Astra and Belinda Compare Notes

"My pleasure, sis."

"It's good to learn that you're alive and well, even if the circumstances are less than ideal. We were worried when we didn't hear from you for so long. What have you been up to?"

So Astra briefly told the story of how she had been captured by the dragon-mage of the Northern Caves (as the Aqualarians called them); how the Allarian knight and noble Lord Frederigo D'Honaire had found and freed her; how the dragon had approached in the form of a hellhound and Fred had managed to slay the beast; how the dragon's unseen master - whoever that might be - had as punishment magically transported the pair of them to a foul swamp; how some other magic, which she presumed to have been Reaibn's, had rescued the pair of them and brought them to Caemlyn; how Reaibn, who seemed to have amazing magical powers, was insisting that Fred must become king and she (Astra) his (Fred's) wife.

She finished by saying: "As you will have guessed, he was responsible for the disappearance of your army's clothes and weapons. He was impressed by how you were able to rally your troops - he was watching you through some magical jewel which he calls the Eye - so he brought you to Caemlyn. But when you arrived he decided on the spur of the moment that he wants to marry you and have a double wedding! When I protested, he sent me to join you in the dungeon. Oh yes, and King Emry has been reduced to a drunken gravedigger, I think that brings you up to date."

"I see. We knew when he sent our ambassador back to us with the head of a pig that he was not only insane but clearly had very powerful magic that he could call on. So sending a military force was a bit of a risk, but we had to do something. And none of our own sorceresses could do anything at such a distance, not even scry what Reaibn was up to. This was my first military command, and it's ended in disaster. I do hope that Reaibn hasn't carried out his threat to turn everyone into hedgehogs."

"I can at least give you good news on that score. Before sending me here, he told me that he'd transported them back to Aqualaria."

"That's some consolation, I guess. But we have to do something about this madman, before things get even worse."

"I agree, Belinda. But chained up in this dungeon, our options are rather limited... Ugh, I think I just saw a rat scuttling away into a dark corner - make that an even darker corner than the rest of the place."

"I've just noticed that there's quite a large and seemingly deep hole in the floor right between my feet. I wonder what that's f... Oh!"

"Yes, as you've just realised, that must be the toilet facilities. There's a hole for me too. Hey, I can hear a key turning in the lock. I think that we're about to have a visitor."

1. Astra and Belinda's visitor...
2. A silenced Lord Fred in the graveyard...
3. A drunken gravedigger Emry, passed out in his hut... [93690]
4. An annoyed Reaibn in the great hall...

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