Raoul and Dom left the open courtyard of Masbolle in silence, their send off sober and their horses light. Dom was lost in his own thoughts, as he had been for days. Raoul was simply not awake enough to want to attempt to draw Dom out of his state and Neal, who would have normally given them a send off, had departed to travel back to New Hope the day before. The sun began to rise over the horizon as they rode in the direction of Corus. Raoul reached into the pouch at his waist and drew out several pieces of dried fruit. He chewed them quietly as the suns grasp of the day extended. It was going to be hot. He finished the fruit and took a quick gulp from a flask of water before beginning to speak.

"They've given you Flyndan's old room at the palace. It's right across the hall from mine, useful for the messengers when we get called out in the middle of the night. Flyndan has already moved out, he started packing as soon as I told him we had found a replacement for him. The palace men will have already moved your things from the sergeant's barracks when we get there. All you will have to do is unpack and arrange everything. I would offer to help but Buri says I am useless at such things."

Dom didn't smile as he nodded.

Well at least a nod means he's still alive. I'll keep trying, thought Raoul.

"Now, as my second you will have to. . . "

He was cut off by a scream echoing around a bend in the road ahead. Dom snapped out of his stupor and looked at Raoul.

"If that's not a girl in pain then I'm a donkey's uncle," whispered the commander of the Own. Another scream pierced their ears, this one even more pain-ridden then the first. Dom moved his hand to the handle of the sword strapped across his shoulders and waited for Raoul to signal. Raoul pressed his fingers to his lips, and then lifted his hand into the air, waiting for the next scream.

It came, painful and heartbreaking. Raoul's hand shot down in a swift chopping motion in the Owns symbol of "We ride" and together the two men dug their heels into their horse's flanks, spurring them into a gallop as they raced around the rock fall that had forced a bend in the road.

The Tauroses had tied the woman to several sharpened wooden stakes that had been pushed into naturally formed crevices in the rock fall. Her hair was greasy, but her nails were well kept, showing she had been tied there for at least several days. She was young, no older than seventeen and her dress was well worn and well patched. It was caked in blood and whip welts showed through rough rips. One Tauros looked on, a whip dangling from its belt, the only article of clothing it was wearing. The other advanced upon the young women, a low sound of pleasure escaping from its mouth. The female's blood covered both of the immortals, showing they had advanced on her before. Raoul let out a yell of rage and ripped his spear from the carry bags on his horse. He aimed quickly and threw at the Tauros nearest the woman, as the monsters turned to face him. It hit the Tauros in the arm, its shaft sinking deep into the soft flesh just down from the beasts shoulder. It roared in pain and changed its course, now advancing towards the Lord of Golden Lake and Malories Peak. It removed the spear from its flesh as Raoul drew his sword and leapt from his horse. They locked in battle, the Tauros using the bloodied spear in the same way Raoul was using his sword, as the second Tauros turned its attention towards Dom.

Dom had used the time that Raoul had given him well; he had covered enough distance to already be scaling the bottom of the rock fall as to rescue the women staked almost half way up its heights, while carrying his sword. However the Tauros moved fast, unclipping its whip from its belt as it did so. It began to climb up the boulders.

The Tauros was strong and although Raoul was strong also, he struggled to match his sword skills with the Tauroses brute strength and could not find the opening he needed to either kill the immortal or destroy the spear by chopping its wooden shaft.

Dom reached the young women and began to untie one of her arms. The woman stopped screaming and stared at him, wide eyed, until he realised that her eyes had glazed over. She had fainted, either from loss of blood or from fear.

Raoul hacked at his opponent, no longer bothering to put any sort of skill into his sword work, using it more like an axe as he aimed at the Tauroses head. The Tauros used the opening to try and impale Raoul's stomach on the spear.

The second Tauros reached the bolder just below Dom, its breathing heavy. It raised itself to its full height and raised the whip above its head, ready to bring it down upon Dom's unprotected back.

The Tauros ducked under Raoul's lunges, dropping the spear and driving Raoul backwards with its horns.

As the Tauros brought the whip down, Dom dropped, spun and drove his sword through the Immortals heart. The whip thwacked uselessly down on the boulder above Dom's head, the force behind it gone.

Raoul used his remaining strength. He stopped submitting to the Tauroses death tackle and stood firm. The Tauros began to raise its head in shock. It didn't even have time to feel shocked when it found Raoul's sword just above its neck.

Dom withdrew his sword and tossed it aside, before turning back around to continue releasing the woman from her bonds. The Tauros breathed its last breath, and then toppled forward, driving Dom's chest forcefully into the sharpened stake.

Dom gasped in surprise before his world went pitch black.


So my lovely reviewers, I'm back again. I'm sorry about the short delay and updating, school holidays are over for me! So I could be a little more erratic in updating then I have been. But anyways. . . .

To all of you that made comments about how it was confusing to skip between time periods in the letters: READ THE DATES! They are in bold for a reason!

To all of you who will make comments about how Tauros are out of character, don't use whips etc: I do these things for a reason. See above.

Pie of Doomeh: As if I would reveal my plotlines! (Evil laugh). I like to keep you in suspense (more evil laughter). The same goes for romantic pairings. Hehe.

SOPROL: Ohhhhhhh I had lots and lots of fun writing Neals poetry.

Miss Violet Purple: I really didn't want to do something that had been done before. Originality is more fun!

So until next time. . . .Audios Aimgos. Lol.