The Knights of the Road

Knights of the Road - Part 5

By Pfantazm

The streets of Annisport were filled with people as four riders entered the main gates to the town. The Harvest Festival was officially beginning tomorrow, but many revellers would not wait, and took any excuse for their fun to begin.

The riders were split between three horses, and one man on each bore the colors of King Dunstan's Guard: one in red, one in green and one in gold. The fourth clung tightly onto the man in gold.

As they trotted past, two men, who were stopping in an alehouse, nodded to each other. The one downed his mead and crept off after them. With as much traffic on the byways here as there was, a man on foot could move faster than one on horseback. The other finished his ale at leisure, then walked back to where he was staying. There was no hurry. The knowledge would be as fresh when he did report in. There would be enough time to use it.

Sir Madoc, as spokesman for the group, had gone alone into the garrison of Annisport, as the building was as crowded, if not more, than the rest of the town. When he returned, he looked upset.

"What is it?" Thom asked.

"The garrison is full. There are no rooms left."

"How can that be?" asked Sir Bastian. "When I was here several weeks ago, there was ample room."

"The master sergeant says they've inflated their ranks because of the festival. They're always overworked at this time," Sir Madoc explained.

"Great," said Thom. "What would he have us do, then?"

"He suggests we find an inn. Quickly. Many of the new guards have had to do the same."

They went to three inns before they found one that could house them all. It was agreed that splitting up was not a good solution.

The Three Red Fish's attic was normally used for storage, but the innkeeper agreed to lodge the knights there.

The men dropped their saddlebags in the corners of their makeshift garret and collapsed. There were two pallets in the room which would pass as beds, but they would only fit one man, no matter how intimate two may get.

Bastian and Madoc insisted Lennox take one, and Thom and Madoc volunteered to take the floor.

"Now that that is settled," Thom said, "let's decide what we do in town to try to find Kraid. Do you know where Kraid keeps his supplies here?"

"Not as such," Lennox replied. "I know that it's in a warehouse near the docks and that's all. I've never been there. I do know that Damon often spoke of a woman named Roselta who works in a tavern nearby."

"Well, that shouldn't be too hard to find," Thom groused. "At least asking after a serving girl or a tavern owner will sound more harmless than asking for Kraid."

"Let's be off, then," Bastian said.

"Hold a minute, Sir Bastian. It's getting late. Chances are that some of the Marauders will be in that tavern. That could only lead to trouble. Even if we arrest all the ones who are there, they are likely to have friends we don't know about, and word will get back to Kraid. They could get scared and move, and we'll never know where they went." Thom pointed to Lennox. "They're not ones for the morning, are they?"

Lennox shook his head no.

"Thieves usually aren't. That's when we go. First thing tomorrow."

"That sounds logical," Bastian said. "How will we search?"

Thom said, "Unless you have some... special way of finding this place, I think Madoc and I should just search door to door." Bastian started to speak, but Thom interrupted him. "I know you'll want to go, but everything about you screams, 'wizard'. You'll draw too much attention."

"And why should Sir Madoc join you?" Bastian asked.

"My first choice, in truth, would be to go alone. Madoc carries himself like a knight, and it shows, even without his colors. If there is trouble, though, I'll want someone at my back.

"I know it seems like I'm making all the decisions here, but if we were to argue all of this out, we'd only end up in the same place. I've been doing this kind of thing for years. I think fast. If there's something I'm missing, I'd be glad to hear it."

Thom could tell Sir Bastian was trying to think of some new angle. He rather hoped Bastian could do it. Any information was valuable, and Thom wasn't taking this as personally as Bastian seemed to be.

"Lennox," Bastian said, "do you...."

They all looked. Some time during the conversation, Lennox had fallen asleep. Bastian smiled down on him.

"Someone should stay with him as well," Thom suggested.

Bastian nodded. "It was a long ride. We should all get some rest."

"That's a good idea," Thom said. Thom looked at Madoc, who was staring off at nothing. The blond went over to him and put his arm around his shoulder. He whispered something in Sir Madoc's ear, and they went off to the side of the room.

Bastian went to his pallet, faced the other way and meditated, blocking them out.

The kitchen had long since closed for the night, but the common room was always open. Bastian had it all to himself, and welcomed the space to sit and think.

"I was wondering where you'd gone," Thom said from the doorway. He came over to Sir Bastian's table and joined him. "weren't you the one who suggested we sleep?" he asked, smiling.

"Sleep would not come, and I have much to think on. What of you?"

"My spot on the floor keeps me awake. I swear, I've slept on more comfortable rocks. There are nails and - ahh."

"Perhaps we should share my pallet. You take it tomorrow night, Sir Madoc after,..."

Thom grinned. "That won't be necessary. With luck we won't be here long enough." He cast Bastian a curious look. "You're not here worrying about Madoc, are you?"

"No," Bastian replied warmly. "The life of a mage is never easy. Of late I've had much to worry about, Sir Madoc included. How is he doing?"

Thom told Madoc about the previous night in the forest after Madoc's confession.

Thom held Madoc in sorrowful silence for quite a long time. Madoc clung to him as though he expected Thom to disappear at any moment. More tears leaked down their bodies.

They sat together naked and wrapped in one of their blankets.

"Madoc?" Thom asked, backing his head away.

The darker knight wouldn't meet his eye. Thom turned his head to look at Madoc. He didn't resist.

Sir Madoc's brilliant eyes, a deeper blue than the most beautiful sky, seemed somewhat dead now as Madoc relived the horror of his childhood.

"Do you believe what Bastian said? That it really wasn't your fault?"

Madoc shook his head no, freeing another tear to trail down his cheek.

"Then we'll have to convince you. But not now. Do you believe that I still love you and that I always will?"

Madoc didn't move.

"Right now, that's more important, I think. None of us, not me, not Lennox, and not Bastian, none of us think any less of you. We'll stand by you. You understand?"

Madoc's face twisted with sudden sadness and he turned away.

"Oh, Madoc," Thom sighed. He knew Madoc was torn. He didn't want to believe that Thom still felt the same about him, but he needed it to be true desperately right then. That Madoc was holding onto him and not trying to run away was proof of that. The wound that had been opened that night hurt him a great deal, and Thom might be all that was keeping him together.

Tenderly, Thom kissed Madoc's cheek. He flinched. Thom kissed him again, and again, until Madoc no longer reacted to it by jerking away. Then Thom nuzzled at Madoc's neck, and Madoc let him. He kissed him and tickled his skin with his tongue. Madoc whimpered. Thom kissed the two points where Madoc's collarbone protruded from his chest.

"Thom, please, I--" Madoc began to say.

"Shhh," Thom whispered, using the pucker of his lips to kiss Madoc on the mouth. He said, "I love you," and he kissed him, "I will always love you," another kiss, "and you will not talk me out of it."

"But, Thom, I don't deserve...."

Thom sighed and put his head on Madoc's shoulder. After a moment's thought, he asked, "Madoc, is it true what Bastian said about you? That you can feel what some other people feel?"

Madoc's muttered reply was barely above hearing. "I don't know. I think he could be right."

"And I'm one of the ones you can do this with."

Madoc just nodded.

"So, Sir Madoc of Fieldgate, how do I feel?"

"I don't know how. I...." Madoc was starting to get really upset.

"You never needed to do anything before. Just try to relax. If Bastian is right, then you already know the answer. Look at me. How do I feel?"

Madoc's wet eyes fixed on Thom's. His lips twitched into half a smile.

"There, see? You knew it all along."

"But what I did, I don't deserve--"

"Your parents didn't deserve what happened to them. My parents didn't deserve to be locked away and left to die for my uncle's crime. Lots of people get things they don't deserve. I'm not sure I deserved to meet someone who would save my life the way you did, but I have you, and I'm grateful. Whether you think you deserve to have someone like me, you have me.

"Not everything comes down to what's right and what's not, Madoc, my love. It doesn't always come out equal. Things are just the way things are. We can try to make them better but that's all. Okay?"

Madoc looked down and nodded.

"Now," Thom admonished, "you're not just going to say it to get me off your back. Do you truly believe me?"

Madoc took a moment to answer. "I do believe you."

"Good. Here's my next question. If you can tell what I'm thinking of doing, am I going to leave you?"

Madoc thought. "No."

"Then what am I going to do?"

Madoc's eyes closed. He started getting hard and his eyebrows went up. "But I don't...."

"It's what you have, my love," Thom said, stroking Madoc's growing cock. "Just take it."

Madoc lay back as the blanket fell to the ground under him. Thom lifted Madoc's legs and hefted them onto his shoulders. Madoc still hadn't been able to take anything more than one finger a short distance into his ass, but Thom wasn't hoping to fuck Madoc. The blond got his face right into his partner's crotch and started feasting.

He licked Madoc's balls, which were nearly free of hair. While he did this, he pressed his nose against Madoc's member, and let his breath drift around it and through his generous, dark bush. His chin butted against the nethermost part of his ass. He tended to the bigger man's sac, his lips and tongue brushing the tender skin. Madoc groaned. His eggs moved around slightly in their pouch.

Thom's head was wedged securely between Madoc's thick thighs, and he grasped Madoc's body to keep him in this position. The blond's talented hands gripped thick slabs of muscle under the other guard's skin.

He licked lower, deeper teasing the area between Madoc's balls and ass. There was a tube there which looked like the continuation of Madoc's cock leading right into his body. This Thom attacked, licking and sucking it all over.

Madoc's eyes were closed and he was moaning almost as though he were in pain. His hot cock stood straight up, where the late autumn breeze surrounded it. The darker knight didn't want Thom to stop what he was doing, but he wished he would pay his member some attention.

Madoc's eyes opened, and he looked up along his muscular body. Thom was staring straight down at him. As though Thom could read his thoughts, he licked right up the shaft of Madoc's penis, and all the while, Thom's hazel eyes were locked on his.

Thom gazed at Madoc with a look of lust on his face. He ran his tongue up to the folds of skin just under Madoc's head and played among them with the tip of his tongue. The High Guardsman sucked in a breath between his teeth.

Still looking directly into the eyes of his lover, Thom sank his lips over the crown of Madoc's stiff cock. He wrapped his tongue around the very tip and licked it all around. He descended onto its length, until he couldn't fit anymore of his man in, then drew back and sucked him in again.

Madoc watched as Thom fucked himself ever faster. The blood had rushed into his head, making him feel strange. He didn't think he was going to last very long.

Madoc could feel Thom's shoulder flexing under his leg. Thom had to be pleasuring himself while he sucked Madoc off. He pictured Thom's long, slender cock, his hand flexing back and forth across the surface, aimed at his back so that when Thom finally brought himself to the height of pleasure--

Madoc cried out and fired off his seed into Thom's mouth. His legs twitched around Thom's ears as all of his essence was drawn out of him.

When the throes of Madoc's passion were over, Madoc spread his legs wide enough to allow them to slide off Thom's shoulders. The trim blond sighed in relief. That position must have been hard on him.

Madoc rolled over and spun around so he could put Thom's cock into his own mouth and fucked his face on his love with the same fury as Thom had shown.

Thom let go of his member and surrendered to this new pleasure. He clasped his hands to Madoc's head and ran his fingers though his short, black hair. Thom pumped his hips in time to Madoc's ministrations.

It didn't take long at all for Thom to reach release himself, offering his cream for Madoc to taste.

The dark knight licked up the last drops and lay back on the ground. The fair knight lay right alongside him, bodies touching head to toe.

"How do you feel?" Thom asked. "Better?"

Madoc nodded sheepishly.

"You know for certain that I still love you?"

"Yes. And I love you." Madoc hugged Thom tightly.

"Good. That's the answer I wanted to hear." He smiled and kissed Madoc's cheek. Madoc turned his head in and they kissed properly.

"We should sleep. We have quite the ride ahead of us tomorrow," Madoc said.

"Yes, but do you want to move?"

Madoc shook his head no. Thom chuckled and wrapped the blanket they had lain on around them. In their favorite position, sleep found them quickly.

"I hope Madoc can deal with this guilt he feels," Bastian said after he heard Thom's telling of the story. "From what I've heard and seen, he is one of the finest men I've ever worked with. I wish we had more like him."

Thom smiled. "I'm thinking that if we tell him that often enough, he may start to listen eventually.

"What about you and Lennox, now? How are things working out between you two?"

Bastian smiled broadly. "Very well. I couldn't be happier. He has the spirit of a child, and when it shows I get carried right along with it." He could see Lennox's pale skin and bright red hair in his mind. "He excites me."

"That's wonderful to hear. I hope you can find a way to stay together if it works out between you."

"As do I, though it will be difficult. I travel even more than Sir Madoc does. But...."

"But what?" Thom asked.

"He frightens me as well."

Thom grinned wryly. "That, sir mage, is perfectly normal. I feel so strongly for Madoc, it scares the wits out of me."

"That's not quite what I meant," Bastian explained. "He does things he isn't supposed to be able to do." Thom gave him an odd look, so Bastian told him about the flying Lennox had done, and about the exchange of memories when Bastian got the names and faces of the Marauders. "He interferes with my magic, and if there's one thing we learned from Ellaston, it was that strange magic is not to be played with. I don't know what it is that he does.

"How long have you known him?"

"Not very long. I only met him about a month ago while he was in the Marauders camp," Thom replied.

"Have you seen him do any magic?"

"No."

"Has anything odd happened around him that no one could explain?"

"I can't think of anything. Why?"

"I tested Lennox for magic yesterday, and he has just as much as I do," Bastian said. Thom looked surprised. "I don't believe he's had any training, but that's something else that's strange. If he had magic, it would leak out sometimes. He couldn't help but use it."

"By Braggia," Thom cursed, "I'm the only one who doesn't have it." Thom thought a second.

Bastian seemed to read his mind. He reached across the table and laid a hand on Thom's wrist. He closed his eyes. "Nothing," he pronounced.

"Good," Thom said, with some relief. "No offense meant, but magic makes me uneasy."

"And yet, you seem to be more comfortable around me, not so guarded as before," Bastian said. "You trust that I have nothing more to hide?"

"I believe you. The fact that not even Sir Rhys would give you complete information about Madoc and me says a lot. If you were out to hang us, he would give you every inch of rope he had. We may not ever be good friends, but we can work together."

"Can I ask your advice, then?" Bastian asked.

"Alright."

"What do you think I should tell Lennox about this? I don't want to frighten him, but I should try to find out what he's doing?"

Thom considered a moment. "I don't know much about magic, I'm proud to say, but in my last line of work, if I was working with somebody, I told them everything I knew about a job. You never knew what may be helpful if you get separated. In your case, Lennox might be doing something dangerous, and from what you've told me, there is nothing he knows about to warn him. Unless there is some reason I don't know about that he shouldn't know more than he does, some Wizard's Code of Silence or what-have-you, I'd tell him everything. You saw how Sir Rhys holding back the truth tied your hands in dealing with us. Lennox isn't aware anything is happening."

Bastian weighed Thom's words. "You have the right of it. I'm not protecting him from anything this way. I just wish I knew what he does."

"Don't worry. I can tell that Lennox loves you very much. He won't do anything to hurt you if he can help it."

Bastian nodded, smiling to himself. "We should try to get to sleep. You have to scour the docks, and I need to talk with Lennox in the morning."

Thom followed Bastian up the stairs and up again to their garret.

In the darkness of their room, Bastian could see clearer even than Thom. He looked at the two pallets, his own and Lennox's, separated from each other. He tapped a spell point and levitated his next to his love's.

Thom had already undressed for bed and was trying to get comfortable in his space on the floor. Bastian stripped, and slid in next to Lennox, who snuggled closer. The mage fell asleep with a smile on his face, with the feeling that tonight's troubles would be solved in the morning.

Madoc rolled over sleepily. He rubbed his eyes and blinked at what he saw.

Lennox lay under a blanket, face down, his arms hanging down and his arms resting limply on Sir Bastian's chest. He was suspended in mid-air two feet above their pallets. Sir Bastian lay exposed on his back, his long hair around his head.

Madoc sat up. Both men seemed to be asleep. Lennox was drifting from side to side. The former captive flew off to one side. His hand slid off Bastian's body.

Suddenly, Lennox came crashing down.

Bastian awoke with a yell, eyes wide with fright and pain. His body contracted at the waist.

Lennox flailed his arms and legs, trying to get up and away from the blanket.

Madoc helped him by taking the cloth away. "Are you hurt?" he asked.

Bastian held his stomach gingerly and Lennox was tense and shaking. When he saw where he was, he scrambled over to Bastian and clutched him tight.

Thom, roused by all the noise, mouthed `Tell him,' at Bastian. The mage nodded.

Thom and Madoc prepared for their search. They bathed, but Thom advised Madoc not to shave. Looking scruffier would let them fit in more by the docks. Their tabards, proclaiming to one and all that they were Knights of the Realm, would stay behind. Thom also loaned Sir Madoc a pair of trousers to replace the hose he normally wore. The tight-fitting hose were more for the upper classes, and those who might have to mingle among them, than for dockworkers. The pants were a few inches too short, but they would do for today.

Thom beheld his partner, a day's worth of growth framing his soft, tender lips. Wrinkled clothes. Striking blue eyes. He looked so ruggedly handsome. Impulsively, Thom drew his partner closer for a kiss. The short bristles on his chin scratched at his skin. Madoc clutched at Thom, bunching his shirt at the back and crushed the blond's body to his own.

Lennox, in Bastian's arms, turned and kissed the mage, but with more tenderness than fire. The redhead held his new lover around the waist from his place on the floor between Bastian's legs. Bastian cradled Lennox's head to his body like a child's.

Thom and Madoc finally separated, gasping for air. "We should go," Madoc said, breathless. "We need to eat before we tour the docks."

The former thief nodded, equally stunned. "We should be back by early afternoon, sooner if we find Roselta's tavern."

After the pair left, Bastian asked, "Are you alright? You fell quite hard."

"I think so. What happened? Were you flying me in your sleep?"

Sir Bastian would never have a better opportunity. "No, Lennox. I think you were flying you. Come up here."

Lennox sat on the pallet with Bastian, their legs intertwined. Bastian laid an arm around him.

"Have there been times in your life when strange things have happened around you? Things that no one could ever figure out what had gone on?"

Lennox thought back. "I remember something about a-- barn burning, but...." The man shook his head. "That doesn't seem right. I...."

"When I was a young boy," Bastian said, "I burned the hayloft of our fammily's barn. It was my magic finding a way to get itself used. Shortly after that I was sent to the Mage's Academy in Septana. I think you got the memory of that event from me when I probed your memories of the Marauders." Lennox smiled. "I have never heard of anyone doing this before.

"You seem to have an effect on my magic. I think it happens when we're touching. I don't understand it, and it frightens me. It could be dangerous."

Lennox blinked. "What does that mean? You don't want to sleep with me, you don't want to be near me? Do you want me to go away?" He was near tears.

"No! I don't think it's as serious as that," Bastian said, holding him. "I didn't ever consider sending you away. For one thing, we should find out what it is you do. It could be dangerous if you can do this to other mages or wizards. A spell may not work the way it's supposed to and something bad might happen."

"Like Ellaston?"

"I doubt something could go so wrong as to anger the Gods, but I don't know.

"The first thing I would like to do is to try to figure out how much magic you have. I've tried reading you myself, and it seemed like you have as much as I do, but you wouldn't be able to control that much without training."

Lennox listened, but still looked confused.

"I'm going to talk to a friend of mine back in Aragon. We can see if he can read you using me as a medium. When I reach out my hand, I want you to take it."

"Alright."

"Until then, don't touch me. I don't mean anything by it, but it's better not to take chances."

Lennox nodded and shifted over. He still looked hurt, so Bastian reached over and tousled his hair and kissed him. He then sat back, closed his eyes, and concentrated.

<Calder Grimes, if you inhabit this plane still, heed me.>

[Bastian of Pharlight, good morrow. What need have you of me?]

[A new mage?]

<I'm sure he's not, but still of interest.>

[What shall I do?]

<Read my magic. How much do I have?>

Bastian felt the touch of Calder's magic.

[Your magic is strong, Bastian of Pharlight.]

<Now I will take the hand of this man I would know about. I have read him myself, and his magic seems as strong as my own.>

[Then why are you not satisfied

HELLO| his han|sk|who is this |ervou| who are you| frigh|Le| in love |nox |rd pall| itch | touch of his hand|aked w|ight leav| strange thing|enno|oft ski| Bast| hungr| barn is burning|Cald|ausag| eggs |no magician | what | pain pain| hello? |pain| going on<

Bastian felt the irritation and pain in Calder before he shut Bastian's, and so Lennox's, mind out. The mage let go of Lennox's hand.

"Bastian, what happened? I felt something, but then it went away."

"That was Calder, and I fear we've upset him. I think you overwhelmed him."

Lennox looked confused.

"One of the things a mage trains in," Bastian explained, "is how to quiet the mind. It usually has a great deal of thoughts that it holds all at once, and when mages communicate by thought, they must be more careful."

He looked to the small window. "Look out there."

Lennox got up and went to the window.

People were gathering for the festival, which was to begin at noon. A sizeable crowd was slowly filling the square in front of the inn.

Bastian had come up behind him. "Imagine having this quiet talk down there. We'd have to shout, and even then we might hear each other.

"I should have guessed that when you read my memories earlier, you'd be able to project at Calder. I would like to try again, but I have to quiet your mind."

Lennox looked back at him, concerned.

"Don't worry. The easiest way to do it is to send you to sleep again."

They walked back to the pallets. Bastian laid a blanket over them. "Here. Lie down."

Lennox lay on the blanket. Bastian arranged his love's hands on his chest and performed the spell to send him to sleep. Bastian sat by his side and kept his hand hovering in air over Lennox's chest.

<Calder Grimes, if you inhabit this

[is he gone]

[Good morrow, Bastian of Pharlight. What need have you of me?]

[Bastian, how did he invade your thoughts?]

<That is one of many questions for which I seek answers. Do you recall how strong my magic is?>

[Yes. A moment, Bastian.]

A small amount of magic was sent Bastian's way. Once it came to him, Bastian felt fresher.

<What have you done?>

[Spellbreaker. You had a trace of a sleep spell on you. Are you alone with... Lennox?]

<Yes.>

[That remnant was not there when last we spoke. Are you sure it was not Lennox's doing?]

[This is most distressing. I would tread very carefully, my friend. I see that you also understand what I spoke of previously, about men in love with men.]

There was no hiding anything from Calder. He picked out a great deal from the jumble of thoughts in the minds around him. Lennox had given much away.

<He can't help but project his love. I myself have felt the force of it.>

[Yet he has not felt it from you.]

Bastian paused.

[Tell him. Tell him as often as you can.]

[Are you prepared for your test?]

<Yes.>

Bastian lowered his hand onto Lennox's chest, coming to rest on his soft, pale skin. Calder's powers again came their way.

[You two have as much power between you as you, Bastian, have alone. He has absolutely none.]

When Bastian told Thom he had no magic, it wasn't precisely true. There was some, but not enough for even the simplest wizard's spell. The long-haired mage had never heard of anyone with absolutely no magic.

And yet he seemed to reflect Bastian's magic back at himself. It was not possible according to the laws of magic as they knew them.

[The Council would be most interested in this.]

<I don't know if I would expose Lennox to them.>

[Yet you may have to. You burned brightly as a young novice, and made progress more quickly than any can remember. Perhaps too quickly. If you do not continue to show growth the Council will have you paired.]

[Perhaps you will be allowed to pair with Lennox. Who can say?]

[These are dangerous thoughts to share with the Council's Liaison to the Throne.]

Calder was watching out for him. If they were near each other, Calder could not help but read these thoughts, but Calder could not report them. If Bastian simple told Calder, however, that was another matter.

<What should I do about him, then?>

[He should be trained in the very basics, I would think: how to control his thoughts, for example. You might also try to find out whether he can control this... thing he does, or whether it will interfere with any magic.]

<All sound ideas. I thank you, Calder.>

[Bastian of Pharlight.]

<Yes?>

[Be careful. Good morrow to you.]

And he was gone.

Bastian opened his eyes. His hand was still on Lennox's chest. He looked so peaceful and innocent. He wondered how much of his exchange with Calder he had been able to hear.

`We are at our most receptive when we are asleep,' he recalled from his lessons.

Bastian, still naked climbed over top of Lennox, straddling him, and leaned down to embrace him. `The more body contact, the easier it is to make an exchange of energies.'

Lennox loved Bastian very much.

Most of the people he knew hated him because they were a criminal, feared him because he was a mage, or was jealous of his youth and power.

He hadn't realized just how alone he really was until he met Lennox.

He needed Bastian. Bastian could tell he felt safer when he was around. He seemed eager to hear about magic, and Bastian's eyes didn't frighten him away.

Lennox's red hair was beautiful, and his creamy skin and awkward grace made him seem like a statue. Having Lennox around made Bastian seem more at ease with himself, and not so distant from the from the world. He needed Lennox.

The man didn't seem to have anyone who really cared about him until now.

He had lived with the Marauders for years, and Bastian now knew their abuses. His jailers had treated him roughly, more than was deserved, and he had no close family anymore.

But Bastian loved Lennox very much.

He lifted the sleep spell.

Lennox opened his green eyes and saw Bastian smiling down at him. Lennox stretched, closing his eyes momentarily and tilting his head before wrapping his arms around Bastian's back.

"I love you, Lennox," the mage said.

"I heard it. I do need you, and I'm glad you need me." The redhead kissed Bastian, letting his love's tongue invade his mouth. "Let's make love," he suggested.

"First there's some of that training I'd like to do with you." Lennox began to pout, so Bastian added, "It will make it better, I promise you. Let's switch places."

The pair rolled over until Lennox was on top of Bastian. "I'm going to show you what my magic looks like. I'm going to meditate, so inside my body and mind, and you should be able to see it."

Lennox smiled. Bastian shut his eyes. He felt his lover's cock burning hot against his leg. He tried to push the sensation away. Lennox throbbed.

The mage smiled and said, "You are such a distraction! We'll try this the same way we did with Calder. Get up off me for a moment until I get my concentration. When I nod my head, lie down on me."

Lennox sighed, but got up on his knees. His slender manhood jerked in front of his body, waiting for action. The nod from Bastian was so slight, Lennox almost missed it. He lowered himself onto the other man's body, his head nestled in the crook of Bastian's neck, their cocks arranged side by side.

There were stars. A whole sea of them twinkled above and below.

There was no ground, and no pull of the earth to bind him. There was only the dark blue sky interrupted by points of pure white light.

Below him, the stars seemed to have aligned themselves naturally in long, straight lines. The lines split up or rejoined like the branches of a tree. As Lennox looked more carefully, he saw that the stars formed a constellation of a man, but more precisely that they ever did in the sky. There was so much more detail and, while he couldn't see the lines connecting them, he could tell they were there. The constellation stretched wide below.

Over his head were more stars and lines that were not there, but these were all curves. The curves flowed in grand, sweeping patterns and they played amongst themselves. It was as though someone had taken twine, rolled tightly so that it twisted when it was loosed, and made a delicate and intricate design. The vast swirls and loops looked like they might be fun to fly through.

<Those are spell points, Lennox. Each one is a different spell.>

The voice was coming from above him. "Where are you, Bastian?"

<I'm all around you, Lennox. All of this is a part of me. What you see is my body beneath you and my mind above.>

"They're beautiful, Bastian! What do they all do?"

<There are too many of them to list, but you may have to learn them if we stay together and you are still changing my magic. I've never heard of anyone who could do that before. It would be helpful if you knew as much about my magic as I do.>

"Do I have spell points like this?"

<I don't know. You can only check if you have the ability, and based on what Calder said, you have no magic.>

"How do you find out? What do you do to see this?"

<I don't see it. It's me. I can only sense it. I need to ignore anything outside of me and explore with my mind.>

Lennox dreamed he closed his eyes.

<Lennox? What are you doing? Sto

The world turned inside out.

Bastian was floating. The land, the sky, everything was the same golden yellow color. The corporeal and mental spell maps twinkled around him, but they were not in any pattern Bastian recognized. They had to be Lennox's.

"Lennox?"

I feel something, Bastian. It feels strange.<

"Lennox, can you undo what you did just now?"

I... I don't know.<

Spell points above Bastian flickered.

Bastian, I can't!< The threads above Bastian were constricting like snakes, and the mage could feel it getting colder.

The mage calmed himself down. If Lennox was panicking, Bastian couldn't. He relaxed and tried to meditate on his own spell points, but he couldn't concentrate.

"Try it again."

It didn't work!<

"I need to see what you're doing. Maybe I can make it work."

He fixed on the lights above him that changed when Lennox tried to reverse what he'd done. He drifted up in his lover's mind and tried to find the right place. The curved filaments around him tried to catch him, to tangle him up, but Bastian navigated through, if there was anything to his presence to be caught in the first place.

"Again."

There it was. The point of light pulsed, illuminating the invisible threads that tied all the spells together. Now what could he do?

He looked at it, flew around it, through it. He tried tapping the spell point, but he couldn't find it in Lennox.

Bastian?<

"Lennox, you'll have to do it!"

I've tried already!<

"Just stop, Lennox!"

What?<

"Wake up!"

Lennox was shaking. They were back in the garret.

"Are you alright?" Bastian asked.

"I couldn't do it," Lennox whispered.

"It's fine, Lennox, we're out. You did it in the end. You got us out.

But do you see what I meant about magic being dangerous when you don't know what's going on?"

Lennox nodded. He felt so foolish.

Bastian laid Lennox's head on his chest. "My heart, I want you to promise me something. Swear to me that you'll never try anything with magic without asking me first."

Lennox was listening to Bastian's heartbeat. He felt so bad for what he'd done that he would have promised Sir Bastian anything right then. "I swear."

"Good. I swear that I'll be more careful with my magic when you're near. I know you can't always control what you do."

Lennox felt he'd made a horrible mistake, so when Bastian kissed him on the forehead and said, "I love you so much, Lennox, I don't want anything to happen to us. If we're careful, we'll both be together for a long time," the former prisoner felt a wave of relief wash over him.

"I love you too, Bastian."

They cuddled, waiting for Thom and Madoc to return.

After the two knights left the tavern, Damon stepped out of the kitchen. He grabbed one of the barmaids, pinching her bottom and kissing her roughly.

"Thankee, Roselta. They two shouldno' be back, but if they come 'round again, yeh're to hide, yeh got it?"

The dark-haired wench nodded and grinned lustily at the man. He looked around the room and spotted a serving boy.

"Boy! Come here."

"Yes, sir?"

"Yeh saw they two men what just left?"

The boy nodded.

Three silver coins clinked in Damon's hand. "Follow them. Be ready teh tell me every place they go."

"Yes, sir!" the boy said excitedly, and when the coins were overturned into his hand, he was gone.

"I'll see yeh at the warehouse later," he leered at Roselta. Then he was off to tell Kraid just how close their enemies had come.

Thom climbed the stairs behind Madoc. It had been a good morning, though not a productive one. The former thief liked to walk and he'd had a good one up and down the docks.

None of the taverns they'd found had ever heard of a woman named Roselta, and Thom was suspicious. He believed Lennox was remembering correctly, and he didn't think the owner of the tavern they sought would have such a short memory. Thom was also sure, though, that they'd looked in every alehouse and inn near the docks. Something didn't fit.

Madoc groaned as he climbed the stairs. He wasn't used to Thom's pace on foot. Riding a horse used different leg muscles than did walking. Thom still remembered the aches he suffered when he rode with Madoc for the first few days. If Madoc wasn't sore now, he would be tomorrow morning.

They pushed open the door to the garret. There, glowing in the noonday sunlight through the window were Bastian and Lennox. The mage was crouched over his love, and slowly easing his hardness in and out of Lennox's ass. Both the returning men smiled.

"I hope you don't mind: we used some of your grease," Sir Bastian said, not slowing down for the intrusion.

"Not at all," Thom said, watching his friends make love. "That's what it's for."

"We didn't find the right tavern," Madoc said. Bastian grunted, but Madoc couldn't be sure why.

"May we join you?" Thom asked, taking off his shirt.

"Please," Lennox moaned.

Thom pulled his shirt over his head and watched Bastian start fucking Lennox furiously. His lover's head rolled to the side.

The blond lay on his back next to his friends and watched them. He undid his trousers and his smallclothes, kicked off his boots and bared all.

Madoc appeared over him, naked as well, and lay himself over Thom's body. They kissed and their hands roamed over each other's bodies. Their erect members slid past each other.

Thom asked his partner, "Do you want to try again?" Their attempts to get Madoc relaxed enough to take Thom's penis into him had not borne fruit yet. Madoc nodded his head and he got up on all fours.

Thom reached up over his head and grabbed the pot of grease. It was running low. They'd have to replace it soon. He dipped a finger inside and scooped some of the stuff up. He slicked up a finger and reached under Madoc's body. Thom kissed Madoc as his finger approached Madoc's asshole.

The High Guardsman's eyes were shut, but he could hear Lennox and Bastian, and he could feel Thom's hand. He tasted Thom's tongue and lips. Madoc relaxed.

Thom's finger eased inside of Madoc. Madoc moaned, but did not tense up. Thom kept going and his finger went all the way into his partner's hole.

Thom smiled up at Madoc, but didn't say anything. Instead he just moved his finger slowly and cautiously. Madoc let out a surprised "Oh," as Thom wiggled inside him.

Madoc's back was arched and his head raised. His ass was pointed up into the air. His eyes remained closed and his jaw hung open as he felt these new sensations. His cock was rock hard and jutted out, straight and long from his body.

Thom twisted the finger, and Madoc's eys sprung open. "How does that feel?" the blond asked.

"Oh, that feels good...." Madoc gasped.

"Do you see what you've been missing?" Thom teased. "Now, I'm going to try to make it a little better with a second finger. Stay relaxed."

He moved quickly, scooping up more grease abd readying his index and middle fingers. He rested them at Madoc's entrance and pushed gently.

Madoc felt them coming and tried to stay calm. This was much farther than he'd been able to go before. He stared ahead at chests and old furniture, but seeing none of it. His entire world was what was behind him. The fingers entered hi, and they felt big. His eyes closed and his head drooped.

There was pain. He wouldn't let it show on his face. The knight tensed up his body and hoped Thom didn't notice. The fingers stopped moving in. Instead they wiggled around Madoc groaned. It was still painful, but it felt wonderful.

The fingers twisted around sideways. "Aagh!" Madoc cried.

Thom stopped dead. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Madoc said. "Can we try now?" He looked down at Thom.

The blond smiled. "Let's give it a try."

Madoc squatted over Thom's cock. The ex-thief held it straight up. The brunet repositioned himself so that they lined up. Madoc tried taking Thom in.

Thom watched his lover. His big naked body was damp with sweat. His eyes were shut and his brows furrowed, creasing his handsome face. Thom felt the heat of Madoc in the tip of his cock as Madoc tried to open up.

The High Guardsman bore down, trying not to seize up.

Lennox saw that Madoc was having trouble and whispered to Bastian.

Thom was watching Madoc, but he heard his friends rearrange themselves beside him.

Madoc felt someone touch his penis. He opened his eyes and saw Lennox take it in his mouth. The redhead was on his hands and knees, and Bastian was entering him from behind again. It seemed so easy.

Lennox suckled on Madoc's cock lovingly, and moaned when Bastian drove himself fully into Lennox.

Madoc let go of the breath he'd been holding. He let himself go with the feeling of Lennox sucking on his cock. His whole body relaxed. He sagged down, and the head of Thom's cock popped into Madoc's ass.

The knight cried out. The pain was sharp and took him by surprise.

Lennox let go of Madoc and Thom squirmed his dick out of him. The blond sat up. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, that just hurt. I'll be fine."

Thom hugged Madoc. "We got close, my love. We'll make it soon." Madoc kissed him.

The four decided to reposition themselves a bit. Thom went and washed up. He and Lennox lay on their sides and sucked each other and Madoc and Lennox took their lovers' asses.

Thom and Lennox groaned. Bastian smiled at Madoc. Madoc leaned over and put his hand between Thom and Lennox on the pallet. He smiled at Bastian.

The mage met him halfway and kissed him. Madoc laid a hand on Bastian's shoulder.

It wasn't very long before all four of them would be cumming. Thom swallowed the sticky seed Lennox fed him, and Lennox felt Bastian's load coat his insides.

Bastian left to get water and Lennox rolled onto his stomach to suck Thom. The blond's face was contorted in delight. Almost-silent gasps escaped from his mouth as his partner plunged into him. His eyes were closed and he clawed at the pallet beneath him.

Madoc moaned and thrust once, twice more and came. He slumped forward as he filled Thom with his essence.

Lastly, Thom could hold back no longer and fed Lennox his cream. The former captive sucked the precious fluid right out of Thom.

They lay there in a heap. Bastian came back with the wash water, stripped again, and joined them. Madoc and he took the opportunity to wash up.

The four male bodies came together again after their bonding. They touched and caressed each other and much of the attention was for Madoc, consoling him, as though the loss he'd suffered in Ellaston was fresh. Thom clung tightly to him and kissed his cheek. Madoc held his love in kind.

"As nice as this is," Bastian said finally, "we should get back to looking for Kraid. You found nothing near the docks?"

"No," Thom replied, "which seemed fishy to me. I think they warned her we would be coming. Covering anything Lennox might think of."

"The perhaps the best chance we have is to look through the festival," Bastian said. "The Marauders enjoy carousing. That's one reason we think they're here, isn't it, Lennox."

The redhead merely grinned and nodded.

Bastian smiled back. "What do you say?" he asked of Thom and Madoc.

"I have no better thoughts. We're down to searching the haystack. Let's look where the needles are."

They were dressed in their colors: gold, green, and red. Lennox said he was too tired to wander around, and Bastian knew the Marauders' faces as well as he did by now.

The square before the inn where they were staying was packed with revellers. In the center of the square was a platform where a group of Talvaedean sages sat waiting for the proceedings to begin.

The sages looked somehow more grey than their counterparts from the House of the Earth. They were paler, and seemed older than their years, unless the sages were all elderly.

Thom looked to madoc to see whether he was reacting to the people who represented the god who caused the murder of his family. Sir Madoc merely scanned the crowd with the same cold eyes he remembered when he'd first met him. The former thief realized his gaze had warmed since they'd become close. Thom frowned.

Bastian saw delegates from the temple of Garacon arriving. The Ceremony of the Changing of the Seasons would begin soon.

The three continued searching the crowd, but had found no one they recognized by the ime the speakers were prepared to start.

"Gentles!" the Elder Sage bellowed. "Your ears, if you would!" The crowd quieted, and granted the scholar their attention.

"The time has come for the Season of Summer to come to an end, and for Autumn to take its stead.

"The Great God of Learning, Talvaed, watches over this time, for the fruits of the coming harvest represent the knowledge we gain through the hard work of study, the very knowledge of the soil and the seasons that allows our farms to run.

"The Autumn is also a time of planning, of preparing for the death that comes with winter, and it is this forethought that Great Talvaed prizes most in our people."

As the lecture rambled on, Thom thought about the Gods and the Seasons, and the sage mention of death in winter. Thom's own god, Braggia, oversaw the passing on winter. People feared the Goddess of Shadow, fearing death, but, as Thom was sure he was one of Braggia's own, he knew the fears were unfounded. None of the Gods wished ill for their people - as long as you played by their rules.

"Have you spotted anyone?" Madoc whispered in his ear.

"Not yet," Thom murmured back. His attention drifted back to the sage who was speaking.

"And so," he was saying, "the moment has come when we shall take on the mantle of the new Season. Let the festivities begin!"

The gathered villagers and visitors cheered. Music filled the air. The crowd began to mill about, and watching for faces as they went by became more difficult.

Thom was glad to see that Madoc wasn't suggesting they split up to search. It would be foolish to chase a Marauder alone. There were bound to be more of them.

Bastian's eyebrows were knitted. He was glaring across the common at something. "What is it?" Thom asked.

There was a man on horseback across the square. He was staring straight back at them.

"The coward," Bastian said. "In our first encounter with the Marauders, we lost two men. One was shot by the archer. He killed the other from behind," Bastian remembered. "His name is Addax."

Sir Madoc took off at a run. When Addax saw him approach, he moved his horse toward one of the roads leading out of the square.

"Madoc, wait!" Thom said and started after him. Sir Bastian laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Hold, Thom. This isn't right."

"We can't let him go alone," Thom argued.

"First we saw no one, then he appears on horseback over the crowd. Something is amiss. Don't leave."

Sir Bastian closed his eyes. He blotted out the crowd's cheers and talk, the minstrel passing by and his like, the crackling of the fire on the grille in the stall behind him.

Witches and warlocks bond when they examine each others' spell points. They can see what the other can't. Bastian hoped he had bonded with Lennox enough to feel him.

He was in distress.

"Back to the tavern!" Bastian dashed off, his hair flowing like a cape behind him.

Thom followed, quickly catching up. "Lennox?"

"Yes!"

The two rushed in, Thom charging ahead of the mage. As they reached the stairs to the attic, Bastian called out, "He's not there."

Thom stopped at the base of the stairs and Bastian came up to him. The door at the top was hanging open. Thom took the stairs two at a time. "Lennox?" he called.

He searched the garret without finding him. He dashed downstairs to find Bastian. The mage was in the kitchen kneeling over the cook, who was unconscious.

"He'll be fine," Bastian said, "but he didn't see where they took Lennox."

"They were following us," Thom said. "Dammit, they knew Lennox would lead us here. They waited until we left him alone."

"I can find him, but I'll need your help. I have to shut out everything around me to sense him. You'll have to lead me."

Thom nodded. They left through the same side door Lennox's abductors used and ran to the street.

Bastian concentrated and Thom took his hand. They began a shambling walk through the city. Sir Bastian tried to head in a straight line to Lennox, heedless of any buildings or people in his path. Thom steered him down the streets, and kept him from tripping over cobblestones, or getting his robe caught. Once, the two guards had to cut through a house, entering by the door and leaving by a window, when finding a road to get to the same point would have wasted too much time.

Thom smelled the sea and knew they were headed back to the docks. They'd also been going steadily downhill for some time. They were following a particularly steep road when Bastian suddenly cried out and doubled over. He gripped Thom's hand painfully tight and nearly pulled the former thief down with him.

When Thom regained his footing, he asked, "What's wrong?"

"They're hurting him...."

Thom's eyes flashed. "Which way?"

They picked up the pace, but they were slowed down any time Bastian staggered in sympathy to Lennox.

"I need use of your horse, goodman," Sir Madoc said to the mechant. His eyes were on the Marauder who was slowly making his way out of the square.

"By all means, sir knight, take her," he replied. Before the man had finished talking, Madoc's foot was in the stirrup.

He eased the grey mare around the square, hoping to cut the bandit off before he could leave. The revellers blocked him, though, and Addax was away.

"Clear a path!" Sir Madoc cried as he travelled the last few yards before he could turn down the same avenue his quarry had taken. Then he urged his mount forward to make up the head start Addax had.

Both men had to duck to avoid the strings of flags that were hanging across the street from store roofs, and with the festival's opening ceremony having finished there were a few people to dodge.

Addax was making his way through quite well. Whatever else could be said about him, the man could handle a horse well. But so could Madoc.

The crowd thinned out some and the riders went even faster through the streets.

A parade blocked the way ahead. Mummers were pulling a couple of carts through the streets. Sir Madoc hoped Addax would have to stop.

Instead the Marauder jumped over the coupling that connected the carts. He grabbed a juggler's ball from out of the air and pitched it back at his pursuer.

Madoc didged it easily, then coach his horse through the jump. The mare seemed to be very even-tempered. It didn't hesitate despite the screams of the panicking performers.

Addax led Madoc on a serpentine tour of the town, trying to lose him around some corner or past an obstacle where the knight couldn't follow. Sir Madoc was every bit as able to guide his mount as the highwayman was, and the chase crisscrossed Annisport.

The Marauder turned down an alley. Madoc followed some distance behind.

The tall buildings to either side of him cloaked the alley in shadow. There was a bend up ahead where a shaft of sunlight lanced down through the shade.

The knight urged his mare onward. There could be a fork ahead, and Madoc could lose his quarry.

Instead, when Madoc approached the turn, Addax came charging back towards him. He'd found a wooden board and swung it at Madoc's head as he passed.

The knight leaned back in his seat and watched the plank as it cut through the air in front of his face. In the end, Madoc passed completely under the board.

The horse was still charging headlong for the wall. Sir Madoc sat up and regained control, turning his steed around the corner.

He was more determined to catch the Marauder now. Either he was desperate enough to attack, which made him dangerous, or he simply didn't care whether he killed the knight or not, which made him more so.

Sir Bastian was going mad.

Thom now had one hand gripping Bastian's and another with a firm grip on his tabard to keep him from rushing forward.

He was grinding his teeth and growling. His arms flailed at unseen attackers. They were drawing stares.

Thom hurried them along as much as they could. Bastian certainly wanted to run, but his reactions to what must certainly have been happening to Lennox made it difficult.

Suddenly, Bastian reached back and made Thom let go. "He's dying!" he cried, then took off at a dead run. Thom could only lag behind.

They came up to a plain wooden building, several times larger than any house.

"He's in here. Go and get help," Bastian commanded.

"If Lennox needs help, I should--"

Bastian turned to face Thom. "Go. Now!"

"By Braggia," Thom gasped, then turned and ran, as much to get the guard as in fear of Sir Bastian.

You can tell what a man will do by looking in his eyes. Judging by Bastian's eyes, he was ready to do murder.

Sir madoc emerged from the alley at a gallop. Addax had left a wake of confusion behind him, which made him easy to follow. With luck, the knight could catch him up.

He had quite a lead, but Madoc urged the horse onward, in the hopes that Addax would encounter some obstacle that would slow him down.

After a few minutes, he caught sight of the flank of the horse Addax was riding, disappearing around a corner. There hadn't been any good reason for him to slow down. It was almost as though Addax wanted Madoc to chase him.

The Marauder led him through town again, and the guard was able to close the gap between them some.

Addax turned down a side street. Madoc pulled up his horse at its entrance, then rode down the main road.

The knight recognized that street. He and Thom had taken it earlier on their way to the docks. It was a minor roadway with only two ways in or out. If Madoc was fast enough....

He found the other arm of the street and listened. It seemed he had beaten Addax there. He pulled his tabard out of his belt and over his head. He backed up, waiting for the highwayman to emerge.

Madoc waited just out of sight of the side road until he heard the hoofbeeats of the robber's horse approaching. When Addax drew near, Madoc charged into the crossroads, waving his bright tabard and yelling, "Hyeah!"

Addax's horse reared up on his hind legs. The rider was thrown from his saddle. He landed on his back on the cobblestones.

Madoc dismounted quickly. He checked Addax for injuries. He'd been very unfortunate. He seemed to have only had the wind knocked out of him and a blow to the head when he landed.

A group of the city guard was rushing down the street a block away. Madoc called out to them for help. Two jogged over.

"This man is one of Kraid's Marauders. I need your help to get him in irons and return this horse." He gestured to the road the other guards took. "What's going on over there?"

"A knight-errant came bursting into the stationhouse saying that Kraid's Marauders were in a warehouse by the docks and he needed us to come in a hurry. Do you know him?"

"Thom! You two take both horses and this man into custody. I'll go to the warehouse."

Without another word, Sir Madoc dashed after the guards that had gone by.

Thom found the warehouse again easily enough.

As he and the half-dozen or so guards at this door were ready to charge in, a man came running out. His clothes were half-burned and he looked white as a sheet.

He stopped when he saw the patrolman in front of him. He looked unsure, wondering whether to run.

The man dropped to his knees. "Please spare me! I won't run away, just don't take me back in there!"

"He's one of them, I'm sure," Thom said, "but with luck we can make certain later." The man was taken off an the remaining guards went in.

The smell inside was awful. The stench of burnt meat was everywhere. There were charred crates, many still glowing red in places, in overturned stacks on the floor. They advanced.

A few paces later, they found the first body. Thom but back the urge to retch. A man had had half of his body badly burnt. One of the other guards turned and dashed outside.

When Bastian told him to get help, Thom recalled, his wolfish grey eyes had turned blood red.

He moved on, looking for the mage.

The other half of his troupe called out. They'd found someone. Thom led his group in their direction.

A fortyish, greying man stood surrounded by guardsmen. On guard had his hand on the man's shoulder.

"That," Thom said, pointing, "is the notorious thief, Kraid. Be careful of him. He's very dangerous. Has someone brought a rope or irons for him?"

Several of the guards stepped back. One shakily took the manacles from his belt and approached the killer and robber.

Thom looked around. "Where's Bastian?" he asked. He turned back to Kraid.

Later on, Thom couldn't describe what he saw. All he could say was that he looked Kraid in the eye, and knew what he was about to do. The head Marauder had the time to raise his own arm and lunge at the throat of the guard who was holding him before the dagger Thom had thrown caught Kraid in the chest, knocking him back.

Kraid looked stunned as he grabbed at the blade that pierced his body. He glared at Thom and collapsed, the sleeve-blade in his hand clattered to the floor of the warehouse.

Kraid was dead.

The man who'd held his shoulder put his hand to his cheek. His fingers had blood on them. The guard fainted.

Thom regained composure to speak again. He looked one guard in the eye, and started giving orders. "Get him back to the garrison. You!" He pointed to another. "Take that knife to an alchemist. Have him check it for poisons. If he doesn't find any, find another alchemist and be sure. Move!"

The second guard scra,bled to pick up the knife.

"And don't cut yourself on the thing. We don't need to worry about two of you. You! Go with him in case something happens. The rest of you: look for more survivors, bind them up no matter who they are and look for a long-haired mage."

"Thom?" they heard from some distance away.

He recognized that voice, but how? "Madoc, is that you?"

"It's Sir Bastian! Please hurry."

He ran over. In the corner of the warehouse was a pillar. Lennox, his clothes mostly torn, was lashed to it. Thankfully, he seemed unmarked.

He was looking down and weeping. When Thom came closer, he saw Sir Madoc, crouched over the mage's still body.