* 52 * 7/24/12

Bishop cleared out of Elanee's line of sight quickly. He wouldn't let her get beneath his clothes, much less his skin. He stepped back into the main hall just in time to see Lily emerging from her side of the Keep in a shirt like the one from yesterday, but this time with light green slacks. She was looking for Ounce, and found him sitting atop Ammon Jerro's head. Satisfied, she then greeted Casavir and approached Grobnar.

Bishop made his way toward her, and as he did so, Elanee shot out from behind him and found Ammon Jerro.

"Can I speak with you a minute?" she asked him hurriedly while Bishop's attention was turned away. Ammon took the cat off of his head and let it on the floor, then went with Elanee back to the west wing. Neeshka immediately started chasing after the mischievous kitten.

"You keep telling me I look down, Grobnar. What's wrong with you?" Lily asked, concerned.

"Nothing, nothing. I just don't think people make very much sense."

"Look who's talking! You speak in riddles and never-ending stories!" she teased. This made the gnome's face brighten, even despite the shadow cast over his face by a moody figure approaching them.

Bishop now stood next to Lily, but she wasn't paying attention to him. A corner of the ranger's mouth turned down and he tried to think of something to say to merit him standing there looking lost.

Finally, Lily noticed him. "Good afternoon," she said. It was rather plain, with no facial expression tied to it. Bishop didn't like it. He felt like firing back with something, but shut his mouth at the last second; his temper would get him nowhere here.

He wondered what had bothered her so much about his words. He remembered growing angry with himself when he let slip too much about his home village. Then what had he done?

Lily's exasperated face flashed through his mind.

Ah, yes. He had then curtly dismissed the subject, calling her stupid and commanding her to check her wound, and in doing so, attached a giant "Get Out" to his forehead.

Bishop wasn't sure what would make her act like normal again, but instead of waiting around for an idea to hit him, he instead walked directly to Casavir on a sudden impulse. The paladin's face abruptly hardened as he approached, and he kept on his guard.

"Let's have a duel, paladin. No armor, no weapons, just plain clothes and our bare hands," he challenged. Bishop was an agile and incredibly capable fighter – relying more upon his speed than his sheer strength and choosing to wear lighter armor because of it – but this, of course, had a huge disadvantage. No human could break through Casavir's ever-present armor without causing serious damage to himself; the ranger's wear was merely a pincushion against his nemesis's hard metal.

Casavir scowled. He did not like the proposition, would prefer to just avoid Bishop whenever he could without a direct quarrel. But perhaps indulging the ranger's request would make him back off for good. There was the small chance that this could be true, and the idea was fairly tempting to Casavir.

"Allow me to consider it," the paladin replied.

"Good." Bishop wasn't sure why, but he suddenly very badly wanted to punch the paladin in his holy face. He stored his disgust for later when he could truly lash out against him. Despite the rain, Bishop then stomped toward the outside.

Immediately, though, the ranger was alarmed by his own behavior. He had wanted to fight the paladin, sure, but why had he threatened him so publicly, so suddenly, as if he had something to prove?

What the hell has gotten into me? he thought, as he slammed the Keep's doors shut.

Lily looked after the distraught ranger, then turned her focus to Casavir, walking back over to him.

"What was that?"

"Bishop has challenged me to a duel." He sighed, thinking. "I am not sure whether I will accept."

"I see," Lily said softly, frowning. She had been expecting this to happen for awhile.

"My lady, are you all right?"

"Yep!" she said, her face suddenly lightening up. She didn't want to linger on the negativity that currently pervaded the air. "Say, why don't you help me fix up a proper bed for Ounce?"

"How can I be of service?"

"We could use some of the pillows from the basement to give him something soft. He can sleep with me occasionally, but I'd like to have my bed to myself sometimes too."

"All right," Casavir nodded. He was happy to help, even if for a small task like this. In fact, he liked this; they didn't have to be all business and battle all the time. He walked with Lily to the basement to fetch some of the extra pillows there, helping carry a larger one back up the stairs. When they set some of them up against the side wall in Lily's room, the cat – having escaped from Neeshka's grabby and overaffectionate hands – came in and jumped on another pillow still in Lily's arms.

"Oh, my," she said, laughing. "Hi."

Ounce meowed and tried to keep his balance as she lowered the last pillow on top of his new bed. He looked around and put his head close to the cushions to sniff, then laid down on them. He didn't seem tired, moreso like he was testing the pillows' worth.

"Is that suitable, young prince?" Lily asked.

Ounce just looked up at her, but his tail was thumping, and he didn't move from his spot. Lily smiled.

Casavir stood, waiting in case his Leader wished for something else. Instead, he got a question:

"So, what do you think? About Bishop's challenge?"

Casavir frowned. "It is a very rough way to handle things, to be sure. However, I think there is a small possibility he would stop being so grave if I were to win."

Lily nodded, but said nothing.

"What do you think, my lady?"

She looked straight ahead. "I can't say it comes as a surprise that he's coming after you. At least he's doing it in a somewhat orderly fashion instead of just turning on you randomly on the battlefield." Casavir agreed. The ranger had had enough civility in him to ask fairly, and for that, Casavir was grateful. Suddenly turning on him during a battle could've gotten others who weren't involved in their quarrel hurt.

The elf wore an indescribable expression on her face now.

"If it comes to that, though," Lily continued, moving to stand right in front of him, "Then..." she began, a wistful look on her face. Casavir looked inquiring.

"Then I hope you win, Casavir," she finished, catching his eye and smiling. She wasn't sure if she should proceed with the sudden urge she had. Thus, her hand moved slowly, hesitantly, up to his cheek, and Casavir watched her with the utmost wonder and curiosity. When he felt her cool touch land, his lips parted slightly, and a breath escaped between them. His eyes stared questioningly into hers as he relished the sweet, tender feeling of her skin on his.

Lily stroked his cheek, brushing her fingers over his high cheekbones and admiring their pleasant addition to his overall appearance. He was so loyal to their cause and committed to her protection; she felt the need to thank him for tolerating the trouble with Bishop because of his choice, and her influence.

"My lady..." Casavir started. He didn't know what to say in his stupor. As Lily thought, Casavir stood. He didn't even think of removing her hand, or drawing back.

"You have the utmost loyalty to our cause, and to me, Casavir. I thank you for it." She slowly placed her hand back at her side.

The paladin allowed himself an appreciative grin. "Not at all, my lady." He was humbled.

"If you win, Bishop might indeed leave you alone. Perhaps it'd shut him up for awhile," she suggested hopefully. She eyed him in his silence, noticing his tenseness. "Don't be so stiff, Casavir!"

Casavir grinned, regaining some of his wits. "My apologies." He wondered silently as to her motivation in caressing him suddenly like that. He could hardly say he minded, no matter what it was.

"Shall we return to the others?"

"We shall," Lily agreed, opening the half-closed door to her room. To her surprise, Ammon Jerro was waiting just outside. "Oh! Ammon, hello."

"Hi. I'd like to have a word," he said. "I didn't want to interrupt you two."

Casavir's face grew hot. With a nod of the head and a quick "my lady," he excused himself to the main hall. Lily nodded back and invited Ammon inside her room.

He delved straight into the point. "I don't really make a habit of getting involved in the drama of others, but the druid just made that impossible." Ammon sighed. "She told me she spotted you and that ill-tempered ranger alone in the forest together. She didn't get into what you two were doing, but from what she made it sound like, I really didn't want to know."

Lily gasped. That person in the woods...was Elanee?

"Elanee? Really? That just..." She thought for a moment, brows knitting together. "That just doesn't seem like her."

"I have no idea why she came to me, either. I assume it's because she wants me to tell everyone so she doesn't have to take the blame when the ranger finds out it wasn't kept a secret. He apparently threatened her to keep quiet."

Lily folded her arms. Bishop doesn't want others finding out, huh? I suppose that makes sense; if those tavern wenches were to find out, they probably wouldn't be very happy. She huffed. She felt she might be being a little unfair, but he was awfully dismissive of her the night before, so at least for the moment, she didn't feel bad about it.

"Problem with that is, he'd know she was the one to let it out, because no one else was in that forest. My guess is that she doesn't fully understand what a warlock is, and thinks I can see things from a ridiculous distance." He looked aggravated, and a little misunderstood. He frowned. "I don't know why she didn't pick someone else - maybe someone in her same age bracket, for instance - but I'm not going to say a word of it to anyone else. It seemed fine to come to you because you're the one who's being gossiped about." His grating voice had a tint of disgust.

"Well, Elanee is an elf, so she's probably much older than she looks. She should be ashamed for acting like a teenager."

Ammon nodded. "Do what you will with the information. I have no interest in spreading it, but she might tell others once she realizes I'm not doing it for her."

That bothered Lily, a lot. "Why is she doing this?" she wondered aloud. "It doesn't make any sense. I thought Elanee liked me."

The warlock shrugged. "Anyway, I'll tell you if I hear anything else about it from her or the others. And I won't tell the ranger. I'll let you decide how to handle that mess."

"Thank you, Ammon. I greatly appreciate you coming to me with this."

He nodded again and left.

Lily had half a mind to go join the others in the hall again, but instead, she sat down at a table inside the room, resting her chin on her hand. She looked at the wall.

What's going on?