Sidriana slipped silently, invisibly, past the guards and into the tent as its flaps were about to fall shut behind the departing interrogators. Once inside, she studied the prisoner more closely, still enwrapped and invisible in the shadows.

The scent of blood was heavy in the hot air of the enclosed tent. Sid inhaled it as one might sample a perfume, and found it not entirely unpleasant.

She silently, lightly crouched on the ground beside the prisoner's form, and, with a mere thought, dismissed the shadows from about her, revealing herself in the dim half-light of the tent.

Her murmur was barely loud enough to be heard, as she brought her lips to the prisoner's ear. "My my, it seems someone's been dreadfully naughty..."

The clansman sat motionless, tied down with thick rope which was looped through holes in heavy bricks. It was doubtful he had the strength to move in either case.

By morning Sabbath and Sidrianna were long gone. The prisoner was dead. Whatever Sidrianna's intentions, the man just didn't have the strength in him after the interrogation plus his previous injuries. The additional blood loss from Sidrianna was just too much for him.

Sidrianna herself did not come away entirely unrewarded. What she learned was intriguing. Whether or not she would share that information was another matter. One the Kronn soldiers were keen to take up with her should they catch her.

"Are you certain?" The officer asked one more time.

The beautiful blond cleric pointed out the puncture wounds on the prisoners neck while a Kronn mentalist hovered imposingly over her shoulder. Something which unnerved her somewhat.

"Unless your interrogators are in the habit of biting their prisoners or her just bled to death on his own without your noticing and this just happens to be a large snake bite." She tried to hide her disgust at Kronn's often brutal methods. "If you had allowed me to heal him.."

"You are to focus on our soldiers.. NOT the enemy" he officer interrupted before marching out of the tent into the morning sun.

"May I remind you I am NOT one of your soldiers." She followed after the man determined to make her point. "I don't need to be here at all!"

"Why ARE you here?"

They stopped. The soldiers in the camp should be about their morning duties at this time but many stand silently watching as droves of dwarves march down the mountain. Accompanying the dwarves are several large golems. They bring with them what appears to be huge amounts of supplies and personal affects. Food, tents, home furnishings and keepsakes. Hundreds of dwarves pouring into the area around the Devil's Pillar and more on the way.

"Finally!" the officer said as he marched off.

The young cleric storms away with a look of frustration.

News of the prisoner's demise spread quickly enough. Some rumors speculating about the cause also spread though the most common is that he died from the interrogation.

Dwarves continue coming down the mountain. Hours go by and still they came. They came with supplies, tools, huge chests and even larger casks of ale.

Anyone in the camp who didn't know what was going on soon learned that the dwarves predicted that their mountain home, Vyren's Resolve was about to erupt within the next few weeks. The dwarves had made arrangements with Kronn already to camp at the Devil's Pillar and guard the northern border.

The Kronn encampment began to pack for the journey home. Only a small force would stay and keep an eye on things while reporting back to Xandrishar.

By afternoon the last scouts had reported back and Kronn soldiers were returning to their previous posts. The wounded were among the first to leave with an armed escort to which Devon was assigned. The cleric went with them.

Sidrianna and Sabbath were seeking refuge at the base of the mountain where they could find shade amongst the large boulders and sparse vegetation.

Devon awakes from his nights rest and reports in to his commanding officer, as he awaits further orders he notices that the desert has been overrun with supplies, and dwarves.

It's not that Devon has a problem with Dwarves, it's just that they were taking over his homeland. He looks out into the distance and wonders how much of his home they would be allowed to take over before something is done.

He shakes his head and remembers that anything being done was done at the permission of his master Caliph Micah and as a soldier he is bound to follow the orders given to him.