[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Hilderinc left the hall promptly after hearing Athanar's order. He was not, in fact, entirely sure about the man Athanar wanted him to fetch – he had been too busy with other thoughts that he had hardly noticed the man when they were arriving. But he did not want to ask details from Athanar or Thornden in the room, especially as it seemed clear that the lord did not want Faramund to overhear this command. It did not matter – Hilderinc was simply going to find and ask some of the other soldiers, or some of the locals.

He assumed that the rest of Athanar's men will already be inside the hall, but he went to the courtyard in case the man was still there, or somebody who might be able to help him. When he had walked outside, he stopped and blinked in the still rather bright light of the autumn day, too bright after the calm twilight of the inside of Faramund's hall. Everything seemed calm and peaceful, a soft wind was blowing from the fields and the courtyard was almost empty and quiet except for the sound of horses snuffling from the paddock and the clucking of a few hens from somewhere out of sight. He could not see anybody who would have seemed like the man he had been looking for, only a bit further away he could spot a man who was probably one of the local servants, and coming from the paddock with two pairs of horses, the young "stablemaster" of Scarburg – what was the boy's name again? – and what seemed to be Quin. Why isn't he inside with the rest of the men? Hilderinc thought. But then he was reminded of his own reluctance to share the company of others at some times, so maybe the young soldier felt similarly at this moment. Rather immediately, however, Hilderinc was surprised by realising his own thought – he would never have compared anybody to himself (and much less even compared himself to anybody). It was a rather alien feeling to think of somebody in such a way... no, he shrugged the idea away without thinking about it more deeply. And as the two were coming closer, he decided to go to meet them, as he had considered it easier than to summon them to come after him. They seemed to be busy with the horses anyway, and there was a chance that if he had called them, only one might have come. It was better to ask them both, there was a better chance of them knowing something.

Swiftly, he crossed the courtyard and the two stopped as they spotted him, breaking their chatter. Young Quin looked at him questioningly as he approached, but Hilderinc spoke before he could.

"It's all right, Quin, you are not required inside," he said with a bit of smirk in his face. "I just wanted to ask the two of you whether you remember the man who was," he tried to recall Athanar's exact words, "who was thrown out of the hall as we came here." A slight move in the "stablemaster's" face affirmed that at least he knew who he was talking about.

"I was wondering whether you don't happen to know where he might be, or if you haven't seen him around, since you are out here," Hilderinc continued. "So, what do you say?" He looked around as if checking that nobody else is near. "Lord Athanar had asked me to bring the man inside – you don't need to tell this to anybody, is that clear! - but I am sure that he would rather have him brought as soon as possible, and since the two of you are out here, you could as well help me."