It's been two months since Lanen had discovered she was pregnant. Soon, she would need bigger colthes to fit her growing belly.
The pair had been traveling from fiefs to manors painting for the nobles, in return for food and board. Word of Jocelin's ability had been spreading, which meant more work and more trouble. For the Scanrans had figured out who Lanen was traveling with and were watching them very closely, waiting for the chance to attack.
"Thank you, m'lord it has been a pleasure working for you." said Jocelin.
"No, thank you. I have never seen an artist with the talent and grace you pocess. I hope to see you again sometime, may Mithros guide your way." he said to Jocelin and then turned to Lanen. "Lady, it has been a pleasure." said the lord as he kissed Lanen's hand. Lingering just a little to much, noted Joss.
"G'day m'lord" said Lanen as they turned to leave. When they were out of earshot Lanen turned to Joss, disgust flashing in her green eyes. "That man is a pig! He practically threw himself on me, and right in front of his own wife. I'm glad we didn't stay any longer, I don't know if I can stand any more. And his wife! just sitting there and taking it. If my husband ever did that to me I wouldn't just sit there and take it, I'd..." Lanen stoped short as Joss's laughter filled the air.
All Joss could do was laugh in relieve and at the picture this presented. "Yea, I'd like to see you sit there and watch your husband lust visabily after another women."
At that Lanen started laughing too, until she triped. As she started tumbling down the hill and into the forest, all she could think about was the child that was growing inside her. She clutched her stomach and prayed to the Goddess for the life of her baby, forgeting that if the child died she had the power to bring it back.
When she finaly stopped rolling down the hill, she could see through the blurr of her tears Joss skidding down the hill towards her. "Lanen! Oh Gods, Lanen are you alright? Is the baby..." he said as she nodded her head.
He took her in his arms and held her, forgeting about their troubles. She felt so right in the circle of his arms. He pulled away to see her face, and then all he could remember was his lips meeting hers.
As Joss softly kissed Lanen, she felt a chill go down her spine and the longing she had felt for so long melted away. She hadn't felt this way since the last time she had kissed Thom. At the thought of him, a jolt of pain and guilt shot through her heart. She wanted to pull away from Joss, but his lips and body against hers felt so comforting.
Lanen's decision was made for her as arrows sliced threw the air. The Scanrans had caught them off-guard. Ten attackers came through the trees and surrounded them. Lanen drew out her knives, and threw two at the oncoming men. At Lanen's back Joss drew his sword, and fought off two Scanrans.
A short man with a double headed axe came at Lanen yelling. She picked up a dead attackers sword and fended off the blow, her arms screaming in protest at the force of it. The man sneered at Lanen, and while he did so she kicked him in the stomach. He went stumbling backwards into the decay of leaves, losing hold of his ax as it sunk deep into the flesh of his stomach.
An archer high in a tree locked Jocelin as his traget, and loosed. Lanen felt the force of Joss's body as he fell backwards, an arrow protruding out of his abdomen, a deep velvet stain surrounding it. Lanen turned around and caught him, the Scanrans formed a loose circle around them.
"What the hell do you want from me, danm it?!" screamed Lanen.
"Our lord wants your power, for one, and is paying a heavty award." answered a tall, long haired Scanran with the blonde hair and bule eyes of all his people.
"You want my power?" asked Lanen. "Then have it!" she cried in a blinding falsh of white light. All the men lay dead, and the archers in the trees were falling to the forest floor. "Come on Joss, lets get out of here. I think there's more coming." she said, as in the distance she heard leaves crackle and twigs snap. She got up, supported Joss on one side and they slowly walked away from the dead bodies, deeper into the forest.
When they were a few miles away, and near a stream, Lanen and Joss stopped. She rolled out a blanket for him, and gathered wood for a fire.
Jocelin gingerly lowered himself to the bedroll, laying on one side while the arrow jutted out of the other. Once Lanen had a fire going, she dug out a small poker used for the camp fire and placed it in the flames. Then gathered some water from the mountain stream nearby.
After that was done she went to Jocelin, who had his eyes closed in pain, and examined the wound. "I'm going to have to pull it out." she said, sympathy in her eyes. She removed her archer's guard and put it in his mouth, then she gently broke off the head and quickly pulled the arrow through. The clearing around them was filled with Joss's muffled screams and the crackling of the flames.
Lanen went to the fire and pulled out the red hot poker. Her back was turned on Joss, as she did not want him to see what she was about to do.
With the poker concealed behind her back she went to Joss, looked into his eyes now glazed with pain, and kissed him hard on the mouth as she thrust the hot iron into his flesh, searing away any infection. Lanen had never seen a grown man faint, and would bet that she never would. So, when Joss fainted she was mildly surprised, and despite the seriousness of the situation, found it very funny. Silently laughing to herself, Lanen proceded to clean and bandage the wound.
Unbeknownst to them, in the shadows of the giant trees, stood a young man, watching. And when the young woman kissed the man lying on the ground, he turned and walked away.
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After Thom had gotten over his intial anger with Lanen, he relized how much he had missed her. So for the last two months he had been searching for her and her companion.
He went to Cria, in Galla where the fair was held and found out from an inn-keeper that they had left, now traveling from fiefs to manors in search of work.
Thom was soon able to pick up their trail, and had followed them from place to place. At the last fief that he had visited, he had found that they had only just left.
Excited at the aspect of soon holding Lanen in his arms again, Thom headed into the forest. Only when it was to late did he hear the distant sounds of fighting. Following the sounds, he came to a part of the forest where the battle had taken place, now scattered with bodies, Thom knew that there had been another attack.
Fearing for Lanen, he quickly followed the sound of a stream knowing that if she were hurt she would go there. When he saw her he knew she was okay, but instead of running to her, he stayed in the shadows of the trees. She was kneeling next to her companion, What was his name? wondered Thom. Jocelin, yes that was it, a name Thom would soon come to hate. When he saw Lanen bend down and kiss Jocelin, he stiffly turned around and walked away.
How could I have thought that she would have run into my open arms? Would have forgiven me and loved me? No not Lanen, he thought, she was not like all other women and I was fool enough to fall in love with her!