"So let me summarize," Lord Rowan sat in his big chair in the great hall the next day.
It was about supper.
"You were attacked by a group of powerless near the lake in the east?"
The badly beaten elder man, that stood in front of him nodded.
Clearly, he was not a man of status but it was one of the Lord's serfs that had come to seek help.
Cuts and scrapes littered the small man's body whose hair was grey and whose clothes were splattered in blood.
"Yes, my Lord," he raised both of his palms, "they said that the land didn't belong to any Lord and that it was theirs." Despite looking hurt he seemed very lively while speaking.
"And why were you by the lake if you're from Mare?"
"I was traveling to visit my daughter, and, and," the man frantically gestured to his belt, "they took my gold."
Something seemed off to Lord Rowan. He turned to Dagaric, who was standing behind him, waiting for orders.
"Call the doctor and get this man treated," he paused as the Bailiff went to leave, "and prepare my men."
"Yes, my Lord," Dagaric said.
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Mariann tried to keep it together while filling the chamber pots of the manor into a bucket only to carry it to the moat around the castle and emptying it into the water.
The smell of urine and excrements stung her eyes as she cussed the job the housekeeper ordered her to do.
Nauseated she turned to walk back through the gardens of the manor, where Laria was told to work today. Mariann waved at her friend who was shortly waved back before returning to gathering foliage.
Mariann thought it to be unnecessary to have the servants and Laria work in a garden when it was so cold that the trees didn't have any leaves left and the ground was frozen over, but she was not willing to argue with the housekeeper.
Looking down at the bucket in her hand and scrunched her nose as she walked to the side entrance of the servant's quarters. She would have preferred gathering foliage during the winter any day compared to her task no matter how pointless it was.
Having washed up after the dirty work she was careful not to get her sleeves wet.
Earlier that day Mariann, Laria, and Alec had all received new clothing, making them look exactly like the other maids and servants.
She wore a long, white undergarment that was cut at her shoulders and cleavage. Its fabric was thick keeping her warm. Her outer clothing now consisted of a black short-sleeved dress which was strung together in the front tightly, making her waist look thinner.
Although uncomfortable Mariann was glad to be out of her ripped clothes from before. She had a strong sense that Lord Rowan had something to do with the change of clothes.
She headed to the kitchen to speak to the housekeeper when two fully armored knights stopped her in the halls.
"You!" One of them said in a demanding voice, spreading his arm out to block her patch.
"Get a coat."
Mariann leaned her head to the side in confusion but decided to do as she was told rather than arguing.
She snuck out from under his arm to go past them to get her cloak.
"Hey!" One of them shouted.
"It's this way," Mariann grit her teeth not turning back, walking into the small chamber she slept in with Alec and Laria she got the rough fabric she'd gotten from her master back in the Inn.
Laria and Alec's coats weren't there but they were working in the stable and the garden so she didn't know if that meant anything.
Coming back into the hallway she followed the two men who were impatiently waiting for the woman.
They walked through the gardens to the stable and Mariann glanced to look at Laria who was still raking.
Her friend looked worried seeing Mariann being led by two knights, so she smiled to ease her thoughts.
Coming into the stable Mariann saw that it was full of armored men and horses that were packing things and getting ready for something.
They were loading things onto the horses and putting on cloaks.
Standing by the entrance door Mariann could see young Alec who had brought a tall man the lead of a horse.
Alec turned his head to see her and began smiling. Rowan turned and followed his gaze to see Mariann.
Waving his hand for Mariann to come to him she couldn't help but feel that she'd caught the knight's attention as the stables turned quieter.
Walking over she couldn't help but notice how the Lord was dressed. His shoulders and arms were covered in armor padding from which a long heavy blue cloak hung. It's reached almost to the ground matching with his water-colored eyes which were gleaming with anticipation.
She didn't like where this was going.
Now standing in the middle of the room close to him and Alec surrounded by the other the Lord spoke, "you will be riding with me."
One of the knights broke the uncomfortable silence, "With all due respect, my Lord,"
He asked what was on everyone's mind, "Why is a slave joining us? At best she will hinder us."
Rowan's eyes shot to the knight sending a cold glare his way. "You say 'with due respect' but to me, it seems like you're questioning my commands."
The knight knew he was pushing his boundaries. He straightened up, "I apologize, my Lord. I did not mean to question you."
"Good, we're leaving." He commanded in annoyance.
Alec looked up to Mariann, "where are you going?"
The young Lord waved his hand using the contract to make both of the slaves silent. He could not show kindness to them in front of his men, it would make him seem weak.
They already seemed to question him and he did not have time to waste.
He made Alec step to the side while willing Mariann to the horse they had ridden before. Internally cussing she hated being silenced.
Rowan lifted her onto the horse and joined her with a swift motion.
Mariann could feel the Lord's chest on her back as he whipped the lead of his steed.
Six knights followed him over the wooden bridge of the manor. The seven horses galloped through the woods quickly.
Finally, Rowan let his magic go, letting Mariann take control of herself again.
She grabbed the saddle to keep her balance, as Rowan leaned down and spoke in her hear from behind, "Do not speak unless I say so."
Mariann huffed in annoyance. She once again knew nothing about where they were going, and for whatever reason, she was joining her Lord.
She thought about how he probably didn't want to leave her in his manor without his supervision.
"And if I'm about to fall off the horse?" She whispered rolling her eyes.
"Don't test me, Mariann," by the way he hissed her name, she could tell that she shouldn't push it further.
She contemplated on pretending to faint only to annoy him but pushed her silly thoughts away.
She'd found so much joy in watching the landscape rush past her that she soon forgot her grudge.
Spotting a few houses, while galloping over a field she couldn't help but wonder where they were going. If they were to go to the castle, she doubted that the Lord would bring so many men.
She knew his way of fighting and how he used his powers to his advantage, so the fact that he was taking men with him made her feel uneasy.
The sun had begun creating long shadows in the forest when they arrived at the top of a mountain. All horses came to a stand, as their eyes fell on the valley ahead of them.
Its deepest part was filled with a lake, which seemed to sparkle due to the sun.
Lord Rowan listened, as he watched the seemingly quiet valley.
A thick forest surrounded the lake, leaving him to see nothing but trees.
The fact that a group of powerless had attacked one of his serfs was possible but unlikely. It would be the first he'd heard of a bigger group, and it was too close to the border of the Firenation.
It all seemed like a trap, a way to lure him to the valley, which is why he brought his knights.
At best they would find a group of bandits they could put behind bars or scare off, but he doubted it.
He looked to the hills across the lake, where the borders began.
He turned to his men, telling three of them to search through the woods along the lake to the left. He would take the other three and ride along the right side.
If they didn't meet halfway the others would know that there was a problem.
Splitting up the two groups entered the deep forest. Riding downwards Rowan and the others took it slower, not to scare the horses.
The forest's large evergreens made it seem even darker. Mariann couldn't help but feel the tension in the air as she listened closely to her surroundings.
She tried to calm herself as they came closer and closer to the waters. So far everything seemed normal to Rowan, it was quiet.
He couldn't finish the thought as a gust of wind rushed past his face, as the knight riding next to him screamed out in pain, causing the horses to rear up in panic throwing Rowan off its back making Mariann land on him roughly.
Ignoring the pain in her back she ripped her eyes open in fear of being stomped to death by the horse. Luckily, and unluckily it had run off into the woods.
The young Lord pushed her off of himself, as he got up quickly. The screams of his knight seemed to die down as he was left lifeless, having been shot straight into the throat by an arrow.
Rowan rushed a wall of water up in front of his two other men, protecting them from further arrow shots.
"RUN TO THE WATER!" He commanded holding back multiple arrows. They seemed to be coming from more than one direction, when a second knight was shot into the shoulder, making it lunge back, turning his body.
Rowan pulled Mariann to her feet by her arm and began running, with his men close behind.
"Keep your barriers up!" One of the knights shouted as an arrow missed him by a millimeter.
The knight that was wounded by the shoulder was having a hard time keeping up, so Rowan turned mid-run, letting go of Mariann, raising his hands to create a shield.
The water he was using wasn't enough to create a barrier thick enough, letting the arrow pass through it and hit his knight, causing him to collapse.
Rowan couldn't do anything, he had to leave him behind. No doctor could save him now.
It was a hard decision but he couldn't risk losing anyone else.
His last man ran onto the still water of the lake, like it was solid ground, making the young woman stop right at its bank before touching the water. If that was their plan she was going to drown.
She turned back to look at her Lord who was coming running at her. Her eyes widened as she realized he had no intention of staying on land as he didn't slow his pace.
She turned to the water and then back to the lord who's reached out his hand and grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her onto the water roughly. Falling over, due to the surprise she caught herself on its surface as the young Lord pulled her up while continuing to move to the center of the lake further, dragging her along.
She wasn't falling through the water, her mind raced.
Was it due to Rowan's touch?
Catching up to his knight who'd turned, all three of them looked at the forest panting heavily not loosening his grip on Mariann's wrist.
Rowan's eyes searched the shore for any movement. Scanning closely he could make out a silhouette of a person behind a tree.
He waved his arm, shooting water from the lake right at the person taking down a tree in the process caissons a loud crashing noise.
"There is more than one, my Lord," the knight panted heavily.
Forming a plan in his head Rowan opened his hand, loosening his grip on Mariann's wrist, making her panic and grip his arm. He tightened his hold on her again, not hurting her.
He glanced at her, trying to think of what to do.
"Xavier," Rowan pulled Mariann to the knight.
"Yes, my Lord?"
Pulling her arm up he held it in front of the knight.
"Support her."
Although confused the water knight took her arm away from him, making Mariann's heart beat faster.
What was Rowan doing?
"Cover me!" Rowan commanded, as his knight used his free hand to create a large wave in front of his Lord, big enough to protect him from arrows but clear enough for him to see through it.
Rowan knelt onto the water pressing his hands into it. A beat of sweat formed on his forehead as he pulled a huge mass about the size of a whole chamber out of the lake as he slowly got up.
Grabbing his own wrist with one hand to support his front hand he extended the water into a long rope.
Concentrating he whipped it from the right to the left hardening his water as its shot in all directions of the enemy.
Mariann couldn't believe her eyes as the impact of the water seemed to cut through the trunks of the trees, row by row until his powers finally crashed into the slant of the valley.
A loud and dusty eruption, sent a wave of air their way making Mariann rip her hands from the knight's grasp and using them to shield herself.
The water under her feet turned liquid as she sunk into the depth of the lake in an instant.
Feeling the icy water engulf her she frantically tried grabbing anything to keep her from sinking further as she choked on water.