God’s, but he was tired. A fatigue that ate at his bones, legacy of a week of sleepless nights. And Lady Ireena’s warmth and presence felt comforting and safe, and he just wanted to sleep.  “<i><span style="font-size: 15px">We </span></i>[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]<span style="font-size: 15px">will flee, Andrei, she murmured, stroking his hair. Her voice was soothing, adding to the illusion of comfort and safety.  </span>[/BGCOLOR][BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]<span style="font-size: 15px">"You've come so far... do not leave me now..." </span>[/BGCOLOR]<br/><br/>[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]<span style="font-size: 15px">“I won’t, my lady,” he murmured back. “Not while...”</span>[/BGCOLOR]<br/><br/>[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]<span style="font-size: 15px">“iiiiiiiirrrrrreeeeeennnnnnaaaaa....”</span>[/BGCOLOR]<br/><br/>[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]<span style="font-size: 15px">Andrei’s blood froze at the sound.</span>[/BGCOLOR]<br/><br/>[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]<span style="font-size: 15px">“Iiiiiiirrrrreeeeeeennnnnnaaaaa...”</span>[/BGCOLOR]<br/><br/>[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]<span style="font-size: 15px">He <i>hadn’t </i>imagined it. A low groaning voice, dragging the Lady Ireena’s name out into a sound of torment. “Iiiiiirrrreeeeennnnaaaa....”. And it was <i>Elrick’s</i> voice. Elrick, <i>dead</i> Elrick, calling for their lady.</span>[/BGCOLOR]<br/><br/>[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]<span style="font-size: 15px">“Iiiirrrrreeeeennnnaaaa...”</span>[/BGCOLOR]<br/><br/>[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]<span style="font-size: 15px">Raising a hand for silence, he strained his ears. A floorboard creaked in the Burgomeister’s office. Another. Another. “Iiiiirrrrrreeeennnnaaaa....”. Elrick’s dead, tormented voice was closer now, just outside the Monk’s Hole. He could hear the heavy footsteps now, on the other side of the bookcase that concealed the door.</span>[/BGCOLOR]<br/><br/>[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]<span style="font-size: 15px">Elrick knew where the Monk’s Hole was. <i>All</i> of the Burgomeister’s Guard has known, because any of them might have had to take the family there.  And now the black arts of Devil Strahd turned that knowledge against the family Elrick had sworn to protect.</span>[/BGCOLOR]<br/><br/>[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]<span style="font-size: 15px">There was a thumping sound as the corpse beyond the wall fumbled at the bookcase. </span>[/BGCOLOR]<br/><br/>[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]<span style="font-size: 15px">As quietly as he could, Andrei rose to his feet.  “Here, my Lady,” he breathed, Darwin his silver-bladed dagger and pressing it into Ireena’s hand. “I will not leave you. But if... if the thing out there passes me, do <i>not</i> let it take you.”</span>[/BGCOLOR]<br/><br/>[BGCOLOR=rgb(25, 49, 66)]<span style="font-size: 15px">With that, he drew his sword as faced the door.  Drawing a deep breath, he rolled his shoulders and exhaled.  “Pelor,” he whispered, tightening and loosing his grip on his hilt, “stand with me.”</span>[/BGCOLOR]