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Taming the Gypsy Trade (Valanaer)

As Saren and the men began to move Tari caught up, informing him of a decision he hadn't considered, she was bringing the bird with her. He didn't really mind, Tari coming along didn't bother him and as long as she kept the bird safe he didn't mind it coming along. Besides, he figured if it could survive the attack of the village then the battle they were heading towards wouldn't be any problem at all. As she took her horse, Saren called for his own, the horse riding up next to him and allowing him to climb up on it, right after catching a small smile from Tari. Even a small smile caused him to smile since it seemed he wasn't hated and that was a relief. He brushed his hand over his horses head, patting its side a few times and staying near the front, only behind Ashal and the scout who were both on foot at the moment, since it was easier to track on foot as opposed to up on a horse.

They went through the woods for awhile, tracking the large movements, until they came upon another small village, this one looking just as bad as Tari's village but it looked like there were fewer bodies from both sides, perhaps they had been warned but whatever the reason, it seemed the death toll had been low. Nobody had come back yet though, they were probably still in hiding and Saren figured word would be passed along, they needed to keep moving. He turned his head and spoke to his men, "Keep moving men, we will help these people like the rest but we need to try and catch up to these bastards before they do any more damage." The men let out a small rallying cry as they continued through the village and through the forest once again, the scout quickly picking up the trail on the other side of the village.

Saren didn't stop the men and he didn't even look the other way, he simply kept his head straight and followed the scout. Nobody in the company was speaking, they were all focused. It remained that way until the scout stopped everyone, a clearing just up ahead with that looked like tents and a few campfires. The man moved up to get a better view and came back a few minutes later with a report. "About fifty men it looks like, all of them wearing a small armband with the kingdom's emblem on it, but they were wearing assorted gear, definitely mercenaries and not official soldiers of the kingdom." Saren nodded, taking in the information and then looking to Ashal, "Take half the men and circle around, we will hit them from both sides quick and hard." Then he turned to the men and spoke loudly, his tone confidence inspiring, "If we can catch them off guard maybe there won't be too much fighting... If not... Kill them without hesitation, though try and keep their leader alive if you can."

Ashal went ahead and gathered his men, taking half the cavalry, a couple of knights and quite a few of the foot soldiers. Once they were in position, the battle would begin. Saren looked to Tari, wondering if she was ready for this, hoping she would be alright but knowing she had the skill.
 
Tari followed along, listening to the bird's soft coos from inside the bag. It seemed pleased to be with Tari again and made happy sounds as they travelled towards the next village. When they arrived, the bird fell silent, just as the men were and Tari looked around. She lead Sierra away from the rest, getting a different angle on the situation, but no matter where she went, it all looked the same. There were still people alive and most of them were assisting the wounded and recovering what they could from the wreckage. As Saren began to command his men, the elf made her way back over to the group, listening to what the plan was. She remained silent and followed the troops to the next point, which was when they slowly stopped.

The elf eyed the scout as Saren gave his commands and followed along as the others moved. She stuck close to Saren, steadying Sierra as they approached the edge of the trees. Tari let her eyes wander back to Saren and she studied him for a moment before nodding. "I hope you'll keep prisoners," she warned. "Because I certainly won't."
 
Tari seemed to be ready for combat, vengeance no doubt pushing her to slaughter as many as she could in the upcoming battle. "We will try and get a few prisoners... But truth be told we already know enough about why they did what they did. Death will be their fate, captured or not." Saren turned his head and faced forward for the remainder or their wait, his mind contemplating the outcome of the battle. Fifty men was not the strength these murderers had when they attacked the human settlement, they had obviously lost quite a few men to the city defenders and even more from fighting the Elves, it was even possible some had deserted as they continued on. None of that really mattered but it did mean that Saren had the chance to lose nobody during this battle, for his trained soldiers to wipe out the tired mercenaries before they even knew what was going on.

The prince continued to wait until he was sure that Ashal would have the men ready, then it began. He signaled one of the soldiers to sound out a horn and rode out, releasing a rallying cry as he did, "Forward men, let us end their rampage!" Saren was out in front, a few strides ahead of the other cavalry, leading the charge as any true leader would. Ashal could be seen doing the same across the encampment. The mercenaries on the other hand all seemed to panic, the few with weapons nearby had grabbed for them but they were nowhere near ready for a cavalry charge, or any type of fighting for that matter. Of course as a larger man came out of his tent barking orders they began to get themselves together, although Saren had just found his target. With a large battle cry he drew his sword, slicing into the first mercenary he passed, the man falling dead instantly from the large chasm in his chest. Saren continued his charge, leaving men behind him for his knights to clean up and cutting his way towards the one giving out commands.
 
Tari wasted no time in charging ahead, straight into the camp. She drew her bow from her back and shot off several arrows before the men's blades reached the camp. They each hit their targets straight on target and the men fell to the ground in either agonizing pain or dead before they hit the ground. Tari had it planned out and once they reached the majority of the mercenaries, the elf slid off her horse, drew her dagger from her belt and attacked the nearest man. Sierra moved to the side of the field, knocking several of the men out of the way in the mean time, while Tari continued to attack in her own way.

One of the men approached Tari, targeting her out of the rest, and approached her, sword drawn and ready for an attack. He was at least two times larger then the elf in front of him. Tari didn't seem bothered by that fact and stood her ground, sending herself forward with an extra boost she gained from a magical push off the ground. The man wasn't prepped for that and Tari latched onto his shoulder with her blade, turning it as he sent his own attack, forcing his own sword across her side, drawing a deep cut. The adrenaline was pumping in her body enough in Tari's body that she didn't notice right away and continued to attack, stabbing him several more times, getting closer to his neck and sensitive areas of his body. With each attack, she backed it up with magic of several aggressive sorts, enough that the man didn't last long under her attacks and fell just like the others around him.
 
Everything was going as planned, the knights were slaughtering the mercenaries and aside from a few minor injuries there had been no damage done to Saren's men. Saren himself had cut through a few more of the enemy soldiers, jumping off his horse and slashing through another one of the weak murderers in his path. His knights and Tari were tearing through them so fast that he didn't need to worry about flanking, his sides being covered and the only thing on his mind was getting to their leader. Of course the one barking commands had a few more guys between him and Saren, but as he saw who was coming at him he began to sound panicked, sending all the remaining men at Saren as quick as he could. The cocky smirk appeared on his face once more as he sidestepped the first enemy, dodging the blade. He blocked the next attack, moving from there and slashing through the third, turning after that to block the next oncoming blow.

It wasn't until the leader joined that he took a hit, coming up from behind and launching an attack while Saren was busy with his men, a deep slash through his left shoulder causing him to wince in pain. He quickly slashed through another of the men in front of him, turning around and kicking the leader in the chest, giving him time to take out the last of the three bodyguards. By the time he turned on the leader most of the other men around had been dealt with, his knights cleaning up the few mercenaries still alive, though some were giving up and dropping their arms. The knights didn't kill them but it would eventually happen, they would not get away with their crimes, it was just not honorable to slay men who had given up, at least not without some sort of trial which they would get back in the human settlement and they would be sentenced to death, without a doubt.

The leader wasn't giving up though, he charged right at Saren and swung his sword wide in a desperate attempt to land a killing blow. Saren parried the blow, it was harder with his injury but his skill let him ward off the blow and move into his own attack without a problem and before the leader could do anything Saren had slashed his calf, causing the man to drop to his knee and allowing Saren to disarm and subdue him. All the commotion seemed to be winding down, Saren had a few knights come tie him up with some rope for some interrogation once they dragged him back to the human settlement, or earlier if he felt like it. Saren was more concerned about Tari, as soon as he had his man taken care of and he saw his knights easy work, he looked to see how many men Tari ended up taking out, because he assumed with her skill she had fared fine, as he had.
 
Throughout the battle, Tari didn't seem concerned with anyone but her own well being. The humans knew how to fight and there was enough of them that they could deal with the mercenaries on their own. Tari had set her eyes on the leader, spotting him from a distance, but being surrounded and distracted by the men directly around her, she had to give up on that task in favour of the one laid out in front of her. By the time the men were down, Saren had taken care of their leader, sparing his life to give him a chance to explain himself. If the elf had a choice, she would have reacted differently, but it wasn't her place to speak.

Tari eyed the field, watching as several of the humans were taken away by knights, presumably to be kept under guard until further questioning was done. Many of the bodies weren't touched or looted yet and the elf felt the need, or even right, to take a look at what they had. She made a move towards the closest mercenary when the wound in her side struck with vengeance and jealousy for being ignored for so long. She instantly grabbed at her side, setting her hand over the wound to add what pressure she could until she got real help. Being out of the forest weakened her magic, but the elf still had enough power to give herself a bit of healing before it shorted out. There was only so much she could do in a day without recharging herself.

"How did you do?" she asked the prince as she noticed him approaching her. A hesitant smile crossed her lips, biting back the pain in her side enough for her to stand up properly. Though that didn't hide the painful look completely. "Your wound doesn't look too bad."
 
As Saren approached Tari he noticed the look she had and he easily spotted her wound as he looked her up and down, a sudden rush of worry washing over him. "I did fine, killed the ones who got in my way and took grabbed the leader to question. As for my wound it isn't bad, the adrenaline is masking the pain for now. I am more concerned about your wound, now let me take a look at it." He could patch her up with some of the stuff the soldiers kept on them if he needed to and if it was really bad he would call the mage that traveled with Ashal, the man not looking like much but knowing his way around both healing and destructive magics better than any other human Saren knew, save perhaps the old court wizard. So if it came down to it he would have that power used to heal her. Of course he didn't say how badly his wound actually hurt, it impacted his ability to move the arm and although it couldn't be seen through his armor, blood was steadily escaping it.

A few of his men had already began to gather any wounded they had together, their healer taking care of the more serious injuries and the rest being patched up with bandages and poultices. None of them looted, for two reasons, one being that the knight's code forbid looting the dead on the battlefield and that all they found would go to expenses on missions or to the people. Secondly they didn't loot because they believed it was not their place to do so, it was the Elves, the people who had their precious things stolen by the marauders. It made things go more quickly anyways, they would allow the Elves to come claim what was theirs from the battlefield so there was no work for them to do besides heal up and then move out.

Saren turned around, the wound no doubt completely visible to Tari as he did, and waved for a medic, knowing that the mage would come over as soon as he finished his work on the rest. One of the knights with bandages came towards them and Saren turned back to Tari, "Now let me see how bad it is." He asked her to let him see it again and he was hiding how worried he was about it being serious. He had seen small wounds take men down before, something that looked alright but caused internal bleeding or infection if not treated properly. He had to be sure that she was alright.
 
Tari hesitated, but lifted her hand away from the wound, her magic falling away to a stop. The scar still looked fresh, as if her magic hadn't done anything to heal it and now strained from the action she took part in after the wound. "It doesn't hurt," she lied, attempting to wave the man away from her. The other men needed more attention, or she thought they needed it, and on top of it all, Tari never liked being fussed over wither it be wounds or just in general. She didn't put up too much of a fight, knowing her body was already strained, but she wasn't about ready to give up yet.

Once the medic came over, Tari's entire body tensed before she instantly relaxed. She had herbs that would help her in the bag, left back with Sierra, but first, she needed to let the medic bandage her so that Tari had enough blood kept inside of her to assist how she could at a later time. The elf looked to Saren, keeping her eyes focused on him through the whole time. The last thing Tari wanted was to loose something to focus on while the medic did his job and touched her wound. "How are the others doing?" she asked, beginning to distract herself.
 
Saren's worry continued to grow at the sight of her wound, the scar open and dripping blood and causing him more than mere worry but also a tiny bit of panic. Her lying didn't help soothe him either, though he knew in the situation he would do the same, for even then as his wound was dripping blood he denied the pain it was causing him without hesitation. As the medic and mage arrived he took a step back, letting the medic take a look at the wound. The man consulted with the mage in whispered tones and the mage nodded, moving past the medic and over to Tari's side, looking at her and speaking. "It isn't life threatening as long as we seal it back up. It could be bandaged but that would leave scarring and increase the chance of infection. I am going to heal it with regenerative magic, just try not to move." Before he even finished speaking the mage had begun to heal Tari's wound, the flesh mending itself slowly but surely to a state that didn't give away the fact that it had been wounded.

The mage smiled when he finished, looking up at her with tired eyes, a look that would only intensify as he helped others from the battle, as he had been using his powers for days to help with villagers and soldiers alike. "Listen, I sealed it up and the flesh will not come back apart but it may be tender for awhile, perhaps even uncomfortable but it will not bleed and you will not die." With that he stood up and walked over to Saren who upon seeing the expression on the mans face sent him away. He waved the medic over instead, whispering something to the man and getting a mere "Yes Sir" in response. Then the man walked around the prince and sprinkled some sort of power on the wound, causing a sensation that made Saren wince slightly. It was used to clot blood and it would allow him to hold off on his medical treatment for awhile without risk of bleed-out, albeit at the price of more pain.

With that taken care of the more important things could be focused on such as Tari's question about his men, their safety being his top concern. "I am honestly not sure about a couple of them, a few of the regular soldiers not use to fighting with my men broke formation and along with two of them, one of my knights took serious injury. The rest are scrapes and bruises, although some larger than others." He took a deep breath and turned his head to look at all of the soldiers and knights being treated for the smallest of wounds to the larger ones. He turned back to Tari and looked at the location of her now nonexistent wound, happy no scar would be present. "They will be fine though, I still fear that the people of the forest will not react kindly when they learn of my brothers hand in it all and their retaliation, if there is one, not go over well. I just hope they can recover some of the valuables in the camp.
 
Tari's mind was put at ease as the mage informed her that she certainly wouldn't die and that her wound would heal. But in the mean time, the idea of having to sit still and wait for her body to heal was troublesome to her. The elf never enjoyed the waiting period after wounds were inflicted. She remained as calm and silent as she could while the mage began to heal on her body. It was painful, as healing of that sort always was, and Tari grit her teeth until the wave had passed. She released a slow breath and closed her eyes to relax herself, adjusting to the new skin that had formed over her wound. The woman rose to her feet and listened to Saren's answer, slowly nodding in return. "Right," she muttered. Scrapes and bruises could certainly be dealt with and larger wounds could be survivable. Between the medics and the mage, most of the men would come out of it. She wasn't talking about the mercenaries, of course.

The enemy wasn't about to get off as easy. She didn't know how many of them would make it through the night, even if they kept them away from the attacked villages. Tari was too sore to attack that night, but a deep part of her held a belief someone in the knight rankings would take a chance to attack one of the survivors of the attacks, simply because of what they have done. That was someone else's worry now though. Tari's plan was to allow herself to heal and see how the everything would go in the long run. It would certainly be interesting to see how Saren will approach his brother on this topic.

She turned her attention away from the men around her and straight to the prince, still remaining in front of her. "How are you?" she asked, her voice dropping down below her normal volume, not needing anyone else to hear what she was saying. Her eyes rain over the left overs of Saren's own scar, interested in what was used to heal him. Herbs were used for centuries in her tribe, but to see a powder work that quickly was stunning. She would have to track that down later and take a closer look. "How bad is your wound?"
 
Luckily neither he nor Tari had fatal wounds, in fact with healing they weren't that bad at all. He was glad she was concerned for him though and he gave her a small smile when she asked, "I am fine, it's going to be sore but I have suffered worse. Truthfully I am a bit embarrassed though, letting one of those thugs slice me, pitiful." Saren looked at Tari for a moment, his eyes steady and he was thinking about rather serious things, one of those being to leave her with her people when he left. He didn't want to leave her, there was nothing he wanted more than to be with her but with his brothers actions he didn't know if it would be safe to take her back with him and he wouldn't be able to handle it if he lost her. Besides, he had some things to settle with his brother that he wanted to settle alone and he was a bit nervous that as soon as Tari saw the man she would attack, which was warranted but worrisome.

On top of that he believed her people needed all the help they could get and she had to want to stay and rebuild, see her family and friends... Hell she had been taken from her people, it wasn't like she had wanted to leave when the gypsies grabbed her and if she got the opportunity to be released from slavery and back into the arms of her people wouldn't she take it? In his mind Saren had come to a decision on what to do but it wasn't the time or place to voice it and he simple smiled at her again before waving for her to come on, most of the knights looking like they were ready to move out back to the town with the prisoners. Saren was taking an alternate route with Tari, back through the villages to check up on them and fulfill what Tari had asked, to come back through there after the battle. The men of course wouldn't dare take the prisoners through there.

Saren was wanting to go back through the villages anyways and as he called for his horse he turned again to Tari, "Come on, you and me will ride to the villages on our way back and check up on everything, perhaps you will even see some friends and family back at your own village now as well." With that he mounted his horse, ignoring the terrible pain from his wound and waiting for Tari to get up on her own horse so they could depart.
 
Tari's eyes fell once again when Saren mentioned his 'embarrassing performance'. Taking a hit in battle was never something that could be planned and certainly no one wanted to plan. For any warrior, it was embarrassing to be wounded and taken from the front lines at an important time in the battle. Tari had it happen several times, all of which she recovered from, and had seen first hand many of the other warriors in her village struck down by worse wounds. Every time, the warriors had the same reaction that Saren was now having; regret. But that would wash away soon as time went by.

With a sharp whistle, Tari followed Saren's footsteps until Sierra came over and to a stop at the woman's side. With great care, she climbed onto the saddle and carefully held her wound. The small bird inside the bag began to chirp, voicing his opinion on what had happened, which Tari either ignored or simply didn't understand. Either way, the elf began to ride along side of the prince up to the edge of the forest, which was when she cut ahead and began to ride towards the village. Inside, her mind was racing, hoping that most of her tribe had survived. She couldn't begin to think of who she was hoping for, but just a handful of elves would be enough for her liking. Just enough to keep the tribe and customs going.

As they approached, the sound of movement was coming from the remains of the buildings. Tari didn't need to see to know people were there. She picked up the pace and came into the side of the village, immediately spotting the newly grown trees and the beginnings of repaired buildings. It was all filled in by the nature around them, as if the elves were simply using the branches and leaves as cover for the time being. Magic was certainly at work here, as it was causing the air to thicken, making anyone unaccustomed to it uncomfortable in just the slightest of ways. The female elf said nothing at first, choosing to look around the area before making any sort of move towards or away from the people inside.

There were still a few of the fire elves, visible by their lighter hair colour, sticking out from the several brunettes that were now located inside; their hair ranging from all sorts of brown shades. There looked to be an upwards of thirty new elves, ranging of all ages, all of which were working as hard as they could to restore the village. The bodies were removed and there was a large fire in the middle of the town, which one could only guess was fuelling it. There were several spiritual symbols resting around the fire, including and elder, silver-haired woman at the head of the fire, presumably praying for the bodies ceremoniously burning inside.

A smile cracked on Tari's lips as she spotted the woman and with a light squeeze of her legs, Sierra started towards the woman to great her. Tari's greeting to the older woman was private and soft, but from the location she left, their greeting could be seen. The wiser woman pulled the younger elf into a tight embrace, holding her in such a way that Tari would have to fight to get free. Tears rolled down the woman's cheeks as she held her granddaughter tight, greeting her as if she had been thought to be dead. Tari seemed to be greeting her in the same way, although she did a far better job holding back her true feelings in front of others.
 
Saren let Tari set the pace as they headed towards the village, riding next to her but having Storm keep up with Sierra. When they arrived at the village he was a bit surprised by the way things had progressed since they left, some new trees and rebuilding already started. It also seemed more people had arrived in the village to help with the repairs and no doubt a number of them were Tari's people, how many he was not sure but he hoped that a good number of them had survived so they could keep the clan going, for Tari's sake but also because he didn't find the idea of an entire clan going extinct because of his brother. Once in the village he did keep a bit of a distance from Tari, allowing her to look around by herself.

It seemed that one of the older elves was an acquaintance of Tari's and while Saren had an idea of who she was he didn't say anything or even approach the two, staying a bit away from them and just looking on. It confirmed something in his mind as he watched her with a member of her clan, it was that she belonged in the village, especially now when they needed her the most. Who was he to deny her the comfort of home, to keep her away from her family, it wasn't what he wanted but it was what was right. He didn't just take off, he owed her an explanation if he planned to leave her behind and he waited for a bit until he was sure their greetings were over before getting off storm and walking towards Tari and the elderly woman.

As he approached the two he wondered who else had survived that Tari was close to, maybe one of her parents or that former lover of hers that she had spoken briefly about. It couldn't be this few, not with what the mercenary said, though for all he knew many of them were hunted down or still out there scared. His focus was still on Tari, and as he neared he spoke, "Tari, I am sorry to be rude but I need to speak with you for a brief moment..." He spoke in Elven and stopped a few steps away from the two, nothing but softness in his voice. He would have preferred not to interrupt them but there were a few things he needed to say and he had a feeling Tari would not like it, perhaps even protest but they needed to be out in the open.
 
The elf tensed when Saren spoke to her, but Tari casually turned to the side to face the man. "Can't it wait?" she asked with a small complaint in her voice. She finally had a chance to return to her family and tribe and Saren wanted to speak with her already. She wanted nothing more then to ignore the man and focus on the woman beside her, but even the elder knew what was better to do in this situation.

Without a word, Tari was nudged forward and the younger girl went along with the movement, stepping towards Saren to listen to what he had to say. "What do you want to talk about?" she asked, slipping her fingers into the belt that hung loosely around her waist. If there was any mention of where she wanted to go after this ordeal, Tari knew she would be torn. Part of her wanted to remain and fix what she knew, staying where she belonged. But another part knew that if she went with Saren and returned to the city, there was more to be seen and learn, after which she could always return to her home. She pushed those thoughts from her mind, choosing to give Saren a chance to speak and convince her of either way before making her decision.
 
Saren knew Tari didn't want to stop talking to the elderly woman and he felt bad about asking her to talk to him but it was important. As he looked at the woman in front of him, the beautiful elf that had caught his attention in the city, he didn't want to let her go. What he wanted wasn't that important though, what was important was making sure she got to be happy and that was something he was sure she would be able to obtain in the village. A part of him realized in that moment what his true feelings for her were but that didn't stop him, in fact he didn't even show that affection for her, in case it was seen as shameful by the elderly woman or any of the other elves around, knowing it would be cruel to show that and then leave her to deal with it. Of course it showed in his eyes as he looked at her but one would have to be paying very close attention to notice it.

His staring eventually stopped when he got up the nerve to talk, his voice almost in a whisper when he did and he lacked the usual confidence, "I am severing your chains... I free you from servitude from this moment forth and ask that you stay with your village in their time of need..." He paused for a moment and took looked over at Sierra, "Keep the horse as well, she seems quite fond of you and I wouldn't want to separate the two of you for any reason." He was trying to keep his voice casual but it was hard to do when everything he said went against what he really wanted. He looked back to Tari, a small smile on his face, "I have to leave now, my men and I need to get what information we can and head back to the capitol at once." Saren whistled and Storm came up to him. He stood there for a moment, wondering how she would react, would she be happy or sad, perhaps even mad that he was denying her the chance to avenge the injustice upon her village. He didn't know but he had to be sure she wouldn't follow him, he needed reassurance before he rode away.
 
Tari's eyes widened when the prince told her his plan. She wasn't expecting him to let her go as easily as he did and although she was ever so slightly surprised by the comment, she didn't respond in any way that would show she would regret leaving the man. She gave a slow nod to the prince, signalling that she understood what he was telling her. "I understand," she told him calmly. The elf knew better then to go back to the main city. There would be a good chance that she wouldn't be able to control herself in front of the elder prince, which could only lead to seeking revenge and more then likely, a cell in the palace jail. Even Saren couldn't get her free if she attacked the crowned prince.

The elf whistled, signalling for her horse, who came over and nudged Tari's shoulder lightly. Tari reached into the bag and withdrew a bottle of the treasured liquid, only to turn and approach Saren once again. "Thank you for what you've done," she softly said, taking a step towards him. "I don't want to think about where I would have ended up if you hadn't found me." With a small bow, she offered out the bottle, taking a good look into the man's eyes. "If we do not see each other again, you weren't so bad, for a human. Good luck." She placed a light peck on his cheek and stepped back, just enough for Saren to either make a move or leave the village.

It wasn't until after the knights left the wood elf's home that the real work began. Now that they knew no humans would get in the way, Tari quickly reunited with her people and the repairs began. Within days, the buildings were repaired and the people had a chance to start anew. Several of the leaders of the village had survived and jumped back into their positions, ready to take the lead in everything they were now doing. The Salamander clan agreed to help, forming a new alliance between the two tribes, giving them the chance to do several things they had never believe were possible in regards to peace and expansion. In the month that passed, the two villages were brought together into one Elven city, split for the most part, but defended with the same forces. They had made peace with the human village which sat outside of their woods and began to trade with them.

Tari used her short time with Saren to her advantage and was swiftly put in charge of communications and peace keeping plans between the humans and elves. She began to earn a name for herself, which both races began to address her as. Word of the 'Aradoness' reached the castle through the words of travellers, which followed shortly by rumours of a party coming to the castle. It had been several months since Tari had been to the city, but it was an important cause that called her there. The elves had their own village under control, giving Tari and a small group of peacekeepers the chance to leave to discuss several items of business with the royal family.

The party entered the city, all on horseback with a wagon moving in the middle of their travel caravan. Tari glanced around to see what may have changed in the area, controlling Sierra in a way that the stable keepers most likely doubted would be possible. The while mare was calm and kept in normal Elven fashion. Tari, on the other hand, had changed in a drastic way. She had become of age in her tribe and in the normal traditions, she grew out her hair, which was now tied back in a tight braid and folded against the back of her head, making it far more manageable for a warrior, while a section hung over her right eye. Her forehead was now decorated with a knot-like tattoo, extending from either side of her clear forehead, just below her hairline to a decorative line down to the tip of her nose. Beneath each eye was a dark green butterfly wing design, reaching down each cheek to a slight point. Each mark was a symbol of what she had done and the position she had now taken. Her fashion had not changed and how she held herself had only grown in pride.

As soon as the mix of elves and humans from the smaller city entered the marketplace, one of Saren's knights broke into a run, wasting no time to alert the prince of Tari's return.
 
Leaving Tari had been difficult for Saren, feelings of regret and longing like he had never experienced before in his life came with that. He had the bottle of Miruvor though, a precious gift he had used to remember her as he knew it was a gift few humans even received and she had found it fit to give some to him. Much had been found out after he left Tari and her village though, a great deal regarding his brother and information that it was not the first time he had hired mercenaries to do his bidding. Apparently he had done so for years behind their parents back, attacking people he didn't like and torching villages for no reason other than to make a point to certain individuals. With that news Saren had not gone back to his city calmly, in fact when he first arrived back at his village he went to his father with the news and no matter what their differences it was unforgivable to even the king. Unfortunately the king fell ill before he could do anything more than anger his eldest son.

In the following time Saren and Kilel fought for power, Kilel having his right and people whose palms he had greased, and Saren having the backing of any honest business owner or noblemen. Saren of course had the backing of the knights and military but they meant little in the court even if they promised to protect Saren if civil war broke out. It sent their country into a bit of a chaotic state, a power struggle never being a good thing. It even led to some other nations taking advantage, particularly their southern neighbors the Sarconian nation. Saren and his knights pushed them back without much trouble, the Sarconian military not nearly as well trained or battle hardened. The fighting proved a great turning point in the civil dispute, while Saren was on the front lines fighting for his people Kilel did nothing but sit around and feast with the greedy noblemen who supported the arrogant prince. That did not bode well for him as the people and many of his supporters turned against him claiming that in order to remain a strong nation they needed a more capable leader than Kilel.

It didn't end immediately but before long Kilel was exiled from the kingdom by the very people who had supported him at one point, his transgressions against his own and his attitude towards the suffering of his people not getting him any favors. So by the time Tari arrived at the kingdom again everything had settled down, the small civil issue had been settled, Kilel no longer had any power, and Saren's father had recovered. It also seemed that without his brothers wicked tongue that Saren and his father weren't always at each others throat, not exactly friendly but his father listened to his advice instead of blowing him off as usual. It had led to the trade of the city flourishing and while it hadn't been announced yet Saren was to be the new crown prince, although he wasn't sure he even wanted the title.

It hadn't changed the prince's life much, he had more responsibility but he enjoyed making sure his people had a good life and it gave him just as much free time and time to spend with his knights as he needed. Of course his image had changed, he wasn't the playboy prince everyone once knew, his sexual escapades all but done since he came back from that mission without Tari and while people talked nobody really said much of anything. In fact he was training with his men when one of them came running up, one of the younger knights with him when they tracked down the mercenaries. "Saren! I Eluch'l at the gates, she has changed but it is definitely her and she isn't alone!" Saren's face was one of pure surprise as he stopped mid battle and looked over, barely managing to block a blow already in progress. "Are you sure?" The man nodded, "By the Northern gate." Before anyone else could say anything the prince had jumped the fence and taken off in the direction his knight had told him, not slowing down even as he reached the streets.

It wasn't until he found her in the crowd that he slowed, going from a full on sprint to a walk, not wanting to appear to eager in case she wasn't of the same mindset, acting cool as some would say. He approached casually after that, walking over directly in front of Tari with a smirk on his face and running a hand through his hair, which had grown a bit longer since she had last seen him, though it was still kept at mid length and kept well. Tari on the other hand looked more beautiful than ever, the longer hair and new tattoos captivating and Saren wouldn't have been able to keep his eyes off of her even if he wanted to. "Well, it took you long enough to come visit me." His Elvish had only become more fluent, he had been practicing.
 
Tari smirked, sliding off Sierra's simple saddle and onto the ground in front of the prince. "Dear sir," she mocked, patting the horse's neck, telling her she did a good job, just as always. "I never listened to you. I won't do it now." She rolled her eyes and finally turned to Saren, a smile crossing her lips as her eyes looked the prince over. She kept the smile on her face, holding herself as any leader would, with pride and a certain look of focus in her eyes. "Nice to see you again." There was a certain tone to her voice, not as if she was speaking to an old lover, but just simply an old friend. The months that she had been away from the prince gave her the time she needed to think about what had happened inside the walls of the castle and how she truly felt about it all. Although she was still confused about everything, she knew for certain she didn't regret what went on. She never told another elf what had happened and she wasn't planning on telling them yet, not until it was worked out with the prince as well.

"We have quite a bit to catch up on," she added. It took some time for news from the larger city to reach her home, certainly since they had gone through a civil war, but Tari knew the overall line of events. Kilel was banished and Saren became the prince. Those were the important highlights that everyone needed to know. But there was still so much more they could talk about and Tari was planning on taking advantage of that. "Not to mention what we came here for."

One of the humans from the smaller previously destroyed city, approached Tari and the prince. He bowed to Saren and set his hand on Tari's shoulder. "Where should we set up?" he asked and the elf turned her attention to Saren.

"Where is the best place for us to stay?" she asked with another casual smile.
 
Tari was the same as ever and her smile was as beautiful as Saren remembered, her tone hinting that she was truly glad to see him again although he wasn't sure how far that went yet. Not that their previous relationship was the only thing on his mind but he had thought a lot about the woman in the months since he left her in her village. He missed her and while it was hard to stop himself from getting carried away he knew she hadn't come to the city just to visit him. It seemed she had brought along a few people as well, a man whose face he recognized from the human settlement they visited those months ago, his memory being as sharp as ever, as well as a few others. Even with that being the case he couldn't enter into a strictly business mode with Tari right in front of him, he could only trying and shift his focus on to getting them settled in first.

"Actually I could recommend quite a few good places but I think for guests such as yourself that some guest rooms in the castle would be appropriate. Now come with me to the castle and make no delay, tonight you will be greeted better than you could ever imagine after your last experiences." With another smile he turned his head from Tari to the human male, "You will all be my guests at the castle, bring your stuff and some men will help you settle in." With that Saren turned around, waving to a few of the people as he headed through the parting crowd, who were all making way for the people with Tari. The town seemed much livelier than it did in the past, the people healthier and more than just humans roaming the streets, not proportionate by any means but more than previously now that persecution wasn't as it use to be.

Saren was leading them to the castle, and as they approached the gates it was already open, a couple of the knights waiting with grins which only grew wider when they spotted the look on Saren's face and even more so at the sight of Tari. Among the knights were Ashal who looked as he always did and Roran who was a bit taller and whom had put on a good deal of muscle. Roran waved to Tari as Saren joined his men, hitting Ashal in the stomach lightly as he whispered something to the man, and while it couldn't be heard it was about his feelings for Tari. A few of the palace servants were around as well, ready to bring in the visitors but Saren and his knights were ready to help out as well and get Tari and the others inside, Saren being the most eager to get them settled in so he could and Tari could catch up.
 
The group led their horses towards the castle, following Saren's directions, as they looked around the city. It was as if it was a completely new place, from what Tari could see, and she reacted in a way far different then how she had before. Her spirits were already high and at the sight of a small group of bright blonde elves, they seemed to grow, along with the smile. She was pleased that elves were now welcomed in the city and gave the group a small bow as they passed. Despite the two variations of Elves having their own differences and quarrels, when they saw each other in a new city, they always bowed, giving them a silent, peaceful signal that each other would have the others back for protection, in case a problem arose.

Most of the people in the group had never been to the main city and had fallen asleep to stories and dreams of what could lie beyond the walls. Several of the members of the peaceful crew were just over their teenage years, if not in the upper age group. They never had a chance to go to the city and were down right awed by the view they got both outside and inside of it. When Saren mentioned staying inside the castle, a few of their jaws dropped and they all quickly moved to follow the prince inside. Tari on the other hand, ignored what the general castle looked like and paid more attention to the people she saw inside. The horses were led to the stable right away, leaving the rest of their gear for the servants to take away, leading the visitors to their proper rooms.

Tari gave a light wave to Roran and Ashal with a smile a she approached them. "Nice to see you both again," she commented and gave each a small bow. "I see things have picked up quite a bit here."
 
Saren was proud of the changes the city had undergone, no matter who the ruler was it had become a reformed nation, one to be proud of as far as he was concerned. It was wonderful to see the looks on some of the visitors faces, they all seemed blown away by the city and this was its peak, the time to really see it. There were so many new things he wanted to show Tari, they had so much more than catching up to do because this time he could give her the welcome she deserved, and of course hear out what she came to the city for. At the current moment in time he was directing the servants where to take the stuff, which was the same wing of the castle that he resided in and one of the nicest wings and it gave him an excuse to visit whoever he wanted among their visitors whenever he wanted. As he noticed his knights with Tari he gave them a moment, keeping himself busy by continuing to direct some of the servants and by greeting a squire who had brought him something to sign quickly before he rushed off and did whatever he wanted for the day.

While he was busy his knights took advantage and began to speak to Tari, a few of them only giving simple greetings and telling her how nice it was to see her again but Roran was more talkative. "Glad to see you around her again, going to have to have a rematch sometime while your here, I have been practicing under Saren." With that he gave a smile and went to help carry things in. Ashal didn't get a chance to know her as well as some of the others on her last visit, if you could call it that, so he simply gave her a kind greeting in Elven along with some personal details on the prince in case she had a mind for him still, nosy as always. "Welcome to the city, we are happy to have you among us." And afterwards he slipped in the facts without letting anyone else hear, "You know, since you left the prince has been as chaste as a priest ever since you left. Not to mention he always brings you up when he gets drunk, it's cute actually." With that Ashal took his leave, evading any of the work.

Saren found himself freed of duty for a moment and only caught Ashal's departure, going over to take his place near Tari. "Shall we go ahead and get you guys settled in?" Saren was very energetic, his smile never seeming to fade and while it seemed this was his new state of being it was truly only because Tari was back in front of him. The worst part about leaving her was that he had only truly realized that he had deep feelings for her as they parted.
 
Tari gave a light laugh, until she realized that the man wasn't joking about Saren. He turned away and her smile vanished, staring at Ashal's back with a slightly stunned look on her fact. The way he spoke sounded all too serious to be simply joking with her and she certainly wasn't ready to be told something like that quite yet. She shook the look within seconds of Saren's approach and turned to the man with a slight nod. Most of the group she had brought along with her were on their way to the rooms, if not already there. They were eager to see where they would be staying and get what they could set up in the rooms before they had to get down to business later on that evening.

The elf focused her attention on Saren for a moment until she noticed her things had vanished. They must have already been taking to one of the rooms, but the greetings and conversations with the knights had distracted her more then she thought they would. "Good idea," she agreed. The guest quarters weren't somewhere she was shown on her last stay, so with a wave of her hand, she signalled Saren to lead the way. "Seems like your servants move pretty quickly..."
 
Saren laughed when Tari commented on the servants speed, sure they weren't slow but it wasn't the servants ushering everything in so quickly, it was the group of knights that had disappeared as everything went down, about five of them hauling in the heavier stuff and making the servants jobs much easier. They were all ready to get Tari settled in as well, wanting to see her after the long absence as well and of course celebrate. "The servants are efficient but some of the guys wanted to help get stuff in so it went even faster than usual. Anyways, just follow me, I suppose you remember the castle, not much has changed." Saren turned and motioned for Roran to follow, the young man doing so and they led the newcomers through the castle and towards their rooms, Roran giving a small tour of the castle as they went to the newcomers, instructing them where they could eat, bathe, or anything else essential such as that.

It didn't take long to reach the guests quarters, Saren's extra large door being the first one they passed before they made it to a line of slightly smaller doors lining the hallway. The only difference between the rooms was a slight size difference but they were all big. It was just that way from the days in which Saren's room was the master bedroom, before some expansions by his ancestors. He turned around as they reached the rooms, "Your stuff should all be in the rooms, just ask the servants to direct you or go room by room and see which things are where. Once you've settled in feel free to wander around the castle a bit or relax in your rooms. The servants frequently walk up and down the halls and their are guards if you need directions or anything in particular and my room is right at the end of the hall so drop by if you need to, I am there quite often." Saren finished it all off in a showman like voice, making it sound like some grand tour in a manor. He was sure everyone would be just fine and seeing as times had changed in the kingdom he doubted there would be any trouble. One reason being that with his brother they had disbanded the royal guard unit and reformed it to exclude all those still loyal to his brother and those who treated others harshly for any reason.

Saren of course was more interested in Tari than anyone else out of the group and once he had finished speaking he turned directly to her, allowing Roran to help whoever still needed it. "Your room is the second best in the castle." He said with a pause, a grin on his face, "The closest one to mine." He said with a look on his face that really showed he was the same person he use to be, a small smirk rising. He would no doubt calm down after the initial shock of her arrival was over but for the time being he was still hyper and excited just to see her after such a long time, because while it had only been a matter of months, they had been hard for him and in his mind it seemed more like years.
 
Tari watched a few of the younger travellers enter the rooms, quickly stunned by the size of the room they would be staying in. Even if by chance, there were two sharing one, it was larger then the size of a room they were used to living in. It didn't take long for them to get settled in, giving Tari a chance to get away and settle into her own room. She joined Saren in the hall, heading in the direction she remembered walking before. Her eyes slid to the side and she raised one of her eyebrows, noting the look on his face. "So you are still in there," she half mocked. "I thought I'd have to work that smirk out of you."

If there was one thing she missed about the human prince, it was the smirk. The way it made him look; cocky yet a perfect and willing challenge, played with the tips of her emotional nerves. She was ready to take whatever challenge he was now laying out for her, even without knowing what the exact details were. "As long as it's not your room," she added, letting her eyes trace the walls up to the door. "That wouldn't be proper to be caught with you in this situation." Of course, she wanted nothing more then to share a room with him again, but in the peacekeeping situation they were in, it certainly wouldn't be looked good upon. But Tari hoped that after the topics were settled and people were free to return, she could convince Saren to let her stay longer, to give her a chance to see what she had missed in the city and really give her a chance to speak to Saren, and see the exact direction of the city.
 
There was nothing to be worked out of him, Saren was still the same man he had been months ago, slightly more burdened and a tad more serious but little had truly changed. He still had that same cocky side and his charisma was as powerful as ever, one thing that had changed tremendously was his responsibility but it wasn't so bad, it put him in direct control of situations such as the one Tari represented, a talk between his people and hers. Months ago Kilel or his father would have taken control of such talks, now he was in control of the decisions and so far he had done a decent job of moving forward and making the city boom. Before the talks even began, before he even knew the exact reasons why Tari and the others had come, he already knew good things were to come. It wasn't really what he wanted to focus on though, sure the talks would be important but the most important thing of all was catching up with the lovely elf next to him.

"It wouldn't be proper to share the room of course but it is still the best room in the castle and you know that." Once more the smirk made its appearance as he stood in front of her door, opening it up for her and taking a step back. "Go ahead, I am sure everything will be to your liking and if it isn't well that is why I am here. Just come see me when you've settled in and we can talk a bit." With that Saren gave her one last smile and turned around, going the one door down and turning into his room, looking back in her direction for a last glance as he entered the room. He was extremely happy to see her again and although it wasn't going to be all fun and games he would make sure some of it was. What Ashal had said, although he was still unaware, had been true. Since Tari left he had found nobody else that gave him the same feelings that she had and so no matter what the situation he couldn't bring himself to be with another woman. It was almost annoying in fact, but it seemed to please his parents that he was no longer spoken about as some sexual deviant.

Saren walked over to his table, the old table that use to be covered with random objects now cleaned off and used for more official purposes, parchment and papers scattered about, his royal signet ring and a container of wax both off to the side. He didn't have much to do, the kingdom becoming more self-sustained after Kilel's exile, the merchants taking care of their own business and sending some coin for the space, and the city guards being looked over by the knights, everything ran well and it left the prince little to do aside from the occasional court appearance and even rarer battle on the kingdoms borders. If he got the little work he had done it would ensure his time with Tari went uninterrupted so he quickly got to work, sighing things here and there, giving his opinions on specific movements, and trying to complete all the work required of him as quickly as possible so he could have his fun.
 
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