Well, at long last, here's the second part of my story. I'm aware that the title I'm using here is taken, but I haven't come up with another one, so I'll hold onto it until I do. _________________________ Gerard quietly shut the door to his residence, noting the low lights that had been left in the front rooms by his wife. He ducked under the doorframe, although he still managed to scrape one of his antler spikes on the top as he entered. He removed what little winter clothing he had to wear in this weather and left it on the hooks near the door. An arm's reach away, he could see the similar clothing worn by the rest of his family, all neatly organized. Caleb had done a better job than usual with that task tonight. Perhaps he had hoped to see his father before he went to bed. The stag sighed and looked up the hallway. Straight forward was a small sitting room, with a fireplace used both for warmth and light during the winter. It would have long since been emptied. To the left was the kitchen, which he knew without looking would be impeccably clean. To the right and down the leftward branch would take him into his children's room. It was a little crowded now; since they had taken Karl in after the last winter, everything was different. Still, he wouldn't have it any other way. He just wished he could have told them good bye before he had to leave the next morning. He followed the hallway, but turned right before the branch to his children's doorway. While his feet went right, however, his eyes lifted and went left, until he found himself standing in his own bedroom doorway, but looking back to the left, into the darkness he could not hope to penetrate. He finally turned back and walked into his bedroom, leaving them to sleep through the night quietly. A light was still burning, a lantern that sat on the small, rough bedside table. In front and to the side of the table was a rocking chair, and there, with some incoherently jumbled knitting sitting, half-finished in her lap, was his wife. Her feet were a good foot from the ground, something she would never show willingly to anyone, but something that was also very much emphasized by her slumping all the way to the back of her chair. Her blond hair hung loose behind her, either pressed between her back and the back of her chair, or hanging down between the carefully crafted slats that held the back of her chair together. Her head didn't reach the appointed headrest, and so she usually had a pillow to keep her comfortable. Sleep had taken away all thought of comfort, and the pillow was now wedged awkwardly between her shoulder and the chair, completely dislodged from its appointed place behind her head. As much as Gerard would have loved to leave her like that, he knew that she had to know. If not for his own fear of facing her, he probably would have arrived several hours earlier, well early enough to talk to her, and well early enough to see his kids to bed. He didn't know how many time he passed his own stoop before finding something else to do in order to stay away. He didn't know why he insisted on feeling prepared to talk to his wife before showing up. The conversation never worked out the way he planned anyway. Well, he knew that he had to wake her up now anyway, so he decided to do it in as tactful a manner as possible. He stooped down and balanced himself against her chair until he could finally run his thick fingers down across her cheek. She was a light sleeper; she shifted immediately when she felt his fingers, and her eyes opened a few moments later. She gave a tired smile as her eyes finally focused on him. "Hello, love," she mumbled quietly. "Hello." Gerard leaned forward and planted a firm kiss on her lips. She returned the kiss, and gave a quiet laugh as they broke off. "You're late this evening. I knew you said that you would be having dinner with Alex, but I had hoped you would be back before I had to send them to bed." Gerard winced. "I wish I had been." He realized that there was no sense hiding it now, so he took a breath and went right for his explanation. "Listen, Amber, I was summoned to George's office late this afternoon, just before I finished the day's tasks. I waited so long because I didn't feel ready to tell you about it." She furrowed her brow for a moment; why would he hesitate to tell her about a patrol? She knew of his responsibilities, and had always supported him in his work. Why would he be nervous now? As he remained quiet, however, the realization finally dawned on her. "Oh, now. You're not going to miss the Yule again?" "I explained my desire to be here when George told me. There's nothing that can be done; we leave tomorrow, and no one else can be found. I was able to get him to leave the day of the Yule open, however. I'll be here then." Amber nodded, although she could not hide the disappointment on her face. She sighed. "Just make sure that you get back here on time, okay? The children are dead set on having you here, and I wouldn't mind it if you were here, either." She wrapped her arms around his neck, which was all she could manage with her reduced age. He returned the hug, lifting her up a bit so to alleviate what otherwise might have been an awkward position. "All right," Amber said, nodding as they released the hug. "Well, you'll have to promise me you'll be back. No detours, no debriefings, you'll be here as soon as you get back from the baths on your return." Gerard was relieved that she seemed to be taking it so well, and found it within himself to crack a smile at her comment. "The baths? Don't you mean when I get back from the armory?" "Don't be ridiculous. You'll be out for weeks, with maybe a stream or two to ford through on your way. Face it; you'll stink when you get back, and even I won't want to see you then." She smiled that impish, dimpled smile that the Curse had returned to her, and Gerard laughed, holding her tightly. "All right, I'll be back as soon as I get bathed. After that, we celebrate." As he held her close, she angled her head towards his ear. "You come back safe. We'll be waiting. Don't do anything foolish." "I'll be back. Have the children ready; I'll have to make up for a week's missed celebration." The two of them talked a while longer, but not, to Gerard's great relief, about his impending patrol. It was a small blessing that she had been so gracious to this point. He didn't want to push it. * * * Alex entered the armory a full hour before anyone else arrived. It was always his practice. He spent way too much time considering what would happen on any given patrol, and so always tossed and turned until he couldn't sleep. With little else to do, he would go about the artificially drawn-out process of equipping himself. With only a day's notice, it was even more evident. He had done most of the preparatory work the night before, but still felt that he had forgotten something. With the sun still hidden to the east, he walked out into the corridor, carrying the few pieces of equipment he owned personally. The rest he would find when he arrived at the armory. He took his time finding and securing his equipment. Before long, he had fully armed and armored himself, and had most of the food and ancillary supplies prepared for himself and the rest of his team. Gerard's was almost twice the weight of any of the others, owed to the man's strength and stamina, while Lucy's weighed a good bit less than the others, although it was packed with bedding and other bulky items in order to hide this fact. Since Alex did not know what the assassin would be able to handle, so he made his guess based on his profession, and gave him a pack comparable to his own. Lucy arrived next, already armed and armored from her personal stock. She preferred to travel light, and so she easily had all that she needed on her. Alex made sure that she understood exactly what was going on, and was pleased to hear that she had been briefed completely by the messenger that had been sent to find her. Gerard arrived shortly afterward. In stark contrast to Lucy, he seemed to have woken up about five minutes ago, and was still shaking the cobwebs out of his head as he equipped himself. Alex left him to himself, and instead dedicated himself to watching for Lois to show up. Officially, he didn't have to be there for another half hour; unofficially, the entire patrol preferred to leave as early as possible. "What do you think the chances are that he won't show up?" Lucy asked. She was sitting on a bench a little ways away, checking her equipment. "If he's not here by the deadline, I'm sending a messenger to George. They warned us about this guy; if they're worried, they'll want to know if he doesn't arrive." Gerard adjusted a leather vambrace on his left arm, strapping a hidden knife on the back on his arm and making sure that it was securely fastened. "I might prefer it if he doesn't show up; the way I see it, if it isn't for him, there's no reason for this patrol." He looked at Alex and grinned. "That means Yuletide with the family." Lucy shook her head. "You're one to talk; you aren't the one who spent the last few weeks out of the Keep, trying to give some new 'field mages' a rundown of basic defensive spells. I know we're short on talent after last winter, but some of those recruits were insulting." Alex chuckled. He had not know Lucy long, but what he knew of her was enough to tell him that she was a perfectionist. The fact that she did not universally condemn them made him certain that there was some exceptional talent among the recruits. "At any rate, I hope he does show," Lucy commented. "I always wanted to know what an assassin looks like. Would be easier, knowing what to look for him if he ever came after me." The slow trickle of people had begun to increase, so Alex's focus remained on them while his squad prepared. Lucy was less interested, and alternated between rechecking her equipment, and whetting any blade that seemed even slightly dull. Gerard, still a bit behind his companions, was checking the weapon racks for a blade that fit his style. With a family to care for, he had never had the resources to buy his own, so he often had to choose a different blade for each patrol. There was still a few minutes remaining when a man entered the armory, looking slightly lost. Alex glanced at Lucy from the corner of his eye. "Bet you a drink he's the mark," he mumbled, nodding at the new arrival Lucy kept her head down and simply shook her head. "Sorry. I learn quick; a good rule of thumb is never to bet against you." Finally, she looked up. "Where's the man in question?" Alex gestured to the man. He had been taken by the animal part of the Curse, taking the form of some sort of mustelid. His fur was mostly white, which caused his dark eyes to stand out in startling contrast. Crossing from the center of his muzzle and diagonally up, a row of three lines of parallel black fur stood out. He turned to talk to someone who was standing by the door, and revealed a long, lush tail that lashed periodically in mild irritation. It was as white as the rest of his fur, with the noteworthy exception of the tip, which was black from about the midpoint of his tail on. As expected, the man was quickly directed to the waiting group. By this time, even Gerard had found the time to watch him as he approached. Alex was quick to address him. "Mr. Lois, I presume?" The man stopped just short of the group and looked at Alex in particular with a bit of confusion. "Ah!" he said finally. "I did not realize that you were the 'Alex' I was to report to." It was Alex's turn to be confused. He looked at the man as if to recognize him, but the effort was futile; he knew for certain that he had not seen a man like this, at least in his changed form. He ran the name over in his head for a moment, but was still coming up empty when Lois relieved his confusion. "Well, I'm not surprised you didn't recognize me, but I had hoped that you would remember the name. Last time we saw each other, you opened up my back in a practice duel. I suppose I would have had more reason to remember you than you had to remember me, actually." Alex mentally kicked himself, but found nothing to say to save his situation from further awkwardness. Gerard saved him the trouble a moment later, although his methods could have used more tact for Alex's taste. "Laid his back open, eh? Are you sure you want to go on a patrol with someone you can outduel?" It was Lois' turn to save Alex the trouble of speaking. "To be fair, both of us were operating with a significant handicap. According to the commander, swordsmanship is not his strong suit; in my case, fighting one person in the open is not my specialty." Alex fortunately maintained his composure through this admission; given that his entire team had been briefed on exactly who they were working with, they knew what his specialty was. "At any rate, it's good to see that you survived the injury in good enough shape to go on patrol so soon." "I told you already, don't worry about it. Coe took care of the initial damage, and the Curse did the rest." "Well, I hope it won't affect your performance at all. We're doing the long run this time around. That means we'll be heading up past the northern defenses, and that will take a while. Add to that that we're going on foot, and we've got a long patrol on our hands. We'll be running long and hard for the first while, and then we'll hit the outside of the normal patrol range. From there, we'll need to be alert, and we won't be slowing down for you. Can you handle that?" Lois grinned. "I'll handle it all right. How about your partners, have they done this before?" "Several times. It's not routine by any stretch of the imagination, but every patrol worth its salt gets their turn. You should consider it a compliment; few people jump right in like this. They must already like what they've seen." "Well, I'm ready to go whenever you are," Lois commented. Indeed, he had brought his equipment with him. The two daggers that Lois had brandished during their encounter in the practice ring were both strapped visibly at his hip, and Alex could see a few more weapons hidden on Lois' person. The only other obvious weapons, however, were a few throwing dagger held in a bandolier across his chest. Alex finished looking Lois over, and nodded his approval. "All right. First thing first; introductions. You already know me, but I'm not the only one who will be on this patrol." He gestured to Gerard. "This is Gerard, the muscle of our operation. Don't worry; he's fast, and he pulls more than his own weight." Lois looked at the hand as he shook it. During his audience with the Duke, he had seen the interesting, thick fingers that hooved Keepers had. Still, as he shook the hand, he found the shape and feel to be much more odd than any Keeper's hand that he had seen so far. His examination lasted only a moment, and was brief enough to be confused as a casual glance. "The Curse has been kind to you as far as strength is concerned. I can see why he calls you the muscle of this team." Gerard chuckled quietly. "I've always been strong; the real kindness of the Curse was in speed; the deer in me keeps me fleet of foot while still having the strength to intimidate my opponents. Looks like you might have some speed in you as well. What are you, some sort of ferret?" "He's an ermine," Lucy spoke up. She had not moved from her position, but had obviously been looking the newcomer over from where she stood. When the others hesitated to comment, she looked between them all. "Well? Someone has to trap furs for those that don't have their own winter coats. My father is still one of the best in the valley. Ermines have very desirable pelts for luxury and warmth." After another moment's hesitation, Alex picked up introductions. "This is Lucy. She's our field mage, and apparently has a working knowledge of common animal pelts in the valley. If you see an animal you don't recognize, I suppose she's the one you want to talk to." She rolled her eyes, but still stepped forward to shake Lois' hand. "Don't ask me too much. Remember, my father's the trapper, I just know the business." Lois smiled, just barely able to keep from laughing. Once he had finished shaking Lucy's hand, he turned to Alex. "That leaves you. I believe you said that you were an archer, and by your equipment, I'd say that's likely the case." Alex nodded. "I'm an archer, and the commander of this unit. As for your part in this patrol, we'll have to find what role you're best at in the field. For now, I know you're good enough to trust on the ground, so I'll have you help Gerard until further notice. now, we all have some equipment to carry along. I already have the packs ready, and know approximately what is where. We all have enough of a variety so we can make it if we lose one or two of the packs. "We shouldn't see much opposition for the first few miles. We'll start off roughly following the beaten path, and break into the woods only after we've gotten past the common patrol ring. From there it will be slower, but we'll try to keep the pace up a little bit until we get past the northern defenses. Outpost should give us a place to resupply and rest, and then we'll hit the main section of our patrol. Once we get there, lutins will be even more of a problem, and we may have to deal with some things nastier than lutins. The usual operating procedure is to take note of any potentially hostile settlements and avoid contact, but I will be looking for targets of opportunity. If I think we should take care of someone where they are, or if we see any one of a number of lutin tribes, we'll do some work ourselves. At any rate, we will not be engaging without my orders if at all possible." Gerard and Lucy were already familiar with everything they were being told, so Alex looked to Lois for confirmation of his understanding. Lois simply nodded. Alex was not surprised to see that he seemed a bit uncomfortable with the manner of briefing, but a room with a map was not a viable option. They needed to be moving, and soon. Since Lois was unlikely to know the lay of the land anyway, a spoken explanation, and the unspoken expectation that he should stay with the patrol unless he received conflicting orders should be enough. "All right. I think we can cover most anything else later. We need to start moving out." As Gerard and Lucy began to get their supplied together, Alex took another look at Lois' equipment. "Actually, I think I'd like you to take a sword with you. I know you prefer your own weapons, but I like to be safe rather than sorry. If you lose a few of your weapons, you might need a fallback." Lois would have protested, but he wanted to be on his way as much as the rest of them. Alex watched him for a moment, then turned back to retrieve his own pack. "Are you sure that's necessary?" Gerard asked quietly. Lois was well enough away that even Lois' changed ears could not hear the question. "He looks armed to the teeth already." Alex waited for a moment before answering, in a voice quieter than Gerard's had been. "George spoke with me after you left. He wanted me to slow Lois down as much as possible when he returns. Any small thing that he has to do before he can get to anything else gives him more time to get a watch on Lois." <span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA"> Gerard nodded and looked back at the ermine assassin. Lois was examining a blade with a disinterested gaze, but measured his disinterest with a sincere desire to have a serviceable blade. He finally settled on one, and returned to pick up his own pack. Gerard looked him over one time. He wasn't sure if it was simply because he knew what this man had done in the past, but seeing the man standing across from him was unsettling. The stag could see nothing that should effect him as it did, but the man definitely seemed wrong in some way. Gerard could only hope that it was instinct, and not anything concrete that was bothering him. !DSPAM:4ddde10318653165068996!