All Aaryess could do was stand there and watch as unseen forces were tossing around her infant daughter. She had never felt so helpless in all her life. She knew that should she interfere, her daughter would die. All she could do was watch, and pray.

This man, he had kidnapped her daughter when Aaryess refused to give her to him. He had probed her mind to find her location and steal her away. Tobin would be furious when he woke and found Aaryana missing. He said she had been corrupted by the touch of power and should she not be cured, she would become a great evil.

Aaryess watched as the lightening touched the man’s hands. She stared, as Aaryana’s little mouth opened in a silent scream. She gasped as a dark force left the little body and entered the man facing her. Then, her little body settled back on the stone pentagram on the roof of the Cabal. Aaryess, in a near panic, rushed to her daughter. The man spoke again.

Aaryess didn’t care, all that mattered was her daughter was back in her arms. She checked her child for injuries and barley paid attention to those standing nearby. She caught bits and pieces of what was said. Then, suddenly, things clicked in her mind. Something familiar, almost forgotten. She needed to talk to Tobin and she needed to talk to him soon.

They left the university and made for Karakurom. It was the closest and safest place she could think of to take her child. Once she reached her home, she placed Aaryana on the bed and quickly wrote a note. She attached it to a bird’s leg and let it fly out the window.

Tobin awoke to the sound of a prolonged squawk in his ear. Quickly he realized that his daughter was nowhere to be found. Panic then began to set in as he ignored the bird and rushed out the hut’s door only to find that she was nowhere to be found. Remembering the bird that awoke him, he rushed back in the hut.

The bird, still waiting to deliver its note, sat quietly on his table. Tobin removed the note, unrolled it and read it carefully. His eyes narrowed at the note as he continued to read it. Although relieved that his mate and daughter were safe, he couldn’t seem to shake the feeling that his days of stress were far from over.

He cursed Aaryess’ name in anger as he gathered his daughter’s things. Since conception of their daughter, she had done nothing but put the child’s life in danger; a harsh reality that Tobin had been forced to accept. His resentment for Aaryess’ careless behavior began to wear on his nerves, in particular the destruction of the Law Temple. After witnessing the plume of smoke on the mainland, he knew that she had gone through with her plan. Having known about her intentions to demolish the Law Temple would easily put his position in the Cabal in jeopardy given that lives were likely lost in it’s destruction. Despite his bitterness, he still cared for her a great deal and only wished that she would see her behavior through his eyes.

After rummaging through his rune bag, he retrieved the one marked ‘Karakorum’, waved a hand over it while uttering the magic words, and stepped through the gate.

Aaryess sat on the floor as she played with her daughter. So precious, she though. She smiled. It had been so long since she had been about to give a sincere smile, but with the baby near, it happened so easily. The baby yawned and Aaryess took her back upstairs to the bed. She lay her down gently and walked back down the stairs.

Tobin burst through the door, a bit more red-faced that she remembered. She could feel the energy around him pulsating with every step he took towards her. She had never seen him so angry. She started to backstep as he drew near. She hit the back of her leg on the chair against the wall, sat down abruptly, and prepared herself for the lecture of her life.

Anger, stashed deep inside his thoughts, now flowed through Tobin’s body like lava from an erupting Volcano. As he loomed over her, he could scarcely control himself from grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her violently. His nostrils flared as he drew in deep breaths of air trying to calm himself. After a few seconds of seething, he finally spoke.

Through clenched teeth, "What has thee gotten our daughter into this time?!" he demanded. Obviously not giving her the chance to speak her side, he immediately continued his rant, "Regardless of thy foolish, ignorant ways, I will not have my daughter’s life in jeopardy again!" He then glared at her again, fists on hips, waiting to hear a response from her.

Aaryess swallowed noticeably, then met his gaze. She spoke softly, lips trembling from the sight of Tobin’s unusual behavior. "She was taken." Upon hearing this, Tobin grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to her feet, eyes full of a rage she’d never seen before.

"Where is she?!" He shouted, squeezing her shoulders almost too painfully. "Damnit Woman! Answer me!" He suddenly stopped and tilted his head as if he heard something. From upstairs, the faint sound of his daughter crying filled him with an overwhelming sense of relief. He let loose of Aaryess and dashed up the stairs.

In the crib, Aaryana lay wiggling and grunting like she was in need of a diaper change. Her face quickly brightened to a smile when she caught sight of her daddy rushing up the stairs. By the time he scooped her up in his arms, his cheeks were streaming with tears of joy. He held her close to him, utterly relieved that his worst fears had not come to be.

Aaryess crept up the stairs quietly as to not disturb the moment between Tobin and daughter. She watched them for a short time until she spoke, "As I was going to say," her comment warranted an expectant glare from Tobin, after clearing her throat, she continued, "She was touched by one of the Gods while in my stomach." The lump in her throat began to make explaining the recent events even more difficult than she thought it would be.

Aaryess barely popped her head over the railing as she stood on the stairs. She had never, EVER seen Tobin this angry before and she hoped she never would again. After pausing for long moments, Aaryess explained the night Aaryana was touched by Kesterin and what had recently happened with Phaedrin. After she was done, Tobin turned his back to her and cuddled their child to him protectively. Aaryess turned and walked back down the stairs. She could still hear Tobin speaking nonsense words to Aaryana and couldn’t help but smile.

The smile soon faded though. Tobin would blame her for everything, and he had every right to. She sat down the chair she had fallen into earlier and just listened. Aaryess didn’t know what she was doing anymore. Even with her family upstairs, she never felt more alone in her life.

She rubbed her aching shoulders. Tobin’s fingers were sure to leave bruises. No matter, she thought, they will go nicely with the ones I already have. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She hadn’t slept well since the incident with the law temple. Just thinking of the images of the ruined temple and the people hunting her made her shiver. She opened her eyes slowly to see a severely unhappy Tobin staring at her.

After rocking Aaryana to sleep, he carefully placed her into the bassinet, covered her up with a warm blanket, and kissed her on the forehead. The urine stain on his robe would have to wait until he had his discussion with Aaryess regarding her peculiar behavior.

The downstairs had been silent since she retreated downstairs. It seemed unwise to continue badgering her over her recent actions, but under the circumstances, their relationship was in peril and he didn’t know what else to do. He slowly crept down the stairs and noticed that she’d nodded off. "Must be nice to be able to nap while sitting in a chair. What’d I’d give to rest without a guilty conscience," he thought sarcastically. He made his way over to her and loomed above her again, arms crossed, foot tapping impatiently. He cleared his throat rather than follow through with his initial thought (to hit her with something heavy).

Slowly, after a few minutes of him standing over her, Aaryess awoke from her slumber. She seemed quite startled to see him standing there again, flinching as she opened her eyes. The lump in her throat was back, after swallowing it down; she tried to make eye contact with him. "Tobin," her voice cracked as she continued speaking, "please, I beg of you…just listen to what I have to say~"

Tobin interrupted her again; "I’ve done enough listening! Thee has done nothing but listen to thy own thoughts lately," his eyes looked her up and down for a moment "and look where it’s gotten thee!" He pointed to a healing scar on her neck. "The time has come for thee to sit and listen to my thoughts." His voice calmed a bit as he began pacing, hands clasped behind his back. After clearing his throat, he continued, still pacing, "I saw a large plume of smoke rising from Persepolis several days ago. I can only assume thee had something to do with that. I was a fool to think that Mar had fabricated the whole thing to get me to force thee to rest up for the delivery." Tobin stopped in his tracks and then turned on his heel to face her, eyes narrowed. "Thee are a fool to follow thy god’s wishes! There, I said it! A bloody fool! If I cared to know thy motivation to do such a thing, I doubt very much that it would make a stones sense to me. And not to mention the bloody wreck you’ve made to my political dealings. How shall I act around those thee has wronged? Act as if I’m ignorant? They would be daft for believing me, and I’d be a bloody liar for telling them. Perhaps it’s time thee has taken up the art of disguise. I can’t imagine how many people want thy head as a trophy right now." He suddenly got quiet as if he’d run out of things to say, then simply stood in front of her shaking his head slowly, arms crossed again.

Aaryess’ face, now moist with tears, wore the look of guilt as she stared to the floor. All she could do was sit and stare at the floor. Every word he spoke felt like it was coated with poison, cutting into whatever self-confidence she had left.

Aaryess couldn’t help but cry. The tears streamed down her face, unchecked. His barbs hit deep. "Yes, I have done things I thought would please my God. Yes, I have put you in an unfortunate political position by my actions. Yes, many people seek my head, many that you know and trust. No, I will not hide and I will not run. If people want me to pay for what I have done, then so be it. I was told that death would follow me now. Nothing I do from now until the end will matter. I have done my damage and I will pay the price…alone."

She stood up and looked him in the eyes. "The time I have spent here with Aaryana makes the future that much harder for me to accept now. Before all this, I knew my death was coming and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Now, because of her, I find myself wishing I could change my fate just to spend more time with her. My actions may have caused a rift between us, and I will have to live with that, because it is my fault. But, know this, as long as there is breath left in my body, our daughter will be safe. I want no more blood on my hands, I want no more of this fighting." She looked down at her ruined leather armor. Dried blood coated the outer tears where swords had made their mark. "When people come at me now, I do not even raise my sword. I let them get their anger out. I will not take another life unless you or Aaryana are in danger or my God wills it."

Aaryess walked over to the window then and looked out to the garden in front of her house. "I don’t know what will happen between you and I now. I will love you until the end of time, you know that. If you want to walk away now, I will not stop you. I know I have caused you much grief and for that I am sorry. I will leave what happens next with us in your hands." Aaryess places her bare hand on the glass of the window and stared out, fearful of what Tobin’s reply would be.

Tobin's mouth opened as if to say something, but he quickly stopped himself and then slowly tilted his head to the side. 'Did she just leave this choice up to me?' He thought to himself. "I believe I’ve already shown thee my decision by my presence here." Tobin then closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled as he contemplated his answer.

Aaryess stood motionless, peering out the window.

He opened his eyes soberly. "I have not been completely honest with thee Aary. Thy willingness to cause destruction in an act of faith to thy god deeply concerns me. My lack of faith in thee is as a result of thy willingness to do thy god's bidding." He shook his head slowly and began tapping his chin in deep thought. "I believe I have a way for thee to decide this rather than leaving it up to me. Ask thyself this; Am I willing to take my own daughter's life as an act of faith to my god?" He let the question soak in for a moment, then began speaking, "If the answer to that question is 'nay', then I ask thee to find the will to leave Chaos and embrace thine own sentience." Another pause, this time longer. "If 'aye' is thine answer, then our future is no more." Tobin was well aware that he had just asked her to renounce her faith in lieu of their daughter. The Church was the element of her life that he utterly despised. If she stayed with them, she would surely live up to her infamy of having death follow her footsteps, namely him and his daughter. His arms crossed and foot tapping; he waited for her response.

Aaryess’ jaw dropped in utter disbelief. She couldn’t believe that Tobin would think or ask her such a thing. She could only stare at him for what seemed like long moments to her. The thought about her answer for a while as he just stood there and stared at her.

When she reached her decision, she turned to him. "No, I would never, EVER do anything that would harm our daughter. She is precious to me, and you as well. But, what you ask of me is more than you realize. My life has revolved around my faith for almost as long as I can remember. I do not know what I would do without it. I will not leave it in its time of need. So, I will ask this of you. Take Aaryana and keep her safe. As long as she is near me, she is not. Even if I left chaos, they would still come for me. They won’t stop coming." Tears were streaming down her face as she continued. "Please, take her and keep her safe. As much as I want to stay with my family, I can’t. You have to take her. If you love me, you will do what I ask. And please know that I don’t ask this lightly. I love her with all that I am and the thought of not seeing her again tears me up inside, but it is what has to be done to save her future."

Aaryess walked slowly past Tobin and up the stairs to where Aaryana was sleeping. She looked down at her. She was so sweet and innocent. Aaryess couldn’t bear the thought of any harm coming to her as long as she could help it. Aaryana was a part of her that would live on long after she was gone. Aaryess knew in her heart that Tobin would never let any harm come to her. With that comforting thought, she bent down and placed a soft kiss on her child’s forehead.

Aaryess then walked back downstairs to say goodbye to the man that had been her lover and her friend for such a long time. She could tell by the look on Tobin’s face that he was searching for something to say. Without a word, Aaryess placed her hands on the sides of his face and kissed him. Feeling Tobin go rigid, Aaryess steeped back. She nodded, understanding why he was being this way. She slowly walked to the front door and opened it. Without turning around she said, "Tobin, my love…I want to thank you for everything. First for being my friend, then for showing me what love really is and for giving me a child I hold so dear. No matter what happens, from now until the end, know that I love you with all my heart." And with those words being said, she stepped out the doorway and began walking.

When the door closed behind her, he had to convince himself that this was still happening and not just a dream gone awry. As the shock of her decision began to wear off, anger and confusion quickly became bitterness and scorn. How could she just leave her to him and choose Chaos? To Tobin, the answer to his question was simple. If one wasn't willing to show an act of faith such as slaughter of their own child, why continue to be loyal to the cause at all? Religion had always been something he maintained as a weakness for those not comfortable with their own mortality. He had even fewer positive things to say about those people at that moment. He chose to blame the Chaosites for their corruption of her soul.

The thundering of hooves made off into the distance indicating that she was truly determined to follow through with what she said. As tempting as it was to dash off after her and prevent her from leaving, he knew her decision was ultimately for the best for Aaryana. Emptiness filled his stomach as it dawned upon him that it was unlikely that he would see her ever again.

He lethargically climbed the stairs and made his way to Aaryana's crib. The sleeping face of his daughter stirred many visions of her mother's face that would likely haunt him for the rest of his life. The ultimatum he posed to Aaryess was one he had no right to place in front of her given that she completely accepted his lack of faith. Now inundated with guilt, he went over to her desk, opened a drawer, produced quill and parchment, and began writing.

"My Love,

I hope that thee will forgive me for the decision I've made. Let it be known that I had no place to make thee choose thy faith over our Daughter. It would give me great pain to know that I will never see thee again. My daughter's life means as much to me as it does with thee...I know this now and was a fool for doubting it. My heart aches at the thought of thine emptiness, as I'm sure it rivals my own.

Please reconsider thy decision and spend whatever time thee has remaining with the ones you love, Chaos or not. Thou knows where to find me if thee has a change of mind.

With love,

Tobin"

He left the parchment where he wrote it and gathered Aaryana's things. With a heavy sigh, he took a parting glance at Aaryess' home, and closed the door behind him, daughter in his arms resting peacefully.

Aaryess opened the main gate to the city and looked back. She could see the candles glowing on the second floor of her home. She was torn, torn between her family and her faith. She wanted both, but knew she could never have them. The urge to just run back and fall into Tobin’s arms was almost unbearable, but she knew it wouldn’t make anything any better.

She turned her horse and rode south. She only rode for a little while before heading into the woods and making a small camp. Soon, she had a fire going and was able to sit and stare at it for a while. Random thoughts drifted in and out of her mind, gone before she could grasp on to any of them. She felt a pull from the temple and knew she needed to head there soon.

She woke in the morning with a start. She didn’t even remember lying down to rest. She gathered her things and mounted her horse. She looked back and could still see the city walls far in the distance. She knew they weren’t there anymore. Tobin would have taken her away by now, somewhere safe. Aaryess could feel her heart breaking. Deep down inside, she knew she would never see them again. The two people she loved most in this world were gone now, beyond her reach but safe. That was the important thing. She prayed that Tobin would understand why she decided to do what she did.

As she rode closer and closer to the temple, she realized that if she had the resolve to send those she loved to safety then she would be able to do all she needed to do before her end. She only hoped that Aaryana would understand when she was old enough for Tobin to tell her all that had happened.

Aaryess sat in the dark corner of the tavern in Ottawa and scowled at the plate of food before pushing it away, untouched. Since leaving Karakurom, she hardly ate or slept. Sleep held no comfort for her and the food held no taste. She was lonely. She could close her eyes and recall the image of her daughter just before she left. So peaceful in her sleep, so innocent. Next was the look on Tobin's face as she said she was leaving. Then she remembered that he made no move to stop her. In her heart, she felt that he really wanted her to go. Mar's words came quickly to mind.

No, she thought. That is why she left them. So they would be safe. She knew that Tobin would never let any harm come to Aaryana as long as there was still breath in his body. No, they were safer without her.

Since leaving the city, Aaryess was consumed with the desire to complete her God's biding. Her faith was all she had left since she no longer had her family to go home to. Still, loneliness crept its way in. Aaryess had become bitter and short tempered, rarely smiling anymore. She could hear the town people whisper about a witch that had burned down the tavern in Athens. She frowned. She heard whispers of the murders at the law temple. She winced. Aaryess ordered another ale and quickly drained it. Then, flashes of images came quickly to her mind and she dropped the empty bottle on the floor.

*flash*
White Knight
*flash*
sword tip
*flash*
Tobin
*flash*
cobblestones
*flash*
blood
*flash*
darkness
*flash*

Aaryess opened her eyes and heard the barmaid asking if everything was all right. "It's nothing," Aaryess replied, "only whispers on the wind."

He had followed her trail for two days before loosing track of her. She always managed to stay one step ahead of him. This one was crafty, more than any he had hunted before, but she would still make a mistake…and he would be there.

Two days of hard travel and the trail had gone cold. A warm bed at home seemed like the best place to be. She was well known and could not hide for long. Word of her would come to him soon enough

He laid his head down and soon sleep came ... and the nightmare came again as well. Piles of dead everywhere he went; the desert city, Stoneharrow, Athens, Gilead, Ottawa, the Downs, Trondheim, Uthgardt, Murmansk. Many he knew, some he could not recognize if he did.

He woke with the knowledge that she must be stopped before this future came into being by her continued actions

Aaryess stood on the bridge in the Dwarven City and looked at the couple. She smiles slightly, happy for Sherri and Ruggle. She had never been to a wedding before and wondered if all of them were like this. Rinkit performed the ceremony and at times, Aaryess chuckles quietly. Never take her ale, she thought. What a promise to make.

Aaryess traveled back to Athens to retrieve some kind of wedding gift for Sherri. Sherri had been a friend for a long time and she wanted to give her something, even if it was small. She reached for a metal box and opened it, revealing a number of gems.

White Knight.

Oh yes, the white knight had been there when she took this from the thieves house after they had stolen her sword and something from him as well. Come to think of it, that had been one of the few times they had worked together.

Aaryess shook her head and rode back down to the city to give her gift. After finding Sherri and giving her wishes for them to have a long and happy life together, Aaryess rode back to daylight. As soon as Aaryess walked out of the cave, it hit her again.

Aaryess gasped for air. The whispers were getting louder, she thought. That could only mean one thing, he was coming and he would be here soon. She looked around quickly and made for the portal to Canada. She needed to sleep and she couldn't stop this close to Gilead. Sutherland, maybe. Not many people there and she could finally rest…for a bit.

He saw her. On one of his many trips through Sutherland, walking towards his good friend Nyma's house in hopes that she would be there, he saw her.

The lady of darkness, of chaos, Aaryess Valkyr. Baskirk was never afraid of her, not in a physical sense, but she seemed to have an air of authority around her, a self-confidence that was so bolstered that nothing could waver it. He admired her for that, but now she seemed shaken, like she hadn't slept in days.

Silently, he approached her, and called out her name.

"What do you want law dog?" Aaryess snapped at him. "Are you here to claim my head? Has your glorious leader of your guild sent you? Go ahead, take it if you can"

She drew her sword shakily, almost too weak to support its weight.

Holding his hands out in a gesture of peace, Baskirk simply said "I quit," and shrugged. As if a sense of relief rushed over her, Aaryess dropped her sword, and slumped over to the ground.

Baskirk quickly trotted to her, and helped support her weight with his shoulder. He carried her into the inn and sat her down in a comfortable padded chair and ordered some good rich mead, the one good cure for weariness. Ale made him want to vomit anyway.

"So, Aaryess, why don't you tell me what exactly is going on?" Baskirk said as he leaned back in his chair, prepared to hear a story of epic proportions.

Aaryess slumped back in the chair. Its inviting song was almost too much for her to resist, but she managed to open her eyes slightly. She remembered this man from Athens. She was not a trusting soul by nature and she wasn't about to start now. But to be polite, she would tell him something.

She told him that her church duties had kept her extremely busy and had not slept in days. The dark circles under her eyes held testament to this fact. She told him of the wedding she had been to earlier in the day. She spoke quietly, not wanting to wake anyone since the time had to be past midnight.

He looked at her, almost studying her features. She knew he was looking for a sign that she was hiding something from him, but even tired, Aaryess held complete control over her features. He nodded and she sighed. Soon, she could no longer resist the call of the chair and began slipping to sleep. Cursing her body for needing such a luxury in the face of a past enemy.

He watched her sleep, her features were troubled. She must have been dreaming, because she kept mumbling something about a knight and a sword. Shrugging, Baskirk took one last look at her, and walked out the door to return to his search.

As he was walking down the path, he heard a scream.

"TOMONAGA!" Someone inside the inn yelled. Baskirk could only assume that it was Aaryess. He just kept walking. There was no way he would go back into that place, not with the way she acted around him.

Aaryess woke with a start and looked around the inn. Her eyes were open wide, almost in a panic. She got up from the chair as fast as her weary limbs would allow her and staggered to the door and out into the night air. She walked for a while until she found a quite place in the woods. She slid her back down an old oak tree and let the darkness of the night take her back into her troubled dreams.

Gustav wasn't sure what was going on, but as one of Aaryess only friends, he followed her.

He stayed quite a ways behind, almost out of eye range. He would catch sleep when he could, his eagle waking him whenever Aaryess got on the move again.

She'd entered a cave near Athens, Gustav sighed knowing this was his chance to sleep. A while later he could feel his eagle poking at his face, he woke with a jump. Aaryess had left the cave, as she did she slumped over suddenly and gasped for air. Gustav wanted to run to her but it was over as quickly as it began.

She looked around and headed around the mountain, to the Ottawa portal no doubt. For a moment Gustav was sure Aaryess had spotted him, she hadn't.

He followed her to Sutherland and watched as Baskirk approached her. He watched Baskirk like a dragon watches his next meal, waiting for him to make any wrong move. He didn’t.

Gustav sat outside the inn, a few houses down. Aaryess' screams woke him.. He followed her from the Inn and into the forest to where she lay beside an oak.

He sighed, finally feeling as though he could sleep. He lay against a tree, a ways away from Aaryess, his eagle in the branches watching over him.

Sleep took him, dreams of women and ale came soon after.

Aaryess woke slowly. Her limbs were stiff from the awkward angle she was sitting as she slept. She stood up and stretched. Her stomach made a loud rumbling sound and she made her way to Athens in search of a vendor with food.

The town square in Athens was unusually busy. People were gathered around and talking about some "tourney". Sherri soon walked up to Aaryess and was excited about the whole endeavor. Aaryess smiled for the first time in days, maybe weeks. She decided that this might be a welcome break from the stress she was under. Soon, a portal formed and people started walking though.

Aaryess could tell they were on an island. She scanned the crowd and her gaze stopped when it hit white. Oh no, she thought. She counted quietly. Four of them, she thought, and I’m the only chaosite here. This is not a good thing. Soon a man started speaking about the rules of the tourney and no one seemed to pay much attention to her. She was the fourth person to sign in and noticed Alexander’s name above hers. She silently prayed that he would be paired with her. Her prayers were soon answered.

Aaryess was paired with Alexander in the first round. She slipped on the platinum platemale and donned the deamonite heater shield that a friend had loaned her. Alex was standing before her and started chanting. She closed her eyes and started praying. The mediator soon called for the fight to begin and they advanced on one another. The fight was over a few minutes later with Alexander lying flat on his back due to a well placed sword hilt. She walked outside the ring and took off her helm and looked around. The law dogs were not too far away, so she kept a close eye on them.

Other combatants fought in the ring and soon betting became commonplace. Aaryess watched the fights with detached interest. A while later, she was called to her second battle. Valkier. Aaryess had a bad feeling about this. She knew this man and knew what he was capable of. Soon, her instincts were right and she was lying face up on the ground with a pounding headache. After picking herself up off the ground, she took another ringside seat.

Then, she saw him. Not like he was ever hard to miss. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw Tobin standing on the far side of the ring. She smiled at him, but didn’t see her. She waved her hand in the air and caught his attention. She motioned to the seat next to her and he was soon walking over to her. She placed her hand over his and smiled at him. He leaned over and whispered that he was not happy with all these people being on his island. Aaryess didn’t even realize that was where they were. Before they had time for the conversation to continue, the ringmaster was calling for anyone that had lost a round to enter the ring. Aaryess patted Tobin’s hand with the promise to speak to him soon, stood up and walked into the ring. She was standing there with four other people. The rules were clear, anything goes. Last man, or woman, standing would advance. Aaryess began her prayers and the battle soon began. It soon became clear to Aaryess that this was going to be a four on one fight. Cries of "Kill the cleric" were ringing out. Soon, one man was down, three to go. Oh, it’s Alex again, she thought. She smiled and advanced towards him. Two down, two to go. Looking around she saw one man in full plate. She shook her head. When will they learn not to come at me in plate, she thought. Her eyes flashed orange for a brief moment as she glared at his armor. Soon, he was baking in the very thing he had hoped to protect him. Three down. Now, where was that last man? She scanned the area and only caught glimpses of him. Hiding, is it? Two can play that game. She was able to get a few passing blows on him before he would hide again. She was growing impatient. Her eyes turned the eerie orange again as she waited for him to make his mistake, appear again. And soon, he did and fell as his armor scorched his skin.

Weary from the battle, Aaryess turned to look for the face of the one person she longed for, only to find him no longer there. Tobin was no where to be found. Aaryess sat back down with a thud of exhaustion and waited impatiently for the end of the tourney so she could go back into her self-imposed isolation.

She had been seen in Athens recently and at the tournament in Crete. She was extremely bold or very foolish to think that just because her fellow followers of Azag-Thoth and friends were always nearby that she was safe. The trail was again fresh.

One day she would be alone ... and everyone sleeps eventually.

A bleary-eyed Tobin approached Maia's house, daughter in arm as she had been for the last week. The burden of parenthood began to take its toll on the Mage's world. As he knocked on the front door, he gave out a prolonged yawn and caught himself nodding off until the sound of the door opening brought him back to consciousness.

Maia's eyes gleamed with delight as she opened the door and caught notice of his daughter in his arms. "Lord Tobin! Oh my, she's so adorable!" She gushed. After turning her attention to Tobin, she looked him over once and beckoned him to come in. "I'm so happy you brought her with you! What a beautiful thing she is Lord Tobin. You must be so proud." Her enthusiasm was quickly rubbing off on him. A stupid grin slowly spread across his lips as he looked down at his daughter's curious gaze. Aaryana's smile renewed the strength in his legs and arms.

He wobbled a bit as he stood and watched Maia buzz about the room grabbing materials from shelving humming a cheerful tune. The soft melody of her song made his eyelids heavier than ever. He felt his body surrendering to his fatigue and closed his eyes for what it seemed like a moment. *SNORT* He awoke suddenly to find Maia at his side, facial expression wearing the look of deep concern.

"Lord Tobin, forgive my intrusive question, but are you feeling well?" He looked at her wearily and nodded. She crossed her arms and gave him an unimpressed look. "Forgive me once again for my lack of faith in your response. You look to be a man that hasn't had sleep in several days." She smiled at him and held out her arms, "May I Lord Tobin?"

He smiled tiredly and surrendered the baby to Maia. Her face illuminated with delight as she cuddled with Aaryana. Tobin mused with the sight and watched as she rocked his daughter lovingly. He mumbled, "Please Maia, call me Tobin".

Maia took his arm and led him into another room. "Why not let me watch this little angel while you rest a bit?" He mumbled something else about not wanting to be a burden to her. Ignoring his protests, she led him over to the most comfortable looking bed Tobin had ever seen and sat him down on it. He blinked a few times and smiled at her happily.

He managed to thank her a few times before he lay back on the soft pillow and fell fast asleep.

"Has she eaten yet?" The question drew no response as he fell into a deep slumber the moment his head touched the pillow. Drawing the door closed, Maia quietly walked down the stairs.

Peaceful days had enveloped Sutherland a long time. Maia's employees scurried about gathering items to care for the treasure that lay cooing. Cordelia was sent to the cow pen for milk, Ivory to gather fresh linens from drying in the warm ocean breeze. The women quickly had the house arranged to suit the infant's needs.

Maia sat rocking the baby on the porch. Gently burying her face in Aaryana's hair she breathed the scent in deeply. "Babies are gifts little one. Not since the dark days in Ireland when we were forced from our homes to nothing has anything felt this good. Saotori's death left emptiness in my heart. It doesn't seem so dark now while I am holding you. If I am blessed, then perhaps your mother and father will let me take care of you sometimes. Important people that they are perhaps they will allow it." Changing the baby's position, she continued to rock and watch the sunset and silently hoped that Tobin would sleep for a long time.

The nightmare began much like it always had:

His daughter walked with him hand-in-hand along the shores of his island.

The gust of wind nearly overtook them. Pain filled his eyes as a wall of sand blasted at him from the gust of wind. He held Aaryana's hand firmly and brought her closer to him to shield her from the sandstorm. The wind then stopped as suddenly as it began.

The ground around them shook violently. A few feet away from them, the sand began forming up to a large mound. He readied himself for the beast about to appear from the sands. The mound exploded with a flash of orange. Why the hell is this thing always orange of all colors? The neck of the Sandworm protruded from the mound far above the Mage's head. It hissed menacingly at him. This is the part where I get eaten...again. The last thing he remembered was seeing the gaping maw coming towards him.

His body quickly convulsed and woke him from the nightmare. Tobin sat up while he caught his breath, sweat running down from his brow. The room, as he could barely recollect, was much darker than it was when he initially fell asleep. How long have I been sleeping? He wondered. After regaining his bearings, he wandered downstairs to an incredible sight. There, in the main room of Maia's home, sat a beautifully crafted wooden cradle, a comfortable-looking rocking chair, and a table covered with things anyone could ever need to take care of an infant. He blinked a few times and squinted, hardly believing the transformation that took place in whatever time he slept. His generous host, unfortunately, was nowhere to be seen. His ears perked to the sound of a woman giggling from what sounded like another room in the house. He followed the sounds and discovered Maia and her staff sitting around the radius of her magnificent fireplace. They all turned to him and smiled warmly.

"Good evening to you Tobin." Maia said with a knowing smile. Cordelia and Ivory curtsied upon making eye contact with him. Aaryana lay wide-awake in Maia's arms, eyes taking in every morsel the child could consume. Never had he seen his daughter so comfortable and quiet while in another person's arms. He would never truly be able to thank her enough.

He leaned against the door's frame and watched the two of them interact. "Ms. Sutherland, I am truly amazed at how my daughter responds to thy touch." Maia pointed to the empty chair sitting next to her and indicated for him to sit. He seated himself and smiled at the both of them. "I cannot thank thee enough for the help thee has given me this day." Maia raised a hand to protest but was interrupted by Tobin's words, "Allow me to at the least express my gratitude formally." He smirked at her and shook his head utterly dumbfounded by her gesture of kindness. "I do not wish to impose myself upon thee." He suddenly stopped himself and bit his lip, not wanting to take advantage of her generous nature.

"I do not wish to impose myself upon thee." Maia smiled responding, "How is it you have imposed M'Lord? By taking rest? What a silly thought." She gestured to the food spread about for the evening meal indicating he should eat his fill. "We have lost track of time enjoying this beautiful baby. She has brought laughter and newness back to us. I do not know which of us has the greater debt now." Her eyes lowered back and met the baby's. "Will M'Lady Aaryess be here this night? Would she care to eat here, I would have the ladies ready a room and bath service for your family at the Inn if you prefer."

He visibly tensed with her questions, Maia choosing to ignore what she had seen continued speaking. "I have never met your lady M'Lord. I would like to sometime. She is of the same faith as our friend Dios? I know she is an important woman and sought out by many people. It would be a wonderful gift to bring her here and let us pamper your family for several days." She looked directly at him with a hopeful expression. "Please consider it Lord Tobin. Please show favor on my house."

She snuggled Aaryana closer to her carefully placing a kiss on top of her head waiting for Lord Tobin's answer.

Upon hearing her name, he peered to the floor with a solemn, guilty look about him. His ultimatum was an act of spite, one he wished he could take back. Aaryess had not contacted him since their last spat and he began to believe she had already met her fate. "She...would be tickled at the thought." He said eventually, gaze still affixed to the floor.

Maia, already aware of his change in body language, spoke sincerely, "What troubles the mind of the new Father?". She smiled warmly when he made eye contact with her. "I've always found that my conscience is best cleared by speaking my mind, what about you m'lord?" Realizing her habit of formal addressing, she blushed slightly. Tobin let out a chuckle as she shrugged in apology.

Now smiling, Tobin bowed his head to her and closed his eyes for a moment. After taking a deep breath, he began to tell her some of the details that had happened recently in his life. He spoke of his argument with Aaryess and that he'd not seen her for a few days since that time. He also spoke of his desire to search for her. "Which brings me to my humble request." He began fidgeting, searching for the words.

Sensing his intentions, she interrupted his pause. "I've had a wonderful thought Tobin." His eyebrows perked curiously. "It appears that you're in need of someone to watch your precious daughter, which reminds me, you never told this little angel's name."

He stammered a response, utterly overjoyed with her suggestion. "Uh-er...Aye, I would be in thy debt" Bowing his head gratuitously. "Her name is Aaryana Reece" He smirked as he said her name out loud. "As thee may have sensed, my intention is to find her and mend the wounds I left." He smiled again knowing that he would find a way to undo the things he'd done.

Maia, warm from the crackling fire, carefully got up from her chair and wrapped Aaryana snugly in her blanket. She walked quietly over to him and handed him the baby. Upon seeing her father, she wiggled her legs in the blanket, a smile spread across her face. "Hello my darling" He said choking up from the emotion of her gaze. "This is Maia" He turned her around to face Maia, baby still grinning and wiggling happily. "She's going to watch you until I get back." as if she understood completely his words, she let out a loud coo and gurgled happily. He kissed her on the top of the head and cuddled her to him, then handed her back to Maia's waiting arms. "Maia, my thanks again for thy kindness. Thee forever has my favor for such a wonderful gesture." Content that he'd procured the ideal baby-sitter, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"I understand that my opinion in matters not concerning me is not necessarily welcome Tobin," she hesitated then continued " I do not know what possesses another when they give choices to their love that are impossible to meet." Handing the baby to Ivory she took a cup of tea for herself and one for her guest. Boldly placing her hand on top of his she spoke softly "You love this woman enough to create a child with her. You knew fully who she was and what she believed when you took her for your own. Lord Tobin, I beg you do not let this stand between you. Aaryana needs 'both' her mother and her father." Maia removed her hand and let the words sink in.

Then drawing breath and speaking again, "The real test will be if the Lady Aaryess can find it in her heart to forgive you. You owe it to yourself, your lady and this beautiful child to find out." Once again letting the words take hold in his mind " I would be most honored to be guardian of this little one while you try to find her and fix what has been broken." Feeling the pain of the truth in the words Maia said in a lighter tone, "Perhaps it is only bent ... a little."

"Do not worry about Aaryana while you are away. The ladies and I are getting very good at using the tools of sewing in a fight. Why one spool of thread aimed correctly disables any beast." She laughed lightly and set about making preparations for his journey.

Since the day she left, Tobin had felt a nagging emptiness in his life. Fortunately, his daughter’s needs have left him distracted enough to fill that void, albeit temporarily. Today, he saw her face everywhere he looked. It was that bloody Tournament that stirred these feelings in him. Firstly, his new neighbor sponsored it without his knowledge or permission. Secondly, he was forced to watch the powers at be gang up on her while he sat powerless to tip the odds in her favor. He was so enraged with the situation, he could not bear to witness the outcome and left.

Perhaps it was something said by Maia that spurred his underlying guilt for giving her an ultimatum he did not rightly deserve presenting. He would’ve been understandably insulted at the prospect of becoming a Chaosite to maintain the relationship. Needless to say, he desired to be with her, Chaos or not.

His fortune proved better than he expected the day he entered Athens. He saw her speaking with someone near the bank stone, but wasn’t alarmed by her public appearance until he noticed Tomonaga wandering about. Hoping that the Law Cleric would leave, Tobin made his way over to Aaryess. Her face wore the look of shock when she saw him approach.

Undaunted by Tomonaga’s appearance, Aaryess waved to the Cleric mockingly. The gesture drew a glare from Tobin so heated that she had to turn away from him. Grabbing her arm firmly, "Would thee mind coming with me a moment?" She nodded and followed him curiously. Once they had cleared the city limits, his tone softened a bit. "Darling, has thee gone back to Karakorum since we last spoke?" She shook her head slowly. He exhaled slowly and began his apology. "I was wrong to place thee in such a position. When I thought about it later that eve, I realized exactly what I had asked thee to do. I would’ve likely left had thee placed the opposite ultimatum above my head." He shrugged, not knowing what else to say.

Her eyes, now soaked with tears, squinted at his eyes as if to validate the words he had just spoken. When she believed him, she threw her arms around his neck before he had a chance to change his mind. They held each other for a long time, enjoying the warmth they had both been so lonely without. She finally whispered into his ear, "I forgive you" then giggled playfully.

"I ask one thing of thee when we are in the public eye. Do not place me in a position where I must intervene for thy antagonistic behavior. In other words…the taunting of a Law Clerics or anyone thee knows that wants thy skull on their mantle should be reserved when I am not by thy side." She nodded slowly in agreement. A sly smile spread across his face as he continued, "Good…I also have some other things for thee. Come…let us go to Karakorum." He produced a runestone from his pack, waved his hand over it and spoke the words to open a gate. They stepped through hand-in-hand. Shortly, they arrived in the city of Karakorum. Sitting in front of Aaryess’s home, two kegs awaited her attention. The smirk on his face returned, "Since I cannot directly protect thee…I thought I would give thee some assistance in other respects." He indicated to the kegs on her doorstep.

Her eyes glowed with happiness as she unlocked the doors and carried one of the Kegs indoors. Tobin followed closely with the other keg over his shoulder. Placing them next to each other, she stared at the kegs with great curiosity. "They’re not labeled" Tobin shrugged innocently. She poked him in the abdomen with her finger, "What are they you scoundrel!" He produced a bottle from his pack and handed it to her. She filled the bottle with one of the kegs. The liquid, a deep blue, was warm to the touch. She turned to him and narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "This isn’t a sleeping potion is it?"

Rolling his eyes at her, "Bah…if thee must know. That liquid will replenish thy magical energies. My experience with it is that it’s very potent." He smirked again, "Rather rare in that much quantity, but I suspect thee will put it to good use. The other keg is ‘Steelskin’ which thee will also need."

Ecstatic with his gifts, she grinned and winked at him suggestively. Her smile, now showing teeth, seduced him into kissing her. His knees nearly gave way by the passion in her lips. Abruptly, he scooped her up in his arms, kissed her again, and carried her upstairs.