Chapter 2

The captain saw them coming, first slow and steady to the beat of a single drum, some being men just as him but then there were others, some looking almost as smaller replicas of those huge reptiles he had see yesterday, and some that he didn't even could find names for. Beasts he thought, beasts with a purpose. The stench of blood and gore whipped up to a frenzy by their priests hung over the battlefield as a invisible cloud as the foe came up to his last palisade. Long ladders were raise as other tied to ram the palisade down by battering huge rams hung in ropes in a triangular frame allowing them to swing back and forth. His man fought valiantly but it was as trying to stop an army of ants, there were just too many of them. Some of the creatures, he found no other name for them, the one nearest to him must have been over eight foot, started to climb the wall using some clawed implements, its snouts letting out a flickering cleaved tongue like some monstrous lizard as it flowed up the wall like some bloated spider. Seeing him the captain realized that their time was up and blew his horn, lowering the pike. Its clear note seemed to cleave its way through the stench making his men starting to retreat, first in good order holding together but soon to break up in a run, each one for himself. Captain Lance smiled a grim a smile as he saw them make their way back to the fortified breastwork. To the foe it must seem as they finally were giving up he thought as the ports opened to let them through, his men were doing a good job indeed giving them that presumptive taste of victory. Lying on the parapet were the stocks, drenched in combustive fluids, waiting to be released with the torches burning just beside them. He had warned them not to keep those torches to near as the logs were like tinder, ready to go up in flames. His plan seemed to be working, the ground between the wooden palisade and the parapet were filling up with a mass of warriors, giving him the feeling of looking out on a unruly disturbed sea. There was something almost hypnotic to it he thought as he gave the sign to light and release them. The elevation was steep and the stocks burned fiercely as they started to roll down.

It was if that whole sea took to fire he thought, and the foes were forced into a rout, many of them in flames as they run back to the palisade still standing behind them. As they found themselves enclosed between the palisade and the logs coming at them they found themselves out of space and the combustible fluids seemed to take to a life of their own, jumping of the rolling twisting logs like some sort of jelly-like water leaping up in the air to drench their foes. The stench of burning flesh combined with a thick smoke that made it almost impossible for him to see what was happening though, and to be honest, he was grateful for that. For a fleeting moment he wondered what kind of wars they had at that realm Roland came from, if this was the way they fought them he knew that he himself would prefer a clean bite from a sword any day to that. This new kind of warfare felt somehow unclean to him, what was it Roland had called it 'guerilla'? But it worked, and it spared his men. The palisade had started to burn too, they had made sure to drench it in the same fluids before leaving it and the whole field now started to look as one immense funeral fire with the screams becoming like one. Magnus that had came up to him stood beside him listening. "Sir." He said having to raise his voice as he leaned to the Captain. "I didn't expect myself to feel sorry for those bastards, but I almost do." Lance nodded. "Yes Corporal, but we have to make do with what we have. We are just buying time here." As the evening came the smoke had started to clear some, giving them a view over a burned black landscape covered with charred bodies stretching past the burned down palisade almost to that red pyramid where the priests had had their 'offerings'. The priests, or was it shamans? Seemed dipped in blood as they in the flickering light of their torches slaughtered man after man, with the drums building into a continuos crescendo. But he noticed that there were few that dared to come near the old palisade, at last he had put some god honest fright into them.

In the Cavern Roland and his friends were resting, talking in low voices as they waited for the Keeper to decide how their negotiations had turned out. Foil had tried to explain to Roland how he understood the Keepers hive mind to work. "Well Sir, it's somewhat like insects. They are truly distant cousins to us." He had said almost disdainfully. "They don't go by civilized speech Sir like us more, ah, noble born species. If you have seen ants communicate you might come closer to it, gathering themselves together into a heap like snakes, communicating through their glands secreting as much as they speak. That is what makes them so unpredictable, there is no real logic to it Sir. But know this, when they have come to a conclusion they will uphold it, in that they are much as dragons" "And elephants to perhaps." Muttered Roland to himself remembering the tales about the excellent memory and lust for revenge those were said to have. "Elephants Sir?" As Roland described them Foil looked at him as if he suspected himself being the victim of a unsavory joke, and it didn't get any better when Roland found himself describing that Disney movie. "Really Sir, well, I can assure you that they are not any cousins to us, even if they can fly." "No, they can't fly, they can't even jump." Said Roland, finally exasperated. "But sir you said th." "It's just a movie Foil, Ah, forget it." Marie who held the sleeping form of Pup in her lap put some more wood in the fire. "Love, those ohlipants. Do they really exist?" "Of course they do. But they are where the land is much warmer than here." Thinking of it again he added. "Well, I don't know if they exist here though?" Le'am who had sat beside them spoke out. "We know of them Roland, from tales only, but I think we have them here too. They are said to be fierce warriors and hugely wise too." Roland shook his head as he musingly tried to assimilate Le'am's words. "Warriors?" "Well Roland, they are said to have cities of their own where the sun burns for ever." Heck, here we go again Roland thought unbelievingly as he listened to Le'am tale which he finished with. "And they are said to be sole rulers of a vast continent." He decided to give up on discussing elephants in the future, promising himself to be more careful with his comparisons, the headache just wasn't worth it. "Never mind." Turning to Foil. "How will we know when they are finished? Should we take a look Foil?" "No Sir, we have a truce for now, better to abide by the Keepers word. He will let us know when it is time." They all were finding themselves getting restive waiting for the decision and Roland who had a dark foreboding of that shadow still searching knew that their time were running out. They needed to get out of the tunnels up in the light. Mari felt much the same as Roland, she had made a furtive scrying trying to divine a path but the Lady has only showed her danger, one immediate and that one she thought to be the Keepers and one vaguer which she backed from in revulsion not being able to come near at all. It was that last one that scared her the most. She wanted to talk to Roland about it but as he was gone then with the Keepers there hadn't been any opportunity. And now she hesitated.

They had came in the night, unexpectedly using those beasts he had seen before as their vanguard, dragging with them what he now knew to be cannons. The parapet had hold, just barely. Their crossbows was useless in the dark as they couldn't really see where the gunpowder were stored. The fighting was fierce and without mercy, and the darkness made it hard to separate friends from foes. Captain lance knew that they made a valiant resistance, but the number were all wrong. For every man he lost the enemy had twenty or more, and the attacks came like waves, never ending. As he pushed down the ladder placed against the bulwark he knew that they had to make it through the night, they had to stop them from taking the parapet until their equipment could be moved back to the last wall and mounted again on it. The masonry on that one was both thicker and higher that this and he still had the water waiting for their foes. But after that? Then there would be only flesh and blood between the civilians in his care and that rampant horde thirsting for slaughter. They had had some use of the crossbows thought, the reptilian beasts had learned the hard way how costsome it was coming to close their wall, and the havoc those had created as they had gone mad, fleeing from the walls had cost the foes more than they had expected. Ordinary crossbow arrows just bounced from their scales but those big ones did get through. Magnus came up. "Sir, we've moved them." Another cannon shot came clipping big chips out of the bulwark as he spoke, almost making him fall as the whole parapet seemed to move a little. "Should we retreat Sir? The boys can't hold this one much longer." The captain leaned over the wall to try to get some overview over the situation, doing it a scaly talon suddenly materialized from the darkness below missing his throat by just a hair's-breadth.As he throw himself backwards Magnus sword came whistling through the air separating the talon from its arm and as Captain Lance found his balance again he heard something scream as lost its grip on the wall. "Thanks Magnus, that was a close one." He said breathlessly. "Yes we will back up to the wall, tell the boys. They had still some logs saved and the captains plan was to release them just before they retreated, to give them all some breathing space. He trusted it to work, their foes knew all to well the dangers of those logs. "On my signal Magnus." Waiting and hoping that they all would know what to do he stood there, shoulder to shoulder with his men, fighting a loosing battle as more and more of those creatures scaled their walls. He blew his horn as his men lighted the log in front of him, looking around he saw that their discipline still held, shoulder to shoulder, the best comrades one could ask for he thought as they tipped the log over. Two more was lighted and put to action where he stood but that was the end of it. He heard screams of anguish and fright from under him as the logs started to take their toll. "Move." He screamed. "Fall back!" and with that their retreat was full on.

Roland woke up to a strange sound vibrating through the caverns wall. He looked at Foil who had placed himself as their sole guard with the rest of them had taking a last chance of getting some sleep. "Sir, it's time." Said Foil. "We are expected." Rousing the others they all made ready, not knowing what the day would bring them, but better to fight together if so than separated Roland thought and the others had agreed too. They all left the cavern passing the crossroads, the Belten ponies lived up to their reputation, instead of shying as they came up to the Keepers the horses seemed to make ready as for battle. Roland thought it was the same Keeper as last time slithering up to them, the others of its kind were gathered out of the torches light but Roland still got fleeting glints reminding him of gigantic slimy white grubs situated on the floor walls and even roof. "We better get ready, I don't like this." He told D'am. The Keeper turned its head as if understanding, it had no real eyes as far as Roland could see, instead there were small black protrusions spread in a even pattern around what he guessed went as its head and down its sides. He expected those to fill the same function though as those situated closest to the torches seemed to close together. Foil turned to Roland. "Sir, we seem to have come to an agreement. They are prepared to do as you suggest but they insist on keeping our companions as a security." Both Roland and Avery shook his head at that. "Not possible." Declared Avery. "My mission can't wait." And Roland said. "Tell him that they will get me and Pup and Foil, but no more. Tell them also that we will need." He thought furiously. "We will need their help coming out as close as possible to Lokagard, and protection. If they can help us with that we will promise them much prey and a great clan will be theirs."

The grub who seemed to have listened now wheezed the first understandable words Roland had heard it utter. "Incubators wizard we need." Roland bowed to it. "Incubators you will get and your kingdom secured in binding treaties, but make no mistake here, the prey must be chosen by us and the rest of us allowed to go free." Foil and the grub continued to talk and after some while Foil turned to Roland again. "We have an agreement Sir. They will set wardens along our path guarding Sir Avery and the others on their journey, as for us they are impatient to start as soon as possible." "I too will go with you Roland." A voice declared suddenly, it was Mari. Roland went over to hug her quietly saying. "No sweetie, you can't. I'm not sure what's waiting back there, but its not for you. They will need your healing and your lady's protection and you know it." Mari listened and thought about her scrying, if it was not the Keepers the warning had been about, what then? Also she remembered the way she hadn't been able to turn her awareness to that darkness hiding behind, it seemed as if Roland might be right she admitted to herself, but she would not give him up. "Let me make a scrying to see what it might bring first Roland. If it agrees with you I will follow it." Said and done she went to a corner to prepare her utensils, she had so little of the lady's water left, ordinary water worked too of course but water blessed wrought the clearest sight. Last time she had used that but this scrying might be the one separating her from her love. She carefully filled the copper bowl and sat down to meditate over it. The others had moved away as she was preparing herself to give her some privacy and even the grub had drawn back. After quite some while Roland heard her say "No." And then he saw tears starting to run down her face, but she didn't stop her watching. He wanted so desperately to comfort her but it was as if there were an invisible curtain shielding her making it impossible to approach.

After another small eternity she looked up at Roland, her eyes filled with grief. "You are right Roland, my duty is with you Sir Avery, and you of course honored dwarves." She said as she raised herself from the floor. "The lady spoke to me directly this time, she also told me." her voice broke a little. "She told me that we would meet again Roland." She finished bravely looking at him as if she for once and forever wanted to imprint in her mind his face and appearance. Roland hurried over to her as the invisible curtain suddenly dropped, She seemed heartbroken of her sight and he wondered what it was. "Lady what did you see?" he asked. "Don't ask." She whispered tears still falling. "Just hold me for a while, will you." Roland stood there holding her his mind filling with a growing sense of frustration over the way it all had turned out. "You must tell me Mari, I need to know what made you so sad." She smiled hearing him through her tear-filled eyes. "Our geas is heavy Roland, it weighted me down. But she promised we would meet again, can you remember that love? As for the rest Roland, that was between her and me and I can't speak about it, will you trust me?" Roland studied her sweet uplifted face, so warm and yet filled with sorrow, suddenly understanding that he was letting her go, with him once more finding himself on his own.

With a sudden feeling of desolation he harshly whispered "How long Mari, how long?" "A long time Roland, too long for me it felt, but we have no choices here. I will keep you in my heart, as I hope to be in yours. She gave us this day and night together but then our paths must split." Roland hated the sound of that, but he saw no way out of it. "I wish we could do it differently Mari, but there seems no other way to me. I will not knowingly bring you into more danger than I must and my feeling is that what awaits us would only lead you in disaster." He tried to smile down at her holding her tighter. "So even if our wait will be to long I will stand that better than loosing you forever, and we still have the day Mari." "and night." She whispered as she kissed him, a kiss lingering with sorrow as well as promise. "Come." Foil said, breaking up their magic. "The Keeper want to show us to a better place of rest, it had informed me that they still haven't their full numbers together. Tomorrow they will be ready." "You see, it's like she said. We have still some time Roland. Let's make the best we can of it." Mari caressed him as they followed the Keeper, in the lingering light of their torches clinging to each other as two children lost to the darkness.

The Captain and his men were now standing on their last bastion looking out. The logs had done their work once more, sweeping away the horde, although they all knew that their respite was just momentarily. "Captain, the morning is near. Do you think they will attack before?" Magnus asked. "I'm guessing they will want to drag their bombardments up first corporal. But this time we will be ready for it." The cannons hadn't stopped even though the foe had been withdrawn, the parapet was by now starting to look more as heaps of stones than anything put together by masons. "Their cannons seems stronger than what Roland expected though." The captain commented as he studied it. "But those walls are both higher and thicker. I doubt they will make any noticeable damage." He smiled. "And we do have some surprises left, don't we Magnus?" Magnus nodded sagely. "They will find their work cut out for them Sir." He had made a count of the men left when they had came in behind their new bulwark. It was a pitiful few left, no more than a three hundred left of what once was three full squadrons. But the fighting before the stronghold and now here had left those surviving as hardened veterans, each one worth, well he didn't really knew how to value them as he had told them the. "But know this friends. Behind each one of you, our slain are standing. Former comrades, friends and loved ones. And each one laying their hand on yours, giving us their strength to stand. We might lose this fight but we will not be forgotten, not as long there is one left to remember. So what do you say? Let us make them remember."

There had been no need to lie or paint a rosy picture for his men, they all knew that they were up the wall here, the only way out being the cave or possibly over the mountains. And most of them had wife's and sweethearts here too. But as he looked out at the morning dawning he found their hope slim indeed. It seemed as this battle was a decisive one for Lord Foul. Every day had seen new troops drawn to it and this day were no different. The mastodont reptiles that had run amok in the night was gone and new ones were there in their stead, they were drawing up cannons more immense than anything he had seen before. The parapet that now was reduced to rubbles were being put out of the way to leave place to the monsters so that they would have a free field of sight. "Corporal, tell the men to be ready. I want each crossbow sighted in on the carts with gunpowder, their arrows drenched in flammables, and, ah, be sure to see to that they don't pick the same one will you Magnus." "Don't worry Lance Sir, they know how to do it, but I will check it out." "Good, be on with you then man." As the dawn cleared he noticed that it was going to be a sunny one, no clouds in sight and with the wind blowing from them towards their enemies. The captain liked that, it meant that the smoke and fire would walk away from them and he wanted to think it a good omen.

As he watched the cannons becoming drawn into place he noticed a black stallion. The horse was much larger than any horses he had seen before, drawing some sort of two wheeled vehicle, and as he watched the man on it unfolded a white flag and started to come towards them. As the equipage draw up to the wall the man like creature, as it was no kind of human he ever had heard of before, all to large as well as it was moving as if its joints were wrongly leaded, lifted its head to look up on him. Then it called up to the captain "Listen thrall. My lord offer you a free way out of here if you leave immediately." Captain lance studied the contrivance standing under him as he worked on his answer. The wheels on the cart had wicked blades sticking out from it and he could easily see how they would hinder a defender to get near as well as the horse having some kind of protection in front in form of hides hanging from its neck shielding it almost the whole way down to its forelegs. But it looked rather clumsy to him all the same. "Do you really think that will work?" he asked pointing to the hides. The creature seemed all of a sudden at a loss of words. "Thrall, do you yield?" he asked. Lance studied him some more and then answered. "I will have to consult my superiors on that. How much time will you give us?" The creature smiled at that showing a row of yellow pointed teeth. "You have no time thrall, go now and be back with your superiors. I will wait." Captain Lance nodded briskly and went to find Magnus. "Magnus, you've seen the messenger?" "Aye, I have?" "Well, as long as he have his flag we won't touch him of course, but I found his bearing offensive all the same. Perhaps there is a crossbow left somewhere? Ah Magnus?" "Naturally Sir, as you say, we can't kill, even such as that, under truce, but as you pointed out, we do seem to have some crossbow over? Let me check it out Sir."

The captain went back to where the creature waited. "Sorry, they were eating, and had no time over. But they begged me to tell you that they were prepared to offer the exact same terms." The creature almost stuttered. "I is that your answer?" "Oh no, my superiors answer." Lance informed him cooly. Now the creature started to turn his vehicle. "Be it on your shoulders then thrall, next time it will be my sword you see." "Well, good riddance to you too." mumbled the captain as he watched the creature draw back to his own line, looking over to the side he saw Magnus nod and smile at him. The foes cannons were already getting readied for fire, having four great monsters of them. They were made out of some blend of iron and bronze with great fat bronze bands circling their circumference, and he had to admit to them looking quite intimidating. The carts were pulled up to them and all of it well out of any ordinary bows range. As the captain gave the signal there came a simultaneous 'twang' as the fiery arrows were released from their rest, not all found their targets but the men was reloading and sighting them in as fast as they could. Two of the cart's were blazing now and then a third. The messenger and his horse were down too. It seemed as if the arrow had gone through both the horse and the creature on its way, leaving them both a burning mess. Suddenly it seemed as if the whole world went up in flames, the bang of the explosion so strong and violent that he almost lost his footing. He saw the cannons lift from the ground, light as feathers to fall down as if in slow motion. And the carts and their animals were all gone, as were the men serving the cannons. Some of the crossbows continued to 'twang' but now with their fire directed on the carts and their animals further down. By blind luck two more 'black powder' carts were hit and the explosions created seemed to create an even greater havoc amongst the foe. The soldiers manning the walls started to cheer as captain Lance made a sweeping bow at them. "Well men, at last some peace and quiet, what." He called smiling his worst. "Magnus, can you get us some brew from the Cooks perhaps? It's thirsty work, standing up here, ain't it men?" Now the men cheered even wilder as they watched Magnus pick some men to fetch the beer for them. The captain felt pleased listening to them, there had been too much pain in between those cheers he thought wistfully as he turned back to witness the devastation.

Their night was filled with whispered words of care and love making, it took them a very long time to finally fall asleep. As Mari woke up the next morning she found herself still in Roland's arms, and when she tried to untangle herself he started to move restlessly. She leaned to his ear whispering. "let me go baby, I want my tea." With a complaining sound in his throat he let her go, not fully awake. "Would you like some too Roland?" she asked a little louder. "what?" he grumbled finally forced awake. "Tea? I was asking if you like tea in the bed?" "What! Tea? In my bed? Shit." Roland scrambled up as he tried to feel if he had burnt himself. Now wide awake he stared at her accusingly. "Why did you do that?" she smiled. "I just asked if you wanted me to get you some tea to your bed." She answered sweetly. "But if you like you can get it yourself." Roland who by now had succeeded to open his eyes smiled back a little grudgingly. "Nah love, you'll get it, I'll just try to wake up, okay?" She imperially gave her consent reminding him. "This time okay, but no complaining when I come back, you hear." Roland smiled sleepily as he laid down again, him? Complaining? Just need some more sleep he thought as he started to glide in to the warm darkness again. "Wake up Roland!" it was Mari coming back. "I got you your tea, and some slices of bread too, come on sleepyhead, move over." Sitting together in his sleeping-bag they started to munch on their food intermitting with long slow draughts of tea. After a while Roland leaned to kiss her. "Thanks Mari, it was very nice, I didn't know I would be this hungry." Mari gave him a slightly mischievous smile. "Work do make you hungry, doesn't it?" she commented. "What work, oh." He belatedly remembered their unrestrained lovemaking and had to smile back. "Yeah, you're right."

He looked around, the cavern they found themselves in this time was much larger than anyone he had been in before. "I wonder why they called it the throne room?" He said, L'am who sat at the fire heard him and came over. "We think that this was where Alain foD'm held court, it seems that the Keepers still remember him, imagine that?" Roland nodded as he looked around with more interest. "So is there a throne then?" he asked. "You know what! I don't think we have checked on that." Said the dwarf excited as he went back to the other dwarfs to discuss the possibility, them all bending over Roland's map arguing. As they finished their meal they saw F'am and Le'am come back almost running and looking very agitated. "We found it!" F'am said. "The throne, over there." He pointed behind them to another cavern opening to the side. They all went there to look, it was very grand, made in precious metals inlaid with stones of all kinds and glittered in the light of the torches. D'am wrought his hands trying to calculate the worth of it, then he came to his senses again. "It's magnificent." He said. "And it's historical value is priceless, we must open negotiations with the Keepers again." "Hear, hear." Came from the mass of dwarves. Mari had to agree, it was certainty magnificent but it still gave her a vague sense dread looking at it. To her it seemed not only a throne, but also a seat of power. Roland felt the same as he looked at it and he greatly felt a need of coming closer as if it called for him. As D'am made as if to sit in it Pup stopped him putting herself between him and the throne. "Sir, this seat is not for mortals." She warned him. "It has marks of power on it. It may be that the keepers are testing us still."

She turned to Roland. "You might sit though Roland." She said. "You're not yet bound to this realm, and the claiming's and warding's made for creatures born is not yours." "Born, Pup? And why would I want to sit in it?" But he still felt the drawing made by it tug on him. Mari looked at Pup feeling confused. "Why do you want him to sit there child?" She asked. Pup shook her head. "I didn't say that I wanted him to sit there, but I have a feeling that the keeper had a purpose with bringing us here, and that this might be their test." Now Foil opened his snout. "Sir." He said turning to Roland. "It's my mistake, as I was talking with it yesterday we came to discuss divinations and prophesies. As I happened to mention the way you had unlocked me from my former existence it seemed to become agitated and soon after it insisted on us having our sleep here." So there might be something more to it then mused Roland to himself as he watched the throne. As he concentrated on it the cavern slowly seemed to dissolve leaving the chair levitated as if in air, he went closer and closer and in the end he found himself sitting on it, the chair felt just right to him, as if it had been waiting for him to appear. As he woke up he was still standing to the side looking at it, but now it seemed to have lost some of its luster and the calling he had felt before was gone. "Did I sit in it?" he asked Mari, not knowing what to make of it. "On the throne? No, you just stood there." Answered Mari. "But I'm not sure?" She had a feeling as if there had been things happening too, somewhat alike when she woke up sometimes, just on that border between dream and reality. "I too think something happened Roland, I'm just not sure what?" Pup seemed thoughtful, she had seen both realties unfolding and felt the rightness of him sitting. "I saw you Roland." She said. "And I think it is as it should be, it was waiting for you, or at least for someone like you."

So he had sat in it then thought Roland as he went over to take a closer look at it. Touching it he again felt the rightness of it but now compelling him to look at the armrest, looking there he saw a simple ring of some white metal. "Pup." He called. "What is that?" he pointed to the ring. She looked at it and Mari who had hastened to his side studied it too. "A ring?" said Pup as she tried to touch it, her finger seemed to walk right through it though and as the others too tried to lift it the same thing happened to them all. "You try." Said Pup finally to Roland. "It's yours, I think?" Roland looked at Mari who hesitantly nodded. "I think she is right Roland, that ring is strange. And it may be to some help, nothing have happened to us others trying right?" Hesitantly he closed his hand around it, just to find it empty as he opened it again. "Nah, it wasn't mine either." He said feeling slightly relieved, there were all to many strange things happening to him nowadays. "But it's gone!" said D'am pointing to the armrest. And it was, from Roland's hand as well as from the armrest. Mari looked at Roland who shook his head. "I didn't take it." he said opening his right hand again to show her his empty palm. Mari started to smile. "Yes you did." She said. "Look at your fingers." Looking he suddenly realized that it already was on his finger. "How the heck, wait, magic, right?" Mari gave his finger a closer inspection, the ring felt as normal as any other silver ring she had seen, even though she wasn't really sure what metal it was. "Looks good." Was her laconic comment. The others became a little withdrawn at this new evidence of Roland's inherent strangeness. It was D'am coming out of it first. "Well lad, as long as it choose you, you better accept it. I doubt you will get it off anyway."

Roland tried but found that D'am was right, it stuck to him as glue, one more to the horde he thought slightly cynically. 'What's your name' he tried to ask it but got no answer, he turned to Pup asking her. "Do you think you could bespeak the thing girl? Pup nodded. "I could try." She answered. "But its very silent, if I didn't know better I would think it just another ordinary ring." She seemed to draw within somehow standing very still, after some minutes she came back shaking her head. "It's nothing like me or Dragonbiter Roland. I'm not sure it's sentient at all, but there is a power to it even if passive for now." "Another mystery." Muttered Roland. "like I didn't have enough on my mind as it is." He turned to Mari complaining. "What am I? A wandering magic fair. A human magnet for those things?" She smiled and nodded. "I'm starting to think the same Roland. It's said that with uncommon ability comes uncommon opportunities, and that seems to fit right in with you." "Uncommon insanity is more like it." muttered Avery who had studied the proceedings with more than a little distaste, which by the way hadn't stopped him from trying to swipe that ring for himself thought Mari hearing it. Foil who had been acting increasingly distracted for some time now came up to Roland and whispered discreetly. "Sir, we have visitors." Turning one eyestalk up at the roof. Following his direction Roland found several Keepers very still and inconspicuous glued to the roof. "So? Do you want the ring too?" Asked Roland looking up. One of them came down to the floor moving up to Roland. "No, the ring choose you man, and we have waited for that sign." Roland stared, so the grubs could speak? "Pleased to hear it. What sign would that be?"

The grub seemed somehow to look right past him as it continued, "The sign of the ring man, through the sign we will become allies in this. Know though that we bear little kinship to your kin, You live above as we below and our purpose differ. Once we were allied with the golden man and it is through his promise we have tested you." "Golden man? I'm sorry but I've no idea what you are talking about?." "Before the dwarfen king we had another being visiting us, he and dwarves strove to build a lasting peace. We found ourselves pressed back by forces striving for our death and they stood at our side at that time. Know that not all are what you think, not only light will bring you clearness. We are all made for a purpose and ours is deep as earth itself." What the hell is this thought Roland, an I being instructed by a maggot, a philosophical grub? "Are you saying that without this sign there would have been no truce?" It stopped talking for a time as if carefully considering, but then answered. "All living down here is our prey man, we are as you now know a dying species in dire need of incubators. To you our ways may seem as repulsive as daylight is to us but to each its own. There have been others before you searching, all lead here. let it suffice to say that had you failed in this we would have found little use for you." So others had been here searching thought Mari as she looked at D'am fidgeting. Perhaps the dwarves visit wasn't so spontaneous then? Roland who didn't really care for what others might had been there before him just thanked his lucky star that he wasn't one of them. As they had been talking more and more Keepers had came out in the light and they were now surrounded by what looked as a living mountain of white slimy flesh undulating in the weak flickering light from the torches.

There had to be hundreds, maybe more, and all of them all moving slithering in and out of the light. He tried to collect his thoughts. "But we have a truce? And a pact too then?" The grub moved a little closer. "So we have man, and as our cousin said, oath-breakers we are not. Know this though, no oath is binding without exchange of blood." Avery interrupted, suddenly sounding very interested. "Exchange of blood, do those rituals still exist with you then?" "Yes man, they have always been ours, What you use and know is only a weak pretense of our strength. Through fluids we know your strength as you will ours. In those there can be no lies." Mari dragged Roland away. "Roland, I don't like the sound of this." She said worried. "Blood magic is strong but corruptive, the guild is very strict on those matters and, oh I don't know." She stopped as if thinking it over and then she turned to the Keeper. "Would it be possible for one of us to bind our oath without blood?" The keeper turned to the sound of her, the black spots lining his body growing as if trying to see who it was asking. "Possible, no. Not even the golden one would break that practice, will you be the first?" "What does it involve then?" asked Roland fearing for the worst. "You open yourself man as I will open me and then our blood will bring our oath to fulfillment. The bowl awaits us man." With that the Keeper turned moving further into the shadows, Roland who by now had realized that it was him that the Keeper expected to let his blood with followed slowly. Mari walking at his side whispered. "If you are going to do it Roland, beware of letting yourself go. Remember how it was when you tried to go in between. This is the same but now you with another, and we are their prey. Do you really want to do this?"

Roland thought about it for a fleeting instant and then answered. "We don't seem we have any choice love. I've been doing so many things that I don't want recently Mari, this will just be one more." They had arrived to a small chamber filled with stalactites and stalagmites making it quite difficult to traverse it. The Keepers had no such problems, they just the walls and the roof sliding around the obstacles as they weren't even there. In its center they found what looked as a very thick dark violet stalagmite shaped almost as a bowl. The Keeper turned to Roland. "Are you ready man?" "How do we do it?" asked Roland. The Keeper went to the bowl and using its sting it made a shallow gash who it let bleed down in the bowl. After a minute or two it turned to Roland. "Now it's you." it said. Roland looked around hesitatingly for a moment and then turned to Mari. "Can I use your knife?" he asked. She smiled and picked up the small crescent shaped knife she used for her ceremonial purposes. "Use this." She said as she silently blessed it. Roland made a cut on his arm and held it over the bowls milky substance from the Keeper. Looking down in it he got a feeling as if he was staring right down in a pit. The cut had been deeper than what he had planned. Mari's knife must had been sharper than he expected he thought as he stared, starting to feel a little dizzy. Loking around he found himself to be alone with the Keeper, all others gone. Although the cave was the same the crystals hanging and growing now seemed to pulsate in colors giving of a swirling light making it hard to see. "So, here we are at last, this is oath cavern man. What promises we give here will be binding for us both. My promise is to see your comrades through to their destination and help them as we can, also to join forces with you in your quest. What will yours be?" This time Roland didn't hesitate. "To stand by your side and help you to a better future. To give you prey to grow and to treat your borders as all others, respecting your sovereignty for all times, as good as we can."

The Keeper was very still as he listened and the colors swirling now seemed to cool down into a steady darkly blue sheen. "Then we are bound by oath in oaths cavern." He finally declared. "Follow me now man, I will show you some of the former glory of us." Suddenly Roland felt as if swept away from the cavern losing all contact with his body. When he opened his eyes again all thing seemed different, the colors where all wrong and there was a whole new spectrum of sensations. It was like some sort of telepathy with him and the Keeper communicating on a lot of different levels, by sound and smell and vision, and it felt as if he always had done so. Without asking he perceived the Keepers true name, it was a unique mixture of all that he was, his smells, fluids and body language. "Ah." Said the keeper through them. "So that is your true name, your body fooled us man. Behold now through our senses what is once was." A strata of time was laid before him, and in it he could see all those attributes he associated with humanity, love for their small ones, building and creating their nests, but also things so different that he couldn't found a way to connect to it. Their absolute indifference to their preys pain revolted him but that was part of what they was. And Sztra was right, humans too didn't care for their prey, and the cruelties done by them were no different than this.

Stra who seemed to know what he was thinking said. "So it is man. We are predators both you and me, and we both lose ourselves through it. There is a certain glory in it but only as we remember that we all come from the same well. That was our downfall once so long ago. We thought us freed from all other life, supreme in ourselves. Long was our fall and our finding back to ourselves true nature. Your friend Foil wasn't wrong in wanting to see us a very distant cousins. We both come from the same strain, but as they choose above we choose below. Through our folly we have learnt much and although some things, like our prey, still waits to be resolved we now know that we have to find better ways to live, if live we will." Then he became silent again as Roland found himself once more whisked through space and time, being born, living finding his mate and growing old just to die again, with it all starting over in a endless chain of emergence. Finally it seemed to slow down, just at that breathless brink were he feared to loose his last connection with whom he once was. Slowly he came back finding himself outside the cavern back at the throne, as he looked he saw the dwarfen King sitting there in all his splendor, girded with a broad leather belt inlaid with shimmering metal threads holding a mighty battle-ax, now standing on the floor of the left side of the throne. There was strange music played and lots of rushing through and back by couriers and others. At the right side he could see a grand table where people of all kinds were sitting under flaming torches arguing and laughing. "This was near the end of us." Came Sztra's voice. "We had been forced to accept the dwarf's thorough the intermediation of the golden one, at that time we hated it, but slowly we learned a new way of thinking, long lost to us, and with your arrival we hope our times of sorrow at last is over. So man, now you've seen us in our glory and our downfall. What do you think?"

"You are different from us." Answered Roland searching for the right words. "And yet not, we all love our small ones and we both believe in honor. There are as many things binding us together as separating. Only time can tell what will come from this. But for good and bad, our oath binds us together and with perseverance I have trust in a better future for us all." "That is so man, honor and trust. Both are needed to grow. Let us go back to join the others." Roland woke up to finding himself laying on the floor, again he thought! Every time I wake up it's on a floor, but finding himself in the lap of Mari made it a little better. She was looking down at him, a worried frown on her lovely face. "You okay Roland?" He nodded, still confused over the vast distances and time he had experienced. "I think so." He answered. "But you were right, that oath was very strong and blood magic is nothing to trifle with. How long was I out?" Mari smiled as she caressed him. "Not that long love. But I'm glad it went well, you bleed a lot in that bowl, how do you feel" Getting up taking stock of himself he found himself feeling as good as new, a little dizzy though, but good. "I feel okay, a little shook up but okay." He answered truthfully as Sztra came slithering up to him. "It's time for leave-taking man, the others are waiting." Coming out of the cavern he found the others waiting for him along with a steaming mass of grubs moving hither and thither out of the torches light. They all said their good-byes, Mari holding him so hard as if she never wanted to let go. "I will miss you Roland and I don't want to go." "I know Mari, I feel the same." He whispered in her hair. "But we will meet again, don't you go casting your eye on someone else now."

She laughed a little through her tears. "Don't worry, and you better behave too, you hear." "Oh I already have a girl, no, two it seems?" He added smiling at Pup who had seemed ready to cry too. Slowly Mari let him out of her embrace, trying to imprint his face one last time in her memory. He looked pale and a little confused, as if he still wasn't sure he really was back from his vision but otherwise okay she thought. The party split their food and other necessities, D'am making sure that Roland and the others had enough. Avery came up to Roland whishing him good luck with his plans. "You will be our rearguard Roland, I hope we will meet again, soon." He said sounding quite sincere about it too. The food problem wasn't as bad as it had seemed first, Foil and Puppy ate mostly for the enjoyment of tasting, both drew their primary nourishment from other sources, even though both could use food too if needed. That mostly left Roland as the one needed to be taken care of, Mari surreptitiously watched him as he prepared himself. He seemed a little subdued emotionally she thought, but also more relaxed in his resolution of joining force with the Keepers, as if his last doubts were gone. Wonder what he saw she thought fleetingly. Fortifying herself she gave him a last lingering kiss before they parted their ways, leaving him with Pup and Foil. "Good speed to us all." She whispered. Roland held her again smiling down at her upturned face "I'll see you in Lokgard love, and if not, you can search for us here. Don't worry love, I'll be alright and so will you. Good luck and good speed to us all" he added for the others benefit. After their party had left at last, their silent guardians leading them on from the roof as well as walls he turned to Sztra. " So Sztra, are we ready then?" As Sztra answered he suddenly realized that he could read him even before his mouth had formed the words. So I got a language introduction too he thought, amazed again. He could see that they were all ready and it was high time to leave.

As the dawn left and high noon arrived captain Lance could see the horde rearranging themselves again. Their formations seemed more ragged this time though and their overseers seemed to have to use their whips more frequently to make them do their bidding. "A good sign that." Said the man beside him. "what?" said the captain wondering how he had read his mind. The man pointed to the few cannons left. "They seem to keep out of range now Sir." He said. Lance thought also that it was a good sign, but he worried for the night. "We will see Lars, we still don't know what will happen when night comes." "Yes Sir, night fighting is a bit of a bother Sir. But we still have some surprises for the buggers." The captain smiled at that. The flammables had worked even better that he had hoped. They had drawn pipes under the earth ending in holes, or rather dikes that they had dug out before the fight. Not that the soil had been that deep before the rock but they had it built up create those hidden dikes. They had covered them loosely with beams of timber drenched in the fluid and over that a thin layer of earth leaving holes for the air. They had been quite lucky in none of them breaking or taking fire last night he thought, but then even if some had what would their foe had seen? Some more empty pits, not even with stakes to them. They had been filling them carefully through the pipes for the whole day hoping for that one surprise more but the dikes seemed bottomless." You're right Lars. Take the men and get some rest and something to eat. I will keep watch." Lars nodded agreeably as he and the men wandered of to the mess leaving the captain on the bulwark. A good man their captain Lars though, always on the spot making sure that his men got their food and rest. "Not as some others, those miserable sons of a." He muttered to himself remembering.

The captain who heard that last one looked after him wondering what it was about, but as he saw Lars turn and wave he relaxed. Turning back to looking down the pass he could see how their foes slowly were arranging themselves into formations, with new fresh troops arriving constantly. He shook his head disbelievingly, if one didn't knew better one could easily get the impression that it was the Emperors own castle they were attacking. For a short moment he played with the idea, wondering if that was what they thought? That the Emperor was here? No they should at least know better than that he decided, but then? What made this stronghold so important for Lord Foul. Suddenly he found himself wishing that he had Roland by his side again, perhaps he could have given him some pointers for what more to do? Some of the women had joined them as this last effort, making it possible to man the whole length of the wall. As they had little training with swords the men had mainly let them take over the crossbows. Those should be easier to hit with than longbows even though the recoil was harder they thought and the captain agreed on that. As the sun started to sink he could still see new troops arriving. It seemed as they were building up to a major assault down there. What was even more worrying was seeing some of those beast drawing up more of those giant cannons they already had destroyed. Seeing it captain Lance slowly realized that it might become a very long night indeed.

The evening arrived with more wind blowing down the pass, it seemed as if it was building up to a storm. The air felt clean and cold, a forerunner of the winter thought Magnus who now stood beside his captain watching the priests build up to another frenzied offering. The wind made the torches flare up and down making the whole scene slightly surrealistic. The screams from those offered were thankfully mostly blown away but now and then they could be heard screaming in anguish as the priests lifted their snake formed knifes in the air before chopping them down in their victims chests. "I can't se why they don't desert the whole bunch." He muttered to himself. "Maybe those are the deserters." Answered the captain slowly. "And if so, there is your answer." As another man screamed, dying on the altar. "Well, if that is the truth, then I can see why they fight so bad. They are just like cattle made ready for the slaughter." The captain looked at him surprised over the depth of the observation. "You know what Magnus, you're perfectly right. Perhaps we could use it to our advantage?" He replied. "If we survive the night that is." Magnus looked at him surprised. "Survive Sir? Don't you worry, a more miserable bunch of warriors I've never laid my eyes on. If it wasn't for their numbers that is." Lance looked at Magnus smiling inwardly as he heard his cool rock-steady voice. "Right again Magnus." He said as he lightly slapped him on his shoulder. "They're a miserable bunch of no gooders ain't they. Let's take a stroll." Saying it he took Magnus with him following the perimeter, exchanging banter with every man and woman they meet. "He's in a good mood tonight." remarked Lars too Anders. Confidentially he said in a low voice. "You know, this is it. Tonight we'll beat the shit out of them." Anders who know how Lars liked to present himself as a 'know-it-all' just smiled, but there was still some truth in it. To night was it, if they survived it he was sure it would turn into a long drawn siege and with the winter coming it would be hard on their foes. "Ah yes." He said. "But it's like they say isn't it?" "What are you talking about?" asked Lars. "You know, that saying that things are never so bad they cannot get worse?" "Another fucking pessimist." Muttered Lars sourly as he heard it and then both started to laugh.

The night was dark and cold with the wind becoming even worse, shouting as banshees as it came in slipping through all corners and holes finding its way everywhere. At times almost sweeping the men of their feet, making it almost impossible to walk. "There is snow coming." Said Magnus as he sniffed the wind. "Aye." said the captain. "But not yet I'm afraid, tomorrow perhaps?" They had sent out a few scouts to give them a forewarning. Taking a light rope with them wounding it up as they went down, bound to a bell just outside the portal. Lance trusted them to at least get to the portal, so now they were just waiting for that bell to call. Suddenly they heard it, and the men and women sprung to their posts from where they had been hiding from the cold and wind. Lance knew that from the palisade's to the dikes they've made it was somewhere around three hundred feet and calculating the speed he remembered from last attack he decided to wait a little longer. The pipes all ended just outside the wall and his men was crouching in front of them behind windshields waiting for his command. "Light them." He hollered down seeing how the men instantly lighted and threw their torches down the pipes. The pipes consisted of just four planks fit together to make a opening in the middle transporting the flammables. The fire seemed to take immediately and the men had to leap back as flames came out. It wasn't bad he thought to get some more light, he saw his scouts coming rushing up to the ports getting in. Then he saw the dikes taking fire, the planks burning too casting new light over the pass. The attack seemed to loose some impetus as they meet the dike with some of the creatures trying to turn around but the pressure from behind wouldn't allow it. Soon there were people trampled under in the confusion with others falling in the burning dikes coming up screaming trying to crawl up.

He saw one of the dikes give way with the flammables running free, finding its way down the pass. "Why didn't I think of that." He grumbled to himself. But it didn't really matter, seeing the fire move towards them in bounds and leaps broke up the foes formations faster that anything he could have done. His luck was with him, it seemed that the dikes had been dissolved by the fluids so the flammables were leaking out everywhere and with the wind pushing it forever faster. Suddenly he saw that it had came to the cannons, the beasts drawing them seemed crazed from panic as they witnessed how the fire came, tearing themselves free from their ropes attacking everything in their panic. And there were the ammunition carts. Captain lance could just shook his head in disbelief as he saw how they once more went up in flames. "Fools luck" he said. "What?" asked Magnus standing beside him watching the spectacle as fascinated as him. "It's fools luck." Screamed the captain in his ear to make himself heard over the force of the wind and screams. "It couldn't have gone better if we had planned it." "But we did captain. We did plan it." protested Magnus. The captain smiled grimly at that. "So we did Magnus, so we did."

At last the dawn had came and with that renewed hope. The assault had once more been beaten back. A few of the foes had passed the dikes to attack but none had came passed the walls, mostly it had been bow-work with very little sword-work done. The women defending the wall had gotten a good practice round. The captain couldn't help wonder of what hopeless rage that commander of the horde must experience now as he once more found himself beaten back by those mundanes and what should be worse, women too. At least the cannons were useless to him now, on that Lance felt sure seeing how the fires still hadn't died out surrounding them. But the snow had refused to come, Lance looked up at the windswept sky once more just to find the clouds all blown away, leaving just their ragged remains to be seen in the cold blue morning-light. Magnus who had noticed his movement leaned over to him. "Well captain, it seems as if you were right after all. Maybe tomorrow or the day after but the snow will come." Lance agreed with that but still with a sinking feeling to his stomach. They were almost all out of surprises now, he had the water left but that was it, after that there was nothing left but to stand and die. They were just to few of them and to many of those others. But still, it was a glorious battle and they had done well, very well indeed. "Do you think they will write a song about us Magnus?" he asked. Magnus seemed to think for a while before he answered. "Well Lance, we all have to go someday. There are worse ways than this. At least we have that wholesome fresh mountain air?" Lance started to chuckle, after some time he collected himself enough to answer. "Yes Magnus, mountain air indeed, and wholesome to boot. Maybe we won't need any songs then." Feeling slightly better he went to the mess to get something to eat, it had been a long night indeed.

The horde seemed prepared to settle in for a long siege now. They were erecting more solid structures down the pass and it was evident that they were here to stay. The last days had been ominously quiet and the captain didn't like it. As Magnus came to relieve him he noticed how more of those large beasts were coming up the pass hauling what looked as some sort of a house, strangely formed though. "What do you think that is?" he asked Magnus pointing to it. Magnus gazed at it, blinking as tears came to his eyes from the chill. "Don't know captain. A house?" "Sure looks like it." answered the captain. "Keep a close lookout will you and remember if you see anymore strange proceedings happening. We might have to take a closer look at them" As he went into the mess for his lunch Lance again asked himself why he had found it a good move trying for this stronghold. "stupid, stupid, stupid." He muttered as some children playing almost fell over his boots. He stopped to lift up the smallest one. "Now what have we here?" he asked. "are you trying to trip me child?" It was a small one indeed, blue eyes. dimples and two brown rat-tails stretching to her back. "No sir." She answered confidently as she looked back, a serious impression on her face. "My mom might, not me." "Now, why do you say your mum would child?" he asked intrigued. The girl seemed to try to remember. "She said so last night Sir, that she wouldn't mind you tripping over her." "She said it to you then." Asked the captain sounding quite doubtful. The little girls eyes narrowed as she heard him doubting her words. "No sir, but I heard it. I think you are to nice to trip myself Sir." She assured him as she realized how bad it sounded. "And your dad? He too want to trip me then?" asked the captain trying his best to sound stern. The girls mouth started to tremble a little. "He's, he died last spring Sir, it's only mom and me now." Ah, shit thought Lance as he saw her fighting against her tears. "Look I'm sorry, I was only joking with you. Come I will take you to your mum, what's your name child?" "Lilah. That's my mum over there."

He looked to the corner she was directing him and found a woman sitting by herself in the corner seemingly asleep. Not before they had came closer realized he how truly fatigued she looked. "When did you come?" he asked Lilah in a low voice. "Yesterday, we live in the valley but after dad died we couldn't manage the farm. And we gave all our food to the stronghold before, but then dad died and we didn't have any more." "Couldn't your neighbors help you then?" asked Lance. "No sir, we're new and they didn't want us around any more. They said they would not stand for bleeding freeloaders." There she stopped for a moment wrinkling her brow. "Sir, what's a freeloader? Mum didn't tell me when I saked?" Lance changed his plans. "Girl, it's a nasty remark made to hurt people, that's why your mother didn't want you to learn it." smiling at her he said. "I'm hungry, and I bet that you and your mum is too. Will you help me to get some food for us?" She smiled back and nodded. He carried her to the counter where the cooks recognizing him quickly organized a large meal for three, and even fixed a dessert for the little one. Thanking them they carried it back to the table and sat down, the woman still asleep. "You better wake your mum Lilah." He nudged her a little, she went over to her mum and started to shake her. "Mum wake up, we are going to eat. Mum..." As she woke up she looked around uncomprehendingly, first at the food and then at the girl. From that her eyes slowly wandered up behind her daughter to the captains weather-beaten face, seeing him smiling her face slowly started to flush a bright red. Captain Lance bowed as graciously as he could from his sitting position presenting himself. "I'm captain Lance ma'am at your service. Lilah and I sort of tripped over each other as she was playing and I took the liberty to order us all some lunch, if you don't mind?"

She looked at him for a moment before seeming to wake up. "No Sir Captain, no problem at all, I'm sorry if I'm acting strange. We just arrived and I fell asleep and..." She seemed a loss of words after that and suddenly captain Lance realized what it might be. "My Lady, am I to understand that you don't have any quarters? Allow me to lend you my. I have three rooms all to myself. As a soldier I'm afraid I need neither of them so they are sadly misused. It would please me greatly if you found them of some use. Though, it would be good of you to allow me to keep one for those rare events where I find myself at leisure." As she started to refuse he interrupted with. "Please, don't call me sir, Lance will do, and I insist my Lady. I will escort you and your lovely daughter as soon as we've eaten. And I refuse to accept no." Listening to him she relaxed a little, she looked at her daughter who nodded eagerly, her pigtails flying. "Thank you Sir, ah Lance. It would be nice to have a bed again. We've been asking around but it seems that it's filled up down here. But we can't intrude on your hospitality." "There is no intrusion Ma'am, it saddens me that you think so. A soldiers work is lonely, you and your daughter would be an all to welcome break in my humdrum existence, please accept it. Two rooms for you, one for me and, that's it ma'am, nothing more." She studied him some more and seemed to find some reliance in what she saw. "Lilah, do you think you would like it?" She asked looking very serious. Lilah nodded shyly. "Yes, I don't want him to be sad mum. I know how it feels." Hearing her Lance once more was reminded of how bad people could treat each other. It was clear to him that they had gotten through some rough treatment before and he saw how the mother tried to blink away the tear coming to her eye. He smiled at them both and when noticing Lilah's trouble reaching up to the table he asked her if she would like to sit in his lap so they could share his food instead. "It's too much for me Lilah, perhaps you would be kind enough to help me?" She smiled at him and looked at her mother, she nodded and Lilah went back to Lance's lap, now in easy reach of the dessert.

"Lilah." Her mother said reprovingly. "The dessert is for the last girl, show some manners." Lilah blushed a little, and started on the other food but with longing eyes at the dessert. After they had eaten to their satisfaction the dessert at last came to meet Lilah, and judging of her expression it was a joint pleasure filling her whole face with whipped cream and fudge. She fell asleep shortly after still in his lap and it felt strangely right to the captain. He had had his flings before with the opposite sex but it was as he had explained. A soldiers life, if serious about it, tends to take over most of all other aspects in a mans life. But he had felt a stronger and stronger hollowness eating at him lately and this last business with the horde had made him reevaluate his goals. Carrying her in his arms as he lead her mother to his rooms seemed to fill him with something strange, he couldn't find the name for it? "Ma'am, excuse me if I'm acting out of line, but, what's your name?" She answered ruefully. "I'm so sorry Si ... Lance, I'm Katerine, and your own name would be." Now it was the captains turn to look embarrassed. "Alverian ma'am, Captain Alverian Lance at your service." He showed them their rooms and how they had their own door leading out and in if they wanted their privacy, and also explained how she could lock the adjoining door to his room. "You can see for yourself, I haven't used those rooms at all." He finished now feeling almost embarrased. What the heck am I doing forcing myself on Katerine and her child like this. "If you want I can take room somewhere else ma'am. I wouldn't want to embarrass you?" She gave him her full smile at that, almost making him fall backwards in the transformation of her face. From a sad and rather lonely expression to a warm and incredibly sweet one transforming her in a eyewink. "You even have your own stove and oven Alverian, and you haven't used it? Shame on you. I will make us some muffins. You do like muffins?" "Aye ma'am, Katerine I mean, it would be my pleasure." "Good." She answered "You just sit over there, and let me fix us some for later."

As he sat there watching her work it felt somewhat like a homecoming. He found he had forgotten all about the war as he saw her move around putting up the ingredients from her knapsack. Fixing and doing whatever it was that she did she seemed to know exactly every step of it and the heavenly smell coming a little later made it all the better. Suddenly he heard her voice beside him. "Wake up Alverian, the muffins and the tea are ready and waiting." "Sorry ma'am, must have dozed of." She smiled at him understanding. "I didn't mind Alverian. Would you mind if I shortened your name a little, did you have a nickname? Would Alvy be okay with you?" He looked at her surprised, it was only his parents that had called him that. "Oh please Katerine, whatever you want, just ask." She flushed a little hearing him but smiled all the same. As they sat there at the table with Lilah still sleeping in her bed beside them, lightly bantering each other and generally having a good time he felt as if that hole he had feared growing inside him now started to shrink. After they had finished their muffins he realized that the time truly had flown away. "Katerine, don't think you're boring but I need some sleep. My watch is coming soon enough and I need some sleep. So if you excuse me lady I will leave you be for now and hope to see you tomorrow. May I?" he asked as he went over to Lilah's bed, as she nodded he leaned over the sleeping girl whispering. "sleep well princess." before leaving for his own room. Falling asleep he thought he heard someone quietly crying but he wasn't sure and he was frankly to tired to check on it. Some time after he had fallen asleep his door was quietly opened and Katerine came in. She stood there for a while just watching him. He reminded her much of her late husband, strong but without being pushy and kind, very kind and careful. She went over to look at him snoring. "Sleep well you too Alverian." She said as she gave him a light kiss on his brow.