As they walked, Fendros looked behind himself through the trees and silently bade farewell to his home one last time. It was as if this whole affair had been a long dream. Maybe he was just in a coma somewhere. He would eventually wake up in bed. It was a nice fantasy to have, for as long as it lasted.

"Hah! Perish the thought," Fendros replied to Ahnasha, secretly wondering just whether Lorag would have a tale about an intoxicated Ahnasha to outdo that example. "So, what is a good drunken Lorag story, anyway? I've been told what to anticipate, but what has he done before?" Fendros asked with a half-smile, "I expect no less than exaggeration and lies, mind."