The door opened, and Grimm managed a faint smile at the sight of his friend.

"Oh, good morning, Dalquist," he said with more warmth in his voice than he felt. Grimm knew it was unfair to inflict his inner torment on his fellow Questor. "What is…"

His voice faltered to a halt at the sight of the broad grin on the tall man's face, not daring to think what it might portend.

"We are needed, Grimm," Dalquist said, and the young Questor did not fail to note the stress on the pronoun.

"A Quest?" Grimm replied, his voice almost an octave higher than its normal baritone. "Is it a real Quest at last?"

Dalquist nodded, his grin threatening to split his head in two. "It is a Quest," he said, "and an important one."

Grimm leapt from his bed, feeling his blood surging.

"Do sit down, Dalquist!" he breathed. "Tell me everything!"

This time, his enthusiasm was unfeigned, and he hung on his friend's every word as the details of the Quest unfolded.

By the time Dalquist had finished, Grimm felt as if he had been reborn. After this, he would be a tyro no longer; he would be a true Questor, entitled to bear at least one gold ring on his staff, Redeemer. The possibilities of death or ignominious failure did not enter his mind for an instant.

"When do we leave, Dalquist?"

"I want to be away at first light tomorrow morning, Grimm. Does that suit you?"

Grimm laughed. "Believe me, Dalquist, I'm ready to leave right now!"

Dalquist shook his head. "I'm afraid I have a few preparations to make first. I advise you to study the route I propose, in case anything should happen to me."

The elder mage placed a package of hand-written notes, maps and scrolls on Grimm's bed. "It's a little sketchy," he admitted, "but we don't have much time. I seem to remember you have some knowledge of medicinal herbs; a subject I never managed to master. If this Baron Starmor is as powerful a magic-user as Lord Thorn says, we may need some Healing if it should come to a direct confrontation, although that's something I hope to avoid, if at all possible."