'I have just been informed that The Fatebreaker died yesterday morning.' Shamesh sent Isaac with feelings of condolences. 'Walter is in mourning, as is the entirety of the light elven lands, the capitals of every human kingdom, every demigod domain, and every dwarven settlement, fortress, and city will spend the entirety of tomorrow in total silence.'

Isaac winced as he opened the door to Aria and Claus's room for Lenna to enter. She saw the look on his face instantly. "What happened?" Lenna questioned her mate.

"Cainen Su'Sol has died." He told her with a look of complex negative emotions. He was angry that they hadn't been able to thank the man before he died. He was sorry for Xlen, Walter, the entire Ashwalker family who had just lost a man that was practically family to them, as well as all of the man's actual descendants. Their lives would have to go on without the endless source of wisdom who also cared very deeply for many of those around him. He was anxious for the future without the entire pillar of magic that died with the ancient sorcerer. But more than anything, he felt the weight of mortality. Too many 'stories' that he knew and owed had 'ended' recently. One was too many, but three?

"I see." Lenna said with a voice laden with sadness. She looked around the room that they now found themselves in and then rested a hand on Isaac's shoulder. "It'll be alright, it has to be." She assured him.

Isaac nodded and took a deep focusing breath. "Let's clean up and organize everything." He replied, straight to business. 'Thanks, Shamesh, tell Walter to make sure that his next of kin understand how much we appreciate what Cainen did for us, and that if they ever need anything, we will do what we can.'

'Understood.' Shamesh sent back.

It only took Isaac and Lenna half of an hour to clean up Aria and Claus's apartment. It was small, barely big enough for two beds, which were pushed against each other, and a handful of storage devices like closets, wardrobes, and chests. Most of it was clothes, weapons, and reference books. There was also a chest that had been locked and stored one hundred of every coin in it, and another with a very strange assortment of things that just screamed; 'Aria's witchy and junk box'. Nothing inside made any sense so Isaac just left it how it was. They were able to pack everything into Lenna's Bottomless Backpack, the junk chest, Claus's spare backpack, and Isaac's Inventory. The beds, sheets, and rest of the furniture all probably belonged to Jennie so they left it all where it was. A mixture of shadows and mortal muscles worked to move everything into Isaac and Lenna's room until they figured out which wagon was going to be the one to carry the belongings of their friends back to Safeharbor.

Isaac and Lenna had just finished moving everything and were debating just eating travel rations when Gregory showed up and knocked on their door. "Uh, Lord Wexler? M'lady?" The young guardsman said from the other side of the door.

Isaac's shadows unlocked and opened the door for Gregory. "Come in." Isaac said with a nod in greeting. Lenna was still in her armor, save for her helmet, and Isaac had only taken off his cloak. Both of them still looked like they were working.

Gregory walked in. "Dinner is ending soon and mom is in an awful mood, what happened?" He got straight to the point but his eyes then caught sight of Claus's backpack. "Why do you have Claus's backpack?" He asked with confusion. It was obvious that he did not think that Isaac and Lenna were stealing it so it just left him with that simple question.

"Gregory, sit down." Isaac told him and gestured towards the spare chair.

Gregory slowly walked inside and did as he was told. "Why? You are scaring me." He told Isaac. He knew that the only thing to be afraid of was bad news and the list of people he knew was very small.

Stolen story; please report.

"Aria and Claus," Isaac began and watched as Gregory held his breath. "were ambushed on their way to Safeharbor from Ben's End, a month ago."

All of the color drained from Gregory's face and his body started to tremble. He otherwise held it together though, which was commendable. "Please, tell me everything." Gregory requested with a mild tremble in his voice and Isaac did just that. It only took a few minutes, because there really wasn't that much to tell, but by the time that Isaac was done, Gregory was entirely silent.

"You should get dinner." Isaac told the young guardsman. "We'll be down for breakfast." Gregory nodded absently and got up from his seat. He walked out without saying another word and closed the door behind him.

"I hate this." Isaac said and flopped back onto the bed. "Telling people that someone they cared about has died for good sucks. It sucks doubly bad when it is someone I know, and double that if it was someone that I was also close to." He sucked in a long breath and then let it out as an even longer groan.

The next morning found Isaac and Lenna in the dining room with most of the rest of the caravanners. "Are we still sticking to the plan?" The lead merchant asked Isaac and Lenna as they joined him at his table.

"No." Isaac informed him. "We are going to leave after lunch today. We will then wait an undetermined amount of time in Ben's End before finishing our return trip."

The lead merchant sighed and looked like he just wanted to give up. "I figured you would say something like that." He complained. "I'll spread the word."

Isaac shook his head. "Don't. When you are loading the wagons, just tell everyone that it is so we have an easier time leaving the following morning. At lunch, announce that we are leaving in two hours. That'll be enough time for everyone, right?"

The lead merchant thought for a moment and then nodded. "That should be fine." He agreed. "But please, just promise me that we will get more than one full day of rest in Ben's End."

"I promise." Isaac agreed. "I'm not sure how long we are going to be staying but I can get behind a full day to rest and recover."

The lead merchant looked like he was about to bow in thanks to Isaac but settled on just a deep respectful nod. "Thank you." He replied to which Isaac just nodded in acceptance of the thanks.

"By the way, we'll need to claim about an eighth of one of the wagons for something we need to get back to Safeharbor in one piece." Isaac added before the lead merchant could even get up to give back his empty plate.

"My wagon is fine, it'll be the second one on our way back." The lead merchant explained.

Isaac nodded in thanks. "We'll make sure it is loaded by the time we need to leave." Isaac assured him. "We won't need any help."

After breakfast, and their conversation with the lead merchant, Isaac and Lenna approached the bar and took up a pair of empty stools. Jennie eyed them questioningly as she helped the other patrons. Once she was finished with them, she turned to Isaac and Lenna. "What can I do for you?" Jennie questioned the duo.

"Leave." Isaac told her in no uncertain terms. "Take everything you own and bring it to Ben's End, or, better yet, Safeharbor. We are going to try to get Outpost Charles to be abandoned. By then, you will have no choice and will be forcefully removed. As it is now though, you might be able to sell the inn to the state directly and then use that money to start a new life in Safeharbor or Sapphirestone.

"Honestly, Isaac, go fuck yourself if you're actually tryin' to get 'em to shut down Outpost Charles." Jennie spat back like a cornered viper.

Isaac sighed. "I'm just telling you how it is going to be. Outpost Charles not only produces nothing, but it also just leeches money away from the rest of the dutchy and even Altia itself. It was supposed to be another anchor point for further expansion but there is nothing in that direction underground, at least none that we know of. It is a colossal waste of resources and it, along with Ben's End, are the reasons that so many men and women have died. The supply routes get hit with too much regularity to justify them continuing to come out here. Just, think about what I've told you, Jennie." Isaac finished.

Jennie just gave him a side eye for a long moment. "Are you going to order anything? She questioned the duo. "Because if not, you know where the door is." Jennie ended.

Isaac informed Gregory of the conversation that they had just had with his mother, and then the duo loaded up everything that they were bringing back into the wagon the lead merchant had mentioned. After that, they said their goodbyes: "You need to get your mother to leave this place, even if it is just to Ben's End, at least until all of this is over." Isaac told Gregory.

"You should, probably, be safe here with your mother from any potential drow attacks." Lenna informed Gregory which almost made it seem like she was going against Isaac until she continued: "But the rationing and famine will kill you both." She finished her verbal swing.

Gregory gulped. He knew that she was right, but hearing it from someone with as much outside knowledge as Lenna really served to drive the point home. "I'll do my best." He assured the duo.

The caravan made it back to Ben's End without too much trouble, just the regular increased monster population problem, and then settled in to wait until the horses were back to near perfect condition. That meant that they each had to be looked over, hooves trimmed and shoes repaired or changed entirely. Isaac and Lenna had long gotten antsy by the time the horses were ready to go again. Luckily, by then, Isaac had made sure that each of the wagons were already loaded and just waiting for the horses. The only questions left were; When should they leave, and would they get ambushed on their return trip.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.