Sorry, looks like i some how double posted

"The name strikes me as familiar." Prince replied to Ash. "Some of my men had been sporting weapons bearing your initials during my campaigns in the East. You found yourself an ember of purpose? Trust in my command and I shall give it breath, tender, until it ignites. Your title as master smith shall be spoken on every tongue by journey's end."
"Speaking of weapons, what would bear highest promise of bringing a dragon down? Mithril arrows perhaps? Would you find yourself able to craft such a thing if provided with the proper materials?"

Alice Starlight

While the men talked with the prince, Alice sat just outside their circle with Kiva at her side. She could feel the grass against her legs, making them itch slightly. There was a slight breeze that she normally would have appreciated, but with the sun dying, the wind caused a small chill. This too was ignored as she had more important things on her mind. Moving her bag in front of her, she began to to through it to see what all she possessed, which wasn't a lot. She pulled out the leather pouch of treats before handing one to Kiva. "I'm not sure how long we will be gone, gotta go easy on 'em." She explained softly to the wolf while patting his head. The red tint to his fur was not very noticeable in the dim light, but she couldn't help but to admire how soft the fur was. He was the only wolf she had ever seen up close, but she couldn't imagine any others have such soft, almost silky fur. Her hand slid from the top of his head to the middle of the wolf's back, her fingers slowly sliding down the animals long fur. With her hand resting on the middle of his back, she smiled at him, thanking the gods he was at her side.

Moving her attention back onto her bag,she started pulling out items one by one. First was the extra strings for her violin and bow, then a change of clothes that were made of thin material. Silently she hoped they wouldn't come across weather that was too cold, as she would not be prepared. The more she pulled out of the bag, the more she realized she was hardly prepared for the journey at all! For a brief second, Alice considered turning back. This thought did not last long as her determination quickly killed that thought.

"When ye can, find a friend my'dear. That is how we survive." The words echoed in her mind. The faint voice of her "grandmother" was soothing and even if it was only a memory. Slowly, she leaned her head back to look up at the sky. The stars shined down upon her and everyone else, as if the gods were watching them. A small breeze stroked her cheek, making her smile. In her mind, the spirits were reminding her to keep her head up. This thought, as childish as it might have been, made her smile.
With her grandmother's advice in mind, she gazed at the men she was traveling with. She wasn't sure how much she could trust any of them, but the man who cooked seemed nice enough. The extremely tall man almost frightened her with his height, so she doubted she would make friends with him easily.
She listened as Elion spoke and couldn't hide the shocked expression that came to her when he proclaimed he was a wizard. They too were somewhat outcasts from her understanding, though it was out of fear of them unlike the gypsies, who were cast out in disdain. She suddenly had the urge to get to know the man, however she refrained from moving closer at the moment. Slowly she started putting everything back into her bag, still listening to everyone.

With everything back into the bag, she slowly stood up. Brushing off the dirt and grass that had attached to her as she sat, she moved closer to Elion. She gazed down at the ground for a moment while standing before him. Her mind was racing and she moved from side to side slightly, fidgeting. Her anklets chimed ever so slightly with the movement. In her mind, he was on the same level of deserving respect as the Prince, if not higher. He knew the pain she had felt of being an outsider and possibly even being unwanted. It made her have the utmost respect for him, but consequently, also made her nervous around him.
Her eyes stared at the food he had prepared for the group, but her mind traveled to what the other three men had been saying about Elion. She gave a small smile to him before speaking. "I think it is a wonderful that you can cook. It is not a skill many men have." She whispered meekly before gazing up at him. "If there is extra, do you mind if I have some?" Honestly, she felt stupid for asking, but admitting that she couldn't cook would be even worse.



Alice gave a thankful smile while taking the bowl from Elion carefully. Gazing at the food, she was more than thankful for him cooking. "I appreciate this very much so." she whispered, trying to be as respectful as she could. Her bright green eyes stayed on the ground as she listened to his inquiry. Windfolk The word was a delight to hear and her face showed it. "Yes, sir-" she bowed her head slightly as if a half bow. "-I was taken in by a cavern at a young age and picked up on the trade easily." She explained with a bright grin. "That word is so tender and rare to hear, thank you for using it. Many are not very kind to my people--" She finished with a saddened look on her face before she whispered in a low tone that showed sorrow "-nor yours" The expression on her face showed her pain admitting the fact, however she moved her eyes back onto him and gave a small, obviously forced, smile. "I must thank you again for your time and the food."

Elion's smile was tinged with a bit of sadness, but all the same, he nodded thoughtfully. "An unfortunate truth. But please, there's no need to call me sir or anything like that. I've always preferred just going by my name, if that's all right by you. I hope, Miss Alice, that if you ever feel you need help with something along the way, you will not hesitate to ask me. Even those with brave hearts cannot face all their obstacles alone, and I should like to help, where I can." He wondered what she would say, if he told her she reminded him a little bit of Rowan at the same age. Perhaps it was an observation he would keep to himself for now.

Alice bowed her head one last time with a small smile before slowly making her way back to Kiva. After sitting down next to him,she ate the wondrous food Elion had prepared and noticed that the very tall man was now speaking. She caught his name, Ash, and that he was a blacksmith. Silently she wondered if he was the same one all the other shop keeps told her about. If so, he was said to be a loner and didn't enjoy conversation or the company of others. Yet, here he was speaking to the prince and everyone else. He appeared to be the same man. After all, it was hard to miss someone who rose to such height. As she gazed at everyone and listened to their motives for traveling, she thought about her own motives, while continuing to eat. She knew it wasn't for fame or to become something great. 'Windfolk' the word echoed in her mind again, bringing a slight smile to her face. Yes, it was for her people. Recognition that not all were bad and they deserved recognition. They deserved respect, even if it was only slight. After all, it was hard enough being nomadic but to also be scorned and looked down upon wherever you went was nearly unbearable.

When there was a small moment of silence, Alice began to speak. "I wish for a rather simple thing to come from this journey. I hope everyone returns to their old lives safely but also-" she paused for a second while staring a the ground. When speaking to the prince, she knew she should chose her words wisely, which was reason for the pause. However, in seconds, she continued. "-I wish for recognition for my people. Windfolk do not deserve the scorn or hatred they so often receive. I would like to prove us all worthy." She finished with a small smile, as if her words had already brought among some sort of triumph. With that though, she grew quiet and listened for anything to be spoken to her, or about her own wishes.

After finishing the small bowl of food, she scooped up her bow and violin. It was a whim thing and she honestly wasn't even sure what she would play. However, the bow slowly slid across the strings and the melody seemed to just flow right. It was a rather upbeat melody. As she played the wind seemed to pick up a slight bit, making leaves dance around her area. To everyone, it seemed like coincidence, since there had been a slight breeze the entire time they had been camping. As the melody continued, Alice began to dance while playing. It was something she did often and didn't even think about. She moved closer to the fire, where the others sat. She danced around them and the fire, like in the stories of fairies and playful spirits. A smile was perched on her face as she played. Some might find this all rather childish, but Alice did not consider this fact as she was a bard. It was in her nature to play music and dance.

The song lasted a good five minutes or so before she brought it to an end. She ended the song by Elion, since he was the only one she had really spoken to. With the song now finished, she bowed her head to Elion, then everyone else. She huffed slightly from all the movement. It wasn't a full workout but it was enough to leave her slightly winded, which was a good dance in her mind.

"I believe I will retire for the night, if it is all the same to everyone else." She stated before heading towards Kiva. Sitting down next to the large beast, she then scooted and cuddled up against him, laying her head where his shoulders were. His long fur would offer the warmth she needed for the night, or so she hoped as she did not have anything else to use.

What would kill a dragon? Ash tilted his head as he thought about that question. He hadn’t even thought of making a new weapon, he had intended to kill the dragon with his axe but making a better weapon would significantly improve his chances of survival. Some ideas popped into his head, but he had never killed a dragon and most of the materials he thought of were either legends or damn expensive. He shook his head dismissing the foolish idea’s, he wouldn’t even be here that long. He looked back to the Prince but before he could answer the young girl girl spoke up. "I wish for a rather simple thing to come from this journey. I hope everyone returns to their old lives safely but also I wish for recognition for my people. Windfolk do not deserve the scorn or hatred they so often receive. I would like to prove us all worthy."

Ash’s gaze focused on the girl when he heard those words, he felt disgusted. He hadn’t expected there to be a gypsy traveling with them, he didn’t hate gypsies. No, the disgust was at himself over what he had done to gypsies during his years as Black Axe. As a bandit he had often hunted gypsies when there were no merchants or other ripe targets in the area. They made easy prey, soldiers didn’t care and gypsies were not a violent people. Ash put his head in his hand as he thought of how many he had killed or sold to slavery or worse given to his men to ‘play’ over the years he was Black Axe. He felt sick to his stomach, he bent over to hide his face from the group so they wouldn’t see the troubled look on his face, but that didn’t matter the girl took everyone’s attention as she began to dance and play her violin. He watch mesmerized as she danced around the fire, her music was beautiful it had been years since he had heard any music but his own set of pan pipes and he was no bard. He watched mesmerized his own self-disgust forgotten as the young gypsy made her music.

When the girl finished Ash quickly stood and faced the prince speaking quickly “Your highness I wouldn’t know what would kill a dragon seeing as I’ve never killed one. … I do have a few ideas but they’re long shots. Ah … of course if you come across anything and you want me to make a weapon from it I will be glad to do so. Provided I am still alive and in the possession of a forge.” Turning to his own tent he left without waiting to see if the Prince would say anything.

As Soon as he turned from the group he felt tears fall silently from his eyes. The girl’s song had made him more aware of what it was he had killed. Such joy and happiness destroyed by his hands crushed when it had done no crime but live. As he reached his tent the bottle in his right hand fell to the ground as pain shot through his right hand. Ash stared at it; it was shaking violently the old injury acting up punishing him for what he was. He fell to the ground by his tent far from the view of others. He lay there as the pain in his hand became almost unbearable but he kept his mouth shut he would not call for help, this was his penance. Soon it was over and he stood up picking up his now empty bottle and went into his tent. He prayed he would sleep peacefully tonight but he doubted it.

Prince's Aramatian follower Ruwa was in her tent kneeling before a makeshift altar decorated with miniature statues of deities, burning incense, and candles. The young woman whispered prayers in her native tongue with her hands clasped together.

"Do the gods heed your prayers?" Prince said as he quietly entered her tent.

"...If my cause is just." Ruwa replied.

"Of course. You were considered a prophetess in your native lands. Were you not? And what do they whisper to you now?"

Ruwa stood up and turned to face Prince.
"She is a blessing to you. From the gods." She said.

"Whom do you speak of?" said Prince offhandedly, pouring himself some wine from a table.

"The bard, milord."

"Alice? You believe she will prove herself a boon to our cause? Her performance tonight was well received it seemed."

Ruwa looked at Prince squarely and spoke.
"She would one day come to your aid and pull her way to staunch the life flowing from your wound."

"Save my life?" asked Prince doubtfully. "So they say the best way to predict the future is to invent it. I lay no faith in silly omens or prophecies. Song and music lifts hearts and eases troubled minds. That is why I place her among my men."

"It seems you've become more accepting of others milord. To tolerate gypsies like her." Ruwa said in a pleasant tone.

"I've placed far worse than wandering gypsies in my company. Beasts lacking any form of humanity; unwashed barbarians and savages. They were the first to flee upon hearing charging Aramatian cataphracts."

"The deaths of your men weigh heavy on you, it seems. I am not proud of my peoples' victory over yours that day. Let us place darkening gloom behind us and look towards bright future."

Prince paused before he was about to take a sip from his goblet.
"Do not come to the simple conclusion that I have let my ambitions towards your caliphate slip from my fingers. Soon your people shall kneel before me; your gold and silver rich lands will make a fine addition to my own. Far better for such wealth in possession of someone sensible than some pretentious and extravagant fool like your Caliph."

"The real and lasting victories are those of peace. Not of war milord."

"Peace? A fanciful term used to conceal armies preparing for more inevitable bloodshed and savagery. Such a thing does not exist. Not in this world."

"You are an... impossible man!" Ruwa said exasperatedly. "Foolish of me to believe that you had gained greater understanding of my people through all this time we spent together."

"Oh I understand your people quite well and where they stand in relation to my ideology. I admire them a great deal as well. But if they do not fall to their knees, then they shall fall to my sword." Prince said sternly.
"Now, turn to sleep, and dream of better days. We have much ground to cover when sun greets day."

---

At the mapmaker's behest, they were off, and the Nymph seemed more than happy to oblige, though not bothering to offer either of them a ride on her feline steed, for the best really, the cat didn't appear to like him. As they walked, colorful flowers bloomed around them and leaves unfurled, presenting, to Thaothoen's disbelief, fairies, that curiously peered from their hiding spots to see what large people had come so deep into the forest. “Watch out for the Urtińs. They're a bit...Playful. In an aggressive sort of way.” She pointed into the trees, indicating the hairy and colorful creatures that resembled a cross between squirrels and rabbits with wings and long tails but with enormous eyes that might entice one to pet them. Though Thaothien held his hand out to the little creatures, they shirked away from his hand, hiding behind branches and flowers to stay away from him. Thaothien sighed. "It seems that creatures of this world and I simply won't get along. No need to fret, I won't hurt you." Thaothien lamented.

They appeared to be getting close, as their guide stopped when they came upon various warning signs placed near what looked to be a wall covered in vines. The vines parted slowly as they walked on, passing into a tunnel. Finally, the woman astride the tiger lead them into a great opening in the forest, it appeared to be a whole city. At the end of the rocky tunnel was a hill that lead down into a small valley. At the center of that valley was the heart of Laerorngwen Forest; The ebony Laerorngwen tree sitting upon its small island and surrounded by what was once and pond but now moreso a small, circular river. It was a peaceful slice of Nirvana, guarded rocky walls covered in vines on all sides as the tree in the center grew up and out, its branches seeming to spread out over the whole forest. Though Thaothien couldn't see anyone, he harbored the suspicion that they were being watched. He felt their eyes, many inquisitor and prying eyes scouring him for information; it unnerved him. However, all of Thaothien's worries and fears subsided completely as they approached the great tree. It was a city. A massive metropolis that spread out for miles in the canopy of the great ebon tree. Even more astounding, the buildings and homes seemed to have grown directly out of the trees. Rope bridges attached what was not already joined through an intricate system of interlocking branches. It was beautiful, Thaothien gasped at the wondrous sight before him. "In all my life, I have never seen such a wonder as this." Thaothien breathed. His reverie was interupted as the Nymphs he had sensed apprached them, they seemed worried. Hurriedly, they addresed the woman guiding them. "M'Lady! We had heard that you were off to Farendell. Is this truth?"

It was a gathering of people of various species at the base of the hill, worried expressions upon their faces. Their dismounted and gave her tiger a light pat on the side before the massive beast wandered away. She gave a light nod and returned the soft bows of the others as she approached. “T'is true. I would be plagued with guilt if I stayed behind - Halcion's Royal family has shown me great kindness for nearly a century and the Queen is a dear friend of mine. I must make the trip to Farendell and aid in any way that I can.” She pushed her hood down, offering a kind smile as she held out an upturned hand. It all made sense to Thaothien now. She was some sort of leader to these people. Maybe not an official of their government, but most assuredly a spiritual or popular leader. It explained her mannerisms and speech. Thaothien chuckled slightly to himself in embarrassment. How had he not seen it? He leaned over to the mapmaker and whispered. "Methinks we've been in the presence of royalty this whole time..." At that, one of the gathered people addressed the Lady, concern in his voice. “But, if you are gone...Who will care for the forest...and us? Surely once those who wish us harm will strike when it is known you have gone.” There were hushed murmurs of agreement as an elderly lady stepped forward and placed her frail hand within the Nymph's. “You shall, of course. I have faith in our fine warriors that they can handle bandits and thugs; I open my own sanctum to those of you who fear remaining in your own homes during my absence. After I leave I will take necessary defensive precautions to ensure your safety.” They nodded in agreement as they bowed their heads.

Finally remembering that she had brought company, their guide turned towards Thaothien and the mapmaker, gesturing with an open palm. “Oh - These are my new acquaintances; Bowman of Ingotstone, a mapmaker. I'm sure a few of you are familiar with him. And Lord Airekhor of Gavony.” The various forest dwellers gave light bows to her guests. In return, Thaothien bowed respectfully. "Thank you for welcoming us. While I have oft read of the great city in the heart of the Laerorngwen Wood, the petty words in my books do no justice to the sight I see before me. Being invited here, even if only for a passing moment is most assuredly an honor I shall remember for the rest of my days." Turning back towards their guide, Thaothien spoke again. "M'Lady, at the risk of sounding impatient, I must ask if there's anything we might do to hasten our visit here? We're it not for the nature of the quest we were undertaking, I might wish to stay here a while. As it is, we should be off quickly, after all, we aren't the only ones traveling to Farendell." Thaothien reminded.

Alice Starlight

Alice laid there, completely relaxed against the large wolf. Though there was a slight breeze, Kiva had moved his large bushy tail across her legs. Kiva had been her companion for almost five years now, but she was still amazed at how smart the creature was. Clothing covered everything except her legs, and he knew that her legs would be cold because of this. On the other hand, it could just be animal instincts that told him to cover her legs because they felt colder than the rest of her. Though this was possible, she liked to think he was very intelligent. There had been other time in her life where he had helped her and it seemed more like intelligence than animal instincts.

After about an thirty minutes, Kiva whined a little before shifting, obviously trying to move without disturbing Alice. She smiled before moving to make it easier on the creature. Kiva whined a little more before getting to his feet and gazing at her with a look that was somewhat an apologetic one (at least, as much as an animal could make). However, him moving did not bother her. She had figured he would have gone hunting long before this. "I don't mind Kiva. Be safe during your hunt." She whispered to the large wolf before rubbing his side slightly. With that, he quickly ran off into the woods to do his regular hunting. Alice grabbed her bag, rearranging the clothes so they would be thicker and hopefully make the bag more comfortable. After a few minutes of working with it, she finally got comfortable and started to dose off.


Alice looked down at the green grass she sat in. She was in a valley of grass and bright flowers. It all seemed very familiar..... It was a memory.
"Ye 'ave learned much in such a short time, Chavi." Baba Puridaia stated while smiling at Alice, who sat in the grass listening intently. The old woman was the leader of the cavern she had been taken in by and didn't know very many words that were in the common language of the kingdom. During the time with the Wildfolk, Alice had learned many of the words they used.
"Devlesa araklam tume. Me dikh zor in tu. Akai is tu own lavuta for tu romipen." The old woman moved her arms from behind her back and presented a hand crafted violin to Alice. The small girl's face lit up with delight as she carefully took the violin and inspected it. She had been using a fellow Windfolk's for the longest. This one seemed specially crafted as she saw spots for special items. The crafting of the instrument was the best she had ever seen.
Tears swelled in her eyes as she knew what this meant. She was now an adult gypsy. Days of being a child were now over and, if she wished, she could now leave to start her own life. "Tu Ves'tacha chey" Baba Puridaia muttered while wiping under her own eyes. Alice quickly jumped to her feet and while being careful of the violin, hugged her beloved adoptive grandmother. "Nais tuke Baba!!" Alice cried while cringing to her grandmother. The old woman patted her back gently before smiling down at her. Though she had only been with the cavern for three years, Alice had learned so much and the old woman had grown extremely attached. However, she knew of the events to come and that she would not be here for the girl much longer.
"Me give tu ruv. Ruv xa mas." With that, Baba turned and whistled a few times. Alice waited with large eyes. She had encountered a few wolves before, though they were wild and tried to attack her. Her heart began pounding against her chest as she waited and looked in all directions. She trusted Baba, but a wolf was a bit different and she was not so sure of. However, if Baba trusted him, she knew she should too. Suddenly, from the corner of her eye, she saw a large black wolf running in her direction. The sun shined down, illuminating the red tint to his long fur and all fear seemed to fade away. The creature was beautiful and elegant as he ran towards them. His large eyes shined a bright blue and there seemed to be a odd calmness to him. As he stopped in front of Baba, he lowered his head, as if bowing. She petted him lightly before motioning to Alice to move closer. Slowly, Alice moved her hand to the large wolf who came up to her waist. He was easily the largest wolf she had ever seen. Her hand slowly touched his fur and she was surprised at how soft it was. The wolf nuzzled it's head against her hand, which made her tense up a bit. "No worry, chey. Ruv protect." Baba reassured Alice before speaking to the wolf in words that Alice did not understand. Though she did not know what Baba was saying, the wolf seemed to understand completely.

When Baba had finished her speech to the wolf, she turned her attention back to Alice. "Te merav, tu protected." Baba stated in a loving tone before looking to the right, where in the distance a large city could be seen. It was Ingotstone, long before the dragon had attacked. It was the first real 'city' that the cavern had been to since Alice had been taken in by them, and she was ecstatic to see what the city had to offer. In the many towns they had traveled through, they had been greeted warmly by some but scorned and hated by others; though the majority of them loathed the Windfolk.
"Alize, 'ome join us."A young woman called from a small wagon. Alice looked to Baba, who nodded her head, telling her it was alright, and told the wolf to follow her. Alice swiftly made her way to the woman who was a dear friend. "Look look!!" She said, showing the woman the magnificent violin Baba had given her. "Yes, I know. We all berry proud of tu." The woman replied lovingly before moving her dark eyes upon the wolf who followed Alice. "Eh? Who 'this?" She asked with a large smile, glad that the girl now had a guardian to protect her. Alice looked over at the wolf then shrugged. "Baba didn't tell me his name.." she answered, wondering what his name could be. "He is yours now. Name him." The woman stated before turning to the wagon, pulling things they would need to make camp to the front.
Alice stared at the great beast and tried to think of a name that might suit him. "Rikono?" She asked the wolf but the woman behind her scoffed. "He a ruv not a rikono." Alice nodded, thinking that naming a wolf 'dog' was quiet mean. "Hmm...." She thought some more before looking to the woman. "Kiva?" She asked, wondering what she thought. "Kiva? That sound good. What tu think?" The wolf looked at the woman then Alice and gave a small bark, that seemed like it was pleased. "Kiva it 'tis!" Alice cheered while moving her hand to pet the wolf. All the worry she had felt before was now gone as she could 'feel' he was to protect her.
The woman smiled at the girl and her beast before turning and looking back at the cavern. "Ah- we need so much..." she mumbled.
Slowly, everything seemed to fade, though Alice knew there was more to the memory. It was as if she was being pulled away.

"Gag her." A man whispered from the right of Alice and before she could react, a man who stood at the head of her tied a rag around her mouth. She tried to scream, but it was muffled. Since almost everyone else was on the other side of the camp, no one would hear her.
Alice's eyes darted around as she tried to find something to grab, however she realized her hands had already been bound. Her heart began to race as she prayed that Kiva would show up and alert the others. "Good thin shes light, eh?" One man laughed while another tied her feet together. She tried to kick as much as she could, however the man who had been to the right of her put all his pressure on her legs. "Stop squirming!!" The man at the head of her nearly yelled while slapping her hard across the face. "Shut up! Do you want to wake the whole damn camp?" The one at her feet asked in a loud whisper. Alice winced in pain as she could feel the hand print the man's hand had left on her face. Despite this, she still tried to wiggle free and scream. These efforts were pointless. Soon, Alice was completely bound and one of the men had tossed her over the side of a horse. With a note left by the camp for the prince, the three bandits took off.

Hakim stood before Prince and others unfolding a small parchment left for him by the bandits.
"The price for Alice Starlight's life." Hakim read out loud. "Nine hundred denars. You are to arrive at the abandoned temple of Myrthas lying west of the road to the village of Brenna on foot by noon, as the following sun greets day. You are to have by your side no more than three men. If you are seen approaching with more, we will vanish into the woods, and you will be
greeted by the girl's bloody corpse."

"Filthy animals. Living off like leeches for promise of greater coin." Prince grumbled.

"Apparently it takes a man some time before he is able to gather better company." said Hakim. "Mercenaries are absent any form of honor. The male equivalent of brothel whores."

"The others will be dismissed from my service upon passing Larkshire's stone walls. We will find ourselves men of better trust, and quality, there."

"A sound judgement. These are forest bandits my Prince. They would sooner bring arrows down upon us from the trees than come to terms with agreements."

"Poor girl. If I had known such a fate would befall her, I would have taken of wine with her the previous night to properly send her on her way."

"You speak of her as if already gone." Ruwa said disconcertedly.

"I doubt she yet draws breath." said Prince. "I cannot risk the lives of all else by placing hope on uncertainty. Take comfort in that she will be greeted warmly by her ancestors."

"Talk of heartaches." said Ruwa pleadingly. "Alice is a valued friend and ally. She holds the blessing from the gods, one that will be severed if she is not saved!"

"You raise the girl beyond her worth." said Prince. "Do not lecture on what is at risk, slave."

"Alice must return to our arms." Ruwa said firmly. "The gods have forseen-"

"The gods will descend from the fucking heavens if they wish to see her live!" Prince asserted. "The girl holds little meaning to me. Come to reason. We must sever dangling threads if we are to make distance. A long road lies before us and we cannot waste effort looking behind to check that sheep are not standing idle."

"Snatched from wolves you mean." said Ruwa.

"If I had the means to bring those animals to justice, I would gladly do so. Yet, while Cyrodil still draws breath, and the Kingdom still mired in piss and shit, we must steady mind on greater purpose and set foot to path."

"A wise choice." said Hakim. "You must look towards your future. We would be marching towards certain death for any attempts to save the girl."

Just then, one of Prince's shieldbearers, Dorin Sorrowsweet, came hastily.
"Milord!" Dorin said. "We've lost more than just the girl. Things of value in gold. And... your banner as well, milord."
Dorin's words caught Prince's attention.
"They stole my banner?"

"If I may pass my opinion on this matter." Dorin said. "We must bring those bastards to justice, with steel. There is no honor in turning the cold shoulder to this. I stand with you Prince. In this life, and the next! Though most of your countrymen refuse to fight for you or lend aid to your cause, I would gladly uphold your banner in rain or snow. Not for gold. Not for honor. But because you are a good man, and because I believe in what you seek to accomplish in this world."

"Your words move me Dorin." said Prince. "We will see this done together. To take back what was stolen from us."

"If three are all that can be seen with you." said Dorin. "I would count myself among them."

The following day, Prince, Ash, Elion Ondovir, and Dorin Sorrowsweet arrived at the abandoned temple as demanded by the bandits. The three who were responsible for Alice's abduction emerged from behind crumbling statues of deities, with swords in hands.

"It seems the weight of your coin purse is heavy burden to you your highness." said one of the bandits. "I'd be more than happy to make your travels lighter."

"Where is the bard?" asked Prince, scanning the area.

"Oh, she'll return to your arms once you make payment first. So, did you bring the gold?"

"No, but I brought death?" Prince said, exposing the hilt of his sword on his belt.

The bandit's facial expression turned from slight shock to amusement, laughing.
"You, fuckin', cunt. We givin' you one chance to hand over the gold, or me and my mates'll kill you. Now we tear you limb from limb!"

The bandit lunged towards Prince, swinging his sword aggressively. Almost immediately, many more bandits sprung from the surrounding woods, armed with bows or swords.

"Kill them all!" Prince shouted to his three companions, unsheathing his sword to defend himself. Prince effortlessly parried or dodged the bandit's wild swings; his calculating and cunning personality shown in his fighting style, carefully anticipating his enemy's attacks until a weak-spot presented itself.

"Die! Damn you!" the bandit bellowed as he charged at Prince.

But the latter's blade had made its way through the man's torso like a knife through bread.
"Next!" Prince said brusquely as he pulled out his blood-stained sword from his collapsing victim.

Ash awoke to commotion in the camp outside his tent quickly pulling on a shirt and grabbing his axe he exited his tent and looked around for the source of the trouble. He saw the others in the camp gathering around the prince, the prince was reading some kind of letter. Wonder what is says Ash thought as he made his way over to the group. The prince was reading out loud for the benefit of the group. The bandits had taken the girl and they wanted a lot of gold for her return. Ash cursed to himself he hadn’t expected the bandits to act so soon but maybe that was because if he was leading the bandits he would have gone after the prince. Ransoming him back to the king for far more coin than the girl was worth, he also would have waited a few days till they were further from the city. But for a smaller group the girl would have been a better choice easier to get since she wasn’t as well guarded. When the prince said the girl was not worth rescuing Ash was livid. To Ash the girl was more important than the pompous ass of a prince he had to pretend he liked. He would have attacked the prince had the one of the prince’s men not stepped forward and mentioned missing valuables from the camp including the prince’s flag. At those words the prince grew angry and decided he would go after the bandits to retrieve the flag. The notion that a flag was more important than life pissed off Ash but nothing the less he volunteered to be one of the three who would go with the prince he would kill those bandits who he shouldn’t have allowed to take the girl. Quick as before they left for the ruins he packed up his tent and brushed down Lightning he never went anywhere without his horse if he could help it.

When they drew near the ruins Ash dismounted from lightning, the horse would only get in the way or cause the bandits to react early. He only had his axe and small cross bow with him, he had left the claw back with lighting he would not be using it for whatever came next he did not want his identity revealed. As they approached the ruins Ash walked beside the prince on his right keeping a carful lookout for anything amiss. Even before bandits spoke Ash knew how it would end the prince was an arrogant man and the bandits were … bandits. Before the Prince even finished rejecting the bandit’s offer Ash had already begun to move, he stepped forward his hand shooting out to grab the leftmost bandit by the throat. With a wet gurgle Ash felt the as bandits throat was crushed beneath his powerful grip. Lifting the body high he threw it at a small group of three bandits armed with bows who had emerged from the forest closest to him. Charging at the same group he smiled as the body struck the group, one fell under the body’s weight and the other two had their weapons knocked out of their hands. They had just picked their weapons up when Ash arrived. They barely had time to scream before Ash’s axe cut through the two standing bandits in one powerful swing. The third of the small group had been trying to untangle himself from their body but he went still as Ash cut down his two companions. “Please don’t k..k..kill me” he begged as Ash brought his foot down onto the man’s head ending the man's pleading. Turning Ash looked back towards the clearing he looked for his next target.