Sileas arrived as the stable hands and squires were preparing wagons for the trip to the village to salvage supplies and two that were heading for Portside to shop. It took a few moments, but she managed to talk one of the squires into letting her have one of the wagons. While they loaded crates and trunks for her to pack things in, Sileas found Lightning and tended to his wounds. She caressed him as she spoke lovingly to him. "Once I return with the items from the manor and hopefully the answers we need to stop the mermen and find Uncle Nelek, you and I will set out somewhere. I don't know where yet but we're not wanted here. You are the only one I can trust any longer."

"That village- it's them dirty blokes's territory now." Questa scowled at Sileas from the doorway. "There's more than enough of them ter hold it, right, they took evryfink they wanted, evryfink that could be useful. I fink they only let us cop that cut up girl and the big guard's wife because they wanted us ter have them- if they were dead or missin' we'd just go on or bury them, but since they're alive we got ter be takin' care of them."

Questa absently marked the doorpost with her shiv. "Have yer forgotten wot it were like wen gangs fought for space? They'd cripple a couple from the uvver gang but let them live because it would make the bloomin' uvver gang weaker because they 'ad ter be tendin' ter ffeir wounded wen they'd be stronger if they just 'ad less blokes needin' tendin', even if they were dead and 'ad less blokes in the gang."

While Sileas had been adopted by Shawn and Brighid and growing up learning in a school, Questa had been on the streets of Portside. Street learning was a lot tougher and her high marks were scars.

"If there's anyfink useful left in Buckley Village they won't want yer ter have it, and they won't let yer take it. But they might decide they want yer- I don't 'ave ter tell yer wot they would want ter do ter yer." Questa said darkly.

"I'm only concerned with the manor and that's on the outskirts, not in the village proper. I know it's dangerous, I won't ask you to go along. There's nothing in the manor that would be of value to them. It's mostly books and talismans. I doubt there's any gemstones or even silver or gold. To them, it would be junk." Sileas wasn't at all certain how she knew anything about the contents of the manor. But it was calling her. As strongly as her mother had the night before. "The knights will be looking for any other supplies."

She sighed. "And no, I haven't forgotten how other gangs acted. Nor do I have any doubt what those men would want if I encounter them. But people her think I'm reckless, I may as well be reckless for a cause."

"How do yer know they 'aven't already been ter the manor- maybe even squattin' there, isit? The big guard and 'is wife and kids all lived in a cottage on the outskirts too- and that were where they 'it 'ardest! Blimey!" Questa pointed out.

"I can't explain it, I just...I have to ...this might be the only chance to find Uncle Nelek. Mazi isn't going to talk, and we both know it. Something is pulling me to the manor, that's all I can say. Wulfsen's men aren't going to know what to look for. Ideally I want to bring everything back for safe keeping. But the things to use against the mermen...we specifically need those. And the book dealing with the spells and talismans to use."

"How do yer know it's not one of them dirty blokes usin' a talisman in the manor ter call yer ter ffem?" Questa asked.

"Because none of them would know how to use a talisman to save their lives. And I believe they are boxes that are protected against the wrong people obtaining them."

Questa was less than convinced. "Why weren't yer called ter the manor wile we were in the chuffin' village, then, mate? We were just there, it's dangerous ter keep gahn back and forff, init? There's them dirty blokes and them merblokes wantin' ter carry girls off."

"I was drawn to it then but Mama forbid me to go there. I think she feared me seeing where her first husband and their son was murdered. But a family lived there for a while a few years ago so it must have been cleaned up. This is the last time I'm going to the village, I promise." A promise that would be easy for her to keep since she intended to leave after finding what she needed to find.

"It could be the last time yer go there because yer get yorself grabbed by them dirty blokes and get killed because yer don't want that 'appenin' again." Questa said hotly. "And yer know it's that dangerous. Are yer just bein' stewpid because Yehudit's muvver yelled at yer?"

"It has nothing to do with Yehudit's mother. It has to do with finding Uncle Nelek and ending the mermen. It has to do with knowing we'll need spells and magic to put a stop to magical beings. I don't care what Yehudit's mother thinks. No one else is going to know what to look for."

"Oh yeah, right, yer decidin' ter go ter the manor right after she forbids yer from bein' 'round millstone is just a coincidence." Questa was dripping with sarcasm. "The big guard's ole lady 'oo lived there could not possibly know wot ter 'ave a look for, right, or any one else 'oo visited the bloomin' place."

"Mama's in no condition to travel there. Look as I told you, you don't have to go along. I thought you might want to just for the adventure, but you can stay here." Sileas glared at Questa. "Now who's soft?"

Sileas climbed up on the wagon. "And aside from that family, I don't think Mama has allowed anyone else to go inside the manor. She only let them because he claimed to know her late husband. Or was kin, I can't remember now." She was done with arguing with everyone. "See you in a few hours." Sileas took up the reins and started the horses.

Questa cursed as she climbed into the moving wagon. "I'm not soft, I'm just not stewpid enough ter ffink gahn someplace dangerous where there probably ain't anyfink worff riskin' me life over is a good idea."

"And I am certain there is something worth going for. I can see the item we need crystal clear in my mind. I can see the title of the book we need. I know we could do this quickly but I also feel like there's something there that I need to find just for me and I don't think magical items should be left unattended where just anyone can find them. So I need to pack them up to bring here for safe keeping."

"If they're so dangerous 'ow can grabbin' them be safekeepin'?" Questa asked, still not convinced. She was thinking they were going to go get killed down there.

"Keeping them out of the wrong hands, of course. We don't want some psychotic or evil person grabbing them and accidentally making use of them. Or some evil magic wielder."

"Yer just said them dirty blokes couldn't make them talismans work for them if their lives depended on it." Questa said.

"I said they wouldn't know what they had or what to do with them and that the boxes may be warded so they can't get in. But accidents can happen. They could throw a box on the floor and break it, pick up the talisman and set it off."

Thanks to his bad leg which was bothering him even more since being buried under half of the barracks, Shawn reached the stables just in time to see Sileas halfway to the gate in one of the wagons. He cursed loudly.

"Them dirty blokes probably 'ave already done just that. We are gonna get magicked ter deaff." Questa heard someone curse and turned around. "Oi! It's that big guard. I fink 'e wants ter put the mockers on yer."

"He can't catch us. He thinks I don't know about his leg being bad. I can tell it's hurting him." Sileas hated herself for leaving him standing there, but Questa was right about one thing. He intended to stop her and she wasn't have any of it.

"Wot, right, yer're runnin' oray from the chuffin' lad yer've been gahn on and on about bein' yor favver?" Questa shook her head. "Righto."

"I'm not running from him. I'm not letting him stop me from doing something that I need to do," Sileas said as they drove through the gate. "It's not like I'm not returning in a few hours."

"Yer 'ope we will be hammer and tack in a couple 'ours. We could wind up captured or dead." Questa still did not feel right about this trip. She had seen what those dirty blokes did to people and got an idea of how many there were, they were outnumbered. It was suicide.