In the midst of the small clearing stood a circle of ancient stones standing some fifty feet across; each taller than a man could reach and twice a man’s width, with massive lintels linking them, all carved with Yuirish symbols. “So this is a menhir circle?” Rynard asked as he approached the stones, disappointment clear in his voice. “I expected something… grander.” Talice glared at the mage as if she could burn him to ash with her eyes. But before she could rebut him, the ancient stones did themselves, as they began to sing an eerily beautiful hum and the space with in the circle shimmered out of focus. “Get back!” Talice warned, and for once even Rynard obeyed without question. For a moment the interior of the circle seemed to dim, as if twilight had fallen, but then it snapped back into focus and full daylight illuminated it again. However, in the circle’s midst stood a figure that had not been there before; pale, slender and beautiful, she raised her hand to shield her eyes from the sun, like someone suddenly thrust into the light. For a moment they all stood in stunned silence, then Cosar found his voice; “Now that’s what I call magic!” he exclaimed with clear amusement. “A stone circle that produces beautiful women.” Nymara turned toward the voice, noticing the companions for the first time, as her eyes struggled to focus in the glaring sun light. “I am Nymara Moonshadow of the twilight realm”, she announced, lowered her hand to the hilt of her sword. “I seek a child, my niece, who may have ventured here some days ago.” “Star elves are always welcome amongst the Yuir,” Talice greeted the stranger. “But we haven’t seen a child.” “Wait a minute,” Rynard interrupted. “If you’re from Sildeyuir, how could this child come here? Only the Masters of Yuirwood can work the menhir!” “My people created these circles,” Nymara replied. “We are linked to them by blood… and my niece has a natural affinity for them. A gift I warned her not to use… but I fear she did not heed me.” Rynard stood dumbfounded. How could a mere child, star elf or not, work the ancient magic of the menhir when their secrets were kept from even those schooled under the Simbul’s direction. “We are pursuing orcs who have taken people from encampments in the forest,” Courynn informed Nymara. “They used this circle to take them somewhere… most likely still within the Yuirwood. If your niece was here, they might have taken her as well.” “Then it seems we have a common quest,” Nymara acknowledged, “for I have sworn to return Calastra to my brothers arms… or never set foot in the twilight realm again!”