The two sturdy men stood on guard at the gates of the haven. Its near impreggnable walls reaching up high into the cold blue sky. No words were needed between the two as they sensed more than saw a a figure approaching from a distance. A short while later a small dot appeared on the far horizon. During the day it got bigger and before long the approaching stranger took on a a more see-able shape.
To the gaurds who had been trained to tell what is a threat and what wasn't it was obvious that the person now near was no stranger to fighting, it wasn't the mere fact of the walk nor the way that they held themselves but it was that they were bristling like a mad hedgehog with an assortment of weapons. Although the fact that the man now approaching, it was obvious to them it was a man by his stature and build, didnt put the guards off, it was the way in which he approached.
No in fact he didnt take such a direct route but a slightly meandering one. And that he also was at times travelling at quite a pace, which meant he was using magic and ley lines to guide his way around. The one guard turned to the other and nodded slightly. A signal to go and get another to join them. Two could easily over-power one stranger armed or no, but the approach of this man had them slightly worried. Soon the man was but a few hundred paces from the gates and stopped. Looking around slowly the man seemed to be trying to get his bearings as if he had not been there in quite a while. He then set off again at a much slower pace this time taking a straight and direct route to the now solitary guard left on the gate. Before the man could get near the gate the other guard who had been sent off came back with two more in tow who promptly took up station around the gate.
The man stopped a dozen paces from the men and held up his hands to show he was not armed nor readying to attack them. This then gave the men on the gate some time to study him. He looked to be about five foot nine and broad shouldered. The face they could not see for although a hood had drawn up a cloth had been wrapped and tied about his face to protect him from the elements. In the time that was given the strange man also had time to study the four men stood about. Although he knew he could take them and win he had no desire to do so, as he to had fought to help people so long ago.
The stranger slowly approached the gate but this time he undid his face protection and let his cloak open and hood slip back slightly so only the bottom of his face could be seen. Around his torso and waist were belts with knives, maces and two extremely dangerous looking short swords and other strange looking weapons. He again stopped a half dozen paces from the gate and once more both sides studied each other carefully.
In the silence that followed little could be heard and then the stranger spoke;
'Greetings protectors, I wish to to speak with your Master. When I last came here it was '
The four guards all stood around none moving then suddenly one of them stepped forward.
'None shall enter unless bidden. We no not who you are nor do we wish to, now leave'
'Thats rather rude of you. Ask your master if he wishes to speak to one with whom he once vowed to serve and protect himself'
'I will do no such thing, now leave or else'
The strange man lifted his hand slowly and his hand had a sudden silver glow to it, the other three guards quickly put their hands on their sword hilts to draw them. And then, everything went even more quieter and deathly still.
'I do so hate it when people dont listen. I know you can hear me men, I mean you nor you brothers and sisters no harm, I merely wish to speak with your Master. I was once like you all, A Protector. And also fought alongside my brothers to stop an evil foe. Within a while the spell I have placed will wear off, if any danger presents itself then the spell will disarm and you will be free of it. That is all, have a good day gentlemen'
The stranger then wove his way round the men all as still as statues and waved his hand at the gate. It opened enough to let him through and then shut behind him when he had passed. when he had passed the one guard who had caught a quick glimpse of his eyes wondered as to why a man with strange powers like that would be so nice, but the thought that came to his mind was his eyes, almost silver at one point. But the one other thing that went through his mind was also going through the other mens minds.
'What is going to happen to us, what shall to the Master say when he learns that we failed at keeping someone out who was uninvited.'
As the stranger made his way through long corridors he went down one that had paintings all down one side and windows on the other that overlooked a very green and luscious and above all huge courtyard. The man wandered slowly down the corridor altering his looks between the view outside to the paintings hung on the wall. He got to one group of paintings and then stopped. He looked up at one and saw a beautiful womans face staring back at him, he then went to reach out to touch the almost real looking painting before he was stopped by a little voice behind him.
'I wouldnt touch that if i were you. The people here dont like it if you touch them'
The man turned and saw a young girl sitting in an alcove window a bench with some padding on it. He walked over and said quietly;
'Thank you for telling me so. I would hate to have been told off by the big men round here. Do you mind if i take a seat, I have been travelling far and feel slightly tired'
The girl nodded and the man sat down at the other end of the bench. The girl looked over at him with eyes that seemed so much older than they looked and said quietly;
'Who are you? I know most people here and I dont recognise you. Whats your name? where do you come from? Where do you live. How long have you been here? Why'
'OK, shush, little one. Just one question at a time. I used to live here, I used to be a protector but now i just wander the world seeing many different things. What about you, a little young to be living here, learning to fight, and helping protect the world from nasty people'
'Yeah. No one knows where my dad is, and my uncles look after me, and thats my mom over ther in that picture. And thats my dad in the middle with those other two men there. And'
'Hold on, hold on, thats your mom there, the woman in the painting i was about to touch'
'Uhhuh. And thats my dad.' she said and poiting to a picture with three men in it.
'The one in the middle so you said, so'
he stopped as someone came running down the corridor.
'Thank the gods your safe M. We were worried about you, we have to get you somewhere safe now, we have an intruder' said the man.
The little girl nodded and got up off the bench and walked over to the man. He suddenly looked up and realised that a stranger was sitting next to her. He quickly drew his sword and pointed it at the stranger sitting calmly.
'Who are you? Dont recognise you, my friend'
'Thats what i said as well.' came a voice from behind the man standing with his sword still pointing to the stranger.
The man stood up showing both hands were empty and made his slowly over to the painting of three men.
'You have not changed much.' he said jerking his thumb up to the tall one with a shock of red hair in the painting.
'How would you know'
'I know a lot of things. Now put that sword away, before anyone gets hurt, my old friend'
'Im no old friend to you. We dont know how you managed to get in here without as much fuss as kickinga stone, but you just made the biggest mistake of your life. You just walked into a big nest of hornets and started trouble'
The stranger turned slightly and looked up at the paintings the girl had pointed out.
'No. No trouble, just coming back. Back home to find my daughter, and my old friends. Im amazed C. After all we went through, you wouldnt recognise me'
At that he drew his hood back and shifted slightly so that the bit of light filtering through could show his face properly.
The man stood stock still then slightly lowered his sword, he shook slightly, then his sword lowered so the point was on the floor, he then sheathed it, slowly.
'I, i didnt think we would see you again, we didnt think you were ever coming back. I mean you look young, younger than me, how'
'First old friend, lets shake, then we talk'
They both strode to each other and shook hands then embraced like old friends that had not seen each other in a long time, which they were.
After a while they parted and turned to look at the girl still standing in the corridor. C knelt down close by and said quietly;
'M, this is your father, this is M'
M looked up at the painting that was painted so long ago, the one that had three friends on it, each with a smile that seemed so carefree, she then looked up at M. She then ran, not away from M but too him, he knelt and they both embraced long and hard, M smiled, for what seemed to him the first time in a long, long time.