The road to Portside ( link to a message in this game ), connects to the road to Buckley Village's ruins ( link to a message in this game ) to the west.

"Fine, but he was looking at you like he wanted you. He wasn't looking at me or anyone else like that." Yehudit said. "And Mama would love to beat him up, you know how she is."

"You're still discussing it," Sileas growled.

"And you're still sulking." Yehudit said. "This trip isn't much fun."

"The trip wasn't intended for fun. We're going to Portside on a mission. If you wanted fun, you should have stayed back with Wulfsen. And I'm not sulking. I'm thinking about Larrigan and missing him."

Yehudit sighed and hoped her cousin cheered up. She still didn't understand why Wulfsen had hugged her and not Sileas, and it was Sileas that he loved.

"I'd like to see Wulfsen shirtless, but that's it. It'd get boring."

"Sometimes boring is good. Aren't you tired of all the danger and troubles we've faced? Admittedly I've been facing them far longer, but...well it doesn't matter what I want. It's not mine to have."

"I'd rather trouble over spending the rest of my life with Wulfsen. He's nice but I don't like him like that, and he doesn't like me that way either." Yehudit said. "Though he does like you."

"Sure, as a possible bed warmer. That's not what I want for my life. My dream ended when those bastards cut down my Larrigan. He knew instinctively what I needed when I had the flashbacks. Never once did I have to tell him. Not once, not even the first time. So it might not be you that Wulfsen chooses. But it won't be me that he shares his life with when the time comes. I'll be no man's bed warmer."

"If he wanted you for a bed warmer don't you think he would've tried by now?" Yehudit asked. "It's not like he hasn't had chances, you both were alone in the garden and you were passed out exhausted."

Sileas scowled. "He hasn't tried because he knew I'm grieving for Larrigan. And when we were in the garden, he did not know I was barren. He had honorable intentions then."

"He worries about yor reputation ter much ter use yer as a bed warmer, even if 'e right wants ter snog yer." Questa said.

"Why are you two pushing this so much? His actions now speak quite differently than what the two of you are saying. We need to face it. He doesn't want me long term."

"He were wishin' 'e spoke up sooner ter yer, as if 'e wanted to've been wiv yer years and not just snoggin' yer once." Questa shrugged. "I don't get why yer want ter be wiv any lad forever, yer may as well just 'ave a gang if it's protection yer want."

"It's not protection, well, it's not just protection. It's companionship, and friendship. Building a life together that you are partners in. Someone you can confide anything and everything in and that makes you feel like you are the most important person in the world." Sileas shrugged. "It's having that one important person that makes you feel like you're the only person when their arms are around you. It's...it's about belonging and having them make your heart soar."

"And always 'avin' a bedwarmer so yer don't get cold until one of yer dies or takes up wiv some one else then, isit?" Questa asked innocently.

Sileas blushed. "There might be that too."

Yehudit's face burned.

"I'm pretty sure his hug meant nothing." She said.

"He could've gone ter Portside wiv us, a bit of bedwarmers there." Questa said. Her own mother had been a 'bedwarmer'.

Sileas shrugged. "It seems to me if he really cared about me, he would have come along with me instead of dumping the responsibility of caring for me in case of a flashback on the two of you."

"He's supposed to be in charge of the whole Keep. He looked like he wanted to come." Yehudit said. "Sileas, if you start having a flashback do you really want Wulfsen to be the one holding you? You know sometimes you get skittish around men, even good ones, when you get like that."

"It would be the best way to find out how comfortable I would be with him. Larrigan helped a lot with my being skittish. I would prefer not to have the flashbacks at all," Sileas stated.

"Maybe you won't." Yehudit said hopefully. "You've got us and Portside isn't that scary, is it?"

"No, not in the marketplaces it's not. I'm just worried about the docks and what might happen there." She glanced at Yehudit. "I think you and Questa should stay in the market and do some shopping. I'll give you a list of the generic things I'm wanting. That way I can concentrate on keeping Lek safe."

"Oh no you don't!" Yehudit scowled. "You're not going to the docks without me."

"Please, Yehudit? Please do this for me?" Sileas pleaded. "It will be all I can do to keep me and Lek safe. I'd really much rather know you were safe and shopping. Besides, it will save time."

Yehudit crossed her arms stubbornly. "I'm going where you're going."

"You are just as stubborn as your mother. Don't you understand that I can't live with myself if you get hurt because you followed me? Don't you understand I already bear enough guilt for what Andy did to you?" Sileas pressed her lips closed. She hadn't meant to say that last part out loud.

"Andy hardly did anything to me!" Yehudit shouted. "How can you feel guilty about that when you know he would've done a whole lot worse if you hadn't killed him when you did?"

"Stop shouting, you'll frighten the horses," Sileas admonished. "He took you to hurt me, that's how I can blame myself. If I would have just given in to him, he never would have taken you."

Now Yehudit was really angry.

"Give in to him? Andy? That disgusting pig? No $%#*()ing way!" Yehudit continued to shout.

Sileas sighed. It seemed no one was able to understand her feelings. She was almost tempted to tell Questa to knock Yehudit out. "If you don't stop shouting, you'll frighten the horses and we'll wreck. None of us will get to Portside. Knock it off."

"Then stop saying such stupid things... Give in to Andy... bah!" Yehudit grumbled.

"I can't help it if I would do anything to keep you out of harm's way. Especially when you are so unwilling to do it for yourself."

"I don't look for trouble any more than you do." Yehudit said moodily.

"Did I say you look for trouble? I know you don't. But I simply would like it if you would listen to me when I tell you to stay out of a situation, like going to the docks. Or like last night when I asked you to go for help. Which, by the way, was also to keep me and Questa from being killed or worse by those mermen."

Yehudit bristled. "I want to go where you go."

"I understand that. But there are times, I need you to do things my way. For my peace of mind," Sileas pointed out. "Or because I am asking for your help," she added, thinking of the evening before.

"I was helping you!" Yehudit said, her voice rising again.

Sileas lowed her face in to hands, mumbling incoherently. Then she lifted her head and turned to watch the scenery again.

"What was that?" Yehudit asked. One of her rages were beginning.

"What was what? The fact that I whisper to talk to Larrigan in heaven? That I miss him?" Sileas had about had it and if Lek weren't there, she would probably just kill Yehudit and run.

"Oh." Yehudit began to calm a little. "I'm sorry."

Sileas gave her a quiet nod. What she had replied was true, she had been whispering to Larrigan, wishing he was here. She needed time to grieve, but no one seemed inclined to give her the time. Sileas feared that with that last thought, she might be reaching her breaking point. She really wished Yehudit would agree to stay in the market with Questa, Sileas wasn't certain she was together enough to watch over too many people.

Lek sadly stared back towards the keep even though it was no longer in view. He hated leaving Millie behind and missed her terribly already.

Sileas put her arm up on the rim of the wagon and rested her chin on her arm. She let her tears flow.

Yehudit patted Sileas's back.

"I didn't even get to say goodbye. I didn't get to tell him over very much I love him. I just want his arms around me and to hear his voice," she whispered.

"He knew you loved him." Yehudit tried to comfort Sileas and felt like she was failing.

Meanwhile, the knights looked rather awkward.

"Not how much. I feel like I've lost part of myself. The best part. Now I'm just lost." She buried her face in the wool of her cloak that was draped over her arm.

Yehudit hugged her. "Larrigan must know now, surely."

Sileas just let her tears continue, not making a sound.

Wulfsen happened to look back and did not see Lek. He swore and reigned to a stop.

Shawn reigned to a stop beside Wulfsen and sighed. "I apologize. If only he had been more aware, we wouldn't have to take him along." Shawn was aggravated. How had Nelek not taught his son so many basic things?

It took a while, but Lek eventually caught up to Wulfsen and Shawn.

"Finally," Shawn sighed.

Lek clutched the reigns with white knuckles. The mare was too fast for him.

Shawn said a prayer requesting patience.

"Oh for the love of-" Wulfsen snatched the reins from Lek. "Hold on!" Wulfsen put his horse into a gallop, Lek's mare had no choice but to keep up.

Shawn bit his lip to keep from laughing as he followed at the same pace.

Lek clung to the saddle. He was going to die.

From the Raiders->

Cyan was getting tired, it was getting harder to keep her head above water. She did not know if she had lost the raiders or not, but knew if she stayed in the river any longer should would drown. She swam to shore and pulled herself halfway out of the water, then flopped down on her back with her feet still in the river to rest. She felt her belly and was rewarded by the small flutter. Maybe Baby Kedves would grow up to be a swimmer. After Cyan caught her breath she looked around.

There was a road. Cyan got up and walked over to it. The road looked sort of familiar. A cold wind blew and Cyan shivered, clutching her wet tattered clothes to herself as she tried to figure out where she was. She was beginning to feel confused and tired. She sat in the road.

Portside! That's where this road led. She had been to Portside a few times. So this road also should lead to Buckley Village. Cyan wanted to go home, but then she remembered what had happened. Would there even be anyone still alive there? They were destroying the village. So she should go to Portside. Cyan got up and walked back and forth a few times, she could not remember which way was Portside. She was so cold her teeth were chattering. The wind would not quit and she was soaked to the bone.

Finally Cyan sat down in the middle of the road again, hugging herself trying to keep warm and untangle her mind. She was too cold to notice that her hands were still bleeding.

Aalyssa sat upon the wagon bench. She watched the scenery as she continued to go over in her mind what she needed to do in Portside.  She didn't venture there often and was hoping to be able to locate what they needed. And then she spotted the young woman on the side of the road. "Hold!" she called.

Once the wagon stopped, Aalyssa jumped down and approached the young woman. "Are you all right?"

Cyan sluggishly got to her feet and was making ready to run into the trees when the woman approached her.

"Don't hurt me." Cyan said, looking from the woman to the men with her.

The men wore matching uniforms and armor... The raiders had been all mismatched, most did not have armor, much less uniforms. These were not raiders? Cyan shivered and tried to cover herself better with her torn clothes. Blood dripped from her fingers. She was so cold and tired it was hard to make sense of what was going on. This woman seemed kind, but Cyan recalled the midwife who worked with the raiders.

"Cold." Cyan whispered. "Please, don't let them hurt me."

"I won't harm you," Aalyssa vowed. She spoke in a calming voice but made no move to touch the woman in anyway. "Nor will these men, they are the knights of Lord Thornblade who only just arrived to oversee Buckley Village. I'm Aalyssa, I'm healer in the village with Difyr. You should have those injuries looked at.

Cyan stared at the woman until she recognized her. "You work with Difyr. I saw her just a couple days before... before." Cyan noticed for the first time that her hands were bleeding. She shook her head.

"Help." Cyan pleaded, reaching for Aalyssa. "I can't lose my baby- it's all I have left from Coop."

Make a palette in the back of the wagon," she ordered the men, her arms going around Cyan. "We're going to do everything we can for you." Aalyssa looked at the men. "We need to get her back to Difyr and then we can go back out." Once the palette was ready, she nearly lifted Cyan into the wagon and a few of the men came to help her. Aalyssa climbed up beside her.

Cyan was shivering.

"Those men... They have others." Cyan said fretfully. "The-the virgins they're going to make brides when they get to Boville. But the others... They were going to start a brothel with the women but they were slowing them down- they're going to kill them."

Aalyssa glanced toward a knight who nodded. "They're headed for Boville you say? When we get to the keep, there will be a squad sent out in that direction, I'm sure." Aalyssa received another nod. "There, that's settled, let's concentrate on you for now." She ran her hands over gently over Cyan's stomach.

One of the knights took off his cloak and held it out to Aalyssa for the girl. He could not help but take a look at her though.

"Is that a bite?" He blurted, then blushed and averted his eyes. "My apologies."

Aalyssa accepted the cloak. Cyan would welcome it once the exam was over. Her attention went to the mark the knight had mentioned. "It appears so," she said with a hint of anger.

In reply to Lyssa (msg # 69):

Some color rose in Cyan's cheeks. Now that she was not so numb from the cold her shoulders were aching, not just from the bite but from the strain the hairy old man had put on them. She self consciously covered the bite mark with her hand.

She worriedly looked up at Aalyssa.

"The baby's all right, isn't he? I could feel him kicking after I got out of the water." Cyan nervously chewed on her lip. "I did everything I could to protect him."

The knight politely turned his back to give privacy. "I would like to be on the squad that goes after those... cads." He was embarrassed but angry.

In reply to Cyan (msg # 72):

"I don't see any indication of danger to him, but I'll want you to rest for a few days. No moving around at all." Aalyssa tucked the cloak around her to warm her up. She looked to the knight. "While I settle Cyan in the healing room, you can speak with Xavier about the squad and wanting to be on it."

Cyan rested her hands over her belly, hoping Aalyssa was right. She felt another reassuring flutter and relaxed a little.

"I don't know if the other women have much time." Cyan told Aalyssa and the knight. "One of those men was talking to me with a knife to my throat about killing the... he called them whores... but sparing just a few for mistresses."

"Lord DeVale will have a squad dispatched very quickly. And the men can move faster on horse than they can on foot."
This message was last updated by the player at 03:38, Sat 12 Mar 2016.

"That's why they are going to kill these women- because the woman are slowing them down." Cyan said. "The raiders might kill them right where they're camping now... Probably by tomorrow morning."

"We'll send the best men with the fastest mounts. We will do everything possible to get to the other women," Aalyssa vowed.

Cyan still looked worried, but it did not look like there was anything else she could do. Hopefully the raiders would not start murdering the women right away. She made herself as comfortable as she could on the pallet, the wagon was hitting a couple bumps. She held her belly.

"Where are we going?" She asked Aalyssa.

"We're going to the abandoned keep just outside of the village. It's not much to look at right now, being rundown, but it's safe  We have knights on guard everywhere. Just relax."

Pain flared through Cyan's shoulders. She stifled a groan.

"My baby will be all right?"

'"If you remain calm and relaxed, I see no reason why he shouldn't be. He feels like a strong, healthy babe."

"Everything I did was to protect him." Cyan said softly. "It was the last thing Coop asked of me."

"You've done well so far. Now it is time for you to rest and take it easy. I know the ride is bumpy but it's not much further to the keep."

Cyan curled up under the cloak and tried to relax. SHe was still cold and shivering a little.

Aalyssa tucked the cloak around her more and sat down next to her.

Cyan had begun to doze off, only to be disturbed by the loud creaking of the gates being opened. She sat up.

As promised, it had not taken long at all to reach the keep.

Once everyone was in the wagon, Shawn left Portside and was driving the wagon down the road back to the keep.

He stared hard at the horses as if willing them to move faster. His hands itched for the whip.

Liadan was trying to not complain. But she was tired, this kid was getting heavy despite being half starved- and most importantly she was getting damned hungry.

"I wish we had a wagon." Liadan muttered to Aron. "And some horses to pull it for us. My feet are killing me."

"I know," Aron replied. "If we'd come in at Portside, we could have gotten one, but then we wouldn't have found Kadelyn." His heart ached at the ruins of his childhood home.

Liadan was upset about the loss of the inn and bakery herself. Those connected buildings had been her first real home. Most of their children had been born there, she had planned on raising them all there, like their father. And those evenings she and Aron had spent in the honeymoon suite when it was unoccupied... Was all of that gone forever?

Liadan walked beside Aron and lightly brushed her shoulder against him. "At least we should be at the Keep soon." Liadan was also missing their children. She looked forward to reuniting with them.

"Aye, it's not too far now. Maybe Kady would like to walk for a while?" he suggested, hoping to ease some of Lia's burden.

"Do you want to walk for a bit?" Liadan asked Kadey.

Kady thought for a moment and nodded.

Liadan set the girl down. She knew Aron had suggested Kadelyn walk to give her a rest. Instead she went to Nelek's other side. "Let me help you with Nelek."

Nelek hated being a burden, but he put an arm over Liadan's shoulders and took some of his weight off of Aron. He soothed his ego by reminding himself that Aislyn and the twins needed him. He would be with them soon, and then he could rest easy.

"I can make out the gate to the keep just on the horizon. We're almost there."

"I hope Ais made sticky buns. I could eat two trays of them." Liadan said, almost dragging Nelek to move faster.

"I'm still surprised you haven't turned into a sticky bun yet," Aron teased lightly.

"I haven't gotten any for over two weeks." Liadan said testily.

Nelek felt incredibly awkward. He staggered ahead towards the gates.

"You don't have any idea how many sticky buns you've put away over the years, do you?"

"Not as many as you. I went 18-19 years before I ever even had one." Liadan said.

"Maybe, maybe not," Aron replied.

Liadan made a growling sound and pushed on to the gate.

Aron chuckled and reached for Kady's hand.