Faith and Twila spent the night in their newly repaired hut. Faith was exhausted and immediately fell asleep. Twila spent the night meditating on her cot, listening to the strange sounds from Heyton's Crypt near by.

"Something is definitely going on in there, something strange," Twila told Faith when she awoke. "I don't know what it is, but it didn't sound supernatural. Things breaking and scraping..."

"I don't want any part of it," declared Faith. "I'm not going back in there for anything."

Twila looked deep in thought.

As they exited their little hut, they saw the dour Jacoby Drexelhand leaving the crypt. Twila jumped down and called to him.

"Jacoby! Were you guarding the crypt all night?" she asked.

"Aye, tis my job," he answered grumpily.

"What was all the noise in there?" Twila pressed.

"Noises are in your head, elf. The dead don't make no noise."

"I clearly heard things breaking and scraping!" she insisted.

"Not in the crypt," said Jacoby. "Maybe you heard noises coming from elsewhere in the village."

"I don't think so..." said Twila.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll leave well enough alone! I was guarding the crypt all night and I heard nothing," Jacoby leaned in close to Twila now, his voice threatening.

He turned and stomped away, down the alley of houses behind the square, muttering about busybodies and bother.

"That was odd," said Thysmac, who had walked up with Malut behind them during the exchange.

"Wasn't it...?" Twila said, still lost in contemplation, staring after the disappearing Drexelhand.

"Did you hear anything? Noises from the crypt very early this morning before the sun was up?"

Neither of them had heard the noises.

"Maybe I am imagining things," Twila conceded. "But it certainly sounded real."

"Night can play tricks on you," suggested Thysmac and Twila just nodded. They headed for the Wavecrest.

"Can I have a word with you, lass? Are you Faith?" A young man had approached Faith from across the square.

"Yes, I am," said Faith. She gestured for the others to go on ahead without her. Twila hovered within listening distance.

"It won't be but a minute," the young man said, leading Faith to a set of steps on the other side of the square. Twila couldn't follow without being obvious, so with a small stomp of her foot, she went into the tavern with the others.

"Try to look casual, so that we don't draw eyes on us. I bring you word from Talbron," he said in a whisper. "My name is Linus Weir and I be working with Talbron."

Faith felt a surge of excitement. Finally!

"He asks you to do something for him. There is a scroll hidden in the village storehouse that contains notes on the dragon."

"Lars Heyton's notes?" Faith asked.

The young man started. "How does ya know that?"

"I just put two and two together from gossip around here. Lars is who summoned Talbron and the others here, isn't it? So, where are these notes?" Faith asked.

"They be on a scroll in the storehouse. Here's the one thing and another- the scroll is behind a locked door and the notes are protected by a magic barrier. I did the guarding of the storehouse while he stowed the scroll. Lars was afraid them sneaky sahuagin might get his notes and then where'd we all be?

"I've been to the storehouse several times, but it's full of rats and spiders and I couldn't even find the key. I'm allergic to spider bites, even! Obviously, Lars didn't want them scaly sahuagin to torture me for the scroll, so he didn't tell me how to disable his shield. But when I finally told Talbron about the scroll, he says it must be retrieved. I says, there's no way. So he says to tell you he needs it. Tonight if you can."

"How can I get it if you can't? I don't even know where it is exactly," Faith asked.

"I can't be seen poking around in there too much. The sahuagin and their spies keep eyes on me. No one will notice if you sneak in and look until you find the key and break the barrier. I'll keep watch outside. Will you do it?" Linus looked worried.

"I'm bringing my friends," Faith warned him. "I'm not doing this alone."

"Fine, fine," said Linus. "But don't mention my name. I don't want the village spies getting more suspicious; the sahuagin took my sister a while back I suspect it might have been because they knew I was helping Mr. Heyton. But then again, there's no rhyme or reason to the people they've taken... I just hope she's still alive. Talbron thinks she might be, so I'm hangin on to my hopes.

"Anyway, don't all show up at the same time- t'would look odd, a bunch of people piling into the storehouse at night. Take care and see you after dusk."

Faith watched him walk away quickly into the pale daylight shadows of the small alley of huts, then went to join her friends at the Wavecrest to let them in on the plan for the evening. She felt a surge of excitement; her mission was finally starting! She felt very important and a little nervous- she just hoped she wouldn't mess things up.

"So what was that all about?" asked Twila as Faith sat at their usual table. "You have a boyfriend?"

"Don't be getting all snippy, Twila," answered Faith. "That was important. I'm going to need your help, all of you."

Malut was up to his snout in cornmeal porridge and Thysmac was winking at a scantily clad human girl who was seated across the room. She giggled and flipped a dark braid off her shoulder with one hand. Faith rapped on the table to get their attention and they all looked at her, surprised.

"I said I need your help," she repeated.

"I'd be careful who you wink at, if I were you," Twila told Thysmac. "Verona Jethro has a suspiciously deep voice and walks like a half-orc."

"She's pretty... " Thysmac said dreamily, glancing back at her. She waved, then gave a deep belch. Everyone at her table laughed loudly.

"I don't care, I like to look at her," he insisted.

"Can we get to business here?" asked Faith. "Remember I told you I was working with some people trying to deal with the dragon? They've contacted me and we have a mission."

Everyone's eyes lit up and she had their full attention now.

"Meet me at the village storehouse tonight, ok? We have to retrieve a scroll but it's not going to be as easy as it sounds. We have to figure out how to disable a magical shield and find a key. We can't all show up at once, so kind of watch and wait a minute or two if you see someone go in ahead of you. We'll wait till all of us are in. OK?"

They talked about the job while finishing up their meal. Faith's attention was drawn to a group sitting in the corner, holding lutes. They were being taught a song by a fair haired elf and the melody was haunting.

"Again," said the elf. "The Ballad of Troll Island is a standard that people will want to hear often. You must learn it well before adding your own flourishes to it."

He strummed a chord on his lute, then picked out the melody as his students followed his lead.

"Listen my child and I'll tell you the tale
of a troll who fought giants wearing chain mail.
In the age of the giants he lived and he fought
to test the young fighters, that was his lot.

Oh-oh, giant frost troll,
He fought in the highland,
Oh-oh, now rests his soul,
Evermore on Troll Island.

The giant frost scrag was a fearsome sight,
He brought a weak knee to many a knight.
Though a slave to the giants, he was greatly feared,
And in all giant legends, he was revered.

They tested him often with warriors fresh
From training in Xen'drik, thirsting for flesh.
He took them all on, fighting them down
til they finally beat him, to win their renown.

Oh-oh, giant frost troll,
He fought in the highland,
Oh-oh, now rests his soul,
Evermore on Troll Island.

He'd return to his cave where frosty winds blew,
the cold and the ice, his life would renew.
Then he would be ready to take on the next fight,
Teaching giants a lesson, it was his delight.

The Quori, they came and they started a war,
They took over Troll Island, or so says the lore.
The scrag he was frozen as solid as stone
And now to this day, he sleeps there alone.

Oh-oh, giant frost troll,
He fought in the highland,
Oh-oh, now rests his soul,
Evermore on Troll Island."

Faith was startled by a touch on her shoulder.

"We're going to be late for class. Even if you decide to switch to a bard, you'll need the weapons class to move on," Twila teased her.

They headed off for the Union Hall, but Faith found herself humming the haunting melody to herself.