At the Skin & Chalice, Doctor Flax was waiting nervously inside the nobles' carriage with Adalina. He wasn't sure what spell Dao had cast to put him in this situation. It was true that the noble had paid a large price for him to nurse Mrs Straw back to health, and her leg was still healing, so technically speaking he still had a duty of care towards the patient. However, how he agreed to assist these women in their scheme, and follow them to the Drybrush Plain was still unexplained; he was sure Dao must have been scented with some kind of drug. The Doctor was waiting for Mr Thatch to arrive. When it was safe, Dao and Dal were to come and help him hitch his horse along with Mr Thatch's to the carriage, and drive to the front of the inn to collect Kaio. The way that Dao had explained it at the time, stealing the man's horse was crucial in ensuring Mrs Straw's recovery.

Inside the inn, Dal, Dao and Kaio were also waiting for Mr Thatch to arrive. If one of them were missing, they felt it might make the man suspicious. Their belongings were packed and loaded in the carriage, and the nervous excitement in the air was palpable. The mourning period for Mr Straw was nearly at an end, and Mr Thatch was poised to take control of the inn. He had arranged another of his 'special' visits to exercise his rights as the future owner. In other words, he was coming for Kaio's service without intending to pay. Today would be the last day. Once Mr Thatch was in her room, she had to stall for time before finding an excuse to leave; if she left after the deed then Thatch would be able to move quicker than she could. What surprised everyone that late afternoon when a knock came to the door, was that Mr Thatch had not come alone.

"Ladies, let me introduce Mr Thistle. He'll be taking care of the business here while I'm in the Big Village." Mr Thistle was tall and middle-aged, his head seemed to merge into his body with not much sign of a neck between them. As soon as he scanned the room, his eyes fell on Kaio and remained there for an uncomfortably long time. The women tried to hide their panic at the stranger's sudden arrival. Their plan did not account for a variable such as this. As they greeted Mr Thistle politely, Mr Thatch put a possessive hand around Kaio's shoulders, and the newcomer considered the alternatives before deciding on Dao as his second choice. Before the men could drag Dao and Kaio to the bedrooms, Dal struck upon an idea; "We should welcome Mr Thistle with a drink!" she said. While Mr Thatch was disappointed to have to wait, he thought it wasn't such a bad idea. For Mr Thistle, it meant he could have a little more time with the pretty young Kaio. "What a wonderful idea!" Kaio said, "Dal, I think there was some special bottles of Mr Straw's still outside..?" As Dal rushed towards the door she had to pass Mr Thistle, as the eldest and least attractive to him, he felt it important that she learned her place quickly, and squared his shoulders as she passed, knocking her towards the wall.  

Well at least I won't feel bad if I have to hurt him... she thought to herself, as she ran to meet the Doctor and Adalina in the stable. Doctor Flax was anxiously waiting outside the carriage when Dal arrived. "He came with someone! The man who..." The Doctor lowered his voice, "who you want to steal the horse from!" Dal started to help by hitching the Doctor's horse to the carriage. "We're aware, Doctor Flax" she said, "we need a sleeping draught, hurry and find one! Then hitch up whichever of their horses is strongest!" Leaving a horse behind was a risk, but if the two were knocked out for a time they should at least have a decent headstart. The Doctor approached Dal hesitantly with a vial of brown powder in his shaking hand. "Hurry, doctor!" cried Dal, "Or that man will have Dao in her bedroom before I've even returned!" The Doctor decisively handed over the vial. "Just a few pinches of the stuff should do" he told her.

In the inn, Kaio and Dao had their hands full trying to keep the gentlemen in the parlor while they waited for Dal to return. "Tell us more Uncle Thatch, we've never been to Cinderton. Did you really see a person made of wax? And have you seen one too, Mr Thistle?" asked Kaio, doing her best to appear enthralled. "If you girls work hard for me, maybe Uncle Thatch will take you to see them one day" said Mr Thatch with a leathery smile. "Your drinks, sirs!" said Dal, arriving just in time with the spiked ales. "Let's see who's the best drinker between you!" challenged Dao. "I love a man who can drink" said Kaio to Mr Thistle, as she placed an encouraging hand on his arm. Thankfully, the men hadn't thought to ask the women to join them, and drank amongst themselves until the bottles were empty. It was Mr Thistle who first started to notice the effects of the drug. "What... is in this drink?" he asked, his breathing labored and his chin sinking onto his chest. Kaio and Dao were getting nervous, and Dal stood behind him with a bottle, ready just in case.

Mr Thatch had been sitting at the edge of the seat when he suddenly lost his balance and tumbled forward to the floor. Mr Thistle tried to stand and collapsed beside him. "Did it work then..?" said Dao. The door to the inn was thrown open and the women turned in shock to see Doctor Flax, standing with a scalpel clasped in both hands. "Oh" said the Doctor, "It seems you didn't require assistance." Dao stepped over Mr Thistle's body, "Doctor Flax you are so very brave!" she said. The carriage was ready and waiting outside the door, Dal tied her hair on top of her head and stripped off her dress, revealing the breeches she was wearing underneath. She sat beside the Doctor in the driver's seat, while Dao and Kaio joined Adalina inside. With a final 'good riddance' to the Skin & Chalice, the group set out for the Drybrush Plains to find Ruel Moss's farm.

Meanwhile, Ruel Moss himself was starting to lose patience. Every day, despite his protests, Captain Lutel would come to visit him at his farm, and every day he would report in person that no progress had been made in locating Seren. After delivering his news, Lutel would often stay to help out on the farm, and linger until mealtimes in the hopes that Ruel Moss would take pity and feed him. On days where the Captain's business at the base left him unable to visit, he would send troops to assist him in his stead. "No word on your farmhand, yet, Mr Moss," they would tell him, "the Captain sends us to cover his workload along with his sincerest apologies." For a man who avoided nobles and wished them gone from the Plains, Ruel Moss could not go a day without them intruding on his life.

"Captain!" shouted Ruel Moss, as Lutel crouched in the pumpkin field, pulling weeds and throwing them into a wooden cart, "You don't need to keep doing this! Please, instead of wasting your time here, just find out what happened to Seren. Are there still no leads?" The Captain paused and wiped his brow. "If Seren is simply a commonfolk boy as you suggested, we can assume he'll make his way back here eventually. Didn't you say he was waiting here for word from his mother?" Captain Lutel didn't want to admit that his leader had already determined the boy he met on the road to be the missing Seren, and had already sent a small team of riders to investigate. He would have sent Lutel instead, but the Captain convinced him he was far too busy with his work in the north. As it happened, he was busy doing his utmost to fill every day completing menial tasks for Ruel Moss. "I've had no word from my niece" said the farmer, "It's not easy you know! Sending messages between the commonfolk. We don't have the privilege of traveling without fear across the country like you nobles. Unless there's a merchant bound for the north, news could well be delayed... Maybe Seren went back to check..."

The Captain put a comforting hand on the shoulder of the forlorn Mr Moss. "Captain! Your hands are filthy" cried Ruel Moss, brushing the dirt from his clothes and storming off into the house to prepare lunch. Captain Lutel smiled as he watched him walk away, but didn't abandon his weeding until the job was done. Later, as the two men enjoyed their potato soup, a soldier arrived with an urgent message for the Captain. "Just go ahead and spit it out, Silel" he said between mouthfuls, "Don't mind Mr Moss here." Silel blushed and stood to attention, "Lord Rhenac wishes me to tell you this verbatim; 'Kiss your rugged little wife goodbye, General Alac is letting us out to play with the bad kids...' he said, Captain." Lutel held the soup in his mouth and examined Ruel Moss's face before swallowing. The farmer seemed to be ruminating on what he'd just heard. "Mr Moss...?" Lutel probed. "Oh" said Ruel Moss, "I didn't know you had a wife" Captain Lutel cleared his throat and dismissed Silel. "Ah, that Rhenac is always making jokes... he must have meant my dog" Lutel laughed awkwardly, "my little dog, yes..." Ruel Moss continued eating his soup, "I didn't know you had a dog either" he said between spoonfuls. Captain Lutel just smiled and wondered where he could get a dog from when he returned.

After the meal, Captain Lutel had to bid goodbye to Ruel Moss, promising once again that he would send his men to take care of the farm in his absence. Mr Moss tried to decline but realized it was futile. "Just send one man, that is enough" he bargained. Captain Lutel settled on making it two before leaving, he didn't like the idea of leaving Ruel Moss alone with just one man. He didn't like the idea of leaving him at all. Mounting his horse, Lutel waved farewell and set off to find that bastard Rhenac. "Lutel! You're back at last, did you get my message?" the bastard asked, as Captain Lutel entered his study at the base. "Yes I got your message. As did Mr Moss..." Lord Rhenac burst out laughing. "What did he say? Will he accept you?" he asked with a hint of genuine curiosity. Captain Lutel ignored him. "So the General is letting us meet with the Empire?" Rhenac nodded, pushed aside the annoying paperwork he'd been going through, and sat on his desk. "That's right. We might actually see the end of this war at last. I know it was my grandfather's wish to force the Tsar off his throne, but all we need is our independence. You know I'm not greedy for the Imperial cities. If we can establish a legitimate cross-country trade route with Romdel then we can coexist... right?" Lutel pulled up a chair and sat down. 

"If the Tsar was willing to let go of the independent nations do you think this war would have dragged on for twenty years?" asked the Captain. Rhenac rubbed his aching temples. "Is it because we're too attractive in the north?" he queried, tracing his fingers along his striking profile, "Do you think he's jealous of our good looks? And that's why he won't let us go?" Lutel grabbed a piece of paper, screwed it up into a ball and threw it squarely at his friend's head. "Ask him that in person and see if we make it out of the palace alive" he said. "I'm going to check on the legion before I pack. This had better be a short trip" Lutel stood and leaned towards his useless friend, "I'm worried I'll miss my rugged little wife." Smacking Rhenac loudly on the back of the head, the Captain set off to prepare for their trip.