A fair distance from the crumbling building of the keep but within the crumblings walls is a beautiful garden area.

When Questa wasn't looking, Sileas silently slipped away. She knew Wulfsen meant well, but no surprise would soothe her pain.

Wulfsen imagined how easy it would be to nuzzle her neck, kiss under her ear, bury his face in her hair.

I'm the worst man in the world... She's grieving for her lost sisters and betrothed, she thinks I'm her friend, but I'm just thinking about snogging her. Wulfsen thought guiltily.

Sileas began to calm as they entered the garden, even as overrun and broken down it was. It was a wise choice to say yes to Wulfsen carrying her, she didn't think her legs were capable of holding her upright anymore. Her gaze went in the direction of the keep a few times, worrying for her mother.

Wulfsen saw where Sileas kept looking.

"She's in good hands." Wulfsen said, sitting on a bench.

"I know she is. Difyr and Lyssa are the best of healers. I've trusted my life and a few secrets with them a few times." Sileas settled on the bench and gazed up at the stars. Instead of being calming, it seemed like the twinkkles of light were taunting her somehow. Sileas burst in to tears.

Wulfsen hugged Sileas and rubbed her back.

"It's going to be all right." He whispered.

Sileas shook her head, her red curls bouncing. "It won't be all right. At the very least it won't be the same. Not for Mama and Papa. Everything's changed for them now." Sileas wiped ineffectively  at her stream of tears. "I can't do this. I can't be the strong one. Not all alone."

Wulfsen offered her another handkerchief. "You're not alone... I'll always be here for you."

"You have raiders to catch, supplies to gather, a keep to rebuild. I'll not be a burden to anyone," Sileas stated.

"I can make time for you." Wulfsen said, absently stroking her hair. "You're not a burden, I care about you."

"I know you do. But what needs to be done needs your undivided attention. I won't be a distraction to anyone either."

"You're worth it." Wulfsen said. "If you ever need someone to lean on, don't hesitate to come to me."

Sileas nodded although she knew she wouldn't. It seemed she lost everyone she could lean on. She wouldn't lose him too. It was best to be friends but remain slightly distant.

"I mean it. Anytime." Wulfsen hugged Sileas close. He wanted to kiss her. Oh how he wanted to kiss her!

Sileas leaned against Wulfsen. "I can't. I can't lean on your or anyone. Just this once. Just this once," she whispered.

Wulfsen sighed. He should have spoken up to Sileas sooner instead of worrying about getting his father's blessing first.

If I was her lover maybe she would not be so reluctant to seek comfort from me... I'm a worm. Wulfsen thought unhappily, rubbing Sileas's back. "You need someone."

"Every person I've come to lean on has been taken from me," Sileas said in a small voice. "Max, Larrigan. I don't want anything to happen to you." She let out a small sigh. "I think I'm cursed." Galina's words echoed through her head but she wasn't about to attempt to explain Galina to Wulfsen.

"Nothing will happen to me." Wulfsen promised. "I'll always be here for you... If there's such a thing as a curse I'll break it for you."

Sileas lifted her head to gaze at him, her eyes filled with tears. Then she lowered her head. "Larrigan made the same promise. I want his hammer, if it can be found."

"I'll tell all my men to look for the hammer. What does it look like?" Wulfsen asked, gently squeezing her shoulders.

"It's larger than most hammers, very heavy. There are intricate carvings on it and the handle has leather strips wrapped around it."

"I'll make sure if any of my men find it that it's given to you." Wulfsen said.

"Thank you," Sileas said, wiping at her eyes once more. She feared those horrible men had taken it with them and would do something awful with Larrigan's hammer. "What a horrible mess. Mama..."

"I know." Wulfsen said softly, pulling her close. "I'm sorry. I should have had my men look in the woods."

Sileas shook her head. "There was no way for you to know. Papa must not have looked there either, he probably believed she would have stayed with the babes." Sileas rubbed her arms. "Mama shouldn't have to go through this. No one should."

"I failed her." Wulfsen said regretfully. "Pinja and the boy, too. I was too quick to leave."

"There was no reason for you to believe anyone else was alive. Questa was convinced Pinja was gone. She did her best to keep me from going in there." Sileas looked down. "I understood why once I got in there. We all missed people when we were leaving, even though we were on the look out. I wanted to stay here and search but I allowed myself to be convinced by family and friends telling me to run." Her shoulders shook as she cried again.

"You might have been killed if you had stayed then." Wulfsen said, tucking her head under his chin. He lightly kissed her hair.

"Part of me knows that, the other part has me feeling like I failed everyone. I vowed to protect the children in my school with my life. I made a personal vow to protect my family."

"If you had died back there your mother would have died, so would have Pinja and the little boy." Wulfsen said.

"I know. And I keep reminding myself of that."

Wulfsen ran his fingers through her red hair. "You saved people. Try to focus on that."

"There are too many things to focus on right now. So much to be done." Sileas clasped her hands on her lap. Wulfsen's shoulder was strong and comfortable. Sileas could feel herself relaxing.

Wulfsen could feel her relaxing. "If there's ever anything I can do to help you, just ask."

"I...Yes Wulfsen," she said, knowing he would keep offering and knowing that she would never knowingly put him in harm's way. She shifted so the back of her head was against his shoulder and she stared up at the stars. Sileas quietly prayed for each survivor and their recovery and then she prayed for those lost. Her heart broke even more as she thought of Larrigan and her sisters. Her parents had waited so long for those little miracles. She would need to send word to her grandparents tomorrow, she was certain there would be a messenger heading to Farthington to let the King know of the attack and their needs.

Wulfsen wished there was something else he could do for Sileas. He could feel her relaxing more, as if she were falling asleep.

One wouldn't know if Sileas fell asleep or passed out from sheer exhaustion, but she curled against him and was out.

Wulfsen liked the sound of Sileas's breathing and wished he could listen to her sleep every night.

"If you weren't a fool and acted sooner maybe you might have." Wulfsen muttered to himself.

Yehudit sleepily hobbled into the garden.

"Sileas!" She called.

Sileas was so sound asleep, she didn't hear Yehudit. She shivered lightly and pulled closer to Wulfsen.

Wulfsen had been arguing with himself about possibly kissing Sileas on the lips while she was asleep, but was interrupted by Yehudit calling Sileas.

"Sh." Wulfsen hushed Yehudit gently, he was enjoying Sileas sleeping beside him so much he did not want her to wake up before she had rested.

Yehudit's eyes widened when she found Sileas sleeping next to Wulfsen.

"My mother would be cutting parts off you if she saw you doing this!" Yehudit warned.

"I'm not... I'm just holding her." Wulfsen blushed because he had just been thinking about kissing her. "Sileas is my friend. Her honor is safe with me."

Sileas was oblivious to the whole discussion. In fact, she would have been mortified to know she had started snoring softly. A gentle, lady-like snore, but a snore just the same.

"Holding her awful close for friends." Yehudit mused, though she was half asleep herself and not thinking clearly. She yawned and hobbled over to tug on Sileas's sleeve. "Sileas, do you really wanna sleep out here like this? If Mama gets wind of this she'll kill Wulfsen."

Sileas made a few snuffling sounds and swatted Yehudit. "Just a few more hours. Exh..." her words drifted out into a snore.

"Wake up, Sileas." Yehudit insisted, swatting Sileas back. "You know what getting caught sleeping here next to him will do to your reputation."

Sileas swept her arm out at Yehudit.

There was a cracking sound, Yehudit fell on her arse clutching her nose which was now streaming blood.

"Sileas!" Yehudit cried.

Sileas snored, the sounds getting louder.

"I think you broke my nose!" Yehudit cried in outrage and poked Sileas with her walking stick.

Sileas started crying in her sleep. She only wanted sleep. It wasn't fair.

Yehudit stood up and punched Wulfsen. "What did you do to her?"

"Nothing! I was just trying to make her comfortable, I didn't do anything to her." Wulfsen said, though he had been imagining kissing her. "Let her sleep, she's tired."

Sileas opened her eyes, clearly only half-awake. "Who do I have to kill to get some sleep?"

Yehudit scowled. "I'm just trying to preserve your reputation."

Sileas, only half-awake, forgot that as far as she knew, Wulfsen knew not about what Andy had done. "I don't have a reputation any longer, remember?" she half-snapped as she came fully awake.

Yehudit scowled. "Most people don't know about that. But when people wake up in the morning and see you sleeping in the garden next to Wulfsen, that will get around."

"Oh they might not know for certain, but they certainly speculated and made up their own minds. I can't help if I passed out from pure exhaustion," Sileas stated. I just can't catch a break. If I find a private little corner in the keep, something will be found wrong with that. Sileas tried to get to her feet but wobbled and landed on her butt on the bench. "I guess we should go to the keep, Wulfsen."

Wulfsen sighed.

"I wouldn't want to compromise your reputation." Wulfsen said, realizing how bad it could look to judgmental minds if he and Sileas were caught sleeping next to each other. He stood up stiffly and offered Sileas his hand to help her up. "I could carry you again..."

Sileas got to her feet and took his hand. "As much as i might appreciate that, tags will surely wag over that...." She took a step and her legs buckled beneath her.

Wulfsen caught Sileas and scooped her into his arms. "No one can object to me carrying you to the healer."

"True, there's no arguing with that." Sileas was obviously more exhausted than she had thought, and it was probably due to all the emotional trauma. What she wouldn't give for a cup of her tea.

"No one is carrying me." Yehudit said, hobbling along.

Fool, I'm a fool... I can't be trusted alone with her, what if I had kissed her and it wasn't Yehudit? Wulfsen chastised himself.

"You wouldn't let me sleep where I was. You don't deserve to be carried," Sileas said, sticking her tongue out at her cousin.

Yehudit scowled. "Would you rather everyone called you a harlot after this morning?"

"I just want sleep. It's all I can think of. When I was asleep, I was wishing for and dreaming of sleep."

"After you've gotten some sleep and woke up you'd think differently." Yehudit said.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 22:14, Sun 20 Sept 2015.

"I don't know. They never liked me anyway, even in school. I'm not certain I care what they think any longer," Sileas said and then yawned loudly.

"Not if they start treating you like one." Yehudit argued.

Wulfsen was picturing just how people would treat Sileas if she had been caught in a compromising position with him. He vowed to never let himself be alone with her again. It was foolish to allow the temptation and risk Sileas's reputation.

Sileas sighed. "It's absolutely ridiculous that a woman who is exhausted can't innocently take a nap leaning on a friend's shoulder."

"Hopefully you can find a space to sleep." Wulfsen carried Sileas into the healer's room.

In reply to Wulfsen Thornblade (msg # 75):

"Just put me with Mama or Papa. I'll make myself a spot. I don't take up a lot of room," Sileas said.

Questa was oblivious with Sileas's exasperation. She went to the garden, and with no knights in earshot she whipped out a round of cheese and a loaf of bread from her vest. "Ready ter hear wot Wulfsen and Xavier were sayin'?"
This message was last edited by the player at 03:19, Mon 18 Jan 2016.

"What were they doing? Gossiping like fishwives?" Sileas said, sitting down on a decent sized rock/

"Yes. And Wulfen went on a bit about yer. He like yer, right likes yer- like wants ter snog yer likes yer. But 'e's not gonna try anyfink because Larry 'ad ust died, right, and 'e fink 'e ruined any chanced 'e ever 'ave wiv yer over some joke 'e said about kissin' yer." Questa said.
This message was last updated by the player at 04:08, Wed 11 Nov 2015.

Sileas's jaw dropped. She had never seen any indication that Wulfsen had any interest in her, at least past friendship. Her mind spun. She almost opened her mouth to say she wasn't good enough for him when she realized Questa said he wanted to snog her. He was worried he had no chance with her in the same breath as only wanting her to warm his bed?

Sileas got to her feet and stormed toward the keep.

"Wait- aintcha gonna eat?" Questa called after her.

Yehudit hurriedly hobbled after Sileas.

Sileas ignored Questa as she opened the door to the keep.


====To the kitchen

Fresh air and sunlight were wonderful things. For so long Onyi and then Mazi kept Ila chained and locked in that house with shuttered windows. The few times she was outside the mermen still smothered her, holding her arm or arms, twisting it painfully when they even thought she was trying to escape, tying her up when he slept. Ila could not describe how great it was to be free.
Ila strolled through the garden during the brief break she was allowing herself. She had been keeping herself busy working hard this past week. She wanted to be useful, and not like she was at the Crimson Dove. She knew women there who had left but couldn't find anything else, and wound up back at the Dove. While recovering in the healing room Ila made up her mind that she would die before going back to that, even if it meant killing herself. She had already figured out how, there was a tower she was able to go up. All she would have to do is jump off and it would all be over, no one could touch her.
She was careful to keep her red dove tattoo covered, especially when around the knights. They all behaved around her but she had met too many men in uniforms, even knights, at the Crimson Dove.
Ila helped in the kitchen a little, but felt awkward around Aislyn Gerthrim. She suspected that Mrs Gerthrim resented her, they didn't exactly meet under the best circumstances and Ila had been with Aislyn's fake husband for months. Ila spent most of her days cleaning rooms, scrubbing floors... She learned a lot about keeping house while being chained to a stove. She helped a little in the garden but she knew little about growing food, all she could do was plant a few seeds when told how far apart to plant them and how deep. There was weeding to do but Ila could not tell the difference between a good plant and a weed. So when Ila went out to the garden she mostly walked around the overgrown flower garden. It was too unkept to make her think too much about the garden back at her family's home, or the garden she was with Jago in, where he let her life be ruined.
Ila was thinking about him. She shook her head. Jago would never have her again so he was not worth thinking about. If he was going to creep into her thoughts Ila had to work to get him out. Ila turned back to the keep. There was probably something to do in the kitchen.

Millie sat on a bench, nestled deep in the garden. On the seat next to her was a variety of wildflowers, tall grass blades and assorted weeds. Anger darkened her eyes as she silently shredded a flower.

Millie appeared to be shredding a flower. That was not a good sign. Difyr cleared her throat.

It took a moment or two for the sound to reach Millie's mind. She lifted her head, dropping the beheaded stem at the same time. "Oh, hi Difyr."

"Are you all right?" Difyr asked.

"I'm fine. Just...angry. I'm angry about all the evil in the world and I'm angry that no one can seem to end Jack's reign of terror. Everyone just lets him walk away."

"Hopefully he won't be walking for much longer. Pinja is showing Aalyssa and some knights where she thinks Jack will be." Difyr said.

"He won't give up. And if he has another woman, he'll threaten to take her life. I know how he operates. Uncle Shawn just barely got me away from him that day. No matter what the knights do, whatever woman he's got his clutches on, she will probably end up dead. Wait. Did you say Pinja went after him?"

Difyr nodded. "She wanted me to tell you goodbye, and to thank you for being her friend. She also hope Lek gets back all right."

"She's giving up then?" Millie sighed. "But I didn't get a chance to say goodbye." Millie picked up one of the flowers and crushed it in her fist."

"Pinja was hoping to get there before he could hurt another girl." Difyr said. "She insisted that she was the only one who could show the way to the cabin."

Millie lowered her head and watched the petals fall from the crushed flower. Her shoulders slumped.

Difyr put an arm over Millie's shoulders. "We tried to make her calm down and stay... But it's the first time that's she has wanted to do something besides drink wine."

"I understand why she did it," Millie said quietly. She closed her eyes, locking her own emotions away. Like she always had. Like she always would.

"I'm sorry." Difyr said. "If you hadn't helped her she probably would have died days ago."

"I'm glad I was able to be of some small help. I wish I could have convinced her to not give up, but I guess the damage Jack caused was far greater than what my friendship offered." Millie got to her feet. "I'll get my sewing things out of your way in the healing room."

"You can stay if you want." Difyr said. "Pinja... might come back." Pinja was so weak Difyr doubted she would survive the trip.

Millie shook her head. "No, it's all right. I was there for Pinja and you can use the space. I wouldn't want to be underfoot."

"Are you going to move in with your mother?" Difyr asked.

Millie shrugged. "I guess so, if I can't find my own room. Her room is rather crowded right now too. I don't want to be in anyone's way."

"Maybe you shouldn't be alone." Difyr said. "You don't have to leave the healing room, you are a great help there."

Millie shrugged. "I'd rather be alone. I'm getting used to it."

"You don't have to get used to it." Difyr wished she had been able to get Pinja to stay.

"Sure I do. Until Pinja, no one willingly wanted to spend time with me. I think it's rather telling, how lonely I felt in  family with over twenty cousins." Millie scoffed. "Pinja probably only stayed because she was afraid of running into Jack if she went out. She started walking back to the keep, then she paused. "Some people were simply created to be alone in the world."

Difyr walked with Millie. "You don't have to be alone if you don't want to be. Pinja did stay with you even when Jack was behind bars, so it wasn't fear making her stay."

"It's better to be alone. It hurts too much to do anything else. Every time I've tried to make a friend or maintain a friendship, they've walked away. There's something wrong with me that no one wants to be around me. Every one has already formed their friendships. There's no place that I fit in."

Difyr wished Millie had been there when Pinja got it into her head to go after Jack, maybe Millie could have talked her out of it. She shook her head.

Millie walked silently to the keep. When they were on the edge of the garden, she threw the flowers she had collected on the ground and headed inside.

A dirty, pale-faced lady with a child in her arms could be seen wandering near the garden wall. She had been on the run from the raiders for some time now, and she was desperate to find a place of refuge. The child was hungry, the girl was exhausted, and they were both about to give up. She found the outside gate to the garden, opened it and went inside. She closed the gate behind her and collapsed onto the ground. The child crawled off and started munching on some raspberries growing near the door.

Xavier had received word that Wulfsen and the others were to return from their journey sometime today. Aislyn sent him on a mission to the garden to gather flowers and any fruits or vegetables that she could use, so here he was, wicker basket in hand. He entered the garden and started for the blueberry bushes when he heard a sound.

He turned, about to greet whatever villager was there only to find a young woman and a small child he hadn't seen before. "Good morn," he greeted as he approached.

The child gurgled in reply, stood up and began to walk towards the man who had just entered. She was a small girl, only 2 feet tall at present, with curly blond hair, deep blue eyes and rosy cheeks. She held some raspberries in her hand, which she held out to the man. "Wan sum?" she asked.

The woman heard the child's inquiry and stirred from her deep sleep. She woke up with a start at the realization that the child was no longer beside her. She whipped her head around and saw the child extending her hand towards a strange man. She froze with fear, her eyes wild.

Xavier knelt down so he was at face level with the little one. "I would, thank you." He had always believed that when a child offered you something, you didn't turn it away." He heard the woman stir and one glance at her told him she was startled. "My apologies, I didn't mean to startle you. I just came out on an errand for the kitchen." He gave her a small smile. "Lord Xavier DeVale, at your service."

The girl shakily got to her feet and stood up. "Elizabeth," she said softly, "come here." The child plopped the berries into the man's hand and toddled over to the girl. The girl drew her close and met the man's gaze. "Mr. DeVale," she said in a shaking, yet firm voice, "I don't know who you are, or what your intentions may be, but I seek to do no harm here. We are just wanderers seeking a place of refuge from the raiders."

Xavier smiled gently, cradling the berries in his hand. "I mean no harm either. You have arrived at the correct place for refuge. The surviving villagers are making their home in the keep until the village is rebuilt. My best friend, Lord Wulfsen Thornblade was sent by the king to protect and oversee the village. Alas, we arrived the day after the raid. If you'd like, I can show you to the kitchen and find a room for you and your wee one."

The girl instantly relaxed. "I have been wanting of a place to rest for weeks now," she said softly. She picked up the child in her arms and settled her on her hip. "I will go with you, Elizabeth is in dire need of some food and rest." She picked up a leather bag that was lying on the ground and placed it on her shoulder. "Lead the way."

Xavier left his basket by the berries and started back to the keep, slowing his stride so the girl could keep up with him. "Thank you for the berries, Elizabeth, they are delicious," he said to the little girl. He headed around to the back entrance so the trip to the kitchen would be quick. Both girls looked to be in need of a good meal.

The girl walked behind Mr. DeVale, moving as fast as her tired legs would take her. When he thanked Elizabeth for the berries, she smiled softly. This seemed like a nice person, and she felt safer with him. She noticed that they were approaching the back entrance to the keep, and wondered where they were going.

Xavier glanced over his shoulder a few times to make certain the girl was keeping up. Then he stepped through the back doorway to the keep and headed for the kitchen.



----to the kitchen

After several wrong turns, Helen made it to the inner gate. She then opened it and went into the garden. Looking around, she saw various fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers growing there. "This will be a good place to gather supplies," she said to herself.

As she wandered among the rows, she picked various herbs and flowers and collected them in her apron. She could not find what she was looking for, though. There were white daisies, pink daisies, and even purple ones, but not a single royal blue daisy in sight. "They are rather uncommon," she said to herself, "but I do not know where to find them."

After searching fruitlessly for a while, she left the garden and placed her herbs in a basket nearby. Picking up the basket, she opened the back garden gate and left the walls of the Keep to see if she could find the flower beyond its grounds.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:50, Sat 28 May 2016.

As Tirto headed back to the garden he could see that the rumor mill was hard at work. Half the people he passed by were gossiping about a whore giving favors in the kitchen. As rumors are apt to do the story grew as gossipers speculated about the situation.

A couple were arguing about whether or not Xavier was one of the knights who spent time with Ila in the kitchen. One man thought since Xavier was a ladies man there was no room for doubt that he had been with Ila. Another thought since he was a ladies man he could have any woman he wanted, he wouldn't need to pay a whore. Another argued that because Ila was attractive whether or not Xavier would pay did not matter, but he definitely was with her in the kitchen.

Some were wondering if Mrs Gerthrim or Mrs Spenser were in on it because they were always in the kitchen. If either of them could be bought for the right coin- but who would want those old woman when Ila was there.

Nobody who talked about the rumor seemed to doubt it.

"She must already be wishing she said yes to me." Tirto muttered to himself and joined the men in working to remove a dead stump from the ground.

Liadan had been having a bittersweet reunion with all of her family minus Yehudit, when she overheard someone saying something beastly about Ila, Brie, Ais and Xavier. Liadan covered as many ears of her children as she could reach but there were just too many little ears. So she picked up a branch and walloped the gossipers over their heads. She began ushering the children inside.

Sileas managed to reach the garden before she emptied her stomach. She sat down on the ground and curled herself up into a ball.

Yehudit staggered into the garden after Sileas.

"You're not on a boat anymore, Sileas!" Yehudit said, almost admiring the amount of puke.

"I know that," Sileas said hoarsely. "Maybe I wasn't seasick after all. Maybe I picked up some sickness."

"None of us got sick." Yehudit said. "You aren't feverish or anything either, right?"

Sileas shook her head. "If it was looking at those ears, I thought I had a much stronger constitution than that."

"It was kind of gross." Yehudit said.

"Yeah, it was. Maybe that's all this was."

"What else could it be?" Yehudit asked.

"I could have eaten something that didn't agree with me."

"I've eaten more than you and I'm fine." Yehudit said.

"Maybe it didn't disagree with you. Though Oscar's been vomiting quite a bit."

"Maybe you should see Difyr." Yehudit said.

"I'm fine. I'll just have to change some of what I eat," Sileas mumbled against her knees.

Yehudit reached for Sileas as if she was able to help her to her feet.

"You've been throwing up pretty much daily for weeks. That's not good for you. You need to see the healer." Yehudit fussed.

"If I am not better by the end of the week, I'll go. Difyr has patients who really need her right now. She doesn't need to be fussing over someone who just has to figure out what she can't eat."

Yehudit scowled. "Either you go to Difyr now about being sick or you go to her for a smashed face later."

Sileas glared at her cousin. "I don't need Difyr. I'll be fine." Sileas got to her feet. Suddenly everything blurred and she felt light-headed. She braced herself with one hand against the outer wall.

Yehudit's walking stick caught Sileas square on the nose.

"There!" Yehudit was proud yet a little fearful of making such a direct hit on her cousin's face. "Now will you see Difyr?"

"For standing up too fast? Pffft," Sileas said with a glare. She reached up and knocked the walking stick out of her face. "A good night's sleep in a bed that isn't rocking will also work wonders."

"I'm not going to stop hitting you until you go see Difyr." Yehudit said, whacking Sileas with her walking stick.

Sileas grabbed Yehudit's walking stick. "If you don't want to lose another one to breakage, you'd best stop hitting me with it." Sileas started walking toward the kitchen. Everything went blurry and then black. Sileas crumpled to the ground.

"Sileas!" Yehudit screamed and went to Sileas's side. "I told you to go to Difyr! Help!"

Brie had been wandering, having lost track of where the girls had gone. But suddenly the still air was cut by Yehudit's panicked scream. She hurried in that direction. "What...Sileas!" she cried out. "What happened?"

"I wasn't hitting her that hard, just whacking her a bit so she would go to Difyr because she just threw up again... And a lot." Yehudit said anxiously. "We're not on the boat anymore, she shouldn't be seasick anymore. I think she's really sick. She needs to see Difyr."

"You were hitting her? Why on earth would you think that was a good idea, Yehudit?" Brie lightly patted Sileas's cheek. "Sileas? Sileas!"

"She was refusing to see Difyr about the throwing up so I though she would see her if she was injured a bit." Yehudit was crying.

"Did you hit her in the head? Sileas doesn't faint. Ever." Brie checked her daughter over for injuries.

"I got her in the nose, but she seemed fine." Yehudit wailed.

Lek strolled into the garden, whistling some love song. He began searching a rose bush for the best blooms when he heard Yehudit and Aunt Brie. He hurried over.

"What happened?" Lek asked.

"Apparently Yehudit hit Sileas in the nose and caused her to pass out. Could you go get Difyr please?"

"Okay." Lek said and ran for the healing room.

"It shouldn't have knocked her out!" Yehudit wept, fearing she had killed her best friend.

Brie noted there wasn't a mark on Sileas's nose. But the nose was rather fragile. She supposed something could have gotten broken. "Baby? Can you hear me?"

The tea in the pot sloshed a little. "I have the tea if someone can hold Yehudit down, and another pry her teeth apart- oh."

Difyr was surprised to see a not raging Yehudit. She set down her things and looked at Sileas. "Let me see."

"She won't come around, Difyr," Brie said, trying not to cry. She slid over out of the healer's way but didn't leave her daughter's side.

Difyr could smell vomit. "Sileas threw up?"

Difyr checked Sileas's pulse, her breathing, her pupils. All normal. She checked her over for injuries; some scrapes and her nose looked bruised but nothing serious. Sileas was looking slightly rounder in some places. Difyr took a jar from her basket, opened if and held the strong smelling contents under Sileas's nose.

Sileas's eyes fluttered open and closed several times. "Pew," she finally whispered and coughed. "What happened?"

"It seems you fainted." Difyr closed the jar. "How are you feeling?"

In reply to Difyr Bateman (msg # 162):


Sileas harrumphed and sat up. "I don't faint. Ever." She sat quietly for a moment. "I'm not dizzy any longer anyway."

"I didn't see any injuries that would cause you to pass out. How did you feel before you fainted?" Difyr asked.

Sileas glared. "I don't faint," she said adamantly. "I was very light headed, as if I could feel everything rotating around me. Then things got blurry and went black."

"Any other symptoms?" Difyr asked.

"I was seasick the entire time I was gone on the ship. I was sick just previous to this but truthfully, I think it was seeing Questa holding up those ears she lopped off of those people."

"So it was Questa who did that..." Difyr shook her head, unsure if she wanted to know why Questa did that. She looked at Brighid and Yehudit. Brighid was Sileas's mother, and Yehudit would stick with Sileas no matter what. Difyr sighed. "Did anyone hurt you during the raid?"

Sileas gave her a puzzled look. "Other than tearing my heart out and ripping it to pieces?" Sileas shook her head. "One tried to grab me but I fought him off."

"Okay." Difyr felt Sileas's forehead, she did not have a fever. "Has everything been regular? No missed periods?"

Sileas blinked and frowned. Why would Difyr ask her something like that? "Truthfully, I don't pay any attention. I mean, it's not like I can get pregnant and they have been fairly..er...irregular since being injured."

"Have you had any relations?" Difyr asked.

Sileas glanced at her cousin and mother. "Uhm...maybe we should continue this in private," she whispered.

"As if. Sileas is never alone with a guy long enough." Yehudit scoffed. "What's wrong with her?"

That was almost good as yes. Difyr nodded and offered Sileas a hand up.

Sileas accepted. She made the mistake of glancing at her mother. The look on her face clearly said she suspected if she didn't know for certain.

Difyr led her away. "Several female patients are in one room, your Aunt and Uncle are in the other. Do you know of a more private place?"

"I would suggest my room but Yehudit would follow us. Of course, she's going to follow anywhere I go."

"We might be able to slow her, but she will find out sooner or later." Difyr said.

Once again, Sileas wondered what Difyr was getting at. "I suppose Questa could keep her at bay."

"Where is your room?" Difyr asked.

"It's off of the kitchen. We would go through the kitchen, down some stairs and then there's our rooms."

"Okay." Difyr said and headed that way.

Sileas followed, knowing her mother would be close behind.

Yehudit hobbled after as fast as she could.

Brie followed quickly enough to pass Yehudit. "As her mother, Difyr, I demand to be in on this conversation."

Difyr sighed. "Sileas, you're of age. It's up to you if your mother is present or not."

Sileas eyed her mother and bit her lower lip. "I suppose it's all right."

"Okay." Difyr said.

Sileas nodded uncertainly and headed for her rooms.  She hoped what ever the problem wasn't too horrible and life threatening.

Lek was about to start picking flowers when a blue glint by the spring caught his eye. He went over and found a blue stone at the edge of the spring. He picked it up, it was about half the size of his thumb, tear shaped and looked to have been part of a necklace at once time. Lek rinsed it off and used a corner of his tunic to polish the stone. Lek though it looked almost as beautiful as Pinja's eyes. He put the stone in his pocket and went back to picking flowers.

Sileas sat down on a fallen log and lowered her head into her hands. Everything was royally messed up. She should be overjoyed, but she should be celebrating the baby news with Larrigan. Wulfsen wouldn't want her now and she would be the village pariash. She wiped at her eyes. And her best friend was bound and determined to keep her in a state of illness for the extent of the pregnancy.

Wulfsen ran into the garden.

"Sileas?" he called.

Sileas caught her breath and held it. She wasn't ready to face Wulfsen yet. But a dandelion wisp floated near her nose and tickled it, bringing about a sneeze.

Wulfsen heard the sneeze and found SIieas. She looked terrible! Still beautiful but not well, she looked like she had been crying. Wulfsen rushed over, his arms gently going around her.

"Sileas, what's wrong?"

"Yehudit slapped Mama and kept verbally attacking her," Sileas wailed, trying to ignore her own situation for just a little while longer.

"Why did she do that?" Wulfsen asked, rubbing Sileas's back.

"Because Mama was scolding me and she didn't like it," Sileas replied. She lowered her head once again, her hair falling forward to curtain her face.

"What ever could your mother be scolding you for?" Wulfsen drew Sileas closer as he sat down. He did not get it, Sileas was an adult. They were betrothed, he had gotten her father's blessing, they had not done anything improper. He gently swept Sileas's red hair from her face to look into her eyes.

Sileas sighed. "I was hoping to avoid this conversation until I could figure out how to tell you. About a month and a half ago, I expressed my concern to Larrigan that I wouldn't be able to...to...be intimate with him. Secure in the knowledge that I couldn't have children and not wanting to disappoint him when it was too late, we had relations. Once." Sileas closed her eyes. "And it turns out that I wasn't as barren as Difyr had believed."

"I don't mind that. You already told me that you and Larrigan became intima- what do you mean?" Wulfsen asked, confused.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:21, Tue 12 July 2016.

Sileas took a deep breath. She so wasn't ready to tell him this. "I wasn't seasick after all and it wasn't anything ate. I'm carrying Larrigan's babe. I want to be happy about it, but I've ruined everything."

"You're pregnant?" Wulfsen was stunned. He had thought that would be impossible.

"That was what Difyr said when she examined me," Sileas whispered. "Everything is just in a toss now."

"Wow." Wulfsen was in a state of shock. "I was still getting used to being a father to Oscar. Now we're going to have a baby."

"I'm sorry," she whispered. Sileas had been so certain of rejection that his words didn't reach her. "I'll have Papa take me to Farthington or somewhere."

Not everything was reaching Wulfsen either.

"What are you sorry about?" Wulfsen asked, dazedly.

"I'm sorry that I've disappointed you and have destroyed our chance at happiness." She got to her feet. "I will arrange transportation to Grandpapa's. If I had anything, I would pack." Tears streaked down her cheeks.

"What?!" Wulfsen jumped to his feet. "You've done no such thing- why are you leaving?"

"For several reasons. People are going to talk and demean me, they'll never accept my little one. And it will hurt too much to see you every day, knowing what would have been if I hadn't destroyed another relationship."

Wulfsen gaped. "You aren't going to marry me?"

Sileas stared back. "I didn't think you would want me now. You...you still do?"

"Sileas I love you, I want to marry you." Wulfsen said, feeling hurt that Sileas thought he was not going to marry her over this.

Sileas smiled widely. "I love you too, and I want to marry you too!"

"I just... Need a minute to process this is all." Wulfsen wrapped his arms around Sileas and kissed her.

Sileas kissed him back as her arms went around him. All felt right now.

Wulfsen reluctantly broke off the kiss. "There is something though... We may have to move up the wedding. I have my father's blessing but if..."

"I'll have to find out how quickly Millie can make me a dress. I would really prefer to not be in rags for my wedding. And we'll need to see how quickly Aunt Aislyn can put together a dinner." Sileas of course didn't know Aislyn was under arrest.

"If you're showing and my father doesn't believe that the baby is mine he will withdraw his blessing, he may even try to keep me from marrying you." Wulfsen said, frowning. "Uh, Mrs Gerthrim is unwell."

"I need to find Millie and see how fast she can make a dress. If I buy one in Portside she'll have my head. She should be able to make something in a week. Shouldn't she?"

"I never had someone make me a dress before..." Wulfsen admitted.

"You've had clothing made before though. It shouldn't take longer to make a dress, right?"

"My clothes were less... fancy than a wedding dress." Wulfsen said.

"Fancy?" Sileas wrinkled her nose. "You don't know me at all if you think I want something fancy or fussy. I just want something special."

"Even a plain wedding dress would be fancier than anything I've ever worn." Wulfsen smiled.

"I have no clothing other than what I'm wearing. I would still have to have Millie create it." She lightly punched him in the shoulder. "I saw what you wore in your father's kingdom. You were well dressed, if not fancy. I would prefer you to not be a fop."

"I'm not a fop." Wulfsen blushed.

"I know you are not. But I am willing to wager you have a very nice suit in your belongings that will be suitable for being married. I, on the other hand, have a raggedy tunic and leggings with holes in them."

Wulfsen grinned. "I'd marry you in less."

Sileas laughed. "I think Mama and Papa might take exception to it though. After we're wed, I'm going to have to get some new clothing. I'll explain to Millie and hope she understands that I'm just picking up a few things and she can take care of the rest."

Wulfsen offered her his hand. "Come, let's see your cousin."

Sileas slipped her hand in his. "We should also find Oscar. I fear he is still raiding the kitchen. Difyr's already had to treat him for overeating, and that was after he did it prior."

"Poor boy." Wulfsen said.

"It's part of the course for a street kid. If you asked, I bet Yehudit could tell you some tales from when I first joined the family. Or Aunt Aislyn. The problem is, he keeps making himself sick."

"We had better find him before he makes himself sick again. Do you think he's in the kitchen? I didn't see him there a little while ago." Wulfsen said.

"I know Difyr took him to the healing room, but that's been a while. Who knows where he is by now. If I were him, I would be in the kitchen."

"Then let's try the kitchen first." Wulfsen said.

"If he left anything, I'll grab a basket of things to keep Questa and I fed over night. I'll have to put them really high up. He cleaned out the first basket I took." Sileas began heading for the keep.

Wulfsen quietly followed. It looked like their first child was going to be a challenge.

Sileas hadn't expected Oscar to be this much of a challenge. She had hope by being able to relate to him as a former street child, he would learn from her experiences as she shared them. It was not turning out to be the case.

Grateful that everyone was inside, Sileas quickly found a secluded bench and sat down to wait for her aunt. Oh, she was not looking forward to this. It would have gone easier if Yehudit would have been agreeable to her talking to Aunt Lia at the onset.

"So what is it?" Liadan asked impatiently.

"I quite accidentally learned the causes of Yehudit's rages," Sileas said calmly. She clutched her hands in her lap and bit her lip. "It turns out she is a child of Molech. Bai and I are going through Keegan's books to try to find a way to cure her."

"Child of what?!" Liadan shook her head angrily. "How Yehudit came to be doesn't matter. She's my daughter, I love her. Aron raised her like she is his own, as far as he's concerned she is as much his child as the other children."

"I understand that. I know you and Uncle Aron both love her." Sileas sighed. "I'm not explaining this well, probably because I don't understand all of it. It's not specifically the how, but the who. When it's a follower of Molech, the babe is...possessed by Molech, I guess is the best way to put it. It's characterized by destructiveness, lust and..." she glanced at her aunt. "Uncontrollable rages. Difyr has ruled out every other cause."

Liadan got defensive.
"Every one of those rages had a reason, even if they're not obvious to everyone! I have a temper myself. That momzer she killed was trying to make her a slave! ANyone would have killed him!" Lidan conveniently left out how Yehudit repeatedly stabbed the man afterwards, and nearly destroyed his wagon in her rage.

"I realize that you have a temper also, Aunt Lia. And you're right, anyone would have killed that man. But I also have seen the worry in your eyes when she can't be talked down. I've heard the worry in your voice when you've talked to Difyr about it. I'm not saying it's her fault or anyone's fault but those men. And Molech's. But we both have seen the rages are getting worse...do you think I enjoyed knocking her out that one time she couldn't be talked down, Aunt Lia? Yehudit's like a sister to me, I don't want to have to harm her everytime she gets angry and won't calm down."

"Yehudit just needs to learn to control her temper is all." Liadan said angrily. "Aron loves her like his own, that's all that matters."

"Yehudit learning to control her temper hasn't worked so far, has it? And by the way, I doubt this would change anything about Uncle Aron's love for her. But if you don't want us to find a way to help her, I'll tell Bai to only look for ways to fight the mermen." Sileas got to her feet. "But remember, if Yehudit hurts an innocent, it is on you then. I actually want to help her."

"She doesn't have anything to do with Molech." Liadan said stubbornly. "Mermen are more of a threat to innocents than Yehudit."

"No, not instigated by her." Sileas sighed. "I'll reserve my judgment on who's a threat, since she's tried to kill me at least once." She got to her feet. "I have told you what I know, now I'm going to return to my betrothed. I will let Bai know that as her mother, you deny the truth and don't want any help from her."

"I don't want him anywhere near her!" Liadan snapped.

"Fine. Then you need to find a way to keep her from me. I have a babe to protect!" Sileas shot back and headed back to Wulfsen.

"Yehudit would never hurt you!" Liadan shouted at Sileas's back.

Sileas froze in place. "You should ask Haroth about that."

"That was Galina's fault." Liadan angrily excused Yehudit.

"And she was involved with Molech having a part in this. Do you forget when she herself said that Yehudit and I were created to destroy the family? She just didn't count on Keegan being my father instead of whoever she sent to my mother."

"Galina lies." Liadan said. "This Bai probably works with her."

Sileas rolled her eyes. "And you are either in severe denial, or you don't care that she would have to live with the guilt if she does something that harms innocent people. If it were my child, I would be looking for anyway possible to help her." Sileas snorted. "You were looking for ways until we figured out the problem, now you want to ignore it."

"It's just a bad temper." Liadan said. "Yehudit hasn't hurt anyone for a long time."

"Wow. You are even denying your own concerns about it. That's not just a bad temper and you know full well that it's not. But since this conversation is pointless because you are refusing to see the truth, we'll just say it's over. I've told you what happened, you are now in the know."

"I was already in the know." Liadan said. "This whole child of Molech thing is lies."

"I hope it's not one of your other children that she manages to hurt. And since you refuse to let anyone try to help, I'll be certain to have Wulfsen assign me a guard." She headed back for the dinner, trying to not shake.

"Yehudit shouldn't be around you anyways." Liadan snarled. She went to find Aron, he had to know the despicable lies Bai and Sileas had been telling their daughter.

Xo sat on the grass under a tree. Wynn joined her, carefully carrying a plate piled high with food. He handed the plate and cup to Xo so he could sit down without spilling them. Xo set the plate on a smooth rock and took a sip of the water. Wynn flopped down on the grass. Xo looked at the food for a while before selecting a roll and picking at it.

"I don't want to talk about it." Xo said. "But I have a good idea about what you suspect went on when I was captive to those raiders. Whatever you're thinking happened to me with them, it happened. Different people, different place, same stuff that went on in the catacombs and the Black Raven." Xo tore the roll in half and flung it away. "I don't need to talk about that stuff again."

"I wish I was there... to stop it." Wynn said.

"Even if you were there you couldn't have stopped it. Remember how it was in the Black Raven? Whenever you tried to stop it you just got hurt and it happened anyways. I appreciate you trying to help me, but I can't be helped." Xo shook her head. "This is just how my life is. It's happened before and it will probably happen again."

"It can't happen again." Wynn said. "There has to be some way of stopping these things from happening to you again.

Xo shrugged. She did not know why these things kept happening to her, but they did. She did not think there was anything she or Wynn could do to stop it from happening again. She had tried to make a life for herself after she got away from the Black Raven, but she kept getting dragged back to being used by evil people.

"Look, this is one of the rare times in my life when bad things aren't being done to me." Xo said. "Let's at least try to enjoy that even if I still feel sick and half dead inside." She picked up a piece of honey cake.

Tria entered the garden, her eyes wide and drinking in all the colors. She walked over to the spring. She knelt and touched the water. It was colder than she had expected, but not unpleasant. She saw something floating on top of the water. She reached out and picked it up, it was a leaf. She turned it in her hand to look at both sides, she studied the veins on the underside of the leaf for several minutes before setting it back on the water. The leaf floated. Tria touched the leaf with a finger and the leaf spun slowly. She spotted something else floating, a stick. She picked up the stick and looked over it before setting it back in the water to float again.

Tria looked around her and saw sticks and leave on the ground. She picked them up and one by one set them in the water to float.

Tria jumped up when she heard someone coming. It was four mean, all looked to be knights. Tria stepped behind a tree and watched them as they measured twenty paces squared, dropping handkerchiefs at each corner.
One knight limbered up, stretching his muscles and rolling his neck. "The boy may not even show up, peasants can be such cowards, especially that crybaby. He's leaving with Wulfsen tomorrow, I'd like him to come back to his sister disheveled."
The other knights chuckled. "I've seen his sister, she is hot." One said.

Dyfir relaxed slightly when she saw that the fight had not begun yet, but the man Lek had challenged was clearly ready.

In reply to Difyr Bateman (msg # 268):

Millie hung back, hoping to not excaberate the situation.

Tria recognized the seamstress and crept over to her. She noticed the signs of anxiety. "Millie, what is going on?"

"Mr. Arrogance over there molested me on the dance floor and then bad mouthed Pinja to Lek. Lek got mad and challenged him to a duel over it."

"Oh." Tria was mystified but did her best not to show it. This was not at all how things went where she lived. She knew things were very different here but she had always heard that Millie's brother was not a fighter. "Is it a fight to the death?"

Millie shuddered. "I hope not."

Tria looked at the knight, he looked really strong and confident with the rapier that he was taking a few practice swings with. Lek could not beat him.

Lek arrived, wearing his armor. It was serviceable but clearly had not been made for him like Edgar's was. With no seconds Lek looked even less impressive before the knight.

"I was beginning to think you would take the coward's way out and go crying to Lord Thornblade." Edgar taunted and looked at Millie, being really obvious about undressing her with his eyes. "I'll enjoy your sister's favors after I beat you."

Lek gripped the hilt of his rapier. "Let's get this started."

Lek attacked first and the knight blocked the first strike, slashed at the boy, then Lek managed to poked the knight in the arm as Edgar taunted him. First blood, the knight frowned, beginning to look serious about this for a change. Edgar slashed at Lek, cutting a thin slash through his leather armor. Lek cut the knight's hand, hoping it would get him to drop his weapon so Lek could end this duel quickly and report to Wulfsen.

Edgar swore and ran his rapier along Lek's arm, slicing it open. That really hurt but Lek was not backing down. He parried and attacked, trying to get past the more experienced knight's defenses and cut that smirk off his face. Edgar managed to slash Lek's arm again. Lek knew he was going to have scars from this, and the wine had worn off so he was really feeling the pain but he still would not yield. Lek managed to get a few good cuts in but it was obvious to anyone watching who would win.

Lek was bleeding and losing form, he was having a harder time blocking and dodging Edgar's blows. Finally the knight just threw all his weight behind his rapier against Lek's and knocked him to the ground. He stepped on Lek's stomach and looked ready to finish him, but he suddenly turned his head to look at Millie and made an obscene gesture with his sword. With the knight distracted by being crude and lecherous, Lek rolled from under his foot, disarmed him and pressed the point of his rapier to the knight's throat, his hand shaking with exhaustion but with the slightest bit more pressure he would sever the knight's artery.

"Yield!" Lek panted.

For a minute the knight looked so shocked like he was about to say something stupid. "I- I yield." Edgar said, speaking very carefully.

"Do you take back what you said about Pinja?" Lek asked.

"I take it back."

"Apologize to my sister." Lek demanded, still panting.

"I'm sorry." Edgar said.

"Louder." Lek lowered his rapier slightly so Edgar could shout without bleeding out. "And say why you're apologizing."

"I'm sorry you were so..." Edgar stopped, he had never apologized for such a thing before. "I am sorry I behaved badly."

Millie couldn't bear to look at Edgar. She knew she had to forgive him, but just now, she couldn't. She just didn't have it in her, and she didn't believe for a moment that he meant it. She just lowered her head. Every experience she had had with a man was awful. She would never trust one again. The only thing keeping her from returning to the keep was to make certain Lek would be all right.

Now his victory felt hollow. Lek wondered if he would feel better if he killed him but he did not want to be a murderer. "I never want you to bother my sister or any woman ever again. I'll kill you next time. Get away from me. Now!"

Edgar did not even pick up his dropped rapier. He and his seconds fled to find the medic.

Lek leaned on his rapier like a walking stick. He was surprised he could win a fight and feel this terrible. He looked to Millie and Difyr, and a girl with blond hair- Lek's heart jumped for a moment, his sweat and blood blurry eyes thinking it was Pinja. But when he blinked to clear his eyes he realized it was someone he did not know. His shoulders slumped and he knelt on the ground.

"Oh, such a stupid way to solve things!" Difyr said angrily as she hurried over to catch the foolish boy. "Help me stop the bleeding, get this armor off him." She called to Millie and the other girl who watched the duel.

Millie hurried over and began working on unfastening the armor, the fasteners unlike anything she had ever worked with. "You idiot. Why didn't you just go to Wulfsen?" she complained.

"I couldn't let him get away with treating you like that." Lek said, wincing with pain. "It wasn't right... I don't know if I did it right after I won. I got him to apologize but he didn't mean it... I hope he doesn't do it again."

Tria knelt at Lek's other side, she did not understand everything that was going on but she knew how to unfasten armor at least. She took the opportunity to study Lek, so this was the boy Fortune told her to get.

In reply to Lek Gerthrim (msg # 281):

"I know he didn't mean it. That's why I didn't acknowledge his apology." She finally managed to get the piece of armor off on her side. "I know I have to forgive him, but I just can't right now."

"You're going to have scars- I suppose that was what you were after?" Difyr scolded. "You're lucky he didn't kill you, or wind up with any ligaments damaged. You can't be a knight if you wind up disabled!" Difyr was so angry she was considering not giving him anything for the pain after she got him patched up.

In reply to Millicent Gerthrim (msg # 283):

"Then don't forgive him." Lek said, feeling ashamed at Difyr's scoldings. He let the healer take off his shirt and was glad he didn't take any wounds to his legs. "He's the one in the wrong, you don't have to do anything for him... Maybe I should have told him to do something for penance when I could."

Lek knew he could not beat Edgar again, not until he was a better fighter. He knew if Edgar had not been so stupid as to drop his guard to make that obscene gesture he would have been beat, possibly even dead. The thought made him feel sick.

"You know perfectly well that Mama always says carrying around a resentment against someone eats you up from the inside. I would be forgiving him for me, not him. I'm just glad he didn't kill or maim you. But next time, just take it up with Wulfsen. You know he would act on it.

"I'm training to be a knight so I can keep these things from happening myself." Lek said. He was beginning to regret drinking so much wine, realizing what seemed a perfectly reasonable way to act in the hall was not so well thought out in the garden while sober. HE tried not to cry out in pain as Difyr treated his wounds without offering him anything for the pain, trying to be the tough guy he wasn't.

"You are training. You're not trained yet, Lek. You're still a squire."

Tria sat back on her heels and studied the now shirtless Lek. He was not bad to look at, at least. Not all hairy, very clean, no defects, no scales, not wings, no horns. Strange to see someone with so few scars though. Remembering that staring like this was probably rude Tria looked away.

"I know." Lek felt the strange girls eyes on him and blushed, feeling very self conscious of his lack of chest hair. He wondered who she was and what she was doing there.

It took Millie a few minutes to realize Lek had no idea who Tria was. "Lek, this is Tria, my soon-to-be apprentice. Tria, this is my brother Lek."

"Apprentice? What about Pinja?" Lek asked, startled.

"Uh, nice to meet you." Tria said awkwardly.

In reply to Lek Gerthrim (msg # 292):

"Pinja doesn't wish to be my apprentice any more. I don't think she wants to face anyone nor risk being face to face with any men who come in."

Lek's shoulders slumped. "What is she going to do?" He asked.

"I don't know that she has decided yet."

"I wish I could help her." Lek said, his eyes shining with a pain deeper than the wounds he sustained from the duel.

"We can't help her if she doesn't want it."

Lek looked down and wiped his eyes, fighting back tears.

Millie doubted it would ever happen, but she truly wished Lek would open his heart to someone else. He deserved better than this.

"You'll want to keep these cuts clean and watch out for infection, but you'll live." Difyr said, starting to feel guilty for not giving him something for the pain before giving him stitches when she noticed his tears.

Lek looked at the stitches, he hoped the scars would make him look tough but his heart sunk even more as he knew it wouldn't help him with Pinja. He slowly stood up.

"Come on, I'll walk you to the barracks."

Lek shook his head. "I have to report to Wulfsen now."

"Oh, all right. I'll see you tomorrow then," Millie replied, heading back to the main hall.

In reply to Millicent Gerthrim (msg # 305):

"Good night, Millie." Lek said and headed for the War Room.

Tria watched them go, then decided to follow Lek.

Lek had earned some respect by defeating Edgar, though he still sensed a few of the men sniggering behind their helms at him. He obeyed Wulfsen's orders by not challenging anyone to any duels and resisted looking for fights, ignoring the whispered jests from the few remarking on him loving a soiled woman who didn't love him back.
The upside to the duel was that Edgar stayed away from Millie, and Lek now had scars. He knew they upset his mother and Millie was not happy about how he got them, but they made him feel more like a man. He thought he started growing chest hairs immediately after the duel.
Today he trained with his shirt tucked into his belt. Not just to display the scars but because he was sweating freely. He carried two heavy iron bars in each fist as he started his run up the winding stairs of Thorn Tower, then back down. He ran across the outer bailey to Garden Tower, then up and down those stairs. Then across the outer bailey to Wolf Tower, up and down those winding stairs. Then across the outer bailey to Thorn tower. He would make this circuit several times each day.
The running gave him time to think. At first he had been relieved to learn that Wulfsen would not be traveling so he would stay in the keep, near Pinja. But since Pinja was afraid so Lek stayed away from her, it only made him feel more useless. He had messed up so badly with Pinja, proposing marriage was the worst mistake he had ever made. At least before they were friends, she may have eventually recovered enough from the attack for them to still be friends and possibly he could have earned her love. But instead he stupidly rushed things and offered to marry her, and that scared her so badly she did not want him anywhere near him. Now there was nothing he could do for her. He had lost her forever.
At least with him sweating so heavily no one could tell why his eyes were tearing.
Lek was starting to get thirsty so after descending from Thorn Tower he headed to the spring in the garden for a drink.

Xyla strolled into the garden, mindful of the guard Wulfsen had ordered to watch over her. At least he was keeping a good distance. She heard metallic sounds and looked in the direction of her guard, who wasn't moving and then around. Xyla stilled when she spotted the young shirtless man obviously training alone.

Lek set the iron bars down on the grass, then knelt beside the spring. He splashed a double handful of water onto his face, then scooped up some water to drink. He debated between running one more lap, or taking the iron bars back to the smithy. After that he planned to visit Millie, torture himself by asking her after Pinja. His face contorted slightly thinking about her. He gulped hard then dashed more water on his face, working on regaining his composure.

Xyla tilted her head slightly, watching him for a few minutes before dragging her attention away. She certainly didn't want him to catch her watching. Xyla plucked a flower before sitting back in the bench, studiously avoiding watching him.

With spring water still running down his face and in his eyes Lek spotted the blond woman sitting on the bench.
"Pinja?" He jumped to his feet, startled. He pulled his shirt from his belt and used it to wipe his face dry. With his vision cleared he could tell it was not Pinja- of course it was not Pinja- it was Wulfsen's sister.
"Oh, Lady De Wolf, excuse me for appearing like this." Lek hastily pulled on his shirt and gave a polite bow.

Xyla lifted her gaze from the flower she was concentrating so hard on. "Oh, please call me Xyla. I dare say I am probably not considered a lady any longer. And you are...Lek if I remember correctly?"

"Yes, I'm Lek." Lek frowned. "Every lady is a lady, especially you."

"Oh, I didn't mean personality wise. Only in the upper levels of society," Xyla said with a blush. "I don't think I have any official title any longer." She smiled at him shyly.

"After we win you'll get your title back." Lek said, smiling back.

"Let's pray we do win, even if I don't care so much about the title."

"But the title is yours." Lek objected. "That usurper has no right to take it from you."

Xyla lowered his head. "He does as he wishes. I ran like a frightened little girl while his men dragged my parents to the dungeon. I don't even know if they still live."

"There wasn't anything you could do, you were outnumbered. I had to flee my own home when the raiders came." Lek said. "Hopefully he has the sense to keep them alive as hostages." Though there had been no ransom demands.

"I don't think he will. He had already put several people loyal to the king to death," Xyla replied, her eyes welling with tears.

Lek knew that there was little chance that Xyla's parents were still alive after so much time. No word had been sent, not even from spies, about their status. He fished a handkerchief from his pocket, mercifully it was still clean, and offered it to Xyla. He was remembering his own losses from the raid, his younger siblings, and his own eyes were growing misty.

Xyla accepted the piece of cloth and dabbed at her eyes. "Thank you, Sir Lek. Your training is going well, I noticed," she said in an effort to distract both of them.

"It has." Lek said. "I just wish I started training years earlier. Things might be different..."

"Life is too short to think about the what ifs. It's not like we can go back to do anything differently."

"I know." Lek said. "That's why I have been training. If it happens again I can do something."

"It seems there is always some sort of violence at hand," Xyla sighed. "I often wonder...what it would be like to live during a time where everyone simply got along."

"I wish it could be that way." Lek admitted, retrieving the iron bars from the grass.

"If onlys are useless." Xyla leapt to her feet. "I want Wulfsen to train me as well!"

"I don't see why he wouldn't." Lek said.

Xyla sighed. "Alas. because I am but a girl who needs protecting and coddling."

"Girls need to know how to protect themselves." Lek frowned. "Sileas is still practicing defense and she's very... A girl."

Xyla grinned slightly. "Well, yes, but if Wulfsen had met her before she learned, he would not have allowed it," she added, her smile fading.

"I don't believe that." Lek said. "He wouldn't keep you from learning how to defend yourself!"

"He thinks women are delicate and should be protected. He sees no reason to teach me to defend myself when it would be much easier to just assign a guard."

"But the guard might fail, or there might not be a guard available to assign." Lek fretted.

"It's just the way most men think," Xyla replied. "Obviously you don't fall in with the same type of thought."

"No, I don't." Lek said. "I have an idea, if Wulfsen doesn't let you train ask Sileas after she has the baby."

"I will ask her if she has the time," Xyla agreed.

Lek nodded, absently shifting his hold on the iron bars.