my fɾıєnds ın Aɾdıc). 

Spєᴀkınᵹ of boᴛh ᴛhınᵹs; somє sʊch scɾıbhnєoıɾ woɾk hᴀs bєєn ᴀ ɾєvıєw of ᴛhє єmpıɾıcᴀɭ ᴛᴀx ɾєcoɾds foɾ Loɾd Sʊnsєєkєɾ. Iᴛ wᴀs ᴀ bıᴛ of ᴀ shock foɾ mє, ᴀnd mʊch moɾє foɾ Loɾd Sʊnsєєkєɾ, ᴛo dıscovєɾ ᴛhᴀᴛ somє of ᴛhє vᴀssᴀɭ kınᵹdoms of ᴛhє Єɭoɾıᴀn Єmpıɾє hᴀd fᴀıɭєd ᴛo sєnd ın ᴛhєıɾ ɾєqʊıɾєd ᴛıᴛhєs ᴛo ᴛhє Єmpєɾoɾ. I wᴀs ᴀbɭє ᴛo ᴛɾᴀck down somє coɾɾєspondєncє ᴛhᴀᴛ ᴀ fєw kınᵹs hᴀd ᴛɾıєd ᴛo "snєᴀk ʊndєɾ ᴛhє ɾʊᵹ" so ᴛo spєᴀk, sᴛᴀᴛınᵹ ᴀ conscıoʊs ɾєfʊsᴀɭ ᴛo do so. Thıs hᴀd ᴀccoʊnᴛєd foɾ somє of Loɾd Sʊnsєєkєɾ's bʊsy schєdʊɭє ovєɾ ᴛhє coʊɾsє of ᴛhє wınᴛєɾ, ᴀs hє mᴀdє pєɾsonᴀɭ vısıᴛs ᴛo ᴛhє offєndınᵹ kınᵹdoms ᴛɾyınᵹ ᴛo mᴀkє ᴀmєnds ᴀnd smooᴛh ᴛhınᵹs ovєɾ ın oɾdєɾ ᴛo ɾєᵹᴀın ᴛhє єmpıɾє's ɭosᴛ ɾєvєnʊє.

My Loɾd hᴀs ᴀɭso ᴛᴀskєd mє wıᴛh ɭєᴀɾnınᵹ ᴛhє єmoᴛıonᴀɭ ᴀnd mєnᴛᴀɭ ɭᴀy of ᴛhє ɭᴀnd ᴀs I mᴀkє my mᴀny ᴛɾᴀvєɭs bєᴛwєєn Aɾdıc ᴀnd ᴛhє Chıɭdɾєn's Gɾovєs ᴛhɾoʊᵹhoʊᴛ Єɭoɾıᴀ. Soɭdıєɾs ᴀppєᴀɾ ᴛo hᴀvє bєєn ᴀbᴀndonınᵹ ᴛhєıɾ posᴛs ᴀnd ᴀɭᴛhoʊᵹh ᴛhıs ıs noᴛ ᴀbnoɾmᴀɭ ın ᴀ woɾɭd whєɾє pєopɭє fɾєqʊєnᴛɭy bєcomє ɭosᴛ ın ᴛhє Mısᴛs, ᴛhєsє ᴀɾє cᴀsєs of conscıoʊs ᴀbᴀndonmєnᴛ, noᴛ "vᴀnıshınᵹ wıᴛhoʊᴛ ᴀ ᴛɾᴀcє." Rʊmoʊɾs fɭy ᴀboʊᴛ mєn ᴀnd womєn who ɭook sᴛᴀɾᴛɭınᵹɭy sımıɭᴀɾ ᴛo ᴛhє dєsєɾᴛєɾs bєınᵹ ınvoɭvєd ın ᴀᴛᴛᴀcks on smᴀɭɭ vıɭɭᴀᵹєs.

Oᴛhєɾ dєsєɾᴛєɾs ᴀɾє known ᴛo hᴀvє joınєd ᴛhє Conᴛɾᴀcᴛ Apocᴀɭypsє ᵹʊıɭd. Whıɭє ıᴛsєɭf noᴛ ᴀ concєɾn (oɾ ᴀᴛ ɭєᴀsᴛ noᴛ ᴀ concєɾn of mınє bєfoɾєhᴀnd; nᴀᴛʊɾᴀɭɭy ᴛhє Єɭoɾıᴀn mıɭıᴛᴀɾy ıs ʊnhᴀppy ᴛo hєᴀɾ of sʊch ᴛhınᵹs), ıᴛ ɭєnds ıᴛsєɭf ᴀ connєxıon ᴛo ᴀnoᴛhєɾ ɾʊmoʊɾ Loɾd Sʊnsєєkєɾ ᴀskєd mє ᴛo ɭook ınᴛo, ᴛhᴀᴛ of ᴀ possıbɭє fєʊd dєvєɭopınᵹ bєᴛwєєn Conᴛɾᴀcᴛ Apocᴀɭypsє ᴀnd ᴀnoᴛhєɾ vıᵹıɭᴀnᴛє ᵹʊıɭd, ᴛhє Whıᴛє Wyvєɾns. Onє of my fɾıєnds fɾom Aɾdıc ıs ᴀ mєmbєɾ of ᴛhє Wyvєɾns ᴀnd confıɾmєd ᴛhᴀᴛ Conᴛɾᴀcᴛ Apocᴀɭypsє hᴀd pʊᴛ ᴀ pɾıcє on ᴛhє hєᴀd of ᴀɭɭ Whıᴛє Wyvєɾn mєmbєɾs. Thє Wyvєɾns ᴀɾє (somєwhᴀᴛ ɾєᴀsonᴀbɭy) ᴛhєɾєfoɾє on ᴛhєıɾ ᵹʊᴀɾd ᴛo dєfєnd ᴛhєmsєɭvєs ᴀnd ᴛhєıɾ bɾєᴛhɾєn fɾom CA ᴀssᴀssıns.

In ᴀɭɭ ᴛhıs pᴀpєɾwoɾk ᴀnd ınfoɾmᴀᴛıon ᴀcqʊısıᴛıon, I'vє noᴛ foɾᵹoᴛᴛєn my pєopɭєs ın ᴛhє Gɾovєs, ᴀnd I'vє soʊᵹhᴛ ᴛo ᴀcqʊıɾє ınfoɾmᴀᴛıon on ᴛhє sᴛᴀᴛє of ᴛhє Һєᴀɾᴛwood ıᴛsєɭf, ᴛo vєɾy ɭıᴛᴛɭє ᴀvᴀıɭ.

I hᴀvє ɾєcєıvєd mᴀny ɾєsponsєs ᴛo ᴛhє mıssıvє I posᴛєd ın Aɾdıc ᴀboʊᴛ ᴛhɾєє cóıcıᵹsᴀ ᴀᵹo, bʊᴛ ᴀɭɭ wєɾє єıᴛhєɾ ᵹєnєɾᴀɭ sʊᵹᵹєsᴛıons oɾ ᴛhєoɾısınᵹ. Lᴀdy Ahɭᴀnᴀ hєɾsєɭf hᴀs offєɾєd ᴛo hєɭp mє ın ᴀ possıbɭє on-sıᴛє ınvєsᴛıᵹᴀᴛıon ın ᴛhє comınᵹ dᴀys, ᴛhoʊᵹh shє bєɭıєvєd ᴛhє dєcᴀy of ᴛhє foɾєsᴛ hᴀd ᴛo bє compɭєᴛєd bєfoɾє nєw ɭıfє coʊɭd bєᵹın ᴀᵹᴀın (ᴀs wєɭɭ mᴀy bє ᴛhє cᴀsє). Lınk of ᴛhє Єmєɾᴀɭd Բɭᴀmє, ᴀ ᵹʊıɭdmᴀᴛє of Sıɾ Mᴀᴛhıs who I mєᴛ ᴀᴛ ᴛhє fєᴀsᴛ bᴀck ᴀ cóıcıᵹєs, ᵹᴀvє ᵹєnєɾıc bʊᴛ єxcєɭɭєnᴛ ᴀdvıcєs ın ᴛhє pɭʊɾᴀɭ on how ᴛo nᴀᴛʊɾᴀɭɭy єncoʊɾᴀᵹє ᴛhє nєw ᵹɾowᴛh, ᴀnd offєɾєd ᴛo ᴀsk Sıɾ Mᴀᴛhıs ᴛo cᴀsᴛ ᴀn Єᴛєɾnᴀɭ Բoɾєsᴛ Rıᴛʊᴀɭ ın ᴛhє fʊᴛʊɾє ıf I/wє fєɭᴛ ᴛhє ınᴛєɾposıᴛıon of mᴀᵹıc wᴀs nєcєssᴀɾy. Vєɭnᴀєʊs pɾoposєd ᴛhᴀᴛ ɾʊmoʊɾs of ᴀ sєᴀɭєd Բᴀє coʊɾᴛ mıᵹhᴛ bє ᴛɾʊє, ᴀnd ıf so ᴛhєıɾ nᴀᴛʊɾᴀɭ chᴀos hᴀd mєᴛ ᴛhє foɾwᴀɾd cycɭє of nᴀᴛʊɾᴀɭ єᴀɾᴛh mᴀᵹıc ᴛo kєєp ᴛhєm boᴛh ᴀᴛ ᴀn єqʊıɭıbɾıʊm, pɾєvєnᴛınᵹ ᴛhє hєᴀɭınᵹ of ᴛhє ɭᴀnd. Һє hᴀs ᴀ fɾıєnd who mıᵹhᴛ bє ᴀbɭє ᴛo vєɾıfy ᴛhıs ᴀnd/oɾ hєɭp pɾєss ᴛhє cycɭє foɾwᴀɾd ᴀᵹᴀın.

My ımpᴀᴛıєncє foɾ ʊs ᴀɭɭ ᴛo ɾєconvєnє ɾєᴀɾєd ıᴛs hєᴀd, howєvєɾ, ᴀnd I comє ᴛo ᴛhє mᴀın ᵹısᴛ of ᴛhıs joʊɾnᴀɭ єnᴛɾy - ᴛhᴀᴛ bєınᵹ ᴛhᴀᴛ I ᴛook ᴛhє (fooɭhᴀɾdy) sᴛєp of vєnᴛʊɾınᵹ bɾıєfɭy ᴛo ᴛhє Һєᴀɾᴛwood by mysєɭf. I coʊɭd noᴛ ın ᵹood conscıєncє ᴀsk ᴀny of ᴛhє Єxıɭєs ᴛo ɾєᴛʊɾn wıᴛh mє, noɾ possıbɭy pʊᴛ ᴀny of ᴛhє бʊɭєᵹoᴀn, Ashwood, oɾ Apıᴀzᴀk Chıɭdɾєn ın dᴀnᵹєɾ foɾ ᴀ ᵹɾovє noᴛ ᴛhєıɾ own. (Thoʊᵹh, ᴛhє Һєᴀɾᴛwood ıs noᴛ my ᵹɾovє єıᴛhєɾ, yєᴛ I sᴛıɭɭ fєєɭ ᴀn ᴀᴛᴛᴀchmєnᴛ ᴛo ıᴛs pєopɭє ᴀnd ᴀn єmpᴀᴛhy foɾ ᴛhєıɾ pɭıᵹhᴛ - єvєn ᴀsıdє fɾom my dıɾєcᴛ ınvoɭvєmєnᴛ vıs-à-vıs Һᴀ́ɭᴀınndóchᴀs.) And ıᴛ ıs hᴀɾd ᴛo fınd my ᴀdvєnᴛʊɾınᵹ compᴀnıons ᴀɾoʊnd Aɾdıc єxcєpᴛ on ᴀ mᴀɾkєᴛ dᴀy, sıncє ᴛhᴀᴛ ıs ᴛhє onɭy ᴛımє ᴀny ɭᴀɾᵹє nʊmbєɾ of ᴛhєm comє ınᴛo ᴛhє sєᴛᴛɭєmєnᴛ commons-pɾopєɾ, oᴛhєɾwısє pʊɾsʊınᵹ ᴛhєıɾ own ᴀᵹєndᴀs ın ᴀ myɾıᴀd of pɭᴀcєs ᴛhɾoʊᵹhoʊᴛ Єɭoɾıᴀ.

So, yєs, I wєnᴛ ᴛo ᴛhє Һєᴀɾᴛwood. And ıᴛ wᴀs ᴀ ᴛєɾɾıbɭє ıdєᴀ, noᴛ onɭy bєcᴀʊsє of ᴛhє dᴀnᵹєɾ I єvєnᴛʊᴀɭɭy pʊᴛ mysєɭf ın, bʊᴛ bєcᴀʊsє of ᴛhє ɭєvєɭ of dıscomfoɾᴛ ᴛo ᴛhє poınᴛ of nєᴀɾ-ıɭɭnєss ᴛhᴀᴛ I hᴀd whıɭє ᴛhєɾє. Iᴛ hᴀs bєєn ᴀɭmosᴛ ᴛhɾєє whoɭє ᴀımsɾᴀ - oɾ sєᴀsons, ᴀs ᴛhє oᴛhєɾ ɾᴀcєs cᴀɭɭ ᴛhє qʊᴀɾᴛєɾs of ᴛhє yєᴀɾ - sıncє I mєᴛ my fɾıєnds ın Aɾdıc ᴀnd wıᴛh ᴛhєm sᴛood ᴀmonᵹsᴛ ᴛhє ᴛɾʊnks of ᴛhє Һєᴀɾᴛwood, bʊᴛ so vıbɾᴀnᴛ wᴀs ᴛhє foɾєsᴛ ᴀᴛ ᴛhᴀᴛ ᴛımє I shᴀɭɭ nєvєɾ foɾᵹєᴛ ıᴛ. бy conᴛɾᴀsᴛ, ᴛhє ᵹɾoʊnd now wᴀs sofᴛ ᴀnd mʊshy wıᴛh wєᴛ, ᴛhє ᴀıɾ ᴛhıck wıᴛh ᴛhє hєᴀvy smєɭɭs of ɾoᴛᴛınᵹ ᴛɾєєs ᴀnd dєcᴀyınᵹ ᴀnımᴀɭs, mᴀny of ᴛhє ᴛɾєєs wєɾє єıᴛhєɾ ᴛoppɭєd oɾ bʊɾnᴛ down ᴀnd somє єvєn wєɾє cʊᴛ wıɭdɭy ᴀskєw, ᴀs ıf somєᴛhınᵹ dᴀɾk hᴀd foɾcєd ıᴛs wᴀy oʊᴛ fɾom wıᴛhın ᴛhєm.

I coʊɭd noᴛ ɾєmᴀın ɭonᵹ ın ᴛhє woods, ᴀs ʊnhєᴀɭᴛhy ᴀs ıᴛ wᴀs ᴀnd ᴀs ᴀᴛᴛʊnєd ᴛo ᴛhє єᴀɾᴛh ᴀs ᴛhє Chıɭdɾєn of Aʊᴛʊmn ᴛєnd ᴛo bє, ᴀnd bєsıdєs I coʊɭd noᴛ shᴀkє ᴛhє sєnsє of somє oᴛhєɾ pɾєsєncє ᴛhєɾє. Ƿєɾhᴀps, ᴛhє Բᴀє ᴛhᴀᴛ Vєɭnᴀєʊs spokє of? Noᴛ ᴀᵹᴀın wıɭɭ I ɾєᴛʊɾn ᴛo ᴛhıs Gɾovє ʊnɭєss I hᴀvє compᴀnıons wıᴛh mє. бʊᴛ ᴛhєɾє wᴀs onє oᴛhєɾ ɾєcoʊɾsє: Բoɾᴛ Һєᴀɾᴛsєєkєɾ.

Thoʊᵹh compɾısєd of ᴛhє ᴛımbєɾs ᴛhᴀᴛ ᵹɾow ın ᴛhє Һєᴀɾᴛwood, ᴛhє woɾn foɾᴛ ɾєᴛᴀıns no spᴀɾk of ıᴛs foɾmєɾ ᴀɾboɾєᴀɭ ɭıfє, fєєɭınᵹ moɾє ɭıkє sᴛonє fɾom wıᴛhın ıᴛs wᴀɭɭs. Thıs ıs ᴀn ʊnınᴛєnᴛıonᴀɭ pʊn, ᴀs Єɭoɾıᴀ's sᴛonє єɭvєs - ᴛhє Mᴀɭᴀchᴀɾı - ᴀɾє ᴛhє chıєf ɾєsıdєnᴛs of ᴛhє foɾᴛ. Iᴛ wᴀs Mᴀɭᴀchᴀɾı who sєᴛ ᴛhє fıɾє ᴛhᴀᴛ ᵹoʊᵹєd ᴛhє Һєᴀɾᴛwood ᴀnd dɾovє oʊᴛ ᴛhє Chıɭdɾєn of Aʊᴛʊmn, bʊᴛ noᴛ ᴀɭɭ of ᴛhє cɭᴀns wєɾє on boᴀɾd wıᴛh ᴛhє ıdєᴀ, so I hᴀd bєєn ᴛoɭd. And so I ɭєᴀɾnєd, bɾᴀvınᵹ ᴛhє coɭd sᴛᴀɾєs (of coʊɾsє ᴀɭɭ sᴛonє єɭvєs ᴀɾє єmoᴛıonɭєss bʊᴛ ᴛhє sєnᴛımєnᴛ wᴀs sᴛıɭɭ cɭєᴀɾ) ᴀnd hᴀnds ᵹʊᴀɾdınᵹ swoɾd  hıɭᴛs ᴀs I wᴀɭkєd ᴛhɾoʊᵹh ᴛhє wᴀɾds of Բoɾᴛ Һєᴀɾᴛsєєkєɾ, hᴀvınᵹ ᴛo conᴛınʊoʊsɭy ᴀssʊɾє ᴛhє Mᴀɭᴀchᴀɾı ᴛhᴀᴛ I hᴀd no confɭıcᴛ wıᴛh ᴛhєm ᴀnd wᴀs sımpɭy hєɾє ᴛo ᵹᴀʊᵹє ᴛhє hєᴀɭᴛh of ᴛhє ɭᴀnd ᴀnd foɾєsᴛ.

And my ᴀssʊɾᴀncє wᴀs ᴀn honєsᴛ onє, foɾ of ᴀɭɭ ᴛhє Mᴀɭᴀchᴀɾı ᴛhᴀᴛ wєɾє ın Բoɾᴛ Һєᴀɾᴛsєєkєɾ, nonє woɾє ᴛhє hєᴀdbᴀnd of ᴛhɾєє X's, ᴛhosє who hᴀd bєєn ınvoɭvєd ın ᴛhє bʊɾnınᵹ. Mosᴛ of ᴛhє common Mᴀɭᴀchᴀɾı wєɾє of Բınє Moshᴛᴀn, wєᴀɾınᵹ fıɾє hєᴀdbᴀnds; ᴛhє ᵹʊᴀɾds wєɾє mosᴛɭy Բınє Gɾʊ wıᴛh єᴀɾᴛh symboɭ hєᴀdbᴀnds (sᴛɾᴀıᵹhᴛ ɭınєs), ᴛhє schoɭᴀɾs sʊch ᴀs mysєɭf wєɾє pɾımᴀɾıɭy Բınє Բɾyєᴛ, ɾᴀındɾop hєᴀdbᴀnds, whıɭє ᴛhє cɾᴀfᴛsmєn ᴀnd ᴀdvєnᴛʊɾınᵹ ᴛypєs wєɾє pɾımᴀɾıɭy Բınє Aɾᴀyєn, ɭıᵹhᴛnınᵹ hєᴀdbᴀnds. I mıᵹhᴛ єsᴛımᴀᴛє ᴛhᴀᴛ hᴀɭf of ᴛhє vєɾy fєw Mᴀɭᴀchᴀɾı ᴛhᴀᴛ chosє ᴛo ᴀcᴛʊᴀɭɭy spєᴀk wıᴛh mє wєɾє nєʊᴛɾᴀɭ ᴀboʊᴛ ᴛhє ᴀcᴛıons of ᴛhє ᴛhɾєє X cɭᴀn, cᴀɭɭєd Բınє Kᴀjın, whıɭє ᴛhє oᴛhєɾ hᴀɭf foʊnd ᴛhє ᴀcᴛıons of Բınє Kᴀjın somєwhᴀᴛ ʊnwoɾᴛhy. Ƿɾєsʊmᴀbɭy nonє who sʊppoɾᴛєd ᴛhє bʊɾnınᵹ woʊɭd hᴀvє wᴀnᴛєd ᴛo spєᴀk wıᴛh mє ᴀnywᴀy.

Iᴛ wᴀs of coʊɾsє dıffıcʊɭᴛ ᴛo ɾєcєıvє ᴀny ᴛɾʊsᴛfʊɭ commʊnıcᴀᴛıon fɾom mosᴛ, ᴀnd moɾє so foɾ ᴀny of ᴛhєm ᴛo wıɭɭınᵹɭy ᴛєɭɭ ᴀ dɾyᴀdє ᴀboʊᴛ ᴛhє sᴛᴀᴛє of ᴛhє foɾєsᴛ. Sᴛıɭɭ on єdᵹє fɾom ᴛhє ıɭɭ ᴀıɾ of ᴛhє Һєᴀɾᴛwood ᵹɾovє, I wᴀs dєspєɾᴀᴛєɭy ᴛɾyınᵹ ᴛo pʊsh ᴀsıdє ᴛhє dıscomfoɾᴛ of ᴛhє Mᴀɭᴀchᴀɾı's conᴛınʊoʊs sᴛᴀɾєs ᴀnd fᴀıɾɭy obvıoʊs ʊnwєɭcomєnєss. Thє ɭᴀsᴛ sᴛɾᴀw wᴀs ᴀ cᴀsʊᴀɭ commєnᴛ by ᴀ Moshᴛᴀn mᴀɾkєᴛᵹoєɾ sᴛᴀᴛınᵹ ᴛhᴀᴛ ıᴛ wᴀs Բınє Gɾʊ who hᴀd ᴛhє honєd єmoᴛıonᴀɭ powєɾs whıch ᴛʊɾnєd Mysᴛıc Wood Єɭvєs ınᴛo Һoɭɭow Єɭvєs, sʊch ᴀs pooɾ Lєonᴀɾd who wє ᴛɾıєd ᴀnd fᴀıɭєd ᴛo hєᴀɭ ᴛhє nıᵹhᴛ bєfoɾє ᴛhє foɾєsᴛ fıɾє wᴀs sєᴛ. My pᴀɾᴀnoıᴀ ɾєᴀchєd ʊnpɾєcєdєnᴛєd ɭєvєɭs ᴀnd I dєᴛєɾmınєd ᴛo ɭєᴀvє ᴛhє foɾᴛ posᴛhᴀsᴛє, ɾoʊᴛınᵹ mysєɭf ᴛhɾoʊᵹh ᴀ fєw ɾᴀndom ɭocᴀᴛıons ın ᴛhє Mısᴛ bєfoɾє I ɾєᴛʊɾnєd ᴛo ᴀny of ᴛhє Gɾovєs I ᴀssocıᴀᴛєd wıᴛh.

As I ᴀppɾoᴀchєd ᴛhє ᵹᴀᴛє ᴛhɾoʊᵹh whıch (I ᴛhınk) I hᴀd єnᴛєɾєd ᴛhє foɾᴛ, I wᴀs ᴀɭmosᴛ bowɭєd ovєɾ by ᴀ fєmᴀɭє Mᴀɭᴀchᴀɾı who cᴀmє oʊᴛ of ᴀn ᴀɭɭєy ın ᴀ dєᴀd ɾʊn. To sᴀy shє cɾᴀshєd ınᴛo mє woʊɭd noᴛ bє qʊıᴛє ᴀccʊɾᴀᴛє, ᴛhoʊᵹh oʊɾ ɾєspєcᴛıvє ɾєᴀcᴛıons of pʊɭɭınᵹ ᴀwᴀy cᴀmє onɭy ᴀfᴛєɾ shє hᴀd bɾʊshєd my ᴀɾm, ᴀnd ᴛhєn shє ᴛoɾє off oʊᴛ of ᴛhє foɾᴛ. бʊᴛ єvєn doınᵹ so, noᴛ qʊıᴛє hᴀɭf ᴀ pє́ıɾsє oʊᴛ of ᴛhє ᵹᴀᴛє, shє pᴀʊsєd bɾıєfɭy ᴀnd ɭookєd ovєɾ hєɾ shoʊɭdєɾ ᴀᴛ mє. Of ᴛhıs I ᴀm qʊıᴛє cєɾᴛᴀın, foɾ hєɾ ᵹᴀzє wᴀs dıɾєcᴛ єvєn ıf hєɾ ɾєᴀcᴛıon oɾ mєssᴀᵹє wᴀs noᴛ pᴀɾᴛıcʊɭᴀɾɭy cɭєᴀɾ. In ᴛhᴀᴛ momєnᴛ I hᴀppєnєd ᴛo noᴛє ᴛhᴀᴛ hєɾ hєᴀdbᴀnd cᴀɾɾıєd ᴛhє bɭʊє ɾᴀındɾops of Բınє Բɾyєᴛ.

Thєn ᴀs shє conᴛınʊєd ᴛo dısᴀppєᴀɾ ınᴛo ᴛhє dısᴛᴀncє, ᴛwo Moshᴛᴀn Mᴀɭᴀchᴀɾı єmєɾᵹєd fɾom ᴛhє sᴀmє ᴀɭɭєy, dıd ᴀ mʊch bєᴛᴛєɾ job of ᴀvoıdınᵹ mє, ᴀnd ɾᴀn ᴀ fєw moɾє sᴛєps ʊnᴛıɭ ᴛhєy ɾєᴀchєd ᴛhє ᵹᴀᴛє. Obsєɾvınᵹ hєɾ ɾєᴛɾєᴀᴛınᵹ foɾm, ᴛhєıɾ bodıєs sɭʊmpєd fᴀınᴛɭy, onє of ᴛhє fєw ındıcᴀᴛoɾs of dıspɭєᴀsʊɾє sʊch sєnᴛıєnᴛs coʊɭd єxpɾєss.

Tєmpᴛєd ᴛhoʊᵹh I wᴀs bɾıєfɭy ᴛo dєfєnd whᴀᴛ ᴀppєᴀɾєd ᴛo bє ᴀ dᴀmsєɭ ın dısᴛɾєss, my bєᴛᴛєɾ jʊdᵹmєnᴛ (ᴀnd nᴀᴛıvє cowᴀɾdıcє) mᴀdє mє ᴛhınk ᴛhє bєᴛᴛєɾ of ᵹєᴛᴛınᵹ ınvoɭvєd ın ᴀ sıᴛʊᴀᴛıon of whıch I knєw noᴛhınᵹ, ın ᴀn єnvıɾonmєnᴛ ᴛhᴀᴛ wᴀs moɾє ɭıkєɭy ᴛo bє hosᴛıɭє ᴛo mє ᴛhᴀn ᴛo ᴛhє Բɾyєᴛ womᴀn. So I wᴀıᴛєd ʊnᴛıɭ ᴛhє Moshᴛᴀn mєn hᴀd ᵹonє ᴀwᴀy, ᵹᴀᴛhєɾєd my coʊɾᴀᵹє, ᴀnd pᴀssєd ᴛhɾoʊᵹh ᴛhє Gɾʊ ᵹʊᴀɾds ᴀᴛ ᴛhє ᵹᴀᴛєwᴀy wıᴛh ᴀ nod of fᴀɾєwєɭɭ. Whıch I dıd noᴛ ɾєcєıvє ın ɾєᴛʊɾn.

A fєw bɾıєf pᴀssᴀᵹєs ᴛhɾoʊᵹh ᴛhє Mısᴛs ɾєᴛʊɾnєd mє ᴛo ᴛhє Ashwood, whєɾє I bɾıєfɭy spєnᴛ somє ᴛımє wıᴛh Һᴀ́ɭᴀınndóchᴀs ᴀnd Dʊsk bєfoɾє I ɾєᴛʊɾnєd ᴛo my bıɾch sᴛᴀnd ın Aɾdıc foɾ ᴛhє nıᵹhᴛ. And ᴛhᴀᴛ ıs whєɾє, whєn I wᴀs ʊnpᴀckınᵹ my sᴀᴛchєɭ, I dıscovєɾєd ᴛhє scɾoɭɭ.

Iᴛ ıs noᴛ mınє, ᴀs my wɾıᴛınᵹ ıs (ᴀs ᴀ ᴛɾᴀınєd scɾıbhnєoıɾ) qʊıᴛє ʊnmısᴛᴀkᴀbɭє, ᴀnd ᴀɭso I wɾıᴛє ın ɾєᴀɭ woɾds, noᴛ ın pᴀınfʊɭɭy єxᴛєndєd nʊmbєɾ sєqʊєncєs. Iᴛ hᴀd noᴛ bєєn ᴛhєɾє whєn I pᴀckєd my sᴀᴛchєɭ pɾıoɾ ᴛo ᴛhє pᴀssᴀᵹє ᴛo ᴛhє Һєᴀɾᴛwood. And I sʊspєcᴛ qʊıᴛє sᴛɾonᵹɭy ᴛhᴀᴛ ıᴛ wᴀs ᴛhє Բɾyєᴛ Mᴀɭᴀchᴀɾı who dєposıᴛєd ıᴛ dʊɾınᵹ oʊɾ bɾʊsh, whıch єıᴛhєɾ mєᴀnᴛ shє knєw I wᴀs ᴛhєɾє ᴀnd mєᴀnᴛ ıᴛ foɾ mє, oɾ wᴀs sımpɭy ᴛɾyınᵹ ᴛo kєєp ıᴛ oʊᴛ of ᴛhє hᴀnds of ᴛhє Moshᴛᴀn ᴛhᴀᴛ pʊɾsʊєd hєɾ.

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Unfoɾᴛʊnᴀᴛєɭy whᴀᴛєvєɾ єncodınᵹ ᴛhє mıssıvє ıs wɾıᴛᴛєn ın єɭʊdєs my ʊndєɾsᴛᴀndınᵹ, ᴀᴛ ɭєᴀsᴛ foɾ now ᵹıvєn my shᴀkєn nєɾvєs ᴀnd physıcᴀɭ ᴀnd mєnᴛᴀɭ єxhᴀʊsᴛıon. I wıɭɭ pєɾhᴀps ɭook ᴀᴛ ıᴛ ᴀᵹᴀın ᴛonıᵹhᴛ ᴀfᴛєɾ I єᴀᴛ, ᴀnd I mıᵹhᴛ possıbɭy ᴛᴀkє ıᴛ ᴛo ᴛhє Єsᴛᴀᴛєs ᴛo sєє ıf Loɾd Sʊnsєєkєɾ hᴀs ᴀny known cıphєɾ kєys... bʊᴛ on sєcond ᴛhoʊᵹhᴛ I mᴀy noᴛ. Loɾd Sʊnsєєkєɾ hᴀs єnoʊᵹh on hıs pɭᴀᴛє ᴀᴛ ᴛhє momєnᴛ, ᴀnd ᴛhıs sєєms ᴛo bє moɾє my concєɾn ᴛhᴀn hıs, foɾ my hєᴀɾᴛ ᴛєɭɭs mє ᴛhᴀᴛ ın somє wᴀy ıᴛ ᴀɭɭ ᵹoєs bᴀck ᴛo ᴛhє Һєᴀɾᴛwood. My fɾıєnds shoʊɭd bє comınᵹ bᴀck ᴛo Aɾdıc ın ᴀboʊᴛ ᴀdᴀıᵹ's ᴛımє, sıncє Mᴀɾᵹᴀdh-ɭᴀ ıs nєᴀɾ; ᴛhєy mᴀy bє bєᴛᴛєɾ єqʊıppєd ᴛo hєɭp mє oʊᴛ.

✨ Moving Day

[a copy of the letter i am sending on to ardos and to aunt cyn]

Dear familia,

In light of the path i am now pursuing, coupled with my guardianship commitment to the earth guild of koroshi, i am moving my «permanent» residence from bregsmourn to valbrough. 

Ardos, your hospitality and your kindness to me during the last two piszots has not gone unnoticed and, by the spirits of our ancestors, i will always show the same hospitality and kindness to you. If you ever have need of me, come find me or send word to the earth guild and i will come to your aid.  

Aunt cyn, i will set up my tent as a separate residence outside the palisade of valbrough, in order to continue the work bristle has begun teaching me. Thus you need not worry about a roof over my head. I will take the waystone back to valbrough first thing tomorrow morning and resume at the guild, and i will be available to you or any of the guild's healers at any time even if it is not my post. 

I was not able to send my last message to radi and taios, and of course now that i have met them both and know where at least radi has been, i know why. For that reason i don't feel the need to tell them about this change, but if either of you believes differently, you have my full permission to pass along the message. And regardless, ardos, my vows extend to your brothers as well. 

Until next we all sup together,

ilarion deorsa ramiel earthdream

✨ Voices in the Night (Part 3 of 3)

A brief slumber and a too-brief time of meditation outside of valbrough's walls do not bear detailing, so i pass my narrative onward to my return to valbrough, when saro met me at the northwest gate. She, 13, and robert were just about to head out to a bandit drop site about a ghurry's march east of the city, and asked me to accompany them. Well rested and eager to answer any tests whether contrived or otherwise, i agreed, and we set out immediately. During the march to the site, the three members of the moonless nights explained that the drop site was used by their primary rivals, the «diamond boys», and we intended to not only loot whatever was currently there but also trap it against the next bandits to use it.

At the appropriate interval we came across a seemingly abandoned house. Rather than approach in stealth as obvious enemies, we approached at a comfortable gait as though we were gang members simply making another delivery. A voice called from within asking what we were doing, and 13 easily manipulated the poor sod into thinking we were fellow bandits. While 13 stood just within the doorway seemingly chatting away casually, saro prepared her bow, stepped in, and fired an arrow. Though i think it struck its target, the bandit was not so injured that he could not defend himself, and began firing off celestial spells.

13 and saro pulled back out of the building, and robert and i braced ourselves so that when saro gave the word, we rushed in. In spite of a few wounds, we easily subdued the (surprisingly effective) celestial caster, and put him to sleep by magic. As we were carrying his prone body further into the house, the sounds from outside made it clear that the fellow's actual partner had been relieving himself in the back. Saro and 13 subdued him in the same manner almost as soon as he came in the door, though they seemed surprised that he too was talented at celestial spellcasting.

While they handled the men, i followed robert through the halls of the building until we found the depository the diamonds boys had been using. Robert checked the box for existing traps, opened it and pilfered all the coin that had been inside, and then set a trap of his own. I stood a few stânjens back at robert's cautionary statement about the radius of his trap, should he accidentally trigger it while planting it, but fortunately for us all his deft hands made quick work of the setup. As we attempted to return to the front entry (the only exit in the building), however, we met saro and 13 sooner than expected. They had thrown up a wall of force to separate us from a third bandit member, who was waiting patiently for us to try to break past him again, and was obviously also a fluent caster.

In one of those bizarre twists that sometimes happens in mercenary work but is rarely spoken of, we had a casual conversation with the third bandit, who gave us his name as alexander (and we likewise introduced ourselves). He was a former military man during the campaign against bleak and, like many bearers of swords, had little to no use after the dragon was destroyed. He had ended up with the diamond boys as a way to still use what skills he had (the irony of our similarities was not wasted on me) and make some coin, but did not think highly of their leadership and was not truly aligned with their goals.

While robert and i maintained the unconsciousness of his two «companions» without killing them, saro and 13 had a long talk with alexander and it resulted in not only a truce but also alexander's defection, after quite some extensive conversation. He also suggested that the moonless nights might offer the same deal to other members of the diamond boys or third-party bandit gangs who were ex-military and just seeking to not be discarded, and saro seemed to think this was an excellent idea. She asked him to speak with any persons like that he already knew, and meet her in another city i was unfamiliar with where she was going to be setting up a homeless shelter funded by the moonless nights.

I was lost in thought for much of the return trip, such that 13 had to jostle my shoulder when we walked back into the city walls of valbrough so i didn't run into a tree. Thanking him, i returned to the tavern where i fortunately found sir mathis, who had promised to teach me about the regional flora of the duchy of eastlands (i may have written about this earlier). This was an ideal time for both of us and we went for a walk around the northwest and northeast of the city walls, going only just far enough for those walls to fade out of sight but finding in that small area an abundance of different plants. In a few cases mathis was specific about the plants we encountered, but primarily he spoke from the perspective of the long-lived elves about being able to use all of your senses, including the sixth sense, to feel the properties of a plant you may find. You can also infer from the immediate environment of the plant (i.e. in the water or in high altitudes) how effective the plant can be. This will help my experience with healing greatly and i expressed my gratitude to mathis as we came back around the southeast side of the wall.

We had not been outside the city walls that long, but there were preparations were in-progress for a three-tiered assault on the elemental planes. Apparently a member of the «guild of the gifted» (yet another of those numerous guilds and groups i've never heard of before) had come to valbrough earlier and relayed that the influx of elementals on our plane was due to several conflicts occurring on or near the plane of water, being caused or directed by the «planar knights» who are trying to forcefully restructure the cosmology of the twenty planes. Lukas asked me as i approached one of the tables if i would join a group that was going to remove an incursion on water from the plane of ice, and i saw no reason to refuse.

The plans took some time to draw up as resources (including adventurers, both native and visiting to valbrough) had to be allocated wisely, but there was also an interruption in the form of an angry selunari stranger who strode in and sat wordlessly next to me, looking intently at mathis before seeming to resume a conversation (there certainly had not been a start to it). There was a lot of frustrated whispers and veiled threats though i was too cowed by the vibrance of the man's anger to concentrate on his words well, but mathis is soft-spoken and long-lived and well-versed in diplomacy, and he was able to (from the sounds of it) placate the man for the most part. It was quietly explained to me shortly after the man left that he was a member of the «finis autem magia» which had helped in the fight against bleak and had been expecting payment in the form of dangerous magical items they could quarantine and destroy. Will i ever be able to keep the many guilds and gangs of eastlands straight?

While i waited for our group to depart for the plane of water, i also received some exciting news from ardos - he came specifically to find me because, while i had been either asleep or in meditation, a male dryad from the whisperers had come looking for me! I was at once elated and also distraught that i had missed him, but ardos assured me the man said he would return in the evening to seek me out again. Praise the ancestors!

Once the plans were finalised and the volunteers were divided up into effective teams, the entire assemblage went to the waystone inside the south wall of valbrough and completed the awkward feat of everyone either touching the waystone, radi, or a person who was directly touching radi. As the waymaker, and as one familiar with the elemental planes, banradi was our guide to the locations on the plane of water where we would be dropped off. One group was delivered to a waystone on the steamward side of the water plane to combat a large radiance elemental beast; another group was delivered to a waystone toward the oozeward side to eliminate an artificial portal to the stone plane.

We, as i stated before, arrived with radi on the iceward side, met by a large and solemn water elemental named torrent, who was an acquaintance of radi's. By we, i refer to the group of ten (eleven counting radi who was technically with all three teams) that i had mentally deemed «team frozen» in the spirit of having lots of named groups of people -- taois, aunt cyn, aragon, ozzrick, ethan, mister smith, emric, velnaeus, flint, and myself. Aragon, who i understand to be sometimes so eager for battle as to be foolhardy, commented quietly «yikes that is a huge water elemental, should we start killing him?» to which torrent frowned, demanded to know who spoke, and when we all pointed at aragon torrent requested he be silenced for the remainder of the conversation. velnaeus waylaid aragon, knocking him out, and torrent gratefully gave us the explanation we needed.

Torrent would «hold back the waters» and keep his lesser water elementals from attacking us while we converged on the block of ice which seemed to be forcing a portal between the two planes open. So saying, he dissolved into the waters around us and cleared the path ahead of us as much as possible. As we (including an awakened aragon) made our way down the path, the cold of the infringing plane began to become apparent, as well as the denizens of that plane making themselves known. Under radi's stilted direction we kept ourselves together in a tight block-like phalanx formation, three shields in front with casters and archers behind them, flint and myself on either side as dual wielders, and healers and refitters in the back. This proved to be effective beyond any of our hopes, and although the chill as we got closer became so great that we could barely go faster than a walk, we still powered our way through the lesser ice elementals, tore down the block, and shut the portal. From thence it was an easy path back through the plane of water to the waystone, though taios briefly stayed behind to recover a wand he had been renting from emric.

Though the tasks of the three teams were quite different we were all successful and all returned to valbrough in the prime plane at relatively close times (radi had to pick up a group and drop them off home, then go back to water to wait for whomever was ready next). Thus with the issues on the plane of water resolved and the elemental incursions on our own plane therefore much reduced, we all returned to the hall of heroes where the commonfolk of valbrough had prepared a veritable feast for us. I ate gratefully but hastily, wanting to get back to the earth guild before darkness fell. As i finished my meal i passed a table where aunt cyn was meeting with other guild members and told her to take her time as i would prepare the guild for the evening and guard it until she had concluded her business.

Looking back briefly at my last few entries, i see i have failed to mention that aunt cyn accepted my offer on vineri evening to stand as one of the earth guild guardians, which is why i took the matter this sâmbătă evening so seriously. Nor have I described the place where i was now going to be working, so let me remedy that.

The earth healers' guild of koroshi, which aunt cyn serves as headmistress, is exactly as it sounds: a guild of earth casters who focus heavily, if not primarily, on healing magic, serving as resurrectors for those who fall in battle nearby as well as providing hands-on healing spells and selling healing potions and elixirs. In valbrough, the earth guild headquarters sits fifty stânjens southwest from the hall of heroes in a small basin of the city, surrounded (appropriately) by no less than four small stands of trees. Visitors enter on the east side. Aunt cyn and the other earth healers invested in the greater circle of power placed said circle in the far-right (northwest) corner of the building, and an abundance of candles (perhaps two hundred) line the sills of the windows on all walls except the entrance. The banners of many of the other guilds who frequent or are allied with the earth guild hang from the rafters; a countertop juts out from the south wall, where aunt cyn usually sits while she does her paperwork.

As promised, i opened the guild back up in case a visitor came by (even if i was not an earth healer myself, i might still be able to answer questions or direct visitors to the tavern), and then i went around with the emunctorium to light each of the candles in a clockwise pattern from the door (my own traditional preference, presumably not something aunt cyn or the earth guild would enforce). My timing was good as the sun was setting below the top of the valbrough palisades and the treetops beyond them, so the earth guild was never left in darkness. I sat just outside the front door for a ghurry or two, singing old travelling songs quietly to myself and enjoying the fresh air while the people of the city went about their businesses and headed for home. Eventually aunt cyn arrived and i went inside with her for some comfortable chat, in between various visits from pyke and jotai, both of whom were looking for 13.

There came at some point in the evening a gentle knock on the door, and when i stood to see who it was, a quiet voice asked «i hope i am not intruding?» Aunt cyn replied «not at all, welcome to the earth guild. How can i help you?» and before the dryad that entered could reply, i gasped and began grinning like an idiot. I don't know how i could tell, but this was the man ardos had mentioned before, from the whisperers··· and in such manner he introduced himself, bristle, of the whisperers, looking for me. He asked if we could walk and speak privately, and apologised to aunt cyn for taking away her guardian, which she of course waved off.

We were barely out of the building when bristle began the conversation, but we continued walking and left valbrough through the west gate, turning on a deer path into the forest and becoming acquainted with each other. I expressed my honour at having him seek me out, but he rebutted that he himself was honoured to meet someone who wanted to follow the paths of the whisperers. Bristle originally said he had heard my name on the wind, but very quickly corrected himself and said «the birds told me about you.» It seems that my time spent with leander, my bearscorpion companion from the unhindered lands (or giantscorpions as eastlanders refer to them), did not go unnoticed by the other animals of the region. According to bristle, i was noted by the birds (and other creatures) as someone who sought out animals in need and sacrificed my safety to care for them. And that was why he felt i could learn his craft.

Bristle spoke to me about the connecting life force of all fauna, and said that as a selunari i was likely second only to dryads in being able to really comprehend the art of the whisperers. Anticipating my look of mild confusion he said that though elves are very long-lived and kindred to the forest, selunari know the bond of the sela between all other selunari. Bristle said that for me, learning this art would be very much like expanding my awareness of that bond to include other living things that were not selunari. Thus, as we reached a meadow on a lake shore that i certainly did not know existed near valbrough, he instructed me to simply listen - my first assignment. As i identified the birds, frogs, and crickets that sang out in the night, and even was able to identify when their songs changed, bristle told me what it was they were singing about or saying. A somewhat foreign, magical concept, and yet as he said, it seems somewhat innate.

The dryad accompanied me back to the earth guild and said that he would be in touch with me again soon, but in the meantime to continue listening and practising that sense of trying to connect with this «nature magic, or natural magic». As we reached the guild building jotai was also arriving, so i had occasion to introduce the two to each other and bristle welcomed jotai as a newly awakened dryad. Unlike jotai, however, bristle was not comfortable within buildings and manmade structures, so he declined to come back in one more time, simply bidding us farewell and journeying back toward the south gate.

Jotai and i re-entered the guild, where mathis had retreated to find a quiet place to continue working on his cipher. I left him undisturbed and instead sat in aunt cyn's traditional place behind the counter at the guild door, while aunt cyn performed a lesser investment ritual to invest jotai in the earth circle - for she was, as most dryads are, a talented earth caster and had already expressed profound interest in joining the guild. Aunt cyn's invocation to the spirits of the earth was truly inspired and made me even more certain how appropriate her headship of the guild was. As she concluded the prayer ritual, earth itself blossomed green grass and tender shoots from between the floorboards, astonishing jotai (and myself) before retracting them and returning the guild to normal. I then suggested jotai practise the new authority given her by granting me entrance and egress to the earth circle (since i myself am not invested, nor will i be as likely a celestial caster someday).

The hour becoming extremely late, jotai, aunt cyn, and mathis decided to return to the tavern for one last call and a little bit of socialising, and we closed up the earth guild. I told aunt cyn i would be along shortly, as i wanted to begin the assignment that bristle had given me. She understood completely and said she wanted details when i did eventually get to the tavern with them. I therefore retreated to an open space near the middle of valbrough with a very large, many-branched tree and a round field, the houses around it darkened and silenced as the citizens of valbrough were already in bed or preparing for it, and spent two ghurries or so simply listening for the sounds of night birds and insects that came out after dark.

Of the remainder of the night little needs to be said, as i did briefly go to the tavern and also briefly got to speak alone with aunt cyn, relaying some but not all of my conversation with bristle. I took myself off to the moonless nights home and fell asleep quickly and easily, and woke again this morning to do another round of listening in that same lakeside meadow that bristle had taken me to, for about three ghurries or so. A quite bite of a breakfast procured by mister smith (he had found some apples and chose to give them away for free), and the time spent updating this journal, fill the gap before i go back to bregsmourn and decide whether to remain there, or move permanently to valbrough. Though i understand bristle's misgivings about being around civilisation when i'm seeking to become one with nature, he also understood my passion for the defense and protection of others, and so i may choose to remain permanently in or near the earth guild, perhaps simply making my home in this meadow. At least bristle would know how to find me if i did.

---

Writer's note on the layout of valbrough: All in-game directions (north, south, etc.) are given based on an out-of-game conversation I had between mods with one of the plot team leaders, where he directed us "south" but we were actually heading east. Thus, all in-game directions are rotated 90 degrees clockwise from out-of-game directions.

✨ Voices in the Night (Part 2 of 3)

By the grace of the ancestors we survived the night. Ethan came back into the moonless nights headquarters shortly after sunrise, meaning shortly after i had already woken up, perplexed and understandably miffed by our failure to realise he had been laying dead on the floor for longer than his spirit could hold his body together. It seems that although he had found the greater earth circle just fine, as i feared there had been nobody there to resurrect him. However by some peculiar magic the circle resurrected him itself; perhaps this is the same vacuum magic i appear to have received when travelling the mists to the waystone to get here, as i discovered last night i was able to refit my armour after combat at nearly twice the speed of normal. I am a decent blacksmith, but not normally that good.

As i said, i had already woken up shortly before ethan arrived back, so my business of dressing and preparing for the day was concluded in very short order. I left the abode with my blades on my back and my creature taming kit on my shoulder, determined to enjoy the early morning coolness in solitude and take a long way around the city to get to the hall of heroes. In doing so i was able to have «conversation» with some of the foebes in the trees, as i have practise in mimicking some of the calls of birds and anurans and those, at least, are not far different from those in the unhindered lands. Indeed a pair of foebes actually flew to a tree three stânjens ahead of me and i stopped walking in order to keep from scaring them off, and we continued to exchange their eponymous trills until another bird startled them away. Just before reaching the hall of heroes, a frog began chirruping at me from the swamp where aunt cyn fell, and i whistled a few responses before resigning myself to being social and entering the tavern.

Within the tavern were only three persons - sir mathis, a newly awakened dryad named jotai who was working on breakfast (with mathis' assistance) (or possibly the other way around, i wasn't entirely sure), and banradi. The latter was seated as before at a table far from the doorway, looking down at a sheaf of papers presumably from the uncapped shoulder tube he carried. After a moment's brief hesitation, i steeled myself and walked slowly toward the table, greeting him quietly and re-introducing myself to him. He looked up in surprise but not alarm, and greeted me back. His communication was still halted but he was more fluent and articulate than he had been the previous night.

As i took a drink for myself and offered to get one for him (he declined), we got more comfortable around each other. I tried not to embarrass him with an exact repetition of aunt cyn's stories but i did have to ask about his time «communing with the stones» and whether he was all right now that he had been out for a full night. He replied noncommittally that «yes, people have been saying i've been gone seven to nine months, depending on who is telling the story.»

I also asked if dragonreach had yet acquired springdale when he had begun his work from inside the waymaker network, and after a minute's thought he believed that yes, it had been annexed before he departed. I mentioned my idle fancy about convening the selunari clan elders to commission or build at least one waystone in the middle of springvale. This brought the first bit of emotion i had seen to radi's face; one side of his mouth twitched up in what i would almost call a smirk as he replied «there aren't many elders around anymore··· i'm really the closest you'd get to that.» His knowledge of and passion for the waystones made for an honestly intriguing conversation, as he spoke to me about how he had built waystones on the elemental planes as well, but it was easier there than doing so on our prime plane because of the «pureness» of the materials available.

In the midst of this discussion of waystones, i remembered the rumours i had been hearing about a group called «the whisperers». They were said to be people of different races so in tune with the taming of animals -- the skill i have cultivated thus far by myself -- that the animals almost seem to become an extension of their will or their senses. Thus i thought to ask radi if he knew the waystone code closest to the south shore of the lake of sighs, far more north in the unhindered lands than i had ever wandered even in my three lustres of solitude. Radi looked at me a bit quizzically, and then explained that although waystone codes had once been completely necessary for travel and then (as i was used to) beneficial for guaranteeing one might not randomly end up somewhere unexpected, the work he had done from within the waystone network made codes absolutely unneeded. He did, however, consult two of his maps and told me that the closest major waystone (given i didn't know where near the lake of sighs i might find these whisperers) would be at the ᴘᴏʀᴛ of ᴅᴇsᴘᴀɪʀ (emphasis necessary).

By this time, almost unnoticed by radi or myself, we had been gradually joined at the table by saro, 13, aragon, velnaeus, and scarlet. When we abruptly realised we were not alone anymore, i said hello to them all in a friendly manner while still worrying about radi and his fairly obvious social agoraphobia. Sure enough, though he politely greeted everyone, he also dropped a rope circle on the ground in case he needed to cast a circle of power and protect his space.

I thanked radi for all of his help, and then turned to saro, who had asked about my joining the moonless nights. I asked for some slight clarification on what the gang's mission was or what ideals they cherished, and she explained that in spite of calling themselves a gang, what they really sought to do was to prey on other gangs - bandits in particular - rather than on travellers and innocents. I took several beats to consider this new information and then told her that i saw no reason why i would not be willing to join the group. She seemed very ecstatic and said that was all that was necessary for me to become a so-called initiate, with the actual procedure for becoming a full member dependent on different tasks they would ask me to perform for or with them. She and 13 also offered to come with me looking for the whisperers (as they had heard the latter part of the conversation), and i gratefully accepted, telling them i did have to go find ardos.

Why haven't i talked about ardos before? Because the pride, the guild which he belongs to, had heavy burdens of their own and had been in valbrough long before i arrived the previous evening. Though we had been communicating in an exchange of notes at his house in bregsmourn for the week leading up to this market day (because we are rarely at the house at the same time), and he had been interested in coming with me, he had also cautioned me that his responsibilities to the pride had to be prioritised. I completely understood this, as my tiny little quest was just a matter of personal interest. So when half a ghurry later i finally tracked down ardos and the rest of the pride (most of whom greeted me like old friends), and he said that unfortunately they had to have a ritual performed that morning, i of course did not hold it against him.

Wishing him luck, i returned to the hall of heroes where our company was waiting for me. In the end it was saro, 13, aragon, velnaeus, scarlet, and pyke (who had arrived while i'd been gone) that came with me to valbrough's waystone. I cautioned them about the correct intonation and then demonstrated, activating the waystone and instructing it to take me to the ᴘᴏʀᴛ of ᴅᴇsᴘᴀɪʀ. As normal there was a prolonged flash and a slight squeezing and pulling feeling before my body and spirit emerged from the ᴘᴏʀᴛ of ᴅᴇsᴘᴀɪʀ's waystone, followed shortly one at a time by my companions. The city that comprises the port is extremely large, probably almost as bustling as valbrough itself, but since all i knew was that the whisperers lived away from society, i led us down the south road out of the port.

We plunged immediately into a boreal temperate mixed forest, spotted with wetlands that were themselves spotted with chains of ecological hammocks. As we walked i reiterated to our group that we were looking for a group which kept itself hidden from society, knowing full well that we might not actually find them if they were good enough at hiding. The elevation of the dry parts of the forest varied wildly, and the ground on the higher-rising sides was brown and dry though the swamps in the valleys were vividly brilliant and green with bog grasses. I need not write the minutiae of our sadly fruitless search. There came a point after aragon had nearly fallen into the waters for a fourth time when we all decided that we would not find the whisperers without more specific information. Still the walk back to the ᴘᴏʀᴛ of ᴅᴇsᴘᴀɪʀ was not unenjoyable, and i got to know saro, 13, velnaeus, and scarlet a bit better.

Returning to valbrough, i approached gideon (seated outside the hall of heroes) with questions about vision rituals, wondering if such a thing would assist me in tracking the wanderers -- and if he did such rituals anymore, having heard rumours he did not perform them as often. After thinking for a moment he told me that, if i had given him more advance warning, and was able to provide the materials for the ritual, he might have been able to help. Furthermore, however, he pointed out that i had nothing to do the vision on, except rumours i had heard. Over the course of the discussion he and velnaeus suggested that i might continue to do the things i already do to get the attention of the whisperers, speaking with the native creatures and healing those that i find wounded or poisoned. This seemed not only practical, but easy, so i thanked them both before heading back into the tavern to see what else was going on in town.

Within the tavern, mathis, ozzrick, and ethan were huddled over a mass of scrap paper and an incomprehensible missive, of which i could only read the first word of the two-word title: «primes». I inferred from their conversation (and the half-answer which mathis started to give me before getting sidetracked) that this missive was recovered from either some of the bandits nearby or perhaps the figures who had dispatched the ritual couriers last night. Speaking of which, the rest of the boxes with the ritual fragments had been located, and between robert and pyke they had been opened and the pieces put together. Velnaeus was helping with the matching of ritual pieces before they could give the documents to the respective magic guilds, but he was muttering something about the bottom of the arcanum ritual being written like a gallows ritual. I know nothing of high magic so i did not stay long, and i could not help very much with mathis' missive either (by this point he had postured that it was using a rolling cipher, so only part of the message could be solved at any time regardless).

I felt a bit like radi, overwhelmed by the number of people and the rapid changes within my space - for of course, a market day in a large true city like valbrough is bound to be much noisier and more peopled than a market day back in bregsmourn. I excused myself from the tavern and the rest of my company, and returned here to the moonless nights cabin to let my body and mind rest in relative serenity. If i do not sleep too long after finishing this record of my morning, i will probably go outside the city walls again, as i do in bregsmourn most afternoons, and let the wild creatures become used to me while i commune with them. I had made sure my taming kit was better stocked for this trip than the long trek to whitford, so perhaps i'll have a chance to utilise it.

✨ Voices in the Night (Part 1 of 3)

In response to a public posting from aunt cyn seeking guardians of the earth guild, i took a waystone yestreday evening (now that it's after the mid-night) to valbrough, the seat of county koroshi, to spend a two-night over the market day. By the time i reached the city many of our adventuring kindred, many of whom i already knew, had already found their way into guild halls and inns, and bedding was short. The mywe pyke and i, both somewhat at a loss for the safety of a roof over our heads, were offered bunks in the private lodgings of the guild «moonless nights», in exchange for pyke warding the door of the building.

The exchange complete, we accompanied the moonless nights back to the local watering hole, named the hall of heroes tavern & brew house. There i was officially introduced to the leader of the moonless nights, an elf named saro, as well as one of the other members, a skunkkin named 13. She expressed interest in my joining their gang - assuring us it was not in fact a guild - and after asking about the unusual pattern of my sela gems, suggested a gang nickname for myself - «starface.» I told her i would think about the possibility of going through an initiation after sleeping on it. I also made the acquaintance of a human named aragon, who was celebrating his upcoming birthday with an abundance of intoxication. Fortunately the man was well trained in his own overindulgence and had set himself up to drink an elixir of purify. Once his drunkenness had abated we had more meaningful conversation and shared several sweet biscuits as a toast to his celebration.

In the meantime a travelling market called the dragon hoard had come to dragonreach, owned and operated by a pair of humans, joseph smith and emric. In addition to selling many fascinating trinkets and useful scrolls, mister smith also bought or traded items as well. I traded some polished gems for some raw crystals and examined his other wares for the future. It was a well thought-out plan that emric and mister smith had surrounded their table in the corner of the mead hall with a circle of power, for it was not long before the front door of the hall of heroes opened and it was not an adventurer.

Lesser elemental spirits, particularly those of stone, water, or ice, were being rifted onto our prime plane, and the poor creatures were drawn to the sounds of drunken celebration and the movement of persons and flickering lights within the hall. Myself, and others more experienced than i shall be for some time, guarded near the entryway when the first few managed to push the door open. That is not to say it was an endless barrage, more like one every few or several minutes. It allowed us to easily heal and refit, and return to social activities briefly, between each arrival. At one point the selunari head of the celestial guild, gend mikol vinchent astrum soposa, met with aunt cyn in the front of the tavern, so i stood directly by her and the door as a first line of defence against the occasional continuance of elemental incursion.

This is not to imply that it was only elementals who were coming into the hall of heroes later than me, and several times the door opened and persons such as arai and myself got into a battle stance, only to see that it was a human or elf or some other sentient, and then we'd relax and go about our business. One such time i was actually crossing back toward the door after getting a drink, so i did not know who the cloaked figure was even though arai let him by. As i returned to my post i saw aunt cyn look at the cloak and immediately leave gend mid-sentence to go embrace the man, who had pulled his hood back to reveal his sela gems but did not seem to react to cyn's hug right away, if at all.

My heart skipped a beat. This had to be banradi.

Certain enough by the sense of the sela between us all, i apologised to gend on aunt cyn's behalf to explain that it was her son, and though he looked confused as he turned around and examined the scene, he made no comment. After a few minutes of talking (solely on cyn's part, as radi was extremely fixated on some of the maps and parchments he had pulled out of his storage tube), aunt cyn returned and finished her discussion with gend, but i hesitated to go over to meet radi. I could tell something was··· not wrong, just off. When aunt cyn's business meeting was ended, i asked if it would be wise or not for me to try and say hello, and she had a half-sad look as she replied «you could try. I don't know. He's been in the stone for seven months.»

As someone who lived alone and out of touch with society myself, i gauged it more prudent to give radi time to adjust. I'd heard stories from both ardos and aunt cyn about radi, of course, including his incredible knowledge of the waymaker network (giving him the well-earned title of «the waymaker» himself) and his dismissal from the kingdom of wayside when he sought to make the network accessible to the common people. If he had been communing with the stones, or repairing the network from inside, i did not need to overload his mind with meeting a stranger. A member of the familia, but a stranger nonetheless.

Ultimately that plan failed. Radi didn't remain at his tavern table by himself for long, and simply got up and headed toward us - toward the front doors. Aunt cyn stood and asked where he was going, and in halting uncertain tones almost as if talking to himself instead of her, he could only say «i have to go.» Cyn followed him outside trying to determine why he had to leave so soon after coming home, and where, and of course i followed after her. Radi abruptly started turning and whirling around as if looking for something - he walks and moves at alarming speeds - and when cyn inquired what he needed, he said «a berry.» I did not understand and still don't understand the significance, but aunt cyn pulled one such berry out of one of her many satchels and gave it to radi, who started off down the west road out of the city wordlessly. Aunt cyn grabbed my shoulder and implored me «follow him, and make sure he's okay.»

Nodding assent i followed at a distance of two stânjens or so, wanting to make sure radi did not feel crowded or threatened but that he was not too far away from me in the deep darkness of the late night. At one point he paused and looked over his shoulder at me and i stopped, and after a few beats i said gently «it's okay, i'm just making sure you're safe» and he rather emotionlessly responded «i don't know you.» Unruffled by this, i said just as gently «you don't know me yet, but i'm your cousin. aunt cyn asked me to keep an eye on you.» Whether he accepted this or no longer cared, he resumed his path and i continued at the same distance, even as he stepped off the road into some brush that made the walking harder··· until i heard aunt cyn screaming.

I am upset to say i hesitated, even if just for half a beat. I was unsure whether to continue following radi on cyn's orders, or go to rescue cyn. But realising that cyn was in immediate danger and radi was not, i raced back up the road into valbrough where aunt cyn let out one more scream before being knocked unconscious into the marsh astride the road by a lesser stone elemental. Roaring i swung çerhêni and dszeni at the beast, swiftly joined by other allies from the tavern and even more swiftly destroying the creature. We pulled aunt cyn out of the mud and resuscitated her, and she seemed to be okay other than having been taken by surprise. She then panicked again and asked where radi was, and cursing i ran back up the path partway until she and others called me back; radi had (again with his unnerving speed) already come back full round and was approaching from the south. Our entire group went right back into the hall of heroes, taking radi with us.

After some time had passed and no other elementals came into the tavern (though a few tried hitting the door but it was too thick to break), aunt cyn fretted that she needed to check on the headquarters of the earth healers' guild of koroshi, which she serves as guildmistress. Radi sort of mutely came outside with myself, aunt cyn, and a few others; we had barely stepped off the stoop of the tavern when a growling from the north raised our alarms. Blades came out and mystical energy glowed, as the growling creature came closer and started cackling «woo~oo~oo, i'm a monster!»

As it approached the light, being followed by a dragonkin (naomi), its features became clear as a goblin. I didn't need aunt cyn's rush to hug this one as well to realise that this was the last member of my irani cousins, taios, radi's twin brother. In fact in seeing and embracing taios, radi himself started to become more coherent more quickly. Together with the twins, naomi, aragon, mister smith and emric, and myself, aunt cyn made her way down the south road a short distance, but not short enough; in the dark within her vision was not great, aunt cyn's tripped over a box placed at the root of a tree, and before i could do more than offer her a hand, another elemental seemed to rift out of nowhere and knocked us both unconscious.

It was i believe radi who revived aunt cyn after naomi decimated the elemental creature, and aunt cyn revived me before grabbing the box and leading us swiftly into the guild building. There she noted that this box matched the description of one of six which were to be delivered by courier to the earth and celestial guilds, and she had been about to post a contract to locate the boxes after rumours of ambushes in the vicinity. While she worked to unlock the box, emric, mister smith, aragon, naomi and myself stood just outside and just inside the entrance of the guild to combat the still-appearing elementals. We were all mentally thrown beyond comprehension when the sound of a rift came from behind us -- within the earth guild -- within aunt cyn's greater circle of power, which radi was also invested in from many months ago.

Radi tackled aunt cyn and himself out of the circle while the elemental was originally stuck within it, but to our horror it was powerful enough to try destroying the circle, starting to bash at the circumference and making flashes of magical cracks in the air. Aunt cyn recognised naomi into the circle and our scaly friend quickly disposed of the creature, but now we had to be wary both without and within since these elementals were truly rifting ᴀɴʏᴡʜᴇʀᴇ. Aragon had the brilliant idea to place a wall of force within the doorway, which would all but eliminate the rifting and breaking in of the creatures. We held our position in that way for some time, until aunt cyn expressed concern that anyone trying to reach the earth guild for healing would be trapped outside with the elementals. By that point the sounds of knocking and banging from outside had subsided anyway, so after aragon lifted the force wall and we cautiously opened the door, we made our way slowly and carefully back to the tavern (encountering one more elemental but easily outpacing its slow stony movement).

By this time other adventurers had left to their own guild homes or the inns of valbrough, so the quietness of the tavern lent itself to the disinterest of the remaining rifting roamers. We all took time to truly relax, the revelry of the earlier evening drifted into a serene communal time. Emric even took time to teach me the card game of dragon poker. I pay little attention to concerns of finances so i confess i do not know whether i actually made a profit or not, but i did win two hands with one loss between. Eventually we all tired even of this sort of joviality, and fell on to last drinks before we all departed to our temporary homes. The moonless nights were out on a mission of their own outside the city walls, presumably harrying the bandits they like to dispose of, but i was joined on the return to their gang headquarters by the elf velnaeus and the humans scarlet and aragon.

We prepared for slumber and were very near to it, but we made an unfortunate discovery that, like the circle of power within the earth guild, a ward was insufficient to stop the rifting of the elementals. In various states of partial undress and partial fatigue we were forced to defend ourselves, and in the midst of the struggle another guest of the moonless nights, a barbarian named ethan, was not only killed but fallen within the shadows of the corner of the house, so that we did not realise he had passed until his spirit left his body and it dissipated. Horrorstricken we prayed he would be able to resurrect at the earth circle in spite of the extremely late hour of the night - or by now morning - and we resigned ourselves to a half-sleep with our blades and magics waiting in our hands. If i am sent to resurrect again and something goes wrong, my reformed body unable to reach this site and explain what happened, let this journal serve as a testament to the inexplicable magic that struck us down.