NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Haraash Saan" data-source="post: 4570097" data-attributes="member: 46615">Argonne and the Martigan brothers volunteered to clear the room of the corpses, the river would be full in the morning, whilst Mortec, Stravarious and I checked with Petuvary on Ship’s Cat.    Petuvary shook his head. ‘Nay. I’ll be here all night trying to free her from the forsaken place where her soul is trapped. And even then it may be beyond my skill to heal her completely. Only time will tell.”    The brothers Martigan agreed to stand guard over the girl and the holy man, after they returned from dumping the bodies, the rest of us disbanded into the night, each going back to our own inns or apartments.    I was bursting to tell Melinda about the fate of Vrsork, sure that she would be pleased to be free of him. She still was still serving at the Inn at the End of the Road when I arrived back at the inn.     Her face beamed as she saw me stride into the room. She flashed me a gorgeous smile as I pulled up a stool at the bar and called to the barman for a tankard of Astrid’s Marvellous Mead. I swivelled on my seat so that I could watch and appreciate her fine form.    My sweet was delivering a tray full with mugs of ale to a rough and tumble group of warriors. One, with a particularly devilish leer, slapped her across the buttocks as he guffawed his thanks. His comrades could not contain themselves, laughter erupted from their group.    Every muscle in my body tensed. I could feel the outrage welling within me. Melinda must have seen it too for she came straight to me and clutched my right hand. It had found its way to the handle of Eldritch Light.    “Ignore them lover.” She soothed.    “No man should treat you like that!” I hissed.     She inclined her head and smiled affectionately and said “Ah, Gerard. Forever the noble born. Always seeking to protect me. But alas, not even the great Gerard could take on five warriors at once.”     I frowned, knowing that she was right. Three perhaps, but not all five. I swallowed my pride and said sternly, “Yes my dearest you are right. But I want you to promise me to be more wary of the gropings of the patrons. You do not deserve to be fondled so idly.”     She blushed at my concern, but almost instantly her eyes widened and her delightful smiling mouth dropped agape. “What happened? You’re hurt!” she said noticing for the first time several cuts in the cloth of my tunic and spattering of Vrsork’s blood upon it that I had not noticed.    “Ah,” I grinned falsely, beginning to feel unease at the state of my dress. “Fear not my dear. This is not my blood, but the blood of a slain foe.”    “In fact my dear I believe you will be most pleased with the news that I bring.” I continued as my confidence returned as I thought of her joyous reaction to my words. “Vrsork will no longer come between us.”     “What have you done?” she said fear and panic rising in her voice. It was not the reaction I had expected.    “I have done nothing more than what was required. Vrsork is dead. He will trouble you no longer.” I said,    “Who will look after me now? Who will take care of me? You Gerard? What will happen after the Games? Will you stay with me? Will you support me? Or do you expect me to be a whore to earn my keep?” she barraged, the volume of her voice rising with each question.     “Do you want the likes of them,” she pointed at the warriors, “to pay me for my services?”    I was shocked! Every question that was spat toward me made me reel just a little further. I almost toppled from my stool but I managed to catch myself on the bar.     I reached for her hands as I stood, noting that the bar had become silent and watched our discourse with amused interest, “Of course not my dearest.” I said as I tried to ease her increasing anger. “I would of course help keep you when I leave.”    It was obviously not the right thing to say. Quicker than one of my thrusts with my rapier her palm struck me with ferocity on my cheek. She threw her apron onto the bar top and ran off sobbing upstairs to the living quarters.    A roar of laughter exploded from the witnesses of my embarrassment. The leer who had slapped Melinda’s rump earlier stood with his tankard aloft and bellowed, “You have won the respect and esteem of a table full of drunken barbarians! Be proud!”    More mirth echoed around the room. Only my father had made me feel so shamed before. I so desired to scurry away and hide away from the choked laughter and humiliating looks of the denizens of the common room. But I steeled myself, refusing to give the crowd the satisfaction.    I smiled with false confidence and strode to the warrior who had addressed me seeking anonymity, a new feeling for me be assured, amongst his friends.    “I am Gerard d’Mowbray.” I said as way of introduction.    “Roroxs!” said my saviour as he slapped me hard on the shoulder. Perhaps slapping was some barbarian custom? “Well met!”    He introduced his companions as Urb the Quick, Vasques the Magnificent and Brome and Brask the Sword Twins. One and all members of the team Hammerfist that were due to compete in the Games.    I endured Roroxs’s boasting of his personal and Hammerfist’s successes and glories before telling some of my own stories of adventure. They were most impressed with my tales, although somewhat sceptical that I could have performed so many feats with the blade.    “You’re so small.” Said Brome. “Puny even.” Brask said backed up his brother. Both were the size of small houses and covered in rippling muscles that they were happy for all to see.    I offered a disagreeing smile. “Small I may be.” I glared at the twins, “But I am nimble and lighting quick. I am yet to meet my master with the blade.”    Vasques, so far silent in our discussion, raised an eyebrow. “Really? I am a fine duellist myself.” He patted the pommel of his rapier as if to confirm his own words.    I spent the next hour talking to Hammerfist. Whilst most were rather rough, Vasques was certainly good company.    “Perhaps we will meet in the tourney?” I said to him as I left, “I look forward to the opportunity of testing your prowess.”      “Indeed d’Mowbary.” He said with a smile. “I would relish the challenge.”    None really noticed me as I left Hammerfist to their drinking and ascended the stairs in search of Melinda. I really did enjoy the girl’s company. She was clever, funny and an exciting lover.     I approached her door with some trepidation, for I could her sobbing from within her room. I tapped gently on the door. “Come now Melinda. Let us talk.” I said quietly.     Her response was sudden and violent. The door shook with the impact of something heavy that had been thrown at it.    “Leave me alone!” she said as she choked back the tears.    “Melinda.” I sighed deeply, “In two days time I compete in the Games. I want you to be there to see me triumph. I want to wear your token. I thought that you loved me and that ridding you of Vrsork would make you happy.”     As I spoke my heart grew heavy, I really did care for her. “Perhaps it is that I was wrong. Perhaps you do not love me.”    It seemed like hours past as I lingered by my lovers door before she responded, her sobbing subsiding. “You really love me? You won’t leave me after the Games?”    “My dear all I want at the moment is to be with you. You are the only rose within the thorn of Halfast. You are my light, nay a shimmering diamond with the blackness of the pit of that is this city. You are the beacon that calls me, nay commands me to come to you.”    There was movement behind the door. The latch clicked and the door opened a crack. “You really want to be with me?” said Melinda with a sniff.    “Of course my dear.” I assured her. “I will dedicate my victories in the Games to you! That is how important you are to me!”    “And you can really stay and look after me?” she said quietly.    “I will look after you my dear. You are too precious for me not to.” I replied.    The door swung open. Melinda stood a step behind it. Her cheeks were still moist with the tears that I had caused. I smiled and gently drew her to me as I my foot softly kicked the door closed.</blockquote>

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