Preserving the bounty of the hunt with magic made so we could keep it longer. I looked at Dan, the day had been a good one and I was feeling playful. I slipped up to him and goosed him when his back was turned. We started to play fight for a bit and I was happy to end up in his arms. We embraced for a bit looking in each others eyes. I was finding my mind turning to the bed we could share. Thunk, thunk, thunk! the mirror in the corner sounded. Dang it! That meant someone was trying to open a portal! I pulled away from Dan and picked up the blade I had dropped. I was not very happy to be interrupted and was going to take it out on who ever came through the portal. I said "Portal!" through clenched teeth. He understood and picked up his blade and took up position on the other side of the mirror. The portal opened and a young girl dashed out and turned to close the portal. She sent a shatter spell through as she closed the portal. She eyed the two of us and backed up till she hit the bed frame.

The three of us stood there for a few moments wondering what to do. I noted the chaffing at her wrists and ankles. That told me she had been tied up and not playfully. I lowered my blade and asked "Who are you?" I was thinking she was a runaway from somewhere but where?

She pulled herself up and said "My name is Lily Fairbow. I just escaped from slavers who attacked our trade convoy. Who are you?" She is a plucky little girl I'll say that for her.

I made a decision and put away my blade. "My name is Amber Shane I live here in Wind Haven. Did you mean to come here or did you just get lucky?" I smiled at my sarcastic remark. Dan put away his blade and watched without saying anything.

"I am seldom lucky. I was just trying to get out of there. Slavers are not the nicest people in the world." Well seems she can be sarcastic as well. I did not want to but I was starting to like this girl. She could not be more than 15 or so but I could see a lot of life in her eyes. Somehow we were going to have to get her back to her people. Pulling her into my world would not be a kind thing to do.

I had to ask "Do you have a way to get a hold of your people? It is best we get you back to them." She shook her head.

She looked grave "The trade convoy was destroyed. Everyone I was traveling with are either dead or in the hands of slavers. None were kin to me, I have no kin. My Mother
died of a pox last winter, I never knew my father. I am alone." I could see the tears at the edges of her eyes but she refused to shed them. I felt for her. This will make things difficult on all of us if we keep her here.

I smiled "I don't suppose the slavers fed you? Lets see what we can find for you. Maybe a change of clothes as well." Dang, I am channeling my mother now. I guess it could be worse.

A half hour later after she had eaten and I found her something to wear I made up a bed for her in a room down the hall from mine. The way she sunk into the bed showed she had not slept for quite awhile. What was I going to do with her? Dan was staying out of the whole thing, so I was on my own to decide.

Tanna had signed that revolution was coming before she was killed. That may mean if I stay away long enough they will fight their war and I would not need to be involved. If I could make contact with a trading post maybe I can last out the year with out going back? There is plenty to trade here in Wind Haven. Lily was traveling with a trade convoy maybe she knows of a trading post or two. Getting to them will be the trick. I will talk to Lily and Dan in the morning. Dan is going to be disappointed that I am no longer in the playful mood. I went to check and found Dan was already asleep. So I went to bed myself.

The morning came stealing over my window sill and I wanted to have it arrested for being too early. I started my morning anyways. Dan was up but moving slowly. I checked on lily and she was still asleep. That was fine I told Dan my thoughts on the trading posts but he was noncommittal. I said "Are you ok with staying here a year. I think that would give us the best chance to be forgotten back home. When we go back I want to be safe."

He smiled "Here has its attractions. I really don't have that much back home to go back to. Get a few more people here and we could make a pretty good life here. Do you really think that the way we were living was all that good?"

That made me think. They tried to storm the safe house and kill me. Do I owe them anything? Sure there would be some things I would miss but not all that much. "I will have to think on this. What do you want for breakfast?" That was all that was said about going back. Lily came out pulled by the smell of frying lake trout. We ate without talking much.

I asked lily "Do you know of any trading posts we can get to by mirror? We could use a few things." I decided to keep it simple.

She thought for a moment "Dogtown is a trading post we passed through before we were attacked. It is a rough place but they have a mirror station. You should be able to get there from here. You need to watch yourself there but you should be able to get any thing you want there."

If I use a seeker spell on the mirror looking for Dogtown I should be able to make a link and open a portal. I will keep that in the back of my mind for later. For today we need to kit out Lily. I wonder if I can find some leathers small enough to fit her or if I will have to alter some. There are plenty of dresses if that is her thing. I guess I made up my mind she is going to be here for awhile. Well she seem like a good kid I guess.

Exploring the castle was put off till the afternoon. I wanted to finish exploring in 3 days if we could. Now that we had plenty of meat I did not see why we could not do it. Many things happened over the next few days but nothing of note.

Lily slid into our lives without a problem or so it seemed. The nightmares started 4 days after her arrival. I was woke from a good dream by scream. I was up a blade in my hand before I knew it. The second scream brought me to Lily's room. I looked around to be sure there was no enemy then went to the bed and tried to wake Lily. She was sitting up crying. Dan was at the door but did not come in. It took quite a lot to wake her even then she continued to cry and held on to me like a raft in a stormy sea. She did not go back to sleep that night and so I did not get any sleep as well. She told me of her life after her Mother died. It was not a nice life. I was relived to find out she is still a virgin. The nightmare was memories of the attack on the trade convoy. She seen many people die that day. She was taken with 4 other females but was kept separately so she could not find any of them when she managed to wiggle free. When she found a mirror she knew she had to escape. They had roughly searched her but did not take her necklace for witch she was very glad.

That is the first time I seen her necklace. It was the Sword and the Rose just like the one I wear. What could this mean? I slowly pulled my necklace out of my top and she gasped. We compared them and they were the same. She said "What can this mean? My Mother gave me this before she died. She said it held my future. Does this mean we are related some how?"

I smiled "I don't know I got this from my Grandmother. It is the key to Wind Haven. It might mean some relationship. It would be nice to have a little sister. maybe you coming here was not so much luck." She hugged me at that point. She needed someone and I just became that someone. Well things could be worse.

We talked till the sun came up. I got up to get my morning started I was going to check our stores today. Just what I needed inventory on no sleep. Well I will deal with it. Dan was already up when I got to the kitchen and had made breakfast. Well this guy is a keeper. We talked about a whole lot of nothing while we ate. Small talk was just that. Dan was going to go through the armory and see if any weapons needed maintained. Lily was going to alter some clothes for herself this morning. I had my inventory to get to so we all had our tasks for the day. About midday we all took a break for lunch. Simple salads and soup. Then back to work.

Our days went like this and only once a week we were woke by Lily's nightmares. She was trying to deal with what she seen that day but it is a long process. We were forgiving and they did get less often. We settled into a way of life that was comfortable. Months passed and the day we would need to make a move came. Try the trading post or try going back? We will have to choose. A temporary answer showed up at our gates in the form of a trade convoy. They stayed three nights and we traded a lot of things we did not need. Then they moved on. No fuss no muss. The trading we did left us with enough to last us till the end of the year at least. Plus something even more important Information. Locations of three trading posts and four towns in the area. The area being 4 days ride. This gave us more options and time to think things over.