On the move

"Hello Miss, Sirs." Charles greeted as he opened the door. "Please come on in. His lordship will be with you shortly."

"Thank you Charles." Grace replied as the trio stepped into the room. Charles stepped out of the entryway.

"He will see you now." Charles said as he popped back into the room a few minutes later. "This way please."

"I didn't expect to see you three so soon." Epeseed said as Grace, Falael and Rinomve stepped into the parlor. "But I will always be happy to see my goddaughter."

"We aren't staying in Penrith." Grace said, approaching her godfather. "It's too dangerous for everyone involved. Plus I wanted to return the antidote and say thank you for letting me use it yesterday."

"That is perfectly okay. Though I am surprised that your mother didn't keep some in her personal stores."

"She did, though my grandmother, who was the one who tried to kill bot Falael and Rinomve with thyme, threw it out in attempt to succeed."

"Really?!" Epeseed asked, gripping the sides of his recliner. "Well I never. I never liked your grandmother all that much, but never thought that she would go so far as to try kill someone, much less in such a cold way."

"Well, she did try to. I promptly kicked her out of the house."

"Good on you." He adjusted himself in his seat. "So, you are leaving Penrith?"

"Yes sir."

"I would suggest that you go to Madmaw."

"Why?" Grace asked.

"There is someone there who helps former members of The Grey Tears leave the gang."

"Does this person have a name?" Falael asked, joining the conversation.

"Her name is Melarue Faelen. Her husband was a member, before he was killed. She helped me escape them." Epeseed said.

"Where would we find her?" Rinomve asked, moving closer.

"There is a tavern, were she works out of. I do believe it is called The Dirty Lady." Epeseed said. "Are you sure that you can't stay any longer?"

"I am sorry sir," Grace said. "We really can't. Here is your antidote back." She pulled the vial put of her pocket. "Thank you again for your help." She held the vial out.

"Keep it, my dear goddaughter." Epeseed said, pushing her hand away. "In fact, Charles, can you please prepare Grace here a full compliment of antidotes, even for more sophisticated poisons?"

"Yes, sir." Charles bowed and left the room.

"Are you sure about giving me such a gift?" Grace asked. "Such things don't come cheap."

"My dear Grace, come closer." Grace did as she was instructed. Epeseed took her hand. "You are about to embark on a journey from which it is highly unlikely that you will return, and if you do you won't be the same person." He took a deep breath. "I haven't been able to look after you or your siblings before now, so let me do this. You need them more than I do." He squeezed her hand so tightly that Grace thought it might break. "This might be the end of your time in Penrith, but this is just the start of the rest of the adventure that will be your life." Epeseed said as he released Grace's hand from his death grip. "You will encounter many more hardships than you already have, and they will be your greatest teachers. So promise me that you will learn from them."

"Yes sir."

"Here is the full compliment that you asked for, sir." Charles said as he brought a small wooden box into the room.

"Thankyou Charles." Epeseed turned back to Grace. "These are tools. Valuable ones. Use them wisely."

"Yes sir."

"If you really must be off, then I suggest you go now before you change your mind." Epeseed responded. "But before you go, you should know this. In Asharia, nothing is ever quite as it seems. Charles will show you out."

"Thank you for everything you have done for me. I hope that I do get to see you again."

"I hope so too."

"Well, I guess we know where we are going next." Rinomve said as the trio reached the sidewalk in front of the grand house.

"I guess we do." Falael agreed. "Let's find out what this Melarue Faelen has to say for herself."

It was growing dark as Grace, Rinomve and Falael approached a grove of trees.

"Let's camp here." Grace said, setting her pack down. "It's not safe to continue walking, it's getting too dark."

"I agree." Falael said, following her lead in taking off his pack.

"I am not going to win in a fight against you two to keep us moving, am I?" Rinomve asked sarcastically.

"Nope." Grace replied enthusiastically.

"I've learnt to not fight her, lest I come off second best." Falael said, sitting down.

It was as if his comment was a command for the small army that came out of the woodwork. Falael sprang up from his seat, drawing his sword from its sheath as a swarm of black clad figures swarmed the trio like bees swarming a hive.

Grace didn't know what to do. Hastily, she pulled the knife she had packed out of her pack and got into what she thought was a fighting stance between Falael and Rinomve.

This is exactly what Rinomve was afraid of. This exact situation. He knew his aunt would not stop unless she got what she wanted, and he hoped that they might have been able to avoid the worst of it by spending as much time as possible in towns and cities, rather than out here in the forest.

One of the shadowy figures lunged toward the trio, kicking off the vicious brawl. Falael blocked the attacker's blade with his own before it got too close to his beloved Grace. This redirection stunned the attacker, making him freeze long enough for Falael to take him out.

Grace didn't know what to do. It was one thing to fight one single opponent, it was something entirely different to have a horde of people to fight all at once.

It was as if an instinct had awoken in Rinomve, one that sent him into overdrive. It didn't take long for him to take out half the group of bandits, while Falael was trying to protect Grace.

"You're getting slow, brother." Rinomve called over too him.

"No, you're just getting fast, and the assassins are getting skilled." Falael called back as Rinomve stabbed the last one in the back.

"That's true. Are you okay, Grace?" He asked as Grace slumped down on her pack.

"I am okay, but I think that I need some lessons with a sword." She said as she took a deep breath. "Do you guys think you could teach me?" Rinomve looked at Falael, who was looking back at him.

"Certainly. Falael, why don't you give the first lesson?" Rinomve asked, handing Grace his sword.

"What now?" Falael asked, looking like he had just been caught in a compromising situation.

"Sure! Why not?"

"Okay then." Falael agreed, and Grace rose from her spot. "Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, and I want you to hold the sword like this."