A week passed after the battle with the Ghouls, and in that time, Arlen had tried countless times to speak with the Queen and Keynan, but they somehow managed to evade each and every attempt. Instead, Aggie and Arlen continued on as they always had with their jokes and questions, only now sometimes Mek would join in, much to Arlen’s annoyance.

There was no denying the interest of Mek in Aggie, but what was perhaps a sight more upsetting, was Aggie’s occasional discreet glances.

The Minkies were skilled hunters, and had an eye for detail, so they often made the little money they needed for clothes or weapons by selling their wares down by the docks. A select group of them would leave the tribe, and would take anywhere from a few days to a week to sell what they had. As the Queen announced whom would be going with her to the shoreline, Aggie was surprised to hear she was expected to join the small group.

“Me? Why?” She asked as she gazed at Arlen bewildered then back at the Queen whom was already mid-eye roll.

“You are a successful merchant’s daughter, are you not?” The Queen was already pinching the bridge of her nose, annoyed at the questions she knew were coming.

“Yes, but I never-”

“You’ll do fine. Come now.” The Queen turned and strode towards the traveling group that consisted of Jed, Nola, the Queen, Mek, and now, Aggie.

Arlen and Aggie exchanged looks of confusion as they stepped together.

“Arlen stays behind.” The Queen called over her shoulder as she slid her compacted bow staff into its holder on her back.

Aggie and Arlen both began protesting at the same time, but quieted down at the look the Queen gave when she turned around, and slowly walked back to them.

She stared at Arlen carefully before turning to Aggie.

“Lady, are you a child? Do you need your Servicer to hold your hand everywhere you go? I won’t hear either of you argue my orders. We are leaving now.” Her voice dribbled with acid as she turned back to her group, and this time, Aggie and Arlen shared a matching look of confusion, before Aggie shrugged her shoulders helplessly at him and ran to join the Queen.

“You can’t keep her always by your side.” Keynan had suddenly appeared beside Arlen, and was watching the Queen and Aggie with a mask of calm composure.

“That is somewhat the point of Servicers.” Arlen muttered snidely.

“You want Ms. Beatha to be dependent on you for feeling secure at all times? Shouldn’t you want her to be capable on her own?” Arlen turned to face Keynan, feeling angry, though not fully understanding why.

“Servicer, Lady Beatha’s greatest moments, I suspect come from her making her own choices and errors. The best tower doesn’t need to lean on the castle walls.” Arlen felt his ire drip away, as Keynan shrugged harmlessly before smiling wolfishly.

When Arlen turned to look at the group of Minkies with Aggie, he found that they had already disappeared from sight.

“It’s only for a week.” Arlen reminded himself, as the rest of the Minkies began to settle in to their campsite, which was lower down in the mountain than their normal rest sites. Arlen could see the tiny port of Abasca below with its handful of rooftops and extensive docking, the homes looking no bigger than Arlen’s thumb.

He had traveled through the town on his way to Sean O’Farrell’s keep earlier that year, though it felt like closer to a decade had passed since he had first stepped onto the land belonging to the North Kingdom.

“Servicer! Your Mistress won’t return any quicker if you stand around like an idiot. Time to train!” Tieg’s thunderous voice shook Arlen violently away from his musings.

Without having to think, he pulled out the swords the Minkies had given to him as replacements for the ones he had lost in the Ghoul, and unbeknownst to him, he immediately began to feel better. He was growing to enjoy training and fighting a good deal, but even with him partaking in his new pass-time, there was a small worm of worry in the back of his mind.

*

Aggie and the Minkies arrived in the town by nightfall, and it was then that Aggie realized that she had no idea where the Minkies intended to sleep.

Surely the villagers would protest a bunch of nomadic warriors squatting on the beach.

Aggie opened her mouth to voice her concerns, when a strong hand gripped her forearm silencing her. A low voice suddenly whispered in her ear.

“Remember. Minkies are silent. Don’t go causing more trouble.” Mek’s voice was little more than a soft murmur, and his warm breath caused Goosebumps to lift the hairs on her arm.

She stumbled in her step, but Mek’s grip on her arm tightened, and kept her moving forward with the rest of the Minkies who seemed to move with ghostly grace as they drifted through the town.

Not a single villager raised their eyes to gaze at them, and most of them appeared to have white or graying hair. The men sat beneath the stoops of the homes in long dark coats, smoking their pipes, and their wives were inside the homes cleaning up their dinners or drinking tea before bed. Aggie caught glimpses inside the warm snug homes where there was an eerie lack of sound.

The town wasn’t like most port cities, as it didn’t reek of old fish and the body odor of several bodies crammed into a bustling marketplace. Instead, it smelt of cold sea air, and dampened wood. A strange spice hung in the air, and it took a few moments for Aggie to realize it was the smell of wet chestnut wood-, a smell she associated with inland forests.

The Minkies passed by 5 large wood buildings with thatched roofs and glowing windows in total. Yet despite the obvious sights and smells of life, the village continued to remain silent. The only sound was the waves gently lapping at the stone beach only 3 acres from the homes. The jagged shores of the continent made by the mountainous border, created a natural harbor that was perhaps a mile long out in the ocean, as the mountains blocked all Eastern, Western, and Southern winds. Only the North could blow in, but even then there were islands not far off in the distance that interrupted the icy wind.

One of those islands also happened to be where Arlen had been born and raised.

Seeing the mountains against the sky, and the ocean in the twilight was both breathtakingly beautiful, and hauntingly discomforting at the same time in the quiet.

Aggie could’ve sat for hours on the shore losing herself to her thoughts, but the merciless pace of the Minkies didn’t allow for any dawdling at all.

The Minkies had cleared the village, and were veering off towards a thin copse of pine trees that didn’t quite conceal them from the village, but also wasn’t abundantly obvious.

Without a word being passed, each person began their duties. Jed grabbed kindling and firewood, while the Queen and Nola set up the tents.

Mek began skinning 3 rabbits and a squirrel he had caught that morning, and Aggie decided to try and find a well with fresh water.

She was looking forward to water that didn’t have the mildew and leather taste of a waterskin, and so set out determinedly to find the villager’s water source.

It took her nearly an hour of searching carefully and quietly in the darkness, but eventually she found a very bright well built out of white stones that popped out in the darkness, behind the first house they had passed on their way into the village.

As Aggie began pulling the rope up, she glanced up at the magnificent starry sky, and briefly wondered how Arlen was doing on his own with the Minkies.

*

Alexander was sitting in the dining hall of his home (a ‘home’ that some might rightly call a palace). It had windows lining the entire Southern wall, which overlooked the ocean below, with morning dawn tinting the waves a rosy pink. As the sole occupant of the room meticulously sliced a pear wedge at an exact 45 degree angle, he could hear the faint echoing of footsteps pounding down the long hall from the Servicer’s quarters, and waited patiently as he sipped a tall glass of chilled milk.

The large wooden doors at Alexander’s back flew open, but he didn’t change his slow drink, even when he heard the soft footfalls on the black marble floor near him.

“My Lord Ruler, we are able to see the Servicer!”

Alexander’s eyes lifted from his plate, and stared out the window, refusing to regard the messenger.

“I see. He has left the Minkies protection?” He asked softly, spearing the pear, and feeding himself leisurely.

“N-No, my Ruler. He is training with them, it is the Minkies shield and the Servicer’s ward that is missing.” Alexander slowly finished chewing his food, and wiped his mouth slowly with the white linen napkin that had been sitting in his lap before standing. He took his time straightening his shoulders as he turned to face the middle-aged man whom had delivered the message.

He didn’t recognize the man, leading him to believe he was some serving staff beneath his own Servicer’s, and immediately dismissed him as someone of little consequence. The servant’s plain brown trousers and oversized brown robe, that looked to be made of the cheapest wool, did little to disguise his slight hunch and malnourished form.

“Why have the Seers not come to tell me themselves?” He asked watching the top of the bowed head.

“They are trying to track down the ward of the Servicer to determine whether or not she was murdered, and the Servicer is now acting on his own free will.”

Alexander walked over to his windows, and stared at the looming mountains in the distance, that marked the border of the North Kingdom. It was perhaps a day’s sail away, but whomever captained the vessels going to and from the island of the Ruling Family and their Servicer’s, would have to be mindful of the rocky shoals that remained hidden under the shallow inky black water.

“I see. Go send the Servicer instructors to retrieve him. I want him in front of me on his knees this time next morning.” Alexander clasped his hands behind his back, and slowly turned around, and breezed past the bowed servant.

He was at the doors when the servant spoke again.

“You know… perhaps the Fey’s recent involvement in the Kingdoms should be investigated first.” Alexander stopped, and turned slowly, staring far more carefully at the robbed man whom he guessed to be in his late 40’s.

“Are you telling me how to run my Family business?” He asked coolly watching the man, and waiting to see him shrink under his emotionless tone and powerful presence.

But he didn’t.

“I might be offering a friendly reminder to keep your eyes on all the moving pieces. You have seemed somewhat pre-occupied with the deviant Servicer and researching the history of the Thief of Souls.”

Alexander began to walk towards the old man who now was standing straighter, only to have the servant turn his own back and walk towards the wall of windows away from his approaching master.

“Do you know the penalty for turning your back to me?” Alexander’s voice began to rise, his irritable mood intensifying quickly.

“I don’t think that information will be of any use to me.” The man now stood before the windows, his hands hanging limply at his sides were both covered by the long sleeves of the robe.

“Tell me your name.” Alexander ordered, his eyes training on the man’s form, and deciding how quickly his head could be separated from his shoulders.

The man turned slowly, his pale lined face turned up into a smile, and yet as Alexander stared at him, he seemed to be fading away somehow. His cold gray eyes continued smiling at him though.

“Don’t worry Alexander, I warned your father of the same thing, and even the great Alexander the 8th couldn’t stop his own ending.”

Alexander lunged at the man, suddenly lost of all clear thought, only to find that his hands fell through air until the hit his breakfast room’s icy windows.

With his heart racing, he whirled around him, trying to see if there was some sort of contraption that would explain the illusion he had just witnessed.

“Brother, are you still asleep?” The sultry voice of Celestine broke into his thoughts, and he looked at her with flashing eyes that made her fall back a step.

“Did you see a man running down the hallway before?” He asked angrily walking quickly towards Celestine whom was wearing a pale pink chiffon robe to cover her lavender silk night gown.

“No? Why? What’s happened?” Celestine asked cautiously narrowing her eyes as she watched her brother begin to pace back and forth frantically.

A timid knock behind her, made them both turn as a scrawny woman in her early 60’s wearing a rumpled green dress with long blonde hair interrupted the scene nervously.

“M-My Lord Rulers.” She greeted with a bow. “I am sorry to interrupt I-”

“Nothing of it Dawn. Out with it.” Alexander spat at her, making her shrink back even as she bowed.

“We found the Servicer that deviated from his vows, and he is not with his ward-”

“Didn’t you just send someone to tell me this?!” Alexander exploded as he took menacing steps closer to her. Dawn hunched over her frail body further.

“N-No my Lord. I came as soon as we found him. He is with the Minkies in the mountains and-”

“Get out. I will speak with you later.” Alexander forced himself to resume control of his composure, and clasped his hands behind his back to appear less threatening.

Dawn the Seer bowed quickly before fleeing from the dining hall, and pulling the heavy mahogany doors closed behind her.

“Alex, what the hell was that?! We finally found him! We can bring him back and-”

“When was it that Father upped the security of the palace? When did he suddenly pull-back from his plans?” Alexander cut off his sister, and resumed his pacing as he went.

Their father had been a ruthless, brilliant man, and he had never deviated from his chosen goals ever in his life. Except for one time…

“Perhaps a year before we overthrew him. Alexander, what is wrong? You’re making me nervous.” Celestine was trying to sound haughty but was failing miserably.

“Did he ever say why?” He demanded straightening his shoulders and stopping his frantic movements.

“No I- Alexander have you gone dumb? Father never told me, or mother anything. He only ever told you his plans.”

“Yes but you had your spies. You knew more than anyone thought you would.” He pointed out, his icy calm returning quickly.

Celestine sucked in sharply before letting out a small controlled breath. She never liked her involvement in their overthrowing their parents being referred to. Not out of guilt, but because she knew the value of privacy, and hiding one’s true capabilities.

“He started researching more about the magicks. He started studying about times before us- where the Fey, Humans, Dwarves, Servicers and magical Beasts were something else entirely.”

“Dwarves?! Aren’t those extinct?” Alexander demanded somewhat horrified.

“Yes brother, which is why it was strange. He followed the Fey as far as they would allow him to, and even became obsessed with the Minkies given how much power they-”

Alexander held up his hand silencing her, and frowned down at the hallway that remained vacant as he began piecing together the information in his mind.

He had a good idea of who could have performed such a trick in his own home that morning-, making him feel both a pull of pleasure at having a true opponent, and a small tremor of unsteadiness at how close the encounter was.

“This could be fun.” Alexander whispered to himself, a small smile growing on his pale face.

Celestine on the other hand frowned deeper, she knew arrogance when she saw it, and while she always possessed a deep love of her own personal beauty, she never felt comfortable over estimating her capabilities.

She had seen what it had done to their father. And their mother.

***

Nola glanced around the woods nervously as the Queen discarded the brown robe solemnly, and burned it in the fire.

“The ring won’t have many more uses.” Nola whispered quietly as the Queen pulled off a gold band that carried a ruby the size of her thumbnail.

“Sadly, I agree. Perhaps 2, maybe 3 at most.” She stared at its glittering beauty briefly in the darkness before stowing it back in a small pouch at her side.

“Do you think he knew it was you?” Nola asked nervously as she glanced towards the campsite where every other member of their traveling group remained fast asleep.

The morning smelt of dew and the faint aromas of baking bread from one of the distant houses was gently drifting across the beach down to the campsite. It made both of their mouths water as they began to dump a bucket of sand over the fire once it had eaten away the last of the robe.

“Possibly. It doesn’t matter much if he does though. We need him to focus a little less on Arlen right now though, and we need the Fey and Thief of Souls to slow down. Hopefully they start intervening with each other enough to give us all more time.” The Queen sighed and stared at the dawn on the sea through the trees.

She had a bad feeling in her stomach, and she didn’t like being unable to ask Keynan what that could mean.

The two women remained silent after the Queen’s musings, and both walked in silence back to the campsite, where they set to waking the others in the morning quiet. Market day was always tough as most of the Minkies struggled to interact with common people.

They always were uncertain of how much to say, or not say, and so the general mood at the campsite was uneasy.

It didn’t help matters that the wind was blowing in from the South, meaning most ships wouldn’t be able to make it for quite some time before coming to the village to replenish their food and buy some wares.

Waiting for the winds to change was not the Minkies favorite pass-time by a long shot.

The ghost town village had one lone pub, but a lack of young women that the sailors could relieve months of pent up energy with. They didn’t have any of the more exciting drugs that were circulating the cities like Rockfell. They had a blacksmith and woodworker that specialized in ships, and their wives would bake breads for them, but that was the extent of the benefits of the small town.

Unless it was the lone vessel of the Servicer’s; the bright red 42 square foot boat, painted bright red with gold detailing along its bow.

No one in their right minds would dare attack a boat belonging to the Ruling Family.

After they had eaten, the Queen wordlessly instructed everyone to continue training as they usually did in the morning and evenings.

Aggie seemed like she wanted to ask about the odd atmosphere, but she luckily managed to sense that she couldn’t ask anyone with them being so close to the rest of the village.

She trained with her staff against the Queen, and continued to hone in on faster defense maneuvers and was even learning the odd attack strike. Though she found it difficult to figure out where she would go wrong without having the Queen explain it verbally.

After 3 hours, they all wiped their sweaty brows, and the Queen sniffed the air experimentally. The winds had shifted to come in from the West.

It was time.

It wasn’t as good as a Northern wind, but the boats would be able to navigate in to the natural harbor at least.

Everyone prepared pelts, and semi-precious gemstones they had found on their journeying, and headed down to the shore, where not a single person from the village stirred.

The Queen and Nola laid out their pelts, and laid some of the stones out where the sun could catch their glittering sides.

The group sat on the sand motionless, and the minutes ticked on.

At long last, Aggie glanced around, and when she deemed it safe to speak leaned in to Mek’s ear.

“Aren’t there going to be people here to buy…?” She whispered carefully.

Mek smiled slightly at her close proximity before tilting his head towards her to reply.

“Just watch the Giant’s Mouth.”

“The what?”

“Where the mountains give way to the sea.” He answered shortly, and leaned back to his original position, clearly refusing to ask anymore questions.

Aggie didn’t have to wait long however, soon she saw the 4 ships crest the horizon sailing in from the South, and in what felt like no time at all, there were 7 dinghy’s dropped into the water, with crews of 6 men each rowing

towards land.

“My Queen, Captain James Murphy is in one of those boats.” Jed whispered, the tension in his voice transparent.

The Queen responded by making an aggravated grunt, but the stress in her face was apparent.

Captain James Murphy was bad news to the Minkies

With her curiosity piqued, Aggie frowned at the line of boats that were now in shallow enough water that then men could jump into frothy waves, and pull the boat the rest of the way to land. Without any further indication, Aggie was able to figure out who Captain James Murphy was given that his deep blue coat and polished exterior was a blatant difference between the rest of the dirty sweaty crew.

Up to his knees in seawater, he wore tan trousers, and a white tunic under his coat. He was a strikingly handsome man, with watery blue eyes, a sharp nose, and a flop of sun kissed chestnut brown hair. He was perhaps cresting 6 feet of height, but had a larger presence that made him impossible to ignore.

“Ahh the Minkies! Fancy seeing you lot here, I thought I would’ve missed you by at least 2 or 3 days?” He called sending a heart melting smile at the line of Minkies who remained motionless at his calls. Everyone that is, except Aggie who raised her eyebrow confused.

The movement caught his attention as he dropped the small boat’s rope into the hands of another crewman, and made his way further up the beach until he stood directly in front of them. The only thing between them were the blankets of wares, but the Captain didn’t pay them any mind as he regarded Aggie with growing interest.

“Who do we have here? I’ve never see you before lass, have you joined from another tribe?” He asked his eyes dancing as he stared down at Aggie, who was suddenly feeling very conscious of the Queen’s tensed shoulders.

Aggie gave a non-committal shrug.

“She’s a talker isn’t she?” James laughed deeply, making Aggie feel even more on edge.

He turned to the Queen who sat on Aggie's right hand side, who said nothing but glared.

“Oh very well, have it your way. How much for 3 new pelts?”

Jed held up 5 fingers, to which James snorted.

Then they were off.

Battling digits and guffaws, and Aggie found she quickly lost interest as she always had when her father had conducted business within earshot.

After an hour, James walked away with 3 pelts, and had paid 4 silver pieces for them apiece, which Aggie knew to be more expensive than most- even while knowing they had been made of the softest mountain hares fur.

Aggie stood up, and stretched while the rest of the Minkies did the same. She was hungry, and sick of sitting still. She hadn’t had to sit idly in months, and she found she hadn’t missed it a bit.

When she returned to the camp with the others for their midday meal, she ventured a quiet question to the Queen who was looking more and more unsettled with every hour.

“What is wrong with James Murphy?” The rest of the Minkies cleared a considerable space from them, already knowing that the Queen was on pins and needles.

However, to her credit, the Queen understood that she needed to try and help Aggie understand.

“He’s… a Southern Kingdom Captain, and little more than a pirate. He has many sketchy dealings, but he commands many. He is never to be trusted. Be wary of Captain James Murphy at all costs.” The Queen stiffened, and then handed Aggie the rabbit she was to attempt skinning. A feat the Lady never thought she would grow comfortable with.

It wasn’t until that evening that she learned the truth behind the Queen’s warning.

The Minkies were in the process of setting up their camp for their final night at the shore, deeming their sales profitable enough to return to the tribe. Though Aggie suspected more strongly that the Queen simply wanted to get away from James Murphy as quickly as she could. She was to go and find the well again, and return to the camp in the fading light.

However she never made it back.

Instead, as she approached the well behind the whitewashed home furthest from the shore, someone with a powerful grip grabbed her from behind, covered her mouth and plugged her nose. Her attacker held her despite her struggles until the white stones of the well faded from her vision, and everything went black.

*

Several miles away, sitting around a campfire beside Tieg, Arlen screamed, and doubled over in agony before falling unconscious, and landing close enough to the fire that its flames licked the tips of his boots.

Everyone in the tribe went silent, as they all let the realization that something horribly wrong had just befallen the Lady, and perhaps even the rest of their tribe, sink in.

Keynan let out a slow breath and looked to the heavens.

Things never went to plan.