“Do you know where the Red Vanguards HQ is?” Liaena enquired conversationally where she sat next to him, having just observed another carriage slide past them just a few inches from her nose. Ragnold looked momentarily nonplussed, before recognition appeared on his face. “Right you are milady – RIGHT! TURNING RIGHT! GET OFFA THE ROAD!”

As they jinked right with a sweeping turn that sent pedestrians scurrying for cover and sent the carriage onto its two outside wheels yet again, with a few more frenzied twists and turns and driving that would cause any self-respecting cabbie to be barred for life, they squealed to a halt outside the inn with the newly built front door, the horses panting and wheels shaking. 

“Okay. Just hold the carriage here for a moment, would you?” Liaena told Ragnold as she prepared to jump down into the slushy snow. Turning to look over her shoulder, she also squinted through the grille into the dusky inside of the carriage. “You two stay here. I’ll be right back”

Marshall glowered through the gloom back at her. His mood had clearly not improved, while looking distinctly unruffled by the frantic ride through the town. Having been studying Alficious’ diary, it was debatable whether he had even noticed it. “This is not our Cathedral of Light”

“No” Liaena allowed. “It’s not”

“Lying brat”

“We’ll be there soon, Father”

“And why is that thing with us!?” The old man wanted to know. A stab of his finger left no doubt about what ‘that thing’ was, Rithrynn having finally picked herself off the floor of the carriage. 

“Because, Father, every time I’ve left the mansion in the last two days, something or someone has attacked me. And she’s good at dealing with that” Liaena said rather coldly. Avoiding the thought of exactly how much firewood the carriage could quite easily make and also avoiding catching Rithrynn’s eye, she jumped down into the slushy snow and made for the repaired door. “I’ll be right back. Do[b] not[/b] kill each other!”

Stalking into the inn, there were several members of the Red Vanguard dotted around the interior, many seated at the trestle tables, a larger group clustered to the rear and talking in low voices. Liaena made a beeline for the latter, some of the men starting to look her way as she approached. “Fran!”

The dwarf stepped forward slightly, having previously apparently been talking to Darius, now looking confused. “…Liaena? What’s going on?”

Pausing in front of the group, Liaena glanced between the members of the Vanguard, before glancing at Darius and raising her eyebrows slightly. “Has the man you sent to Alficious’ come back yet?”

“……”

“…Right.” Liaena said grimly after the very telling pause. Looking at Fran, she jerked a thumb over her shoulder at the door to the inn, where as of yet no battle cries were emanating from. “We need to talk. There’s a carriage waiting outside and I’ve got about thirty seconds before somebody sets fire to it. Are you coming, or not?”