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Daegan asked suspiciously.
    “He’s an Elder,” Hal whispered. “And I’m not sure why, because Ella—that’s the girl, his granddaughter—wasn’t letting anything on until I mentioned your name. It was weird. She said that her grandfather told her to contact him if she ever crossed paths with you, which she did last night when we walked in The Drunken Boar. So she contacted him and that’s when he told her the conditions.” Hal looked a little upset that it had been Daegan’s name and not his since he was, in fact, the son of the Paladin and Daegan was not. But he shrugged it off and the smile returned to his face in anticipation of an adventure. Hal was great like that; he didn’t keep grudges and he let things roll off his back.
    “This does not make any sense. There is much going on here, Hal, and somehow we are involved,” Daegan said in a rare moment of vulnerability, running his fingers through the longer strands of hair on the top of his head. He took a moment and stared out into the forest behind the tavern, trying to understand what was going on. First the voices, and now an Elder actually wanted to talk to him.
    “Should we go find out?” Hal said as he put his hand on Daegan’s shoulder in a brotherly manner. Daegan found it oddly comforting, which he assumed was why Hal did it. Looking in Hal’s eyes, seeing his agreement, Daegan nodded. Hal turned back toward Ella, who was waiting across from The Drunken Boar, leaning against a tree, arms crossed, examining her nails on one hand, like she had nothing better to do, and maybe she didn’t. Hal gave her a quick nod and a wink. 
    Where other Faerie girls were thin as rails and otherworldly pale, Ella had slight curves. Although she possessed that “otherworldliness” which made her similar enough to belong, she had a hint of color in her face and a stunningly beautiful luminescence that made her different enough to be excluded. He wasn’t sure what Faerie tribe she was from, but seeing as how he hadn’t seen others like her, he assumed she must be either a mixed race trying to fit in—although she sure didn’t try too hard at that—or something different altogether. 
    She began to saunter toward them with the confidence of a woman about to claim her prize. Her clothing was similar to other Faeries representing nature, but hers fit... better. There was a fierceness about her, a fire in her eyes that would indicate warrior, but also a softness that spoke woman . She was entrancing.
    Daegan glanced at Hal, but he was looking at her, watching her every move, until she looked at Daegan. He saw Hal briefly deflate, then pick himself up again like nothing had happened. Daegan felt irritated for him. This woman had just played Hal to get to him. This was not the first time this had happened, but Halister seemed to be attracted to the wrong girls. Although, if he didn’t play games with them, he might actually find someone to belong with. So maybe the turnabout was fair, but Daegan did not trust this woman. She held many secrets in those steel-gray eyes that accentuated her white short hair that hung sharply just below her ears.  
    “Ready, boys? Follow me,” she said, swinging her hips as she headed straight into the forest. It was still daylight, but as soon as they reached the edge of the forest it grew strangely dark. She paused just inside the boundaries, as if waiting for something—no, listening for something. Confused, Daegan studied her, as he didn’t hear anything which was odd, but he didn’t want to let on. Her head cocked to the side, and in a flash of movement, she was pressed up against Hal, stroking his hair and kissing his neck, which put Daegan on edge. 
    Turning back toward Daegan, Ella grabbed his face between her hands and kissed him good and hard. As she kissed him, he heard her voice in his head. Someone is watching, maybe even following. Play along. Daegan kissed her back though it tasted stale and lifeless; an act