Darien awoke in his chambers to a knock on his door. His manservant came in without invitation, as was his custom, and smiled at the young lord.

"Morning, sir, you have been summoned to the training fields to prepare for the upcoming war. Your presence has been demanded by the King himself," he left the proclomation on his night stand and smirked at Darien while he was under the covers. "I'd suggest you prepare to leave as your mother has been given the same proclomation and the captain of your guard is already preparing the men to meet you there."

Albert really took a lot of pleasure in disturbing him, Darien thought. Darien waited for the man to leave the room before he rose out of his bed to read the proclomation himself, not because he doubted Albert but just to see it for himself. Darien lay back down on the bed and closed his eyes.

The armies will need to be trained thoroughly, hopefully my captain will be up to the task, Darien thought as he finally got up out of bed and prepared to leave. According to the proclomation, he had a couple of days time before he had to leave, but he would need to send a message to his captian to ensure that the troops would not be a disappointment to King Aedan. Already the man had a bias against him, no need to add more fuel to the fire.

Darien also felt rather uncomfortable as he got himself dressed. A pang of guilt seemed to be surfacing in him that he could not explain. Well, he could explain where it came from, but not why it would come.

Darien replayed the scene in his mind with Lady Argyle. It had all seemed to be going rather well. Elayne seemed happy up until the last moment of complete disregard on Darien's part. He wished he could take it back but he knew he never could. For though he felt guilty for how his actions had made Elayne feel, his heart would not allow him to regret his actions. He had felt so empassioned at that moment, that passion seemed to vanish with the smile on her face.

The young lord examined himself in the mirror. Darien would typically tell his reflection that he was the most perfect man in Thiasa, but today that was no where near the truth. Darien looked at the proclomation again and became resolute in how he would spend the next few days before he had to leave.

Darien came to the door and simply opened it, knowing that Albert had an uncanny way of being on the other side of it whenever he needed him. "Albert, I would like you to request Lady Elayne Argyle's company on my behalf for a ride along the forest edge. Inform her that she may bring an escort if she feels as I will, naturally, have one of my own," said Darien as he eyed Albert. Albert would indeed be tagging along for this venture, or his mother would hear more of her son's scandalous dealings.

"Have her meet you and I in the stables in one hour," Darien said as he changed his clothes to riding ones. He decided that he would take a stroll down to the stable to talk with Elliot, his horse, about keeping him in check while he was with the woman.


______________________________________________________________

Darien arrived in the stables fully dressed to ride, he had awhile before Lady Argyle would arrive, if she arrived. Elliot was eating his breakfast of oats and apples, and there was another horse in the next stable that Darien recognized. It would seem that the horse was not given the same luxuries as his own due to Elayne's lower title. Darien picked up one of the apples that Elliot had not touched yet and began to cut it up into slices giving her a slice at a time.

"This is in hopes that you would be so kind as to make sure that I am gentleman with your mistress," said Darien as he gave the horse another slice. Darien heard a cough from the entrance of the stables that only could have belonged to Albert. As Darien looked up, he saw Albert and he also saw the young woman that he sought to redeem himself with.

The day had started off so well, but now it slowly turned into another nightmare. And everything was Darien Lawley's fault.

Frowning at her own reflection in the mirror, Elayne let out a deep sigh. "But Mary! Why do I have to go?" she complained to her servant who was busy brading Elayne's dark curls. "He's rude, incompetent and an awful person! Can't I rather stay here with you?"

The older woman replied with a shake of her head. "My Lady, he has requested your presence, and so we must abide to his wishes. Besides...I will be with you the whole time, and he cannot be as bad as you make him sound, can he?" As always, Mary was nothing but calm and she tried to make Elayne see the best in everyone. She might not have done so had she known of Lord Lawley's rude behaviour during the Hunt, but Elayne had not told her a thing. What was she supposed to say, anyway? That she had let herself go off on a ride with him, unescorted, and that he had kissed her? She'd just get a horrible scolding for that!

The main thought of the kiss made Elayne's face glow scarlet, and she looked down. That stupid man! He was an idiot, and she hated him! And...And that strong heartbeat the thought of his face gave her was nothing more than a feeling of anger!

---

In the end there had been nothing she could say or do to prevent it. And that is why, an hour later, Elayne stood in the stable door, staring darkly at the floor. Mary bowed to the Lord, and with a little nudge at Elayne, the girl did the same. But nothing more than that. She just stood stiff and rigid in her beautiful, scarlet riding gown. Her hair was pulled back in a long braid, and she would have looked quite pretty had not her countenance showed how badly she wanted to leave.-

"You have to be polite, my lady, or your uncle will never let us hear the end of this!" Mary whispered in Elayne's ear. This brought life to the girl, and she hurried inside the stable, walking straight towards Astra. "I bid you had a good night sleep, My Lord," was all she said before turning all her attention towards her horse. Really, if anyone else had requested a ride with her, she would have done it without a second thought! But Lord Darien? This was almost considered torture!

Darien smiled broadly. At the very least she showed up, and that was a lot to say considering their last encounter. Darien watched as she poignantly kept all of her attention on Astra.

Darien had nodded toward Elayne's serving woman, if he recalled correctly from Albert her name was Mary, but that was not that important at the moment. Darien turned his attention to Elliot as watched Albert out of the corner of his eye cast an inspective look at Mary. Albert believed that a threat could come from anyone, especially a woman. Darien dare not scold him for it, he knew a lot of women who were fatal for his health. But the look changed from one of inspection to one of...inquiry. The man did have an eye for beauty after all?

Darien finished brushing Elliot and turned to Elayne. "I thought we could go through one of the smaller trails. I understand the one that leads around the south end of the castle has a lake at the end of it," Darien said, still afraid to make direct eye contact with Elayne, but forcing his gaze not to leave her.

"So...how have you been?" Darien said, trying to break the stone cold silence between them with the metaphoric equivalent to an ice pick to an ice berg. Darien shook his head.

After the hell you have put yourself through over the last few days that is all you have to say to her?

"I'll be leaving in a couple of days, I..." Darien didn't know whether or not he should assume that she would miss him. He doubted it, Lord knows if this was any other woman he would care less. But she would most likely be thankful for his absence.

"The king has sent a proclamation to all of his lords to have his men meet him at the training grounds, along with any soldiers they can spare. I have to say I'm a little nervous about it, I've never been in a full out war. I was too young for my father to risk me going on barbarian raids during his time. Have any of the men in your family been summoned?" Darien asked, trying to get her to speak, hoping it would work.

He was awfully talkative. But Elayne tried her best not to show how little she cared about what he had to say by picking up a brush and gently running it over Astra's neck. He even dared to wonder how she was? Turning slightly on her heel, she eyed him before giving him a little nod. "Oh, I have been wonderful in the time I haven't seen you, my lord." It was a very polite way to say she'd been so much better without seeing him. But people of the court had already started to teach her how to conceal a meaning in everything she said. It was only up to him to decide if he should understand it.

Words had been offered to be polite now, so she could look away and not care again. It was much better not to look at him too, cause whenever their eyes met she felt... strange. It was obvious that it had something to do with the kiss and all the flattering he had showered her with last time they had been together. But his parting words with her then had left a looming shadow of broken pride and anger.

"I'll be leaving in a couple of days.."

His words managed to catch her attention, but she pretended it didn't, no matter how bad she was at pretending. War? So they really were caught up in it, just as the other court ladies had suspected.

Had Darien chosen his words differently, Elayne might have thrown Astra's brush as him. But to hear he was actually nervous, and the faint question at the end made it hard for Elayne to keep up her anger. Instead she felt her throat tightening and her fingers growing slightly numb.

"Had there been any men to summon, they might have been. But war has already claimed my brothers and my father's health, so there are no other men to call upon," she said slowly, her voice trembling slightly. Her father... She hadn't seen him for months! Was he alright? Did he still sit out in the sun during the nice weather, or was he stuck inside all day? Did the servants that were left take good enough care of him? Her uncle had promised her he would be well cared for, but it was hard to believe.

Darien grinned at her initial response to his horrible idea of an ice breaker. "I'm glad that you have been well," Darien said, working very hard not to say something smart mouth to her. His mouth had gotten him into enough trouble, by both its words and its actions.

Albert gave him a cross look when Darien mentioned the fact they were going to war. Darien paid him no heed and he could almost feel Albert's face spruce up in anger.

"I am sorry...I am afraid I had no idea that your brothers had been to war already. As for your father, well, I am sure that he and your brothers were quite an asset to his majesty's army," Darien was not sure if what he said would be of any encouragement. Lord knows that they would not be to him, but he had heard his father tell the wives of his soldiers something similar and it seemed to make them proud.

Darien looked at Elayne and her gaze seemed to travel far away from him, far away from the Keep all together as a matter of fact. Darien may not be the best with words or emotion, but he could tell when someone, especially someone he held in highest regard, was feeling pain.

"Is something wrong? You seem...troubled," Darien said stealing a glance over at Mary to see if her face would reveal anything.

So they had been an asset? Damn that asset! And damn the stupid war! Why did men and their big words always end up with violence? Why did great men of power always demand the service of those beneath them? And why did the men who served the lords so gladly throw their life away for honour? Even now she didn't understand. Everything about war seemed stupid to her, no matter how much she contemplated.

Mary noticed the glance Darien sent her, and simply offered him a plain nod. That her lady disliked this man so much he had to have done something to deserve that dislike. Therefore she was determined to support Elayne, as she always had. Ever since the little girl was placed motherless in Mary's arms, the widowed woman had cared for Elayne.

For a second forgetting whom she was with, Elayne shook her head. "I've been away for too long," it came from her before she bit hard down on her lip. As always the homesickness came with the thought of her father, and so did those threatening tears. Luckily she managed to supress the want to cry, though, when she once again realised who she was with.

"Uhm... What I meant, my lord, is that... I-...Nothing's wrong!" it was such a seethroughable lie that anyone would have ignored it.

Her dark gaze caught Darien's for a few seconds before she quickly looked away. "Do you play this role infront of all the girls you woe, my lord?" Elayne muttered, quiet enough for Mary and the manservant to not hear her. But she was pretty sure that idiot of a lord had! She had to say something to hide her sadness! Because there was no way she'd show him her tears again.

It took everything in Darien's strength to not wipe away the tears that seemed to be punching through the stone cold will of Elayne's eyes, but Darien knew that it would not be appropriate. Darien simply looked back at Astra as Elayne continued to stroke her hair with the brush.

"I am sorry if I said something that offended you. I apparently do not have the grace with words that my father had," Darien would have done anything to just crawl into a hole somewhere at the end of the world.

Darien was somewhat confused by Elayne's question, not because he didn't hear it fully, but because it seemed rather odd to be asking it. The way she muttered it, Darien was not sure if she meant it as a genuine question or more as a sarcastic retort that was meant to offend him.

"Most women did not require this much wooing. And no, I do not typically woo women. I regret to say..." Darien knew that if he said that he had shamed more women than he had wooed, Albert would go into an uproar and might kill these two ladies just to keep Darien's reputation untarnished. It was no big secret that Darien had had a number of lovers, but it was never brought into the circles that could cost him his fiefdom, or his life. Darien smiled at Albert as he could see Albert glaring at him with his face turning a brash scarlet. "This is actually very new to me, which would explain why I have been doing this all wrong."

Darien paced away from her for a moment thinking about what he should say and then he remembered one of the few talents he had. Darien turned and grinned at Elayne's turned face.

"I suppose the proper way of doing things would have been to have introductions arranged by Albert, here?" Darien walked up to Albert and in a stage whisper said in Albert's ear, "I would like to be introduced," Albert gave him a cold look and Darien grinned back at him with steel in his eyes. His mother may have his loyalty, but even Albert knew that his life could end with Darien's word.

Albert resigned and closed his eyes to the humiliating task that was to be presented to him and approached the Lady Argyle and gave a slight cough.

"My lord would like to be introduced to your ladyship. May I present Lord Darien Lawley of Lawley Fiefdom, the ruler of said Fiefdom," Albert said in a very monotonic tone. Albert stepped aside and gave a wave of his hand towards Darien as he approached proud and gallantly to Elayne.

"My good lady, how might a lowly creature find his way into such an angel's heart? Perhaps I could speak to the creator himself for permission to court you. Or is there an earthly guardian that the creator has given charge over you?" Darien then turned and saw Mary and grinned as he approached her and took her hands in his, "My dear lady, I wish for thy mistress's company for matters of courtship. Might you convince her to spend time with a lowly mortal who does not even deserve to be seen by the lowest of creatures in any kind of regard? Could the creator of this angel show some mercy to the low unfortunate soul?" Darien looked Mary in the eye and kissed her hands that he held and gently released them, awaiting her response.

So he did not realise he had been wrong about this before now? That fool of a Lord, who should not be a fool since he was older and supposedly wiser than her, hadn't even thought about how badly an impression he had left her? It wasn't even worth a laugh!

With every intention of ignoring Darien's further words, Elayne walked on the other side of Astra and continued with her brushing. He only said things that either confused or upset her, so this was a much better choice. Had not someone said once that ignorance was bliss?

But Elayne was given no such luxury. He approached her with a smile, offered her again those flattering words that brought a faint blush to her cheeks. Words that made her heart unwillingly skip a beat and her mind go blank. She hadn't wanted it, nor could she explain it, but she did indeed feel somewhat captured by such charm. But she forced herself to simply give him a dark scowl before turning her attention back to Astra.

Mary, on the other hand, could not so easily ignore the young lord. And no matter how much she had desided that she would dislike him, it proved hard to resist such charm. Had she only been younger, it might actually have worked too. But the middle-aged lady simply smiled motherly at Darien. "That is not for me to answer, my lord. My dear lady has a strong will of her own, and not even fiefdoms or handsome lords can control that will," Mary said with a little smile. But while Elayne had her back turned towards them she gave Darien a little wave and a smile. "The creator of such angel would bestow you anything in the world if you brought his daughter to his side. And the same might be said about her."

Elayne looked up, but she couldn't fully understand what Mary had said, nor why the woman smiled so at the young lord. "He's an arrogant fool, that's what he is..." she muttered soundlessly to Astra before she stepped out of the mare's stall and threw a quick glance at Darien. "Are you going to waste such lovely morning pouring sweet words or are we actually going for a ride, my lord?"

Her lack of politeness made Mary send her a strickt glance, but Elayne ignored it. He'd been quite frank at her before, he could handle it.

Darien smiled as he noticed that his charms had not completely died. Darien walked up to Elayne and nodded toward Albert who summoned two stable boys to saddle Astra, Elliot, and of course two more horses for Mary and Albert. Darien waited patiently as the boys prepared Astra's saddle first. Darien approached Astra and patted her head gently then turned to Albert. "I am afraid that protocol must dictate that I not assist you with your mount, fair lady," Darien said loud enough for Albert to hear. The older man came and offered his hand to assist Elayne while Darien looked Astra in the eye. "No need to make that mistake again?"

Darien mounted his own horse and waited patiently for Elayne to get onto her horse. Albert then went to assist Mary onto her steed, and Darien grinned as the older man once again took the opportunity to look at Mary with a curious eye. Darien could almost see the tinge of blush on his cheeks as he noticed that his master was watching his every move.

Darien focused back on Elayne and brought his horse up next to hers. "So, my lady, care to dictate how we ride? At the very least let Albert ride in the back so that he can keep a watchful eye over me. Would you and your maid servant care to ride ahead of us?" Darien was going to let her dictate this little venture, he had no desire for her to be scared off again.

Albert was having a bit of trouble with his horse, riding was not one of Albert's strong suits, it was one of the reasons Darien's father had not allowed him in the army despite the fact that the man could kill another before the other could blink. The horse could sense Albert's tension and did not apparently want him riding on his back and began trying to remove Albert from his saddle.

Darien rode up beside the beast and grabbed the reins and pulled back hard on them and glared at Albert, then gave him a mischievous grin. "It seems this horse and I have one thing in common, old man, both of us want you off of our backs," Darien said as the beast finally calmed down, as did Albert though mostly to spite his master.

Darien came up beside Elayne again, "How would you like us to ride out?"

It seemed like before Elayne even knew off it, she sat in Astra's saddle and watched Alfred struggle with his horse. The young mare had already started to sidestep when the other horse showed sign of being uncomfortable with his rider, but Elayne had stricktly tightened her reins slightly and succeeded in calming her.

The scene that now unfolded before her eyes seemed rather unlikely. Darien would actually help someone? That arrogant fool actually knew how to help? It was a surprise that slightly improved the image of Darien that Elayne had made up, but he was far from being on her good side. The kiss and his comment before they parted last time was still deeply burned into her memory.

How would you like us to ride out?

He asked her such a thing and Elayne most of all wanted to reply that she'd prefer to ride as far away from him as possible. But she didn't let such a childish comment escape her. If she did, he would laught at her, as he seemed to have for habit. Instead she simply shrugged her shoulders and gave him a short "I don't know."

She didn't know, but Mary did. The woman skillfully turned her horse around and snet Darien a little smile before riding back to Albert's side. "You two children ride on ahead. You shall be naught but bored by the talk of older people, so we shall not bother you with it. And be careful with that mare of yourse, my lady! How many times do I have to tell you that she is not a proper horse for a woman?" This was said to help Darien, but also to lecture Elayne, as Mary had for habit. Especially the horse was a soar subject between the two, as Mary meant Astra would be better off as a war-horse for some young lord.

"One too many!" Elayne exclaimed before she gently kicked Astra's side and let the horse trot slowly down the pathway. As if she wanted to underline this, Astra let out a little snort before she started to step sideways.

And when Elayne finally regained control again she was determined that it was an evil plot between Astra, Darien and Mary, as the mare had brought her much closer to Darien and his horse than she had wanted. "Are you sure you can keep up, my lord?" she asked, trying to cover over how uncomfortable it made her feel to be this close again by acting childish.

Darien caught Mary's eye and mouthed thank you to her. Darien led Elliot along the path that Elayne had begun to travel down. He also noticed that Astra was riding closer to Elliot than possibly Elayne felt comfortable doing. Darien glanced over his shoulders at their chaperones as they continued along the path. Albert was still trying to keep control of his horse, which had decided that since he was stuck having to ride with this man then he was going to go where he wanted to go. Darien chuckled and looked at Elayne, "Hopefully Mary can keep Albert's horse under control, because lord knows he can not."

Darien looked at Elayne and took in the full beauty of her in the sunlight. "You look beautiful, really? It looks like you have been doing well," Darien said as they continued along the way. Darien even pulled back a little bit so that Elliot would not get so friendly with Astra, and to give Elayne plenty of room.

"So tell me, has your servant always been this forward? No wonder Albert has a fondness for her. Albert always was a bit of a, shall we say, opinionated man that always voiced his opinions at the wrong times to the wrong people. But I have to say, I can see why she is so protective of you," Darien said as he looked at her again then quickly turned away before she could see him staring.

"I believe the left path is a bit denser than the right, but whatever path would be fine with me."

At Darien's comment, Elayne threw a quick glance over her shoulder. "She'll mange. And besides, her horse is lazier than a cat in the sunlight. It'll rub off on the other horse," she replied faintly, sounding mostly as if she was conversing with just another court-lady. But she didn't want to show him that she cared that it was he and not somebody else that accompanied her.

Elayne rode on in silence, but when she heard Darien speak again her grip around the reins tightened. What could he possibly say now? From her experience it could be anything from flattery to insults. It proved to be the first, and Elayne couldn't but get angry at herself for blushing. Why did his words affect her so? Whenever her uncle said she was pretty, she just got angry, never embaressed!

Showing just too easily that she avoided looking at him, Elayne answered: "Thank you, my lord. And yes, as I said, I have been good in the lack of your presence." The second the words left her, she knew her voice had sounded too rude. Had she turned around to look at Mary, she knew that the servant would be scowling at her and that she was already prepared to give the girl a scolding once they got back.

But she was, to her own surprise, saved by Darien when he requested more information about Mary. "Mary is like family to me. Is it not naturally among family to be forward around eachother?" Elayne asked simply, still not looking at Darien. He had said more things she wasn't sure if she understood correctly too. He could see why Mary was so protective? Was it because he could see how fond she was of the woman, or something else? Why did he have to keep confusing her?

At the crossroads, Elayne remained uncertain of which way to choose. Had she been alone with Mary, or even just with Darien, she'd have chosen the left path without a seconds thought. But Albert seemed to be struggling enough with his horse to want to take the denser road. "I... Would you not prefer the right path, Albert?" she asked the manservant, turning slightly in the saddle to look at him.

Darien found himself feel that pang of guilt again as she stated that she had done well in his absence. He couldn't help but think he deserved that. Darien turned away a bit in shame at the comment as they continued toward the upcoming fork in the road.

Darien grinned. "From what I understand, servants are usually seen but not heard in public. However, it appears that Albert and Mary missed that lesson during their training," Darien grinned as he cast a look over his shoulder to see that Albert seemed to have a small bit of control over his horse now, though he could tell that Mary stayed close just in case. It was either that, or she stayed close for other reasons.

When Elayne asked Albert his preference, Darien turned around to await his response. It would prove amusing. Albert would never admit it, but Darien knew that Albert would probably be anxious about going through the rougher trail.

Albert sat up in his horse, doing his best to cover up the fact that he was nervous. Darien, normally, would have made some kind of smart ass comment to Albert, but Darien did not do this. If someone were to ask him, he probably could not give a real reason why.

"There is a stream over here, why don't we let the horses have a drink and we can discuss the trail. Besides, if it was decided by a member of our party to return, it will be a lot easier to do it now whether than later," Darien looked at Elayne for a moment and quietly said so that only Elayne could hear, "and I would not blame you for wanting to end this outing a bit early."

Darien hopped off of his horse and looked up at Elayne for a moment. Albert had already gladly dismounted from his horse and approached Elayne to help her dismount, having already helped Mary.

As Albert helped Elayne off of her horse, Darien took it upon himself to take their horses to the stream. Albert's and Mary's horses, along with Elliot, were tied up next to the stream where they could easily reach the water. Darien approached Astra and looked at Elayne before asking, "Would you mind if I took your horse to the stream? I promise, I will be a complete gentleman," Darien said with a grin.

She really did face a dilemma. Yes, he had told her she could leave early if she wanted to, but did she? His presence was not one she favoured, but to be able to ride outside like this was a rare luxury for her. Normally she'd be stuck inside the keep for weeks without end, so a trip like this was always welcome. Besides... up until now he had behaved decent enough.

She watched with curious eyes when he approached her horse, well aware that Astra normally wasn't too fond of people. The mare had a strong personality and was very clear on who she liked and who she disliked. But the mare seemed to take to Darien, and willingly let him lead her to the stream.

"She seems fine with it, my lord, thus I cannot see why it should not be alright that you lead her," Elayne replied before she followed over to the stream where she bent down and gently dipped her fingertips into the cold water. The cold feeling against her fingers felt almost refreshing, and Elayne closed her eyes for a brief minute, just letting the water flow past her fingers.

Watching her lady sit by the stream, Mary smiled heartily. "That's a habit of hers, my lord. Her father, Sir Argyle, lost his leg in the war, the poor man. He's been chained to his bed and chair ever since. So when spring came to Argyle, Ellie here would run around and do things like touching the water, the flowers, collecting leaves. Just so she could show him and tell him about it later. Don't let her mood break your spirit. She'll be smiling like she normally does in a minute or two," the maid said, blinking at Darien.

Yes, she had meant to be careful around him at first, but the way he seemed to be so utterly and completely touched by Elayne amused Mary enough to give him little hints. If only Elayne could be with someone who'd care for her and would put up with her moods at all times, that would be the best.

Darien smiled as he led Astra to the stream. He had decided to give her just a little bit of freedom, for this horse was like her mistress, not willing to be confined. Finally, he did tie Astra near the stream with the other horses when Mary approached him. Albert was beginning to make his way toward Elayne. This must be the time where the other's chaperon went to ask if their charge was behaving themselves. Darien smiled, this was a fresh experience for him as he had never done any kind of courting of ladies.

As Mary came along beside him, Darien watched as Elayne ran her fingertips through the water.

"That's a habit of hers, my lord. Her father, Sir Argyle, lost his leg in the war, the poor man. He's been chained to his bed and chair ever since. So when spring came to Argyle, Ellie here would run around and do things like touching the water, the flowers, collecting leaves. Just so she could show him and tell him about it later. Don't let her mood break your spirit. She'll be smiling like she normally does in a minute or two," the maid said, blinking at Darien.

Darien grinned. "I have a sister who is similar in nature. One moment, she is as peaceful as this stream. The next, as perilous fjords that line the Lawley Fiefdom. I can certainly say that no one could ever say that their existence with her would be dull," Darien said as he found a spare piece of ground and asked Mary if she care to sit down.

Albert had made his way to Elayne and pulled out his wine skin to fill with water at the stream. Albert leaned down and filled it to as far as it went. Albert may seem a rather cold man, and a knowingly very lethal one, but his heart was genuinely in the right place. Albert dared not pretend that he did not enjoy torturing his young master, but if it came down to his life, Albert would willingly give it in order to save him. Despite the animosity between the two of them, Albert desperately wished for Darien's happiness, but he would never admit it.

"I do trust that the young lord has been acting like a gentleman. If he has not, I can be very persuasive for him to allow you to go back to the Keep," Albert said in a seemingly uncaring tone. Albert had not needed to ask the question, Albert had impeccable hearing and he had listened to the entire conversation while still holding small talk with Mary.

Mary too the offer and sat down, still watching Elayne. "I wonder, my lord... What ever did you do to cause such distress for her?" Mary wondered out loud, as if it was just a thought spoken out loud to herself. It was her own clever way to question Darien without sounding too direct or rude.

As for Elayne, she didn't even notice Albert until he spoke. She gave his words some thought and then shook her head, offering him a little smile. "So far he has behaved, master Albert. But thank you for telling me," Elayne said, still smiling. Already she had grown quite fond of the man, as he reminded her a lot about Mary. Something in the way he dared to look at Darien at too. And besides, Elayne normally liked people she met, as long as she got a good first impression. (Which could not be said about Darien).

"But would you not take the easiest road? It might prove hard for both you and your horse to take the difficult route, considering you'll both be rather tense?" She offered him nothing but genuine concern, yet you could also hear that she was somewhat disappointed that she could not take the more demanding road. Most ladies would be only glad to avoid it, but Elayne longed for something that wasn't as slow-paced as her days in the Keep.

Darien played with a few strands of grass as Mary took a seat next to him. Darien had to admit that Mary seemed a lot like Albert, except for Mary's capacity for tact that Albert lacked. Darien grinned as she tried to use some of that tact to get the answer to her question. Darien pondered avoiding the question or simply treating it as a thought that she had made outloud and left it be. Darien grinned and turned his attention to the woman at the stream as he spoke.

"I am afraid that in order to a true noble, I had to become an ass. The Lady Argyle saw the ass and not the noble. Then, to add insult to injury..." Darien was about to say what happened when he and Elayne had gone off alone after the hunt, but was afraid of how Mary would react. The last thing he needed was for her to be angry with him, out of all of them including Albert, she was the only one who seemed to be on his side.

Albert smiled at the Lady Argyle, a rare sight to say the least. Truth be told, no one had seen that man smile except Darien and that was only when Albert had done something to make Darien annoyed.

"I will go whichever way you would like to go. I might not be the best on a horse, but I think it has mostly to do with the beast himself. I will make do. Besides, nothing would make me happier than to see my lord sweat," Albert grinned as he took a drink from the wine skin. Albert looked at the Lady Argyle and decided to do something that was completely out of character for him.

"I have to say, however, I have never seen my lord act the way he has today. Lord Lawley has always had a charming way with women, but I have never seen him as nervous as he is around you. He seems almost...mortal. I do not suppose you know why he would act so strangely around you, do you? I have had very few experiences with it, but only one thing I have heard can make fools even bigger fools," Albert said taking a seat on the river's edge.

Darien's words left Mary chuckling to herself. Yes, this little fool seemed undoubtley in love with her little Lady. And yet Elayne seemed not at all to hold him in high regards. Well, from what she had heard about Lord Lawley, he'd only gain from this little struggle of his.
"Is that so? Then I suggest you try putting aside both the ass and the noble. It's the person she wants to know, if anything!" Yes, this could turn out amusing to watch, and thus Mary enjoyed giving Darien little tips. Perhaps his will to gain Elayne's goodwill could make him step fruther away from his old ways?

"You seem to have the same thoughts as I do," Elayne giggled, throwing a quick glance in Darien's direction. I would indeed like to see him struggle a bit to reach his goal!"

Elayne lifted her hands from the water and shook them before drying off the remaining water on the skirt of her dress. Old habits made her want to tell the closest person about how the water had felt, but she prevented herself from doing it. They wouldn't understand that game as well as her father did.

"Is he stranger than usual around me? I thought that was his manner of being. Everything he has said and done, I-.." Breaking herself off, Elayne found herself staring down at the ground, cheeks aflame. He had said much, but actions spoke louder than words. That kiss was still burned into her memory, as if branded.

Albert chuckled at the lady's naive question. "Yes, he certainly does. You see, my master's reputation for being uncaring, yet passionate are not unjustified. But I have never seen passion in him with others than I have seen with you this day, and yet he fears to show it. I must say it is rather amusing to watch him choose his words, when words have always come so easily for him. For the first time, I truly believe that he is afraid. I have only seen fear in his eyes once, after his conference with the King when he feared for his life. But the fear I see in him, would rival even that," said Albert as he smiled.

"Some might say you judge him too harshly. Not I, but some might. What grievance has he committed against you besides existing in your presence?" Albert watched Elayne carefully for her response, for it was not the words that would answer his quiry, but her actions.

Darien grinned at Mary. What was he to do to show his true self? "Any suggestions on how you one makes a woman unscorned?" Darien asked with a childish smirk.

"Fear? Master Albert, are you not mistaken? What could a Lord like Lawley ever find scary in me?" Elayne replied with a little laugh. No, she couldn't really understad it. Darien seemed perfectly free to say whatever he wanted around her, and she'd experienced the sharpness of those words before. Always mocking her or teasingly pretending to give her compliments...It seemed more like he enjoyed tormenting her. And that was not such a good treat, was it?

"Some might say you judge him too harshly. Not I, but some might. What grievance has he committed against you besides existing in your presence?"

The words instantly brought a blush upon Elayne's beautiful features. He asked her that, but how in the world would she be able to reply? She hadn't even told Mary that he had kissed her, so how could she tell this manservant? "I...He... He did something he shouldn't have," she started, throwing a quick glance at Darien. "S-something... he...I'd rather not talk about it!" And with that said Elayne straightened up and walked over to the horses, too embaressed to look back.

Mary chuckled a bit at both Darien's words and Elayne's reaction to whatever Albert might have said before her attention turned back to Darien alone. "That depends on what you've done. But show her kindness, that's what she wants. An appology wouldn't hurt either! Now, I'm gonna lend you a hand here, but you better take this opportunity! It sounds like you might be gone for a while, so this is your last chance!" Mary smiled before she stood up and waved at Albert. "Why don't we let the children take the more difficult path, and then I'll guide us through the simpler one? I know for certain that my little Lady would rejoice over a little challenge!"

Albert simply grinned as Elayne became too embarrassed to tell him what had happened. Truth be told, he already knew. Very rarely was Darien ever truly alone. Albert had watched the transgression from a distance, had even threatened Darien to speak to his mother about the matter. But why, when it was so much better to have something over his master's head. Even a servant knew a juicy piece of black mail when he saw it.

Albert's attention was brought to Mary's suggestion. Frankly, he did not like the idea. Out in the open, Albert rarely was out of eye shot of Darien. Darien's mother would be furious if she were to find out. But Albert certainly would not mind some time alone with Mary.

Darien too did not know what to do with the opportunity. He never thought Albert would go for it. Albert had rarely been too far away from Darien since he was a child, and he kept a closer eye on him now more than ever. Not to mention, he would be alone with her yet again and that could cause even more problems. Darien looked over at Albert and saw a similar conflict in his mind. It would be nice to not have his external conscience nearby.

Albert decided to answer for his master, "Sounds like a splendid idea. Mary and I will meet you two at the lake." Albert's sheer amusement over the awkwardness between Elayne and Darien won out over his sense of duty. Besides, Albert could keep a trained ear on the two youngsters as the paths were not too far away from each other. Granted, Albert would go on foot to intercept them, it would be faster.

Albert walked up to Elayne as she checked on the horses. Albert slipped a small knife in Elayne's saddle bag and winked at her. "In case he becomes anything less than a gentleman in my absence," he said as he untied his and Mary's horses and brought them to her so he could help her mount.

Darien walked cautiously toward the horses and Elayne after Albert left. He had not noticed Albert's little gift to Elayne, but even if he had he would have walked as cautiously towards her as he did now.

"I swear I had nothing to do with this arrangement," said Darien as finally came within talking distance of Elayne. Darien was horribly nervous now. But Darien knew what he had to do.

Darien approached Elayne with the most sincere look he could muster. Sincerity had never been his strong suit, even when he was truly being sincere as he was now. "Before we go, I wanted to apologize for the other day. I truly have no clue what was going on in my head. Have you ever had a moment that you seemed to be outside of yourself as you watched yourself do something completely asonine, and yet no matter how much you scream for yourself to stop, you do it anyway?" Darien realized he was babbling and hoped that what he said made sense, though he doubted it did.

The uneasiness her proposal brought to her companians only brought a smile to Mary's lips. They'd be all twitchy now, but she was sure that they would all thank her later. But luckily for her, Albert supported her idea. So she let him help her up on the horse again and they soon were off. The only difficult thing was leaving Elayne behind when she put up such a hurt and upset face as she did as she looked after Mary.

How could she leave her like this?! Elayne looked almost desperatly at Mary,.but the maid didn't seem to notice. And before the girl could do anything else, both her and Darien's servant was out of sight, leaving the two of them alone by the stream. And to make things even worse, that...that idiot came closer! It didn't even help that Albert had made a bid deal about the knife he slipped into her saddle-bag either! Darien was still there, and...why did she feel so strange? Her heart kept beating hard in her chest and she felt like she just wanted to run away and hide.

He didn't have anything to do with this? Elayne put up an expression that showed just how she did NOT believe him. He'd undoubtley convinced Mary to leave them alone, and now he planned on making a fool out of her again, no doubt.

Yes, his nervous expression might have fooled her before, but now...she wouldn't let herself be fooled again. Elayne might have continued to keep on not believing him, hadn't he started to ramble on like he did. The way he seemed to struggle with words was in almost the same manner she struggled with words when she was nervous. But that didn't mean she had forgiven him!

"I cannot say I have had such an experience, so forgive me for not understanding what you mean," she said, rather cooly, before she grabbed onto Astra's reins and walked a bit closer to Darien. "So? Are you going to help me up or just stand there all day...my lord?"

Now... why had she walked so close? He would surely be able to heart her heartbeats now, and who knows what he might do! Stupid, stupid, stupid! She shouldn't do things like this without thinking about them more.

Darien was stung by the coldness of her words, though he tried not to show it. He turned his attention to Elliot to avoid her eyes. However, the truest test of his endurance came at last.

Darien approached Lady Argyle very carefully to help her onto her horse. He looked at Astra, begging with his eyes for her not to do anything that could compromise her mistress's character. Darien extended his hands toward Elayne.

"Whenever you're ready, my lady," Darien said, sounding more like a servant than a noble. Darien wished there were some way to make her see that he was truly sincere about what he said.

If Albert was still close enough to see this display, he would surely be laughing at this entertaining display of noble awkwardness. If he mentioned it to Darien, he decided that he would have Albert killed. Though it was an empty threat, it brought a tiny smile to his face in this moment of discomfort.

With an almost childish shyness Elayne let Darien help her up on her horse, and luckily nothing happened. With trained hands she gathered Astra's reins and turned towards Darien. "Do you have any idea how confusing you can be, my lord?" Elayne asked quietly before she quickly urged Astra forward. She didn't want to be close to him when or if he would reply to her words. Instead she let her horse walk slowly towards the path, not waiting for Darien.

She didn't know what else to say to him! Apart from being angry at him, she was also confused by his words and actions. She still was! Every time they met he would say or do something to contradict her last impression of him, so she was unsure of which impression to trust and believe. In addition to that she was also getting more and more nervous around him for some strange reason she couldn't understand.

It had started after he had kissed her, the few times she had caught a glimpse of him. Whenever that happened she'd escape far away and be left with a beating heart and blushing cheeks. He had the same impact on her now, but the fear of him saying something to disappoint her again worked against his favour. And her fear fuled her bad temper, making it hard for her to stay calm.

As she rode off toward the path, Darien quickly leaped onto his horse. And Albert said that those quick getaways would never help him do anything. Darien quickly caught up with Astra and kept a respectful distance from Elayne.

"One might say the same thing about you. If I infuriate you so much, why is it that every time I give you a compliment you blush and smile?" Darien knew that he might be stepping over his bounds right now but decided that he had to risk it. Darien rode in front of Astra and thanks to the narrow path was able to block her way.

"I only ask because if I were anything like my equals I would simply go to your father or uncle and ask their price for your hand. But I am asking you what is the price for your heart, for it seems that mine is not worthy enough for you to take in exchange. What more do I have that you want, name it and I will give it to you. Ask me for the King's crown and I will risk my life to get it. I would even face the gallows for the mere chance that I might hold your heart and you hold mine for but a moment. Answer that, then I will call for Albert and Mary and you can return to the castle if you refuse me," Darien did not know where this passion came from, but it was stronger than even when he kissed her. There was not much time left, he would soon be going to war and he could not be distracted. If his heart must break, then let it be now.

"Eh?"

It was a pathetic reaction and to outsiders like Darien it might seem just surprised. But the way he stopped her, the words he said, the answers he demanded from her... For some strange reason they made her heart beat faster and she could feel heat rise in her cheeks.

The silence that followed was heart-wrecking. Elayne felt more nervous than her first time in court and for once she didn't know at all what to say. And it was simply because she thought that, for once, he was sincere. The way he had looked at her, the tone of his voice... what could possibly be lies? Not to mention that she felt his words justified his earlier actions. And for the first time she felt she could understand his reason for kissing her.

Elayne took a deep breath and looked up at Darien again, obviously still surprised. "I-...I don't know. I.... I'm suppose to dislike you, remember? But ever since the hunt, ever since the.....I don't know, I just...Hating you became difficult," she stuttered, feeling as if her face was on fire. What was she supposed to say? She was too young to have any real experience with love and too distant from the ways of the court when it came to proper courting. Not to mention that she was pretty clueless when it came to her own feelings. To her it just seemed like a big not of confusing feelings and opinions.

Darien's heart seemed to be leaping out of his chest. He knew that Elayne had to hear his heart beating but he didn't know the next step. Darien tried to come along side Astra with Elliot, but the narrow path made it nearly impossible. Darien tried to steer Elliot to back up along side her, but the thick, rocky forest around them had other plans.

Elliot suddenly screeched in pain and rose up on his hind legs, almost coming dangerously close to Elayne's head before Darien pulled the reins away from her with all his might. Darien tried to calm Elliot down, but it was no use. Elliot did a fast twirl away from Elayne and Astra and kicked his back legs knocking Darien from his saddle. Darien flew from the horse's back and hit a tree and felt a crunch in his ribs where they made contact with the tree.

Darien saw Elliot running quickly away up the path toward the lake in which they were all supposed to be headed. Darien tried to get up but found that he was dizzy. He then looked down on the ground and saw a bit of blood where his head had landed on a stone.

It all happened so fast. Elayne didn't even have time to scream before Darien's horse was gone and she could no longer see the young lord. The commotion had managed to get Astra rather fired up as well, but Elayne somehow managed to calm the mare down. Once she had managed this she grabbed her reins in one hand and turned around to look for Darien. And that scream that hadn't escaped her before filled the air now.

She quickly dismounted Astra, or, well, dismounted as fast as possible in her big dress, and hurried over to Darien's side. Her cheeks were drained for colour and she seemed about to cry when looking at him. What if he died? It would be her fault! If she hadn't made him say all he had said before, if she hadn't decided on taking just that path...he'd probably be riding by her side now!

"M-my lord...?" she stuttered quietly, reaching out a shivering hand to touch his cheek. "What should I do..? What should I do?" she muttered to herself, feeling her whole body tense with fear. What if he really did die? What would she do then?

Elayne scrambled to her feet again and somehow managed to walk over to Astra. Once by the horse she opened the saddlebag where she found a piece of cloth and a little water-skin. Just what the cloth had been meant to be she didn't know, but couldnt care less about either. She was too busy rushing back to Darien's side where she sat down by his side. Skin and cloth in hand, she seemed ready to do someting to help, but truth was she had no idea what to do. It had always been Mary who'd taken care of the wounded back home, and the only thing Elayne knew for sure was not to move someone that had fallen from their horse. At least not at once and....

Aah, she was crying too now!

Darien could feel himself getting tired. His eyes were half closed as it was. The thing that woke him up was the scream from Elayne's lips, and then her sobbing at his side. Darien finally forced his eyes open and touched her arm with his hand.

"I'm all right, the perks of being me is that you get into plenty of sticky situations. This is nothing," Darien said. Darien tried to move his body up against the tree that his ribs had made contact with to sit up.

"First thing's first, you need to check my head and find out where I'm bleeding. Then, take that clothe you have got there and press it against the wound to prevent any more blood loss," Darien said as he leaned forward for her to find the wound.

"Next, you have to keep me awake. No matter what. If I fall asleep, I might not wake up," Darien said as she looked for the wound. Darien took the opportunity to run his hands down his ribs. He was thankful that the ribs were not broken in such a way that he could not put them back. It seemed that there was just one rib where it did not belong. Darien attempted to push it back in, but he was still disoriented and knew that he had to be precise unless he wanted more permanent damage.

The reassuring touch to her arm managed to calm Elayne down a bit, but she was still crying. But she did listen to everything he had to say, and once he was done she nodded to show him she'd understood.

And so with trembling hands she carefully searched for Darien's wound. But because she was so nervous, it took longer for her to find it than anyone else might have taken. What was most important was that she did find it, though, and she pressed the cloth as hard as she dared against the wound.

"Th...then you better not dare fall asleep!" it came from her once she had heard his last comment. If it might not wake up again then... wouldn't she be lonely? It was almost painful to admit it, but she would. He was the only one at court apart from Mary that let her be herself, and so without him she'd be left with no one to help her maintain her own feeling of self that the court seemed to try and wry from her.

"We still have to go to that place you talked about, a-and..." she started, wiping away some tears. "...and I'm still angry at you! S-so...so don't you are run out on our argument! If you do, I'll... I'll really hate you foreever! So don't you dare sleep!"

Darien smiled at her words, even through the grimace as his ribs began to ache in pain. Darien reached behind his head and held the clothe down upon the wound, grazing her hand with his as he did so.

"All right, you are doing well," Darien said. He knew he would need her help with this, and there was no way that he could get out of it. He would need to be able to ride and move in order to get to the lake. There was a chance that Elliot would get there and Albert would see him without Darien and come down the trail to look for them, but Darien didn't know how long that might take.

"Elayne, there is one more thing we have to do," Darien took his free hand and took her hand in his. For a moment, that touch took all the pain that Darien's body was feeling and soothed it like no medicine could ever do. Darien took her hand down his chest to where the rib was dislodged. "Do you feel that? The rib is broken just under my arm. I need you to push the rib back in until it feels like the rib above and below it. This will be painful for me, but you need to do it. Do you understand?" Darien asked Elayne as if he was asking a child to hold a sword and kill his brother.

Darien released her hand and grabbed a strong piece of wood and placed it in his mouth. He looked at Elayne and nodded his head stating that he was ready. He looked over Elayne's pale face and knew that he was being a bit selfish, having a lady who had never had to take care of an injured man do so much to keep him alive.

Darien closed his eyes, and waited and prayed for Elayne to have the strength to do what needed to be done. While at the same time, using the anticipation to keep him awake.

The praise he gave her served to give Elayne just a little braver. She even managed to force a little smile on her lips, as if to show Darien that she could manage. It didn't take long for that smile to disappear again, though, when she realised what he was asking of her. Of course, she did understand, but...

Shaking her head furiously, Elayne showed how much she was against this with every fibre in her entire body. And when he moved her hand to feel his broken rib she let out a little whine. How could she risk helping him? She'd surely mess up and then he might remain hurt for the rest of his life! How could she face him then?

But he seemed all ready for her to try and fix it now. He even had enough faith in her that he let her do it! Elayne swallowed and placed both of her hands over his misplaced rib. She took a deep breath, as if to calm herself before she pressed the rib as hard as she could. It was, of course, only natural for her to not get it done as fast as possible, but in the end she did manage. And once she did she quickly withdrew her hands and stared at Darien, pretty sure she had ended up killing him.

Darien bit into the wood like a steel ax cutting through it. The pain that came from the bones being reset was excruciating, more so than the initial break. Darien gritted through the pain as much as he could but then a small wail of pain escaped his lips.

The task seemed to take an eternity, but it was understandable. It was her first time doing it, and she was not as strong as Albert who could usually do it quickly with one hand.

Darien dropped the piece of wood out of his mouth and turned with tears in his eyes to Elayne. He smiled at her and nodded his head. "Didn't hurt a bit," Darien smiled at her, hoping to reassure her.

Darien looked up at Astra with a curious look. He saw one of Albert's knives hanging from one of the saddle bags. Darien looked back to Elayne.

"Listen, I need you to take Albert's knife and help me get out of this shirt. We are going to need to tear it and use it to wrap around my ribs. The physician at the Keep will do much better, but it can get me back there in more or less one piece. Elayne?" Darien said, wondering if she was still paying attention. Darien took his hand and placed under her chin to raise her eyes to his. For a moment, only a moment, Darien dared to lean closer. But reason caught up with him to make him satisfied to give her a compliment.

"Did you know that you have the most beautiful smile when you try to do it through tears?" Darien said as he took his thumb and wiped a tear from the rose cheeks of his love.

"Listen..."

That one word sent a shiver through Elayne, and she was almost sure that he'd ask her to do another horrible thing. She had already vitness his fall and helped to put his rib back in place so... what more could it be he asked for?

"...I need you to take Albert's knife and help me get out of this shirt. We are going to need to tear it and use it to wrap around my ribs. The physician at the Keep will do much better, but it can get me back there in more or less one piece. Elayne?"

These words caused Elayne to stare at Darien for a long time. She was tempted to shake her head, but that would just be too cruel, wouldn't it? To leave him here like some other butchered animal... it would be wrong! But then he leaned closer, and he uttered those sweet words, and she could feel herself giving in. The same halfhearted smile from before appeared again and she nodded slowly. "Fool..."

With great effort she managed to get to her feet and walk over to Astra where she took the knife. Then she hurried back and did as instructed, although rather hesitant. She wasn't at all used to doing what she now did, not to mention that every time her fingers brushed against Darien's skin she'd quickly withdraw her hand and try to hide a blush. This caused the bandaging to go rather slowly, but eventually she managed to calm herself enough to do a half-decent job.

"Y-you've made me do all these things...don't you dare die now!" she said, her voice hinting a bit about her usual stubborness.

If Darien were to be honest with himself, he was really rather enjoying himself at this very moment. Despite the pain that her touches sometimes gave his ribs, it made his heart leap a bit. Darien almost chanced a look at her to give her a devilish grin, but decided against it. That's the braggart she hates talking.

After she finished wrapping his ribs, he checked the bandaging. Not bad for a first time. He then looked at Astra and gave a quizzical look. He was not sure if Astra knew how to be gentle enough to carry a wounded man.

Suddenly, Darien heard hoof steps coming toward them. He instinctually reached for his sword, knowing that whoever it was could easily take him in his current condition. Fortunately, it was Elliot coming back, but he was guided by a familiar face. Albert's expression hardened as he saw the predicament. Apparently he and Mary had headed up the path and gotten to the lake in time.

"My lady, your servant waits for you at the clearing if you wish to ride ahead. I will help Lord Lawley onto his horse and head up behind you. I doubt that it would be a comfortable journey to go back the way you two came," said Albert with an almost father like gentleness. "Or you can ride just in front of us, seeing as he is your patient."

The sudden sound of hoofsteps made Elayne turn her head in direction of the sound, and she let out a little sigh of relief when she saw who it was. And as the servant walked closer, Elayne slowly moved herself away from Darien to give Albert the space he needed.

As for when he asked her if she'd ride ahead or follow them..."I-... I'll ride with you," she almost whispered, her cheeks turning unmistakably red. But... She still felt that she was partially to blame for Darien's wounds, so to leave him now might be too cruel.

To manage to escape the embaressment, Elayne turned towards Astra and gave the mare a light pat before easily mounting her. Then she turned towards Albert and Darien again. "You can manage, can you not, Master Albert?" she asked, her voice steadier than before. Yeah, just that little breather had helped her regain some of her composure. That and she had dried away most of her tears, leaving only her slightly red and puffy eyes to witness that she had shed tears.

((Not the best post, but my muse is running low now))

Darien both cursed Albert and silently thanked him for showing up. He knew it would be hell to get on a horse with Elayne's help, what little she could offer. However, the time they had spent together had changed a few things. At least they seemed to.

Albert went off his horse and looked at the dressings of the wounds. Albert noticed that the ribs needed to be tighter so he undid them and pulled hard. He heard a couple of them pop into place. Darien grimaced in pain and turned away from Elayne, not wanting to show it to her. Albert, who was behind Darien, simply grinned. He looked up at Elayne and bowed. "You have done well, my lady. You very well may have saved his life," the next words were uttered so only Darien could hear them, "I trust it wasn't all for naught."

Albert helped Darien off the ground. He noticed the head wound and quickly bandaged it. They could be back at the Keep within the hour, he should be fine until then.

Darien was helped onto his horse with quite a bit of pain on his part. Albert hardly gave it notice and mounted his own. He tied the reins to his own saddle so that his horse may lead, as Darien would not be able to steer the horse with his ribs the way they were.

"Lead on then, my lady," and the party began their trek back to the lake to take the easy route back to the Keep.