The wine that Cassandra imbibed was exceptional. It was of a vintage she had never tasted anything like before, with a strong bouquet, and a full bodied, round flavour and viscosity that clung to the glass for some time after. Finishing the last drop of her glass was quite a disappointment.<br/><br/>As Cassandra appraised the wine, Lady Nerida listened to the concerns of the group and answered their questions in turn.<strong>“These will be professional soldiers. It would be reasonable to expect enough of a presence to ward off any highwaymen or other threats, so you had best be prepared for a number equal to your own and approach with caution. I can provide you with some armaments from our stores here, though your best weapon will be your wits.”</strong><br/><br/>On the question of how they were captured, she replied;<strong> “They were interrupted by Lathander clerics performing a blood ritual and torturing one of their number at their own altar for information. Needless to say that this did not go well.”</strong><br/><br/>Cassandra’s question on whether they were worth the effort to save was met with an icy glare from the woman and an equally cold reply.<strong>“I am not requesting your assistance, young sorceress. I am telling you that you will follow my instructions and liberate our faithful from the clutches of our enemy!”</strong><br/><br/>She relaxed again,<strong>“Exactly how you got about that, though, I leave to your discretion... as long as you don’t leave a trail of destruction in your wake that will cause <em>unnecessary complications</em>.”</strong>