Edwin blew a could of smoke with a tense face.

"I don`t know... Haven shouldn`t be that far.... and the pipe burning is for relaxing! Did you realise why I even left that place so fast?! MY family and relatives have been killed! I am the only one lef! You don`t even know what`s it like..."

Edwin shut down completely realising his words and put his pipe away, he got up with saying a word taking his staff at hand.

"Let us go then...if you say so we musn`t linger here any longer."

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

"You're right. I don't know," Ghyreian replied calmly. Her indifference contrasted oddly with the turmoil in her heart. "It's because I've never had a family and I've never needed one. But I've had a whole nation turn its proud back on me."

She bit off her words sharply, furious at herself for cutting her vein loose and allowing her soul's blood to flow again. It had not flowed for over fourty years, but the sight of the gryphons and the talk of family had made it spill again.

But she was more furious for her own show of weakness.

"Coming?" she asked irritably, and stopped to allow Edwin to catch up.

_________________

At that moment Edwin hated himself, Ghyreian and this hole damned world more than he ever had, then he cursed loudly and walked past ghyreian with an angry tone in his mumbling. He stroke the staff in the ground hard everytime he walked few steps. They made their way towards Haven and they didn`t speak to each others, Edwin finally arrived to a small hill slightly over looking Haven. They had travelled for days and Edwin sighed saying the first word in a long time.

"Sure your people turned their backs at you, but in fact you abandoned them and they turned their backs to you because you did something they didn`t agree with..."

Edwin felt like stabbing himself and her in the back at the same time.

"But I never was asked if I wanted for my family`s death..."

Edwin began walking down hill.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

Ghyreian caught Edwin before he could descent the hill. She looked around warily to see if anyone else was listening. Seeing that most people were lined up at the Haven gates and weren't paying the slightest attention to them, she began in a low voice, "I'm going back to Silvanesti."

Seeing the slightly dumbfounded look on Edwin's face, she sighed. "I know, I know. I just wanted to see if the rumors about Lorac's dream were true." She then added in a more ominous tone, "But there is another reason as well. I suppose you have been educated on the Dragon Orbs of old?"

_________________

Edwin sighed

"Well what are you doing here with me then if you are supposed to go to silvanesti?"

Edwn smiled slightly and continued walking down speaking at the same time.

"Of course I know of them...created by the greatest of the brotherhoods...and then they died well disapparred as some say...the orbs are not good nor bad... nor neutral, but still they are all..."

Edwin continued walking until he reached the line.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

"I was in Tarsis because I needed to do research on the Dragon Orbs," Ghyreian said, rapidly striding after him. Her wounds had almost, if not completely, healed. "I am still not entirely sure if the Dragon Orb destroyed Lorac or if - " she quickened her pace to catch up with him " - if what I'm predicting is true - Cyan Bloodbane - "

She caught up with him and dragged him back. "Will you be coming with me?" she asked testily.

_________________

Edwin looks back with an angry look on his face.

"Do you think that I have a choice? or anything better to do?"

Edwin fell silent and sat down to wait the line to diminish, he took out his pipe and sighed burying his face in his hands.

"Sure I`ll come with you... I`m just tired...of everything..."

Edwin sat there waiting for the line to diminish.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

Ghyreian's patience had given out at last. "What are you, a sentimental weakling?" she spat angrily. Disdain dripped like venom from her voice. "Sitting there, smoking your pipe when danger's right behind us. Sitting and waiting for death because you're afraid to go on!"

A few of the commoners had turned to stare. Ghyreian didn't care and ranted on relentlessly, "I'll live to see the day when death does catch up with you, my friend. Perhaps then you can go and join your dear parents!"

She waited in cold fury waiting for her cruel words to slice into his flesh like daggers. She turned her piercing glare to the onlookers, who swiftly and hastily turned away.

_________________

Edwin got up with and an angry face and spoke with an angry tone.

"Well if you even knew how it was to have feelings you elf witch!"

Edwin suddenly began walking past the line and took a turn at the wall, he said few words and floated over the wall, then he continued his way to the closest inn. He arrived at an inn and sat down in a dark corner, he was angry at everything and already regret that he hadn`t killed her when he had the chance. He sat alone in the corner burning his pipe and didn`t care if she followed or not.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

Ghyreian watched him leave with smug satisfaction. Go ahead. Go live or die as you choose. She had been born solitary and would die solitary. She had been better off without the driveling sentimental fool.

She reached the gate, where the guard looked wary about admitting her at first. A knife to his throat, a few pyrotechnics, and he decided to cooperate quite nicely.

Once inside Haven, she rented a horse. With misgivings she noted that it was not as obedient nor as well-bred as Nightshadow, but it would have to do.

She was just dwelling on whether to journey to the Great Library of Palanthas or Wayreth when something in her pocket burned red-hot. She winced at the heat, dug around in her pocket, and found a small scroll. She squinted, trying to read the symbol on the seal... and her eyebrows nearly shot out of her head in surprise.

In a haste she unrolled the scroll, which was still warm to the touch, and immediately recognized the handwriting. The letter was short, yet it conveyed the message perfectly.

Meet at the Conclave two days from this day.

Head of the Conclave
Par-Salian of the White Robes

Her destination decided for her, she mounted her horse and proceeded to exit Haven.

_________________

Edwin sat in the corner and found the similar scroll in his pocket, he read it trough quickly and cursed leaving from the inn. He bought a brown horse from the stables and jumped on it, he wrapped his cutted hand around the leather belt and burned his pipe with his right. He rode quite quickly and passed Ghyreian without a look, he slowed down later to give his horse a rest, but he didn`t want anything to do with her.

"Sentimental fool....if she only knew what I was once like.... suddenly when I leave that damn medallion behind then I`m suddenly a fool.... Only a fool judges a person without knowing them..."

Edwin rode slowly onwards to the conclave.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

The guards at Haven were quite happy to see her leave. Nonetheless they responded to her departure with nothing more than a curt nod. Once in the forest and out of earshot, she began chanting her spell. She felt a swift whoosh, an airy sensation of gliding down the corridors of magic, then a thud as she and her horse landed softly on the grass.

Her surroundings were dark, it was nearly nightfall, at the time when Solinari made its silver appearance in the night sky. Lunitari had not yet risen, but she felt the presence of Nuitari, the dark moon, shedding its unholy light upon her being. The sensation was comforting. She looked up to the heavens to give the god of dark magic a brief salute, then nudged her horse onward across the field.

It was a field this night. Other nights it might be a forest, perhaps the Forest of Wayreth itself. In the distance, a group lights shone like alluring fireflies.

Her elvensight detecting nothing alive for many miles around, she relaxed, flung back her hood, and let the quiet breeze stir her elaborately braided hair. To all those who were not near, she was like a black shadow, a ghost flitting across the grass. In the shrouding darkness her hair looked and felt like spun moonlight.

She reached the lights, which took the embodiment of an inn. The Wayward Inn, it was called. Undoubtedly it would be crowded tonight with traveling mages.

She led her horse to the stables, rubbed it down, and tossed the stable boy a coin to keep it watered and fed. She then made her way quietly to the inn.

_________________

Just so happened that Edwin had left his horse at that inn and sat in a dark corner burning his pipe, there were few mages around the inn and Edwin didn`t really care. He drank his elven wine and nodded to the red hooded brothers as a compliment, he looked around finding a black robe arriving. one white robe looked at the newcomer furiously and the red mages just shrugged.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

Many of the other customers had left, as most had been cowardly ruffians who hated and distrusted mages. Lightning seemed to crackle in the air, as did a heavy sort of tolerance. Bound by magic, they allowed eachother's presence with a certain reluctant grace.

There were two White Robes, quite a few Red Robes, and less Black Robes. Other mages had gone to their rooms without further ado, and still others had decided to come later by magic.

The innkeeper sidled over to her, peering to see her face as she had hidden it again. "My lady," he greeted with a distinct sneer.

She scornfully cut him off by tossing him a steel coin. She was in ill humor this night. "Shut your rambling. Some elvenwine and the best you have."

"Elvenwine - " the innkeeper protested, staring at his one coin in dismay and wheedling for more.

She resisted the urge to simply silence him with a spell. Stretching her patience a bit more, she tossed two more coins. "I want it in no more than a few minutes. And tell what's left of those ruffians to keep away from my table," she commanded imperiously.

The innkeeper's eyes darkened with a scowl. Amazing how he managed that with the fawning smile still plastered on his face.

Ghyreian ignored him and strode over to the nearest table by the fire.

"Sister..."

She looked up to see one of the few Black Robes in the room rise to greet her. He was flanked by one more.

"May we speak with you?"

"Make it quick," she responded irritably.

The Black Robes sat down. "Would you like some wine? We can - "

"Get on with it," she pressed. Her tone was mild, bland, but there was an edge beneath it that reminded one of a subtly hidden knife.

"Very well, lady," the first Black Robe, evidently the leader, said softly. "My name is Tanreal. We seek assistance on what you might call a... ah... retaining act."

"You mean stealing," Ghyreian said with a twitch of her eyebrow. The others did not see it, for her features were still shrouded.

Tanreal nodded. "I see you've caught on. Unfortunately our... target would not likely be keen on giving it up."

"An assisination." It was more like a statement than a question.

"The object is an amulet, I believe, of necromancy..."

Ghyreian gave a start, though did well to hide it.

"But the bearer is a Red Robe."

"You know that the bearer might not have it any more." Again, a statement.

Tanreal frowned at the certainty in her voice. "And how would you know such a fact, sister?"

"You're wasting your time," Ghyreian returned without any change in tone or expression.

The other two Black Robes exchanged significant glances. "I see." Tanreal cocked his head, his face devoid of any emotion. "So you will not be joining us in this... event?"

"No," she answered crisply.

"Very well, then," was the icy reply. "Perhaps we shall have to seek the assistance of another. Good night to you, sister."

They bowed with cold politeness, then left her to her thoughts.

The barmaid brought the wine and food she had requested, and Ghyreian picked at it without much appetite, her gaze straying once or twice to the Red Robe, cloaked and smoking his pipe, at the other end of the room.

_________________

Edwin noticed that the comer was quickly surrounded by others and then they left wiithout getting a the same opinion or so it seemed, few red mages came to his table and he talked a friendly chat. When is arm came up he just said that he lost it in the test, but never talked about having the amulet first. After sometime Edwin sighed and got up putting the pipe away, he took his staff and took a room for himself. He began climbing the stairs with plans of tommorrow in his mind.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

It was near midnight. The inn was dark, as most were in their beds resting. Ghyreian's room was, however, empty.

"Edwin, I know this is late, but open the door. I need to speak with you!" she called harshly. She stood outside Edwin's room, having acquired the room number after some interrogation.

The door remained closed, her calling unheeded.

"I so swear by Takhisis, I know you're in there!" she shouted with asperity, now tinged with exasperation.

Silence.

"Edwin, you *beep* son of an imbecile, open the god-forsaken door!" She began pounding on the closed door with her bare fist.

_________________