December 22nd, year 948

  Starspawn Barracks, South Viemen

  Morning

  The maids and servants of the Starspawn barracks had been run ragged over these last several weeks, frantically trying to prepare their Lord and the others for the journey north. Beyond this, there was much excitement as well over what might be the outcome of their honorary banquet. Would they return with gifts? Riches? Endowments and new titles? The possibilities were endless and they spurred the fantasies of all, from the eldest handmaid to the youngest serf. And all of that excitement was resounded to a fever pitch on this day— the final day before their departure.

  “Where is it!?”

  “I do not know, Ellis.”

  “When did you last see it?”

  “Several weeks, at least?”

  “Hector!?”

  “I am looking!”

  The two danced around each other, tearing at Ellis’ belongings, searching every nook and cranny as they went.

  “Alright,” Hector said as he overturned a drawer of under garments, “Think, Ellis. When did you last have it?”

  Ellis pulled his head out from the wardrobe and scanned the room.

  “It was after a training session…”

  “And…?”

  “And,” Ellis continued as he stood up slowly, “It was the day after a rainstorm, so the grounds were very muddy.”

  Ellis jogged over to the door, turned around and brought his feet together. Then he began to pantomime his actions while recounting his story.

  “I went after Telhari with a swing from the right…but I slipped and fell into the mud.” Ellis took a few steps forward then stopped. “After training, I ran up here and took everything off…”

  “Including the necklace?”

  Ellis nodded.

  “Then…I ran toward the bathing room and dunked my head inside the tub.”

  Hector folded his arms.

  “Where did you throw the clothes?”

  Ellis put his hands on his hips as he thought.

  “Uhh…” Then he snapped his fingers and shouted. “Onto the bed!”

  Hector raised his eye brows.

  “You threw muddy clothes onto the clean bed?”

  Ellis blinked.

  “…Yes?”

  “Ellis—”

  “Never mind that!” Ellis groaned as he moved passed Hector, “Check the bed.”

  “Do you know how dirty you are?” Hector continued, “I have changed those sheets several times over since then.”

  “And you haven’t seen it?” Ellis asked as he started pulling and lifting at the bed sheets.

  Hector shook his head.

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  “No, I have not”

  Ellis dropped the sheets and pouted. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. He dropped down onto the floor and peered under the bed frame. Unfortunately, he could hardly see anything. Ellis squished his hand under the bed and felt around. As his fingers reached out into the dusty darkness, he felt something rough coil around his finger.

  “Aha!”

  He pinched his two fingers and pulled his hand out from under the bed. There, dangling from a thin strip of worn leather, was the necklace Sir Perry had given him several months ago— the one his father had left him. He smiled brightly at it. But within a second, Hector came over and snatched it from him.

  “This thing is filthy,” Hector chided. “It will have to be cleaned.”

  Ellis seemed oblivious to this new concern; he was simply content to have found it in time.

  “What else did we need to pack?”

  “You’ll need sleeping clothes,” Hector said with a shake of his head. “Check the second wardrobe.”

  While Ellis crossed the room and began to dig into the drawers, Hector held up the necklace and examined it.

  “Do you have a handkerchief?” he called out to Ellis.

  “Check the desk drawer,” Ellis called back.

  Hector made his way to the writing desk in the corner of the room. He placed the necklace down gently on the desk and opened the top drawer. Inside he found no handkerchief; but what he did find intrigued him greatly. There were several dozen papers: some folded and some crumpled, but all of them with immaculate penmanship. These could not have belonged to Ellis. Hector scooped the papers up and took them out of the drawer. Each parchment contained line after line of meticulous notes, densely packed together beside drawings and symbols that Hector didn’t recognize. The writing was terribly sophisticated. And though Hector could not understand it all, what he bits he could make out only further enticed his intrigue, as well as his fear.

  “Ellis?” Hector asked, “What are these?”

  Ellis approached the desk and peered over Hector’s shoulder.

  “Those? Those are from Egurd’s study.”

  “Egurd?” Hector thought a few moments, recalling when he had first heard that name. “This was the man that you and Mary encountered in Edge? The doctor?”

  Ellis nodded.

  Hector looked worriedly over the papers.

  “Why do you have these?”

  Ellis shrugged.

  “Telhari let me keep them after he had looked them over.”

  “You can read these?” Hector asked with a look of plain shock.

  Ellis avoided his eye contact as he answered.

  “Well…not quite. Not at all, really.”

  Hector frowned.

  “Then why keep them?”

  “I don’t know? I suppose I thought that maybe they would help me understand why he did what he did. Or maybe…” Ellis became quiet suddenly; something that Hector immediately recognized as being uncharacteristic. But he did not pressure him. Instead, he waited patiently until Ellis found his voice once again. “Maybe I just couldn’t let it go.”

  Hector did not know precisely what Ellis meant by those words, but he knew for certain of their importance to him. And that was enough. However, Hector could not ignore the imposing nature of those ink-scrawled notes.

  Even if Ellis had not admitted to being unable to read them, Hector would have been able to guess as much. The fact that Ellis referred to the papers with such little concern — and a distinct lack of reverence or trepidation— told Hector that he hadn’t the slightest clue what was contained therein.

  “You can take them if you want,” Ellis said flippantly, “Or we can burn them. It doesn’t matter to me.”

  Hector looked down at the papers laid out on the desk. To burn them seemed appropriate, as one might seek to purify something unholy with the absoluteness of flame. Yet even so, Hector found himself drawn to them; like a puzzle which he had already been enticed to pursue, and which he fancied himself capable of solving.

  “Did you finish it yet?” Ellis asked suddenly, as he appeared once again beside Hector.

  “Sorry?”

  Ellis blinked back at him.

  “The necklace. Did you finish cleaning it?”

  “Oh, no. My apologies. I will finish it at once.”

  Hector gathered up the papers and quickly put them back into the desk drawer. Ellis gave him a curious look. Then, he reached into the bottom drawer and withdrew a handkerchief.

  “This should work,” he said as he handed it to Hector.

  “Thank you.”

  Hector took the handkerchief from Ellis and began to polish the strangely crafted necklace. He rubbed the handkerchief over the weathered metal which had been bent and shaped into a coil, and contained within it a small stone. As he wiped away the dirt, grime, and cobwebs, Hector found himself marveling at what a peculiar thing it was. Deliberate craftsmanship had been employed to create such a thing, but he simply could not guess at its design. Once he had finished, he shook out the handkerchief and wrapped it gently around the the necklace. Then, he placed the cloth wrapping into the luggage case, atop the rest of Ellis’ clothes, and closed the lid.

  Together, Ellis and Hector continued to pack up the remainder of his things, being sure to provide enough clothes for at least a two week’s journey. Then, Ellis left Hector behind and headed off downstairs to help the kitchen staff load up the rest of the provisions.