Calista bit her lip as Rosalina recounted her story, but remained silent. In truth, she did not know what she could say. She could understand Rosalina's actions. Luckily for her, Russell did not know about Gareth so he could not threaten her with him. But with the force that he beat her, he did not even need to use that threat. He just hit her again and again until she ended up passing out and nearly dying from her wounds. "I can understand your actions. I would have done the same," Calista remarked softly.
"Rose---" Gareth whispered as he glanced over at Calista, a hurt in his hazel-green eyes. He remembered the time when she was nearly ravished. She had tried to be strong about it in his presence but one day he caught her alone, curled up in a corner of the room trembling and sobbing. When he came to sit by her, he remembered how hard she tried to stop her tears---so fearful was she of hurting him---that she ended up withdrawing into herself and became little more than a mindless being, speaking only when spoken to without much emotion.
Giving Gareth a weak smile, she gently squeezed his hand, a wave of guilt rushing through her for the hurt that she knew she put there. "I am sorry, Gareth. I do not mean to hurt you. Don't worry, my mage. I have everything to live for in you," she whispered.
"Promise me, Rose. Promise me you will not take a blade to your skin," he whispered, wanting her word of honor.
"If that is your desire, than I give you my word I will not take such action for as long as you wish it," she whispered in his ear.
Listening to the conversation, Daniel said nothing. What would he have done in his position? He wanted to think himself better than this woman's father, but he knew that he too would have acted in the same manner. He would have sacrificed his daughter if he thought he could gain from it. He only started to appreciate her because he came so close to losing her. Glancing over at Gareth and Calista whispering to each other, Daniel merely gave a small smile and shook his head a bit ruefully. The two seemed at perfect peace with one another, and he suddenly felt the pangs of regret for trying to drive a wedge between them. Fate had been kind enough to him to grant him this second chance. He could only pray that this woman's father would see the error of his ways---before he risked losing his daughter forever. "Who is your father Rosalina?" Daniel finally asked the woman. "Perhaps he can be reasoned with by one who nearly lost his own daughter thanks to his foolishness."

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina paled. She had not wished to speak his name, these people may know it. "I highly doubt my father would listen. I almost died as a child. The situations was very different. But even then he asked if I was well when I finally was able to leave my room, and had me resume my lessons." Rosalina said, it was true, her father cared, but he was so caught up in his own things. It was one of the reasons she had appricated having Darius growing up.

_________________
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)

With Rosalina's hand still in his, Darius just gave it a gentle squeeze. "It's true," he said finally. "I know her father cares for her, but can easily get caught up in his own affairs, " Darius remarked, not saying anything more about the man---finding it not his place to say.
"Then hope is not lost for him," Daniel remarked. "If he truly cares for his daughter, he will not want to lose her for good."
Calista remained quiet as she listened to Rosalina and her father converse. She always knew that her father cared for her, but he never seemed to have much time to spend with her. As a child she would do her hardest to please him, hoping for more affection than a light pat on the head as if she were a pet. Yet no matter what she did, she could never hold his attention for long. A matter with the village would arise and he would just leave her in Gareth's care---which helped to explain why she grew so close to the mage. He was the one who cared for her and comforted her. She never forgot all that he had done for her over the years and as time passed, her love for him only deepened.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina sighed. "My father . . . when I tried to speak to him about the way my fiance treated me, he would not listen. It was as if he had already washed his hands of me." She reasoned. "But I will not return. Darius and I had left in the night, and we plan on finding someplace to be free." She said and smiled at Darius. "And now, it could be much more."

_________________
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)

Daniel was about to protest but he thought better of it. He could protest such condemnation all he wanted, but in the end, Rosalina was not his daughter. She was the only one who could choose her own destiny.
Returning Rosalina's smile, Darius just took her and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. "Yes," he whispered. "It can. I believe we were meant to be together, Ro," Darius whispered to her.
Watching the exchange between the pair, Calista could not help but smile. She wished Rosalina and Darius nothing but the best. Glancing up at Gareth, she just gazed up at him with love in her eyes. "Just like us, my mage," she whispered. "I am certain Heaven made us for each other," she added softly.
"Indeed, sweet maiden. And a blessed day it was when you were born," he whispered before pressing a light kiss to her hand.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina smiled and kissed his hand. "Dary . . . " she sighed with a smile. She loved the man, and every day she was loving him more now she reconized his feellings and hers. She just wished it hadn't come about in such a situation.

_________________
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 gave Rosalina a soft smile as she kissed his hand. He truly loved this woman and he was glad that she was able to return his love. However, he just wished that their love could have blossomed under different circumstances.
------------------------------------------------------------
Smiling at Gareth as he kissed her hand, Calista took his hand and kissed it in turn. "Gareth, you make me feel complete. You are the other half of me," she whispered.
Chuckling, Gareth leaned down toward her to whisper in her ear. "And you are the other half of me---my better half," he added with a smirk.
Laughing softly, Calista just shook her head in amusement. "I may be your other half, but I highly doubt I am your better half. You are the better half of me," she added with a gentle smile.
"Looks like we are at an impasse then my dear---since I hardly doubt I could be your better half," Gareth remarked with a charming smile.
"Then how shall we come to an accord, my mage?" Calista remarked, staring up at him innocently.
Finding her expression rather endearing, Gareth reached out and gently caressed her cheek as he chuckled. "We will find a way, my love. That I promise you," he added before turning his attention briefly toward Rosalina and Darius, and stiffened slightly at what he felt. How could he have not sensed it before? Deep within the woman he could detect another life growing deep within her. A shadow flitted over his hazel-green eyes then, a sign that he was troubled which could only be detected by those closest to him. "Love," Calista whispered in his ear. "What troubles you?" she added softly so only he could hear as she noticed the slight change in his eyes.
"Nothing, Rose," Gareth whispered back to her, though his voice was tight. "There is no cause for you to worry," he added in the same tone which told Calista that he was hiding something from her.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina didn't notice the change, as her eyes were on Darius, but it lasted a moment before she started eating. "This food is delisious." she said.

_________________
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 did not notice the change that passed over Gareth's eyes either as his attention was mostly on Rosalina and their meal. Eating as well, Darius nodded in agreement to Rosalina's comments. "I agree," he remarked. "It is certainly an improvement over my attempts to cook while we were on the road," Darius remarked.
"Well, Calista prepared the food. I just did some manual labor," Gareth remarked.
Smiling slightly at the praise, Calista just shook her head. "I thank you all for your kind comments, but I believe you praise this meal too much," she remarked before turning to Gareth. "And, Gareth, you helped me quite a bit. Without your assistance, we may all find ourselves eating our first meal a few days later," she remarked with a half-hearted smirk, her mind still troubled from the shadow that she saw pass over his eyes. Noticing the change in her demeanor, Gareth chose not to reply and turned his attention to the meal as well. Knowing Gareth well enough to realize that he was not going to discuss the matter with her now, Calista sighed to herself and let the issue drop as she began to eat along with the others.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina nodded, but frowned as she saw the change in the two. "Is there something wrong?" she asked, watching them for a hint of what was going on in their minds.

_________________
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)

"No, everything is fine," Calista replied a bit hastily as she glanced over at Gareth, wishing he would just confide in her on what was bothering him. Do you not trust me? her eyes seemed to ask him as he met her gaze. It is not that, Rose, Gareth seemed to reply back with his eyes.
Lowering her head again, Calista just turned her attention back to the food in front of her and started to eat again. The table then fell into an uncomfortable silence as Gareth wordlessly ate his food. Finally unable to stand the tension, the mage glanced over at the other couple and then at Calista.
"A single matter is on my mine, but I will reveal it soon," Gareth remarked as he turned his gaze first to Calista and then to Rosalina and Darius, knowing what he would say soon would concern the other couple much more.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina looked at him with a confussed expression before sigheing. "Very well." she said and continued to eat her meal.

_________________
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)

The rest of meal passed by relatively quickly in a tense silence. Calista wanted to know what was on Gareth's mind. She knew that since he was a mage, he could sense things that most others couldn't. Yet, she was not one to force Gareth to reveal more than he was willingly to tell her---even if the waiting felt as if it would tear her nerves in twain. When the meal was finally finished and all had eaten their fill, Calista quietly gathered the dishes and set them down in the cooking area, planning to clean them later from water in the well. Walking back into the room, Calista gave Gareth a questioningly look although she remained silent. Giving her a small nod, Gareth motioned for Rosalina, Darius and Calista to follow him before leading them to the room where Rosalina and Darius were staying.
"What is it, mage?" Darius asked finally when the group was alone, irritation in his voice. "You've kept us in suspense throughout our meal. Suspense that neither my lady or as it seems your lady needs," he remarked curtly.
"If you will be silent, Darius..." Gareth remarked through clenched teeth. "You would know that the news I have to deliver is of a personal nature--one that concerns you and Rosalina directly so I thought it best not to reveal it in front of all the guests."
"Out with it, mage." Darius ordered, folding his arms over his chest.
Glaring at Darius, Gareth decided to choose his words carefully before a fight ensued that might upset both women present. "As a mage, I have many abilities. One of which is the ability to detect the presence of a life."
"What are you saying?" Calista whispered, her voice hoarse.
"During our meal, I could detect a new life forming within you Rosalina," Gareth said softly, his eyes falling on the petite woman. "My lady, you are with child."

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina paled. She felt sick. It was too soon for the bandits mage . . . Then it hit her. It had been a month ago. As the realisation hit her anew, she felt even sicker. "A-a-are you sure?" she asked Gareth, hoping, praying he was wrong. She didn't want a child, not from him, not now. She wanted to be married with a man who loved her. Not like this.

_________________
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, Rosalina. I'm sorry, but I am very certain," Gareth replied gently. "The life is still yet young, but I can sense it nonetheless," he added quietly.
"Maybe you're wrong," Darius uttered, not wanting to believe that Rosalina was carrying the seed of her fiancé.
"He has never been wrong about something like this before," Calista replied, her soft voice barely audible, as she just stared at the ground, unable to look Rosalina in the eyes---too afraid to see the pain that she was certain would be there.
"Perhaps he is wrong now," Darius remarked, still not wanting believe the mage's words.
"I have witnessed Gareth's powers to sense new life and every time he has always been accurate. Nor would he have said anything if he wasn't certain," Calista remarked softly as she finally raised her blonde head, her own cheeks pale. "I am sorry," she managed to choke out, sorrow in her blue eyes. Falling silent, Darius stiffly reached out and wrapped an arm around Rosalina, still trying to process everything. He would not leave Rosalina for the world, but he highly doubted that he could grow to love this child.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Rosalina had become still. She didn't react to Darius. All she knew was she could feel the bile rise in her throat. "Excuse me." she said and left Darius's arms, and left the home, going to a patch behind the house where she emptied her stomach before crying out.

_________________
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)