A frantic neighing cut off Max's reply. Melody grabbed his arm?

"Guards?"

"No, Starlight. We must have startled her."

Max ran to the stable and found the horse stomping nervously. He took hold of her halter to still her while rubbing her forehead.

"Calm down girl. It's only me. Don't be frightened."

Melody reached him and pointed at the ground. "We didn't scare her, Max. There is another animal in the stall."

Following Melody's finger, Max watched a small figure dart out from around Starlight's hooves. It stopped under the light of a lantern several feet away from them. Max shook his head while wiping the sweat off of his brow.

"Almost given away by a mouse."

"Max! That's Spook."

"What? It can't be."

Melody crouched down. "Come here, Spook. You remember me, don't you?"

Max couldn't believe his eyes as the little mouse ran over to Melody.

"See, it is her."

Max squatted next to Melody. "Well, I'll be."

Melody examined a piece of cloth tied to Spook's tail. "Who did this?"

Max recognized the cloth at once. "It's a piece of ribbon from Alexandra's hair. Spook must have hidden in her dress when the Protectors took her."

The mouse suddenly turned, running a few feet away from them before stopping and facing them once more. Spook waited a few seconds before repeating the maneuver. Melody slowly turned her head towards Max.

"I think she wants us to follower her."

"Funny, Melody."

"I'm serious. You would be amazed at how smart animals are. On top of that, the Immortals were known to have a great affinity with nature."

"But it's a mouse."

Melody put her hands on her hips. "A few minutes ago we broke into the most heavily fortified place in Velrune by climbing a stack of empty wine barrels. Now you're questioning following a mouse when you have no idea where you're going to begin with?"

Max glanced back at the wall they had climbed over. "You really think she wants us to follow her?"

Melody took a couple of steps towards Spook. The little mouse turned, ran a few feet more then stopped, facing them once again. Max groaned.

"Eve's never going to let me hear the end of this. Ok, new plan, we follow Spook."

Max joined Melody and followed Spook as she scurried along a spa.r.s.e trail of hay that led to an open door in the side of the main building. Sticking his head in, Max saw a mound of hay stacked in the center of a small room. On the far wall he saw another door leading farther into the building.

"Huh, I hadn't noticed this door before."

"You really didn't have a plan on getting us in did you, Max?"

"Well..."

Spook ran through the room.

"There she goes, we'd better keep up."

Max jogged after the mouse. Melody rolled her eyes and followed.

Spook led them through hallways, rooms and even down a flight of stairs. Max and Melody ran as hard as they could to keep Spook in sight, until she shot through a small hole in the wall of a dead-end hallway. They slid to a stop and caught their breath. After a moment, Max studied the wall.

"Now what?"

Melody felt along the wall. "My job with the Church is to validate rumors. Mostly they're false, but every now and again one rings true."

Melody pushed on a brick, sending the wall swinging inward. "Secret pa.s.sages inside Protector Headquarters, I guess I'll mark that rumor as true."

The false wall revealed a spiral staircase leading down. Following for several flights, they arrived at a heavy wooden door. Taking a deep breath, Max pushed the door open. On the other side was a small room with a small lock box and a pair of guards sitting in chairs next to another door. The sound of the door opening startled the guards from their sleep. The one on the left jumped to attention.

"Who are you?"

Max stood as straight as he could and tried to sound important. "I'm Sgt. Maxwell Laskaris, I need to speak with one of the prisoners."

"Haven't heard of you, now get out of here."

Melody shouted from behind. "Hey!"

Max tried to turn around, but was shoved forward. Steadying himself, he found Lysander standing next to him with a backpack slung over his shoulder.

"I need to speak to one of the prisoners as well."

"Sgt. Harris, we thought you had left with the others."

"I had other duties to attend to. Now, if you will let me pa.s.s."

"I...I'm sorry sir. Lord Avram directly ordered us to keep everyone out of the dungeon until his return."

"Is that so?"

Lysander stepped forward and grabbed the guard, lifting him off the ground with ease. The second guard reached for his sword, but Max intercepted him. Unsheathing his own sword, he held it at the guard's neck.

Lysander shook the guard he held. "Keys."

The guard reached a shaking hand down to his belt. He unfastened the ring of keys, dropping them to the floor.

"Good, now I think it's time you took a little nap."

Lysander let go of the guard, striking him on top of the head before he could reach for his weapon. With the first guard unconscious, Lysander turned to the other one. The second guard swallowed hard.

"Wait, I'll be quiet."

Max removed his sword from the guard's neck. The guard sunk to his knees, his focus on Lysander.

"I won't do anything, I promise."

Lysander nodded. "I know you won't. Max?"

Max swung the blunt edge of his sword, striking the guard on the back of the head. The guard fell flat. Max bent down and verified that he was unconscious. Lysander patted Max on the shoulder.

"It's okay, Max. If this goes badly, they can at least say they put up a fight."

Max stood. "What are you doing here, Lysander?"

"The same as you I would guess, trying to get answers."

Melody stormed up to Lysander. "Answers? Couldn't you have gotten those without having turned us over to the Protectors?"

"No, I couldn't." Lysander bent down and grabbed the keys. "Coming?"

Melody shook her head. "I don't trust you. How do I know you aren't going to lock us in one of those cells?"

"I understand your concern, but I have little time to convince you otherwise."

Max stuck out his hand. "Will you at least give Melody and I your word that you will let us leave?"

Lysander shook Max's hand. "You have my word, if it still means anything to you."

"It does for the moment."

Lysander nodded then turned to the lock on the door, trying one key after another until it unlocked. He swung it open and stared blankly down the dimly lit tunnel.

"I'm not sure which cell she's in."

Max shrugged his shoulders. "That's okay, we'll follow Spook."

"What?"

Max pointed at Spook who sat on her haunches just beyond the arch of the door. Lysander stepped back in surprise.

"What the... is that the mouse Evangeline had?"

Spook turned and hurried down the corridor. The others gave chase, winding through a dizzying maze of intersecting corridors lined with cells. Finally, Spook stopped in front of a cell and waited. When they reached her she darted between the bars.

Inside the cell, Alexandra lay in a fetal position on a stone slab carved out of the rock wall. The skin on her face and hands had drawn tight to her bones. Her burns remained untreated. Spook climbed onto the slab, tickling Alexandra's face with her whiskers until she woke. Seeing the mouse, she spoke in a raspy voice.

"Hey, Spook. Did you find them?"

Max stepped close to the bars. "If by them you mean us, then, yes."

Alexandra jerked in surprise. She pushed herself into a seated position.

"Actually, no, I did not mean you."

"Then who? Eve?"

Alexandra winced as she nodded. "Yes."

"Where is she supposed to be?"

"Outside the west gate, along with the people from my camp."

Melody stepped beside Max. "Did you plan for this to happen?"

"Lord Avram, the stone and I all needed to come together. This was one of the possibilities, though not the one I had hoped for."

Max heard Lysander grunt behind them. "I thought as much."

Alexandra gave Lysander a curious look. "You I certainly did not expect."

"I need answers from you, honest ones."

"Does it matter what I say? You do not trust me."

"I will this time."

Lysander slid the backpack off of his shoulder. Crouching down, he opened it. Max tensed. "What are you going to do, Lysander?"

Lysander reached inside the bag. "Alexandra, I brought someone else along with me. She misses you terribly."

Lysander pulled out a doll worn by decades of use. It was old, but well taken care of by a loving owner. Not the least bit of stuffing shown from the several meticulously sewn st.i.tches, nor could a single stray thread from the clothing be seen.

Lysander held the doll in front of the cell's entrance. Her eyes wide, Alexandra slid off the bench and fell to her knees at the cell door. She stretched her arm between the bars, trying to grab the doll.

"My doll? Don't hurt my doll!"

Lysander held the doll inches outside of her reach. "I'm not going to hurt her, she's already very sad. You left her behind; she doesn't think you love her anymore."

"No, that's not true! I didn't mean to leave her. I'd never do that."

Max stood speechless at the sudden transformation in Alexandra. She's centuries old, and knows more than I ever will, but she is still just a scared little kid.

Lysander turned the doll to face him. "She told me she might trust you again, if you're completely honest with her."

Alexandra slowly pulled her hand back and sat on the floor, nodding as she wrung her hands together.