Teddy and I argue about whether or not to follow through with our meeting with the Duke, but we’re cut short by Rusty meeting us at the gate, insisting we follow him inside, and that he was expecting our arrival. Teddy heartily accepts his invitation, and I try to hide my reluctance. I am certain this is a recipe for disaster, and fear we will not make it out of his manse alive.

As we follow him upstairs, I take a moment to take in our surroundings, and notice a long hallway of quiet closed doors, and what appears to be a trap door on the other end. We are ushered into a lavish sitting room, where we find Tess and Virgil waiting for us. Following re-introductions, we make our business known. “We come bearing a warning in hopes it will help you to stay safe. It seems Terry has exacted her revenge against Ser Perrin for delivering Danny back to you, and we have reason to believe she may be on her way to you to do the same, and to take back your son. We ask that if the opportunity arise, and if you see it fit, that if Terry should fall upon her return, that you send us her head. As you’ve seen, we believe a son belongs with his father, and Perrin’s father will not have that chance again. He has tasked us with avenging his son’s murder.” The Duke sighs heavily, thanks us for the warning, but reports that he does not think he will be able to fulfill this request, and that Terry’s return may be his demise. We wish him safety, and take our leave.

Tess escorts us to the front gate, and as we near the exit, I hear a faint “help!” coming from behind us. I put the heart chilling plea out of my mind, and shuffle outside, just grateful for my safety, and remain focused on my self preservation. As we turn to leave, Tess lets us know they may have a lucrative “errand” for us in the future, to which I nod and curtsy, and scurry away.

Upon our return to the market, we have the pleasure of bumping into a quizzical Dolins with a lavish dress in hand. We return to a comfortable inn, and after our stressful visit to Rusty, I lie down to rest. When I wake, I am certain I must still be dreaming, as Thaddeus is in a dress and proclaims he is, in fact, a woman, and is rambling about murdering a necromancer. I rub my eyes, and wiping the sleep away remind our group that we have matters to attend to at Castle Snownook.