Trevor seemed familiar to Marchan, but Marchan could not place him. He appeared to be in his late teens and was even sporting a bit of down on his upper lip, which Marchan was sure made him feel older than he was. Trevor seemed suprised to see the guest in his captain's office.

'Cap'n?' he said, apparently trying not to stare at Marchan.

'Do you know anything of Dwarves, Trevor?'

'They were our allies in the last war, sir. Rumour flies that they abandoned us, but my father assures me that it was a blessing they made it at all and their forces were were defeated.'

'Good, now would you know where you might find some if you went looking for them.'

'Not offhand, Cap'n. I could look in the archives though.'

'Would you? And get Gordon and Michael to help you and tell Jeannie to bring in some food and drink for our guest.'

'Yes sir. Right away Cap'n,' said Trevor ducking out of the room.

'A truly wonderful assistant,' said Richard after he had gone. 'If there's anything to find, he'll find it. We have archives going all the way back to King George's death. Some are more detailed than others mind, but we've been filling in what information we can, and cross referencing everything. Trevor here is my right hand man. He will find it.'

Right then, a young woman in a uniform like Trevor's came in carrying a tray of food and drink. There were biscuits witih butter and cheese, a pitcher full of orange jucie and a few sticks of maple sugar. She placed the tray on the table between Marchan and Richard and stepped back.

Richard turned to Marchan and said, 'This will do as an appetizer I'm sure. What do think would you like for a proper meal?'

'Oh, you're too kind. Right now, I think I could eat just about anything,' said Marchan. 'Cold leftovers sound just heavenly to me right now.'

Richard looked at the young woman and spoke, 'Jeannie, warm up a bit of stew and bring some of pie. I'm sure there's some in the mess hall.'

'Yes, Cap'n,' she said and left.

Marchan had just finished eating the first tray's food when she returned with half an apple pie and plates to serve it on. Also on the tray were more cheese and a white creamy substance that she smeared on the first piece as she gave it to Marchan. He was suprised how much it added to the pie. Richard served him the rest of the pie with the rest of the cream and cheese. Marchan had eaten the last piece and was hoping there was more when Jeannie returned again with a large bowl of stew. She set that in front of Marchan and grated some cheese into it, then ground some pepper into it from a pepper grinder. Marchan ate it quickly and decided he should not take too much and declared himself full satisfied.

'Surely you could eat more?' Jeannie asked.

'Perhaps,' Marchan said. 'But I do not want to eat too much. I'll have more later.'

'As you wish,' she said and left the room.

'Well, since that is over,' said Richard. 'Would you like to walk a bit with me?'

'Certainly,' said Marchan.

Richard took him throough the gardens of surrounding the Hall, pointing out various flowering and climbing plants. Marchan was awestruck by the joins between the blocks of marble. They were as smooth and perfect as if they rock had been there forever. Richard assured him that the marble had been brought from many miles away and placed expertly by craftsmen who had learned the craft at the hands of the dwarves. From time to time, dwarves had visited the city, but very few knew from whence they came, nor where they went when they left. Richard did not know if it was recorded. He said he hoped it had. He knew Trevor would find it.

Marchan was at the Hall of Records for several days waiting for Trevor and his crew to find information on Dwarf habitats. Meanwhile, Dana was discovering just how much she missed court life. In the Castle of Skiln, she was waited on and no longer needed to cook meals or scrub floors. Her long unused skills at weaving and embroidery slowly came back to her. Her mastery of chess and backgammon returned quicker. Within two days, she was regularly winning against even the best players in the castle.

The Duke of Quirnotol, under the hand of the once nameless Healer, returned to health and was soon eating heartily and cheering on Dana as she bested her opponents at the games.

The Healer meanwhile remembered more and more of his past. With his name came most of his memories. He had been born Thomas Denton, son of the greatest doctor in memory, Donald Denton who, it was rumoured, had raised a man from death. Thomas made no such claims for his father. He himself had been hired by a Duke of high standing some thirty years earlier and had faithfully served him until he died and then loyally served his son. That son had died and his half brother was so evil that Thomas had tried to run, but had been forced to do his bidding though threats to a hostage: Thomas's own son. It was in that Duke's employ that Thomas had turned the last town they had visited into a nightmare.

When Thomas revealed that much, Dana took a closer look at him and then said, 'Have I changed so much that you don't recognize me, Doctor?'

At the time the Duke, Dana, Thomas, David and Samuel were sitting in the Duke's chamber. All the men jolted forward when Dana spoke.

'Recognize you, dear Lady?' said Thomas.

'Your duke had a granddaughter, did he not, about age 10 when he died?'

'Yes, yes, I remember my son thought she was some kind of angel. The Young Duke's daughter, she was about ten when the Old Duke died. That was you?'

'Yes, I must admit I didn't recognize you either. (When I was young all grown ups looked alike to me!) But I do remember that we had the son of the doctor that raised the dead as our doctor. Grandpappy used to say that we were bound to be the healthiest people in the world.'

'Yes, Dana, yes, that could have been the name of the Young Duke's daughter. I can't say as I remember. I think I always called her the little princess when I saw her.'

'That's right, and you used to give me those maple canes afterwards.'

'Hey yes, I remember.'

'I think,' said the Duke slowly, breathing heavily, 'that I would like to know how it is that you went from being the daughter of a duke to being the adopted mother of a dwarf and a runaway from a peasant mob.'

Dana looked at her four companions. She had only known them for about a week, but she was sure she could trust them with this story.

She was born Dana Laura Lu, the first grandchild of the Duke of Loussington. Her father was the sole heir to the Duchy and was already running most of its affairs since his father was aged and not expected to live many more years. As it turned out, he lived to see Dana's tenth birthday, largely thanks to Dr. Denton's efforts, but finaly succumbed to the accumulated ravages of time. Dana displayed a talent in mathematics and languages. Her love though was poetry. She would spend hours daily reading and memorizing poetry. Brahneem was her favourite, but Michallo and Ubutuna were not far behind. The death of her grand-father, unfortunately, was followed by her mother a year later and her father two years after that. Dana was left alone (aside from her father's palace servants) and who should appear but her father's half brother.

At this point in the story, Thomas interjected that the Old Duke had never married the mother of this child. She was a woman that he had kept after his wife had died bearing Dana's father.

Dana's uncle took control of the duchy. At first he claimed to be watching out for Dana's interests, since she was the heir, but within a year he had isolated her from all the servants. Any servant that showed the least bit of interest in being kind to her was punished most severely. Not, of course, for being kind to Dana, but everyone could tell that there was a relationship between being kind to her and how severely you were punished for minor slip ups.

Then he pulled a very dirty trick. As acting Duke, he promoted one of his mother's nephews to Baronette and offered him Dana's hand in marriage. Dana was given the choice of marriage or continuing isolation. The marriage ceremony was quickly over and Dana's new husband eagerly took her home to his two room shack. It was not a pleasant experience for Dana. A year later her son was born. He was a sickly child and Thomas had recently disappeared. There was nowhere for Dana to turn to help her son. One night her son cried so much Dana thought her heart would break. Her husband told her to shut him up, but nothing Dana could do would silence him. That night he died.

Before sunrise, Dana, bloody and bruised, ran away. Her clothes were unrecognizable and she was running barefoot, but she was running. Many times she stumbled and hurt herself still more, but she knew that she wanted to get as much distance as possible between herself and that house. As she ran she passed camps of soldiers preparing for battle. That day was the day of the last battle against Chloris which the king's soldiers won with the help of the dwarves.

Dana finally stopped at a Sanctuary and slept. The Keeper of the Sanctuary gave her some food and found some peasant clothes for her to wear. They were rougher than anything that Dana had worn before, but they were clean and well mended, and looked nothing like her old self. Dana was glad to have them.

After the battle was over, exhausted soldiers could be seen walking along the road from time to time, mostly in groups of 20 or more. One soldier by himself was walking along carrying a bundle. He turned in toward the Sanctuary.

The Keeper, who had been watching out called to him, 'Do not come this way. This is not a Sanctuary for armed men.'

'I am armed, but it is not for me that I come. It is for this little babe I am carrying. Do you know of a wet nurse?'

Dana jumped and ran out to meet him. It had been too long since she had last nursed her son. The babe was asleep but eagerly accepted all she could give him as soon as she woke him.

As she fed him the man explained, 'I am a foot soldier of Glown. I was leaving the field of battle and came across a young dwarf-woman, bleeding profusely. As I approached she cried out in agony. I got closer and asked what I could do for her. She cried again, then gasped, "The child, take the child home." She died soon after. I searched and found a small bundle with this baby in it. I've looked for where the dwarf troop has gone, but can't seem to find it. I thought I had best find someone to care for this child.'

Dana told him that she would be happy to care for him, but she had no home to take him to.

Jonathan took her to his own home. The farm that he had grown up on. His aged parents still lived there and helped Dana look after Marchan for a year, while Jonathan did his best to find the Dwarves. He turned up nothing at all. He could not even find rumour of someone who knew where they might be found, or even sightings. His parents died in a outbreak of flu after a year, so he returned to support his adopted son.

The intervening years were full of all the things that parents go through.

Jonathan had died a year before and their debts had caught up to them. When attempting to find work for Marchan, they had ended up in a violent fight and been forced to leave unexpectedly, which had brought them to the Duke's carriage as he approached Glown that night.

The Duke of Quirnotol coughed. 'I see why you told us that first story of a dead husband. You had no reason not to believe I was friends with your uncle.'

'Actually,' said Dana, 'I heard later that my uncle's cousin was killed on the same day as I ran. He went looking for me and ended up on the battle field. In all the confusion he was killed. A bondsman of his who had followed escaped and reported the story of his master dying while looking for his runaway wife. The story even reached us over near Glown.'

'Ah, I see,' said the Duke. 'Well, since we're swapping our histories and what not, I might as well admit to mine. I'm a great grandson of claimant to the throne Horatio, himself great grandson of King Bedoyoro, grandson of King George founder of the dynasty which still reigns and by the assistance of the Roubbes will reign forever. I have been married and my wife gave me a son. In his late teens he is now, and works in the capital. Alas, my wife died, likely from the same flu that went around and killed your Jonathan's parents, some fourteen years ago. I've never been in a bad place overall. My parents left me plenty of wealth. I like fast horses, and despise men treating one another badly. If there's something I can do to help you, I'd love to. Your uncle sounds like a man who needs his come-uppance.'

Soon after that Thomas declared that the Duke needed his rest and everyone else cleared out of the room. Dana was soon alone and changed into her night clothes.

Dana was just pulling back the covers of her bed, after blowing out her candle, when she heard a noise in the passageway outside her chamber. She froze, listening for more noise.

'Mistress, are you here?' a voice asked. Dana stifled a scream. It was a man's voice, and it sounded like he was right in her chamber! He was just closer than the open doorway! The voice, however, sounded like a man afraid of being discovered and quite afraid.

After a few seconds, she spoke, 'Who is it?' then dove across the bed to put it between herself and her unexpected visitor.

He did not seem interested in pursuing her, however. He sat down on the floor and said, 'I will not harm you. My name is Martug. Until a week ago I was a loyal servant of the Baron's. But on the day you arrived, I met a dwarf that claimed you were his mother, not his birth mother, but his mother because you raised him and cared for him. I, myself, was raised by a nice woman who was unrelated to me. She gave me everything I needed. This dwarf claimed you did the same for him. I last saw him a week ago with a satchel of food as he walked away in the starlight along the road to the capital. At that meeting he gave me this stone to show to you. He said you might recognize it.' There was a bit of shuffling in the darkness and then Martug struck a light with his tinderbox. He had used it to light an oil lamp and shifted himself over to the table at the foot of the bed. He placed the lamp and a small rock on the table, then shifted himself back to the doorway, keeping his eyes on the floor.

Dana stepped to the table and looked at the rock. It was a chip that Marchan had taken from Jonathan's grave marker when the undertaker was fashioning it. On it were very tiny letters that Marchan had carved. Jonathan's name and a short eulogy made up most of it. The remaining part was the date of his death. Dana recognized it instantly.

She looked across at Martug. 'Marchan gave you this?' she said, disbelief tainting her voice.

'Yes,' said Martug, his voice suddenly even more fearful than when he first spoke.

'Well, thank you for returning it to me,' Dana said with an air of finality.

'When we parted,' Martug started. 'I promised him that I will do all I am able to help you. I promised that because what he said of you reminded me of the woman that raised me.'

'And what do you want?' Dana asked, starting to wonder if she would be rid of this strange man.

'Want? I want to serve you. Take me with you when you leave. I have but three more weeks of service promised to the Baron, then I am free. I had been a loyal servant and planned to promise another two years as his page, but you have shown me again that there is a life of doing good. I no longer wish to be beholden to a man that kills men for pleasure, and tortures them for sport. Hate is his creed.'

Dana pondered. 'Come back again another day,' she said. 'I will tell you then what I will do.'

'Mistress, it took me a week to be able to come. You are not easy to approach, you spend your days indoors and among the genteel chess players and the ladies of the court. My day is in the stables and on guard duty. Tonight is the first time I've been inside apart from meal times. And if I was seen to approach you without some other reason, I would be castigated most severely.'

Dana nodded. She had been left quite alone by the men of the castle. That would not be suprising but for the lecherous looks she got, and the rather inappropriate behaviour that the Baron displayed around her. She said, 'If I decided to go riding, would you be my page?'

'I think you might be able to arrange that,' Martug replied.

'Then I will go riding in the next day or so. I will give you what answer I can.' Dana stepped back from the table, holding the rock to her chest.

Martug slid back to the table took the lamp and blew it out, then retreated from the room. Dana could hear him leave, but his soft shoes made little noise and she soon couldn't hear him any more. She climbed into bed and was soon fast asleep, hugging the stone and remembering.

Fast asleep was, perhaps, not a perfect description. Dana was troubled that night by dreams of men attacking her. The attackers kept turning into Marchan, and she would go to hug him, but she found she had turned into her uncle's cousin, or the Baron Yohan of Skiln. She woke up several times during the night. Once, she was almost sure that someone else was in the room with her. She was sure she heard a voice murmuring not far away, but when she tried to place her foot in the murmurer's abdomen, she only hit the cold stone wall. She climbed back into bed and dreamed even more outrageous dreams.

The next morning after breakfast, she went to the Duke's sick chamber. He was in high spirits.

'Good morning, my dear!' he called when he saw her. 'I have been thinking about your uncle, and, ohh, I have a plan for him. My son, he works in the Hall of Records. I could get him to find all the history of your family that would be necessary to show that you are the proper Duchess of Loussington. With that, we could go to the King and have you installed there again. I know the King quite well; he will support you. Have no doubts. Then, when your uncle has lost everything, I can offer him a spot managing one of my troublesome estates. He will be quite surprised to find just how troublesome. Ooooh, hoo, hoo.'

Dana smiled. It was hard not to at the Duke's enthusiasm. 'Duke,' she started, but was interrupted.

'Really, my dear! I think we should be on better terms than all that. Now that I know you are my equal in station, I must insist that you call me by my personal name.'

'M'lord,' said Dana, taking on a various serious tone, 'I do not know your first name. I have also only known you a week. I do not think it appropriate to call you by your personal name, seeing as you are, indeed, of a much higher station that I. For fifteen years I have not been a Duchess, whatever my rightful status.'

'Really, you don't know my name? Oh, dear. I thought everyone knew my first name. It's even etched in gold thread upon the pillows in my carriage. You must have seen it.'

'Well, I will not speak your personal name at this time, My Lord Duke. Too much could be implied by such a switch.'

'Very well,' sighed the Duke. He truly liked the sound of his name, and was sure that Duchess Dana would pronounce it very beautifully. He sighed again then said, 'So what were you going to say?'

'I was approached last night by a young man in the castle. He says his time is nearly up and requests that I take him with me as my servant. I would like your input on the matter.'

'Oh? I have noticed that the Baron is very wily, and has very evil intentions, however kindly he acts toward us. Thomas told me that his doctor was in here when we first arrived and pretty much attempted to make me worse. It would seem he wished me dead. I understand that I have you and your son some thanks for bringing that to Thomas' attention, and I thank you for it. I think that if we had been shabbier when we arrived, we might have gone straight into the gaol, likely never seen again in the outside world. As it was, my carriage suggested to the Baron that I am a very powerful man and might have had more men near by. David and Samuel meanwhile explained what kind of connections I have, so I think he has now decided that he best make a good show to convince me that he's a good man. If he could perhaps get you alone, however, and defenseless, an accident could happen and no one but him and his men the wiser.'

'But the man had me alone,' Dana said and told the story of her unexpected visit, even pulling the stone from her pocket to show the Duke.

'Well, well, it would be unlikely that he would figure that stone might mean something to you,' said the Duke, studying it closely. 'He would have had to have talked to Marchan. The writing is virtually unnoticeable even when you told me where it is. You say Marchan did this? I had no idea anyone could do this.'

'He is very steady with his hands,' said Dana. 'I do not know if that is a consequence of his race, or if he is exceptional among them.'

'Well, I think you can be sure he talked to Marchan. Whether as friend or foe remains to be seen. I would suggest you also take Samuel along. He's an amazing horseman and can handle himself in a scuffle.'

'But would I need two pages?' Dana asked.

'If you play it right, certainly. Say you want a man that you know, but also a man that who knows the terrain, and the horses. Samuel tells me they take good care of the riding horses, he's been down to visit the stables and make sure that my horses are well kept. Samuel is a true horsemaster. Treats them like children. Better than most children are treated.

'Anyway, if you take Samuel the Baron would have to think twice about doing anything, as there's a much better chance that I would hear and an accident that kills two is very unlikely anyway. Talk to this Martug, see what you can find out. If he's on the level, we can tell the Baron that you request a page to serve you and that the page you took with you when you were riding was such a nice young man that you would like him. If the Baron requires a payment for the last few weeks of the man's services, I will pay it.'

'You shouldn't have to pay for a servant for me!' Dana exclaimed.

'Pshaw, think of it as a gift for all your nursing over me.'

'But you only got hurt because of me!'

'And I would do it again to have the honour of having you beside me in my carriage.'

Their conversation continued for some time about nothing in particular, but the decision had been made. Before lunch Dana went to tell the Baron she wished to go riding that afternoon, but the sky clouded over quite suddenly and the rain postponed her excursion.

The next afternoon, however, Dana was able to make it out riding. She took Samuel with her as the Duke had suggested. When they got into the stables, she insisted she wanted someone who knew the area and had everyone in the stables line up. She walked up and down the line inspecting each one like she was trying to get a feel for each one until she pointed at Martug and said to the Baron, 'That one. He'll do.'

'Excellent choice, M'Lady,' said the Baron. 'He is very knowledgable of the area and an excellent horseman.' He dismissed everyone else with a wave and then stepped up to Martug. 'Now, sirrah,' he said loud enough to let Dana and Samuel hear. 'If anything happens to the lady, or the man with her, I will personally remove your intestines and force you to eat them. Do you understand?'

'Yes, sir, your honour, sir!' said Martug, standing straighter.

They set out, the Baron, Dana, Samuel, Martug and two of the Baron's knights. The Baron had made sure that Dana heard him give the same speech to the two of them and they appeared to be genuinely interested in making sure she remained safe. They passed through the village and were soon travelling down country roads.

They met a elderly man walking along, a sack on his back. The two knights rode forward, getting quite close to the man, while they unhooked their maces. The Baron started to smile a cruel smile and then remembered Dana by his side.

'Are you lost, sir?' he called out before the knights were close enough to hit the man.

'No,' wheezed the old man, 'can't say as I am. I'm just travelling along. Could you point me to a village where I might spend the night?' This last bit was gasped out of him.

'Certainly,' said the Baron, 'We've just come from one. Continue along this road and you'll find a village.'

'Thank you kindly, young master,' wheezed the old man and continued walking.

The riders continued on. From time to time, the Baron tried to point out interesting landmarks, or describe how much he was enjoying himself, but he obviously wasn't and Dana just accepted his statements without comment or encouragement. Eventually, she stopped her horse. She looked at Martug and stared expectantly at him.

'What is your name?' she finally said, when he did not seem to be moving to assist her.

'Martug, Your Ladyship,' he said.

'Well, Martug, come here and help me down.'

Samuel had ridden a bit ahead, but, hearing Dana speak, turned and came back. 'M'lady?' he said as Martug helped Dana down.

'I wish to stretch, Samuel, and I wish to walk into the fields a bit,' she said.

The Baron did not look at all pleased. He started to dismount, but Dana held up her hand, 'I'm sure these two,' she pointed at Martug and Samuel, 'can take care of anything that might come my way, M'lord Baron, you and your knights had likely best stay and guard the horses. Don't want that old man to steal them,' she finished with a laugh.

She led Samuel and Martug into a grain field. They walked along in silence for a few minutes, and then, when Dana was sure they were out of earshot, she stopped walking. She told Samuel to stand two feet away on one side facing away, and Martug a few feet away on the other side, also facing away. Then she twirled and squatted down, feet apart, so that her skirts covered a bit of the ground around her.

'Tell me, Martug,' she said, 'how are things?'

'Fine, M'lady,' he said, keeping his back to her. 'Will you take me?'

'Perhaps,' she said. 'First I want to make sure you're on the level. Tell me about those two goons over there.'

'They're goons, as you say,' said Martug. 'They would have hurt that old man if you and Samuel hadn't been along, and the Baron just would have laughed. That's why he keeps them around. He finds it funny to hurt the defenseless. He'll likely try to find the old man later and get him into his gaol, just because he got away.'

'You wouldn't be trying to wiggle into my confidence to betray me to him, would you?' Dan asked.

Martug bristled and started to turn around, but caught himself. His shoulders dropped and he said, 'M'lady, I am ashamed that I am in a position that you could even think that of me. I do truly want to go with you, no longer the Baron's servant but yours. I wish to serve no one else. To hurt you would be to hurt the memory of the woman who raised me, and I pray each day to the Good Goddess Gina to watch over her, and now I pray that for you also, because you are such a good person a good goddess should be watching over you.'

Dana stood up. 'You can turn around now,' she said. 'I can see that you are on the level. I have made a decision. When I leave you will come with me. The Duke has promised to pay your final weeks if necessary. The doctor tells us he will be ready to travel in a few more days and we both really desire to reach the Capital soon, so we will likely leave as soon as he can travel.'

'Thank you, M'lady!' Martug smiled.

'Don't look too happy,' Dana cautioned. 'Your boss is still watching. And, Samuel, not a word to anyone. The Lord Duke and you two are the only people who know, let's keep it that way.'

'Yes, M'lady,' Samuel said. 'I will not mention anything of this conversation.'

The three of them walked back to the horses and the waiting men. Dana had Samuel lift her back up onto the horse and they continued their ride, but soon Dana started to feel tired and suggested they return to the castle.

On their way through the village, the old man could be seen sitting at the church entrance, begging alms of the villagers. Dana looked at him sadly, quite sure he would not be there in the morning, but deep under the castle.