<div class="floatright"><div align="center">(https://i.pinimg.com/564x/46/f8/9d/46f89d7abc090fa3f04becec479fb501.jpg)<br/>Cormag Law</div></div><br/>Elaine returned the smile and the squeeze, looking as regal as she could in one of her new dresses. "I recognize the man leading them," she said, peering out through one of the arrow slits. "Cormag Law. I can't think of anyone more loyal to House Bedegar. He might not like the idea of fighting alongside orcs. But he'll do it."<br/><br/>Turning back to Larissa, Elaine squinted for a moment and then leaned in for a quick kiss. She pulled back with a pensive expression, that slowly widened into a grin. "Hmm... not what I usually taste on your breath," she said, licking her lips. "You'll have to give me all the details later."<br/><br/>With that, she stepped out into the courtyard with Larissa. A formation of roughly seventy pikemen stood at attention. Their armour and banners were filthy and tattered from many days on the road, and their youthful faces were clearly weary from travel, but their formation was straight and their pikes were all held at precisely the same angle. Their commanding officer, a stony-faced man in his forties, swept his gaze across the lot of them, his stern gaze almost daring one of them to let their spearpoint waver.<br/><br/>Satisfied at last, he turned to the noblewomen who exited the keep. He dropped to one knee before Elaine, clasping a fist over his heart. "My Lady," he said, eyes on the ground before him. He did not sound surprised, exactly. But there was an evident tone of relief in his voice. "I heard that an heir of Bedegar yet lived," he said. "I... am sorry I was not there to help your family."<br/><br/>"Rise, Captain Law," Elaine said, keeping her voice level, though it cracked ever so briefly. "Your orders took you away from Bedegar Keep, to train these men. Tell me, what news from Bedegar? And how have you occupied yourself since my capture?"<br/><br/>Law rose, his posture straight and unwavering. "Valerie Greymantle is as capricious and vile a ruler as one might expect. She has no mind for the work of governance; she cares only to gratify her own ego. When I heard she sat the throne, I declared my intention to resign to the men that followed me. Those you see here resigned with me, and we intended to take up work as mercenaries. However, my first prospective client gave us an odd task. Or rather no task. He merely paid us our fee, with orders to 'stand in readiness'. Four days ago, we finally received the order to march to Castle Rend, where we would find a living heir of Bedegar." He tugged on his braided beard, clearly unsettled by the convenience of this whole business. "And here we are."