Author's Notes: damn this one went up late tonight. sorry about that. I went running today and I couldn't seem to get anything done no matter what I set out to. Yeah also come on people! Give me some feedback here! Not that I don't appreciate all the feedback I've gotten so far. You guys are wonderful just like always but some more just helps feed the muse you know? Anyways, yeah. I'm going to go collapse in bed with my wife, the dog, and the cat now. Love you guys!

Chapter 4

Alex sighed as she walked into the tavern. She blinked at the sudden darkness as she moved into the dark building. She smiled at Jack and moved towards the back corner to see Serena. "How's the ankle?" She asked seeing her friend eating lunch. It was quiet now thankfully the soldiers were busy training for the day.

"It's doing okay. Thanks for coming by the other night. I know it's not the most pleasant place to be."

Alex looked down and nodded, "Yeah. It's fine. You can probably unwrap it and walk on it but just be careful to make sure it doesn't start to swell."

Serena nodded, "Have you eaten? I'm sure Jack won't mind if I get extra for you."

"I'm not hungry but thank you." Alex rose to her feet knowing she had other things to do for the day.

"Alex, you don't have to only come around when Adam or I are injured you know? We both love to see you."

Alex smiled at her friend and nodded but didn't say anything.

"Is she still pushing everyone away?" Jack asked as he moved towards Serena.

Serena frowned and nodded, "She is but she's got her reasons. I just hope the soldiers don't go after her again. I don't think they can do anymore damage to her that they haven't already done."

Neither realized sitting in the corner the cloaked stranger listened to every word of their conversation.

Alex pulled a weed from close to her herb garden. She didn't want to let anything get at her herbs. She stood up wiping her hands on the apron of her dress and sighed as she moved to pick up her bag knowing she was going to need a few of these to take back with her.

She glanced up when she heard what sounded like a tree branch break. She waited poised to move but when nothing happened she went back to pulling what she would need. When she finally had everything sorted and settled in her bag she stood up only to be greeted by a pair of beautiful soulful brown eyes.

They remained locked before the other person looked past her to her little garden. She straightened her back staring back at the stranger.

"You know your little garden here is completely illegal." The stranger started and then shifted pulling back the hood of her cloak to reveal a beautifully sculpted face with warm caramel skin to match the rich brown eyes Alex had just previously been drowning in.

"And who are you to judge what I choose to do to help save my village?" Alex snapped angrily looking down at the beautiful dark woman with flashing blue eyes. It was the same arrogance and poise that had made her a target for the soldiers but at that moment she could focus on nothing else to defend herself from the stranger standing so close to her. Though she'd never admit it if questioned, her knees felt a bit weak in a way they'd never felt before and the stranger's scent was intoxicating. Sandalwood and leather and a bit of something sweet yet spicy, it was a heady yet odd aroma that she wondered if she'd ever have that reaction to anyone else.

Olivia for her part was stunned to silence. The blonde healer had been incredible looking at a distance but up close no woman she'd ever laid eyes on could even hold a candle to her. Olivia's lips parted as she suddenly found her eyes drawn to the beautiful blonde's lips and soft white skin. She was shocked at her coloring even the little blonde that hit on her in the tavern had some color to her. This woman appeared to be of the same coloring as the King's eldest daughter who Olivia had glanced at once or twice in passing with an admiring eye but nothing more.

Finally realizing the blonde had spoken she managed to pick up her slightly slack jaw and reply. "You should take better care to hide it. The soldiers catch wind of this and you'll be tried and hanged for it."

"So be it if that's what it takes to protect my village." Alex's reply was haughty but she didn't say it to just be. She meant every word.

Olivia smiled easily hearing the arrogance in the woman's voice. "So you would give up your life for this? You're their healer right? Wouldn't you do them more good alive then dead?"

"And wouldn't I be better able to attend to my duties as their healer with the proper herbs to heal them?" Alex snapped back easily deflecting that argument.

Olivia glanced down and nodded, "I suppose so. Be careful about who sees this. Don't let anyone know." She took a step back giving a slight bow like she would the Princess. "My lady, I hope I've not offended you in any way merely I wish to see to it that you're beautiful neck stays as far away from the noose as possible."

"You didn't offend me but it's my decision to keep my neck the way it is or have my entire village die because I cannot treat them with the herbs I do not possess."

Alex watched as the woman merely smiled and gave a small nod. "Then be discrete in who you show this too and next time, don't take such a well-worn path to get here. It's a dead give-away."

Alex's lips parted to say something smart but nothing came out. The stranger merely smiled and turned away walking back down the path without saying another word to her.

"Would you like another glass of port Olivia?"

Olivia smiled at Serena and shook her head, "No thank you but perhaps you can tell me something."

"Of course, anything you like." Serena batted her pretty blue eyes and Olivia looked down then back up trying to flirt a bit.

"Are you friends with your village's healer?"

"Do you need her services?" Serena asked immediately glancing over Olivia's body. Since she'd been in the village Olivia had carefully kept her clothing from that of a warrior's to that of a traveler. She wore rough cotton pants and a shirt much like that a man would wear but still with her figure she cut a gorgeous figure. She wasn't exactly comfortable dressing like a woman in any aspect. She liked to be able to defend herself and dresses just weren't the easiest thing to move in in the middle of battle.

"No not at all lovely, I've just seen her around. And when she was here last night well it seemed that she drew a lot of interest. I was merely curious why."

Serena frowned and sighed, "It's a long story."

"I have time if you do. It's surprisingly slow tonight." Olivia pointed out glancing around. The soldiers had come and gone though they had obviously taken with them a few of the barmaids and they'd tried to take Serena but the pretty blonde resisted and stayed behind when the bartender whom she'd learned owned the tavern and inn put a stop to their behavior.

Serena moved setting the pitcher she was carrying down and then looked at Olivia. "If you haven't noticed, the soldiers don't take hearing no very well at all. In fact they pretty much run this town. No one can put a stop to them; the only reason they were stopped tonight is because their officer was here and told them to stop."

Olivia nodded; during her stay here that was definitely what she'd noticed. The soldiers ran this town and they took whatever they wanted. They were no better than the barbarians they were sent here to defend against.

Serena reached out playing with the handle of the wine pitcher. "Alex's mother was our healer before her. Alex is our healer's name. Anyways she trained her daughter in the arts but she and Alex's father didn't take too kindly to the soldiers trying to them what to do. Her father was the patron, our version of head of the town. He stood up to them and he taught her to stand up for herself. They didn't take too kindly to being told off by the prettiest girl in the village. And they didn't like the way the Patron treated them with what they felt was a lack of respect." Serena paused taking a breath before continuing. "They take what they want so you can imagine what happened when they set their sights on Alex."

Olivia felt sick as she listened to the details of what happened to Alex. It was no wonder the woman had kept up her cold demeanor around the soldiers and her in the woods. Even though she didn't know that Olivia was one of them she still maintained a lack of attachment to well from what she'd observed of the woman kept everything away from her. She sighed softly. "They haven't heard you had they?"

"Alex got the brunt of it. Even now they want to teach her her place but she keeps herself away from them. But they could go to her any time at night. She lives alone. No family…not anymore. I try to get her to come and stay with me but she doesn't want to do that. Hopefully for now she's safe but if they get bored there's no telling."

"Serena?" Jack's voice carried across the tavern.

"I better get back to work." Serena gave her a smile and Olivia smiled back as tempted as she was to ask the blonde for a night of company she decided against it. Instead she laid down payment for her meal and drink and a little bit extra and went to check on Alex realizing now that the beautiful blonde may get seriously hurt if she didn't…again…and she wouldn't be able to live with herself if that happened.