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my life, and it does not intersect with yours or Lyra’s. In fact, it does not intersect with anyone’s. I just want to be left alone.”

Chapter 3
Meeting of the Lords
    As Lord Marak and Master Malafar approached the mansion in Fardale, the bursar, Kasa, ran down the steps to greet them.
    “You are safe,” Kasa blurted out. “I wish you would not go off without letting me know. All of the lords of your other estates and clans arrived yesterday for the meeting that you requested. I have had trouble avoiding their questions about where you were.”
    “I am sure that you handled it well,” smiled Lord Marak. “I want to invite Lyra and Master Malafar to attend the meeting as well. When it is over, I want you to meet with Master Malafar. He has some interesting ideas about a mage school that I think you should hear.”
    Kasa glanced at the Omungan mage as she nodded. “I also have a stack of contracts that require your signature, and the Lord Marshal needs to see you immediately upon your arrival.”
    “Is there trouble?” the Khadoran lord asked.
    “Lord Marshal Yenga would not reveal it if there was,” frowned Kasa. “He shares nothing until you have heard it first.”
    “As he should,” Lord Marak smiled as he saw the frustration in Kasa’s face. “You worry too much, Kasa. Why don’t you and Master Malafar discuss the mage school now and I will see Lord Marshal Yenga. The meeting can wait a few more minutes. Don’t forget to invite Lyra.”
    Kasa nodded, and Lord Marak vaulted up the stairs and into the mansion. He moved swiftly to Yenga’s office before any of the visiting lords had a chance to notice that he had returned to Fardale. He hesitated in the doorway and viewed the Lord Marshal talking to a merchant.
    “Come in,” prompted Yenga. “I have been waiting for you to return.”
    Lord Marak entered the office and gazed at the merchant. Suddenly he grinned broadly and slapped the merchant on the back.
    “I should have realized that no ordinary merchant would be visiting my Lord Marshal,” smiled Lord Marak. “What brings you to Fardale, Fisher?”
    “Your service,” answered the spy. “I have been picking up bits of information that I felt must be shared with you.”
    “Then let the three us talk,” nodded Lord Marak as he pulled a chair over towards the desk and sat down. “First, what is so important that my Lord Marshal demands my immediate presence?”
    “Another caravan has been ambushed,” replied Lord Marshal Yenga as deep lines etched across his forehead.
    “How did we find out about it?” asked Lord Marak.
    “One of our men, Netura, sent a message via an air tunnel from River’s Bend,” stated Lord Marshal Yenga. “He is a smart lad to have stopped in River’s Bend. Most would have ridden all the way back here to Fardale.”
    “So we had survivors this time,” responded Lord Marak.
    “Only Netura,” frowned Yenga, “and he survived only because Hira had ordered him to flee. Netura was not happy about abandoning his squad leader.”
    “Hira was a good squad leader,” Lord Marak said sadly. “He will be missed. What do we know about the attackers?”
    “They were dressed as gray warriors,” replied the Lord Marshal, “but Netura believes that it was a disguise. The attack was efficiently executed, and the enemy took pains to ensure that not a single one of their men was exposed to danger.”
    “So it is a clan that wishes to hide these attacks from even their own people?” questioned Lord Marak. “Why?”
    “That is what Fisher and I have been discussing,” answered Yenga. “The only plausible reason that we can think of is the troops that are doing the ambushing are not from the local estate.”
    “You are saying that a large clan is attacking us,” Lord Marak asked, “but they are using troops from a different estate? Why would they do that if they have an estate close to the ambush site?”
    “Loyalty,” answered the Lord Marshal. “Typically,