The effort was lost before it began, but she refused to give up. She hadn't moved more than a few yards before the sound of shouting voices pricked her ears. She'd been seen. Her eyes darted around the square frantically. She'd been planning to cross the square toward the east, where she knew the river lay just outside the city near the gate. Having no real knowledge of the city's layout, she could do no better than this to find her way free. Thus, she found herself at the middle of the open square, illuminated by moonlight, with nowhere to hide when figures suddenly darted toward her from the tavern.<br/><br/>Breath coming in painful, anxiously rapid puffs, she gripped the bag in her hand, thinking fast. She had nothing up her figurative sleeve. She had no tricks that had not already been spent. She was out of options. They wouldn't take her without a fight, however. She prepared for the worst, bracing herself against the coming onslaught.<br/><br/>==============================================<br/><br/>Kell looked up as the shouting from outside disrupted the peace inside the tavern. Most of the people who had been lingering over pints and conversation hopped up to rush outside and investigate the excitement. Kell found himself relatively alone with the travelers.<br/><br/>One of the men leaned closer and spoke to him,<span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-weight: bold"> "We will be staying in the city longer than we have expected. This is certainly not the right time to speak his name. Even the walls have ears. One thing is sure; He may not stop unless we stop him. I can almost feel the eagerness in the most horrific ways He persistently slaughtered mankind. Mayhaps we will stop the evil before it spreads.''</span></span><br/><br/>Kell nodded. These were sentiments which he could truly agree with. He was bout to say so when the traveler suddenly reacted to some stimulus outside of Kell's awareness. Abruptly, and with little explanation, he got up and left. Kell watched him go with a contemplative expression.<br/><br/>Relaxing in the empty tavern, Kell leaned over to nudge his companion, who was gulping at his drink, "Follow them and see what is happening. Make sure no one is hurt if you can. I'll go and see what Rai has to say. Meet me at the corner and we'll go down together."<br/><br/>Apparently understanding this, his companion stood and rushed off, chasing after the men and women who had run from the tavern. He would follow and observe if he could. Getting involved was definitely not something he wanted to do. Unseen, he followed the shadows of the buildings, watching the proceedings outside.<br/><br/>Kell looked to the last remaining man, the one called Turbertus. Nodding his head, Kell handed him a folded scrap of paper from his shirt pocket. "Decipher it if you can, follow it where it leads, and meet me there an hour before dawn."<br/><br/>The scrap of paper was written in a language commonly used by magicians. It was found in ancient scrolls from a long forgotten time, when magic was commonly practiced and studied. Thus, it was referred to as the language of Magic itself, though this name was entirely false. Only he who truly explores deep into the truth of magic would be able to decipher the instructions on the page.<br/><br/>"Let anyone see you with that, and you'll be hanged if you're lucky... Pray that you are lucky, if they catch you with it. I suggest you destroy it as soon as possible. I've work to see to. I'll see you before dawn."