Cassandra

XIV. Policies Gone Amiss

We're running.
I hear it behind me. Right behind me. The breath like fire in my lungs, the fear like a wolf at my back. I can feel his hand in mine, the fingers laced with mine, the skin burning like mine. We're running. It's right behind me, it's before me, it's running with me.
At my side he stumbles, I see blood, I see fire, I see him. He is all I see. He falls, his hand torn away from mine. I see his blood, I feel his chest heaving beneath my hands, his blood burns my skin, his breath scorches my face. We're burning alive.
It's behind me, right behind me. I know it's coming. I feel it coming. The hunger, the death, the longing. It's always coming. And he is burning, I cannot save him. I can only run.
"No! Cassandra don't leave me, please!"
"I can't Percy, I'm sorry."
"Cassandra, please!"
I'm running. I stumble, and fall, and rise, and fall again, and rise again. I must rise. It is behind me. And it is coming: the death, the fire, the faces, the blood. I'm running from it, I'm running towards it, it's running with me.
The edge, the fall, the fire. I must jump. The trees have fallen away, my breath is like fire. It pursues me still. I jump. Off the cliff, off the edge of the world. The river lies below. The river, the freedom, the escape.
And I fall, into the river, into the blood, into the fire. Into a river of blood. I rise, I gasp, I struggle, my is breath ripped away. I cannot breathe. The world is red around me, the blood drags me under. It chokes me, it thunders in my ears.
I'm burning alive...

Reality came back with a shock. I was lying on my back in bed, breathing hard, staring up at my darkened ceiling. There was no sound in the darkness but the rush of my own agitated breathing, heaving in and out. The bedclothes felt sticky, clinging to my skin, which was covered in a cold sweat. I shook off the blankets, and sat up, burying my face in my hands, trying to rub the ache out of my eyes.
This dream was worse than the others. They were always worse, every time, as if they were growing more specific the longer I had them. And this time I'd dreamed about Percy. I'd left him, like he'd left me: terrified and bleeding, dying alone in the dark...I couldn't shake off the guilt, and go back to sleep...
It was terrifying, because I found myself wanting to remember, wanting to dwell on it. Everything was so blurred now, it had been so long since I had been able to picture their faces clearly anymore. There was a partially burned portrait of my old family, stuffed into one of the drawers of the dressing table, but the faces were faded, just pictures in a painting.
The dream had been lifelike, more animated, more vivid. In the dream I hadn't exactly seen his face. His form in the dream had no features, but he felt real. My own unconscious colored him more vividly, and captured the feeling of his presence, without needing all the hard details of reality.
But the longer I sat, alone in the dark, with my hands pressed into my eyes, the less real the dream seemed. Already the feeling was slipping away. Like cupping water in my hands, it was fading so fast, I couldn't retain it. It was gray and colorless, and the images paled when held up against reality.
My brother was dead. My mother and father, my sisters and brothers, they were all dead. And I knew a dream couldn't bring them back. I had a new family now, and they were all that really mattered anymore. Thrusting the dream from my mind, I collapsed back against my pillow, staring blindly up at the darkened ceiling, and passively waited for sleep to come.
It was perfectly silent. Even the slightest rustle sounded almost fake, too close, too sharp, too flat. It was smothered by the larger stillness, lurking over the rest of the castle, like something physical pressed against your ears. Footsteps were deafening in that kind of quiet, and as I heard a pair of feet shuffle past in a nearby corridor, I was instantly aware of them.
Gathering a shawl around myself, I skipped out of bed. It was too quiet to sleep, and nobody should be moving at this hour. Something was going on. There was no bustle, no shouting, but there were footsteps, and the air felt different.
I slithered out of my door, and pulled it almost closed behind me, careful to keep the latch from clicking. Out in the hallway the air was refreshingly cold, and in the darkness I felt alive. These shadows had become my refuge, I felt safer here, confident in my ability to go unnoticed.
One of the dead servants was shuffling along the passageways, illuminated by the shuddering light of a lantern, its head rolling as it walked, like a newborn baby that couldn't support the weight of its own head. The creature was utterly oblivious to me, and I flitted along behind it, my feet making no noise against the floor. Keeping back in the shadows, I watched its progress.
Unerringly, the creature traced a straight path towards the back of the castle. At last it reached the end of the gallery, turned down a wide corridor, and stopped in front of the Professor's study. There was a flash of bright lamplight as the creature went in, I heard a low murmur that I recognized as Ander's voice, then the door closed, and the passageway went dark. Patiently I settled down in the shadows, just waiting.
My wait was not a long one, in only a few moments the servant reappeared, escorting the Professor. He looked hurried, less groomed than usual, dressed only in a nightshirt, and long silk dressing gown which he was hastily tying around himself. Shutting the door of his study behind him, Anders impatiently gestured for the servant to walk ahead of him. Obediently the creature lit the way for him, and the two set off down the corridor, moving towards the servants stairs. Silently I followed behind, like a secondary shadow.
They quickly passed down the back stairs, and I paused for a few moments, to make sure I wouldn't meet them in the dark. Finally I descended after, and trailed behind them, as they stepped out into the hallway, and set off again. This journey went quicker, for they only went a short distance before they reached the entrance to the cellar, and here they turned again.
Vaguely I could begin to guess what the hurry was for. This had something to do with the Ziggurat and the Briarwood's secret project, it was important, it meant something. Extremely cautious, I followed as they descended the stairs, careful to linger near the top of the steps until they had reached the bottom. Then I crept down, relying on my sense of touch in the blind darkness, running my hand along the wall. As I reached the foot of the stairs, the dusty smell of old wine bottles tickled my nose, and the air (which was cool even in the summer) was now shockingly cold.
Ahead of me I could see the lantern light bobbing among the racks of wine, as Anders and his escort made their way through the cellar, and continued down into the mausoleum. Here I paused, torn by indecision. This was becoming a little dangerous. It would be much harder to retreat from the mausoleum, and there was too much risk of being caught in such a narrow space, where there were fewer shadows, and fewer places to hide.
Before I could work up the courage, or foolhardiness, to continue, I heard voices. Footsteps, more than two, echoed below me, and I saw light beginning to creep around the curve of the stairs. At once I beat a hasty retreat, retracing my steps through the cellar, and hastening back up the stairs to the castle's main floor. Once there I ducked into one of the laundry rooms across the hall: a long room that had a sharp tang of soap, and was full of racks for drying linens. Pressing my back against the wall next to the door, I waited.
A few moments later I heard footsteps reach the top of the stairs, and a thin band of torchlight filtered through the cracks of the almost closed door at my side. As they drew within earshot I made out Ander's voice, speaking with that too familiar servile inflection.
"This certainly is a surprise! I was told to expect your return several weeks from now, but seeing that you're here, I can't tell you how glad I am to welcome you back. Everything has been kept in readiness, and I hope you will find everything in order--"
"A single moments silence, if you please Anders!" Lady Delilah's voice cut in, sounding irritated, and even less tolerant of the Professor than usual. "It has been an extremely trying evening, I am trying to gather my thoughts, and your constant inane prattle is doing very little to aid the endeavor. Have the goodness to desist for a moment. Please!"
Sullen silence fell, and for a moment I couldn't make out any other sound. The torchlight was still flickering through the crack in the door, sending a long beam of yellow light across the piles of folded linen, and empty washing tubs.
"Very well." Delilah said after a moment, her voice brisk and businesslike. "If we are to make proper preparations, everyone must be warned, as soon as possible. Anders, if you would like to make yourself useful for once, you may get in touch with Sir Kerrion, Vedmire, and the rest. Tell them that I must speak with them urgently."
"At least let it wait until the morning." Lord Briarwood said, striking in for the first time, and speaking quite decidedly. "My darling it's been a difficult evening, we've had a strenuous tussle, if you take a little rest you'll be better equipped to face tomorrow with a clear judgment. Even if they could fly, they couldn't reach us tonight. We have time. You must rest."
"I am quite rested, thank you very much." Lady Briarwood replied acidly, with a scornful laugh. "How could I be otherwise, when we have accomplished nothing, my darling?"
"You know that is far from true." Silas said mildly, with what I thought was surprising tolerance for his wife's sour mood. "Emperor Uriel is under my influence, which was the only purpose to our dinner with him. Not only that, but that meddlesome Seeker Assum has been dealt with as well. I will admit that we did not entirely succeed, and there is still some danger, but it can certainly wait until you have had some rest."
"I suppose you're right." Delilah conceded at last, with a sigh. "It has been a very long day...In that case, Anders, the meeting can wait till the morning, but I must meet with the nobles tomorrow."
"Yes my lady."
"I am going to bed." Lady Briarwood continued seamlessly. "And this time, I swear, I will kill the next person to disturb me."
The chink of light shifted, as the torches moved away up the passage outside the door, until at last they were cut off entirely. Once again complete darkness fell over this wing of the castle, at last the sound of footsteps faded away, and that stiflingly heavy silence fell once again. I was still pressed up against the wall, the beat of my heart slowing as the danger of immediate discovery passed.
I mustn't let them know I was here. Of course I wanted to see Silas and Delilah again, as soon as possible, but they couldn't know that I had been poking around in the middle of the night. I would get in trouble if they knew. The best course of action would be to go back upstairs to my room, rise again at my usual time, and pretend that I had never left during the night at all.
Stealthily I pulled away from the wall, and opened the laundry door slightly. Only black stillness greeted me, and cautiously I stepped out into the hallway, making my way back to my room. The hallways were all empty, and it was easy to make it back without alerting anybody. As I reached my room I quickly pushed through the slightly open door, closed it completely behind me, shed my wrapper on the floor, and slithered back into bed.
For a long time I lay awake, unable to sleep with all the whirling thoughts in my head. But at last fatigue took over, and I dropped asleep again, oblivion claiming me until the morning. When I finally came back to consciousness the sun had risen, a long strip of sunlight peeking through my window curtain, and laying down a strip of glowing light across the floor.
Swinging my feet out of bed I rose and dressed, hurriedly donning one of my gowns, and doing my hair with my head craned to one side. At last made presentable, I went down to breakfast, careful to act just as usual. Ripley had come down this morning, neatly groomed as if she had risen early, and was already managing to complete mundane tasks using only her left hand. The Professor was not there, but appeared ten minutes after I did, accompanied by Lady Briarwood.
"You're back!" I exclaimed, leaping out of my chair when they came into the room, and I impetuously embraced Delilah. "I thought you weren't coming back for another week at least!"
"Well, I got bored of all the travel, and I missed all the home comforts. So we returned early."
Drawing away from my embrace, Lady Briarwood sat down to breakfast, and I sank into a chair next to her. Anders served himself from the sideboard, and then immediately left the room, taking his victuals with him. Probably leaving, I guessed, to deliver Lady Briarwood's message to the New Nobles.
"Welcome home." Anna said coldly, as soon as Anders had gone, taking a dainty sip from her glass.
"Thank you," Lady Briarwood returned, equally unconcerned, then she suddenly noticed that Anna was eating with the wrong hand, and frowned. "I believe you are not left handed, doctor."
"I completed my project, but there was a...Small complication..." Ripley said, holding up her missing hand, and letting out a sour laugh. "The price of invention, as you see."
"How unfortunate." Delilah said, not sounding very enthusiastic.
"You came back early." Ripley said curtly, breaking the long silence, that had slowly been growing more painful. "I assume there was a good reason for it, that you are going to share at the earliest opportunity."
"It will be explained soon enough, Sir Kerrion and the others have been called for a meeting, and I will elaborate then."
"I will look forward to it," and with these words, Ripley abandoned the table, leaving me alone with Delilah.
"Did something happen?" I asked, voice heavy with concern. "Are we in danger?"
"Of course not my dear," Lady Briarwood said with a smile, as she patted my hand comfortingly. "There may be a little scuffle, but it's nothing more than a minor inconvenience, and you needn't be worried for our well being. I promise you, we will be quite safe, don't you worry."
"Of course..."
I lapsed into silence, absentmindedly picking at my meal. Delilah ate, quite unconcerned, and I watched her, lost in thought as I followed the movements of her hands. Ten minutes later the door behind me opened, and Silas entered, with the Professor following in tow. Lord Briarwood looked tired, as if he hadn't slept for a few days, his eyes a little red, and his skin paler than before, if that was even possible.
"You. Get out. Now." He barked at me shortly, waving me away toward the door, and I quickly hastened to obey. Anders followed after me, his presence reinforcing the command to leave, and he shoved me through the door into the entrance hall.
A small group of people were standing in the hall, looking around absently, as if they were waiting for something. Sir Kerrion was there, his hair tousled and boyish looking, a dark blue cloak carelessly thrown over one shoulder. He was talking quietly to a stooped elderly man, in rough-spun brown robes, with a ratty pigtail of thinning gray hair at the back of his neck.
Count Tyleeri stood nearby, a rotund fat man with pasty skin, like a giant walking ball of dough, overdressed in magnificent court costume. But despite the rolls of fat, and round weak chin, underneath his feathered hat his eyes were glittering with a sharp insatiable intelligence. He was endeavoring hold a conversation with Ripley, who was standing near him, but she was hardly listening, and abandoned his side the moment the door opened. As for Anna herself, she looked exactly the same as she had at breakfast, save that her sour expression of the morning had deepened, and settled more firmly into her face.
The last two individuals were completely apart, both from everybody else, and each other. A swarthy muscular woman lounged in the corner, running the sharp tip of a feathered arrow over her palm, not deep enough to cut. It was easy to see from her features, which were a grayish green, the coarse tangle of greasy black hair, and her sharp protruding jowls, that she had very prominent Orc blood in her. And last of all, towering over the rest, was Gorron Vedmire. He was huge, standing almost two feet taller than anyone else in the room, his broad muscled chest just barely obscured by a leather jerkin, and his exposed skin was  a strange stony grayish white. The surface of his round head was completely hairless, his smooth beardless face scored by an array of milky white scars, and the arch of his nose was twisted as if it had been broken many times.
The Professor pushed me out into the hall, then held open the door, and beckoned to the waiting visitors, saying "Come, Lady Briarwood will see you now." Ripley stepped forward first, with an impatient snort, and the others followed, pushing into the dining room as Anders held open the door for them. As they entered I heard Delilah's voice for a moment, saying pleasantly "Welcome, thank you for coming, please make yourselves comfortable. I appreciate your punctuality..." Then Anders closed the door, and I was left alone in the hall.
After standing for a moment in silence, I came to my senses, and crossed the foyer to the sitting room. This room was empty, illuminated by a low fire on the hearth, and the watery winter sunlight that filtered through the large windows. Resigning myself to another long wait, I settled down on a low ottoman, and watched the dancing flames. A long silence fell over the castle, and I burned with curiosity to know what they were talking about in the dining room, but I knew better than to try and listen.
The ever changing dance of the flames was mesmerizing, and I had slowly dropped into a trance by the time something happened again. A loud crash startled me out of my daze, as Ripley flung back the dining room door, and stormed into the entrance hall.
"Very wise I'm sure, to brazenly invite them into our very home," Anna fumed. "I'm sure that was flawless judgement on your part Delilah, really, absolutely flawless. Fucking magic users, I've had quite enough for one day." With these words Ripley stormed away, disappearing from view as she headed for her room.
The half orc woman appeared a moment later, Gorron Vedmire following her. She grinned at him with a kind of fierce understanding, absentmindedly running the arrow tip over her nose, mouth, and chin, as they both made made their way out of the castle into the courtyard. After her, Sir Kerrion and his lackey exited the castle, both conversing urgently in low voices. When Anders appeared, he was deep in thought, and blindly made his way upstairs, clearly caring very little where his feet took him. Last of all, Silas, Delilah, and Count Tyleeri entered the hall together. Lord Briarwood hastily drew Tyleeri aside, speaking to him under his breath. Then he released the Count's arm, and he too left the castle.
For a moment it looked as if Delilah was going to retreat upstairs too, then Lord Briarwood seized her arm, detaining her. He spoke very softly, but through the acoustics of the entrance hall, I could just hear him.
"My darling, you and I should have a quick word."
Moving very cautiously, I crept up to the sitting room door, so that I could hear better.
"A word? My love?" Delilah returned, looking up at him with a smile.
"Our project." Silas murmured, and instantly Lady Briarwood's face hardened, her attention fixed on him.
"This is not the place!" She hissed angrily. "It is not to be spoken of."
"Why can't we finish it now?" He said, carelessly brushing aside her comment. "We have no more time to wait. If we do not complete it soon, we risk utter failure, and that is an unthinkable prospect."
"Of course I want to finish it!" She snarled back. "Do you think I would hesitate, if it were possible? It cannot be done. We must wait, there is no other choice." She tried to pull away from Silas, but he resolutely gripped her arm, as easily resisting her attempts to free herself as he always had with me.
"If we were forced," He rasped, "if there was no other choice. Could you do it?"
"I don't know." Lady Briarwood said desperately, suddenly going limp in his arms, and crumpling into him. "I don't have that power, it would take a greater gift than what I now have to give. Only months of preparation have made this possible, and even with all the time we have left, it will only just be enough. I can't force it, I would need something more for that."
"But if you had it: a greater gift, a greater sacrifice. If you could make a sacrifice powerful enough, would you be able to achieve it?"
"Maybe!?" She exclaimed impatiently. "I don't know."
"If you gave up something truly dear to you, if you sacrificed something you loved."
"I don't know..."
"You did all this for me..." Silas murmured, his voice suddenly breathtakingly gentle, and he forced her to look up at him. "Do you regret it now, giving so much for me? Am I not enough to comfort you anymore?"
"Of course I don't regret it..." Delilah whispered, leaning her head against his arm. "I would give up anything for you!"
"Then sacrifice this plaything you've become so fond of."
Delilah made no answer, but silently hovered in her husband's embrace for a moment. When she drew away her face was unreadable, and she slowly detached herself from Silas, making her way out into the castle grounds. Lord Briarwood watched her go, his eyes calculating, then he smiled and retreated upstairs, his mind turning to other things.
I remained in the sitting room. There was nowhere else to go, at the moment Anders had forgotten about me, his mind was on other matters, and as long as I stayed out of his way I could be reasonably sure it would remain that way. I was sick of the Professor, I was glad to catch up any chance of avoiding him. The sitting room was very large and empty, but nobody came in or out, if I wanted to stay out of the way, it was a good place to do it.
By the time Lady Briarwood returned to the castle, several hours had passed, and the long shadows of early evening were closing in. Where she had been all that time, I couldn't guess, but she looked more composed than she had in the morning, and sat down at her needlework just as usual. She didn't speak to me, but she didn't order me from the room either, and I settled on a nearby chair, tucking my feet up and amusing myself with a book from one of the shelves.
Reading was not something I greatly enjoyed, and this book had very little interest to me, being a book that had no practical use. The moment another form of amusement presented itself, I eagerly took it up, and completely forgot my book. It was Anders, who came quietly down the stairs, and began to peek through the various doors that lined the other side of the hall. He had been a resident of this castle since before I was born, it was not possible that he had lost his way. He didn't find what ever he was looking for, and he crossed to this side of the foyer. I quickly went back to my book, and a moment later he glanced through the open sitting room door, his face lighting up when he saw Lady Briarwood.
"My Lady..." He said, entering with his head half bowed.
"Yes, Anders? What is it?"
"It's Ripley my lady." Anders replied, with a kind of vicious satisfaction, and Delilah immediately looked up with sharpened attention. "If my eyes do not deceive me, she is at this moment making preparations to leave the valley."
"I see...How unfortunate..." Lady Briarwood said, smiling slightly, and looking thoughtfully down into the fire. Silence fell, which neither Anders nor I dared to disturb, and we both sat waiting for Delilah's verdict. At last she straightened in her seat, and instantly the Professor's anticipation sharpened "Very well, if she has forced our hand, I see that we have no other choice...Anders, if you would be so kind as to fetch her, and bring her to me. You may take some of the servants to aid you if you think her likely to resist. We must have done with this at once. Don't delay."
"Yes my lady!" Anders said, with the eagerness of a dog who senses an impending meal, and he hurried from the room.
Lady Briarwood quietly put away her needlework, working methodically, and never even casting a glance at me. Either she had forgotten I was there, or this was one conversation that I was permitted to witness. I quietly took up my post at the window seat, out of the way, but still present. Delilah, after packing away her embroidery, moved to the fire, and stood in front of the hearth, looking thoughtfully down into the flames.
"Here she is my lady!" The Professor said, coming back into the room, and holding the door open.
A moment later two of the servants appeared, bearing hostage between them Anna Ripley. She looked vexed, her hair and clothes a little ruffled, her chin higher than usual, and her green eyes blazing. At a gesture from Anders, the third servant who trailed in last, closed the door as it entered, standing between Ripley and the door. But Ripley made no attempt at escape, and stood between her two captors, quite composed.
"The professor here tells me that you have decided to leave us," Lady Briarwood said with an icy smile, "why is this?"
"I've completed my end of the bargain, in case you had forgotten that." Anna said, her voice sharp with cold fury. "Having done what you asked, I am now, by your own words, free to go. Well then, why am I being detained? For my part, I decline to remain, in the light of your changed circumstances. It is my strict policy, not to linger where conflict is impending."
"We are not finished yet." Lady Briarwood said dismissively. "We may yet have need of you."
"You asked me to develop a compound that could distill the whitestone of this mountain range down into its pure magical essence. Having done that, I see no reason for me to remain. I have no interest in your project, beyond the technical challenge you presented me, and have no interest in your own private schemes. For my part, I am not so foolish as to underestimate this danger, and I would rather be far away. I have completed the task you presented me, and been rewarded for it, now let me go."
"As I said before, we are not yet finished." Lady Briarwood said, seemingly paying little to no heed to Anna's words. "And until we are, you must remain. The secrecy of our business here is a delicate matter, and your clumsy wit would not handle it with the needed care, therefor I must take it for you."
"I have just as much reason as you to keep this matter quiet." Anna shot back. "Having witnessed your bloody capture of this castle, tortured the family and their servants for information, and aided you in foiling the two attempted uprisings, I am far from wishing to publish the matter abroad. I am quite content to keep my silence, without any urging from you."
"I have no love of cowards." Lady Briarwood hissed, her voice suddenly venomous, and she crossed the room to stand in front of Anna. "And even less for those who serve only their own self interest. You have proved yourself to be both, and I must admit myself...disappointed...I did hope you would at least have the intelligence to remain here without any urging from me. As you have chosen to flee instead, I see that we will have to force you to remain against your will. A shame really...still, you'll make a better offering than a fisherman...Take her away."
    Lady Briarwood waved the servants away, and they obeyed her gesture, dragging Anna from the room. She made no protest as she was removed, and never made the slightest attempt to struggle, passively allowing herself to be led away. Anders watched with a scornful smile, but Delilah went back to the fire, looking down into the dancing flames thoughtfully. The door shut, and once again, it was Anders, Delilah, and I, alone.
    "Go and make sure she's locked securely in the dungeon." Delilah said to Anders, without looking at him, still standing in front of the hearth. "I wouldn't put it past Anna to keep some trickster's tools with her, as insurance against just this sort of occasion. Make sure she doesn't have any such supplies available to her."
    "Yes my lady." Anders said, bowing, and moving toward the door.
    "And professor, one last thing," Delilah said, turning away from the fire, and stopping Anders in the sitting room door. "Make sure she's not too comfortable. I'm sure Anna can manage without the finer luxuries in life, if you understand me..."
    "Yes my lady..." The Professor said with a smile, and he left the room.
    With a smile of dark satisfaction, Delilah resumed her seat next to the fire, taking up her embroidery. Humming contentedly she threaded a needle, and sat perfectly content. Dusk slowly fell outside the sitting room windows, the winter sunlight fading to bruised dusk, as chill air filtered through the glass and soaked into my skin. Torches in the courtyard caught my attention, and Delilah looked up as their flickering illumination pierced through the windows.
    "Ah, yes, finally..." She said briskly, rising from her chair, and moving towards the sitting room door. Silently I abandoned my post at the window seat, and followed her as she crossed the foyer, and left the castle. She was greeted on the steps by Sir Stonefell, who met her with a jovial grin, and a gallant bow.
    "My lady..."
    "Well, did you fetch them?" Lady Briarwood said, carelessly brushing his greeting aside, and looking over his shoulder at the courtyard.
    "I have them here, ready for inspection, my lady."
    "Show me."
    Several stretchers had been laid side by side on the stones of the courtyard, each one covered by a piece of rough cloth, but even through the fabric the muffled forms of several human figures could be seen. As Kerrion descended the castle steps he gestured to his men, who were little more than thugs in dark leather armor, and they quickly removed the coverings revealing the spectacle underneath. Several dead bodies, the corpses almost lifelike under the torchlight, were stretched out in the courtyard.
    One was clearly no more than a child, the tiny body dressed up in a silk shirt that was far too large. The others were all adults, a dark haired man and woman, a man closer to middle age, a third man with red skin, and a second woman with red hair. All five had been dressed up, their clothes ill fitting and too large on most of them, while the clothes on the middle aged body were too small. Beside this, what at first had seemed like red skin on the male body, I could now see was rusty red paint that has been smeared across his skin, and the red hair of the woman was nothing more than paint hastily worked into hair that was really a much darker color.
    Delilah looked at these scattered bodies, quite composed, and slowly moved closer to get a better look at them. Bending over the red haired woman, Lady Briarwood turned the face, examining it, then touching the painted hair. Standing, she cast one last look over all the bodies, before turning back to Sir Kerrion.
    "Hang them on the Suntree." She commanded ruthlessly. "You can cut down the other bodies to make room."