Lord Walter, and his company, were moving westward again, despite the numerous objections, even the more passionate and emphatic ones by Paige and Happy didn't sway him to rest a day. Lord Weir's body lay in state, and there was only so many days the clerics could keep it from decaying, and Lord Walter refused to allow that time to pass without paying his respects. Paige's silence and her deliberate riding at a distance from him since he refused, and ordered the break down of their camp, was bothering him the most, and it really challenged his sense of duty.

Several times he considered stopping and making camp again just to appease her and as much as he wanted to do just that, to see her smile, to hear her sweet voice, to have her ride so close their feet and knees would bump into each other again, but he knew if he made that one compromise, it would lead to another and another, and where would he compromise next. He could ill-afford that. It was at times like this that he understood why Lord Weir had always cautioned him from embracing those under him as friends as the Lord.

It was a vulnerability, Lord Weir always cautioned him, as the Lord he could distance himself and remain above such feelings. But Lord Walter also knew that such an action distanced him from truly feeling and understanding the pain of those around him. It would make everything he did a duty and what would be the purpose of life if everything was a duty. He sighed inwardly trying for the moment to just wrap himself in enough of the airs of Lordship to protect himself from their distance, scratch that, her distance. He'd been at odds with the others enough that it was like an old coat but he didn't want anything like that to happen between Paige and himself.

Toby rode up next to him and thrust a vial of the vile tonic that he said Lord Walter needed to take every 4 hours, to ensure complete recovery, towards him. Even Toby was giving him the silent treatment, only communicating when it was required to dispense instructions for his medicine. Which was quite different, usually his sarcasm just got worse. Ralph was being extra quiet but he never failed to respond when Lord Walter spoke and he could still see the boy's true feelings toward him. Lord Walter swallowed the contents of the vial and handed it back to Toby, who, without word rode back next to Happy.

Toby leaned over to Happy and whispered, "You know, what we are doing could technically get us all thrown into the dungeon when we get back, right?"

Happy glared at Toby, "If you are so scared then go ahead and talk with him. I dare him to throw me in the dungeon. It won't be my first time in one." Happy barely spoke above a whisper, as brave as she sounded, she had no real desire to end up in the dungeon nor did she really want to risk damaging her friendship with the Lord.

Sir Cabe rode up next, "My Lord, the pack horses are growing tired, we need to stop and give them rest, there should be a stream in about a mile to water them by."

Lord Walter nodded, "Thank you Sir Cabe, mid-day is not that far off, we'll stop for rest and food." Lord Walter looked over at Paige who seemed indifferent to the plight of the animals. Turning back a bit more so he looked past Kaylee to Happy, "Happy, how bad is the damage to my shield? Will you be able to repair it when we get to town?"

Happy glared up at him, and almost without thinking she responded with a bit more snark then she meant, "What do you think?"


Lord Walter's blood pressure rose as he finally had enough. He stopped his charger and everyone stopped quickly except Paige who didn't notice at first and was almost ten yards ahead when she realized something wasn't right. Lord Walter turned his charger to look at Happy, and commanded, "Blacksmith, with me." Lord Walter slid off his charger and began walking off to the south. Happy swallowed and climbed down and gave Toby her reins and started following behind him. After Walter had walked almost one hundred yards he stopped and turned and saw Paige following with Happy, and his face darkened.

"This doesn't concern you, my Lady." Lord Walter almost called her Bard in his irritation at the situation but at the last moment he decided he didn't want to strain their relationship any further.

"I don't think it is appropriate for you to have a private meeting with a woman without a witness my Lord." Paige told him.

Her response irked him further, "Indeed, I'll remember that when its time for making watch assignments and ensure only one of the men stands watch with me in the future my Lady." Lord Walter told her.

Paige glared at him.

"Happy, you have been my friend for over ten years. We've seen many things together over the years, you were there when I cleared these lands, and built the Keep, and I give you the greatest leeway in how you address me because of that friendship. Regardless to how you feel about me ordering our continuing trip west, I have a duty to perform that is time sensitive and even a single day's delay could cause that duty to fail. If you wish to punish me on a personal level by ignoring me fine, but if you can not extend the courtesy due me as your Lord in the functioning of your position then I will dismiss you from that position."

Happy stared at him for a minute, "My apologies my Lord, when we get to town, I will be able to repair your shield."

Lord Walter inclined his head, "Thank you Happy, you are dismissed."


Happy turned and walked back towards the horses and Lord Walter faced Paige as she continued to stare at him. Happy was almost halfway back, "Was there something else my Lady?" Lord Walter finally asked.

"Walter, why couldn't you just take a day and rest from the venom?" Paige demanded.

"That answer hasn't changed since I told Happy. If I am not there by tomorrow evening they will have to intern Lord Weir's body without me, and that will not happen my Lady." Lord Walter told her.

Paige stepped closer, "Walter, why aren't you calling me Paige?"

"Because you are all ignoring me on a personal level, so I can only assume you are only speaking to me as the Lord of these lands, my Lady." Lord Walter answered.

"Walter, none of us want to ignore you, we care about you. We just don't understand why you have to do this." Paige told him as she stepped right up to him.

Lord Walter frowned, "You care about me? So ignoring me personally is how you choose to show you care about me? If I ignore this duty where does it stop? Do I ignore the duty of ensuring my people have enough food? That their kids receive an education? That I defend them against a hostile force? That I throw out my tenants and succumb to those desires I have? If I break one, should I break them all my Lady?"

Paige looked down at the ground, "That's fair, we were mad and rather than continuing to support you as a friend we chose to ignore you which hurt you, just like now you are mad and are choosing to call me 'my Lady' rather than Paige. None of us want you to break any of your duties or tenants. But even your oldest friend doesn't understand this duty you feel, so imagine how little I understand it."

Lord Walter reached out and took her hands in his, "Paige, I'm not mad, I'm hurt, hurt that you would do this rather than to trust me. To openly disrespect me personally hurts more than when Happy disrespected me as her Lord."

Paige looked up at Walter, "I'm sorry, I should have just trusted you, but you were injured, poisoned, and I only wanted to be sure that you would be okay. The last thing I want is for there to be another Lord lost to this world. Please forgive me."

Walter smiled, "Rest assured Paige, a Paladin is far more resilient to poisons and venoms, what little remains within me, has no chance of affecting me." He pulled her closer and pressed his lips to hers and they kissed. Paige tried to release his hands so she could wrap her arms around his neck but Walter wouldn't let go, he was quite sure if he did, he'd lose control.

Paige looked up at Walter, "Is something wrong?"

Walter smiled as he shook his head, "I wasn't sure I could trust myself if I didn't hold your hands."

Paige blushed, "Are you ready to rejoin the others?"

Walter smiled, "In a bit," he told her as he kissed her again.


"Well, what did he say?" Toby asked Happy as he gave her back the reins to her horse.

"Let's just say that I think we better quit trying to ignore him any further. If he is that mad at me, think how mad he'll be at you." Happy told him as she climbed up on her horse.

"I told you this was a bad idea," Sylvester told them.

"Looks like he made up with Paige," Toby said sourly as he watched them kiss.

"Big surprise, she's all but got him wrapped around her little finger," Happy snickered as she held out her hand.

Toby grunted as he pulled out his coin sack, "I really figured it would take until supper for them to make up." He gave her two gold coins and Sylvester thrust his hand out and Toby glared at him and handed him three and Sir Cabe leaned in and Toby sighed as he handed him five gold coins. Toby looked into the small sack and only saw three gold coins left and he sighed again.

They watched as Lord Walter and Paige walked hand in hand slowly back to the horses. Lord Walter held her horse while she climbed up and taking her hand he kissed it before he winked and walked over and climbed upon his charger and as he moved to lead them on Paige guided her horse over to ride right beside Lord Walter and she pulled out her lute and began playing lifting up the spirits of the company and the horses as one.

Lord Walter looked back at Kaylee, "Friend Kaylee, what is the verdict?"

Kaylee made a face, "You win my Lord, Toby lost."

Lord Walter laughed, "What's this?" Paige asked.

"I bet Kaylee that the others would bet on when we would make up. I bet against Toby winning." Lord Walter told her.

"Wait, wait just a damn minute, you're a Paladin, how can you gamble?" Toby demanded.

Lord Walter smiled, "Easy, we both make charitable donations to worthy entities, the bet was one day's wage donated to the winner's charity, speaking of which, there is an excellent example in Aaron Springs Kaylee, an orphanage."


By the time they reached the stream Sir Cabe had mentioned, everyone was over being mad at Lord Walter for pressing on instead of resting. Lord Walter called a halt and Happy moved forward and sank the iron rods into the ground and attached the wire between them so they could tether the horses. As part of her penance for her outburst of impertinence, Lord Walter had set Happy the task of watering the horses and left it to the others to decide who would fix lunch. Lord Walter removed his boots and stepped out into the stream before sitting on a large rock beside it.

Paige smiled and removed her boots before walking out into the water and then walked over and looked at Lord Walter, "Is this spot taken my Lord?"

Lord Walter grinned and nodded, "It is, it is reserved for my Lady."

Paige smiled and stepped up next to him and sat down, "Then she shouldn't have kept you waiting."

Lord Walter laughed and put his left arm around her shoulders, "I really missed your voice this morning my Lady."

Toby walked up to the backside of the rock, "Don't mind me." He moved the bracer on Lord Walter's left arm and examined his arm. "I'm satisfied that the Lady's magic healed your wound completely my Lord, I still recommend the tonic until tomorrow morning, your system should have no problems with any of the venom that is left in you but why take chances."

"Thank you Toby, Lord Walter told him without looking away from Paige.

Ralph brought over a couple of trays of cheese, dried meats and dried fruit, "My Lord, Mom, are you hungry?"

Lord Walter and Paige both smiled, "Thank you Ralph that was very kind of you." Paige told him as she took a tray.

Lord Walter took the other, "Thank you lad, have you eaten yet?"

Ralph shook his head. "From now on, make sure you eat your lunch first. Lunch supersedes any other responsibilities for you my squire." Lord Walter told him.

Ralph smiled, "Yes my Lord."


As the valley they followed began to open up, and the elevation dropped a few hundred feet, they stopped as they took in the vista, they saw the border town of Aaron Springs. Lord Walter looked up at the sun, "It's still about a five hour ride to the town. We'll go ahead and make camp, and get an early start to our day tomorrow." He finally decided and he lead them to the northern side of the valley to a stream that came out of the mountain side as a waterfall and made its way down into the valley towards the town.

Happy quickly sank the iron rods into the ground and attached the wires to tether their mounts to. Lord Walter sent Kaylee to gather firewood while the rest of them removed the packs and saddles from the other horses. Ralph began caring for Lord Walter's charger, Lord Walter set about erecting the tents, as he finished he removed and stacked his armor next to his tent then he stepped over to the packs and pulled out fresh clothes and a couple of towels and soap and an apple. He turned and walked over to his charger and removed his sword and belt and secured them around the horse's neck as he caressed her head before handing her the apple.

He looked over and saw Ralph finishing up brushing out his horse and smiled, "Are you done lad?"

Ralph smiled, "Almost my Lord."

"Good, get a change of clothes and follow me as soon as you are," Lord Walter told him as he walked over and carried the water pots over and filled them from the stream.

A few minutes later they walked out of the camp following the stream back to where the water cascaded down the side of the mountain. Lord Walter sat his clothes and their towels down, he placed the soap next to the bank of the stream. He removed his boots followed by the rest of his clothes before he dived into the pool at the base of the waterfall. The water was cold as the cave it emerged from kept it a dozen degrees above freezing. Lord Walter surfaced and saw Ralph preparing to follow by walking into the pool. "Best if you just jump in lad, it's much too brisk to try walking in," Lord Walter grinned at him.

As Lord Walter stood waist deep in the stream soaping his upper body, Paige watched the suds as they clung to the ripples of his muscles and she grinned. "Oh my, I wondered where you guys had gone too," Paige said as she stood watching from the bank.

Lord Walter blushed, "My Lady, armor and horses don't make the most pleasing of scents." He told her as calmly as he could as he took a step backwards to get into the deeper part of the pool when his foot slipped on a rock and he fell backwards into the pool inadvertently exposing more of his self than if he had just stayed where he was.

Paige's eyes went wide as she blushed even as she laughed. Ralph joined in the laughter as did Lord Walter once he got back to his feet. "My apologies my Lord, I just thought that perhaps you two were going swimming and I thought I would join you this time. I'll return to the camp, and Ralph, don't forget to wash behind your ears." Paige smiled before she walked back into the forest, for a moment she stopped and peered back through the branches of the closest tree and watched for a few minutes before turning and walking back to the camp.

Lord Walter climbed out of the pool and grabbed his towel and clean breeches and laid them on a nearby bush and moved around to the other side to dry off before putting them on. "You know, I always forget what a prude our Lord is Sylvester," Toby said as they walked out of the trees.

"Just because you have no sense of morality Toby doesn't make you right," Sylvester told him.

"Don't listen to Toby, propriety is a hallmark of the life a Paladin lives Ralph." Lord Walter told him as he pulled up his breeches.

Toby ignored him as he stripped and ran and jumped into the pool. "Man, that's cold," Toby exclaimed as he popped up above the surface.