Following dinner on their seventh night in Harris Lord Walter and Lady Paige sat in the temple of Athena. They were listening as the few people who chose to relate their own tales concerning Necromancers to Sylvester and Megan. It seemed each night fewer and fewer people came forward. Even fewer came to listen. As badly as people wanted to tell their experience, listening to others cooled their desires. Sean and Louise gave up after the first night. Veronica tried to hang in there but the second night was too much and she didn't even complete the night.

The men they'd brought to act as Sylvester's guard had been stricken by all the testimonies of the populace and had begged not to have to endure anymore. So Sir Frederick took it upon himself to stand as a bulwark to ensure that Sylvester was never abused by anyone. Not that anyone would do such a thing with Lord Walter right there. With each telling, Sir Frederick's eyes shone brightly with unshed tears. The last two nights, his own thoughts ranged back to that night three years ago when he lost his wife to Necromancers.

Megan had pleaded with Walter after the third night to forgive her and lift his judgment on her, but Walter refused her.

"I understand it is difficult Megan, you know not how my heart breaks with each story. Not only for the person telling the story but for you and Sylvester as well. It also breaks for all those who sit and listen. Just to remember why these lands have such laws against this form of magic. But, my judgment still stands, you will continue to endure. I am sorry." Lord Walter told her even as he kissed her cheek.

She begged her Mother and her sister to intercede on her behalf. While Louise had gone to her son she wasn't able to change his mind either. The Lady Paige hugged Megan tightly to her in compassion.

"I understand Megan, I truly do. The stories, it is all I can do to withstand them. But, I will not interfere with his judgment of you. He has to answer to Athena for what he judges and I will never attempt to sway what he knows she wants. But take heart, you only have a few nights left before this education is over for you. You can survive this." Paige told her softly.

"A few? Nearly three weeks worth." Megan cried.

"I understand Megan." Paige smiled sadly as she nodded.


Tonight's stories were the worst so far. Before the first person was finished over half of the people who had chosen to remind themselves of why they hated Necromancers had fled. By the third person all that was left of the town's people in the temple were the Clerics who normally attended. And there was still one who wished to recount their story. Mabel and her husband had left quite early. So now there were only seven other people in attendance.

"These stories are almost more than I can bear." Paige whispered softly to Walter.

Walter smiled sadly as he looked at her.

"This is not meant as a requirement of you my love. You are free to leave at any time. Or if you wish my love, we can adjourn together for the night and go for a stroll in town." Walter told her just as softly.

"No my love. I will not abuse my position to escape this torment. I'm here with you until the last word that wants to be heard has been spoken." Paige kissed his cheek.

Walter nodded as he pulled her tighter into his side.

As the third person finally closed, the final person shook their head and asked for forgiveness and left. They were unable to speak of the horror they witnessed with the open wounds the previous speakers had created.

"Well I believe that is all for this evening." Lord Walter cleared his throat before standing. "Sir Frederick, thank you for continuing to be here to protect Sylvester. I know it isn't easy."

"Think nothing of it my Lord. I only wish to serve to my utmost." Sir Frederick explained.

"My Lord." Sylvester interrupted as he stepped up to Lord Walter and Lady Paige. They watched as he knelt before them. "I would beseech you, my Lord. Please spare Megan from your judgment. I will happily bear this burden that my ignorance has brought upon us. I just plead you grant her mercy. Please grant her mercy and a reprieve from listening to these stories." Sylvester begged.

Lord Walter stared down at Sylvester for several long minutes. He could almost feel Megan's dreadful hope. Slowly his eyes closed as he considered what he felt over it.

"Very well Sylvester. I shall review my judgment against my sister this night." Lord Walter explained as he noticed Megan's despair increased.

"My love, shall we take that walk now?" Walter smiled at Paige as he ignored his sister's feelings.

"I'll need to check the twins first but after that, I would love to." Paige winked as she stood.

"As you know Sir Frederick, tomorrow morning we shall be departing Harris so we may venture on towards Terrance. Whoever the men are that you have selected to aid you in this duty, they need to start holding up their end of the responsibilities. It isn't your responsibility to sit night after night listening to these stories." Lord Walter told him.

"I do not mind it my Lord." Sir Frederick told him.

"But I do. You need your own respite for you bear a deep grief of your own. Do not think I do not remember my friend. I haven't forgotten that night as you were almost consumed by the undead minions of Necromancers. To lose the love of your life isn't easy and yet you endured to ensure your children always had a parent." Lord Walter told him as he clapped his hand onto his shoulder.

"As you will it my Lord." Sir Frederick bowed his head and Lord Walter left with his bride.

As they journeyed back to the Governor's mansion Paige inquired about Sir Frederick's past and how he lost his wife. Walter explained it in broad points, keeping it simple after all the sorrow they had already endured.


Happy had begged off of listening to the stories after dinner. She followed Lady Paige's advice and now she stood at the door to the forge of the blacksmith of Harris. She could hear the steady impacts of the heavy hammer against steel. She'd put this day off all week. Ever since the wise Lady had revealed that her Father was here she'd been apprehensive about coming here. But when Lady Paige asked her to come she quickly agreed.

Happy had made up her mind she wasn't going to seek him out. That is until they'd finished dinner when Lady Paige spoke softly with her. She reminded her that for her own good she needed to do it. She even offered to come with her but Happy had declined.

"Could you use a friend?" Toby said as he stepped up beside her.

"What are you doing here?" Happy asked.

"You're my friend…or, more than friend? We've never really talked about what we really are to each other. I figured you could use someone on your side." Toby told her honestly.

"What if he doesn't want me?" Happy said quietly.

"Well as the old saying goes, wouldn't it be better to know it than to just wonder?" Toby asked.

"He already gave me up once, I don't know if I could take it if he did it again." Happy explained.

"Happy, you aren't some child now. You are the best friend of the Lord and Lady of Scorpion Keep. You are greatly valued by many people. You are a passionate, intelligent, beautiful and talented young woman, one that I truly love." Toby said as Happy's eyes opened wide. Toby nodded before he continued. "He should be grateful that he was lucky you would even consider coming to see him." Toby told her.

"I wasn't prepared to hear that from you. But thank you for all you said. I guess I should get this over with." Happy said.

Toby nodded.

"You want me to come in with you or wait here, perhaps leave?" Toby asked.

"Wait here." Happy said before she turned and hugged him. She turned back and opened the door and stepped in.

"Unless it is an emergency, I'm not really open." Patrick said as the bells rang as the door closed while he worked without turning around. He'd been hiding himself in his smithy for the last couple of days.

"It's not really an emergency." Happy said softly.

Patrick's hammer froze as it struck the plow blade he was fixing.

"I would know that voice anywhere." Patrick said.

Tears pooled into Happy's eyes.

"Of course I've seen you in town all week." Patrick started.

Happy almost turned and ran at that. But his next words caused her to pause.

"I recognized you instantly the day you rode into town. You are every bit as beautiful as your Mother. You were looking pretty happy for the most part. You've clearly done well for yourself. Far better than you could have done with me. Best of friends with the Lord and Lady. His personal blacksmith." Patrick said as he stood looking out the window in front of him.

Tears ran down Happy's cheeks.

"This town was as close as I could come, to see you. My shame, it kept me from doing anything else. Then when you arrived with our Lord and Lady I thought, this is your chance Patrick. I walked up to you thirty times this past week. But each time I turned and walked away. Awashed in my shame mostly but too, I thought I couldn't take it if you rejected me. Not that I wouldn't deserve it after what I did. And a small part of me worried what Lord Walter would do if he met me. I saw all the men who were smitten with you, I wanted to thrash them all, but I had no right. Not after what I did to you. Especially that bum in the hat…forgive me, I didn't mean that." Patrick continued.

"Your steel is growing too cold." Happy told him.

"To hell with the steel. The steel means nothing, you have always meant everything." Patrick said as he threw his hammer to the floor and turned to see her. "And that was before your Mother came to me the other night and destroyed me for my shame."

They stood staring at each other for several long moments and then Patrick took a half step and Happy took a half step with him. The next they both closed the distance and crashed together as they hugged and began crying.

Toby stood on the other side of the door just listening as they cried and talked.


The next morning Mabel and her husband saw the Lord and Lady off on their journey. Lord Walter paused a moment to inform Sir Frederick he was to wait until Megan sat in the temple that night to listen to the next round of stories and then he was free to tell her she was released from his judgment. Lady Paige shook her head in disapproval.

Most of the citizens of Harris also turned out, watching and waving as the company departed out the southern gate.

Happy rode with mixed emotions after she let go of her Father's hand. Toby had held her most of the night as she cried after reconnecting with her Father. She was still so angry about everything but she really wanted to get over it.

They both promised to write and he was supposed to come to Brightsong once they returned to the Keep.

Happy rode next to her Mother as they left and quietly explained what happened when she met with her Father last night.

The Lady Paige rode her horse alongside her husband as they traveled. His charger still seemed adamant on her performing a song ever so often. The horse's antics brought much amusement to them.

Selase was walking along beside the wagon that Lisa rode in with the twins. She'd joined up with them before they left the Keep. Lord Walter had started to order her to return to the Keep but it wasn't often that Selase would walk. He knew this was a bit different than just her normal protective self so he relented and kept the thought to himself.

"Walter, where along the road did you rescue Sir Fredrick and his children?" Lady Paige asked as they made their way down the road.

Walter gave her a half smile as he gestured ahead of them.

"Perhaps another half hour or so was where we found his bride and children under siege." Walter told her.

Paige nodded as she looked ahead.

"I'd like to pause for a moment there if you don't mind." Paige told him.

"Of course not my beautiful bride. Whatever it is you want or need to do." Walter said even as he moved his charger a bit closer. He reached out with his right hand and took her left while they rode.

As they came up a small rise Lord Walter signaled for the company to halt. Climbing down he stepped to his wife and lifted her up and sat her upright on the ground before kissing her deeply.

"As best I recall, Sir Frederick's wife passed right over here." Walter told her as they walked over.

Paige said a small prayer before she walked back to the wagon with the twins and got a small potted plant out. With a small garden trowel and a skin of water in hand, she walked back out. Taking the florist's advice to heart she selected a spot that would have mostly shade throughout the day after about 10 am. Walter held out his hand but she waved him off as she stooped down and began digging a small hole. She carefully removed the small hosta plant and put it into the ground and covered it with some of the dirt she dug up. She watered it carefully before saying another little prayer.

Walter kissed Paige as she stood back up. As luck would have it while she put up the tool and skin Daithi was ready for his mid morning snack.

Walter chuckled as he gathered the reins of Paige's horse and climbed back up onto his charger. Once Paige was situated he resumed the company's journey.


As they reached the crossroad for the road that went to Lancaster, Terrance or back to Scorpion Keep, Paige frowned as Walter turned the company to go East towards Lancaster.

"Love?" Paige frowned as she matched his direction. "Why aren't we going on South to Terrance?"

"We're taking a slight detour, my love." Walter told her with a smile.

"I don't understand. You hadn't said anything. Did Lord Beyon need us?" Paige asked.

"Oh we're not going to Lancaster love. We'll take the road before Lancaster to travel down to Hesperia." Walter told her casually.

"Hesperia? But, why would we go there? You're not making sense Walter." Paige told him.

Walter grinned.

"By my estimation we'll get to Hesperia just before Father's Day. I figured we could pay our respects to your Father." Walter told her softly.

Tears welled up in Paige's eyes even as she nodded with a smile.

"I wish you had gotten to meet him. He would have loved you." Paige smiled.

Walter chuckled.

"About as much as any Father would love the suitor of their daughter I am sure." Walter grinned back.

"Are you saying you are going to be that man with our daughters?" Paige grinned.

"Have you met me?" Walter laughed. "I will probably be that way for our sons as well. I want to know that our childrens' partners are willing to stand their ground for who they love. I'm sure we can raise our children to be that way, but we have no assurance of the reciprocal measures the parents of their partners taught them." Lord Walter explained.

Paige just shook her head.

"Just don't get so caught up in it that you irritate Athena." Paige smiled.

"I will rely on you to help keep me from making such an error." Walter said.


Greetings! I hope this finds you all well! Here we are at the end of another leg of the journey. Next will be "Circles", my divergence story from Sharknerdo.

Railman - Thank you! So glad you enjoyed them!

LouBe - Thank you! So glad you have enjoyed them! I'm sure it will, I already have an idea for the next leg when they get to Hesperia! Yes, many times the early weapons and armor of Paladins are kept by the different temples as keepsakes. Sometimes they are given or loaned out to up and coming Paladins that are deemed worthy or show a flare of the Paladin the item used to belong to. Final items (what a Paladin is currently using) when they pass usually are given to their child who is becoming a Paladin or kept as family heirlooms. Lord Walter's hammer will never go to a temple like that. His original sword is in the temple in Brightsong. His current equipment would go to Ralph first, depending on the quality of items he has or pass down to Aine or on down if she has at least as good items.

Margaret - I am so sorry to hear that. But glad you finally felt good enough to try doing something you enjoy! Thank you!

Pearliegirl - hehe Glad you enjoyed it!

Susan - Thank you! So glad you have enjoyed it!

Marie Mac - Thank you and I will try! The idea is still there, it is the implementation of it that will take some thinking. Can't really say more as I don't want to give anything away. hehe Glad you have enjoyed it!

To the Adventure! -Tim