The wheels of the cart squeaked along the path from Taras to Norwood, with the white Ethereal Horse pulling along the reins. The Horse Cart looked normal on the outside, but on the inside was what made it special. The cart had grass flooring and plants along the side, much like a small garden area. It was specially built for Enelya, a young lady who happened to be the someone that Rothardan cared more about than anyone in the entire world. It had been one month since the two had met and Rothardan and Enelya, the two of them having grown closer than they ever thought possible.

And as Rothardan promised, the two of them were now travelling around Imythess as a small vacation. In the corner of the cart, near some plants, was Rothardan's never ending space bag. Inside his bag was his armour and sword and supplies, which the Paladin hoped he would never have to use. This was a holiday and he wanted to keep the smiting down to a bare minimum. Enelya knew that they were travelling across Imythess to go sight-seeing. What he had not told Enelya was that they were travelling in the cart, Rothardan deliberately kept that a secret so as to surprise her.

It couldn't have been a better day to go travelling, for the sun was out and there was no breeze at all. A small horse drawn cart had entered the city and the inside of it was zipped shut so no-one could see inside. Upon the seat of the cart, there was Rothardan, guiding the horse with the reins. He was wearing a simple white cotton shirt and black leather trousers, his brown hair tied back into a ponytail. Rothardan had agreed to meet Enelya at the temple of swords again, only this time she had no idea that they were travelling in the cart... or that the cart on the inside looked like a small garden area.

Enelya laid in the grass of the cart, running a faintly pink flower over her nose, taking in its scent. Her blue hair was strewn across the grass, and she looked to Rothardan with her lavender eyes, a smile on her face. Traveling was so exciting, and she couldn’t think of anyone else she’d rather be with. Enelya took a big breath, the smell of the flower’s nectar flowing in through her nostrils. Then, she offered the flower to Rothardan. “For you,” she said, before sitting up to put it behind Rothardan’s ear.

The Plant Lady was still clad in her usual dark green skirt, beige blouse, and brown vest, along with whatever twigs and flowers that deemed it necessary to cling to her blue hair. The sounds of the horse’s hooves against the dirt road, and the turning wooden wheels were almost melodic, tempting Enelya to fall asleep. The smells of the plants within the cart were wonderful, and Enelya felt as if she hadn’t even left the forest. Well, they hadn’t technically left yet, but still, it was like her own traveling forest that Rothardan had made especially for her. She smiled a bit, remembering when Rothardan had first presented it to her.

She had been waiting for Rothardan to meet her at the Temple of Swords, once again, and she was sitting at the base of a tree, eagerly awaiting him to arrive, so that they could start their travels. Tapping her foot, and waving to a few of the locals, she could hear a rhythmic rolling sound of wheel, and this caused Enelya to raise an eyebrow in curiosity. Soon enough, she saw that it was Rothardan! With a cart! She jumped up, and ran towards him, her hand covering her mouth, which hung agape in her surprise. “Rothardan! How did you…?” She was so excited, but little did she know, she hadn’t even gotten the best surprise.

Bringing the cart to a stop, Rothardan saw Enelya gasp in suprise as she saw the cart. Kneeling down and offering his hand to help Enelya rise, Rothardan wanted her to see the inside of a cart. Unzipping the cart, Rothardan showed Enelya the interior and waited for the other gasp. The floor was made of fake grass and the small ledges were covered in flowers such as lavender and dandelions, giving the whole cart a sweet smell of the forest. The top of the cart had several small holes covered with plastic, acting as windows so that the sun could come in. As for the water, Rothardan had a small watering can at the back which he could fill up at every stop amongst a pond.

Rothardan looked at Enelya and smiled. He wanted everything to be perfect, he wanted this to be a real holiday. And even though he had brought his equipment, it was for emergency uses. The horse neighed and moved off, it had been given its instructions by Rothardan. They were going to go to Norwood Forest again, but not so far as to be attacked by bandits. Walking up to her, Rothardan looked at Enelya's beautiful eyes and asked:

"What do you think?"

Enelya took Rothardan’s hand and climbed up into the cart, looking at Rothardan questionably, she could barely contain her excitement. Well, that was until he unzipped the covering, which revealed the prettiest little carriage Enelya had ever seen in her life. Naturally she’d only seen carts of merchants, and they don’t go to much extent to make them look appealing, but really, Rothardan had outdone himself. The smell washed over the two of them and Enelya started to get awfully emotional. A few tears ran down her cheeks, and she turned to Rothardan, and pressed her lips against his. She broke the kiss and looked from Rothardan to the cart, and back to him again. It was all so wonderful; it was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for her…

Rothardan entered the cart, and Enelya followed, sitting next to him in the grass. She ran her hands along it, crying, and laughing all at the same time. “How did you…?” She couldn’t even form a proper sentence she was completely blown away.

"What do you think?"

Enelya’s wide eyes rolled trying to find the right words. What did she think? What did she think!? It was marvelous, stupendous! She shook her head slightly, her hands out, showing Rothardan that she was breathless. Though through her tears she managed a big smile, and wrapped her arms around Rothardan’s neck, sitting in his lap, and pressed her lips to his passionately. It was the best she could manage! Besides, actions were louder than words, right?

Enelya was speechless, that much was evident. She couldn't think of any words to say at all regarding the interior of the caravan. She looked at Rothardan with wide eyes, her hands running over her mouth as tears of joy filler her eyes. Rothardan wanted her to feel like she at least had a little bit of home with her as they were travelling, so that no matter where she would be then at least she would be able to sleep in a semi-forest sort of area. And from the look of joy upon Enelya's face, Roth had succeeded with honours.

But he didn't realise how happy she was, until Enelya jumped Roth's bones. She pounced upon the paladin with open arms, kissing Rothardan furiously as if today was the last day on Earth. The force of her pounce made Rothardan lose his balance and he fell backwards upon the grass floor. After letting the initial shock pass, Rothardan closed his eyes as his horse pulled the caravan out of the gates and towards the forest. Placing one hand upon her hair and another around her waist, Rothardan returned Enelya's kisses with his own.

It was like that for twenty minutes, both of them embracing each other as they were kissing tenderly. As the caravan travelled along the road towards the first stop of the journey, they both broke off and smiled at each other. Today had started off fantastic after all. Enelya reached behind Rothardan and picked out a flower from the collection, a small sunflower.

“For you,” she said, sitting up to place the flower behind the Paladin's ear, which Rothardan smiled about. When she was finished, Rothardan leant in closer and kissed Enelya on the tip of her nose. This was so perfect, for he was staring at her with such a feeling of love in his eyes. Today was going to be great!

As they embraced for a good long while, Enelya had finally stopped her weeping. Through all their initial passionate actions… It was all based firmly in their feelings for each other. Rothardan had kissed Enelya on the tip of her nose, causing her to giggle softly. She wrapped her arms tightly around Rothardan’s torso, never wanting to let go. There was a bit of selfishness in her actions, as she held onto him, unwilling to share him with any other person in the world. But why would one want to share someone who made you happy and safe? Rothardan had definitely surprised her with his cart, and Enelya only hoped that there would be some way to repay him.

They were on the road now, starting their ‘vacation’ as Rothardan had called it. Enelya wasn’t sure why he called it a vacation. To her, well, she never had worked before, so she supposed that everything to her was a vacation. It was just life, and she took it as it presented itself to her. There was a simple air to the way she existed. She nurtured things; helping them grow, developing into healthy things that made the world a more beautiful place to be. Life wasn’t work, but just a continuation… Like time.

Enelya rested her head on Rothardan’s chest as she looked up into the cart’s ceiling. The feeling of his breathes entering, and exiting his body put her at ease. That life itself was just beneath her head. She closed her eyes, just taking in the moment, the events prior to this one, and how the hell she’d gotten herself into such a happily peaceful situation. It wasn’t every day a girl fell in love, and was spoiled beyond her wits because of it. “So, where to first?”

As the cart continued going down its path, pulled along by the white ethereal horse, Rothardan and Enelya lay there in each others arms. Rothardan had his eyes closed in relaxation, enjoying the feeling of Enelya's head upon his chest. Stroking her ear softly, the paladin smiled as he thought of the two of them alone with nothing to bother them. This was going to be the best four weeks of their life, that part of it was certain.

“So, where to first?” asked Enelya

"We're going to visit Norwood Village," answered Rothardan, "an elven village where they have some wonderful plants and flowers. Elves are fantastic with nature, that's why they're hidden away in the forest... well that and Elves want themselves to themselves. But so long as I don't annoy them, then I should be OK there. We may have to stop for some supplies and to let my horse rest, but we should be there by sun fall. We can spend the night there and see the sights in the morning if you want."

After a few minutes, the cart finally came to a stop and Rothardan heard the voice gave a neigh to indicate that something needed his attention. Rising up, the paladin opened up the caravan and took a look outside. It was a small traders camp, the kind for passing travellers. Perfect, Rothardan could stock up here. And, if Enelya was hungry, she could eat here as well. Rothardan stepped out of the cart and looked around, wondering why everyone looked so miserable.

"Enelya," called Rothardan, "I'm just going to get some stuff, are you coming?"

Hmm…Norwood Village; Enelya couldn’t place that. She figured she’d never been there before. But it sounded lovely the way Rothardan talked about it. Elves? Her memories shot back to an elf that had done so much for her… and then just disappeared. Kalix. He’d been there when she had awakened from the fire, and followed her around a bit, but then once she’d met Rothardan, she hadn’t seen him in quite awhile. She missed Kalix, he was her friend, and hoped that he was doing all right. Perhaps she’d see him at Norwood Village, since he was an elf as well?

Though Enelya knew there wasn’t much at the current moment to do about the previous situation, so she pushed those thoughts out of her mind, and looked up to Rothardan and smiled. “That sounds like a lovely plan. I don’t think I’ve ever been to Norwood Village…” As soon as she said that, she realized how stupid it must have sounded. She had lived in Norwood, yet never been to the one known village inside it? That didn’t really sound likely to someone like Rothardan, but she was being genuine… Even if she had been there, her amnesia that still followed her like a cloud prevented her from remembering it.

The cart finally came to a stop, and Enelya sat up, running her fingers along the grass, still amazed that Rothardan had pulled this off for her. Rothardan had climbed out, calling for her, and Enelya stuck her head out, and smiled brightly. However, her joy to see people was not returned, as the grim faces of the small camp did not welcome either of them. Enelya’s joy was smothered slightly, but yet she continued to have a bright face. She stepped out of the cart, stretching, and walked a little ways, before turning around to talk to Rothardan’s horse. Enelya bent down, and ripped up a small handful of grass, feeding it to the horse, with her palm flat. “I’ll stay here with your horse. What’s his name?”

Rothardan looked at the camp and the various stalls. Why was everyone so miserable looking, or in some cases, loathing? Something was wrong here... which didn't rub right with the Paladin. He didn't know anyone, nor did they know him. So why did they look at him like was the plague on legs? Enelya asked Rothardan something, the name of his horse.

"Alatiel," Rothardan replied, "Its a celestial name, translated it means... he who runs amongst the suns rays."

Rothardan's voice went off onto a distance. He needed to get some fresh vegetables and some other things so that Rothardan could eat, Enelya was capable of generating her own food. Walking over to the nearest merchant, who seemed to have an array of foods up for sale, Rothardan looked at the man and smiled... but the smile was not returned. He was a skinny man, about 30-odd, with stringy white hair. He looked like he was malnourished... but judging from the abundance of food he was selling, that couldn't be possible. The guy could live off everything here.

Rothardan pointed to some bananas.

"I'll have some...

But before he could continue with the sentence, the man took the bananas and covered them up.

"They're not for sale, none of them are for sale... go please, just... go away..."

Rothardan looked at the man, puzzled at his tone of voice. He was... quivering with fear. What did Rothardan do to scare this man so badly, it was hard to fake the fear in this man's voice.

"Why aren't they for sale... I have gold... I can pay..."

"No, just go now please. You aren't welcome here."

The paladin didn't bother arguing. If they didn't want his gold then he would find somewhere else. It was only a few miles to the village and even though the food was probably going to be more expensive, at least they would want Rothardan's custom. Turning around, Rothardan headed back towards the caravan.

"Let's go..."[b]Rothardan said to Enelya, [b]"I don't think they want us here..."

And then Rothardan heard the sounds of galloping horses coming from the north...

"Its a celestial name, translated it means... he who runs amongst the suns rays."

A wide smile creased Enelya’s face as she patted the horse’s strong neck. “And I’m sure he does just that, don’t ya beautiful?” The Plant Lady laughed, and turned to face Rothardan. Her smile faded a little as a certain thought jumped into her head. It was a bit trivial, but she realized that ever since they had met, she hadn’t stopped smiling. Never once did she frown, or recollect a bad memory, or… Anything. Enelya bit her lip, and grabbed Rothardan’s hand, and squeezed it slightly in a silent thank you. He might not catch onto what she was doing, but he didn’t need to. It was her own way of coming to terms with the fact that this man needed to stay in her life.

Rothardan turned to go get some things for himself for the road, and Enelya stayed with Alatiel. She stroked his neck, patting the tuffs of hair peaking through his ears. Enelya turned, and looked at the people who lived within the caravan and saw how small they were. Each of the children looked about half starved, as if they hadn’t received a full meal in a little over a decade, if they were even that old. The Plant Lady chewed on her lip, and stared at the ground, boring a small basin into the soil. Then, it struck her, an idea that was probably more than she could chew, but she’d try nonetheless.

When Roth returned, he looked discouraged, and Enelya tilted her head slightly, curious as to why he looked so downtrodden. He spoke of the merchants wanting them to leave, and Enelya stood on her toes, and kissed Rothardan on the cheek. “Don’t you worry, I think I have an idea… They all look about half-starved; I don’t blame them for not giving you anything. I’ll be back later, okay? I’m just going to go into the forest and get a few things…” She kissed him briefly on the lips, and ran off into the trees.

Enelya ventured into the forest, looking for berries, leaves, and other assorted goods that the villagers could eat. Despite her horrible memory, she still remembered what was good and nutritionally fit for half-starved villagers. There were some kinds of plants that could actually make you gain weight and store fat easily for the next time a starving period came upon an animal. Hopefully, that wouldn’t befall the villagers, but she’d put a few of them in the basket from the cart just in case.

As Enelya ran off to get some food from the forest, Rothardan waited for her to return. He had never had berries and stuff from the forest before so he was a little curious to how this was going to play out. So the paladin waited, first he placed the clamps down on his cart and released Alatiel from the reins so he could get some air. Alatiel galloped off with some sort of horse glee in his step and faded from sight, probably to run around in the celestial fields or something. He would be back after a good long run.

Enelya had squeezed Rothardan's hand... squeezed it to show how much she trusted him. Looking up at the clouds, Rothardan smiled at how far this had all come from one month. Enelya trusted Rothardan to the hilt and... to be honest... Rothardan wasn't sure how he could live without her. Looking down at his hand where Enelya had squeezed it, Rothardan ran his fingers from the other hand over it and smiled at how lucky he had been to meet such a wonderful person.

And then Rothardan heard some horse galloping from the north and looked in that direction. He could see a group of leather dressed horsemen galloping towards the caravan. Two of the horses were dragging along a wooden cart with some sort of... coffin within it. When the horsemen came closer, they began to whoop and cheer. Two of them charged forward towards one of traders stalls and used their swords to cut it down, making the stall collapse and the food go all over the floor.

Rothardan looked around as the bandits began to do their work, a glint of anger in his eye. Had this been the reason why he had been shunted away from the trading post, the traders hadn't been rude to him, they had been trying to protect him. Enelya was in the woods gathering some food, so at least she didn't have to see what was going on.

"EXCUSE ME!" Rothardan shouted, hoping Enelya wouldn't hear.

The bandits stopped and looked at the paladin, wondering who he was. Rothardan looked at them back and nodded with confirmation, secretly glad that he had all their attention now.

"OK, all of you just wait here for a minute OK... just wait there."

Rothardan turned around and climbed back into his carriage, found his back of never ending space and took out the equipment he hoped he wouldn't have to need. This was his vacation, and yet evil had decided to come-a-knocking. Rothardan wouldn't let the traders live like this. He would have to show these bandits why crime never paid off.

Outside, the bandits were all wondering who this person was and why they were waiting for him? It was ludicrous... so they got ready to tare the whole caravan he was in from top to bottom, teaching the villagers that being smart wouldn't do. And then the man came forth again from the carriage. Only this time, he wasn't just wearing his clothes.

Rothardan emerged in his full shining plate armour, his helm covering his entire face and showing nothing but two glowing lights where his eyes were, shining from his celestial power. His armour was specially made to fit all around his body, reducing weight and making it more comfortable, and it was also shining in the light as well. The blue cloak fluttering down from his back was the gargoyle cloak he had won in the tournament of Veronna. In his right hand, Rothardan wielded his holy sword. In the left hand, he had his shield ready to protect him.

The bandits felt a wave of fear come over them as they looked at this knight, wondering if they should attack. Such was the power of the bless spell that Rothardan was continuously pulling off due to his celestial powers. One of the bandits seemed to recover more than most, charging forward with his sword. In one quick swipe, Rothardan deflected the blow and knocked the sword out of his attackers hand, a smile behind the helm of the paladin.

From beneath his metal helm, Rothardan spoke... his voice deep and commanding like the celestial he was.

"I am warning you now, give yourself up and save yourself problems...

Roots, berries, leaves, fruits… All luscious things that were abundant in the forest. Starvation was just an illusion one’s mind had when it thought itself in the most deprived situation. But, if you know the ways of the forest, and how it calls to you, beckoning you to just nourish yourself with its love… Starvation will never visit you again. The basket was nearly full, and Enelya had a bit of a time trying to carry it, her upper body strength only resulted in enough to pull her up into the branches of trees.

Enjoying herself as she walked through a frighteningly familiar part of the forest. She could not recall it, specifically, but for some reason the soil beneath her feet seemed friendly to her skin. Or, perhaps it was just the generality of the soil of the forest that greeted her feet so warmly. A little family of squirrels bickered about a bushel of nuts, and Enelya grinned, staring back at the ground, careful to avoid sticks. They usually weren’t very pleasant on her feet. The smells around her were intoxicating. The fumes from the pollination of the flowers, the rustling of the leaves of animals hidden within bushes and the trees, everything was just so exciting to her, and sung to her like a musical symphony within the forces of nature! It was a little crazy, maybe, but not to her. Not Enelya.

As soon as the Plant Lady had deemed her basket full enough to satisfy the bellies of the villagers, she scooted the other direction, leaves and roots practically overflowing from the rims of the basket. The fruits were probably the heaviest asset of the whole load, though, she had found some deliciously thick roots that would go lovely in a stew. Naturally however, there was no meat, and Enelya hoped the villagers could cope with that. She moved very slowly through the forest… Though she didn’t mind too much. She was going to have to be away from this lovely place for so long, despite the gift Rothardan had given her… It just wasn’t the same. The fake grass didn’t have the right smell, but it was still very wonderful to have around. She continued to waddle through the forest, looking up into the trees, grinning, and humming a small tune that had stayed with her through her childhood and loss of memory.

Eventually, Enelya had arrived in the village once again, eagerly running into something she was not expecting. Standing beside Rothardan her eyes were wide, looking around her, seeing the bandits with their grim faces. She dropped the basket of roots and things, her breathing becoming short. She looked to Rothardan, bewildered, who looked magnificent in his armor, despite the circumstances. She wrapped her arms around her torso, unsure of what to do. Did she run? Hide? Stand beside him? If she stood beside him what was she supposed to do? Oh this was so foolish of her, not to think that danger could always be lurking by…

But she had never known danger.

"I am warning you now, give yourself up and save yourself problems...”

Enelya covered her mouth, preventing sounds from escaping her mouth. This wasn’t supposed to happen on their vacation… “Rothardan… I… brought everyone food…” she whispered, the words barely falling from her lips. She looked around, all the merchants had completely disappeared, and it was just Rothardan and herself, surrounded by a bunch of bewildered bandits, and another on his back, with the wind knocked out of him.

[[OOC: Apologies for the shortness... If I need to make it longer, or make any changes whatsoever just let me know :) ]]

“Rothardan… I… brought everyone food…”
The paladin's heart sank as he heard Enelya's small whisper from behind him, and realised that she was probably scared out of her wits. Roth didn't want anyone dead, he just wanted to end this so that the forest marshal could get here and make the necessary arrests. Then he could get back to his vacation and forget he got into this situation. Three bandits rushed forward first, armed with swords and clubs. Raising his shield, Rothardan defended himself against one club swing and felt the shock wave of the impact shoot up his arm. His sword flashed in the air like a streak of blue lightning and hit the other bandit, cutting him across the chest. Looking at the bandit who had tried to club him, Rothardan pushed his shield away so that the bandit his balance.

Another slash from his sword and the bandit fell down, clutching his leg that had been nicked by the blade. At any point, Rothardan could have mown those two down with ease. However, all he had done was cut them... they would survive easily enough. The third bandit was the largest, but he certainly wasn't the bravest. He looked at Roth as if deciding whether he was brave enough to attack. Rothardan looked at the bandit with his solar eyes for a few seconds and then:

"BOO!"

The larger bandit squealed in fear and ran off behind the carriage. No-one else seemed to think attacking Rothardan was a good idea now, which the paladin took advantage of.
"Lay down your weapons all of you," commanded Rothardan.
Then, a smashing sound brought the bandits and Rothardan to their senses as the wooden coffin on the bandits cart flew open. The bandits all began to smile and Rothardan wondered why they look so happy. But it was what was in coffin that was making them smile... for rising from the coffin was an abomination that Rothardan had never seen before in all his years of fighting evil.

It was half man... half metal

He was a large behemoth, his face was all horrible scarred and what wasn't flesh was bronze metal plate that seemed to be held together with metal staples. As the creature rose from it's coffin, Rothardan was shocked to see that his legs were also made of metal and that he only had one metal limb... a hand that was horribly scarred. What was this thing?

As it rose and jumped from the cart, landing on the ground with a crash, it looked at Rothardan and the paladin knew that this was going to be gruesome. The metal thing gave a smile, revealing only three teeth, and pointed at the paladin.

"Did you just wake me up?" it grunted.

Roth didn't say a word, for he had never seen anything like this man. It was as if someone had tried to rebuild a broken body with machine parts. In truth, Rothardan felt pity for this creature, for to live like this couldn't be a good thing. Eventually, the paladin swallowed and found some words.

"What are you creature?"

The creature laughed and the bandits joined in, if only a few seconds late of course.

"The name is Heavy Metal Dave," he grunted, "And I was once a human like these people. Then I got into a mess which involved powdered keg explosives and a dodgy fuse. I survived, but lost quite a lot of limbs as you can see. It was a dwarf who found me and took pity on me. He patched me back up, since dwarves are magic with metal like that. I felt bad about killing him and his family... but hey, I couldn't let him live after he did what he did to me."

Rothardan braced himself in a combat position and let the metal monster talk. He hoped to find some sort of weakness in Heavy Metal Dave's body, but the metal on his body would be dwarven metal if his tale held water. Dwarven metal was extremley durable and strong and could take a lot of damage before even denting. Already was Roth at a disadvantage.

"These bandits are my men paladin, and they do what I say. These traders charge too much for their food, and so we come here and make sure things are evil. Sometimes we take the women for entertainment and, if I'm generous, we let them live long enough to come back here. But I'm not a generous person so..."

Rothardan had had enough, this man was warped and needed to be destroyed.
"Yours is an evil I won't let live... I will bring you down beast, whatever the cost.

Heavy Metal Dave laughed and once again, his bandits laughed with him. And then he charged forward so suddenly that Roth barely had a chance to respond. The paladin swung his sword again, but this time it was deflected off Dave's metal plate. Sparks flew and Rothardan felt the pain as Dave tackled the paladin and knocked him down. The force of the attack was incredible, it felt like being punched by a giant. Rothardan took a deep breath and felt pain in his side. Damn, the creature had probably broken one of his ribs.

Dave once again charged forward but this time, Rothardan was ready. Spreading his wings, he flew out of reach from Dave and landed just behind him. Heavy Metal Dave looked at Rothardan and growled like a tiger cornering his prey.

"So you like to fly away do you? Well I'm guessing this woman means something to you paladin. I'm guessing you'll break down if I rip her head off in front of you and make you watch..."

Dave turned towards the one thing that Rothardan had been fearing from day one. He had turned straight to Enelya. Roths blood turned cold at the thought of Dave's words and realised that he was going to carry out his threat. Raising his metal claw, Rothardan's eyes opened wide as a large wicked blade produced from it. Dave turned to Enelya and walked towards her. Pulling his arm back, ready to gut her, Dave smiled and took a stab at her.

There was a sick sound of the blade going through metal and flesh. Rothardan looked at Enelya and then looked down as he could see the blade producing from his stomach. As soon as Dave had gone for her, Rothardan had used his blink spell to teleport down in front of Enelya, using himself as a human shield. He had blocked the path to Enelya and Dave just in time, for the blade had gone straight through his armour and pierced his stomach, the bloody blade producing from his stomach.

Rothardan didn't no much about anatomy, but he knew that a blade through the stomach was not good. Soon his guts would fill up with blood and he would poisoned from an infection. Dave retracted his blade and Rothardan could only look at Enelya, the two blue orbs in his helmet gazing deep into her eyes. His worst fear had come true... Rothardan had dragged Enelya into a world of danger.

Closing his eyes and concentrating, Rothardan put everything he had into his greater heal spell. He felt his body knit itself together, his stomach slowly repairing itself. But it was a gargantuan effort, the wound itself was large and the larger the wound, the more it would take to heal it. Gritting his teeth and bearing it, Rothardan poured as much magic as he could into the spell and let his powers do their work.

Soon, his stomach was all repaired and the hole was knitted up. The only thing that suggested he had been stabbed was the large hole in his plate armour. But the effort had drained Rothardan and he was all out of breath. Before he could even think on how to defend himself, a metal hand struck out and hit Rothardan on the side of the head with such force that his helmet was knocked a skew. Blood sprayed from his nose and mouth as the paladin was knocked to the ground with enough force that he had almost been knocked out. And that was a first.

Breathing heavily, Rothardan fought to keep himself awake. But it was difficult, his vision was blurred and he could taste blood in his mouth. He could see Dave coming near him... then he blurred out... then he could feel himself being dragged away. The last thought running through the paladins head was that Enelya wouldn't come after him... that she would wait. Then he lost consciousness.

She had found herself in a situation she hadn’t even thought would ever happen. There were men in front of them who truly meant ill will upon them. The three bandits rushed towards Rothardan, and to keep from screaming, Enelya slapped her hands over her mouth, watching as Rothardan did not kill them, but wounded them enough to send the message: back off. His sword was like a majestic extension of his arm, and Enelya couldn’t believe there was some grace to something so gruesome. The blood soaking the bandits’ clothes made her flinch slightly. Why… Did they act like this? If they were hungry too, all they had to do was ask politely, and Enelya would have gone back into the forest and gotten food for them too… That’s what made animals mean… Did it work the same for bandits?

Enelya was petrified; she couldn’t move her legs. She looked down at them, her eyes wide with disbelief. Why wouldn’t they move? She just stood there, scared to death, watching Rothardan cut the bandits down like weeds, until the metal man erupted from the coffin. Enelya gasped, closing her eyes tightly, definitely frightened by this man. He was bigger, scarier, and meaner than any of the other bandits. He was like the little runt the beasts tortured so he’d survive, and survive he did by being the meanest and most aggressive. The man clanked and fumed, and Enelya swore she saw steam blowing out of his ears too!

The gentle lady wanted to hold Rothardan, turn him away, lead both of them away from this place, take the villagers, bring the food, and get away from such a terrible sight. Enelya even wanted to take some healing salve for the poor man whose body was made of metal. It looked wicked uncomfortable, and Enelya could think of a few lotions that might be able to soothe, or numb his pain. Each step it took, the metal clanking against each other, the man’s foul mood scarring everywhere he went, his eyes about to bore a hole through her thoughts. She shut her eyes tight for a brief moment, wishing this even to be over. But the problem was, it was over too soon.

She listened to his words, hearing his sad story. No wonder he was so mean… His new body must hurt him so! Their laughter was chilling, sending eerie vibrations through Enelya’s body, making her very uneasy. She began to get a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach, like something awful was going to happen. This man had a lot of tension in the way he moved, as if he had a lot of hate, and was willing to express it on anyone who got in his way. And Rothardan, being the paladin that he was, was that man who purposefully got in this man’s way.

Shaking, Enelya quivered as the man spoke of their blunderings and pillaging. Enelya sometimes wished that Rothardan wasn’t so righteous, and simply just wanted good will towards people… Rather than questing after all the evil in the world. That was just so dangerous! She supposed that was the point… But really… It just made her want to grab his arm, and drag him away. Then, the monsterous man made a dive towards Rothardan, and Enelya wished she’d taken him away even more. She gasped as they fell to the ground, and she noticed all the bandits around chuckling and snorting in amusement. How was this amusing? They were getting hurt; they were putting their lives at risk… Why would one want to do such a thing? Enelya just did not understand… She saw the pain in Rothardan’s eyes as he took a deep breath. Lady’s smock… crushed with Aloe Vera leaves… Enelya was already going through herbs in her mind that would ease his pain when this was all over and done with.

Dave turned his attention to Enelya and her eyes grew wide. Her hands flew to her throat, as she clutched it, taking several steps backwards. She shook her head, looking up at Rothardan who’s wings outstretched, looked as if he was an angel and she hoped he would save her… Sometimes she really wished she could help herself. What happened when she was left alone, and had no one to save her? Would she survive? Then, out of nowhere, Dave charged her, and she squeezed her eyes tightly, trying to brace herself for the inevitable pain that would be brought upon her. Though… she felt nothing. She opened her eyes, and to her everlasting horror, she could not believe what she saw in front of her eyes. She let out a long scream, and shook her head ferociously. “Rothardan!” He had sacrificed himself! She would have been fine! Why did he do that! Sure he cared for her and everything, but he… he couldn’t do that, he just couldn’t! Granted, she would have done the same for him… But… Oh Rothardan… Tears started to stream down her face, her cheeks flushing, her legs growing weak.

His eyes were full of sadness, and Enelya took a hesitant step towards Rothardan, cupping his face in her hands. She tilted her head slightly, sobbing. “Why…?” She bit her lip, knowing full well why, but she couldn’t help herself to ask. She didn’t expect him to answer, she didn’t even want him to try and speak... But here she was asking him stupid questions. Way to handle a situation Enelya. Though soon Rothardan was healing himself and Enelya tried a smile, but she couldn’t she was too devastated.

Before she knew it, Dave had knocked Rothardan away from her, getting his blood onto her clothing. She fell onto her knees, watching Rothardan struggling killed her, tore her apart. It was as if she was watching her happiness being pulled away from her, and beaten to a pulp telling her it was all an illusion, a tangible dream that was just as easily taken away as given. Enelya looked down at her clothing, noticing the blood on her clothes, causing her to feel woozy, and lightheaded. Then… everything went dark, as she fainted. "Roth...ardan...!"

What happened next... Rothardan didn't know. He closed his eyes and tried not to give in to the immense fatigue he was feeling, his magical powers drained from healing such a large wound. Dave was saying something... the bandits were laughing... Rothardan couldn't make anything out. But he knew that the next few hours were not going to be pleasant. The only thing keeping the paladin alive was the will to live, for he had been beaten and tortured before and survived, once more wouldn't kill him. He was one of those people who were difficult to kill.

Soon, he felt the clothes ripped off him by the bandits and Rothardan was soon naked, the cold winds biting into his skin. Then he saw Heavy Metal Dave's head pop into view.
"You seem to have gone a little silvery on me paladin..."
What? His alter self spell must have worn off, Rothardan was now showing his solar form in all his glory.
"The problem with what we want to do to you," continued Dave, "Is that your wings are going to get in the way and cause discomfort. So we'll have to sort that one out for you."

What!?

Rothardan felt two hands grab upon his wings and then...
Birds flew in fear, animals ran away, the screams of pain ran through the forest and anyone who heard them stopped and looked in the direction of them. Never had they heard such a noise of a human in pain. Heavy Metal Dave looked triumphant as he held Rothardan's two wings in his hands, freshly ripped from his back with brute force.

Rothardan forced himself to keep concious, but he was losing alot of blood. He closed his eyes and began to concentrate like never before. He had no mental energy left, so he had to resort to using his wellbeing. As he was lifted up for more punishment, Rothardan felt blood dripping down his nose as he used his greater heal spell again, this time to heal the large wounds on his back. His head felt like it was going to split open, his body felt numb. The only thing he could feel was his back pain suddenly getting less and less. Soon, his wound had healed... but Rothardan had almost killed himself doing it.

The bandits had all watched and Dave grunted with dissapointment.
"You can't keep that up forever paladin," he said, "Sooner or later you'll run out of energy and die."
Rothardan then felt metal shackles being attached to his armed and was hoisted up and hung from a tree from his arms. Then the bandits left him there to die, naked and hanging from a tree by his arms.

Enelya awoke to one of the merchants patting a damp cloth of her forehead. The villagers that had been staring her down earlier surrounded her. She tried to open her mouth and point to where she had dropped the leaves and roots for them… But the old man pressed his finger against her lips, quieting her. She frowned slightly, wondering where Rothardan was. She didn’t see him anywhere, and… It was a bit hazy, the events before hand… But she remembered Rothardan was in so much pain… She wanted to take him in her arms and consol him, to soothe his suffering… But she had to go and faint!

She tried to sit up, but became lightheaded and the old man shook his head, still, not saying a word. He had a kind face, it was very wrinkled, his life down in the long lines streaming across his face like gorges. Each one had a different memory buried within it… Lost love, happiness, passion, sorrow; he was a little slumped over, she figured from being upon the merchant carts his whole life. Enelya looked around, trying to find the basket. When her eyes came upon the wicker thing, she pointed towards it. “For your people…” She said, rubbing her eyes, and trying to sit up once again. “It’s not much, just roots, leaves, fruits, berries… Things that are easily found in the forest if you know where to find them…” A younger woman scurried over to the basket, her eyes wide, as if she hadn’t seen the likes of food in far too long. She stuffed her face with a few leaves before bringing it to the elder.

The Plant Lady tried to smile, but her mind was a little preoccupied with thoughts of Rothardan… She stood, and held her head in her hands. They all backed several feet away from her, and looked at her wide-eyed. There was a good chance they’d never seen a woman with blue hair, and purple eyes before. “All my years of traveling…” The old man whispered, “and never have I witnessed something as extraordinary as a woman with blue hair… I heard a myth once, but never recalled it as true.” A soft smile creased his face, causing even more wrinkles. Enelya blushed, and looked down at her feet. There were myths about her? Well, she supposed so since she was originally from Norwood… Perhaps the elves knew of her? Or maybe… Kalix…? She placed a kind hand on the man’s shoulder, and tilted her head, “where did they take him…?” Her voice shook slightly, fearing what he might say. He simply kissed her on her forehead, thanking her for the food. “You’ll always be in favor with this caravan.” He then turned slightly, pointing off into the distance. The old man then placed a pouch of something in Enelya’s hand. She opened it, and inside were an array of herbs, already grinded into a fine powder. “He’ll no doubt need some medicine. This will not only numb his pain, but also congeal his blood if he’s severely wounded…” Which he seemed to be. Enelya smelled the herbs, identifying each of them and nodded. “Thank you…” she whispered.

However, his direction was not needed after what happened next. A loud scream of terror echoed through the woods, causing birds to scatter, and a silence throughout the area for a good five minutes. Tears started streaming down Enelya’s face. Only one person could have made that scream… Her love. She grabbed up the ends of her skirt, and took a deep breath, hoisting herself upon Alatiel. She patted his neck softly, allowing him to relax. She leaned forward, bringing her mouth near his ear. “Let’s find him, Alatiel…” The horse neighed and started abruptly, causing Enelya to fall backwards slightly, regaining her balance. The villagers and merchants stood together, watching the cart roll away, watching as Enelya left the food, and disappeared from their lives as quickly as she had arrived.

Alatiel kept up a small trot, quick, rigid, anxious, both the horse and the rider alike. Her muscles were stiff, and tense, and each little sound that was even remotely related to a suffering human sent chills up her spine and a reaction quick as lightning. The sun had set after an hour of riding, and still no sign of Rothardan, Enelya started to really worry. She feared calling out his name that a bandit might hear her, and kidnap her as well… She supposed that might be the best thing if she was ever going to see Rothardan again… But still, she refrained. He might even be too weak to speak. This only made her quicken Alatiel’s pace. But soon, Alatiel sensed another being near by. His ears perked and she started to gallop, and Enelya pulled on his reigns softly, trying to get him to slow down, the speed bad for the cart attached to him.

But… she soon saw him. Fresh and dry blood alike streaming down his body, brown and red mixing together to form a grotesque design upon his bare flesh. Her hands flew to her mouth as she saw him, bound to a tree, and unconscious. She jumped off of Alatiel, almost falling in her haste and rushed to him. She touched his face, holding it within her hands, trying to figure out what to do. He was bound in shackles, and there was no way she would be able to break them. Then, through her sorrows she remembered the powder that the old man had given her, and she stuck it in her mouth, wetting it with her saliva, making it a nice, workable, paste for his wounds. She spit it out onto his gashes from his torture, and she then noticed the blood on his shoulders. There were no wounds on his shoulders… She touched him gently, and shut her eyes tightly as she realized where all the blood was coming from… His missing wings. She let out a sorrowful gasp, and washed the paste over the severed portions of flesh, trying to do as much good as she could with little provisions. “Rothardan… Rothardan… Can you hear me…?”

As Rothardan hung there, fatigue starting to grow over him as he thought the urge of death. Before, when he was on Arda, he was in a foreign world and had nothing to lose. But now he had a woman whom he loved, he had more to live for and he would fight death with everything he had. Opening his eyes, Rothardan saw that the land before him was twisting and turning. He was hallucinating, and when he tried to focus, he could see a dark and twisted shadow come before him. The shadow melded and twisted into a form, a form of a dark creature wrapped up within a cloak... two red gleaming eyes pierced into his own, making Rothardan remember the time when this figure killed him on the moon of Arda.

Xoco, the dark wraith.

Rothardan kept on telling himself that it was only an illusion, but that still didn't make any of this more scary. Xoco glided straight up to Rothardan and laughed, a cold and biting laugh that would chill anyone to their bones.
"You survived?" he said with amusement, "But look at you now: chained and naked, helpless as a babe. You won't survive this one paladin."
Rothardan looked at Xoco with a hatred in his eyes.
"Shut up," he growled.
"Defiant in death? That's it Paladin... keep fighting, keep telling yourself that you'll live and that you will make it to the end of the day. You really are predictable and hopeless."
"Oh you don't know the half of it..."
The other voice came from behind Xoco, this one even more familiar. From the darkness of his vision, Rothardan saw the form of an elf wearing the same old long jacket and the same old hat he always wore. But the maniacal look into his eyes was what gave this man away from any other elf that you would find in Norwood.
Seele, the God of Darkness.
"He keeps on fighting for his cause," goaded Seele, "You could have had children Rothardan, you could have been a daddy. But now look at you, at death's door and with both of us here to keep you company."
Rothardan chuckled to himself.
"What is this? Open stage night at the inn."
"He jests!" exclaimed Xoco, "The paladin is also a comedian. I'm sure that when you reach hell, alot of the creatures and people you put there will be wanting to hear the amazing Rothardan, stand up comedian of the century."
"Shut up... shut up... SHUT UP! GET OUT OF MY HEAD DEMONS! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"
And then a burst of light came forth, dissapating the forms of Seele and Xoco, sending them back to whatever part of his mind that had conjured them up. In their place was a knight. This knight looked so magnificent, so majestic, that he filled Rothardan with fear. He was covered in head to toe with golden armour that glowed like the very sun itself, and his red cape fluttered in the wind. But it was his face that made Rothardan scared... for though his eyes were green like the grass, his hair was brown like Rothardan's and tied into a pony tail. Could it be?
"You never let them win before... you always came back fighting," said the knight, "So why give up now? Your wings have been removed and you've got a concussion coming along. What's another two broken wrists along with that?"
Rothardan nodded, understanding what the knight was saying.
"Always remember that I have been watching over you since I was taken to the gates of celestia, and I am proud you have carried the Lionheart banner to this land. The people of Imythess need a champion, someone to carry forth the blade of justice and strike down evil. So stop hanging there and get out of those shackles. We all believe in you..."
The knight faded away and Rothardan closed his eyes. He could hear Enelya's voice calling him and touching him, but no. It was another illusion. He pulled his hands to his shackles and kept on pulling when they wouldn't reach. He gritted his teeth in pain and kept on pulling his hands down. His wrists popped and cracked, breaking, and Rothardan felt his hands slip through the shackles. Laughing, Rothardan began to fall...

He had lost so much blood… Enelya ran to the cart, and ripped a portion of her skirt, dug through the never-ending bag of space, and pulled out the picnic basket, taking out Rothardan’s canteen of water, dampening the cloth, and returning to Rothardan hastily. Millions of things raced through her mind. What had they done to him? Obviously stripped him of his tangible freedom: flying. She wished she possessed the power to give him his wings back… But the only thing she could do was prevent him from bleeding to death. Of course, that had its advantages… But he would never fly again.

She dabbed ever so gently at the dried blood strewn across his rippled abdomen, shoulders, behind his neck, trying to get as much of the caked blood pulling at his skin off. He laughed a frightening laugh that sent fear shooting through Enelya. She’d never seen him this way…this was not the kind, charming Rothardan she had met at Gregory’s village… Nor was he the fierce and heroic Rothardan that had been trying his best to defend her as the bandits attacked. He was completely ripped apart, vulnerable, and helpless… The rag was soon soaked in his blood, stained red; you could hardly tell that it was actually green at one point.

No, he wasn’t helpless. Even now he defied his situation by breaking his wrists, Enelya bit her lip to keep from screaming as he struggled to free himself from the imprisonment. She stepped back, letting him pull himself free. Tears streamed down her face as he continued to laugh manically, and she didn’t know what to do. What could she do? He was hallucinating, and completely out of consciousness with the world around him; he seemed deaf to her calling his name. As he pulled himself completely free, Enelya rushed to him as he fell, and wrapped her arms around him, catching him, despite him being about twice her size. She held him tightly, gently, but tightly rocking him softly, his blood staining her clothes. But she didn’t care… They were merely materials. She could make new ones.

She kissed the top of his head, crying, wanting him to be all right. She’d given him the medicine, given him everything she could… Now all she could do was wait with him. She called his name again, whispering into his ear. “Rothardan… Rothardan… It’s me, Enelya… Come back to me… Rothardan…”

It had been a frightening ordeal, but the worst was over. Rothardan felt something soft brush against his skin, and groaned. Was this another hallucination that his mind was throwing up, or was it real? Was any of this real? The pain had stopped and Rothardan felt something damp being applied upon his neck, his body... everywhere he once felt pain. It took plenty of strength, but Rothardan looked up and saw Enelya fervently helping the fallen celestial, patching him back together like the broken rag doll he felt like. The poor woman was scared out of her wits, Rothardan felt a wave of sadness wash over him as he realized that Enelya had been dragged into the paladins world of evil and darkness. It was cold, the wind was blowing and biting into Rothardan's skin. Completely naked, the paladin was at the mercy of the elements as he shivered from the cold.

“Rothardan… Rothardan… It’s me, Enelya… Come back to me… Rothardan…”

The voice sounded so far away, like it was coming down the end of a cave. But it was real, Rothardan knew that sweet sounding voice from anywhere, even though it was full of fear and sadness at this point. Rothardan felt some of his strength come back as he realized that Enelya was no illusion... she was flesh and blood. He tried to lift his hand and stroke her face, but his hand wouldn't move.. like it was made of lead.

"Enelya... take... me... caravan... so... cold...
Those were the only words the weakened paladin could say before closing his eyes and falling unconscious.

"Enelya... take... me... caravan... so... cold..."

He was shaking, and miserable, and Enelya nodded slowly, biting her lip. She was so frightened for him… But she had to be strong. She took a deep breath, and shut her eyes, letting all of her fear and nonsensical worry drain out of her so she could be efficient for Rothardan. He needed someone who could aide him quickly, not some stupid girl who couldn’t see anything through her tears. His weakened voice pulled on her heartstrings and all she wanted to do was kiss him until he was better. Though, she knew the world did not work that way, so she wiped her eyes, her tear-stained face irritating her.

Enelya looked around, and ran to Alatiel, and led him closer to where Rothardan was. The concern in the steed’s eyes was dark and apparent. Enelya stroked the horse’s neck to comfort him; everything was going to be all right… It had to be. Enelya returned to Rothardan’s side, and hooked her arms under his, trying to be as gentle and strong as she could to lift him into the caravan. She strained with her small arms trying to make him move. She pulled but Rothardan did not budge. She panted, and stood, looking helplessly around. There was no one in sight, and she would be damned if she left Rothardan here. She took a deep breath, bit her lip, wrapped her arms around his torso, and grunted, trying her best to move him, when all of a sudden, a mass of green vines wrapped around him, and helped her lift the paladin up into the caravan. Once Rothardan was inside, she stepped back several feet, watching the vines descend back into the ground from whence they came. She looked wide-eyed, not really understanding what had just happened. However, now was not the time to gawk and strange things.

“You’re stronger than you think, Enelya…”

Enelya looked into the trees, seeing nothing but plants. Who had said that? Nothing could have said that… But in fact, to the lack of her knowledge, it had been the plants, speaking to her. Her abilities were slowly, but surely returning to her in this time of need…

She ran to the base of a tree, and gathered up armfuls of leaves, bringing them to Rothardan, laying them over him like a blanket, running back and forth until he was completely covered, except his head with leaves. That should insolate him while I don’t have any clothes for him… She took the canteen she’d gotten out and climbed into the caravan with Rothardan, sitting him up gently, and touching the canteen to his lips, to see if he would respond, and take the liquid kindly. Unconscious. She bit her lip, trying to think of what to do. There were plenty of herbs in the forest to recollect his consciousness, but that might take forever. She ripped another portion of her skirt, dampening it again, and keeping it against her forehead. “Alatiel!” She called, “to the Elves!” Enelya was sure she would be able to find it… Their healing powers would no doubt be able to exceed her own, and Veronna’s Temple was too far back to go to her healers… It was only forward from here.

Rothardan awoke to find himself staring at a rooftop that was made of wood and leaves. How very odd. Where was he? Then he remembered that he was close to the Norwood Village, and that the elves preferred to keep things... natural... not using anything man made. Oh what a wonderful person Enelya was... she must have taken him to the Norwood Village. The elven magic was wonderful at healing people, elves were some of the best healers in the whole of Imythess. Enelya must have taken him into the caravan and then taken him to the village. The sun was shining through a window, and the paladin slowly rose from his bed. He felt like something was missing though... something felt different. Rothardan could see a mirror upon the wall and rose from his bed, getting ready to face the worst.

He was in his natural form... his celestial form. But normally, when in this form, he would have his two majestic wings. But they were gone now, and the paladin suddenly remembered why. Heavy metal Dave had cruelly ripped them from his body and almost killed him. If not for Enelya, then Rothardan would be dead now. She had saved his life. And yet, Rothardan felt a great sadness over wash him as he turned around and saw his bare back. No longer would he feel the freedom he felt when flying in the sky, nor the wind flow through his hair. He wouldn't be able to take Enelya flying anymore, he would forever be confined to the ground.

Rothardan's alter self spell wouldn't work to help him get wings, it could only be used to change how he looked... not how many limbs he had. Sighing, Rothardan closed his eyes and reverted back to his human form again. Then he wondered how he was going to wonder how he was going to say to Enelya how he was going back to fight Dave again. What would she think? Wouldn't she try to stop him, worried that Rothardan would die.

Rothardan had met many people like Dave before. People who would do what they want and hurt anyone who would try and stop them. Heavy Metal Dave was the worst of them, he would kill a man simply for a few copper pieces. And the paladin knew that the villagers wouldn't be safe so long as those bandits were around with Dave. And what if the bandits were to finish up and kill the villagers, then they would simply move on and find new victims.

Placing on some clothes, Rothardan saw his bag of never ending space upon a dresser and looked inside of it. There was his armour and his weapons... someone must have fetched them and repaired them for him. Taking out his needed equipment, Rothardan began to place on his armour. Soon, he was fully kitted out and ready to tackle Dave again. All he had left was his helm to place on. When he placed upon the helm, he would be ready to tackle Dave again.

Staring at the mirror, Rothardan took a deep breath and looked at his armoured self in the mirror. If he did this, he would be placed his own life in danger. He knew that Enelya would worry and that he could be killed again. But if he didn't then countless others would be in danger from the bandits. He had to do this... he had to save the villagers...

...Rothardan had never had so much trouble putting on his helm before.

The way to Norwood Village hadn’t been that long, though it was long enough to make Enelya worry herself to death. They had minimal trouble finding the village… It reminded her so much of her own village… Up in the trees… You just had to know where to look… The elves were hesitant at first with bringing Rothardan into their village, but after they had seen the colorings of Enelya, knowing the myths about her… Suddenly had a change of heart. Any daughter of Idril’s was family here, as well. Several of their healers had taken Rothardan into the hospital branch of the village, while they had taken Enelya with them for questioning.

What had happened? Why wasn’t Enelya with Idril? Why, why, why? Enelya had a hard time answering all of the questions. Idril? Who was Idril? She looked at the elves wide-eyed, and tried to figure out what they were saying… Until finally… They realized what was going on. They stopped their questions, patted Enelya on the shoulder, and bit her lips. Enelya had grabbed Rothardan’s bag and dug through it, finding his armor, and presented it to the council of elves that had been questioning her. One of them, by the name of Elros Pallanen. He had a kind face, despite that of his knarled hands from multiple burns, and calluses from his years of armor work. Enelya thanked him for his time, and he was off to the smithy.

Enelya had insisted to go see Rothardan, but some of the healers had kept her out, saying that seeing him at this point would only bring tears and sorrow. So, she left reluctantly, spending a good deal of time in the gardens, talking to the plants, despite their ability to talk back. She told them about how worried she was for Rothardan, and if he even dreamed of going back there, which she had a feeling he would, with his persona of having to save the world… She walked to one of the beautiful fountains, engraved with leaves, and emblems that were unknown to Enelya. She grabbed one of the many pitchers and filled it with the clear water.

With pitcher in hand, Enelya continued her way to Rothardan’s room, her heart pounding within her chest. Was he all right? Had he experienced severe trauma? She was a marginal healer, but not the best in the forests… She walked through the elegantly decorated halls, until she came upon Rothardan’s room. No one seemed to be around, and she knocked gently on the door. “Rothardan… Are you awake?” Her voice was soft, a slight whisper as to not wake him if he was still sleeping.

He gazed upon his helm for a good long while, wondering when he would muster the courage to place it upon his head. He had to go back, it was his duty as a paladin do go back and help those in need. He had taken the oath to protect the innocent at the age of 10, and breaking it would be dishonourable. That oath had been his main source of strength and power, but it was also his main weakness. He knew that fighting with Dave would mean that he would probably die, or come back to Enelya all bruised and battered again. Would he even survive the trip back to Norwood Village?

“Rothardan… Are you awake?”

Her sweet voice brought Rothardan out his trance, the paladin turned around and saw Enelya. She was safe, oh thank the light gods she was safe! Rothardan sighed with relief, but then realised that he would now have to tell Enelya that he was going back. He had made up his mind, he had to go back and face down Dave once again. This time he would not fail, this time he would take the monster down permanently and destroy it.

"I'm awake Enelya... I need to talk to you," answered Rothardan, his voice soft with sadness.

"I'm awake Enelya... I need to talk to you,"

Enelya entered the room, setting the pitcher of water on his dresser, and indicating to it. “I brought you some fresh water…” She looked around his room, her face very worrisome, still. She ran her fingers along his bed, and straightened his rustled sheets. “Why are you in your armor…?” She tilted her head slightly, “you should be in bed recovering…” Her voice was small, and soft. She hated telling people what to do and bossing them around… But he really needed to rest. He’d drained so much of his energy that any overexertion of energy at this point could be fatal.

She kept averting her gaze from Rothardan… Knowing full well of what he had to say to her. He wanted to go back to where that giant was. He wanted to save the townspeople, he wanted to be heroic, uphold the oath, and put his own life in danger. She wasn’t stupid, and though she could hear the sadness in his voice, he couldn’t see the damage that had already been done to her. Her cheeks were still flushed from her panic, her skirt ripped from her trying to clean him from all the blood. She was surprised she’d finally stopped shaking… If he went… She would not be going with him. Finally, Enelya came to know that she could not avoid this discussion any longer. She went to Rothardan’s bed, and sat down, patting the mattress beside her, “come, let us talk then…”

She entered the room, and Rothardan immediatley felt a twang of fear. He didn't want to have this conversation, and he knew that Enelya had done everything to save him. Her cheeks were still flushed and her dress was ripped, she looked like she had been through the war. She had saved Rothardan and now he was going back into the fray. Enelya didn't look at the paladin directly and that scared him.

“Why are you in your armour…? You should be in bed recovering…”

Enelya sat down upon the bed and Rothardan began to tell Enelya something that would make or break the relationship they had together. Never before had he been this terrified of anyone, yet now Rothardan was terrified that Enelya would tell him to go and never come back. Rothardan needed Enelya, she completed him and made him feel whole. But he also had a duty to do as a paladin, and failing to bring down that monster would be a death sentence to all those villagers.

"I'm going back Enelya... he began, his heart pounding... "You saw what the villagers were like, they were skin and bone. They're too scared to move away and the bandits would only find them again. Dave has to be stopped, without him... the bandits would fall. I have to go back... and I'm scared that..."

Rothardan couldn't complete the sentence... he was scared that Enelya would walk out the door and not come back. He was scared that he would walk into battle alone and die with the final thought of how he had lost everything dear to him. The Paladin looked at Enelya, and then his helm. He had made his decision. He placed the helm upon his head and looked at his love, the two glowing blue orbs that were his eyes behind the helm. What was she going to say?

Enelya could see him fidgeting. Obviously, this scared him as much as it scared her as well. She looked at him, trying to figure out why this was so important to him. He had almost died! He had been gutted and ripped to shreds and all he could think about was returning?! She sat back on the bed, hugging her knees, and feeling the brim of her eyes starting to swell with tears. The words were on the tip of his tongue; she could hear them before he even said them. She was becoming so angry… She never got angry… But she just couldn’t understand! It was just some form of sick suicide! All Enelya wanted was for him to stay in bed, recover, and stay with her…

“I have to go back... and I'm scared that...”

A single tear fell from Enelya’s eye, and she lifted her chin. “Scared that what? That what you claim to love so dear will be gone? That you’ll be throwing your life away?” Enelya bit her lip; unable to comprehend that she was saying these things. Her words were weighted, and full of concern for him. She wouldn’t let him leave… She couldn’t… It was certain death… She needed him…She took a deep breath, staring into Rothardan’s blue eyes, pleading him to stay with her own lavender orbs. Did he not even think of what she would say? Did he not even care? She loved him… But she didn’t know if she could handle his righteous attitude towards everything that moved. Could she be in love with someone who constantly had to rid everything of evil, and not just accept that evil is always present, just as good is?

A small smile graced her lips without her thinking. Yes… It was very possible… She was very in love with this crazed paladin who couldn’t take a breath without making sure it was full of goodness…

She closed her eyes, a few tears falling to her cheeks. “Rothardan,” she started, her voice soft, “I love you.” She paused, opening her eyes and looking up at him. “And…” Her voice caught, cracking, “I don’t know what I’d do without you…” She bit her lip, trying to hold back from a big emotional outbreak, though it was on the brink of her lips, “you… I… I can’t bare the thought of you…” She couldn’t even say it, as she buried her face within her knees.

“Scared that what? That what you claim to love so dear will be gone? That you’ll be throwing your life away?”
"Yes... that's everything I'm thinking of... except from the claim to love bit. I know I love you Enelya, more than anything. That's why this is the hardest thing I'm ever going to do."
He could feel his heart getting ready to break, it was already thumping its way to destruction at this point. It was beating with anticipation, fear... all sorts of emotions. Yet he still loved Enelya, more than anything. Enelya look up at Rothardan, and the paladin got ready to be shot down. He got ready for Enelya to say it. She closed her eyes and a tear fell from her eye and travelled down her cheeks.
“Rothardan,” she said.
Here it came. Rothardan, go away. Rothardan leave me alone.
“I love you. And…I don’t know what I’d do without you…”
The paladin was shocked to the core. It wasn't what he was expecting. She loved him he knew, but she didn't know that she felt the same way about him... that she didn't imagine anything without him.
“you… I… I can’t bare the thought of you…”
Enelya's eyes closed and she let her head drop so it came to her knees. The paladin took of his helm and let it go so that it dropped to the floor. Then, he bent down so his head was level with Enelya, looking at her. He placed a hand upon her chin and lifted up her face, then he kissed her... a passionate kiss... one telling her that she would never be without him, that he would always be there for her.

"Yes... that's everything I'm thinking of... except from the claim to love bit. I know I love you Enelya, more than anything. That's why this is the hardest thing I'm ever going to do."

Enelya let out a small, exasperated laugh. The hardest thing? Sure, she could imagine that making this decision was… she bit her lip, trying to be understanding with him. With all sarcasms put aside, it really was hard for him. She didn’t know what to say, there was nothing really to say. She just looked around the room, breathless, trying to cope. She’d never had to deal with something like this before… Make him stay with her? That sounded so selfish, so horrible… Though, if he… No, she wouldn’t even think about what she would do if something as tragic as that happened.

The sound of Rothardan’s helm crashing onto the floor rang through the small room. Then, crying into her knees, she felt Rothardan’s hand, lifting her chin, and he pressed his lips to hers… She let go, crying, wrapping her arms around his neck, sobbing into their passionate kiss. “Rothardan I love you so much…” She whimpered, feeling the metal against her body. She hated it… She hated the armor; she wanted to feel him, not his damned shell that hid him from the world. She wanted to feel his warmth, his love… But instead she got the one thing that kept the two apart. His armor, and his damned pride. Though, she had to be honest, even though it was probably one of his faults… It made him who he was, and she loved him for that. He stood for something, and he wasn’t afraid as to go and sacrifice himself for it. Enelya thought it stupid, and careless… But… At the same time she couldn’t ask him to stay without sounding selfish.

All of her emotions were poured into that kiss as tears ran down her cheeks, and her arms wrapped around his neck, bringing them closer together.

The two of them kissed for what seemed like forever, before it was broken and Rothardan was back to reality. He knew that he had to go now, if not now then never. He used his telekinesis to make his helm fly towards his hand and he placed it back on again. He looked at his love, and a tear flew down his eye immediately.
"I'll be back..." he said.
Then he walked out of the house, stood outside of the house and looked into the sky. Getting ready to fly back, Rothardan spread his wings... and then remembered that they were not there any more. So the paladin sighed and walked down towards the stairs to the ground and climbed down to the ground. When he reached there, he saw his horse Alatiel waiting for him. Climbing onto his horse, Rothardan stirred it towards the direction of the area where the caravan was and galloped off towards Heavy Metal Dave... and quite possibly his death.

---

As soon as he heard the horse feet galloping towards him, Rothardan looked up. The paladin had arrived at the area and saw that the traders in their caravan. They all looked shocked at the fact that the paladin had returned. Rothardan looked at them all and saw that they were all more skinny and more malnourished than before. The paladin looked at them all and said one word to them.

"Go..."

They all left immediately, running into the direction of the forest. They would all hide there and wait until either the paladin died or until he won. And now he saw the horses come into the view. They all stopped and the bandits had a look of complete and utter belief on their faces. He had survived and he was back. One of the bandits opened up the coffin on their cart again and Rothardan drew his holy blade, the blade glowing a soft white light in response to the evil around it. Heavy Metal Dave got out of the coffin and looked at Rothardan, his eyes widened in surprise. Then he shook his head and muttered...

"I knew I should have checked for the corpse..."

Heavy Metal Dave got out, and got down on the ground and looked at Rothardan. Then, as if a signal had been made, both of them charged at each other and the battle had begun.

---

The battle had been waging for minutes now and both enemies were hitting it each other with as much force as possible. But it was no use, Rothardan was getting tired and Heavy Metal Dave was not. He was half metal, his constitution was probably more higher than most people. Dave threw forth a punch and Rothardan was thrown back as it hit him in the chest. Then there was the sound of the blade coming forth from his hand and Dave charged forward, intent on splitting Rothardan in two.

The Paladin brought up his blade in defence and the two blades gave off sparks. But Rothardan was weak and the two blades were getting closer and closer. It was only a matter of time before the paladin's grip would brake and he would be dead...

Rothardan left her, and Enelya wilted into the bed. She lay there on the pillow, looking up into the ceiling. He was gone, possibly forever, and there was nothing Enelya could do to change his mind. The paladin had grabbed up his helm, said a brief goodbye, and though it pained her heart to see him so… Tried to extend his wings that had been so brutally ripped from his back. She went to the edge of the balcony, and looked down at Rothardan, watching him somberly mount Alatiel, and ride off to who knows where. This could be the very thing that will haunt Enelya for the rest of her life…

She stood there for a long while, pacing on the balcony, worrying. She knew he probably hadn’t even arrived yet, but just the tug at her heart told her she should be with him, not hiding away in the Elves’ village. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. Her heart was pounding intensely. She walked down to the council, and there, Elros was examining a painting hanging on the wall. He looked to her, noticing her tears, and walked over to her, a bit of concern in his eyes. Enelya tried to hide her grief, but Elros knew all too well what was going on. He placed two hands on her shoulders, and looked her directly in the eyes. “Go to him. He needs you.” Enelya gave him a quick hug, thanking him for all he’d done for them.

Though Elros stopped her before she could run out. What was she going to do? Run the whole way? He took her to the horse stables, and brought out a hasty mare, one that would take her far quickly. Enelya looked at him, unsure if she knew how to ride adequately. Elros folded his fingers, helping her mount, and slapped the mare’s rump, sending her off before Enelya could complain or worry any longer. She rode long and hard, unable to think of where to find him… Though soon she heard the clanking of metal; the metal of swords crashing together.

As she arrived she jumped off of the mare, and she saw that Dave had Rothardan pinned against the ground, his sword drawing closer and closer to him. Enelya screamed, and threw her arms out as if to touch him, but instead five thick knarled vines shot out of the ground and entangled Dave in a tight knot of botanical doom. “Rothardan!” She screamed, not being able to witness something as tragic as Rothardan being turned into a meal for the horrible bandits. The vines wrapped around Dave so tightly that not only did it prevent him from moving any limb, but also prevented him from breathing. His pinkish face started to turn blue, and Enelya's mouth was open, unsure of what she was doing. She bit her lip and waved her arms fiercely backwards, bringing him as far away from Rothardan as possible, bringing him to the ground, pinning him there.

The vines struck out and Heavy Metal Dave was pinned to the ground, choking to death. Rothardan got up and looked to see Enelya, her arms held out. She was doing this? But how? Did she know forest magic? One thousand questions went through Rothardan' head at this point, but he knew one thing. Dave was still alive and soon he would find a way to break free of the vines. Magic was only as strong as the person's mind and if Dave was stronger, he would break the vines. But try as he might, the metal man couldn't get free.
"You think you've won Paladin.." Dave chocked out, "I'll get free. And your little girlfriend is dead..."
Rothardan walked off and found something worth picking up. It was a large rock, very heavy, perfect. The Paladin picked it up, and walked back over to Dave... who was still struggling. He knew that the metal man would carry his word out, and he would hurt countless others. He had to end this now.
Dave looked up and saw what was happening. He saw the paladin raise the large rock above his head and then he saw it come down. He screamed in horror... and then nothing more. Rothardan had crushed Dave's head beneath the rock with a scream of fury. Dave would no longer be hurting anyone.
The bandits all looked as their leader was smashed and destroyed. They all realised the truth now... that Rothardan and Enelya were stronger than all of them combined. All of them lay down their weapons and lowered their heads in defeat.

A few hours later, the forest rangers had arrived and began making the arrests. The bandits were cuffed and placed in an iron cage that was drawn by two black stallions. They would all be going to jail for the foreseeable future. Rothardan was sitting down, his top half of the armour off and exposing his muscular chest. He looked at Enelya and smiled. Despite the fact that he had gone off to his death, she had returned to him in his hour of need. Without Enelya, he would have died.
"You saved my life Enelya... thank you for your help... thank you for coming to save me... thank you for... for... for being there for me."

"You think you've won Paladin…" Dave chocked out, "I'll get free. And your little girlfriend is dead..."

Enelya’s eyes had darkened, something about her was changing, a whole new side of her was being created as she feared more for Rothardan’s life than anything else around her. This… was causing her to being offensive, fierce, lashing out to Dave, and protecting her love. She was not going to let some angry metal beast crush Rothardan just because he had a temper and a grudge against dwarves. “No, you’re not…” She whispered, barely audible.

As Rothardan smashed Dave’s head with a rock, Enelya flinched; she did not scream, for she had little mercy for someone as gruesome as he. He had tried to kill Rothardan… Twice, and threatened her own life. She pitied the poor thing for such a horrible life… But yet the best thing for him was death. She dropped to the ground, and extended her arms to catch herself. She breathed heavily, unable to understand how she was controlling the vines… It was strange, very strange, and she looked to Rothardan, tears filling her eyes. “I… I… I…was suffocating him…” She’d never done damage to another being in her whole existence.

Her hands started to shake, along with her whole body. She couldn’t believe it. How could she have done something so horrible as to hurt another thing? She knew he deserved it, but that was completely beside the point. But… with all else aside… at least Rothardan was okay.

"You saved my life Enelya... thank you for your help... thank you for coming to save me... thank you for... for... for being there for me."

Enelya had stopped shaking, mostly, as it turned to a faint shivering, and she looked to Rothardan, who was smiling, his muscular chest rising up and down with the breath that still filled his body… The breath that had not been eradicated from him by the likes of Heavy Metal Dave. She looked to him, and wrapped her arms around him, not saying a word, just taking in the fact that she had prevented his death, yet again, because of his damned righteousness. She could feel the warm of his body upon her, as she entwined her fingers through his hair, and just being as close to him as possible.

Dave was dead. Rothardan felt a great weight fall upon his chest as that thought came upon him. He was a paladin and sometimes he had to kill, but his job was to preserve life and not to take it away. On one hand, the paladin would have wanted to end this without killing Dave. But that wasn't possible, Dave would never have simply rotted in prison like the paladin intended. Instead, he would have found a way to broken out and come back again, killing and maiming more people. In order to preserve the lives of countless others, Rothardan had to take the life of someone whose life was pure evil.

Enelya collapsed beside the paladin, who looked up with worry upon his face. Enelya's eyes were full of tears, as if she was scared about something.
“I… I… I…was suffocating him…”
Rothardan placed a hand upon his love's shoulder and told her how he saved his life. Enelya looked up at Rothardan and wrapped her arms around him, pulling the paladin closer towards her. Rothardan did the same and the two of them were holding onto each other, neither one letting the other go. Enelya was safe, Rothardan was safe... that was all that mattered now.

Come sunset, the villagers had returned to find the bandits locked up and Dave's corpse moved away somewhere so it could be left for the animals. They looked at the paladin, who was busy getting everything ready for his journey to the village. He promised Enelya a trip to Norwood Village and by the light, he was going to give it to her. The villagers began to mutter and Rothardan turned around.

"They've all gone," he said to them, "They won't bother you again, not whilst they are in prison. And they're leader is out there in the forest somewhere, ready for the animals to eat."

The villagers began to cheer and whoop with glee, some hugging each other. Rothardan turned back to his horse and checked to see if it was attached to the caravan properly. Yep, everything was fine. Hopping on the caravan, Rothardan turned to Enelya and asked:

"Ready?"

Enelya looked into Rothardan’s eyes as his gentle hand descended upon her shoulder. She nodded slowly as he explained to her that not only had she saved his life, but the world was also a safer place because of it. She continued to fidget every now and then, taking up a lock of her hair and twisting it around her forefinger. Then she embraced him, as he brought her closer to him. She could feel his skin, and his life energy beneath her, and she smiled. He was still alive and warm. They were both returned to the other’s arms and everything was right.

When the villagers had arrived, Enelya had let go of Rothardan, but still had his hand firmly within her grasp. She’d come so close to losing him… She refused to let him go, for even a moment. She knew they were safe now, and that Dave, along with the bandits would never harm them for quite some time… But just the possibility, the thought, the notion that something could happen to either of them in the blink of an eye scared her to death. Despite their strengths… Life was so fragile, and someone as strong as Rothardan even had weakness. They were all prone to death at any given moment. And that frightened Enelya.

Though Rothardan went to prepare the cart for their travels, Enelya went to speak with the villagers. They looked concerned and worried, and many women clutched their children closely, while the men comforted those they could. Enelya’s soft eyes reassured them that everything would be fine. She bent down and started speaking to a very young girl and boy who had looked particularly frightened. She plucked a small flower, and gave it to the little girl, tapping her lightly on the nose, along with her brother, making them both giggle. Rothardan then gave his reassuring speech, and the children grasped Enelya by the legs, making her laugh. She patted them on the backs lovingly, as the elder from before had approached her, setting his knarled hand upon her shoulder. His eyes were deep with appreciation, and Enelya wrapped her arms around him, and whispered into his ear, “you have nothing to fear now.” She unwound her arms from his torso, and beamed. It looked like a happy ending after all.

"Ready?"

Averting her attention back to Rothardan, she nodded, turning back to the villagers and saying her good-byes, with hugs and smiles, back patting and thanks. She bless them a kiss, climbed up into the caravan beside Rothardan, and held Rothardan’s arm. “I’m ready.” She said, leaning her head against his shoulder.

Rothardan turned to see Enelya being hugged by children and thanked by the elders, a sight that made him smile and laugh. Bless, everyone was happy again and the caravan was safe. Some of the children came towards him and began to laugh and smile as well, Rothardan laughing along with them. One of the children, a small blonde girl who looked hungry, went up to the paladin and hugged him on the leg. The paladin smiled and placed an arm upon her shoulder. The little girl looked up and smiled at Rothardan and then said something that warmed the paladins heart...

"I hope I can be a hero like you someday sir..."

Rothardan bent down and picked the little girl up, hugging her tightly. Now that the bandits had gone, this girl would be able to live a normal life and her health would return to her. And what was better that this girl had the best gift that any one person could give her at any point... the gift of hope. If she wanted to be a hero then who was Rothardan to say no? It had all been worth it in the end, the beating and the humiliation and the loss of his wings. It had all been worth it to see these people smile. From the corner of his eye, a tear ran down the paladins eye. This people were free now... no-one would harm them again.

The girl ran off to her parents and Rothardan boarded his carriage and helped Enelya up. As she sat down next to the paladin, Rothardan looked at her and smiled. In return, Enelya placed her head on the paladins shoulders and confirmed that she was indeed ready to go forwards to the village, this time both of them were going to Norwood with a smile on their face. Alataiel the horse trotted off at a nice easy pace as the carriage began to head off. And then the paladin had a thought... he remembered the sweet girl and how she said she wanted to be a hero.

The paladin took of his pendant that he received from the god of light threw it in the direction of the little girl, who caught it in one. He winked at the girl and waved goodbye to her, laughing as the girl looked at the pendant with wonder before placing it on. Rothardan could always grab another pendant at the temple... but to give the girl the gift of hope was a once in a lifetime thing.

The paladin smiled at Enelya and kissed her on the forehead as the carridge went in the direction of the village. Rothardan looked up to the sky, wanting to put back the horror of his first day off. And yet, he couldn't forget the shining knight who had come to inspire him. To know that the spirit of his father was watching over him gave the paladin great strength.

The cart trundled off to the next stop... and the vacation began.