The seas had been much rougher on the journey to the city of Ravenscourt than the trip from White Harbour and the distance had been much longer, but there was no seasickness for the charismatic mercenary Ethelston this time. Erdudvyl had cast some spell on him in which he could remain his jovial self throughout the whole journey.

A decision in which Loldirr quickly regretted as Ethelston spent some time distinguishing the positives of being human to the positives of being an Elf.

However, There had been no issues on the trip. Rumour of a redhead woman slitting the throats of would-be rapist sailors and the constant overbearing protection from Ethelston seemed to deter anyone from causing problems. Though all were interested to find out who their short hooded companion was.

Sensibly, Erdudvyl had remained in the hold away from prying eyes to train Loldirr in the art of sorcery, without success. It appeared that her mood was becoming as dark as the hold she had spent most of her time in.

Now the journey was coming to an end. The towering Ravenscourt fortress stood proudly high on the cliff face overseeing all vessels for miles around. The waves hit violently at the base of the cliff, but the sheer scale of the fortress seemed to dwarf the water's power.

It's high, thick walls and menacing towers was a display of the west's security and might. The fortress had never been breached, either by land or by sea, for thousands of years. Whoever controlled the citadel controlled the west and some of the north, a large portion of the Isovine Empire.

The squarks of hungry seagulls crescendoed as they hovered high above the ship. The dark menacing clouds drenched the deck with sideways precipitation to add to the mood of dread that the Citadel inadvertently gave to those who didn't belong. Despite having no reason to worry, the sailors appeared more anxious as they edged closer to the Ravenscourt port.

Ethelston had been jovial throughout the journey, eating and drinking with the other sailors, gaining the latest scuttlebutt on how the Isovine, Ruvia war was proceeding and obtaining the respect of the ship's crew. But now that Ravenscourt was in view, his demeanour had shifted and his mood soured. All he seemed to do was lean on the rails of the deck and solemnly look at the overbearing walls.

He didn't even shift slightly when Loldirr took position next to him.

"What can we expect when we get here?" she asked wiping away a wet sticky strand of hair away from her forehead.

"Ravenscourt is the jewel of the west, " explained Ethelston, his mood not shifting, "it will be busy here, but we will need to make our presence known to the Lord of the keep."

Loldirr grimaced at the annoying sideways rain that appeared to come down more fiercely than before. "What is he like?"

Ethelston sighed before turning to Loldirr. "Millendahl Darke, he's not exactly known for being a welcoming host."

"Darke? As in?"

"Lord Edric's brother. Best not mention his name though, they were not fond of each other." Ethelston replied before returning his gaze to the cliffs, walls and menacing trebuchets that sat high on the towers.

Loldirr watched him and his frigid mood. Despite wanting to know what was bothering him, she knew best not to ask questions that were likely to irk him further. "And the opinions on Elves in the city?"

"Best to keep Erdudvyl in her cloak until we get safe passage to the keep." explained Ethelston.

Loldirr glanced towards Ethelston sharply. "The keep? I thought we were just looking for a place to stay?"

"In order to unify the lands, first we must gain the respect and prestige of a noble with the right surname. None have more repute than that of Darke, bar the Emperor himself. If a Darke is seen supporting you, an Aex-Igh, then half the Isovine empire will likely rally to your cause. Without that support, you will likely be dead in a ditch rather quickly."

Loldirr was shaken by Ethelston's harsh but true words. "And what if Millendahl Darke does not support me?"

Ethelston stood up straight in preparation for their coming disembarkment, looking towards Loldirr he grinned "You will just have to trust me on this one, my dear."

***

The streets of Ravenscourt were nothing like the glorious roads of Gryffinfall. They were dank and depressing, magnified by the horrendous downpour that felt truly relentless in its persistence in drenching all around.

There was something about this city that didn't feel right. It seemed to hide a magnificence that had long been smothered. It was understandable that some people did not want to venture out into the downpour, but each of the houses that were passed appeared empty and lifeless. The overbearing smell of stale urine and faeces seemed unnatural in the insistent rain. It encouraged the three travellers to cover their noses as they edged up the paths towards the massive walls of the Ravenscourt fortress.

The few people who did venture out instantly threw themselves at the feet of each traveller, begging for even a scrap of coinage. At first, the feeling of annoyance seemed to be their focus, but as more and more started to crawl out of the woodwork like insects, the annoyance started to veer towards pity.

"So this is the jewel of the west?" Loldirr flippantly commented.

Ethelston sighed in response to the comment, he seemed to be reluctant to speak since they ventured through the city, almost taken back by the levels of disrepair that Ravenscourt had fallen under. This was once a great city, now it appeared on the verge of collapse.

Loldirr just shrugged as she continued to look around. It was difficult to take in the levels of poverty that had become ripe within the city. Greenhaven, despite being small and boring, had never come close to this.

She didn't take long to chastised herself, however, when remembering which of the two places still remained.

The sun attempted to push its way through the clouds just as the rain had decided to ease. While the sun didn't appear to bring any life to the greys and browns of the wooden and stone structures, it was a slight relief from the sting of cold precipitation smashing onto their faces.

Ethelston led first through an empty street with dwellings close in proximity. While it looked like every other road they had travelled here, this one felt it was holding a dark presence.

Slowing down the pace, Ethelston seemed on edge the further they shuffled along the wet muddy floor.

"What is it?" Loldirr asked, sensing his apprehension.

"We are being watched." he commented. His voice sounded calm, but there was a hint of turbulence as he finished.

Instinctively Loldirr and Erdudvyl looked around. They couldn't see anyone, but yet this uncomfortable niggling feeling could not be ignored. There were no beggars here, no stray animals, no life, something was out of place.

Reaching behind, the sound of metal sliding along leather echoed as Ethelston released his two swords. The sign of his stance had Erdudvyl on edge.

"What's happening?" she asked.

Ethelston placed his finger on his mouth and whispered to his companions. "I can hear movement up ahead, they are unlikely to be friendly."

Despite not being able to see most of her face through the hood, Ethelston could also sense Erdudvyl's displeasure. "Are any humans friendly?" she said with a hint of bitterness.

Ethelston's smile that appeared on his face was anything but genuine. He didn't take kindly to the insult of his people. "Later we can discuss, in-depth, the various displays of hospitality that humans offer, in the meantime let us concentrate on what's up ahead."

He turned to Loldirr who appeared a little in shock with the potential coming fight. "I need you to cover my back as I'm sure they will try to outflank us."

Looking at her face, Ethelston couldn't tell if it was the drizzle or if Loldirr had a tear in her eye. Her face was wet and distraught and she appeared more pale than usual.

"Hey, what's up?" Ethelston asked.

"Edric, Willis." she mumbled not daring to make eye contact with Ethelston.

"What of them?" replied Ethelston.

She looked at him, her eyes red and wetter than when they looked at him before. "I had their backs, and they both died. Willis, I let him down, I said I would protect him, but I didn't."

Ethelston felt like he wanted to slap some sense into her, it really was not the time for an emotional breakdown. He sighed briefly, realising that would not be the way to deal with the situation. "That was then, this is now. I've trained you, I've sparred with you. You have great ability young Loldirr." he comforted her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Loldirr listened to the words, holding tighter to the bow slung over her shoulder as if her life was depending on it. "You always beat me."

Ethelston chuckled quietly, "Of cause I did, I'm one of the greatest swordsmen to be alive."

"Arrogant too." huffed Erdudvyl.

"Most of the best swordsmen are. Training is half the fight, belief in yourself is the other." he replied to Erdudvyl. Turning to Loldirr he continued, "Believe in yourself, I know you've got my back."

As Ethelston turned and continued walking down the street, Erdudvyl placed her hand on Loldirr's shoulder. "I hate to admit it, but he's right. Whether you feel it or not, you are the Elemental Sorceress, you just have to start believing it."

Nodding, Loldirr handed her bow to Erdudvyl and removed her sword from its sheath. Taking a deep breath she followed Ethelston in preparation for what was to come.

The squelching of mud underneath feet slowed as Ethelston carefully walked into a square where the street, among others, converged.

As expected, they were greeted by six common men of various builds with various different weapons. Their postures seemed to display a sense of confidence among them. This wasn't their first mugging.

"Here we are lads, it appears we have some lost souls. Perhaps for the right price, we could help them along their way." the ringleader looked fierce as he showed a toothless grin towards the adventurers. His build was stocky and a scar down his right cheek showed menace, his faded brown leather armour promised a fighter was sat within it.

Studying each of them quickly, Ethelston lowered his swords, but his stance suggested he was still ready for a fight. His arrogant smile seemed to fill his face as he responded. "Definitely not lost, perhaps you should step aside. I believe it would be your best cause of action."

The ring leader laughed and wiped away drops of water slipping down his bald head. He turned towards his fellow cronies and smiled "Looks like we have a live one 'ere lads." once again he faced Ethelston, making sure he studied Loldirr and Erdudvyl at the same time. "This 'ere is land that belongs to the Black Knife Syndicate, and anyone who sets foot on this 'ere land has to pay a protection fee. You look like you could spare a few coins, drop your goods and you can be safely on your way."

The rogues started to separate, looking for an opportunity to fan out around Ethelston.

As Loldirr looked around to see if anyone was planning to attack from behind, she noticed two fully armed guards heading in their direction. They seemed in deep discussion but it would not be long before they descended on the heated exchange.

She smiled, knowing that this situation would not need to get out of hand. It was when they looked up towards her and the unfolding events, almost instantly, they turned and walked briskly away in the opposite direction.

Part of Loldirr hoped that they were just planning on getting reinforcements, but realistically, she knew they were not coming back. They were on their own, and things were about to escalate further.

"I suggest you overlook your protection fee on this occasion." goaded Ethelston "I am the Manticore Hunter, you would be no match for me!"

The ring leader smiled and seemed to relish the challenge. "We have us a celebrity 'ere boys, a genuine one. I've heard of you Hunter, but you're no match for me, the Reaper. Get him boys."

As if they were desperate to hear the words, the rogues launched themselves at Ethelston.

Raising his swords high, Ethelston parried the first attack from an axe-wielding rogue, while skillfully manoeuvring his body to miss a knife that was being slashed at his torso. Using the momentum of the parry, he pushed his left hand away, exposing his enemy's body. His right hand, slashed down with fury, spraying blood ferociously from the rogue's chest along his knife-wielding partner.

The knife-wielder attempted to peddle backwards to avoid the artistic swings of the experienced Ethelston, but with the mud being thick, his balance was lost leaving him exposed to the right arm of Ethelston's precision.

In mere seconds, the rogues had already lost two of their own.

Trying to gain a distance advantage, two more rogues had been clamouring atop of a couple of building, crossbows at ready. Aimed directly at Ethelston, they failed to pay attention to the bow and arrow pointed at them from the ever prepared Erdudvyl. Almost effortlessly, she released the first arrow, hitting the target, before taking another from Loldirr's quiver and eliminating the second before a single bolt could be released.

With the odds now being three on three, Ethelston smiled enthusiastically towards Reaper, knowing that the fight was very much in his favour.

Reaper looked on nervously but nodded towards the two additional rogues that had tried to come from behind only to be greeted by Loldirr's sword.

Instinctively she separated her legs to make sure her stance was solid on the uneven slippery ground. Raising her sword to her right side, she pointed it forward towards the enemy.

Any anxiety she suffered before had since passed. Loldirr had trained for this, she hoped she was ready. Hope, she realised was silly to contemplate, she had to be ready, because her life, plus the others depended on it.

The first rogue propelled himself forward. With exceptional footwork, Loldirr span around making sure the rogue missed convincingly. Using her momentum, and the solid footing she had established, her sword flashed around connecting cleanly through his back, slicing him expertly as he fell to the floor.

Relief filled her as the splat from his landing echoed through the square, but that brief moment had removed her concentration from the second man who knocked her hard to the ground with a club.

Initially, she struggled to see, wiping the mud from her eyes. As her vision returned, she spotted the rogue facing her and preparing for a second strike. Thinking quickly, she grabbed hold of a glob of mud and launched it at his face. As he shielded himself from the splatter of dirt, it gave Loldirr enough time to grab hold of her sword and pierce it through his stomach. Twisting it to ensure the target was incapacitated, she quickly rolled away so he didn't fall on her.

She sighed in solace. The fight was over ever so quickly, but time had felt like it had slowed down. Her hands and body were shaking but she was alive and in one piece.

Wiping her forehead, frustration boiled over at the dark brown mud caked on her face. Looking up at the outstretched hand of Ethelston, Loldirr welcomed it warmly and took hold of it.

Pulling Loldirr to her feet, Ethelston smiled "Well done little dove. You dealt with them admirably."

A small scowl etched onto her face. "Dove?" she huffed "Anyway, where are the others."

"Ethelston dealt with two. That Reaper fellow is making a run for it." advised Erdudvyl.

Wiping her muddy hands on what little clean clothing she could find, she watched as the Reaper was doing what he could to run away. She took hold of her bow from Erdudvyl before carefully resting an arrow on her left hand.

Drawing it back, she took a deep breath.

"He must be two hundred yards away by now, difficult shot. Don't kill him though, it would be good to get some answers." commented Ethelston.

Focusing on her target, Loldirr's eyes did not stray as she responded. "Only one twenty-five yards, and don't worry, I won't kill him."

The thum of the bowstring felt peaceful, despite the anger of the arrow being released from it. As the string returned to its original size, all eyes were on the arrow as it quickly disappeared into the brightening sky.

For over a second they watched as the Reaper continued to run away from them, weaving between carts and stalls. With the sound of the mud squelching from his feet becoming fainter, it appeared the opportunity was lost.

Then suddenly he tumbled down, clutching at his right leg. His screams could be heard clearly throughout the streets, leaving Loldirr with a huge grin plastered on her muddied face. "Told you I wouldn't kill him."

As Loldirr took the lead in closing down their wounded prey, Erdudvyl took a look around at the dead and mortally wounded rogues.

As if encouraged by the carnage, Erdudvyl watched as the scared locals started appearing from their huts and barns. She could sense a scepticism about the three adventurers that had arrived. The looks, though, held something else behind them, something that seemed to be lacking since they first arrived in Ravenscourt.

Hope.