Vienn followed Matilda out of the house.
"Hmm...with all I've heard of this Little Fae, I truly would like to meet her!"
Vienn was not the kind of guy who was intimidated; rather, what would intimidate another person would only interest Vienn.
As they walked into the house, Vienn glanced around, and saw his armour was no longer where it had been placed; that meant that this 'Iggy' was home, and a second later, confirmation came when he heard footsteps coming from the floor above. A second later, Igrene came into view.
"Nice to meet you..." he said when Matilda had introduced him. "I'm Vienn Ziell. Thanks for allowing us to stay."
As he followed Matilda up the stairs, he responded to her question.
"Yes...she's very nice. Very lively," he said with a chuckle.

The fire crackled whispering words in a tongue just beyond understanding as the man who had earned the title Blademaster when he was a youth of but fourteen years stared into it with silver goblet held slowly sipping the wine contained within . And as the years went by he proved that he was indeed a master swordsman whose skill knew no superior and was only matched by handful of others. The battles of knighthood had shown him a side of battle you could not be taught. It instilled into him the burdens of armor and the subtle motions that soon became second nature. It taught him that speed was paramount when an opening revealed itself, that the man who struck first in the deadly ballet of steel oft came home the victor.That even a man covered in a skin of steel had his weakness, that the gaps at thigh and groin, at neck and helmet, back of knee, armpit, lower back. And his years of robbing the nobles had only further honed his skills adding the subtly of shadow warfare to his tactical repertoire.

But as he sat in front of the fire where roasted the boar that would make his evening meal Blade was hardly thinking of the skills at his disposal. No for him only the present mattered. For him life revolved around fine wine, fine women,fine steel, and his eternal grudge against the worthless noblemen and whore of a King who ruled this land in their foul yet strong grip. And the thought of the noblewoman who bore the name of the princess only set his hackles in rise.

" Blade what are we going to do with this Raine character." Ralph asked after a few moments of silence as the two hundred souls that composed the bastard son of Lord Snow band went about their daily routines. Some of them tending the small but numerous plots of good soil that had been wrestled from the virgin soil of the forest, others coming in bearing deer and other game, still others bearing edible plants that been harvested from the forest.

" Why do you sound worried, Milady is only here for a wash and a meal. After that her fate is her's to decide not mine. Although I have no doubts her Lord Father is looking for her I hardly need worry. i and you have remained in the shadows for so long it is our home. None can track us and no one is our equal and it is only by sheer dint of numbers the knights, soldiers, and mercenaries have kept us in the shadows. A coward dies a thousand deaths and that is all a Knight is if he serves the Lords and King of this realm, a solider is but a man who has no true loyalty to the throne, and a mercenary has no honor and is only loyal to gold. You and I serve cause beyond their pitiful understanding so why the long face Ralph." Blade asked with the seriousness of fate's blade as the fire crackled and life went on. The wind blew over the tree tops, the silent footfalls of men long accustomed to the shadows going about their business,and Ralph stared into the fire.


" i have no desire to be a martyr Blade. But I wish I had your confidence when it comes to this girl. I guess it just makes me nervous to have this brat in our camp. She is a daughter of our enemy and I don't care what anyone thinks that is all that noble bitch is. She is merely a daughter of a Lord and nothing more." Ralph said with his usual vehemence when he spoke of nobltiy.

" Neither do I Ralph, but I worry about it not. The point of war is not die for your cause but to back the other son of a bitch die for his. As for the girl I also worry not. She is what she is, I am not one to blame the child for the sins of the Father." Blade replied with a slight laugh as he took another sip of his wine. The royal reserves were a sweet and slightly heady vintage meant to be slowly enjoyed. To Blade it only reminded him of his noble blood. Daniel Snow,although he had only taken his father's name when he had run from Windchime castle. As a supposed orphan and ward of a Knight Daniel had been given the last name Frost. it was the surname all orphans in the north bore and it had chafed him as a child to think himself as an orphan. Oft he had spent sleepless nights atop the western tower where the squires of Windchime were housed staring at the clear star lit skies of the north. He imagined himself the son of a mighty Hero and beautiful mother who played the harp so sweetly angels came to her for lessons. Although such fantasies had not lived beyond early childhood it still hurt him to find the truth of his parentage. He was the son of a Lustful Lord and a husband hunting lady in waiting. The first place he had stopped after his headlong flight from Windchime had been the nunnery were his mother had been exiled to. She was indeed beautiful and played the harp sweetly. But for Daniel still in the armor of his knighthood only felt a hatred that ran so deep it was a wonder he didn't draw his blades and strike the woman down. Instead he in a calm voice told of his knowledge and slapped the woman across the face. Although it had been a light blow meant for show the ridges of his gauntlet had cut four raking wounds across his mother's face. He then left and had never returned although he had been told Selina bore four long scars across her face to this day. His mother would be nearly fifty-seven and had only seen her child twice for brief ,fleeting moments.

" I suppose your right Blade although I still can't get past the fact she is a Lord's daughter." Was all Ralph said in reply as he drew his short sword from where it was strapped to his leg. Getting out a whetstone next the right hand man of Blade began honing a new edge on the sword. And the smooth sounds of a deft hand honing a blade were the only disturbance around this fire.

.

Matilda nodded, and agreed. "Lively isn't the word I'd use, but, yes. She was much like an older sister to me, I suppose you could say..." She said. Igrene lead them to the men's room first. She pushed open the door, to a candle lit room with two double beds. Both had a white and blue checkered comforter laying across them, but nothing else really adorned the room. "Here you are, boys! This is where you'll stay. I'd reccomend that you move your armors up here, so they aren't just splayed across my welcome room. You may retire whenever you like. However, it is fairly late...and I believe that me and Matilda are heading to bed." She claimed. Matilda looked over at her and chuckled. "I forgot that you wake up at the ass-crack of dawn, Iggy.... Anything to get those extra hours of hun- Wait a minute, what do you mean with this "You and Me" business?!" She said, looking over to Igrene. The blonde woman just replied by grasping Matilda's hand, and leading her away from the men.

Matt called out to them, "Get some sleep, boys! I guess we'll be gettin' up early!"

(Alright...since Nova dropped out...here's my only shot)

I glanced around. How had I gotten separated from her? ...Right...I had to wander away...and explore. Lost again! ...Well...at least I had been in the stream a while before I had lost her. Though that wouldn't matter much. It didn't do anything for me being lost again. Grumbling, I followed the stream, trying to remember which way I had gone to get here. But, of course, I couldn't tell; not in the dark. Instead, I tried to rely on sound, listening. Surely such a large group couldn't be so silent I wouldn't be able to find them again? Hesitantly, I called out quietly, "Anyone there? ...I don't want to have to scream again...I can't be that far from the group..." She looked around, trying to listen for any sounds that might lead her back; people talking, fire, maybe, maybe even an argument. Anything. With a sigh, and another glance around, I called out a little louder, "I think I'm lost again!" Though I didn't yell quite as loudly as the last time.

Vienn went down and got his armour, moving it piece by piece up to the room, laying it by his bed. He quickly said good night to Igrene, Matilda, and Roy, and then lay himself on the bed, wondering about the events of the past day. He had sworn an oath of solitude when he left his kingdom in shame, and he already had broken it--but he didn't feel altogether bad about it. He never had really experienced this feeling of camaraderie, even amongst his knight comrades in his old kingdom, and he was interested to know where his life would go from this point on.
With these thoughts in his head, Vienn at length feel asleep.

"So the village I have heard so much of is somewhere past these woods..."
Making its way through the trees and plants was a massive suit of black, wicked armour, seated on a great black horse with plates of dark silver covering it. Behind it were three dozen soldiers, armoured in black platemail reminiscent of an evil knight, and carrying wicked longswords, riding similar steeds. However, Morgoth the Black, in his infamous dark armour, towered over them even on foot, as if he could knock them to the ground with his finger. At his side was a long and wicked greatsword, great not in breadth but in length, and strapped to his back was a long mace-staff, that ended in a ball of terrible spikes.
At that moment, a call rent the air.
I think I'm lost again!
It was a girl screaming.
"Ah, what a shame...she is lost again," Morgoth laughed cruelly. "Come," he motioned harshly to the knights behind him. "We shall see that this girl finds her way back home."
He spurred his horse on in the direction of the scream; it gave a roar that sounded more like a lion than a horse, and rode through the trees, the black knights galloping on behind him.
At length, Morgoth slowed his steed, and the knights behind him followed in his stead. He had seen, with his keen eyes, the girl who had screamed.
"Ah, interesting..." he murmured, riding closer and closer to the girl. Being a former lord and noble, Morgoth knew her instantly. "I do believe that is the princess..."

I turned, hearing something get closer. I was tempted to run, but stayed put. If there was someone there, they could help me. If not, and it was just some wild beast, the worst it could od was kill me. But I couldn't see what it was yet. Again, I debated leaving, but held my ground. I wanted to find out what, or possibly who, had come. Maybe calling for help wasn't such a good idea after all...not if it brought creatures along that would attack me, or people who would also attack. But I couldn't help it. "Who's there?" I asked, voice a little shaky, and uncertain. I tried to calm down, and looked around, the back to where the sounds were coming from. If it was someone, surely they'd answer? But if it was something, I might only get attacked for calling out. ...Maybe I needed to learn to find my own way around...

Morgoth rode closer, and then motioned for his knights to stop.
Who's there? The princess called again.
And then he moved into full view of the princess.
"But an honourable and honest knight, dear girl," Morgoth spoke in a kind voice. He was a master of deceiving others, so that even his appearance was overlooked. "I heard someone call for help, and came to find you."
He pretended to not notice the girl was the princess.

I looked over the man that had arrived. The appearance was...altogether, really, just scary. But he didn't sound that way. He only came because he had heard me calling for help. First a hunter...than a band of mercenaries...then a female fighter...and now this. With everything that was happening, I was torn between never calling out for help again, and calling out ofr help at random to see what sort of help I would get the next time. I took a tiny step forward. "This is the second time I've managed to get myself lost today, and the second time I've had to call out for help," I said, somewhat put out. What good was I if I just kept getting myself lost. I shrugged, adding, "I only wanted to explore a bit, and so far it's gotten me into nothing but trouble and a few interesting faces." Hardly worth the adventure; they had all pretty much either taken off, or I had wandered off, and they hadn't found me again. I didn't really want to end up back home, really...but the others that had left for wherever they were headed to were long gone; I couldn't follow them now. I looked around, and then back at the man on his horse. "I just don't know what I'm supposed to do out here to take care of myself."

"Where are you from?" Morgoth asked, his voice still kind and gentle, his horse pacing around, neighing like a tiger. "You don't happen to be from the village that is on the other side of these woods, do you? If you would like, I can take you there. I'm sure that you can get some kind of help there."
Of course, Morgoth knew that, if all went his way, that village would no longer exist very soon.

I stiffened. It would be too obvious if I lied. So what could I possibly do? "...No...I don't come from the village...but I'd rather not say where I'm from, because I don't plan on going back anytime soon," I answered with shrug. "But the village is as good a place to go as any." It was starting to look like my only option. Besides, how hard could it really be to get help from the village? That was probably where the female fighter and hunter had gone, anyway. Maybe I could find them again, and ask them to help me. It was the best idea I had. "Yeah...it would help if you could take me to the village..."

Morgoth smiled inside the armour. What should he do with the princess, now in his clutches? Had she been an ordinary girl he would not have bothered with all this scheming, and probably would have just killed her now and left her broken body.
"I understand. Well, come on up, then," he said as he steered his great black steed next to the princess. He offered her a hand to help her up onto the beast, and one would probably have gotten a bad feeling about taking that hand; as if somehow, it was the hand that had killed many before, an ominous feeling. "I'll take you to the village, and if you need to stay at an inn I'll pay the expenses."

I was a little surprised. He'd pay for me to sleep at an inn? I reached up and took the hand, allowing him to help me up. Something didn't quite feel right when I did let him help me. I started to wonder if it was a good idea to trust him. But what else did I have to lose? I was already far from home, and knew no one in the area...whatever area this was. And, unless the fighter and the hunter were there, in the village, I didn't know anyone who else who might help me. I didn't look at him, mumbling, "That would be nice..." Well, if I could manage to sleep, it would be. But being able to stay at an inn would help out so much.

Morgoth pulled her onto the steed, behind him.
"Well then, we'll be on our way..."
The great beast set off at a brisk trot. After a moment of silence...
"Do you happen to have any connections to the royalty?" Morgoth asked, in a voice that had many times before persuaded others, it sounded like a voice you could trust. "I was once a lord, and if I recall I saw someone who looks much like yourself once or twice."
In the distance was the village. Morgoth smiled cruelly. There was a chance one or two of the villagers might recognise him. Morgoth the Black was notorious throughout the countryside.
((I don't know if anyone else will be posting, so if you want to RP the reactions of villagers as we near the village you can, it would probably be easier))

Again, it would be much too obvious for me to lie. "Possibly..." I answered, looking ahead to where his horse was going. I didn't really want anyone to know who I was. That would cause too much trouble. "I don't know where you would have seen me before...so it must have been someone else." I certainly didn't recognize him. I looked up at the sky, then back to where his horse was headed, stifling a yawn. It was much later than I was used to being awake.

((Actually, I'm headed to bed; it's almost 3 in the morning here...so yeah; night))

So she is being cautious about her identity...wise, but here, ultimately useless. I know who you are...
"Ah, I see..." Morgoth shrugged. "I suppose it was someone else then."
He continued on the path, knowing what was taking place not far.

The black knights who followed Morgoth knew what they had to do now. They rode down a dirt path leading to the village, drawing their blades and spurring their horses on to a run, almost a gallop, their black cloaks billowing behind them. They were now close enough to be seen even in the watches of the night.

((Fair enough, see you tomorrow))

It had to have been someone else. I didn't remember, or recognize, this person. "Yeah...had to have been someone else..." I mumbled. Well, at least he was helping, even if he was mistaking me for someone else. But...surely he wasn't out here on his own? ...Actually, he could most likely take care of himself better than I could take care of myself. I shook my head, trying to stay awake. I couldn't fall asleep; sure, he had offered to pay for my stay at an inn, and was taking me to the village, but I still wasn't entirely sure I could trust him if I fell asleep. What I felt when I allowed him to help me up...that was enough to give me a little doubt.

The black riders fell upon the town, and all who stood in front of the path into it were cut down or simply ridden over by their great black steeds. As they galloped into the town, they began to attack the villagers themselves, and soon they began to set fire to the buildings.
Vienn started from his sleep as he heard the shouting and fighting. Grabbing his sword from his side, he ran out of the building and looked outside to see the riders simply killing all the townspeople around them, while fire leapt across the buildings around.

I looked ahead and saw the smoke in the distance. "...That's not the village, is it?" I asked, a little fearfully. If the village was burning, where was I going to stay the night? I didn't trust this stranger enough to sleep in his presence...but if that was the village, that would give me little choice. She glanced around herself at the surrounding forest, thinking, then asked, "Do you think someone might attack the village? I wouldn't think there was anything worth attacking that village for..." I didn't know much about it, but Daddy had always said that there was little of value in the villages, really. I couldn't think of any reason to attack a village like that.

"Hmmm...."
Morgoth saw the smoke, and grinned evilly. All had gone as he had planned.
"Have you not heard? There is a band of black knights who attack villages along the country side...it's possible that this village, so close as it is to the countryside, fell victim to them as well."
He turned to look back at the princess, his face invisible behind the faceplate.
"What will you do now? I don't know if there are any other towns around here.

I shrugged, uselessly. "I have no clue," I said, watching the smoke. The village was being burned down. I shrugged again. "I guess...I'm spending another night here, then, out in the forest." Well, so much for thoughts of a comfortable bed, and a roof over my head for at least one night. "And I haven't heard of any towns out here, either...so I guess I don't have much of a choice." So much for an entertaining adventure. Not what was I going to do? I still didn't trust him...but I wasn't given much of a choice. Of all the rotten luck...maybe I shouldn't have gotten separated from the rest.

deee