Martin Gaye

Equestria:  October 25th - 26th, Albanus 1.

The first news to arrive was bad news.  About an hour after they arrived at the safe house, Minda sent word that Sir Pelius had escaped.  She'd had him, her messenger said, drugged properly so he couldn't respond to sendings.  But while they were waiting at the meeting spot outside the city walls, the unconscious villain vanished.  Minda suspected that he'd been summoned by a bracelet of friends.  The disappointed bard apologized and promised to try again later.  (If the price was still on his head, that is.)

More cheerful tidings followed, however.  Their aunt Surilla had been banished -- for, apparently, murdering Terranea Solistraford, King Albanus' intended bride.  Albanus had outlawed her and set his troops searching for her.

As their nondetection spells faded, the party cast rope trick and scrambled up into a tiny pocket dimension where they could hide, safe from scrying.  Brennus and Tenebrus remained outside, and once every hour either Severus or Corvina stuck their head outside to see how the riot progressed.  Early in the evening, the familiars gave them a dire warning:  Satus Molossus, their grandfather, had been summoned to the palace a half hour ago.  They could use their bracelet of friends to summon him... but only with his consent.  And Marius had no sendings left, with which to garner that consent.

Severus quickly scribbled a note to Catarina, requesting that she ask Abbess Halaessa to send to them at once.  He stuck it in the rod of messages, praying that his wife would check it soon.  Not five minutes passed before Marius heard Halaessa's voice in his head.  Could she contact his grandfather, he asked?  Moments later, a slightly agitated abbess bespoke Marius again, saying that Satus consented and wanted out now.  At once, the Surrexi summoned their grandfather and bundled him into the rock trick.  Halaessa got Counsellor Parcens Molossus' consent as well, and soon their uncle joined them in hiding.  Halaessa's last chore was to warn the Molossi at home that their House was now in open rebellion with the King, and they had to flee.

When they had time to talk, Satus offered a strange account of his time in the palace.  King Albanus was in a rage, he said.  He'd been summoned into a room with the King, Magnus Tillaford, several clerics, and a robe-clad man he didn't recognize.  All seemed terrified of the King's fury -- except the magus.  Marius noted that the description of the magus sounded a lot like Eboricus, the magus the Praetor wanted information on.  Corvina made an illusion and confirmed that the two appeared to be the same.  King Albanus had done little except rant and rave, accusing Molossus of aiding the Surrexi.  Their grandfather was sure he was about to be killed or tortured, when Halaessa's message reached him.

Yet another message arrived, this time to Corvina from the Drow ambassador Anat Alariel.  "Slaves acquired.  Pick them up at the Falls of Catarr in three days' time."  After discussing this with the family, Corvina responded that they would not be able to travel to Catarr in less than a week;  they would pick the Altanians up then.  Anat sent a second sending, merely to sniff, "Let us hope that they are still there, then."

The night passed safely, if uncomfortably, in their cramped hiding place.  Shortly after dawn the next morning, Leyna received a sending from Pontifex Aldus.  She instantly knew something was wrong, because the normally overconfident Aldus remembered to give the password immediately.  His message was, "<password>  General here.  Something's wrong.  As soon as arrived, he said -- 'Stop.  Everything is different now.  Say nothing to me.  I am a loyal servant of the king and will report any sign of treason to him.  Understand?' "  Clearly the general had been place under some spell.  But his mind was his own, and he was working to subvert the charm.

One last message came, from aunt Ardentia Molossus.  "Cookies!" their aunt chirped.  "Cookies did their work, riders still sleeping.  We're all off to the Dearthwood -- meet us at Small Pond.  Danita and Valens helped us flee."  The next morning the party used its last wind-walk scroll to transport their grandfather and uncle to Small Pond.  Although they were able to successfully hook up with the other Molossi, there was no sign of Gaius' mother or Sir Valens.  Aunt Ardentia explained that they'd disappeared back into the woods, "to prepare a road for us."  She seemed quite confident that Danita would be able to hide them in the Dearthwood for as long as necessary.

Since time was of the essence, the band could not wait to talk to Danita.  Instead, they headed out at once for Surrexus, to bury their father Arius.