Paladin - the path north volume one

Chapter 1

Tar'vid took a deep breath as he plunged his head into the rainwater barrel at the rear of his home, pulling free a moment later and spraying water everywhere. He and Luna had been in Randell for months now and life felt good, Tar'vid had taken over as the village healer since the last one had been eaten by Kikkimurs the year before and Luna prepared the house for their coming child.

"Are you finally going to get rid of that fluff on your face?" she called mockingly from the kitchen window.

Tar'vid rubbed the whiskers on his face, then looked at his reflection in the water. It wasn't a beard by any stretch of the imagination, but he wanted a beard damn it.

"Not yet" he shouted back grumpily, why were Elves so prejudiced against beards.

"Get rid of it, you look scruffy" Luna called back sternly.

He sighed, pulling out his knife and an old leather belt, running the blade on the oiled leather until it was sharp and clean, bidding his first hairs farewell, he carefully scraped them away from his face. Tar'vid picked up Torgard and made his way indoors, propping up the blade against the wall beside his boots. He went up behind Luna, hugging her from behind and nuzzling her neck gently.

"Much better" she purred at him.

Tar'vid placed a hand on her belly, feeling a sense of excitement. It was still hard for him to believe she was almost eight months pregnant now.

"She'll be here soon you know" Luna whispered, placing her hand on his.

Tar'vid smiled broadly, in a few months he'd be a father. Never had he wanted something so much and never known he could have it. Luna held his hand for a minute more before slapping his thigh playfully.

"Come on, you have work to do. As do I" she said shrugging him off. He kissed her on the neck and went to get a shirt from their bedroom, rummaging through their wardrobe he smiled fondly. Tucked away at the bottom of the wardrobe was his Paladin tabard, it's blue cross and white fabric completely cleansed of blood, the stitching so fine he couldn't even see the holes where the arrows had grazed him so long ago.

"I wondered when you'd find that," Luna said from the doorway happily as Tar'vid pulled on a white shirt from the drawer.

She sat down on the bed as he unfurled his tabard, holding the garment to the light.

"Deadra brought it to Veldren with her, she feared my father would get suspicious if he found it in my possession" Luna continued with a faint smile.

"Thank you, I had thought my tabard was long gone by now" he replied, noting the extra needlework, a small infinite blue dragon worked into the cross' embroidery.

"Maeliene has been teaching me how to sew and I used your tabard for practice. Turns out I'm pretty good" Luna told him proudly, running her fingers over the added stitching.

He kissed her and pulled it on over his shirt, he still felt a great pride in wearing the symbol of his order, even after so long away.

"Go on now, I'm sure there's plenty of clients waiting for you," she said, waving him out the door.

Tar'vid picked up Torgard, belting the sword around his waist as he slipped into his boots and turned to look back at Luna. "I love you Lunathion," he said happily.

"I know you do you, now get going," Luna told him with a smile.

Tar'vid walked through their small garden, passing through the gate and down the path into the village.

"Morning Tar'vid," Jonas said as he passed, a slim half-Elf he'd known for a while now. Though he seemed shy, Tar'vid had seen something inside the boy, perhaps he'd be interested in learning sword skill one day.