A SWIRLING MISTY fog hung over the lands of Blade Shield as Riagon, followed by his Guild Oaths and their Oath Guard soldiers crossed the bridge over the moat and gathered in the field below the strong-hold.

There were no murmurings from the men about the early morning hour.

Below them, several hundred yards stood Terthil and his men. Angry shouts echoed through the valley along with the clattering of weaponry against makeshift shields.

Aarius felt a strange foreboding.

Riagon signaled forward and they marched as one unit into the swirling mists and shadowed grasslands beyond the moat.

The shouted taunts and threats grew louder as they reached a dip in the field and entered the narrow valley where Terthil and his men were gathered. Terthil jerked his arm up to silence them as Riagon and his men drew near and the two men stepped forward to face one another.

Aarius made to join Riagon but Neris grabbed his arm and held him still. He gave the elder man a look but Neris simply shook his head.

"Terthil!" Riagon shouted. "What brings you to our humble borders on this early morning?!"

Terthil sauntered closer to Riagon eyeing him with disdain.

"You've got something that belongs to me Riagon Nor! And I have come to take it back!"

"Are you accusing me of stealing something from you Terthil?! Because I do not take lightly to such accusations!"

Terthils men raged behind him but he silenced them again as he circled around Riagon with a menacing glare. "It's no accusation, I assure you but a fact," he hissed. The eyelid over his right eye twitched as his anger grew.

Riagon showed no emotion either good or bad and Terthil longed to find a way under his skin. He came back to face Riagon. "You may not take lightly the accusation, but never the less I am here to claim what was stolen from me and I will not be leaving without it."

"Pray tell Terthil, what is it that I have which you feel was stolen? A serving girl, perhaps?"

"NO! NOT A SERVING GIRL YOU CHURL!" Terthil shouted furiously, spraying spittle into the air.

"Then what?" Riagon demanded. He had grown tired of the guessing game.

"The boy you fool. The boy. I know you have him, but he belongs to meeee. I rescued him. I fed him. I protected him."

Suddenly a high pitched scream erupted from behind Aarius and he turned with Neris to see Magne making his way through their troops with a struggling Kitra in his arms. Aarius made to go to her but again Neris held him back. "She will be fine Aarius. Magne will bring her to you."

"I have no boy here that would possibly belong to you," he said sweeping his arm around. "I see only men here, Terthil. Of what boy do you speak?"

Terthil's anger turned his face a raging purple and his breath seethed from between his lips as he paced back and forth before Riagon.

Aarius had heard enough. He jerked his arm free of Neris' grip and strode forward. With his arms outstretched he jaunted forward with a daring stroll. "He speaks of me!" Aarius shouted. "As if one man could own another! No better than Medgar is King Terthil! Come and take me! Show me your magic, King, and I shall show you mine!" Aarius shouted.

A roar of hostility erupted from both groups as Terthil's men banged their weapons and Riagon's men drew their swords, stepping forward in defense of Blade Sheild and all it stood for.

Magne dragged Kitra out in front of him.

She screamed, struggling against his iron grip and Riagon went to her, placing his finger against her lips. "Trust me chippie," he whispered.

"And why should I?!" Kitra demanded. "You brute! You've left me all night in the dungeon! Release me! You oaf!" She yelled jerking against Magne.

"I shall do just that, but you must promise to hold your ground, my lady. I am sorry but we had to do that for your protection. No more no less." Riagon stated. "After I have dealt with this Terthil you will be free to join your Aarius, as this is the reason you are here, is this right?"

She glared at Riagon but nodded.

"Very well." Riagon said as he turned back to Terthil's angry hoard.

Magne released her and she jerked away brushing her arms to straighten her mussed clothing. She gave Magne a damning scowl but did as Riagon had asked and stood her ground.

At seeing Aarius, Terthil froze where he stood, shock replacing the angry expression as he looked him up and down. His eyes narrowed and he stepped forward, his face so close to Aarius that he could smell Terthil's foul breath.

Terthil mocked him, smelling him like a hound would another hound before they would lock teeth in a battle to the death but Aarius stood unafraid and undaunted.

Riagon joined him giving Terthil a forceful push. "Get back you mangy hack! This ends now. You may take the girl. She is the only thing here you may lay claim to, and that's, only if she agrees." He said turning to Kitra. "My lady the choice is yours. Will you go or will you stay?" He shouted.

"I'll not go! Not with the likes of him!" Kitra shouted.

Riagon turned to Terthil and bowed. "There you have it. She will stay. And you and your men will go!"

Terthil stood transfixed but made no move to leave.

"As you would have it then Riagon," he finally spat. "But I would have you reconsider."

With those words he eyed Aarius with a murderous stare as he uttered the name of one man and a hush fell over his hastily gathered rabble.

The man summoned, a self appointed body guard to Terthil, appeared at the back of the assemblage as they parted ways to clear his path forward and a gasp was heard to echo among the troops of Riagon for struggling there in his arms bound and gagged was Fynna.

A cry of desolate unbelief erupted from Neris and Aarius turned back to see the elder fall to his knees, a look of abject terror smudging his face.

In less than the second it took to gasp for a dying breath both Riagon's men and Terthil's conscripts merged into full ground battle as Terthil, cowardice bound, slipped away, his body guard with Fynna along with him.