Paladin - the path begins

Chapter 15

Tar'vid tossed the delinquent onto the snow covered ground, beside one of the men he had disarmed, the straw-haired man clutching at his hand where Tar'vid had relieved him of several fingers and the club he'd wielded.

The rough looking man stroked his beard, making to grab his club once more.

"Leave the weapon and go, I'll pretend you were never here" Tar'vid told the delinquent calmly, as the man still made for his weapon clumsily.

It was then that the fallen man noticed his mewling friends, one with several fingers missing, the other clutching at his left leg where Tar'vid had severed his hamstring. Another lay silent in a pool of blood where his throat had been opened from collar to cheek. Tar'vid had regretted killing him, but three opponents at once would have been a difficult prospect.

"What are you!?" stammered the man, backing away on all fours.

"Either a warning or your executioner... your choice" Tar'vid replied, hefting his blade menacingly.

The man wasted no time in running deeper into the camp as quickly as possible. Tar'vid let out a short breath, going over to the two wounded men and healing the wounds he'd inflicted as best he could. Wiping away a trickle of blood from his nose afterwards, he could heal multiple times an hour to a lesser extent now, and with the doctors help they were making great strides towards clearing the camp of people, though he knew hundreds had died already and many more still would.

"Tar'vid, is it really you?" came a tearful voice from behind him, he turned immediately, recognising the beautiful sound of Luna's voice.

As soon as the owl had called him not twenty minutes ago, Tar'vid had gone to the open window of the gatehouse. The owl nodded downwards and looking down into the camp he had followed its gaze, towards two people walking away from the roadside. He hadn't been sure why, but his instincts told him to follow them. Tar'mine's spirit animal had always been present at pivotal times in his life, and so it had only been a short time later when he had come upon the trio of armed men, who had thought to try and rob him... and failed.

"I had nearly lost hope I would ever see you again," he said to her, dropping his blade and embracing her, trying to hold back tears of joy.

"I thought I would die here in this god's forsaken place before I saw you again," she said happily, kissing him.

A man coughed from behind her and Tar'vid felt a pang of jealousy seeing a man emerge from the tent behind her.

"Forgive me sir, but does your timely arrival signal the end of our time in this hellish place?" the man asked him brazenly, his voice sounding exotic. Tar'vid instantly felt he needed to be on guard with him.

"For her yes, I only have permission for two returns" Tar'vid replied coldly, feeling Luna's gaze on him.

"We can't just leave him here Tar'vid, what if they come back for him?" Luna pleaded, making him feel uncomfortable. Who was this man, had she moved on from him already?.

"I can't push this Luna, it's only because of my help they're granting you entry at all" he replied, frustrated at her attitude.

"Do not worry for me, I am a most... resourceful person. Besides, I may revert to my more... nefarious ways whilst you are away. But do not worry, we shall all meet again... take care of her Tar'vid, she is a most dear friend" Tarquin said, interrupting Luna.

"I don't need taking care of, but I appreciate the sentiment Tarquin. Until we meet again then" she said to him, kindly hugging him and kissing his cheek.

"Indeed" he replied, drifting off into the camp.

Whilst Luna watched Tarquin leave Tar'vid retrieved Torgard, sheathing the blade after wiping the blood off with one of the dead men's cloaks.