It was dark out when they left the cave. The storm had left the ground slick and treacherous. Tiernon lead them across the rocky terrain, moving with remarkable alacrity. Neira and Akua stumbled along behind him, struggling to keep pace. Tawny trotted alongside, entirely at home in the desert mountains.

“I would not have thought him to be so surefooted.” Akua grumbled, climbing to his feet again, after a particularly slick rock had betrayed him.

Neira slipped next, catching herself on Akuas’ outstretched hand.

“I would not be surprised to learn that you are part goat.” she said with a dry laugh.

Tiernon leapt over another rock with a grin, his greying hair stuck in sweaty chunks across his eager face.

“I feel lighter than I have in years.” He paused to give the others a chance to catch up. “I have spent so long in this nightmare, I honestly had begun to lose hope. All I wanted was to free my niece and nephew and get away from here. Now that it’s finally happening, I could climb a hundred mountains.”

His enthusiasm was infectious. Neira couldn't help but smile, despite the mud, and the darkness, and the horrors of the past week.

The first rays of dawn lit up the sky as they traveled. Morai and Cuzew had remained at the cave to care for the injured, but Dyric followed behind them with a camel in tow. It was loaded down with treasure and absently chewing at the mouthful of oats they had given it before they left.

As they crested the top, Neira could see a house in the distance. It blended in quite well with the surrounding rock. In fact, she might not have seen it at all were it not for the large flames that danced up the sides of the windows.

Tiernon stopped dead.

“No…” He shook his head, rushing forward. “No! Rai! Horen!”

The others scrambled after him, coating themselves in mud as they fought to pass over the treacherous ground. The flames grew larger, filling the house. Tiernon dashed toward the open door, screaming for his niece and nephew. Akua caught him, and held him back. Neira came up alongside, grabbing at his arms.

“Tiernon, you can’t go in there! It’s suicide!”

“I have to save them!” He struggled, tears streaming down his cheeks. “I promised I’d keep them safe! I swore…”

His voice broke, and he fell to his knees, his body wracked with sobs.

“I’m sorry.” Akua said softly “There’s no way anyone could have survived in there. Those flames were too hot.”

Tiernon trembled, and dropped his head into his hands. His anguished howl hung heavy in the morning air. Neira crouched beside him and wrapped her arms around his slack form.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry.”

Tawny stood nearby, her hackles raised, staring into a large crevice to their left. Neira looked up, unable to see anything in the darkness. There was a small shuffling sound and Tawny darted silently into the shadows.

She vanished and a scream erupted. Everyone went silent, staring into crevice. The screaming continued, a high scream filled with terror. A childs scream.

They hurried to the source of the sound. Two scrawny figures become apparent as they enter the gloom. Tawny shrieked, circling the children, who kept her at bay with a pointed stick.

“Tawny! No!” Neira cried, rushing to pull the sak away from the filthy, soot coated pair.

Tiernon lunged toward them with a sob.

“Rai! Horen! You're alive!”

The girl looked up at him with teary eyes. He wrapped them both in a desperate embrace, weeping as he kissed them each on the head.

“Uncle!” The girl cried “You came for us!”

“Of course I did Rai, I’ll always come for you. No matter what.”

He stroked her ratty blonde hair and dirt smudged cheek, his trembling lips pulled into a smile. Rai beamed up at him through her tears. The boy buried his face in his uncles’ chest, his tiny form heaving with emotion.

“What about the bandits?” Rai asked, her wide blue eyes darting anxiously.

Tiernon shook his head, smoothing her hair.

“Don't worry about that, sweetheart. The bandits are gone. They can't hurt us anymore.”

He pulled her close again, squeezing his eyes shut as he clutched them.

“What happened here?” Dyric asked, looking back at the smoke that billowed up into the dawn.

Horen pulled away from Tiernon, his eyes on the ground.

“We set the fire.” His face scrunched up, tears rolling down his cheeks. “They said they were going to sell us…”

He wiped his face with his dirty sleeve, his face still twisted and red. Rai looked up at them with a defiant expression.

“They tied us to the far wall every night, while they sat by the fire drinking.” She looked to Horen. “We have been able to get loose for ages, but we had nowhere to go. Then last night they said they were getting sick of taking care of us, that they were going to sell us off, and just take the money.”

Tiernon nodded, patting both children and pulling them close once more.

“It’s alright. Hey,” He leaned back and looked them in the eyes. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I am so proud of you both. You should never have been put in this situation.” He pulled them in again, burying his own face in their hair. “I’m just so glad you’re alright.”

Their return to the cave was much slower now to accommodate the children. The sun was high in the sky by the time they made it back, and there was a loud gurgling coming from somebody's stomach.

“Sounds like we could all use something to eat.” Dyric said with a smile. “Why don’t we go see what Morai can dig up for us, huh?”

He lead the children over to Morai and got them some food. Morai smiled warmly at them and introduced the pair to Cuzew, who was sitting cross legged with his own food. The adults all gathered on the far side of the cave and watched the children all eating together. Tawny settled near the children, happily snapping up the bits of food they occasionally tossed to her. Tiernon watched with a weary smile before looking back to the others.

“Thank you all so much. I don’t know how I can ever repay you.”

They shook their heads and insisted there was no need.

“Seeing those kids safe and happy is all the thanks we’ll ever need.” Dyric said, looking down at Assem and squeezing her hand. They all sat in silence, lost in their own thoughts and memories. FInally, Neira turned to Tiernon.

“Where will you go now?”

“I’m not sure.” He admitted “I had planned to just grab what treasure I could to pay for our passage aboard a ship to get as far away as we could. It wasn’t much of a plan, but I was in a hurry to get away.”

He glanced over at the children who were now creeping toward a contented Tawny and stroking her dark feathers.

“Well, if you would like, you’d be more than welcome to join our merchant guild.” Morai offered “We can always use more good people.”

Tiernons’ eyes glistened and he nodded, his lips trembling.

“Thank you. I would love that.”

Dyric turned to Akua and Neira.

“You two are welcome to join as well. We would be glad to have you.”

Neiras’ heart swelled, she looked around at all of her new friends, the unexpected kinship she had discovered.

“I would love to,” She paused looking at Akua. “but there’s something I have to finish first.”

She told the others her story, how she had left Irayen behind when she ran away. How she had promised to return, and how she had met the goddesses and Akua. They listened intently as she explained the tasks she had been given.

“The last task I have to complete is to build three altars to the goddesses. One in Eshiren, one on top of the Sikearse mountain and one in Nopriat.”

“Nopriat?” Tiernon shook his head, his fingers fidgeting anxiously. “That’s not going to be easy. Nopriat has always boasted of its diverse worship, but these days- things are different.”

“What do you mean?”

“Recently the city has been under the control of the Guild of Whispering Blood. Secretly, of course but regardless…” He looked down with a sigh. “Getting a new altar approved there is going to be next to impossible. Unless you have some sort of ties to the guild that could help you.”

“The Guild of Whispering Blood?” Neiras’ brow furrowed, she bit at her fingertip, mulling over the new information.

“I’ve never heard of that guild,” Dyric said “but I gather from the name that it isn't one you'd want to be involved with.”

“It's full of assassins and spies. My understanding is that they are brutal and dangerous.”

“Oh!” Neira pulled out the leather pouch, her face lighting up as she remembered the letter. “Perhaps this could help.”

She handed the two remaining parchments over to Tiernon. He looked over them with wide eyes.

“Do you gave any idea what this is?”