[Estelyn Telcontar]

Though the darkness of early morning still shadowed the room when the Loremistress opened her eyes, she knew immediately where she was. She lay in her own bed, savouring the luxurious warmth of her own room after the discomforts of a long journey. Estelyn yawned, then stretched her arms, deciding that it would feel better to get up and go for a walk than to sleep longer.

Some minutes later, she stood at the entrance to the ‘Seventh Star Inn’. She had hoped to combine two pleasures, a cup of hot tea and a visit with the Innkeeper, but instead of the expected lights in the kitchen windows, darkness welcomed her forebodingly. Puzzled, she pondered the significance of the long-grown grass on the doorstep and the slightly unkempt appearance of the yard. She could hear none of the usual animal sounds from the stables which normally accompanied the presence of guests.

True, the Innkeeper had been away often before; she and all others were used to his sudden absences. But his well-trained personnel had kept the Inn running smoothly, thus keeping up the feeling that he would be back soon. She had never allowed her thoughts to dwell long on the possibility that one of his journeys, though she was one of the few who knew how dangerous they were, might be her friend’s last. The wounds of their perilous adventures together had healed, but a deep-seated fear still haunted her dreams occasionally. What if…

She walked around the Inn, looking to make sure there were no observers before slipping into a hidden entrance. There was no fire at which she could light a candle, but the sky was less dark by now. She threw open the shutters and the windows to freshen the stale air, pacing from one room to another to look for anything that might explain the abandonment of the building. A slight movement caught her eye, but when she turned, nothing was there. Must have been a mouse, she thought.