Of Heart and Steel

"I hate this, Father," Ororo said, shifting back and forth on the seat cushion, casting a baneful eye to the Lord King Delleous, Leader of the Moon Elf nation.

The Elf King eased the side of his head into his palm and sighed, "Must we again go over this, my child?"

"There is no harm in me trying anything I can to get out of this, now, is there?"

"Other than your poor father's mental well being?" he said with a quirk of a smile.

Ororo could not help but grin a bit, her father's smile was good to see again; no matter what, it always made her feel better. "If I have to suffer through this, I fully intend to drive you mad with me," she said teasingly.

"Too late my child, your mother took care of that long ago," he said, letting the smile consume his face. He reached over and brushed away a tassel of her snow-colored hair "I know this is not fair to you daughter, but you must understand the causes behind your union."

"I do not even know him, Father!"

"Young Prince Xavius is a good man Ororo, I have no doubts that he will make a good husband for you." Delleous said, placing a hand on his daughter’s knee as she gazed out of the carriage window.

"These are dark times my child. The coming war is set to erupt and we elves must choose a side in it, or we will be forced to stand alone when the time comes for us to fight." The Elf king looked into his daughters eyes. "King Xavius and I thought that a union of our children would make for an ironclad agreement between our two nations."

"I was not even given the choice of it, Father, and I am sure that the prince was not, either." Ororo turned from him and stared into the passing countryside "I still don’t understand why it has to be this way; an Alliance has always been the answer for these affairs. Why must it be my wedding to lock the terms in place?"

Delleous gave his daughter a soft hand on her shoulder. “People need a symbol Ororo, it gives them strength and something to believe and hold onto. A treaty is a peace of paper with the names of two old men on it, but this is something the people of both the nations can have faith in."

"I know, Father," Ororo said, looking back into his eyes. "I just wanted to be in love when I married.�

"Perhaps you and the Prince will yet find that love, my dear." Delleous said with hope. "Time holds many surprises for us all.�

Ororo simply nodded and turned back to the window. She brushed away the tear that rolled down the side of her cheek, hoping her father had not seen it.


Tyeradal, High Capital of Aldriah
The town of Drenik

“You could have at least bathed, Creed� High Marshall Lucas Bishop said, scrunching his nose up at the larger man.

Victus Creed sneered at him. “For some fancy ass Elf and his silver spoon daughter?� The Captain rolled his head to the side and spat “Not bloody likely.�

Bishop only shook his head; of all the candidates Magnus could have appointed as Captain of the Guard… “That silver spoon Elf is our future queen, I trust I will not have to remind you of that again,� he said, giving him a stern look.

“Might as well turn the country over to the Northmen, if you expect these pansies to win the war for us.� Creed spat onto the ground again. “Elves ain’t worth the meat on their scrawny bones.�

“The same could be said for Half-breed ogres.�

Creed growled low in his throat, “Mind your tongue Easterner, or I’ll hang you with it.�

Bishop placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. “Whenever you feel like it Creed, you can try for that promotion at any time.�

Creed bared his jagged teeth at him, “One day, Bishop…�

“Yes I know, you will have my bones for your bread, I have heard it all before, Creed; now, to attention, our guests have arrived.� Bishop called his color guard to attention.

“That’s Giants asshole,� Creed muttered, but called his own group to the ready.

The armed escort of horse-mounted elves preceded the carriage bearing the Royal Seal of the House of Storm.

The lead rider stopped in front of Bishop and bowed low. “Lord Marshal Bishop?�

Bishop nodded. “I am.�

The rider dismounted and removed his helm. “I am High Retainer Drallen en Mallyos.� Bishop extended his hand, and the two clasped forearms. “Welcome to Aldriah, my lord.�

Drallen smiled, “No lord here, sir, just a tired soldier with an empty belly.�

Bishop let a grin spread across his stony features. “I can relate to your situation.� The two soldiers walked toward the carriage

“Any problems on your trip?� Bishop asked.

Drallen shook his head. “None other than the usual bad roads, and worse weather.�

“How are the Lord and Lady?�

They stopped a few feet from the carriage “Well as can be expected, other than the contagious hunger that seems to be spreading throughout my entire rank.� Drallen smiled again.

Before Bishop could reply, the carriage door opened and a tall elf dressed in elven attire stepped from the carriage.

Behind him came one of the most gorgeous beings Bishop had ever seen. Draped in silver garments of silk with mageweave slippers stood the daughter of the Moon Elf King. A trained soldier like Marshall Bishop, who had always found it easy to ignore such things (other than that one time long ago) found he could not look away. Even Creed, who never bothered to even glance at the face of the woman who was willing (or unwilling) to bed with him, found himself struck by the creature who stood before him.

Drallen noticed the look on Bishop’s face and grinned to himself softly “Marshal Bishop, I present to you His Majesty, King Delleous Uth Monroah and Her Majesty, Princess Ororo es Monroah.�

Bishop collected himself as best he could and bowed low to the two. “My Lord and Lady, welcome to Aldriah.�

The ride from Drenik was not a long one, and for that Ororo thanked the Lady of the Stars.

She had been stuck in the carriage for what seemed like an eternity and could not wait to feel sunlight on her face. The Marshal rode with them in the carriage, even though he had tried to respectfully decline. King Delleous would have none of it.

“How fares Lord Xavius these days, it has been much time since we last talked?� asked the Elven King.

Bishop, who was uncomfortable in the narrow space across from the two elves, nodded his head. “He is as well as can be expected.�

“Yes,� Delleous agreed, “with all the troubles of the land I can understand his burden, it is the same for myself.�

“King Xavius is not downed, however; He has great faith that with the alliance between our peoples and with the blessing of the Mother Phoenix, the tide of woe will fade.�

Delleous smiled at him. “Of course we must have faith in these times, if not that, then what do we have?� Bishop nodded his agreement

“How is the young Prince Scott?�

Bishop smiled slowly “Much the same, even though he is the adopted heir, he is so much like his father. Optimistic, full of ideals, controlled and patient.�

Boring as the hells from the sound of it, Ororo thought to herself.

“My Lady Ororo, I understand that you are the heir to the Mantle of Storm?� Bishop asked.

Ororo turned to him and studied him for a moment. He was handsome, even if he was quite a few years older than her. His dark skin and tattoos marked him as a native of the far eastern lands. “Yes Lord Bishop, on my twenty-third birthday, I will inherit the title that once belonged to my mother.�

Delleous smiled at Bishop. “Yes, since Ororo’s mother joined Those that Came Before, we have not had a Bearer of the Storm in quite some time, It is quite a milestone in her and our people’s lives. I am merely an old man who must sit and listen to scripts all day, but
Ororo will take the most important role of her people.�

Bishop nodded in agreement. “ I do not know much of the Mantle. I have always heard it was a important part to play among your people.�

“The most important role any of our people could ever dream to aspire to,� Delleous said. “I am but a King, Ororo will be a Goddess.�

“Father, please,� Ororo said; this talk was making her uneasy. “I plan on being no Goddess
I only want to be what I must for my people.� She looked Delleous right in the eye. “In all ways asked of me.�

Bishop could easily see some tension between the two, and he had a good idea as to what it was about. It seemed the young Prince Scott was not the only one upset about this union.

Bishop cleared his throat to break the awkward moment. “Word of the North has been good of late, The Northmen have fallen back from the Gray Woods.�

Delleous silently breathed a sigh of relief, there was only so long he could handle the look of those brilliant blue eyes of his daughter.

So much like her mother.

“Good news to hear� he agreed. “I had heard they were going to make a push to Barrenfall.�

“And they would have, if they would have had a more competent leader.�

“Brutes and murderers, all of them; not an intelligent one among their ranks.�

Bishop lowered his head slightly. “I must disagree, my Lord, Lentrok is a wily and cunning leader, a match for any strategist under my command, and his prowess in battle is that of legend among his people. The same cannot be said for all of his lieutenants, but no side can make that claim.�

Delleous tensed a moment at the mention of the Northmen chieftan. He knew that name all too well. “So I have been told.�

“An exception would be his son. He is said to be so more skilled than his father.�

Delleous took a slow drink of water from the cooler to his side. “As I have also heard.�

“My Lord,� Drallen rode to the side of the carriage, “we have reached Teyradal�

Delleous waved him away. “Thank you, Retainer.�

“I have never met a Northman,� Ororo said. “Are they as vile and barbaric as they say?�

Before Bishop could speak, Delleous spoke up. “Of course they are, Ororo, they are more beast than man, they have plagued our people for generations. Savages, nothing more�

Ororo glanced at Bishop, who had become very stoic. “Their ways are not our ways. They are a dangerous enemy, who are more than willing to shed our blood, but we are no less willing, I have seen savagery on both sides of the conflict.�

Ororo took in what he said and decided to ask no more on the matter.

The giant gates that led into the main square of the city opened for the entourage and closed behind them with a loud metallic slam after they entered.

Palace doors:

Ororo was the first out of the carriage. Standing in the middle of the garden in front of the palace, she stretched her arms and legs and tilted her head toward the sky, letting her long hair cascade down her back.

Not a guard in the area had his eyes on anything but her. Even for an elf, Ororo was beautiful, much to her own chagrin. Most men, human or elf, never bothered to look any deeper than past her light brown skin; underneath all that laid on the outside, as flawless as it was, laid the true prize, the heart of a exceptional young woman.

No one ever bothered to look, though. Blind adoration was one thing, loving her for her gorgeous face or her perfect body was easy for any man to do, but to be loved for what was on the inside, the true measure of one’s self, that was what she needed.

Even if she possessed the Mantle of Storms at this very instant, all would still marvel at her beauty and gaze in awe at the power she possessed, but it would still be hollow, no one ever wondering about whom lay beneath, and she was sure that this young prince would be the same as the rest.

Ororo shook the thoughts off as her father and Lord Bishop came to her side. She refused to feel sorry for herself. She was needed by her people, by the people of Aldriah, and by her father.

Duty before all.

Ororo steeled herself and kept repeating it over and over in her head as she clutched the single piece of jewelry she wore. It was a small silver locket her mother had given her. Even though she had much, much more elaborate jewelry, she never wore a single item other than the locket.

Bishop led them up the long flight of stone steps to the doors of the palace. Ororo thanked the Lady for wearing comfortable slippers instead of the high heels that her chambermaids had insisted upon. When they finally reached the top, two halberd-bearing guards opened the doors and bowed to the passing royalty.

As Ororo let her eyes wander around the inside of the palace, she had to admit, humans certainly knew how to make drab and dull stone look splendid.

The room was large, very large. Banners bearing the lion and the colt, the standard of Aldriah, hung from the well-shaped stonewalls. The pillars were intricately etched with markings telling tales of heroes long dead and stories since lost.

Ahead of them in the center of the room stood the thrones. The throne of the king was made of solid gold with the head of a lion on the left armrest, and the head of a colt on the other. The back spread out high into great wings of fire, made from the purest gold, the symbol of the god of Aldriah, the Mother Phoenix.

To either side of the throne sat two chairs similarly decorated, but lacking the lion and colt heads, the long vacant throne of the queen on the right, and the throne of the crown prince on the left.

So taken in by the detail of the thrones themselves, Ororo did not pay much attention to those who sat in them until they had been brought before them. A page of no more than twenty came and stood before them.

“My Lord Charles Xavius, King of the Nation of Aldriah, and monarch of the Lands of the West, and his son, Crown Prince Scott Xavius, bid welcome to you, Delleous Uth Monroah, King of the Dallenwoods and Lord of the Moon Elf people, and to you, Ororo es Monroah, Princess of the Dallenwoods, and Heir to the Storm.�

The page bowed to them and left.

King Xavius was smiling as widely as his features would allow him. “ My Lord and friend Delleous.� He rose and the two embraced.

“It has been far too long, Lord Xavius� Delleous said.

“Enough of the formalities, Delleous, I have to deal with that all day,� Charles said, his smile not faltering a inch.

Delleous laughed and the two hugged again. The smooth brown eyes of Xavius found the deep ocean blue of Ororo’s. In them she could see much kindness and warmth, but they also held the burden of worry and sadness.

“This must be Ororo,� he said as he took her hand, “My lady, word of your beauty reaches as far as the Dagger Peak Mountains, but all of the words melt like thin snow from the warmth and radiance you bring.�

Ororo, used to being flattered, still felt a flush form up her cheeks. And this time, she did not mind hearing the words of praise at all.

Beside King Xavius stood a young man, appearing about the same age as Ororo. He carried himself as if he were years older. His walk shouted discipline and control. Ororo tried to study his features as best she could. Short brown hair, cheeks showing not a sign of stubble, a tightly formed mouth, but his eyes she could not see.

A pair of dark spectacles covered them from sight. Strange, Ororo thought as the prince took her hand.

“A pleasure� was his short greeting to her, He turned to Delleous. “My Lord,� and with that, he stood back beside his father.

Better and better all the time, Ororo sighed to herself.

“Well,� Lord Xavius said finally, “I am sure you must be tired; please retire to your quarters and rest, we will talk more at supper.�

Xavius waved over to the pages to bring in the elf royalty’s belongings.

“If it is all the same to you, Father, I think I would like to go for a walk in the city,� Ororo said.

Delleous looked puzzled “Are you not tired, my dear? The trip was a very long one.�

Ororo looked up at her father “I just spent days riding in a carriage, Father, I do not think I could stand being confined to a room just now.�

Delleous sighed and smiled in sweet memory; there was her mother again, showing through in every way “Very well; I will call Drallen and have him prepare an escort for you…�

“No escort needed, Father,� Ororo said, smiling as she quickly hurried down the palace hall and to the doors “I will be back in time for the supper.�

“Ororo, now wait just a moment,� Dellous tried to say, but she was gone before the last word left his lips. He turned to see a smiling Xavius.

“The girl is a free spirit.� he said.

Dellous looked at him with a helpless grin. “You have no idea.�

Chapter 3

Tyeradal,
Market district

Even late in the evening, the market was still bristling with life and business. Merchants, travelers, and traffickers packed closed together exchanged untold amounts of money for goods and services.

Ororo smiled slightly to herself. The way the Humans led their life with so much haste, it was a wonder they lived as long as they did. It was one more thing she missed about her home, the quiet serenity of the Dallenwood. Ororo frowned then, thinking of the way the Ironwood trees reached into the heavens, and the way some of them would be turning the warm golden brown of the coming Harvest season.

The city was an exciting and breathtaking place, that she could not deny, but the thought of home was already starting to eat away at her.

“Thief, stop him, Thief!!!�

So engrossed was she in her own thoughts, Ororo never heard the cries or saw the oncoming man running toward her. Before she even had the chance to raise her head, two strong hands grasped her about the shoulders and pulled her into the adjacent alley.

“Forgive me, my lady,� he said, then he kissed her.

Ororo’s eyes went wide with shock. Struggling to dislodge this stranger from her lips, she noticed a portly man wearing the apron of shopkeeper run past the alley in a fury of curses.

Finally disengaging the kiss, the man looked at her and smiled. “My lady,� he said with a devil-born grin, “I think I am in love.�

Ororo slapped him, hard. “Who in the hells do you think you are?�

The man rubbed his cheek softly, but never once did the grin leave his face. “Full of fire too, Remy knows it now, he is definitely in love!�


Ororo was outraged, she slapped him again, this time on the other cheek “I could have your head for this,� she said, still flustered; she kept telling herself it was from the shock of it all and not the warm sensation that fluttered in her belly.

The man who called himself Remy grinned again “You already have my heart, my lady, you might as well have my head, too.�

Ororo looked at the smiling man and was shocked to hear herself laugh. She could not deny the man’s charm. “Who are you?�

He swaggered a bit closer to her. “A man of the world, my Rose, both above and below.� Pulling back the hood he wore, Ororo saw his eyes, orbs of darkest midnight with a drop of crimson in the middle, and she felt her breath catch “You’re a Daemon??�

Remy quickly shook his head. “Daemon touched,� he corrected, pulling the hood back over his handsome face “Remy just have the bad luck of being born under unusual circumstances.�

Ororo still felt uneasy. “But you are a thief.�

He laughed. “Not at all, Rose, I am much more than that.�

Before she could respond, the sounds of approaching footsteps rang in their ears. Remy ducked behind a small crate of rotting fruit.

“Excuse me, my lady,� said a voice; Ororo turned and saw it belonged to the shopkeeper she had seen running past them earlier. On either side of him stood two city guards. “We were looking for a man, a thief, tall with long brown hair and a hood pulled low over his face.�

From the corner of her eye, Ororo could see Remy stiffen. All of what she had been taught in her upbringing screamed for her to turn him in. However, as she glanced into those strange eyes, she could see fear and something else. Was it pleading?

“No, I have not,� she said, facing the irate shopkeeper.

The keeper looked unconvinced. “Are you sure of this?�

“I believe I would have noticed.�

“May I ask what you are doing in an alley way, then?�

Ororo knew she could always pull her station as royalty, but decided to keep to her own wiles; she did not need her status to save her from situations. “Can’t a lady step out of the hot sun and rest for a moment?�

Still looking unconvinced, but knowing this was not going anywhere, the keeper and guards moved on, muttering and cursing.

When he was sure it was safe, Remy came out from behind the crates and fell to his knees before Ororo. “My Rose, just when Remy thinks he cannot possibly love you more, you shower him with a thousand more reasons why he must have you.� He kissed her hand.

Ororo laughed again. “On your feet, brigand!�

Remy rose and bowed low. “My lady is owed a great debt of gratitude, and the gratitude of a king is always worth its weight in gold.�

“You’re a king?� Ororo asked, smirking all the while.

Remy frowned. “Does Remy not look the part?� he said, striking a very over the top, dashing pose.

Ororo laughed and shook her head.

Remy glanced at her from the pose he was still holding. “Well, my lady, believe it or not, but you stand before Remy LaBeau, King of the Thieves Guild of Aldriah.�

He bowed low and kissed her hand again “Now,� he asked, “what number of coins is it worth to you for saving the life of a king?�

“I have no need of coins, sir� she said, but gave some thought to it a moment, “but perhaps a favor.�

Remy grinned devilishly again. “Remy gives a grand foot massage.�

Ororo snorted a laugh and swatted his arm. “Keep it all in your fantasies, LaBeau.�

Remy acted disheartened, but pulled a small vial from his coat pocket. “Very well then, my Lady, if Remy cannot convince you of the worldly gift of his love, then he offers you this.�

Ororo took the small vial and studied it. “What is this?�

“Whenever you wish to call in that favor, simply crack the vile, and Remy will know of it, and he will come in all haste to make your dreams come true.�

Ororo rolled her eyes. “You never stop, do you?�

That devil grin appeared again. “No, my lady, I never do.�

Remy looked out of the alley, making sure the coast was clear, and he bowed before her. “Until next time my Rose, do not miss me too fondly.�

And he was gone.

Ororo grinned and shook her head, putting the small vial away.

Glancing up at the sun, she cursed and realized she was going to be late for the supper. In all haste, she started a run back for the palace.

The Gray Woods:

Screams.


Loud, pain-ridden screams.


All Kathreyna could hear were the screams of the slaughter that was taking place around her. Dragging the wounded body of one of her kinsmen, she ducked into a small thicket as she felt the ground beneath her thunder with approaching hoof beats.


The Aldriahn forces had broken their lines, and were now in pursuit of the fleeing Northerners.

May the Father devour you for this, Tinol, Kathreyna thought as she tried binding the wounds of her clansman. Tinol had been the warlord in command of this incursion to take back the Grey woods, and in his ignorance, many of their people were going to die.

“Kat, leave me I cannot make it,� Warren pleaded, all the while coughing up a river of blood.

“The Hells be damned with you, you’re coming with me,� she said as she tore the leather strips from her leggings and tried her best to bandage the gaping wound on his side. “I am not about to explain to Bettsei, that I left you behind.�

Warren bit his lips to suppress the scream that was building. “Father Beast devour you, will you stop acting like your brother and go!�

“We do not leave one another behind, Warren,� she said, gazing into his eyes. “You would expect me to be able to face my father and brother knowing that I had not tried?�

Warren tried to shake his head, “Still always trying to prove something, huh, little Kat?�

Kathreyna smiled at him. “I have much to live up to, coming from my family.� She had finished tying the strips on, but she could tell the blood was not stopping.

“Tell Betts for me that I am sorry,� Warren croaked out.

“Tell her yourself,� Kat said, tying another strip to his wound.

“Just tell her, Kat, please!� He grabbed her hand and held it.

Kat tried to force the tears down, but they dripped from her eyes all the same and she nodded.

A Horn split the air and Kat raised her head out of the thicket. Again the horn blew.

She smiled brilliantly. “Warren, do you hear that, that is my brother’s horn!� She looked back down at him and realized his chest had stopped moving. A sob tore from her throat, and she reached down and closed the lifeless eyes that stared up into the sky.

“Drink your fill at the table of our Father, Kinsman,� she said, and she started to move.

As the horn blew again, there was no doubt from the sounds of the screams that roared through the air who had come.

Kathreyna moved as fast as she could toward the wonderful melody of the baying horn. Her bow had been lost in the initial attack, but she still clutched the hilts of the twin long Daggers strapped to her hips, hoping to use them before the day was done.

In the clearing ahead, she saw what was taking place.

The cavalry and infantry that had been pursuing them were now in the jaws of chaos. A line of fire, made from the special oils and fats by their mystics, cut off any retreat as arrows rained down upon man and horse alike.

And through the smoke and flame and blood, Kathreyna could see him.

Standing along a line of his own handpicked men stood her brother.

Dressed only in dark brown leather pants with a long flowing animal skin adorning him from the tip of his head down his back, clutching two large axes in either hand, he waited a moment longer before signaling the archers to stop and for his men to move in.

A roar louder than any man or beast had ever reached sounded from his throat as he charged into the thick of the fray. A blow of the horn, and his men flowed behind him.

Swords cut, shields were splintered, maces crushed and axes tore. Kathreyna saw her brother plow through the bodies as a farmer would rich soil. The Red Haze had settled over him, she could tell by the look in his eyes and the merciless way he struck.

It was over in moments. Thanks to her brother, even though they had lost ground, many of their people were saved.

Bodies were being cleared away and weapons collected; all the while he stood there, axes still clenched firmly in hand, not moving.

The wind blew the blood-drenched pelt about his back. Kat knew she must wait a moment before approaching him. Suddenly he fell to his knees as the Haze left him, even from here Kat could see the various cuts lining his body. Still, with caution, Kat walked over to him.

He did not move.

As she eased closer to him, he finally raised his blood-stained face to her.

Their eyes locked for a moment.

“Hey, little Kitty,� he said, his voice a horse whisper.

She walked to him and dropped to her knees beside him. “Always there to be the hero, aren’t you, Logan?�

“Someone has to watch over your scrawny ass,� he said, never breaking a smile, but his eyes shone brightly with humor.

Kat wrapped her arms around her brother’s shoulders and helped him to his feet. “Like I needed it,� she said, teasing “you didn’t even leave any for me.�

He grunted as he strapped the axes back to his thighs.

“So we fall back and regroup?� she asked.

Logan gazed over the horizon and said nothing for a moment. Slowly he shook his head. “No, I am taking my group down to the east, and cut off their supply lines before they get fully entrenched.�

Kathreyna sighed, “Father would want us to regroup, you know.�

“I’m not gonna let them gain any more ground on us,� he replied, still never taking his eyes away from the skyline. “Besides, we could use the food and medicines.�

That was it, she knew. She knew that tone, so there was no point in arguing it. “Don’t suppose I could go with you?�

He turned his gaze toward her. “And hear you bellyache the whole time? Hells, no!�

She punched him in the arm. “Bastard.�

He chuckled silently.

“Can I at least get your promise that you will be as discreet as possible, no trail of bodies for anyone to follow?�

“Nope.�

She sighed. “At least come back home, and don’t make me come and find your hairy ass.�

“That’ll be the day.�

She reached up and hugged him. “Be safe, brother.�

He patted her back. “Hey, it’s me.�

She let go of him and rolled her eyes. “Oh, Gods, that is what worries me.�

He smiled at her and then turned and signaled to his men. A small group of twelve followed him into the Forest and were gone an instant later.

Kat whispered a small prayer. “May the Father grant you his Claws, brother, and keep you safe.�

She turned to those that remained and prepared for their journey back.

Chapter 4


Ororo had made it back, changed, and arrived in the dining hall, just as the rest were being seated. The look from her father promised a long lecture later.

“Ah, welcome, my dear,� King Xavius said, offering her a chair beside him. “We are almost prepared to start.�

Ororo took the seat. “My apologies for my tardiness,� she said, while casting her father a look of guilt.

The King waved it away. “Nonsense, my dear, all you have missed is the tired drabs of old men; I would wish that on no young person. I do not see how my son stands it.�

Scott raised his head toward his father. “Affairs of State are always of interest to me, Father.�

Ororo glanced at the prince. He was still wearing those strange glasses, He didn’t appear to ever take them off. And if affairs of state held his interest, her earlier assumption was dead-on accurate.

“Still, my boy, you are young yet and not king,� Charles told him. “If you don’t enjoy life while you can now, you will be as bald as me by the time you are thirty,� he laughed.

Scott smiled thinly. “Anything I can do to be more like you, Father!�

Charles gave him a warm grin. Ororo could see they were close, much like her and her own father, but within all of the King’s warmth, there was that sadness again that marked everything he did, to which she could not guess why.

A door opened to the back of the hall and in walked a tall man draped in robes. Clutched in his hand was a tall staff with a silver tip upon its top. His purple-toned hood hung just above his brow, and small wisps of white hair hung down to his eyes. He wore a very neatly trimmed beard, and had eyes that bore lines of many hours of study.

“Ah, Magnus, glad to see you would come down from your tower and join us,� Charles said, offering him the seat to the right of Scott. “King Delleous, Princess Ororo, I have not introduced you yet, this is Magnus, my High Advisor, and Court Sorcerer.�

Delleous bowed in his direction and Magnus returned the gesture.

As Magnus’ eyes fell upon Ororo, she felt a sudden sensation of cold as she gazed into the dark orbs. “Princess Ororo,� he said in a deep, rich baritone. “It is a pleasure.�

She held his gaze, but it felt as though her spirit was being drained every moment she looked into his eyes. “Same, Lord Magnus.�

The sorcerer placed his staff beside his chair and sat, taking a long draught of wine from his cup.

“Now,� said King Xavius, “let us feast.�


Witch’s Crossing
East of the Gray Woods

Seven wagons. Two guards beside each one, four in the lead and four in the rear; everything seemed to be normal, but for a reason unknown to him Logan’s nose itched.

Something didn’t smell right.

The guards were too jumpy, their eyes darting in different directions, their hands periodically reaching down to grip the hilt of their swords. Logan smelled an ambush. The tight confines of Witch’s Crossing, which was merely nothing more than a small forested path that led into the Grey woods, made staging an ambush hard, if not impossible. The brush was too thick to conceal any number of troops, and even if they were there, he and his men would have picked up their sounds. Instinct kept gnawing at him, though.

From the size of the wagons, the shipments were large. A month’s worth of supplies lay only a few meters away, and Logan was kicking himself for wasting time.

Better to err on the side of caution than of foolishness. Logan could hear his father’s words as he sat in the deep thicket, contemplating.

The same thoughts were not on the minds of his men, however. The target was in sight and there for the taking, but a wise man does not cross the soon to be anointed Chosen of the Beast.

Even though all were great and skilled warriors, several were not known for being wise. One, Jonas was his name, crept up silently to where Logan sat on his haunches.

“What are we waiting for, they are right there,� he said while jabbing a finger in the caravan’s direction.

Logan fixed him with a dangerous gaze, which made Jonas cringe a bit, and he went back to studying the small caravan.

“Those supplies could prove invaluable to us, and if we let the Aldriahns get them, it will be that much harder to push them out.�

Logan growled low in his throat; he knew all of what the man was saying to him. This was an excellent chance to weaken the Aldriahan entrenchment, all the while providing his people with what they desperately needed.

Logan turned and gazed at the faces of his men. All were seasoned warriors and skilled in what they did. Most, with the exception of Jonas and a couple of his dogs, were his friends. He would rather have these men at his back than any army of thousands. His gaze fell to one in particular, Samueal, a young man barely more than a boy. Logan had trained him since his Rite of Passage.

The boy’s eyes locked with his mentor’s and he smiled. They were the eyes of a young man who had seen more blood than men twice his age, eyes that should not have had to have seen the kind of horror they had, the eyes of a still-lingering innocence. Another reason for Logan to hate that which was forced upon his people. War took innocence and squeezed it until nothing was left in the hearts of men, but pain and hate, and the man himself was nothing more than a shell of what he once had been.

Logan did not want that for Samueal, or for any of his people. Sameueal was a killer, no doubt, but he was not a murderer. Logan had taught him the difference. He had never backed down from anything Logan had asked of him and stood by whatever his teacher decided.

Logan had no doubt that Samueal, along with the majority of his men, would follow him into the Nine Hells with no word of protest, if he asked it of them. He could not imagine better men.

But now, he thought grimly, feeling his nose itch again, was he making the choice for all of them?

Turning to look them all in the eyes, he made several quick hand gestures and all of them nodded.

Still feeling a grave sense of foreboding, Logan sighed to himself and gave the signal.

In the blink of an eye, the small contingent of Northmen descended.

Logan was the first to exit the brush, his legs pumping furiously to close the gap between himself and the caravan, but he could already feel he had made a mistake.

As soon as the rest of the Northmen had come into view, the wagon drivers pulled back the tarps of the wagons and revealed a dozen armed soldiers, in each wagon, with crossbows at the ready.

“Break off! Break off!� Logan shouted for all his worth, but there was not enough time. Arrows poured upon them like the hardest rain. Two of Logan’s men went down from the first barrage. He noticed that Jonas was one of them.

Running not being an option any longer, the crossbows would fell them all before they took their second step, Logan called for them to continue the charge. Pulling his axes free, he howled out the challenge.

Behind him, his men answered with a howl of their own.

Another wave of bolts were let loose, and he dropped and rolled to the base of the wagon. He came up blades first, cutting one soldier form groin to sternum, catching another where the neck meets the shoulder.

The bowmen had not expected the resurgence of the Northerners’ charge and were paying a high cost for it. They had managed to drop half of the Northmen group, but their numbers were starting to fade fast from the fury of the North that was being unleashed upon them.

Samueal swung his sword hard, taking the leg from the nearest soldier within the blade’s reach, bringing it back around he took a hand from the next.

The remaining Northmen fought for all that they could, but as a pack of wolves would bring down the strongest elk, numbers were quickly making the difference. Each Northerner brought down man after man, but the Aldriahn numbers were still far too great.

One by one, the men of the north were swallowed in a sea of blades, and Logan saw the deathblow of each. Leaping from the back of the wagon, Logan ran to the last member of his party remaining, Samueal; the boy was still fighting even though a wound on his leg was bleeding profusely. The young man pushed his attacker directly into the waiting arms of his teacher. With a rapid twist, Logan snapped the neck of the soldier like dried hay. If not for the boy, Logan would have gone down in a blaze of blood and glory beside those he had lost, but he swore that this boy would live to see another day, so grabbing Samueal around the waist, he did the thing that he hated the most. He ran.

They made it almost twelve paces.

Logan felt the first bolt pierce his thigh. Biting back the pain that lanced through him, he continued on. The second one struck just above his shoulder blade; Logan staggered once, still trying to carry the boy and himself to safety, and crashed to the ground, bringing Samueal down with him.

Logan reached behind him and grabbed the arrow shaft. Knowing it was not very deeply embedded, he ripped it out, taking a large hunk of flesh with it. Ignoring the pain, Logan reached down for the one in the back of his thigh. As he tried to pull it free, he realized that it was too deep.

Hearing crossbows being aimed at his back, Logan prepared for his last stand. Growling the pain away, Logan rose, gritting his teeth as he put weight on his injured leg, with axes in hand.

Before him stood a dozen Crossbowmen with weapons trained on his heart.

“Hold fire,� came a voice behind the ranks.

Logan saw a tall, blond-haired man to whom the voice belonged.

Dressed in an officer’s garb and bearing a finely wrought longsword, he came to stand before Logan with a mocking grin etched on his face.

“I, Donaldon Pierce, Third Marshall of His Majesty’s forces, hereby place you under arrest for crimes against the Crown.�

Logan sneered, baring his teeth to his would-be captor. “Come arrest us, then.� He brandished a dripping axe in front of him.

Pierce raised an eyebrow to him. “Defiant to the end; you Northmen really must learn when you are beaten.�

“Who said we are beaten?� Logan ground through his teeth, creeping back to stand over the still-fallen Samueal.

“I should have expected that kind of behavior from brutes such as you and yours.� Pierce drew his sword. “Drop your weapons, or your little whelp will end up with a dozen bolts though his skull.�

Looking down into the face of his friend, Logan saw the young boy shake his head vigorously.

“Don’t do it, Logan,� he managed to get out. The blood loss was taking its toll.

As much as it pained him, like having a limb separated from his body, Logan had no other choice. He let his axes fall to the ground.

“Disappointing,� Pierce said with a sigh. “I thought the son of Lentrok would die before being taken.�

Logan narrowed his eyes at Pierce.

“Oh yes, I know very well who you are, my friend.� Pierce brought his sword to rest against the side of Logan’s throat “The Undefeated Champion of the North, Logan of the tribe of Wolverine, whose fate lies in the mercy I give.�

Logan smiled slightly, even as the sword brought a line of blood from his throat. “When the time comes and I have blade to your throat, you’ll see how much mecry I give you.�

Pierce found he had to look away from the intense gaze that the Northman gave him. Pulling the sword from his throat, Pierce walked over to where Samueal lay.

Logan tried to jump between the two, but two spear shafts were slammed against his injured shoulder and he fell to the ground.

“Leave the boy alone!� he roared at Pierce.

Samueal, whose blood loss prevented him from standing, gazed as defiantly as he could at the Aldriahn officer that stood over him with sword in hand.

“Such a young boy, probably has not even bedded his first woman yet.� Pierce leaned forward a bit. “It is such a shame.�

“But I am a man of duty, and I always fulfill it,� he said, standing straight.

Pierce brought his blade to bear against the neck of the young boy who had not even so much as flinched, “By Edict of Magnus and by the will of King Xavius, I find you, Northener, guilty of rebelling against the Crown and for the murder of His Majesty’s soldiers, for which the punishment is,� Pierce took the time to turn and look at Logan, “death.�

“Any last words, young man?� Pierce asked.

Samueal’s only response was spitting in the smirking officer’s face. Pierce wore a mask of fury as he raised his sword high.

“NOOOOO!� Logan screamed as he saw the sword fall and Samueal’s head with it. He scrambled and struggled to reach the grinning coward that stood before him. Spear shaft and club fell upon him and as he tried to rise again; he was brought back down by another flurry of blows.

“I’m gonna eat your fucking heart,� Logan spit out along with a generous amount of blood. He could feel the Haze itching to be torn free. Using all the control he could muster, he sent it back into the recesses of his mind. Giving in at this point in time would only make him end up dead, and he had would kill this bastard before he fell.

Soldiers raised Logan back up and he was face to face with Pierce. In his right hand he had his sword, freshly stained with blood, and in his left he held Samueal’s head.

“Look at this, Northman,� he said, raising the head to Logan’s eye level. “One more trophy to bring back with me to Aldriah.�

Logan trained his hate-filled eyes on the man. “Even if it’s with my last breath, I’m gonna watch you die,� he said calmly.

Pierce smiled at him, seeing it, Logan mirrored the expression and whispered, “Screaming.�

A hard club to the side of his head, and Logan saw only darkness.

Chapter 5

Supper had ended.

Magnus and the Kings had retired for a sip of bourbon and for a talk.

They had suggested that Scott and Ororo should take a walk in the gardens together.

The garden was lush and full of many varieties of plants and flowers. The calm serenity would have been just what Ororo needed, but at the moment it was killing her. They had walked together now, a favorable distance apart, for what felt like hours. Scott kept his gaze straight, never once turning to look at her. The line of his mouth was drawn tight with the same unease that showed in every step she took.

They came to rest near a full bush of Shade’s Kiss roses. They still stood with no word between them. It was driving Ororo mad; if she was going to be married to this man, she would have them talk at least once before their vows.

“Your Father is a very kind man,� she said, her voice sounding like thunder in the midst of the silence.

Scoot finally looked at her, surprised by the sound of her voice, even more so that she was engaging in conversation with him. “Yes, he is that, indeed.�

“And a good King to his people, from what my father has told me.� She was doing all she could to keep the maddening silence away.

Scott nodded. “The best that could be asked for.� He pushed his spectacles higher up on his nose.

Damning tact and letting curiosity take command, she asked, “Why do you wear those?�

Scott dropped his head a bit. “My eyes make people uneasy.�

Remembering Remy’s strange set made her smile to herself. “If you don’t mind me asking, what is different about them?�

This clearly being a conversation he was not comfortable with, Scott stood ramrod straight. “I…uh… was blinded as a child.�

Ororo had not expected this. “I am sorry; I did not mean to pry.�

Scott nodded a bit. “It is fine, most people know of it already. But you are not the first to ask.� He attempted a smile.

“But you act as though you can see?�

Scott stood still a moment and then removed his glasses.

The moonlight shone just right to catch the glowing red that formed his eyes.

Ororo looked on intently. “I have never seen anything like them.�

Scott quickly returned the glasses to his face. “No one has; they were a gift from Magnus.�

A shiver went down her spine at the sorcerer’s name.

“I was a stable boy as a child here in the palace,� Scott began, “I stayed in the servants’ quarters, my father was a blacksmith. and my mother worked in the kitchens.� Scott took a moment, reliving the memory in his mind. “There was a fire one night in the stables; I rushed to try and free the horses, but a piece of rafter fell on me almost as soon as I entered. The wood had already begun to sear along my eyeline, and I remember feeling my eyes burn away, but I could still see the flames dancing in front of me. I remember hearing my parents’ voices too, calling to me. I screamed as loud as I could for them, and they must have heard me because I could hear their cries getting closer.�

Scott unconsciously rubbed along his brow. “Then I heard the loud crash of the roof collapsing, and then just the screams of my dying parents as they burned.�

Ororo was at a loss for what to say. “I am very sorry, I should not have brought it up.�

“Think nothing of it,� Scott said. “I came to grips with it long ago.�

“When I woke up,� he continued, “I was so scared with not being able to see, the darkest midnight with no hope of dawn, that is what I remember thinking; but a voice spoke to me, and at first I thought it was my father’s, so I jumped in the direction of it and wrapped my arms around him. It was not until he spoke again that I realized it was not my father, but the King.�

“I remember asking him to bring my parents back, at that age I thought the King controlled everything, even life and death. He never said he couldn’t or anything of the kind, he only held me until I passed from wailing and sobbing in his arms. I was moved into the palace after that, and over time the King adopted me. He had Magnus craft these special gems to replace the sight I lost.�

Ororo shuddered once again. “Magnus must be a very powerful man.�

Scott shook his head. “Very powerful, he controls the ore of the ground, and can shape it in any way he wants. He is very intelligent, as well.�

Ororo still could not get past the darkness that seemed to gravitate toward the Sorcerer.

They spoke no more for a while, just letting the breeze caress them and drinking in the smell of the flowers.

“You are unhappy with this arrangement, aren’t you?� he finally asked, giving her a wondering stare.

Ororo met his look; now they were getting to it. “Are you happy about it?�

Scott stood straight as a nail again. “Sometimes a person must put aside what they want for the greater good.� His tone was somber.

Ororo could tell he had told himself that a lot. “I know, ‘Duty before all,’ as my father would say.�

“Your father sounds like a wise man,� Scott said in his still somber tone. “It is for the good of both our people. But still,� he said after a moment, “it still hurts to let go of a binding of the heart.�

Ororo quirked an eyebrow; he had caught her interest. “Would it be safe to say that your heart has found that binding?�

The sadness in Scott’s calm and quiet voice spoke volumes. “It does not matter if it has or hasn’t, my path has been set before me and I must walk it, regardless of my feelings.�

Ororo nodded and spoke no more.

A bell sounded in the distance, from the Temple of the Mother, it was the first hour of the morning. The look on Scott’s face had changed dramatically. What was once burdened with a heavy sadness now rose high with a terribly hidden excitement.

“If you will excuse me, Lady Ororo, I have something I must attend to,� he said.

The effort he was using to contain his smile was quite admirable, Ororo thought.

Ororo bowed a bit and smiled, “I would dare not impend on His Majesty’s plans.�

Scott gave her a warm grin. “Thank you, my lady; I will see you later in the day,� and then he took off at almost a run.

Ororo smiled again; stiff as a rod he was, but a good man all the same. The matter he must attend must be important indeed, she laughed, having a good idea of what it was.

Temple of the Mother:

She blew out the candles atop the altar and hurried along with the last of her chores. Jean Greyhame had a meeting to attend. After the last of her work was done, she bowed before the statue of the Phoenix, saying one last prayer and out the front doors she ran, to the place that only one other than herself knew of.

A short distance away and an even shorter time later, beneath a young Dallen tree just outside of the city walls, the moon cast two soft shadows that were softly combining in the deepness of the night.

Royal Guest chambers:

Ororo lay in her bed, still faintly smiling because of the prince. He did have someone who was bound to his heart, and he was terrible at hiding it. She laughed aloud at the look on his face, almost bursting, in her memory.

Was that what it was like to be in love?

The smile faded as the question came to her mind. Ororo feared she would never find out the answer to that. She suddenly felt sorry for Scott. Which was worse, to never be in love, or to be and have it taken away as he would?

These thoughts pained her deeply. She rolled around in her bed, pulling the covers up close to her chest, in hopes of chasing away the sudden coldness she felt. As she finally drifted to sleep she dreamt. The dream was one she had been having for a long time, and it was something she looked forward to every night.

The dream of the stranger.

Dark and strong, he came to her every night, and she was always swept up into his arms and they were gone like night fleeing coming sunrise. In all the times she could remember having the dream, one thing eluded her.

His face.

Never once had she seen it; even when they kissed, she could never recall what he looked like. It did not matter too greatly to her, though, it was her dream, and in it there was only them.

No war.
No pain.
No Duty.

There was only herself and her dark stranger.

Morning:

The sun was rising and with it came the warm glow of a new day. They still held each other and kissed, knowing nothing else in the world mattered at the moment.

Ororo felt the strong arms encircle her waist and pull her close against a solid chest and a powerful body.

She opened her eyes to the figure before her and smiled. Even though his face was dark from the still lingering night, she could tell that he smiled back at her. She caught a small glimpse of his eyes and what lay within them told her all she needed to know.

They did not have to say it to each other.

They knew of the love between them.

Dawn came and the light drifted up to them. Ororo breathed hard in anticipation as the light climbed their bodies. There, she thought, just a bit longer. The sun had crossed his shoulders and was on its way to his chin when –

Clang, Clang, Clang, Clang…

Ororo sprung from her bed quickly as the noises of the bells drifted to her bedchamber. Hurling her pillow to the floor, Ororo sighed.

Lady of the Stars, could you have not granted me just a moment more!

Ororo cursed as she climbed out of bed; for yet another night, her stranger’s face stayed hidden from her.

Clang, Clang, Clang, Clang…

The ringing of the bells in the city made her wince. She dressed in a robe, put on her slippers and went to her door.

Two guards flew past her as she peeked her head out, along with several servants who were rushing this way and that.

“Excuse me,� she called to one, a young girl with hair cut short.

Turning in direction of the voice, she bowed low. “Yes, your majesty, what may I do for you?� she asked, her breath hard and fast from her recent rush.

It was far too early in the morning for formalities. “Forget the majesty rubbish,� she grinned, “what is your name?�

“Rahne, your maje… my lady.� She was clearly not comfortable with addressing her as such.

“Well, Rahne,� Ororo asked, “what in the hells is going on?�

Rahne hid a grin. The Moon Elf princess was the first member of royalty that she had ever heard use such language “I am not quite certain yet, my lady; all I know is that the Palace guard has been called to alert and that many soldiers are going to the front gates, something to do with a prisoner.�

Ororo thought a moment; something was happening, and being of the nature that her mother had given her, she wanted to find out what. “Any good places to get a look?� she asked the girl, grinning again.

“I know of a place,� she said, “but I have duties that I must attend.�

Ororo waved her hand. “Don’t worry, just tell them I got demanding.�

The girl laughed, “I am your humble servant, my lady.�

She waved for her to follow, and Ororo did.

Tyeradal Front Gates:

Logan had been dragged from the wagon rather roughly as they stopped before the great gates of the Aldriahn city. His leg pulsed with aches; by Pierce’s orders a medic had attended to Logan’s injured thigh. The smug bastard did not want his prize to bleed to death.

Logan had tried to refuse the aid, but a few swift blows to the head from a mace had given him no choice. The arrow had been removed roughly as well; there would be a large scar to form there, and bandaged, even if a little half-heartedly.

Still, though, the soreness of it all was hell.

Logan did not care about all of the physical pain, however; his mind still full of the faces of his men that had fallen. Melding with the pain was the overpowering hunger to kill the son of a bitch that stood a few feet from him now.

Pierce was talking with a large guard that had met them at the gates. Logan could smell the stench of ogre on the man. His body was, by far, larger than the biggest Aldriahan he had ever seen, and the squint of his eyes and the hanging jaw filled with yellowed and broken fangs spoke of a mixed heritage.

Creed stood dumbstruck as Pierce pointed to his captor and smiled smugly at the larger man. “Second Marshall Pierce has a fine ring to it, don’t you think?�

“How in the blue fuck did you get him?� Creed growled down at him.

Pierce smirked. “Ingenuity, my dear half breed, ingenuity. These brutes use the strength of their arms and think with the head of their pricks, as much as I would like to gloat, it is no grand feat outsmarting them.�

Creed sneered around his protruding fangs. “You are so full of shit, Pierce.�

This only caused the smirk to grow wider. “As I may be that, I am also the one who will be reaping the rewards for this.�

Pierce gave the signal to his men as he remounted his horse. “Shall we?�

Creed bared his fangs but waved his men to the front, and the group moved into the city.

As Logan passed Creed, the half ogre spoke “Gonna be a long night for you tonight, runt. We’re gonna get to know each other real well.�

Logan said nothing, only flashed his teeth in a silent snarl and kept walking.

Pierce got everything he had hoped for as they entered the main square. The streets were overflowing with people cheering him. He basked in it like a snake in the sun.

The same treatment was not given to Logan, of course. The people sneered and booed at the Northman. Rotted vegetables and fruit were thrown over him as he walked past them. They hurled curses, and some who were brave enough to get close spat on him.

Logan paid none of it any mind, only held his head high and walked at a steady pace, the rattle of his chains the only sound coming from him.

Atop a small battlement, which ran attached to the towers of the city walls, Ororo and Rahne watched the spectacle.

The view was far-seeing enough to see the entire expanse of the city, but at that distance, it was hard to make out all that was happening.

“Who is the man in the chains?� Ororo asked.

Rahne turned to her, with a touch of fear in her eyes. “I cannot be certain, my lady, but from the talk of the guards I overheard, they said that it is Logan.�

Ororo’s eyebrows came together in question. “Who is Logan?�

Rahne gasped in disbelief, “Logan of the North? You have never heard of him??�

Ororo shook her head no.

The younger girl swallowed loudly. “He is the son of the Northmen Chieftain. He is also Champion of the North Lands and its peoples.�

The sound of him instantly intrigued Ororo.

A dark look fell on Rahne’s face. “They also say he eats the hearts of the men he kills before their dying eyes, and that he uses the skins of their children as bed dressings, and that he….

“All right, all right, I think I get the idea,� Ororo said. “You make it sound like he is a Daemon or ogre.�

Rahne only shrugged, “Is there any real difference?� She turned to the Elven princess. “At least ogres do not try to pose as men.�

Ororo sighed; from all that was said of the Northmen, they sounded worse than any Daemon that ever emerged from the pits of the Hells.

“What will they do with him?� she asked.

Rahne shrugged again. “They will bring him before the king, probably forgo trial and have him either beheaded or crucified.�

Ororo was shocked. “Just like that, no trial, just straight to execution?�

Rahne raised her shoulders in yet another shrug. “He is a Northman, he deserves far worse.�

Ororo was growing quite tired of all the bigotry “He is still a person. How can you cast judgment so lightly? He is at least of your kind; how can you condemn him, yet stand in willing servitude to an elf?�

This flustered Rahne greatly. “But y-y-Your Majesty, the Elven People are nothing like these monsters. You and your people are fine and civil.�

Ororo stopped her. “I want to hear no more of it. You said they will take him before the King.�

“Yes, your Majesty, to be sentenced for his crimes,� Rahne said nervously.

Ororo turned and walked away.

“But, My lady, it is only for the King and his Court to stand in at such a time.�

Ororo heard nothing else the girl said, she just kept walking, trying to keep her mind free of the anger that was clouding it.

Throne Room:

King Xavius sat on his throne with a face full of troubles. He had received word of the coming prisoner and it brought him great unease. Having the Son of Lentrok spoke of many advantages some of his advisors had told him: A useful bargaining piece to sway the forces of the North. Charles knew that was not the case; Lentrok may very well care for his son, but holding him hostage would do nothing to stop his forces, even under threat of his son’s death.

If anything, it would make him a martyr for his people. While taking away perhaps his enemies’ strongest and most competent leader and fighter was a mighty blow, what to do with him was the question that plagued him.

Magnus had told him that he should not worry yet, and accept a victory for what it was. Good and reliable Magnus, Charles thought, always dependable.

Ororo arrived in the throne room just as the front doors of the palace flew open and many armed guards came inside. Her father was standing beside King Xavius on his right, and to the left of the seated King, Magnus stood as still as a bronzed statue.

Ororo felt that familiar shiver run down her spine and redirected her attention to the soldiers coming in. She hid a bit further back behind the pillar and remained silent.

With sword pointed in the expanse of his back, Logan entered the palace hall.

Eyes clear, head still held high, Logan showed no measure of defeat in his walk. He was a Northman and he would stand before his enemies and show them that he had no fear of them, and if he was to die on this day, by blade or torture or by the slow asphyxiation of being crucified, he would stand defiant to them to the end.

They stopped walking, and Logan gazed into the eyes of the men before him, no expression on his hardened face.

The half-ogre, Creed, he had heard someone call him, came beside Logan and pushed against his shoulder. “Kneel before your king, dog,� he said.

Logan just stood, his gaze never wavering.

Creed moved closer to him. “Did you hear me? I said on your KNEES!�

Again, Logan did not move.

Ororo stared at the Northman and felt a sudden tingle in her stomach. She had not seen such a man as the one that stood not far from her. While not very tall, his presence more than made up for it. He seemed to have an aura of power about him, one that warned others not to get too close.

And his body, she thought, feeling the strange pull of want she had never felt before, there is no space on him that is not defined with muscle. The animal skin that hung on his back added a very dangerous element that seemed to complete the package that was the man before her.

A barbarian.

The sound of a whip on flesh brought Ororo out of her thoughts.

Creed had grown tired of the Northener’s defiance.

“I said on your knees, you son of a whore!� he shouted.

Though the pain made Logan bite down hard, he never moved, nor never flinched, just kept his eyes on Xavius.

“Enough, Captain,� Charles finally said. “This man is a prisoner of war, and I expect him to be treated as such.�

Ororo had never heard the king speak with such a firm and hard voice, it was totally different from the warm tone she had usually heard. The situation called for a hard remedy, one that Ororo was thankful for; every lash on the Northener’s back had made her wince.

Creed, very reluctant, hung his whip back on his side and stepped away from the bleeding Logan.

“Forgive my soldiers for any foul treatment they may have bestowed upon you,� Xavius said. “Trust me, you will not be treated that way any longer.�

Logan laughed in his mind Doesn’t mean I won’t return their many favors, old man, when I get the chance.

“As I am sure you know, I am King Xavius of Aldriah, and this is King Delleous of Dallendwood.�

Logan slightly shifted his gaze to the tall, dark-skinned elf. The look on his face spoke of a powerhouse of spite for him. Logan returned the look.

Some valuable information had already been gained from this at least, he thought. The reports of the joining of the Aldriahn forces and the Moon Elves was true.

“You will be well treated here, Son of Lentrok,� the king continued.

Until I’m tortured to death…

“You will be given proper food.�

Laced with poison…

“…and you will be well taken care of…�

All the while the headsman sharpens his axe, Logan snorted in his mind. Why was this old man procrastinating? Kill him and be done with it!

“…until your sentence is passed.�

Delleous leaned down to whisper in Xavius’s ear, “Pass the sentence now, have him nailed to the nearest Dallenwood, and let it be over with.�

Xavius ignored him. “Have you anything to say at this time, warrior?�

An evil smirk lit Logan’s face. “Yeah, I do.�

Smashing his elbows into the guards behind him, Logan hurled his body toward that of the king’s. If he could just grip the old man’s throat in his hands, he could snap his neck with ease.

An invisible force stopped him in mid-air.

The tall one in the purple robes that had not spoken held his staff in Logan’s direction. His chained arms and legs both began to stretch in opposing directions. Like a rack they pulled the Northman until a groan escaped his lips, then a growl, until he was screaming in agony.

“Magnus, enough!� Charles cried.

“As you wish.� The sorcerer dropped his staff and Logan crashed to the ground.

As he lay there, through the pain, and from the corner of his eye, in the back of the large hall he saw something he knew could not be real. Long white hair and shocking blue eyes on the most beautiful face he had ever seen. The look on her face spoke of horror, and the emotion in her eyes cried out with sympathy.

That was how Logan knew it was just an image brought on him by the pain. No one here could be so beautiful, and certainly no one here would feel sympathy for him. Dropping his eyes away, but with the thought of the angel he had just imagined still fresh in his mind, Logan began to try and stand.

Guards were set on him the moment he reached his feet, and he was roughly restrained.

Logan looked back up to King Xavius, expecting to see the old man shaking in terror. It was a bit disappointing and also a bit reassuring that the old King still sat, his breathing normal and regular, with only a small hint of anger in his eyes.

“I offer you fair treatment, Northman� he said, “but know that any attempt on any life here will result in harsh treatment for you.�

Logan laughed out loud.

The king signaled for the guards to take him away.

Ororo stood very still a moment, going over what just happened, her breathing shallow. The act of aggression from the Northman had surprised her, but it was the moment their eyes locked that made her breath catch.

His eyes were so very well known to her.
She knew it.
Drips of silver into oceans of dark blue,
She had seen those eyes before.
Where is what she could not determine,
A dream perhaps, a voice inside her said.
NO.
Ororo shut down that train of thought quickly.

Silently moving away from the pillar, she went back to her room, trying not to think of the Northman and his so-familiar eyes.

Dungeon:

The guards threw him into a small and dirty cell and slammed the door hard. Logan rose to his feet and saw Creed at the cell door.

“I don’t give a damn what the old man says, runt,� he said, taking a finger and running it over his whip that was still covered in Logan’s own blood, and licking it clean. “Tonight when me and the boys all have a little conversation with ya, I’m gonna hear you scream.�

“Funny,� Logan said, “I said the exact same thing to your mother.�

The smile on Creed’s face vanished. “Just you wait, runt, just you wait.�

With that Creed left, and in a damp and filthy cell, Logan sat and tried desperately to think of a way out of the situation he was in.

All the while his mind periodically drifted to thoughts of snow-colored hair and blue eyes.

Chapter 6

Magnus’ Tower:

Magnus took a long and deep sip of brandy from the flask he had hidden in his robes as he stood before the cauldron in the center of his room. The sorcerer was breathing hard in excitement. Putting the flask away, he walked to his desk and opened a strange box with a few softly spoken words.

A small vial containing a dwindling amount of what appeared to be blood emerged, and Magnus carefully took it and cradled it to his heart. He walked back over to the cauldron, his excitement growing with each step he took. Very carefully he let a single drop of the vial fall into the cauldron. Carefully but quickly, he reattached its seal, and began muttering his incantations.

Sweat started dripping from his brow as he continued the mantra. A small flicker of light was born deep inside the cauldron, and with a ravenous hunger it grew. Magnus had finally stopped chanting and opened his eyes. A mountain of flames stood before him, and he groaned in excitement at the voice he heard come from somewhere deep within them.

Magnuuuuusssss…

A look of joy filled Magnus’ face as he heard the sweet whispers in his mind. “I am here,� he said. “I report to you that so far everything is going to plan.�

The flames flickered, showing their satisfaction.

Wheeeeeeeennnn…?

“Soon, very soon,� Magnus said, “the pieces are falling in order, all that is left is moving them correctly.�

Weeee grow tiiiiired of the waiiiiting, Magnuuuussss.

The flames spread toward the sorcerer, and he flinched at the pain. “Forgive me, but you must have patience with me, I swear to you it will be done.�

Don’t forrrrrrget your oath, Magnuuuuusssss.

Magnus dropped his head in submission, something that many thought would be impossible for such a powerful man. “I have not, nor will I ever forget, I am your grateful servant.�

The flames grew warm and comforting again, satisfied once again with its servant.

When the rewarrrrrds are grrrrranted, Magnuuuuusss, you shalllll have a generrrrrrousss shaaaarre

Magnus smiled again and kept his head bowed. He felt a hand caress his face. Beautiful and feminine, despite the talons that ended on each finger, it slowly stroked down each side of his face.

A door slammed behind Magnus, and in a flicker, the fire was gone.

“Gods damn you, I did not wish to be disturbed!� Magnus screamed, his voice guttural and hoarse from the experience that had ended too abruptly.

Creed grinned smugly; seemed he had interrupted personal time. “Forgive me, my Lord, I meant to do no such thing.�

The behemoth of a man bowed mockingly.

“What do you want, Creed?� Magnus asked, walking back over to the box that acted as a safe for the precious contents of what was left in the vial.

Creed leaned against a far table. Seeing an unopened bottle of brandy, he popped the cork and took a giant drink of the well-aged liqueur.

Wiping a hand across his mouth and then onto his uniform, he belched very loudly, ‘I’m gonna start on the runt tonight, break him in a bit to see how tough he really is before we get to the nasty stuff.�

Magnus took a sip of his flask. “Fine; just don’t kill him, Creed, we will need him.�

The half-ogre shrugged, “Not my fault if the runt can’t handle the pain and dies on us.�

He went to take another drink and felt an iron grip wrap around his throat. The bottle shattered on the floor, and Creed started grasping for his neck as the well-hidden iron collar that was wrapped tightly around his neck began choking him without mercy.

Magnus stood over him with a faint sneer. “Do not defy me, Creed, we will need him in time, so I say again: Do not kill him.�

Magnus emphasized each word with a violent squeeze, each one worse than the next.

As Creed’s face began turning blue and his eyes bulged, Magnus released his hold.

Sweet air began filling Creed’s lungs again as he coughed and spat, trying to pull in as much as possible.

Magnus took a seat in the far corner of the room, “Remember, Creed. It was I that freed you from the slavers; it was I that kept you alive; it was I that did the unheard of and made a Half Breed Ogre a officer in the Royal forces, and it is I that can take it all away from you.�

Creed wiped the spit from the side of his mouth on the back of his hand and stared at Magnus.

The sorcerer had poured himself a tall flagon of whiskey and sat back comfortably in his chair. “Are we clear, Creed?�

It was like castrating him there on the spot. “We are clear,� Creed said and after just a moment of hesitation, he added “My Lord.�

“Good,� Magnus said, taking another drink. “Then do your job.�

Creed picked himself up and left the sorcerer alone.

Palace gardens:

The day was drawing late as Ororo walked through the gardens; it was a place that put her at ease and let her forget everything.

Especially a certain Barbarian.

Since seeing him this morning, the Northman had rarely left her thoughts, and it was quickly beginning to bother her. The man was her enemy, for the Lady’s sake. And for what she had heard of him, he was a horrid and merciless killer, and he was well deserving of whatever punishment he received.

Then why could she not get his eyes out of her mind? They were eyes that spoke of many horrors and atrocities, that was undeniable, but there was something else in them. A dignity and honor that Ororo had rarely seen before. The man on the outside spoke of a brute and murderer, but his eyes spoke of a far different person on the inside.

Voices stirred her out of her train of thought. One of them she recognized as Scott’s. She rounded the line of tall Winter Bloom bushes and found him hidden away in the brush with a lovely redheaded woman.

Ah-ha, Ororo thought looking at the two, she was right.

Ororo cleared her throat softly and Scott and the woman jumped at the sound.

“Pardon me,� Ororo said, “I did not mean to interrupt anything.�

Scott was flustered. “Of course not, Ororo, I was just, uh…we were just…�

The redhead saved him. “We were talking of the arrangements of the wedding at the Temple, Your Majesty.�

“Oh, forgive me for the interruptions,� Ororo said.

“NO! I mean, no, no, it is fine, my lady,� Scott said, his face still flushed. “We had finished already.�

Ororo suppressed the smile that was fighting to break free. “I do not think I have had the pleasure,� she said offering her hand to the redhead. “I am Ororo.�

The woman bowed low. “I know, Your Majesty, I do not think any person in all of Aldriah does not know of you; I am Jean Greyhame, cleric at the Temple of the Mother.�

Ororo gently took her hand. “Please, if one more person bows to me like that, I will go absolutely mad! It is a pleasure to meet you.�

“You as well, my lady,� she said, smiling.

She was very lovely, Ororo thought, and seemed a sweet person.

Scott chose well.

Casting one more longing look at Scott, Jean excused herself and was off.

“I am truly sorry if I humiliated either of you, Scott,� Ororo said in earnest.

Scott was still trying to maintain appearances. “No, my Lady, it was nothing, just talk of the wedding is all.�

The man was an unbelievably bad liar.

“It is fine, Scott, you do not have to hide the truth for the sake of my feelings,� Ororo assured him.

Scott began trying to explain that it was not what she thought.

Ororo waved away his attempts. “Please, Scott, a nearsighted ogre could see what is between the two of you.�

Scott sighed in defeat, “Please don’t tell my father, Ororo, it would make a mess of all that he has been trying to make come together.�

The look of pleading on his face was heartbreaking. “No worries, Scott; your secret is safe with me.� She placed a hand on his shoulder to reassure him.

“Thank you,� he said, bowing his head low, not looking at the elven princess.

“What is the matter?� she asked.

Scott tilted his head to look into her eyes. “I am doing wrong here, I know, I have been betrothed to you, I have a duty that I cannot ignore, but...� He paused a moment, “but I love her.�

Ororo took his hand. “It is ok, Scott, I will not judge you for matters of the heart, no one has the right to do that to anyone.�

“But my father…�

“…is a good man, but even he does not know how you feel,� she finished for him.

Scott slowly nodded his head. “You’re right; thank you, Ororo.�

“I am sorry for all this� she said. “By the Lady, I would not stand between your love if I had any choice in the matter at all.�

“I know that as well, Ororo� he said, “And I would not stop you from your chosen one as well, if the choice were mine.�

Ororo sadly nodded her head at him and grinned.

“Well, I guess we had better…� he began, but he was cut off quickly.

“Oh no, you don’t,� she said now with a full-blown smile,� you do not get off that easy, you and I are going to take a walk, and you will tell me all about the two of you and how you met.�

Scott smiled genuinely and the two began walking.

Dungeons of Aldriah:

The Father Beast must be pissing on me right about now… Logan thought as he scooped up another handful of the gunk they were giving him as food.

Proper food; yea, right, if you’re a fucking diseased mule.

Looking at the food suddenly, he thought that this very well may be where it came from.

Shrugging, Logan still ate. Poison or no, the sick excess of a dying cow or not, Logan had to keep his strength up if he was going to get out of this situation he had gotten himself into.

Seeing the bottle of bourbon on the guard’s desk, not far from the cell door, made his mouth dry. A solid drink would make him feel a world better right now.

Seeing the slumped form of the guard low in his seat, told Logan that escape might be a bit easier than he thought. Getting out of his cell might be easier than planned, but getting out of the city was the real problem.

He knew he could not very well go straight out the palace doors and to the front gates, killing any guard that got in his way, no matter how much fun it sounded.

Logan knew that he would more than likely have to deal with non-military Aldriahns as well, and although he held no great love for the citizens of this nation, he wasn’t going to take the life of a noncombatant.

Slurping down the last of the tasteless mush and draining the small cup of water he had been given, Logan lay back on the bare rock floor. Night had still not fallen yet, and if what that bastard Creed had said was true, then he was in for a long night. He had best get some sleep while it was available to him.

Closing his eyes, he dreamed of the snow-capped mountains of the north and the warmth of a roaring fire with a large tankard of mead in his hand. He dreamed of seeing his sister, her young unscarred face, lit brightly by her large brown eyes, laughing with her over the stories that Drake would tell.

He had dreams of hair as white and as thick as the snow, of eyes as blue as the sky after a storm. Dreams of light brown skin, wrapped in warm pelts, and of lips as soft as the brush of a flower petal. Logan dreamed of a woman with a heart that burned as brightly as the sun escaping the confines of night. A spirit that knew of no yielding, strong as steel but as warm as the flames it was tempered in.

For a few moments, even if only in his dreams, Logan had found something he did not even know he was searching for. Something he did not even know he needed.

“Wakey, wakey, sweet prince,� a slightly slurred voice called to him, waking him from his dream.

Logan stood fast and put his back against one of the cell corners.

Two men stood on the other side of the bars, grinning at him devilishly. One was a short and dirty man with sickly, almost green skin and bulging eyes. The other was tall and gangly, with a mess of blond hair atop his head.

The tall one spoke again, his voice carrying the influence of too much bourbon. “Come on, lad, the boss is gonna be down here soon, and we have to get ya ready for the party.�

They both laughed, their eyes never losing their malice.

Logan stepped forward and laughed along with them, his deep voice overpowering theirs, causing them to stop and back away from the Northman.

“Time already, huh?� Logan leaned against the bars, “Well, I been looking forward to this all day.�

“Just one question.� He pressed his head against the bars and bared his teeth. “Which one of you assholes gets to die first trying to take me?�

The two men were afraid, even though the bars were of the strongest steel, they were afraid. The Northman looked as though he could rip the bars from their base and be on them before they could even start screaming.

Logan scoffed a laugh. “When you have the guts, come on back and give it a go.� He plopped back down on the cell floor, never taking his eyes off of the two. “Until then, let me get my fucking sleep.�

Logan dozed back off as the two men still cowered outside the cell door.

The Gardens:

“So your stepmother and she were close.�

Scott nodded.

They had been walking now for a good hour or more, but neither of them noticed; they were enjoying talking to each other too much.

“My stepmother was High Cleric of the Temple, and Jean was one of her favorite pupils,� he continued.

Ororo thought a moment more, wondering whether she should ask her next question or not, her instilled curiosity clawing at her, “Where is your mother now?�

Scott sighed, “She passed many years ago.�

Damn it, why do I always have to ask the hurtful questions? Ororo thought, kicking herself.

“She was a great woman and a good Queen,� Scott continued. “My father loved her very much.�

“What was her name?�

“Lilandra.�

Ororo repeated the name silently to herself. “A beautiful name.�

Scott nodded. “For a beautiful woman.�

“What happened to her?� Ororo asked; Gods damn her curiosity.

That look fell over Scott again, the one that spoke of blinding degrees of pain. “She was found raped and beaten in the Northlands, with the symbol of the Beast carved into her forehead and her throat slit.�

The thought of such brutality made Ororo gasp. “Scott, I am sorry, Lady damn me for my wretched questions!�

Scott placed a hand on her shoulder. “Ororo, I do not fault you a bit for the asking. If you’re going to be queen, you will need to know these things, and as far as bringing up old wounds, as I said, I have come to grips with it.�

Ororo thought of King Xavius; some had obviously not.

“So that is the reason why Aldriah called for the War with the North.�

Scott shrugged. “War had been brewing for a very long time between our people and the Northmen; my Mother’s death was just the catalyst. My father was overcome with grief at the time, and it was Magnus that made the push for war.�

There was that name again and the shivers that accompanied it. “Who is Magnus, where did he come from?�

Scott shook his head. “No one really knows, not even my father. He does not share much of his past with anyone. The most I know is that he spent a great deal of time in the Shadowbourne hills of the Northeast, After that, my father and he met on an expedition and the two have been joined at the hip since, it seems.�

The lack of background on the sorcerer did not improve Ororo’s opinion of him any. “He makes me uneasy.�

Scott laughed softly. “Believe me, you would not be the first, the servants will go nowhere near his tower if they do not have to.�

Ororo smiled thinly; that really was not making her feel any better.

“Do you hate the Northmen?� Ororo asked, wanting to change the subject.

Scott did not speak for a moment. He rubbed his hand along his chin, thinking.

“I hate war and I hate what was done to my mother,� he said, his voice firm. “I hate that so many die, be it from our blades or theirs, and I hate that neither side will try any other path than that of battle, but do I hate the people of the north?� Scott shook his head. “No, I don’t.�

Ororo was surprised. “Even though they killed your stepmother?�

“The entire Northern people did not kill my stepmother, I will not cast wrath on an entire people for the actions of a few.�

Ororo was correct again about the young prince. He was indeed a good man.

“Do you think that makes me naïve or weak?� he asked.

Ororo shook her head, grinning. “It makes you a good man, Scott, and it shows the qualities of a fine King.�

Scott smiled and the two kept walking.

Dungeons of Aldriah:

If the world were to shit on him anymore, Victus Creed was certain that it would reach the top of the battlements by morning.

With Magnus being the bastard that he is, Creed thought, absently rubbing his neck, and the old man having his dogs sniff about, tonight’s entertainment would have to be more lax than what he would prefer.

He would at the very least have to leave the runt with all of his limbs. Creed hated when he had to do that. It took so much away from the experience.

Oh, well, he thought, reaching the door that lay on the other end of the dungeon complex. Something was better than nothing, and there were still many ways of making a man suffer.

Opening the door and finding the room empty was the last scratch on already raw nerves.

Mort and Allder, the two who were supposed to bring Logan to the interrogation room heard the roar of a very upset Creed from the other end of the complex as clearly as if he were standing beside them.

They shifted around nervously, knowing they were going to more than likely feel the bite of the whip before the prisoner did.

All the while, Logan snored loudly.

“The boss is pissed,� Mort said, rubbing his hands together over and over again.

Allder looked down the hall nervously, “So are you gonna tell him why you didn’t get the Northerner to interrogation?�

“Me??? You were supposed to be the one to knock him out first, I told ya we should have used the Quirary, but noooo, you said you could handle it! Great foresight, oh, great seer!�

Allder sneered and was about to say something when Creed arrived like an angry bull.

The gaze he gave them could set fire to a holy man’s robes.

“Are you two idiots not supposed to have the prisoner chained and secured in the interrogation room by now?� Despite his obvious temperament, Creed’s voice was amazingly calm.

It only added to the fear already bubbling over in their stomachs.

“Well, sir,� Allder tried to explain, “the old boy seemed to be a handful, and we…�

“You were just too chicken shit to get the job done, because the Northman would have taken you and hung your innards on the cell walls, is what it basically boils down to; am I correct in this assumption?� Creed tapped the wall patiently.

Mort and Allder did not know what to say in their defense; all in all, it would not matter much, anyway.

Creed sighed, “When we are done with the runt, then I’m going to give you idiots a lesson in being punctual with your duties.�

Mort and Allder both winced, not knowing in whose shoes they would rather be in, theirs or the Northman’s.

“Go get some Quirary and get your asses back here fast,� Creed told them.

Allder and Mort both ran down the halls, escaping their boss’s wrath for the time being.

Shaking his head in disgust, Creed turned back to see Logan on his elbows, smirking at him.

“Some fine help ya got there, Creed� he said, standing up. “I mean, if I had a few dozen men like that, I could really bring the walls down.�

Despite all else, Creed smiled. “They’re idiots and worthless, but they do as they’re told; I ask for nothing else from my men.�

“Loyalty doesn’t seem like it is high on the list of virtues of the type of men you command,� Logan said, leaning against bar doors. Creed didn’t flinch away from him, he didn’t expect him to. They were sizing each other up, and neither were going to come up on the short end.

“They know I’m waiting on the other side if they choose to open that door and disobey me,� Creed growled.

Here was a man who led through fear and threat of force, Logan really hated that kind.

“You know Creed, I was wrong,� he drawled, “I thought you were a low, dirty, son of a bitch, venomous, scum-sucking bastard, but I was wrong.�

Logan moved a little bit closer to the bars, his eyes on level with the leaning Creed. “You don’t rate that high to me.�

Their eyes were locked and in them they were ripping each other to pieces.

“Boss, we got it.�

Mort and Allder returned, carrying a long hollowed pipe and a small pouch; Neither Creed nor Logan acknowledged them.

“It’s time for screaming runt� Creed said, gashing his teeth

“Come right on in and get me, then. I’m right here, Creed, all it takes is you opening the door,� Logan shrugged.

Creed snorted, “Mort.�

The little man grinned and brought the pipe to his mouth and blew.

Logan felt a sharp sting on his neck; he reached up and pulled a small dart free and intently examined it.

“Quirary,� Creed supplied. “You should be feeling it now.�

Logan had begun feeling his legs give way and his arms go limp even before Creed had finished speaking. He fell to the floor like a marionette that had its strings cut, his arms and legs no longer under his control.

The cell door opened and Mort and Allder came in and lifted Logan up while Creed still stood against the bars, “One of Magnus’ little tricks, made form some damn flower he grows, makes you lose all motor function without any sensory deprivation.�

Creed leaned in close to Logan’s face as Mort and Allder came out from the cell. “In other words, runt, you can’t move, but you are still gonna feel.�

His limbs could not respond, true, but Logan still could move his head. He crushed his forehead against Creed’s nose and brought a great spurt of blood from the half-ogre.

Mort and Allder slammed Logan against the wall, as Creed wiped the blood from his obviously broken nose. “Good. I like that, runt, I like when a man still fights even though he’s beaten; makes breaking them so much more fun.�

Creed slammed a fist into the side of Logan’s head, and once again he was brought to darkness.

A few moments later, Logan raised his head to find himself in a small room with only one lantern hanging from the ceiling. He was strapped down on a long, upright table and his pants had been taken. He could move his hands a bit now, but only slightly, not nearly enough of his strength had returned to rip the bindings free.

Creed stood smiling before him, the light reflecting off of his tusk-like fangs.

“Welcome back, Northman,� he said, rubbing his hands together. “The time is now.�

Walking over to the only other thing in the room he could see, an old table, Creed emptied the contents of the bag onto the desk. The small bit of light caught the bright silver of some of Creed’s tools.

“Ya know what this is, runt?� he asked, holding a large, steel-wooled comb in his hand, with several serrated teeth clearly visible to Logan. “It’s called a carder, ya use them on wool, but I find that on the tender flesh of, say the mid-chest,� Creed viciously raked it down Logan’s chest, taking a fair portion of flesh with it, “it was way underrated in its use.�

Logan grit his teeth hard, he had not cried out, and would not. He knew that Creed wanted his screams. They were the true measure of pain, not the amount of blood that was spilt, but the volume of the cry of anguish.

Digging through his tools, Creed brought forth a large, saw-toothed blade. “Oh, this is a favorite of mine, won’t be for you, at least not any time soon. This is called the Blood Eagle saw, ya see, I use it to cut your ribs along the spine and then, I break them and fold them outwards and slowly pull your lungs away.�

Flashes of memory showed on his demented face. Creed was enjoying this. “I have all kinds of ways to get you to scream Northman; it’s only a matter of time.�

Logan spat in Creed’s face.

A thunderous right hand smashed against Logan’s temple.

“Okay, runt, how about I pull out the big toys.� Creed walked back to the desk and pulled out a pair of long iron shears. Unlike other ones that ended in standard blades or jaws, this one ended in pair of hemicylindrical blades that formed a long tube; even closed, Logan could see the spikes that lined the inside…

“The shears of the Gator,� Creed said, setting the large iron device down and walking behind the table that held Logan to a small fireplace. Creed struck the flint and tinder and a small flame rose to life on the dried wood, “I never used them before, even I have limits, but I think I will definitely make an exception this time.�

Creed placed the jaws of the shears into the fire. “Got to let it get hot first.� He walked around and faced Logan. “Then I wrap it around your manhood and I yank it off by the roots.�

The blood froze throughout Logan’s body, but he made no outward show of any emotion, other than anger.

“Until then,� Creed cracked his knuckles, “I gotta keep my self occupied.�

He began hammering on Logan’s body, blow after blow, sent shockwaves of pain in all directions.

Logan bared it all with grunts and a hard grimace.

Outside Allder and Mort snickered sadistically.

“Boss is really going off on this one,� Mort said.

Allder nodded his head. “Yea, I haven’t seen him this pissed in a while, he might even…� He froze mid-speech as he looked down the hall. An expression of fear plastered itself on his face.

“What� Mort asked, and followed Allder’s gaze.

The little man froze in terror at who stood before him.

The interrogation Room:

Creed was wearing himself out, and the Northman had not even moaned yet.

Wiping the blood from his hands, Creed laughed. “I will admit, you are one tough bastard.� He went to the table and put on a pair of smithing gloves. “But we ain’t done yet by a damn sight.�

Creed pulled the shears from the fire; the tip was glowing red from the heat.

Logan’s breath hitched as he felt the head of the iron along his groin.

“Hope the last cully you had was a good one, runt,� the ogre sneered, “’cause it was the last.�

As the shears opened, Logan braced himself for a pain he never knew before.

Two large dark arms grabbed Creed around the neck, before he could close the shears around Logan, and hurled him against the far wall.

Creed roared and turned back around to see who had interrupted him and came face to face with the point of a sword held by Lucas Bishop.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Bishop?� Creed snarled. “I have orders.�

Bishop didn’t flinch. “Your orders are to interrogate the prisoner for information, not for your own sick pleasure.�

Creed growled at him. At the door stood four armed guards holding Mort and Allder at sword point. “I don’t question your methods of doing things, so don’t question mine.�

“Your are still Aldriahn military, Creed, and I outrank you, even if you do report only to Magnus. I will not have this kind of treatment of the prisoners.� Bishop’s voice was like granite.

“You fucking hypocrite,� the half-ogre ground out. “I know you of all people would do the same thing to a Northman, if you had the chance, ya know, get a little payback for the wife and child that they took from ya.�

A backhand blow sent Creed reeling to the door. “That is the last time I ever want to hear that from your mouth Creed. If you ever do so again, I will put my sword through it.�

Looking back at the beaten form of Logan, Bishop never let his look waver. “My personal feelings are irrelevant in this. This man is to be well treated, and any who do not follow through with those orders will answer to me.�

Creed stood silent, his teeth still bared at the Easterner.

Bishop sheathed his sword. “You will be going on report to the King, Creed, and I will see to your punishment myself, that you can count on; now, take your dogs and get out of my sight.�

Creed snarled at him, but left with Mort and Allder following closely behind.

“Get him down, and to the Medics,� the marshal ordered, sheathing his sword.

Logan gritted, as the bonds were released and he fell to the floor, hands helped him to his slowly feet. He had regained most of his control, but he was weak from the beatings.

Bishop met eyes with the Northener, and Logan nodded. “I won’t say thank you to an Aldriahn officer for this, but I will say thank you to the man underneath the uniform.�

Bishop said nothing; he just nodded to him as the guards carried him out.

Chapter 7
Ororo rested better that night than she had in a good long while. Maybe it was the fact that she was getting to know Scott better, and even though neither had feelings of an intimate nature for the other, they were becoming fast friends. Or perhaps it was that she had not dreamed that night, her stranger had not come to her, and for once she was thankful; rest was what she wanted. She was also glad she was able to stop thinking of the glacier-colored eyes of the Northman.

She rose from bed, got dressed and went and met him for breakfast. A friend of Scott’s was joining them, a young Knight Errant by the name of Alexander, who was as close to a brother as the prince had. They talked for a good while after their meal was finished about everything from Ororo’s homeland, to the finer points of archery. Alex was very kind and humble. Scott and he were so much alike it could have been easy to mistake the two for siblings.

Ororo had noticed that her father and King Xavius did not join them and she inquired about them.

“They left early this morning for a trip to Barrenfall. Father wanted to see how his men were doing so close to the front,� Scott provided.

Ororo had found it a bit odd that her father had left without telling her. He was not known to be spontaneous. She did not worry, however; her father usually tried not to worry her about his royal duties, even if she wanted to hear all about his dealings, which was usually the case. A bit more bonding time with the prince was probably the main reason for not letting his daughter know of his departure, because she would have asked to join him.

“Barrenfall is pretty close to the bloodshed, I pray the Mother keeps them safe,� Alex remarked, sipping from a cup of water.

Scott nodded. “A prayer is always a good thing, but I would not worry too much. Marshal Bishop left with them; there’s no better soldier to have at your side than that man.�

“I saw him last night, leaving the dungeons, the man looked fit to be tied,� Alex chimed in. “He put in a heavy reprimand for Creed, as well; old boy must be having too much fun with the prisoners again.�

“Creed makes my stomach turn, every time he looks at me, it’s as if he is waiting to peel my flesh off,� said Scott.

“Have you ever seen his bag of toys?� Alex shivered. “I would have hated to be that Northman last night.�

That grabbed Ororo’s attention by the throat. “The Northman was tortured?�

Scott shook his head disdainfully. “It is supposed to be interrogation, but Creed makes it into something else.�

“Word is that Bishop was the one to halt the whole thing before it went to far,� Alex said around a mouth of now almost cold sausage. “He is a good man, Bishop, but I’ll be damned if I would go out of my way to help a man that may have killed my family.�

Ororo’s mouth hung a bit open. “Lord Bishop’s family was killed?� She looked over at Scott “By the Northmen, I take it?�

Scott slowly nodded a yes. “He does not like to talk about it much.�

Alex snorted. “More like he will take the head off any person who even remotely mentions anything about it, it is certainly a sore spot for him, but Gods know you cannot blame him for it.�

Ororo pondered over what she just heard. Bishop was a somber man, there was no mistaking that, and like the King, he carried himself with the burden of duty. Where the King had eyes that showed a sadness hidden beneath them, Lord Marshall Bishop was like a carved statue; nothing rested beneath his eyes that could be read.

For a man who had lost his family to the North, he seemed not to let his anger show. He had not even slandered them when he spoke with her father about the savagery of the Northeners. Savagery on both sides, he had said, and Ororo found a new respect for the Marshal in that moment. A man that can lose all he loves and still not confess of prejudice to those that had taken it from him, that spoke a lot for Lucas Bishop.

“Now if I remember correctly, I think a certain Elven Princess is supposed to show us how good she is with a bow,� Alex stated, standing up and offering his hand to Ororo.

She smiled. “Not to worry, Sir Alexander, I will not make you and Prince Scott look like total amateurs.�

Alex grinned widely back at Scott. “Oh, Scotty boy, I like this one.�

The trio left for the range.

Temple of the Mother,
The Healing Halls
Logan had been brought in last night, but not until morning had he been treated. A quartet of armed guards stood close the whole time, and with the binders on both his wrists and feet, he knew this would not be the proper time to make his move. The clerics of the temple did not get close to him. The look in their eyes spoke of all that needed to be said. Some of them feared him, the others hated him, those that were afraid would come nowhere near him, and the hateful ones refused to do so.

It did not really matter much to him, though. He did not care if these people hated him and despised him. His body ached and was sore in almost all places, but his bleeding had stopped; now all that remained were large and dried patches where the wounds were doing a fine job of closing on their own. Logan’s left eye was the only thing to concern him, Creed had really done a number on it. It was swollen shut, and badly bruised. If not for that, Logan would have refused treatment and returned to his cell.

A guard had bound Logan’s hands from the back at the request of the High Cleric. If the Northman was to be treated, there would have to be assurances that he would not grab for the nearest sharp object and begin a slaughter in the holy chapel.

The words of the High Cleric made Logan laugh a bit. If he was going to start a slaughter, it would most definitely be in the palace keep; just a loud snarl would cause most of the people here to keel over in fear.

A cleric finally came and began his treatment. She was not very tall, only a bit shorter than he, but she was built well, and Logan noticed she did have a pretty face. Her hair was red, too; that was something he had not seen in a long time. Redheads among his people were rare, perhaps one every third generation was born with such a hair color. Logan smiled a bit; he liked the exotic, and red was nice.

Not near as nice as that snow kissed mane you saw.

Gods damn it.

He thought he had pushed that far enough down. He had not thought of it at all since his dream the previous day. He berated himself for becoming so enchanted with it. No such woman existed as the one that did in his dreams, and even if she did, she would not be his. His world did not work that way, and he had no expectations for it to change. The redhead, maybe…

The thought of having an Aldriahn woman did not bother him much. He surely could not take her home to the North, but if she was willing, maybe he could arrange a stopover in the Temple during his escape. He had been known to charm women straight into bed, even a few that had confessed to not even like him.

The possibilities.

You goat-brained, woman-hungry, half-wit, numbskull, of all the times I have asked you to try and find a decent woman, now is definitely not the time, you idiot! And if the chance arises for escape, don’t you dare risk it by trying to have a fling with an Aldriahn cleric!

Kitty’s voice rung so clearly in his head, it was as if she were whispering to him directly. He could not help but laugh, even as the cleric began stitching his lacerations. She looked at him, puzzled and a bit startled. Logan knew that look, the look of a fawn as it meets with that of a wolf. She was doing a grand job of hiding it, but the signs were there. She was afraid of him.

Logan lost all attraction at that very moment. He had no interest in any woman who was going to cringe at his gaze. He knew that Kitty would have crossed the cleric right off her list of hopefuls for him, Aldriahn or not. Logan had always looked for more in a woman, a fiery spirit, one that could match him for passion. He had always wanted a woman who was unafraid.

A woman should not be afraid of a man unless he gives her fair reason to, and then she should meet him head on, even if she is frightened. Women were equal with men, despite what some of the teachings of the Bear and Leopard tribes taught, and that should always be remembered. Logan believed in this, and his standards for woman usually ran high.

Logan had not even so much as given her a threatening look, and the cleric was terrified of him. That did not appeal to him.

Pushing all of that from his mind, Logan smiled inwardly at the still-lingering voice of his sister. She was always trying to help him; no matter what the task may be, she would do her best for her brother, despite his repeated attempts for her to mind her own affairs.

At the moment the inner voice that was his sister was more than right, he had to agree, now was not the time to think of women. He needed the cleric to finish and to get back to his cell to think. He had already spent too long here; he needed to get back to his people.

Besides he thought, taking one last look at the redheaded cleric,Pretty as she may be, she would be nothing more than maybe a one time tryst.

He leaned back and let the cleric finish her work Had to have my mind dream up anything else…

Guard Barracks,
Archery Range:
Damn.

That was the only thing running through the mind of Sir Alexander Sumnerdel.

Ororo had lied.

She had made both Scott and himself look like amateurs.

Another almost near perfect bull’s-eye.

Blind amateurs, at that.

“I see the fabled archery skill of the elves is not a thing of rumor,� Alex said, placing his bow on the ground.

Ororo blushed a bit. “Drallen taught me, you should see what he is capable of, he can take the eye of a Hawk in mid-flight.�

Scott, having fared only slightly better than Alex, set his bow aside as well. “In any case, I would hate to be on the other end of any arrow that you point!�

Ororo grinned at him.

Scott reached for the quiver and yelped in pain.

“What happened?� Ororo inquired, looking at the deep gash on his palm.

Scott grimaced a bit as his hand was turned over for Alex to see. “A hole in the quiver, must have caught an arrowhead.�

Alex looked the wound over and nodded his head. “That will need some care, my friend, a few stitches at least.�

Scott shook his head. “I will be fine; I will bandage it back at the palace.�

Ororo was going to have none of it. “No need to play the proud bearer of pain, Scott, let’s get you to the temple and have the clerics treat you,� she winked at him.

At the mention of the temple Scott blushed a bit. “I would not want to trouble them with such a minor thing.�

“Shut up, Scott� Alex said. “Don’t you know you are talking to the future Queen, start doing as your told now, my boy; makes things much easier.�

Scott chuckled. “If her Majesty insists.�

Ororo laughed. “I do.�

They walked to the Temple.

Unbeknownst to her, this would start a series of events that would change Ororo’s life forever.

The Healing Halls:
The cleric had finished with him an hour ago, but still he sat on the wooden stool with his arms bound behind his back. He could see out of his eye now at least, the cleric definitely knew her job. She had asked the guards for them to keep him here for a bit longer to make sure the swelling went down.

Logan sighed miserably. Torture was one thing; boredom was the thing that would be the death of him. The guards were standing by the only door into the halls, and Logan was almost sure they were taking turns napping.

Logan gave the chains a quick but silent jerk. There was no give in them; even with the strength he possessed, the rusted irons had no yield.

Sighing deeply, he leaned back against the wall and began dozing.

His dreams were full of her again.

No matter how much he had willed her image out of his mind, it always found its way back. It was another torture to him, seeing her face so real, and having the touch of her skin feel so close.

It was never real enough, though, nor was it ever close enough. Logan would be awake not long after she would come and haunt his sleep.

A growl left his lips.

Better this way, I guess, he thought, casting the thoughts of sleep away. be smart to stay alert, don’t need some holy man turned zealot trying to slit my throat while I’m nodding.

The guards stood lazily as a knock came at the large door. One peered out, and then pulled his head back in quickly while sputtering out orders to the others to look alive.

A pair of young men entered the hall, both were men of station, Logan could tell. One carried himself with a royal bearing, and the other had the swagger of military. The taller of the two was holding his right hand by the wrist.

A bishop came to them and sat them down near one of the treatment tables, and was whispering to them softly. Logan could not hear, but as the gazes of the two younger men met his, he had a good idea of what the bishop was telling them.

The look on the blond-haired one became harsh and cold. Logan was sure that if looks could kill, the one he was getting now would burn him down to the bone. The other’s face remained indifferent, being hard to tell with those spectacles he was wearing.

“There you two are, sorry I was so caught up in the temple that I lost you.�

Logan’s heart literally stopped in his chest for a moment. The bearer of that voice walked in and the outside of his world no longer existed. Eyes wide and mouth ajar, Logan could only stare at the elven woman, his mind forming not a single coherent thought.

She was real.

Or his mind was torturing him yet again.

Raising one of his manacled feet, he smashed it down atop its twin.

Logan groaned a bit from that, but it had solved something for him to be sure.

He was awake, and she was still there.

This was not a dream.

You need to focus, his inner voice scowled at him, no time for this, remember dungeon, torture, possible beheading, above AND below…

Shut up was the only reply Logan gave.

Ororo was standing beside Scott, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder, when her eyes met with Logan’s.

It is said at the point of creation, there is chaos. There are energies and furies that rage out of control. The untapped Power courses its own way through the ethers. Discord and unbalance are the only constants. A change happens amidst the Distopia and something is brought into being, in almost a whisper. It reaches a point where all of that power and energy is focused and brought into a new order, all within the span of a single beating of the heart.

That was what the first look they shared was like.

For one moment in their worlds, there was nothing other than each other’s eyes.

It was Logan who broke the connection first. He dropped his head away and suddenly remembered his breath. He had been holding it since she entered the room and met his gaze.

Get it together, he screamed in his mind. Nothing has changed, you’re still a prisoner, and no matter who or what she is, she is with the Aldriahns, so that makes her my enemy.

The words were hollow in his mind; like thin ice in the rays of the sun, they broke apart and drifted away into nothing.

Logan laughed out loud at that point. The Father Beast was a real humorous bastard. Showing him the most enchanting woman he had ever seen and then making her his enemy. Life was always so damned fair.

Ororo had not moved, not blinked and she was not even sure if she was breathing. Her hand had been steadily tightening the whole time, however, much to the discomfort of Scott.

“Ororo, please, I think my shoulder is going numb,� he said, motioning to her clenching hand that still rested upon him.

Shocked back to reality, Ororo removed her hand. “Oh, sorry.�

Alex saw the look on her face, she was flushed and her breath was quick. He thought it was fear, and he was right. It was just not the type of fear he thought.

“Don’t worry, my Lady, he is chained and guarded.� Alex looked over at the guards still by the door and motioned for them to return to their post by the prisoner. “There is no need to be afraid.�

Ororo fixed him with a stern gaze. “I will have you know that I am not afraid, Sir Alexander, but thank you for your concern.�

Alex bent his eyebrows in confusion, but he gestured his apology to her and sat back down beside Scott.

“That is the son of Lentrok, then?� Scott asked.

Alexander nodded. “Logan is his name, Champion of the Five Tribes of the North.�

“I thought he would be taller,� Scott said in all seriousness.

Alex laughed. “Giant he may not be, but he can still kill a man with an almost uncanny ease, make no mistake about it.�

Ororo was silently scrutinizing the Northman while they talked. The memory of the glances she got in the throne room the other day paled compared to the reality before her. The sinew and muscles of his body were more defined than she could recall, and his hair, while still wild, seemed to run like a stream from his head down his back.

Logan was thinking the same thing at that moment. The dreams did not live up to the actual being of the woman on the other side of the room. Her hair was thicker and more startling white than he thought, and he was happy for that. Her form was unflawed, and her face was almost heart-bursting to look upon. Logan thought such a woman could only exist in dreams.

The only constant for either of them were each other’s eyes. That they had not forgotten. Sky-clear and ocean-deep shades met and were lost in each other.

Even when the cleric had returned and observed how well his healing was coming, their eyes never broke. The redheaded cleric followed his gaze and saw the group on the other end. Logan heard her breath hitch and she not too tactfully made her way to them.

She signaled for the guards that the prisoner could be returned to his cell and they complied.

They raised Logan up, none to gently and led him out of the halls. Logan passed by the group and came painfully close to the woman who he thought existed only in dreams. Her smell was intoxicating, she smelled of fresh water, of the forest, of spring. If ever life had a scent, she wore it about her, and Logan drank his fill as he passed.

Ororo felt a small prickle of current as the Northman walked past her. It was like a static charge, shocking her throughout her body and leaving her with a warm tingle.

Logan kept his stare fixed even as the guards pushed him out the door and closed it behind them.

Ororo left her eyes rooted on the door after he left. She did not know why, but she found she could not turn away.

Jean had begun work on Scott’s hand, treating it with salve and gently wrapping it. They both glanced at each other frequently, and their touches lingered just a bit longer each time.

Scott spoke evenly to her about what happened; she gave him a hidden smile as she bandaged him. Alex knew of what was going on with Scott and the cleric, and while he did not approve of the sneaking around the two did, he would cast no stones on them.

As gorgeous as Jean was, however, Alex did not know how Scott could take his eyes from Ororo. The elven princess was stunning, and the shape of her body could make even a monk forget his vows of chastity.

Alex shrugged it all off. He knew that Scott was in love with the cleric; more was the pity. He felt deeply for his friend that when the time came, he would have to cast that love aside and fulfill his duty to the kingdom.

Still, he thought, admiring Ororo’s backside, he could imagine worse fates.

Palace Dungeons
Logan was thrown back into his cell and the door was shut loudly behind him

His food had been brought earlier, and the mess of slop was now as cold as the floors. Logan picked up the bowl and began eating ravenously. He was not overly hungry, it was the act of it he was trying to lose himself in. He had to get his mind off of the elven woman. He offered a hand to the Father at that moment for the bottle of whiskey that sat at the inebriated guards’ desk.

He could almost hear his father’s verbal beatings for his lack of focus.

Idiot boy he heard, still gulping down the contents of the bowl, I have taught you nothing, a woman can cloud your mind just as the Haze can! How can you expect to lead men and save our people when you cannot even save yourself?

In a fit of anger, Logan threw the bowl against the bars, shattering it into pieces. The hot claws of the Haze began creeping into his mind then. He could feel it, the demanding urge to let go, to give in, to shut out all of the images and words of his father and the stare of the elven woman’s eyes.

It would be so easy, just to give in. The sweet call of the Haze was tempting him, goading him, making him want the taste of blood on his lips. Logan stood without himself knowing it and gripped at the bars tightly. The power flowing from the Haze made the bars groan under the strain. Logan’s eyes changed at that moment. The normal deep blue irises became as black as midnight, and his pupils vanished in the darkness.

The guard, still asleep at the desk, taunted Logan with his every breath and heartbeat. He pulled at the bars again, and again they groaned from his madness-enhanced strength. Logan wanted blood, he wanted to inflict pain, he wanted the guard’s heart crushing in his hands.

Something stopped him.

The Haze called for him to continue but he would not. Visions flashed rapidly in his mind, visions of enemies littering the ground with those of comrades and friends beside them.

All dead.

Their bodies mutilated and torn beyond recognition.

Atop the mounds of bodies, Logan saw a vision of himself, drenched in blood, pulling out the organs of one of his own people and feasting on them like a wild beast.

Logan roared at his own image and it turned and looked at him. Those eyes were of the coldest black, and they were laughing at him.

The twin raised a bloody chunk of flesh and offered it to him. “Want some, she tastes very sweet.�

Logan glanced down and saw the face of Kathreyna in a grimace of shock and fear.

He roared and flung his body at his twin.

He was caught in mid-air by the throat and held up high over the ground.

Their eyes met, black on black.

“Don’t fight it, Logan, it is no use. I have never been denied; just let me have you, and I promise to show you things that you have never imagined.�

Logan struggled to speak under the grip of iron. “Go to the Hells, I am not like you!�

His twin smiled. “You are me. You just don’t want to admit it yet, that old fool thinks he has driven me out of you, but I am still here, I will always be with you, Logan, in the darkness, waiting for the moment when I can be free.�

Logan roared loudly and began pounding away with his fists on the face of his still smirking twin, each blow a thunderbolt, raining blood and gore around him.

He snapped back into reality and found his hands gripped around the halfway bent bars. The guard still slumbered noisily at his desk. Logan detached himself from the bars, his hands were sore and stiff with exertion. He slumped down against the wall and held his head in his hands as he realized he had failed again.

Royal Guest Chambers:
When the day was over, Ororo retired to her bed and was disappointed after the first few hours that she was still awake.

So much for keeping the streak of sleep filled nights going…

Ororo rolled around in her bed again and again. She had even drank a few glasses of wine and still she was anxious.

Anxious for what?

She punched the pillow under her head and sighed. This was getting her nowhere. Damn it all down to the Hells, she could not keep the Barbarian out of her mind. Whenever her eyes closed, she saw him, and it was making her crazy.

Logan.

That name echoed in her mind.

She was being ridiculous, she knew.

The enemy, Ororo, he is the enemy

She repeated the mantra over and over in her head.

The enemy, a monster, a destroyer.

Then why when she saw his eyes she had no fear, she knew that he was a killer, she could see that in there but that could not possibly be all that was; she had seen more in them, much more.

Ororo had heard the stories from Alex after they had left the temple and the rumors among the servants of the brutality the man was capable of.

He was no more than an animal, they had said.

The impression he had left in her mind told her that there had to be more to it than that. A soulless killer could not occupy her mind like this.

At least, she hoped not.

Curiosity.

That damned Curiosity.

It was eating away at her again, and about the same damned thing.

Ororo rose from her bed and knew that she would have no more sleep until it was quelled.

She dressed in simple garments and put on her shoes, the ones that her father detested because they were unbecoming of a Princess.

She slipped out of her room and made her way down the halls silently, avoiding the guards when possible; when she was seen and asked by them, she simply told them she could not sleep and was going for a walk in the gardens.

-Not a lie, she thought, Just leaving parts out…

She briskly walked to the garden, holding the small vial she had been given in her palm and a small bag of coins in her other hand.

Time to call in a favor.

Chapter 8

The wind was cold in the gardens, and Ororo wished she wore a bit more than just the thin material that made up her evening gown. She had been waiting now for what felt like hours.

“Damn good thing I don’t have to depend on him to save my life.�

“You wound me, Rose.�

Ororo turned around, and atop the garden walls stood her thief. He still wore the long brown coat and hood she had seen him in the last time, and in his hand he clutched a long quarterstaff.

“Remy’s heart may be torn by your words, but the warmth of your beauty heals him down to the core.� He hopped down and kissed her hand.

She did her best to hide the smile forming on her lips but failed horribly. “Took you long enough, Lebeau.�

Remy only grinned. “A king has his duties, my lady; I’ll have you know I put off several pressing matters to answer your call.�

“Barmaid?� she asked, quirking an eyebrow.

The grin on his face turned wicked. “And two of her sisters.�

Ororo rolled her eyes and picked up the vial she had broken. “An odd device, but clearly effective; is it magic?�

Remy took the shattered vial. “As I am sure you know, my lady, there are many people of this world who have had the misfortune of being born with the taint of Daemons, and those that have cannot live the way normal people can.�

He looked at the vial with almost sad eyes. “Many of us can only feed our bellies by thievery, so there are many like me among the Thieves guild. These vials are filled with brimstone extract that surround the various portals that some of my brothers can step through. Whenever brimstone is brought into the air, those touched by Daemon can sense it. We use them as alarms and summoning calls.�

Ororo nodded her head. “So can you step through these portals?�

“I cannot, I am only touched by the taint. Others, though, have had the corruption sink deeper into their blood,� he answered.

Tossing the shattered vial over his shoulder, he let the somberness of his mood ebb away. “Now, my Rose, I see that you have need of Remy. What can I do for you, and please tell me it involves you and me with a couple of bottles of brandy in a bathing tub filled with rose petals.�

“I have need of your expertise, thief,� she said, stiffening her nervous laugh. “But not in the field that you would hope.�

Remy eyed her closely. “Life is so full of sad disappointments, but we must all manage, I suppose.� He walked around her and leaned in close. “What manner of expertise can I give you, my lady?�

There was only so much she really wanted to divulge. “Locks.�

Remy nodded slowly. “Locks.� He rubbed at the hair on his chin. “Does my Rose plan on locking someone up?� That wicked smile overtook his face. “I would not think that would be necessary.�

The blush deepened a bit more. “Actually, their opening is what my interest is primed upon.�

“And what sort of locks are you interested in?�

Ororo raised her brow. “Does it matter?�

Remy chuckled, “Not that I would not lay my life down for you, my Lady, but if it is something such as a vault or tome or such, then when it is discovered missing, the first place that blame is going to be set is on the Guild of Thieves. So please believe me Rose, I do not need such worry.�

“You have no need to worry, King of Thieves, no such troubles will come to your door,� she assured him.

Remy studied her a moment and slowly nodded his head. “Very well, my lady, but I will expect a kiss on my way to the gallows if such a fate befalls me.�

Ororo smirked. “You shall have it.�

Remy smiled brightly. “Ah, I would commit the crime, and turn my own self in and walk proudly to the Hangman’s noose if it meant a kiss from you, my lady.� He pulled a small silver key from his coat pocket and handed it over to Ororo. “This should make do for what you need.�

Ororo studied it for a moment. It was a plain silver key with a wide head and several small and engraved teeth on the end.

“Magical?� she asked.

Remy leaned in closely. “Everything I give and everything I do is magic, Rose.�

The blush on her face intensified just then. “And this can open any locked door or object?�

He nodded. �Apart from other enchanted devices, no lock will keep you out.�

She smiled at him. “Thank you, your Majesty.�

He bowed low before her. “Now, my lady, as much as it pains me to be apart from the glowing brilliance that is your beauty, I must be off before a guard were to see me and want to make Remy a head shorter.�

“Wait,� she said, as he was about to leap up to the garden wall. “I have something else to ask of you.�

“And what would that be?�

She tossed him the bag of gold coins, and he caught it in one smooth motion.

“I wish to buy another of those vials from you and a bit more of your time,� she said.

Remy looked from her to the coins. “So, what you are saying is that you would like to see Remy again, yes?

Ororo blushed once more. “What I am saying is that I may require your services again.�

Remy smiled at her as he dug into his coat pocket again. “I like you, my lady, Remy finds you to be very interesting.� He tossed her another one of the brimstone-filled vials. “Remy could never take the gold from a lady such as you.�

He dropped the coins to the ground. “Perhaps a kiss?�

Ororo scoffed. “You already stole one of those, LeBeau, and I do not see you on the march to the gallows or the chopping block just yet, so I am afraid you must wait.�

Remy only grinned. “Things like your kiss, Rose, are worth facing the block a thousand times over.�

He leapt to the top of the wall and waved at her. “And I can wait a bit longer for you to realize you love me. Until then Remy can dream.�

And in a rustle of his coat he was gone.

Ororo giggled and turned away, clutching her two gifts to her heart.

She had taken four paces when she realized she forgot the bag of coins on the ground. When she turned around to fetch them, she saw Remy back atop of the wall using his quarterstaff to fish the coin purse off the ground.

Placing her hands on her hips in mock anger, she cleared her throat loudly.

Remy looked up and bore an innocent grin. “Uh, Remy has children to feed?�

Her eyebrows went further up her forehead.

“Fine, Remy just has a whole lot of drinking to do.� He hooked the purse, blew a kiss to her and was gone once again.

Dungeon

The smell of blood flooded Logan’s nose as he huddled in the corner of the tiny cell. He could still taste it on his lips; the coppery flavor burned his throat like a poison. There was also the stench of decay that mingled with the blood.

Logan knew the smell all too well.

It was death.

Regardless of how hard he willed the images away, he could still see the entire macabre spectacle, even behind his tightly shut eyes.

The bodies of friends and family still littered the ground. They were piled so high that they reached his thighs, hheir faces in horrible masks of agony and pain from the fate that was dealt them.

The sky was black and the rain fell in a crimson pour. It was raining the blood that he had spilt. It matted his flesh and made his hair stick to his back in clumps. He could hear the voices whisper to him now. Curses and slurs being poured down on him from the dead lips of his own people.

He whirled around to see his tribesman and friend Drake standing before him. The young man was slashed from shoulder to hip, his organs bulging beneath the rotting skin.

“You killed me, Logan,� he said in a voice that was barely human any longer. “You brought death to us all.�

Logan’s mouth hung open as another figure rose by Drake’s side. What was once an attractive woman was now not much more than mutilated flesh hanging from broken bones. She was once called Betsai, a fellow warrior and a trusted friend; now, she was just one more splash of blood on Logan’s hands.

“You doomed us, Logan, the Elders should have cast you out the day your Father found you.�

Logan turned his eyes away from them only to see the faces of his father and sister.

Katherena’s body had been broken in such a way that he could taste the bile in his throat rise up and gag him. Her once youthful face now bore a large gash down one side that ran over and destroyed one of her eyes. The left arm ended in a horrible stump, and she bore the marks of being ravaged.

“You killed me, Logan� she spat out, “and then you took me as an animal. You are not my brother; you are a monster, a beast and nothing more.� Her still blue eye burned into him like a brand. ‘Father was wrong.�

Logan felt the tears ebb away from his eyes as his adoptive father stood before him now. Lentrok was clothed in the skins of Elder and Shaman, and in his hand he carried his staff.

“You failed me, Logan,� he said as he pulled the skins away to revel the disemboweled area of his stomach. “Our people are gone now, and it is your hand that bears our blood.�

“This is not me,� Logan grounded out. “I am not this person, I am a man.�

“You fought the Haze, Logan, and failed.� Lentrok placed his hand under his chin and raised his son’s eyes to his own. “I should have left you where I found you.

“I am not an animal!� Logan screamed out.

“You are something much worse now, my son,� Lentrok continued. “You are the Avatar of the Haze, just as the other elders feared that you would be one day. The Father has cursed us for trying to make one who is lost his Chosen.�

Logan grabbed at his head to cover his ears. “The Haze does not rule me.�

“Yes, you are righ,t Logan.� Lentrok leaned down and whispered into his ear. “You are its Master and the right hand of its madness.�

“NOOOOOO!� Logan grabbed for his father but found that his hand passed through the ruined flesh.

‘We go to the Father’s table now, my son, but you will now forever be cursed from His presence, the Mark is upon you, and you will wander for all time as the monster you have become all the while the curses of your people will forever resound in your ears.�

Lentrok and Kitty both began to rise above the gore-soaked ground and ascend to the sky, and with them went the bodies of all those that had died by Logan’s hands. Their curses echoed in the eerie quiet and pierced the deepest recesses of Logan’s mind.

Raising his head to the heavens, he screamed out his pain and rage, draining his body and his soul of all of their power. Logan collapsed into a heap, and for the first time since he could remember, he wept.

A noise caused his head to snap up and the tears stopped. He would die before he let these people see his will break. Expecting it to be either Creed or his lackeys, he was stunned to see the almost ethereal form of the Moon Elf that he had seen earlier.

She stood a few feet from the cell doors, out of the sight of the guard still in booze-induced slumber. She was looking at him with curious and intent eyes. A white evening dress draped her body and she clutched a small object in her hand.

Logan rose from his spot on the floor and took a few cautious steps forward. She did not flinch or step away further. Logan figured she was only confident in the strength of the bars, but the look in her eyes spoke of a courage that he thought few here could ever possess.

He placed his hands on the bars and studied her a second more. Her breathing was even, albeit a bit deep, but Logan thought that it was not from fear. Her hair was worn low and it cascaded down her shoulders as water breaks from a fall. The subtle points of her ears peeked from above the snowy mane of her hair, adding a beautiful contrast to her colors.

She was almost too much to bear at such a close range; her beauty was almost painful.

Ororo was doing a hell of a job, she thought, of keeping her emotions in check. She had been more worried of getting into the dungeon than of her actual goal. However, as she stood before the barbarian now, she realized that the easy part was over and the hard now lay ahead.

Though both were of almost the same height, the barbarian’s presence seemed to cast a tall shadow across the floor, making him appear as a giant would before a mouse. His wild hair still hung down his back, and the shallow beard he bore had grown considerably since she had seen him last. He was clad only in a pair of leather pants, and a pair of iron bracers still remained on his wrists. Ororo found herself drawn to the hardened chest behind the bars, which made her almost not hear the deep voice that spoke to her.

“Who are you?�

Ororo shook her head to clear her vision. “No one of any consequence.�

Logan chuckled a bit for the first time in days. “What are you doing here?� He leaned a bit closer into the bars. “Coming to take in the sights?�

“There is not much to take in,� she fired back, if only just a bit frazzled that he had caught her looking at his chest.

Logan scoffed. “You know, you could get into a lot of trouble being down here. I can’t think of any good reason other than you just can’t take your eyes off of me.�

Ororo was outraged. “How dare you!! As if a barbarian could ever…�

Logan reached out through the bars and grabbed her by the hand, not overly painful but still enough to make her wince. Ororo tried to scream but found that her breath had left her as she pressed against the iron bars and into the equally hard body on the other side. Her limbs went loose and her eyes wide.

Logan wrapped one arm around her and even through the bars it encompassed her waist. “I think you like the fact that I’m some kind of savage, a dirty Northmen that could as easily break you in half right now as kiss you, real different from the usual kind of boys that come after you, huh?� He pulled her closer. “I bet that prince of yours couldn’t make you feel this way.�

Despite all of his bravado, Logan was taking the only chance he felt he would ever get to wrap his arms around this woman. It was the only chance he felt that he could prove to his senses that she was of flesh and blood. The scent of her hair chased away the lingering stench of blood; the feel of her warm body eclipsed the cold dead hands that had touched him earlier; the sound of her breathing drowned out the horrid curses still echoing faintly in his ears; and the look of her eyes gave him a sense of peace and almost made him forget the accusing stares that had burned into his mind.

In spite of his brutish behavior, Ororo could not recall a time when her heart pounded so fast and her blood thundered through her veins like a heard of wild horses. She should have been afraid, should have been struggling and screaming and fighting to get loose of the North men’s hold. The way his hands felt against her, though, promised no violence, and the look in his eyes spoke of disbelief other than lust or malice.

“I think it would be wise for you to release me,� she stated finally, albeit reluctantly. Ororo could feel herself becoming almost drunk with the way those arms felt.

“Been called a lot of things, Darlin’. Wise ain’t in the top spots,� Logan said, breathing just a bit harder now.

“Unless you want to be beheaded, above and below, I think you should.� A wicked smile crossed her face and she raised a snowy eyebrow at him.

Logan felt a laugh bubble in his throat again; this one sure had a fire inside of her. The voice of survival in his mind was screaming that she could be a way out for him. A moon elf princess would make a fine hostage, but despite the urging, Logan felt his hands loosen, and his arms slowly left their place around her body.

For both of them it felt wrong, the lack of warmth and the cold hollow distance felt like a ravine in between them. Logan seriously doubted those bars could stand up to what he would do to them just to get his body closer to hers.

“So how did you manage this, and just what are you wanting?’ he asked with genuine curiosity.

Ororo breathed out slowly, adjusting herself to the sudden cold that filled the darkness of the prison. “I wanted to see if the Monster had the teeth that everyone said he did.�

Logan laughed out loud. “And does he?�

Ororo turned her head to the side slightly and frowned, “I haven’t made my mind up yet.� She slowly began pacing the cell door. “You are far from civilized.�

“Got that right,� Logan said with a smile.

“Your manners are certainly a horror.�

“You should see me at the dinner table.�

“Your gruff and surly.�

“Get that from my mother’s side.�

“You have no regards for station.�

“And probably never will.�

Ororo was getting frustrated with his smirk and his sarcasm. “You murder people.�

The smirk left Logan’s face in a flash. “I don’t murder. I kill.�

Ororo scoffed. “Same thing.�

“You don’t murder the enemy, you kill them.� Logan sat back down on the floor and looked at her with dark and cold eyes. “I do what I must to keep my people, my family and my lands safe.�

“Does sewing the skins of dead children into your bed sheets justify this end?�

Logan leapt from his spot on the floor and a fury like nothing Ororo had ever seen burned in his eyes. “I have killed a lot of people, Elf: Some enemies, some friends; some tribesmen, some outsiders; some young, some old. I have killed wounded and I have killed fresh. If it walked, crawled or ran, I probably have at one time killed something like it, but I have never harmed a child in my life.�

The growing itch burned in Logan’s mind. The Haze knew all too well what Logan was capable of doing. He felt the red-hot claws beginning to cut into his mind and struggled to hold it at bay.

“You should leave now,� Logan said through gritted teeth.

Ororo was a bit shaken from his display, but she held steadfast. “I only wish to know about this great enemy that hovers over our heads, and to see if you are the beast they said you to be.�

She left out the part that she just wanted to see him up close and alone.

“I don’t give a damn what you people believe,� Logan informed her, resting his back against the wall and clenching his fists tight. “You are going to think of me and my kind as animals no matter what.�

Ororo leaned in close to the bars and looked him straight in the eye. “You are a hard man, and I have no doubts that you have committed your fair share of the misery that plagues our lands, but I also do not judge men by the way they look or the reputations they have. What matters is what lies in the heart, and through your eyes I can see that you care deeply for the lives of your people, and that you are doing only what is right for them.�

Logan had not been expecting this.

Ororo stood straight from the bars. “You are no animal, Logan, son of Lentrok, only someone who has done what he must, but I must tell you that rivers of blood are never the way to peace.�

She turned and began walking away.

“Wait.�

She turned and looked at him and caught a hint of softness in his face. It was enough to melt her heart.

“What’s your name?“ he asked softly.

She cast him a brilliant smile that made his heart clench in wonder.

“Ororo.�

Logan tasted that name on his tongue and returned the smile to the goddess of a woman in front of him. “Maybe I’ll see you again, Ororo.�

She nodded. “Maybe.�

And quietly she was gone.

Logan sat down against the wall and said the name of the Elven woman aloud and he felt the claws of the Haze fade away into the back of his mind.

He fell asleep that night with a smile and the serenade of the still passed-out guard’s snoring.