"I will return soon." Wulfsen said and left.

Aron found Xavier in the main hall and walked over. "Excuse me," he said as the younger man spoke with the other men. "I was wondering if you have seen Sileas and Yehudit?"

Xavier looked a bit uncomfortable but answered truthfully. "I haven't seen them since they came back with Captain Spenser and headed for the kitchen area with the baby."

Liadan was not satisfied with Xavier's response.

"Where is my daughter, you pervert?"

Xavier blinked. He was not and had never been a pervert. It was obvious this woman didn't like him and he didn't really care. "I don't know about your daughter. I only know that Sileas and Wulfsen returned to the village. Apparently Sileas felt in her heart that her mother was not dead. No mention was made to me of your daughter." He turned on his heel and walked away to discuss the mermen situation with his men.

Liadan swore a blue streak. Where Sileas was, Yehudit would follow.

"The village isn't safe, there could still be raiders." Liadan said to Aron when she finally stopped swearing. "We have to find her before something happens to her."

"Then I guess we had best start walking." Aron headed for the doors.

"I'm going to kill them." Liadan said angrily, storming to the gates.

"Your daughter and niece? Seems a bit harsh. What do we have for weapons?" Aron asked.

"No! Wulfsen and Xavier. Taking them out of the keep, letting them go, not even letting us know... After I save Yehudit I'll use a fork to take out those men's eyes!" Liadan frowned. "I don't care about weapons."

Aron sighed. "I don't think Xavier had anything to do with it at all." He sighed again. "You know how Sileas can get, she would have gone with or without Wulfsen. Especially if she was convinced she had a chance to save her mother. At least if Wulfsen is with them, they have a trained warrior to watch over them."

"They should have told me." Liadan said. "Yehudit is my daughter, she's not strong enough for all the dangers out there."

"And I am certain Sileas told her that." Aron thought for a moment. "Do Wulfsen and Xavier even know us? They know Yehudit of course from when she visited with Sileas over the summers."

Liadan shook her head. "No excuse for letting them go, especially not Yehudit. Yehudit can't even run with her ankle being how it is."

"I'm just saying Sileas would have gone regardless what Wulfsen may have said and done. And you darn well Yehudit would have dragged herself after her. If I had any inclination that my mother could have been still alive, you can be damned certain I would have gone regardless. If you would have been left behind, presumed dead, wouldn't you have wanted someone to come look for you?"

"Not if it meant my daughter was put at risk!" Liadan snapped.

Aron sighed and set off down the road toward the village.

In reply to Xavier DeVale (msg # 80):

Wulfsen yawned when he found Xavier in the main hall. "Sileas was right, her mother was alive. She's with the healer's now.

"That is the best news I have heard all night," Xavier said honestly.  "At least the night seems to be calming down down."

"Calm for now." Wulfsen said. "Sileas's mother was badly hurt by the raiders, so was another girl... We figured out who was behind the raid."

"At least we know who to hunt for in relation to the raids. We had a girl attacked here before you returned the first time." Xavier rubbed his temple. "We had thought originally that it was Nelek, Aislyn's husband but it wasn't."

"Then who was it?" Wulfsen asked. "Not one of our men I hope!"

"No, but you're never going to believe me. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed the girl who told me, nor the healer who confirmed it." Xavier eyed him. "Maybe we should find some ale or something."

"All the ale you can get." Wulfsen said. He had seen some terrible things and he doubted that Xavier was going to tell him anything that would make him feel any better.

Xavier left one of the knights in charge and headed for the stairs toward the kitchen area. "I heard there was wine down here, there must be ale too."