“Remember, you have Ma’non’go to protect you,” Revafour said as he nodded towards the latter, “and you also have the rest of us as well. We’ll defend you to the death…”

Revafour paused, letting his words hang in the air for a moment.

“…to the death of anyone who would dare threaten you,” he finished with a smile

Chapter Four

Like Father, Like Daughters

Over supper that evening, Seline told Airk and the rest of the Company of the Silver Wolf what Matthias had learned about the Crown of Arumdina.

“At least now we have an idea where to go,” Airk said, rubbing his chin. “We’ll probably have to sail to-what’s wrong?” he asked in alarm as he saw Seline’s shoulders slump.

Seline looked away and didn’t say anything. Instead, she took a bite of the sweetmeats and fruits she enjoyed so much, trying to calm her nerves.

“What’s wrong?” Airk repeated himself.

“We grew up in the Great Kingdom, remember?” Seline’s older sister Luna Roas Del Cranden said.

Luna was no less lovely than Seline. Her long chestnut-brown hair, fair skin, crystal-blue eyes and soft voice, a mark of the Sueloise heritage she shared with Seline, only added to her allure. In contrast to the outgoing Seline, Luna was more reserved, and even her gold and blue clothes were more muted than her sister’s robes. Her smile spoke of quiet joy, compassion and a desire to help those in need, reflecting her allegiance to the sun god Pelor. Her expression, normally calm and thoughtful, was one of pain as she recalled the events that drove her and Seline from their home.

“Seline and I were nobles of House Cranden,” Luna said, “and it became embroiled in a bitter feud with House Garasteth. The Garasteths demanded that our father, Lord Roas Gawain Del Cranden, had to hand Seline and I over to them as ‘compensation’ for the wrongs they claimed House Cranden committed to them.”

Seline wiped her eyes at that, but she said nothing.

The Garasteths murdered Lord Roas for that, Ma’non’go of the Silver Winds signed with his hands. Ma’non’go’s dark skin and hair marked him as an Olman, the people who inhabited the southern jungles of Hepmonaland. Nearly seven feet tall and immensely strong with iron-hard muscles, Ma’non’go carried himself with the speed and grace of a warrior. His expression was typically cold and neutral, making him seem cold and emotionless to most people who didn’t know them. His friends saw the hidden light in his eyes, the light of a man who cherished both his honor and his friends. In contrast to his stoic demeanor, Ma’non’go’s clothing was both colorful to reflect his Olman heritage and stylishly cut, making him an impressive fashion plate.

Lord Roas’s wife Krystlin only barely managed to save Luna and Seline from the fates the Garasteths had planned for them by sending them to Sunndi with me as their protector, Ma’non’go continued. The large man was mute and could only communicate in the sign language Luna and Seline taught the rest of the companions. He was always evasive when people asked why he couldn’t speak, alluding to past traumas and false friends. Found and rescued by Lord Roas when he was nearly dead in the jungle, Ma’non’go returned to Aerdy to act as a protector to Roas’s daughters. He accompanied them when they fled Aerdy, until they formed the Company with their new friends.

“Our connections in House Cranden might help us find the Crown when we return to Aerdy,” Luna said after she’d taken a long drink of wine. “It’s just that…” she trailed off.

“You’re afraid of the Garasteths trying to claim the debts they claim you owe, aren’t you?” Weimar Glendowyr said, as the rest of the group turned to look at him. Weimar’s unkempt Sueloise blonde hair, reddened green eyes and nose, unshaven tanned Oeridian face and trailworn clothes showed him as a man who was equally at home in the wilderness or in a tavern. His rakish smile and assured self-confidence kept him from looking slovenly, and the way he regarded his friends reminded them that he was always ready to raise a flagon or a battle axe to support them.

 “Yes, we are,” Luna said, shaking her head. “It’s why I’d rather we didn’t sail for Prymp,” she continued, referring to one of the largest ports in the Great Kingdom’s South Province. “House Garasteth has a lot more influence there than House Cranden. We’d likely be attacked within an hour of getting off the ship. We’d be better off sailing to Irongate and then going overland through the Headlands and the Iron Hills to Zelradton.”

“And the Crandens have more influence in Zelradton that can shield you better, I take it?” Amyalla Reorsa said. Along with Airk, Amyalla was the only one of the companions who was not human. She was a halfling, and was the envy of many halfling and human women alike with her beautiful face and figure, bright green eyes and long fire-red hair. Amyalla frequently bore a knowing smile and coquettish manner, fitting for someone equally skilled at stealing hearts and valuables alike. She wore a plain but comfortable traveling gown and a set of daggers at her belt, which contrasted oddly with the stylish doeskin boots on her feet and the blue hat on her head, which was decorate with lilacs and orchids.

“Yes,” Luna said. “I know it’ll take longer, but-“

“But it doesn’t matter,” Revafour Greystar finished for her. Revafour’s copper-bronze skin, flowing wavy black hair and dark eyes marked him as one of the Flan, the original human inhabitants of the Flanaess, as did his beaded cloak and the moccasins on his feet. As skilled in swordsmanship as he was in art, Revafour seemed quiet and withdrawn to those who didn’t know him. His fellow adventurers knew better, though. They saw the fire within him, a fire that made him both a terrible opponent in battle and a compassionate and loyal friend outside it.

 “Remember, you have Ma’non’go to protect you,” Revafour said as he nodded towards the latter, “and you also have the rest of us as well. We’ll defend you to the death…”

Revafour paused, letting his words hang in the air for a moment.

“…to the death of anyone who would dare threaten you,” he finished with a smile.

Luna and Seline brightened at that, smiling first at each other and then at the rest of their companions.