“Yes, that is exactly what I am telling you.” Grinna said finally, exasperated.

“Dawn, show him the parts of these monsters we brought with us. I knew we would need proof!” she muttered.

Dawn looked from one to the other, feeling awkward and uncertain in the loaded atmosphere. She took out the leg and head of a demon she had stowed in her storage ring, feeling slightly disgusted at the touch.

Madden looked at the demon parts silently for a moment. The he said: “So, the report of this huge spiders is true?” His voice portrayed only calm acceptance, not a trace now of the skepticism he had shown before.

Teren reported calmly, “Huge grey spiders, with sharp legs, long reach and very resistant bodies. Astonishingly vulnerable to fire. Led by a talking queen. Unknown number of the beasts, we killed about a dozen of them. Maybe two dozen or even more still alive at the moment. Unknown number of eggs, unknown duration of reproduction cycle. Apparently live in caves somewhere adjacent to the gorge we fought them in.”

Madden gaped at him. “A talking queen? Have you taken leave of your senses? Since when are beasts able to talk? This is preposterous.”

Grinna retorted, visibly annoyed:” As preposterous as monstrous spiders that analyze as grey demons?”

“And you encountered that talking queen yourself?” Madden asked.

“No, that is where Dawn comes in. She was caught by the demons, she’s lucky she got out alive.” Grinna said.

The cool grey eyes turned to Dawn, who fidgeted uncomfortably under the calculating silent gaze. It was obvious Madden thought nothing of her.

Teren laid a hand on her shoulder. “Tell Madden the whole story, Dawn. There’s no reason to be nervous.” His presence behind her calmed her, and so Dawn took a deep breath and once again recounted the story of how she stumbled upon the ancient ruined city and encountered the demons. She told him of her destruction of the eggs, the liberation of Kharma, the abduction of the Kharlin villagers and the subsequent efforts to free them, her capture and the encounter with the queen, and the butchering of the Kharlins in the runic circle. She ended with the cave-in and her liberation from the cocoon by Ankou.

Once she was through with her tale, Madden questioned her extensively about the city, the library, the queen with her eggs and the fights with the demons. It was hard to tell what he thought of the story, his square face was shuttered, no emotions visible.

Finally he turned to Teren. “And you think these monsters are a threat?”

Teren replied, “it is obvious they have been stirred up. The demons tried to capture or kill us and they have taken some hunters, who were staying in the area. If the information Dawn got in the library is correct, these monsters are responsible for the fall of an ancient city of a pretty advanced people.”

Madden sighed and steepled his fingers. “They are active out in the wilderness, yes. But does that need to concern us? The monsters are days away from Atelang. I don’t see the big problem. Even if they should decide to come here, a few dozen of them are hardly a problem against our defenses. They might catch a few hunters or Kharlins, but well, there have always been beasts and dangers in the wilderness.”

Grinna said: “True, but we don’t know how fast they reproduce. If they conquered a whole city in the past, we cannot afford to be complacent.”

Teren added in his deep voice, “There is a lot we don’t know. The city fell a long time ago. Where did the monsters come from in the first place? Why did no one hear of them after the city fell until now?”

Grinna added: “Dawn’s account of the queen butchering Kharlin villagers and feeding the blood to her eggs gives me the creeps. You know what that reminds me of.”

Madden said: “I still have a hard time crediting a talking demon queen, and now you want to tell me she’s practicing blood magic on top of it. The only thing you have proof of, is that the monsters exist. Should I take the word of a lone young girl for this fantastic story? And how did you end up alone in the wilderness anyway?” He had turned to Dawn.

She bit her lip. “I was escaping from an unwanted marriage my parents had arranged for me.”

He looked at her with his cool grey eyes and shook his head, then turned to Grinna. “And you needed to abet her of course.” He stated with distaste.

“I could hardly leave her alone in the wilds to be caught and butchered by these monsters!” Grinna retorted heatedly.

Madden glared at her, his left eye twitching. “Please prepare a formal written report and turn it in tomorrow. I need to think on it. What are you going to do with the girl?”

Grinna said: “I will take her home to my mother and send a message to her parents that she is safe with me.”

“Do that.” He replied. “Maybe her parents will take her off your hands. Though somehow I doubt it. Running away from home without rhyme or reason.”

Dawn was stung by his offhand comment. But as she took a breath to reply to it, she saw Teren shaking his head slightly and kept quiet. Seconds later, Madden had ushered them out of his office. They left the building and followed the street further into another quarter of Atelang.

Teren told her, “don’t bother to dispute this with Madden. He is a very conservative and inflexible man. Might as well convince a rock wall to change his mind.”

Dawn shook her head, brushing her hair out of her face. “But is he going to do something about the demons? I got the impression that he is just going to forget all about it.”

Grinna grimaced. “We will see. Madden is not stupid, loathe as I am to admit it. There is no love lost between us, as I’m sure you have noticed.”

Dawn smiled lopsidedly. “It would have been hard not to notice it. I’m sure the frozen north is warmer than his reception of you just now.”

“Don’t mind him, we have never seen eye to eye. Madden hates it that he has to deal with women in the rangers now. When he started, it was an all male occupation.”

Teren laughed, his eyes twinkling. “What Grinna forgot to mention is, that she is the one who changed their all male policy. So, Madden bears a grudge against her for bringing change to his clearcut view of the world. That she is a better sword fighter than him doesn’t improve the matter.”

They had arrived now in a part of the city where the houses were smaller, more similar to the cottages in Dawn’s village than the great stone houses they had passed when they entered the city.

Dawn sighed. “I hate waiting.”

“Oh, don’t worry. We’ll find something to occupy your time. A few sword and bow lessons wouldn’t go amiss, I think.” Grinna retorted.

“You’d teach me? Really?” Dawn was exhilarated to hear it.

“Don’t be so enthusiastic. Fighting is hard work, and you’ll sport the bruises to show it.” Grinna admonished her.

“You forget that I can heal myself.” Dawn retorted.

“Right. We forgot to tell Madden that you can heal.” Grinna said.

“Is that important?”

“Well, most healing is done via potions, apart from the salves and medicines of the wise women and medics. Healing spells are rare indeed. Might be best to keep quiet about it, or you might find yourself recruited willy nilly for the order of the healing sisters.” Grinna was frowning now.

“What is the order of the healing sisters? I never heard of them.” Dawn asked.

“That’s not remarkable. The healing sisters are a small community of women who were blessed by the Goddess with healing spells. They are snapped up by noble houses or the garrison as soon as it becomes known they are able to heal, usually. The sisters get to go out only with a bodyguard in tow, to protect them, and heal soldiers and nobles, as the case may be.” Grinna told her.

“Why do they need a bodyguard, if they have healing?” Dawn wanted to know.

“It’s not so much to protect them, though there are always lunatics who would attack them, but to control them. Healing is a rare commodity, don’t forget.”

“Well, I’m certainly not a candidate for the healing sisters. My patron is the Trickster.” Dawn stated emphatically.

Grinna shook her head. “As if anyone would care. Be careful whom you tell of your healing. You have no standing here in the city, and the noble houses wouldn’t think twice about snapping you up. Voluntary or not. Maybe it is for the best we forgot to tell Madden about it.”

They were standing in front of a small stone house with a front door painted in blue, now. The windows glowed with light and boxes of flowers were sitting to both sides of the entrance.

“Home sweet home.” Said Grinna and opened the door.