<html> <head> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"> </head> <body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000"> Minor editorial note, the last scene of part 9 is being moved until after the end of this part to aid the flow of the storyline. -LurkingWolf ___ <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"> The ermine huddled in the shallow burrow, trying to calm itself while he could still scent the predators that were seeking it out. Its state of mind was not aided by the fact that the burrow was clearly unfinished by its former occupant. It was deep enough to be safe from most creatures, but the single hole that was both entrance and exit made the weasel nervous. At some point, he would have to leave his sanctuary, and he had no way of knowing what awaited him on the surface.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> He tried to curl up and force himself to rest, but his mind was in an uproar. Something in the back of his mind kept trying to force its way forward, only to be turned back again and again. Despite its repeated failure to emerge however, it added just one more element of chaos to the ermine’s muddled mind.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Finally abandoning all hope of sleep, he began to balance the pros and cons of attempting to escape his newest domicile. There were still whiffs of predators beyond the tunnel’s exit, but they were clearly fading. Whether the stoat could trust that they were not still lurking nearby was uncertain, but remaining where he was hardly seemed more inviting.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> The ermine made his way slowly towards the mouth of the burrow, taking the time to be certain that he could not hear anything in the forest beyond. He finally worked up the nerve to make a quick dash outside, and he acted on that decision too quickly to easily change his mind. By the time he realized that there was a trap set at the mouth of the tunnel, the simple contraption had already closed behind him, trapping him within.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> He gave a series of indignant cries as he whipped around and tried to struggle against the cage's bars. Though they were thin, however, the tree they had been crafted from proved exceptionally resilient to his escape attempts. He could nick their surface with his teeth and claws, but doing anything further proved beyond his depth. Squeezing between the bars was similarly impossible, although he did manage a few reasonable attempts. After a few moments of struggle, however, everything went black, and the ermine did not even have a view to an escape.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> * * *<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Lucy covered the cage with a dark cloth as soon as she confirmed that the former assassin was safely enclosed within the bars. It did little to quiet his protests, but she hoped it would help stop him from struggling more quickly. Alex was down from his perch in the tree soon afterwards, while Julian remained where he was, though he now stood on his perch, looking out into the deep darkness of the surrounding forest.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> “Can you quiet him?” Alex asked. “We need to be moving, and if there are any lutins about we do not need him alerting them to our presence.”<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Lucy stooped over the cage and wove a simple spell over the cage. Soon afterwards, the chirps and churrs that had been coming from its occupant were silenced, leaving the forest once again in a deceptive state of calm.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> “Julian, is there anyone coming?”<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> The moondog quickly descended from the tree, barely slowing his fall on his way down, although he made a silent landing at the bottom. “No one nearby, and the sounds of the forest have returned. I think we are safe for now.”<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> “Why wouldn’t they be following us?” Lucy asked. “They must know that there was some outside interference involved.”<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> “Perhaps not, if all witnesses are dead,” Alex noted. “They might think that it was simply an accident. It came from the shaman’s tent, after all, there’s nothing saying that a spell didn’t go wrong and take his tent with it. That does still beg the question of why everyone left their posts to attend to it, but I suppose that may just be testament to his influence. Let’s not leave anything to chance, though. We need to get back to Hareford tonight.”<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> The prospect of such a journey was not particularly desirable to any of them; not only had their mission been delayed until after sunset, but they had also been forced to wait some time for Lois to emerge. The journey back to Outpost was not a short hop, and they were all on the point of exhaustion. Still, something about the prospect of sleeping in a bed inside of the fortress instead of the middle of lutin-controlled territory made them more agreeable to it. All present nodded their agreement, and no one delayed as Alex began to move. Julian took the cage as they left, and dutifully carried it, even as he felt the futile struggles of its occupant through the cloth.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> The pace of their egress was much slower than that of their journey in the opposite direction, but they still made good enough time that the ermine was still struggling, if far more weakly, when they arrived at the Dike. They had no encounters along the way, but Alex still called a halt, and moved forward himself to be certain that the road was clear for his companions to continue through.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> The lynx kept an arrow nocked and ready throughout; their relatively good fortune was making him paranoid. Still, all of the suspicious shadows proved to be nothing more than that, and he motioned Lucy and Julian on as soon as he had set himself at ease. He kept his bow and arrow at the ready as they advanced through the ruins of the Dike, but the silence hid no lurking threat, and their journey continued unhindered.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> As the walls of Hareford appeared before them, Alex sighed with relief. He was not certain if it had just been luck, or if some friendly deity had seen fit to bless them with an easy path on their way, but he was glad to see that they had managed the journey without any further complications. He still worried about what would become of Lois, but they would at least have the advantage of outside help as they tried to answer that question.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Their reception at the walls was slightly less reassuring.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> “Halt! Who goes there?”<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> “Alexander hin’Valius and company.”<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> “Where are you traveling from?”<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> “We have just returned from a patrol in the North. Please, we need refuge and assistance.”<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> The men on the wall consulted among themselves for a few moments. Alex turned and looked at Lucy, but she just shrugged silently. There should have been very little verification required for the men on the walls to be certain of his honesty, but they were forced to wait for quite some time as their request was considered. Finally, however, the gates were opened.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> A nervous man met them within, looking them over with a distrusting gaze. “You’re fortunate that one of the men on the walls recognized your group,” he stated. “We’re not letting a great number of people through with news of a plague at the Keep.”<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> All remaining members of the patrol felt their blood run cold at the news. “A plague?” Alex asked quietly.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> The guard nodded with a sigh. “The city is under quarantine for the foreseeable future, and we’re on high alert. If a case of the plague is found here, we may just be forced to close our doors as well. Regardless, do not expect to be leaving these walls anytime soon.”<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Alex looked at the covered cage that restrained Lois. Shaking her head, Lucy said what all of them were thinking.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;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-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language: EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">“Let us hope we do not have to.” <meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"> <meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15"> <meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 15"> <link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CNathan%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml">  <link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CNathan%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"> <link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CNathan%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml">  <style>  </style> </body> </html>