"I'm sorry," said the servant, "but Dame Larel is unavailable today. She isn't feeling well." The servant slammed the door in Derick's face.

"Well," said Derick, glancing at Carlo and the others. "Looks like you four are going to get some instruction in medical science. What do you think of that?"

"I feel sick," muttered Eluth, but he quickly took it back when he saw the interested look on Derick's face. He didn't want to be a patient.

Rades peered into the snow covered distance and saw a building. It was too big to be a castle and too small to be Jaton. Nevertheless, he trudged up to the steel gates. As he walked the last of his energy seemed to leak out of his frozen boots and into the ice and snow. Blasted ice, thought Rades. Even the building looks like it was made of this accursed ice. He fell forward into the powdery snow five feet from the gate, barely noticing the guards gathering around him. I want to die...

Captain Slor saw the lieutenant first and wondered if it was a small, lost bear or something so covered it was with snow and ice. The figure collapsed and he rushed out hurriedly to the man, hoping it was a messenger from Jaton. With help from his lieutenant they hauled the half dead, half frozen man into the fort.

Fort Phal.

Rades dreams were dreams of sunny, warm days back in Castle Deltex. The sky over Bone Sea was a rich sapphire and the sea itself an emerald shade of azure. The sand soaked up the heat and his bare feet burned at the touch of the sand.

Susanna. He saw her then. Oh, how much Rades missed Susanna. But she was dead. Everyone in Deltex was. Rades tried to cry out to warn her. She only smiled and kissed him soothingly on the forehead. But Rades didn't remember that!

The lieutenant awoke with a start, reaching for his sword. His muscles didn't respond to his mental command though. Nevertheless, he did give the young nurse quite a shock when he screamed in her face.

The nurse leapt back with a small cry. She was really quite beautiful, thought Rades and he figured he should have considered it a compliment to have been given a kiss. "You kissed!" he blurted out hoarsely.

Two knights rushed into the room, swords drawn and ready. They looked from the nurse to Rades and back to the nurse. "Well, Hell!" said one of the knights, sheathing his sword. "I'd be asking for seconds and thirds!"

Rades nodded sheepishly. "Sorry Frau. I'm not used to being kissed by strangers. Where am I?"

"In the infirmary," replied the nurse.

"Not that! What Castle? I've got to get to Jaton!"

The knights looked at each other and then at the nurse. "Didn't you just come from Jaton?" asked the shorter of the two knights.

Rades stared at the ceiling. If he didn't know better, he'd swear it was made of ice slabs cross by wood beams to hold them up. The knight repeated the question and Rades craned his head to look past the knight at the doorway and wall. Wood door frame, but ice wall. "Where am I?" he demanded with so much force the bed shook beneath him

"Fort Phal," came the meek reply.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Rades began to comprehend what had occurred. Dillard's shortcut had been more effective than he had thought. Where they had separated Jaton was just to the east, but Rades had went north instead of east and ended up in the Ice Lands. He hadn't known or even guessed that Fort Phal was built mainly of ice.

"I better go tell the doctor he's awake," murmured the nurse, excusing herself.

Slowly as Rades lay there pondering the numbness of sleep ebbed away and was replaced by pain. Fiery and excruciated pain that seemed to streak throughout his body in jolts of spasms everytime he so much as blinked. It wasn't long before he passed out from the pain.

Captain Slor looked from Colonel Patrice to the Stornium. Pat didn't look very pleased and Slor remembered clearly the look on her face when she heard of Prince Roger's death. He wondered what she planned to do. Abandon Fort Phal?

The Stornium opened his eyes. He gritted his teeth and slowly turned his head to see the rest of the Colonel. "I feel like shit that's been trampled under a stampede of minotaurs," he croaked, trying desperately to sound funny.

"Colonel pat," saluted the woman. "Why are you here Lieutenant? Are you a messenger from Jaton or not?"

"I'm dying. What's it look like?" squeaked the Stornium. "Doesn't it make a bit of sense that they'd send a Kinian as messenger instead of a Stornium? A lost Stornium?"

Pat opened her mouth to reply, but Slor held up a hand. "What's your name Stornium? Your station?"

Lieutenant Rades of the Royal Stornium Army. Recently stationed at the Stornium Embassy in Athex. I've been sent to Jaton as a... Well, that's where I get confused in politics. The matter of war hasn't been discussed yet."

"War! With who? Kinian?" demanded Pat, gripping her sword hilt.

"No! No, the Ice Folk!"

Pat stopped and paled. "Why?" she barely whispered.

"Because they killed Prince Roger."

"Our reports say that warriors and poachers belonging to the late Kobalix killed him," she snorted in reply.

"God in Heaven," moaned Rades in old Stornium. "Not politics! Not now! I'm busy dying here and along comes more politics!"

"What's he babbling about," Pat demanded. Slor shrugged helplessly. "Explain yourself Lieutenant!" she ordered.

Rades groaned and took a deep breath. "The people in Jaton think that the Ice Folk killed Prince Roger in a skirmish. There have been dozens of skirmishes in the past month and it could be happening in the Minotaur Empire as well for all I know," he explained. "If we could send a message to Jaton saying not to attack the Ice Folk we could prevent a major war."

"Indeed," muttered Pat. "We'd be slaughtered. The Ice Lands are far too defensive and an offensive war would be impossible. Slor," she said to the Captain. "You're the historian around here. What happened the last time anyone had a war against the Ice Folk?"

"Trench and tunnel warfare," replied Slor. "The defensive became too superior in comparison with offensive tactics. The catapults were more than effective against trench and tunnel movements, but there is a lack of ammunition for such weapons up here. Rolling snow boulders takes too long and isn't as heavy anyway."

"So what do we do?" groaned Rades.

"You stay in bed," snorted Pat. "I send a message to castle Blueflame to the south. I'm surprised you didn't see it when you were wandering around in the mountains."

"Ah, could you see that the message includes something about me. There's probably a search party looking for me," Rades requested. The nurse entered with a dinner tray. "Though I'm in very good care, I'd hate for my friends to worry," he said, smiling at the pretty nurse.

"You sure know how to make a sick boy feel better real quick," commented Rades, removing his lips from Kristine's. He looked up at the pretty nurse. "You don't do this to all the patients do you?"

Kristine shook her head and kissed Rades' forehead soothingly. "Your the first cute patient that I've had. So, Rades, tell me more about yourself? Besides what you told the Colonel."

Rades raised an eyebrow and pain shot throughout his body. He winced which brought more pain. "You eavesdropped?"

"Sure. It's not everyday a Stornium collapses at the front gate, let alone a cute, young Stornium," Kristine explained. "Now fee up?"

"What do you want to hear?"

"Anything. How about Athex? You know a fair bit about Athex. Or how about Kobalix's Quest? You were in it weren't you?"

"I was one of the few sent to Kobalix's Citadel to destroy the mines."

"Don't boast! I don't like men who boast, even if they are cute!"

"I'm not boasting," protested Rades. "I'll even name all the people who went. There was Wynic Doxon, Lord Joachum Blackaxe, Sir Dillard, Pothax Doxon, Lord Redhawk's squire Derick, Victoria Felangalis, King Waytorn, General Sardias, Commodore Carlo, Brigadier Roreed and Colonel Eluth, plus me. King Waytorn brought along twenty of his finest men. In total there was thirty-two of us."

"So you're a hero?"

"Not likely. Lord Blackaxe and Wynic Doxon seemed to do most of the work. You can't do much when compared to the best of the best!"

"Where was Lord Redhawk?"

"He was injured during the Siege of Athex. So he stayed behind. It was sort of funny seeing him and Wynic later on. Doxon with his chest bandaged up from breaking a few ribs and Redhawk with his shoulder in a cast and being moved around in a wheelchair because he was too weak to stand up."

"I'm learning more about Kobalix's Quest than about you," murmured Kristine. "Tell me about Stornium? The plateaus?"

"They're nothing compared to the Kinian Mountains. I rarely traveled at all so the most I could tell you about is Deltex, but that's gone..." Rades trailed off abruptly and stared at the ice ceiling. "How about you tell me about Fort Phal," he suggested, changing the subject.

"You'd have to see it to believe it."

Pothax glanced back at the crowded street. He could sense someone following them, but he wasn't sure what to do about it. "Wynic," he whispered to his brother.

"You noticed it too?" asked the assassin. Victoria raised an eyebrow. "What are you two whispering about she demanded.

"We're being followed," explained Pothax.

"Hah! You two are paranoid! Take a look at these two, Redhawk! They jump at a kitten's shadow half the time!" laughed Victoria.

Redhawk nodded but frowned. "I have the feeling too Victoria. Sort of a nagging, get ready to duck kind of feeling."

"Okay, okay," spat Victoria, crossing her arms. "If it makes you feel better we'll send Pothax up to the rooftops to scout things out while we shop." Her eyes caught sight of a beautifully woven tunic and she hurried over to barter with the vendor.

"She isn't taking us seriously," noted Pothax.

"No problem. Wynic and I will watch over her," said Redhawk. "You start looking for anyone that could be following us."

Pothax gave the knight a mock salute and marched away stiffly. he grinned and scaled the side of a cabinet shop. If anyone was following them, he'd spot them from up here.

What Pothax hadn't expected was the someone was crouched on the roof of the shop. Nor did he expect to kicked in the chest and hurled across the roof top by the someone in a foot-throw. Dazed, the Doxon looked up at a darkly clothed adversary just in time to roll away from a punch.

The attacker's fist hit the icy roof with a thud accompanied by a curse.

The cutthroat came to a crouch. He noted the attacker's lack of weapons and tackled him. The two rolled and slid across the roof, coming dangerously close to falling over the edge.

Pothax's adversary kicked the cutthroat in the stomach. Pothax clutched his stomach and groaned. His adversary rolled away and jumped to another roof.

Shaking away the pain, the cutthroat scrambled to his feet on the icy roof and dove after his adversary. Catching the attacker's hood, Pothax yanked at it to pull him closer as he wrapped an arm around his adversary's waist.

The hood fell free. Shoulder length brown hair and brown doe eyes. Pouty lips and a fair complexion. Pothax shook his head and stared at the Princess. Whether it was Kelly or Kerry, he couldn't be sure, they were totally identical. Except Kerry was a fan of Wynic's.

The Princess slapped the cutthroat across the face. She tried to break and wiggle free of Pothax's grip.

"What are you doing here?" Pothax demanded.

She bit her lip and looked at him in frustration. "I'm a fan of yours," she said, crossing her arms across her breasts.

"I wish, but you've got me mixed up with my brother. He's the red-haired one."

"But he's not wearing black like an assassin!" She pointed at Pothax's black riding leathers.

"Whoever said assassins dress a certain way?" asked Pothax, not relaxing his grip around the Princess's waist for one of two reasons. It wasn't because she attacked him.

The Princess bit her lip and tried to look cheerful. "Could you introduce me then?"

"We haven't been even introduced. I don't know if I'd want to introduce you if you plan on attacking him either."

The Princess smiled hopefully. "I'm Kerry. Who are you?"

"The Owl," replied Pothax. "Otherwise known as Pothax Doxon, veteran cutthroat, spy and now, assassin."

"So you're Wynic's partner?"

"Sort of. I'm the lesser known one."

"Wait a minute," cried Kerry. "You're the father of that boy who punched Vincenz von Ponde!"

Pothax stared at the Princess. "What are you talking about? What fight?"

Kerry explained the incident with Bren and Lord Ponde. Pothax listened thoughtfully and a grin slowly crossed his features. "Was Lord Ponde missing anything afterwards?"

"Well, yes-"

Pothax started to laugh. He laughed so hard he swore he'd burst a lung, if not both. "He-" he tried to explain his laughter, but couldn't seem to get it through his lips. He bit his tongue until he got his laughter under control. "Bren robbed him," he blurted and burst into hysterics, letting go of the Princess and pounding the ice roof with his fists.

Kerry sat there in puzzlement. "Robbed who? Lord Ponde?" Pothax nodded and laughed. "Pick-pocketed him? What kind of father are you?" she asked incredulously. "How come you don't know about this?"

Pothax managed to sit up. "Bren's staying with King Willium's party at the palace. He's been given the task of protecting and playing with Princess Darylinn. Sort of her Royal Champion. That's why I haven't heard of the incident. It's a wonder Redhawk didn't tell me about it!"

"Protecting?"

"Have you ever been teased and ridiculed by other nobles?"

"Well, yes-"

"They can be really mean at times and will try to get away with all sorts of things. Spoiled brats if you ask me. Just like Queen Elexenia, spoiled to the point of no return. Anyway Bren is a great fighter and with Wynic and I training him, he'll become a great warrior someday, so King Willium asked if Bren would mind looking out for Darylinn."

"So when Vincenz pulled Darylinn's hair, Bren was pretty much under orders to punch Vincenz?"

"Exactly."

"You know Monsieur Doxon," said Kerry. "You're pretty interesting. I'll bet you could tell me some stories!"

Hook, line and sinker, Pothax swallowed the bait and launched into a story. it took him awhile before he realized what she had done. He didn't care though, he liked the attention.

"Psst," hissed Brenda. "Carlo! How do we get out of here?"

Carlo glanced in Derick's direction to check if the squire was still writing on the slate-board. He was. "I haven't a clue, but please think of something fast! This lesson is boring me to death!" he hissed to Brenda.

"How about we try what we did in the Test?" suggested Roreed. "Eluth provides a distraction and the rest of us high tail it out of here!" he whispered.

"Sounds great," whispered Eluth. "But that means I have to stay here with him."

"No problem. As soon as he sees us gone, he'll give chase and forget about you," Brenda hissed. "Now go ask him a question!"

Eluth nodded and stood up. He looked across the soldier's barracks to the slate-board usually used for duties, notices or even battle strategies. "What should I ask?"

"Anything! Complain about heartburn and ask what causes it! Something like that!" whispered Carlo, edging his way towards the gates.

Eluth nodded and walked up to Derick turned to face him so that he wouldn't turn around and notice Carlo sneaking out the gate. "Derick," he said politely. "Uh, I was just wondering , you see, I have these cramps in my stomach and I was wondering what caused them. Did I eat some bad food or something?"

Derick launched into an explanation of which Eluth didn't have a clue what the squire was talking about. He looked over Derick's shoulder and saw Brenda make a break for it. "Do you understand?" Derick asked him.

"Well, no. You kind of lost me at the last part. Could you start over again and maybe do a diagram on the board."

Derick sighed and started over again, this time slower and doing a diagram on the slate-board. Eluth didn't pay any attention. He just nodded and watched Roreed run out the gate where Carlo was waiting with the knight's horse. "Uh, I think I know what's causing the cramps," interrupted Eluth, heading for his pack. "I'm hungry."

Derick smiled and turned around. "Hey! Where'd everybody go?" the squire cried. "You stay here! I'll go find those cretins!"

Eluth gave a shrug of indifference and sat down to eat. It wasn't long before he too left to explore Jaton.

Vincenz von Ponde was a very vindictive boy. One might wonder why Lord Ponde brought his mischievous son with him to Jaton, but he wasn't the only one to bring his family along. The boy had found a friend in a visiting noble family from northern Arthian.

Lady Bardelias, having found what she considered the ultimate weapon against Rades, had journeyed to Jaton to gossip with her friends at the court there. Her son, though some might wonder about who the boy's father really was, accompanied her. He too had a bone to pick with Bren.

Torr Bardeliasson crouched beside Vincenz and pointed at Darylinn. The girl was riding her pony, Snakey, named after a dead pet. Torr remembered how the pet was killed too. His mother had found the snake in her bed one night and the poor snake was later crushed under her current lover's boots.

Bren stood nearby practicing knife throwing at a target nailed to a tree fifteen feet away. Neither Torr or Vincenz wanted to attack now though neither of them would admit it to the other that Bren was very good at throwing. The two boys waited until Bren had ran out of daggers before realizing their opportunity.

Bren looked up in surprise and saw the stone just in time to duck. The next stone fell short and he paid it no heed. He did however notice the tow boys rushing at him with wooden swords in bare hands.

Darylinn cried out a warning and shouted for Bren to run. The pick-pocket could probably run circles around these two, but didn't want to do that. He waited until the two boys were almost on top of him when he turned and ran towards the tree. Not for his daggers, not to climb it. He needed his father's shortsword which Pothax had left leaning up against the far side of the tree just after nailing the target on the tree before the banquet last night.

The two boys followed, waving their swords wildly and shouting threats. they backed off quickly however when Bren scooped up Pothax's shortsword.

"Tut, tut, tut," muttered Nebonex. "You boys should know better," he said, scooping Torr and Vincenz up in his arms. "Bren could easily take you on with only a wooden sword, but a metal one? Ha! You'd be as good as dead!" said the huge Prince, baring his sharp teeth at the boys and placing them up on a limb in the tree.

"I don't know Nebonex," said Gith, coming over and setting down his paint brushes and leaning on his cane. "These two look like they're afraid of heights. Maybe you should let them down?"

"Nah! I think Lord Ponde should do that. That way he can discuss this matter with Pothax."

"Ah, that should solve this little grudge of theirs. Just hope it doesn't escalate!"

"What are those two doing up there?" laughed Redhawk. He pointed at the two boys huddled up in the tree. "Any reason why we shouldn't take them down?" The boys started to cry again. They begged for Redhawk to help them down. Vincenz went so far as to threaten Redhawk, though unsuccessfully.

"I don't know," pondered Nebonex, looking at the two boys. "I suppose it's sort of cruel to leave them there, but then again it's only a ten foot drop. I don't see why they're afraid of it."

"Jees," spat Wynic. "Redhawk's afraid of heights, but ten feet? They're pathetic!"

"Tell that to Lord Ponde," muttered Nebonex, pointing at the approaching knight.

"Get them down from there this instant!" shouted Lord Ponde. "Or, I'll-" The knight caught sight of Wynic and his voice trailed away. "Get them don now!"

"Why should we?" asked Victoria innocently. "They climbed up there. Why can't they climb down?" she lied.

"I said now!" the knight boomed angrily. Three fellow Stornium knights ran over to watch.

"Well," said Victoria testily. "Why don't you do it yourself?"

"Cause you put them up there!"

"Who? Us?" asked Victoria. "Why would we do that? Pray tell us?"

"Don't talk back to me, bitch! Get my-" The knight stopped when Wynic picked one of Bren's daggers off the ground. "You wouldn't dare?"

"Take that back, Ponde," said Wynic. A faint growling sound came from his chest. Redhawk and Victoria recognized it as Wynic's war-cry.

"Why should he?" demanded one of the Stornium knights. "Everybody knows it's true!" The knight received a blow to the back and landed on the ground at Victoria's boots.

"Both of you are going to take that back," said Sir Dillard, spitting on the knight. His sword was drawn and lay across Ponde's shoulder's; the blade just nicking the back of his neck. "I'm not in a good mood today. Must've got up on the wrong side of the bed."

"You dare to threaten me, Sir Knight," said Ponde, forcing the fear from his voice and replacing it with rage. "You'll find that I'm a better swordsman than you think."

"Perhaps you are, but I doubt you get the chance to prove it unless you take what you said back. As I said, I'm not in a good mood today."

"And if I challenge you to a duel?"

"Then I am honour bound to accept."

A second blade became nestled under Ponde's chin. "But that won't happen," said Larry. "I happen to like Victoria," the short, cutthroat explained, "and I'd really hate for someone to spread rumours about her honour. Don't you agree?"

"What's going on here?" demanded Pothax, riding up behind Princess Kerry on her black stallion. He dismounted and smiled up at Kerry. "Did someone call a meeting without me?"

"No," said Wynic, tossing the dagger in his hand at Pothax. It whirled end over end past Lord Ponde's nose. Pothax caught the blade between two fingers and began juggling it and three others for Kerry's benefit.

Lord Ponde paled, but he proudly pretended not to notice. Instead he reached around and clamped a gauntleted fist around Larry's neck. In one swift move he whirled around and slammed the cutthroat into Dillard's armoured torso, knocking the knight to the ground.

The knight at Victoria's feet leapt forward, hauling her to the ground. Fighting desperately, knowing that if she received a blow to the abdomen that she could have a miscarriage. She kicked the knight in the groin and scrambled away. She drew her sword and held it defensively.

"Hey, a brawl!" shouted one of the palace guards. The guards cheered and ran across the palace grounds towards the huge apple orchard which was the center of the fight.

Savin looked up from his comfortable seat under the balcony in the shade. "A fine wintry day for a brawl, don't you think, Willium?"

"I'll go get my mittens," laughed the King.

Lady Bardelias looked up at the sound of clashing steel. "Jeffrew," she yelled to her bodyguard. "Take some men and put a stop to that racket, I'm trying to tell a story to Lady Ponde and I can't think with all that noise!" The massive bodyguard saluted and ran off to join the fight. "Jees, what are they doing anyway? Having a pot banging contest?"

"King Sear," shouted a palace guard. "There's a fight out in the apple orchard!"

"So? Put a stop to it!"

"Yes Sire!" said the guard sounding almost joyous.

Waytorn stared after the guard, a bit puzzled. Silently he got up and followed. Something was amiss here. Taking one look at the battle taking place in the apple orchard, Waytorn decided it would take a lot more than the palace guard to put a stop to the growing battle. So he found a middle-aged groundskeeper. Now he had all he would need for the moment.

Through his outward appearance was common place, this man was a top agent of Waytorn's. He too had been trained in the art of killing, much like Dame Brenda. He gave the agent the orders to slow the battle down until Waytorn could contact an army to put a stop to the battle.

The biggest army in Jaton currently was the Black Stornium Army belonging to Lord Blackaxe. With the superior speed of travel in the underworld the message reached Lord Blackaxe in only a few minutes. It was five minutes later that the army marched onto the palace grounds and the battle was called to a stop.

Blackaxe crossed his arms and shook his head in frustration. "There will be an immediate meeting with all those who know what caused this incident."

For some strange reason nobody remembered to take Torr and Vincenz down from the tree. Most people assumed the boys were up there so they could watch the fight. Others forgot about them. Still others, like Nebonex, didn't want to take them down. So they stayed up there until a groundskeeper noticed their crying and took them down.

The soldier's barracks were jammed full of people wanting to hear what had caused the initial fight. Few were there because they had to be there and resented being shoved aside. Eluth grudgingly sat back and listened though. "Perhaps we should have used a different place," Waytorn muttered to Blackaxe, judging the crowd.

"Nah, this will do," the Lord said, holding the Swathick Axe threatening in line with the crowd. "All those involved with the initial fight get in a line." He waited patiently and pointed at the woman at the front of the line. "What happened?"

"If you remember the incident last night with Lord Ponde and Pothax's son Bren," replied a slightly disheveled looking Princess Kerry. "That's where it started originally I believe."

Blackaxe nodded and explained the incident to Waytorn. "Lord Ponde, if this is true, you're very lucky that no one was killed on seriously injured. Even so you may be facing exile. Please tell me this didn't escalate from a simple child's prank to a full scale battle?"

Lord Ponde stepped forward. "I am not in fault, Lord Blackaxe. The Doxons should be the ones facing exile!"

"Perhaps but the matter depends on who threw the first punch in this battle of yours." Lord Ponde suddenly paled and Blackaxe knew the truth without asking. "And your son started this whole incident while your pride kept it going. I've heard all I need to hear. Waytorn?"

"Neither of us have authority here, Lord Blackaxe. Lord Ponde is not one of my members and we are in King Sear's jurisdiction. We'll have to let him decide." The King of Cutthroats turned to the short man behind Lord Ponde. "Larry arrest him and any others you feel caused this childish incident." Waytorn grinned. "And turn them over to the proper authorities."

Larry grinned and Victoria wondered what would become of Lord Ponde. She had the distinct feeling that Lord Ponde would not be seen again in court. Ponde didn't suspect a thing as he was hauled away, but Victoria knew that in the deadly justice of the underworld he was as good as dead. Nobody would dispute the matter with Waytorn. No one would dare.