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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 4781610" data-attributes="member: 143">Chapter 31Jaron’s first thought when he stepped back into the tiny room that he and his cousin shared at the Halfmoon Inn was that the place was starting to feel like a prison cell.  That was followed by a sudden surge of frustrated anger, and when he threw his bow down onto his bed, still as disheveled as when he’d left the room that “morning,” it just seemed to fit when it clattered off the headboard  and fell into the narrow space between the wall and the bed.  It actually drew Beetle’s attention, and his cousin shifted from where he’d been lying facing the opposite wall to look at him.  Beetle may as well have not moved since he had left, either. “No one’s seen her,” he said.  “Erra’s starting to get worried, and she’s got some of her family asking around, but it’s like she vanished into thin air.”Beetle sat up, and ran dirty fingers through his wild shock of hair. “Dragon-man?  Ice dwarf?  Gezzle?”“No, they’re gone too, all of them.  I heard a few people say that they had holed up in the Labyrinth not far from the northeast end of the Hall, and I even took a few quick looks out there, but nothing.  Nobody sees anything, nobody says anything, nobody knows anything in this place.  Blast it all!” “Friends in trouble.  Need help.”Jaron sighed.  “I agree with you, cos, but I’m not quite sure how we’re supposed to do that.  This isn’t our place, and I feel as lost here as I ever have before.”  The anger seemed to drain out of him, and he sat down on his bed facing Beetle.  The other halfling seemed more engaged than he had in quite some time, tilting his head and he tried to get a look at his cousin’s eyes.  “Find Mara?”Jaron sighed again.  “I wish I knew how.  We don’t even know who took her.”“Your friend is being held by the Grimmerzhul in the Horned Hold.”Jaron and Beetle both jumped; neither of them had heard the newcomer, who stood in the open doorway of their room.  Jaron had sworn he’d closed and latched the door behind him, but Rendil was standing there, watching them, a slightly odd look on his face that seemed out place against his typical light-hearted expression. “What?  The Horned Hold?” Jaron said, landing on his feet next to the bed.  “What… who…”  Jaron trailed off, confused, but he felt a strong hand on his shoulder.  He looked up to see his cousin standing there at his side.  As they eyes met, Beetle’s mouth spread into a wide grin. When Jaron looked back at Rendil, his indecision was gone. “Tell us where it is.”</blockquote>

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