As the noble guests gathered in the hunting lodge, Guelder had to realise that Nightvale’s international support network was… well, lacking. Instead of the Varnhold delegation, only an excuse letter arrived. Baron Varn had to stay away due to an ongoing dungeon expedition that proved to be more difficult than expected, but he sent Guelder his heartfelt thoughts and prayers, manifested in a Wand of Good Hope and a Wand of Prayer for the field team. Reading between the lines, the baroness realised how serious his situation could be, if it forced him to violate his own laws. Still, even under those dire circumstances, he'd found a way to make Guelder laugh, and she was thankful for that. Even more thankful than she was for the wands or the post scriptum offer. If only Hazel hadn't rolled their eyes so conspicuously...

  Hannis Drelev was unavailable. Guelder's envoys had last been seen on the bank of the East Sellen, then disappeared without a trace. Also, Kassil had apparently deemed that he would sufficiently represent the Aldori of Restov all by himself, so he hadn't bothered to alert them at all. Apart from the Embeth Travellers, the only guests were two Aldori sisters from Mivon, wearing duelling gear and constantly bickering, and a delegation from Pitax, unarmed, in casual clothing. A proof that King Irovetti was also good at reading between the lines and cunning enough to refuse Guelder's request for help without refusing it.

  The baroness tried to put this failure of diplomacy out of her mind. Which wasn't hard, because she found herself facing another unexpected issue. When she'd arrived at the lodge, she'd waved away the servant receiving the guests with a tray of small glasses of brandy, without sparing him a second glance. Now she realised this had been a mistake, and not only because she wasn't supposed to treat even the most insignificant of her subjects like air. The poor fellow was leaning on the mantel of the fireplace in the common room, bent over and coughing his lungs out, the tray placed on the ground at his feet. It took all Guelder's self-discipline not to shudder. This could be anything from a common cold to choking death, but whatever it was, she couldn't risk her guests contracting a disease on her watch. Her eyes sought out Tristian, beckoning him to herself with a slight move of her head.

  "Tristian, could you please do something to ease that poor man's suffering before he infects all the participants?" she asked in a muffled voice.

  The cleric swallowed uncomfortably, his fingers seeking out his rosary.

  "The thing is," he muttered, "I haven't prepared for the eventuality of having to treat a disease. Only for wounds and poisoning."

  "No scrolls, either?"

  "I'm sorry."

  His fingers curled into a fist around the beads. Guelder suppressed a sigh.

  "All right, then we shall make do with what we have. Channel some positive energy into him, then talk to his superior and tuck him into bed. Also, make sure to discard those drinks he coughed into. When the hunt is over, I want you to prepare the spells to heal him up come morning."

  Tristian nodded several times and scurried away to carry out her command. Guelder took a seat on a bench opposite the fireplace along with her team, allowing Pangur to curl up on top of her feet, and listened patiently to Jamel Visser's welcome speech that set out the rules of the competition, hoping that nothing else would go awry.

  Once out on the hunting grounds, Guelder saw this hope go up in flames.

  The guests struck out in different directions, fanning out to cover more ground. After some consideration, Hazel chose a track to follow. Their target was a sizeable owlbear that, based on its trail, preferred to walk alone. Hazel reckoned it was big enough to qualify as one of the three most dangerous magical beasts.

  "We must try to take it out from a distance," they said softly. "Stop rolling your eyes, Amiri. Tough as you are, I doubt you would survive a bitch slap from an owlbear."

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Pangur began to growl. With a little attention, Guelder, too, caught the scent, even in her elf form. They were very close to their quarry.

  But others were even closer.

  A desperate voice seeped through the shrubbery covering the rocky ground.

  "Julia, for crying out loud, do something already!"

  No answer came.

  Guelder sighed inside. It was the Mivoni delegation, and judging from the tone, they were deep in trouble. Stalking made no sense anymore. Instead, they had to be quick, if they didn't want to watch the duellists die.

  "Charge!" exclaimed the baroness.

  The team broke through the shrubs, following Valerie and her tower shield, accompanied by Hazel's soft Elven cursing, after their battle plan went out the window. Linzi started a song about a beauty and a beast, which she'd begun to compose at the moment she'd learnt that Valerie would join Nightvale's hunting team. Its artistic value was dubious at best, but it did the trick, as it made Valerie as furious as a Lawful person could ever be.

  A gruesome sight opened up before their eyes. Julia Aldori lay on the ground, lifeless, her head in a pool of blood. Her sister Edna was hard-pressed, trying to dance away from the owlbear's attacks and never ceasing to give out.

  "You stupid cow, it's all because of you! Just wait until—"

  Fed up with her babbling, the owlbear slammed its giant paw into Edna. The duellist managed to pierce it through with her sword, making the beast screech in pain, but that wasn't enough to stop its momentum. The impact sent her flying through the air. Her body hit the rock wall with a sickening crunch, slumping down like an empty sack, and didn't move anymore.

  Hazel materialised on top of an outcropping rock, and fired one arrow after another at the monster. Linzi and Tristian found shelter behind the same outcrop. Pangur claimed the beast's attention, harrying it ceaselessly, while Guelder collected enough moisture from the air for a Snowball spell, hitting the owlbear on the head with a block of ice and stunning it for a few seconds. However, the fight was clearly won by Amiri and Ginormous. She was even thoughtful enough to avoid going into rage, so that she could keep the beast's head intact as a proof of kill.

  Guelder and Tristian checked the two Aldori sisters for vital signs, all in vain. The baroness sank her fingers into her hair in despair. She would have to provide some sort of remedy for Mivon. However, this was a problem for later. She untied the emergency horn from her belt and blew the S. O. S. signal twice. In a few minutes, four Embeth Travellers appeared with stretchers, and carried away the two corpses before they would get devoured by some hungry monster or another.

  As soon as the rescue team disappeared from sight, Pangur started to growl again. The elves' ears perked up.

  "More owlbears!" exclaimed Hazel from their perch. "Four of them!"

  "Darn it," muttered Valerie. "We'll have to split up."

  The rustling noise from the undergrowth came closer and closer. Valerie took her fighting stance.

  "Leave one to me," said Guelder.

  "WHAT?" screamed Hazel. "Are you crazy?"

  "Maybe I am," said the baroness. "I want to establish a mental link with one of them. This is the best way to learn more about the nature of this monster invasion."

  "Chief, don't," said Amiri with a worried face. "Please. You know I'm all for bravery, but this is plain stupid. It will mash you to pulp."

  "Trust me. If I could do it in the Stag Lord's fort, I can do it now, too. You deal with the other three."

  Guelder's skin took the colour and texture of tree bark. That should protect her if her plan didn't work out as intended.

  "Ready!"

  The first beast broke through the shrubbery.

  "Attack!"