Rook gasped in shock as Thaliar's magic came toward them and attacked the man holding her, leaving her unharmed. It seemed the rumors about the elf's power were not much exaggerated after all. It was unlike anything she had ever witnessed and she couldn't help herself but glance at the remains of the guard on the snow covered ground. 

She looked back at the elf after just a moment, seeing his hand extended toward her and she stepped close to him to allow herself to be lead, favoring her right leg and leaning on him for both warmth and support.

She did manage a small smile at his efforts to lighten the mood.  "Stealing me right out from under ole Octa-pussy's nose. He won't be too pleased with you."  She knew the decision to rescue her had as much to do with tactics as it did a sense of camaraderie.  She had the potential to reveal damaging intel about the Revolt.  

"There were others..." she told him, "...in the wagon.  I didn't know them."

------

Kaden held himself erect as he was marched toward Lord Octa's throne room along with the others and next to the blond, scantily clad elf woman, as if he were nothing more than some kind of common criminal!  He'd been given over to Lord Octa's men by his father, Lord Tobler, as a political hostage.  It wasn't his father's fault, he knew.  It was that or openly start a war with Octa, one in which his family could not hope to win. 

While he hadn't expected quite the same level of accommodation he received at home, he had expected to be treated with some level of respect his status deserved.  But they'd barely left his father's territory when he had found himself shackled and thrown in with this lot!  

He'd been seething now for days, planning what he'd say to Lord Octa when he finally met him, about this unacceptable treatment, about how stupid his men were, and about how Lord Tobler would not stand for this sort of egregiousness against his family!  It was not until the group was ushered into the 'Court of the Dead' that Kaden felt his first hint of doubts emerge...