'Yes,' answered Lord Adarbrent immediately. Still Royus Adatbrent hesitated.
The furious Rampage Stunk burst out, 'Go on! Kill him! What are you waiting for!'
The angry fat man ducked around the frosted topiary dragon, striding forward with his odd rolling gait.
'Finish him!' Stunk yelled at the ghost.
The phantom swung around to stare at Stunk.
'Who are you,' he said in exactly the same angry accents that his grandson always used, 'to tell an Adarbrent what to do?'
He raised his axe high over his head and swung down.
'No!' screamed Sophraea.
With unbelievable quickness. Lord Adarbrent thrust his sword cane between the axe and Rampage Stunk. The axe struck the stick, shattering it, as Stunk scrambled backward to safety. The force of the blow made the old nobleman gasp and almost go down to one knee.
But when the phantom whiried around, Lord Adarbrent straightened his back and stood tall.
'Why did you save him?' he said, the flames of his eyes so bright that Lord Adarbrent's shadow streamed out black against the snow behind the old man.
'Because she is right,' answered Lord Adarbrent, indicating Sophraea standing stock still, afraid to move and break this odd truce. 'If we spill blood here tonight, the stain will spread to Waterdeep.'
The phantom raised his head, looking over the City of the Dead. Then he contemplated Sophraea.
'A Carver, are you not?' he said with the calmest voice he had used all night.
'Yes, my lord,' she answered with a steady voice although her hand trembled on Gustin's shoulder.
The phantom nodded slowly. 'No blood?' he asked to make sure.
'The dead are returning to their graves,' she said. 'But if we create any more disturbance, we will never quiet them down.'
A sour expression flitted across his ghastly features.
'Very well, Grandson, you live tonight,' he said. 'But this is the end of your tricks. I trust the Carvers will keep an eye on your activities from now on and keep you from any more foolish actions.'
'I promise, my lord,' said Sophraea quickly, before Lord Adarbrent could answer. 'No more raising of the dead.'
The phantom gave a curt nod and decreed, 'But there must still be punishment. Grandson, I forbid you to rest with the family. When your death comes, let the Carvers find you a grave far from the Adarbrents. You are banished from burial near us.'
Lord Adarbrent bowed his head in acquiesce.
With a swirl of its rotted black cape, the ghost of Royus Adarbrent faded away from view. Where he had stood, the snow was smooth and white and free of any marks.
'That's it? That's all?' Rampage Stunk bounded up to them. 'You ruin my business with your tricks. You try to steal my tomb! And you just get banished from your family plot!'
'This tomb was never meant to be yours in the first place,' returned Lord Adarbrent hotly.
'You miserable old man,' screamed Stunk. 'If that ghost won't kill you, I will!'
He charged at Lord Adarbrent, dragging a dagger out of his belt.
'Stop him!' Sophraea yelled at the topiary dragon. Frost flew as the creature swept its tail in a wide arc. The prickly end crashed against Stunk's shins, tripping him into the snow.
The rest ofthe Carvers swept past the topiary dragon to encircle Lord Adarbrent, creating a wall of solid Carver flesh between him and the furious Stunk.
Sputtering, the fat man struggled to his feet.
'I will destroy you!' he screamed at Lord Adarbrent. 'And your friends! I'll ruin you all.'
As Rampage Stunk continued to rant, Sophraea helped Gustin to his feet.
'Do you have any spells left?' she asked him.
'A light to see us home,' he answered with a quick hug. 'And a whirlwind spell. Although, after all that knocking about, I might not be able to manage more than a small breeze. Maybe you should give me another kiss, just to warm me up.'.
'That's enough of your teasing,' Sophraea answered him, although she almost kissed him despite the fact her entire family was watching this exchange closely. 'It's time to go home. But I don't want Stunk following us.'
'I can help with that,' Gustin told her.
Rampage Stunk was still screaming at Lord Adarbrent. Leaplow growled and raised his big fists to bloody the nose of Rampage Stunk. Sophraea stepped in front of her brother to face down the furious merchant and his tide of threats.
'Get out of my way!' yelled the fat man, rocking back and forth in his wrath.
Sophraea stared him down. 'Do you know where you are?'
Rampage blustered back, 'What do you mean?'
'You are in the City of the Dead, it is night, and there is only one family in all ofWaterdeep who can always find their way home from this place in the dark. And we are not going to help you!' Sophraea announced.
With that, Gustin loosed his whirlwind to make snow swirl even thicker around Rampage Stunk.
The Carvers disappeared from Stunk's view, hidden behind a curtain of snow.
Sophraea grabbed Gustin with one hand and Lord Adarbrent with the other. With the rest of the family following her, she turned toward Dead End House. The snow fell heavily all around them, muffling their footsteps as they swept around the corner of the Deepwinter tomb.
In the light kindled from Gustin's magic, Sophraea saw the shallow steps that led up from the path to the hole in the wall carved out long ago by her family. With a sigh of relief, she led her friends and family safely out of the City of the Dead.
The shouts and screams of Rampage Stunk escalated behind them, but none of the Carvers looked back. Crashing sounds drifted across the silent graveyard as the fat man blundered down one path and then another.
'Will the dead claim him?' Gustin asked.
'No,' said Sophraea, seeing again all the ghosts of the City of the Dead. Some still drifted along the pathways. There was mischief in the darkness but no malice, no hatred, anymore. 'They may tease and trick him, as they will any who wander unprotected, but they will not seek blood tonight. I am sure of it.'
Briarsting and the topiary dragon escorted the Carvers as far as their gate.
'Try to keep him from falling into an open grave,' Sophraea said to the thorn, as the sounds of Stunk's blundering grew fainter and farther away.
The little man shook his head at her. 'You need a harder heart, girl,' he said, 'or all your enemies will outlive you.'
'There's nothing finer than a tender heart,' Gustin answered him.
Sophraea blushed as Briarsting responded, 'Yes, but you think she's perfection already. Keep her safe, wizard!'
'I'll keep myself safe,' Sophraea answered with her usual spirit.
'But let me help with that task, it's been so much fun these past few tendays,' Gustin whispered in her ear, making her blush even harder.
'Hey,' said Leaplow, 'what are you saying to my sister? Do we need to have a talk?'
'No!' said Sophraea so emphatically that the rest of the family laughed. She shoved Leaplow up the stairs. 'You leave Gustin alone! No fights! No bets! No wrestling matches! He's a friend!'
The rest of the family chuckled as Sophraea scolded her brother all the way into the center of the courtyard.
Once everyone was through the Dead End gate, Astute Carver dragged a few boards from the wreckage left from their battle and propped the lumber before the opening. The black-and-white Carver cat twined around his legs in greeting and then slipped past him to sniff at the temporary barrier.
'We'll need to reforge the gate,' said Perspicacity..
'In the morning, Brother,' answered Judicious with a pat on his shoulder..
'In the morning,' agreed Astute in his usual calm voice.
'Sophraea Carver, your skirts are soaked through,' said her mother. 'Come inside, and tell us your adventures.'
