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someone behind her pulling at her. After a few more
tugs, she fell free of it and disappeared.
    "Seems the town's not deserted after all,"
Tristam said.
    "That was Geraldine and, I'm betting, her
husband Evan. We must hurry and find out what's happened here,"
Baldwyn said. He was already guiding his horse closer to the house
until he stopped and eyed the glistening magical web.
    "Not to worry, a bit of wind and rain will
wash it away. It'll burn right quick, too, but it might take the
house with it," Kar said.
    "No more fires," Tristam growled.
    Alto found himself nodding even as he led his
stallion, Sebas, towards the house. He unstrung his bow and tied it
to Sebas before drawing his broadsword and stepping close to the
front door. He raised his sword to clear the webbing away when Kar
cried out.
    "Don't do that, you'll have a bundle of web
on your blade! You can't cut through a cobweb! Come, some wine
would melt it away, or water would suffice."
    Namitus joined him with a skin of water. He
removed the stopper and flung the water on the spiderweb. True to
the wizard's words, the web melted away where the water touched it.
A few more splashes cleared a path through the sticky strands. Alto
glanced back to his horse where his shield was resting, and then
decided it was better to have his sword in hand than a shield. He
used his free hand to open the door and stepped into the shadowy
house.
    "Come no farther!" a voice called out,
stopping him.
    Alto squinted in the shadows and saw the
figure of a man standing in the room. As Alto's eyes adjusted, he
saw the man held a spear in his hand. "We're here to help," Alto
tried.
    The man stepped to the side and shifted his
spear. "What was that stuff out there? Giant spiders, my wife
said?"
    Alto saw how easy it would be to disarm the
man. Not only was the spear wielder unfamiliar with the weapon, but
he looked like he had no idea at all how to fight. Alto, on the
other hand, had been training day in and out so he could learn
better ways to handle himself in a battle. His experiences in the
Northern Divide and Highpeak had taught him well that if he wanted
to be a warrior who sought peace, then he needed to be ready and
able to fight for it.
    "That was my friend. He's no spider; he's a
wizard. His spell saved the baby from the wasp."
    "A wizard!"
    "Yes. His name is Kar. I'm Alto and the man
beside me is Namitus. Tristam and Karthor are outside with the
wizard. We're here to help; your man Baldwyn came to us."
    "You don't look like guards or soldiers?"
    "Evan?" Namitus asked.
    The man stiffened and raised the spear he'd
been lowering back up. "How do you know my name?"
    "Baldwyn told us it was probably you with
Geraldine," the rogue explained.
    Alto sheathed his sword before saying,
"Please put that down. We're called the Blades of Leander. Your man
came to us when he found the army was too busy with the troubles in
the north."
    "We helped retake Highpeak in the spring,"
Namitus added.
    Tristam walked in behind them and looked
around the room. "What's this then, just the three of you?"
    "We were telling him of what we've done and
that we're here to help," Alto said.
    Tristam frowned. "Where's the girl?"
    Evan stiffened. "Hiding until I say
otherwise."
    Tristam nodded. "You're a wise man. These
boys will have you believe they've supped with the king himself if
you let them. Mind you, we've been invited to dinner with the duke,
but we were at a small table far from his."
    Evan let a chuckle slip. He picked his spear
up and leaned it against the wall behind him. He called out over
his shoulder, "Geraldine, it's okay."
    A moment later, a woman came out hugging her
arms until she could stand behind Evan. "Where's Maxine?"
    "If Maxine is your baby, then Karthor and Kar
are trying to get her down safely while your emissary clucks over
them like a mother hen."
    "Your priest and your wizard?" Evan
asked.
    Tristam glanced at Alto. "Yes, that'd be
them. Care to tell us what happened here?"
    Evan and