"It is, in fact, the family that she fears. She's an old woman who wants only the best for her granddaughter."
Natalia sat in stunned silence, the words slowly sinking in. "Granddaughter? Are you sure?"
"She had a son, Antonov Sartellian, an extremely powerful Fire Mage that fell into disgrace after visiting the estate of Baron Rozinsky. Do you remember that name?"
"I can't say I do, why?"
"It was on his lands that I found your mother."
"But my mother wasn't a mage, was she?"
"Not as far as I could tell, but if what Illiana told me was true, then your father passed on his power through her."
"That makes no sense," said Natalia. "If that were the case, I would be a master of Fire Magic, not water."
Stanislav shrugged, though the action was hidden by the darkness. "I would have thought so, too, and yet your own awakening was anything but normal. Could he have had some kind of latent Water Magic?"
"That would be contrary to our teachings," she said. "Water and fire are opposites; they cannot exist in one person."
"That has always been the accepted theory," said Stanislav, "but the truth is, no one really knows. Your own family breeds fire and water. According to everything we think we know, that shouldn't work, and yet they've produced some of the most powerful casters on the Continent."
"This is overwhelming," said Natalia, "but it still doesn't explain how you came to be here, in Ebenstadt. Assuming that's where we still are, of course."
"I was told you were in the company of a Fire Mage, a man named Athgar. Illiana gave me access to the family's records. He had become a person of great interest to them after your escapades in Corassus. I thought that tracking him down would prove more successful than searching for you."
"And that brought you here?"
"Not at first," he confessed, "but once we realized he was a Therengian, this seemed like the logical place. Illiana came up with the idea. She thought it the best place for you to hide, amongst his people."
"Then the family knows about Runewald?"
"They've known for some time," said Stanislav, "though it was news to me."
Natalia felt a cold grip on her heart. "They organized the crusade!" she said. "Don't tell me they did that just to find me?"
"They didn't," he replied. "Only Illiana and I were privy to that information. The old woman knew all sorts of things she kept to herself."
"But aren't they here to conquer the Therengians?"
"I suspect so, but the truth is I simply don't know. What about you? I've heard of your fight in Corassus, but little more."
"Athgar and I fled north," she said, "to the Grey Spire Mountains, but fate had something else in store for us."
"Why? What happened?"
"There was a plot by the family to destroy a tribe of Orcs. Someone had discovered godstone in the area."
"And so you helped Orcs?" he asked. "Hardly a way to stay out of sight."
"They were friends of Athgar's. They took him in when his own village was destroyed. I'm surprised you didn't hear tell of it?"
"How long ago was this?"
"Last spring."
"Ah," he said, "that explains it. I was on the road by then. Tell me, this Athgar fellow, what's he like?"
"We met in Draybourne when he tried to save my life, while in response, I almost killed him. After nursing him back to health, we decided to travel together."
"That tells me how you met, but nothing of him as a person."
"He is the most caring person I've ever met," Natalia replied.
"You love him," stated Stanislav. "I can hear it in your voice."
"I do. There's a deep connection between the two of us. It's like nothing I've ever experienced before."
"That's natural when you're in love."
"No," she insisted, "it's more than merely a physical connection. When we fought at Ord-Kurgad, I used my magic to save his life. He had expended too much energy and was starting to immolate. I managed to quench that fire."
"I've never heard of such a thing."
"Nor I, and yet it happened. Kargen once told us we were even more powerful when we were together."
"Wise words," said the mage hunter. "Who's Kargen?"
"An Orc. The Chieftain of the Red Hand. It was his village that we defended."
"I doubt that garnered any sympathy from the family."
"Indeed not," said Natalia. "Nikolai even told me they wanted me dead."
"Dead? The last I heard, they wanted you alive. You must have really annoyed them to convince them otherwise. But tell me, if they wanted you dead, why did Nikolai not kill you?"
"I carry Athgar's child," she said.
Stanislav fell silent as he pondered the ramifications. "From what I've heard, Athgar is a reasonably skilled Fire Mage."
"He's more than that," she retorted. "He's disciplined, and that's what makes him dangerous to the family."
"Disciplined? In what way?"
"It was the Orcs who made him a master of flame. They taught him to control fire and use it sparingly."
"That doesn't sound like the Sartellian way," said Stanislav.
"It's not. Like the Stormwinds, they teach their students to let loose with everything they have. Control, to them, is something undesirable."
"And now you carry the child of a Fire Mage, the very thing they had planned for you."
"I didn't choose to fall in love with Athgar," she argued. "It just happened."
"I'm happy for you, but why don't you use your magic to escape your chains? If you froze them, wouldn't they shatter?"
"I wish I could, but my powers won't work. When Nikolai sprang his trap, I tried to cast, only to double over in pain. I'm scared, Stanislav. Scared that my child has been injured somehow. Then, on top of that, he dosed me with magebane. What will that do to an unborn child?"
"I have no idea what effect that might have," he said, "but it's not uncommon for a mage to lose her powers during pregnancy. It simply means the child has magical potential."
"How long does it last? Will it be over in time to escape?"
"I doubt it. Typically it takes a few
