-Chapter Twenty-one-

Lana dressed and strapped on her weapons and rucksack as Casavir sat on the edge of the bed grimly watching her. He knew she was determined to battle Lorne on her own and nothing he could say would persuade her.

She stood looking at him, uncertainty etched across her face. "Casavir, if this should be the last time we…" Lana uttered, the words catching in her throat.

Casavir rose and stood before her. He gripped her upper arms, starring into her eyes. "No my lady, do not finish that sentence. This will not be our last time. I will see you again after you have won. It is just another battle like so many before. Of that I am certain," he said, his face grim with determination.

He hoped his voice did not betray the uncertainty and fear he felt in his heart. He had to be strong for her, weakness was the enemy. If she made one false move or had any doubts, they would be her last. He could not let her falter.

Casavir pulled her again into a tight embrace, trying to lend his strength to her. Lana returned his embrace, leaning into him and nuzzling her cheek into his bare chest. He broke their embrace to kiss her lips.

Their kiss was longing, the passion of earlier replaced with tenderness. He held her close, encompassing her.

Lana drew away finally. "Casavir, I must go. If I don't now, I never will. Please, don't make this harder. You know my only wish is to stay here with you."

"While that is not my intention, the idea has merit," he smiled gently at her. "Then go. The sooner you go, the sooner you will return. Lana, just remember that I am with you always."

Lana started a moment as she realized he had called her by name, not "my lady" but did not comment. She left without another word to meet her fate.

Casavir sat back onto the edge of the bed contemplating. He knew sleep would not come and rose to dress, desiring company of the others.

He entered the main room of the Sunken Flagon to find Khelgar and Sand sitting together at a table, each nursing their drinks. Bishop was at his customary spot against the mantle with his usual sneer on his face and a mug near his leaning arm. Shandra, Neeshka and Qara were huddled together at another table with their heads bent together in quiet conversation while Grobnar was sitting by the fire playing a solemn tune on his lute.

The women only looked up momentarily and nodded in his direction. Sand and Khelgar each greeted him as he grabbed a mug of ale and joined them at their table.

"Tight spot this time, aye?" Khelgar rumbled grimly. Casavir only sighed in agreement and Sand nodded.

"If there was only more to do, seems so unfair. The lass won fair and square, isn't right I tell ya," Khelgar muttered angrily. "The lass cannot take on that bear alone."

"It is her wish. I have already offered to champion her. She refused me," Casavir replied stonily.

"I thought our dear leader would deny you nothing pally. Slipping are we?" came Bishop's snarl from behind Casavir, drink in hand.

"Not now Bishop. I do not want to put up with you tonight," Casavir muttered.

"What? Did I say something wrong? Just seems a real man should be helping her. You must not be up to the task," Bishop taunted.

Khelgar leapt to his feet. "If it's a fight yer aimin' for, I'm your man!" Khelgar boomed.

Bishop stood smirking at them. "I'm just saying that it seems a real man should be fighting that filthy Luskan, not Lana," he finished in false meekness.

Casavir and Sand sat, clenching their jaws but not willing to further antagonize the situation.

Khelgar stood looking at Bishop, thoughts roiling through the dwarf's mind. "Ya know yer right ya whelp! Why are we sittin' here like warts on a toad?!" he boomed.

Khelgar turned abruptly and stormed off to his room. He returned to the main room with his gear strapped on his back and without a word, threw open the front door slamming it behind him.

"Well, that was… interesting," Sand commented sardonically.

Casavir nodded, staring into his mug. She said she had to do this. Lana will not let Khelgar fight if she would not allow me to in her stead. Would she?

Bishop pulled up a chair, uninvited. "That was not what I expected. Huh," he grunted as he took a swig from his mug.

Sand sat back in his chair staring at Bishop as if he had belched in his face. "Well what did you expect? You mean to tell me you planned this?" he asked aghast.

Bishop only shrugged and took a long pull from his ale.

The three sat in uncomfortable silence for several minutes when Sand abruptly stood. "I forgot that I, um, need to visit my shop. The elemental shop keeper is malfunctioning," he stammered and whisked out of the Sunken Flagon in a flurry of robes.

Bishop and Casavir shot each other questioning looks.

"Whatever," Bishop shrugged as he took another long drink. "So pally, gonna sit here all night and stare at that drink? You really are an ass," Bishop snarled as he stood.

He stared with disgust at Casavir, "The air seems… stuffy in here." He turned and left but not before grabbing his bow and gear from around the corner of the wall near the mantle.

Casavir watched the ranger leave. Odd. He had his equipment packed. What in the nine hells is going on?

Casavir abruptly rose, pushing his chair roughly from behind him and running to his room.

That bastard means to see Lana and try to be her champion. He had this planned all along! I think not!

He swiftly threw on his armor, years of doing so making the task second nature. As he strapped on his sword, he noticed his old ritual flask sitting on the nightstand.

Why had I not thought of that before? He quickly grabbed the flask and shoved it into his waiting rucksack.

Trust that ranger to take advantage of a situation. He had this planned! An evening with Lana, her guard down and he the valiant companion come to comfort her through the night. What was I thinking?! Idiot!

Casavir bolted through the streets of Neverwinter toward the temple as his anger seethed.

I'm going to pummel that damn ranger if it's the last thing I ever do! What is his game? Damn him to the hells! If he does anything to her, I swear I will kill him.

He ran through the Merchant Quarter gates and approached the temple. He stood staring at the entrance, not wanting to storm in but unsure what action to take.

Casavir entered the temple and stood looking, uncertain of his next move when he heard Lana and Bishop's raised voices from a side room. He silently approached to door, noticing that it was slightly open and pressed himself against the wall to listen.

"Damn it girl, listen to reason! You can't fight this bastard alone!" Bishop growled.

"No Bishop, I have to do this alone. You can't do it for me."

"At least let me help you."

"I have to do this honorably; it's the only way to truly clear my name."

Casavir nodded his silent agreement at Lana's words. He was pleased to hear her sense of honor in the face of temptation. It would have been easy to allow Bishop to launch a well placed arrow into Lorne's head.

"Okay, but at least listen. I've seen Lorne fight and I don't want to be bored tomorrow. Lorne's barely keeping it together at the best of times. I could tell at the trial, he wanted to fight you then and there - not the sign of someone in control. So do this - keep hitting him, but stay out of reach. He won't have any ranged weapons, he likes that falchion too much to fight smart. He doesn't like being weighed down with armor, so you shouldn't have trouble hitting him, so keep hitting him and hitting him and don't stop." Bishop told her grimly.

"And what's this going to accomplish?"

"At some point, he's going to lose it completely, go berserk - he'll be most dangerous then, but that's when you know you've got him desperate. He's not going to spare you, not after all Luskan went through to get you."

"Thank you Bishop. You are right and I will take all you have said into advisement," Lana said after a moment's pause.

Bishop said almost too quietly for him to hear, "Lana, let's just run off. No one would ever find us. We can hide, live off the land. We could go somewhere no one knows us and keep each other warm at night. You know you want to. This isn't what you want, I know it."

Casavir held his breath, I knew it! I knew he was still after her. Still sniffing, hoping for a whiff like a dog in heat.

He waited in what seemed forever before Lana answered.

"Bishop, your offer is flattering and, I admit, tempting but I cannot. I must do this and you know it. Please understand," she replied firmly.

Casavir exhaled softly and quietly went to wait outside the temple. He didn't need to hear anymore and did not want Lana to know he had eavesdropped.

This ends now! That ranger is up to no good and now she's turned him down. I know he's up to something.

A few minutes later, Bishop exited the temple doors. Casavir grabbed a fist full of Bishop's soft leather armor and slammed him into the wall hard while thrusting a dagger against Bishop's neck.

Bishop grunted as the air was forced out of his lungs.

"I knew I smelled something foul, and here you are," Bishop glowered.

"I do not know what your intentions are with Lana, nor do I care but whatever you're planning won't work. I am warning you to stay away from her," Casavir said menacingly.

"Or what? You'll smite me? You don't have the guts you bastard."

Casavir pushed harder with flat of the blade against Bishop's skin but not breaking it. He glared into the seething wolfish eyes as hatred flickered between the two men.

"Do not tempt me. I would like nothing more then to end your worthless life."

Bishop looked at Casavir with unrestrained malice, "Then do it, you know you want to you self-righteous prick. Oh that's right! You can't do anything without permission. Just Lana's panting lap dog aren't you? She pants a lot for me too. You might want to give her a few minutes by the way. She might be exhausted right now," Bishop sneered.

Casavir dropped the blade from Bishop's neck and with a huge balled up fist cross connected a punch square across the ranger's jaw. He followed the punch with another fast slam into Bishop's stomach.

Bishop reeled for a moment before righting himself and charging into Casavir, dropping his shoulder into the paladin's chest. Casavir stumbled back a step as the ranger staggered from the impact. Casavir stepped quickly into Bishop's falter and hit him with an upper cut under the ranger's chin followed with another strike to the stomach. Bishop stayed bent over and plowed into Casavir's midsection with his shoulder. Casavir grunted as he took the hit and struggled to maintain his footing.

Bishop stood upright and plastered the paladin with a right hook, slamming his fist into the paladin's jaw. Casavir stumbled back a step as the ranger aimed a kick at Casavir's knee but Casavir managed to awkwardly dodge the blow. Casavir lunged at Bishop, hitting him square in the chest and knocking him flat onto his back.

Bishop rolled on the ground, clenching a hand to his wounded jaw and panting from the exertion. He groaned as he pulled himself up to a sitting position. Casavir stood watching him warily, waiting for another attack and breathing heavily.

"You EVER do that again and I will kill you paladin!" Bishop seethed as he staggered to his feet.

"Not if I get there first ranger. Mark my words, you ever cross Lana, and I will kill you happily," Casavir snarled.

Bishop stood, still panting from the exertion. His amber eyes flicked hatred. "You just better watch your back. Don't think this is over."

Casavir only stood glaring at him. "I'm sure it's not. Get out of my sight," he muttered as he walked to the temple doors. He sighed and entered the temple without looking back.