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"Tea would be greatly appreciated," Dan replied pleasantly, hoping that the herbal drink would help to remove some of the chill from his hike to the estate.

A fool's errand his parents had called it, but when Dan received the reply to his letter of inquiry he had set out regardless, determined to solve the mystery on his hands. Removing his heavy travel cloak he handed it over to the Steward, his walking staff coming shortly after. With the heavy fabric of the cloak out of the way, Dan's wardrobe was revealed - while his brown pants and fur lined boots were fairly utilitarian, they were still made from the finest materials, and in a further attempt to maintain formality his long sleeved shirt was a fine blue only a few shades removed from Yizhaq's own. Hooked onto the belt around around his hips, however, was the most interesting piece of the ensemble - a small elegant lantern with a black flame flickering in it's depths.

Walking over and taking a seat across from Lord Yizhaq, he reached into his pocket and withdrew a folded black cloth. This section of fabric was in fact the sash that he wore over his eyes when blind, converted to this purpose due the fact that he did not own any handkerchiefs, and all others at his home had been loathe to have a personal item come into contact with something from a plague.

"If it is acceptable Lord Yizhaq, I would like to move to the subject on which I came here for." Unfolding the cloth carefully and holding it out for Yizhaq to see, the object inside was revealed - a small fingernail sized fragment of white with dark, flame singed edges. "As detailed in my letter this came from within my plagued lantern. While I have been told it is a fragment of animal bone, I am not satisfied with the answer due the strange circumstances, and I hope you can provide me with more definitive identification."

Even though Dan himself had not yet noticed Hayat, the dark form within his lantern had. After flickering for a few moments shapes began to form with the black flames, and soon a face was staring intently (and somewhat creepily) at Hayat's small form upon the windowsill.

Dan sipped at the tea, quite enjoying the flavor and relaxing at the warmth. Looking up as Yizhaq took the fragment, he watched as it was placed in the lord's palm. Worry soon furrowed Dan's eyebrows as he saw the emotions playing over Yizhaq's face, the furrows deepening when the fragment was quickly dropped back onto the cloth. Then came the declaration. Stomach giving a sickening lurch, he stared, aghast, at the innocuous fragment - but then again, why should he be surprised? After all, it had come from a plagued item.

Dan looked back up, the pointed question following the declaration finally sank in. Sinking back into his chair, taking a deep breath and gathering his thoughts, he began.

"It occurred a couple months ago, early in the morning. Business was as usual when the servant that had gone to the front gate suddenly ran back into the castle screaming for help. Having just woken up myself, I followed along to see what the commotion was. When we arrived back at the gate what we found was a man on the verge of death, emaciated and badly frostbitten. His only possessions were the clothes on his back.... and the lantern. We brought him into the castle and began to care for him the best we could. Gradually, he began to speak and we learned that he had been a manservant of Lady Faina Mairlen, and both of them had been heading with a procession of other servants to my family's estate." At this point Dan paused, taking a deep breath for a moment, and then continued.

"On the way however, they were ambushed by bandits and in the end, the manservant, was the only survivor. When we asked about the lantern most of the time he would shake his head and refuse to speak - other times he began to sob hysterically, clutching it to his chest as if it were a child. Only once did he speak about it, to say that it had once belonged to Lady Faina.

He died a week later.

When a hapless servant attempted to light the lantern shortly after we discovered its plagued state. My parents wanted it thrown out, but luckily I convinced them otherwise and therefore ended up with the lantern myself." Dan paused again, this time longer than the last, his hands shaking slightly.

"Faina was a close childhood friend, and the reason for her trip.... she had been intending to ask my parents about the possibility of marriage between the two of us." There. It was out in the open.

Calming his hands, Dan brought his voice back under control and began to speak again. "You make look at the lantern if that would help you." With that he unhooked the lantern, holding it out.

The face had been unmoving in its stare at Hayat, but when Dan moved the lantern the expression vanished, only to come back even stronger a second later, it now smashed right up against the glass looking towards Dan. This caused him to jump slightly, and he watched, amused, as it slid along the glass until the stare was focused at Yizhaq, the apparent eyes and mouth wide as it once again stared intently, the black flames still flickering at the edges.

Hayat? Confusion briefly flitted across Dan's face as Yizhaq uttered this unfamiliar name, but confusion soon changed to surprise tinged with respect as the small form glided down to the desk. Even though Dan owned a plague himself this was the first grown plague he had ever seen - to say that he was impressed was an understatement.

The black flame returned Hayat's stare, already establishing an admirable consistency. When the other plague gave the assessment on gender, the flames briefly surged and mouth changed into definite grin, as if in confirmation.

Dan then found himself being addressed by the plague. "Greetings to you too Lady Hayat," he said cordially, the title of lady most likely unnecessary, but added anyway for how well it seemed to fit. Realizing that the lantern was not needed anymore, Dan hooked it back onto his belt.

Though Dan was not necessarily surprised by what Yizhaq said next, a cold, hollow feeling took root in his chest - he had wanted to deny what he knew at heart, but this was no longer possible. Also, though Yizhaq had not said it himself, Dan knew perfectly well the only reasonable way for animal bone - and human bone by extension - to get into the lantern. The image of the cook carving up a pig as she explained was still vivid in his mind. However, it was the last statement that nearly broke him.

"I never got to see her as an adult," Dan said, fighting through a thickening voice. "Even with knowing her since I was five years old, the last time I saw her was ten years ago. I wish I could have seen her again, just once...!" With this he drew in a shuddering breath, blinking back the tears that so desperately wanted to come.

"Yes.... I guess it is for the best," Dan said, folding his hands tightly in his lap and blinking away the last of the wetness in his eyes.

He did not mention the fact that the original engagement between the two of them had been called off by Faina's parents because of them discovering his magic induced blindness. He did not mention that even after the separation the two of them had continued to exchange letters right up until a year ago. He did not mention the all of the letters he had sent in vain during that dead period. Most of all, he did not mention his intense grief upon hearing of her death, having lost not only the chance to marry someone he actually cared about, but most likely the chance to marry at all. Many potential suitors considered him a cripple upon discovering his magical difficulties, and his parents were starting to become desperate in the realization that unless he was "fixed" their family line might not continue.

These were personal issues, and it was not his place to utter them.

Dan's eyebrows raised when he heard Lord Yizhaq's next sentence. "There is nothing official yet, but it is starting to become something of an inevitability for me that I will join the Fellowship, so yes, a letter of introduction would be greatly appreciated." In fact, Dan was somewhat surprised it wasn't official yet - each day now he half expected his parents come in and tell him that he was being shipped off in an attempt to "salvage the family line." Hopefully, with this letter him joining the fellowship would run a bit more.... smoothly.

Despite the ill news delivered in this space, Dan felt his spirits lighten at Yizhaq saying he would be happy to welcome him into the ranks of the fellowship. He realized that he should stop thinking of being sent to the fellowship as a sign of familial failure, but rather a sign of personal success. Things dampened again though when Yizhaq said they lived in dangerous times - an all too present reminder of this hung from his belt.

Dan accepted the handshake from across the desk, giving a sad smile upon hearing Yizhaq's words. "Gruesome though the truth may be, you have done me a great service today. I too hope that we will meet again soon, but hopefully with happier news."

Accepting his traveling cloak and hiking staff from the steward, Dan gave a short bow to his invaluable neighbor. "Farewell." Guided out of the house a moment later, Dan gazed upon the wilderness, and began his journey home.