* 4 * 4/6/12, 4/11/12

The morning finally came, after a night that seemed to last forever. Lily woke up almost in tears, but quickly straightened herself out and moved to join the others in the main hall, but a sudden knock at the door surprised her.

"Come in," she called.

Casavir opened the door. "Forgive me for entering, my lady, but I wanted to check on you."

"I'm doing okay, I suppose. I don't feel too great, though," Lily admitted.

He nodded in understanding. "My lady", he started on a lighter note, "your hair is covered in snowflakes." Casavir felt a small grin tug at the corner of his lips.

"Oh!" she laughed, beaming at his gentle expression. She began picking them out of her hair and gazing at each one of them in her palm of her hand with a smile before they melted in contact with her warm skin. It was beautiful and lasting magical snow, something those of Neverwinter never really got a chance to see much.

Casavir was frozen and couldn't help but stare in awe. He felt like saying something after witnessing this gentle and touching display. "My lady, I..."

"Hm?" Lily said, looking up into his face with a curious expression. With a mischievous smirk, she lifted a single, small snowflake carefully upward to his cheek and pushed it onto his warm skin, melting it.

Casavir cracked his stone visage with a humorous smile at this, raising a finger to wipe the cold moisture off. He caught her eye and stood staring back down at her, feeling his cheeks go from cold to hot.

Just that moment, Bishop broke through the door, a strained expression staining his features.

"Don't think too much about it, but there's an army of women headed our way."

Casavir straightened and shook his previous thoughts off almost immediately at the sight of the ranger, though only incredibly reluctantly.

"What? Only women? That could mean..."

Bishop cut him off. "I said don't think, because you don't know how dead wrong you are!"

Shortly after Bishop closed his mouth, a girl bowled him over from behind. By the time he got back to his feet, there were three girls in the doorway. A menacing and incredulous look overcame his features as he stared daggers back up at them.

"Casavir!" the first girl screamed.

Dumbstruck, Casavir stared back and could only muster a "...Yes?" These women were clearly not part of the ruthless army of demons he was expecting. The ranger got to his feet and began brushing himself off.

"Oh, it is you! Goodie!" they shouted in glee.

The girls turned to face Lily. "And hello, Knight Captain! It's such an honor to meet you. We've heard a lot about your team! I must say, though, that you're really lucky to have such a handsome knight guard you so loyally!"

Bishop rolled his eyes and let himself out of the room.

"Handsome?" Lily considered. She eyed Casavir's face. He stiffened after catching her gaze for a mere moment. His eyes shifted back to the intruders, but it was obvious his countenance had changed. "I suppose so," she granted.

"Anyway, we'll get to the point: we've been searching for a paladin because your kind can easily dispose of the undead that haunt our village," she explained to Casavir, then turned back to Lily. "Do you think we'd be able to take him away from you for a bit?"

Lily's eyes narrowed curiously. "Just him?"

Casavir answered, "Zhjaeve would be of great use, but she has been in a heated debate with Sand in the library since this morning." He focused back on the girls, his mind seemingly have been cleared. "Very well; if you enlist my help, then so be it. Where is your village?"

"It's over to the southwest, by Highcliff. Are you able to come now?"

"Yes." He glanced once at Lily before leaving, and to his surprise, she was staring directly back at him. He shifted his gaze. She seemed to have a pleasant expression, so he couldn't understand why he was feeling a sudden sinking in the pit of his stomach.