With rumors of a spy mission to House Lynderly swirling around Castle Snownook, I decide it is high time I share my gift with Lord Theodore in hopes it will be my ticket out of the stables and away from my wretched father. I find the lordling in his office- nervously wringing my hands, I explain my ability to warg into August. His eyes grow wide, then his eyebrows narrow as he asks for a demonstration. I leave my human form and my senses awake in August, looking up at Teddy. He smiles devilishly, and asks that if I really want to prove my ability, I shall retrieve Captain Jardon’s spare wooden leg. I bound out the door, across the training yard, and up the stairs to Captain Jardon’s quarters. After some finagling, I open his door take the wooden peg leg in my jaws and trot back to the young lord. He reacts with delight, holding the leg in his hand and eyeing it with near insane glee. As he tosses it into the flames behind him, I regain my human form, and request the honor of joining the mission of House Jasper, which he graciously grants me. Leaving his office I give August a little pat on his soft blonde head, and we set out for our first great adventure.

I make every effort to contain my enthusiasm on the ride to Jasport, but it isn’t long before a gruff Captain Jardon asks my purpose for attending the trip. “What help could a stable hand bring on a mission like this among experienced warriors?” I look to Theodore momentarily for assistance, but with a puff of my chest and a new found confidence, decide to take the question into my own hands. Within the span of a second, my eyes roll white and reawaken in August, and I playfully snap at the Captain and tug at his ankle. Before he can draw his weapon at the pup, I leave August’s form, and smile and shrug at Jardon. He looks at me bewildered, stating he’s heard of warging wildlings in stories but didn’t think they were real. “I’m no wildling, but I do hope to use this gift from the gods for the good of House Jasper.” He expresses a surprised sense of satisfaction, and agrees that in fact we may be of use to the mission after all.

Carsen, Jardon and I arrive at Snakewood, and hatch a plan to get through the gate then split up to get the lay of the land within the walls. The others change into merchant’s garb and hide their belongings with my body in a thick wood, and we hatch a plan to meet back here at sunset if we don’t reconvene before the end of the day. As August, I get through the gates without difficulty. My first stop happens to be the kennels and I’m greeted by a snarling hound. I assume a nonthreatening stance and the dog opposite me relaxes before a man I can only imagine is the kennel master calls to him. Not wanting to end up on a Lynderly cage for the night I sprint away, farther into the Snakewood walls.