"I'm Lark." He pasted an expression of puzzlement on his face. "You asked to see me?"
"Clovis and Reuth Barrow," the man replied. "These are our children." He held out his hand.
Greven prided himself on being a good judge of character. The face of the man standing before him struck him as sensitive. Despite his broad chest and height, Clovis Barrow didn't seem to be in any way threatening. In fact, it was the dark-eyed woman in whom Greven sensed real strength. He shook both of their hands. "Welcome to Minton Woodlet, though what interest it could possibly hold for you I don't know." He forced a gentle smile. "This is a very sleepy hamlet."
His amiable tone broke through the initial tension. "Will you join us?" Reuth said. "We've just finished breaking a late fast but - "
"Dinch is on the way," Greven said reassuringly. Curiously, they sounded more unsure about him than he felt about them. Why would they be so hesitant?
"Please," Clovis said, gesturing to a third chair at the small table.
"Forgive our mess," Reuth added, trying to clear away the debris of four meals.
Greven sat, watching his hosts fuss. They were both roughly the same age - the woman slightly older, perhaps - and now that he looked at them more closely he would put them at approaching fifty anni, older than he'd first thought. The woman was silvering at the hairline while the man's hair and beard were streaked with gray throughout - and yet their children were young. Second marriage, Greven guessed. But what had this family to do with him? He waited, preferring to let them do the talking.
"I know you must be wondering why we asked to see you," Clovis began.
"I am," Greven replied.
"Please don't fear us, Mr. Lark," Reuth assured, looking at her husband and nodding encouragingly.
"I don't," Greven lied.
"We're not here to cause trouble," Clovis continued.
"Thank you," Greven said, determined to give little of himself away.
Reuth looked up as the door into the courtyard banged. "I think your dinch is here, Mr. Lark."
"Call me Jon," Greven said, "since apparently we're all old friends."
The man and wife nodded, glancing nervously at each other. They were frightened, Greven realized. That made him feel more assured than he'd felt since the moment he'd first received word of being asked after. And Piven was safe in the woods, where no one would find him.
The pot of dinch was served. "Can I get you anything else?" the girl asked his hosts.
They both shook their heads and she smiled sweetly and left. Greven poured from the pot, more for something to do than from a desire to drink. When the couple remained silent, he spoke up boldly.
"Master Clovis, Reuth, I don't know either of you but I've had to pretend I do in order not to confuse the folk I live alongside each day. Now whether you're from Medhaven or as far flung as Percheron I could not care, but I require an explanation for why you are here, masquerading as old friends." He sighed. "I don't care for secrets," he lied.
Reuth nodded. "Tell him everything, Clovis."
Clovis cleared his throat and Greven gave the man his full attention, surprised to see the couple give a surreptitious glance around.
"We are alone," he assured. "What ever you have to say will not be overheard."
"I was at Brighthelm soon after the invasion of Penraven - so was my wife. We had been rounded up and taken with other Vested to learn our fate. Some of us they wanted, others they killed. There was no way of knowing which we'd be. It was a terrible time," Clovis said and Reuth placed a hand on his arm. "Anyway," he continued. "That's all history. We were saved by a man called Freath - one of the close aides to the Valisars. We never fully appreciated his perilous position and how he endangered his life daily to keep us safe and to protect the Valisar sons."
"Forgive me. While tragic though it all was, I have to wonder at this point why I'm here...what your story has to do with me," Greven said, as politely but firmly as he could.
Reuth smiled. "Clovis is always one to tell a story."
Clovis cleared his throat. "I shall finish it quickly then," he said but without any offense in his voice. "While Reuth was fortunate to be given an escape route by Freath, I was kept behind and became privy to some of Freath's plans. I know not only