Ginna Thornbreak, actually the creature that was once Thadius Thornbreak in his daughters stolen body, waited in the small room she had taken at the only inn in Sombourn village. It was ratty and worn by time, abuse and lack of care from the half dead owners. The constant feeding of the local vampire population tended to age and weaken the living quickly to death. He knew his companion would return before sundown and they would secure the door and the small window until the sun was up enough to drive the living dead back into hiding.

She was growing concerned when a set pattern of knocks sounded quietly on the door. She carefully reached for the bolt and asked, “Who’s there.”

“It is Watcher mistress. I have news you must have, and quickly,” came the quiet reply.

“Is the way clear?”

“It is clear mistress.”

She moved to the left side of the door, using her left hand, released the catch. Her right hand held a long dagger, ready to strike at the first sign of treachery. She stayed to the side as the cloaked figure entered the room, moving clear of the door and remaining in her sight. He knew she could and would kill him at the slightest hint of falseness. “What is the situation at the line of the Greater Feydark.”

“Not good mistress. Your escape has been noticed and somehow, even though I destroyed the stepping disk, someone was able to track the girl to Loping Plains before losing the scent.”

“One of the brands must have had a location spell attached to it. They lost it when I erased it from my skin. I would guess going that way is out. What about the Lesser Feydark, is it guarded in the same manner.”

“No mistress, only the normal folk from within, nobody on this side of the line currently.”

“Good, then that is the way we will have to go if we are to avoid detection. It will take a few extra days to go that route, but it’s better than walking into the net that is waiting to snare me now, or I should say the girl.” She let out a hissing laugh the made Watchers guts twist. “Ok” he thought, “this guy is one sick bastard. Mayong had better pay extra for making me to put up with this perverted monster.”

“Mistress, the residence have stables at each entrance with trained running horses. We should be able to cross the region to the Butcherblock side in a day if we don’t waste time.”

“That is even better, I have a fair amount of gold stashed here, so cost is not an issue. We leave at first light, but not for the Lesser Fey, at least not right away. I have a funeral to attend.” She held up the small box that held his daughter soul. She sat on the bed and had to wonder if he would try to rape her, but she doubted he would try it. She did know that in time she would end up in bed with a male, one way or another, even though the man part of the spirit recoiled in horror at the thought. The biology of the body had other plans and she knew it and would bow to the inevitable when the time came.

“I will stand guard mistress as I need very little sleep.”

“Very well, I do unfortunately, so do stand guard over me.” She had a thought that she had never wondered about before. “Question for my companion, what race are you, and are you male or female.”

“For most intents and purposes I am a male, as to race and species, I am not any really.” He pulled the hood back and she saw a face that had little feature to discern. She gasped in shock, and it tended to take a lot to shock Thadius Thornbreak. “I was an experiment of a necromancer trying to create the ultimate Golem. He almost succeeded, but I had to kill him for his efforts as was my programming by his master, and mine.”

“Mayong Mistemoore,” she asked?

“Yes Mistress, and I still work for him, both directly and indirectly. He assigned me to watch over you after the problems he’s had with the Arrowmark girl.”

“He assigned you to watch over me,” Ginna’s eyes widened at the implications. “That means he knows everything that has happened with me so far, correct?”

“Yes Mistress Ginna, he knows exactly what has happened, and will continue to do so as long as I still live.”

He froze in place, his face turning a shade paler than it seemed to have naturally. When he spoke, the voice was softer, colder and full of malice. “Yes Thornbreak, that is what it means, and you will not bring harm to my servant. He is to remain undamaged and free of harm at all times. I will continue to monitor your travels and misadventures. I will call you back sometime, so don’t go and get yourself killed yet.”

“I don’t serve you anymore vampire, I am free of you and will remain so.”

“Ahh, my un-mortal child, you have much to learn it seems. I control the spell that keeps you bound to the living realm. You may have changed bodies, A very good idea by the way, but I still keep you from the planes.”

Ginna stopped and looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking again. “That must have been why I had to use several spells to make the transfer rather than the basic one.” She smiled evilly at the golem, “One of them, the first had to break the binding spell that held me to the old body, that removed all the zombie spells and soul bindings, including your hold on me in that regard, so try another one fangs.”

The golem remained silent as Mayong considered this and the implications it represented. He knew it could be done, but had never seen it tried on a living soul before. “It seems,” he thought, “this Thadius was not as stupid as he acted while alive.” He continued to her, “Very well then, you may travel as you please, but know this mortal girl, I will not aid you in any way. My servant will now act only as an observer, not a personal slave.”

The Watcher went silent and moved to the far corner of the room and did not move. Ginna felt a faint pressure in her mind that seemed to hint that nobody was there, that she was alone in the room. “Ok, that’s how you want to play it,” she said out loud for the Vampire to hear, “then he had better be fast or I will lose him at the first jump off.”

Neither voice responded which suited her desires perfectly. She quickly packed her few belongings and made sure the safe box was still sealed. Now to wait until dawn and she could complete the next step in her plan to escape the Fey Queens grasp.

~Willow Wood~

6 months later

The bonding of Winter and Silor ended up being delayed until after Tama had woken up so abruptly. The bonding went ahead and the couple disappeared for a week, only having food delivered to their home. Tamalain on the other hand was a bundle of energy that couldn’t be slowed except by the need to eat, sleep and loving her husband. They had gone ahead and purchased a large parcel of land beyond the Archer Wood, just along the coastal cliffs. The home they would have built would have a large wood working shop for Tamalain to take up her old skills and retire from adventuring, well for the most part. The Gnolls living in the Archer Wood would quickly learn to give them a wide berth.

Han’Mere, as planned returned home to Kelethin to take up teaching mana 101 once more at the new Academy. B’rill had decided it would be best if he left before Tamalain woke up and tried to kill him again. He took a ship to the Burning Sands Desert and was not seen in the known lands for many years there after.

It was when the newlyweds emerged that they had a rude surprise waiting for them. A Feydark messenger had tracked them down and delivered an important message to Silor. “Silor Songweaver of Upperpass Village?”

Silor was surprised at being addressed in that manner. Nobody had connected him to his old home in years. “Yes, I am he.”

The courier pulled a large rolled paper from his pouch and handed it to the bewildered bard. After making sure Silor had it, “Please read it now sir, I need to return with your reply as soon as possible.”

Silor broke the seal and started reading, he stopped and looked at the courier, then back at the paper. “Is this for real? She escaped the Super Max of Fey prisons and made her way out of the Feydark undetected?” The young man looked at him, “I’m sorry sir, I don’t know the contents, I only deliver.”

“I’ll be back in a minute, have to get my wife in on this one.” Silor returned to his house and called for Winter. She stumbled in a somewhat befuddled state to the door and looked outside, blinking like and owl in daylight. “What is it Si, I was about ready to sleep finally.”

As an answer, he handed her the paper, “Read this then get ready to pack for travel and battle.”

Winter took the proffered paper and read it. Silor watched the expression change as she read the bad news. “You have got to be kidding me,” she said. She looked at her husband and the messenger and began to rant about how much study time she would lose, but quickly ran down as she realized it was a pointless waste of effort. She knew her husband would go and track this monster down no matter what it took. “I know Silor, you have to track her down and take her back to the Fey. I just wish it wasn’t going to be as dangerous as I have the feeling it will be.”

Silor looked at the letter and took a deep breath. “No my love, I am not to bring her back to the Fey to hold, I am to track her down and execute her. I am not thrilled about this mission. I am not a cold blooded killer.”

“Tell them to call for Tama, she would enjoy this mission.”

“NO, I will not do that to her again. She has only just begun to recover herself from the living hell she has been trapped in almost her entire life. She deserves a chance to have a safe and quiet life.” He looked her hard in the eyes, “beside, she’s pregnant now and I will not let her risk the safety of that child. Do not bring that option up again wife.” He said the last with a finality that brooked no response. Winter nodded in acceptance knowing she had lost that argument and dared not bring it up again if she wanted to have a long and happy marriage. “I will begin packing our travel sets.” She turned and left the front room for the back where the road gear was stored.

The messenger looked on, not sure he understood all that had just transpired but kept his mouth shut on the matter. Silor spoke after a moment, “Return to the council, tell them we will be in the Fey late tomorrow. Also, make sure they know to have every scrap of Intel on what happened and where they think she went.”

“Yes sir.” He turned and took off at a run, he had to make the next transport window or he would be stuck for a few hours in this smelly, uncouth place of men.

Silor stepped out to the rental office and paid for several months rent in advance. He had the feeling they would be out of touch for a long time on this search. Next he visited one of the better merchants for travel rations to start off with. The lands they would travel were not known for there inns and villages. By the time he returned home, he had cooled down and started thinking about his ex wife and what he knew of her real past. What she had given out during interrogation was frightening enough. It was what they didn’t know that worried him. Winter had their packs ready and all they had to do was close down their home and give the perishables to the rental lady to give to someone in need. They made their way to the water shuttle and waited for it to arrive.

While they waited for the boat, the old Paladin, Banadin spotted them and asked where they were headed. “Well old guy, we have been assigned to track down my ex wife and kill her,” said Silor in a cold, flat voice.

Banadin grunted and excused himself and left them in peace rather than asking something he didn’t want to know. As he left the docks he paused a moment, turned around and wished them luck and the gods blessings on their unpleasant mission. When he was gone Winter said, “You know that the news that you have to hunt down your ex will be around the entire city by nightfall.”

“Yeah, but what of it. They can’t help us and would just get in the way.”

“Maybe so, but they mean well and you know it husband.”

He looked up as heard the boats bell ringing as it exited the canal tunnel. “Here’s the ride, we’ll need to head to the main ships dock and hope we can get an opening on the travel bell before nightfall here. As it is, it will be the pre-dawn hour when we arrive there.” He watched as the passengers that were getting off moved away to allow them to board. The boat was one of the newer ones that had a good propulsion spell and took less time to make the trip around the city. He noted that this boat was a good thirty feet long and ten wide with seating and cargo space. He paid the boatman four silvers and in a few minutes everybody that was going was seated and ready.

Silor watch as the man pushed a small lever forwards and the boat moved smoothly away from the dock and rapidly came around then headed back up the tunnel to the next stop in line. This was the Halfling section but nobody wanted off and nobody was waiting to board so the boat continued on to the next stop. This went on for the next half hour until they arrived at the main port center of Qeynos. Silor cursed on seeing over fifty people in line to use the single transit globe. He wished the old bell had been left open to long range travel. The city council had cut it’s range to city use only when the new longer ranged and safer globes had been brought online earlier that year.

He saw that the line had stopped moving and everybody was being moved clear. The inbound shift time for Qeynos was now in effect. All other locations could send here and only here. He looked at the board and saw the next opening to Butcherblock was in four hours. looking at his wife, his shoulders slumped, “We missed the window, damn. Well, we may as well get some food while we wait.” Winter was still mad at him and wouldn’t say anything. She just huffed at him and walked to the nearby restaurant to eat and wait. She picked the more expensive place just to tweak Silor’s nose a bit.

Over a dinner of salad and fresh fish, they finally started talking again. “Why are we going to Butcherblock first Si, I mean, the council wants us to report to them first.”

“That is why my love. I want to find out what’s really going on and the bards will know. Somebody has screwed up in a major way and they want you and I to save their collective assess.” He took a large bite of the fish and got a sour look as he had a thought. As he cleared his mouth, “Or, it could be somebody is pissed at me still for opposing the council over Tama. That would be reason enough to get me out of the way.”

“No, I don’t think that is the reason Si. She escaped the hardest prison ever created, second only to Sol Ro in the Eye. She had help Si, and I want to know who did it.”

“I know, I want to know as well and do them great harm if I can. I am sick and tired of all the things from our past coming back on us all the time.” He took another of the fish and stopped to look at it. He frowned and decided it would not be worth the energy to argue with the waiter about some of the poor quality of the spices on the baked fish. They finished eating in silence and left after paying for the meal.

They saw a wood Elven child sitting on the road side begging, a young girl of five years at the most. She had a small bowl out and was hoping for compassion from strangers. Winter saw the look on Silor’s face and figured she knew what was coming. Silor squatted down in front of the girl and asked her name. “Anna sir. My mama was killed by a bad man that was using her then threw me out of our shack in the poor quarter. Will you help me please?”

“Win, is she being truthful?”

“Only about a shack the poor quarter perhaps.” Winter frowned and looked around, expecting trouble soon from her handlers. As she looked, she saw a large human, a Barbarian most likely, striding straight for them. “Si, trouble coming our way and it’s big.”

The girl looked up and smiled a wicked smile, then made a grab for a small coin purse and Silor’s belt. Her hand didn’t come close as he grabbed it and held it. “That was not nice little one. Go back to your master and report you failed.”

“Si, he’s right behind you.” She said this in a slow measured voice that finally got the point across and his attention. He let the girls go and turned around to face the being that was about to cause him and his wife trouble. The city guard saw what was about to happen and called for reinforcements as they did not have the platoon it would take to bring the big barb down.

Silor spun about, only to find himself looking at the lower side of a belt buckle, a very big bronze belt buckle with a snake carved on it. He looked up, and up, and up once more before he caught sight of the big mans bearded face. It was not a happy face. It was not a nice face to look upon. The scars that ran across it and up and down spoke of a rough and bad man. Silor smiled a sick little smile and whispered, “Oh shit.”

Winter saw that the transit bell had cycled back to out bound and they needed to be going. “No time to be playing Si.” She swung her staff and gave it a mild electrical charge. It connected with the big mans side, just behind his left kidney. The jolt hit him and he shuddered for a few seconds, then turned around to face Winter. “That was not nice lady, for that I will break you in half, then sell you to the slavers.”

Seeing that a charge that would drop a normal human didn’t even slow him down, she ran the power up to battle levels and jabbed it at him. He made a grab for the staff and made a good catch as far as Winter was concerned. As his hand closed on the head of her mages staff, he went rigid then started to shiver as the power raced thorough his body. She held the charge just long enough for his beard to start smoking, then she dropped the power. His hand went limp and fell away from the staff, then she had to step aside quickly lest she be crushed by the falling tree.

His knees buckled, and he made a slow, almost graceful arc as he fell face first into the gutter. The thudding sound did not sound at all good in Silor’s ears so he grabber Winters arm and quickly dragged her away from what may very well be a new corpse. They went to the line and waited their turn to transport, all the while keeping an eye on the big man and Elven girl. They both smiled as the girl stripped the mans coin purse and two of the daggers from his belt and ran off. “Well,” said Silor, “She is free of that monster. I just hope she can make something of her life now.”

“Si, I think we should be more worried if I killed him rather than just stunned him as I intended.” The city guard had finally arrived in force, ready for war. Instead they found a giant of a man face first in the rain gutter. One of the men checked to see if the thug was still living. Winter heard it when one yelled for the wagon. He was cooked, but alive. “Good, he’s still alive. Maybe he will refrain from attacking a wizard from now on.” Their turn finally arrived and they both touched the globe, said Butcherblock Docks and vanished from Antonica.

Loping Planes

6 months earlier

Ginna Thornbreak followed the road to the Lesser Feydark, keeping to the shadows as much as possible. She wanted to avid capture at all cost. The mind that now controlled the body knew he would be put to death if caught. Between his not supposed to being alive and the crime of the jail break, and the body stealing, he would not even see trial.

Her companion remained silent and just followed her. It was nearly dawn when they arrived at the mountain pass that would let them enter The Lesser Fey. The two guards were both sleepy and ready to turn in so paid them little attention as they headed into the forest. As they cleared the rocky valley pass, she saw for the first time the scale of the Lesser Feydark. Vines twice as thick as she was tall. Trees so large they dwarfed even the giants of the Greater Fey. She saw the stable off to the right of the path and made her way to it, pushing through the tall dense grass along the road.

The stable Master came around from the back of the wooden building and noticed he had visitors. “Hail travelers. Where would you be headed this fine morning.”

Ginna almost panicked, but quickly fought the fear down. “Butcherblock Docks,” was all she said.

“No problem until you get about there. They had a cliff face give way a few months back and the road was cut off. Once you climb the rubble, it is but a short walk up the road to the BB. Just mind that you stay on the path is all. The monks up that way will ignore you so long as you don’t stray into their lands.” He spat out a root he had been chewing then went on. “Two gold will get you both where you need to go.”

Ginna almost started to complain about the cost then clamped her jaw tight and reached for her coin bag. Once she had paid, they were shown to two horses. As they mounted and the Stableman told them to hang on tight and enjoy the ride and try not to steer, the horses knew the route. He whistled and the horsed took off at a pace that took their breath away. In fifteen minutes, she saw centaurs, giant dragon butterfly’s, and insects that could swallow her in a single gulp. This trip answered the question in her mind as to why the Wood Elven had never moved to colonize this wood.

At one point they went down a steep slope, passing into an underground village. She caught glimpses of tunnels going off in other directions, but the horses seemed to know where they were to go. Soon the path rose back above ground in to open sunlight. This area seemed to have been partially cleared of the largest trees and plants. She was able to see the area around them as they rode. The insects still tended towards the giant size, just not the swallow you whole variety she had spotted before.

All to soon they arrived at the collapsed section and the horses came to a rapid halt. They dismounted and followed the signs to the climbing path up the rubble pile. It took better than an hour and the sun was well past mid day before they reached the top of the cliff ledge. She saw the path continued on and they could reach the BB pass before sundown. As they walked, she asked her Watcher, “Is this all you are going to do? Follow me and play the silence?” The Watcher didn’t answer, he just continued to walk behind her watch as he had been ordered by his master.

“Oh very well. Just try not to cause a scene if things go wrong.” She was looking off to the left now and saw a huge monastery on top of a mountain. She could see now that many monks were out working the fields, tending crops and gathering wood for the building of cooking and heating fires. She heeded the warning and stayed to the center of the path. She did well until a horse drawn wagon came towards them. It took the entire road and she was forced to the edge. One crate was hanging off the side and knocked her off the path into the grass along the road. The Watcher side stepped the crate and ducked to avoid getting hit by the next one in line. Ginna scramble to get back on the path before being noticed. She didn’t make it. A monk stood between her and road, arms crossed, a scowl on his lips. He reached out before she could take a step and grabbed her arms. She started to scream in panic when the monk pulled her to the road and stood her in the center. He started to turn away then said, “Be mindful of your surroundings ... old man. That is the only way you will survive the coming trials.” He walked away without another word.

She stood there shaking from the reaction of this body. Thadius had never expected to have so many problems controlling the feelings it generated and the fear it felt so easily. He heard a faint chuckling and the cold voice of Mayong issued from The Watcher. “Can’t fool those guys for even second. Better be careful ... old man. Their are others on your path that will see you for what you are as well.”

Now The Watcher spoke, “Mistress, he has freed me to converse with you now. We need to be moving and out of these lands before sundown.” She just nodded, re-seated her pack and continued up the path.

Butcherblock Docks

Present

Silor and Winter’s arrival was expected, how they didn’t know, but a messenger was waiting for them. He smiled when he saw Silor, “Hey boss, long time no see. How goes it old fellow.”

Silor was startled but recovered quickly. “Tunesmith, what are you doing here. I thought you had been assigned security on Zek.”

“Done with that job and I am back home.” The human bard frowned now. “As to why I was sent here, it is to meet you and deliver you to the council as they know you would not answer directly to them until you had figured out what it was all about in the first place.”

“I know what it is about, I just want to find out what is really going on before I go and listen to those geriatric idiots babble on about nothing for two or three days.”

Silor felt an elbow smack his ribs and he winced, “All right damn it, I will play nice with them.” He looked back at Tunesmith and caught the smile he was trying to hide. “And don’t you start on me either. I left here to get away from all this insanity. Now I am being called back into it just because they couldn’t keep hold of one woman.”

“Silor, I have been told to tell you this much. She had external help, high level external help. Our agents that have managed to survive in Sombourn Village have given us just enough to go on that the council is scared. Silor, Thadius Thornbreak survived somehow.”

Silor went pale, Winter choked and when her throat was clear, “Dear gods above. It’s no wonder they called us and not her. If Tamalain ever finds out about this, the entire world is at risk.”

“That is why they called you two. I am sorry but it gets worse. One of the monitor spells that was placed on Ginna was a soul tracker. They felt that if she escaped, she could get the brands removed and restore her powers. Well it happened. The brands were removed and the links broken but for the one. The trackers followed the trace to a graveyard outside of the village their. What they found ... Well, it isn’t pretty.”

“She died?” asked Silor.

“In a sense. yes. But they didn’t find her body. They found a soul jar, with her essence trapped in it. The old chapel showed signs of being used for the brand removal and the extraction. The remnants of a zombie was all that remained. The body was identified as Thadius.” He stopped, took a deep breath before going on. “We think he took over his daughter body and fled the area.”

Silor sat down hard, his eyes a cold, dead stare. “Did they get any ideas or clues of which way she went.”

“According to the watch officers, we think she and a being in a red robe entered the Lesser Feydark two days after she was freed from prison.”

“A red robe you say?” asked Winter.

“Yes, is that important?”

“More than you can guess. Silor, I think we know who was after B’rill and the whip now.”

He looked up at his wife, tears in his eyes. “Even as corrupted as she was, she didn’t deserve that fate. And yes, now we know. By the gods, had Tamalain found out about him...” He shuddered at the thought of the shear destruction that would have occurred in her moving to kill him again.

“Listen you two, we need to get moving. I have to get you to the Fey council today. This is critical as she has been loose for over six months now.”

Silor climbed to his feet and pulled his pack and instruments back into place. “Ok, lets go see if they have any Intel that will help in tracking her down.” Winter took his arm and pulled him into a hug. “Si, if we can find her body and capture it alive, we can release her back into her body.”

He didn’t answer, he just gave her a light kiss and a quick smack on the rear before he released her. Tunesmith bound them and cast escape, drawing them to the bell that was located several miles from the docks. He then grabbed the draw string and rang it while saying Kelethin. They arrived at the lower level of the giant tree city where Silor had placed the bell many years earlier. Silor saw it was the same bell still. He whispered, “Those where some good time then. Not like the nightmares we are facing today.” He turned and followed Tunesmith up the ramp that would lead them towards the center and upper levels in time.

Willow Wood

Tamalain and William went to visit Silor and Winter for the day was warm and clear and she wanted them to come and explore the Archer Wood area with the thought of where to set up a new homestead on the land they had purchased with some of the gold from the Orc fortress. She was hoping to get several other of the Wood Elven families to join them. The Housing lady told them they had closed up for an extended time away and didn’t know where they had gone. She said they took their big packs and looked ready for war when they left. They thanked her and went towards the market to pick up some traveling food since they would be out of the city for several days as well.

As they left the main city from the northern gate, something caught Tamalains eye. She saw a familiar red robed figure standing off to the side in the shadows. “William, we have a spy watching us. It looks like the same one that was watching me back before my trip out to sea. Never did find out who had sent him.”