Trial of Life

Leeroy had to double up on everything! Another crib, twice the diapers, more sets of baby clothing.... he got Kebia's and Tabaar's help in purchasing the needed supplies then hired a wagon to haul them home. "If I had room I'd buy a goat too," he remarked. "Treissae has to feed them almost constantly." "Make sure she has plenty to eat and drink, and rests as much as she needs," instructed the Elder Mystic. "I don't want ye two to have to bottle feed them; mother's milk is the best food they can get." The Inquisitor nodded agreement.
That night Treissae finally got a respite from nursing, and fell into an exhausted sleep. Leeroy was tired himself, and when he caught sight of himself in a mirror he winced at the dark circles under his eyes. He needed to get some sleep himself; tomorrow was the ceremony and he needed to be alert for that. He stripped to his shorts, climbed into the bed and gently caressed the Wood Elf's cheek. Leeroy made himself a vow then and there, that his family was his life, and he would protect and raise the children to the best of his ability.
A little while later he was awakened by a fussing sound from the boy's crib. Leeroy stumbled out of bed and padded over to see. Ah, a diaper needed a change. He hadn't done any yet but now was the time to learn. There was a pail with a lid nearby, where soiled diapers went, so far so good. He set the baby down on a fresh cloth and pinned the diaper on. It wasn't as snug as he'd wanted it, but it would hold for now. Leeroy checked on the girl baby and saw she was awake although she wasn't fussy. The little chubby arms and legs waved about as the newborn looked at her father, and the young Halasian couldn't help but smile. Then the baby smiled back and Leeroy knew that he only thought he loved his children as much as he could: he fell even deeper in love with them at that moment. He had an awesome responsibility now and he knew this was what his life was all about.
The boy baby was a bit restless too; he started to fuss a bit so Leeroy picked him up and carried him to a chair. He held the baby cradled in one arm, resting the boy against his chest. The Northman relaxed and leaned back slightly, almost dozing. He came alert with a start; the child was hungry...and was trying to suckle! He laughed softly and carried the baby into the bedroom and carefully set him beside his mother, manuvering him to where he could nurse. Leeroy waited patiently for the child to get his fill. He kept having to stifle a chuckle as he watched. When that baby was done nursing, and it didn't take very long, the Inquisitor took the boy back to his crib and brought the girl to nurse off the other side. Treissae barely roused enough to notice. When the little girl was finally through with her midnight feed, the Inquisitor put her back to bed and crawled back into his own bed and was asleep almost before his head hit the pillow.
The assembly hall was nearly full as morning sunlight slanted through tall windows, illuminating dust motes and the expectant crowd. The Elder Mystic walked up to the podium and tapped the floor with his ceremonial spear for silence. "I welcome ye to this meeting of Clan Hammersmite. Today we announce and present the newest addition to our family. Leeroy, please take the stage." The young Inquisitor stood up from beside his wife, and walked up to the podium, carrying a sizable bundle wrapped in fur. He turned toward the waiting faces and nodded to Tabaar, who stepped aside and took a seat in the front row.
"I thank ye all for coming here today. I am proudly presenting my firstborn today," Leeroy announced as he unwrapped the bundle to reveal both babies, "and there are two!" The audience clapped and cheered and murmured. After they had quieted down, Leeroy continued. "As ye know, today they receive their names and are formally declared Clan members. Treissae and I have decided to honor the memory of those who gave me life." Tabaar's eyes got big as he realized where Leeroy was leading with this. "Clan Hammersmite, I present in order of birth, Leeanora and Roynald!"
Cheers, foot stomping, clapping and whistles rang out in the hall, and Leeroy knelt down with his children in front of Tabaar. "I finally got ye back for the surprise adoption," he laughed as Tabaar tried vainly to regain his composure. "Ye're a worse rogue than Reesling there," Tabaar gestured toward the laughing bard as he finally got control of himself. "I never expected ye to name them for my sister and her husband." "How could I do else," Leeroy remarked, "I have just fully realized what being a parent is all about, and I hope they are watching me and approve," he added as a tear trickled down his right cheek. Tabaar leaned forward and patted his nephew on the shoulder. "I'm sure they would."

A couple of months later, Tabaar started having strange dreams: he saw an icy landscape and yet it definitely wasn't Everfrost. Shadowy figures moved in the corner of his vision; when he turned to look they weren't there. A tall figure held up a sword and pointed it his way, causing him to collapse as the scene changed into a thriving village full of Halasians and strange blue Dwarves. He awoke and to his frustration the details disappeared leaving him with only an impression. One day he broached the subject to his best friend. "Reesling, I've been having strange dreams." "Ye too? Are they of a snowy place with a town? Blue Dwarves? Mithaniel Marr?" The Elder Mystic was astounded. "Aye! But ye're having the same dreams? How can that be?" "Also," the blind Dirge remarked, "Warlaa has had these types of dreams too. Perhaps it's a sign?"
Leeroy woke up and tried to remember a dream; it was cold there and surrounded by the sea and was so familiar but yet not anywhere he'd ever been. He checked the twins and for once they were still asleep; so was Treissae. Good; she was so in need of sleep all the time. He quietly dressed and made the short trip over to Tabaar's house. He had some questions about the babies' development, and while he was there he'd mention the dream and see what the shaman said.
"Really! Ye're in good company, son, seems every Halasian in town is having these dreams. Me, Reesling, Warlaa, now you, and I've had a steady stream of folks at my door asking if their dreams are a sign." Tabaar sat back and rubbed his forehead. "Just yesterday Tyndall was over here wondering if I could come give a talk at the guard hall about this happening. I'll tell ye what. Keep a scroll or paper by yer bed, and something to write with. As soon as ye wake, pick up the paper and jot down yer impressions. Don't get up to do it."
Even with various sources bringing the Elder Mystic their dream information, Tabaar was not sure if he could point to what he so very much wanted to hope this was. He had been born the very night the moon Luclin had exploded, raining down its destruction upon the doomed city of Halas in the weeks following. His family as many Halasians had been in the Human cities for a generation or two, but their hearts were in their home city, and when that was destroyed it affected them profoundly. He thought about what Leeroy had reported from his encounter with Mithaniel Marr. Could the demigod have found them a new home? That would be something indeed. He sighed and stood up to stretch, feeling the stiffness in his joints. No, not getting any younger, he mused.
About a week later a ship came into port with news pennants flying. The Halasians on board bolted from the deck as soon as they docked, shouting for clan leaders to hold an emergency meeting. Someone sent a runner around and soon the hall was packed. Tabaar made sure all Hammersmite clan, and any Icereaver, were seated near him. Icereaver's elder, a guardian named Elsfade, took her seat of honor by Tabaar. "Hear ye!" shouted a clan leader. "This meeting is called to order due to incredible news from the crew of the ship Far Wanderer. They have found a place that is prepared and blessed by Mithaniel Marr himself, for Halasians!" The uproar in the meeting hall went on and on. "It is inhabited already," called out a crewmember. "There are Coldain there!" "Coldain! The Dwarves from Velious?" "Where is this place?" "What is it like?" "We must go there as soon as possible!" "A home at last!" Finally the clans calmed down and considered what had transpired. "We have to send ships back," Tabaar remarked to the room at large. "Each clan will send representatives. We must not offend the Coldain, even if they are amenable to ---- what and where is the place, anyhow?" "It's a floating iceberg thing, it's huge, northwest of Zek and southwest of Everfrost," a crewmember put in. "Thank ye. Anyhow we must not abuse the hospitality of the Dwarves that already inhabit the place," the Elder Mystic continued. "And I must say this: it's a dream come true."

The arrangements would take weeks to carry out; meanwhile, small schooners and assorted watercraft carried the curious and the foolhardy northward into the rough seas toward the newly-discovered floating island. "The Coldain say they really didn't have a name for it, but that Mithaniel Marr proclaimed it 'Erollis' in his sister's memory," a sailor had said that day. Tabaar and the other clan Elders consulted, considered, bought provisions, gifts, building materials, all the necessary items for a colony to be founded. "New Halas will be built in the spirit and memory of our original city," the shaman remarked, "but we also have to consider the enemies and wild beasts in the area. There are orcs, bears, many perils awaiting us. And when colonists start to arrive, some of our forces need to establish camps to protect and acclimatize them to the conditions."
A man stood up from near the back of the hall and walked forward. "I have a question. How will New Halas be aligned?" He frowned and continued, "I have a couple of distant relatives who live in Freeport, and I'm sure they'll want to visit the place at least, if the Overlord lets anyone go there." Tabaar nodded. "A good question. The Coldain being Dwarves, they'll be very interested in Qeynos and Kelethin as allies, but as Northmen we are neutral in that respect. I wouldn't want to see any harm come to any Halasians who would visit the new city, so I'm hoping the Coldain will agree to an open city, aligned with us, but not hostile to others." A clamor of voices arose, prompting the meeting leader to bang the floor with his staff to get the room's attention. "Order! Quiet! .......... Now, I believe Elder Hammersmite has the right of it. We cannot deny our people access, no matter where they live. But they will not be able to transact business in the city, nor build homes there, unless they first take an oath of loyalty to Qeynos. Fair enough?"
Meanwhile at the castle, things were in an uproar. "Are you sure? The tower is toppled and he's missing?" "Yes, Your Majesty, there are many independent reports. The factions have divided up territories and there are refugees streaming out toward various places." Queen Antonia Bayle paced back and forth. "Does this have anything to do with this new place the Barbarians are so excited about?" Murrar Shar shook his head and twitched his ears. "I don't think so. Some of the accounts mention arcane powers and signs of Erudite magic." "Could it be those Ulteran mages up in Paineel or even Erudin are up to something? Maybe the Overlord has something they want......hmm.........." the queen turned and came to a decision. "Send out infiltrators, immediately, to Freeport. We need to know what's going on there, and get more intelligence on what has happened, and especially we need to take stock of the factions and who will fill the power vacuum." She sighed and sat down. "The ordinary citizens are going to suffer. Lucan may have been a power hungry despot, but he did keep his thugs in line. Now the various groups will run loose and I fear that not only will they infight, but they'll involve helpless civilians."
The reports filtered in to the castle, as did quite a few refugees, over the next two days. Antonia consulted with her cabinet for hours before coming to what was for many there a surprising decision. "If we find that Lucan d'Lere has been abducted, we may very well have to mount a rescue effort." "What? Save that monster from whoever has him? Why?" "Yes, he deserves whatever he gets!" The Queen stood back up and motioned for silence. "We have to consider the lives of the ordinary people in Freeport. There will be a bloodbath as the factions disrupt all commerce and destroy livelihoods. Civilians will be killed in large numbers for revolting, complaining, and just generally being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Some of these refugees coming through the gate are already telling horrible stories. Qeynos can be a shining example of doing right, not doing for military advantage, if we somehow restore the Overlord to his city. And," she continued through the protests and murmurs, we will weaken his position enough that some day a legitimate challenge to his rule may come along and set Freeport on the right path." She turned to the Guard Captain. "Detri, do you have the list?" "I do, Your Majesty." The man presented her a scroll, sealed with wax bearing the imprint of the Security Force. The Queen nodded acknowledgment, took the scroll, and held it up. "This here is a list of folks who we have been watching closely. Most are from Freeport, and have been quietly making new lives for themselves. Not the new refugees, people who left there before. Some of them may be of use to us. They should know the place better, and we will persuade them to help us."
He was on his way back from visiting Tabaar when he felt he was being followed. Leeroy looked back and saw nothing, but as soon as he rounded a corner he bumped into a drunk who was stumbling into the street. The distraction was momentary but as soon as he started on his way again, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He spun around, surprised, to find three horsemen and two foot soldiers. Behind him, two more blocked his escape. "I think you need to come with us," one of the mounted guards said. "What if I don't wish to?" Leeroy stalled. "Nothing was said about bringing you in good shape," one of them smirked. The young Halasian's shoulders sagged. He really had no choice. "Turn around," one of them ordered, and manacled his hands and feet. Thus hobbled, he was prodded into shuffling toward the gates of North Qeynos.
"Did you find any of them?" the Queen asked Murrar Shar. "Yes indeed, milady, we found a few. Shall we interview them?" "Most definitely. Make sure they are secured when brought to this room. Extra secured, so they are off balance and easily worked with." "As soon as milady and her court are ready, I will begin sending them in. Detri, how about that Barbarian you grabbed this morning?" "I'll have him secured and sent in 10 minutes."
He was confused and more than a little scared. No explanation had been given, just marched to the castle prison and shoved into a cell. He hadn't been roughed up much, only slugged a couple times to get his attention. But what did they want with him? Did they know he was from Freeport? Did they consider him a spy? And would anyone inform his clan, or his wife, or would he just be reported missing? His reverie was interrupted by a set of guards. "All right, time for you to answer some questions," one of them said. "Not here, we have a room set up for the interview." The other guard unlocked the cell as the first one waited, weapon drawn. Leeroy shuffled out into the hall, still in the manacles. The second guard clipped a neck chain on the Inquisitor, then blindfolded him. Leeroy muttered an oath. "Be quiet," one of them retorted and slapped him. "Now follow the pull of the chain." The young Northman had no option but to obey.
"May I present the prisoner?" said the guard beside him. A female voice answered, "Indeed, now which one is this?" "We believe this is a member of clan Hammersmite, one Leeroy by name. Apparently, he is an Inquisitor by trade, and has relatives here. They have been covering for him, but a little money in some hands loosened some tongues." Leeroy gritted his teeth. If he ever found out who had betrayed him to the authorities.......if he lived, they were going to regret their greed. "Sit him down," said the woman. "Now, Leeroy, we may have a job for you. It all depends on you. We need you to help us in Freeport." The cleric stiffened in surprise, but said nothing. "Oh come on, take off his blindfold, let him be a little more at ease," the feminine voice added. One of the guards did so and for a moment the light dazzled the Northman, then he saw who sat across the table from him. "Queen Antonia," he gasped. "What is this all about?"
"I haven't seen him all day, Treissae," Kebia said. "He went to see Tabaar and should have been back hours ago," the Wood Elf said. "I'm worried." "I'll check with the Elder Mystic," the Dwarf offered. She headed to Graystone and found that Tabaar wasn't home. "Maybe working on the expedition," a stranger in the street advised. "Of course, thank you," she replied and headed to the meeting hall. "Tabaar," the Paladin said when she located him, "Where's Leeroy?" "He left my place a few hours ago. Why?" "Treissae says he didn't come home yet. Is he here?" The shaman shook his head. "No, and this isn't like him." He frowned. "Let me ask around and see." Tabaar asked a few favors and requested contacts to let him know if anything was found out. He excused himself from the planning committee and with Kebia waited for word.
"We know that you're from Freeport. We also know that you have not signed an oath of loyalty to Qeynos. You will do that, on pain of death." Leeroy gaped at the monarch. He had thought he'd kept a low profile, not so. "I cannot if it requires me to be mindwiped and retrained as a Templar," he remarked. "Then you will be excecuted immediately," the Kerra advisor intoned. "Are you aware," the Inquisitor said tightly, "that I have a wife and newborn twins? I'm not some sort of monster or spy, I'm a Hammersmite, subject to Clan laws and custom." "Your Barbarian customs mean little beside the security of Qeynos," Murrar Shar snorted. "Will ye at least listen to what I have to say?" Leeroy pleaded. "It can't hurt," the Queen said. "Let him have his say."
"Arrested? The castle? Tabaar groaned with dread. "Just hope he got picked up for something stupid like getting drunk and fighting. Then I'll just be angry with him. But if they know his status, he could be in great peril." The Elder Mystic motioned to Kebia. "Come on, let's head to the castle and find out what is going on."
"Now that's more than the report said, a lot more," Antonia remarked. "And you say the Teir'Dal mindwiped you as a child?" "Aye, and they stole my parents from me, and my birthright, and my very life, until the day I got my memories back," Leeroy ground out. "Ye cannot know what that is like, to find out everything is not as it seemed..." "Yes, yes I can, Northman. I was secretly raised on a remote island, I had no idea I was the royal heir, and when I was suddenly brought here and informed everything I believed about my origins and family was a fabrication, even though designed to protect me, I was VERY upset. Who could I trust? What was real? It took me years to adjust. So I do have some inkling of your experience, privileged though I may be." She got up and came around to Leeroy's side of the table. "Unclip that neck chain and untie his hands," she ordered. "But Your Majesty..." "That was an order, or would you like your new title to be Captain of sewer detail?" "Forgive me, Queen Antonia," the man said and rushed to comply. Leeroy flexed his fingers as the circulation came back. "The Overlord has been apparently abducted," the Queen said.
The Northman's jaw dropped. "Yes, and it's not well-known yet. Suffice it to say the situation's delicate. And we need the talents of Freeport residents to design a scheme to rescue civilians..........and even Lucan himself if we can find his kidnappers." "Where do I come in?" Leeroy wondered. "I haven't told anyone here yet, but I am proclaiming it now. We need you and others like you. Your training is no longer an obstacle, as long as you do not practice necromancy or the related art of defilation." The room went wild. "ENOUGH!" shouted the Queen. "I order it so: Inquisitors, Assassins, Bruisers, and Coercers are to be allowed residency in this city, if they take the oath of loyalty. We must not any longer cripple ourselves with quibbling over minor details." She turned to an aide. "First of all, get him out of that outfit and into some new clothes. Then, we can administer the oath."
Both of them rushed up the steps only to be stopped by a guard. "State your business here," she said, sword drawn. "My nephew was arrested and brought here, and no word was sent out. Why would he be held incommunicado?" the Elder Mystic demanded. "I will find out, sir," the guard replied and her replacement stepped forward as she disappeared into the castle. "What if they've..... no, I can't even think of that," Tabaar gritted, fists knotted with tension. Kebia gave the shaman a worried look. He was probably too close to the truth for comfort. It didn't look good. Soon the guard reappeared. "They are sending him out," she said, holding out a bundle. "Here are his personal effects." Tabaar took the bundle in a daze. Kebia could see the shaman was going into a state of shock, unable to function. There was only one reason she knew of to receive a prisoner's clothing and personal goods. She kept herself under tight control, not willing to believe the worst until she was sure. Tabaar on the other hand clearly was about to break down. Then the castle doors swung open again and out walked.........Leeroy? Yes! It was him! "Tabaar! Kebia! Ye wouldn't believe what happened to me......"

Tabaar dropped the bundle of clothing. "Ye have a way of scaring the life out of me," he said tightly. "I expected to see ye come out in a pine box!" Leeroy stepped forward and put his hands on the older man's shoulders. "That nearly was the case," he answered. "But now I'm a free man, a citizen of this city." He tapped the emblem on his shirt. The Elder Mystic stared in wonder. Leeroy was marked as an oathbound Qeynos cleric......."But ye said ye never would go through becoming a Templar, and ye were warned not to!" The younger man shook his head and smiled. "I didn't. It won't be common knowledge until tomorrow's proclamation, but Queen Antonia has declared Inquisitors, Coercers, Bruisers and Assassins to be allowed to take the oath without retraining. I'm the first of many in a new world, and I'll explain more later. Now, let's get to my house: I'm sure Treissae is worried about me."
She met him at the front door, and he knelt down to embrace the Wood Elf. Up until now Leeroy had simply taken charge, leaving a surprised Tabaar and Kebia following him, but now the young Halasian found himself racked with sobs as the full import of the day's events hit him hard. He had nearly left a widow and orphans! "What's wrong?" Treissae wanted to know. Leeroy held up a hand but was unable to speak. He gasped for air and fought for composure for several minutes. At last he let out a shuddering sigh and stood up. "I'm sorry," he said, "I'll explain everything. Come in, sit down."
"First things first," the Inquisitor murmured and walked over to gaze at his children. "Hello, little ones. I missed ye both..." He leaned down and picked each one up in turn to give them a kiss, and again felt that fierce sense of protectiveness. He would do anything in the world for them, and harm would come to them over his dead body, literally.
The others waited patiently as the young father interacted with the babies, Tabaar showing a half-smile of amused tolerance. The cleric had come a long way from his rough-edged ways, and being a parent seemed to suit him very well. At last the younger Northman came back over to the others and began to recount the day's events.
"Really? I never would have thought they'd ever do that!" Treissae said in amazement. "However, the Queen still forbids necromancy or defilation, and she won't allow the twisted Paladins called Shadowknights, nor the common thugs referred to as Brigands as citizens. But the biggest news is this," Leeroy continued, "Lucan d'Lere is missing and presumed abducted by forces from Odus."
They all began to talk at once, astounded at the news. "It's all I know," the Inquisitor cautioned, "and I don't know if it's to be public knowledge yet." Tabaar snorted. "The grapevine'll carry the news faster than a racehorse," he said. "The whole city will know within a day." "Probably true," Leeroy agreed, "but I think we should be careful what we say, anyhow."
For a guardian of Qeynos, security is paramount. So when they started bringing in persons to question, no one told relatives, and that included the guardian Tyndall. He only found out by a chance remark at shift change. "Yeah, we took in several of those Freeporters been lurking about the place," remarked a Dwarf guard. "Interrogated them, executed a couple..." "Wait a minute, what did ye say? Do ye know anything else? Names?" the Halasian demanded. The Dwarf tugged on his beard in thought. "I saw them drag in a Kerra, and a Barb...sorry, Halasian, soon after. The Halasian was a spy, they said, that some clan called Hammer-something-or-other was hiding." The guardian blanched and only by a massive effort kept from voicing his dismay. Tyndall knew he could be risking his job, but he had to know. "Cover for me," he told another guard, and ran to the castle. "Any news at all," he begged the gate guards. "Well, normally we wouldn't say anything," one of them remarked, "but seeing that you're a fellow guard, I'll see what I can do."
"Ah, here we go," the man remarked as the courier handed him a scroll, "yes, we took in two Barbarian men, one of whom was summarily executed when he refused the oath to Qeynos. The other one took the oath and was freed." Wild-eyed, Tyndall spun away from the surprised guard and ran.
He was distraught and in a torment of shame and despair. He should have somehow known and prevented this! Tyndall ran to his father's house but no one was there. Of course! He'd be with Treissae.........he ran even faster, vowing to himself that he'd do right by Leeroy and support his children for him. When he reached the door, he steeled himself and knocked.
"Well hello there, brother, come in," Leeroy said with a grin. Then his face fell. Tyndall had staggered back a few steps, turning ashen grey. "Ye look like ye've seen a ghost," the Inquisitor remarked with concern. "Ye can't be alive! They said they put to death the Halasian who wouldn't sign an oath and......" Tyndall's voice trailed off. "I'm most certainly still here," Leeroy answered. "I did take the oath." He reached out and tugged the guard over the threshold. "But as I said, come in." Tyndall grabbed him by both arms. "But.........ye swore never to become a Templar, haven't ye broken a vow?" No, and I'll fill ye in." Dazedly the guard found himself sitting listening to a tale that told by anyone else would have prompted him to call the storyteller a liar.
Tyndall's relief and elation at finding his younger cousin safe was profound. "I may have lost my job, though; I abandoned my post." "If you explain the circumstances, they may be lenient," Kebia offered. "I'll try but if they hand me punishment I'll not evade it." "Well, son, ye'll be heading to New Halas soon anyhow. Why not just stay on there and work on the building process? None of us would blame ye for what ye did today." "I guess I could do that, Dad." The Elder Mystic nodded. "Ye'd be an asset to the project. The ship will be ready to sail," he told the room at large, "in a week. Since things have changed around here, I will go along too. And that goes for ye also, Leeroy, if ye like. There's no obstacle now." "Well, I want to but I have to first do what Qeynos wanted me to." "And what's that?" "I have to go to Freeport and get some people out. Hopefully I'll be back in time."

Familiar territory it was, not that he had expected ever to see the place again. He'd quietly walked into Scale Yard that morning, taking note of the changes. There were only three subjects being discussed: the Overlord's disappearance, the factions and their infighting, and the discovery of Erollis/New Halas. Word certainly traveled fast. In East Freeport he cautiously made his way through town, always on the lookout for guards. The normal guards were merely brutal. These new forces vying for control of the city were not only brutal, but sleazy, bored, greedy, and completely without any sense of honor. They were known to slaughter innocent citizens as a game, and Tribunal help any who protested their presence.
The contact was supposed to meet him at the Blood Haze Inn. Leeroy was to sit at the bar reading a scroll, and someone would sit down by him and spill an ale on the scroll. He was to start an argument and demand compensation. The contact would give him money and also hand over a pass to the interrogation center in West Freeport. Well, it worked that way, sort of. He got himself an ale and busied himself perusing the scroll. A red-bearded Human man in his midthirties or so sat down next to him and ordered himself a drink, which he promptly knocked over onto Leeroy. The Halasian jumped up and began to berate him with a rich variety of insults, demanding compensation for the ruined item. The Human tossed a few coins on the bar and walked out the door. Now Leeroy was confused. Where was the pass? Or had that been a coincidence. Well, it would be way too suspicious if he was approached again the same way. So he made his way out the door and into a nearby alley to consider his options.
"About time you showed up," a voice hissed from behind him. Leeroy jumped and spun around. The Human man was flipping a dagger and catching it. "Could've gutted you like a fish," he smirked. The Northman gave him a dirty look. "So ye say. What happened in there? Where's the item?" "Didn't you see the bartender signaling someone behind us? We were being watched." He pointed down. What Leeroy had taken for a mound of garbage in the dim light was really a dead Teir'Dal. "Neriak supporter, I suppose?" "Well, young Barbarian, you're not as dumb as you look. Yes, this was one of them. Don't want to see them in charge. Nasty bunch. Here's the item you wanted." The Human handed Leeroy a metal square about the width of his hand. The Northman recognized it as a security pass. "I'll wait here; you get him out and I'll cover you while you get him out of town."
He showed the pass to the Troll gate guard and was waved through. Familiarity with the layout of the interrogation chambers stood him in good stead, for a newcomer could quickly get lost in the warren of passageways. The room he wanted was called "The Library" for the stacks of books and scrolls, all of them pertaining to Freeport law and the Overlord's edicts. Sure enough, chained to a wall at the back was the hapless prisoner. Leeroy hurried over and the man raised his head. Another Teir'Dal! "You here to help me?" "Aye," replied the Inquisitor, suppressing his distaste for Dark Elves. "Quick, get these chains off me before they return!" Leeroy soon had him freed, and turned to go. "Come on, I'll bluff our way out." "I don't think so," replied the Dark Elf. I've changed my mind. GUARDS! Intruder!" A trap! And he'd fallen for it like a fool. Leeroy ran from the room, barreled right through the arriving forces, and out onto the exercise patio. With the pursuers right on his heels, he took a running leap and caught an overhanging branch, swung up into the tree, dropped over the wall and into the street, and ran off.
He took a roundabout route back to where he'd left the Human Assassin, first making very sure he wasn't being followed. No one was in sight as he casually sauntered into the alleyway. At first he didn't see the Human, then he noticed the body on the ground. It was him, knifed in the back. Leeroy's response, honed by years of experience in the harsh environment of Freeport, was to jump back. This saved his life, as a thrown knife flew through the space he had just occupied. He had always considered the best defense to be a strong offense, and he charged, mace in hand, at the shadowy figure he saw farther down the alley. The attacker turned to run, and Leeroy skidded to a stop to cast his most terrifying spell. A huge skeletal hand burst from the ground underneath the fleeing man and held him fast. His cry of horror was quickly cut short by a lethal blow from the infuriated Inquisitor.
As he clamped down on his killing rage, Leeroy looked quickly around for witnesses or more attackers. None were visible. Only then did he turn back to the fallen Human, searching for signs of life as he did so. He drew out the knife, setting it aside as he closed the wound with a few quick healing bursts. The man looked to be dead, but maybe the Halasian was in time. Leeroy knelt in the dirt by the body, closed his eyes and began to beseech Karana for assistance. Energy grew in the air above him, and he let it build for a few seconds, then he put one hand up, and one hand on the Human's chest. The energy discharged, crackling through Leeroy in series of pulses and into the body. He felt around the Human's throat. Ah, there was a pulse, slow but steady. Now the Human took a breath, then another. In a few minutes, he began to mutter and thrash around. Leeroy pinned the man's arms as he awoke. It was a good thing; the Assassin tried to attack him at first. "Stop, it's me," the Northman hissed. The man's eyes went wide with recognition. "You saved me! Someone stabbed me, I must have passed out and luckily you came along..." "Aye, I came back but ye weren't lying here injured. Ye were lying here dead."
The man stared at the Inquisitor with fear in his eyes. "What are you? Some kind of priest?" "Aye, I am," Leeroy replied. "And I haven't taken yer soul from ye, nor will I exact some sort of penance or service. I did what I'm supposed to." "But...I owe you my life! And I don't even know your name." "I'm Leeroy, of Clan Hammersmite. And yerself?" "Alistair Clearwater. I want to thank you, Leeroy, for what you've done. But....where's the prisoner you were supposed to rescue?" The Northman narrowed his eyes. "Someone set me up. I walked right into a trap and I was incredibly lucky to get away with my life." "It wasn't me!" Alistair protested. "I know. But we can't stay here. Ye're coming with me; yer life is forfeit anyhow."

Once they were well out into the Commonlands, Leeroy stopped and turned to Alistair. "All right. Don't think we're safe just yet. Dropping yer guard out here is a bad idea. Speaking of bad ideas, it would be one to mislead me in any way. So I'll ask ye this just once: are ye willing to come along with me to Qeynos? I'll make sure ye get a hearing and the opportunity to take the oath of loyalty. If not, if ye plan to run back to Freeport the moment I let down my guard, say so now." The Assassin gulped and nodded. "I'll come with you. I have a confession to make." "And that is?" "I am from Qeynos. I listened to some stupid Gnome tell me how great life was in Freeport and I believed him. By the time I realized my mistake, it was too late." "It's never too late," the Northman advised. "But what if I'd said I was going back to Freeport: what would you have done?" "I couldn't let that happen," Leeroy answered. "I'd have knocked ye out and carried ye if ye tried once, second time ye'd be filling a shallow grave." He shook his head at the thought. "Please don't force me to resort to that."
They traveled the rest of the day, reaching the Nektulos Forest dock that evening. Leeroy bought passage to Antonica from the dockmaster. "We sail in an hour," he was told. "Might as well board," he told the Human, and found himself a comfortable spot to sit by some cargo boxes. He leaned back and closed his eyes a moment. Next thing he knew, the movement of the ship getting underway woke him up. "By Mithaniel's beard," Leeroy said, disgusted with himself. Then he remembered the Assassin and looked around. He was gone. The Halasian swore in frustration and ran to the side. Land wasn't far away; he could jump overboard and swim back.....before his recent incident with being lost at sea, he would have, but now he hesitated. Just then Alistair called out, "Ah, there you are. I went and got us something to drink...what's wrong?" "Don't scare me like that! Ye should have told me where ye were; I thought ye'd given me the slip." "I'm sorry but you were asleep and I didn't want to wake you; you looked so tired."
By the time the sun came up, Antonica was in sight, with the spires of the castle visible in the distance. "How do you know they'll give me a chance? I mean, I betrayed Qeynos, turned my back on my family, everything." "Well, yer family will be yer biggest challenge. As for being reinstated as a citizen of Qeynos, that won't be nearly as hard. I should know. I was born there but grew up in Freeport." Leeroy shrugged. "It's a long story, but I was trained as an Inquisitor." "Oh, so you came here and they made you a Templar?" "Nay, I came here and hid out for a long time; I didn't know I was being watched. The other day they arrested me and demanded I take the oath. I told them I had been warned never to become a Templar." Alistair gave Leeroy a strange look. "Then how in the world did you get out?" "I expected them to take me to the execution chamber, but the Queen herself intervened, saying that they needed people like me, and that - what was it she said? - yes, 'quibbling over minor details' was crippling the security of Qeynos. So instead of being sent out in a coffin to my family, I was oathbound and released on my own recognizance." The Human frowned. "I don't get it." "It means I'm still an Inquisitor, a Qeynos Inquisitor. And she removed all restrictions against not only Inquisitors, but also Coercers, Bruisers, and Assassins."
"Now, ye've got to trust me. I can't get ye to the castle in one piece unless ye are perceived as no threat. That means I have to tie ye up and walk ye there as a prisoner." Leeroy sighed and continued, "And they are quite suspicious of 2-person 'prisoner walks', so I'll have to make it look good. In advance I'm going to ask yer forgiveness for what I'm about to do." The Human frowned in confusion then comprehension dawned. He shrank back but Leeroy already had swung his hand. The Halasian pulled his punches but still gave Alistair a thorough beating, bruising but not breaking anything. While the man was still dazed, Leeroy spun him around and tied his hands, gagged him, then shoved him forward toward the main gates.
"Prisoner for interrogation," he informed the guards. They swung the gate open and he prodded the now-terrified Assassin through and to the castle steps. "Leeroy reporting in with a Freeport prisoner for interrogation," he said. "In three halls to the left," said the security guard. "Wait there." He shoved Alistair into a chair and removed the gag. "Now, I'm going to untie yer hands. Hold still." "This was all a setup, wasn't it?" the Human yelled. "You're really with Qeynos security and getting revenge on traitors! Well, I won't go down easily!" he screamed and took a wild swing at Leeroy, splitting his lip open. The Halasian staggered back a step and put his hand to his mouth, raising his eyebrows. "I won't say I didn't deserve that. And no, I'm not a Security member. Sit back down," he intoned, again shoving the Assassin into the chair. "Don't ye understand what a chance I took bringing ye here? What if ye had been working for Freeport? I had to be sure ye were the genuine article. Now, hate me if ye like, but show some cooperation." He leaned down close to the Assassin. "Alistair, I said I had to do this to ye. Don't think for a moment that I liked it one bit. No matter what city ye live in, there will be things that leave a bad taste in yer mouth, even when necessary. Now, wait here." Leeroy left and bolted the door, returning soon with a small contingent of castle staff.
"This is Alistair Clearwater, lately of Freeport," he informed them, gesturing toward the Human. "He was caught in the middle of a bad situation when I had a rescue operation compromised. I need to report in; Alistair, tell them everything ye know, all ye remember." The Halasian left the room and the staff members sat down at the table opposite the Assassin. "Human Alistair, I'm Lothira Havensroth," said a Half-Elf woman. "What happened from the time you met Leeroy until now?" Alistair told them all he knew. He went on at length detailing his experiences. When he came to how Leeroy had found him stabbed and facedown in the alley, they were fascinated. "Really? He said he found you dead and managed to revive you? That's not a common gift, not on his part, nor to yourself." "I know. I still don't know why he bothered; he could have just kept going." "I'd say he thought you were worth saving, and I agree. Not only can we use your talents, Human, but it will be good having you back in Qeynos." After he'd finished his account of the past day, they left the room right away. The Northman returned a couple minutes later and sat down at the table. The Assassin wouldn't meet his gaze. "Look at me, Alistair." He did then and frowned in surprise. The Northman's eyes were red-rimmed. "I told them I wouldn't do this for them again," Leeroy grated. "Never again. I felt like I lost a piece of my soul when I had to beat ye. Not just from hitting ye, from making ye hate and fear me." A tear trickled down his face. "There's nothing that shreds my soul like behaving in any way like the wretched Teir'Dal who destroyed my family, enslaved me, and stole my life from me. So again I'll ask yer forgiveness, but if ye don't give it, I'll never bother ye again."
Alistair had not known what torment the Halasian was going through, had gone through. He remembered the look on Leeroy's face when he'd announced he had to hurt him; he had looked twenty years older than he was. "Of course I forgive you. I owe you my life, after all.......yes! Why didn't I think about that?" The Assassin wore a rueful look. "You didn't go to all that trouble just to throw me to the wolves." "Nay, I didn't. And thank ye for understanding. Now I owe ye something. I'll help ye get reoriented and all that. They'll be bringing ye papers to sign and give ye the oath. I have to go home and be with my wife and children, but ye can find me in South Qeynos right across from the Mage Tower, second house on the right."

Treissae had been corresponding with her parents back in Kelethin; she told them of the events and asked their advice. Her mother pointed out that the children would benefit from being raised in an environment where they were accepted and would thrive. 'Here in Kelethin I'm afraid the fact of their being half-Elven would become an issue. In Qeynos, hard to say. From what you tell me, the Halasians are treating the discovery of Erollis as the biggest event since the Shattering. Why not go there and make it your home?' Of course, Leeroy would be more than willing to move to New Halas, that went without saying. But he wouldn't if it meant separating the family. It would be an adjustment for her, but it would also be new and exciting. And it could be exactly what the twins needed.
He walked in the door and she rushed to his willing embrace. "What's wrong with your lip?" she asked after a moment, concerned. "Nothing much; I got in the way of a fist. I deserved it, so..." "What do you mean?" "Well, I'll have to tell ye from the start." Leeroy did so, walking around the room, watching the babies, pacing back and forth, caressing Treissae, reassuring her that he was through working for Qeynos. "I'd love to move away from here to not feel pressured. But I'm sure ye don't want to live in the ice and snow." "You might be surprised. I've been asking my parents what they think, and they say that your people are about to be restored to their former greatness, and that I should be there, and our children." Leeroy stopped pacing and swung around. "Really? I'd think they wanted ye to be in Kelethin." "No, they say our babies would be snubbed there for being half-Elven." "And ye think it won't happen in New Halas? We True Men aren't perfect." "No, but there's more of a future there, and I know that you want to go there, that it's a part of your identity." The Inquisitor nodded. "I'd be lying if I said it wasn't what I wanted more than anything else, with the exception of my family. Are ye sure ye want to do this? It'll be a big change." "Yes, I want to see the rebirth of the Halasian culture, your traditions and customs, and I want our children to experience that."
Tap tap tap. Leeroy groaned and turned over in bed. What was that noise? "Someone's at the door," Treissae said, shaking his arm. He sat up and reached for some clothing. "On my way," he called out as he hurriedly dressed. He stumbled to the door and pulled it open. "Alistair! Come in." The Human did so and squinted at Leeroy. "You look like I got you out of bed," he commented. "That because ye did." "At this time of day? Oh," Alistair replied as Leeroy turned red. "I can come back later, I'm sorry..." "Nay, I was asleep and needed to get up anyhow." Treissae walked into the room, dressed in a mage's robes. "Alistair, this is my wife Treissae. Love, this is the man I rescued from Freeport." The Human bowed. "Pleased to meet you. Your husband is an interesting man," he said. "Did he tell you he saved my life?" "Well, no..." "Of course you'd leave that out, Leeroy. He found me with a knife in my back and somehow revived me." "I only did what I had to," Leeroy protested. "No, you could have left my corpse lying there. I owe you a life, and maybe someday I can repay the debt."
By the time they got to Graystone Yard it was midafternoon. "Ah, I see someone I know," Leeroy pointed. "That's Reesling, my uncle's best friend. I want to talk to him." Alistair followed the Inquisitor as he hurried to catch up. "Reesling, hello, where are ye heading?" The older Halasian spun around and retorted, "How in the world am I supposed to know, Leeroy?" The Inquisitor literally fell down laughing. Alistair was confused then he saw the older Northman carried a cane, and hadn't taken any notice of the Human. Leeroy got up, still chuckling. "Ye got me that time, Reesling. Tabaar's right, ye should have been a rogue." "Nay, it's hard enough being a blind bard. I'm not expected to use my swords for much. Imagine me trying to find an enemy's back!" Alistair cleared his throat. "Sorry, I need to introduce Alistair, Human lately of Freeport, now a resident Assassin of Qeynos. "What? And next I'll expect ye to tell me ye're a Qeynos Inquisitor." "That's right. I walk freely now about the streets." Reesling frowned and pursed his lips. "Well, ye'll need to give me the details," he said. "I'll do that at Tabaar's house. We'll have everyone go there." "Can ye leave a note for me at my house so Warlaa knows where we went? She's out with the Warden, getting supplies for the voyage." "Of course."
"Ye know, the Warden's been a great help to us. Smallish Human but fairly strong; he downed and brought a deer back yesterday. Dressed it out and carried it a quarter mile." Reesling swung his cane in a arc as he walked at a quick pace. "So, Leeroy, are ye going on the first ship?" "Aye, I'll have Tabaar make sure there's room for my family." "Excellent! We're all looking forward to it," the Dirge said without a hint of irony. Leeroy stopped and knocked on a door. "Leeroy!" said another older Halasian, this one with a braided beard. "Tabaar, let me introduce Alistair. He's the one I brought back from Freeport." "Hello young man, I'm the Elder Mystic. Come in, all of ye. What can I do for ye?" Leeroy explained at length and Tabaar nodded. "I'll get the word out." It took a while but folks filtered in until the house was crammed with people. While this was going on, Leeroy told Tabaar that he'd be going to New Halas. "Just what I was hoping. Did Treissae take much convincing?" "Nay, she told me her parents were for the idea." "Good. Now let's hope it all goes smoothly. Reesling, how about some entertainment if ye would?"
Alistair hadn't heard a Northman sing before; he had no idea they even did. But this one did and well; he had a sweet baritone voice and was an expert at stringed instruments. He sang dirges and ballads, even a love song, until everyone forgot the passage of time and just stopped to listen. It was enough to transport them all to a different world as Reesling sang the ancient Halasian songs of valor and battle, and it was disappointing for many of them when he finally was through. Cheers rang out; Reesling enjoyed the accolades as always. "Attention," Tabaar shouted over the din. "I need ye to listen to some important news. Leeroy, will ye take the floor?" The Inquisitor did so, detailing all the pertinent facts. "Amazing!" "Are we sure of this?" "The Queen, no less!" "Lucan, kidnapped?" The murmur of the assembly got to be a bit much, and Tabaar rapped his staff on the floor to get their attention. "It'll be announced tomorrow," Leeroy continued. "It's a different world now. And we of the True Men are going to refound our heritage in a new home." "Anyone who wishes to go, may," said Tabaar. "We won't restrict on basis of race. I've even had a few of the Frogloks join." "Aren't they going to find it too cold?" "It's their choice. They are after all children of Mithaniel Marr, as we are children of Erollisi Marr. It would be important to them too."
"Alistair, this is my wife Warlaa," said Reesling, introducing a Halasian woman. Alistair bowed. "So where's the Warden," the Dirge asked. "Oh, I sent him over to our house to drop off the rest of the supplies. He should be on his way back." "Good; Chen's a great help. I still remember how I met him, and how scared he was of me." Reesling smiled. "I'd not be a Dirge if it weren't for him." "Ah, there he is now," Warlaa said and pointed. In came a Human man, young and with a dark brown goatee. "Chen! Over here!" Alistair blinked and looked again. With the beard, and grown up, he wasn't sure until the young man smiled and walked over to them. "Chennault! Is it really you?" Startled, the younger Human looked up at him. "Who are......Alistair! Brother!" The two men hugged each other and laughed and tried both to talk at once. "We thought you were gone forever!" "I barely recognized you with that beard!" "This calls for a celebration," Tabaar announced from behind them. "Let's all head to the tavern."

Preparations had been proceeding a feverish pace for days; at last, the flotilla was ready to sail. Leeroy and Treissae had worked hard getting their essential goods all packed up; Jimbob and Kebia would watch the house for them until they came back to move the remaining items and sell the place. "What will happen when we get there?" Treissae wondered. "Well, it depends on what ye mean. If ye mean the reception we receive from the Coldain, that will depend on how we comport ourselves. If ye mean what will we find there, I expect dangers of all sorts. Wild animals, orcs, ice floes, crevasses, avalanches, deep and treacherous waters. It won't be easy but if we make a home for ourselves there we will have something we have been missing: pride of place." Leeroy sighed. "Ye elves should have an inkling of what it is to be a homeless, wandering people. And we have been before; remember stories of the War of the Fay? Halas was taken by the orcs back then; we lived as savages in the snow or took refuge in the Human cities for a hundred years, until we built our numbers up to retake our ancestral home. Do ye know that we were decimated in numbers? Some clans are only counted in the afterlife now. They will be remembered. We are the people of Halas."
The ships were packed with supplies, building materials, and passengers. "When we run up the wolf standard, the other ships will put up their sails as we do, and we will embark," the captain announced. "We will be leaving port in 10 minutes." Tie ropes were loosened and cast aside, sailors manned their stations, and passengers cleared the deck. "We can come back up topside when the skipper says," Tabaar told the assembly. "As for now, he and the other captains are in charge, until we dock at Erollis." "How do we know there's a place, a harbor?" someone asked "Good question. There's a rude dock that the Coldain built up for their small ships; hopefully there'll be enough draft for these ships to not hit bottom. If not, we all have a couple of skiffs each." "Where will we live until we build real homes?" "Well, hopefully ye can stand to live in a tent. Building shelters will be the first priority in New Halas. Outside the town, just establishing ourselves will be the challenge. And never forget, the Coldain are already here. Treat them with respect."
It took a few days to get to their destination; luckily, the weather held. "Been praying to Karana for good sailing," Leeroy remarked. "I think he listened." Tabaar nodded gravely. He already had his hands full with the usual shipboard assorted minor injuries and one broken ankle, sustained by a sailor missing his footing while descending from the crow's nest. "Do we have everything ready for the ceremony?" he asked. "Aye, it's all set to be first off. Where will we hold it?" "Well, I'd like to hold it in New Halas itself. It'll be a good omen if it goes well." Tabaar looked at his adopted son. "Also, I hope that we gain Mithaniel Marr's favor; this is a great and merciful thing he does for the children of Erollisi. Oh, by the way, we need to make sure that the non-Halasians are apprised of the ceremony."
The docking area came into sight in late morning. "All right, please don't crowd the deckhands," the captain shouted as they reefed sail. The following ships did the same as they drew near. "We have the honor of first landing," Tabaar addressed the passengers. "Of course, other boats have been nosing around here but this is official." "Sounding 15 fathoms.......12......11...." "If it hits 8 we have to stop." "10 fathoms...... steady!" Now Dwarves came running down the dock from wherever they'd been hiding, and stood waiting for lines to be thrown. "All right, make fast," called the captain, and the lines were tossed to waiting hands. The other ships hove to and waited just offshore. "All right, let's get started," Tabaar told the others. "Leeroy, ye get the honor of first to step ashore. Ye know the reason." The Inquisitor nodded. He'd argued the point with Tabaar and gotten firmly put in his place. He knew that he had to obey his Clan Elder; that was all there was to it. "Hold my son for me," he requested and placed Roynald in Tabaar's arms, then without further comment he walked down the plank to the waiting Dwarves.
"I am Leeroy of Clan Hammersmite," he announced. "The children of Erollisi wish to ask the permission of the children of Brell to land here and make homes in this place." He knelt and waited. A Coldain elder moved forward and looked him over closely. "I am Ragnir Orebreaker. We have been waiting for you. Mithaniel Marr appeared to us and told us we were to welcome you and that he would bless this place, and together we would thrive." The Dwarf produced a small knife. "Hold out your hand." Leeroy did so, and the Dwarf placed the knife in his hand, then laid his own hand over it. "This is a most sacred knife. It is the symbol of renewed ties, of a reclaimed people, of a future we can share." He drew the knife out, turning it as he did so, leaving a shallow cut on both their hands. "We are bound in blood and honor to help each other. Welcome to your new home, New Halas." Ragnir grinned then, a startling thing on an aged Dwarf. "Tell them to come onshore!"

The boats had unloaded their passengers and the procession wound its way up the steep path to the town set on the heights. Everyone carried what they could; there would still be many trips back and forth to be made. But this was the first, and they made the most of it. Reesling carried a heavy pack and his cane but kept the other hand free to be helped over uneven ground. He started singing a song that seemed to lighten everyone's feet as they climbed. Others joined in and the Dwarves nodded approvingly as they led the way. At last they passed through the arched entry and the town of New Halas lay spread out before them. The Shrine of Erollisi was in the center, with buildings scattered around. There was plenty of room for more. Tabaar and the other elders walked forward and faced the assembled crowd. "Today the sons and daughters of the North have a new beginning. We cannot have our ancestral city back but it lives in our hearts, and this will be its heir and our shining new city. All hail New Halas!"
Everyone got busy, and the enormous strength and stamina of both Northmen and Dwarves did much to hasten the process. Treissae watched in fascination as Leeroy and Tyndall carried between them entire logs and heaved them up into place as high as they could reach as the new building rose. Rocks were used, logs, wood panels and beams, and of course furs, fleeces, and woolen blankets. And it was cold here! She was glad Leeroy had packed all the warm clothing he had; not that he was using any right now. But she sure would have been chilly, and the babies were bundled well against the icy breeze. Warlaa was busy sending out hunting parties and cooking the game they brought back. Tabaar was directing the building of the healer lodge; it had to be just so, apparently. And Reesling entertained with his songs and stories; quite a few children had come along. All in all, it was already taking shape. Not just the town, but the culture's resurgence, the alliance with the Coldain, the future of the Halasians themselves. No, the Wood Elf wouldn't have missed this for the world.
As soon as the roof beam was placed on the healer lodge, Tabaar called a halt to the proceedings. "Everyone! Now that the sacred lodge is in place, it must be dedicated without delay." Warlaa placed a pot on the fire, added water, and a mixture of herbs and other things that Tabaar gave her. The Elder Mystic went into a small building and emerged a few minutes later wearing his bear hat, and a long bearskin robe. And for the very first time in his life, Tabaar of Clan Hammersmite was wearing woad. He had it in a shamanic pattern over his face, one that dated back to the time of Heldorm Snowreader. "Today we dedicate this hall for its sacred purpose and ask the gods and the Tribunal to bless us." He motioned to Warlaa, who brought him a steaming mug of the brew from the kettle. The shaman drank it down and swayed on his feet, then took a few deep breaths. His eyes lost focus and he threw back his head and howled like a wolf. Not a few people later said how they saw the wolf spirit flitting about Tabaar as he entered the shaman's trance. Then he dropped the robe on the ground and began to chant something in an ancient dialect; even other Halasians could barely follow unless they were shamans too.
"What's he saying, and why is he naked?" Treissae whispered to Leeroy. "We go before the sacred presence without hiding any aspect of ourselves," he replied. "As for what he's saying, it's something about asking the spirits of the land, the creatures, and those of our ancestors especially to watch over us." The Inquisitor took a deep breath to steady himself. There was a presence indeed. Maybe even Erollisi herself would be here, in whatever form she was now. The land itself seemed brighter, sharper, more there. Just then Tabaar collapsed in the snow. He stumbled to his feet and saw his robe lying nearby. The Elder Mystic grabbed it and put it on hurriedly. "I have walked the spirit world and they approve. The Healer Lodge is dedicated and open." Tabaar moved over to where the other Clan members were. "I knew I would do that, still was embarrassing to find myself that way in front of everyone. Makes me think of all those bad dreams folks have told me about where ye lose yer clothes in public. Now I know." Leeroy chuckled. "Believe me, we understand. Now we can proceed."
Now the vast majority of the new arrivals were Halasian, but there was a smattering of other races, Human, Elven, Dwarven, and even a couple of Frogloks. So when a scruffy Halfling went wandering through the crowds, performing magic tricks for the children, no one took much notice but to shrug and figure he'd come on some other boat. "That's strange; I don't remember any Halflings on the manifest." Tabaar dismissed the thought and turned to his tasks. "Leeroy, I want to let Reesling get a look at this," Treissae said. She hadn't conjured up a pet elemental since before the babies were born. "Yes, of course," Leeroy said. "He more than deserves it." So the Wood Elf brought one up as Leeroy went over and talked to Reesling. "Really? I wouldn't want her to go to any trouble." "It's never trouble, Reesling, and ye know it. Are ye ready?" Treissae cast the spell and the world around the Dirge opened up from the blackness. "Ah, beautiful........what is that? The lodge?" Reesling wandered around, the elemental following beside him. Just then the Halfling rushed up to him and said, "Here, sir, take this and place it under a seat cover." He shoved a half-inflated animal bladder into the bard's hands. Reesling was confused and somewhat irritated. Then he thought, why not? It might amuse the children. So as soon as he figured out which was Tabaar's chair, he slid the bladder under the pad. Just in time too; the Elder Mystic was coming to sit down for a rest. He did so and to the vast amusement of everyone nearby, the bladder popped with a rude noise. Tabaar jumped up amid laughter and spun about trying to figure out who was the practical joker. Reesling was doubled over with helpless laughter, tears streaming down his face. "Ye're the culprit? I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but..."
"That's what I was after!" rang out a piping voice. The Halfling had jumped onto a chair. "Mith doesn't get to have ALL the fun on this day of restoration! Enjoy my sacred art of the prank!" "Bristlebane?" Reesling gasped. "One and the same, and here's an even bigger prank! You'll never remove those glass eyes again!" With that, Bristlebane vanished in a shower of sparkles. Reesling looked about him wildly. Treissae's pet was nowhere to be seen. He put his hands to his face and blocked his view. He dropped his hands and cried out in awe. "No, it's not possible," Tabaar shouted and rushed up to his friend. Reesling stared back at the Elder Mystic with hazel eyes that shone with the light of the miracle he'd just experienced. "I'll never say anything's impossible again," the Dirge said in a cracked voice. "Now I get to make up for lost time. I want to see everything everywhere, everyone who I know or don't know." The news of the miracle traveled throughout the assembly in seconds. Warlaa left her cooking duties and rushed to Reesling's side. "Beautiful, I say, and never again do I have to wish to see ye," the bard said, gazing into her eyes. "I didn't even get a chance to thank him!" "I'm willing to bet that yer joy is thanks enough for the Prankster," Warlaa told him. "I'd say so," he replied, "but I'll spend the rest of my days thanking him anyhow."

The building-up of New Halas proceeded apace; also various adventuring parties set out to help the Coldain push back the ever-present enemies and establish camps and waystations out on the ice. Ships came and went, bringing building materials, trade goods, provisions and more people. Some went back, but most stayed. Some returned to tie up loose ends, sell property, and say goodbye to those who stayed in Qeynos. Leeroy and Treissae made an arduous round-trip to sell their house, as did Reesling and Warlaa. The Dirge was like a young child in his wonder at being able to see; he had a smile on his face most of the time as he rushed here and there just to find everything there was to look at. And when they all had gotten on the ship to head back to New Halas, who should they find also boarding ship but Raldyr and his family. "Cousin!" Leeroy shouted when he saw the Ranger. Raldyr waved him over with a grin to meet his wife and children. Reesling strode over and waited for the MacQuarrie clansman to notice him. It took a moment but Raldyr jumped with a startled gasp. "No, it can't be........but it has to be Reesling Icereaver!" The Dirge nodded with a grin. "Aye, none other." "But, how..." "Bristlebane persuaded me to play a prank on my best friend, one that got everyone laughing. Then he played one on me, restoring my sight." Raldyr shook his head in amazement. "I'll never understand the gods. First, some hothead stirs up Mithaniel Marr and gets him to give us a new home, then this..." "Well, young man, the hothead is standing right there, and is yer out-clan cousin." The Ranger turned beet red and stammered an apology to Leeroy. The Inquisitor waved it off. "I was a hothead, and almost a dead one. But we'll have plenty of time to talk on the way back."
Back in their new home, they all worked hard, living in tents as they built homes in the sheltered lee of the cliff area. Some even had a small balcony overlooking the Frostfang Sea. Craftsmen made the treasured furniture, rugs, and stonework in the Halasian style, while the various guilds trained and equipped new recruits and seasoned adventurers. Infrastructure took shape and complexity and soon the call went out for the revival of the Chieftain role. Six were chosen in the days long ago to administer justice and moderate debates, to provide leadership, and had to be the sort of persons who led by example. It would be done in the time-honored fashion, by nomination and ballot. Those chosen were expected to serve. Anyone who had seen their Woading Day could vote for up to six candidates. A person who was not being nominated would do the counts. It took an entire day for all to put in their choices, and when the young girl who was counting ballots finished, she tallied up the marks on a scroll under each candidate's name. There were about thirty-five names to narrow down. Once she had the tallies, she made entries on another scroll. Someone blew a horn as a signal that the counting was done and people gathered around the pavilion.
"The people of New Halas have spoken," the girl announced. "Yer chieftains are the following: Grethen of MacKendrik, Boannor of Lightaxe, Sigrdrif of MacMarrin, Viroth of Wintergrip, Marthron of Icereaver, and Tabaar of Hammersmite." Cheers rang out and the new leaders were congratulated. "What an honor," Tabaar managed to say after a moment. "I never dreamed of such a thing...." "Ye're definitely liked and respected, Dad; we're not enough in Hammersmite alone to have elected ye," Tyndall pointed out. Reesling came over from toasting his own clan's successful candidate and handed the Elder Mystic, now Chieftain, a huge mug of ale. "To my best friend, may ye hold office in good faith, and may all yer judgements be wise." "Hear, hear!"
Leeroy and Treissae busied themselves caring for their children and decorating their new home. He'd known she would want some touches of her homeland so he offered her the entire upstairs greatroom as hers to make into a forest retreat. Of course, he wanted to have most of the house as a Halasian theme, in keeping with its construction and style. "I'll have to pay my way around here," the Inquisitor mentioned one day. "I can't just rest with my shield in the rack. In our society, if ye don't work, ye don't eat. Charity is for the helpless only. So I'm going to have to take up my mace and start helping out." He paused, and thought for a moment. "I can also make things. I haven't done so for a long time but I can make spell runes and I can tinker like a Gnome. That's what I'll do. It'll keep me here more with ye and the little ones if I do that part of the time, and go hunting and fighting enemies when I can."
But of course word got out when Leeroy's fighting prowess was noted, and he was asked to help out more and more with protecting settlers, pushing back the orcs, and culling wild animal numbers. He found the battlefields and knew that he was truly home as he fought back against the insurgence with a ferocity that surprised even him. Less and less each day was he a 'city' Halasian as he employed ancient well-tested methods of hunt and battle. He squinted against the sharp icy wind and resolved to make himself some goggles. Snowblindness was not only debilitating but painful. Already there had been a few cases, and falls into cracks in the ice, and into the freezing waters, and encounters with wolves and bears. It was a miracle there hadn't been any fatalities yet. It sure provided healers with work, as if they needed the extra labor. And resources. Those would be a sticking point. The Coldain had managed to scrape by here without outside contact for decades, but they were small and took less to maintain, and they had never been numerous. Dwarves just didn't seem to breed fast, unlike Halasians. Many a snickering jest had been made back in Graystone Yard that started a bar brawl over that very subject. Here, the Elders of the Clans had cautioned everyone to be on their best behavior. To destroy the goodwill of the Coldain would be beyond stupid.
A trading industry would have to be set up, one that shipped Halasian goods to more southerly lands in exchange for the things they could not obtain locally. The six chieftains concurred on this and set to working out details for what was viable for trade, what was too limited to spare, and what goods were desireable to import. First on the list was wood. There were very few trees on Erollis, and those were to be left alone if at all possible. Second, food. There was plenty of fish and game locally, but very little in the way of fruit or vegetables. Third, manufactured goods that could not be made locally now, or for the foreseeable future. In return, there was abundant game to be managed for their valuable meat and fur, and plenty of fish. "Best to set this up with Qeynos right away; later we can expand to Butcherblock, Maj'Dul, Gorowyn, if they have goods to trade," said one chieftain. The others agreed; another phase in the building of their city was set in motion.

They thrived amid the ice as their ancestors had for so very long, and the combination of their hardiness and stamina, along with their greater understanding of the world around them, put the Halasians at a great advantage in a changing world. Some had dismissed them as hidebound, unable to adapt, but those who did forgot that the so-called Barbarians were the progenitors of the Human race, the most adaptable people in all the world. Did the naysayers think that adaptability had just sprung up in their smaller, more wiry relatives? After all, it was the Halasians who had founded Oceangreen, later Qeynos, and the trading post called Freeport. How easy it was to forget these things among the fantastic stories of marauding tribes from the north, pillaging and stealing their way through the land. It had been thousands of years since they'd marched forth to make war on other peoples! Admittedly, they'd spent centuries fighting among themselves. But they'd learned a thing or two about restraint.
One cold night when the twins were about three years old, Leeroy and Treissae had gone to bed but had forgotten to secure the latch on the front door. Of course, on that night the children awoke and climbed out of their beds, dragging a blanket between them. Each one wore only the fleece nightclothing that Halasian children normally slept in, and soft booties made of deerskin. They toddled around the home and eventually Roynald bumped into the front door, which creaked open. Leeanora peered outside. "Snow!" she exclaimed, and they both wandered outside to investigate, leaving the door open. "I got blankie," Roynald said, and Leeanora grabbed a corner of it. Together they began walking farther and farther away from home and into the swirling snow of a winter night.
He'd gotten so far that day but sunset had come so fast he'd decided to make a hurried camp rather than try to get up into New Halas in the dark. The Assassin didn't know if Humans were welcome, but he hoped to at least visit. He'd found an overhang of a cliff that provided some protection from the elements and he put up his tent there and unpacked his warm bedroll and blankets. Before he closed the flap he looked up at the sky. Thin clouds chased each other across a star-studded vault, and fingers of northern lights flickered and danced. "Beautiful," he murmured and watched for a while before retiring to sleep.
"Get up! Leeroy! The door's open!" He sat up, startled. Treissae pointed downstairs to the front door. Thieves? He grabbed his mace and went down fast. Then he heard a scream from upstairs. He pelted back up to find the Wood Elf pale and shaking, then he saw what had prompted her agitation. The twins were gone!
Just as the Assassin was drifting off to sleep, he heard a strange noise, one that sounded like a small child talking. He frowned and listened for a few seconds. Nothing. But just as he fell asleep the noise came again, this time accompanied by a small thud of something falling into snow. "Get up," he heard a childish voice say. He flung the tent flap open and was astounded to find two Halasian toddlers roaming through the night. What were children doing out here? "Hey there," he said softly. They stopped and regarded him solemnly. "Aren't you two a little bit cold?" The girl nodded and pointed to the boy. "He fall down go boom in snow he all wet," she explained. "I have some warm blankets. Would that help? Want to stay in my tent until we can get you back to your parents?" The Assassin's mind was racing. He'd have to go into the town as soon as it was light, and try to find who these babies belonged to. The girl led her brother forward and the Assassin held the tent flap aside to let them come in. "Here, let me wrap you in this," he advised them and piled blankets over them, then set himself to watch them the rest of the night.
Leeroy's frantic shouts rousted just about everyone in town; Tabaar ran up to him and the distraught Wood Elf. "Our children got out of the house! I'm so stupid; I left the door unlatched, " the Inquisitor moaned. "Start looking, people," Chieftain Tabaar shouted. "Each person check around their own home; if we don't find them we check the whole town." Folks fanned out and searched. Reesling rushed to the scene and got the details. The look on Treissae's face was enough to tear at his heart. And Leeroy was the picture of frustrated helplessness. "I'll get right on it," he said. The Dirge considered the situation from a unique perspective. Most folks didn't seem to realize how far children could travel in a short time. But Reesling remembered how far and fast he had traveled while blind. The only foe was time for him. For the children, it was the cold. How far could they get? He trotted to the front of the house and squatted down, examining the snow and the view, then moved off, tracking.
Every so often he thought he heard sounds from atop the hill, but the swirling winds made enough noise of their own to effectively block it. The Assassin huddled close to the shivering children to keep them warm. He felt their feet: so very cold, so he started massaging them to bring back circulation. "I'm sure your parents wonder where you are," he said softly. "Mama. Papa," said one of them. He couldn't tell in the dark of the tent.
Leeroy literally turned anything movable upside down as his fruitless search grew more frenetic. His breathing was ragged and he began snarling at anyone in his way. Tabaar saw this and accosted him. "Get out of my way!" snapped the Inquisitor, and the Chieftain saw no choice but to stop him, which he did with a staggering backhand. "Calm down," Tabaar said in a voice that invited no argument, "and get back to yer wife. NOW!" Leeroy staggered and blinked as his face turned red. "Ye can't help by losing yer focus," Tabaar said more softly. "We're doing everything we can."
Reesling headed down the sloping path past the scout lodge. He thought he saw small faint tracks in the snow but in starlight it was hard to be sure. He hoped he had chosen correctly; even now it was a tossup whether the youngsters could stay alive this long in this biting wind. Then he found a spot where there was a small indentation, and the tracks stopped. He groaned in fear for what he might find, but there was no evidence of wild animal spoor. Puzzled, he examined the tracks again. They backtracked to........ what was this? He poked at it to find it was a tent partly obscured by snow, and he swore in surprise.
There! Someone was outside! The Assassin reached for the tent flap and pushed it open to find a middle-aged Barbarian man staring at him in shock. "What? Did ye find two children? Tell me yes, man, please." "Yes, and I wrapped them in a blanket, and have been trying to prevent frostbite," the Assassin said in a rush. The Barbarian peered into the tent and saw them then, the two sleepy-eyed tykes that had caused the sleepless night. "I'll need an explanation as to how ye had them," he said.
The Dirge had found a Human man holding the children in his tent. Had the man abducted them? It didn't look like it; there had been no tracks leading away from the home besides the children's. Improbable as it seemed, the man's story seemed to be true. "All right, leave yer stuff here and come with me." Reesling picked up both children and hugged them. "Uncle Reesling's gonna take ye home to Mama and Papa," he told them and strode on back up the path, the Human following in his wake.
"It's so cold and I just don't know," Leeroy said in a hopeless voice. Treissae sobbed against his chest as he sought to comfort her but he was about out of hope. Shouts came from down the path and they sounded excited. Leeroy bolted toward the source and skidded around the bend to find the Dirge coming his way, carrying the alert and giggling twins. The Inquisitor rushed forward and Reesling handed the children to their frantic father. Treissae rushed up and cried tears of happiness as she embraced each one in turn. Then Leeroy saw the Human. "Alistair?" The Human nodded. "Aye," the Dirge put in, "he found the children." "I am in yer debt, Alistair," the Inquisitor said. He gave the twins to Treissae then and turned to the Human, and embraced him. "Ye're like a brother now, what's mine is yers, short of my family."
Tabaar examined each of the twins carefully, checking them for any injury or frostbite. Neither of them had anything more serious than a scraped knee. "That is entirely due to yerself," he informed Alistair. "If ye hadn't just chanced to come along..." the shaman shuddered. It didn't bear thinking about. "And yes, ye're welcome to anything Clan Hammersmite can provide." "I was on my way here when darkness caught me so I found a sheltered place to camp. I wouldn't have heard them but the boy fell in the snow and the girl started talking to him." The Assassin shook his head. "I didn't know whose babies they were. I'm so glad I could repay my life debt." "Ye've more than repaid it. I couldn't have gone on if something had happened to my children," Leeroy told him.

EPILOGUE
"Come on, Dad, we don't want to be late!" shouted the young man from a ways down the street. Tabaar smiled to himself, remembering his own eagerness so long ago. "Ye heard Roynald, let's get going." Treissae and Leeanora, along with Tyndall, were already almost to the meeting hall. The aging Chieftain wasn't as fast on his feet as he used to be but he managed to keep up with Leeroy. "I'm so proud of them," the Inquisitor remarked. He smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners at the thought of this his twins' Woading Day.
There were only the two; Treissae and Leeroy had tried for years but she had never again become pregnant. They had survived the rigors of childhood (oh that terrifying night when they were still small children, and wandered off, that was still fresh in his mind) and grown into a strapping young man and a tall and poised young woman. Each showed traits of both parents; the boy was a bit more Elven, the girl more Halasian in her appearance. Both were highly intelligent and showed an aptitude for magical arts as well as martial ability.
Everyone came in and sat down. Treissae's parents had come; so had Jimbob and Kebia, and everyone who lived in New Halas that had been invited. "Been a long time since I've seen ye," Leeroy said to the Mystic. "Ye must be about fifty by now." "Nearly," Jimbob said. "Didn't you have a birthday recently?" "Aye, my fortieth," the Inquisitor said. "Getting old!" The crowd hushed as Tabaar walked up to the front. "Today we begin the ceremony to welcome two young people to the roles of adulthood," he pronounced. "Leeanora and Roynald Hammersmite are the children of Leeroy and Treissae, and are today fifteen years of age and ready to become members of Halasian society. It is time to take yer vows. Ye both will hear information of great import to us, and things that must not be told to outsiders. This will be a most-binding oath, one that has the severest penalties for violation." He waited for them to acknowledge this, which they did. "All right then, in order of birth. Leeanora of Clan Hammersmite, do ye agree to be bound by oath not to speak of today's information to outsiders?" "Yes, I do." "Roynald of Clan Hammersmite, do ye agree to be bound by this same oath not to ever speak of what ye learn here today to outsiders?" "Yes, I agree." "Then I do declare ye both to be full members of Halasian society. Welcome the woman Leeanora, and the man Roynald."
Tabaar spent hours teaching them of the Halasian people's past, present and future. For the first time they learned of the events that led up to their birth, the reason for New Halas, and what would be expected of them. Leeroy hugged Treissae to him as they proudly watched their children's entry into adulthood. "I can't say it often enough, but I love ye," he murmured. "And I love our children. And I love Tabaar; I don't know where I'd be if it weren't for him." "Have you ever told him?" Leeroy frowned. "Um........I can't remember." "Then you didn't. Why don't you do that?" He resolved to do exactly that. With some trepidation he approached the Chieftain. "Thank ye, and...." Leeroy stepped back a step, embarrassed. "Yes?" Tabaar asked. "Well, Dad, I just wanted to say how much I love ye." The chieftain smiled warmly. "I love ye too, son. I'm glad ye finally got up the courage to say. Now let's go hold the Woading Feast."
In the great hall, Leeroy and Treissae took the seats of honor as the Woad table was set up. Their son and daughter were ushered in and seated by them. Shouts of congratulations and well-wishes were heard and repeated. "Now it is time for the food," Warlaa called out and began bringing out dishes. Reesling struck up a jaunty tune and sang while everyone ate and drank. Treissae turned to Leeroy and asked him how he felt. He smiled then and gestured to the room full of happy people.
"It's pride of place, love, a sense of belonging. I am a part of my people; they are a part of me. Everyone here who I care about had a part in bringing all this about and giving me, and us, meaning in our lives. I thank Karana every day for his blessings, and I feel my ancestors watch over me." He paused and looked proudly toward the twins. "I gained immortality through them. We made them with love, they were given to us with love. None of us should ever forget we're part of a community we barely can fathom. I'll tell ye what a Halasian woman in Everfrost said to me many years ago. She said, 'we are beautiful and enduring,' and that's the gist of it. For now and forever, we are Halasians."

THE END

Wow. Amazing. My first post I think.

Thank ye very much for yer kind words. I enjoyed telling this tale, and the encouraging posts from readers over the years really helped.