Chapter 21

Rolling the dress up she moved back to shove it under the bed again and then sat on the edge of the bed and she sighed, this place was lonely without her sister and she needed her as much as her sister needed Kait.

Feeling guilty for not going with her, she stood up and moved to the door and down the hallway to Marstoq's office and knocked. His soft deep voice called, "Enter mother."

Kait poked her head in and smiled, "Sorry wrong knocker, it is me."

Mars smiled and entreated her to enter. "Kaitlin come in, where is mother? I would have expected her to be at the door."

Kait slid in and look a bit guilty. "Marstoq she is gone, she has packed her things and she has left."

Mars stood up knocking his chair over, "She what?"

Kait nodded, "She was leaving to go to the other side of the island this morning and I was going to go with her but I was kind of sleepy and really was not ready to leave."

Marstoq began to pace furiously back and forth. "She was upset with me yesterday when she left my office and now you say she has packed her things and left?"

Kait nodded, "I am not sure but I think it has something to do her scent thing."

Mars relaxed and sighed, "Then you say she is gong so she will be returning?"

Kait shrugged, "Why would she pack all her clothing if she was going to return?"

Mars moved down the hallway to his mother's room. Entering the room, he moved to her closet and saw the clothing was gone. "She took all her clothing?"

Kait looked to the bed and then to Mars, "All but one dress." Kait moved to the bed and pulled out the dress from beneath the bed and handed it to Mars.

Mars unfolded the dress his face went pale seeing the amount of blood that soaked the dress. "Did she tell you about this?"

Kait shook her head, "I found it that way stuffed under the bed.

Mars examined the dress and saw the holes that could only have been made by arrows and then there was the amount of blood that had soaked the back and front of the dress and he frowned. "I am not sure I like this, did she appear injured?"

From the doorway a soft voice spoke, "I think she was raped Captain Marstoq but she refuses to say anything about it."

Rage cold and ragged filled the young hybrid scros face as he looked at the dress and then to the window. "Why would you say that Olorian?"

The Ranger moved into the room and gently tugged the dress from his hands. "Because when she returned here yesterday she was wearing this dress and went immediately to the bathing chambers to take a bath. When I asked her if she was hurt she told me she had healed herself. I saw the bruises on her wrists and the scratches across her chest."

He noted Marstoq raising his eyebrow. Olorian rushed to explain. "The only reason I saw those things was I wanted to speak with her while she was in the bathing chambers. My intent truly was honorable and my desire only to help her. She was upset and she tried to hide what this was from everyone and refused to acknowledge that it happened."

Marstoq looked curiously to Olorian, "Why did you ask for admission to the bathing chambers if you knew she was in there?" Olorian sighed and looked down, "I suspected what had happened and I was not sure it was because of her condition. "

He looked over to the window that faced the street "I had to reassure myself that she was still not hurt. So, I followed her to the bathing chambers and wanted to reassure myself if she needed stronger healing. I was prepared to offer that to her."

Olorian looked back to Kait and Marstoq. "I waited for her to open the door and she did, that I figured was when she got out of the tub and put a towel around her to allow me access to the bathing chambers. That is when I observed the damage to her wrists and her chest."

Marstoq began to curse in scro pacing back and forth, "It was bad enough that I said a very thoughtless thing to her and then to have this happen. Are you sure you think she was raped?"

Olorian shrugged, "I only know what I had to deal with when we went to a village and a hoard of orcs had moved through and raped several of the women there and killed many. I spent time with the some of the village women and they were acting just like your mother did last night."

Once again the air seemed to be tuning blue with the expletives that were coming out of Marstoq's swearing in scro. "I let her down."

Kait had stood silently in the door way her own guilt eating her alive, she slowly withdrew from the room and the two men as they discussed the semantics of rape and its aftermath on females and the families she slipped down the stairs and moved out of the door headed to temple.

Rushing towards the temple she skittered to a halt in the center of the common room. Looking around and hoping beyond hope of seeing M'lar there. Rosemary stepped from her bedroom and paused, "Kait?"

Kaitlin smiled at her dear friend. "Hello Rosemary, have you seen M'lar this morning?" Rosemary was dressed in her own Ranger's clothing and was preparing to go into the wood. "I saw her this morning when she came to kiss Gillian good bye and told Jodi to prepare to bring her to the Village when she sent word."

Kait sighed deeply and slipped down on the top alter step. "I think she is not coming back to this side of the island."

Rosemary frowned and shook her head. "Why would you say that after all the money she has spent into putting this temple together for Oghma?"

Kait sighed, "She and Marstoq argued and he was very mean to her and she is in scent and she is having a horrible time with it and I am not sure but when she said goodbye this morning it was goodbye but not just good bye see you later but goodbye as in goodbye I won't be coming back goodbye!"

Even Rosemary was amazed at how Kait could say so much in one breath. "I am sure you are mistaken my dear, she just would not leave this temple and all her friends over a silly argument with Marstoq."

Kait thought a moment and looked at her friend hopefully, "You think she was just being M'lar in scent and not thinking clearly and having her feelings hurt?"

The sound of shoes scraping on the doorstop was heard and Rosemary looked over and smiled seeing Shayla with an arm full of wild flowers. "Good morning ladies! How are you all today?" She moved to sit next to Kait and paused, "Don't answer that Kait, I don't need a running commentary on what is wrong with the day. I need sunshine and happiness so I need M'lar."

Kait looked down and felt the prick of tears and then she sniffed. Rose and Shay noted her despondent downward look and both looked at each other curiously fixing their stare to Shayla. "What? I was not being mean I just don't need Kait speak today! I need happiness and a bit of wildness to go with the happiness. So I need M'lar where is she?"

Kait sighed and looked down, "She is gone." Shayla looked around. "To where?"

Rosemary supplied the answer to give Kait a chance to compose her self. "The other side of the island apparently she is moving to the fishing village and leaving the side of the island because of a fight with Marstoq."

Shayla popped up and frowned then started pacing, "No, no, no that will not due. Just because she got her panties in a bunch does not allow her to run away from all of us. She has an obligation to us to keep us happy and centered on what is important in life so there is no way I am going to allow her to live on the other side of the island. That would be most inconvenient."

Kait stood up dashing the hint of tears from her eyes and nodded, "Yes, that is right she must return, but how are we going to get her back here?"

Shayla smiled sniffed her wild flowers and then dumped them on Kait, "Leave that to me, I will put this nonsense to rest once and for all."

With that Shayla bounced out of the room and headed down the road to the House of Shadows. She was about to assign her top man to the job of locating M'lar and dragging her ass back here kicking and screaming but dragging it back nonetheless.

Ebony plodded along the main road to the Fishing Village. It had been a while since she had been to the Village and she was actually looking forward to going to that side of the island. At least there they accepted her for who she was and not what she was.

The small community accepted all new comers but especially a councilwoman, which made her think of whether or not she wished to continue as a member of the island's council. Ebony was feeling hot and wanting to find water and drink, she had already been in saddle for over four hours and the day was growing warmer.

"Another four miles buddy, and then we both will take a break, my butt is sore and I need to stretch." He bobbed his head, blew out some bug boogers and plodded forward. She knew up ahead was a nice shady spot near the woods but not too near and a wonderful cool mountain stream flowed with its icy coolness.

She would wet her bandanna and tie it around her neck and bathe her face and body to cool her over heated body. It would also be a good place to fill her canteen. She had passed a few farms and was easily recognized by those that occupied farms because she had made it a point to know them to come out and meet them. The children gaily waved to her and she waved back.

Her plans had been pretty well set, she would make camp at dusk and figured she would be one third of the way there. Once she got to the village she would look for a place of employment, then she would try and find a place to live. She vaguely remembered an inn or canteen near the docks.

Though they had docks their fare was much different than New Damara's docks. Where the docks in New Damara were very busy and filled with huge ships, the ships in the village were more for bringing in fish and supporting the village with its trade as a fishing village.

Glancing up ahead she saw her goal and smiled, spoke encouragingly to Ebony patting his neck. She had to admit she was ready for some cool water and a bite of hard tack. She knew Ebony was ready to rest and graze after a cooling drink.

Ebony could smell the cool water and sense her elation and was ready to take a break, if she was not going to let him run the least she could do was give him the apple he knew she had packed and let him have a little grass and a nice long cool drink. So he picked up his pace and began to trot towards the smell of water.

M'lar chuckled and allowed him his little spunky push. "Easy boy we take a break for an hour then we are off again, so don't get too cocky." Seeing the first part of their goal up ahead she guided Rooney, the packhorse and Ebony towards the water.

Finding a nice cool spot she knew she would eat a little and then feed the horses an apple apiece and maybe take a small nap. Reining in Ebony she jumped down and felt her muscles scream as she let the tightness of being in the saddle.

Moving both horses to the stream bed she unhitched them from their leads and let them drink, then pulling some of the burden from their backs she turned them loose to graze, tethering them to the ground. Pulling out a blanket she spread it out near the streambed.

Finding two very nice apples she smiled and spoke softly to Ebony as he ate the apple from her hand, "Yeah you are such a good boy today. No baths of buggy boogers for me so I won't call you a bag of bones."

Turning she pulled the weight of the packs and provisions from Rooney's back. "Hey old man we going slow enough for you?" She searched for an apple and gave it to him and watched him politely take the apple. Delicately nibbling into the apple he eyed her with his expressive brown eyes chewing slowly. He also kept and eye on Ebony thinking Eb, might try to steel his apple from him. M'lar smiled watching his ears express his feelings with the way they flicked.

M'lar laughed, "You two are worse than a couple of kids, Ebony, go eat some grass, give the old man his apple and leave him alone."

Ebony in fact had been waiting for Rooney to finish so he could go over and nibble up the discard and fall outs from the crunchy apple. "You know they both love you and they would do whatever you wanted them to do, the one that you call Ebony only blows his nose on you to keep your attention, while the old man there has never been happier since you saved him from that mean farmer."

M'lar heard the voice and spun around to see a tall Sylvan Wood Elf. "Hello." She said softly and he smiled, "Hello, not from around here I would suspect."

M'lar was immediately on her guard not recognizing the tall and she did mean extremely tall sylvan elf. "No, I am on my way to the fishing village."

He smiled and it was an easy smile, "And you are?"

He walked up and both horses immediately began to bond with him. "Yah I know she seems pretty nice."

He turned and that easy smile was ready and not condemning, "Pax Kilburn." He held out his calloused hand and she could see the tattoos that were painted on his long arms and the ones on his back that denoted him as a true sylvan.

"Wood runner?" She asked softly since he seemed to have charmed both her horses.

"Sure am." He nodded with a smile "And do I call you pretty lady or do you have a name?"

M'lar flushed, "Sorry," she felt his fingers curl around her fingers and give her a firm hand shake. "M'lar."

He nodded and studied her from a side angel. "Not full elf I see." She stiffened and had made it a point to only give him her fingertips in the shake she kept some distanced between them.

"No, half."

He nodded and turned to help her take the rest of the pack off the back of Rooney. "He is tired and needs this break so lets give his back a lighter load to graze."

M'lar smiled, "Beast master?"

Again that short quick nod and he seemed to tower over her much as Seerik did when he came around her. "Yes, and right now he is wanting a drink, some food and a little nap by the stream."

M'lar smiled and nodded, "I was thinking the same thing."

He looked around and then frowned, "You were going to do that alone without someone to watch out for you?"

M'lar sighed and nodded, "My sister was going to come but she kind of backed out so yah, I got up at 3 and well I am tired and I have another thirty miles to make today."

Pax looked around and nodded, "I see so why not take that nap, I will wake you and we can make that journey together."

M'lar was conflicted, she knew she could trust a Ranger wood runner, that he would not let harm come to her horses and she knew that a part of him would not allow her to be hurt. He was not a blade singer but he was an elf and historically they hated her. "You really don't have to stay, I am perfectly safe here."

Pax nodded and looked around once again she noted how his nostrils flared, as he seemed to be sniffing something in the air. "Why don't you go on and lay down I know you look tired and I will watch out for you."

M'lar knew it was next to hopeless to argue with a Wood runner and for that matter an apparent beast master. Stifling a yawn she moved to the blanket that she laid out under the tree and laid down. Feeling the heat and her exhaustion she drifted off to sleep. Her dreams came and she found she was once again chained in Tarin's dungeon. Vampires with red glowing eyes drifted towards her.

Those shifted and became life-sucking shadows that touched her with their chill. Those images shifted and then there as the face of the Darrin that had hurt her far worse than those nightmares. They terrified her beyond anything else including the raid on the temple.

Her brow beaded with sweat and her face clouded with her fear and her pain. She twisted to the side rolling into a fetal position. The twang of a bow, and the thunk of the arrow and she sat up and opened her mouth to scream.

She felt the hard clamp of a hand clamp over her mouth and a voice soft but warning. "We are under attack, I have taken the horses and your provisions to a safe spot, then I came back to get you but could not awaken you. So I rolled you into this blanket and we are now running and hiding."

M'lar was alert, she felt the constrictors of the blanket and the tightness of his hold on her body. There it was again the sound of the twang of the bow and the hiss of the shaft and a thunk nearby. She nodded her understanding and waited while he set her down in the shadows. She felt the blanket sliding to the ground and releasing her from its hold.

Fear of another kind and the hint of her scent and she knew what had attracted the Orc hunting party it was her scent. Though she had taken the hypo spray and injected it to block her own desires, the scent was heavy on her body with her sweat. She was secreting a great deal of the odor that called to the very nature of scro and Orc and if they found her and him he would be killed and she would be raped to death.

"Let me lead them away from you and the horses and you can meet up with me about two miles down this road, there is a watermill that churns the grain for the farmers there should be no one about this time of the day, they will be in the fields, grain grinding is not for another six weeks."

Pax shook his head. "There are only six of them, if you can handle one I can handle the other five."

M'lar looked at him thinking he had lost his rabbit assed mind as she shook her head. "Have you fought orcs before?"

Pax smiled and it was not a pleasant smile, slipping along the shadows of the woods line he stooped and hefted one of the largest axes she had ever seen. "Many times. So can you handle one?"

M'lar smiled, "More than you think, so why don't I take 3 and you take two."

He laughed, "You are spunky come on." M'lar sighed and looked at the woods and then stepped into view and began to shout out in scro and orc. "You want me big boys come and get me!"

She slipped off her gnomish armor top and stood full breasted in her tank top and leather pants. From the east, north and south, the six male orcs snorting and smiling moved into view. Their eyes were glazing over with the lust of her scent and then began to cajole and laugh. "She is half elf this will be fun. We can have her and then eat her."

The one leader of the group narrowed his eyes and looked at the tiny female that stood proudly before them. "Wait, look at her. She is not only half elf she is half scro!"

The howl went out and they laughed, "One million in gold for whomever brings her back alive!"

The leader shouted. The other Orcs looked at her in awe, "She is the one that was hinted and talked about around the tribal fires. The one that Gruumsh hoped to make and was not successful, he mad the scro instead."

The argument ended as the wind lifted and her scent filled their nostrils. "Oh she is all scro right now and ripe for the taking, the bounty said nothing about undamaged just alive."

The largest and the dumbest of the six smiled, "Me first."

He advanced on his prey and she went into a T stance. The large oaf grabbed for her and she in a wink of an eye had rushed forward, used his body to climb up and over his shoulders and land on his back with her legs around his neck and she twisted and when she did there was this noticeable loud snapping sound of his neck breaking.

Pax watched amazed and smiled, "Damn I like her." Moving into view he smiled and slapped his axe blunt end on his fist. "Now who is next?" Lifting his axe he began to twirl it over his head and advanced swinging and slamming the axe in to first one and then another.

Before the battle had ended they both were covered from head to toe in Orc blood. The only two standing was the tall sylvan elf and the breed. M'lar was panting with the exertion she had used. Her body tired and scratched and a cut on her arm was the only damage she had taken from the foray and that was because she had not brought a staff to use.

Sliding down to the ground she looked around at the body count. "We could drag them together and I can burn their bodies."

Pax cocked his head. "You really part scro?"

M'lar began to drag the heavy three hundred pound bodies of the warriors together into a makeshift pile and did not answer right away. Pax waited, for her answer. Seeing she was not about to tell him, he shrugged and began to help her stack the bodies.

There they lay all in a nice neat pile. "Yes, I am part scro and yes there is a bounty on me by the scro Navy for one million gold. Do you plan to collect it?"

Pax chuckled and it was a deep laugh from the deepest part of his chest. "No, what would do I with money, I live in the woods."

M'lar relaxed. "They were following you not because you were scro but because of what your body is telling them?"

He stated it plainly. She nodded, "For my kind it is the time of scent, and as this time comes closer to the time to procreate the scent grows stronger, I thought I would take this trip using the back roads to the village so that by the time I got there the time would have passed."

Pax moved back watching her chant. "Priestess."

He muttered as she summoned flames. He watched impassively the flames that shot out from her palms. She hit true on the pile of dead Orcs. Stepping back she moved to the jacket she had thrown on the ground and then sighed looking at her arm, she chanted again, and began to cast~ cure light wounds~ and watched as her wound closed and left her arm basically clear of any sign of injury.

"Thank you Pax, I would have I am sure been raped and left for dead or worse put on the next spell jammer headed to wild space and the scro navy."

He stepped away from the smell of burning flesh and moved towards the streambed. "You said there is a grain mill close by?"

She nodded, "About a mile down this roadway."

Pax looked to the west, "Might be a good place for you to make camp tonight since it looks like a thunder head moving in and from the smell of the air, it is going to be a gully washer."