Blackened Heart

"Oh, I see. It's alright. " She smiles. "I'm sure you trust your way around here, I'm sorry about earlier, that was rude of me, not a very good impression I made, it's just that my mother had past and I had to go back and get her dress, it is very important to me...I hope you understand."

He saluted, bowing his head. "My lady Melina, you have no need to apologize to me, I understand." He smiled. "A noble act to risk your life for such an item of sentimentality. You are an extroidinary woman, if you'll allow me to say."

She smiles and Lady Ivy rolled her eyes again as she interupted. "Um, excuse me, but we still have to find out where were gonna sleep or something, we have to find shelter somewhere?"

Melina nodded. "You're right..." She tilted her head thinking to herself. *Did I say she was right?* She then blinked then looked at Zander and Marucus. "Do any of you two know any place were we can stay for a while?"

"Well," Marucus began. "I have no permenant place of refuge, but you might stay with my company. The rest of my dragoons are waiting about two days march from here."

Zander nodded. Surrounded by armored knights did sound like a good idea. "We'll just sleep out in the forest until we make it."

Melina nods. "Alright, that sounds good to me.

Ivy protested. "B-But what about icky bugs! and the weather, what will this all do to my hair!"

Melina rolled her eyes. "Mi`lady, it's only for two days, you can live."

Zander nodded. "There isn't much of a choice. We have to travel by way of forest to avoid detection. I would rather not kill all of your father's men."

Melina nods. "They will just keep sending more if we go back, so lets camp here for the night, I will look for wood.. "

Marucus looked at her. "Will you allow me to accompany you, My lady?"

She looks at him as she nods and smiles. "Of course Mi`lord." She gets off the horse as she unties his reigns and leads the horse to a small lake to he can drink, then she walks back to Marucus, she was small compared to his height. "Well lets go. "She starts to walk into the woods.

He smiled, walking after her. After they were out of earshot of the other two, he spoke. "I'm glad we are finally away from the Lady Ivy. I apologize if I seem cross, it's just... I've been with that woman alone for hours." He rubbed his temples.

She starts to laugh and holds her sides. "Ahaha! Now you know how I feel last night, she stayed at my use to be home for the night, and no matter how many times I told her my name, she just kept calling me serving wench, the reason she does that is because she use to come into my family owned Inn's bar almost every night with a different rich man, and she always called me serving wench and making me bring stuff to her, I will admit she was are highest paying customer that came in, but she was also the most annoying, with that laugh and ugh..." She shakes her head. "Hehe, sorry I'm babbling."

He smiles, waving his hand. "Do not apologize, it is alright." He chuckled. "Must've driven you to your wits end. It is unfortunate how low she treats you. You are deserving of much more."

She shakes her head. "It's alright, I'm use to it, I know she means well...It's just she has a weird way of showing it, shes just spoiled I understand...She is very beautiful, and men will give her whatever she wants if she asked, she just gets everything handed to her I guess..."

He saluted, bowing his head. "With all do respect, My Lady, if it were only beauty, you would have the same fortune."

She blushes and shakes her head and smiles. "Mi`lord, you do not have to be so formal around me, I'm no one of importance, and the only people that have hit on me are drunks." She laughs. "I guess you would have to be drunk to hit on me." She laughs more as she starts to look for wood.

He shakes his head. "On the contrary, m'lady, I beleive I would have to be drunk not to hit on you." He looks around for firewood aswell.

She blushes as she starts to pick up pieces of wood. "Oh, Mi`lord, surly you just."

He shakes his head. "Not at all, m'lady. I think you are quite possibly the most beautiful person I've ever laid eyes on." He raises, lifting a stack of wood.

She blushes more as she had dropped some wood to his bold words. "M-Mi`lord..." She blinks then shakes her head then picks her pieces back up. "I-I do not deserve the title as "Mi`lady" You can just call me Melina."

He bows slightly. "You honor me too much by allowing me to adress you by your name so." He walks over to her. "I will carry that, M'l- Melina."

She looks at him. "A-Are you sure, I don't want to put you with all the work, I was going to get more if you wish to go back to camp and lay down your pile and come back and get some more, if you wish. "She had already had a full while in her arms as she looked at him, he saw what lady Ivy was talking about before about Melina over working herself.

He shook his head. "It would not do my heart well to allow you to do such a menial task. Please, allow me. Give me your pile, and go and rest."

She looked at him for a moment as she had them handed him the pile as she bows a bit. "Thank you Lord Marucus."
She starts to walk back to the camp site.

Marucus follows her, the pile of wood stacked high in his arms.

Zander sat away from the group, sharpening his sword, thinking. Too many things were going on at once to be simply coincedence. First Lasche and Isphiel, then the druids, now Lady Ivy being tracked down by her own father's men. And then there was Marucus... why was he here? He would have to ask him next time they were alone.

They have came back with fire wood as Melina waves to them as Lady Ivy looks at them. "Finally what took you guys?"

Melina's eye twitched. "We wanted the fire to last so we got extra logs, is that wrong?"

Ivy sighed. "No, Well set then down and Zander can take care of them..."

The day was getting late as the sun was setting over the twilight hr, the day was ugly, but yet it ended with a beautiful sunset...the irony..."