Later the same afternoon, the four adventurers were out of the caverns and back on the main path. Celine was in the back with a light blush on her face. Ashton was a few steps in front of her, daydreaming that a target was on Gabriel's back. Gabriel and Rena were walking in front. Gabriel seemed to be trying to talk to Rena and she kept turning her nose up at him.
Ashton turned toward Celine. "I can't believe that we went all that way for some musty old documents. Not only that! Documents that you can't read!"
Celine frowned at Ashton. "I know where we can find out more about them, but Gabriel and Rena aren't listening!"
Ashton nodded slightly. "Where?"
"The Village of Mars." Celine pointed ahead of them. Ashton turned to look and spotted the tops of buildings in the distance.
"Looks like we'll have to go through it to get to Herlie."
"Yep. It'd be a good place to rest as well." Celine glanced at Gabriel and Rena.
Ashton quickened his step to walk by Rena, keeping her between him and Gabriel. "Are we stopping at that town? You know, Herlie is just a day's walk from Mars. If we stop there, we can get an early start and hit Herlie before nightfall tomorrow…"
Gabriel barely turned his head. "If it will get you to shut up, we'll stop there." He spoke louder. "Celine, you'll get your wish. We'll stop in Mars."
Ashton fell back to Celine with a smirk.
"Don't be so proud. Gabriel's in a rotten mood. You're lucky he didn't fry you on the spot." Celine looked away.
Ashton muttered something, but didn't say anything.
It wasn't long before they arrived at Mars. Celine took them immediately to the Elder's house, documents in her hand.
Rena was the first to realise that something was going on when she stepped in and took in the people present. "Dias," came the whisper.
Gabriel frowned down at Rena, but remained silent. Ashton peered over Gabriel's shoulder and nudged lightly. Gabriel moved so that Ashton could come in.
Celine looked about. "What's going on?"
The Elder looked up at Celine. "Ahh, Celine, you're back. We've got a slight problem here. The children have been kidnapped."
Rena's hand flew to her mouth as a gasp came from her. Ashton frowned and looked away. From Gabriel, however, there was no response.
Celine growled. "Do we know by whom and where they are?"
The Elder shook his head. "Not entirely. We believe they are held somewhere in the Heraldry Forest. We've hired this swordsman to help out in finding the children."
The four looked at the swordsman as he turned around to face them. Rena's eyes met his as he stared at her. He found his vision blocked as Gabriel moved to put himself between the two.
Rena looked up at Gabriel. "It's all right. That's Dias."
Gabriel looked down at Rena, then stepped aside.
Dias kept his attention on Gabriel rather than return it to Rena. The two regarded each other silently.
Rena took Gabriel's hand. "We should go rest, Gabriel." She tugged and wasn't surprised when Gabriel resisted for a moment, then turned and walked out with her.
"Rena, may I speak with you for a moment?" Dias had followed them out, but was watching Rena instead of her companion.
Rena looked at Dias, then up at Gabriel. "I'll be all right. Go on to the inn and get us a room. I'll be along shortly."
Gabriel nodded as he turned his head to look back at Dias. "Don't keep her long. We are all tired and she needs to rest." His voice was soft, but commanding.
"I'll keep her as long as I care to." Dias shot back at Gabriel using the same tone he had been addressed in.
The redhead turned to face Dias completely. "Perhaps I should stay then?"
Dias folded his arms over his chest. "No. This is between Rena and myself."
Gabriel was about to say something else when Rena put herself between them. "Stop it. Both of you. Just stop it." She sighed, but was relieved when they directed their attention to her instead of each other. "Dias, this is Gabriel. Gabriel, this is Dias."
"The childhood friend. The one you tried to marry?" Gabriel let his eyes flicker toward Dias, inwardly satisfied when he saw the other man look away.
Rena nodded at Gabriel. "Yes and yes. I need to speak with him alone. I have to explain things."
Gabriel nodded. "I'll be at the inn." He took Rena's hand and then kissed her on the cheek. He looked at Dias to make certain there would be no mistaking the relationship.
Dias glared at Gabriel. He rested a hand on his sword. "Don't you ever touch her."
Gabriel half smiled at Dias. "That would be her choice, now wouldn't it." Gabriel turned his back to Dias as he walked off. He heard Rena calming Dias as he disappeared from their view.
************************
"Who should we stay with?"
"We were never told to follow the woman. We stay with Gabriel."
"Do you think maybe if we found out what the other two were discussing and told Gabriel that he might remember us?"
"No. Michael, we stay with Gabriel. He is our primary target."
"I understand."
"Good."
************************
Rena opened the door to the room at the inn. Gabriel looked up from the bed. He stood up when he realised that Rena was not alone.
Dias glared at Gabriel and the look was returned. "Rena? What is he doing here?"
"Dias, I told you about Gabriel and me." Rena set her travel pack down on the extra bed and began digging through it. She pulled out a small package. "My mother said to give this to you." She held it out to Dias.
Dias took the small package and nodded. "Thank you." He returned his attention to Gabriel. "If you hurt her, I'll kill you."
Gabriel snorted as he waved a hand dismissively. "I doubt you could even scratch me, boy."
Dias frowned at Gabriel. "Care to test that theory out?"
Gabriel nodded. "Sure, name the time and place."
Rena stomped her foot down. "Stop it!" She looked at both of them with tears in her eyes. "I love both of you dearly. I can't stand it to see you fighting!"
Gabriel looked at Rena and nodded again. "I'm sorry, Rena." He turned away and walked to the window and looked out.
Dias glanced at Rena, then turned around and walked out of the room without a word.
*************************
"Damn. I thought we were going to get to see Gabriel in action!"
"Would have been nice."
"That Expellian needs to be knocked down a few notches."
"Gabriel would be the one to do it."
"I'd like to do it too."
"Berle, get a grip."
Ashton turned toward Celine. "I can't believe that we went all that way for some musty old documents. Not only that! Documents that you can't read!"
Celine frowned at Ashton. "I know where we can find out more about them, but Gabriel and Rena aren't listening!"
Ashton nodded slightly. "Where?"
"The Village of Mars." Celine pointed ahead of them. Ashton turned to look and spotted the tops of buildings in the distance.
"Looks like we'll have to go through it to get to Herlie."
"Yep. It'd be a good place to rest as well." Celine glanced at Gabriel and Rena.
Ashton quickened his step to walk by Rena, keeping her between him and Gabriel. "Are we stopping at that town? You know, Herlie is just a day's walk from Mars. If we stop there, we can get an early start and hit Herlie before nightfall tomorrow…"
Gabriel barely turned his head. "If it will get you to shut up, we'll stop there." He spoke louder. "Celine, you'll get your wish. We'll stop in Mars."
Ashton fell back to Celine with a smirk.
"Don't be so proud. Gabriel's in a rotten mood. You're lucky he didn't fry you on the spot." Celine looked away.
Ashton muttered something, but didn't say anything.
It wasn't long before they arrived at Mars. Celine took them immediately to the Elder's house, documents in her hand.
Rena was the first to realise that something was going on when she stepped in and took in the people present. "Dias," came the whisper.
Gabriel frowned down at Rena, but remained silent. Ashton peered over Gabriel's shoulder and nudged lightly. Gabriel moved so that Ashton could come in.
Celine looked about. "What's going on?"
The Elder looked up at Celine. "Ahh, Celine, you're back. We've got a slight problem here. The children have been kidnapped."
Rena's hand flew to her mouth as a gasp came from her. Ashton frowned and looked away. From Gabriel, however, there was no response.
Celine growled. "Do we know by whom and where they are?"
The Elder shook his head. "Not entirely. We believe they are held somewhere in the Heraldry Forest. We've hired this swordsman to help out in finding the children."
The four looked at the swordsman as he turned around to face them. Rena's eyes met his as he stared at her. He found his vision blocked as Gabriel moved to put himself between the two.
Rena looked up at Gabriel. "It's all right. That's Dias."
Gabriel looked down at Rena, then stepped aside.
Dias kept his attention on Gabriel rather than return it to Rena. The two regarded each other silently.
Rena took Gabriel's hand. "We should go rest, Gabriel." She tugged and wasn't surprised when Gabriel resisted for a moment, then turned and walked out with her.
"Rena, may I speak with you for a moment?" Dias had followed them out, but was watching Rena instead of her companion.
Rena looked at Dias, then up at Gabriel. "I'll be all right. Go on to the inn and get us a room. I'll be along shortly."
Gabriel nodded as he turned his head to look back at Dias. "Don't keep her long. We are all tired and she needs to rest." His voice was soft, but commanding.
"I'll keep her as long as I care to." Dias shot back at Gabriel using the same tone he had been addressed in.
The redhead turned to face Dias completely. "Perhaps I should stay then?"
Dias folded his arms over his chest. "No. This is between Rena and myself."
Gabriel was about to say something else when Rena put herself between them. "Stop it. Both of you. Just stop it." She sighed, but was relieved when they directed their attention to her instead of each other. "Dias, this is Gabriel. Gabriel, this is Dias."
"The childhood friend. The one you tried to marry?" Gabriel let his eyes flicker toward Dias, inwardly satisfied when he saw the other man look away.
Rena nodded at Gabriel. "Yes and yes. I need to speak with him alone. I have to explain things."
Gabriel nodded. "I'll be at the inn." He took Rena's hand and then kissed her on the cheek. He looked at Dias to make certain there would be no mistaking the relationship.
Dias glared at Gabriel. He rested a hand on his sword. "Don't you ever touch her."
Gabriel half smiled at Dias. "That would be her choice, now wouldn't it." Gabriel turned his back to Dias as he walked off. He heard Rena calming Dias as he disappeared from their view.
************************
"Who should we stay with?"
"We were never told to follow the woman. We stay with Gabriel."
"Do you think maybe if we found out what the other two were discussing and told Gabriel that he might remember us?"
"No. Michael, we stay with Gabriel. He is our primary target."
"I understand."
"Good."
************************
Rena opened the door to the room at the inn. Gabriel looked up from the bed. He stood up when he realised that Rena was not alone.
Dias glared at Gabriel and the look was returned. "Rena? What is he doing here?"
"Dias, I told you about Gabriel and me." Rena set her travel pack down on the extra bed and began digging through it. She pulled out a small package. "My mother said to give this to you." She held it out to Dias.
Dias took the small package and nodded. "Thank you." He returned his attention to Gabriel. "If you hurt her, I'll kill you."
Gabriel snorted as he waved a hand dismissively. "I doubt you could even scratch me, boy."
Dias frowned at Gabriel. "Care to test that theory out?"
Gabriel nodded. "Sure, name the time and place."
Rena stomped her foot down. "Stop it!" She looked at both of them with tears in her eyes. "I love both of you dearly. I can't stand it to see you fighting!"
Gabriel looked at Rena and nodded again. "I'm sorry, Rena." He turned away and walked to the window and looked out.
Dias glanced at Rena, then turned around and walked out of the room without a word.
*************************
"Damn. I thought we were going to get to see Gabriel in action!"
"Would have been nice."
"That Expellian needs to be knocked down a few notches."
"Gabriel would be the one to do it."
"I'd like to do it too."
"Berle, get a grip."
