“Okay,” I said as we rode into the keep. “Remember, Albrecht’s a sneaky, conniving, rat bastard excuse of a human being. Keep your eyes and ears open.”

Jaime was whispering. I hoped it was some sort of protection spell, and not just nervous muttering. No, I thought to myself. No negative thoughts. Relying on your team mates is more important now than ever. They’ll do what they need to.

A stableboy came out, holding the reins of our horses as we dismounted. (Dismounted sounds a little more skillful than what Robert did, but he was a Dwarf.) He lead our horses away as we made our way into the heart of the keep. There were close to a hundred soldiers in the courtyard. They looked at us with disdain, except for Jaime, who they looked at like a piece of meat.

One of them grabbed her arm. Without thinking, I whirled, pointed my staff at him, and shouted, Sxtono! He instantly turned to stone.

The remaining guards drew their swords. “Circle!” Will yelled. We readied ourselves.

25-to-1 odds? No problem!