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[Willow Smythe]

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The carriage borne an accusing glare at Willow as she gathered the last of their possessions for the trip. A cacophony of whining and coughing came from the inside. She looked upon her most precious cargo's faces. Their illness to blatant and too advanced to ignore. The hour was between that of early and late. Just passed the night's darkest moment yet no where near the breach of light.

The cold settled as if wisps of Death's grasp suspended around them all waiting to constrict. More effort was required to keep her hand steady than yesterday. Hours before made child's play of the present. Willow placed her hand upon the carriage door and turned to Orelen.

"The children are too sick to see out the night. I am taking them to the Forsaken North. Our healers are more established than Blackmarsh's," The scripted words fell from her lips.

"You ride with the children. I have a bit of work to finish here, I will be minutes behind you" Orelen recited his lines. Their performance almost complete. Playing her part Willow placed her hands on her hips.

"No good bye kiss?" She demanded. Right on cue he advanced on her with a smirk. It took all her might to keep up their charade of assumed safety. She knew that Night's eyes were upon them wishing for their blood. She fought to keep her chin from trembling as their lips touched. This night had to look like any other ordinary night so other's could follow. For a moment she wished to embrace him too long, hold him too tight. If ever time were to stand still, she wished it at that moment.
Just before parting she whispered into his ear
"I love you Orelen"
In return he whispered softly into her ear
"As I love you Willow Tree"

Aloud she said, "Don't keep me waiting long"
With a smile he replied, "Only a few minutes behind" With that she opened the carriage door, the music of her children's pain drifting through the air. Once she was securely in the carriage, she took out a small case from her pouch that contained a tiny crystal. She placed this in her ear. Willow put her hand to her side and gripped her unseen kryss should the impending attack come her way tonight.

"Stonegate healers please and make haste" She instructed the driver. As the carriage moved she looked out the window. She looked upon Orelen's ever so watch full face until distance and darkness shrouded him and all that could be seen was shadow.
_________________
Malorn ‎(12:14 AM):
I'm an idiot

[Orelen Reaucher]

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The man in the distance faded from view as Orelen's vision blurred, his head throbbing and spinning until his eyes could no longer fight for sight.

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His body rushed to meet the cold, stone floor, his head throbbing more than it had when he blacked out. Blood trickled slowly from his right ear, the fragments of crystal gnawed and slashed at his skin. The room around him was spinning and each sound rang out in his ears like a cacophony. His eyes struggled to focus on the figure standing at the far end of the room, though Orelen already knew, and was already beginning to piece together the situation.

The figure dropped the cudgel he held, the sound of it hitting the stone floor was as another strike to Orelen's throbbing head. Mursdek approached him, a long fillet knife in his palm, ready to wash the past with Orelen's life. He fought to his feet, still unsteady from the strike to his ear, his balance unstable. The first swipe came and the second, Orelen regaining enough composure to barely evade the swift strikes. Accompanying the third strike was a biting pain, and blood on Orelen's face. His eyes teared with the lick on his nerves, a daunting dread gnawing at his heart that this was the end... a dread allowing just enough composure and courage.

Mursdek attacked again, center mass, to end the charade. Orelen caught and parried his arm, following through the attack to upset his opponent's balance; he felt the weak carpals shatter under the pressure of his counter-attack. A muffled cry escaped Mursdek's lips as his wrist splintered, the knife struck the floor with a clangorous ring.

Orelen quickly gathered the knife used for gutting fish... the same knife that eviscerated his family; he pressed it closely to Mursdek's throat as his heart pounded in his chest, cold sweat pouring over his face amalgamating with the stagnant blood crusting his skin. His hands shook in fury as the knife quivered against the neck of the man he most hated and he hesitated much to long.

Orelen's head struck the ground as Mursdek pulled his legs from beneath him. In a blurry moment his enemy was gone, and Orelen stared coldly, in terrible pain, at the ceiling hovering over him. He finally had him, his neck borne to be cut... and he had failed.

He lingered with the thoughts in the back of his mind for what seemed like hours, as only minutes passed. My anger failed them... Forgive me Father, I -will- find him

Struggling to his feet, Orelen set into the dark, midnight forest, following the trail his would-be-killer left behind.