Lendes stood outside the door of her manor, the sun setting casting an orange glow over the small homesteads of Heampdean. Windows reflected the sun brilliantly, winking and flicking from dozens of houses, the air hot and clammy, making Lendes sweat in her long golden dress. Standing on the doormat, she saw a small group of knights walking slowly down the road towards her, two men pulling a cart behind that she could hear even from the distance she was standing from. A banner tore and covered in dirt was lazily hanging from its poll, the wind blowing though the holes punched stabbed into it.

They are still arguing! I could bear it no longer, even with my hands over my ears ... I had to come away. From here I can still catch occasional words, vehement declarations, sudden exclamations. How can they do this? We were close, so very close to reaching an accord! Randir seemed almost agreed on coming east .. and now... now they have both ruined it. Araenion's return should have been a joy, Ranir coming east should have been an ease to my heart .. but now... now... I could cheerfully cast both of them into Midgewater's stinking mud.