Cedric Brampton stood, leaning against the raised seat he had been previously sitting. The younger woman of the council was standing next to him but the rest stayed in places high above them.

  The stands where empty, the rest of the people who had come to petition or observe had been sent away and now Ambrose and Arlon were standing on the floor of the council, eye to eye with one of the most powerful people in the city.

  "A rabbit?" The younger women asked, somewhat unimpressed. "What, no magic frogs?”

  "Now Heleen, we said we would hear him out." Cedric said, giving her a side eye.

  The two looked at Ambrose expectantly and he felt his nerves rising again. "Yes, when I followed the noise, it was a rabbit caught in a trap."

  "A trap?" Cedric asked.

  Ambrose nodded. "It looked like a simple snap trap, but when I looked closer it had runes carved into it."

  "Did you recognize these runes?"

  Ambrose looked up at the man who was still sitting in his raised seat. "I recognize one of them."

  The man gave an expression that Ambrose felt meant for him to go on. "One of them I think was a rune meaning hidden or to hide? I had only seen it over doors that were meant to be hidden at the orphanage I grew up in."

  Cedric cocked his head slightly. "You where one of the war orphans?"

  Ambrose nodded.

  "Ok and the rest of them, do you remember what they look like?" The man asked impatiently.

  "I have looked through a book of runes since then but I couldn’t match them to any detailed in there."

  "A trap that could function in the forest, I have never heard of such a thing." One of the older women said.

  Cedric rubbed his chin for a moment before gesturing to Ambrose. "Please, what happened next?"

  I considered eating it. Ambrose thought. "It was injured and pregnant so I tried using my magic to heal it… and then passed out." He said, almost embarrassed.

  He paused, and when no one said anything, he continued. "The next thing I remember I was waking up on a bed of leaves, there was a lit fire in front of me and a pile of nuts of berries."

  "You must have been very hungry if you had collapsed from spell fatigue." Cedric added.

  Ambrose nodded. "I leaped at the food and while I was eating is when… they showed up."

  Everyone's attention seemed to focus just a bit more on him.

  "They called themselves Faraleen, that they were a servant of the lord of the forest, and that they were an imp." He felt he hadn't done Faraleen's words justice, but even though he knew it was all true, he still felt a bit ridiculous recounting it all.

  "An imp, you really expect us to believe-"

  "All of you leave." Cedirc said, cutting of Heleen.

  She and the rest of the council were silent for a moment, before the command sank in.

  "What?" Heleen said, sounding annoyed yet confused.

  Cedric turned and looked at her, Ambrose could only see part of his face, but the expression must have been clear, as she and the rest of the council made their way out of the chamber. Once they were gone Cedric directed Ambrose and Arlon to the stands where they all sat together.

  "I am sorry about that; there are secrets in this city and the forest that surrounds it that not everyone needs to be privy to." He said looking at them both. "So, I hope the rest of this conversation can remain between us. Have you told many others about what has happened?"

  In the city Ambrose had told Arlon, Reabeck and Tyrus fully about what had happened, the butcher Rea had only said he had been given some land by a magic rabbit. "Besides Arlon, only three people know all of it."

  Cedric nodded. "I will need their names, I hope they can be trusted to be discreet?" He said, looking at Arlon.

  "I haven't told anyone." She said, a bit defensively.

  Ambrose knew that due to the nature of their agreement Reabeck hadn't told anyone, and Tyrus…

  "One is Reabeck Rune, the owner of Authentic Runes."

  Cedric cocked his head slightly the side in recognition. "Do you have anything to do with the sudden boom in sales they have had lately?"

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  Ambrose simply gave a shrug. He didn’t feel like explaining Gro-Lag and his natural talent if he didn’t need to.

  "The other, well that other person is actually someone I wanted to ask the council about."

  Cedric looked slightly surprised but gestured for him to continue.

  "Tyrus Honor is the other person, he used to run my orphanage before it closed, he was the closest thing I can remember having to a parent."

  "Honor? He was one of the rebels who fought with my mother?"

  Ambroses nodded. "He runs the alms house now, I went to see him yesterday but he wasn't there, according to a child I spoke to and what I saw from his house, he hasn’t been there for a few days."

  The council head scratched his chin in thought. "I have heard of the man who runs the alms house, mostly about how dedicated he is." He gave a sigh. "I will have my people look into it. Now please finish your story."

  Ambrose also sighed, a bit of relief washing over him. "As I said, Faraleen appeared and introduced themselves, when I asked them why they were there they said they were giving me a gift."

  "A gift?"

  "Apparently, the rabbit I had helped was the daughter of the forest lord and for saving her, he was rewarding me with some of the forest."

  "You were being rewarded for your kindness." Arlon added

  Ambrose turned and they shared a small smile. "Faraleen then produced a piece of wood that they read the terms of the gift from. After that they drew some kind of magic from it which they passed to me." He sat back remembering the strangeness of the magic flowing through him. "And from then on, I have had my land."

  "And you can allow people to reside with you?" Cedric asked.

  He nodded but then turned more in his seat to look at the council head. "I don't remember telling you that?"

  Cedric's eyes widened slightly. "I just assumed since you said you had people living with you." He stood and placed his hands behind his back "Well I have to say what you have told me today Ambrose is truly… something."

  "So, you believe us?" Asked Arlon.

  Cedric was silent for a moment, his face seemingly unreadable. "I am going to send one of my people to come and see your land, if they can confirm all that you have told me is true, we will considered you application fully."

  He led the two of them to the entrance they had come in from. "Thank you for tell me your story, it was very interesting."

  "Thank you for listening my lord" Arlon said giving a small bow which Ambrose quickly copied.

  "My man should be with you soon." He said with a smile. They left and heard the door lock behind them.

  The two walked out of the castle in silence, ignoring the strange looks they were getting from those who had hung around after being dismissed. Once they were on the bridge Ambrose stopped, letting out a sigh and looked out at the water. "That was…"

  "Unexpected?" His companion finished.

  He looked at her and laughed. He stood up straight and looked down the bridge towards the city. "I better get off; I need to go meet Reabeck so we can head back to." Plus, I should probably warn her she will probably be getting a visit from a city official.

  He looked back at Arlon and stepped closer to her; he lent down slightly and hugged her. "Thank you so much for all your help, I don't know if I would have been able to do any of this without you." As he pulled back, while his face was still close to hers, he had the sudden urge to kiss her. It almost took him so off guard that he did, but he was able to resist it.

  She smiled at him, a look in her eyes Ambrose couldn't decipher. "Your very welcome, but you have done most of it yourself. Like I said before, you have been rewarded for your kindness and from I can see, that has yet to stop."

  They walked back to her shop, talking and laughing as they did. He had only known Arlon for nearly two moon turns, but he felt as comfortable with her as he had anyone in his life. Once back, Ambrose collected his things and moved to leave.

  "I will see you soon."

  She smiled at him, and he felt his heart flutter into his throat, he swallowed it down, and headed of for the Authentic Rune.