Alina was surprised to find her scimitar just waiting for her on the balcony. Either the person who had disarmed her had been very careless, or he had not intended to disarm her at all, but just misplaced her weapon after studying it. She sheathed<em>Stab</em>and then made her way up the staircase at the other end of the balcony. The room it lead out into surprised her even more. A study? If this place was indeed one of savagery and barbarism, like the old men at the tavern claimed, what kind of creature would require books? Let alone an entire study full of them.<br/><br/>Then she noticed the chest. Exactly like the one she passed by on her way to the balcony below. What was in there? And why did it seem to follow her around? Or did the proprietor of this lair just have identical chests in every room? Alina got nearer to it and kneeled in front of it, undoing the locks and then swinging the heavy lid open, only to find...