Carol's mine...Marjory is Lady Bevier's...Tyn is mine and Bev is Lady Bev's...not really.*Sniff.*Really, those two guys belong to David Eddings. And his wife, Leigh Eddings. She did come up with the names, you know. Smart lady. Good choice. ;) Remember, reviews are our friends, not food! And this is a group effort with Marjory...you can tell when she's writing...it's funny! :D

That evening, they stopped at a farm house. "Do you think this is Aslade's?" Marjory asked.

Carol shrugged. "So long as they have food, who cares?" Marjory "Mmm'ed" in agreeance. The door to the farm house burst open and a large, blond man could be seen standing in the entrance.

"Sparhawk!" he called back into the house, "Bevier and Tynian are finally back." He glanced back at Bevier and Tynian and could be seen doing a double take. "They, um, brought...friends?"

"Are you thinking that's who I'm thinking it is?" Marjory asked excitedly.

"No Marjory, Ulath doesn't speak that much."

Marjory shot Carol an exasperated glance. "It's Kalten! The human time clock and garbage disposal in the Elenium series!"

"Oh yeah!" Carol said. She and Marjory exchanged broad grins as Bevier and Tynian helped them dismount in front of the house. As their feet touched the ground, Sparhawk came to the door. He looked just as surprised as Kalten had at Bevier and Tynian's "new friends."

"SPARKIE!" Marjory said, throwing her arms wide. "Come and give me a hug, you big broken nosed, robbing the cradle man you!!" Sparhawk stared at her as if she were mad.

Carol looked at Marjory skeptically. "Okay, robbing the cradle I agree with, and broken-nosed can't be argued with...but Sparkie?"

Marjory huffed, "Giving a person a nickname the quickest way to make friends and put the involved parties at their ease. Everyone knows that!" Carol nodded thoughtfully, then turned to Sparhawk and Kalten.

"Well," she said to Kalten, "Sparkie is taken, but we can call you Spike!" Kalten backed slowly into the farm house, eyes wide with...Carol and Marjory could have sworn it was fear, but both decided privately that he was overawed with their generosity.

Tynian sighed and glanced at Bevier. "How did we get lucky enough to escape nicknames?" he asked softly and sarcastically.

Unfortunately, not softly enough... "We call you two 'love'!" Marjory said, whirling to face them.

"Honey-buns!" Carol added.

"Sweet cakes!"

"Muffin tin!"

"Sugar pie..." Marjory started singing and Carol added "honey-bunch!" and together they finished with "you know that I love you!"

They were interrupted with Aslade standing in the door, wooden spoon in one hand and fists on her hips. "What is going on out here? And when did you two start courting helpless young women?"

This remark rendered both knights temporarily dumb with shock. Tynian was the first to recover.

"No! No! Nononononononono! This is not what it appears! We - that is - I mean ….We just…found them! Wandering around the woods!"

"Oh really?" she replied scathingly.

"Yes! Really!"

Bevier was still immobilized. He looked from the girls to Aslade and back again wildly several times..

"Helpless…young…women?" he finally managed in disbelief.

"Oh yes!" squealed Carol, clasping her hands beneath her chin and fluttering her eyelashes at Tynian, "We were all lost in the woods, and we were so frightened! And then these gracious and noble gentlemen saved us!"

"Alas, t'was it so!" cried Marjory, taking her cue from Carol and throwing a rapturous expression on her face. "We were beset upon by bandits and ruffians, and were about to give up hope, when our heroes rescued us from a fate worse than death!" She threw her hand upon her forehead dramatically.

"You must be traumatized." remarked Sparhawk, although it wasn't clear which pair he was talking to.

"Alas, alack, you are right, Good Sir!" gushed Carol.

"We are most fatigued and distressed, us being such delicate and helpless females…" quivered Marjory, before swooning gracefully into the unwilling arms of Bevier. As Carol followed suit, Tynian considered moving out the way, but with a resigned expression he caught her mid-faint. Exchanging pained looks, the two knights made their way into the cottage carrying the "helpless young women".