A nice little group of rooms, perfect for a workshop and living area.

After venturing through the kitchen stores area, Sileas indeed found a small group of rooms. Aside from the entrance, there were no doors but the set up was perfect. The largest room had a large stone table and shelves along one wall. The other two rooms were smaller and would be nice sleeping areas for herself and Questa. "This is perfect. We can bar the door when we are in here and if we can find the key, we can lock the room when we're not in here."

Questa prowled around, inspecting the rooms herself. "It will do for a lair. But too bad there's only one way out, right, and frough the bloomin' kitchen."

"Sileas, is that you?" Lek called nervously from the stairs. This cellar seemed too deep, and it reminded him of the coal mines.

In reply to Questa Cort (msg # 3):

"Once we get it cleaned up, we might find something. Castles and keeps usually have secret tunnels through places. I can't imagine this isn't part of one." Sileas paused and turned toward the door. "Lek. How did he find us already?" She eased herself from the room, which wasn't visible from the stairs, thank goodness. Sileas stepped into the light. "Hello, Lek."

Lek held up the map. "We need to save Papa."

"I know we do. I have some plans, God be willing, that Xavier finds the manor still intact." Sileas gave her cousin a reassuring smile.

Lek thrust the parchment at Sileas.

"Look, Ila drew a map of the island. We just need to show it to sailors- someone is bound to recognize it."

"It's a very good lead. We just need to find some sailors. I doubt any of Wulfsen's men know much about the sea." Sileas studied the map. She didn't know a lot about oceans and the like.

"Portside, we need to go to Portside." Lek said. "There are a lot of sailors there."

Sileas let out a soft sigh. "It's a good idea but I was already threatened with arrest once when I tried to leave. Why don't you see if Papa will go with you?"

Lek stared at Sileas disbelievingly. He did not think anything could stop, or even delay Sileas. Sileas was such an adventurer.

"Oh, Lek, please don't look at me that way. I just had no desire to spend time in the dungeon and I understand why they don't want the women leaving the safety of the keep." The heck with me being the one taking people in to danger, every one else drags me in. "Let's find Wulfsen and see if he's agreeable. Questa? Are you coming along?"

"Gahn after grabby mermen and grabby sailors, woss not ter luv about comin' along wiv yer?" Questa asked.

Sileas grinned. "Need to mark our room we chose." She glanced around and found a rock. She disappeared and carved an S into the door and then returned to Lek and Questa. "Let's go find Wulfsen."

Questa idly wondered why Sileas carved a snake into their door. "Sure yer want ter find 'im ter help yer find this Nelek, or are yer 'opin' ter get some snoggin' in?"

"I think he might still be in the healing room." Lek nodded and was already heading back up the stairs. He did not like being underground. The kitchen was bad enough, but the cellar was too much.

"Lek!" Sileas called him back. "I need you to promise me you will not tell Aunt Lia or Yehudit where the room I've chosen is. If you don't promise, I shall not assist you with your father."

Lek looked down at Sileas and blinked. "Why would I tell them?"

"Yehudit will probably be asking where I am and if you've seen me. I'm trying to make certain she doesn't find me."

"Why leave Yehudit out?" Lek asked, surprised. Yehudit and Sileas were always together, it was a surprise that Yehudit was not in the cellar with her already.

"If you haven't heard, you should hear it from me first. Aunt Lia adamantly told me to stay away from Yehudit, that I was a bad influence and did nothing but lead Yehudit into danger. So I'm doing my part, but you know how Yehudit likes to hunt me down."

"You're actually going to try to stay away from Yehudit?" Lek scoffed. "That's not going to happen."

"I know. That's one reason I went looking for a room far out the way. Aunt Lia was really angry about this morning. I told her I told Yehudit to go for help many times."

Lek shrugged. "Yehudit won't hear about this from me, but you know she'll find her own way down here."

"I'm hoping the stairs will be a deterrent. If Wulfsen lets us go to Portside, maybe I can find something there that will hide the doorway from the kitchen from public view."

"I think the challenge will be getting Yehudit back up the stairs." Lek said dryly.

"I'd be happier if she just didn't find the door and decide to explore. What a mess."

"She'll be dahn 'ere in no time, after we scrape 'er off the bloomin' floor under the stairs 'er crazy muvver will chew yor 'ead off again." Questa said.

"You're probably right, never mind that you know I won't be the one to tell her where my room is, and we have Lek's promise to not tell."

"Damned no matter wot yer do... Unless yer do in the crazy muvver." Questa suggested.

Sileas looked affronted. "Despite my ill-fated attempt with Jeremy, which I wish fervently would have worked, I'm no killer. If I leave, she'll just follow me. It's up to her mother to decide how to keep her away from me. I'm doing all I can."

"Let's find Wulfsen so yer can get yor snoggin' out of the way so we can spot about findin' this Nelek bloke." Questa said.

Sileas turned twelve shades of red and prayed Lek had not heard that particular comment. "There will be none of the first.  But let's find him and see about going off to Portside."

Questa climbed up the stairs, snickering to herself. It was funny to see Sileas turn redder than her hair.

Sileas glared at her oldest friend's back. The snicker did not go unnoticed and Sileas vowed to have her revenge.