The boys escape the mysterious house in the woods, during their escape they took Wesley's uncle Elias with them. They must find out where they are and make their way back to Rivendale.
Wesley and Scipio wake up disoriented underneath a fallen tree they hid under to sleep for the night. They have no idea where they are or how long it's been, but they do know that they aren't in Rivendale anymore. Wesley manages to scale a tall tree and get a lay of the land, they are only perhaps 15 or so miles outside the city in the heart of the woods. As they make their way back they discover an odd stone in the ground and uncover the ground around it to find a long forgotten hidden tomb. Inside the tomb they see ancient writing that looks faintly elvish with scenes carved into the walls of Elves fighting beasts and man. The entire tomb is a tribute to one or more elves. As they make their way to the back of it they find the main chamber, insects and other small animals had left this place in ruins. Wesley finds a bag under some ruins next to a mushroom that comes to life and attacks them. Once they defeat it they notice is has the same sort of elven writing they don't understand on the outside of the bag. They fully explore the rest of the tomb and decide to hurry back. As they leave Scipio falls down with a terrible fever, he only begins returning to normal when he's had a dosage of the chemicals they took from the house with the notes. Around day break in Rivendale the two budding adventurers arrive on the outskirts of the city having drug uncle Elias all this way. The first place they head is the Alchemists shop, where they talk to an alchemist that was on friendly terms with both of their father's and both boys knew. He provides them with some healing potions to help Elias and some information on the chemicals they had recovered from the forest house. And it was bad. He lets them know that they are illegal toxins that can be used to poison people on their own but these have been heavily modified. He informs the boys they need to get rid of them or if Scipio needs them never speak of them where anyone else can hear they can get in a lot of trouble. On the east side of town in the Colt residence the boys meet up with Wesley's mother Aryn she is a human blacksmith and she is still in mourning. Wesley paranoid that they will be attacked at home convinces his mother that they must go to an inn and sleep for the night it's not safe to be at home. Once they get to the inn a very suspicious Inn Keeper gives them a room... it is odd that locals are staying at his Inn tonight. They give Elias finally recovering after taking the healing potions, wakes up and begins to talk to the boys about next plans.