Cristo stared in disbelief at Brey, not expecting the reply he had given the Princess. “Troglodytes?” he repeated, his eyes wide. “I thought you said they only live in the high mountains.”

"So I thought," the old tutor mumbled, just as dumbfounded by the sight before them.

"Well," the bodyguard said, "what are they doing down here in the Wild Lands?"

"I wish I knew," Brey replied, more to himself than to his companion.

"You two may want to figure it out," Alena said, glaring at the two men, "but that man over there needs help! If you two won't do anything about it, I will!" At that, the princess leapt out from the bush, her thorn whip already in her hand as she charged the battle scene with a definite, though less-than-intimidating, battle cry. Cristo looked at Brey for a moment and the old tutor nodded before standing up, mentally preparing his ‘Icebolt' spell.

The bodyguard stood up as well and began casting a spell of his own. Unlike the ‘Sap' spell Brey had cast upon him earlier in the day, the spell Cristo was preparing had a directly opposite effect, increasing the thickness of the castee's skin in a magical, protective layer against normal forms of attacks. Such spells were usually only learned by high ranking clerics following the faith of Zenithism but Cristo's faith in the religion was so strong he had been able to attain this small portion of power during their wanderings only as an apprentice cleric.

He performed the correct incantations with his hands and arms, gave a silent prayer to his God, Master Dragon, and spoke, "Upper!", releasing the spell towards its target; the Princess of Santeem.

Invisible waves of energy coursed from Cristo's fingertips and rapidly flew towards the charging Alena, entering her skin without any pain. Instantly, her skin began to thicken, attaining an almost leathery texture. While it would not deflect all blows, the magical protection would still halt blows that could normally be fatal.

As she made her rush, Alena did notice the thickening of her skin. However, she did not attribute the cause of it towards Cristo's spell. Instead, as Brey had lied to her without her knowing, she figured the cause of her skin thickening was due to the fact her adrenaline was surging through her body. It did not make much sense but then she had never been all that good at biology during her tutorials.

As she made her charge towards the troglodytes, three of them turned in surprise while the other three either ignored or did not hear her battle cry as they continued to get at the man on the wagon. Alena did not think much of it, though, as she was already committed to her attack.

She lashed out with her whip at the closest one, angling the weapon to catch the monster around its throat. Her aim was true and the troglodyte found several tiny but sharp thorns biting into its neck. The princess yanked back, attempting to bring the troglodyte down. However, its resistance was much stronger than Alena had anticipated and she failed in her attempt.

The monster started to claw at the whip, attempting to get it off its neck. The only thing Alena felt she could do in the situation was to keep pulling, perhaps choking the thing to death if it would not fall.

The princess was so absorbed in bringing down her immediate opponent that she forgot about the other two troglodytes until they outflanked her. Keeping her right hand on the whip, Alena raised her left arm to perhaps deflect the impending attack from that side. However, her right was unprotected and she clenched her teeth as she waited for the pain that would no doubt ensue.

It did not come, though, as a high-pitched screech of pain emitted from the troglodyte on her right. She briefly turned her attention there just in time to see the monster go flying away from her, a four-foot long icicle buried in its abdomen.

Reminding herself to yet again thank Brey for his impeccable timing with the ‘Icebolt' spell, Alena was able to turn her attention back to the other troglodyte.

The monster, somewhat startled to see its companion so easily incapacitated, was slow to react when Alena sent her arm in a backhand smash across its face. A crimson fluid splashed out from the troglodyte's mouth and it stumbled to the ground, the force of the blow so strong it completely lost its balance.

Satisfied with the minor victory, Alena turned her attention back to the troglodyte still in her whip's hold. Growing tired with the constant struggle, the princess focused all of her strength and pulled hard on her whip with the intention of bringing the monster down. Her pull was greater than she had expected, though, and its neck snapped. A strangled, gurgling sound came from the dying monster as it slumped to the ground.

Not even two weeks ago, Alena would have been disturbed from the results of her actions. However, having killed kaskos hoppers, rabidhounds, strange humanoid chameleons, and even nearly killing a fellow human being all in the last month, the princess' morals had become somewhat numb when it came to creatures already bent on harming others.

Still, not expecting to crush the creature's neck with her whip, she was momentarily distracted is surprise. "Princess!" she vaguely heard Cristo's warning but it was already too late. The remaining three troglodytes, finally reacting to her presence, charged the princess.

Alena did not have enough time to properly defend herself and the monsters bowled her over, bringing her to the ground where they were able to rake their claws at her skin. While the leather armor she wore underneath her travelling clothes and magically enhanced skin greatly protected her against their attacks, even these defenses would not be enough if no one came to her aid.

Fortunately, Brey had seen the outcome even before the troglodytes had begun their charge and ordered Cristo to go and help the Princess. The bodyguard was only too happy to comply and promptly rushed forward, his dull and battered copper sword raised high as he charged.

The old tutor would have cast another ‘Icebolt' had Alena not been in the way. And, with the Princess under so many monsters, he could not risk one of the spells hitting her. Instead, Brey was forced to resort to the boomerang strapped to his belt. It was much smaller and probably would not kill one of the troglodytes, but it would at least be enough to grab their attention so either Cristo could strike or Alena could break free.

Without anymore hesitation, the old tutor let the weapon go and the boomerang traveled in a slow, though accurate, arc towards its target. It clipped the head of one of the troglodytes and the monster reeled back with a chirping sound, futilely clawing at its head in an attempt to find out what had attacked it. Little did it know the object of its confusion was already safely back in Brey's waiting hand, a smug grin on the old tutor's face as he watched the effects of his actions.

Cristo finally reached the troglodytes and with a less than impressive battle cry charged the closest one, his sword prepared for a downward chop. The monster, having just looked up from its task on Alena, had enough time to raise its arms in time to block the blow. The force of Cristo's attack, however, was much stronger than the troglodyte had guessed and the blade went through its arms and into its face, leaving a messy, crimson trail in its wake.

The troglodyte gave out a high-pitched shriek as it brought two bloody stumps up to its shattered face.

Although amazed at the strength of his attack, the bodyguard did not waste much time before he quickly finished the troglodyte off, stabbing the monster where he guessed its heart was.

Alena had managed to move the remaining troglodyte off, her strength more than a match for the foe. Once she had more maneuverability, the princess recalled her defensive training the martial artist specialist, Hun, had taught her. If in her current position, it was best to try to reverse the roles.

With remarkable speed, Alena managed to get a booted foot underneath the troglodyte and kicked him backwards. As the monster was sent reeling back the princess leapt up and followed, tackling the monster. They landed with a large cloud of dust, the troglodyte taking the brunt of the impact.

It tried to claw at the princess to get her off but her magically enhanced skin merely brushed the swipes aside, giving Alena the opportunity to finish off her enemy with a solid blow to the monster's skull. A grim smile of satisfaction found its way onto her lips as she felt the bone shatter beneath her tiny fist.

Alena sat still over her dead opponent, lightly breathing as she let the adrenaline in her body subside. Believing the battle was over, she neglected to notice the remaining troglodyte suddenly raise behind her, intent on clawing out the back of her neck. The princess turned around and quickly brought her hands up to block the attack, gasping as she closed her eyes.

However, again, the attack did not come.

She peeked her eyes open and looked up, wondering what had happened. The troglodyte's eyes were wide open in deathly horror as a hatchet had cleaved halfway through its head.

The hatchet withdrew and the monster slumped to the ground, revealing her savior; the man whom she had tried to save before. He offered his hand and Alena eagerly grabbed it, letting him pull her up. "You all right?" he asked once they were eye to eye.

"I was about to ask you the same," Alena muttered, finally getting a good look at the man. He seemed to be just a little older than Cristo and years of hard work and labor were apparent in the lines that formed on his otherwise rugged, shadowed face. From his toughened expression, she could tell he was at least a peasant.

The pair held an awkward silence for a moment, studying each other as their hands were still interlocked. Eventually, the silence was broken when Cristo ran up to Alena, crying, "Princess! Are you all right? Are you hurt? Do you need healing?"

Irritated, Alena let go of the man's hand and threw a deathly glare at her bodyguard. "Of course I'm all right!" she replied, her brow furrowing. "Just a couple of scratches, nothing to get excited about."

She paused for a moment, letting Cristo finally reach her. Once at arms length, she pushed him away, sending the bodyguard reeling backwards with a stunned expression. "And stop calling me ‘Princess'," she added, a playful smile creeping onto her lips.

"Friend?" the man asked, eyeing the bewildered bodyguard with amusement.

"Sort of," Alena muttered. Cristo gave the princess a hurt expression but she said nothing more to restore any of his shattered ego.

The princess noticed Brey going over the bodies of the troglodytes and walked over to her tutor. "They weren't really all that much of a deal," she said to him.

"What?" he mumbled, looking up to her.

"The trogs," she replied. "You made them out to be such a big threat when we were in the mountains and we killed these ones easy enough."

"We were lucky," Brey said. "Raiders like these usually have the element of surprise. We just surprised them instead." He turned to the man and said, "I take it that was how they attacked you?" He nodded. "I thought as much," the old tutor muttered, rubbing his white whiskers.

After a moment, he looked at his companions and said, "One thing is for certain, though. We are going to have to be more on our guard from now on."

The man at that point stepped forward, somewhat timid to interrupt the group's discussion. "Excuse me," he said, "but which way are you heading?"

"We're not really sure," Alena replied. "Through the Wild Lands, that much we're sure of." She paused for a moment, then asked, "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, it was nothing!" the man exclaimed waving his hands. He started to walk to his wagon, stopped, and turned around. "It's just that..."

"What?" Alena asked.

The man sighed, then said, "I'm...on my way to a town called Frenor. It's about a day's travel from here and I was wondering if you would, um, perhaps...uh..."

"Accompany you?" Brey offered, having an idea as to what the man wanted. He nodded sheepishly. The old tutor looked at his companions, silently asking for their input. Cristo merely shrugged as he stood up, knowing his input would not have any relevant impact on the outcome of the group's decision.

At that, everyone turned to Alena, knowing the decision would ultimately rest on her shoulders. After a few seconds' thought, Alena turned to the man and asked, "How big is Frenor?"

His eyes lit up briefly, then replied, "It is actually a center of business for many fishing villages that dot the coastline in this region. Probably around a few thousand people are permanently residing in Frenor, not to mention the merchants that are constantly in and out to deal their wares."

"A few thousand people is a fair amount for this remote area of Santeem," Brey mused, rubbing his white whiskers. He turned to Alena, and added, "If it's not too far off the Merchant Road, it would be worth our while to stop over to get supplies."

"So it's settled then?" the man asked, an optimistic tone in his voice. "We are all going to Frenor?"

The three travelers looked at each other for a moment, silently confirming each other's decision, before Alena cheerfully replied, "I guess it would seem so."

"Great!" the man clapped. He held up his hand and said, "My name is Timothy Renes."

"Alena Sanouch," the princess said, shaking Timothy's hand. The last name given was, of course, fake. However, being wanted people in their own country, Brey had suggested using fake names to cover their tracks whenever possible.

Cristo did not agree, though, relying on Master Dragon's protection rather than deceit to aid them. As a result, the bodyguard introduced himself as, "Cristo Bendard,"--his real name.

Brey, on the other hand, introduced himself as, "James Sanouch." As they had told other people they had come across, Alena and Cristo were taking him on a journey of the country before his time on the earth had passed.

"Now that we all know who we are," Timothy smiled after the introductions were over, "we might as well be on our way." He turned to walk back to his wagon, paused, then tilted his back in the travelers' direction. "By the way," he added, "call me Tim. Timothy is too cumbersome, in my view."

As he made his way back to the wagon, Tim asked his new companions, "Do you think you might be able to give me a hand with my beasts?"

Cristo obediently moved forward to assist, a little intrigued by the strange animals being used to pull the wagon. "What are those things, exactly?" he asked, looking over the creatures from a safe distance from the frantic one.

They seemed to be a cross between a chicken and oxen. There were two large hind legs and two stubby forearms, almost like bird wings but tiny in comparison with the rest of the brown, bulky body, rendering them useless. The head was something of a mystery as well. It seemed that of an eagle and, indeed, a rumbling screech every-so-often escaped the beak of the panicked one.

"They are known as brahmirds," Timothy replied, his voice calm and soothing as he slowly approached the frantic one. "Since beasts of burden are hard to come by in this remote part of the country, we've had to make do with what the wild can provide for us. They're about as useful as oxen but twice as dumb."

At that, he gave a swift kick to the sleeping one, receiving no response but a disturbed snore. "This may take a while," Timothy grumbled, shaking his head in disgust.

However, with Alena, Cristo, and Brey's help, the beasts were eventually prepared for travel again. Timothy climbed back on top of the wagon and took a hold of the reigns. He suggested two people should flank the wagon in case another troglodyte raid occurred while the third rest inside.

Automatically, he suggested Brey take the first break, which was followed by a furious protest from the old tutor. Fortunately for Timothy, Alena was able to calm Brey before he was able to do anything rash, as he was at times known to do when dubbed "old" and "useless".

The rest of the day went without incident. If there were any more troglodyte raiders in the area, they were keeping their distance from the alert party. Therefore, it was with good area covered before they decided to bed down for the night. Cristo prepared a campfire and Timothy cooked some of his dried meat for the group.

Alena watched curiously as the peasant did his work. While on the road, Brey and Cristo had mainly been in charge of their food since the princess did not have any experience when it came to cooking. However, because her traveling companions were nearly as spoiled by their regal surroundings as she was, their meals had been less than satisfying when they began journeying on the road. Once the meat started to emit an amorous odor, she hoped she might be able to catch a few tips on to how to properly cook meat.

"He's sleeping soundly in the wagon," Cristo said upon joining Alena and Timothy. He lightly chuckled, adding, "He would probably never admit it but that battle earlier really tired him out. Should I wake him up for supper?"

"Let him sleep," Alena replied, shaking her head. "If he wants to miss out on this fine supper, it's his loss."

Upon hearing Alena's compliment, Timothy turned his head towards her and asked, "Do you really think so?"

"Think what?" the princess asked, confused by his question.

"Think my cooking is fine?" he replied. "I mean, you haven't even tried it yet and already you are giving it praise."

"Well, it certainly smells better than what I've had in the last couple of weeks," Alena explained, throwing a hinting gaze at Cristo. Both men flushed, each for different reasons.

As it turned out, the meat's aroma did not deceive the final result of Timothy's cooking.

Later, the three of them sat around the campfire and shared a few stories. While Alena and Cristo did not have much to say in the way of tales (Brey had decided to keep their exploits in the village of Tempe a secret from anyone they encountered to cover their trail), Timothy seemed very adept at telling ghost stories.

One such legend told of creatures that appeared in moonless nights of the Wild Lands: blazeghosts. Apparently, they were the tortured souls of people killed by creatures of the Wild Lands and therefore doomed to roam the area for all eternity as Master Dragon could not help those who were slain by monsters created by the Ruler of Evil. Since the Master could do nothing to help them, the abandonment these lost souls felt caused them to burn with hatred. In essence, they had become living flames with strange powers that killed travelers who were foolish enough to traverse the Wild Lands during these moonless nights, adding to their numbers so they would no longer be as lonesome.

"...And," Timothy said as he finished the tale, "many wayfarers who have survived such encounters claim that before the blazeghosts attack, they hide in the campfires of their victims, drawing upon the power of the flames to do their biding before they kill the unsuspecting travelers."

The campfire was quiet for several moments, their fire only letting a hiss or pop escape every so often.

While Alena had enjoyed the ghost story, Cristo was lightly sweating, a worried look in his eyes. The story had obviously unnerved the bodyguard, although for the wrong intentions. "Those poor souls," he breathed. "They truly must be in suffering if even the Master cannot help them."

Seeing an opportunity to have some fun, Timothy said, "‘Tis true, their suffering is only more so since they cannot be with the good Master in Zenithia."

He paused for effect, leaning towards Cristo. "You are a man of Zenithism, am I right?"

"I am an apprentice cleric," he replied, a boasting tone in his voice.

"Then perhaps you can help the blazeghosts, Cris" Timothy said, putting an arm on the bodyguard's shoulder. "Perhaps if you pray for them enough tonight, the Master will find it in His will to free them of their torment so they can reside in Zenithia in peace."

Cristo's eyes suddenly lit up and he bolted up, exclaiming, "You're right! I can do it! I must do it! Surely the Master will listen to me if I start now!" At that, the bodyguard started to run off to a secluded area so he could pray without any distractions.

"Cristo! Wait!" Alena tried to call to him. "It was only a story! None of it was really true!" Unfortunately, it was too late and Cristo quickly disappeared. She sighed and shook her head in sympathy. Why was it her bodyguard was always at the receiving end of practical jokes?

"It's so easy," Timothy chuckled. Alena looked up at him, wondering if the man had just read her mind.

He turned to face her and said, "Zenithists, I mean. They will believe almost anything you tell them if it has anything to do with their religion." He paused for a moment, a sudden thought entering his head. "You...wouldn't be a Zenithist, would you?" he asked worriedly.

Alena chuckled and replied, "No. I never found the time to become one and the sermons bored me to death."

Her face became a little more serious, though, and she added, "But don't ever do that again. Cristo has had his religion attacked like that before and, while he's taken it in good humor, I can tell that it stings his feelings. I hate to see him hurt like that."

Timothy walked over to the princess and sat down beside her by the fire. "Is he...close to you?" he asked.

She looked at him for a moment, a little startled by his question. "I've known him for a while," she replied, "but we've never been anything but good friends."

"Funny," Timothy muttered. "How he's so protective of you, I'd have guessed differently."

"It's just..." Alena started to explain but quickly caught herself. It would not be a good idea to let him know Cristo was her appointed bodyguard. After all, only a Princess would need a protector.

"Don't let it bother you," she finally said. "We're only good friends. Nothing more and nothing less."

"I see..." Timothy muttered, turning his gaze to the fire.

Alena tilted her head forward, attempting to get back into his vision. "Why do you ask?" she said.

Timothy looked at her, a smile on his face. He took her hand, causing the princess' eyes involuntarily widen.

"You're a very attractive woman, Alena," he started to say but she did not hear much more after that. Her thoughts became removed.

That's what he was planning, she thought in disgust. All this, just so he can probably have me as a companion. She had seen similar actions in many lords and nobles who thought they could "charm the Princess," possibly become a suitor and be next in line to take the throne of Santeem when her father passed away. However, she had grown to ignore such attempts to win her heart, finding the lords and nobles boorish.

While Timothy could have no idea she was the Princess of Santeem, he was definitely looking for a relationship with her. And, because of her regal standing, such a relationship could never work. After all, she had no intention of living on the road for the rest of her life. She decided she would have to decline tactfully.

"Tim," she said, interrupting him in mid-sentence. "You are a nice, attractive man." His eyes lit up, suspecting he had succeeded. However, Alena continued.

"But I'm not really looking for a relationship," she said. "Not here and not now."

Alena expected Timothy to have a disappointed look, apologize for his advance, and retrieve his hand from hers. After all, it was what her regal associates did, so why should he be any different?

It was with great surprise, then, when Timothy placed his other hand on her thigh and stated, "That was merely what I asked of you."

Alena's eyes widened with horror. You sick bastard! she thought disgustedly. You're just like any other peasant! She had a fleeting image of suddenly lashing out with her hand and ripping out his genitals for such a perverse thought. However, it was only for a moment and she decided to deal with this civilly; at least, civilly for her.

"Timothy," she started with a sweet smile, "I've killed men for doing what you are doing."

The man stopped his slow lean forward, a stunned look in his eyes. "What?"

"It's true," the princess continued, still smiling sweetly. "One I snapped his neck and the other I tore his face apart. Therefore, you will understand that when I say that I'm not interested-" she grabbed his hand from her thigh, "-it means that I'm not interested in anything of the sort! Understand?"

At that, she suddenly twisted Timothy's wrist and the man to howled in pain.

Alena could have easily broken his arm if she chose to. However, she had better control over her actions than in previous such encounters and was smart enough not to do such a thing. After all, they were traveling companions and Timothy merely needed a quick lesson to correct his behavior.

Once she was satisfied he had endured enough pain, Alena let go of Timothy's wrist sent the man cringing to the far side of the fire. He looked over it, making sure it was not broken.

After a moment, he glanced up at her and asked, "Is that true? Did you really kill two men for...for...?"

"Yes, my dear," she replied, still smiling sweetly as though she was a prize no man could claim.

Of course, she was exaggerating as one was only severely injured and the other had not even been human. However, just being able to plant that sort of fear into Timothy's head would be enough to make sure he would keep his hands off of her for the remainder of the trip.

* * *

It was clearly a different atmosphere the next day as the travelers continued on the road.

Cristo's expression was somewhat disappointed, a small frown etched onto his face. As could be expected, Master Dragon had not given any sign He would help the blazeghosts and Timothy's ghost story still disturbed him.

Timothy was in a sulky mood. The treatment Alena gave him the night before practically extinguished his otherwise cheery demeanor. Calmly ordering his companions what to do regarding their breakfast, feeding the mounts, and preparing the wagon for travel, the peasant seemed distant from everyone else.

Alena was tired. Her sleep had been fitful, her watch much too long, and the breakfast too filling. Towards noon, she was having trouble staying focused, her eyes at times closing by themselves. She needed to take a break and Cristo suggested waking Brey, whom had slept through the morning, since the old tutor had not taken a watch since they started traveling with the wagon. The princess agreed and sauntered to the back of the wagon.

As she climbed into the back, Alena called out her tutor's name, telling him to wake up. She was surprised when she saw him wide awake and rummaging through the wagon's storage compartments. "Brey!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing?"

The old tutor turned around in surprise. "What?" he stammered, innocently looking around the many layers of wool and cloth lining the floor. "I was, um, just-"

"You were snooping, weren't you," the princess said, pointing an accusing finger at him.

Brey opened his mouth to defend himself but did not say anything, realizing there was no way of fooling the princess after being caught in the act. "Okay," he muttered, "I was snooping."

Before Alena had a chance to lecture him, he held up a hand, quickly adding, "But you will be surprised by what I've found."

Brey rolled back one of the layers of wool and revealed a trove of silver goblets, each jutted with a variety of gems. Alena sucked in her breath, amazed by the quality of the goblets. They were just as lustrous as the kind she saw on display back home.

"Are they...?" she started to ask, flinging a hand in their direction.

"They're very real," replied the old tutor, nodding his head. "And there's similar jewels scattered about in hidden corners of this wagon as well."

"But Tim's not of any noble standing," Alena said. She glanced around the wagon, wondering where else Brey had been able to find Timothy's hidden treasures. Wherever they were, he was good at hiding them. "How can he have such wealth?"

"Probably stolen," Brey said somberly as he put the cloths back to conceal the goblets, "which would make Tim nothing more than a thief; albeit a very successful one but a thief nonetheless."

"What should we do, then?" Alena asked.

"I guess we should confront him," Brey replied, crawling forward, "if anything, to make sure our own supplies will be safe." Alena nodded and crawled out first, followed by her tutor.

She went around one side while he went around the other side, motioning to Cristo to follow him. Soon, all three of them were assembled at the front of the wagon, blocking the brahmirds' path. The stupid beasts probably would have walked over the three travelers had Timothy not reigned them in.

"What's going on?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"There are some things we need to discuss," Brey said. "We found your treasure hoard and we want to know how you came by them."

Timothy looked around anxiously, fear in his eyes. "H...how did you find them?" he asked with an incredulous look on his face.

"That doesn't matter," Brey said, waving off Cristo who was about to ask the exact same question. The old tutor stepped forward, giving Timothy a penetrating eye. "What does matter is what you are doing with such a collection."

Timothy began to sweat, looking around nervously for a quick escape. Noticing all three of the travelers were standing directly in the path of the brahmirds, an idea came to mind. If he were to snap the reigns, his beasts would more than likely run them over. They could very easily be killed in the process but at least he would remain uncaught. Smoothly, he started to raise his reigns.

Fortunately, Brey noticed and quickly shouted, "Grab him!"

Instantly clueing into her tutor's warning, Alena leapt forward. For one of her size it was an amazing leap as she flew over the brahmirds and easily tackled Timothy before he could react. From there, she threw the helpless man from his seat to the ground.

Cristo did not even wait for an order as he was upon the fumbling man. Timothy tried to kick the bodyguard away but Cristo was able to grab both legs, twisting them painfully to make him submit.

Once Alena and Brey had caught up, the old tutor pinned Timothy to the ground with his walking staff, pointing it uncomfortably close to his neck. "Who are you?" he coldly asked, his eyes threatening.

The nervous man swallowed and the swell in his throat lightly grazed Brey's staff as he did so. "M...my name I...is Tim...Timothy R...Renes, th...that much is t...true," he started as he sweated profusely.

"But you aren't a merchant," Cristo interjected as if he had made the deduction all on his own.

"N...no," Timothy mumbled. He paused for a moment, taking the opportunity to breathe a little. Brey slightly jutted his staff forward, lightly poking the man's throat. Understanding the warning, Timothy quickly continued. "I...I'm n...n...nothing more than...a...thief."

"And you were going to peddle your stolen goods in Frenor, is that your plan?" Brey asked, eyeing the thief with an icy glare.

"No! No!" Timothy quickly replied, nearly jumping up had Brey's staff not been there to stop his advance.

"If not to sell them, then what?"

The thief looked at each of the three people glaring at him. He realized he was going to have to tell them the truth, to tell them of his embarrassing reason for his journey. Heaving a heavy sigh, he muttered, "I...have hopes to...win the Princess of Santeem's affection with my stolen baubles."