Glancing down at Rosalina as she whimpered in her sleep, Darius frowned slightly, wondering if he should wake her. He could almost guess what was troubling his love, which only made him want to throttle the dark mage once more.
------------------------------------------------------------
Badly bleeding, Drake managed to drag himself to the shadows of the hallway as he weakly gasped for breath. Spying Gareth carrying an unconscious Calista in his arms, Drake could tell that Russell’s seed would never survive the beating he inflicted on the woman---not unless he bound his own life-force with the child.
“Seed of Darkness, Child of night
Let Heaven fall before thy might
Take root now within this woman’s womb
And lead her to an untimely tomb"
He chanted before binding his soul to Russell’s seed buried deep within Calista’s body as the spirit left his body and he breathed his last.
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Too worried about Calista to detect Drake's presence, Gareth glanced down at the still woman in his arms and sighed. What were you thinking, Rose? he thought to himself. Why did you try to resist him? He could have killed you, he thought as he gritted his teeth.
"Here's all I could find," Analiese remarked as she broke into Gareth's thoughts, leading a small group of battered women up to him. Nodding, Gareth looked the group over. Most were bruised and looked worn, but were at least able to walk on their own.
"Let's go," Gareth told the group gently before leading them out of bandit's home when he spotted a man carrying another woman a short distance ahead.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina started to squirm and cry as her dreams became nightmares. She dreamt of being tied down, Darius being led in by her fiance, and the mage who had taken her. They grinned at her with wicked grins, and then killed darius, his blood hitting her. She screamed.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

Hearing her scream, Darius gently shook Rosalina in the hopes of waking her. "It's all right, my love," Darius whispered to her. "You are safe. Nothing will harm you again."
"Stranger, halt!" Gareth called out, drawing Darius' attention toward him. "Where do you think you are taking the woman?" the mage questioned further, not recognizing the man and taking him for another kidnapper. At the mage's questions, Analiese reached her hand back for an arrow, ready to attack if need be. Growling at the interruption, Darius was about to respond curtly when he recognized the man that called him as the mage that helped him before.
"I am taking her somewhere safe," Darius called back instead. "I came here to save her from that mage that took her from Andestea," he called back. Frowning slightly, Gareth stepped closer and studied him for a moment. "I feel we have met before, but you were not as you are now," Gareth remarked.
"Indeed mage, for we did meet when you helped me against our dark adversary."
Nodding as the memory clicked in place, Gareth glanced down at the woman in Darius' arms, assuming this was the woman that Calista had mentioned. "How is she?" he asked Darius softly.
"Terrified. Hurt and in emotional pain. She-she suffered much abuse at the hand of her fiancé. I fear today will only re-open those old wounds," he whispered with sadness in his eyes as he hinted that Rosalina had been ravished once before.
Wincing at the man's words, Gareth wished he would have some better news to tell Calista once she awoke.
"How's the Headmaster's daughter?" Darius asked as he glanced down at the blonde woman that lay motionless in Gareth's arms, though he knew it was a foolish question to ask. He could see the cuts and dark bruising on her face and no doubt she received other injuries that he could not see through the cape that was wrapped around her. "Beaten within a hair of her life," Gareth said softly, sorrow in his eyes. "Her reward for trying to resist a ravishing," he added. "No doubt she would be dead had she not been blessed with the ability to heal at a faster rate than most humans," he whispered so only Darius could hear him, though he said nothing of what he had suspected for many years. That somewhere in Calista's bloodline was the blood of mage---diluted by now---though the abilities that mage had was resurfacing through her. He did not think it possible, but her gift to heal others through a touch was not natural and he was almost certain that the only reason she had lived was because of this one ability that was both a blessing and a curse.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina whimpered and opened her eyes, but did not speak as she heard Darius speak with another. "Dary?" she croaked, still tired and half awake.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

"I'm here, Ro," Darius whispered to Rosalina. "Just relax, everything will be all right," he told her.
"Dary?" Gareth asked him with a smirk.
"Watch it mage. Call me that and I will tear you to shreds---despite what happened before. My lady is the only one who can address me as such."
Chuckling again, Gareth just let the matter drop. "Well, we should head back to the Headmaster's. We can get some rest there," he remarked.
"We will need to find some way to travel back," Darius replied.
"I am quite ahead of you gentlemen," Analiese remarked as she came back to the group leading in a group of horses...steeds stolen from the bandits, having disappeared while the men were talking.
"Are you serious?" Darius remarked, not at all pleased at having to ride a horse.
"Well what would you prefer? To walk?" Analiese asked with a raised eyebrow as she led a horse over to each woman who tentatively mounted the animals. She then led a white stallion over to Gareth and another white stallion over to Darius.
After Gareth gently set Calista on the horse, Analiese helped to steady the woman as Gareth expertly mounted up behind her. Wrapping his arm around the woman's midsection, he pulled her limp body against him as he held on to her tightly so she would not fall off. "Hold on, Calista," Gareth whispered, placing his lips close to the unconscious woman's ear. "We will be home soon."
Meanwhile, Analiese assisted Darius in helping Rosalina to mount and waited until the man was seated behind her before whistling for her own mare. Expertly mounting her friend, she turned toward the group to bid them goodbye. "Farewell, may the Heavens grant you safe paths. Until we meet again," she remarked before kicking her heels into her mare's flank and urged the beast forward in the opposite direction from Andestea. Gareth just smiled as he watched the half-elven woman go. Analiese was always too much of a free spirit to stay in a single place for long. A ranger at heart, she listened to the call of the wild. "Let us be off," Gareth then remarked to the remaining company, anxious to get Calista back to her father's house where he could properly tend to his love's wounds.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina moaned as she was put on the horse, but once Darius had mounted, she held onto him with the strength she had. "I would prefer to ride you." she murmerd and closed her eyes leaning on him. "You will always be the one I want." she spoke after a while, speaking her heart before her mind knew it.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

"Believe me, I don't even know why I am on this beast. I would rather carry you," Darius whispered as he turned to glance back at her. Wrapping a hand around her arm, he made sure to hold on tightly to her so she wouldn't fall. "You are the only woman that I could ever want. The only woman I could ever love," he told her softly.
As they continued to ride, Calista moaned softly and frowned slightly in pain. The jostling of the steed as it galloped forward only exacerbated the pain seeping over her body as she bounced up and down with the beast's movements although Gareth held tightly on to her.
"Calista...?" Gareth softly, noticing her pain-filled expression.
"It hurts, Gareth..." Calista moaned weakly. "Help..." she begged as a tear slide from behind her closed eyelids and rolled down her cheek.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina smiled becoming more awake, his words finally sinking in. "Is it true, what you say. You love me so?" she asked.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

"Yes, I do Ro," Darius told Rosalina softly, a small smile on his lips. "I've loved you for a long time now," he whispered to her.
------------------------------------------------------------
Seeing the tear slide down Calista's cheek broke Gareth's heart. He could tell that she wanted him to fly her the rest of the way home, but stopped short from asking because she did not want to cause him more trouble. She was always so caring, never wanting to be a burden to anyone---despite the pain she was in. Drawing in reign, he quickly halted the steed before summoning the wind to lift him the air with Calista in his arms and then used a calming spell so as not to frighten the other horses. She had already been through enough torment, she did not need to endure any more pain needlessly.
"Is that better?" Gareth asked her softly.
Releasing a soft sigh, Calista nodded weakly and moved slightly so she could snuggle against him. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice barely audible and her eyes still remained closed.
"Don't ever hesitate to ask me for anything," Gareth whispered to her before gently pressing a kiss to her forehead.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina smiled. "How, when I was child to you for so long." she asked, breathing his scent in.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

Darius chuckled at her words. "There are many forms of love, Ro. Never forget that. I loved the innocent child you were---albeit it was more the love a protector would have for his charge---but I loved you nonetheless. And I love the woman you have become---so dignified but yet so compassionate," he remarked quietly.
------------------------------------------------------------
Glancing down at the woman that was resting in his arms, Gareth simply smiled and kissed her lips lightly. Turning his attention back to the path ahead, he felt relief to see the Headmaster's house a short distance ahead---a place where they could at least get some rest and he could tend to Calista's wounds properly.

_________________


AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina smiled faintly. "How could I not know?" she asked, thinking she knew Darius so well.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

Darius chuckled at Rosalina's comments. "Not everyone recognizes the signs of love when it is presented to them. Or they can recognize signs of love for other couples but never their own. Or I could just have been good at hiding it," Darius teased lightly.
As they arrived at Daniel's home, Gareth landed and carried her over to where her father was sitting outside, waiting.
"My daughter, how is she?" he asked, worry in his voice as he glanced over at the woman in the mage's arms.
"Very weak. She needs rest and no stress," Gareth told him a bit coolly, still angry at her father for the way he had treated her.
"What happened?" Daniel demanded, his voice breaking as he saw the cuts and bruises on his daughter's face and the dust and soot on her hair from trying to save Damon.
"She was ravished and beaten within a hair of her life," Gareth remarked, his tone betraying is own irritation at what happened.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina smiled. "I think I have always loved you. But never knew until now." she confessed, then her smile fell. "Did you meant what you said, when you would still have me dispite everything I had allowed to happen." She bit her lip.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

Chuckling at her first comment, a small smile twitched Darius' lips. "Yes, my dear. I meant what I said when I said I would still love and have you...for a wife. And that still holds true now," he told her softly. As they drew near to the Headmaster's house, Darius turned to see that Gareth was already there. Dismounting first, he then turned and gently lifted Rosalina off the horse and carried her over to wear Gareth and Daniel were.
------------------------------------------------------------
Frowning as Darius with Rosalina in his arms came up to him followed by the small group of women, Daniel merely studied them. "What-" he started to ask.
"They need shelter for the time-being," Gareth stated matter-of-factly, hoping Daniel would not deny them now.
"You promised us aide when we first spoke," Darius interjected, intent on the man at least giving Rosalina a place to spend the night.
"Things have changed since we spoke last," Daniel toward Darius quietly, not intent on housing everyone that came to him---it was logistically impossible.
"You gave us your word," Darius snarled, his blue eyes darkening in anger.
"I'm sorry," Daniel remarked.
"Abba...please," Calista whispered faintly, coherent enough to understand the conversation around her though she did not open her eyes. Glancing down at her as she spoke, Gareth felt his heart break at her weak voice.
"What is it, daughter?" Daniel asked her softly.
"Let them stay..." she murmured. "They have endured much and have nowhere else to go..." she whispered. "Some...can share...my room..if need be..." she added, the difficulty for her to speak becoming evident. Listening to heart-wrenching plea, Gareth felt both pride and sorrow fill his heart---pride for the gentle woman she was and sorrow for all that she had to endure. She was such a compassionate soul---still managing to petition for others when she probably just wanted to hide herself away. Not to mention, she asked for so little. If she wished it, he would grant her all the riches of the earth, but even as a child, she never wished for wealth. She just wanted to see the villagers of Andestea live in peace and in the end, she was denied even that. Turning his attention to Daniel, Gareth waited for the man's reply, knowing that he would be tempted to end his life should he deny Calista now.
"As you wish, daughter," Daniel said finally. "This way," he addressed the group though glanced mainly at Darius and Rosalina.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina reconized the woman that spoke up, weak though. As soon as they followed the man who was the head, she looked up at Darius. "The woman, will she be ok." She asked, she hated seen others end in such a state.

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)