When a Knight rescues an Elf (MasterOfWhispers and Scarlet Angel)

Lord Richard of Machilda, Clad in Iron Armor and steely will began another usual day surveying his lands. Riding his horse through the various settlements his majesty lands. The mission was very simple, and he had been doing it for the past couple of years since he was promoted to night hood; Watch to lands for any signs of trouble, and put an end to any possible peasant uprisings.

So when he heard about an outraged mob, out for blood in one of the southern villages, The Knight had no choice but to ride swiftly through the seemingly Serene forests. What he found at the town wasn't what he expected. Lying outside the towns outskirts, was a very beautiful if beaten creature. A creature that only few have seen in their life time.
"An elf..." The knight clad in armor whispered to himself silently. There was no mistaking it. The ears were a dead give away. Getting off of her steed, and acting not with the instincts of a fearful human. (an instinct it seemed those of the village were prone to) but the instinct of a noble warrior dedicated to chivalry.

Leaning over the body, he held her closely trying to shake her. Trying to bring her ton consciousness. "Miss, Miss, Are you alright" The man called with a panicked voice.

Elina knew she was asking for trouble when she came across the human settlement. It was dangerous if passing by the boarders of one. If they saw an elf they'd either kill the poor individual or make them wish they were dead. Of course she'd heard of a few of her kind getting away with little to no trouble but it usually involved swallowing their pride which was quite difficult to do.

The peasants had swarmed around her before she had time to process it. Stones were thrown she was pushed to the ground kicked spit on. At one point she blacked out and that was how the Knight found her. A bump on her head was the cause of her unconsciousness and the cut above her brow was slowly trickling blood over her eyes. The slender elf made a soft sound of pain when she was jostled and her eyes moved beneath their lids but that was all the response he got.

"Leave me alone...please." she whimpered out caught in some form of nightmare as tears trickled down her cheeks smearing the blood. Her breathing was shallow but there she would likely die if no one tended to her soon. The cruel people of the surrounding village had just left her to die in the street all because she was an elf.

"hey easy, there..." The man responded holding the girl closely. The elf looked like she was in such a decrepit state. He took pity on the poor lass. Lifting her up gently, he placed her neatly on his horse, getting up from behind her. She was in a state to move. The next best thing the knight would have to do is to find a spot far from town, and camp there for the night. His thoughts decided, he rode off into one of the more private corners of the forest. His mind focused on how he was going to nurse an elf back to health.

Finding a spot of forest that seems safe, Richard took the girls in his arms and laid her to the side, letting her rest. "
"I'll be right back..." The knight spoke to her rather soothingly. He was away for a few hours gathering fire wood. By sun down he returned the girls still there.

The sounds of night began to flood the camp fire. Though dishonorable as it may seem, the warrior had no choice but too undress the girl while she was out, making sure to address some of the Elf's wounds. Anger, flooded his heart as he saw the bruises and cuts on the body of the elf. Until she had enough energy to travel back with him he had to settle for feeding her.

After dressing her wounds. Richard sensed that she would be up soon.
"Oi girl you alright" The knight called for her softly. "Here drink up, You'll need it.." He placed the canteen of water to her side.

Vaguely she was aware of being move whoever it was, they were gentle with her. Perhaps a small patrol of her people had come across her? However the person who spoke did not sound like and elf and was much taller then her kind. She fell back into unconsciousness after that it was easier then enduring the ache of the various bruises and scratches. At least they hadn't broken anything. At least she didn't think they did.

As he stripped her battered form he would see the modest curves were common among elfish women. Slender with tan skin and generous breast accompanied by a tiny waist and full hips. She was quite lovely if not for bruises darkening so much of her skin and the various cuts decorated her torso. She sighed softly as he tended the few he could but made no other move to wake.

"Hmmm?" she said as she shifted turning her head from side to side. Without opening her eyes she took a large swallow of the offered water before opening her eyes revealing forest green eyes with a hint of amber around the pupil. His form was blurry at first but as her eyes began to focus. "A...a human? What do you want from me?" she said as she tried to move away from him only to find it hurt too much. "If you wish to finish what they started get it over with. I'm no threat and where are my cloths? What did you do to me?" distrust was openly reflected in her exotic orbs.

He roared with laughter. " You do realize I'm a knight. An armed knight mind you, and I could have already impaled you sevearl times while you were a sleep..." Richard responded. He chuckled inwardly. After getting a good look at her body in the light, there was more then one kind of impaling he'd want to do. Taking a pouch filled with is rations. Opening up the bag, he noticed that there was just enough for her to eat.

"Here." He throw a piece of bread towards the elf. "After what happened at the settlement, your going to need as much energy as you can. We'll be heading back to my fortress, there you'll be able to safely recover." Silence for a but a brief moment. His mind slowly contemplating what else to say to the young lady with surreal green eyes.
"Not all humans are evil. Bear that in mind. Hell I was raised along side, and an orc, avian, dwarf, and another elf." Richard told her. His closed remembering the times he had being mentored by Reinhart.
"I don't expect you to trust me though. But considering that there's not going to be an elf patrol here for a while. I'm your best bet."

Her cheeks flushed darkly when he laughed as she had enough energy to look offended. "Well how do I know you weren't waiting for me to wake up so you could see my face as I died? Or better yet kill me after you had your wicked way with me?" she raised an eyebrow before taking a bite out of the bread. Now that she thought about it he probably wouldn't have given her food and water if he wanted to do that. He'd have just done it and gotten it over with. Plus in the state she was in she figured one would have to be truly desperate.

"Well Sir, if you're not evil may I have some form of clothing? I do not fancy walking around nude to your fortress or wherever you plan on taking me. It's a bit chilly and I'll surely die without some protection from the elements." and she took another bite of bread. Despite the fact it was simple fare she found herself enjoying it. Apparently being beat to a pulp made her hungry. When she was finished she delicately wiped the crumbs off her face. "So do I get to know the name of my valiant rescuer? Unless of course your name is Knight which would be unusual."

Why was she being civil? Well she didn't really have a choice in the matter. In the state she was in she'd die before her people came looking for her. This human was her best bet for survival and he seemed honest enough, unless he'd drugged the food. However given that she didn't feel sick or woozy she assumed the food was perfectly safe.

"Richard, Lord of the Machilda province and castle." He said offering his hand towards her. "And what should I call you besides elf?" the knight chuckled. He turned around and gathered his belonging, fastening his pouch of rations on his belt along with his his broad sword. Heavy thing the broad sword was, but not as heavy as those who he swore to protect.

"Here" he said throwing the rather semi torn garments to elf. "I recommend this though." Along with with her clothing. he he threw his own personal cloak "Wouldn't recommend riding with that damaged clothing, though I don't the men at the fortress would mind a naked elf. Some of my guards are elves themselves come to think it." Getting up on his horse, he surveyed the camp once more before readying to leave.

"Trust me, when you return with me to my fortress you'll be among some of your own kin." The knight smiled. Though he neglected to mention that besides elves he had avians, dwarves, and even orcs staying on his lands. A habit he never stopped doing. Regardless of what race, he always welcomed anyone with a kind heart to work on his land. Or even serve as one of his more loyal guards.

"My name is Elina." she responded after a moment as she accepted his hand before releasing it a moment later. Sitting up she winced gently but managed to not fall back onto the ground. Judging by how hard it was to breath they probably bruised her ribs, at least they were broken. However Elina decided she needed to focus on keeping up with him not how much she hurt still.

Catching her clothing she sighed softly. The dress was ruined the bottom was in tatters and stained with mud and blood. Gently she ripped the lower part of the skirt off entirely before pulling it back on. The once light blue dress now ended well above her knees, it was almost indecent. Thankfully the cloak would cover it up. "I'd rather wear it under the cloak then not at all." she responded. Slowly the petite elf got to her feet and peered around the campsite. To be the Lord of the land he did not travel with any armed bodyguards.

"Well it's not like I really have any choice but to trust you Lord Richard. So if you say I will be amongst my kin then I believe you. I'm still waiting for you to take me to prison or the auction block though." Adjusting the cloak on her shoulders she walked towards him. "How far away is your fortress?"

"Funny one aren't you" Richard responded. Taking her hand he made sure to be as gentle as possibly when he pulled her up on to his horse. "I know there are several provinces that enslave elves. Especially in this country. Worry not. Mine isn't one of them." with one hit of the spur, the horse began to move. This journey would be rough, he was especially concerned, since Elina still seemed to be brutally injured. He had only hoped that his brother Luther wasn't away on one of his usual trips to the local villages, helping to heal a plague, or going into some of the border skirmishes and assist soldiers in recovering their injuries. He was the only talented healer or rather a wizard specializing in the healing magics to help. True he had apprentices, but Luther was an elf himself. He'd be able to Elina without much trouble.

"It will be a days journey away from here." Richard said as the horse continued it's move. "I hope you can hold on by then."

The journey was brief and swift. Richard, knowing these lands well only stopped to get water from a nearby spring to. He was carefully not to ride into villages he knew full well that were xenophobic. As for food; Though he didn't have much in rations to share with the petite elf. The knight made sure to stop in certain outposts lined with non-humans staffing the towers. He normally assigned Avians to the towers, with their eyes being the sharpest. Their ability to fly also allowed them to send a messenger right way to his home base. Even though he would have been more then happy to have them fly Elina back to Machilda castle, he knew the stress would be a heavy burden on her body. Horse riding was rough as it was. So he settled for picking up foods there, and sending word to prepare a bed for his new guest at the castle.

The moon touched the sky by journey's end. Though he was silent most of the journey, at the sight of the castle he smiled for the first time. "Ah there it is home sweet home" The human knight said with a smile. The castle was moderately sized. Nothing like the King's castle, but it was home none the less. Outside of the castle though was far more interesting. The village of Machilda held some of the most diverse sets of creatures for what was supposed to be a human provinces. As Richard rode on, he passed by Orc warriors who were in his service talking to a dwarf black smith avidly about a battle axe he had recently made. At a certain play field, eleven and human children playing "knight" with sticks and make shift wood helmets. At a tavern, an avian, a dwarf, and an elf were playing cards right at the front.

After this slow slow path through the village, the had finally reached the castle gates. Which opened upon seeing Richards embelm
"Welcome back Lord Richard. "Yelled a guard from the tower.
"Thank you dear Ronald, is Magus Luther in?"
"He just returned from helping a border patrol, he has the bed and medicine prepared for your guest."
"Thank you.."

When they arrived at the caste, he quickly turned Elina.
"Well my lady, lets get you to a healer."

"People tell me I'm absolutely hilarious." she responded easily with a soft grin caressing her lovely mouth. She settled on the back of his horse with a soft oomph her head swimming a bit from the sudden movement. Small hands wrapped around his waist and gripped tightly. She was worried she would fall off otherwise. Quite frankly Elina wouldn't be surprised if she had a minor head injury.

As they moved through the countryside the elf found herself relaxing. So far nothing had led her to believe he intended on selling her into slavery and the towers they stopped by seemed to have multi-racial staff from Avians to Orcs. The elf didn't talk much she ate in silence and watched him closely and only answered questions if she was directly asked.

When they finally arrived at the castle she was in awe, never in her life had she seen such a large building. An elf tended to stay away from major human settlements for the sake of their health and in some cases their virtue. Some human men enjoyed forcing themselves upon elvish women saying they were tighter then a human. Not that she would know she'd be lucky for the most part. What really shocked her was they number of non-humans wandering the grounds. Elf children and human children played games where the Elves weren't the villains. She even smiled when a small human child looked up at her with big eyes and ran off giggling something about the pretty elf lady.

"You have a healer already?" she questioned in surprise. That was good because it was becoming obvious she was on her last leg. Despite the boy calling her pretty most of the color had drained from her face and there were large bags under her eyes. She looked sickly and wouldn't be surprised to find if she had a fever at this point. With a huff of effort she dismounted off the horse and stumbled. "Lead the way Lord Richard." she said with a weak smile relieved when they came to the medical wing. The bed looked so comfortable even if the strong sterile smell made her stomach turn in protest. It was around that time she fainted yet again her body demanding she rest more.

He chuckled appreciatively when she called him by his title. In all his time as a squire he would have never thought that he would end up taking upon himself the mantle of "Knight" and inheriting the land of his adopted father. He would have thought either Luther or even his orchish brother Malek would be the inheritors.

"While we were stopping over at one of the watch towers I had one of the avians fly back and tell the healers here to prepare a bed for you." He responded. When they got to the hospital wing, Luther a blond haired elf dressed in magus garbs was already there waiting for him.

"I've got the message, everything should be set to treat her injury." Luther responded. He was overall polite yet the knight noticed something was bothering him. Before he could voice more of a protest Elina began to faint again. Richard turned to her his face panicked. Quickly, he caught her and laid her gently onto a bed.

"Oh god... the journey was more strenenous. Then I have thought..." Richard responded his voice clearly lined with panic. The elf Luther shook his head.
"I have the medicine and bandages here prepared" Luther said standing over his fellow elf. His hands glazed on her forehead, checking for any fever. "You'll have to attend to healing her yourself..."

"Wait! Why is that." The knight responded. From the way Luther was acting, something was up.
"There's a plague in one of the southern villages, that are spreading. I'm afraid I'm going to have to take all the Mages here and help clear it out! I'm sorry Richard, but the plague is of a unique kind."

Silence glazed over the two, as Luther began undoing her clothing and wrapping around then bandages on the fainted maiden. The fact that Luther had to recruit all the wizards stationed here could only mean dire things.

"A magical plague." The lord of Machilda concluded.
"I'm afraid so." Luther responded. His eyes turning grave "It seems another enemy necromancer saw fit to move in on this territory. We're going to have to combat the plague the best we can. As well as eliminate the necromancer. I've developed enough potions here to help supply the castle and village. Brother Malek will be back in a couple of hours from his missionary work. So the healers accompanying him will hold things down. In the mean time. She and all the patients here are in your care."

"Come now I'm no healer..." Richard protested.
"Father saw fit to train you in the healing arts as well as the way of the of the knight. You'll do fine."

Luther didn't say anymore. Before Richard knew it, the elf left, and until the orcish monk arrived he'll have to be in charge of taking care of her. Sitting quietly by her bedside, all he could do was order one of his servants to bring food form the kitchens and wait. Though Luther gave her drugs to ease some of the pain. He didn't give her the sleeping potion yet, and he wanted to make sure she ate before she drifted off. As he was waiting Richard, placed his hands gently on the elf maiden's.

One of the more enjoyable things about fainting was the fact you didn’t really dream much. Her mind shut down and she remained like that for almost an hour before stirring once again. The bandages around her middle made her feel stiff and awkward though the pain was gone. Elina’s hand twitched first and then her oddly colored eyes fluttered open. Turning her head she couldn’t help but smile slightly. “I must be quite special to be tended to by the Lord of the Castle.” It was actually nice to see his face; it let her know she was still safe. Or at least she thought she was still safe.

“So far you seem to be true to your word. I saw the elven mage and the orc and all the avians. You truly do treat all races equally. It’s surprising I don’t think a human has ever called me pretty before. I’ve gotten demonic once or twice. Something about the ears.” She brushed her hand over the pointed extremities with a sigh. With a bit of work she managed to sit up and she noticed the food. Her stomach growled and she blushed softly. “I do hope that’s for me. Evidently I’m still quite hungry.”

If her kin had told her last week she’d be sitting in a medical wing of a human lord’s castle she wouldn’t have believed them. Most humans hated elves and if she was anywhere in a Lord’s Castle she assumed it would’ve been the dungeon. Yet here she was brushing her dirty palms over white sheets self consciously. She was quite dirty still from the aggressive beating, her hair was probably in knots. “And perhaps a bath a bit later? I’m sure I’m quite a sight covered in dirt and dried blood.”

Elina was completely unaware of the disaster striking the southern part of this land. Necromancers and dark magic were practically unheard of in the elfish cities. The worst they had was self centered druids and arrogant princes. If she had she’d have likely been concerned for the village filled with elves surrounding that area, it was unlikely anyone had warned them.

An hour passed. An hour which has kept the knight busy attending the various problems in the medical wing. From, replacing the bandages of an avian with a broken wing. To helping a dwarf repairing bones due to an enemy warlock counter spell. It was next to a miracle that Richard managed to do as well as he could. It was no surprise though considering the knight's healing arts were nearly as flawless as normal healers abilities. After all, deep down he aspired to join the high paladins. An order directly under the command of a king. Healing arts were a required skill to join the Paladins. Skills in which his mentor tried to drill in his head over and over again.

As the hour faded, he noticed his other personal charge wake up. Seemingly hungry. He smiled relieved that some color had returned to his face. A full night of sleep would do, as well as full meal in the belly. After finishing the last of his duties, the knight walked and sat at her side, telling the servants to bring the food to her bedside.
"Wasn't always like this of course. Though my mentor and adopted father had a rather unique perspective about racial equality. Reinhart was all about servicing the kingdom the best. He believed that races already living in this land each had something to offer. That each race would enhance the kingdom in it's own way. He had wisdom surpassing many of the greatest sages. Well given his nature it was hardly surprising. " The lord of Machilda finished thoughtfully. His eyes slightly sparkled whenever he thought about his father. A vampire who had sworn to defend the human kingdom. He defended it so well that the monarchy would looked the other way when the vampire began to recruit several different people most of them not human. He even took to orphans of different races. The human Richard being one of them. It was a sad fate though,when he was killed in an invasion ten years ago. Reinhart passed the title on to Richard. And Richard bared the responsibility of the title with pride, hoping to continue on the same ideals that his adopted father imparted to him and the of his adopted brothers and sisters. Many of whom still stayed to service the province even after Reinharts death. Like Richard, they seek to continue on the ideals of the one who found and raised them.

"I'll be brutally honest here. Though I believe you like this bit of honesty. You might take it either way. Who knows " Richard replied with a smirk. " Aside from the state you are in, you are absolutely the most beautiful elf that has graced this village. I have no doubt that once you stay here as you recover and heal up enough to have meals with my family and I, You'll notice that quite a few men here. And even the human and elven woman that swing that way, will have no qualms about courting you. " The knight winked. "Maybe myself included."

Hearing the growl from Elina's belly. Richard roared with laughter. It was rather delightful and jubilant. "Well before worrying about courting perhaps we should get some food in that wonderful belly of your. And yes. This food is for you. I had the chefs whip up something special. The province has just opened up trade with the eastern merchants, and from what I'm told they have the finest spices of the land to add to their meal. I have to say, some of the chicken I have devoured never tasted better.

As the last of the food arrived, the knight took a plate of his own and began eating along with the elfin maiden. "I'll have a servant prepare the baths for you. After that, take the last of this potion. If Luther's been in top form with his potions making. You should be able to heal up in a night. If not, well I suppose you won't mind staying here for a couple of days to fully recover. That's the thing about magical remedies, they either cut the healing time in half or cure you in the blink of an eye."

“I can tell you cared for him quite a bit.” She said after a moment the pride in his voice and the look in his eyes told her that much. “So he was your adoptive father was he? Do you take orphans often? I saw quite a few children running about on the ride here.” It was hard to forget about the children playing tag in the street and the way the human boy’s eyes lit up when he saw her. Lord Richard had created a safe haven most people dreamed about being taken away to. Despite her unpleasant experiences Elina didn’t hate humans, she just didn’t trust them. Ignorance was not a pretty trait in any race; even orcs tolerated elves for the sake of their trade goods.

The young elf had the decency to blush yet again. “Well I appreciate the compliment Lord Richard. I had no idea you found me attractive.” Her eyes seemed to sparkle in return. “I’m not sure how long I am going to stay to be honest. At first I figured I’d leave once I was better, but a village like this is safe and it’s tempting to stay. I just need one good reason.” When the food was delivered she practically attacked it while managing to stay very lady like. “This is very good I had no idea meat could have so much flavor. Generally my people season our foods with what we find in nature, but you know that don’t you?” she grinned into the food for a moment. It was easy to feel comfortable around this human. He’d done nothing to make her distrustful of him aside from stripping her down when they first met. However that had been out of necessity so it was hard to hold it against him.

“Luther he was the elf I saw before I fainted wasn’t he? It he your resident medi mage or something more? If I recall you called him your brother at one point, I take he was adopted by this Reinhart fellow as well?” her food was almost gone at this point perhaps because she’d been so hungry. Or it could’ve been that she was really looking foreword to a nice hot bath to ease any of the lingering aches and pains. Not to mention the dried blood was making her skin tight and itchy which was quite unpleasant. Granted some of it had been washed off so it wasn’t quite as bad as it had been before.

Eventually she finished the food with a satisfied sigh. “That was fantastic. I don’t think I’ve ever been so full. Perhaps I can learn a thing or two from your chef’s. Would it be much trouble if I watched them from time to time?” with a belly full of food and the prospect of a bath she felt much better then she had when he first found her. The rest of the potion would be the final kick she needed to be fully healed. However the prospect of leaving soon made her feel odd. Perhaps she would stay a bit longer?

"Curious, I take it you have no place to settle in. Are you perhaps a wanderer." Richard responded quietly, taking a bit out of his own plate. It was strange to him. After all the girl did seem of marriageable age. Also, judging from the dress she wore earlier he would have thought that she was somebody of high wealth. Either way it was fine. The girl seemed honest as well as attractive. Taking a swig of cider from his goblet he continued on. "If you are looking for a better place to settle in that why don't you stay! We could either use some hands to work the land. Farming has been a much useful enterprise as of late. Hunting and gathering it seems will soon be a thing of the past. We're even building this town's first school and inviting some of the scholars that used to live here back so they can teach and pass on their knowledge to the next generation. Perhaps your are a very learned wanderer, and perhaps you can lend some of your knowledge teaching some of these children. We're even welcoming anybody with magical talent to help either further research in the healing arts or help set up more magical wards on this castle and town." Taking a swing of his goblet he continued on.

The moment she blushed he winked "Of course I find you attractive. I have half a mind to serenade you, read you some of my poetry, and even embrace you warmly and plant lips against your lips."

Finishing his plate, he put his food aside. Hearing the topic of Luther he smiled. "A great brother and one of my closest step sibling along with him and Malek and a few others. After the last war ended, my father took it upon himself to raise those kids orphaned during the war. While most would have to survive off the streets or be killed outright if they weren't human. Father took it upon himself to raise the good lot us. Though a majority didn't become knights, like Luther, they still stayed behind in order to further expand. Who knows, at the rate the village is growing we may have prosperous city in about ten or so years."

The moment she finished her food. He smiled and waved over a servant. "I'm glad you enjoyed the meal. What did I say. wasn't it delicious. I'm also glad your getting better. I can have a servant show you the baths. And considering you no longer seem to be in dire state as before, I can walk you to one of our guest rooms. I dare say the medical wards bed aren't as comfy. " The Knight stood up and towards the door.

"I know you may desire to leave immediately" Richard said stopping and turning around facing the blue eyed girl. "May I recommend you stay a few nights here though. We have something a grand celebration tomorrow. The founders festival it's called, and it's to celebrate the day my father found and built this town and castle. I'd like for your to come." He hoped she would. This ordeal with the humans surely shattered her trust. Richard would like to help rebuild it.

“I was born to a pair of wandering mages.” She admitted after a moment. “They went from settlement to settlement healing the sick and taking care of droughts and that like. A group of highwaymen cornered our caravan and killed them both when I was quite young. I remember hiding beneath the overturned carriage while my mother cried out.” Elina paused for a moment to hold back the tears that threatened to fall before continuing. “Due to their deaths I never received any formal training so any magical talent I may have had is probably gone. I’m not sure how useful I would be. I can sing and I know a bit about herbal properties. I can also read and write in case you were wondering. I taught myself.” It was one of the few accomplishments she was quite proud of.

The elf laughed softly and smiled in response to his teasing. “Well I’m not against a good serenade. I expect to see you outside my room singing at dawn. You know the sun rising adds to the romantic effect.” Of course she was teasing in return it was quite easy to do and she found she enjoyed the playful banter. Richard had been nothing but kind to her and it was easy to develop a slight amount of friendly affection.

“That explains your open mindedness when you found me in that village. Your brother seemed nice I wish I could’ve met him before he left. Perhaps I’ll have a chance to speak to him when he returns?” when the servant walked over she stood up and stretched slightly. The cot had been rather uncomfortable and her back was stiff. Cocking her head to the side she nodded after a moment. “Unless you intend to put me on the auction block tonight, which I doubt. I should like to see this festival of yours. I will gladly stay a few more nights before making my final decision.”

There was more to her story then she was telling Richard. Quite a bit more. There had been a reason that the highwayman went after them. And that reason was the small silver ring on her finger. It was unlikely he noticed it as it was quite unremarkable but it was very valuable, old elf ruins were inscribed on the inside of the band. She’d never been able to activate them so she never really knew what was so important. However it was the only thing she had left of her parents so she kept it with her.

Without another word she allowed herself to be led to the bathing chamber. The servant pulled off the bandages for her and prepared the water and she sunk inside it happily. The hot water easily got rid of the remaining dirt and blood on her body and in her hair. It was no longer a mousy brown color by the time she was done. Instead it was a warm chestnut tone and the snags and tangles became natural curls the accented her delicate face.

Elina spent a little extra time brushing and braiding her hair in the large vanity mirror provided before pulling on the gown the servants brought her. It was far more expensive then anything she’d ever worn before. The neckline scooped low accenting her modest cleavage and the sleeves flared at the wrist. It was in a soft blue tone much like her eyes and she was given a pair of soft kid slippers to cover her feet. The cotton felt expensive against her delicate skin and she felt ridiculously overdressed. However when she asked for something simpler the servant had merely grinned and told her Lord Richard was in his study waiting for her so he could show her to the guest room. As she approached the doors she knocked lightly to await his answer. The potion had made her somewhat drowsy and sleep sounded like a very good idea.

((Wow that was really long on my part lol))

((Hey I don't mind, I do have a thing for detail myself.))

"So is this true?" Richard spoke his voice sounding incredibly alarmed.
"I'm afraid so." Responded a green skinned Orc. Like most orcs the man had red eyes and teeth that seemed fit to devour the flesh of their enemies. Unlike most orcs though this pariticular man was wearing a monks habit. The Knight sighed quietly sitting back in his large chair while the orc dressed in monk's robes continued speaking.

It had only been about an hour since Monk Malek the orcish holy man returned from his missionary work in one of the orcish tribes nearby. Meeting his adopted brother in medical wing. The monk urged the meeting in a more quiet locale namely his study room. Richard of course decided to get bathe and get dressed in his standard brown tunic and black pants and went up to meet with him. The news that the monk brought was dire. He arrived in the study room after his brother. Who was reading from the many books they have available there. The study room itself wasn't much. Though it did have set of exotic furniture such as couches and soft chairs. As well as carpets. All created forged from some of the finest craftsman in the kingdom. Hardly suprssing since Province Machilda was in such high standing with the rest of the kingdom.

"What would famous necromancer such as Strome be doing in this country."
"Rumor has it that he's been looking for some kind of legendary magical artifact. A certain ring I heard that's said to grant immeasurable power." The monk responded sitting back in his chair.
"An Luther is set to battle him. Someone that powerful."
"Oi, Don't sell your brother short. He graduated top apprentice in the mage academy. Is one of the province top magical defenders. Not to mention the High Paladins will be there soon enough to support him."
"I don't like it maybe I should-"
"No! Don't you even think about it" The Orc responded harshly. " With out the Mage's, here setting in an army would leave this castle and town defenseless. I'm sure you know the influx of enemy spies we have here lately. Some of whom come from the royal court. We've always had unstable relations with the court; even during the first founding of this province. No trust your brother. He's as powerful as some of the Grand Archmages. He'll do fine."

Silence greeted the Orcs words. Richard's eyes and face were still covered with worry. Before the conversation could go any further there was knock on the door. Malek stood up and opened it, revealing a rather beautiful elf in a blue dress, matching her blue eyes. Richard regarded her with astonishment. Elina? She is beautiful.
"Ah Lass, You must be the elf Elina whom I've quite a bit about!" The orc responded jovially. " Here let me." Placing a palm on her head, she began to chant something. "May the goddess be with you!". Richard getting over his initial shock smiled at the girl, trying to refrain from laughing. Many travelers have passed through here and many travelers still find it astonishing that an Orc should take the role of a monk.

"Elina this is brother Malek. Who is also my adopted brother. Malek this is Elina." Richard proclaimed, standing next to his dear brother. Malek smiled.
"Well I'll be departing now. I'll see you in the morning. And again don't worry. Luther will be back. I'm sure of it. He'd better considering the founder's festival is approaching. Well Farewell. I have some duties to attend to in the medical ward. Elina, Richard. Bless you." With that the green skinned monk stepped out leaving the Alluring Elina, and the brave knight Richard alone.

"Well I take it, it's time for me to show you to the guest room. Come have some warm cider before you head to sleep though." Richard said. Assuming a seat over at the couch, pouring himself a cup of cider, and patting an empty spot beckoning the elf to sit next to him. There was another wooden cup there. "This other cup is still full. Malek hasn't even touched it. So Have sip." Taking a little of warm apple juice into his mouth, he looked over at his guest intently. "I have to say, I'm surprised your not in your night clothes. I'm not complaining mind you. You look absolutely adorable in the dress. I think such a set of clothes would be better for the festivities tomorrow."

Elina couldn’t help but wonder if she’d interrupted something by knocking. The orc answering the door had completely caught her off guard, even more when she realized he was a monk. Now the elf didn’t know much about orcs but she knew most of them were warriors and battle mages not monks. So when he blessed her she merely looked at him for a few scant seconds before smiling. This city was unusual so it was likely she’d see unusual sights and an Orc Monk really wasn’t all that bad. “It’s very nice to meet you.” She responded softly “Enjoy the remainder of your evening.” The young woman watched him depart before turning her attention to Richard.

“Oh?” she said looking down. “The servant helping me handed me this. Maybe she wanted to see how it fit for tomorrow?” she ran her hands along the dress nervously. “I’m not familiar with human practices but isn’t it considered taboo for an unmarried man to see an unmarried woman of any kind in her night cloths anyways?” she grinned slightly. “Though you’ve seen me without cloths of any kind so I suppose it really wouldn’t matter would it?” Elina sat down beside him after a moment and took the cup into her hands. Taking a delicate sip she sighed as the warmth flowed down her throat. How long had it been since she’d been able to afford cider? The life of a wandering bard/herbalist did not pay very well.

“So you have another brother and this one is an Orc? I must say your adoptive father was very welcoming. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen an orc monk before. He seems nice.” She helped herself to another sip of cider. At first she hadn’t been certain if she should but it was quite good and Malek didn’t blast back in and demand his drink so she figured it was safe for now. “I didn’t interrupt anything when I knocked did I? It seemed as though you two were having a very serious conversation before I came along. You seemed worried for a moment.”

The elf was far more observant then people gave her credit for. She’d seen his worried face a scant second before it turned to surprise. It hadn’t worried her but she hated to think she may have interrupted an important conversation. “You shouldn’t concern yourself with me if there are more important things to worry about. I’ve taken care of myself since I was very young it’s no great problem.” Another drink and she set the cup down and turned to him. “I wanted to thank you again for saving me from those townsfolk. I imagine I seemed rather ungrateful at first, but I did appreciate it. If you hadn’t come along someone else would’ve and I doubt they would’ve scooped me up into their arms and whisk me away to a mixed village.” In a moment of bravery she kissed his cheek before speaking again. “So thank you.” And with that she picked up the cup once more and finished the last sip of cider.

"Well that dress looks beautiful on you." Richard responded, taking a sip from his drink. It was unusually good tonight. The chefs must be on a winning streak tonight. The food was fantastic, and the Cider was immensely delicious. Looking into her her blue eyes gently he smiled. "Of course, now that I see you. I hope you can promise the first dance at the moonlight ceremony.

"A night dress is fine. We're all adults here. Well depending on where you go. Like say a places that worship the true god rather the the true goddess. It's practically a capital crime to be seen in one's night clothes." A slight twinkle appeared in Richards eyes "Or perhaps my lady worships The one true God instead of the Goddess, and feels that upon me seeing her naked will bring upon thee eternal damnation. Maybe I may have to marry you to provide salvation." After a moments silence he burst into a fit of laughter and giggles.

"Ah yes this one's an Orc. Malek has always been the most peace loving out of all of us." Richard responded the moment his green skinned kin was mentioned. " I have to say it's a bit disappointing. He has the highest aptitude for both Battle Magics, and Weapon Mastery out of all of us. In the end he chose that of the chaste and peaceful life of a monk. It really came out of nowhere once all of us completed our education, finished our apprenticeships and entered adulthood" Finishing his drink and pouring more cider. His expression turned neutral.

"You were beaten nearly to death both psychologically and physically. I'll be concerned for your being regardless. That and it is my duty and honor as a Knight. Besides, Malek was right. This particular worry I have all amounts to the faith I have. Don't know if you heard but my brother and the High Paladins are going to be doing battle with an outlaw necromancer. I know that their best at what they do. But as the older one I can't help but worry about him. And as Malek so aptly pointed out, I can't send in an army else I leave this province in a defenseless state. We may have high standing in the Kingdom but the royal court has limited the amount of warriors our particular province trains." His second cup was half way finished.

"Overall, think nothing of it my lady. Though it's a warriors duty to save those in distress. Even if I were not a knight, I would have saved you regardless." A moment of silence, Then Elina bent over and kissed him on the cheek. He didn't know why. But this lovely elf stirred something in his heart. The moment he found her, he was always infatuated. But that kiss awoke something of it. His hands touched her hands, and an nervous smile came across his face. "Your welcome my lady. Are you ready to return to your quarters."

Something was different. There is something more the knight wanted. All Richard could do was was observe her intently waiting for her response.

Elina didn’t really worship any particular deity which was odd for an elf, but she wasn’t quite normal anyways. They only customs she knew were what had been shown to her in her wanderings. Being called a harlot at an inn for approaching the married innkeeper with a question one night followed by her being kicked out of said inn. That was where she picked up that particular taboo. Then there were the times when the young elf ventured into her people’s hidden cities. Women walked around half-nude and no one called them harlots. Everything clashed against everything else, perhaps it was about time she began praying to someone because it was evident an otherworldly force was looking out for her. Still her own crises of faith aside she did laugh with him when the word married came up.

“I’ve bounced back before.” She said after a moment before listening to his tale. A necromancer in these lands? That was practically unheard of, there were too many elves here and an elf’s natural magic was the polar opposite to a necromancers. He had to be quite powerful to invade without fear of the high druids retaliating in some manner or another. Most elves tended to stay out of human business unless they had no choice but to assist however. “I see it seems things have become quite dire in a short amount of time. I am sure your brother and the Paladins will do an apt job of pushing him back. It is there job after all.” And she gave his hand a comforting pat just becoming aware of the fact they’d linked hands. Odd usually she was quite against physical contact of this matter with a human male.

Elina paused for a moment wondering why he was smiling in such a manner. Had that kiss made him uneasy? Now that she thought about it, it probably hadn’t been such a good idea. He probably had dozens of women vying for his attentions and eventually she’d get lost in the shuffle. This affection she’d developed for him had come quite suddenly maybe as a side effect because he saved her life?

Her oddly colored eyes shifted to the empty cup of cider then back to him. “I…suppose so.” She said after a moment catching on to something that hadn’t been there before. “Unless there was something else you wanted? I think I slept a bit too much today.” Elina laughed softly. “Or your brother’s potion had energy restoration aspects to it.”

((I am so sorry I could've sworn I responded. I love this rp too much to drop it.))

" I wou-" Richard responded to her question. Or was about to respond. There was something that was on the tip of his tongue he wanted to say. What was it he wondered. There were stirring in his heart he had a hard time ignoring. Stirring that his brother other human brother Jackal spoke of when it came females. His mind worked furiously trying to figure it out. He remembered a piece of advice given to him a long time ago by his brothers. Even by his sisters.

" If there is any being that stirs your heart and makes your blood boil. It may be the very beginnings of love.."

Richard looked inwardly at himself. Well his heart was certainly beating faster and his body was warm. Not hot. Truth be told, Richard never had truly been in love. Sure he has courted women in the past, even kissed and bedded some of them. But out of all of his experiences he's never experienced something like that. Maybe slight nervousness and hesitation around attractive woman but never like this. He wandered why that was though. Maybe the very fact that he found the girl incredibly easy to talk to. After all, normally when he courted other woman he was careful not to confide some of his worries. With Eilna, he found it strangely easy to confide in and talk to.

After working through his thoughts carefully, he decided to approach this feeling from a different angle. For the first time in many years Lord Richard would court this mysterious elf. Who knows maybe this will be the one he would bind his life too. (And in the back of his mind, he could get some of his adoptive sisters off of his back for finding a woman. He had no clue why they wanted him to settle down so badly, after all he still had to pursue his dream of becoming a paladin).

His mind made up, he decided to do it. "Well there is one more thing." His voice was hesitant and careful. " There dance of the founders festival is said to bring eternal fortune and happiness to the dancers. Normally I'm superstitious about things but I was wandering if you would share that first dance with me."

((It's fine, it happens. I Love this rp too. Doing this I have several ideas on where I want to take this. I'm hoping it doesn't die out before I implement those ideas.))

The petite female actually smiled at that, really smiled, it wasn’t one of her half smiles. It seemed that question had brought her immeasurable happiness for that brief moment. However she didn’t jump in his arms or kiss him, as a matter of fact she merely gave his hand a squeeze and nodded. “I’d like that. I think we could both use eternal happiness and wealth.” Laughing softly she let go of his hands and stood up. “So where exactly is my room going to be?” She didn’t want to say but being far away from Richard made her rather uneasy. Certainly not everyone in his town was as open minded as those she’d met so far. That was rather hard to believe.

Part of her still wanted to say no, but it was small compared to the part of her that desperately wanted to be accepted by someone somewhere. Elina had been alone for such a long time, no one wanted her, not even her own people. After all she had not been born in an elven city where the assign caste at birth. No she’d been born in a human inn one rainy evening when her mother and father stopped off to rest. Her time in the hidden cities of her people had been few and far between. They would stay for a few weeks to resupply and let the animals rest, then back onto the road they went to continue their good work.

The moment was ruined by her yawn and she blushed lightly. “Perhaps I am more tired then I thought I was?” she needed to rest still, her body was healed but the memories were still there. She wouldn’t be surprised if she dreamed about it all over again. The thought made her shiver a bit, but she pushed it to the back of her mind and decided to over him another, much smaller smile. “You have a lovely home by the way. I don’t believe I told you that.”

His mood was elated. She had said yes. A smile spread across his face "I'm glad to here it. And just so you know I'll be even happier if you stay with us and settle down here. Though that is a matter for another time. After you stay here of course." Richard enjoyed how her hand felt when it she squeezed. For some reason the there was something oddly comforting about the motion. He was looking forward to getting to know the elf for the next couple of days. He had the feeling should would get well adjusted among his people. Outsider she may be, this province started out as a creation made by the biggest outsider in the history of this kingdom.

"Thank you." The knight responded. "All out of work went into building the castle. My father's greatest master piece. And of course as time went on my siblings and I have added more to it. Be it new rooms and chambers. Come now, it's been a long journey and you still have to sleep. Shall we?" Richard said offering his arm.

The walk through the castle was silent and calm. Most of the servants have gone to bed and the Night Guard would soon awaken watch over the castle as the citizens began to sleep. In fact, the Night Guard would be awakening very soon. By the time they reached the main hall. A set of stair magically materialized at he center of the room. appearing from the stairs came a group of armored warriors who sported an insignia similar to what Richard wore buy quite different. Leading the group of solider was a woman paled skinned with brown hair. Her eyes, yellow as a wild beasts. Seeing Richard, he dashed over to where they are...

"Brother! I finally get to catch you before you sleep!" the brunette girl spoke in an excited tone. Before she continued she noticed Elina next to her adopted sibling. Richard didn't know why but she sensed some tension in the air. Believing to break that tension, he immediately spoke.

"Ariana, this is Elina she's my guest here for the next couple of days. Elina, Ariana here is my sister and captain of the night guard." The knight was slightly nervous. The way that Ariana was looking at her companion didn't seem to bode well for her. "Is that a problem?
"Oh no problem at all" Ariana giggled. Richard knew the girl all her life to know that, that the giggle was fake. Considering how tired he was he was in no mood to press further. Ariana was a vampire who commanded the respect of the night guard. Mainly because she was sired by his adoptive father. And considering she was directly sired by her Reinhart. She was the one that would lead the Night Guard. Or the Reinhart vampire clan which has sworn to act as Machilda's night guard.
"Well it's nice to meet you Elina, I do hope you enjoy your stay here." Ariana continued on. For a moment her eyes went red, and her fangs appeared. The knight shot her a stern look.

"We'll be going now. The night guard I'm sure has a lot to do. Especially with setting up preparations for the Founder's festival tommorrow." The knight spoke. In other words he was telling her to not threaten one of his guests. He never really understood why Ariana got so jealous around the females the warrior spoke with.

"Of course. My Lord..." The girl responded. feeling put off. Richard guided Elina to the guest room. While the night guard was left with attending to her own duties.

Approaching the stairs. They finally reached the outside of the guest room. " I have to apologize for my sister's behavior. She's really nice. And despite what one may think of Vampires. Ariana has always been the most cordial and polite to guests. Never really understood why she treats the guests I bring so harshly." The knight said. Of course he was careful not to mention that a lot of the guests he brought over were female nobles. Most of those nobles were brought to the province as a form of protection against any potential plots or assassinations.

"Well here's your room. This room is normally reserved for my personal guests. Main reason. This room is right across the hall from mine. Anything you need, I can attend to you myself personally. Well... ready for bed?"

As an elf Elina was used to people being tense around her, they always seemed to be concerned she’d summon roots to strangle them if they turned their back. Generally it didn’t bother her; she just shrugged it off and went about her business. However as the nightgaurd captain approached her she stiffened almost immediately. Regular humans were no problem but this was a human that was imbued with the magic of the night. Not exactly evil like all things it was the intent behind the creation that decided if someone was good or evil. Still if that woman wanted she could chase Elina down and drain her dry before she could scream and the not so warm welcome worried her. If she was his sister, even adopted surely she wasn’t jealous of the women he brought to the castle?

As the moved away from the gathering of vampires she peered over her shoulder to make sure no one was watching them. When no one quickly looked away she relaxed and continued down the hall in silence taking note of every twist and turn in case she needed to run away at any point in time. It seemed that even though she was recovering she still had a little bit to go before she was truly herself. It was unlikely she’d see Ariana that often. As elves were by nature a daylight people as that was when nature was at it’s strongest.

When they stopped in front of the door that led to her room she turned to him. “Perhaps she’s jealous? Ariana is you adopted sister correct? So you don’t share blood. Women of any species are fickle Lord Richard.” She grinned softly. “Or it could be she just doesn’t trust me. I am a complete stranger with no real past. I wouldn’t trust me either.” Giving his shoulder a pat she looked at him. “I think bed sounds lovely, and it anything happens I’ll be sure to scream very, very loudly so you can come to my rescue again.”

Casually she slipped the key from his pocket and unlocked the door. It swung open soundlessly revealing a freshly made bed with colored with elves in mind and a dressing gown folded at the foot of the bed. “See the maid did leave a nightgown.” She said with a smile. “Goodnight Lord Richard. I’m sure I’ll see young in the morning.” Standing on her tip toes she gave him another light kiss on the cheek before letting the door shut with a soft click.

Once she was safely inside the room she went through the task of removing the desk and hanging it up for the servants to clean and finish up before the festival and slipped the airy nightgown on. The fabric clung to her curves and she found herself running her hands along the smooth fabric before crawling into bed. It took almost half an hour before she managed to drift off to sleep. Elina was already growing excited about the festival.

"Father. What is the Timeless King? And what is Avalice?" An eleven Year old Richard asked. Standing with a man with long blond hair yet pale skin. The man looked down at his adoptive son and smiled.
"The Timeless King is the ruler of the long forgotten nation of Avalice. The land in which he ruled granted him and his chosen wife or wives immortality. As for Avalice, it was a prosperous nation which granted each of it's citizens equal rights regardless of race, gender or even how wealthy one was."
"Kind of like Ma-Childa..."
"Indeed. In fact that's my dream. To create a haven where all races have a safe refuge. Machilda isn't quite a nation. Heck it's just a province" The man sighed "Can never be what Avalice was. When I served there.". Before he continued, A voice was heard in the distance. "Lord Reinhart!" The blond man turned to see his honor guard telling him that there was an invasion coming up north. This was the last time Richard would talk to his adoptive father.

"Lord Richard, sun rises and you still have yet to wake up!" A loud bang on the door. The Knight of Machilda fell out of bed in surprise, knocking his head lightly on the concrete floor. He yelped in pain for only a moment.
"Alright, alright Maria! I'm coming!" His body was sore. All that traveling earlier yesterday seemed to take a lot out of him.Rising slowly, he quickly dressed himself in his standard black and blue tunic and pants. Opening in the door, his eyes caught site of a modestly dressed woman with a dark glasses, and sporting a pony tail.
" I'm up! What is it?"
"Just because it's the founders festival, Doesn't mean you can slack off and sleep in like this! Your a soldier for crying out loud. Aren't you supposed to be aware and ready constantly?" The woman Maria nagged.
"Not when I've only had three hours of sleep in the past three days. Besides, I've assigned Ronald too take over some of my more military duties during the day. The Lad's at his top form. He's practically got the guard tight."
"Even so..."
"Sister, Relax! Your going to wake up my peronsal guest. Besidses, there other things to be more concerned about. Any news on Luther?" The man persisted. The girl in glasses smirked.

"They forced Storme to retreat. You should be proud. Luther took on his most powerful lieutenants single handily. He'll be returning by night time. However, there's something more disturbing that my agents have found out when they infiltrated the royal court" The sister's face turned grim.

"This is serious..." The warrior's eyes widened. "I knew it was coming but not this soon. "
"I'm afraid so. We have seven more days until the King is baptized into the Silver Hand. After that he'll be under the control of that religious order. You know what that means. The Silver Inquisition will arrive, and begin their purge."
"Then we better get ready..."

The Silver Hand is a rising religious order in the continent. Though they worshiped a god. It wasn't a benevolent god like all the others. It was a wrathful god that had it's worshipers believe that humanity was the world's most Golden Race. That all other races were abominations to the will of nature. However, since the year of it's founding, and as the order's reputation rose; Richard found out through Maria's spies more and more humans were swearing their lives by the Silver Hand. The village that he found Elina was one of the ones that swore their allegiance to the silver hand.

"This really will be the last Founder's festival." Richard voiced with sadness.
"Then you best enjoy it. Before we open father's last will and plan for this occasion. " Maria said. "I hope the girl you brought last night is a suitor and not another one of those noble girls you take into the castle and protect for free."

"Maybe... She is." The dark haired man replied nervously. Maria looked at him in shock.
"Enough of the suspense brother introduce me now!" Before he could say anything Maria knocked on the girls door.

"Hey she could be sleeping!"

"No excuses! I'm tired of wasting my spies on keeping all those husband less harpies away from you! Especially at the founder's festival. Protecting you from poisons and daggers are one thing. But to waste energy on shooing potential suitors really grains on my nerve. I can have the extra agents help prepare for the Silver Hand. I can also for once enjoy the festival fully!"

The knight couldn't really get a word in as Maria continued to rant. For a spy master of the province, the brunette certainly did talk a lot. After she finished her rant though. Richard began to hear some shuffling from the other side of the room. "It sounds like she's awake." The knight said. Maria nodded, going silent and waiting expectantly for the door to open.