They'd been on the road just over three hours when Happy nudged her horse to speed up to so she could ride beside Paige. Paige looked over and then back to see Toby riding with Alicia. "Is something on your mind Happy?"

Happy nodded. "I'm sorry if I was out of line last night. I know you are a big girl, you know what the wise Lady expects of you."

Paige nodded. "But that isn't to say you were wrong. I really appreciate you coming to find me and help steer me back. We did indulge ourselves quite a bit but thankfully Walter kept us from going too far. I could easily have lost myself with him last night. This recognition thing of his is powerful."

Happy looked at her, "Recognition?"

Paige nodded. "He said it is an Elven concept. When we first met he told me it referred to when two people who were fated to meet actually met. After we had gotten to know each other a bit better he told me it was actually more than that. That it referred to two souls meeting who are destined to become one."

Happy snickered. "Sounds like the worse pick up line I've ever heard."

Paige glared at her. "Perhaps if you actually experienced it you would know how true it is. I know this is going to sound crazy Happy, but I could marry him this minute and live happily with him for the rest of our lives. I haven't cried over Drew since I met Walter. I've felt a little sad a few times when Drew's been mentioned since meeting him but that is it. Before I left to track down Ares Black I was crying every night. Now I go to sleep almost happy. I just realized last night as I tried to fall asleep the only thing stopping me from being happy is Walter not being there with me."

Happy stared at her like she was crazy. "You've barely known him for a little over two weeks."

Paige looked out ahead and nodded. "I know. It doesn't make sense, except remember when you asked the Mistress the questions about Walter? While we have free will to do what we want, I think when we do what Athena wants we are rewarded in a way. And doesn't that fit with this Recognition?"

Happy shrugged. "That's a little deep for me. So if you really felt that strong why didn't you have the Mistress go ahead and marry you before we left camp?"

Paige smiled. "That's simple, because Walter hasn't asked me."

"Maybe he is a little intimidated by you." Happy grinned.

Paige laughed. "You think the man who was brave enough to pull me through the water at Lake Athena so Ralph couldn't see us behind a pine tree and kiss me is intimidated enough not to be able to ask me to marry him?"

Happy stared at her in shock. "Girl, you've been holding out on me. Come on and share."

Paige blushed a little and shook her head. "I think that is enough to whet your appetite. But it was a glorious two hours."

Happy's mouth fell open. "Two hours? You two were kissing for two hours?"

Paige grinned. "Maybe longer, before we knew it Linda showed up with lunch. We had to stay in the lake for a little while before we could exit though."

Happy frowned. "Why did you have to stay in the lake?" Happy's eyes went wide. "Are you saying Walter, that he, rose to the occasion?"

Paige giggled as she nodded.

Happy reached out and slapped her arm. "Then why did you tell me Sunday evening that you were worried about how he viewed your muscles? Clearly he likes them."

Paige smiled. "Well it's not like I could just reach down to check and make sure if he did or not. He kept his knees bent so his hips were back away from me, so I only know that he said he had to wait to leave the water."

Paige and Happy both looked back at Walter and grinned seeing him studiously working with Ralph.

Happy looked closer at what little she could see of his face. 'Is his cheeks red? Is he blushing? Surely he can't hear us.' Happy's thoughts raced. She planned to tell Paige when she was a little more sure he couldn't hear them talking.

Paige looked back at her. "He told me last night that when he saw me in my bathing suit he thought I was a goddess."

Happy grinned as she looked back forward. "I can't believe how you are keeping me in the dark. You should have stood watch with me last night so we could have talked more. Any other juicy tidbits you have neglected to share already?"

Paige laughed as she shook her head.

"So what is the plan for the two of you then?" Happy looked back at Paige.

Paige looked on ahead down the roadway. "We'll see as our trip continues. Walter and Ralph, the two of them are bonding quickly. Everything Walter does draws Ralph out of his shell further and further. His music, his sculpting even now his teaching him just inspires Ralph like I never would have thought. I had been so worried about Ralph after Drew died, he withdrew so much. But now he is happy most of the time. He even asked if Walter could be his teacher full time."

Walter smiled down at Ralph as he finished his last lesson for the day. "Well done Ralph. You got the whole afternoon free unless you want to do your homework after lunch."

Ralph smiled. "Thanks Walter. You are really making this a lot better."

Walter started to reach over to ruffle his hair as he looked at Paige and he stopped at something he heard. His eyes looked past her and up ahead to the side of the road. Ralph saw his eyes seemed to grow distant. "Walter?"

Suddenly Walter pulled his lute off his back and slung it around his saddle horn. He opened the rectangular box on the side of his saddle and pulled his bow out of it. The springs immediately unfolded the bow and it locked into position. Walter quickly grabbed three arrows out of the quiver on the other side of his saddle and he drew back as he nocked them. "Paige, beware." He announced loudly.

Lady Paige and Happy looked back and then Happy flinched at the twang that the bow gave off as the arrows were launched. Paige looked back down the road and watched as the arrows pierced through some bushes off to the side of the road and they heard soft thuds and then screams of pain.

Paige shoved her right hand down and slipped it through the enarmes of her shield and pulled it up as she drew her sword with her left. Her charger took off and Walter drew back after nocking two more arrows and released them. They passed just to Paige's left and through the bushes again and she heard more screams.

Paige rode through the bush and her charger ran over two men who were thrashing around on the ground with arrows sticking out of their stomachs. Another man lay dead not far away. She saw two men run back through another set of bushes as another threw down his sword.

Two other men jumped out of a tree swinging on ropes. Paige was quick enough to move her charger and swung her sword nearly severing one of the men in half.

Walter and his mare came through the bush as the other man let go of the rope he was holding and fell into the middle of the road and took off running. Happy threw her blacksmith hammer at him. The hammer impacted against his head and he fell to the ground.

"Paige, are you okay?" Walter asked with worry.

Paige smiled and nodded.

Walter jumped off his mare and put his bow on his saddle horn before drawing his sword and charged through the brush on the other side of the small clearing they were in.

"Walter?" Paige quickly jumped down and ran after him. The man grabbed his sword quickly and tried to strike Lady Paige. She parried his sword and smacked the man kneeling before her in the side of the head with the blunt edge of her sword killing him. She chased after Walter for several minutes when she finally caught up with him just before they entered the camp the men had been using. There were seven men in the camp and they quickly formed a ring around Walter and Paige. Walter turned and put his back against Paige's and they slowly turned around as the men began lunge feinting at them.

One man lunged a bit too far and Walter swung and his sword cut across his right arm. The man screamed as Walter's sword struck bone and nearly severed his arm.

Paige grew tired of the cat and mouse tactic and raised her sword. "By the wise Lady," she intoned. White fire ran down her body and spiraled out along the ground engulfing all seven men and they all began screaming in pain as smoke began rising up off of them.

Walter and Paige reacted instantly and before the men could get out of the area of the white fire they lay on the ground dead or dying.

Walter turned to face Paige and grinned. "By Athena, what a treasure you are." Paige grinned and saw Walter drive his sword down into the ground and he scooped her up in his arms and twirled her around and kissed her deeply.

"Paige." Happy screamed out as she came crashing through the brush and stopped dead looking at Walter holding Paige while they were kissing. She saw all the guys lying around them dead or dying.

Walter grinned at Paige as they broke their kiss. "You are very impressive my Love."

Happy stared at Walter in disbelief as Walter and Paige both froze as they looked at each other at his words. Neither of them could believe he called her that. They both were staring at each other for a moment when suddenly Paige quickly closed the distance between their lips and kissed him deeply.

Happy grinned and seeing that there was no threat to them turned and left the camp of the robbers.

She arrived back at the small clearing the men had planned to ambush them from and saw Toby had covered the body of the man in the roadway with a blanket. She frowned as she looked at him. "I killed him?"

Toby stepped up quickly and took her in his arms. "Your hammer struck him in a particularly thin area of the skull. From a quick examination some of the bone fragments splintered and pierced into his brain. I'm sorry."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she clung to him tightly.

Toby just held her while making little swooshing noises trying to comfort her. Slowly he led her back towards the wagon and the other horses.

Sara held Alicia while Ralph sat beside Sara looking ahead wondering if his Mom and Walter was okay.

Sir Sylvester and Cabe moved up and Sir Sylvester dragged the body off the road and over by where the other bodies were.

Walter and Paige came walking through the bushes dragging two of the bodies apiece. They dropped them next to the other bodies. Paige looked at Sir Sylvester and Cabe. "Rifle the bodies while we go get the last three. It looks like they have been ambushing people here for a while. They've got a merchant's wagon and horses back at their camp as well. We'll have to see if we can find out who they have robbed and get their things back to them if possible."

Walter dragged the other three bodies back to the other ones after a short argument with Paige. She wanted to drive the team of horses and the wagon they were hitched to out to the roadway to join up with the rest of the company. He didn't want to leave her alone even though he conceded she was most probably correct that there was no other danger.

"Someone looks grumpy." Cabe joked.

Walter shot him a nasty glare as he threw the last body on top of the others. Walter stalked over and grabbed the bow off his saddle horn and unlocked it and forced the ends down folding the bow in half and then pushed it into the rectangular box. He grabbed the reins of his mare and swung up into the saddle and rode back to where Victor pulled the wagon to the side so Sara could begin making lunch while they waited.

Ralph smiled seeing Walter at first and then frowned seeing the lines of unhappiness on his face. "Walter? What's wrong? Is Mom okay?"

Walter looked over and nodded. "She's fine. She's driving a wagon around to meet up with us."

Walter stopped and tied his mare to the wagon and jumped out of his saddle. He saw Toby holding Happy and frowned. "Is Happy okay?"

Toby nodded. "She will be. She accidentally killed one of the men."

Walter nodded. He pulled his lute off the side of his saddle and began playing it. He knelt next to Happy as he began softly singing. So softly Toby couldn't quite make out the words but slowly Happy's tears stop and she sniffled a few times and then wiped at her eyes. She looked up at Toby and smiled and kissed him. Walter stopped and walked back over to his horse and hung his lute back up.

Toby walked over after Happy walked over to get Alicia. "It's not that I am complaining, but what did you just do?"

Walter nodded. "A simple song that erases a temporary unpleasant memory, so make sure you don't tell her she killed that guy again."

Toby stared at him in disbelief. "I'm not comfortable with you messing with her mind like that."

Walter looked at him. "You'd rather she be weighed down with grief over killing a scum who has probably murdered people? Or at least has been complicit with the murder of other people. She doesn't deserve grief over that."

Toby shook his head. "I'm not saying she does. But you took it upon yourself to decide that. I'd appreciate it if in the future you discuss with me before you just unilaterally alter my wife's condition like that. Or at least get our Lady's permission."

Walter looked at him for several moments. "If that is what you want, that's fine. Hopefully next time won't be an emergency and I'll have time to get permission."

Walter turned and walked off into the woods.

Toby shook his head at him as he disappeared into the woods.

"Where is Walter going?" Ralph asked confused.

Toby looked over at Ralph. "I don't know. Maybe he went to find extra firewood."

Paige stepped through the woods following the way Ralph told her that Walter went. "Would you like to talk about it with me Walter?" She saw a large arm load of branches next to his feet.

Walter looked up from where he sat on a downed tree and shrugged. "Toby told Ralph I went to find extra firewood. I figured I should grab some so he wasn't lying."

Paige smiled. "I wasn't talking about the branches. I know you weren't happy with me telling you to take the other bodies back while I brought the wagon and the horses around."

"You're damn right I wasn't happy. We could have put them in the wagon and brought them around together. There was no reason to risk your life even when the odds were almost negligent that you'd be in danger." Walter looked away from her.

Paige stepped between his legs and turned his head so he looked at her. "That's really cute."

Walter huffed at her.

Paige squatted down between his legs and they looked into each other's eyes. "Walter. You have to understand something. I've always looked out for myself and whoever was under me. No one else has ever been protective like this of me. Not since I passed my tenants training and got my ring of knighthood. That's a lot of years of doing things a certain way. It will take me time to adjust my thinking. I'm sorry it distressed you, but I'll need you to give me time to address my thinking to accommodate this new dynamic. I also want to thank you for detecting the ambush there. If their ambush had worked they could have done some serious damage to the group."

Walter shook his head. "You don't ever have to thank me for doing what's good for you or the group."

Paige smiled. "I don't want to ever take anything you do for granted or for you to think I don't appreciate it."

Greetings! I hope you are all doing well!

So glad you guys enjoyed 'I Only State Facts'!

Franxine - I think I forgot to say welcome home! Glad it wasn't anything worse!

Arthur - I would love to turn 'I Only State Facts' into a continuing story line but I already have 'Uncivil War' altering how the show played out. I'm not sure I am up to trying to do another but rewriting 3 seasons of the show.

Margaret - Well the whole team tends to keep go-bags so if they have to go too far from base and spend the night they have fresh clothes and personal necessities such as a toothbrush. I just thought it was tender gesture on the garment washing. hehe

Carol, Kyria - Thank you for the congratulations!

Tomorrow will be chapter 3 of 'Knight Annoyed'.

To the Adventure! -Tim