A long forgotten keep, fallen into disrepair. This is the first building that our refugees stumble upon on their search for a new home.

Sileas stumled along, bringing up the rear of the ragtag group of fellow survivors. Until a few days ago, she called them family. But her connection had been severed the moment the invaders had slaughtered her family. Her parents, grandparents, sisters and betrothed, all gone. If she had not been out to the market, she too would have been lying in the remains of her home. Truthfully she wished she were instead of being all alone again. It cut like a knife, being alone again.

She ground her teeth together. Love, family, it all made a person vulnerable. Never again. No one would find a place in her heart, she would no longer accept the warmth of friends and family. She heard a cry from up ahead and glanced in that direction. Towering in front of them was the remains of a keep, apparently long forgotten and left to crumble. At least they would be sheltered and warm for the night. To her right she spotted a cave. The perfect place to call her own.

Sileas's gaze darted back and forth to make certain no one was paying attention to her (and why would they? Once again she was an outsider, one with no place). Satisfied that all attention was on the keep, she stole away from the group, making no sound as she disappeared through the trees, heading toward the cave.

Yehudit, clutching a walking stick, kept stealing glances back at her cousin Sileas. When Yehudit noticed that Sileas was gone she broke away from the group- they were so interested in the keep they did not notice her departure either. Yehudit could guess that Sileas was trying to be alone so Yehudit tried to follow her quietly. But her gimp foot slowed her up and Yehdit was falling behind fast.

"Sileas! Wait for me!" Yehudit cried, stumbling through the trees.

Sileas barely managed to not sigh with frustration. She didn't stop walking. "Go back to your family, Yehudit," she said, picking up speed. She began gathering brush to use to hide the entrance to her cave. Her home. The only thing that would be hers now. When she was to the bend of the path to the cave, she used a branch filled with leaves to hide her tracks,  dragging it behind her. Once at the cave, she artfully placed the brush before disappearing inside. Briefly she hoped there was no bear or any other critter in residence but in all honesty,  she didn't care.

Yehudit lost track of Sileas, and lost her trail. But Yehudit stubbornly refused to give up. She limped around the area, calling Sileas and sounding increasingly upset. Her ankle was starting to hurt from so much walking and she leaned on her walking stick.
"C'mon Sileas!" Yehudit called pleadingly, unknowingly only yards from the cave entrance.

Sileas covered her ears with both hands. She was not going to be a burden on any of them. She was nothing to any of them, she doubted she ever had been. Sileas was pretty certain they had all pretended to care about her simply because her parents had adopted her. The thought of her parents was like a knife to her heart, her stomach clenching at the sight of her sweet innocent little sisters,  lifeless in the rubble. Sileas shook her head. It hurt too much to care about anyone. It was better this way. "LEAVE! CATCH UP WITH YOUR FAMILY!" she cried out, the sound echoing off of the cave walls. That was good, it would be impossible for Yehudit to discover the source of the sound.

Or would be, if not for the fact that all the echoed sounds were coming from behind a bunch of branches over a cave mouth. Yehudit ignored what Sileas told her and listened to her voice. She staggered into the cave and fell to the cave floor.

Sileas managed to restrain a curse or further speech. Instead, she wrapped herself tighter in her dark cloak and disappeared on of the pathways, deeper into the cave. She didn't care if she got lost in the depths of the cave.

"Sileas- c'mon Sileas, my ankle is killing me." Yehudit's eyes were tearing. She usually did not let on when her ankle hurt, especially not to Sileas. But she had been walking so much lately it was becoming unbearable. Yehudit could not walk back to the others if she wanted to. Yehudit scooted into a sitting position and leaned against the cave wall. She began working on taking off her shoe.

This time Sileas did let out a sigh. She trudged back through the cave toward the entrance. "I will help you catch up with your family and then we part ways," she said simply. Sileas shook her head. "You should have considered your ankle before you came after me."

"I wanted to be with you." Yehudit pulled off her shoe. Her ankle was swollen. Difyr was so low on supplies Yehudit did not think her ankle was worth being treated. She shook her head. "I'm staying with you."

In reply to GM Killer (msg # 1):

Liadan looked at the keep, it looked better than some places she had to live in, and was barely good enough for her family.

Then Liadan realized someone was missing, Yehudit. Liadan squeezed Aron's arm. "Aron- Yehudit- where is Yehudit?" Liadan wildly turned her head to look around again. "Sileas is missing too... Oh Aron, where is Yehudit?" There was a frantic edge to Liadan's voice.

"You can't stay with me. Caves can be damp, that's not good for your ankle. You deserve better and your family will want you with them," Sileas pointed out. "I'll be fine on my own. I did all right as a child and I'm an adult now."

"There's room for you with the rest of us." Yehudit argued. "I'm staying wherever you are."

In reply to Liadan Buckley (msg # 12):

Aron looked about the group in front of and behind him. "I knew we should have made them walk ahead of us. Lia, you can be certain they're together, wherever they are. HOLD UP!" he called out to the leader of the group. "We're missing people."

In reply to Yehudit Buckley (msg # 14):

"I don't belong anymore. It's your family, not mine. I don't have amfamily anymore," Sileas said softly. If one listened very carefully, they could hear a hint of lost little girl in her voice. Not that Sileas would ever admit to such a thing. "I don't fit."

In reply to Sileas (msg # 16):

Yehudit shook her head vehemently. "You're still my cousin!" Yehudit tried to get up so she could go to Sileas, but her ankle hurt and she didn't want to walk on the cave floor barefoot. "Don't you care about me?"

In reply to Aron Buckley (msg # 15):

Liadan was in tears, she had lost so many people she cared about, she couldn't bear her children being out of sight. "Should put Yehudit on a leash."

Sileas hated being put on the spot. "Of course I do, that's why I want to take you back to your family. You still have a family and you should be with them. Don't take them for granted, you don't know when you'll lose them."

In reply to Liadan Buckley (msg # 18):

"She would fight it. This is a mess. Who the hell were those people and what did they want?" Aron demanded. He had lost not only his cousin and his family, but his best friend. "Do you think we can figure out where we lost them?"

"You're family too, and you're easier to get along with than the rest of them." Yehudit said. "I'm gonna stay with you... If you want me going back to the rest of the family you'll have to come with me."

"Your mother will have a heart attack if she doesn't have you near, not after everything that happened. I told you I would take you back.  But you have to stay with them. This...this is only temporary for me. I don't know where I'll end up when it's time for me to move on," Sileas said, although truthfully she rather liked the cave.

In reply to Aron Buckley (msg # 20):

"Make it a leash of chains." Liadan sniffled. "I don't think I've seen her since we reached the keep."

"Get the little ones to Ai...no." Aron frowned. So many of his nieces and nephews were gone as well. "Get Questa to watch the little ones and we'll go look for them."

In reply to Sileas (msg # 22):

"If you're gonna take me back to the rest only to leave I'll just follow you again. So you may as well stay with the rest of the family." Yehudit said. "And if you move on again I'll go to."

"Don't you understand I don't want to be with them? It hurts too much. I don't want their pity or to share their sorrow," Sileas stated firmly. "I've decided that being part of a family, loving someone just hurts too much."

In reply to Aron Buckley (msg # 24):

Liadan had mixed feeling about Questa. Liadan had a lot in common with Questa, the hard upbringing with no parents, deep distrust of guards and authority... But there was no getting over the fact that Questa had once threatened one of Liadan's children, even if Questa was still a child herself at the time.

"Hey, Questa." Liadan called the girl over. "Watch my children. Don't try anything."

In reply to Sileas (msg # 26):

Yehudit shrugged. "Fine, we can let the rest of the family worry themselves sick over both of us. I won't go back if you're not and I'm going with you wherever you go."

In reply to Liadan Buckley (msg # 27):

Questa frowned, wondering again why she had not been able to convince Sileas to go with her to Portside and form their own gang. Or why she had not gone to Portside alone instead of tagging along with this 'family'.

"Can't they take care of themselves?" Questa asked Liadan. Questa had been on her own when she was smaller than the Buckley's youngest child.

Liadan glared. "Just make sure the little ones don't wander off or get hurt."

Sileas wanted to scream. She wanted to grieve in her own way and alone so none could judge her actions. "I doubt they even noticed I was gone. Why can't you understand that I need time on my own to deal with things? Don't you care about me?" Sileas threw her cousin's words back in her face.

"Of course I care about you!" Yehudit snapped back. "Why else would I go limping after you into this cave instead of letting you go off alone so you can do something to yourself?" Tears overflowed Yehudit's eyes. "You shouldn't be alone, Sileas."

In reply to Liadan Buckley (msg # 30):

"Fine, right, I'll do it." Questa muttered and frowned at the Buckley children. A bunch of soft, spoiled brats, it's a wonder they were still alive.

Difyr went over to Aislyn. She was worried about her. The woman had already gone through a lot before this latest tragedy.
"How are you feeling?" Difyr asked.

Aislyn had been walking without seeing, not paying attention to where her feet were landing. "Numb. I feel nothing at all, I don't think I will ever feel anything again," Aislyn replied in a monotone voice.

"I think we're going to stop for a rest. Try to eat something." Difyr suggested. "Hold on for the children you have left. You're the only parent they have."

In reply to Questa Cort (msg # 33):

Liadan squeezed Aron's hand again. "We have to find Yehudit."

In reply to Difyr Bateman (msg # 36):

Despite the fact that Aislyn had fought as hard as she could to protect her children, she felt she had failed them. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw their broken and still bodies. No parent should have to bury a child. Yet it seemed like all she did.

Aron nodded. "We'll be back as soon as we can," he said to Questa before turning to head back the way they came. Then he stopped. In the distance he could see dirt being kicked up by horses. He cursed. "Are they coming after us again?"

"I'll %&#() kill them." Liadan swore and ran towards the horses with a sharp twisted fork in each hand.

The horse that came into view first was a black warhorse, upon his saddle a finely appointed knight, then more knights came into view on horseback. They did not have their weapons at the ready, so there was no sign of a planned siege. The head knight pushed back the visor of his helm. "Are you from Buckley Village?" he asked as he dismounted. Xavier hid his amusement at the small woman wielding...bent forks? at him. "I am Xavier DeVale, an emissary from the King."

Liadan glared at Xavier. "Where were you before now? Isn't protecting villages like Buckley your job?!"

"We arrived as soon as we could. The minute word reached the castle that there was an attack planned, Wulfsen and I left." Xavier removed his helm. "King James had just bestowed his son with the lands and we were preparing to come here. We both regret that we arrived so late. Wulfsen and the rest of the men went on to the village to see how bad things are."

"As bad as they get." Liadan said bitterly. "Too little too late."

"We both wish we could have been here in time," Xavier replied, regret deep in his eyes. He knelt in front of Lia. "May Wulfsen have luck in discovering some survivors. In the meantime, I have been told to offer everyone refuge in the keep until we can rebuild. I suspect, however, you all may have already been planning on that."

Liadan was angry and frustrated at not having any of the perpetrators to take it out on. She glared at Xavier, then kicked him in the face.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:45, Sun 10 May 2015.

Xavier winced but accepted the strange little woman's anger, it was deserved. If only they had had wings. He rose to his feet and towered over her. "Are there any injured or unable to walk that needs to ride the rest of the way?"

"My daughter has a bad ankle, but she's gone missing." Liadan said. "I have to find her."

"I can assist with the search." Xavier pulled his sword free from the scabard. He instructed half of his men to guard the refugees, the rest to accompany him.

Liadan ran ahead. She was feeling more than a little panicky at this point.

"YEHUDIT!" She cried.

Aron ran after her, Xavier and his men in pursuit. Aron was pretty sure they thought Lia had heard or seen something, since they didn't know how Lia could be.

Liadan heard Yehudit and picked up her pace. Her daughter was calling her, she might be in danger.

Xavier, being younger, passed Aron so he would be in a place to protect Lia, Yehudit and Sileas. At least Sileas was still alive, that would calm some of the fear he had seen in Wulfsen's eyes.

Liadan put on a burst of speed when she spotted Yehudit and Sileas. When Liadan reached them she gathered Yehudit in a hug, then held her at arm's length to scold her for wandering off. After scolding and hugging Yehudit again and making sure she wasn't injured besides her unhealed ankle Liadan turned to Sileas. "Thank you for bringing Yehudit back."

"Of course," Sileas said softly. "Her place is with her family." Sileas found herself feeling uncomfortable. "Xavier, whatever are you doing here?"

Xavier studied his friend and gave her a small smile. "The King was about to send us out here to bring protection to the villages when some of our spies brought word of the imminent attack. I but wish we had gotten here sooner."

"And your place is with the family." Yehudit told Sileas, lightly tugging on her arm. She looked at Xavier and recalled how he looked with his shirt off.

It would have been nice to be able to believe that but selfishly it occurred to her that no one was bothering about how she felt or if she was all right. She had no one to wrap their arms around her any longer, so she just remained silent. She watched and waited for her moment to sneak off again.

"Let's go back to the others." Liadan said. "We need to stay together."

Except for Yehudit, Sileas was certain no one would notice she was gone. And Yehudit would be better off without her. For now though, she would play along and follow everyone to the keep.

Yehudit clung to Sileas's arm. She was not letting her cousin out of her sight.

Xavier kept a close eye on the two girls. Ladies, now. He didn't want to ask and upset Sileas, but it was very obvious that the attack had left her bereft. Now that he was walking calmly, he realized she was the only Spencer here. He prayed he was wrong. Maybe some of the villagers stayed behind to look for survivors.

He cleared his throat. "Yehudit, your mother tells me your ankle is injured. Ares would be most pleased to offer you a ride to the keep so you can rest your ankle."

Yehudit looked at the horse. "I'll fall off and break my neck."

In reply to Aislyn (msg # 38):

Difyr led Aislyn into one of the structures. It had a fireplace and even some wood. Difyr set to building a fire to make tea.

In reply to Yehudit Buckley (msg # 63):

Xavier's mouth quirked. He was a born flirt and while he had been serious so far, the mood needed to be lightened in his opinion. "Ares can easily carry two riders, I can assure you I will not permit you to fall and break your neck."

Liadan was not about to let this man flirt with her daughter, or ride double on his horse with her.

"Sileas, mount up and help Yehudit up." Liadan said, thinking she ought to have kicked more than Xavier's face.

Sileas sneaked a glance at Xavier. "Is it all right if I ride Ares? Will he permit me in his saddle with Yehudit?" When her friend nodded, Sileas mounted up and held her hand down to Yehudit.

If she would have been in a better frame of mind, she probably would have laughed when he nonchalantly put his hands around Yehudit's waist and boosted her up on to the horse's back.

Yehudit sat in front of Sileas. She could tell her mother as annoyed and she turned her head to grin at Sileas.

Liadan made a growling noise in her throat. She clutched her twisted forks.

Xavier winked at Lia, put his blade away and set out for the keep, his men bringing up the rear.

Liadan glared at Xavier. She walked beside Ares back to the keep, making sure Yehudit did not fall off the horse despite Sileas holding her.

Xavier hoped they had enough rooms or some people might have to double up. He noticed as he entered the keep that several people and families had already chosen rooms. He would wager that the families would stay close. He grimaced at the condition of the keep, he had hoped it would be in better repair. First things first though. The people needed homes and furnishings.

He stood in the center of the main hall. "Once everyone has settled in a room they chose, please return here so we can begin planning rebuilding and who has skills doing what. We will all need to work together, there is much to be done."

Sileas made certain to keep Ares at a steady gait until they reached the courtyard. She helped Yehudit down and handed her off to Lia. "I'm going to take Ares to the stable and get him settled. I'll be in in a while."

"I'll help you!" Yehudit volunteered, grabbing Sileas's arm.

"Go rest your ankle, I can handle taking care of Ares. It might be dangerous for you in the stables." Sileas shot a look toward Lia, imploring for help.

Liadan frowned, then looked around. "Aron, we'll need a nice warm spot for our family, should have Ais and her kids and Sileas with us too."

In reply to Sileas (msg # 75):

Yehudit reacted more emotionally than was warranted. "I WANT TO BE WITH YOU! I SURVIVED A GENOCIDE, I CAN SURVIVE A STABLE!!!"

Liadan blinked, startled at Yehudit's outburst. "You sound like you need to rest, Yehudit."

"I will see what I can find. Aislyn is probably already inside, I don't see her or Difyr. Questa should stay with us too," he added. "Come little ones." He held out his hands for the children to take and he headed inside.

Sileas had been only half listening prior to Yehudit's outburst. "I can sleep in the great hall or in a little niche. I need a little bit of breathing room right now. Yehudit, go put your foot up and rest. I won't be long in the stable, I promise.  Aside from Ares here, I don't know any of these horses here, and they're all warhorses. They can be unpredictable." Her heart broke as she thought of Lightning who had probably been murdered or burned in the stables. One more loss.

"Questa..." Liadan wanted to argue, but Aron was already leading the children to a new home. She turned to Sileas and Yehudit. "Yehudit, go with your father. You're limping and your ankle is swollen, I want Difyr to take a look at it. And Sileas..." Liadan paused. "I want to talk to you, Sileas."

Liadan gave Yehudit an 'Obey me, I am your mother' stare, then began walking towards the stable.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 06:04, Sun 10 May 2015.

Oh good a lecture and still not being allowed to grieve how I want to. Sileas slowed her pace as she led Ares into the stable. She found a stall for him, the second one, obviously left for Xavier's mount. She unsaddled Ares and reached in the saddle bag for his brush.

Yehudit heaved a deep, sad sigh and began hobbling on her walking stick after her father and little siblings. Before going inside one of the buildings, she turned to give Sileas a look.

Aron glanced over his shoulder and noticed her carrying her shoe and how swollen her ankle was. He had Ertzel take over the little ones and he scooped Yehudit up to carry inside.

In reply to Sileas (msg # 82):

Liadan was not very good with horses so she stayed clear of Ares's stall and out of reach of the other horses as Sileas groomed him.

"Sileas, you know before I had Yehudit, what happened to me, I couldn't face it and I ran away. Everything was just too terrible and painful around others so I thought it would be better if I was alone. I was wrong, and I still regret not staying with those who loved me during the hardest time of my life. They could have helped me instead of missing me those nine terrible months." Liadan looked down and wiped a tear from her nose. "Don't think I haven't noticed the way you've been holding yourself away from the family and looking like you're going to bolt. If it wasn't for Yehudit you would've taken off days ago, am I right? I saw the same look in my eyes whenever I accidentally caught my reflection before I ran away... Brie was like a sister to me, and I still think of you as family as much as I considered Sarah and the triplets to be my nieces."

In reply to Aron Buckley (msg # 84):

Yehudit wrapped an arm around her father's neck as he carried her inside. Normally she would hate being babied but her ankle was really hurting.

In reply to Yehudit Buckley (msg # 86):

Difyr looked up as the Buckley family- minus Liadan- trooped in. She frowned when she saw Yehudit's ankle and how swollen it was. She had gotten so low on herbs she couldn't spare any to treat it, there were those with more serious injuries than Yehudit's ankle. Difyr picked up a bucket of cold water and set it down by a stool. "Soak your ankle, it will help bring down the swelling."

"I would have but not for the reasons you're thinking. I need to grieve, in my own way. I just want some time to be off on my own, hunting and breaking things. And training. I'm all alone now and heaven help me, it's so much worse than when I was on my own when I was little." Sileas dropped the brush and thankfully Ares wasn't skittish because she was not thinking when she bent down to get it from next to his hooves. "I lost everything. My parents, my sisters, Larrigan, Lightning, I'm all alone. So all alone." She leaned her head against Ares's flank. He lightly swatted her with his tail.

In reply to Difyr Bateman (msg # 87):

Aron sat Yehudit down on the stool, removed her stocking and helped her maneuver her foot into the bucket.

"You still have the rest of the family, and Yehudit." Liadan awkwardly reached into the stall to pat Sileas's shoulder. "Especially Yehudit. If you were to leave Yehudit would leave too... And she wouldn't come back until she found you even if that meant she would wander alone herself."

In reply to Aron Buckley (msg # 89):

Yehudit gasped when her foot plunged into the cold water. It was so cold it almost hurt. Yehudit was glad that Sileas wasn't there to witness this. Yehudit squeezed her walking stick.

In reply to Liadan Buckley (msg # 90):

"I don't want to bring any more danger to her. Everything just feels so awkward now, I just don't feel like I belong," Sileas admitted. "It's almost like I would be trying to force my way into a place in the family." She sighed. "I just feel empty. I want my family. I want Mama and Papa."

"When you're around at least I know Yehudit is protected." Liadan sighed. She missed Brighid and Sarah and the triplets, she even missed Shawn a little. "I know... It wasn't fair."

Difyr looked at her sack of dwindling supplies. She missed her garden where she grew almost everything she needed, and the stock of dried plants and herbs that she had bought or gathered over the years- some that either did not grow well gardens or came from warmer climates. Lack of healing supplies was never something Difyr had to face before. Difyr resolved to explore the woods around the keep to see what she could find the first chance she got.

Difyr moved over to Millie Buckley to see how the girl was doing, she was still recovering from the beating her own father had given her.

In reply to Liadan Buckley (msg # 93):

"If I could just have a few days to myself," Sileas said wistfully. She finished brushing Ares and got him settled in his stall. "Do you think Lightning might still be alive? Could I go bac for him?" Even that one small thing, that connection to her father, would mean so much. "And Thunder too? We'll need horses."

"The horses may still be alive. But," Liadan said, "Those men would have probably taken the horses for themselves rather than let them run loose."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:26, Mon 11 May 2015.

Sileas cursed sharply. She didn't want either horse in the hands of those barbarians. "I could kill them to get the horses back," she stated coldly.

"I could kill them for many reasons." Liadan said.

"I do as well. But I can't go after them with Yehudit in tow," Sileas admitted. "So I can't avenge and I can't grieve. I can only keep everything inside."

In reply to Difyr Bateman (msg # 94):

Millie had lay down, trying to rest. Every inch of her body ached. She moaned softly.

In reply to Millie (msg # 100):

"How are you feeling?" Difyr looked at Millie and thought longingly of her garden. She sparingly used some of her herbs to make a poultice for Millie's head.

"Yehudit doesn't hold anything in when she's with you, does she?" Liadan asked.

In reply to Yehudit Buckley (msg # 91):

Yehudit looked towards where she came in. Sileas was taking longer than Yehudit liked and she was starting to get worried.

In reply to Difyr Bateman (msg # 101):

Millie shrugged and then winced. "Achy and tired," Millie admitted.

In reply to Liadan Buckley (msg # 102):

"Sometimes she tries. Like when her ankle is bothering her." Sileas sighed. "Sometimes I think she just wants me to believe she is as strong as she thinks I am, and the truth is, I'm not strong at all lately." She glanced at Lia. "I feel like a coward right now. I might have been able to save at least Papa. He told me to run. I tried to argue that I wanted to get him out, but he just said it was too late and that I should run. And now I'll forever wonder if I could have saved him."

In reply to Sileas (msg # 105):

"If you hadn't run you would be dead too." Liadan said. "It's better that you survived."

"That's what Papa told me, that he wanted me to live. But that won't stop me from wondering," Sileas added.

In reply to Millie (msg # 104):

"I'm afraid there isn't much I can give you." Difyr said after she applied the poultice and looked in her bag. With her priority patients seen to now would be a good time to see about gathering herbs in the woods. Difyr stood up and walked over to Xavier. "There are a lot of wounded, I need more herbs... I might be able to find some in the woods."

"Good, we have a healer. At the very least I know that." He waved two of the knights over. "Two of my men will accompany you. Sir Lucien and Sir Bart." Xavier turned to them. "You are to assist our healer in any way that she needs."

"If you're too busy I can manage on my own, I don't plan on going far or picking more than I can carry..." Difyr said.

"Busy? Nonsense. I'm just waiting for people to come forward and let me know what their skills
are so we can begin planning the rebuilding." Xavier gave her a charming smile. "They are going along for your protection, in case of the miscreants who attacked the village are lurking about."

Difyr was so used to working alone.

"Oh. Okay then." Difyr picked up a basket. "Let's go."

In reply to Sileas (msg # 107):

Liadan sighed. There was no convincing Sileas that she did the right thing. "Is the horse... done?"

Bart and Lucien half bowed to Xavier, then nodded to Difyr. Bart reached for the basket to carry, ever so chivalrous, before following her outside.

In reply to Liadan Buckley (msg # 113):

Sileas nodded, "Yes, he's ready to rest for the night." She hated the very idea of going inside the keep. Everything was so alien to her now.

"We should go back inside before Yehudit starts looking for you." Liadan said.

"Probably." Sileas returned the brush to Ares's saddle bag. "Good night, Ares," she said softly before turning, shoulders slumped, to follow Lia back into the keep.

Liadan went inside. She found her family, Yehudit sitting with her foot in a bucket of water and squeezed Aron's hand.

Sileas trudged in behind her. She found a relatively quiet corner of the room and removed her cloak. She folded it neatly and set it on the floor before sitting down next to it.

"Sileas!" Yehudit called and waved in case her cousin didn't see her.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 03:20, Tue 12 May 2015.

Sileas waved at her cousin before settling down.  Instead she opened her bag with the meager belongings she had managed to save. Her stuffed cat, old and worn, was pulled out, and she decided to use her bag as a pillow instead of her cloak. She lay down, spreading her cloak like a blanket.

Yehudit stood up, took her foot from the bucket, then tried to pick up both the bucket and stool while still try8ing to hold onto her walking stick... An accident was imminent.

"Where exactly  do you think you're going?" Aron inquired as he grabbed the bucket and stool from his daughter.

Yehudit frowned. "Sileas is way over there."

Aron rubbed Yehudit's back. "I'll carry these over for you if you're certain you make it that far without further injuring your ankle."

Yehudit nodded and began making her way over to Sileas, her walking stick clunking and landing one several toes.

Aron followed closely behind, managing to hold the bucket and stool in one hand in case Yehudit needed help. He couldn't help but notice that Sileas was laying on her side, her back to everyone else. More than likely to hide the fact that she was hugging that stuffed animal Aislyn had given her when she first joined the family.

The walking stick slipped and Yehudit fell forward on top of Sileas.

Sileas said "Ooof," but otherwise didn't move except for the slightest movement of her fingers trailing across her betrothal bracelet.

"Hi Sileas." Yehudit said and rolled off her. She waited for her bucket and stool.

Aron set the stool and bucket down for Yehudit. Then he helped his daughter to her feet.

Sileas mumbled something but didn't roll over.

In reply to Aislyn (msg # 38):

"Have you eaten yet, Ais?" Liadan asked her friend.

In reply to Sileas (msg # 132):

Yehudit sat on the stool and reluctantly stuck her foot back in the bucket. She could not make out what Sileas had said. "What was that? $Y#*( the goat?"

In reply to Liadan Buckley (msg # 133):

Aislyn shook her head. "I'm not hungry."

In reply to Yehudit Buckley (msg # 134):

Sileas lifted her head slightly. "I said hello and good night."

In reply to Aislyn (msg # 135):

"You need to eat something." Liadan's own stomach gave a growl.

In reply to Sileas (msg # 136):

Yehudit squinted. "That has nothing to do with goats."

In reply to Yehudit Buckley (msg # 138):

"Never said anything about goats," Sileas stated groggily before laying her head back down on her sack.

In reply to Liadan Buckley (msg # 137):

"I'll just get sick if I try to eat."

In reply to Sileas (msg # 139):

"Oh." Yehudit swished the water with her foot.

In reply to Aislyn (msg # 140):

"You have to try, Ais." Liadan said stubbornly.

In reply to Yehudit Buckley (msg # 141):

"How's your ankle?" Sileas mumbled, yet the words were clear this time.

In reply to Liadan Buckley (msg # 142):

"Are you in the mood for me to vomit all over you?" Aislyn asked, equally stubborn.

In reply to Sileas (msg # 143):

"It's fine." Yehudit said. She looked at her father as if waiting for him to leave.

In reply to Aislyn (msg # 144):

"I'll find you a bowl." Liadan said.

In reply to Yehudit Buckley (msg # 145):



Aron knew he was fussing but he couldn't help it. The trek from the village had to have been strenuous and affected her ankle. He caught his daughter's look, smiled and walked to the other side of the room.

In reply to Liadan Buckley (msg # 146):

"No, I'll be fine if I don't eat," Aislyn replied.

In reply to Aron Buckley (msg # 147):

Yehudit waited for her father to get out of earshot, then turned back to Sileas.

"Did you ever wonder if maybe I shouldn't exist?" Yehudt asked.

In reply to Aislyn (msg # 148):

"No you will starve and waste away to nothing but bones and make me look fat." Liadan said huffily. "You are going to eat something, Aislyn."

In reply to Yehudit Buckley (msg # 149):

Sileas rolled over with a sigh, careful to keep her animal out of sight. Obviously she wasn't to get any sleep either. "No, I've never wondered if you should exist. We are here, so we should indeed exist."

In reply to Liadan Buckley (msg # 150):

Aislyn glared at Lia. "You only ever think about food. Food is not going to bring my children back."

In reply to Sileas (msg # 151):

"Your mother was a prostitute and I guess those women get pregnant all the time." Yehudit said. "But my mother... well she was in love and engaged, if she was going to get pregnant it should've been with Papa. But instead it was one of Galina's men, momzers following a demon. It never should have happened and I shouldn't exist." Yehudit's voice got shaky.

In reply to Aislyn (msg # 152):

"No, but it will keep you here for the children you have left." Liadan said. "Millie and Lek need you, especially Millie."

In reply to Yehudit Buckley (msg # 153):

Sileas frowned. "Well if we're going to use that logic, my mother lay with one of Galina's men too. So I shouldn't exist either. Your parents were meant to have you, you just might have been a little younger or looked a little different, but you would exist."

In reply to Liadan Buckley (msg # 154):

"I wish I would have married a decent man who wouldn't have hurt his family this way," Aislyn said testily. "I will eat when I'm ready."

In reply to Sileas (msg # 155):

Yehudit shook her head. "Half of me is one of those momzers."

In reply to Aislyn (msg # 156):

"You're the only parent your children have." Liadan glared. "You'll eat when the food is ready."

In reply to Yehudit Buckley (msg # 157):

"So is half of me. And half of me was she who gave birth to me. At least you had one good natural parent. I'm bad to the core, and that's why bad things keep happening to those around me."

In reply to Liadan Buckley (msg # 158):

"I will eat when my stomach can handle it, Liadan," Aislyn half shouted.

In reply to Sileas (msg # 159):

Yehudit sighed. "Ertzel should have been my mother's first."

"Nonsense. You still would have been first," Sileas pointed out.

In reply to Aislyn (msg # 160):

"YOU WILL EAT EVEN IF I HAVE TO SHOVE FOOD DOWN YOUR *$(@ THROAT!" Liadan was full out screaming at Aislyn now.

In reply to Sileas (msg # 162):

"No, I wouldn't have been born at all." Yehudit said.

In reply to Liadan Buckley (msg # 163):

"I'll spit it right back out at you. Just leave me alone, Lia." Aislyn stormed from the room.

In reply to Yehudit Buckley (msg # 164):

"You don't know that," Sileas stated.

In reply to Sileas (msg # 166):

"I do know it... I don't look like my mother, not at all like my father, and no one would know I was related to any of my siblings." Yehudit said.

"But you don't know it because you could have looked like either or both of your parents if it happened between your mother and father. You're worrying about nothing."

Yehudit shook her head. "You've seen my rages, I've even killed a man during one. If Papa really was my father I wouldn't be like that."

Sileas harrumphed. "I did say there might be a few things different. I'm the one who attracts death and destruction."

Yehudit sighed. She thought Sileas would understand.

Sileas lay on her back, her head pillowed against her sack. She was hurting and no one seemed to care. She couldn't focus on anything but her pain and she certainly was in no mindset for handing out advice or deep thinking.  She closed her eyes but they were open again in a flash. All she could see when she closed them were the bodies of her family.

Mazi and Ila had no problem getting into the keep. They looked like all the other refugees, slightly ragged, travel worn and carrying possession.

Mazi found a corner of the keep away from people. He could not see anyone but could hear the murmur of refugee voices. Mazi set the jug of potion aside, he did not want it getting in his way. He spread out the quilt on the floor and shoved Ila on it.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:56, Mon 14 Mar 2016.

Ila stiffened. Here? She could hear people not far away, anyone could just walk in on them at any time.
"Not here, please." Ila whispered. "There has to be somewhere more private."

"Shut up." Mazi pressed his lips against Ila's and groped at her clothes.

Aislyn wandered blindly through the keep, hoping she could find some private little niche to call her own for now. She loved her brother and Lia, and their children, but she needed to be alone right now. She walked further down the hall.

Ila heard her blouse tear, it was her only shirt. She stopped resisting, she knew if she kept trying to make him stop he would do worse than tear her clothes. Mazi was determined to do this here and now. Ila hoped if she kept quiet he would get it over with without anyone walking in on them. She closed her eyes.

"Pretend you're enjoying this, or I'll cut you." Mazi whispered in Ila's ear. Mazi could hear footsteps, too light to be a man's, a woman's. If his luck was working it was a certain woman. Show time.

Aislyn paused for a brief moment, having heard sounds coming from a room. She had thought everyone had taken rooms near the main hall. When she heard no more, she decided she had been hearing things. Aislyn moved on.

He wants someone to see us! Ila realized with dread. Why?

Ila never wanted to do this, she wanted to do this even less with a potential audience, but she was familiar with the damage Mazi's shell knife could do. She she reached up to stroke his cheek.

"Oh yeah, baby." Mazi grunted loudly in Nelek's voice. "I'm going to make you happy."

Aislyn stopped in her tracks. That sounded like...no it couldn't be. She glanced back the way she had come. She should go back and get Lia, she thought. Her gaze darted around the hallway for something she could use as a weapon. No. She needed Lia, she wasn't enough of a fighter.

She raced back to where she had left Lia and her family, bursting through the door. "LIA!"

Liadan jumped up from what she was doing. "Ais? What is it? What's the matter?!" Liadan drew her sharpest twisted forks.

Aislyn waved her over frantically.

Liadan ran over. "What the hell?"

"Nelek's here," Aislyn whispered, not wanting the twins to hear her. "He's down the hall in a secluded room. I don't think he's alone."

Liada's eyes burned. "Let's kill the momzer. Do you have a weapon?"

"The only thing I found in the hallway was a broom." Aislyn glanced at Xavier. "What if we ask him for a weapon?"

Liadan shook her head. "We don't need the guard slowing us up." Liadan dug into her pockets and pulled out a knife in a sheath, it was meant for eating but could do for stabbing. Liadan offered it to Aislyn.

"He's not a guard," Aislyn pointed out but accepted the knife. "Wish we had a sword, I'd really rather not get that close to him."

"We'll knock him out with the broom, then finish him off with the knife." Liadan said bravely.

"Could work." Aislyn fastened the knife under her belt and headed from the room to lead Lia to where Nelek was.

Liadan turned a corner- and there Nelek was on top of another woman. There was no doubt about what was going on here. Liadan nearly dropped her forks, then grasped them more tightly and swore.

Something snapped inside of Aislyn. She gripped the broom with both hands as she seethed. "Nelek," she growled, along with a string of curse words that might have made Lia proud. The past few years of pain and loneliness, her daughter's bruised face and battered body. She rushed forward with the broom. "You bastard!" She brought the broom handle down hard on the back of his head.

Mazi had expected Aislyn to crumple, not attack him. He rolled off Ila and stood up.

"If you didn't want me with younger, better women you shouldn't have gotten old and let yourself go." Mazi taunted, rubbing the back of his head.

Fire blazed in Aislyn's eyes and mind. "I don't even care about that, you bastard. But to beat your own daughter that way." She whacked him again with the broom handle.

Mazi grabbed at the broom. "She deserved it, maybe if you disciplined her once in a while I wouldn't have to beat her. She probably isn't even my daughter you unfaithful whore."

Aislyn let out an enraged screamed and kicked him hard, hoping she knocked his man parts everywhere.

Ila was red with humiliation. She scooted aside, pulling the quilt to herself. This was Nelek's wife, the real Nelek's wife. Ila could only imagine what Aislyn thought of her. She looked down and spotted the jug of potion, Mazi was distracted, here was her chance. Ila grabbed the jug and smashed it against the stone floor.

"He's not who he looks like." Ila said.

Xavier was distracted. The refugees weren't being forthcoming with their skills and he was fairly certain Lia and Aislyn were up to something. He didn't know them very well, in fact, only barely, but he couldn't help thinking something was amiss the way they took off from their room. And then he heard pottery smash from the direction they had gone. He hurried down that way.

In reply to Ila (msg # 199):

Aislyn put all of her trust in Lia to keep her safe. She paused for a brief section, ceasing her whacking of Nelek. "What? What do you mean?"

Mazi was in pain, but got himself together when he heard Ila break the jug and what she said.

"Shut up!" Mazi screamed. He took the broom and struck Ila in the head so hard with the handle that it cracked. He did not need this land woman to ruin everything. He should have cut out her tongue weeks ago.

Ila would have been happy to explain, but was then rendered unconscious by Mazi hitting her head with the broom. She slumped to the floor.

Xavier came to a halt in the doorway. "What's going on in here?" He pointedly glared at Mazi. He didn't believe in a man harming a woman in any way. He narrowed his eyes, the man was vaguely familiar from the last time he had been to Buckley Village. Aislyn's husband? He had never seemed violent before. "Nelek?"

It was getting too crowded in here. Mazi had accomplished his goal, now he had to get out of there. Because the land woman was a talker he had to get her out of there too. Mazi slung Ila over his shoulder, turned and ran for it.

Great, a witness for when we kill Nelek. Liadan thought. Liadan ran after the fleeing Nelek.

Xavier blocked the doorway, sword in hand. "Think you're going somewhere?" His expression was forbidding. "You're certainly not taking the woman anywhere, unhand her."

Aislyn pulled her knife and went after Nelek.

Mazi slipped Ila from his shoulder and she hung limply from his arm. Mazi took the shell knife and held it to her throat.

"Let me go or she'll get it." The quilt fell from Ila and pooled under Mazi's feet.

Xavier's eyes narrowed. "And what guarantee do I have that you wouldn't kill her if I do let you go?" He didn't believe for one second that this woman had a snowball's chance in hell of living no matter what he did.

Aislyn rushed the man she believed to be her husband from behind. She drove the knife she held into his back, up to the hilt.

Mazi shrieked. He dropped Ila and the shell knife. He spun around, groping for the knife in his back.

Xavier instantly had his sword at Mazi's throat. "Hold." Without taking his gaze away from Mazi, he said "Can the two of you get her to safety? I find myself with unfinished business with this cretin."

Liadan glared daggers at Nelek. That girl was no older than his own daughter.

"I'm going to kick him in the crotch first." Liadan told Xavier.

Xavier backed Mazi against the wall. If Mazi had not been able to remove the dagger, it was driven further in by Xavier's momentum. "Feel free to do so." Without removing his sword, Xavier stepped to the side to allow Lia free access.

Liadan kicked him so hard she almost hurt her foot. Then she spat on him. "Momzer."

Aislyn gave him a death glare unlike any before. She waited for Lia to move and she kicked him as well.

Xavier tried his best to hide his smile from his captive. The women here were unlike women anywhere else. Such a refreshing change, there might actually be some challenges for him here. He admired women who stood up for themselves and didn't wait around wringing their hands. It was too bad Lia was already wed...

Liadan knelt next to the unconscious girl. Liadan could see that she had cuts and bruises.

"This is disgusting, she can't be much older than Millie." Liadan grabbed the quilt to cover her, then stopped. She recognized the quilt; it had been a wedding gift to Aislyn and Nelek, nearly every woman and girl in the village had sewn a square. Liadan had even clumsily added her own square to it, faded blue fabric with a couple reddish-brown smudges because Liadan kept stabbing herself with the needle. Liadan swore again.

The knife in his back had not struck anything too important, missed organs and major blood vessels. The kicks to the groin were excruciating though. Mazi clenchedhis fists and imagined what he would do to Liadan's daughter to make her pay for this.

Aislyn joined Lia. Her heart broke at the sight of the quilt. "We will burn that for warmth tonight," she said softly. "I'll get under her arms and you take her feet?"

Xavier pressed closer against Mazi. "I'm going to enjoy taking you apart, piece by piece," he hissed. "Everything you dealt that girl beating wise, I'm going to visit on you tenfold. I only wish Lord Wulfsen was here to join in." With his free hand, he began to search Mazi for weapons. As he did so, he removed Mazi's belt so he could bind his hands.

In reply to Aislyn (msg # 221):

Liadan thought they might need all the blankets they could get tonight, but could understand why Aislyn wanted to burn the quilt. Liadan pulled the blanket over the girl and gently lifted her by her legs.

In reply to Xavier DeVale (msg # 222):

Mazi swore. He hoped his King arrived before the potion wore off. He had not expected Aislyn to attack him, Liadan because that horrible woman was a maniac, but not Aislyn. Aislyn should have been shattered.

Aislyn lifted her upper half, taking care to not shake her more than very possible. She backed her way from the room, hating her husband for what he had become and everything he had done.

In reply to Mazi (msg # 224):

"Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" Xavier said as he spun Mazi face first in to the wall and grabbed for his wrists. He held the man in place with his knee. "I fail to see what ever attracted Aislyn to you."

In reply to Aislyn (msg # 225)

"Where is Difyr?" Liadan asked. She had not seen the healer for a while. "And she's half naked, we shouldn't put her with the others."

In reply to Xavier DeVale (msg # 226):

"She was a slut." Mazi said. "She'd give herself to any man who asked her."

In reply to Liadan Buckley (msg # 227):

"She was still here when I went off on my own, wasn't she?" Aislyn asked. "If you can hold her, I'll go get my cloak and then we can see if we can find a more private room for her."

In reply to Mazi (msg # 228):

Xavier slammed Mazi's head against the wall. "I don't know Aislyn all that well, but from what I do know, she is no slut, nor is she promiscuous. You are a piece of work, Nelek. You need to be destroyed," he growled, his arm pressing against Mazi's throat.

In reply to Aislyn (msg # 229):

Liadan scowled. "I'm not that strong. We can't just cart her all over the keep either."

"I know that. But we can't just sit her out here in the hallway either, half naked, while I go get the cloak and hunt down a room.

In reply to Xavier DeVale (msg # 230):

"So you haven't slept with her yet." Mazi spat.

In reply to Aislyn (msg # 232):

"What do you need a cloak for anyway?" Liadan asked. "Get Aron and Difyr."

In reply to Mazi (msg # 233):

"Contrary to a popularly held opinion, I do not think only of bedding women," Xavier ground out. "You seem to have an obsession with sex though. Sex mixed with violence. You are very very sick." He finished binding Mazi's wrists behind him. "I have very little use for cretin's like you. The only good place for you is six feet under."

In reply to Liadan Buckley (msg # 234):

"To cover her and keep her warm?" Aislyn shook her head. "Do you really want Aron seeing her half undressed?"

In reply to Aislyn (msg # 236):

"I trust my husband with her." Liadan said. "He's also stronger than both of us and can carry her more easily."

Lia's words were like a slap in the face. "Fine, I will get my cloak and Aron, since she still needs warmth." And once everyone is settled in, I will take Millie and return to the convent. Most likely Lek could sign on as a handyman, the nun's were always having things that needed fixing. She turned on her heel and went in to the room.

In reply to Xavier DeVale (msg # 235):

"You just don't know how to do it right." Mazi said.

In reply to Aislyn (msg # 238):

Liadan realized what she just said must have sounded like and regretted it instantly.

"Ais, wait-" But Aislyn had already left. Liadan sighed and looked at the girl.

In reply to Mazi (msg # 239):

Xavier cursed. He was not going to defend himself to a yellow cretin who didn't deserve to even be in his presence. "I am thinking a slow, painful death to atone for all of the damage you have caused." He put his foot on Mazi's stomach and with his sword, stabbed him in an area that would cause a lot of bleeding but no instant death.

Aislyn went to her spot and pulled out her cloak. She walked over to Aron and handed it to him. "Lia needs your help out in the hallway with an injured girl. She'll need this to keep warm. I am going to find Difyr." With that, she headed out of the other doorway to the room.

With a confused expression, Aron hurried out into the hallway. "What happened?" he asked upon approach, quickly wrapping the cloak around the unknown girl.

"We caught Nelek, with her." Liadan nodded to the girl. "Nelek hit her in the head and knocked her out... She's so young, it's disgusting."

Aron wished he could say his best friend could never do such a thing, but he had seen what Nelek had done to his own daughter. "Where is he now?"

"With Xavier, I wanted to get her away from them." Liadan said. "I hope Xavier doesn't let him get away... Did you notice any small rooms we can put her?"

In reply to Xavier DeVale (msg # 241):

Mazi paled. This man was mad. Where was his king?

In reply to Liadan Buckley (msg # 246):
"I haven't really looked, just went in the same room everyone in the family chose." He bent down and gathered the young girl up. He headed down the hall, looking for a small but comfortable room. "How about this one?"

In reply to Mazi (msg # 247):

Torturer was never a role that Xavier relished, even when assisting Wulfsen with his King's Deputy duties. But some people just deserved it. He withdrew his sword from Maxi and studied him, pondering his next move. "I think a whole lot of women would be appreciative if I did this." He raised his sword once more, making it appear like he was going to drive it through Mazi's manhood but instead, he simple stabbed his sword into the floor, just between Mazi's legs. He gave him a menacing grin.

In reply to Aron Buckley (msg # 248):

"It should do... Where is Difyr?" Liadan grumbled. "We need her NOW."

"I think I heard her saying she needed some herbs. The last I saw of her she was talking to Xavier."

Liadan swore. "Fine time to pick herbs. This girl hasn't moved since Nelek hit her."

"Herbs are very important to a healer," Aron pointed out. "It's a little difficult to heal people without supplies." Aron glanced out the single window in the room. "Aislyn's approaching her now."

Aislyn spotted Difyr picking herbs, just several feet from her. Two of the knights with her, one holding her basket. If it werent' for the emergency the scene would have made her smile. "Difyr!" she called out.

Difyr looked up from cutting wild herbs. "Hello AIslyn, is everything well?"

In reply to Aron Buckley (msg # 253):

"It's a bad time to be picking them." Liadan looked out too, and scowled more deeply. "She's picking flowers."

Aislyn tamped down her anger. "That remains to be seen. We have a injured young girl that Lia and I found. She's still unconscious."

In reply to Liadan Buckley (msg # 256):

Aron shook his head. "Lia, many herbs have flowers on them."

In reply to Aislyn (msg # 257):

"Oh dear." Difyr to the basket from the man and walked with Aislyn. "What happened to her?"

Aislyn blinked back tears. "Nelek. He was attacking her when Lia and I found her. When she tried to tell us something, he hit her. It was probably a good thing Xavier stepped in and managed to get Nelek to let her go." She glanced at the ground. "Mind you he just dropped her on the stone floor. Xavier was extremely angry, I am not so certain Nelek is going to survive this."

Difyr felt sick and looked visibly upset. Nelek had been like a brother to her as far back as she could remember. She could not believe how much he had changed. Beat his daughter, attacking some other girl. Now the Captain was going to kill him? The girl had priority though.

"Take me to her at once." Difyr said.

Aislyn picked up her speed and headed to the keep. Once inside, she glanced at Difyr. "Lia was going to look for a small private room for her. LIA! ARON!" Aislyn called out.

"In here!" Liadan called. "Hurry up!"

Aislyn quickly found the room and went to the door. "In here, Difyr."

Difyr set down her basket and knelt next to the girl. She partially lifted the cloak, then gave Aron a "You should leave now" look.

"She has quite a bump on her head, I wish I had some ice." Difyr gently pried one eye open and shut, then the other, checking her pupils. Then she began checking the rest of the girl for injuries.

"She's been badly treated-" Difyr spotted a brand on the girl's inner arm, she recognized that brand, a dove with red feathers. "-Unfortunately she's probably more used to it than anyone should have to be." Difyr wondered how a prostitute from Portside had wound up here.

Aron obediently left the room. If the keep hadn't been abandoned when they had arrived, he would have sought the kitchen and ice for Difyr. He was upset and felt at loose ends. He could not believe that Nelek had done this, both to this young girl and Millie. "I need a drink." He headed for the kitchen anyway, in hopes that some liquor had been left behind.

"None of her injuries appear serious, but will have to be careful none of these cuts become infected." Difyr noticed stretch marks on her belly, meaning she had given birth at least once, Difyr guessed it had been over a year ago. If the girl was pregnant now she was not showing any signs yet. Difyr hoped she was not pregnant. Difyr sighed. How could Nelek do this?"

Aislyn shrugged. "I guess it's my fault. He said he left because I left myself go." With that, she turned and left the room.

Liadan took off after Aislyn. "Ais, come on. This isn't your fault. All of this is on Nelek... I've gotten way fatter than you and Aron hasn't even looked at another woman, much less abused one."

"I know it's Nelek's fault. You need to go back, Difyr might need some help." Aislyn rolled her shoulders a bit as she walked.

"Please come back, both of you." Difyr called after Aislyn and Liadan. "I'm going to need to get some things and I can't leave the patient alone!"

"It sounds like DIfyr needs both of us." Liadan said, blocking Aislyn's path.

If looks could have killed, the glare Aislyn gave Lia would have killed her on the spot. Without a word, she turned on her heel and returned to Difyr.

Liadan returned to the room with Aislyn.

"What do you need?" Liadan asked.

"She's going to need new clothes, unless someone can mend what she has." Difyr said, everyone was pretty ragged right now and few had extra clothes. "I also need water, some cold for a compress and some warm to clean her up."

Aislyn thought for a moment. Finding a needle and thread would be about as likely as someone having spare clothing. "I can get Millie to repair them if she has thread and needle with her." Aislyn somehow doubted that Millie didn't perpetually have the items in a pocket at all times.

"Millie's the only one I think who can repair these." Difyr had wrapped the girl in the cloak and picked up the ruined blouse. "I need the water even more than the clothes." Difyr sat on her heels and looked around the room, there was a small brazier. "Something to burn in that would be good too."

"There's water," Liadan said. "But I don't think I should be the one to carry it. I'll get soaked and there will be a spoonful left when I get here."

"You could get..." Aislyn thought for a few moments. "How about Ertzel?"

"She's... a little better than me about carrying things." Liadan said.

"I don't know who else to suggest. I don't think Sileas should be subjected to this and Yehudit can't."

"What about Lek?" Liadan asked.

Aislyn thought for a moment. "Possibly, if you can pry him away from Millie's side."

"The sooner the better..." Difyr said with forced patience.

"Hop to it, Ais." Liaan said.

Aislyn glared at Liaan and hurried to where she had left Millie, leaving her sister-in-law standing there.

"If Millie doesn't have a needle and thread I can lend her one of mine!" Difyr called after Aislyn. Difyr neatly folded the girl's torn clothing as she waited for Lek and the water.

Sileas remained still until it sounded like Yehudit may have nodded off. SHe turned her head quietly to check.

Aislyn entered the room and went over to Millie. She whispered quietly, gaining a nod from Millie and the both left to go to the room Difyr was in.

In reply to Sileas (msg # 288):

Yehudit had nodded off while sitting next to Sileas. When Sileas looked Yehudit's flopped off her stool onto Sileas's side with a snore. The bucket tipped over and water spilled on the floor.

In reply to Aislyn (msg # 289):

"Can you mend those?" Difyr nodded to the neatly folded, but torn, clothes.

Sileas pushed Yehudit off. "Yehudit! Wake up! You've spilled the bucket of water and we're all going to get soaked." She grabbed her sack quickly to place on her lap so the few things she had left would not be ruined.

In reply to Difyr Bateman (msg # 291):

Millie picked up the items to look them over. "It's not much to work with and it certainly won't be pretty but I'm sure I can make them at least wearable."

In reply to Sileas (msg # 292):

"Sileas!" Yehudit jumped to her feet before she fully woke up. "You wet the bed!"

In reply to Millie (msg # 293):

"None of us are looking our best these days." DIfyr said. "To be decent will be adequate."

Lek came in with a large pot of water and a small bag of coal slung over his shoulder.

In reply to Yehudit Buckley (msg # 294):

Sileas was offended. "I most certainly did not. We don't even have a bed! Look at your bucket!" she exclaimed, pointing.

In reply to Difyr Bateman (msg # 295):

Millie nodded. She picked up the scraps of cloth. "Did he do that to her?" she asked. Millie couldn't bring herself to call Nelek her father. She understood now why Sileas had called her birth mother she who gave birth to me rather than mother.

In reply to Sileas (msg # 297):

"Oh." Yehudit looked at the tipped over bucket, embarrassed. "At least my ankle's not as swollen now."

In reply to Millie (msg # 298):

Difyr took the coal from Lek and put it in the brazier.

"I'm afraid so." Difyr said as she let the coal and put the pot over it. She soaked a cloth in the water while it was still cool and laid it over the bump on the girl's head. "Your father has been captured, is being held by Xavier now."

DIfyr put some of the herbs she had collected in the water. "When the water is hot it will be good for cleaning the girl's scratches. But while it's heating... I'm going to talk to Xavier."

Lek looked at the unconscious girl, then away. He reached for his twin's hand and squeezed it. "How can Papa do this?"

Millie had taken but a few stitches in what was left of the girl's tunic. "I don't know. Maybe he's sick or possessed." She sighed, Millie did not wish to give voice to her gravest fear, that he had always been evil and had waited for the right time to lash out. She pressed her lips together and squeezed his hand back.

In reply to Yehudit Buckley (msg # 299):

"That's good, anyway." Sileas got to her feet and help Yehudit back on to the stool. "I need to stretch my legs, you stay here and rest your ankle. You don't want it to get that swollen again."

In reply to Sileas (msg # 303):

Yehudit frowned.

"Will you come right back?" She asked worriedly.

Sileas nodded. "I will. I'm just going to take a walk around the grounds. Wulfsen's men are out patrolling, I will be safe enough."

Difyr found Nelek bleeding and Xavier apparently torturing him. The healer in Difyr took over.

"Xavier, what are you doing! Stop!" Difyr cried, already pulling out bandages.

In reply to Sileas (msg # 305):

Yehudit still looked worried. "I can get my stick and if you don't walk too fast I can keep up."

In reply to Difyr Bateman (msg # 306):

Xavier blinked and took a step back. "I was trying to get information out of him. He's very mean and hateful." He glanced at Difyr. "I don't think you should get too close, Miss."

In reply to Yehudit Buckley (msg # 307):

"I will be fine, I promise. I just want a few moments alone beneath the stars to say my goodbyes," she said quietly.

In reply to Xavier DeVale (msg # 308):

"You're going to kill him!" Difyr scolded. "Hold him for me, then."

In reply to Sileas (msg # 309):

"You're not going to run away?" Yehudit worried.

In reply to Difyr Bateman (msg # 310):

"I've taken great care to not kill him, Miss. I've done nothing life-threatening to him." Xavier glanced at the man laying prone on the floor. I am only try8ng to obtain information and keep him from harming anyone else."

In reply to Yehudit Buckley (msg # 311):

"No, I'm not going to run away. I only wish to sit under the stars and watch them like I have always done with Papa," Sileas said. "I promise."

In reply to Xavier DeVale (msg # 312):

"Something is wrong with him, he wasn't always like this." Difyr pressed a wad of bandages to the cut on his belly, then swore when she saw there was still a knife in his back, buried to the hilt. Difyr carefully worked out the knife and packed padding into the stab wound. "We grew up together, he was like my brother. Nelek was the kindest, gentlest man I've ever known. I want to know what happened to him to make him like this, and heal him if I can so he can go back to being who he was."

In reply to Sileas (msg # 313):

Yehudit gripped her walking stick, still looking worried. "You're sure?"

In reply to Difyr Bateman (msg # 314):

"I knew from previous visits that he didn't use to act like this," Xavier admitted. "I didn't know him well, but I did know that. If I hadn't, I might have killed him outright. He'll need to be restrained so he can't harm you, in some sort of secure room. I don't know what rooms are like here yet."

In reply to Yehudit Buckley (msg # 315):

"I'm sure. I don't know how long I will be, but I will be on the grounds. I just need time to grieve for my family, and this is how I wish to do it."

In reply to Xavier DeVale (msg # 316):

"If I don't stop the bleeding he'll die." Difyr said.

In reply to Sileas (msg # 317):

Yehudit felt hurt that Sileas did not want her to come along. She nodded sadly and slumped on her stool.

In reply to Difyr Bateman (msg # 318):

"What do you need?" Xavier asked after calling two of his men to the room.

In reply to Yehudit Buckley (msg # 319):

Sileas gently squeezed Yehudit's shoulder. Then she knelt next to her. "It's not that I wouldn't want company but I don't know how far I'll need to walk to find the perfect spot. And I don't want to be the reason that your ankle is hurting."

Lek released Millie's hand to wipe his eyes. He missed how his family used to be. When everyone was alive and their father loved them.

In reply to Xavier DeVale (msg # 320):

"Boiled water. Bandages. A razor." Difyr said.

In reply to Sileas (msg # 321):

"I can handle it." Yehudit said.

In reply to Lek Gerthrim (msg # 322):

Millie looked to him. "What are we going to do, Lek? Pa--he's out of our lives, for all intents and purposes. I personally don't care if I ever see him again." Every time she closed her eyes, she still saw him beating her and talking nasty. "Mama will probably go back to the convent. Should we go with her?"

In reply to Difyr Bateman (msg # 323):

Xavier nodded and spoke quietly to his men. They hurried off to search trunks for the requested items. "I did not mean to harm him so badly," Xavier said softly. "I had forgotten about the knife in his back."

Lek sniffled. "I can't go to the convent."

In reply to Yehudit Buckley (msg # 324):

Sileas managed a small, sad smile. "I know you can, but I still don't want to be the cause of it. You could barely walk on it when we got here and you just got the swelling down. I will be fine. When your ankle is more rested, we will think of something to do together to honor them."

In reply to Lek Gerthrim (msg # 327):

"When I was there, they were searching for a handyman and groundskeeper. There's  a small cottage on the grounds but away from the convent." Millie looked at him. "It would be a new start for us and he wouldn't be able to find us."

In reply to Xavier DeVale (msg # 326):

Soldiers certainly were not healers. Difyr shook her head. "I got the bleeding to stop, he's going to need stitches. But I have to see how my other patient is doing now. Be careful with him."

Xavier nodded and leaned against the door frame so no one could come in without him knowing, nor would he allow Nelek to escape.

In reply to Sileas (msg # 328):

Yehudit looked down sadly.

In reply to Millie (msg # 329):

"I could do that." Lek said. There was not anything else left for him to do.

In reply to Yehudit Buckley (msg # 332):

Sileas gave her a quick hug and stood. If only there were some way...no, what was she thinking. She did truly want to do this alone. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

In reply to Lek Gerthrim (msg # 333):

Millie wished there was another option, but too much had been lost. She had only been realizing her own dream when she was injured and then they had lost so much. Millie looked down to work on the repairs.

In reply to Xavier DeVale (msg # 331):

Difyr returned. The water on the brazier was steaming hot. She looked at Lek and Millie.

"Would you twins be more comfortable somewhere else?" Difyr asked.

Millie shook her head. "I'm fine. It was too crowded in the other room." Extended family that had never seemed to care about her before all crowded around and, real or imagined, she was certain they were making judgments about their family situation.

In reply to Millie (msg # 337):

Difyr gave Aislyn an awkward look. She did not think Aislyn would want her daughter or son in the same room as she treated the girl Nelek had injured.

Aislyn glanced at the twins. "Why don't we find a room of our own to claim, hmm? I can bring the repaired clothing back to Difyr when you are done, sweetling."

Sileas stepped outside the keep door, nodding to the men who were posted at the gate. She started to walk toward the side of the keep but she could hear riders approaching from a distance. The sentry on the bulwark cried out "His lordship is approaching!"

She chose to wait for Wulfsen before going on her walk.

In reply to Aislyn (msg # 339):

Lek looked at the girl, then back to his mother. He nodded. "Our own room would be good."

"All right, Mama," Millie agreed, getting to her feet. "It would be good to be alone."

In reply to Sileas (msg # 340):

Questa joined Sileas outside. "So, are yer gonna sneak off now or later?" Questa asked.

Sileas shook her head. "I can't sneak off. I want to go back to the village and bury my family but Yehudit would just drag herself off after me and end up injured," she admitted. "Besides, I hid myself off for nearly a year after being raped, not allowing anyone to care for me and we know how that worked out." She sighed. "Not that anyone is bothering to care for me now. I'm the loose end of the family. I am going to say hello to Wulfsen when he arrives and then I'm going to find a spot to look at the stars like I always did with Papa."

In reply to Millie (msg # 342):

Lek stretched his back. "If you need anything let us know, Difyr."

He walked out with his sister.

In reply to Sileas (msg # 344):

"Why don't we cop a gang togeffer like the old days, eh? None of this bovver wiv family or worryin' about them. Just takin' care of ourselves wiv a gang wotchin' us backs." Questa asked.

Aislyn led the twins down the hallway until they came to a room furthest from the rest. She peeked inside. "This one looks good. There's even a few pieces of furniture in here."

In reply to Questa Cort (msg # 346):


"Who would we steal from? None of us have anything unless Wulfsen's brought some valuables. And I'd rather not steal from a member of the King's family, if it's all the same to you," Sileas replied.

Lek eyed the furniture warily. "I wouldn't sit on it until it's been repaired, some of the wood looks rotten."

"That will give you something to work on tomorrow then," Aislyn said with a smile. She pushed some hair from his eyes and sat down next to Millie who was already back to work on the mending.

In reply to Sileas (msg # 348):

"Why not? Royal bastards 'ave more expensive stuff than us regular bastards." Questa pointed out.

In reply to Aislyn (msg # 350):

Lek sat on the floor next to his sister. He looked up at his mother with watery eyes.

"The punishments are also much much harsher. Besides, I like Wulfsen. He's a good friend. Xavier too. I wouldn't want to steal from them," Sileas admitted.

In reply to Sileas (msg # 353):

"Yer've gotten to soft." Questa admonished.

Wulfsen rode up through the gate to the keep. He looked over everything through his helm. Then he spotted it. The unmistakable flaming red hair. Oh it was longer and not quite as wild now, but still unique only to Sileas. Something stirred deep within him. Something about it felt right, coming home to find her waiting for him. But he would have to bide his time and be patient. She needed time to grieve, but he could offer her friendship.

He dismounted and removed his helm as he walked over to her and a girl he didn't know.

"There's nothing wrong with a lady being soft," he said before gathering Sileas into his arms to comfort her.

In reply to Lek Gerthrim (msg # 352):

Aislyn wrapped her arm around him. "We'll get through this. It won't be easy, but we have one another."

Sileas wrapped her arms around Wulfsen. Finally someone seeking to comfort her. She broke down, sobbing against his chest. He was speaking but she was crying too hard to hear his words.

In reply to Sileas (msg # 357):

"She's gone all ter pieces! Struth!" Questa was alarmed by SIleas suddenly bursting into tears. She whipped out her sap and twirled it and stared at Wulfsen, did he just hurt Sileas and she missed it? "Hammer and tack off from 'er pig!"

In reply to Aislyn (msg # 356):

Lek broke down into sobs. His shoulders shook and soon he was hiccuping.

In reply to Questa Cort (msg # 358):

Wulfsen looked up from Sileas and stared at the strange young girl. He had no idea what she had said, but she definitely sounded menacing. Two of his personal guard were at his side in  a flash, swords drawn and pointed at Questa.

"I am not harming her, if that is what you are thinking. She and I are friends."

In reply to Lek Gerthrim (msg # 359):

Aislyn held him close, holding her own sobs at bay. She hoped they never found out that she had quite truly stabbed their father in the back to try to kill him.

In reply to Wulfsen De Smet (msg # 360):

 "Yer made 'er cry." Still twirling the sap in one hand she drew her shiv with her other hand. "Let 'er go or I'll put a dent in yor skull."

In reply to Aislyn (msg # 361):

"What are we going to do?" Lek barely managed to ask between deep sobs.

In reply to Questa Cort (msg # 362):

Wulfsen dropped his arms but Sileas remained attached to him. "I rather doubt I made her cry. I suspect this is the first she has allowed herself to cry. Has anyone bothered comforting her since all this happened?"

His men inched closer but he shook his head. "She's only trying to protect her friend. The girl will see soon enough that I am not and have no intention of one flaming red hair on Sileas's head."

In reply to Lek Gerthrim (msg # 363):

"I don't know, sweetheart. This is not the time to make such decisions, not in a time of turmoil. For now, we just try to heal the best that we can."

In reply to Wulfsen De Smet (msg # 364):

"It's not 'er 'air that I'm worried about." Questa snarled. She looked at Wulfsen's guards, she still had a chip on her shoulder where it came to guards. "Just give it a go."

Wulfsen shook his head. "My hands are not on her. Sileas came for comfort. If you choose to push the issue, my men can take you into custody, but I would rather not choose that route. I would rather speak with Sileas, once she is capable of hearing me. No harm will come to her through me, this I promise you."

In reply to Aislyn (msg # 365):

"I wish we could go back the way we used to be." Lek was still sobbing.

"You are not the only one with that wish, my darling. I should think everyone in this keep is making that wish tonight." Aislyn rubbed his back. "But all we can do is pick up the pieces and move forward. Thankfully the three of us each have skills that would help us get on our feet if we chose a new start in a new village."

In reply to Wulfsen De Smet (msg # 367):

"If that's so yer won't mind me bein' wiv 'er so yer can't 'urt 'er." Questa said.

In reply to Aislyn (msg # 369):

Lek dissolved into tears, his words becoming unintelligible.

Seeing the state the state the girl was in was brining back too many painful memories for Liadan, and not just the more recent ones of the village being destroyed. Liadan went looking for Aron.

In reply to Questa Cort (msg # 370):

"I don't recall saying I wanted to be alone with her." This one is going to be a challenge to get along with. "Lord Wulfsen De Smet, at your service, my lady," he said with a nod. "I would bow to you but I seem incapable at the moment."

He hugged Sileas again and whispered softly, "There is a surprise en route to the keep that I think will brighten your spirits." Wulfsen turned his attention to Questa. "Where was Lady Sileas intending to go when she came outside? As much as I would like to believe she was awaiting my arrival, I doubt she knew I was so close."

In reply to Lek Gerthrim (msg # 371):

Aislyn kissed the top of his head.

In reply to Wulfsen De Smet (msg # 373):

"It's none of yor business where Sileas were gahn or where she's gahn now." Questa said, pointedly not introducing herself.

Wulfsen sighed. "I would like to accompany the two of you to her destination as she seems incapable of making her own way at the moment. And everything in this keep is my business as it is meant to be my home." Which means I get to choose who lives here and who doesn't. "There is no call to be rude to your host who has opened his home to you."

Questa understood the hint but did not heed it. "I've broken into better dumps than this one."

"Aye it is in a bit of disrepair. It's going to take a lot of hard work to rebuild it and make the keep secure," Wulfsen agreed. "But it can be done. I feel certain we have a lot of skilled survivors."

Questa was getting bored. "Come on Sileas, let's go."

Sileas's cries had subsided but it felt so good just to be held. Just like her parents had when she was sick or scared. She didn't want to leave the warmth of Wulfsen. "I want to look at the stars," she hiccuped out.

"Then go 'ave a look at yor stars." Questa said.

Sileas reluctantly dropped her arms from Wulfsen's waist then very nearly toppled over when her knees tried to give out. His steady hand was there to catch her before she fell.

He spoke quietly to his men for a moment, something about a surprise? She didn't think she could take anymore surprises. Not now, maybe not ever. Still, she was grateful for his friendly support as they began walking past the keep and toward an overgrown garden. She didn't know how he thought that would be an ideal spot for looking at stars, but to her surprise, there was a bench inside with a clear view of the night sky.

Sileas sat down and thanked him.

"I will be just outside of the garden when you are ready to return to the keep. All you need do is call," he said with a hint of a smile.

To Questa he said, "Watch over and if she wishes to cry, allow it."

Questa sheathed her shiv but kept out her sap. She followed Sileas closely.

Sileas wrapped her cloak around her body, warding off the night chill. She gazed up at the stars, tears filling her eyes. Sileas looked for the constellations and than any new stars that might be her family watching over her. "I miss you. I miss all of you so badly it hurts. I physically hurt."

In reply to Aislyn (msg # 374):

"Aislyn!" Liadan called and poked her head in the room. "Ah, Ais. That girl Nelek hit wants to talk to you."

Aislyn looked at the twins. Lek was still crying and Millie appeared to be on the verge. She glanced at Lia. "I can't leave them like this, they need me."

Liadan looked at Aislyn's children. They both looked upset. "I think you need to hear what she has to say. She was saying some strange things about him."

Aislyn shifted than shook her head. "The twins are my priority now. They are my life."

"I know. It's just..." Liadan sighed. She did not want to say what the girl said in front of the twins in case the girl was just babbling.

Aislyn rested her cheek against the top of Lek's head. "They have been through too much and lost too much in the past few days. I...I can't. I can't leave them alone."

"I can stay with them." Liadan said, though she wanted to know what hte girl was going to say herself. "The girl sounded like she had something important to say to you, she even asked for you by name."

"All right then. I'll try not to be gone too long," Aislyn said. She kissed each of the twins. "I'll be back as soon as possible."

Lek was afraid of what the girl had to say about his father. It couldn't possibly be anything good, he saw the shape his father had left her in. Lek gulped and moved closer to his twin.

A muscular blond man with his hair and braids just randomly seemed to appear in the Keep. He was well dressed, not ragged like the refugees but clearly not a soldier either. He did not seem to not belong, but no one recognized him.

"My heart, my Aislyn." The man sang.

Aislyn too was worried about what the girl had to say. She doubted it would make any difference, but if it helped the girl rest easier, she would listen. She left the room and headed for the room Difyr was in.

Tabor spotted his wife.

"Aislyn!" Tabor called. He ran up to her and reached for her.

Aislyn froze at the sound of the voice. No, it can't be. As if this hasn't been hard enough. She jerked away from him. "I am not your wife. The marriage was annulled, and it's not recognized. You threw away any chance you had with me when you left on our WEDDING NIGHT WITH ANOTHER WOMAN!" She backed away slowly, picking up her pace with each step. "LIA! Can I see you out here? With your forks?" she called out, hoping Lia would hear her but the twins wouldn't.

Tabor was shocked, why wasn't she in some puddle of tears? Didn't Mazi do his job?

"I didn't leave with another woman. I was forced out of your village, practically chased out, by that Liadan Wynn." He said the name like a curse. "There was so much persecution I had no choice but to flee with my people. If you had been with me where you belonged you could have come with me."

Liadan flew to Aislyn's aid, forks at the ready. She could not believe who it was. Tabor! The biggest momzer of them all!

"Ais, is it real? Can I kill him this time?" Liadan asked.

"Because Lia saw you for who you really were. I should have listened to her, then I wouldn't have nearly lost my father. If you had cared anything at all about me, you would have stayed with me and tried to make things right with my father. You pushed me from your side, Tabor, and you broke my heart."

Aislyn heard Lia come up behind her. "Yes, he's real. No one would pretend to be him. And yes."

Liadan looked like Christmas had come early. She gripped her forks and attacked!

"You are letting this woman get between us again?!" Tabor asked, trying to fend Liadan off. "The only man to ever love you?"

"The only person that ever came between us was you, Tabor. If you really loved me, you would have stayed by my side. You wouldn't have rushed me into a marriage so sudden that my father nearly died. You," Aislyn said, poking him in the chest, "Would not have walked out on me with another woman. Lia didn't come between us. You did."

Tabor grasped Aislyn's wrist, then put his arm around her, drawing her close and pressing a possessive kiss to her lips. "You belong to me. You said the vows."

Aislyn pressed her lips together tightly and tried to turn her head. Then she slapped him soundly. "And you broke them by abandoning me." She jerked at her arm, trying to free herself from his grasp. "I belong to no one."

Tabor held her firmly. "What about that man you gave yourself to even though you were already married to me? Now he is an unfaithful one. I'll bet he even lies with whores."

"Let. Go. Of. Me." She stomped down hard on his instep. "I was NOT still married to you. And he turned out to be just as faithless as you. I don't want ANY man in my life except my brother and son." Her gaze was as sharp as daggers.

Tabor wore thick boots, he was disappointed she had not killed Nelek's surviving whelps yet. He only held Aislyn tighter. "It's time we consummated our marriage." He spoke breathily. "Once I'm finished you'll want to be with me."

Liadan swore loudly and began stabbing Tabor with the forks. She was furious. "Let her go you momzer!"

"The hell I will. I will never lay with another man as long as I live. And we are not married." She lowered her voice. "I would rather slice your manhood off and let it rot on the floor than be with you."

Tabor swatted at Liadan like an annoying fly. "Give us some privacy you busy body!" He snarled at her. He lifted Aislyn off the ground and pressed her against the wall. He reached for her stays.

Fearing he would resort once again to torturing the prisoner, Xavier assigned two of his men to stay with Nelek and he wandered back into the main hall, Just in time to hear a scream. "What the hell?" He quickly spotted what was going on and he ran to the crowd. "Unhand her!" The tip of his sword was at Tabor's back.

Tabor kept holding Aislyn. "Do you interrupt every husband with his wife?"

"Her husband happens to be in custody. And yeah, if he's treating his wife in ANY way other than a woman should be treated, I do interfere. It raises my hackles when I see a woman abused or manhandled," Xavier seethed.

"She's my wife, her marriage with that adulterer was a sham." Tabor said. "I'm her true love. Now leave us and take Liadan Wynn with you."