Nelek the searcher

[Lazey Winde]

Nelek felt like all he ever did was look for people. It seemed like someone was always getting lost. And now he was looking for his brother-in-law.

He thought about where to find Aron, and thought that if he was looking for his wife he would want to make sure she was not in the worst place a woman could be. The Black Raven. Perhaps Aron was looking for Liadan around there.

[Lazey Winde]

Nelek could hear the sounds of fighting coming from the Black Raven, not unusual but since Aron might be involved Nelek picked up his pace and threw open the door. And there was Aron outnumbered three to one. Without a word, Nelek took a slug at the closest man.

[Muffin Puffin]

Brie wasn't far behind Nelek. She pulled the hood over her head and stepped inside. In the safety of the darkness of her hood, Brie's eyes widened slightly before lifting her crossbow. She carefully aimed and fired a bolt at the man approaching Nelek's left.

[Lazey Winde]

The man grabbed at the bolt that seemed to suddenly grow out of him. He grunted and fell on the floor.

"Hey Aron, your wife is worried about you!" Nelek called.

[Muffin Puffin]

"She's home?" Aron shouted back, breaking a chair over the head of one of his attackers. The man crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

Brie narrowed her distance, nocking another bolt to fire.

[Lazey Winde]

Nelek was still fighting the  third man with his fists.

"My home." Nelek confirmed.

[Muffin Puffin]

Aron grabbed a dagger from one of the fallen men and held it in front of him menacingly. "I guess we should get out of here then,"

[Lazey Winde]

Nelek nodded. "That sounds good."

[Muffin Puffin]

"Back off!" Aron snarled at the men surrounding him. "And get the hell out of our village."

[Lazey Winde]

The man Nelek was fighting backed off, "Your wife will never be safe from us!"

[Muffin Puffin]

"Get out of our village. You're not welcome here," Aron said in a low voice.

Brie lowered her cross bow and aimed it at the man's crotch. "Leave this village or all of you will lose that you value so highly."

[Lazey Winde]

"Molech and Ashtoreth protect me." The man said boldly.

[Muffin Puffin]

Brie released the bolt which landed next to his privates. "One more word and one more night in this village and you will be half way to being female," Brighid hissed.

[Lazey Winde]

The man howled, that still hurt.

"Molech will destroy you!"

[Muffin Puffin]

"I fear not a demon. I am supported by God. He is all powerful."

[Lazey Winde]

"After Molech destroys you he'll devour your children." The man snarled venomously, clutching at the bolt.

[Muffin Puffin]

"Then aren't I lucky I have no children for him to devour?"

[Lazey Winde]

Nelek was more than ready to leave. He gave Brighid a worried look.

"Dry chaff." The man spat.

[Muffin Puffin]

Brie lifted her crossbow and shot a bolt through his foot, nailing him to the floor.

[Lazey Winde]

The man screamed with pain. 

"I'm ready to go... a re you ready to go?" Nelek asked Aron.

[Muffin Puffin]

Aron nodded. "Come on, Kegan," he said to Brighid, not wanting to let on she was female.

[Lazey Winde]

"Come on." Nelek echoed.

The man was iting through his own lip as he tried to get the bolt out of his foot.

[Muffin Puffin]

Brie smirked from beneath the shadow of the hood and followed Nelek and Aron from the Black Raven, never letting her guard down.

[Lazey Winde]

Nelek led the group, eager to get back home to his wife. He also did not like being on this side of town.

[Muffin Puffin]

Aron moved up beside Nelek, keeping his eyes open. "These guys are horrible. I say we take our families, Papa and follow Brie to Bavaria."

[Lazey Winde]

Nelek pondered.

"How about we get our families where they'll be safe, then come back and take care of these men properly."

[Muffin Puffin]

Aron nodded. "We can do that. Are you willing to be away from Aislyn all of that time? Especially with her expecting?"

[Lazey Winde]

Nelek was  torn. He wanted to make the world safe, but he did not want Aislyn to be without him while expecting, and he wanted to be with her.

"I don't know." Nelek admitted.

[Cindy]

"Just like I'm not certain about leaving Lia and Yehudit. I'd have to worry that she followed me and that she was driving everyone else crazy.:"

[Lazey Winde]

"I'll have to discuss it with my wife." Nelek said, frowning thoughtfully.

[Muffin Puffin]

"I will as well."

"Although we know how that conversation will go," Brighid said quietly.

[Lazey Winde]

Nelek could hear Brighid say something, but could not make out the words. He was just about to ask her what she said when the cottage came into view. Nelek loved the cottage and thought the only thing more beautiful than it was Aislyn's face. He picked up his pace.

[Muffin Puffin]

Aron pushed past Nelek and nearly ran to the kitchen door. He banged it open and stepped inside. "Liadan Buckley!"

[Lazey Winde]

"Aron!" Liadan shouted and ran  to him. One arm cradled Yehudit but her other arm wrapped around Aron. Her eyes were bright with tears.

[Muffin Puffin]

Aron wrapped his arms around his wife and daughter, and held them close. "I'm home, Cupcake."

"Nelek?" A voice called from the main room as Aislyn stood on wobbly legs.

On Mon, Jul 21, 2008 at 9:42 PM, Lazey Winde <lazey...@gmail.com> wrote:

"Aron!" Liadan shouted and ran  to him. One arm cradled Yehudit but her other arm wrapped around Aron. Her eyes were bright with tears.

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[Lazey Winde]

Nelek hurried past Aron and Liadan. He went straight to Aislyn and scooped her up.

Liadan kissed Aron on the cheek, she was crying a little. "I was worrying about you, where were you?"

[Muffin Puffin]

Aislyn wrapped her arms around Nelek and pressed her cheek against his shoulder. "You're safe. You're not injured?" she asked hopefully.

"My wild goose chase led me into a bit of a fight. Thank heavens Nelek and Brie came along. Galina is behind all of this. She said I had to go with her in order to find you." Aron kissed the top of Lia's head and continued to hold her.

[Lazey Winde]

"Galina?" Liadan asked, stiffening. "You went with her?"

"I'm fine." Nelek said. He might have a few bruises showing in the morning but nothing serious.

[Muffin Puffin]

"Only to find you. And then I had to threaten her to get her to leave me alone. She and her men control the Black Raven. And no, Cupcake, nothing happened between her and I."

Aislyn lifted her head and kissed his cheek. "I love you, Nelek. My husband. My heart."

[Lazey Winde]

Liadan knew what kind of place the Black Raven was, and she wondered if Aron said nothing went on between them too quickly. Would Aron ever? No, Liadan figured that even if Aron were to cheat, Galina would be the last woman he would consider. She hoped. He had to want more. Galina, that hateful sotah.

"Galina, I hate that bitch!" Liadan said angrily. Yehudit's eyes popped open with surprise.


Nelek kissed Aislyn back.

"I love you too." He murmered.

Difyr was feeling very out of place. "Nelek, how about you get your wife to finish her lunch."

[Muffin Puffin]

"I do as well. It was all I could do not to kill her. But she kept swearing that without her I would never find you." He moved one hand to stroke Yehudit's fine little curls. "I don't know how, but I think I found the source of your trouble this morning. She had a rag that looked like it was from one of your older dresses in her window. I have it now," Aron added.

Aislyn grinned and ran her finger down Nelek's cheek. "My appetite is returning. Aron's all right too?"

[Lazey Winde]

"Rag? . . . Black magic. I hate magic. Something happened when I was going to get Difyr, I don't know what but I was in a strange, dark place. Then I wound up in the cellar of the inn and hurried back here." Liadan said, then added. "I hate her."

"I think so." Nelek said, setting Aislyn back down on the sofa and firmly offering her the leftover food. "He was eager to get here once I told him Liadan was back."

[Muffin Puffin]

"My problem is that I don't know what to do with the rag, how to destroy it forever. I won't allow her to continue hurting you," he added. "If I could have, if there wasn't just that sliver of doubt that she was right, I would have killed her. "

Aislyn accepted the plate and then began to eat again. "I'm glad he's back. She was getting antsy and wanting to go out looking for him herself."

[Lazey Winde]

"I don't know... but I want it gone." Liadan said. "And I don't want her getting a hold of it again."

"She seemed to be getting agitated when I left." Nelek said.

[Muffin Puffin]

"Maybe I will go visit Brother Osbert later. He might know. I really wish I could go speak with Juku. He would know best."

Aislyn nodded, and held a chunk of bread for Nelek to have a bite, knowing he hadn't eaten either.

[Lazey Winde]

"Can try, though I don't even know if the herd is still in the forest." Liadan said. "Can... can I see it?" Liadan asked hesitantly.

Nelek took a bite and smiled at her.

[Cindy]

Aron studied Lia. He wasn't at all certain about this. He slowly pull his hand from his pocket, withdrawing the rag. One bad sign and he would make the rag disappear. He held it out on his palm. "Don't touch it, Lia. I don't know what it might do to you."   Aislyn smiled back and waited for him to take another bite.

[Lazey Winde]

Liadan stared at the rag and grimaced.

"It's what I was wearing when... You know. I burned it, that rag must've been left behind." Liadan said with a shudder. "What's that?" She noticed a shiny black thread running through the scrap of cloth, it looked sort of like a hair.


Nelek took another bite of the bread, then handed it back to Aislyn. "You're eating for two."

[Cindy]

"I figured as much," Aron admitted then stared at the thread. He leaned down, looking closer at it. "I don't know...although it looks like one strand of Aislyn's hair. That makes no sense."   "I know," Aislyn said, taking another bite. 'But you haven't eaten at all yet today."

[Lazey Winde]

"It's too straight to be one of Ais's." Liadan said, "It looks almost like a unicorn hair." Liadan's face grew angrier. "She had better not have harmed a unicorn."

"I'll fix myself something." Nelek said calmly, "You just eat your fill first."

[Muffin Puffin]

"I'm going to go see if I can find Juku. Hopefully he will speak with me. I need answers."

Aislyn sighed softly but proceeded to clean her plate. She decided she would kill for some chocolate cupcakes though.

[Lazey Winde]

Liadan's face was dark with anger. "Aislyn! Ais! Nelek... Watch Yehudit for me." Liadan placed the baby in Nelek's arms and turned for the door.

Nelek was about to ask Liadan where she was going, but the look on her face silented him. He glanced at Aron.

[Muffin Puffin]

Aron followed after Liadan, saying not a word. Brie fell into step behind them.

Aislyn glanced at Nelek. "Wonder where they are going?"

[Lazey Winde]

"I don't know... but it looks like we're watching the baby." Nelek replied.

[Muffin Puffin]

Aislyn nodded then glanced at Difyr. "See what I mean about constant chaos?"

On Tue, Jul 22, 2008 at 7:32 PM, Lazey Winde <lazey...@gmail.com> wrote:

"I don't know... but it looks like we're watching the baby." Nelek replied.

[Lazey Winde]

Difyr nodded.

"Never get bored."

[Muffin Puffin]

"No, there is that."

[Lazey Winde]

Difyr glance out the window and hoped that Tegau was getting the midday meal served all right.

[Muffin Puffin]

The plate empty, Aislyn leaned against Nelek and started drifting off to sleep.

[Lazey Winde]

Nelek smiled and kissed Aislyn's cheek.

[Muffin Puffin]

Within moments, she was snoring softly.