Peter seemed satisfied with the elf’s words. It was hard to tell, given the fact that he very often showed his satisfaction by have no more to say on the matter. If he was not making comments, offering criticism. and talking back, that was usually a good sign. Cerys thought a moment about suggesting that he might like to stick around, but thought better of tempting his mood in the wrong direction.

“So what do we do next?” Peter asked after several moments passed in which nobody talked. He did not even not bother to hide his impatience.  “Now that we’ve met you, do we leave this town?”

“Soon, aye,” Nashtra replied.  “Do you have a scroll with you, by chance? I had heard tell that Lord James was to leave you with something bearing my people’s crest.”

“It is in here,” Bayani told him, grabbing their travel bag. He ruffled through its contents for a minute or two before pulling out the scroll with the wax seal on it. “Here you go.”

Nashtra took the scroll as Bayani held it out for him, cracked the weak that held it closed, and unrolled it. As he read it, his expression changed from calm and steady to worry and unease.

“This is terrible,” he muttered to himself.

“That is?” Himeko asked him.

Nashtra glanced over at her, then back to the scroll, his eyes scanning he words once again.

“Sir Nashtra?” Himeko asked again.

“It’s nor ‘sir,’ actually,” he mumbled as he examined the scroll for the third time, as though intent on memorizing its every word.

“What did he say?” Himeko asked her friend. She could see that the elf could provide no clear response.

Cerys only shrugged, leaving Himeko to wait until Nashtra was done reading. Then he gave more coherent response.

“I am not a knight,” he told the party. “I have taken no oath or pledge, and my allegiance is to my people and my family. Outside of that, I am not obligated in the way that a knight is.”

“You’re more of a rogue class, then,” Peter noted.

Nashtra gave him a curious look. “I trust that you do not mean that it would be a bad thing.” Then he stood up, rapidly folding the note in his hands. “We have to go, and quickly.”