It did not matter how late the hour was. Lord Tolan simply could not sleep. He paced the opulent carpet in his robe and slippers, his thoughts a jumble. He had not returned to his hereditary estate this night, instead opting to stay in the palace, in the richly appointed suite set aside for each High Councillor. This is where he stayed when the Council was to be in session for more than a day. He also would spend the night here in events of dire emergency, when the Princess needed her advisors at her side. (He conveniently forgot the one time he'd spent the night here because he was too blasted drunk to make it to the stables, much less his own home, but that is a story for another time.) Today, he decided, was definitely an emergency. The whole High Council, save for him, lay murdered. The Princess had chosen new Councillors, but they were all untested in this new capacity. Many of the palace guard, and even a Councillor, had turned out to be double agents of some sort. Hysteria was beginning to sweep through the city as fear of the Outworlders spread. Somewhere, out there, a band of those Outworlders was facing Venger's wrath, while another group hunted the caverns below the city for the Guardian Staff. The moment they returned, he feared they would be attacked by the citizens they were trying to save, and they would have no idea why. It was not right! Yarfell was not even their home, these Outworlders had no special reason to be risking their lives for this city. Yet they were. And what thanks would the people of Yarfell give them?I should have gone with them.
Tolan paused his pacing to look out the window at the three moons in the sky. 'What kind of trusted servant to the Princess am I, if I do not even risk my life for the safety of this kingdom?' For a long moment, he simply stood there, seeking an answer in the twinkling pinpoints of light in the night sky. He considered heavily the idea of donning his armor and joining the Outworlders. And why not? He was a fine and fit warrior, more suited for the campaign trail than the Council chamber. He had his grandfather's cherished crossbow in this very room, and he still carried the enchanted sling that Dungeon Master had given him so many years ago. 'I will go after them,' he decided, turning and taking a few steps toward the closet where his silver-trimmed, black leather armor hung next to his traveling cloak. He was stopped when he remembered that the Outworlders had traveled to Venger's fortress by portal. To get there by any other means would take too long. And should they fail, and Venger decide to attack the city now for this insult, he would be needed here.
'Perhaps I should venture down into the Catacombs?' he wondered. 'I must warn them about the fear that is spreading because of their presence.' He knew he'd have all-out panic on his hands when their escape from prison was discovered, an escape that he had admittedly engineered with the help of the Princess and that helpful young guard, Alec. Locking their weapons in a cell and then having Alec drop the keys had worked almost too well. He was about ready to don his armor when he reconsidered. 'No, it will not help them if I join them. It is better for me to help the Princess try to quell the hysteria now, from here. If I am seen working with the Outworlders, I will be considered in league with them, and nothing I can do would help any of us in the eyes of the people.' Sighing, feeling even lower than he had even just minutes ago, he hung his armor back in the closet and went again to stare out the window.
A pounding on his door startled him; the stars had so absorbed him that he had no idea how long he'd been standing there.
More pounding. "M'lord? Are you awake?"
Tolan recognized the gruff voice of the newly appointed captain of the guard. "A moment, Captain," he called. He had a feeling he knew what the man was going to say. But, with all the deception and betrayal of today, it couldn't hurt to be cautious. "Yes?" he asked, opening the door slightly, hiding from view the dagger in his hand.
"M'lord! Sir!" the Captain said, looking concerned, flustered, and just this side of embarrassed. "The prisoners! The Outworlders! They have escaped!"
Tolan had hoped for a few more hours before this discovery was made. It looked like the Illusionist must have lapsed in her concentration, and the image of the prisoners sleeping in their beds had faded. Well, there was little to be done about it now, except to play along for the moment. "Escaped? How?"
"A hole was cut in one of the doors!" the man explained. "The rest of the doors, they were unlocked!"
"Have you alerted anyone else? The Princess?"
"No, sir, I came to you as High Councillor." It seemed as though the Captain squirmed for a moment. "You ordered me to report directly to you and not to disturb the Princess."
"So I did," Tolan nodded absently, to the Captain's relief. "I shall be there in a moment. Allow me to dress. In the meantime, go rouse Echlar."
