Arthur was glad to be free of the constricting university robes with his sword in hand. Els' linen shirt was stained in the blood of the man she daggered. He could see her thighs shaking from the shock of having a man die on top of her.

"Where do we go, the front gate" asked Els.

"No they'll have men watching it, I stashed a rope by the wall we can use that to get out" he said trying to remember where he hopped the wall.

"Let's get moving then" said Els picking a direction and walking in it.

"This way" said Arthur heading for the edge of the campus.

They found the wall and followed it along checking all the hedges and ferns for Arthurs' abandoned rope.

"Is this it" Els held up a thick fraying rope.

Arthur took it out of her hands and started to tie a loop too the end of the rope. It took him half a dozen tries to loop it securely around the iron barbs affixed to the top of the wall.

Giving it a firm tug he handed it to Els. "You first".

"What about when I get up there I can't jump down from the other side" said Els.

"Pull the rope up with you and use it to climb down, throw it back over to me when your down" said Arthur.

Sword in hand, he kept crouched behind the tall bush and watched Els struggle to pull her self up the wall. As she reached the top, precariously perched between two deadly iron spikes, a torch wielding man rounded the corner.

"Hurry up Els" Arthur whispered to himself.

She pulled the rope up after her moments before the guards torchlight shone on the ground where it lay. As Els descended the other side on the wall thuds from her boots sounded through the wall.

"Huh" said the guard looking at the wall.

"Shit". Arthur sprang from his bush and snaked his arm around the mans neck. He spun the man to the ground and waited until he stopped thrashing and lay still.

He stuck close to the wall waiting for the rope to drop on his side. The slapping on iron indicated Els was having trouble getting it over the wall. The rope landed with a thud on the ground at Arthurs' feet. She had tied the dagger to the end of the rope and tossed it over the wall. He slotted the dagger into its' sheath on his hip and scaled the wall easily. He rappelled down next to Els.

"That nearly skewered my foot" Arthur said unimpressed.

"Sorry, it was all I had to hand".

More shadows loomed in the alley ways as Arthur and Els rushed back to the Scarlet Wench.

Arthur refused Gastons attempt to prise him with more ale as they sat at a thick wooden table reading their books furiously.

"Come on Art I've never known you to read, drink with me" bellowed Gaston.

"This is for work Gaston I need to focus" replied Arthur not taking his eyes off the book.

"Bah, then you shouldn't of picked a tavern" Gaston laughed as he clapped his back before wandering off upstairs.

"Find anything yet" asked Els as she neared the end of her book.

"Nothing" said Arthur looking at the thick folds of pages he had yet to read.

He struggled through complicated passages written in verbose language.

Runes thousands of feet high pulsed with effervescent light. We activated something in those ruins, something which lit up an entire cliff face of Mount Cragmire read Arthur.

"There's something here about a Mount Cragmire, apparently the scholar led an expedition into some ruins there" said Arthur.

Els looked at him with a puzzled expression on her face. "Ruins at Cragmire, thats in the Silex range, there's no ruins there. It is an inhospitable place where nothing grows, the only useful thing there is iron but it was always too craggy to build road to get any good amount out" lectured Els.

"Well this scholar has written about them at length, huge halls carved in the depths of the most solid mountains, burrows with thousands upon thousands of rooms, he calls it a human anthill built with blocks of obsidian too large to exist naturally" Arthurs' eyes widened as he read the familiar description.

Obsidian, just like my dreams thought Arthur recalling his spine chilling dreams.

"It could be lies made up to sell his book, become a famous adventurer" said Els snatching the book from Arthur.

"I don't think so, the places he describes they... I've seen them... in my dreams" said Arthur finding it hard to admit they were linked to their quest.

"Dreams, those dreams you've been having, it is the witches work" Els had a triumphant look in her eye, as if she had won some debate.

"Perhaps" sighed Arthur.

"Well then that settles it, the book, your dreams, we need to get to Cragmire" said Els.

"And how far is Cragmire" asked Arthur.

"Not far at all if we charter a ship" Els was getting busy stuffing the books back into their leather bag.

"We don't have the money to charter a ship" said Arthur.

"I'm not suggesting a large ship, just a Caravel which is sailing up the coast, shouldn't cost much for a cabin".

"You'll be lucky to get a single hammock" said Arthur.

"Well we will find out in the morning" said Els pushing herself out of her seat. "And I get the bed tonight", Arthur turned and watched as she flitted up the stairs.

"You finally having that drink" Gaston shouted down the stairs.

"Later Gaston, I'm going out" Arthur shouted back, he reached for his new hat and a dark cloak.

He won't miss it thought Arthur.

He wasn't sure why he was out there, the Scarlet Wench had been pleasantly quiet when he left. But the memories he had of that place were far from pleasant, drunken brawls with anyone who looked at him the wrong way, gambling away his substantial pay, the whoring. Arthur wanted to forget it all. He walked a long perimeter around the Inn keeping his eyes open for out of place loiterers. Though it was late the streets were mostly clear. Gaston had told him the boats had left the night before with men bound for all around the continent to fight in foreign wars. Arthur remembered those days, laying in a swaying hammock for days on end, hearing the sailors wail their shanties and coo over dolphins and whales. Sometimes they would be called up to defend the ship in a sea battle, which would mostly be them boarding ships under a hail of cannon fire. Arthur spent years as a Vanner, a shock trooper who fought at the front line of any pike formation, twice the pay for the high risk of a gruesome death.

If only I'd been smarter back then, I could have bought some land, buried my coin and live a life of comfort.

But he had been young and they knew exactly how to play young men. Pretty girls swarmed them as soon as they got off the boats, criers payed to shout the praises of all the dens of depravity in the city.

It wasn't all bad I guess thought Arthur as he waved off an advancing courtesan.

"By my eyes and ears is that Bloody Arthur", he recognised the Everlan drawl almost immediately. A brightly dressed man wrapped his arm around Arthur shoulders.

"Hello old friend" said Juan Draque.

"I wouldn't call us that" he peeled the mans arm off his shoulder.

"Always so serious Arthur, even after the great battles and the women treat us like the heroes' we were, so rare to crack a smile" said Draque with a big smile.

"Pissing away enough money to bankrupt a lord was hardly a thing to smile about".

"It is exactly why we should smile friend. What better way to get back at our betters than to show them how dull their rich lives are".

"What do you want Draque", Arthur was close to snapping at the talkative man.

"Is it now a crime to enjoy time with an old friend and think about the good old days, how about a drink Arthur, on me" Draque jingled his ample coin purse.

Arthur spotted the men following them, it was hard to tell who they were. Some were dressed like the possessed assassins who ambushed him and Els, others looked like any merchant guard.

"When I heard you were in town I knew I needed to have that drink with you, but you're a hard man to find you were at none of your usual spots, even Gaston had no idea where you were", Draque laughed.

Arthur felt himself stiffen at the mention of Gaston.

"Well maybe we should drink with Gaston, what was his place called again, the Scarlet Wench" Draque kept his eyes fixed ahead paying no heed to people tailing them.

"I don't remember" said Arthur.

"Don't remember your favorite haunt, my you have changed" Draque eyed him up.

"I'm going now Draque and I'm not interested in that drink" Arthur turned the corner sharply leaving the well manicured mercenary behind before he could say anything. But Arthur could feel his sharp eyes following him with every step he took.

Arthur resisted the urge to break out into a sprint. He could still feel his stalkers crouched around every corner. Twisting and turning through the tightest streets and alleys of the city he tried to lose the armed men who were close on his trail. It was only after an hour of evading and trading cloaks with a scabby beggar before he lost them. Gaston was waiting for him when he finally turned up.

"And where have you been" he said as Arthur hung his cloak.

"Out" said Arthur.

"What's this, what happened to my cloak" gasped Gaston.

"I had to borrow it".

"And drag it through the sewers" his face curdled when he sniffed it. "I'm going to have to burn this".

Arthur had left him behind and marched upstairs, it had been dark for a while so the top floor was loud with snoring. He pushed the door to their room open and saw Els sat awake on the bed re-reading the books.

"Where'd you go" she asked not looking up.

Arthur crossed the room to look out the window. All he could see was chimney smoke and rooftops. "I went out to see if anyone followed us back".

Els snapped up from her books. "Did you see anyone".

"Plenty of people and a lot of them were interested in where I was going. I don't think we'll be safe here for longer" said Arthur.

"When should we leave" said Els.

"As soon as possible".

She failed to stifle a yawn. "So no time for a decent sleep".

"Unfortunately not".

They packed quickly and before they left Els went to say her goodbye to mistress Sabine leaving Arthur alone with Gaston.

"Leaving so soon Art".

"I met Juan Draque when I was out" said Arthur.

"I wondered when you would run into him, he was here a few days ago looking for you".

"Well as soon I spoke to him I found myself surrounded by peepers. Be careful old friend I think he may know I'm here and when he comes looking for me, he won't be alone".

Arthur struck his hand out for Gaston to shake, instead the large man picked him off the ground in a bear hug.

"Next time you're in Maven, come visit" said Gaston.

"I will" smiled Arthur.

Els reappeared downstairs and waited for him by the door.

"And you're welcome here anytime Miss Els".

She nodded her thanks before they both walked out into the dark streets of Maven.