Lord Lonsdale sits back in his chair and scratches his small beard.

"Well, well...took the barony of Verdana in one fell swoop, did they, eh? My, my, what are things coming to. In my day, I could have led an army of the finest cavalry into Verdana and still come back limping. Why, in my father's day, half a legion would have been lost trying to take any part of the Dragon Court by force...dear, dear me. Youth of today haven't got half the determination we had.

"Still, your people have always been good. Gave me a bed to kip in and an ale when I came back from questing in the north, which is all one wanted in those times. Yes, it would be a shame to see you go. Not sure what an old man like me can do for you, though."

However, as Darien explains the need for the amulet piece, Lord Lonsdale gives a restrained sigh of understanding and temples his fingers again.

"I see...you hope the amulets will solve your problems for you. I for one would love to see them put together again, for the good of the Court, before I pass on to the next life. But, you understand, I must think of my heirs. The amulet has been kept in the family for generations, and if you should lose it, or abuse it...I would not wish to be responsible for that.

"I am sorry, friends, if you think me untrusting, but it is a great favour that you ask. If you came here with the other three pieces, then I would give it to you in an instant, but I appreciate your situation."

Lord Lonsdale nods sagely when Darien suggests that the Frost Knights help him in some way. At the mention of silver apples, his eyes flame with an uncharacteristic rage, but he has it under control far faster this second time. Calming his composure, he speaks again.

"Well, if you can find some way of stopping this argument between Lord Raeburn and I, then you will have done what seven years of table-bashing and endless expensive attorneys have failed to do. Indeed, if you can find a workable resolution where I assure you none exists, then I will be eternally in your debt. I do so tire of this dispute. If you can end it, peacefully - why, I would have every faith in you to take good care of the Head of the amulet, and to use it wisely, and only in the name of justice."

Lord Lonsdale sighs. "I expect you will want to know the details of the dispute. Very well, I shall give you the brief story. My great-grandfather was considered an elf-friend, and was a keen lover of nature. The elves of the forest granted his request to send him seeds of some of their most beautiful flowers and plants. They have long since withered away, but somehow a silver apple seed was mixed up with them, and to everyone's surprise it grew in what used to be a flowerbed near the edge of the property.

Of course, over time, it became a young tree, and began to bear fruit. That fruit has kept the Lonsdale property in good stead for many a year, I might add, though our farming seems to become less worthy by the year.

Now, more recently, the tree has grown larger, and its boughs have spread wider, meaning that the apples grow far further away from the trunk than they used to. As the tree has always growed towards Lord Raeburn's property, a good deal of the branches cross over onto his side of the fence. Ludicrously, he gets more of the windfalls of apples upon his side than I do on mine, and I swear he steals mine as well!

In my father's time, it was not a problem. Our families shared the windfalls on his side evenly. For a goodly while, as did I, but when I came back and lived here permanently, some years ago, Raeburn wanted to redraw the agreement, saying that he deserved more than half of the share. Obviously, as it was my tree all along, I reminded him that it was only out of courtesy that he was entitled to half in the first place. He called in an attorney, as did I, and from thereon in we've been spending endless amounts of marks fighting and tussling about it.

What's worse is that it's starting to cripple my estate! Lord Raeburn seems to be faring fine, but if I have to fight this case much longer, then if I lose I'll be bankrupted! Lawyers fees seem to get ever higher, and now that Servile Kremp is sitting over the final ruling things will only get worse. I'd settle with Raeburn, only he's too stubborn to listen to me, and he's convinced that he'll win. He wants everything, y'know. All of the windfalls on his side. It would bankrupt me!

"Ah, I natter on. Friends, I cannot see any way out but to cross my fingers and hope. Speak to Lord Raeburn, if you desire - you can see his house from my own front door. There is a riding stile a little way along the boundary fence - we used to be good friends once, and walked freely over each others properties...good days never last, it seems. You may use it, though, to save you the long walk down the drive again. I'm sure he won't mind unduly."



"The heavens keep the answers to our worldly problems...
the key is to know how to understand their ancient language"