As they passed ‘round the southern face of Kingsmire Keep and headed north on the Westway, they passed a public fountain, the same one where Pellanor had encountered the two teens who were teasing the young school girl. On a bench nearby sat the same two ruffians, one of whom now held a bloodied hand cloth to his face.

Darian, who knew the two only from seeing their occasional antics in town, stopped to talk to them. “What happened to your face, kid?” he asked innocently. 

The one with the hand cloth spotted Asteria and screamed, “Witch!”

The shorter one saw Pellanor and screamed, “Demon!”

Then the two of them stumbled over each other as they tried to run as far away from the two as fast as their feet would carry them.

Pellanor harrum...

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