"Anala Raven Rosette Aradelic!" yelled a male voice. Anala gasped and dropped the glass bowl she was holding, making it shatter on the floor. Two servants hurried over to the mess with a broom and basket. "Anala!" yelled the young voice again. Anala picked up three large shards of the bowl before turning on her heels to go. As she reached the doorway, she whipped around, thanked the servants, and opened the door. He second youngest brother stood there, flailing his hands as their baby brother, 6 years old, clung to his pants. "Get him off my pants, will you!" Trying to stiffle a giggle, she hurried over and gently tugged him off. The 6 year old turned around and clung to Anala, wetting her skirt with his tears. "Great Goddess!" her brother yelled. "He can't go around and randomly cling to people."
"What did you do to him, Sirilen?"
"I dunno," Sirilen answered in a dull tone. He started picking at his nails again.
"Goodness!" Anala yelled. "Stop acting like an idiot and a sissy and start acting like a gentleman. Go get one of the knights to take a message to Mother!" The 16 year-old shrugged and walked out the door with a bang. Anala sighed and looked out the window, onto the grassy Salquedor Grasslands. Her little brother had calmed down quite a bit and Anala moved him to the old rocking chair. It was enough that she was not married off yet. It drove her father mad. She got up and went outside to see if Sirilen had did what she had told him to do. He was messing around with one of the knights. Sighing, Anala went off in search of someone else to deliver the message.

Ignus yawned and stretched out on the grass. It was a hot day, another hot day of training. He had already resorted to soaking his shirt and wrapping it around his head in a bandanna like style, which helped to some degree. He peaked over to where Tybalt was, and noticed that he was now having to deal with the obnoxious teen. He examined the stonework of the manor absentmindedly. It was in doing so that his eyes landed upon the window, in which Anala was looking through.

Yawning again, Ignus rose to his feet and waved up to the window. He then turned to his various tools lying around and gathered them up. He grabbed the dummy, slinging it over his shoulder. Ignus wandered over to the store house and set the materials within. He then turned back to window and smiled.

Ignus! Perfect! Anala thought. Gathering her skirts, Anala hopped out the door and started to stumble to Ignus. "Sir Ignus." She hopped, ran, stumbled over her purple skirt, then picker herself up and walked the rest of the way to the knight. "Sir Ignus!" she panted. Why can't I wear a pair of pants like the rest. It took a while, but she caught her breath in the end. "Sir Ignus. Would you mind carrying a letter to My Lady? My little brother, sir. He needs to be talked to. Would you care to tell her that Pylier has a need for her to come." Anala smiled and was tipped face first into the ground next to Ignus, screeching all the way there. Sirilen stood behind her, dusting off his hands. "That should shut her up a bit," he whispered as he turned to run.

Ignus watched Anala come down with the smile on his face fading as she neared the ground. He quickly rose as she stumbled, intent to assist her as was his way. However, she recovered before Ignus reached her. He smiled and nodded to her modest request, "Yes ma'am I'll see to it right away-" He flinched as she hit the ground, having not expected that. As soon as he saw Sirilen trying to sneak away from his act. In a flash Ignus had taken the teen to the ground, but not harming him in any way. A knight wouldn't dare hurt his lord, and the lord's family. He kept the boy facing Anala, "Thats not how you treat a lady, apologize now." Ignus was red in the face with anger, he would not tolerate such lack of discipline. Little did he know that his former mentor was watching, not with irritation but with a smile on his face. He had trained Ignus well, and he was proud of him. Not to mention that Tybalt found the position that the lord's son had found himself in was rather hilarious.

Anala picked herself up. "That's not how you treat a lady, appologize now." shouted a voice behind her. She turned around and giggled. Sirilen was trying to fight the knight. Sirilen crumpled under the arms of the knight, trying to fight his way out. "Get off of me you stupid beast," he yelled at Ignus. Their sister, Anamaria, a grown lady that owned her share of the land, came right around the corner of the house just as Sirilen yelled the insult. "Sirilen!" yelled Anamaria. Sirilen mangage to stumble away and laugh at his sister. "You think you're so good at every thing." He picked up a rock, threw it at her, and ran to the stables before one could react. Soon, the doors bang opened and the boy went riding off into the grassy acers that covered the area. Anala dust herself off, waiting in silence for a reaction from her sister or one of the knights.

Ignus kept a straight face about that, he was suposed to. However, it could be noticed in his eyes the anger he had for the disrespectful brat. His jaw twitched slightly and his fist clentched a little tighter. He sighed, letting the irritation go. "What messege do I need to deliver again, ma'am?" His disposition changed almost instantly. Gone was the stern face, and back was the youthfulness. He blinked a few times, looking at something on Anala's face. Ignus fumbled with a bit of cloth and gently wiped some dirt off her face. "There, much better." He grinned, untying his shirt from around his head and slipping it back on.

Anala stared at the riding figure of her brother in the distance. She gasped sharply as she felt something touch her face. It stroked her cheek, wiping away the dirt that had landed on there when she was pushed. She turned to face Ignus, quickly comprehending what he said. "Thank you, sir," she said with a curtise. "As I was saying, would you please take a message to the Lady? She needs to be sent here right away..." She paused, thinking of a way to put 'to take care of my two, stupid brothers' in lady-like words. "to take care of some unusual business." She looked around for anyone else, but all had resumed. The elderly master-knight kindly strolled away, not meeting the level of her eyes. Her sister had gone to take to her bed-room. Anala squinted as a little figure slowly came up into her view. Her littlest brother came out with red eyes and started clinging to her skirt again. "And, tell her she needs to confort this little one," she whispered to Ignus, not turning to meet him as she picked up her little brother.

Ignus smiled in understanding and nodded. "Yes ma'am I'll see to it right away." He made a slight bow and set off to do the task presented to his by the fair Lady Anala. He paused for a moment, looking back at Anala only briefly. He blinked a few times before returning to the task at hand. He broke to a jog to his destination.

After telling the lady of the situation, he made his way back to where he figured Anala may be. He wandered around on the way there, not taking the most direct path. Ignus finally reached Anala, glad to be back. He checked on his apperance, rather dirty actually. His shirt had mud coating it in some places, and his pants were no better. He sighed and hoped the lady Anala wouldn't mind.

Anala turned as the young knight returned. He was coated in filth, which made the lady smile. It was usual to find a knight but this one was so protective. Sirilen would be the exact opposite of Ignus, a born to be arch-enemy if they weren't already. Anala was very fond of Ignus, if not for his personality for his looks. Her father said as soon as she had gotten married, she would have a part of his land. Anala wondered if this dashing, prince-like man would be who she would wed.

“Anala, go get your brother!” cried a voice. “He needs you. Bring Ignus.” Anala, thinking it was her mother, hurried to obey. "Ignus, do you mind if you could help me find Sirilen? I think he might be in trouble."

Ignus nodded to yet another request. Seems he was going to be rather busy for the rest of the day. Those two brothers needed so much attention. He sighed, not sure where that kid could have gone off to. He rubbed his chin, thinking of the most likely spot. "We should probably check down by the creek first." He looked over at Anala, waiting for the response.

"One second," she called from behind her shoulder. She ran to the stable, reigned her elder brother's mare, and shot out from the wooden bars. "To the creek, right?" she asked from the back of the horse. A voice seemed to whisper in her ear. "Go quickly. Sirilen will be in horrible trouble if you do not come. Do not stay!" Thinking it was her mother again, and growing quite annoyed from her mother's urges, extended a hand. "Come on, we better hurry. The sun is setting and who knows what will happen in these meadows at night."

Ignus nodded and joined the fair lady upon the horse. He nodded, "No offense to the lord's son, but I doubt he would last very long on his own out there." He nodded silently to himself in reasurance, "I just hope we can locate him in time." He stared off into the grasslands, following the creek with his eyes. He couldn't spot anybody out there. Ignus sighed and shook his head, why did that boy have to be so irritating?

Anala agreed. "Sirilen is just a big pain. He drives everyone crazy." In fact, I think almost all boys do. She smiled, imagining the rough-housing they had when she and Sirilen played together. They knocked over everything in the house and threw soot down the chimney and all over the roof. She almost forgot that she was riding the horse that the reins were sliding out of her hands. Quickly picking them up, Anala continued to scan the horizon with eyes of a hawk. Not a single soul seemed to be in sight. The hours drifted pass as they continued to look for Sirilen. Anala halted the mare when they came to the end of her father's teritory. The creek slanted down some feet before appearing at the bottom of the hill. Anala peered downward. It would be suicide for someone to jump down this. Even Sirilen is not that mentally disorted to jump that. "We better be going back..." she said, trying to stifle a yawn. A large wail echoed behind her and she froze, not daring to speak to Ignus, nor look back. She left all her things back at home and wondered what her knight-friend had kept some kind of arm hidden beneath his muddy clothing.

Ignus smirked, funny how she was the one leading the horse and not him. He figured that anyone who might have seen this would have gawked at what was entirely unusuall to see. Especially since he was a knight. Ignus peaked over at the drop, as though picturing their target falling off it. He sighed, "Yes it would be a good idea." Ignust straightened, Anala had reacted too. So he wasn't hearing things, that was both good and bad. Good was because he wasn't hearing things that wern't there, but bad because a wail like that was usually belonging to something rather unpleasant.

Ignus slowly tilted his head so he could see what made the sound out of the corner of his eye. His eyes widened at what he saw. It was nothing he couldn't handle with his usual equipment, yet this was different. He shook his head ever so slightly to help him focus. He whispered into Anala's ear, "Stay back," and slid off the horse slowly. He drew his blad and turned to face the foe.

Anala obeyed Ignus's command and drew the horse out of his way, incase he needed to through the monster off the ledge. She crossed the creek swiftly and stood back to watch the battle unfold. It was then when she noticed a group of orcs riding wargs a short distance. They were carrying a long, dark figure. The figure was tall and soaked with blood, with pieces of metal sticking out in random places. Anala turned from the grusome sight, but decided to try and harm the orcs. She picked up a good sized stick and hauled it at the group. It slowly flew through the air when she remembered that Ignus was battling the creature. She closed her eyes and hoped it didn't hit her precious knight.

Ignus ducked and swerved as a claw slashed over his head. He jumped back, taking in a better view of his foes. They looked like some sort of wolf. Perhaps a dire wolf, they were definitely big enough. He looked around him slowly. Six wolves in all, and each one looking like they would savor every bite that the knight would provide. That is, if they could catch him.

The knight hefted his blade, jabbing at the first wolf. The dire wolf dashed to the side, but the one behind it wasn't so fortunate. Ignus jammed his blade through its head, the end of the blade emerging from below its head. Ignus turned to the next wolf, but not before noticing the orks in the distance. Before he could make another attack, he felt something heavy hit him in the back, and hard. Ignus grunted as the wind was knocked out of him, and he fell into the ground. The wolves took advantage of the moment to try and tear into his flesh. One grabbed his arm in its jaw, the other holding his leg, and the rest jumping in and snapping every now and again. Ignus wouldn't be felled so easily, and he hacked off the head of the one clutching his arm, and jabbed his sword into the nose of the wolf holding his leg.

Anala let out a sigh and a uttered stream of curses as she watched Ignus get torn down by the dire wolves. She looked around helplessly to see if she could be any help to Ignus. The horse neighed as it shifted its front hooves in the growing stream. The young lady drew back the horse, returning to her spot on the right side. Her back hit the saddle pack that her older brothers always kept attached to the saddle. An idea formed in her mind as she turned to rumage through the pack.

The orcs were a band of nine. They found a boy near the northwestren boarder of the territory, attacked him viciously, stuck a bunch of daggers in him so he wouldn't move, and brought him along with the group as they finished their boarder checks. He must have been rich, the leader of the orc band assumed, for he had a gem-on-a-metal-rope around his neck. It was when one of the lesser orcs pointed out another human, a man, was fighting the 'biggy-wolfies' that they stopped. With the mutant dire wolves had their target, it was almost impossible to get loose of them. The orcs stopped, turned, and started towards the fight, wondering if they could get some of the human remainings.

Anala found what she was searching for. She whirled around and threw her brother's dagger across the area. Smiling because it actually flew, she didn't wonder where, or what, it would hit.

Ingus tore his sword through another wolf's neck, coating the sword and himself in its gore. Ignus struggled to his feet, jamming his blade into one of the wounded wolves. It let out a howl of pain, and went limp. Ignus breathed heavily, each one pained by his wounds. He took a quick glance at what had hit him, and then his gaze slowly trailed up to Anala. He almost sighed, but the glint of metal in the air caused him to duck in fear of getting hit by a more deadly object. He didn't wait to see where it hit before he was fighting again.

Only two wolves left, both having entered a crazed rage at the loss of their comrades. Ignus hefted his blade, and ran at the nearest. The wolf crouched and leaped into the air. Its howls were silenced as metal cleaved through its neck, severing the head. One left. Ignus braced against its charge, which had begun while the second was still being dispatched of. It howled before its jaws clamped down on Ignus' shoulder and its claws tearing at his chest. Ignus gasped in pain and suprise before smacking the wolf off him, but the wolf wasn't going to let go that easly and tore off a chunk of meat with it. Yet this nolonger phased Ignus, since he had since fell under the influence of the fight. Ignus yanked his sword out of the last corpse and sent a firey stare right at the leader of the orcs.

The flying dagger struck a tree and fell to the ground with a dead 'clank'. Anala just realized that the weapon barely missed Ignus and sighed with relief. She started at him with awe as he fought viciously against the wolves. He was covered in wounds and blood from the creatures. Ruffling around for a bandage, she ran to him as the last creature dropped dead.
"Ignus!!! I'm so sorry! You're in a terrible mess." She followed his gaze to the orcs and her mouth dropped open. There was an messy brown figure strap to the back of a warg. Peering at it she noticed the ruddy blond clump of hair that was streaked with mud. Her body went cold with fear. Gasping, she tugged at Ignus's arm.
"Ignus. The boy. Sirilen. He looks...He looks..."

"Like the young lord." He flexed his jaw, glarring at the orc boss, and then to the body. He tightened his grip on his sword, even in his wounded state he would still fight the orc. Not that they could escape anyways if the orcs decided to persue. Ignus hefted his sword and pointed it to the orc band leader. It stared at Ignus for a moment, slightly stunned at the display of agressiveness. It turned back to its compainions and they began to mutter about something. Finally, the orc band leader grabbed the body, now stripped of anything of value, and tossed it towards Ignus and Anala.

Anala stood still, stunned as they stripped him of his clothes and everything. They lay in a pile, bloody stains oozing all over the cloth. With a little clink, a locket was dropped to the ground. The orc then grunted something and the group rode off, bring the boy with him. Anala, her hands shaking like an earthquake, picked up the locket and opened it. Sure enough, there was a tiny folded picture of Sirilen, her mother, her father, Anamaria, and herself. A melody her mother played on the flute twinkled into her mind. Clutching the locket to her breast, she turned to face Ignus, but shuffled in the other direction. Cold hearted beast. They killed a teenager. Stupid cold hearted beast. Her whole body trembled like a ripple in the water until she could not hold it any more. "Stupid, damn beast! They kill my brother, stripped him naked, and ride off without another word? Who the..." she followed that yelling with a stream of curse words. After she calmed down, she was amazed by what she did. Only once in her life she ever used a curse word and she got spanked for that. She turned to Ignus to appologize her rudeness, hoping he had not gone off without her.

Ignus stood there in thoughtful silence at the sight that rested before his eyes. The boy who had annoyed him so now was resting a few feet from him, dead. Every day the boy's taunting was prompting a good thrashing, but now that feeling was gone. He had never forseen this as a possible fate for the brat. And yet, even though he was so frequently irritated with him, he now felt saddness.

Ignus turned his head slowly to look at Anala with a saddened frown on his face. He took a few gentle steps over to her, and placed a comforting hand upon her shoulder. "We should go before anything else comes..." He was unoffended by her swearing, he felt that she had a right to do it. He looked back at the body with the very miniscule makings of a tear seeping from his eye.

She smiled at the knight. It was kind of him to understand her impoliteness. Anala straightened out her dress before nodded at him in agreement. She went around to pick up the thrown dagger before taking a shuttering breath and facing her dead brother. "What should we do with him. The horse doesn't have any rope in the saddle pack and I couldn't stand holding him in my arms as we ride back..." She turned to Ignus with pleading eyes. "You wouldn't mind carrying him, would you? I need to bring him back home to the family." And how am I going to explain this to the family? A reminder popped up in her mind. "Oh yes, the horse," she muttered to herself. "Across the stream..."

(OOC:Sorry for the very short post)

Ignus nodded, before gently lifting up the body. He walked over to the horse, and crafting a makeshift carrying device to aid in the return of the body. He meant no disrespect, but it was the only way they would be getting him back on the horse. He walked back over to Anala, "I am very sorry for all this, I hope there is something I could do to help." He frowned and guided Anala back towards the horse, ready to help her back up onto it when she chose to do so. He slid on after she had done so, taking the reins and steering the horse back to the estate.

Anala gratefully appreciated the help Ignus gave her, for getting on was difficult through teary eyes. The ride seemed endless, going on for hours and hours. They returned to the estate at dusk, the horse's hooves were the only thing that echoed through the eerie grassland. No one spoke. The lanterns were on when they arrived and the whole family, or at least everyone but Horwen, was crowed around the front steps. Her father, Lord Berkin, held another lantern and peered out into the darkness. Her mother was gripping his arm. One of the knights was the first to see them. He hollered a call to the family, which stood immediately. As soon as Ignus pulled to a stop, Anala stepped down. She thanked Ignus, said a quick and curt good night to her family, and hurried off to her room. Shutting and locking the door behind her, she sat down on her bed, stripped into her night gown, jumped into her bed, and shoved the covers over her head. She patiently waited for the screams to come.

(note to Ignus: Family names are in Anala's profile.)

Ignus stepped slowly into the house, the body hanging from his arms. He set it down with gentle care. He looked sorrowly into the lord's eyes before withdrawing to let them do as they wished. He winced as soon as the shrieks from the mistress came, and soon felt the angered gaze of the lord on himself. "You failed to protect my son." Ignus nodded, "I could not find him in time." He was waved off with an angered hand, and he left in solem silence.