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Date Posted: 13:03:17 04/24/02 Wed
Author: Soressa Sacred Advisor, Avatars Guard
Subject: The Mage and The Warrior, A Tale of Love

The Mage and the Warrior, a tale of Love

It was early in December when Lance and Caewyn first met. The night was bitter and a snowstorm was building. Lance was preparing to retire early for the night as in the morning he was to lead The Danaan Rangers against the evil that resided in the depths of Dungeon Shame.
It was as he was removing his robe to slide beneath the furs of his bed that he heard a knocking at his door and a muffled curse that sounded distinctly feminine.

‘Damn it he better be here’, the late night caller looked back out into the gloom of the night and felt the first snowflakes hit her face. Banging on the door harder this time as the snow intensified, desperate to get inside out of the storm.
Lance made his way downstairs intrigued as to who would be calling at his home so late on a night like this, especially a female. He opened the door just as the banging started again.
‘Thank the goddess your home are you going to invite me in or stand there all night letting the cold in’ Lance looked down at the now bedraggled woman standing before him, she was vaguely familiar but he wasn’t sure from where.
‘Well whoever you are you had better come in out of the storm’ As the women brushed past him he felt a slight jolt as though he was recognizing something he was missing, shrugging his shoulders he shut the door and turned.
The sight that greeted his gaze stole his breath. Standing before the dying embers of his fire was a beautiful woman who if he was right had a good amount of elvish blood flowing in her veins. She had removed the heavy cloak she had been wearing and he noted that she was wearing the colours of The Danaan Rangers.

‘Lance I came here tonight to get you to sign a book I am putting together for Lady Talur as a Christmas gift from the Rangers’
He watched as she removed a book from her back pack and held it out to him, her hands seemed to be trembling slightly and he noted that she was avoiding looking in his face.
‘My lady you have me at a distinct disadvantage as you know my name but I know nothing of you’ the girl looked up and smiled softly, ‘oh I am Caewyn, I recently joined The Danaan Rangers after meeting Ganeesh and Devior they aided me as I was new to this land’
She looked down at her hands ‘I can not afford to buy a gift for Talur for Christmas so I thought creating a book with words of praise and well wishes from The Rangers would be something she would treasure’

Lance nodded and looked the maid over again, he took the book from her and signed it and handed it back to her. ‘Well it is a pleasure to meet you Caewyn and I am available to aid you, if you get yourself into trouble just call and if I am here I will come as will any of the Rangers’ Caewyn slid the book back into backpack and stood wrapping her cloak back around her shoulders. ‘Thank you for the offer of assistance my lord, I will be sure to remember that on my travels’ She reached into her bag again and removed a rune book. ‘I will leave you to your rest and thankyou again for signing the book’ she chanted and disappeared. Lance shook his head and made his way back up the stairs to his chamber his mind already back on the coming battle, but as he slept a fair haired maiden rode through his dreams.


The next day dawned bright and clear the snow glistened under the sun, Trees sparkled as though filled by magic as the morning light shone down through there bare branches catching the ice formed there. Outside the The Danaan Rangers Headquarters the rangers had started to gather Caewyn was there early getting rangers to sign the book before Talur arrived.
Lance arrived and started organizing the rangers into battle groups, his glance slid over Caewyn not really noticing her there. The doors of the Guild Headquarters opened and Lady Talur stepped out into the morning sun.

‘Good Morning Rangers, today we will be ridding the land of the evil scourge that has made its home in Shame May Dana keep you all safe during this battle’ with that said Talur stepped down and joined the mages. Pugs stood on the step and discussed tactics that would be used during the battle then a magical gate was opened to the entrance of the dungeon.

The battle was long and fierce but the rangers prevailed and the evil was forced back to whence it had come. Caewyn had healed and re-healed more warriors than she could count but always her attention had been drawn to the broad back Of Lord Lance always fighting at the head of the battle. He seemed to ride into danger without a care in the world. She admired the way he wielded his sword, his arms never seeming to tire before the constant onslaught of beasts.
They returned to the Guild headquarters to discuss the battle. Caewyn gratefully sunk into a seat and stretched her legs out before her. She flirted with warriors as they passed her to their seats bestowing smiles and light touches on the arms congratulating them on well-fought battles. Lance watched her seemingly careless flirtation with warriors and shook his head thinking to himself here was trouble a female that would distract the warriors from their tasks. He strode up the aisle towards his seat feeling her gaze on him as he approached he knew she was going to say something as she stood and turned towards him, just as she was about to speak to him he turned his back on her and continued to move away.
Caewyn watched his back wondering what she had done to offend this man. She slid back down into her seat a perplexed look on her face.

Days passed and Caewyn and lances paths did not cross, till the night Caewyn thinking she nothing could hurt took her Dragon into the very bowels of dungeon shame to find Blood elementals she had not been their half an hour when trouble befell her. As her life’s blood ebbed away she called out to someone to help her and it was Lance who heard the call.

Deep in the forests of Britannia Lance was battling the un-dead filth that plagued the area when he felt her cry, it was faint and at first he thought it was just his imagination but he felt it again. Cursing he dispatched the foul creature before him and swung his mount towards the dungeons of shame.

He rode through the dungeon at full gallop dispatching creatures that hindered his path, as he reached the bridge he saw Caewyn lying deathly pale upon the ground her life’s blood pooling around her, her dragon and mount both engaged in battle with a Blood elemental that had struck her with such an evil blow. Lance knelt beside her and began to use his skill as a healer to make her whole and restore her to health. Minutes passed so slowly then seemed like hours but the colour returned to Caewyns’ cheeks her breathing strengthened and she slowly opened her eyes to gaze up at her saviour. Lance stood and offered Caewyn a hand to get up from the ground.
‘What were you doing down here alone girl?’ Lance looked at her sternly as he struggled to hide the emotions that had assailed him upon seeing her so deathly still on the ground. ‘This is not a place for a maiden to come alone’
Caewyn taken aback by his abrupt manner stepped back away form lance dropping his hand.
‘I was not alone milord but accompanied by my dragon and mount, unfortunately I was distracted and unable to move away from the creature that had tried to take my life, it is something I will not let happen again.’ Caewyn called to her pets and mounted Kali her black steed. ‘I thank you for coming to my aid Lance but I had no choice but to hunt alone as there was no one else around to come with me.’
Lance sighed and wondered why this girl seemed to always make him sound angry. ‘I did not mean to sound so harsh Caewyn, it is just this is not a place you should not be coming alone, not til you have mastered the art of hunting with your pets.’ Lance held out his hand in peace ‘Come let us not fight as after all we are both rangers of Dana’ Caewyn hesitantly reached out and took Lance’s hand. ‘Ok a truce’ Caewyn smiles ‘Although I do not know what it is we were arguing about, but let us go back to my home and I can offer you some refreshments’ Caewyn removed her rune book from her bag and opened a magical Gate.

That night as lance rode home his thoughts were filled with images of a fair-haired maiden. He smiled to himself as he remembered the conversations they had had this evening while drinking Caewyn’s fine Meade. He had to admit that she was a very friendly lass and maybe he had misinterpreted her friendliness in the past. Yes he would give Caewyn a chance to prove she wasn’t trouble.

As the weeks past Caewyn and Lance forged a strong friendship, they would hunt together and often spend quiet evenings before Caewyn’s fireplace talking and drinking the fine meade she kept there. When Caewyn was voted lady of The Stag, Lance was the first to congratulate her. It was this evening of celebration between to the two friends that their friendship which had grown strong took another turn.

They were sitting before Caewyn’s fireplace sipping meade as a storm brewed out of doors. Caewyn's cheeks pleasantly flushed from the Meade and warmth of the fire was laughing over a joke Lance had just shared was refilling Lances glass. Lance was watching her thoughtfully and just as she was about to move away to her seat he grabbed her hand his thumb gently rubbing her palm. Caewyn looked up from the hand holding hers to his face to see a look that was a mixture of sadness and regret, she knelt down by his chair
‘Lance what is it that makes you so sad? This is a night of celebration’ her keen eyes studying his face.
‘I am sorry Caewyn, I was just thinking of my past’ reaching out tentatively to touch his hand Caewyn surprised to find he was trembling. In the months she had spent in Lance’s company she could not remember him ever showing emotion strong enough to make him tremble.
‘Do you want to speak to speak of it Lance? Sometimes by talking the sadness or problem can be lessened’
Lance smiled down at Caewyn as he tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear.
‘I do wish to speak to you of this as it is something you need to understand and know of me’
He paused and looked into the fire
‘I was once in love with a maid, we spent all our time together’
He picked up his glass and sipped the meade.
‘I had asked her to marry me and all seemed well, we were happy or so I thought’
Lance looked down at Caewyn his eyes bright
‘One day I came home and she had disappeared, I looked for her everywhere fearing that some harm had befallen her.’
Lance stood and walked over to the fire; resting his arm on the mantle with his back to Caewyn he took a deep breath
‘I was a fool no harm had befallen her as I later found out; she had simply disapeared from my life. She was scared and not sure that this marriage was the right thing for her so had run away, she left me no note nothing.’
Caewyn quietly stood up behind him and moved towards where he was standing just as she was about to reach for him he started talking again.
‘I think what hurt me the most was not that she left me, but that she couldn’t talk to me about this fear’
Lance turned to Caewyn her eyes glistening with unshed tears for his pain.
‘Cae tell me am I so cold or hard and arrogant or damn it I don’t know’
He turned back to the fire and rested his forehead against his arms. Caewyn stepped closer and silently slipped her arms around him resting her cheek against his back.
‘No lance you are none of those things, you’re a warm, kind, caring man.’
Lance turned in her arms and looked down at Caewyn, he gently brushed a tear off her cheek. ‘Don’t cry for me Cae I learn from my mistakes, and love young lady is one mistake I wont make again.’
He felt Caewyn’s arms tense at that statement
‘But Lance you do love still, you love Dana and The rangers you love your friends and I hope you love me.’
She reached up and took his face in her hands.
‘Because I love you lance, I love you as I love everyone in the guild, but you hold a special place in my heart, we spend so much time together I was sure you cared for me.’
Lance sighed and looked up at the ceiling anywhere not to have to look at her beautiful face filled with such hope and yearning.
‘Cae I can not love you, No that came out wrong I cant let myself love you’
Caewyn again turned Lances face to her and looked into his eyes.
‘You can not let one hurt control you no mater how much that person meant to you, you just cant turn away from the one thing that makes us whole.’
Caewyn leaned forward onto her tiptoes and softly brushed her lips against Lances. He stood like a statue for moments unmoving fighting the desire to kiss her back as her lips touched his. His arms slowly moved as if of there own free will tangling in her hair. The kiss deepening becoming desperate, desperate to claim all that was being offered. As suddenly as it began Lance stopped and pushed Caewyn from him. Turning his back on her he stared into the fire.
‘Lance don’t deny your feelings, do not tell me you felt nothing, tell me your blood wasn’t thrumming through your veins, tell me that lance.’
She grabbed his arm and swung him around to face her
‘You tell me that you felt nothing and I will leave you alone, leave you to the cold solitary existence that you are creating for yourself’
Lance agitatedly ran his fingers through his hair his eyes taking in Caewyn's tousled appearance the swollen lips and ragged breathing.
‘Cae, I can not lie to you, yes I care for you, I truly do not think though I can give you what you want’ He absently reached out and caressed her cheek, his face softening.
‘Well give me what you can but please don’t close me and love out of your life, let me show you that I wont hurt you’
Lance groaned and pulled Caewyn back into his arms burying his face in her hair. He leaned back gently cupping her face, his calloused roughened hands in stark contrast to the silky smoothness of her skin, he kissed her again gently yet urgent her body pressed up against his. Hundreds of thoughts were running through his mind, but the most urgent being to claim what was being freely offered to him. His mind was screaming no your going to be hurt again, but it was his heart in control now and his heart was telling him that this was right this was where he belonged. His last coherent thought as they slid down onto the fur rug before the fire was that somehow this elven girl had breached his defences.

The love Caewyn felt for Lance was strong she was sure of herself she knew that eventually Lance would return her love threefold. She would shower him in praise always ready to assist him in anyway always there when he needed her.
Slowly over the months that passed Lance started to let his feelings for Caewyn grow, till he couldn’t imagine not having her by his side. He would watch her interact with the rangers laughing and joking but always whenever he caught her eye a bright smile would light her face, the way she made friends with everyone always ready to help someone where she could she was a treasure. He knew finally that this time it was different this time was forever.
It was not long after Lance realised that he could not bare the thought of losing Caewyn that instead of running away as he once would have been inclined to do he took her to a beautiful glade and on bended knee to Caewyn’s amused embarrassment asked her to be his bride. Caewyn after a lengthy silence accepted Lances proposal.

So now you know the Story of Lord Lance the Danaan Avatar and his Love Lady Caewyn Lady of the Stag The Danaan Rangers. May Dana always smile down on these two filling their lives with light and joy.

Soressa Sacred Advisor, Avatars Guard

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