He stares at the dagger then her, "How you know I name that dagger, Cutter?"

"He told me," pointing to the blade.

Clare, look at him and points at the dagger, "May I?" Seeing him nodding, she gently touches the blade and pull her hand away after a moment. She nods to him.

"The blade gave me an impression of its name. My hands did not burn touching it, so there no iron." Cocking her head to one side. "Mithril?" Clare asked.

"Yes, Mithril." he appears to be annoyed as he picks up the dagger and put it away. Then picking up the Slate. "It seems the slate believes her and changes her name to Cassandra Keep." Looking up at her. "Related to the Keep family?

She shrug. "I have been an orphan that was left at the orphanage since I was a baby. Sister Fost gave me the name of Sandra Hope, from what I was told. When I awoke in the dungeon I.." Pausing to look at Clare and seeing a hint of mischief in the elf's eyes and hearing the words in her mind. [Not reading your mind, so whatever secret you have is your own.] Clare turns her head away and stare at the wall. "A memory from when I was a child of a woman kissing my forehead and told me my real name." The truth was not far from that when she was born. Her mother died shortly after holding her and naming her Cassandra. Her mother was Jesse Keep. She died not long after Cassandra was born. Her mother's death resulted from the birthing and the beating from her boyfriend that she ended up killing with a butcher knife.

"So, do I call you, Baron?" Cassandra stares into his eyes, Thinking she better be careful she could fall into those eyes.

Clare suppresses a laugh after snorting again.

"Hey, not my fault you blaring that thought, you need to learn to block better!" Clare smile and wink at her.

Cassandra is starting to like the elf more and more, winking back at the girl. Time to pull the cougar claws back in and find a way out of this problem.

"You said they would be sending someone from my hometown? If it is Stacy Hart, she was behind the kidnap attempt, but I doubt she is the brains behind it all." Telling the Baron pointy.

"Stacy Hart of the Hart Merchant Guild?" He said while in deep thought. "My name is Nicholas Blades. I am a Landless Baron, a title given to my father and Blade's name as a family name for him to have defended a fort and held it for four days before help arrived. My father did not survive. Everyone that knew my father, including my mother, remembered him as Blades. I am a servant of the King as his Investigator in the Ministry of Justice. Someone accused of taking on a dead person identity makes it under my investigation. Someone that could change an identity slate could have a significant impact on the Kingdom. At this time, it not possible, but we have to look into it if nothing more than to rule it out. You can give Clare your information on Stacy Hart, and I will assign someone on my staff to investigate her. Since it no longer a case of forging ID Slates. I will be sending to the Adventurer Guild a document to verify that you are who you said you are and is free to travel. I would recommend not staying in the area. The Hart Merchant Guild may not be large, but in the area from here north and west for a dozen league or more is in their territory. They have their hands into everything.

Standing up, he turns to Clare. "Interview Mrs. Hart and give me a report. Follow up on any leads. Miss Keep, I apologize for the treatment you receive." Sitting a small pouch on the table that made a clinking sound. "I hope this will go a long way of showing my deepest apology."

Cassandra looks at the pouch and to the Baron and to Clare, who seems surprised. "I graciously accept your apology and hope that you can educate your guards in treating their guests. Innocent until proven guiltily in the court of law." seeing a surprises look for a second on his face, she almost misses the look.

"Is that all? Cassandra ask.

"Actually, no, I want to have Clare stay with you until we get this resolve. You have accused some people of attempted murder and kidnapping. There is also the attack on the detention center at the North Gate that needs to look into. You still have not explains how you avoid being kill while inside your jail cell. Even an illusionist could not have survived several fireballs and a burning building. You can give Clara your statement, and she will fill out the Edict of Witness so we can detain those that try to harm you." Turning to Clare, "She is in your care. I expect to see her tomorrow at midday. Again, Mage Keep, I apologize for the guards' action." he stood up and nodded to both of them and left the room.

Clare raises an eyebrow waiting for the door to close, "Wow, woman. He must really like you. I have never seen him apologize for anything in the three years I served under him.

"How old is he?" as she picks up the pouch and look inside and gasp. She is hoping Clare not notice her interest in the man. Wow! Fifteen gold Crowns stare back at her in the pouch, enough for a farmer and his family to live on for a few years. It is about six months if she was frugal on her living and spell research for a mage. A spell would cost her several pieces of gold and a book, and even a novel would require a minimum of ten gold Crowns. Let alone clothing that is made of something better than feed sacks that she is wearing.

"He is twenty-year-old, dear. The King gave him his title and a job to investigate those that impose a threat to the Kingdom. After he captures three traitors that gave away secrets that lead to his father dying when Nick was sixteen years old at that time." Seeing Cassandra raise an eyebrow, she laughs, "Honey, I'm too old for that boy, I turn fifty-one this years still a teen to my people through." winking at her. "Besides, you're older than me by a few years. grinning at Cassandra."

"How? But! There..." Cassandra sputter.

Patting Cassandra hands [Dear I am a Mental Mage, and singing in your head is not an excellent defense to someone like me. I had years of practice. The singing would keep most spells and devices from learning anything. But not me. I know who you are, Cassandra Keep, and I know what you are. Don't worry. You, not the first, I doubt you are the last. My family has been waiting for someone to show up. You are the fourth visitor in the last four thousand years to appear in our world. My great grandmother was the first in our family. She is an elf, and my grandfather met another a Roman he called himself, built a vast empire, and was killed by his own people. My mother met the third a gnome who died in an accident. When he was trying to create something that causes an explosion that levels several homes and businesses and kills many people, now it seems I met the fourth. Before you worry, I can read your mind all the time, don't. I prepared a spell before coming here and expended a lot of energy to cast it so I can read your mind. We had to know if you are a threat to the Kingdom.]

Cassandra's eyes grew big as she stares at Clare. A flurry of questions seems to just avalanche in her mind. Clare's eyes twinkle as she pats her hand. "How about we get your things, and I take you to the house I am staying at. I have regained some of my energy, so at least I will not fall flat on my face." Clare smiles at her.

Her hand went to her belt to feel for the missing pouch and the key that was into it. Frowning as she remembers that the guards took her key when they haul her over to the barracks, only to feel something move in her sleeve where she has some silver hid. Reaching over feeling for the key, she sat back puzzle and somewhat surprises. Did the key return to her?

Clare was almost to the door when she turns, "You coming?"

At the door leading out of the Barracks, she was given her stuff. What little money she had left, she put in the pouch that Nickolas gave her. Looking over the smudge cover staff and using a cloth to wipe off the soot and not find any damage from the fire. Cassandra sign in relief. She was told her backpack with her spell books are lock up at the Mage Hall, which is to be their next stop. It took an hour to get her backpack and books with Clare's help. Later that day, she found herself sitting outside of a small cafe that serves the most delightful cakes with Wilderberry tea.

"Hmm, the tea is good!" Cassandra exclaim. "I feel like I can run all day!"

"As good as your coffee?" Clare mischievous eye her.

"Oh no, nothing compares to coffee. This is close. Wait! Hey! No fair reading minds!"

Clare chuckled, "My great grandmother use to talk about coffee as if it was the elixir of the gods. When you return to your house, maybe you can give me some for my great grandmother?"

"I don't know how to return to the house and stop reading my mind. Wait, your great grandmother is alive?" Looking exited.

"Of course, she is alive! She is an elf we live for thousands of years. The oldest elves are ten thousand years old but tend to avoid people. We can only die by violent death or by giving up living. To be reborn again with or without our memories to start over. Many of our elders have transformed into trees to commune with the earth's mother, no longer wanting to interact with the people of this world. Not Gram, she too busy trying to keep the other races from destroying this world with pollution as she calls it." Shaking her head.

Blinking her eyes as she processes what been told to her. "What year she said she from?"

"Think she said she was a child of the sixty whatever that means," waving her hand in the air. "She is considered strange by the elders, but they agree with her on being stewards of this world, tree planting, cleaning cities of pollution. You don't know how many mages we have to purify the sewers. The only thing that pisses her off is the nobles and the temples holding onto the healers. I'm sorry I seem to be blabbering way." looking embarrassed.

More she listens to the woman talk, the more she like the woman. She needs a friend and an ally in this world. "It is okay. So how you got Nick to let me go?"

Clare laugh, "Don't call him Nick. He gets angry. Only his mother calls him Nick or Nicky!" giggling. "I kind of told him that you are safer with me, and maybe I can get information about you easier." Looking around. [I have read your mind. It is a shame that Sandra got killed like that, my grandmother told me not to reveal anything about who I find if I come across someone from another world unless they pose a threat. I can tell you are not a threat to this world!] Her eyes go wide, and she tilts her head.

[Time to go! Some men are looking to grab you! Their emotions are strong! The house I am staying at is just two blocks from here. We need to hurry! They will be here in a few minutes!] Grabbing Cassandra's hand and pull her along the street to the west.

Looking over her shoulder, she can see several men moving down the street. Although there are several people on the street, most seem to move away hurriedly to avoid the men. Not remembering grabbing the key out of her sleeve, she can feel a tingle of magic and a pull to an alley. Pulling Clare that way.

Clare tries to pull Cassandra toward the street. "No, No, that a dead end!" Seeing two more men moving toward them from the direction they were heading. She stops pulling and pushing Cassandra down the alley. "Go! Go! Go!

The alley is big enough to allow a horse and wagon if you back it up into the ally because at the end of the alley is a brick wall with a door. The key still pulling Cassandra toward the door as she can hear someone yell for them to stop. Hearing Clare pulls her sword out. Glancing back as she was running, she spots one of the men entering the alley is the gate guard at the Rat Dungeon. Stumble for a moment, they both hit the door and stop. Clare stares back behind them, concentrating as a bolt of energy appears in between her eyes and shot away from her and hits the guard knocking him to the ground. Cassandra frantically tries to put the key into the door lock.

As the key slips in the door's lock, it slimmer into the Magic House door. The lock clicks, and she opens the door and pulls the key out. Clare slams hard into her and fell into the foyer with a crossbow bolt embedded in her shoulder. The sword skid across the foyer and hit the bottom of the stairs with a thud. Shaking herself out of being stun by what happens, hearing footsteps running toward her. Cassandra slam the door shut and was turning the key she inserted into the lock on this side when the door made thump noise from someone hitting the door. The door's lock click and the glows for a moment as she pulls the key out as the sound of banging fades away.

Reaching Clare side on the floor, seeing her pass out. Panic fills her as she kneels beside the woman and takes a shaky breath. Seeing blood pooling on the wooden floor.

"Okay, Cass, let's calm down. You can heal, but how do we get the arrow or bolt. Ugh! Whatever it is out of her." She puts her hand under the woman's shoulder and feels for the part of the arrow sticking out of her back.

"Think, girl! What would John Wayne do in one of his western if an arrow hit? Okay, it looks like it barb, so can't pull it out." Letting out a breath. "Can't let the feathers through to infect the wound." pulling out a dagger from her backpack. She began to cut the feathers off the bolt laying the blade on the ground. She stares at the woman's face, gently brushing the girl hair out of her face. She can feel the fever on her forehead. The wound has blackened veins taking a wild guess she figures iron poisoning.

'I will not let you die, girl. I need a friend. So please forgive me." Putting her palm on the end of the bolt and using her other hand to lift Clare's shoulder, she pushes hard on the bolt pushing it through with a lot of blood gushing out. Grabbing the bolt and pull it the rest of the way out. Laying her on the ground and press one hand on her forehead and the other over her heart. And push her healing spell into the woman. A glow spread out into the woman's body as a bright light flare out of the wound and fade away as Cassandra passes out.