Master Federigo informs Luxian that Imilia will be the apprentice travelling with him, and not Goduku as Luxian hoped.
Theresa (assisted by Pauline) prepares a five-course meal with exotic ingredients, such as peacock served in its feathers. Each course is accompanied by minor arcane entertainments, such as the swan meringues appearing to float in a tiny lake on the platter. The attendees at the dinner are Theresa, Zeno, Martina, Hermione, Sijam, Luxian, Federigo, Espin, Imilia, Farrukh, Goduku, Lady Barleigh, Fiametta, Feodora, Sir Anthimos, Miguel, Ardalion of Elea, and Theresa's maid Pauline.
There is general praise for each course and for the dinner as a whole: Master Federigo goes so far as to say the dinner was "passable". Luxian spends most of the dinner focussed more on his notes than on the conversation, as he is engrossed with a new project he has started to develop a magic item that enhances and focuses his connection with the element of earth. Feodora and Martina both keep some of the peacock feathers when that dish is served. Fiametta is pleased to be going home to her parents, even if it means she never learns why she was abducted by elves and thrown in an oubliette: Theresa helpfully shares that the elves were told she was part-elven, and when they discovered she wasn't they put her in a hole until they had an idea about what to do with her. Hermione complains about her father sending her to live with her uncle. Theresa: "I think he wanted you to live. I've heard good parents want to do that - that they care for their children." Pauline is very respectful towards her social superiors, speaking only when asked questions by Zeno and the others.
After dinner, the table is moved out of the room so that there can be dancing. Ardalion has the first dance with Theresa, stepping in to steal the opportunity from Miguel, and Theresa makes sure to give Miguel the second dance. Luxian dances with Imilia and they discuss the upcoming journey, while Zeno dances with Pauline, who is flustered at his attention.
Lady Barleigh and Fiametta take their ship south to Teran. Theresa gives Lady Barleigh a letter to deliver to Duke Roland. Ardalion leaves for the Duchy of Fossalta in western Peronnia with Martina's warhorse and a letter to deliver to her steward.
Feodora starts wearing peacock feathers in her hair.
Theresa uses the rare inks Martina gave her to transcribe rituals from arcane scrolls that she has purchased into her book of shadows. Martina gives Theresa a fan of peacock feathers as a momento of the dinner.
At dinner, Theresa shows off Lanta, her new hawk familiar, to the other adventurers.
As they draw closer to their destination, Theresa asks Hermione what her goals are for their visit with Wesley's family. Hermione seems pessimistic about the possibility of being accepted as a suitable partner for Wesley by his mother, and Hermione seems unwilling to change to meet her expectations any more than she was willing to change to meet her uncle's expectations. Theresa: "Well, you could travel round the world and yet be polite at dinner parties." Theresa suggests Hermione should strive to be polite, rather than confrontational. Theresa: "Obviously, you're not going to resort to poison, so aggressive politeness is your best choice."
The adventurers are welcomed by the Baroness, and taken inside to settle into their rooms on the upper floor of the manor. Hermione sees Feodora trying to slip away and go exploring, and tells her to stay. The servants take Hermione and Feodora, who they seem to believe is Hermione's servant, to the room overlooking the kitchen garden where Hermione stayed on her previous visit. The others are taken to much better rooms elsewhere on the upper floor.
After settling in, the adventurers meet up in the formal garden with Wesley and Armand. Before Hermione can say much to Wesley, Luxian asks Wesley about the kingstone of the Eadgils, and Wesley takes Luxian and Sijam to show them the kingstone while Armand stays behind in the garden with Hermione and the others. Ainsley takes the opportunity to talk with Hermione, as she has been waiting for her to arrive for almost three months with 50 pounds to contribute towards ransoming her uncle, Hermione's father. Ainsley has spent the time trying to sway the Baroness to agree that Hermione and Wesley can marry, so that their "elopement" doesn't continue to be a stain on the Ristol family's honour.
Ainsley and Hermione still do not get along, as they easily fall back into their established habits of sniping at each other constantly. Hermione: "Looking back now, it wasn't the best decision I made." Ainsley: "I'm glad you agree." Theresa intervenes when the argument starts getting loud, asking Ainsley to show her around the garden to separate her from Hermione. Having learned of the upcoming jousting tournament, Zeno asks Hermione if they can stay for a week, and she agrees. Hermione can't restrain herself from shouting interjections when she overhears Ainsley venting to Theresa about Hermione's past behaviour.
When Ainsley stomps away, Theresa and Zeno ask Hermione about her feelings for Wesley and whether she wants to marry him. Hermione likes Wesley, but isn't happy Ainsley wants her to be with him. Theresa encourages Hermione to put those feelings in a box and squash them, to avoid talking about the past with Ainsley, and to exploit Ainsley's willingness to help Hermione win Wesley's hand in marriage.
Luxian and Sijam return to the garden. Zeno: "So how was the rock? Impressive?" Luxian: "You have no idea."
Francisca invites Theresa and Imilia to join her in one of the sitting rooms, where they talk and exchange gossip. Francisca seems starved for company, and has been filling her time reading romances. Francisca is delighted to hear about Theresa's blossoming romance with Duke Roland, but less thrilled to hear about Terence Dorion's flagrant "friendship" with Princess Rowena.
The adventurers have dinner with the Orlamond family, who are clustered at one end of the table while the adventurers are clustered at the other end. Hermione is at the far end of the table from the Baroness, who is sitting at the head of the table with an empty chair beside her. During the meal, Theresa realises a servant named Lenne has recognised her as a member of the Tirynian Circle.
After dinner, Wesley invites Hermione, Luxian, Theresa and Zeno to his suite to "show them some rocks". Sijam is invited to join them, as long as he promises he can keep a secret. Sijam asks if the secret involves anything immoral, and when the others prevaricate, decides that if Zeno can keep the secret, he can promise to keep the secret as well. Armand escorts Wesley and the others to his room, where Fierce is lounging among rose petals on the bed. Fierce isn't pleased to see that Wesley and Hermione aren't alone, and grumbles quietly to himself while Wesley opens a wooden box and release the Skull of Master Eddas. The sight makes Sijam's hair stand on end, and he remains very still and quiet while the others talk with Master Eddas, who reveals that Wesley is now his apprentice in the Tirynian Circle.
Zeno takes his leave and departs with Sijam, who starts relaxing when he's away from Master Eddas. Zeno: "While I would be lying if I said Master Eddas did not sometime make me disquieted he has treated Theresa and Luxian fairly, and helped them in their learning." Sijam: "I feel that I am come to the same conclusion. But that it will take me some time perhaps. I must consult the book. And pray." Zeno: "I have found the book helpful in this regard. Mostly I have found that the stories I heard as a child about the arcane, and its evils, are not reflected in what we learn from the book. Arcane magic is not evil - men can be, but it is not inherently a sin. Luxian and Theresa are, for example, evidence that arcane magic can be used to do great good." Sijam: "I agree with that, it is certainly our teaching."
Theresa encourages Hermione to talk with Wesley. Hermione tells Wesley about reassembling the bronze apparatus of the lobster and her plans to repair the mechanical snake and cat, making Theresa and Fierce both sigh. After the adventurers leave, Hermione goes back to talk to Wesley again. Luxian tries to persuade Armand to come with him and check the kingstone, but Armand refuses to budge from his assigned role. Hermione asks Wesley if he's thought about marriage, and is disappointed when a puzzled Wesley replies that it's his duty to get married someday. Hermione drops the topic and departs, leaving Wesley still puzzled.
The adventurers discuss Hermione and Wesley, and try to brainstorm ideas for helping them to get together. Zeno: "Let's carve it on a rock!" Theresa: "Maybe with some illustrative pictures." Zeno and Theresa are concerned that perhaps Hermione isn't sending a clear message to Wesley. Zeno: "Did she say, 'I want to marry you'?" Luxian: "In a Hermione way, more or less."
After church, word arrives that the Baroness' youngest son, Preston, is arriving soon. The adventurers join the Baroness and her family in waiting outside to greet Preston, who arrives at the Orlamond Estate sitting on top of a carriage. Inside the carriage is Preston's friend Duygu, who is also studying medicine at the University of Navyn. Preston holds Duygu's hand while he introduces her to his family, and Duygu calls Preston "beloved".
Preston recognises Hermione from her height, as Wesley has mentioned her in his letters. Wesley introduces Hermione and the other adventurers, and Preston is pleased to learn that Sijam is a master doctor. When introductions are complete, Duygu is taken to the other bedroom in Hermione's suite to settle into her room while Preston and his brothers meet privately with the Baroness.
Before they split up for the day, the adventurers check in with Hermione. Zeno: "I think it's sweet that he mentioned you on an equal footing with rocks." Hermione seems resigned to never being with Wesley, worrying Theresa. Theresa: "Is this a 'pine until you die' situation? Do we need to make sure you keep eating?"
Luxian and Imilia stay at the house, where Luxian talks with Imilia about defensive magic. Theresa invites Ainsley to join her, Martina, Sijam and Zeno on a hawking outing, and she accepts happily. Hermione and Feodora go back to their room, where they work on the mechanical snake. Duygu visits to say hello to the other guests staying in her suite, but is badly shaken when Hermione introduces her to Fierce and goes back to her room to calm her nerves.
While out hawking, Theresa and Zeno tell the others about their past experiences with the goblins of Krarth. Theresa tries to impress Ainsley with the tale of how Hermione coached them through driving away a goblin warband with a rousing song and wardance.
Wesley, accompanied by Armand, visits Hermione's room so she can show him the mechanical snake and cat. Wesley is interested in the constructs, but is easily lured away by Luxian's invitation to talk more about magic rocks. After Wesley leaves, Feodora asks Hermione about her relationship with Wesley, and Hermione downplays the possibility of any romance with her "friend". Feodora goes out to learn more, and later returns to Hermione's room looking smug. Feodora tells Hermione that the servants all believe that she's in a physically intimate relationship with Wesley, and that they're "much more than just friends".
The adventurers have dinner with the Orlamond family, who are once again clustered at one end of the table while the adventurers are clustered at the other end. Duygu is seated with the adventurers, while Preston is with his brothers.
Sijam excitedly talks with Preston about his studies, only to discover that the Baroness does not consider talking about conducting autopsies on cadavers a suitable topic for conversation at dinner. Sijam is absolutely mortified at being impolite, fidgets in his chair for a few moments, then mutters, "Uhhh, excuse me, I am not feeling well. I will return to my room," and quietly leaves.
After dinner, Theresa and Martina stay to mingle and talk with the Orlamonds, especially Francisca and Harley. Francisca is delighted to talk more with Theresa about gossip and romance literature, while Harley is easily persuaded to talk about the organisation for the upcoming jousting tournament. Francisca is, of course, giving her favour to her husband for the tournament.
Hermione and Feodora are unable to sleep because of the loud sounds of prolonged love-making from Duygu's room. Feodora eventually loses patience, tells Hermione she's going to go exploring, and invites her to come along. Feodora and Hermione sneak out of their suite and split up. Hermione makes her way to the formal garden, where the Baroness is sitting by a pool with one of her maids-in-waiting. Hermione isn't put off by the Baroness' glare in her direction, and goes over to talk with her. Hermione is surprised that the Baroness expects Wesley to go with her as he promised, and the Baroness offers her the additional 100 pounds Hermione needs to ransom her father if she and Wesley only travel as far as Elmet and send messengers into Old Duneld to arrange the ransom. Hermione: "I thought you didn't like me." Baroness: "Of course I don't."
Hermione returns to the suite, and meets Feodora along the way. Feodora tells Hermoine that she went to the kitchen garden, where she saw a hooded servant helping a drunk friend stagger into a storeroom, but they had disappeared when she followed them in to see what they were doing. Feodora believes that means there's a hidden door that the servants use to sneak around. Hermione has Feodora take her back to the storeroom, but they sneak out after only a little searching when the sounds of love-making from Duygu's room end and the light goes out in her room.
At breakfast, Theresa asks Lenne to help her tidy her room. When they're alone, Lenne passes on an invitation from her coven leader for Theresa to attend their next meeting. Lenne is surprised when Theresa tells her she isn't the only member of the Tirynian Circle at the house, and that there's a master, another journeyman, and two apprentices.
While waiting for Lady Ostara Hurste to arrive, Hermione updates the other adventurers about the Baroness' offer to part-fund the ransom, and asks Theresa if she can use her recently-acquired magical knowledge to check that her father is actually alive. Theresa casts a spell that lets her see Hermione's father in her crystal globe. Theresa narrates what she sees and hears as Hermione's father goes hawking and riding with a goblin, until someone warns their lord that he is being spied upon and uses sorcery to end Theresa's spell. Concerned that Hermione's warden has a powerful sorcerer in his service, Theresa and Luxian discuss ways to prevent them being spied on in return. Luxian: "If only we had a wand of nondetection or something like that. Perhaps an amulet that can block out such things exists. I think master may have one ..."
The adventurers join the Baroness and her family in waiting outside to greet Lady Ostara Hurste when she and her servants arrive at the manor. Feodora glares with flinty eyes when she sees Lady Ostara's squire Gebhard in her entourage.
Zeno takes Lady Ostara out riding in preparation for a hunting expedition tomorrow. While they are out, they come across a group of peasants searching for a missing servant named Girdrud, who didn't return home last night after visiting the village alehouse.
On their return to the manor, Zeno tells the others about the missing servant. Zeno: "Makes me think of the Kindly Ones." Theresa: "Makes me think of the humans!" (sniffs and points nose in air). Hermione shares what Feodora observed when she went to the kitchen garden last night, and Sijam goes to the village and visits Girdrud's family. Sijam returns with one of Girdrud's head scarves, which helps Theresa locate Girdrud in her crystal globe, lying drugged in a small alcove behind wooden casks
With this confirmation that Girdrud was the "drunk woman" walked into the storeroom last night, the adventurers debate going there immediately to find her. Theresa: "But Hermione has to be at dinner to make friends with her cousin and impress Wesley!" The adventurers decide Girdrud is likely to still be there for several hours, and agree to investigate the storeroom after everyone goes to bed that evening.
After dinner, Luxian decides to go for a walk outside the manor, where he can summon Grund and talk freely with him. Luxian sends Grund to search through the earth under the manor. Grund finds caves that lead under the manor, but is trapped by an arcane power and unable to return to Luxian. While waiting for Grund's return, Luxian is almost trampled underfoot by Marlow's horse as Marlow heads out somewhere, armed and dressed in black. Marlow is surprised to see Luxian, but doesn't stay around to question him or answer his questions.
Luxian returns to the others and reports on Grund's situation. Theresa looks in her crystal globe for Grund, and finds him trapped in a magic circle in a cave. Theresa is startled when the black winged helm of someone wearing black full plate and flying on black feathered wings fills the crystal globe, and quickly ends her spell in case the winged armoured being can see through the crystal globe.
When they feel they have waited long enough, the adventurers set out for the kitchen garden after Theresa makes Feodora, Hermione, Luxian and herself invisible. The adventurers sneak through the garden and unlock the door to the storeroom without drawing the attention of the servants who are still up and about, aided in part by the loud sounds of prolonged love-making once again emanating from Duygu's room.
The adventurers find a concealed trap-door in the storeroom, and descend into the tunnels under the manor. Hermione leads the others a short distance to a cellar, where they find Girdrud concealed in an alcove behind a row of cask, still drugged and sedated. Sijam restores Girdrud to her senses with his hands of healing, and she is overcome with fear and anxiety at the strange situation she finds herself in. Rather than try and continue to search the tunnels for Grund with a terrified servant in tow, the adventurers go back upstairs.
Hermione leads the others to the formal garden in the hope that the Baroness is there, which she is. The Baroness is concerned by what Girdrud and the adventurers report about her kidnapping, and gives the adventurers permission to search the tunnels under the manor in the morning for Grund. She also sends Girdrud home with a small financial gift and tells her to stay quiet about what happened to her and why she was missing.
The adventurers retire to their rooms for the night. When they leave the formal garden, they see Gebhard, dressed in black, walking back to Lady Ostara's suite at the far end of a corridor. Theresa is concerned that the winged armoured figure may attack or kidnap her while she sleeps, and Martina and Hermione volunteer to take turns guarding her that night.
Before he goes into the tunnels with the adventurers, Harley talks with the servants and orders them not to use the tunnels until further notice. Harley guides the adventurers through the tunnels that the servants use to store goods and to move discretely from one part of the manor to the other, and uses his keys to unlock doors into disused parts of the tunnels. The worked stone tunnels and chambers eventually give way to unshaped passages and caves.
Hermione finds evidence of people using one of the passages, and guides the others to a cave where Grund is waiting patiently inside a magic circle, guarding by something that growls from the darkness beyond Grund. Luxian finds out from Grund that he's not trapped in the circle, but has been commanded not to leave until someone rescues him.
Theresa asks Harley to take Feodora back to safety (so he doesn't see her using arcane magic), and Feodora is convinced to take Harley's advice when the growling creature is revealed to be a demonic balding bear, three times the height of a person. The adventurers defeat the demonic balding bear with effort, which dissolves into a mound of burning black gloop when Hermione hurls flame at it. Feodora and Harley rejoin the adventurers when the battle is done, and Feodora complains about not getting to see the action.
Realising the magic circle around Grund is a trap containing dangerous runes, Luxian uses sorcery to dispel the arcane magic powering the dangerous runes. Now rescued, Grund is freed from the magical compulsion placed on him by the winged armoured figure and returns to Luxian's side. While there is another passage leaving the cave, it is the one that Grund took to enter the cave, so the adventurers return to the manor rather than continue to explore.
The adventurers discuss what to do next, and settle on Theresa and Luxian disguising themselves with magic and going to the village alehouse that evening in the hope that they will be targeted as vulnerable travellers. Much to Theresa's displeasure, their cover story is that Theresa is a travelling bard and Luxian is her servant. Theresa is even more displeased when Zeno suggests she use her mother's name, Philomena, for her cover identity. Theresa: "How dare you! What's your mother's name?" Zeno: "Mary?" Theresa: "Mary it is."
Theresa tells the others that she's embroidering a favour with the Dekanos family crest to give to someone who's taking part in the upcoming joust. After pausing to see if anyone asks for her favour, Theresa offers her favour to Martina, who blushes and immediately accepts.
That evening, Theresa and Luxian use magic to look like moderately attractive young women and go to the village alehouse, while the others, including Imilia, wait on horses in a copse of trees outside the village for Lanta to fly over and alert them to any trouble. Theresa drinks an antitoxin before going into the alehouse, in case the kidnapper tries to drug her like he drugged Girdrud.
Inside the alehouse, "Mary" performs with Alexios, a minstrel with a frame drum, while her servant "Martha" watches from the side of the room. Outside, the others wait in the copse of trees, and stay there even when it starts to rain, much to Imilia's displeasure. The group ends up being drenched by the rain, which abates after an hour or so.
After several hours, the alehouse closes for the night. The owner suggests "Mary" and "Martha" can stay in the same room as Alexios, but "Mary" doesn't want to share with a stranger. "Mary" and "Martha" leave to find accommodation elsewhere, and deliberately linger around the village looking lost and desperate in the hope it lures out the kidnaper. When that doesn't work, they make their way to the copse of trees and meet up with the others for the walk back to the manor.
When they arrive at the stables, the adventurers notice that two of the horses are missing. Theresa gives the stablehand a penny, and he shares that Marlow rode out earlier that evening with a spare horse. Zeno gives the stablehand two pennies, and the stablehand says it's been a quiet night and he hasn't seen anyone go out riding that evening.
Interested in whether Marlow is involved in the coven, Theresa looks for him in her crystal globe. She finds Marlow talking with a woman he calls Beatrice, and watches while they discuss Kevish politics and the upcoming tournament. The adventurers discuss what to do about the coven, and decide it's too risky to bring in Wesley (in case Master Eddas is involved) or Lady Ostara (in case she or Gebhard is involved - as Feodora points out, Lady Ostara's fief is half a day's ride away from the manor). They settle on Theresa and Luxian returning to the alehouse and trying again tomorrow evening.
Zeno spends the day hunting deer with Lady Ostara, Camden, Martina, Ainsley, Anthimos, and their squires and servants. Before he goes out, Theresa asks Zeno about Martina's coat of arms.
Theresa spends the day embroidering her favour and gossiping with Francisca and Imilia.
Sijam talks with Preston and Duygu about their remedies and tinctures training, and they happily accept his invitation to spend the day with him preparing a new dose of antitoxin.
Hermione visits Wesley's suite, where Armand has her wait at the door while he checks if Wesley he can interrupt his lesson for a visitor. Master Eddas graciously agrees to pause his lesson, and Armand lets Hermione in to talk with Wesley while he watches, as does Fierce from the bed. Hermione checks that Wesley is taking part in the jousting, then offers him her token, which includes two of Fierce's scales. Hermione also invites Wesley to visit and work on the mechanical snake with her that evening. Hermione: "Do you want to tinker with my snake?" Hermione then remembers the plan to try and lure out the kidnapper at the alehouse and has to withdraw the invitation.
In the evening, "Mary" and "Martha" return to the village alehouse, while the others return to the copse of trees. While "Mary" is busy performing with Alexios, "Martha" succumbs to a drugged meal. When Theresa spots that Luxian is missing, she sents Lanta to the others to raise the alarm. As they didn't discuss a signal for Luxian being in trouble, the others aren't sure exactly what's going on and rush to the alehouse, drawing attention to themselves in the process.
When they see that "Mary" is still performing, the others realise Luxian must be in trouble, and Hermione quickly finds evidence that Luxian was helped along the muddy road by another person. Martina stays behind to keep an eye on Theresa from the doorway while the others ride their horses and follow Luxian's tracks back towards the manor house. They find a very groggy "Martha" leaning up against a tree beside the road, as the other person seems to have abandoned "Martha" and fled across the fields at the sounds of their pursuit.
Sijam swiftly revives Luxian, who doesn't remember anything after noticing his meal tasted a little off. The adventurers escort "Martha" back to the alehouse, where "Martha" and Feodora talk with the serving staff and learn that nobody saw her leave with anyone, but one of the soldiers from the manor was hanging around the servery earlier that evening. The soldier's name is Barthel, and he has a reputation for flirting with young women.
"Mary" and Alexios finish their performance for the evening. Alexios once again offers to let "Mary" stay with her servant in his room while he seeks lodging elsewhere for the night, and "Mary" once again politely turns down his offer. "Mary" and "Martha" leave the village with Martina, Feodora and the others and have a hurried conversation about the night's developments. Afterwards, they split into two groups, with Hermione leading Feodora and "Mary" after the tracks of the man who abandoned "Martha" on the road while the others return to the manor house to see if they can intercept their suspect on his way back there. They don't, but they do return before Marlow, and Zeno once again tips the stablehand not to mention that they were out tonight when Marlow returns.
Hermione, Feodora and "Mary" make their way through the fields and into the woods, where they run into Marlow, once again dressed in black and riding by himself at night. When Marlow asks what they're doing in the woods, they claim that Feodora invited "Mary" to stay in their room that night. As Mary doesn't have a horse like Hermione and Feodora, Marlow politely dismounts and walks his horse back to the manor with "Mary" on its back.
Sijam goes to the kitchens, but is unable to search the storeroom and tunnels because there are still servants up and about. Sijam claims to be hungry for a late meal as his cover story, and the servant sends him away with a promise that it will be delivered to his room.
Marlow escorts the trio to Hermione's suite, but immediately leaves so he doesn't have to listen to the loud sounds of lovemaking from Duygu's room. Feodora complains to the others about the noise, and "Mary" loudly comments "I give it an eight out of ten, I'm hearing a lot of enthusiam from him but I'd like to hear a bit more from her." There is muffled laughter from the other room, and the loud sounds do not resume.
Hermione summons Fierce, who has not seen any evidence that Wesley or Master Eddas are involved with the coven. Hermione: "Do you see us as a breeding pair, Fierce?" Fierce: "Well, you are getting older."
After finishing his late meal, Sijam tells Luxian that he cannot sleep and is going to explore the storeroom and the tunnels. Luxian gives Sijam one of the glass spheres of fireball in case he runs into trouble. Sijam sneaks into the kitchen garden, finds that the door to the storeroom is unlocked, and makes his way inside. In the tunnels, Sijam encounters a servant returning from his suite with the plate from his late meal, who is bemused to find him there. When he goes to leave, Sijam finds the door to the storeroom is now locked, and retraces the servant's path to make his way through the tunnels back to his suite.
The adventurers assemble for breakfast to discuss their plans for the day. Feodora arrives late, claiming to have "stayed up late and slept in" as cover for sneaking around and finding out where Barthel keeps his belongings. Martina announces that she has decided to make her will, and asks Zeno to join the Baroness as a witness before they go off with the others to inspect the field for the joust. During the inspection, Ainsley talks, then argues, at length with Hermione about her plan to rescue or ransom her father. Hermione is surprised that Ainsley is planning to accompany them to rescue her father, who Ainsley has never said anything good about before, just because he's her uncle and they 're family. After Ainsley rides off in a huff, Zeno checks in with Hermione, who disparages her family's contribution. Zeno: "Ainsley and her father have sent 50 pounds and herself - that's more than just words." Hermione still isn't sure what to do because the behaviour of the goblin king holding her father doesn't match her lived experience of how goblins behave and what goblins value.
While the others are inspecting the field, Sijam starts to make another antitoxin with the help of Preston and Duygu, while Theresa and Feodora invisibly sneak into the guardroom that Barthel shares with several other soldiers and go through his belongings. Feodora finds a hidden cache of sealed vials, and Theresa carefully unseals one to take a sample, tops up the vial with water, and reseals it using magic. Theresa takes the sample to Sijam, who quickly confirms that it is a powerful sophorific that would induce the effects he observed in Luxian the previous night.
The adventurers discuss this evidence, and decide they should report the situation to the Baroness, as they are confident she isn't involved with the coven. Zeno: "Wait, what coven?!?" The Baroness is concerned at what the adventurers have discovered, and tells them she will investigate further. The adventurers offer to continue their investigations, which draws a prickly response from the Baroness that they are to leave the matter with her.
The adventurers finish making their arrangements for tomorrow's joust. Theresa finishes embroidering her favour with Martina's coat of arms while discussing literature, romance and gossip with Francisca and Imilia.
The weather is much improved for the day of the jousting tournament, though the ground is still damp and soft and turns from turf to mud as the jousting progresses. The start of the event is delayed by the arrival of Father Amadeo, as the Baroness meets with him immediately. In addition to Zeno, Martina, Anthimos, Ainsley, Lady Ostara, and the first four sons of the Baroness, other knights who have registered to participate include Sir Beatrice Adsett of the Order of the Rose, Sir Melrose Lynnfield from northern Kevland, and the household knights of Baron Sherbrooke, Sir Lambert and Sir Berlasco. The local knights seem suspicious of Sir Melrose, despite his friendly and jovial demeanour. Wesley is wearing Hermione's favour, while Martina is wearing Theresa's favour.
Several notables have arrived to watch the tournament from the stands with Theresa, Hermione, Francisca, Imilia and Sijam, including Baron Sherbrooke, who has recently returned from Navyn, and the Lord Marshall, Master of the Horse of the Queen of Kevland. Theresa introduces Sijam to the Lord Marshall as a traveller from Crescentium, then realises her mistake when the Lord Marshall asks Sijam what he was doing there. Sijam: "I was in the service of the Prince of Moneghetti." Sijam tries to defuse the situation by explaining he was only working for the Prince for money, not out of loyalty. Baron Sherbrooke: "That makes it worse!"
The Baroness and Father Amadeo eventually emerge from the manor house, and the tournament begins. Wesley and Harley share the first match, which Wesley wins by unhorsing Harley. Hermione blows Wesley a kiss, which he doesn't see but his mother does. Ainsley is a better jouster than the others expected, and surprises by winning against Martina on points with a glancing blow to Martina's helmet. Zeno and Lady Ostara share a match that ends with a draw when they unhorse each other.
Sir Marlow is the best jouster in the tournament, and goes out of his way to batter Sir Melrose during their match. Sir Melrose avoids being unhorsed, but loses on points and is winded after the match. Sijam checks on Melrose, who notices that the pain lessens when Sijam places a hand on his back. Sir Melrose: "You have a healer's hands!" Sir Melrose has heard the gossip that Sijam was in the service of the Prince of Moneghetti: "What are you doing now? You're not spying, are you?" Sijam: "No, no, I'm no longer in his employ."
As the knights are all splattered with mud and the field is a quagmire at the end of the tournament, the Baroness announces that the prizes will be distributed at tonight's feast.
The adventurers change into their finery to attend the celebratory feast in the great hall of the manor house. The Baroness awards the prizes for the tournament, starting with the winner's prize for her son Marlow. Sir Lambert calls for Sir Marlow to receive "the winner's prize", a kiss from the most beautiful woman present, but Sir Marlow declines "because she gave her favour to another". When the Baroness calls on Martina to come and receive her prize, a ring with a pearl setting surrounded by garnets, Sir Melrose calls for Martina to receive "the winner's prize" from Theresa, as she carries Theresa's favour. Theresa awkwardly kisses Martina on the cheek, and is hesitant to accept the ring from Martina as a gift until Martina quietly tells Theresa they can discuss it later and asks her to please take the ring and not embarrass her in front of everybody.
Anthimos talks with Hermione about how he’s looking forward to resuming the journey south to battle Goblins and rescue her father. Anthimos tells Hermione he’s heard a rumour that she’s considering ransoming her father instead, and is reassured by Hermione's response that she doesn't trust the Goblins to honour a ransom.
Luxian sets out to help Hermione by talking with Sir Beatrice about conditions in Old Duneld. When she learns about the situation Hermione's father is in, Sir Beatrice offers to assist, and Luxian introduces her to Hermione.
Sijam joins Sir Melrose and Baron Sherbrooke while they are in conversation. One of the Baron's household knights, Sir Berlasco, asks Sijam to tell them what the Prince of Moneghetti is like, "so that we may all thank God he is not our King". Sijam gives a generally positive appraisal of the Prince's character and behaviour.
Lady Ostara invites Zeno to walk in the enclosed garden next to the great hall, and sends Hermione away with Gebhard, leaving the two of them alone in the garden so they can talk privately. However, Father Amadeo interrupts their quiet sojourn to talk with Zeno.
Back in the great hall, Camden is poisoned by spicy dried chick peas that were brought out from the kitchen for Marlow. Francisca calls out for help, and Preston sends Duygu to fetch his medical kit from his room. Sijam sprints across the room, running along the walls to avoid the crowds, and saves Camden's life with his healing hands. Sijam recognises the poison, which is made from a rare desert cactus in the Tashim north, and carefully packs away the chick peas for safe-keeping.
Preston is concerned when Duyga doesn't return with his medical kit. They find the medical kit lying open on the floor outside Preston's room. The only item missing from the bag is a small reliquary containing a fingerbone of Saint Isolda of Rhosdann. Zeno prays to the True God for guidance, and learns that the reliquary is in the tunnels under the manor house.
The adventurers quickly prepare to go into the tunnels after the reliquary, which is presumably with Duygu. Zeno guides the others back to the room where Grund was imprisoned in the magic circle, where they find Feodora, Barthel, Dugyu, and the armoured winged woman who matches the description Grund gave of the being that captured him in the circle. Duygu is lying unconscious near Barthel and the armoured woman, who is unable to approach Feodora while holds out the reliquary. In response, the armoured woman uses sorcery to place a flaming sword in Barthel's hands, and tells him to deal with Feodora while he cries out in pain from the scorching heat.
The adventurers join Feodora in rescuing Duygu. Theresa's sorcery drives Barthel away into the World of Spirits, while the others separate Duygu from the armoured woman. Outnumbered despite dropping Luxian with three powerful blows and unable to recover Duygu with her whip, the armoured woman leaves through the World of Spirits, abandoning Barthel to his fate. Disoriented, unarmed, and in shock from the pain of his burned hands, Barthel is easily subdued when Theresa brings him back from the World of Spirits.
Duygu is quickly revived from her drugged sleep. Feodora explains she didn't go to the great hall for the feast and instead kept an eye on Barthel. Feodora observed him sprinkling powder on a dish of chick peas in the kitchen, and then ambushing Dugyu with a drug-soaked cloth over her mouth. Unable to leave a message to the others without losing sight of Barthel, Feodora took the reliquary from the medical kit as a distinctive item the others could use to locate her.
The adventurers guard Barthel while Father Amadeo heals his burned hands and questions him about his actions. Barthel confesses to Father Amadeo, explaining how he was ordered to do everything by the coven leader and his deputy, the armoured winged woman. Barthel had been sent to steal the powdered poison from Baron Sherbrooke's tent, using a hand of glory given to him by the armoured winged woman to send the tent's guards to sleep so he could get access to the tent unobserved. The armoured winged woman ordered Barthel to use the poison on Marlow's food and use the ensuing chaos to drug and kidnap a woman, as he had failed to do earlier in the week.
Barthel shares the names of everyone in the coven except the leader and his deputy, as he has never seen either of them unmasked. The Baroness has Marlow and Harley arrest the coven members among her soldiers and servants. The adventurers want to investigate Baron Sherbrooke about the poison, but the Baroness refuses to arrest him or accuse him of a crime on the word of a confessed coven member and kidnapper. Instead, the adventurers go to Theresa's room, where she uses her crystal globe to watch the Baron inside his tent as he tells off his guards, then complains about how people will suspect him of being involved in a plot to kill Marlow. The Baron grumbles to himself about how the thief wasted his forty pound investment by using the poison around Sir Beatrice.
Hermione goes to Wesley's room while he is busy elsewhere. She talks with Master Eddas until she hears Wesley and Armand approach, then hides under the bed while Armand wishes Wesley good night. Wesley locks the door, and is surprised to find Hermione (now joined by Fierce) lounging on his bed waiting for him. Wesley asssumes Hermione is there to talk, and sits with her when she pats the bed beside her. Wesley explains to Hermione how his ongoing research into the kingstone of the Eadgils fits into their upcoming journey south to Old Duneld, until Hermione loses patience and surprises him mid-speech by kissing him.
When they wake together in the morning, Hermione and Wesley how last night has changed their relationship with each other. Wesley feels uncomfortable sharing a room with Hermione while they travel unless they're engaged, so Hermione dispatches him to ask his mother for permission to propose to her. The Baroness sets the condition that Hermione must accept her previous offer, which Hermione is not willing to do.
Wesley tells the others that he is sending a messenger ahead of them to Merin with a letter to arrange a meeting at Merin with a descendant of the kings of the Eadgils, and asks if anyone else wants to send a letter with the messenger, and Theresa takes him up on that offer.
Martina talks with Theresa, who agrees to accept the ring as a gift in exchange for Martina keeping the embroidered favour Theresa gave her for the tournament.
Wesley's messenger leaves with the two letters.
The adventurers leave for Merin, accompanied by Feodora, Imilia, Pauline, Sir Anthimos and Miguel, Sir Ainsley, Wesley and Armand, and Sir Beatrice. Wesley brings the Kingstone of the Eadgils with them in a wagon, as well as the Master Eddas in his "reliquary".
The adventurers meet the returning messenger in the forests of northern Teran. Theresa and her companions have been invited by Duke Roland Dunharrow to stay in Merin at Saint Oslee’s Palace, and Lady Tasha has agreed to meet Wesley at the Palace after they arrive to talk about the Kingstone of the Eadgils.
The adventurers arrive at Merin and go to Saint Oslee's Palace, while Sir Beatrice splits off to stay at the headquarters of the Order of the Rose. The Duke's squire, Bowen Tutbury, leads them to the wing of the Palace that has been set aside for the Duke's guests. The adventurers bathe and change in their rooms, and Theresa discovers her wardrobe contains half a dozen fashionable gowns in her size. Wesley asks a servant to send a message to Lady Tasha letting her know he has arrived.
The adventurers gather together in their shared sitting room, where they are greeted enthusiastically by Sir Makarios, who arrived at Merin two days ago with Selentos and Arion. Makarios tells the adventurers that the crusaders successfully held Ibrahim against the Caliphate's relief army, but rather than delay so the Duke of Crescentium could offer him a fief as promised he hurried south to catch up with them so he could keep his promise to help rescue Hermione's father. Makarios was given generous gifts for his good service by the Duke of Crescentium and other crusader leaders, including the Prince of Moneghetti, the Count of Legnano, and Princess Rowena of Teran, allowing him to buy excellent horses for the journey from Doringen to Merin. Makarios gifts Zeno a warhorse in gratitude for Zeno giving him Paketos when the adventurers left Crescentium.
Duke Roland arrives, escorted by Lady Barleigh. The Duke asks Theresa and her friends (including Arion, who was fetched to join in the reunion) to have dinner with him in the "small" dining hall, and Theresa lingers after dinner to talk more privately with the Duke.
Sir Beatrice visits the Palace and joins the adventurers at breakfast to share what she has learned about conditions to the south.
Lady Tasha arrives from Manderley Hall to meet with Wesley, escorted by Lady Brenna's bodyguard, Ganymede Lycaones. Wesley is delighted to learn that Lady Tasha is the niece of the last King of the Eadgils, recently restored to life after being sacrified five centuries ago in a vain attempt to please the gods of the Eadgils and induce them to prevent the conquest of the kingdom by the Selentine Empire. Lady Tasha agrees to accompany the Kingstone to its traditional place in the homeland of the Eadgils and stand on it on the first day of the year so Wesley can observe its powers, and Wesley gives the Kingstone to Lady Tasha as she has the strongest claim to ownership of the recovered artifact.
While Wesley is showing the Kingstone to Lady Tasha, Sijam asks Ganymede for an introduction to Yara, as he needs a letter of introduction from a faculty member to access the library at the University of Merin. Ganymede shares that Yara is away with Professor Redgrave and Taliriana, but promises to ask Lady Brenna Lucanine to send a letter of reference for Sijam to the University Library that he can use instead.
Lady Tasha leaves in the carriage she arrived in, while Ganymede rides with the servant driving the wagon with the Kingstone. Zeno and Martina leave to visit the Company of Elea, while Sijam leaves to wait at the University Library for the letter of reference to arrive. While walking down the street away from the palace, a man who introduces himself as William of Wykeham asks Sijam about the beautiful woman in the carriage, as he has never seen anyone like her before and she has stolen his heart away. Sijam is hesitant at first, but is swayed by the man's sincerity and tells him Lady Tasha's name and place of residence. William thanks Sijam profusely, then mounts a horse and rides off after the carriage. Sijam continues on his way, and a minute later hears a commotion behind him as a man can't find his horse where he left it.
Zeno and Martina talk with Simonetta of Elea about conditions in Malgwyn, where Philippa of Elea has recently passed away and Coroletto of Elea has relocated from Cerradyn to manage the Company's business interests in Old Duneld. Simonetta mentions in passing on how good it is that Prokopios of Elea was able to check the cellars at Ibrahim for the Lamb and the Lion, and Zeno and Martina both pretend that they don't know what Simonetta is talking about. After they leave, Martina shares that Simonetta raised the topic deliberately to see their responses.
Sijam waits at the University until a servant arrives from Manderley Hall with Lady Brenna's letter of recommendation and he is granted access to the Library. Sijam spends hours exploring the collection, missing lunch in the process, and realises mid-afternoon that he is very hungry. A pair of curious students invite him to join them at a student cafe, where they ask him if he's familiar with the Way of the Curious Little Brother. Sijam has heard of that fighting style, but does not practice it himself. The students invite him to join them at a clandestine training session that evening, as fighting clubs are banned by the University administration, but Sijam gives his regrets and returns to the palace instead.
The Duke and Theresa spend the evening at the opera, sitting in the Duke's private box with Lady Barleigh. Luxian prevents Imilia going to the opera with them by insisting on scheduling a training session for the evening.
At breakast, the adventurers receive news from Manderley Hall that a man tried to break in last night, possibly to steal the Kingstone of the Eadgils, and was driven off. Sijam shares his strange encounter with William of Wykeham yesterday, and the others identify William as Jack from Sijam's description of his appearance and his mannerisms.
Theresa quickly moves on to telling everyone to change into their best clothes if they're going to accompany her and the Duke to the cathedral. Zeno affirms that he is, and is reminded again to wear his best clothes. Zeno: "I'm wearing my finest clothes and you know that, now you're being hurtful."
The Duke and Theresa go to church at the royal cathedral, where they sit on one side of the transcept with Imila and other nobles facing the royal family on the other side. Everyone else sits in the nave of the cathedral, where they can both see the nobility and royalty of Teran in the transcepts and the bishop and the altar in the chancel.
At the end of the service, after the royal family have left, everyone mingles in the open space where the nave and the transcept intercept. Theresa Mantienne get Zeno's attention by waving a handkerchief, and Zeno awkwardly goes over to talk with her. Theresa Mantienne thanks Zeno again for dueling Lord Clarion, and gives him back the handkerchief he dropped when leaving the party, which she had blessed by a travelling holy man several months ago. Her father's estate is no longer mortgaged to Lord Clarion thanks to Zeno's intervention, and Zeno accepts her invitation to visit tomorrow. After Theresa Mantienne leaves, Zeno explains to the others that she may believe he is romantically interested in her, and Makarios volunteers to pay great attention to Theresa when they visit tomorrow to help deflect her attention and affection from Zeno.
The adventurers and their travelling companions accompany the Duke and his retinue to the Mantienne estate. As they have been invited to go hawking, the Duke's retinue includes his falconers and his hawks. The estate seems impoverished, with much of the land parcelled out and sold to other owners, and the manor house poorly maintained. The visitors are invited into the best room in the house by Theresa's father, Gilruth Mantienne. Gilruth uses a staff to help him walk and stand, as he was injured in a tournament when a lance "went through both my legs and took away everything that would let me have more children".
Feodora slips away to explore the manor house while the others socialise. Sir Makarios pays close attention to Theresa Mantienne, distracting her from Zeno as much as he can. Sijam tells Gilruth he is a master doctor and offers to examine his old injury. Gilruth thanks the Duke and accepts the offer. Theresa Mantienne takes the others hawking on what remains of the estate's lands while Sijam examines Gilruth after explaining in private that he's not in the Duke's service.
Hawking is cut short by an unexpected thunderstorm, forcing everyone to return inside for an early lunch. Theresa visits the cook to hand over the pigeons their hawks captured, and gives the cook a small purse of money to help defray the costs of entertaining such a large group. Feodora rejoins the others for lunch and quietly shares that the rest of the house is much shabbier and they brought in additional servants for the day. Feodora also mentions that Lady Barleigh gave the steward a purse of money. Luxian offends Feodora by pointedly commenting about how it would be bad if anyone took something from the house, as she feels he's implying that she's a thief.
The thunderstorm ends as suddenly as it began. While everyone is planning to resume hawking after lunch, there is a large crash outside that shakes the ground and the house. When they go outside to investigate, they discover the dead body of a giant who has fallen from a cloud castle in the sky and landed across one of the hedges marking the boundary of the reduced estate. The giant was dressed in a black tunic, with his face, arms and legs smeared with soot, and a scorch mark on his back. He was armed with a giant-sized shortsword, which has shattered from the fall. Sijam's assessment is that the giant was killed by a bolt of lighting, and not by the fall.
The adventurers find a giant-sized bag some distance away, on the estate's side of the hedge. Inside the bag is a giant-sized hand lantern continuously lit by a lighting bolt, a vellum page with circles and lines drawn on it, and a diamond the size of a human's head. They take the bag back to the manor house for further examination of its contents. Hermione figures out that the vellum page is a map of the cloud castles of the giants, with the circles identifying where the castles stay in Mercania and the Mountains Under Heaven and the lines between the circles tracking their route through the skies above Selentia, while Luxian determines that the diamond is an arcane spell gem that currently contains a single wish.
Gilruth asks the Duke to deliver the news of the giant's fall and the contents of the giant's bag to the King of Teran, and entrusts the objects to the Duke's care. While they are making their preparations to leave and saying their farewells, Zeno finds an opportunity to mention "in passing" to Theresa Mantienne his blossoming friendship with Lady Ostara Hurste and how he looks forward to returning to Kevland and seeing Ostara again. Sir Makarios follows up by letting Theresa Mantienne know how he looks forward to returning to Teran and seeing her again.
The adventurers return to Merin with the Duke, and stay at the Palace while the Duke immediately leaves with the giant's belongings to see the King.
The Duke gives each of the adventurers and their travelling companions a gratuity of 20 pounds from the King of Teran for their good service in delivering the giant's bag.
The adventurers plan to leave the next day for Doringen to take passage on a ship to Malgwyn in Old Duneld. Theresa asks the Duke to send servants with them and to lend them horses for the journey to Doringen.
Zeno and Martina visit the Company of Elea, where Simonetta gives them sealed letters to deliver to Coroletto at Malgwyn. Martina carefully cuts open the letters to check their contents: one is written in code, but uses a different cipher to the one Eulogios used in his coded letter to Phocas. Theresa uses magic to mend the letters afterwards so they look as good as new.
At Martina's prompting, Zeno sends a letter to Roberta Mazzarro to let her know that Jack was in Merin.
Sijam spends the day at the University of Merin library, and joins the students that evening at their clandestine training session in the Way of the Curious Little Brother.
The adventurers arrive at Malgwyn, where desperate refugees are milling around the docks. While the food supplies are being transported off the ship to be distributed at various charitable houses associated with the Order of the Rose, Sir Beatrice goes to consult with her colleagues in the Order. Zeno and Martina go to the Company of Elea's fortified warehouses and deliver the sealed letters to Coroletto, who assigns one of the local factors, Athelwold, to assist them during their visit. Luxian takes Imilia on a tour of the city, and they are questioned by one of the Ten Generals while studying the poorly repaired wall that has replaced a torn-down gate.
Zeno dispatches Athelwold to make enquiries with the heralds who travel into the goblin-held lands to negotiate ransoms, then goes with Martina to visit the partially-destroyed cathedral. Bishop Hild comes out to meet with the visitors from the Order of Saint Cornelius. When asked about travellers who go into the goblin-held lands, the Bishop tells them about Odda, a holy man who travels south to conduct sevices in the churches of the villages ruled by goblins. Zeno offers to give a donation, but the Bishop asks him instead to use the money to help refugees travel to a safer land.
Sir Beatrice brings a ransomed member of the Order of the Rose, Sir Arnulf Flinth, to meet the others. Sir Arnulf explains how he was captured by goblins, who traded him to King Thraim, who then ransomed him on generous terms and let him leave with his arms and armour. Sir Arnulf recognises Hermione's father as one of King Thraim's hostages, and someone who seemed on close and familiar terms with the King. He also tells the adventurers about King Thraim's advisor, a tremendously hairy goblin who resembles a wild man from the woods.
After Sir Beatrice leaves with Sir Arnulf, Athelwold returns with news that he has found a herald who is willing to meet tomorrow morning for the right price. Athelwold asks for 6 pennies, which he receives, and leaves to secure the meeting with the herald. Theresa immediately retires to her room with Hermione, where she casts the spell that lets her see Athelwold in her crystal globe. Theresa observes while Athelwold meets with the herald and gives him 4 pennies, then follows Athelwold as he makes his way back to a run-down tenement and adds the remaining 2 pennies to his hidden cache under a loose floorboard.
Theresa and Hermione rejoin the others, report on what Theresa has observed, and discuss what to do next. Hermione feels that the goblins seem to have changed so much that her previous concern that paying the ransom wouldn't work is now unfounded. Much to Anthimos' disappointment, Hermione is now prepared to open negotiations with King Thraim to ransom her father. Hermione agrees with Theresa that the ransom amount is far too much, and that they should ask their negotiator to push for a lower rate. At the same time, Hermione also wants to go to Rultinton and see what's happening there, rather than simply wait at Malgwyn while the herald travels back and forth.
During the discussion, Zeno asks Martina if the old rule of the Order that allows members to confiscate funds from the Company of Elea to support pilgrims is still in force. Martina believes it has been superseded by changes to the old rule, but says she isn't certain.
Atherwold brings Guthred the herald to meet with the adventurers. Guthred is confident in his ability to travel safely and meet with King Thraim, having had experience of doing so in the past for other captives, including Sir Arnulf Flinth. Guthred agrees to negotiate as firmly as he can for a reduction in the ransom amount being asked for Hermione's father, and is encouraged to mention that he's been sent by his daughter and niece if it may sway the goblin king to be generous.
Guthred departs Malgwyn straightaway on the main road south through the wild and untended lands that now surround Malgwyn. The adventurers and their travelling companions leave shortly afterwards, quickly leaving the road and following Hermione's direction as they make for Celduin Wood. They reach the forest late in the day, and camp inside Celduin Wood.
The adventurers arrive at the edge of Celduin Wood near Rultinton and Dunnstone Mound around dusk, and make camp inside the wood. Late that evening, they see torches on Dunnstone Mound. The adventurers send Hermione, Sijam, Feodora and Theresa to investigate while hidden from sight by Theresa's magic. They find a rough-hewn tunnel that appears to have been dug by something with massive claws partway up the side of the Mound, and echoing sounds from inside. As they make their way into the tunnel, they hear a loud gong. Shortly afterwards, a blast of fire scorches them all, hurling them backwards and leaving Feodora stunned. The others quickly revive Feodora, and they flee back to the others in Celduin Wood before the goblins further inside the Mound arrive to investigate. Feodora complains about losing her dagger, which she dropped in the tunnel after the fire blast.
The others stay in Celduin Wood while Hermione sneaks into Rultinton to see what conditions are like inside the fortified village. After climbing the wooden palisade, Hermione spots Halig, who she remembers from five years ago, and gets his attention. Halig comes over to talk with Hermione, doing his best to not draw anyone else's attention. Hermione asks Halig how things are, and he replies that things are better now than they were two years ago, before the goblin king came and took up residence in the castle and his soldiers stopped the goblin warbands raiding their crops and attacking the villagers. Hermione sadly observes that it seems things are better now than they were before the Dunnstone was taken away, but Halig insists that the villagers would rather be free Dunns and are ready to rise up in rebellion if the King returns from Across the Water to set things right.
Before Hermione leaves, Halig fetches his wife Brida to introduce her to Hermione. While they're talking, a messenger arrives from the castle to warn the villagers that there were strangers on Dunnstone Mound last night and they should take care in case they were bandits. On her way back to the others, Hermione notes that the tunnel on the side of Dunnstone Mound is gone, replaced by recently dug bare soil.
The adventurers leave through Celduin Wood, planning to wait for Guthred and intercept him where the road turns north around the forest edge rather than wait for him at Malgwyn.
Around the middle of the day, the adventurers spot Guthred the herald on the road in the company of another man. They quickly leave Celduin Wood and intercept them on the road. Guthred is surprised to see the adventurers, and introduces his travelling companion as Odda. Guthred reports that the goblins seemed more hostile than usual because there had been bandits or raiders nearby, but King Thraim was as welcoming as ever, and proposed to bring Hermione's father to the edge of his domain to reduce the distance his ransomers would have to travel. However, King Thraim refused to reduce the ransom amount regardless of his arguments. Hermione's father was present, but didn't say anything during the negotiations.
The adventurers ask Guthred to return to King Thraim with news that they accept the offer, and plan to travel to the proposed meeting-point rather than return to Malgwyn. Odda agrees with their plan, as when they return to Malgwyn they will receive letters that may make them feel unable to stay for longer in Old Duneld. Odda is unable or unwilling to say what is in the letters, so the adventurers send Sijam to Malgwyn as the fastest person in their group. Sijam rapidly outpaces Odda, who continues on his own towards Malgwyn while Guthred returns towards Rultinton. Sijam arrives at Malgwyn before dark, and finds that the Order of the Rose are holding two letters for Wesley that arrived yesterday on a ship.
The adventurers retreat further into Celduin Wood to avoid unwanted attention. Theresa uses magic to create her own fairy mound for them to stay in for the night. Martina is hesitant until Theresa assures her she learned the magic from a scroll she purchased from Master Federigo, and not from her elven master.
Sijam hastens back to the others with the two letters, passing Odda on his way. He arrives back at the place where they met Guthred and Odda around the middle of the day, and the others escort him back to their camp in Celduin Wood. Wesley reads the letters, then bemoans his bad fortune, as he has to be back at Asti on the last day of Before-Month and won't have time to travel from there to Vestad to see Lady Tasha stand on the Kingstone of the Eadgils on the first day of Hay-Month.
The first letter reads:
The second letter reads:
Zeno and Theresa suggest the possibility of Master Federigo helping Wesley travel from Kevland to Vestad using the Thousand-League Boots, but Luxian is not confident that he could ask his master for such a favour.
The adventurers travel west through Celduin Wood for the rest of the day towards the meeting-point, and stay in Theresa's fairy mound for the night.
The adventurers continue to travel west through Celduin Wood, and make camp in Theresa's fairy mound at a suitable place in the forest from which they can easily observe the meeting-point on the edge of King Thraim's lands.
The adventurers continue to observe the meeting-point, and stay in Theresa's fairy mound for the night.
The adventurers make their way to the meeting-point when they see Goblin soldiers arriving in force from two directions. The Goblins on the closer side of the river assemble on a hill overlooking the road and the ford, while the signfiicantly more numerous Goblins on the far side of the river stay some distance back from the ford. The adventurers hang back so the closer Goblin warband can't move around to their rear, and send Guthred forward with the 200 pound ransom. The other Goblins set up a small table on the other side of the ford, where the ransom is carefully counted out.
Having received the ransom, King Thraim gives Kendall his freedom. King Thraim: “You see, I was right to say that you are worth as much as your brother.” Thraim gives Kendall a sword so he is armed for his journey back to Malgwyn, and gifts him 100 pounds. Thraim also pays half of Guthred's 20 pound fee from the ransom payment.
Kendall: “I will return and fight to free my people.” Thraim: “I expect no less. When you do, I will fight to hold all I have gained by force of arms, as a King should. Go in peace, and may your God be with you always.”
Kendall crosses the ford with Guthred, but stops and turns around when Thraim calls out in Dakkandi. Kendall watches while Thraim and his soldiers shout and dance, apparently doing so to farewell Kendall. After the dance finishes, the other Goblin warband looks sullen but says quiet. Kendall and Guthred join the adventurers, and Kendall is delighted to see Hermione again. Kendall also identifies Ainsley from her resemblance to her mother, as he hasn't seen her since she was a toddler.
Kendall is keen to leave before Geirrod's warband regains their courage and tries to attack the adventurers, and is pleased that Hermione's plan is to retreat into Celduin Wood where the Goblins won't feel confident pursing them. The adventurers travel deep in Celduin Wood before pausing to rest and talk. Kendall explains how he survived the fall of Louten and was traded from Goblin king to king until he was traded to King Thraim, who ransoms knights and other captives to establish his reputation and fame so he is remembered into the future and not forgotten, like other Goblin kings.
Wesley introduces himself to Kendall as Hermione's lover (Ainsley: "Hah! I knew it!") and asks his permission for them to marry. Kendall checks with Hermione that's what she wants, and gives his permission when she says yes. Wesley tells Kendall he has to go back to Kevland to find out if he's going to be the king, prompting an explanation of recent events in Kevland. Hermione confirms that she plans to travel north with Wesley, while Kendall is already planning to travel to Duneld Across the Water and try and bring back an army to drive out the Goblins before King Thraim finishes growing another great beast under Dunnstone Mound like the one that almost tore down the walls of Malgwyn.
The adventurers travel further into Celduin Wood before staying in Theresa's fairy mound for the night. Kendall pays the other half of Guthred's fee from Thraim's gift. Hermione talks with Kendall and insists he should give back half of the money Luxian, Martina and Theresa gave to her for his ransom, as Thraim gave him half of the ransom. Theresa is delighted to receive ten pounds from Hermione freely and without any obligations; Luxian is hesitant, but accepts the ten pounds after some discussion; Martina is embarrassed and refuses because the money she gave to Hermione was a gift, not a loan, and accepting a repayment would mean it was actually a loan all along. Hermione gives the remaining ten pounds to Zeno instead to use as he sees fit, hopefully for a charitable cause.
The adventurers travel through the wastes and arrive in Malgwyn in the afternoon, where The Faithful Lady is waiting in the harbour to take them north to Kevland. Kendall arranges to have a farewell dinner with Hermione, who has a falling-out with Wesley when he suggests perhaps they should spend more intimate time together to make sure they're suited to marry each other.
Theresa and Martina talk with Captain Karla Roodsdottir about how much space she has to take refugees on her ship. Afterwards, Theresa goes among the refugees and selects four families to relocate to Teran and set up for a new life with the 10 pounds she received from Hermione, while Martina arranges for Karla to assess which of the half a dozen other ships in the harbour could be trusted to also transport approximately 100 refugees for 10 pounds payment.
Zeno, accompanied by Luxian and Sijam, goes to the Company of Elea, where he tries to persuade Coroletto that he should give charity to the poor. Coroletto: "Here's three shillings, take it, they'll just spend it on our food anyway." Zeno forces Coroletto to open the Company's strongbox and takes 40 pounds, refusing to complete a loan agreement when he does so.
The adventurers gather for the farewell dinner. Theresa takes Zeno aside to explain to him that she's arranged to relocate four refugee families and encourages him to consider doing the same. Zeno reveals his plan to fund the relocation of several hundred refugees to Doringen. Martina reports back that Captain Karla has identified another three captains as trustworthy, allowing Zeno to spend all 40 pounds on his plan.
Hermione complains to the others about Wesley's suggestion that they should be intimate again to check that they're suitable for marriage. Luxian: "Why do you need practice? Just do it more."
Theresa (mutters to Luxian): "Humans are weird." Luxian: "I did not realise that sexual compatibility had not been more tested." Theresa: "I was surprised they'd done it at all!" Luxian: "Do you think Armand was there?"
The adventurers attend the farewell dinner with Kendall, Anthimos, Miguel and Ainsley, who arrives late more than an hour after the agreed time.
One of the Duke's servants arrives at Doringen with their horses. The Duke had already left for Asti when the bird arrived and talked with one of the palace servants.
The adventurers depart for Navyn on The Faithful Lady with their horses. Wanting to make sure his warhorse likes the name he gives them, Zeno prays to the True God for the ability to talk with animals and visits his warhorse in the hold. Zeno's warhorse says his parents named him Daisy after one of their favourite flowers, so Zeno names him Margarita, the Old Emphidian word for the daisy.
The adventurers decide to spend the day at Navyn on various tasks.
Wesley takes Sijam to the University of Navyn and arranges for Sijam to have access to the library of the Faculty of Medicine. Preston has already departed for Asti, but Duygu stayed behind at the University because of the risk of violence and strife in Kevland.
Hermione (who is still not talking with Wesley), Martina, Theresa and Zeno go to the Mazzarro compound to visit Roberta, but learn from Giovanna and Piero that Roberta absconded in the night to go find Jack after receiving Zeno's letter that he was in Merin last month. Theresa asks for advice about where she could acquire suitable attire for attending the royal council at Asti, and Piero arranges for a seamstress to visit the compound for a fitting. Feeling pressed for time, Theresa pays a premium for the seamstress to take a mostly-completed dress commissioned by another customer and adjust it for Theresa.
While exploring the centre of the city, Luxian comes across a monumental black obelisk, decorated with Qemor hieroglyphs. Looking at the obelisk, Luxian has visions of what happened to him and the others in the Five, leaving him shaken and disoriented.