It was a cruel demand his mind made of him to leave the comfort of Storm's side and the peace of their rest together to go see what the black book granted him by Alain contained. But the pressing thought could not be ignored, and instead of neither resting nor moving, he gave in.

With care he slipped from the bed, making sure to tuck the covers in so no tell tale signs of his departure could be easily felt. He drew on some linen pants and walked softly from the room to the family room where the bookshelves and that one secret book concealed its secret inside.

The disruption of his movement was not enough to wake Storm immediately. At first she simply sighed and shifted automatically closer to him to seek his comfort and warmth. When its absence was evident, he was already into the other room when she opened her eyes. It was not too uncommon for him to rouse, though his return was questionable. Deciding to give him a few minutes to return, and a few more minutes for herself, she loosely embraced a pillow instead.

The fire banked back, its embers gave a cherry red glow that seeped no further than a few feet from its confines. He took out the book and reached for a lamp and lighting stick. He sat on the floor his back to the coals so more light would reach the pages. In care, the lamp was lit but kept low. The light surrounded him a pale dusty yellow glow, touching upon his face as he began to read the contents of the small black book.

When the time of his absence stretched and grew, she buried her face into the pillow for several moments, before sighing and opening her eyes again. Disheveled hair was given a few attempts to tame as she sat up, giving herself a few moments to let the dizziness subside. It was something that would pass soon, the midwife had promised. Once she felt steady, she stood and moved out of the bedroom, his shirts replaced with a more fitting nightgown. Seeing that Avery's door was closed, her silent steps carried her through the hall, and the dim light from the living room turned her steps in that direction.

Some few things he knew, some more he suspected, and each page revealed more to the likings of which he could make some important changes. It was when the one thing he hoped he did not see there was revealed, his jaw clenched and his eyes stayed riveted to the inked name scrawled beneath a familiar marker.

Storm peeked her head into the living room moments before the change in his expression. While the image of him at work was nothing unsettling, the showing of such emotion was. The sleepy haze instantly vanished and a faint frown appeared, "Ewan?"

He had not heard her approach, and at her voicing of his name, he looked up with a confused blink to break free of the thoughts there. A quick closing of the book, he stood to meet her. "I am sorry, beloved, I failed in my attempt not to wake you." He placed a kiss to her cheek. His mind kept pressing back what had been revealed, and he fought to keep his countenance warm and pleasant.

While his kisses usually could distract her mind, she could not erase what she had seen in his face. Her eyes traveled to the small black book from last night, before looking back up to him with concern, "What was it, beloved?"

As much as he wanted to hide it from her, she had caught him. Lies, he had observed, never paid their cost, and he had no choice but to reveal the truth in his most carefree way. "Just news that should not have been unexpected, but seeing it written was more than I had anticipated. Alain's book is very informative. I can see why he found it so interesting."

His vague answer did not satisfy her curiosity. "May I see it, or will you tell me what it is that you have found?" She was carefully searching his eyes to see if there was any hint of a warning.

"Come, sit with me," he urged her to join him on the couch. "This book contains much," he dare not say all, though he had his suspicions, "of the dealings of the Black Wolf Guild. They are, by all intents and purposes, a guild of the unsavory."

She joined him on the couch and sat close to offer her comfort for whatever had bothered him so. It was duly noted that it was similar to them reading and enjoying a book together. "It is not something I have heard of before."

One hand rubbed up and down her back. He could feel the tightness of his brow, the frown so severe and he put thought to smoothing it, relaxing his features once again. "Among their particular talents, assassinations. Something of which I am rather familiar. It seems though, for the first time, I have not been very careful." Or, his darker thoughts spat up from the rage he locked inside, it did not matter how careful he was in this foul place of Rhydin, for the arcane always had a way beyond his limited skills. To say he was a mark felt ludicrous, and yet his name was there. So, he opened the book to let her see for herself his name listed.

In their close proximity she could fell him struggle to release the tension that was so unusual. With the last of his statement, it was the warning she needed to brace herself for what she was about to discover. The simple process of him opening the book and searching for the correct page seemed to make her anticipation worse. With his name in ink, she looked at the names surrounding his to see if they were people she knew as well. "So, this is to mean that you are a target now?" She frowned, considered.

"It seems I at least am a considered target as opposed to the unknown target. It is an interesting situation." He tried to put levity in it and gave her a smile. "I do not think much will change. The knowing of it only makes it a certainty instead of a probability."

"I suppose after what has already happened..." she shook her hand and rested her cheek on his shoulder for the moment, "we will have to be more careful." She specifically added the "we" to remind him that it did not just affect him.

That addition was not missed and he nodded. "Yes, we will. Perhaps this little token does best to remind us of plans in danger. You know that you can call my name and as soon as I am able, I will be there. I have the gift you gave me to call you. If either of us are injured, I will most likely be at the Willow's Den or Yearling Brook. Would you go to your home where they can best tend you?"

She nodded absently as they made a mental list of precautions, though the last question created a pause. "It will depend where I was injured. Preferably I would hope to be close enough to a portal to go home." She thought about the various places that she had portals within Rhy'Din. "Perhaps I will began to create more."

A slow shake of his head, "I would not recommend that. I know you can protect it from being used by others, and yet, I learned late it seems that we cannot rely on our confidences too greatly. Strategic placings, yes, I agree, but there will have to be some simple schemes placed as well."

She nodded slowly, taking his opinion to be the better of the two options. "We will do it; together." While her eyes worried, her smile was loving before she offered him a comforting kiss.

Ewan tried to take comfort in that kiss, but more than that it reminded him that he had much more to defend than just the lives of others and the honor of his land. And what was the most provocative thought, was the one where he decided in his own silent mind to take the offensive against those that would seek him out. He had to plan for his family?s safety and confront the thundercloud that threatened to darken their world.

The mental lock on his rage rattled against its longing to be free, but it was too soon a thing and too fragile a time to let it rule him. The sieve of his soul would have to maintain the balance a bit longer.

Beyond what he suspected in that book was that which alarmed him most. The influence of the Guild was entrenched in the seedy plague of the unjust that roamed the streets of the tone like grand lords of light and faith. Only their lights were red as blood and rage. Ewan brushed back his rusty blond hair as he rest a cheek on the top of his wife?s head and held her close. Red was his color after all.