He saw the leopard stalking through the woods above the theatre. It stopped when he saw it, looked back the way it had come then back to him, "Kathin." He murmured as he walked over to the animal and noticed her nervousness, "Avera doesn't want you to come get me. I'm worried too, girl." He rubbed the cat's ear and tried to be as quiet as possible.
Kathin turned and started to lead Casavir into the woods. They had gotten a few yards when she stopped and cocked her head to the side in the look he had come to know meant she was "speaking" with her mistress. The cat glanced back at him, concern in her eyes as she literally vanished.
He punched a tree, frustrated. At least he knew the general area she was in, if not where. She could be anywhere but his heart kept saying that she would not be far.
"Heard the trouble that made you flee to Old Owl Well had come back to haunt you." A nonchalant voice broke the silence, "Isn't that where our little leader found you? At Old Owl Well, hiding from your responsibilities."
Casavir turned, "You told Avera where I was going." There was no question about it. He had guessed that it was Bishop who talked her into following him, and upon hearing the ranger's voice, knew it to be true. His anger blazed with that verification. He knew that she would not have come on her own. Someone had to have worried her for her to break her word.
"Of course. It wasn't like you were going to, and as your lover she should have been told. Don't you think?"
He glared at Bishop, coldly analyzing what he was up to, "Who told you about that?"
"Not a soul. It isn't like the roses couldn't be smelt all the way down the hall."
"What is it you want, Bishop?"
"Why would I want anything? I was just curious … is all. All of this surprised me, because I thought paladins were supposed to be devoted to a cause, to a nation, to its people, no matter where it leads - or what your King commands. Yet you ran away and broke your vows."
"My problems are my own, not Neverwinter's - or yours." He could feel himself getting more upset by the moment, and tried to clamp down on his temper.
"Oh 'course not - a virtuous man like you probably wouldn't dream of lying to yourself." Bishop stalked around Casavir, "It's just, as I see it, a man's gotta be honest not only with himself, but with his comrades and his allies."
Casavir sneered. He knew full well that Bishop was stalling him, "I have been honest with everyone."
"Is that so? Then why did you not tell Avera about this little get together? Of all the people who should have known about this, don't you think she should have?"
"I did not want her involved. She has enough to concern herself with being accused of destroying a whole village. I was afraid that if she thought I was in danger, or found that I was killed, then she would not be able to think well enough to clear her name."
"So you were protecting her again." Bishop jeered, "Can't you just let her fight her own battles?"
"This was not her battle, Bishop."
The ranger laughed, "Are you that nieve? As soon as you spent the night with her, it became her battle." Bishop stopped circling the paladin.
"Maybe I should have told her, but it was not your place to do so." Casavir carefully watched the ranger, "So where is she?"
"Where is she? You actually believe I know? This kind of setting is her type of domain as much as it is mine. She can't be far though. I heard her stop crashing through the woods shortly before you showed up. Unfortunate that she forgets her training when she's upset, but she soon remembers herself and covers her tracks."
They stood glaring at each other until an arrow zipped past Bishop's ear and stuck into the tree behind him. He stayed still for a moment as both men digested what that must mean.
"Leave."
The voice was hard, but they knew who it was. Bishop grinned at Casavir and left.
"Avera." He turned towards where the voice had originated and noticed a small form sitting in the darkness. Her head was down but he knew she was watching him, "I did not mean for you to be hurt by this. You have to believe me."
"Did you love her?"
He was slowly moving towards her but he stopped, "At one time I thought I did, but I was mistaken. My duty was more important to me than she was."
"Did you …"
"Yes, we did. But that was a long time ago."
"And us?"
Casavir stumbled over a root and dropped down in front of her, "What we have is real. With our travels together, you have made me stronger, restored my faith by making me see the good in feeling something for another."
Her head turned but he could hear her trying to control her sniffles, "But ... I broke my word to you."
"Bishop led you to think I had broken mine to you. He used your fears against us. It was not your fault. And you saved an old friend's life. There was no way I could have stopped Mordren."
"You are not upset at me?" She looked up and he could finally see her eyes, "You don't see me … different? You don't want to leave?"
He put a hand on her knee, "Not at all, Avera. You shine brightly to me even though it is dark. There is nothing that can stand against us when we are together - in this life or the next." She put her hands on his, "I shall follow you. My hammer, and my heart, are yours."
Avera finally smiled, "I will always stand beside you as well. My heart has belonged to you for so long. ."
"Then nothing in the Realms can hope to defeat us."
She laughed as he moved closer, "I hope you are correct but you may be a bit optimistic on that, my paladin. There could be anything over the next hill."
Her laughter gave him a tingling sensation, making him giddy, "I am here with you, my lady. There is little that could touch me in your presence."
The little woman crawled onto his lap and rubbed noses with him, "How about if I use this one scroll I have on me?" As she nibbled his top lip, she could see his eyes widen with interest in the scroll she held, "We can take a romantic walk, arm in arm, then go back to our room and play with more scrolls. We can even invent some new … games."
He playfully kissed her and grinned, "Of course. I have followed you this far - lead on, my lady."