Ruinil was confused for a moment by the prisoners reaction upon seeing her eyes but then smirked and kneeled down nest to her. She gently lifted the woman's head and looked her dead in the eye. "You like my eyes, hm? Take a good long look... you might just see how you die. You most certainly would not be the first." She replied. Ruinil looked in Marco's direction, briefly making eye contact. Her eyes were cold and held warning. Then returned her gaze to Red and released her smirking once more, and stood up. "You know why you haven't seen my kind. The order has been hunting down my race for the past hundreds of years. I'm part of a near extinct race and I would not be surprised if there are less than 50 half demons left in this world."

Her attention turned to Argus. "She wants to know what my paternal DNA donor was." Ruinil then had an idea.

She sat back down in front of Red and smirked. "How about you and me play a little game? You answer our questions and I tell you about my origins. Sound good?" Her gaze was filled with amusement now. This was certainly going to be interesting.

Ruinil's interrogation of the prisoner made Evelyn uneasy as she stood back in observance. If she had to guess, she'd say Ruinil was a Rage Dreakind. Evelyn was about to take a front seat when Ruinil actually began the questioning but she restrained herself upon hearing Red's response. "Well I've looked but I do not see my death, not yet at least, but I do see the eyes of a fool", Red let out her usual smug chuckle before continuing, "It is rather odd that you serve the same organization who slaughters your kin. What's more you imprison me, possibly the one who has done more to help your kind than anyone else in this room, nay this castle. Of course this is all due to a misunderstanding, unfortunately at my hands, nevertheless I'm afraid you won't get anything from me. As much as I'd like to avoid premature death I'm afraid all I know will follow me to the grave...but if you'd like to know me personally I'd be more than happy to share...besides the name, can't give that away". Red had the most satisfied, confident smile on her face as she eyed the four interrogators. "You are not the only one who knows the illusion school. I wonder if they know you're there? The Dreakind must know, but he dwarf and human? Perhaps they do and this is some sort of tactic? This has been fun but I should probably be off now, I'm late as it is", Red's thoughts ran a mile a minute as she began examining the room, making sure to appear as if she as awaiting their reply. Of course escaping now would be bothersome, the whole castle would be onto her and while it would be a mere obstacle she preferred not to make things worse for the knights as they already were.

Evelyn could tell this was going to get bad quickly. Whoever this woman was she was quickly trying Ruinil's patience. "Alright this is getting us nowhere. All of you ou-", Evelyn stopped herself when she suddenly had an epiphany. A few moments ago she noticed Argus had been acting somewhat strange and it was only know did she realize what for. "Everyone out, now", she ordered and as soon as they exited he dungeon Evelyn grabbed Argus by the shoulder. "You mean to tell me you've feelings for her? Nevermind, just get back in there and see what you can learn from her...Cadeniere's mercy", without another word Evelyn headed off towards the Grand Hall in search of Scholar Printh. Perhaps he had some answers to this madness.

Ruinil laughed at Red's remark. "Oh you are just a treat. Tell me. If I am the fool then why are you the one chained up in a prison cell, hm?" She smiled amused but was cut off by Evelyn. Ruinil sighed at stretched a bit and stood up. "Oh come now, captain. We were just starting to getting to know each other." However, Ruinil didn't protest much further. Before heading for the door Ruinil made eye contact with Marco again, saying nothing but her expression seemed to say: "don't be fooled by her appearance and do not let her leave this cell." She then made her way to the door then stopped. "Until next time, beautiful. Oh and by the way, you would be a greater fool then I if you think you can escape from this place on your own. I shall be watching you, I promise."

Ruinil had also noticed Argus' odd behavior but could understand what it was about. She glanced at Argus. "Do not have too much fun with her, Argus." She replied with a teasing tone.

Ruinil had made her way to the outer edge of the fortress. The snow sparkled in the sunlight and it was truly a lovely sight to behold. She inhaled deeply then exhaled, leaving a trail of steam from her mouth as she walked into the courtyard. She smiled as she watched the snow gently dance down from the heavens. Ruinil decided to relax for a bit and take in the scenery as she had not been able to during the events prior. She lay down in snow, her arms outstretched, and let the cold weather sink in.

Marcus had stuck around the springs after Argus had left, even checking around for anything potentially left behind in the rush. The dwarf had been surprisingly thorough, truth be told. Marcus was a note to himself not to trust a drink offered by that one any time soon.
Satisfied with the search he set off back on foot to the castle, his horse having been sent back to the keep.
The progress was slow through the village but it did give the marksman something to think about as he passed by houses abandoned in haste and others had been boarded up. Fearful eyes glanced back from the shadows at him through the long walk. Every pair that looked at him pleadingly broke a small piece of his stern resolve, every angry glance reinforced his hatred for those that destroy the hard earned peace of community.

He stopped amidst the empty street and stared at Thanremere in the distance. A fortress, well protected and well stocked, enough to survive years on its own even in a siege. But what of these towns folk who were only trying to make a living? Were they to die in the event of the dead swarming their homes in the middle of the night? No.. Not now, not ever, and not under Marcus' watch.
His first order of business carried him straight to Thanremere and the nearest messenger. A note in hand it ran for Evelyn.

(the note reads: Knight-Captain Sunderland, I emplore you to consider the plight of the town in the face of war. We sit behind cozy fires while the town below is cold and frightened by the rumors of our coming, scared away from gathering wood and food on their own in fear of the forests hungry denizens.
I ask, demand, that you take action and bring them within the keep. The dungeons are not hospitable but they are warm. We have food and blankets to spare, and we have the soldiers still to allow armed escorts for woodsmen and hunters. Every person who dies now in the night is one more for the necromancers to use against us. See reason.
-Marcus Deadeye)

Marcus ventured through the halls to the sound of cheers, one such recruit talking of a celebration at the vigil. To celebrate the promotion of one Aundair Ivellos. The mood soured immediately as his pace quickened, searching for the young initiate. While Marcus was happy to celebrate a promotion, now was not the time to be wasting supplies. It had been far too quiet after the hive extinction. Storms brewed while the land lay idle.
Marcus caught up to Aundair and approached from behind, his face a snarl as he spun the templar around and stared daggers into the young mans eyes. "A celebration? We are in the middle of a WAR, or have you forgotten what we did in the tunnels so quickly. Lives are being lost and the peasantry lay beyond our doorstep in the cold begging for scraps while you would gorge yourself? You have made one mistake, Aundair and I pray you understand good sense enough to know how to fix it." He shoved past the stunned templar and grabbed the nearest initiate, roughly grabbing him by his front collar and all but throwing him towards the keep. "you, and the rest of your friends will be going through the town the moment I get word back from the knight captain. I want every villager out in the cold inside our walls by sundown." He let go of the mans collar as he ran off to give out the message, rounding up every initiate along the way but Aundair who was told to stay behind. When the two were alone he turned to face him but smiled. "If they were willing to celebrate your promotion, how do You think they Will react when i tell them every single initiate Is being promoted to knighthood by sunrise, in front of the whole town?"

Aundair stood there, stunned for the moment, ale in one hand and a pipe in the other. He looked his new mentor up and down. "You are a mischevious and devious man..." his brows were furrowed and he hooked his mug onto his belt before looking back up to Marcus. As soon as they locked eyes, Aundair's face melted into a jolly smile. "I Love it! We've gotta drag this out, they will never see it coming." he took a pull off of his long ornate pipe. "With all these tragedies recently, the men will be excited to have something good to think about. Morale has been quite down lately. We should make sure that the peasants will be involved as well for that will spread tales of the bravery of the order, we may even get some new recruits. Tales will be told, and drink will be had. commendation of the honor we have exhibited will woo the onlookers" he closed his eyes as if picturing a scene. Then his eyes snapped open. "A thought though, we will have to be sure that some people remain sober. That way we will have guards, just in case." Aundair bowed low, his hood flopping forward onto his head. "Ser, you will make a great deal of men happy. Will I have the honor of sharing a drink with you tonight?" he raised his mug from his belt questioningly

Red watched as most of the knights left the dungeon. One remained, the illusionist, stood there in the darkness of the dungeon where the only source of light was the torch lit by her cell. "These chains won't come off easily, if that guard were to get closer I might be able to get a key off him if he has one", she thought to herself as she pulled at the chains. Now wasn't the time to call out to the guard, for now she'd get accustomed to the shackles and the cell. She didn't want to but if it was necessary for her to escape she may have to kill the guard.

Argus sighed as he aproached Red. For now he just had to sweep his feelings under the rug and try to ignore his desires. He then took a deep breath and spoke. " You know if you just answer a few of my questions i would let you out. Hell with weapons and all. He put his face against the bars and looked at her. " But you would have to play along red head. So let me ask my first question. Who was the person you where supposed to meet? Was he a messenger or your contracter?

"Oh look who's back! The dwarf who knocked me out, dragged me like a grain sack and threw me over the sattle like prize game. You'll get the same I told you before, the person I was meeting Was an associate, much like me...actually not like me but we have similar jobs. His identity I won't reveal but I'll say he's probably nearby. There, I answered your questions and now I'm free to go, correct?", Red blew her hair away from in front of her face upon conclusion and began to relax herself. The idea was to relax her muscles so she could try and slip her hand through the shackles without having to break her hands. "Also, tell that one in the back to get out. This isn't some kind of show for him", she said pointing towards where Marco stood.

Argus hadnt even noticed Marco as he quickly turned around and looked at him.
" Marco mate ill tell you all about it later. Ill even describe every details if you want now can you get out of her? He then turned around to Red. He simply Grabbed his hammer and walked towards the peronal bellongings of Red. He then picked up her notebook and walked back towards her cell dropping it just in front of her cell. " How much is this worth to you?, He asked like asking someone how late it was.

The second Argus grabbed Red's notebook, she immediately went on edge. However she knew any indication of worry would give it away but at the same time excessive indifference would be giving herself away. "Its a record book, my mission was to mark down any cultist activity in the area. However I found none beyond Sharwood village. Most ,after hunting down a good number of Templars, returned to Starguard. That's where the Dead God has established his headquarters". Red's tone was calm with a hint of concern in her voice. To speak about such a topic with no seriousness would be giving away the truth. On the inside however, Red was desperately hoping that Argus would put the notebook down and go back to answering the usual questions.

Argus would have bought it where it nit for the concern in Red's voice. He found this to be strange. Since she had been an asshat all this time. He then grabbed His hammer. The room was then in a firey glow Abd then runes where spewing flames. He then slowly started to Lower his hammer onto the book. The leatherstraps started to smell and the Notebook slowly but sureley started to burn.

The second the runes on Argus' hammer activated a single thought came to Red's mind, "FUCK!". Immediately she began pulling at the chains but to no avail, that notebook was precious and just to singe it was bad enough. "Alright Alright I'll answer your dank questions just put the book down!", she yelled, her smile had turned into a scowl as she pulled hard against those infernal shackles. "First thing once I get out of here is getting myself a lockpicking set...", she thought as she eyed the notebook.

Argus grinned as he retracted his hammer from the notebook. " So you do have a weakspot? Good that makes things easyer. Now tell me the truth about the question i just asked. And tell me exactly who you where meeting at the spring. His name where he is from what he eats. Every detail after that i want you to tell where you were headed and what your objective is. And if i find your questions to be false ill see what else is important to you. Argus did not enjoy doing this. But he had to put his love aside. He would apologize later.

"You think I refuse to answer because I don't feel comfortable with it? My Order believes in secrecy to the highest degree, any compromising of that and I'll be killed! That's not paranoia either, the associate I was scheduled to meet would finish me off the second I was alone if I speak about who we are! So forgive me for not wanting to share with you but unlike you I do not belong to an organization that forgives cowardice. I fully intend to live as I've much left to see and do", Red hung her head low before taking a deep breath. It was true that if she spoke about her organization she'd be killed but she'd already seen much and frankly it wasn't all impressive. "Look, all I know is that I had just completed and assignment when I was given word to meet a fellow agent of mine here. I don't know who they are, secretive organizations are that way, just that I was to meet them there and give a report of my mission before heading to the capital. I can't tell you about what we do but just know that our agenda coincides with The Templars. If anything we are your best and possibly only ally right now".

Atleast they where getting somewhere.. " But if you are our ally why all the secretcy. Thats not a perfect way to make friends is it? He said sitting on the ground.
"You also still didn't answer my other question. Why are you headed for the human capital?What is your buissnes there. And don't give me an evading answer. Or else ill see what else i can destroy. He stood up and walked towards Red's stuff grabbing her longsword. Which he threw In front of her cell. He then once again grabbed his hammer and smashed the sword once. Which created a dent in it.

Red had gone through a lot of swords in her day, but that one had lasted the longest. To see a dent in what was in a way, her only friend, it stung a little. "I'm getting soft, this is becoming a detriment to my efficiency", she thought as she contemplated an answer. "Our organization does not want, nor does it need, friends. All it needs is for those in power to keep the peace while it helps from the background. As for my mission, we'll I would have been given that information and been on my way helping you all if you'd not had knocked me out. As I said, I was only told to meet to be given my assignment and to hand over my findings".

Argus nodded he still didn't know if she was telling the truth but atleast she was still talking.
. " I apoligize for knocking you out but in my defence you threatend to kill me.
Also i think this has been enough for now we will continue this tommorow. He stood up and walked towars The notebook grabbing it and taking it with him.

"Wait wait wait I told you what I could now you let me go! Could you at least fix my sword , ya two foot twat?!", it was too late, Argus had already closed the dungeon once again leaving Red to her self in darkness. "Well shit.."

Marco smirked, This 'red' may have been able to notice him, Argus however, not so much, as once red pointed him out Argus turned and looked at the space a bit to his right. He still would've left, honest, he was really only there out of curiosity, partly at least, but once they immediately forgot about him without even making sure he left the room he simply didn't move, Leaning there on the wall as the interrogation took place.

After Argus left Marco let himself become visible again, leaning on the wall of the cell to Red's left "well, that was harsh" He got off the wall and walked over to leave, only to find the door locked "Well...this is embarrassing..." he said as he turned around "well i guess we're both stuck here for a bit" he walked back over to where he was before this time sitting down on the floor with his back to the wall and his legs crossed. He reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a deck of cards, looking down at his hands as he shuffled then, stopping after a moment to look up at Red and ask "Cards? or am i playing by myself?"

---

Landeel stayed at the table in the hall for a little while after Lukas and Marco had left. He eventually got up and went for a walk up on the wall. Along the way he passed another Templar, a Knight-Sergeant, a few steps past him however Landeel turned around and took a second look at this templar, an elf, wearing a mask and cap that only showed his eyes and let his pointed-ears stick out. The elf slowed to a stop as well, looking back at Landeel a mixture of surprise, recognition, and wariness in his eyes. After a moment Landeel just turned around and carried on as if nothing happened, leaving the elf slightly confused before he too continued on his way.

Red was a bit annoyed at Marco's question, "Does it look like I can use my hands?" she asked as she wiggled her hand in the cuff. I'd really prefer to not have to break my hand to get out of this", she thought before once again addressing the fourth knight. "Alright, fine. Why don't you take off the shackles and we can play? You don't even have to come in the cell, just toss the key to me...unless you want to come in?", obviously she didn't have the slightest interest in the eavesdropper but if the cuffs were off then she'd be free before sundown. "So what shall we play? War? No we're both illusionists, maybe something more...interesting", Red's voice took on an alluring tone as she eyed Marco.

---

Meanwhile, Evelyn sat once again in the great hall with a new cup of tea. Every now and then she glanced over her back to see if anymore surprises were headed her way. Satisfied that she'd be left in peace, the knight-captain took in a deep breath of relief before saying softly, "Finally, peace at last". Just as she grasped her cup, a voice cried out, "CAPTAIN SUNDERLAND!". It was the same nervous wreck of a courier from before. This ime instead of causing Evelyn to fall out of her seat, he merely caused her arm to jerk, spilling her tea all over the table. "Altaia, give me strength", she prayed before getting up to recieve the message. "Yes, what's wrong?", she asked with a very annoyed tone in her voice.

"Nothing, ma'am. Scholar Printh requests your presence in the war room"

Evelyn said nothing as she walked past the courier, a scowl on her face as she headed for the war room. Whatever it was that Printh wanted, it had better be good.

The War Room was not as large as the Grand Hall nor as impressive. In truth, it was a chamber the size of a cottage. In interior was not decorated with intricate wall carvings or lined with fancy torch sconces. As this was primarily a place of study, Thanermere had little need for a war room. Had it not been that Printh was already inside and had started a fire, the chamber would have been cold as winter for the walls were of the same brick and mortar used to build the exterior walls. The sole piece of furniture was the war table at the center on top of which a map of the continent sat. "You requested me, Master Printh?", she asked with the same amount of irritation in her voice as before.

"Indeed, a raven arrived just recently. It was sent for you", Printh handed Evelyn the letter. It was a small black envelope with a grey seal however it had no identifying features.

"Do we know where it's from?", she asked as she opened the letter. Scholar Printh simply shook his head as he answered, "All we know is that it came from the southwest"

Knight-Captain Evelyn Sunderland,
We've spoken before, at that time I urged you to travel to Wyndhaven. Three days have passed and the hour grows dire in the capital. I once again urge you to make haste for the capital, at the gates you will be instructed on how to meet your contact.

There was no signature, no name or alias to even give the slightest clue as to who this individual was. Even so, Evelyn know who this was, the voice from the nightmare, telling them to go to the capital. After all they'd been through in the Hive, Evelyn had completely forgotten about their mysterious guide. "Have we recieved news from the capital? Has the king made a statement in regards to the army at his doorstep?", Evelyn handed Printh back the letter who immediately threw it into the fire. "I sent ravens while you were away but they've never come back, it is possible someone is intercepting our messages"

"Then our friend's words are true. We may be needed in the capital.

"When do you intend to go?"

"At first light, I'd best inform the men"

"Captain I must warn you, you realize that if these letters have been intercepted then our enemy is scattered further than just at Starguard. It is possible they are operating from within the capital and highly likely that they are observing our movements here as well"

"I know, in fact I believe we may have caught an agent this morning. She sits in the dungeon as we speak"

"Have you learned anything from her?"

"She's resilient but current under questioning by one of my men, hopefully he brings results soon"

Just then that same courier barged into the war room. "Before you scream my name simply telll me the message!", Evelyn wasn't one to yell...aside from that one time with the chickens, but when she did she felt terrible about it, especially if it was not warranted. The poor lad was doing his job and here he was shaking in his boots. "A-A-A letter f-for you ma'am. From Lieutenant Marcus", the courier quickly handed Evelyn the letter and sprinted out of the room, not wanting to be the target of her ire any longer than needed. As Evelyn looked over the letter she was both surprised and pleased. "Tell Lieutenant-ah yes he's gone...", she said upon realizing the courier had long vanished. Printh chuckled before heading for the door, "I'll inform Master Marcus".

"My thanks, Master Printh. In the meantime I''ve some planning to do", once she was alone, Evelyn turned her attention to the map. The borders of the kingdoms as well as key geographic and political locatios were marked, but now a nee line had to be made, the border between the Kingdom of Farendar and the Realm of Sar'Than.

Marco stood up from where he was "Well, lass, i don't have the key. like i said we're both stuck in this cell for a bit" not entirely true, he was fairly sure he could get the cell door open without a key, but meh. If her attempts to be alluring were having any effect on Marco it didn't show. Still, he undid her shackles, using the blades in his gauntlets to pry them open, carefully of course. He then stepped back and idly shuffled the deck of cards as he watched for her next move "so then, will you join me for a game? or is this where you attempt escape or try to overpower me?"

"You've got to be kidding me", Red grumbled as she got out of thr cuffs, "You just had to get locked in with me so not only am I going to be late I'm going to have to spend my time awaiting whatever these idiots have in store for me by playing cards! Not on your life!", Red pushed Marco out of the way and headed towards the cell door. Reaching through the bars she clawed at the table which held her throwing knives atop it. It was no use as the table was too far but her sword was just within arm's reach after Argus had thrown it at her cell. Picking it up she used it as a prod to reach for the knives, unfortunately when she swiped the tabletop to throw her knife over it had been done with too much power. As a result, the knives were thrown across to the cell beside them and once again out of arms reach. "Oh for fuck's sake!", the assassin yelled as she tried her third idea. Sticking the tip of her blade into the lock mechanism of the cell, she tried to jimmy it open. Of course luck was not on her side as the blade was too late to fit and so Red was left with no other options. Sitting down across from Marco she said, with a defeated voice, "What game do you have in mind?".

---

Evelyn had just finished her work in the War Room when she entered the keep courtyard. She'd heard a commotion from inside the great hall and went to investigate the cause. "You really surprised me this time, Marcus", she thought to herself before beginning to invite the villagers into the keep. "You there, Corporal, see these people to the barracks. And have the cooks prepare a feast!", she ordered a nearby Templar. Without haste the knight had run off to see her captain's orders done. "Now to see about that prisoner..", Evelyn passed through the kitchen on her way to the dungeons, grabbing some food on the way there. Entering the dungeons she was shocked by the sight of Marco and Red...playing cards?! "....what in the name of the gods are you doing?", she asked as she placed the plate of food on the table and at the same time reaching for her sword.

Marco watched with a bit of an amused expression as Red attempted to reach her things through the bars, only to fail all three attempts and resign herself to a game of cards. Marco chuckled and dealt out cards as he told her the name of the game and explained anything she didn't know. soon after they were just sitting there whiling away time, seeing rounds lost or won on both sides. Marco looked up when Evelyn's voice came from outside the cell, when he saw her just outside the door he gave a small wave in her direction "Hey Evelyn, we're playing jeu de tarot. Want to join?"

After the incident with the kest, Glodin spent his time repairing armor and weapons. It took him the most of the three days to do all the repairs. Once he was finally done with the repairs he just sat there at his spot near the forge gazing at his friend's armor and weaponry. "Their lives depends on how well I do here... I can't let myself get rusty with my craft." Glodin's eyes stopped on Evelyn's sword and sheild.

"Hmm..." He quickly ran and grabbed the first initiate that walked his way and told him to go and gather him a spare sheath for a Captain's sword before going into the forge and beginning his work using Evelyn's sword as reference. After hours of labor and metal shaping, he made an almost perfect twin for the Captains blade. The hilt of the sword was slightly smaller and the weapon itself felt a little lighter. He had made sure the blade was well balanced and the rune at the base of the blade wouldn't interfere with the feel of the swing. He rechecked the rune with the one in his journal and finished the detailing.

By the time the messenger made it to Glodin to tell him he was needed near the holding cells, the messenger found him passed out with his work finally complete.

Thanermere had undergone a transformation. From a grey fortress of warriors, scholars, and priests it became a warm and welcoming castle of bliss. The gates had been opened and the commonfolk, once left to the frigid winter winds beyond the walls, were brought into the keep and shown the hospitality of the dawn. The Grand Hall was decorated with orbs of arcane light strewn across the walls and ceiling, the bards sang songs of olde and played ballads carried across the currents of time. The knights shared tales of their adventures to all who'd listen and the fascination of the children they'd garnered in particular. Brothers in arms displayed feats of strength and combat prowess as wrestling matches were held and duels were declared. For the time it seemed as though all had forgotten what lay beyond the walls, beyond the woods and further into the north. The enemy that plotted the doom of the world had been put aside for this one night as warrior and peasant alike sat beside one another sharing drink and camaraderie.

Down below, in the depths of the castle dungeon, the foot stomping of the joyful could be heard only as hollow thudding. The music was faint and distorted by the unfriendly walls. Down in the depths of Thaneremere Keep, Knight-Captain Evelyn Sunderland stood before an imprisoned assassin. A single torch hung between them, it's light was frantic as the flames flickered wildly in he darkness. Evelyn watched with stern eyes as the assassin hung her head low. The two had been engaged in questioning for hours and at this point Red had grown weary. Over and over Evelyn asked her questions and over and over Red evaded them. Up until now it seemed as though they'd get nowhere until the captain finally said, "I do not enjoy torture, it is deplorable. But you are here before me, an admitted assassin stalking Templar lands, threatening my men, and performing operations of unknown nature to an unknown employer...however I know torture will do nothing. Inflict enough pain and the victim will confess whatever you want them to regardless if any of it holds true".

Red raised her head to show the look of annoyance about her as she said, "Now that you've come to your senses, I assume you'll be releasing me, correct?". Evelyn smirked before turning towards the table upon which Red's effect were placed. "No, not even close", Evelyn took the notebook in hand, flipping through the pages until she found something of interest. "What are you doing?! Stop!", Red cried out though Evelyn was indifferent to he protests. "Since you refuse to cooperate, I shall procure the information I require through this", she said as she stopped at a page featuring the depic and if a body, it's throat slit wide open. "This seems interesting, notes on one of your targets?", she asked before reading the following excerpt:

Morin Valdencroft, leader of a prominent bandit group known as "The Verdent". Known for smuggling of arms across borders as well as orchestrating multiple third party attacks on foreign territories. Inciting of skirmishes between Farendar and Talmarian troops and conspiracy to aid Renner raids along the southern coast. Target was last scene in the town of Lymnoriin, leaving towards the nearby marshlands, contacts suggest he has established a fortification within the swamps, heavily guarded, possible arcane wards placed around perimeter"

"This alone is interesting but I have to wonder, with what you have written here and what you claim to be in relation to The Order, why threaten to kill Argus?", Evelyn turned the page to read the results of that mission.

"I waited until night, the guards were in between shifts when I removed the wards. The mage was required to remain outside until his replacement arrived, they both had to be eliminated. Stealing the mages clothes I assumed their identity as I waited for the next shift of guards to arrive. Each feel without alerting the others. I proceeded to place caltrops at the entrance to halt any escape before delving further into the enemy fortification. Once inside I discovered-"

Evelyn stopped her dictation of the notebook when she came across the this segment of the report. Apparently the bandits dealt not only in weapons but also slaves. From what she writes, it appears as though the slaves were inbound to western Talmaria, somewhere along the western coast and an entire kingdom between them and home. Red apparently killed every last raider without detection before freeing the slaves and personally seeing their return to their native lands. Evelyn was moved by this, but even so she still did not trust Red, at least not fully. Red on the otherhands wore another large grin on her face as she knew that Evelyn had read the rest of the report. "Mind letting me go now?", she asked but Evelyn's only response was, "You'll be taken the capital for trial. Until then you will remain here". Evelyn placed the notebook back on the table before leaving to return to the festivities.

The festivities were in full swing, however, none would find Ruinil there. Singing... Dancing... Things that she actually enjoyed doing were also thing she would not dare in front of all of those people. She did not belong there and if she had dared to try, she would swiftly be reminded of her place.

Ruinil made her way aimlessly down the maze like corridors of Thanmere, singing a song of her own to honor the initiates. Ruinil cared not for the lack of audiences. She was just glad that the others could make merry and be happy.

Though she tried to avoid it, she would repeatedly find herself at the courtyard, just across from where the party was taking place. Occasionally a small group of children would come running out of the room and play for a bit, then notice the half demon watching them. She would then smile a toothy grin, revealing her fangs, and her eyes would flash a bright red. The children would then squeel and giggle as they ran back inside. This process would repeat a few times before she would continue to sing and make her rounds around the fortress.

"I wonder if I would make a good mother..." Ruinil thought to herself. She then laughed at the thought of it. "Me...? A mother...? What am I thinking...? I must have hit my head harder than I thought." Ruinil shook her head and sighed, clearing her mind of such ludicrous thoughts, as she made the next round around the fortress.

Marcus joined in the revelries with his newest companion Aundair as the two shared a single drink and a long smoke of pipe tobacco. The party had been created for the purpose of morale, understanding, and to remind everyone that dark times passed. The dawn would never abandon those it swore to protect. Already there were some of the townsfolk asking to be trained and armed as best as possible to form a proper militia against the threat at Starguards heart. The dead god Sar'Than would find no fear on this night within the hearts of the brave and proud. Thanremere was unified and strong, strong as any fortress Marcus had seen.
"Aundair, hand these out would you? I'm unfamiliar with the names of the initiates." He handed the young templar a stack of letters signed and dated by Knight-Captain Sunderland granting them a promotion to full fledged knight. "The first task of every new knight will be to help the village any way they can. I don't care if it means digging a trench, cutting down a tree, or knitting a damn blanket with the older women. Can you do this?" Marcus smiled without listening for the reply. Aundair was a capable lad and if he lived long enough may even find himself in the same position Marcus was in.
He waved goodbye and went to join others, sharing a toast but never drinking, swapping stories, and other such things. Knight-Captain sunderland had returned to the party and was likely going to join in for a bit. Poor woman had a lot on her plate but now, so did Marcus. The first moment it became available he left the festival hall and went to the living quarters. A long route had him double back and pass a few others as he finally made his way to the holding cells.

It didn't take him long to slip in unnoticed, carrying no torch or any other source of light, he made his way down the stairs without so much as a whisper.
Marcus stepped into the light of a single torch at Reds cell with both his arms crossed. His hand upraised to silence any forthcoming replies. "No time." His blade slashed down hard onto the locking mechanism of the cell, breaking it and opening the cell. A few moments later the black clad assassin was free, Marcus placed the notebook back in her possession along with her weapons. "Festival upstairs. If you wish to stay, do so." He nodded with a frown on his face as he spun about, returning up the stairs without a sound. 'Red' could handle herself.

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Bartuc laughed heartily from a doorway not far from Ruinil, whom he had discovered to be wandering about the couryard in a gloomy mood. Her singed had been beautiful and his heart ached to hear it again. Yet her lamentations caught him right where it mattered. What of children? They were a couple unlike so why would the concept be strange to his thoughts.
"Ruinil you worry too much. No child could ask for a more caring mother," He gave a sly wink as he approached, enjoying the nights air. "Or a more caring.. father." He stumbled on the word for a moment, embarassed about the idea of being alone with Ruinil in that kind of way.
He shook his head of the thought and focused on the here and now. "Do not be so gloomy after such a victory we have shared. Come with me to the grand hall. Your songs are wasted on the night with none but me to appreciate it."

Aundair was having a good time to say the least. Walking through the crowds, his cloak swishing in the air, he shared drinks with everyone and all who were drinking. He sang songs, danced and spread merriment as much as he could. There was no reason for him to not be excited. He had the honor of handing out the titles to the initiates and nothing could have made him happier than promoting his friends. His head was warm and he was enjoying his time with his new mentor. Templar at last. He danced through the initiates, his feet stepping lightly and surely, surprising considering how drunk he was. Seeing his friend Manion, Aundair grabbed her shoulders and swung her around to dance with him. Their feet moved in unison to the beating of the drums. He turned her and let her spin off towards another man hoping to dance, then turned away. He raised his mug and shouted "TO FRIENDS WE WILL NEVER FORGET, AND NIGHTS WE WILL NEVER REMEMBER!!" He finished his drink and slammed it on a table before laughing and spinning off to find more people and more drinks.

Glodin awoke to the rhythmic thumps of many a templar stomping and dancing to a beat. Curiosity got the better of the dwarf as he took his hammer attaching it to his hip and taking the Captain's sword's twin onto his back. When he arrived to the party he seemed out of place in his blacksmith's apron, tired eyes, and armed to the teeth.

It did not take long for the dwarf to join the festivities as he gladly took the first mug offered to him and started to chug. He finished his drink and placed down the mug before setting off to find the members of his group to let them know that he had finished the repairs on their arms and armor. But before he could make it very far, he was almost toppled over by a dancing and spinning woman."Oi, lass! Watch where y'er goin! If you were any taller I woulda had y'er bum in my face!"

Ruinil was startled by Bartuc's and flinched. "Good gods, Bartuc... You scared me half to death!" She sighed. She blushed from Bartuc's remark about her being a good mother. "Yes well... A caring mother does not necessarily mean a good mother."

Ruinil sighed then smiled amused by Bartuc's request. "My beloved you are still a wee babe, I am afraid. You have yet to know the cruelty and shun that I have. They do not think good of our kind... And I fear that they never will think anything but that when it comes to us. The scars etched deep into my body are proof of that."

A thick blanket of fog, summoned by Ruinil's song, covered the clearing, enveloping her as she started to sing once again. Her voice slowly faded away and when the fog had finally cleared, Ruinil had already moved on and was no where to be seen.

Red was preparing her insults as she heard the dungeon door open. To her surprise, it was not a knight-captian but rather a lieutenant, Marcus in fact. "As strange as this may sound I'm actually relieved to see you", she whispered after he broke the shackles. Unfortunately there wasn't much of an opportunity to speak for as soon as the Lieutenant arrived, he left. There Red stood with her weapons and notebook in hand, contemplating what further action was required. At this point she knew waiting for the contact was pointless, instead she should head to capital and be briefed there on her task. At the moment however she wished to step away from the life of an assassin. Carefully she stuck her head through the dungeon doorway, examining the outside for anyone who'd give her away. Satisfied, she hurried along through the halls, making sure she wasn't suspicious as she headed for a room with some signs of lodging.

It was when she came across a door with a rather pleasant fragrance that her curiosity captured her. Silently stepping inside she discovered that this was a rather large room whose owner was very particular about its upkeep as it was in rather good order and cleanliness. Quietly yet with haste she searched for something that was less conspicuous to wear. Finally coming across a simple yet flattering dress she decided this would be her attire for the evening. Putting she gear and clothes into a bag she tossed it out of the window and over the walls, making sure to note where it was when she'd go to retrieve it later. Putting her hair into a bun she glanced at herself in the mirror before making one kast adjustment...The removal of her ring, [color=f26522][i]"Modest dress, no valuables, hair in a practical style...looks peasant enough to me"[i][/color] she thought as she gave herself the final check.

Heading downstairs she made sure to take note of the locations of the guards and any persons of interest, particularly the ones who'd seen her in the dungeon. Once that was addressed, Red calmly began to weave through the keep, through the groups of people dancing and signing and merry making with a war going on. "So This is what its like on this side of things. I could get used to this", she thought as she tied one of the dishes prepared for the feast. It was when she was deciding desserts that she noticed Evelyn at the entrance to the great hall. The caotain was watching the festivities like a Lord seated at the head of his court, overlooking the joy of his kinsmen who ate in his hall. "No matter how long its been, you'll always be highborn", Red commented as she turned to avoid the great hall. While the main festivities were held there, a good number of people were scattered about the keep so it wasn't as if she'd be missing anything. For now she'd enjoy this little party but before dawn it was critical she'd be gone...Siirvhen was probably hungry.

Bartuc gave a belly laugh as Ruinil told him of how others would perceive his new found form, that of a half demon like his spouse Ruinil, and could not resist the urge to enjoy the silly notion. It was infectious as he thought more and more of his years of service, of some inappropriate comments he had heard over the years pertaining to a certain little lady in the ranks. Men did not care for anything but a pretty face and young bloods were all too much proof of the concept. Eventually his laughter died down to a slight giggle as he wiped a tear from his eye. "Oh my dear girl, I do not care what the people think." He rested comfortably on a wall as the fog rolled in and her behest. The song was mesmerizing even as it faded away to leave Bartuc standing alone with fond thoughts.

"You are wrong, my love, to think the way you do." A look of very real anger crossed his face for a fleeting moment as the memory of the dream came unbidden to him. Bartuc could not contain his anger at the thoughts of her dieing in such a grim way at the hands of 'friends', his fiery temper sparked very real flames across his back that turned his silk shirt to tatters. Bartuc patted out his flames and simply looked into the sky. I will kill anyone who even attempts such an act.

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Marcus returned to the party hall and kept his distance now, simply trying to enjoy the atmosphere and convince himself that his actions were right. Freeing 'red' had been the right decision but it had effectively made him a betrayer to the order, a person Marcus would personally take the life from if he found out. What a life he lived, that of a knight of the Dawn. Like he had told Aundair it was crucial to follow the rules but in time it was hard to forget that the world was full of grey.
His thoughts grinded to a halt as he caught a familiar sight blending in. Interestingly, he noted, it was not her face he recognized but the very way she walked. Hypnotic in a way he could not understand but alluring all the same. Before the movement even registered in his mind he tapped on the disguised Reds shoulder, sweeping his hat off with a low bow. "Oh kind maiden, I pray you are not cold? The nights must be difficult with the winter snow out in full." He held out his hand and offered a sly wink. "Maybe a moment of your time upon the dance floor would warm your bones?"