Blackened Heart

He shook his head, his eyes still closed. "No... I'm fine..."

She looked at him with concern then kissed his cheek. "I'll bring up your breakfast" She walks back down stairs.

He mumbled something that sounded like a thank you, the pulled the covers about him tighter.

She comes back 5 mins later as she set his food on a tray next to his bed side, she looked at him. "I put it on the night stand...so you can eat." She looks at him for a moment then walks back out.

Zander picks at his food, eating very little before drifting back of into an uneasy sleep.

Later in the afternoon Melina had gone back into Marucus's room as she had let her hair fall from the bun as she sat on the bed.

Zander could be seen outside her window, walking away from the inn. Though on closer inspection, she could see that he was more along the lines stumbling, as if weak.

She looks over to the window, as she had seen Zander walking away from the Inn in a weak state, she runs out of the room down outside as she then runs up to Zander and calls out to him. "Lord Zander!"

He stops, but does not turn around to meet her, just remains looking to the front. Winds came through the area, blowing up leaves, scattering them about, and pulling at thier clothes. It was somehow.... ominous.

"Melina..." He did not turn, and his voice was but a whisper, but she could feel the sorrow in his words.

She runs up to him as she grabs him and pulls him back to her as she holds him. "Mi`lord, what are you doing out here, you seem so ill."

She saw his face. It was drawn, his skin pale, his eyes dull. It was as if he were a completely different person.

He tilted his head, slightly. "Why are you out here...?"

She looks at him in shock. "My god, your so ill, come on.- She lifted his arm over her shoulder. "Lets go back, come on."

He didn't move with her. "No... I'm not going back inside..."

"Ill or no, I have more important things to be doing, or have you forgotten of those who pursue you?" He refuses to budge from that spot.

She pulls harder. "Please Mi`lord why not! Your ill!"

"Mi`lord, it is not me they are pursuing, it is Lady Ivy, please you have to come back, your in no condition to fight"

Zander shook his head. "You helped her escape, you are with her now, like it or not." He tried to pull from her grasp. "And don't tell me not to fight if you don't know what I'm fighting."

-She looks at him- Please...I beg of you...go back to bed..."

He looks into her eyes. "I have no reason to go back to bed. Now step aside."

She shakes her head. "No, I refuse, not until you get back and rest, your ill!"

"Do not treat me like a child..." He turned away from her, lowering his voice almost to a whisper.

"Mi`lord, with all do respect, you are acting stubborn, what else am I suppose to do, please just og back to bed."

He shook his head. "Leave me, you have more important things to attend to."

She looks at him. "Yes, I do and right now thats getting you better, now please go back to bed." She tries to pull him back from leaving.

He tore from her grasp, spinning. In what seemed to the the same instant he turned, the falchion's point was at her neck. She looked down the length of the blade, at the man she had once had such strong feelings for, and saw only a shell of what he had been. It was as if his very soul had left his flesh.

"Melina, go back. This does not concern you. Despite what you see, I am strong enough to deal with this on my own. Not you, nor anyone else can help me." His voice was firm, but seemed to have a hint of doubt. Perhaps he was not as confident as he pretended.

It was in that instance, where he was the most vulnerable, that he seemed also the most human. Standing in front of her was not Zander the legend, but Zander the person. Was he so unsure all the time, or just in this weakened state?