The three remaining aides to the leader of the Lamya were left alone in the final hours leading up to dawn. They neither knew nor cared much as to where Zev had disappeared to and all they knew about Corrinus's whereabouts was that he had gone somewhere and taken his twin dragons with him. So now, as they sat alone in the dining hall with no one to tell them what to do, it was up to Jonjo, the eldest there, to reach a decision on the plan of action.

The room was well lit, since it was only the leader himself who preferred the dark, and the aides had abandoned the large table in favour of a more private seating arrangement around the hearthstones of the old fireplace.

Jonjo poked a small fire into life and tried to convince the others over to his side. "The master would wish us to guard the other slaves here, his healer especially. We can't be expected to rush about looking for him for orders and anyway, he might not wish to be disturbed."

"And how do you suppose we guard the slaves?" one of the aides asked, a sneer on his face. "Stand in front of them with our fists raised, waiting for the onslaught of the Elani warriors?"

Jonjo continued to probe the embers in the fireplace but he turned his face back to the speaker and screwed up his nose in contempt. "Slavemaster Noan killed all the Elani warriors in the Vale. Lord Corrinus seems to think that some girl is coming here, some Elani child set on vengeance. Are you so afraid that you cannot guard our slaves from a child? I doubt anybody will even come at all but if our leader thinks we have been idle while he has been busy he will punish us sorely and I for one, do not wish to be judged idle."

The other two aides exchanged a glance and one nodded. "Agreed," he said. "But we'll leave you the task of watching the healer, she is a dreary woman. We'll go down to the dungeons and guard the slaves there."

"Yes, yes," Jonjo said, glad the others were obeying him. "Then go, go! It is good. Our lord will be well pleased."

The three aides smiled at one another, pleased with their craftiness at having given themselves an easy yet important task. Jonjo scattered the ashes and let the fire die before following the others from the room.

#

Mariko had veered away from the main route to the castle and now led the Elani to a smaller path that she said would take them to a quiet entrance at the back.

The Lamya quickly and expertly picked the small padlock that held the door shut and then pushed it open to reveal a staircase leading up and a corridor running away to the left. "Right," said Leif, taking charge, "Mariko, Lachlan, you're with me. Sorrel, take Cloud and Gaeshi and follow the corridor. Good luck!"

With this brief instruction, he was off and up the stairs, leaving Sorrel and her two friends to face the winding corridor before them alone.

"Quickly," she whispered, aware her voice would travel ahead of her in the gloom. "Follow me and stay quiet. Corrinus is near now, I know it."

She started off at a jog, trusting her friends would stay close and keep their wits about them. After all, they were in the Castle of the Lamya now.

#

The staircase that Leif and the others had been following stopped almost as abruptly as it had started and there in front of them was another darkened hallway, lit by lanterns, and one that Leif was beginning to suspect he was yet to see many of.

"Which way?" he asked, turning to Mariko.

She took a few paces forward and peered down the hall. "Not sure," she said. "It's been a while since I was 'ere last y' know."

"Well, think," Lachlan muttered, clearly eager not to stay in the same place too long in case they were discovered.

Mariko pointed to a wider set of stairs and said, "Up I s'pose. Not much down on this level but rooms for the aides. Keep headin' up."

Leif nodded and headed towards the staircase, but as he neared them he stopped suddenly and hid to one side. He held up his hand to show Lachlan and Mariko to stay where they were, and held his staff at the ready.

Footsteps pattered down on the stone steps, though by the laboured breathing that accompanied them, he guessed it was just the one Lamya, and an old one at that.

Then a man appeared. One of Corrinus's aides, hood over his head and a lantern in his hand. He turned to his right and saw Lachlan and Mariko straight away.

"Oh no!" he cried, seeking to turn away. "Not good!"

As the old aide turned to run away, Leif stepped out of the shadows in front of him and barred his path. The old man gasped and Leif had to blink as the Lamya aide held his lantern up so he could see. The old Lamya turned away again, only to face Lachlan and a grinning Mariko.

The aide lowered his lantern in surprise. "You!" he said.

Mariko tossed her dagger and smiled. "Me," she agreed.

Leif reached out his hand and placed it firmly on the aide's shoulder, causing the old man to jump and turn sharply. "Shh," he whispered, "we're not here to harm you. Now tell me, do you know where the Elani called Helena is being kept?"

The aide appeared reluctant to give away any information and he glanced over his shoulder at Lachlan and Mariko.

He gulped and shook his head. "I shall not tell you," he said firmly. "My lord would be most unhappy."

Mariko rolled her eyes, stepped forward and grabbed the aide from behind. She held her dagger to his throat. "Well 'is lordship ain't 'ere is 'e? So tell the nice young man what 'e wants to know or you'll feel the blade of Mariko Kint across your neck."

Leif exchanged a look with Lachlan, unhappy with threatening the old Lamya, though he decided it best to keep quiet and let Mariko deal with it.

The aide was obviously terrified of Corrinus and what his master would do to him if he ever found out he'd helped Elani but Mariko's blade was inching closer to his neck and it forced him to blurt out the truth.

"The healer is being held in the kitchen, two floors above this one," he spluttered. "I just came from there, I was going to watch her myself. But don't think you'll be able to free her, you can't! Zev is with her, the leader's personal guard! Ha, ha, ha you'll never get past him, never in a hundred—"

Blood filled the aide's mouth before he fell to the ground, dead.

"You killed him!" Lachlan cried, horrified.

Leif knelt down to the aide and covered his face fully with the hood. He stood up and stared at Mariko. "You needn't have done that," he said. "He told us what we wanted to know, he was harmless enough."

Mariko thrust her dagger back into her belt and shrugged. "What do you think he would've done after we'd let him go? Gone back to his room and kept his mouth shut?" She looked down at the body, her expression cold. "No. The less who know we're here the better. Now, if you wanna go save your mother I suggest you get on with it, before I change my mind and leave you alone."

Leif looked at Lachlan who said nothing, he simply turned and headed up the staircase. Mariko looked to him to follow but he stayed where he was for the moment and asked, "Who is Zev?"

Mariko gave him a wicked grin and jumped up onto the first step. "Zev is the man who killed my parents," she said. She drew her blade and pointed it at Leif. "I have a lot to thank Zev for." Then she turned and was gone, leaving him to grip his staff and follow on behind.