“The people, Delbin-I sense their presence. They watched as we walked by. I felt it. They are frightened of something.”

“Tesela says they are, and she oughta know, because they’re surely afraid of her. That old man was only the third one to come to her since we arrived here five days ago. Death was ready to claim him, Tesela said. He was afraid she would demand payment or hard labor from him before doing any healing. He was also afraid she might send him away or beat him like-” Delbin hesitated and looked over toward the room where Darius lay-”like one of the knights had already done.”

“What?” Kaz cursed silently. “Come in here with me,” he added, indicating a door that probably led to a back room for storage.

Such was the case. Kaz found a box that smelled slightly of rotting oak and sat on it. It creaked but held. Delbin found a small stool and planted himself with great eagerness.

“Go on,” Kaz said grimly.

Delbin’s story confirmed the rumors the minotaur had been hearing. In this territory, the knighthood’s actions had grown to resemble the very cruelties that had led its founder, Vinas Solamnus, to turn on his master, the emperor of Ergoth. Solamnia now faced ruin and panic. The knights of Vingaard Keep, heart of the Orders, no longer even pretended to patrol the land, and now goblins and other vultures were stealing into the area to raid those too weak or too listless to defend themselves.

“This is madness; this is evil,” Kaz whispered angrily.

Delbin cocked his head. “Are you still going to Vingaard Keep? It could be dangerous, but if you go, I’m going, too, because I was worried about you, and when I thought you’d died, it was awful. Don’t you dare die for a while, promise? Say, I should write down what happened to you!”

The kender reached into his pouch and pulled out something out that in no way resembled his cherished book, although it was made of paper. It was a scroll, to be precise.

“Hmmph! Look at this! It’s got funny writing on it, Kaz-and it mentions you!”

“Let me see!” Kaz tore the paper from the kender’s hands and read the scroll. “Myname’s on it.’… has been found guilty of the dishonorable and heinous crime of murder, and thus, by order of the emperor’s council, this oath breaker is proclaimed criminal in all lands. Those who bear this document are servants of the emperor of the minotaur race and have been granted whatever power necessary to obtain the capture or execution, if necessary, of the murderer. Cooperation with the bearers of this proclamation is requested.’ Very polite and formal.” The minotaur crumpled up the paper in a sudden rush of fury and threw it at his companion. “ ‘Emperor’! An ogre toadie still clinging to power! How did you get this, Delbin?”

The kender’s eyes grew wide. “That’s what I wanted to tell you! The short minotaur, the leader-remember how he threw the spear?”

“I could hardly forget, Delbin.” Kaz frowned. “Only, I remember something else. They seemed to be fighting amongst themselves…”

Nodding in excitement, Delbin cut him off. “That’s right, Kaz! One of the other ones came up behind him, and when he saw what the shorter one had done, he hit him hard. They fought, and another of your people, I guess it was a female, stood nearby watching. The shorter one had a knife, and he tried to cut the bigger one’s throat with it, but the bigger one finally got his arm around the shorter one’s neck and twisted his head. I guess he broke his neck. The female, she came over and helped him throw the body into the river, and then they ran off together into the woods. A little later, I found a nifty-looking pack on the riverbank, and I thought it was yours, only there was nothing in it but some food and that scroll. I guess I forgot all about it till now.”

A fight among his relentless pursuers? A fight that left Greel dead? Curious.

A loud crash from the front of the inn brought Kaz to his feet. He burst into the main room and saw Tesela moving toward the door. One of the windows, which previously had been shuttered, had been broken open by a large and very heavy rock.

“What happened here?” the minotaur demanded.

“I think that the townspeople want your companion,” the cleric said quietly, indicating the unconscious Darius. “The knights are not loved here.”

“We have to stay the night, healer.”

“I know.” She glanced outside, but there was no one there. Closing the door again, Tesela walked over to the window and managed to fix the shutters. “I need more time with him. Why don’t you two get some sleep? We’re safe. I don’t think these terrified villagers can cause much trouble, other than throwing a few stones and running away.” She glanced at Kaz. “All the same, I think we should be away from here before sunrise.”

“Agreed.” Kaz watched her return to her meditations. Grabbing a curious Delbin by the scruff of his collar, he retired to the far end of the room. Kaz deposited the kender on one bench and, after removing his axe from its harness, stretched out on another bench nearby. He closed his eyes just as the kender decided he could remain silent no longer.

“Where’d you get that neat axe?” Delbin whispered. “Is it of dwarven make? How come it shines so brightly? I bet it’s magic! Who gave it to you? Or did you win it in a fight?”

The prattle went on and on until the kender looked more closely at his friend and decided that Kaz had fallen asleep. Delbin itched to see what Tesela was doing or to explore the village outside, but he had promised the human that he would behave himself, and now Kaz was here and he would expect only the best of his small companion… The kender fell asleep only seconds later, snoring lightly.

Kaz opened his eyes a fraction. Delbin could be predictable at times, and the minotaur knew the kender must have been exhausted. Carefully Kaz’s fingers stroked the handle of the battle-axe. Tesela might think they need fear little from the locals, but Kaz had learned that even the most apathetic group could be turned into an angry mob in an instant if given an excuse to vent their frustrations.

Closing his eyes slowly, Kaz allowed himself to fall into a half-sleep. All around, he could sense something happening, but at the same time, he could not discern what it was. It was a respite of sorts, therefore, but not a restful sleep. There would be time for real sleep when the matters of Solamnia, Vingaard, and his own dilemma were settled.

Kaz woke with a start as he detected the sounds of a pair of feet moving lightly across the inn floor. Kaz gripped the axe and raised his eyelids a crack. The healer was standing by the inn’s entrance. She seemed to be looking for someone or something outside. Kaz rose slowly and, without disturbing Delbin, joined her. In one huge, clawed hand he held the axe.

“Did you hear something?” he asked quietly.

“I don’t… know. It might have been just the wind, but…” Tesela had lost her mask of confidence, and once more she seemed to be an ordinary, frightened person. She had probably heard nothing more than one of the locals daring to spy on them. Probably…

Something heavy bounced off the roof of the inn, shaking it to its foundation. Delbin rose, blinking. Outside, a violent wind tore objects loose. There was another sound, but the howl of the wind rose to smother it.

“What’s happening out there?” Kaz snarled.

“What is it, Kaz? Is some kind of tornado? Do you think it’ll tear the inn down, and if it does, shouldn’t we get out of here before-”

“Take a breath, Delbin,” Kaz muttered automatically. He nudged Tesela aside and peered out into the gloom. It was still not yet dawn, but the moons were not visible, either.

Somewhere nearby, Kaz heard the crash of wood and a very human scream. Tightening his grip on his battle-axe, he tore out of the inn and followed the dying arc of the noise. Around him, he could hear the inhabitants of the village as they scurried to cower in their homes.