Azaeli woke with a start and a loud gasp, jolting upright in her bed, her heart pounding. She reached for the mug of water nearby to wet her dry mouth, and pulled her sweat-drenched hair over her shoulders. Something, somewhere was amiss. The darkness of her bedroom was still and thick around her, and she kicked off her downy blanket in effort to cool herself as she peered into the shadows. Content that there was no immediate threat, she lay back down and began to pray, trying to recall the nightmare she was certain she'd had. Before her prayer was finished, sleep took her again.

The priests carried Hecathia out towards the abbey overnight, travelling slowly, but surely. They knew their charge would not be drugged too long, so they were anxious to make progress. They moved quietly, carrying their burden among the four of them, and speaking only rarely to one another.


Suddenly their march was halted as a figure jumped out before them, sword drawn and draped in a black cloak.

"Who goes there?!" the figured demanded brandishing it's blade. One of the priests moved into a defensive stance.. he was ready for any uncouth bandit.

"We are the humble servants of the Lord God Almighty, and we bear a troubled soul who needs tending to. Stand aside sir" said the lead clergyman.

The figure sighed "Ah father thank goodness it's a friendly face out here, I tell you, I am getting too jumpy because of all the villains out here now. You can hardly travel a day from Camelot without spotting a bandit or a heathen filidh."

"Ah my son it's good you're vigilant" the priest at the back lowered his quarterstaff and stood down, happy this wasn't going to be a confrontation. He knew as a frair he was here to protect the others, but he didn't relish the idea of violence.

"Tis true indeed, all good men need vigilance these days" said the stranger sheathing his blade "I'll tell you, the things I have seen out here would send a chill down your spine" the lead priest nodded his head at this, all too true.

"But you know what's worse?" asked the stranger "The thing's that you *don't* see..."

A soft thud was heard as the friar dropped his staff and keeled forward. Th priests looked alarmed as the man unsheathed his blade again.

Hecathia wasn't going to be in the abbey anytime soon.

When the report arrived back of the interception of Hecathia's escort and her being freed, Crispian made arrangements to withdraw the agents he had employed from the field. He made brief arrangements for an extended absence from the League Hall and packed up what belongings he valued, having others moved to hidden storage places through out the city.


As he could do nothing to impede or act on the course of events unfolding, he choose to simply not be there for them. He dispatched Camlin, Lynis and others to hiding or points of safety, and saw Jashen off last of all. When he was sure everyone was safely away from the city for whom he cared and could act for, he sent word to Azi with instructions how he could be reached.


Clearly, anything he did to try to alter the course of events was thwarted or turned about, so he would let Arcalan run her course. If the League was destroyed, he could find other Guilds to join, he was sure.


As the light of a new day rose over the Camelot, he himself closed the door to his empty chambers and left the League hall for perhaps the last time.

 

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((heh no idea who thkose guys are but I didn't think hec would enjoy being couped up))

((shrug))

 

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"My thanks, Emlae," Azi forced a smile as her new squire pulled the straps of her breastplate tight and buffed a hardly noticable smudge away with her sleeve.


"My Lady Hammerfel-" the squire said with concern, then stopped herself. It was improper of a squire to ask questions of her knight. Instead she busied herself with Azi's packs, making certain they were closed tightly, and that her war mattock and great scimitar were wrapped securely in leather so as not to get dented or scratched as her lady traveled.


Azi read the message again with a frown as Emlae bustled about. What did Crispian mean, sending everyone and everything important to him away from the Hall? She felt Emlae at her back, fastening her archmace to the hilt there, and then her cloak to her shoulders.


"Emlae, I have something very important to ask of you. Please go to the guild hall and try to find out as much as you can about what happened there last night. But try not too be very obvious about it, and if anyone asks, tell them," Azaeli frowned, "tell them I wished to know. But avoid Hecathia and Arcalan please."


"es, Lady Hammerfel," Emlae answered without hesitation, immediately heading for the door.


"I go south to Cornwall, Emlae. If I am not at the station when you arrive, wait for me there. Please tell nobody where I went." Azi smiled as Emlae nodded seriously and made her way downstairs.


The wind in her hair as she rode to Cornwall was welcome and pleasant, and she arrived in no time at all at the Yarley's farm. She smiled to herself as she gracefully dismounted her horse and peered toward Lyonesse. Glittering on the horizon, his back to her, stood a noble figure. As she made her way to greet Crispian, his cloak flapped gently in the breeze.

Crispian smiled to himself. Emlae really should go easier on the roseoil she favored for the leather straps of Azi's armor. Keeping them clean was one thing, but the scent of roses in battle was a bit odd. He slowly turned, squinting into the sun as he did. Azi's armor flashed as she approached him.


"ou make a habit of chasing me down, fairest one," he said as he bowed. "ou are almost as bad as Toby." He smirked at her. Toby was already in Lyonesse making a camp spot past the house of the pygmys.


"ou shouldn't worry so," he continued on, the wind ruffling his short cropped hair as he smiled at her under sun-crinkled eyes.

 

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"I fear if I didn't worry, I'd lead a rather boring life, milord." Azi smiled, pulling her long hair back and retying the windblown strands. "And you think I'm chasing you? Cannot a young paladin come to hunt in Lyonesse?" She grinned in time with Crispian at her own bluff. "Is there room for another in your hunt, dear friend? Or do you wish to be alone?" Alluding to the two men spending time together still made her blush, and she could see the amusement at that in Crispian's eyes as he looked at her.

"our company is always welcome, but I fear there may be little left to return to." His face grew more serious. "She is out of hand, Arcalan is, and so is this Hecathia. They waylaid Toby and Lynis last night after she broke into my room with some spell to retrieve this." He held up a key. "I fear they will destroy the League."


He looked into the sun directly, allowing it to blind him a moment. "For that, I will hunt them to my end of days and kill them both. I have no love for either in my heart, nor room for patience. Let them play out there games. I will have no more part in it."


He turned back to face Azi. "It will be a long hunt down here."

 

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Azi looked to the key, watching it twirl and glint in the sun as he held it up to her.


"That is mine," she said softly, "gifted to me by the Church when I took my vows. I gave it to Lexi...what did she do to it?" She held out her hand and Crispian lowered it into her palm. She turned it in her hand, feeing a pang in her heart at the sacrilege of its altered state. "How did it come to be in your room?"