As much as it irritated Mirgan, it was close to the Spring Equinox before the main body of troops was set to leave.  The day after he had arrived, Aldren sent trusted riders that could scout out into the countryside to find out just what was happening.

These riders came back with information that was taken directly into the tower.  Aldren heard all their reports and found that the troops of the king were indeed traveling further north, bringing the priests with them.  Any resistance by the common folk was dealt with harshly, usually resulting in the death of the resistors.  The elves were fleeing into the mountains, with only a few strongholds holding out.  Other races were being pushed out of their homelands.  Fortunately, the King’s garrisons were not large in number at least in the north.  In the south, there were rumors that the High priest had pretty well taken over the kingdom and that King Gisbard ruled in name only, taking orders from the high priest.

The high priest, who was known as Ralahur, had called for the destruction of all who opposed the rule of men.  All other races were to be destroyed or enslaved.  There were rumors of his use of magic but only for evil purposes.  He seemed to know what his opponents in the court were doing, but it was not decided if his success was through the use of magic or the cunning application of spies.

There was good news mixed with the bad.  Many of the people who lived in the north where the king’s influence had not been strong for a long time, were resistant to the edicts from the south.  They still followed the rules of the ancients and were open to the other races.  Some of the local lords were openly hostile to the thought of being subjected to the new religion.  Of course, these were the ones that were being targeted.

A plan was devised between Aldren and the troop captains.  They would give assistance to any local Lord that wished to resist the King’s troops.  They could defeat the small garrisons that were this far north, and drive back the influence from the south.  At least it would be a start.  To attack the Kingdom in the south directly was too daunting to be considered right now.  There was one other piece of news, but Aldren held that for later. 

The men were used to seeing Aldren as well as Ameni out on the practice field.  This was where the two were most comfortable, honing their own skills as well as those of the warriors.  They both had a dislike for having to hold court and only did so when necessary.  On this day, Aldren had a short workout with Vabryn, and then went around observing the recruits that were practicing under the watchful eye of the captains.

He turned a critical eye toward one group in particular.  Calling the captain over he asked a few questions and received the answers he was looking for.  Then he called young Mirgan to him.  “Do you feel you are ready to go out for a real battle?”

Mirgan thought for just a moment.  “Sir, I know that I have much more to learn, but I am willing to go if you need me.”

“Good answer, young Mirgan.  However, this foray will have some personal interest for you.  We know where the troop that is holding your mother is staying.  If you are willing, we will mount a raid to get her back.”

Mirgan’s eyes lit up at the prospect.  “Yes sir, I am more than ready for that.  Should I get my gear now?”

Aldren smiled at the boy’s enthusiasm.  “You have a bit of time.  We will be leaving at dusk.  Now, back to your practice and then rest for the afternoon.  You will be needing it.”  Mirgan moved back with his troop but now his sword-work was more intense and concentrated for he knew he would need all the skill he possessed to save his mother.

Aldren then went to give the orders to have all made ready.  This would be the first of many forays into the wilds.  He had been advised to appoint captains to lead the raids and to stay within the walls of the tower, but he was still too much of a warrior to sit in safety while others risked their lives.  This is what Kendrich had become and he was determined to treat his followers as equals and not lord over them.
He was donning his armor when Kal-angarr appeared at the doorway.  “Dragon-Kin,   this may seem like a simple mission to rescue innocents from the evils that are coming from the south.  But it would bode well for you to remember that this will be the first foray since you have taken control of the Tower.  The men have already judged you as a just leader in your dealing with them.  By this mission, you will be judged on your ability to lead them to victory.  Have care on how you risk your life and theirs.”

“Ancient one, I understand what you have said.  I have no intention on risking the lives of those that follow me without necessity.  We must start somewhere and I had pledged protection of this woman.  I cannot abandon that vow.”

“One that holds a vow up to this degree is one who is worthy of the title of Lord of the Tower.  I will proclaim such before you leave on your journey.”  With that, he slipped out the doorway.

Ameni was standing at the bottom of the steps holding the reins of his stallion.  She was wearing the battle gear that had adorned her body since she had emerged from the home of her youth.  It had been polished until the light reflected from the burnished leather.  Her bow and knives were in their usual spots.  Earlier, Aldren had tried to convince her to stay in the tower since this was just the first of many forays against the king’s troops, but she would have none of it.
“Aldren, I will go where you go.  I won’t be left when you know that I am an asset to any troop.  We are to be bonded and there is no reason for me to remain behind.”

He knew that he would lose this battle and in reality, he was loath to win.  They were so well attuned to each other that to be without her would be like leaving much of his strength and skill behind.

Aldren took note of the crowd that had gathered in the courtyard as he descended the steps.  Most of the population had come to watch the troop ride out for the first battle since he took over.  He straightened his shoulders and continued down the steps.  He was almost to the bottom when Kal-angarr moved forward from the crowd.  The old man moved just above Aldren and held out his hands for silence.
“People of the Tower.  Aldren Half-Elven, son of Harcon and Elisene, has proven himself in battle.  He has proven himself a just and righteous ruler.  Shall he be declared Lord of the Tower of the Guard?  What say you, people of the Tower?”  His surprisingly strong voice was lost in the unanimous yells of acceptance.  Once again, he raised his arms to command quiet.

“Aldren, you are hereby named Lord of the Tower of the Guard.  Long may you rule with wisdom and justice!”  He then motioned to Ameni to step forward.  She carried a long object in her outstretched palms.  It was wrapped in a piece of dark red velvet.  Kal-angarr moved the covering to reveal the sword that Ameni had taken from her childhood home.
The blade radiated in the evening light.  The hilt was polished and the runes were faint along the blade winding their way along its length.  Kal-angarr spoke in a lower voice now.  “Ameni brought this sword to me to try and find the meaning of the runes.  I went through the ancient manuscripts that are in the tower.  A very ancient volume of Elven lore revealed that this is the sword of Gwrtheyrn, the last, and perhaps the greatest, of the Dragon Clan.  It had come to Ameni’s ancestors, but its significance was lost.  Ameni, as the last surviving member of the clan that cared for the sword, wishes to restore the sword to the Dragon Clan.”

Aldren lifted the sword from Ameni’s palms.  The hilt was warm to the touch and radiated a power throughout his arm.  As he lifted the sword into the air, the runes turned from faint markings to blood red scribings, radiating a brilliance that made them visible to the entire crowd.  Aldren thrust into the air and proclaimed in Elvish, “The sword of the Dragon Clan shall once again bring forth justice for all races.  By the Guardians who came first, I pledge my life!”

Suddenly, the evening sky darkened as a huge creature blocked out the evening’s lingering light.  A deep roar reverberated through the courtyard as Balroth flew across the courtyard, followed by another, slightly smaller dragon.  They wheeled and made one more pass before they disappeared into the sky, leaving only Aldren, Ameni, and Kal-angarr still standing.

As the rest of the people stood back up, Kal-angarr shouted out.  “The dragons have acknowledged their kin!  The legend is alive!”

This revived the crowd from its fear and they began to shout and cheer once again.  Aldren replaced his sword with the new one and mounted up.  Ameni grabbed the mane of the roan that she always rode and vaulted onto its back.  They turned and led the troop through the crowd and out the gates into the gathering darkness.

Since the moon was just one day past full, it was decided to make use of the extra light and travel until just before the false dawn.  The trails were well known and they were anxious to be on their way.

The group rode in silence, each one lost in their own thoughts.  Ameni was leading since she had the best night vision of them all.  Aldren was either beside or behind her as the trail allowed.  Next was Vabryn who rode alongside of Mirgan.  These two spoke quietly, Vabryn giving pointers and the boy asking questions.  Behind them were twenty more men who kept changing positions to allow those in the middle to catch a nap in the saddle.

Their target was about a sevendays’ ride away.  The king’s garrison had taken up residence in a small village not too far from where the assassin had tried for Aldren’s life.  This far north, discipline had fallen to the side and the men were acting more like robbers and murderers than trained troops.  The priest that was with them was a short, wiry man who was bloodthirsty, calling for the death of all men who stood in their way, and the taking of the women for pleasure or slavery.  He was not above the use of these women himself, preferring those girls that had barely started their menses.  He took particular joy in hearing their screams as he violated them.  Even better was if he could do the act in full view of the parents before he had them killed.

The hatred of this depravity was something that Aldren was counting on.  He knew that the small village was nearby to the village he and Ameni had visited.    The people of that village were not kind to the king’s men to begin with and if the rumors had made it to their village, they would be even more enraged.  It was to the village that the troop made their way.
Mid afternoon on the sixth day found the troop on the outside of the village.  The main body of Aldren’s group made camp in the woods about half mile away.  Aldren and Ameni rode into the village with Mirgan in tow.  They found the burly smith still at his forge, working on a short dagger.  The ring of his hammer against the red hot metal gave a counter rhythm to the sound of their horses’ hooves.  As Aldren came up to the door of the smithy, the man dropped the blade into a trough of cold water.  He looked up and smiled when he recognized the pair.

“Hail travelers!  It is good to see you still alive.”  Aldren dropped from his horse and clasped the man’s thick forearm.

“Likewise it is good to see you again.  We had feared that the king’s men or the priests would have done you in.”

The smith’s face turned dark.  “We have heard the rumors.  Our ranks here in the village have swelled with folks that escaped the burnings and killings.  They have taken the village east of us and set up a base there.  The people around here are arming themselves.  It has been thought that they will attack here next.”

“What do you figure your chances will be?”

“Not good.  We outnumber them but most around here are not warriors such as you.  But we will take as many as we can before we are cut down.”  Then he looked closer at Aldren.  “And what brings you back here among this fighting?”

“We have come to take back a woman that was captured by those same soldiers.  And we will kill as many as needed to do it.”

The smith chuckled.  “I would go with you, but I am afraid that it would take more than just the four of us.”

“Well my friend, there are another twenty one fine warriors camped outside of your village that are eager to fight.  We can take out many of them but we would like your help, if you are willing.”

“My Lord, go over to the inn and have a meal.  I will call for a meeting and we will see what we can do.”  
The trio did as the smith suggested.  As they entered, they heard a bell ring out in the air.  They were just sitting down to eat when men and women started to enter the common room.  It didn’t take long until there was standing room only.  The smith bellowed out for quiet and explained what was happening.  The entire village agreed that they would rather fight now with the help that was promised than to wait for the king’s men to destroy them one by one.  One of the men that had arrived at the last spoke up that his wife and daughter had been taken earlier that sevenday, so an attack on the village was looming closer.

A few hours later, Aldren and his companions rode back to the rest of the troop.  Plans had been made and would be put into action just before dawn.  Then they set the watch and tried to get some sleep.

It was a couple of hours before dawn when Aldren and his part of the troop got to the village where the king’s men were encamped.  In the pale moonlight, they saw the buildings where the troops lay sound asleep.  The only guards were around the building on the near side of the village.  This had to be where the prisoners were kept.  There were two of them, sitting on stools at each corner.  Mirgan volunteered to go around the far corner and take care of the guard there.  He slipped from his horse and faded into the darkness.  Ameni notched her bow and waited.  As soon as Mirgan came around the corner and slit the guard’s throat, the second guard turned to go to his aid.  Ameni’s arrow went through his neck severing his spine.  He collapsed without a sound.
When Aldren had reached the door, Mirgan had already slipped inside.  There was the faint ringing of steel as the guard inside reacted, but Mirgan had dispatched him quickly.  In the candlelight of the room, they could see at least 20 women and young girls sitting or laying near the walls.  They had been awakened when the guard was killed, and were watching the newcomers with wide, fearful stares.

“Mother!” Mirgan called out to a figure that was in the corner.  She stared in disbelief.  He ran over and cut the ropes that bound her hands and feet.  “Come, we must hurry!”  He then joined Aldren and Vabryn as they freed the rest of the prisoners.  The majority of them followed Vabryn out the back door and into the field.  Dulca and a few others went with Aldren and Mirgan out the front where they were mounted behind other riders.

They were discovered by one of the garrison troops that had come out of the building. Aldren told the young girl to hang on tight as he charged toward the man.  He split him almost in half but not before he sounded the alarm.  There were soon many of the king’s troops coming out of the buildings, all in various stages of dress.  Aldren took out a few more and Ameni added to the toll before the garrison troops could get mounted.  In the confusion, Aldren handed the girl off to Ameni and turned back toward the fray.  He spotted a lanky, black-robed figure come out one of the doors, screaming for the troops to go after the prisoners.  Aldren dug in his heels and galloped toward the priest.  Before the man could dodge, Aldren leaned over and grabbed the man by his hood, then he turned and headed away from the village, dragging the priest along.

The rest of the men from the tower were heading down the trail.  Ameni came along side of Aldren and reached down to grab the priest’s arm.  Aldren took hold of the other arm, effectively suspending the priest between them.  They could now hear the king’s troops as they mounted up in pursuit.  They took off with the king’s men close behind.

When they arrived at the smith’s village, the pursuers were almost within sight.  Aldren pulled the priest into the forge and gave him over to the smith who tied him up and roughly shoved him into a corner.  The king’s men came pounding into the village then pulled up short when they saw Aldren’s men facing them in the road.  Their leader started to charge, then heard a noise behind them.  Looking back, he saw that the villagers, over 50 strong and armed, had blocked any chance of escape.

Aldren called out in a loud voice.  “You are trapped!  Lay down your arms and be taken prisoner, or we will cut you down!”

The troops made the foolish decision to fight their way out.  As the leader raised his sword, an arrow appeared in his chest just before he fell from his horse.  This triggered a hail of arrows and then Aldren’s men rushed in for the attack.  The battle was short and the king’s troops were cut down to the last man.  The villagers were mad in the lust of revenge and decimated the enemy, killing the wounded and hacking at the dead.  It took a while to get them to stop the mutilation.

The dead were dragged into a field where their bodies were left to the Reavers.  Aldren remembered the priest and he was brought from the forge and tied to a tree.  There was some talk about killing him outright, but cooler heads prevailed and he was spared for the time being.

Vabryn came up the road a couple hours after the battle, leading the rescued women.  Many were suffering from the abuse and the long walk, but all were glad to be free.  Some that had been taken in the area were reunited with their families.  The others were welcomed into the village.  All were fed and their hurts tended.

Vabryn came up to where the troop of the tower was gathered, checking their wounds.  Mirgan’s mother, Dulca, was busy tending the cuts and scratches with Mirgan assisting.  Mirgan saw the second in command and introduced him to Dulca.

“It is an honor to meet the woman who bore a warrior such as Mirgan.” 

Dulca, for her part, blushed and returned the greeting.  She then turned back to tending the wounded.  Vabryn looked at her as she worked.  ‘Damn fine woman.’  He thought.  ‘Well worth rescuing.’

Aldren gathered the leaders of the village.  According to the ancient laws, each village held trials for the offenders in their area.  Serious offences were taken to the court in the south where the king would pronounce judgment.  This was not an option now, so it was decided to hold a trial that night. 

A rough table was set up outside the inn for the court.  Aldren and Ameni were seated behind it as was the innkeeper, the smith, and two of the farmers that were considered leaders.  The priest was led in to stand in the place of the accused to the right of the court.  The trial was called to order and witnesses were brought in.  They all told of the torture and abuse that the priest had allowed or had participated in personally.  With each tale, the crowd that was watching got angrier.  Finally, Aldren called a halt to the witnesses.  He asked the priest if he had anything to say in his defense.

One of his guards ungagged him, and he immediately started raving.  “This is a sham!  You all have no authority over such an important person as myself.  All of you rebellious fools should be put to death.  You need to bow down to me!  That last girl should consider herself lucky that such a person of my greatness would even deign to take her!  I should have killed her when I was done with...”

His tirade was cut short by an axe that buried itself in his chest.  It had been thrown by the father of the girl who had been the priest’s last victim.  The priest had raped her while her mother was forced to watch.

The man was held by two of Aldren’s men.  Aldren stood and shouted for silence.  “Release that man.  I cannot fault him for what he did after what had been done to his family.  Even though the court had not given a verdict, what was done is just for the crime.”

After that, the crowd started to dissipate.  The troop moved into the common room of the inn and ordered something to eat before bedding down near the roadway.  The women who were rescued were taken in by many of the families and given a place to stay.  Aldren and Ameni took the same room that they had occupied what seemed ages ago.

As they removed their armor and other clothing, the talked of the memories of what had happened in the room the last time that they were there.  The memories sparked in Aldren were not of the assassin, but rather of the lovemaking that had come before.

Taking Ameni’s hand he led her to the bed.  He sat on the side with her standing directly in front of him.  The light behind her naked form gave her skin and hair a glow all its own.  He realized that in the time that they had been together she had matured, not only physically but also in her whole being.  She had learned to handle the prejudice that was now in the world, she had overcome the death of her family and friends, and had learned to love someone.  That he was that someone made him eternally grateful.

She took her hand and gently caressed the side of his face.  “What are you thinking about my love?”

“Only remembering how much has happened to us both since we were first here.  And how much more beautiful you are.  Mostly how glad I am that we are together.”

She smiled down at him, the pushed him onto his back.  She then brought her face to his and devoured his mouth and tongue with her own.  He responded by returning the kiss while running his hands over her back and buttocks.  One small part of his brain was aware of how much her muscles had become stronger and more defined as they rippled under his caresses.

Ameni wasted little time once the fires of passion were lit within her.  She slid further up his body until her pussy was aligned with his hard cock.  She was drenched, and as she moved back down his body, his cock slid into her easily.  She groaned as she felt his shaft filling her, pressing against the walls of her tunnel.

In this position she felt the added pleasure of her clit being pushed against his pubic hair.  The combination of these sensations and the fact that they had not been able to love each other since they left the tower were causing her to approach her climax rather quickly.  Rising up on her arms, she started to ride him harder and faster, lost in her own buildup to her release.

Aldren was following along.  Her aggressiveness fascinated him, especially since she had never had known a man before him.  She had found that after the first time, her need for sex had grown tremendously.  She now would initiate their love making as often as he.  Then all other thoughts were forgotten as he felt himself starting to approach his own release.  His hands moved from where he had been caressing her breasts down to her hips where he held on to her as he started to thrust in rhythm to her.

Her climax hit first and every muscle in her body tensed, then started to flex in response to the sensations that were spreading from her pussy outward.  Aldren felt the waves of her internal muscles grip his cock.  The sensation sent him over the edge as well.  He gave out a loud groan as he shot his seed deep into her body.

As Ameni came down from her climax, she unlocked her arms and let her body cover his, her pussy still clutching his cock in the afterglow.  It was a while before she could roll off of her lover.  Even then she only moved enough to lay on her side with her head on his shoulder.

The next morning, the troop was preparing to leave.  The women and young girls who had lost their families were allowed to either stay in the village to make out a living or they could go back to the tower where they would be welcomed and their skills could be put to use.  Those that chose to go were either matched with horses from those that the king’s troops no longer had any use for or they rode in a wagon that Aldren had bartered for.  The remainder of the horses were left for the village in payment for the help they had given.  The innkeeper was sorry to see them leave, for Aldren was generous in payment for the feeding of his troop.

Before they left, Aldren called the village leaders together.  “You now know that by working together you can resist the king.  I now ask that you speak to the other villages in the area and spread the word.  Only by working together will  we all succeed.  One other favor I ask is that any men who are truly wanting to fight against the tyranny of the king that you give them hospitality and send them to the Tower of the Guard.”

The leader wholeheartedly agreed.  They knew they had probably been saved from the destruction of their homes and possibly their lives only by banding together.  They would spread the word.

The company mounted up and rode back toward the tower.  Their number had swelled to double that it was when it set out.  They had twenty-five women that had decided to go to the tower, most of them Ameni’s age.  There were some that could only claim sixteen winters, but most could account for twenty or so.  They stayed mostly in a group, still wary of armed men.  This was understandable after the ordeal they had just been through.  Nevertheless, by the end of the first day, they became friendlier and some were even talking to the men.

Around the fire that night, the mood was good.  They had fought to victory and accomplished what they had set out to do.  Ameni took note of the amount of time Vabryn was spending around Dulca.  He seemed to be very interested in her and not flirting with the rest of the women like he was usually doing while in the tower.  Dulca was showing signs of interest as well.  Even with the abuse that she had endured, she was still a very beautiful woman.  Aldren had reluctantly admitted as much when she had asked him about that.

Eventually, they settled for the night.  The lodgings were rough, but better than what the captives had endured at the hands of the priest and his henchmen.  At least they did not have to worry about being attacked.  There were some that had nightmares during the night, but most were resting comfortably.

They broke camp just after first light the next morning.  While they were getting packed, a girl that was probably about 16 winters walked up to the leaders.  Ameni recognized her as the one who had been watching her from across the fire the night before.  The girl was looking at her feet as she spoke in a quiet voice.  “My lady, may I ride with you this morning?  I... I would like to speak with you if I may.”  The child then looked up and Ameni could see the fear in her eyes.  It must have taken all her courage to approach them and to ask this favor.

Ameni smiled at the girl.  “Of course you can.  We can ride together right behind Lord Aldren.  That way he can watch the trail.”

“Really? Wonderful!” Then she caught her exuberance.  “Oh! Sorry.  Thank you My Lady.”

Ameni chuckled at the girl’s excitement.  “You are very welcome.  What is your name?”

“Kiran, My Lady”

“Well, Kiran, you better mount up.  We are ready to leave.”  The girl practically fell over herself in her haste to get to her horse.  Ameni explained the request to Aldren and he agreed to allow her to ride at the head.  He was worried about running into problems, but decided to send a couple of advance riders to cover that possibility.  When the wagon was ready, the company moved out onto the road.

Aldren called Peryn, who had fought beside him in the ambush, to the front of the line and told him pick another recruit and ride ahead to watch for problems.  Peryn saluted and then rode back to pick a partner.  Kiran watched the proceedings with an awed expression.  As soon as Peryn and Mirgan galloped past, Kiran let out a small sigh.  Ameni made note of it but kept silent.

They had kept a good pace for a couple of hours and Kiran had not spoken the entire time.  Finally, Ameni leaned over to her.  “You said that you wished to speak to me.  Now would be as good a time as any.  What is on your mind?”

“Well... Uhh... I wanted to ask...”  Kiran ducked her head in embarrassment.

“Don’t worry girl.  I won’t bite.  And neither will he.” she added when Kiran glanced in Aldren’s direction.

“Well, My Lady, I am wondering what will happen to me when we get to where we are going.  You see I am of mixed blood.  The king’s men killed my mother outright because she was an elf.  They caught me away from home and didn’t realize what I am.  I was terrified that they would notice.  If the priest had picked me, he would have seen and had me killed.  Since you are an elf and you are accepted, I was hoping you would tell me what to expect.”

Ameni reached across and took Kiran’s hand in hers.  “You will have no problem at the tower, Kiran.  All races are welcomed and honored there.  It is who you are and what you do that matters, not what race you are.  I am sure that you will find something that you can do to contribute.  As for being mixed blood, there are others.  Young Mirgan for one.”  Ameni saw the sudden blush on Kiran’s face.  “You can talk with him tonight if you wish.  For now though...”

Ameni stopped her sentence and instead called out to Aldren to drop back for a moment.  He turned in his saddle and grinned at his lover, then slowed his pace until he was riding on the other side of Kiran.  “Aldren, this is Kiran.”  Aldren bowed his head to her.  “She asked to talk to me because she was worried about being of mixed blood in the tower.”

Kiran looked horrified that Ameni had told this powerful man about what she had said.  She waited for an angry reply like she would have seen from the leader of her village, but was surprised when he flashed her a toothy grin then reached up and pulled his hair back to reveal his elongated ear.  This man, who she almost worshiped, was just like her!  The wonder on her face was enough to get a chuckle from Aldren.

“Kiran, you have no worries.  No one will cause you problems for your heritage.  If they do, you are to tell me immediately, and I will deal with them.  We are a special breed, and we must look out for each other.”

Kiran finally answered, but her voice cracked as she uttered an affirmative answer.  Aldren shot a glance over her head to Ameni and grinned.  Then he informed them that they would be stopping soon to rest the horses and galloped ahead to inform the advance riders to find a place for the group to rest.

As the two women watched him go, Kiran gave a whispered exclamation for actually having Lord Aldren speak to her.  He was so kind to her.  Just like the Lady Ameni.  The remainder of the morning, the girl rode in awe struck silence, thinking about how her life had changed.

She had been born to a human father and an Elven mother in the village where her father had been raised.  The whole family worked hard.  She helped her mother with the house and gardens while father traded goods in the little store that was in the front of the house.  She had been a serious girl; interested in learning every bit of information she could about any subject.  While the other children were playing, she was memorizing the herbs that were good for healing from her mother.  Instead of flirting with the boys in the village, she spent her time listening to the travelers that came into the store.  She picked up many different languages and soon was helping her father in his barter.  He always told her that she had a gift for languages and encouraged her to learn all she could.

Last year, her whole world started to fall apart.  Her father was killed when a couple of robbers broke into their home.  Her mother tried to keep the shop going, but the men in the area refused to deal with her or would try and cheat her.  Kiran kept the cheating to a minimum, but could do nothing about the attitudes.

Her father’s brother had shown up and took over the business.  He also tried to take over her mother and her.  They no longer enjoyed the profits from any trade, and in order to stay in the house, her mother had submitted to his advances.

Then the King’s troops swept down on the town.  Her uncle saw them coming and he ran out the back door toward the fields, leaving her and her mother to face them alone.  She had been on the other side of the village when the attack came.  She had fought until someone had clubbed her.  When she awoke, she was laying on the ground surrounded by other prisoners.  The priest was looking them all over when one of the troop brought her mother out.  The priest saw that she was an elf, and pronounced her doom.  She watched helplessly as they tied her up and then sliced her open, allowing her to bleed to death.

After that, the days moved in a fog of grief and anger for her.  She was contemplating taking her own life when they were rescued.  She did get the satisfaction of watching the priest die, but it did little to quench the fire of revenge.  But now, she was riding next to one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen and the Lord of the Tower had spoken to her!  Now, that young man that she had seen earlier might be one worth getting to know.  These thoughts continued to run through her mind the rest of the day.

Over the next few days, Mirgan took notice of how much attention Vabryn was paying to his mother.  He would eat near them and would engage her in conversation whenever he could think of an excuse.  Mirgan was conflicted in his thoughts over this.  He admired Vabryn as a warrior and captain.  He knew him to be easy with compliments and gentle with criticism among those in his troop.  Lord Aldren also thought highly of the man and that went far in his estimation.

But this was his mother!  He had been trying to take care of her since his father had met his fate.  He loved her and wanted to keep her from harm .  He was pondering all of this as he watched the pair from across the camp.

He felt someone step up close to him.  He turned to see that it was Nalwor, one of the older men in his troop, and one that had helped him a lot.

“I see that Captain Vabryn has finally found someone who he fancies.”  Nalwor spoke quietly.

“I suppose he has.  He had best take care though.”  Mirgan replied with some heat.

“Ahh.  That is your mother is it not?  And you fear that the Captain will break her heart.”

“Yeah, I guess.  I have taken care of her and her me since my father was killed.  I don’t understand what they see in each other.”

“Just because she is your mother does not mean that she doesn’t get lonely for male companionship does it?  Now, for your peace of mind, I would suggest that you go and speak to Vabryn.”

“Aye, Nalwor, I may just do that.”  Then he walked off to his own bed.  He settled down on the blankets that protected him from the small stones.  He tossed and turned trying to find the sleep that he knew was needed, but it evaded him.

  He was trying to get it settled in his mind that his mother would actually have feelings like that.  He knew what lust (love) was.  He had just never felt it deep enough to do anything about it.  Even though being a consort and exchanging sex for pay was not looked down upon as a profession for a woman who wished it, he had not used their services.

It just bothered him that his mother would think of those feelings.  He then thought of how he felt about the Lady Ameni.  She had been the cause of the first stirrings in his breeches from a female.  After that time, his uncle had explained the way things were between men and women and he understood more about his feelings.  Could his mother have the same effect on a man?
When he though of how she looked as a woman, not just the one who had raised him, he could start to understand.  She had the curves that would inspire the lust of the men. Maybe she was feeling the same things that his uncle had talked about.

With his mind at least partially at ease about Dulca and Vabryn, he let his mind wander a bit.  It ended up on his favorite subject the past several days, the young, half-elven girl that they had rescued.  He vowed to get to know her better before they reached the tower, which was still a sevenday away.

Dawn found the troop and their refugees preparing for the next leg of their journey.  Mirgan had approached Kiran and offered to let her to ride with him.  Giving him a shy smile, she had accepted.  It was not Mirgan’s day to ride ahead so he would spend the day trying to get to know her.

The group soon moved out.  They were following the main roads so the wagons could keep up.  The main body of the group was relaxed, but Aldren was still cautious.  He had his men ride to the edges and keep a sharp lookout for any problems.  The outriders had come across a couple of bands of rogues, but when they saw the rest of the troop, they were more than happy to retreat.

It was about an hour before sunset when the forward riders came across a traveler that requested to speak to the leader of the group.  He was led to Aldren who immediately recognized him and stood to greet the dwarf.  It was Solrryn from the Keep under the mountain.  He was one of the few dwarves that had shown kindness or even interest in them during their stay in the mountain stronghold.

As he ate, Solrryn explained that the old king, Morgatan had passed and that Murdaek was now the king of the Keep under the mountain.  Solrryn was coming back from one of the northern keeps delivering the news, and was glad to meet up with Aldren.  There had been trouble brewing around the Keep, rumors of murder and plundering.  More disturbing was the talk that sometime during the summer, the human king was planning to lay siege to the Keep.  Talk that was bolstered by the buildup of the king’s troops and their encroachment further north than they had in many an age.

Aldren listened to the dwarf with growing concern.  He knew that an attack on the Keep would be of little consequence.  The stronghold was too well fortified.  But the rumors of growing numbers of troops concerned him.  This was the cause of many visitors to the Tower.  As of late, they had seen many representatives from a growing area that had come to the Tower to plead for an alliance.  The influence of the Tower was growing larger.  He had long feared this responsibility.  The fates were taking him to areas that he felt he was not equipped for.  But there was no choice but to accept that which was laid before him and do what he thought was best.

Solrryn accepted the offer to stay the night.  Aldren asked him to arrange communication with Murdaek soon.  Even though the dwarves were a closed society with little contact in the outside world, the evil that was threatening the land was too great for ech of the races to try and fight alone.  Plans were made that a representative of Aldren’s would come to the keep with arrangements for a council of all remaining free races.  

Late into the night, Aldren discussed what was going on with Ameni and Vabryn.  The talk of the dwarf was disturbing in the estimates of the king’s strength.  It was finally decided they needed to call a council of all the free races that wished to attend with the goal of forming an alliance to preserve their freedom and their very lives.  And it must happen very soon.