"I don't remember it of course. But I do remember my grandparents though. Barely but, to be honest, it is a bit better than I remember my Dad. My grandfather use to take me into his blacksmith shop when my grandmother needed to go do something. Dad was so bowed down with his grief as I understood my grandparents talking. He tried his best but I guess I reminded him too much of Mom and it made him sadder. Even at such a young age I was constantly mesmerized by the glow of the furnace and steel as he'd pull something out and begin hammering it." Happy began.

"They were surprised at how calming the sound of his hammer ringing against steel was for me. Whenever I was out of sorts they'd take me out to his forge and he'd work on something until I fell asleep. When I was little over two my grandfather had a stroke and before I was three he'd passed away and my grandmother died of a broken heart not long after. My Dad couldn't deal with everything and he gave me to the orphanage of Zeus in the kingdom of Quinn where we had been living."

"It wasn't a good place. One of the sisters there kept placing me with foster homes and one after another, none of them were worth anything. They used and abused me. Mentally, physically, I don't know who between us had the rougher childhood. Lord Walter certainly wouldn't tell me much between the time following his family going off the side of that ship and he got his tenant ring making him a Paladin. But then I wouldn't tell him my story either."

"When I turned ten I had enough and I ran away from the orphanage. The one sister who was nice to me got reassigned and my situation just got worse. So I stole away on a coach and ended up in Los Angeles after about four weeks of travel. There were only three passengers and so it was hard to remain a secret. The wife of the one man on the coach had found me out. But instead of telling anyone she shared her food with me."

"She made me promises when we'd stop for the night. She helped me stay hidden from the others but when we got to Los Angeles her husband was furious with her and forbid her from taking another man's child into his home. If she wanted a child she needed to get pregnant by him. She gave me a slip of paper with her address and a small coin purse with gold. Telling me to come by any time during the day and she'd help me."

"She did too. She kept her promise as best she could. She took me regularly to the temple of Athena as well as she forged a blood right and gave me the money to get trained by a blacksmith since that was what I wanted. But with a different idea, she took me and introduced me to a Tinkerer she knew first. The two are related, Tinkerers learn all the tricks of a blacksmith but they also work on much finer things. Unlike a blacksmith I could craft replacement parts for your clock over there. He also dabbled in jewel crafting and taught me about it as well. He always smiled ruefully at me. He'd never taught anyone like me, he said I was like a sponge and I soaked up everything he taught me. Normally it takes 10 years under a master to learn enough to strike out on your own. But by twelve I had learned all he could teach me. He was a decent enough guy. At least he didn't try to grope me, not that I had much to grope back then. But that didn't stop a lot of the guys. He was quite brilliant and taught me a lot."

"I'd just opened my first tent at that tournament and being female and twelve, I was scoffed at a lot by all the men and quite a few women. The women were just nastier about it. The things I was called. Reminded me of Bethany what with the things she called you. I know you and our Lord forgave her, but I still have a hatred for her. But anyway I was at least making enough money, mostly from the poorer contestants that couldn't afford to go to the male blacksmiths."

Paige smiled even though she had tears in her eyes.

"Would you mind taking Aine for me please? Help her burp." Paige asked.

While she'd held both of the twins on numerous occasions this was the first that Paige had asked her to do anything with her and it made her a good bit nervous. She stood up beside the bed. Happy placed the towel lying there over Paige's shoulder before placing the other over her own. She reached down and carefully slipped her hands under the little girl and gently brought her back away from Paige's breast.

Aine fussed as if complaining about being pulled away even as Paige smiled.

"Don't mind her. She does that a lot. I think it has to do with my feeding her first off the breast that Daithi nurses from in between her feedings. The breast is a little slower to nurse from." Paige told her even as she pulled Daithi up to burp him.

"Does he still need the extra feedings?" Happy said a bit surprised even as she tried to mimic with Aine what Paige was doing with Daithi.

Paige nodded.

"You'll want to be just a tiny bit firmer in your pats on her back. He doesn't need them as often. Usually I'll feed him in between feeding them both in the morning and before we go to breakfast. And I'll feed him an extra time in the evenings after dinner. Allie stays on top of them health wise." Paige told her smiling with a nod as Happy adjusted the patting.

After Daithi burped Paige moved him to the breast Aine had been at and helped him latch on again. To be careful Happy sat on the side of the bed after Aine burped and then gently reached her out placing her on the pillow Paige had under her left side. With minimal effort and direction Happy was able to help her latch right back on to Paige's breast.

"Do your breasts always leak so much?" Happy seemed surprised.

Paige laughed a little and nodded.

"With these two, yes, when Ralph was a baby they leaked, but more so after feeding was over." Paige told her.

Happy nodded and stood and stepped back and sat in the chair beside the bed.

"So did things get better for you after meeting Walter?" Paige asked softly.

Happy nodded.

"For the most part, at least after I got done being mad at him for getting involved in my business without being asked. But he was only doing what he'd been trained to do. I never told him but after he left my tent wearing that chest piece I made him a Cleric of the wise Lady came in and paid me handsomely for it. She told me the wise Lady was very grateful for what I had done for her knight. And told me if I wanted a better life, I should journey with him and aid him in all that he does. And I got to admit my life has been so much better because of that." Happy told her.

Paige nodded and then frowned.

"Hang on a moment. You were between twelve and thirteen when you met Walter. And when we talked as we sat waiting on Cabe that day north of Aaron Springs you made it sound like you were this woman of experience." Paige asked her pointedly.

Happy laughed.

"Busted huh? Yeah you got me there. He has always been good about letting me present myself as I wanted to be presented. I wouldn't tell anyone else but there were many times I had thought of him, wanting to marry him. But something always told me that he wasn't for me. Now I know that was the wise Lady. I was almost eighteen when I finally had sex the first time. One of the builders who were here helping get the town built. Of course he turned out to be a lying dog. Not only was he married but had two kids and they were living in the tent city on the other side of the hill where the campgrounds for the overflow of the inns can set up and stay."

"Lord Walter really busted the man up for that. I didn't go with him I heard about it from some of the workers. I guess he kept denying everything which just really ticked him off even more. And by the time he was done with him the guy had a broken arm, leg, and nose. The Clerics were busy with him afterwards." Happy laughed.

Paige frowned.

"Was Walter always so volatile?" Paige asked a little shocked.

"You're the Bard. You have to know the stories that are told about him. Some of them might be embellished with actions and deaths but when it comes to his anger, it is legendary for a reason. And while the guy was recovering in one of the sick tents, his wife packed up all their belongings and kids. She took time to apologize to the Lord before leaving. He gave her some money to see them back to Los Angeles before they'd leave for San Deggo where she was from. And if you hadn't of stopped him in Lancaster, he'd probably have killed Toby and Sylvester." Happy told her with a grin.

"Yes, speaking of that, Walter is going to be apologizing to them over that." Paige told her as she looked down at the twins as they slowly stopped suckling and started sleeping.

"Why would he apologize to them? They deserved much worse than what he gave them." Happy said shocked.

"You heard the wise Lady. She sat all of that in motion to ensure Ralph and I was taken so Walter could rise up to the level of anger he did to end Mahn. Plus she even told you that you needed to let that go as well." Paige told her.

"Well maybe. Toby and I have been spending a lot of time together since the twins were born." Happy told her.

Paige smiled.

"That's the rumors I have heard. How is that going?" Paige asked with a big grin.

Happy rolled her eyes.

"Leave it to the help in this place to run their mouths." Happy said dryly.

"Take Aine for me Happy, please. She should be ready to go back in the crib." Paige told her.

Happy nodded and carefully slipped her hands under the little girl and pulled her up. She smiled at the little girl.

"I can't believe the wise Lady said I was supposed to already have a daughter." Happy said softly even as she moved into the nursery.

Paige pulled Daithi up to her shoulder and moved the pillows she used to nurse with before she stood.

"Here, let me take Daithi my Lady." Happy told her as she hurried back out of the nursery.

Paige smiled and shook her head even as she gave the little boy to her. She walked into the bathroom to clean up.

"You didn't answer my question about how things are going for you and Toby." Paige called out.

Happy sighed hoping she wouldn't ask again.

"We're getting along, better than I ever thought we would to be honest. I don't know if I am really ready for marriage but I've been following Athena's directions since I joined up with our Lord so I suppose eventually I will have to seriously consider that." Happy told her.

Paige walked out of the bathing room with a smile.

"Good and if you ever have any questions my door is always opened to you Happy. I've really appreciated your friendship Happy and I want to do my best to help you heal from what has happened. What you share with me will never be uttered to another soul." Paige told her before giving her a hug.

As they stepped out of the bedroom Selase let out a loud screech and leaped from the balcony and began beating her wings rising up fast and flew out of the inner courtyard headed to the south.

Paige frowned.

"Selase said something bad has happened." Paige told Happy even as she ran for the door. Happy hot on her heels as they raced through the Keep down into the outer courtyard. They looked around but didn't see anything.

"Nothing seems to be going on out here, what could have happened?" Happy asked.

Paige looked at the sentries beside the Keep entrance.

"Has something bad happened?" Paige asked them.

They shook their heads.

"No my Lady, it has been right quiet." The one guard answered even as he saluted her.

Just then they heard Selase screech out again and the sound coming from the south.

Paige and Happy ran to the portcullis in the south wall and looked out. They saw Sean carrying something fairly large while walking with several guards along side of Selase and they saw Walter drooped over Selase's neck.

"Walter!" Paige yelled even as she took off running towards them with Happy.

Happy's eyes went large and she slid to a stop even as she saw all the blood over Sean and recognized Walter's arm in Sean's hands.

"Walter, no, what happened?" Paige cried seeing his right arm was missing. The stump of his upper arm wrapped and bound with blood soaking him.

"Walter was in the process of casting his line when some man came out from behind a rock and gestured and this brilliant green energy struck him. Before I knew what had happened Walter fell to the ground. His arm was missing, blood spraying everywhere. I screamed for help even as I fell to the side of Walter. I tore my tunic off and wrapped it around his arm and was trying to bind his arm to stop the blood."

"The man ran up and was about to attack with his dagger when this patrol rode up and shot him dead with an arrow. We struggled and got the blood to stop for the most part and then Selase arrived.

"I'll go get Allie and Toby!" Happy turned and ran back towards the Keep.

"Green magic, so he must have been a necromancer then. Oh Walter feels so cold." Paige cried.

Sean nodded.

"He lost a lot of blood, he went into shock so we got to get him off this bird as quickly as possible and get his legs up over his heart. Force what blood he has back into his vitals." Sean told her.

Paige cleared her throat even as she began singing. She knew her song wasn't enough to fix the damage but hopefully with the wise Lady's blessing it would be enough to help his body replace the missing blood.

Sir Cabe and Raynold came running out of the Keep and saw them just coming through the portcullis. They both ran over. Now with more men they got Lord Walter down and picked him up by his shoulders and legs letting his head hang lower than his legs even as they carried him quickly into the Keep. They headed straight for Toby's halls of healing.

Greetings! Hope this finds you all well! Happy anniversary to my Babecakes in Heaven.

To the Adventure! -Tim