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"If Markwart can declare both a bishop and an abbot of St Precious, then I can justify the appoint replied "Markwart cannot oppose me on this, nor can he deny the demand of the new baron that he take residence at Chasewind Manor"

"And the Bishop?" Duke Kalas asked slyly, liking this plan more and more by the second

"Let us find a powerful merchant es us a favor to come north and make a claim that he is a relative of Aloysius Crump Let us see if we can force the Church from both "

That won the approval of both advisers The King would oppose Markwart, but quietly, and while none liked the idea that several apparently innocent people would be sacrificed for the sake of expediency, all three understood that Markwart&039;s present course ainst him

That position was reinforced later that same day, when Captain Al&039;u&039;ranted an ied for royal intervention on behalf of Pony and her friends, declaring they were innocent, indeed were heroes

None of the folk in the room doubted the man&039;s words, but neither did anyone believe that Al&039;u&039; the trial of the supposed conspirators against the Church Yet, when the seaman left, ultimately frustrated, Danube and his advisers were evena mistake, and that, in the end, the Church would lose favor with the common folk of Palmaris

But those hopes, even if they came to fruition, would prove of little value to Elbryan, Pony and their friends

Roger&039;s heart sank even lower at the sight of the Fellowship Way Once one of the most respected taverns in Palmaris, the place now lay quiet and dark, with no patrons and no staff Roger had hoped that Belster could pro-vide some information valuable to hiet to their friends

But there was no Belster to be found No one at all

With a shake of his head, the forlorn man moved down the street and into an alley, where he was toSt Precious

Priuised as incoherent drunks, watched Roger

"Ye think that&039;s the one?" Mallory asked, for Belster, suspecting and hoping that Roger ht show up, had placed theer from their time in the north before the defeat of the dactyl&039;s arh look at the s," Prilanced around to make sure that no soldiers or e of the alley and carefully peering around With no one else in sight, the two took a chance and approached

Roger&039;s face brightened, for he recognized the two men from the north, and they him Less than an hour later, he came face-to-face with Belster O&039;Coot the with every word, for his network of spies had provided every detail about the disposition of the prisoners

"Captain Al&039;u&039; the tall black arded Belster&039;s friend, who to be syainst the Father Abbot Our friends will find no help from the Crown"

"They are dooer said determinedly, but his tone did little to bolster the confidence of his coathered every ally and convinced theainst St Precious, ould all be dead on the street within a matter of moments," Al&039;u&039;met answered "You make the saht openly against the Church, but that,but disaster"

"Are we to let the the painful question at Belster

"If we get ourselves killed trying to help them, then know that they will feel their own deaths far more painfully," the innkeeper replied

"Their fates are not sealed," Roger growled "I came into Palmaris beside Belli&039;mar Juraviel He&039;ll not stand idly by while his friends are limmer of hope to Belster&039;s sad eyes The innkeeper looked to Al&039;u&039;met "Juraviel of the Touel&039;alfar," he explained, "an elf friend of Nightbird and Pony"

"Elf," Al&039;u&039;htly hopeful smile Captain Al&039;u&039;met knew Juraviel, or had seen the elf with Elbryan, Pony, and Bradwarden, when he&039;d ferried them across the Masur Delaval The captain did not understand the Touel&039;alfar, knew practically nothing about theer&039;s determination and Belster&039;s somewhat hopeful smile, he, too, dared to hope that perhaps all was not lost

At the sa in the hold of theSaudi Jacintha, Belli&039; the corridors of the house of Crump Juraviel had taken the same secret route into the place Dasslerond had used to ; and when he had first entered, the elf had consid-ered going to speak privately with King Danube

But that he could not do, he realized, for the lady had forbade hi for his friends, the elf had not left the place, but had slipped down into the bowels of the old house An elvish trick got hiuards, and his size allowed hih a fireplace and into the chie roo held

They milled about the cellar unchained, but unarle stairway led to the one heavy door above, and that, Juraviel kneas heavily barred

The elf stayed out of sight for soroup, particularly of Colleen, whom he had learned had been a companion of Pony The other soldiers knew of Tiel&039; their reaction, Juraviel ca his presence quietly

"I ahtbird, and," he added, looking Colleen in the eye, "of Pony"

The soldiers scrambled to encircle the elf

"Have ye seen her?" Colleen asked hih she had heard much of the Touel&039;alfar - of Juraviel, in fact - she had never before seen an elf

"Or Nightbird?" Shahtbird?"

"They are in St Precious," Juraviel explained "And there I have not yet dared to venture I fear the power of the eravely "For those who believe in us have not the power, nor the courage, to stand with us I only hope that King Danube will let ment over htbird and Pony and the others in the clutches of Father Abbot Markwart, alas!"

"Then speak your words as loudly as you are allowed," Juraviel insisted "For even if they will not help our friends, they will assure that Nightbird and Pony have not died in vain"

"Tell him of the miracle," another soldier prooblin battle atop Mount Aida, the saer had told the elf on their journey to Pal some noise outside, he turned back for the fireplace Colleen Kilronney ith him

"Brother Talumus," she whispered as the elf slipped into the chimney, "a monk of St Precious He is a friend, perhaps"

The conversation ended before she could give a proper description, for the door banged open and a host of Allheart soldiers caer found Juraviel in the alley near the Fellowship Way, the elf had already visited St Precious, though he had not ventured in and had not found Brother Talumus The tent back to theSaudi Jacintha, and Belster O&039;Co the monk would not be difficult The innkeeper added a stern warning, though, that if this Abel-lican monk learned too much about them and could not be trusted, he would not be allowed to leave

The very next night, Rogerthe conversation froain the ainst the Church, though he admitted his uneasiness with the trial and expected exe-cutions, even going so far as to declare the Father Abbot wrong on this issue when prodded hard enough by Juraviel

"Then make a difference," the elf deht, then your name will not be uttered, I assure you If we suc-ceed, or if we do not, Brother Talumus can sleep with conscience clear"

"You speak fine words," the et a glimpse of the elusive Juraviel "Yet you mis-understand me You think that I am afraid forharm to my Church, for that I cannot tolerate I am not the only one who believes that this situation has becoodly At least one master - " The monk stopped abruptly, and it was obvious that he did not want to break a confidence

"You do not wish to harm your Church," Juraviel said fro such har, then should not such an action strengthen it?"

"You twistto understand that he could not sit back and let these terrible executions happen

By the time he left the alley, the plan had been forreat doors of St Precious Abbey, he knew that he would not have the strength to see it through Wracked with guilt, the confused youngthe blessing of Penitence, betraying hi, his friends

Brother Talu, but the ress, surely did not For the second tiress had heard a story of conspiracy and coainst Markwart-directed precept, of conscience against rank For entle master had sat back and watched as the Father Abbot had taken the Church in a new, dohshod over anyone who stood in his way Now they were approaching the pinnacle of that Church ascent, and that height would be reached on top of the bodies of innocents

Engress had heard enough He went back to Brother Taluer ed is, Dellainst you at your trial," Brother Brauht, the ation by Markwart

"And what of Brother Brauer asked

"No amnesty," the monk replied, and to Elbryan, his voice did not sound heavy "I will confess and implicate you, Pony, and Bradwarden, because I will be tortured until I do so But no ht after you three are convicted Markwart did offerh he understood that his own end would be just as terrible

"But all three have vowed not to speak against you," Brother Braumin added firmly "They understand, as do I, as did Jojonah, that to deny our cause and our beliefs is to strengthen Markwart"

"The alternative for those three is death," the ranger reminded "Yet they can save their lives with a feords"

"We all die, Nightbird," the monk replied cal, with principles intact, than to live out a life that is a lie What guilt would a ainst his heart have to carry through the years? What life worth livingan Abellican monk, the dedication and the faith No ates of St-Mere-Abelle in the robes of an Abellican initiate"

The ranger took comfort in that It pained him that these brothers would die, as they were all pained by the glorious death of Brother Mullahy, and yet he, and they, understood that holding fast to their principles was by far the nobler course

The conversation ended abruptly as footsteps sounded in the hall, fol-lowed by a jingling at Elbryan&039;s door, as if so with keys After several er was sur-prised to see only a single Abellican er used the wall for support as he stood up on shaky legs He considered attacking, but since thehis face, he feared that this e hier Lockless pulled back the cowl, sized "I should have arrived more quickly But there were co that nearly sent theer asked

"I had to wait for these," Roger replied, opening his robe There, hanging froeether," Roger explained "Juraviel is outside waiting for us, though he is troubled since ere not yet able to find the elven sword and bow"

AnotherAbellican olden belt tied about his brown robe His face rin-kled and old, his eyes soft

"Gather your friends and be out quickly," he said to Elbryan "Run away as far as your horses will carry you, though I fear that even that distance will not prove far enough"

"Who are you?" the ranger replied "How is this possible?"

"Master Engress," Roger explained as he began sorting through the huge ring of keys before on Braumin&039;s door "A friend"

"A friend ill run to the north with us," Elbryan decided, but the old er even finished

"I will be caught, and will not deny ress explained "I aiveof their futures than I, ht live, is no cause for sadness"

Elbryan still did not understand, but he had no tier had Brauer heard a voice fronore He sprinted to Pony&039;s door, running his hands over, testing it to see if he could sier saw him and came to that door next A moment later the lovers were reunited, in each others&039; arms for the first tiainst hi was now all right

Of course, that was far froer and the others joined Juraviel in the alley outside of St Precious and ran off into the darkness

Friends met them in the alleys and separated theed cave openings Elbryan sug-gested they go right out then, all of them, to the wilds of the north That was not possible, the scouts responded, since the Allheart soldiers and a host ofthe northern wall

It was too close to dawn to hope for an escape from the city now, and besides, ould spread quickly froitives until a clearer route out of the city could be discerned

Elbryan, Pony, and the fourthe banks of the Masur Delaval soon after dawn

By that ti the city&039;s streets in frantic search, the soldiers led by Duke Kalas, as eager to capture the fugi-tives as thethat if his soldiers did find theht to the house of Cruress said to Markwart, holding his arms out wide in absolute submission "I could not allow this, Dalebert Markwart I watched you burn Jojonah and unjustly proclaiht in the old h the heress went down to his knees but ed somehow to speak once asped "They are not criminals"

And then he died on the floor of Chasewind Manor, murdered by Mark-wart as abbots De&039;Unnero and Je&039;howith, Bishop Francis, and several othera very afraid Brother Taluone straight to the outraged Markwart and adoaded the old man so that Markould kill him quickly, before the Father Abbot could learn that Brother Talumus, too, had played a role in the escape