The captain nods knowingly throughout much of his story, and does not seem surprised that the Thayan Red Wizards are involved in the scheme. When Penthar has finished, he nods again and leans forward. "The Simbul herself summoned me recently, and though she was vague, she is not ignorant of these happenings you speak of. She told me to expect you, and we have already begun preparations to strengthen our defenses, on her orders." He stands up and reaches below his great wooden desk to produce a thin wooden box, well polished and with ornate carvings. Shuffling some parchment aside and into piles, he places the box on the desk, in between himself and Penthar. "She also gave me this." The captain opens the box to reveal a velvet interior and two large golden rings, about as big as necklace. "Perhaps you've heard of arcane creations called ring gates? This is a special set, crafted by the Simbul herself, specially for our use. If you'll notice, these are crafted with gold rather than iron and are somewhat smaller than a normal pair of ring gates. The gold, infused with the Simbul's magic of course, allows them to work at a much further range, but they can transport only small, light objects, such as a piece parchment or an envelope. You will not be able to reach through to the other ring like other ring gates, and for that I am somewhat grateful, since it would be awful for one of these rings to fall into the wrong hands, but you and I will be able to communicate, and the Simbul will know of your status. You are to send word not less than once a week." He hands Penthar one golden ring and places the other in a locked drawer in his desk and then stands. He grabs Penthar's wrist firmly and shakes it. "Thank you for your report, good knight, Aglarond is safer because you are in the skies. May the gods smile on you wherever you go." He motions to the door and returns to his seat at the desk, looking at maps and lists which begin to fill the space he cleared for the box.
