Great, someone else knows that I can claim dungeons. Now the outpost wall map will show that I can claim dungeons. This means that I have to do something with this map unless there is a way to remove things from the map.

I looked over at my revenant lancer and sighed. “I didn’t even think about those showing up. They are from a different claim that I have. Is there a way to remove them from the map?”

Renfry nodded. “Yes my lord just think about them not being on there. Then command the map to lock out the feature. Once that happens we wouldn’t be able to pull it up even if we knew you had them. But sir how do you have them?”

I willed them to vanish from the map and then started to think about how best to answer him. I could lie, but he had already seen it, and while I didn’t know him well, he seemed willing to follow me. Which hey, Iris seemed willing to follow me as well, but I didn’t want her with us. Renfry was already tied to me, so him knowing was only a matter of time.

I took my hand off the grid after willing it back to the local map. Then I sat down. The chair wasn’t the most comfortable. In fact, it was one of the worst I had sat in. I took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

I looked over at Renfry and said. “Before I tell you about the dungeons, tell me what you know of your oath to me and also what you know of dungeons.”

He nodded and shifted into what could only be his version of attention. “Lord Arn, the oathbond is something I am not sure about. When I was a Haunting I knew that I couldn’t leave my room. I was held in place by my failure to be with the rest of the patrol. When I touched you something happened and I felt my reason for being here changed. My oath I think is what tied me back to this world.”

He paused for a few moments, looking like he was trying to figure out what to say. “I fell the same thing as the barrier around my room around my body now. I also feel the same pull to finish my job that I had that changed me into a Haunting. It seems to pull me toward my duty to you.”

Renfry looked very uncomfortable. “I am not sure that if you released me from my oath I would live as I now seem to live to serve, or perhaps serve to live. I checked to see what the oath said and I appear to need to be within thirty miles of your holdings, or you. So perhaps my oath is to the house.”

I nodded slowly and stood up from the horrid chair. “Those things are bad. Okay so how do you feel about Blink?”

Renfry thought and said. “She is like Eric. I can tell that she is your family but I am not sure how I can feel that. I know she calls you daddy but I don’t think it is what she is saying.”

“Okay anyone else?”

Renfry looked like he spaced out for a moment, then he turned his head. “I feel a slight tug that way. I can’t tell what I feel, but I would say there is someone else in your family that is that way.”

I nodded and started to walk back to the map. “Thank you, that helps now what do you know about dungeons?”

Renfry followed a couple of steps and then said. “I have been in two. They were both low leveled around 40 floors. We worked our way down through them gathering skill and equipment. The Westiral March used them to create much of our income. As far as I know they can’t be claimed as they are their own. Some people think they are where orcs come from but I don’t think that’s right. Others think that they are portals to the land of the dead. I don’t know.”

I sighed and thought through what to do. On the one hand, Renfry was new to me. On the other hand, he appeared to be loyal. If what he said was true about being here because of his oath, then his life depended on him being loyal to me. If it wasn’t true, then I had one more person that knew things about me. He already knew that I could claim dungeons. The question was the same question I had about Kasidy.

I shook my head. I had been down this road once before. “Okay so what I am going to tell you the two upstairs already know however, you can’t tell anyone. It is far to dangerous for me to be out and about.”

“I swear it my lord what you tell me I won’t tell others.”

“Good, I am a dungeon master. I claimed one dungeon and then seeded it. So I am spreading the dungeons as we go. I’m safe in my dungeons and can make others safe as well.”

Renfry looked even slightly more pale if he could. “What does a dungeon master do?”

“I control the dungeon and give it directions on growth and what it needs to focus on. I also help defend it if others attack it. Not people training in it but if the dark ones attack then I go and help.”

Renfry nodded slowly. “My lord do you know where they come from?”

I smiled. “Yes I do, and they aren’t the source of the orcs. They were created to help people get strong so that they could fight the orcs better. Nothing that can worship the gods will ever show up in there as a combatant. Only the dark ones and natural monsters will be in there.”

Renfry’s black-on-black eyes lit up just a bit. “So they are meant as something good?”

I nodded. “Yes, and me spreading them should help more people get powerful enough to fight. That’s my goal with them at least.”

Right as Renfry was about to reply, we heard a deep and hollow THUNK.

Renfry’s dark eyes brightened up a bit as he stepped toward the map control. “My lord, that’s the catapult. The tower has found an approaching enemy.”

“Can you show me?”

Renfry places his hand down on the controls. The bird’s eye view changed to one angled from the roof, showing a scraggly line of people coming over a slight rise. Most of them appeared to be nothing more than travelers. The lead few were horse-drawn wagons. Then with a fairly sizable space behind them, were people running on foot.

Directly behind the group of running people were about ten people in light and medium armor with clubs and axes in their hands. They didn’t appear to be attacking the group as they were glancing behind. The tower fired again, and the magical rock went flying beyond the group.

I asked. “How far out are they and any idea what they are running from?”

Renfry kept watching the map wall. “They are about a mile out should be here in just a few minutes. From the way the tower is acting I think we have an orc raiding party. It should be the only thing that triggers this type of response.”

Right as he was saying that, a group of goblins showed up on the wall. They were running on all fours as they chased the group. The rear guards turned and engaged the goblins, quickly cutting them down. However, that action separated them from the rest of the group. The guards turned and started to run again as arrows began to fall around them.

I asked, “Do we have our equipment inside or is it still in the wagon?”

“We brought it all inside. However, your horses are still out there and the wagon can’t fit the door.”

“Well, let’s get these people inside and our horses. Then we will figure out what to do. What would have been the response in the past?”

“Lancers would have mounted up and we would have engaged if the enemy was small enough. If not we would have gone to the walls. We each had a bow we would use. However, we lack the numbers to do much out there and I fear we might not have the numbers to defend this location now.”

“Do you know where the girls put everything?”

“Your things should have been up in your room.”

“Thanks! Get a number on the pursuing force and then arm up.”

I stepped around to the stairs and yelled. “Blink! Kasidy! We got orcs attacking and people coming in. I need both of you.”

Then I paused for just a few moments and tried to send the view of the map to Blink. “Did you get that?” I thought at her.

I felt Blink smiling across the bond as she asked. “Hunt?”

I tried to send a feeling of joy across the bond to her. “Yes. I need you to take out the back line. We don’t know how many mages they have.”

Blink laughed through the bond. “Bait, gets your stick.”

* * *