She looked over the raging ocean as it crashed against the stones a hundred feet below her. Her copper hair whipped in the wind about her head and shoulders, and softened her features with the copper frame. One looking at her would have thought her about to jump over the ledge and to her doom far below, but it was no such gloomy thought which led the lady Eva-lyn to this precipice of stone and grass.

No, tonight she would finish something that had long awaited finishing. She laughed as a lightning bolt struck the water a days travel from the shore. Turning, the lightning flashed above her, illuminating her smoothly attractive features, her eyes sparkling a light-lit blue, though they were definitely gray.

She frowned at the closeness of the last bolt of light, before running down the precipice, and back to supported ground, where she turned, stood, and watched the pointed edge sink through the air, and crash into the ocean below. "hm...perhaps a little closer than I like." She shrugged, and walked back to the small village rested in the meadow that bordered the Oceanside cliff.

She stepped into the Village Tavern and walked toward the bar, dropping a roll of paper money onto the bar top "a quart, and a piece of bread, Tavern keep" nodding at the weasel of a man who stood ready to take her order. Her curly hair sprung about her cheeks, the warmth of the indoors flooding her milky white skin with a cherry stain, and lighting her gray eyes to a glowing ember.

She passed the bar and moved toward a table which was dimly lit by the fading day, yet shadowed by three stone walls which surrounded it. It was her table, which was obvious by the way she slid so confidently into the chair there, and pounded the wall to her left, producing a brick which slid out of place. She pulled on it, casting a furtive glance about the rest of the room, nodding, to see that several others were watching her. She grinned, and pulled the end of the brick out of the wall.

She tipped it upside down, tapped the end, and placed her hand below it. Out of the brick dropped three shurikens, "Connor, where's my bread and drink!" she yelled, tossing one of the shurkens into the beam above the bar, and grinning satisfactorily as he scrambled to get it for her.

Behind her, to her right, she heard a chair slide across the worn wooden floor, and a man's heavy footstep moving in her direction. She sensed the hand reaching toward her shoulder, long before it ever touched, and ducked further into the bay window styled inlet. Her right foot swung up to cover what was left of the seat, leaving the man who stood at the edge of her table to take a seat opposite her.

"Its about time you got here, Matteus. I was getting sick of waiting."

"You knew I would take a drink with the locals."

"I knew you wouldn't rush to find me if the drink was available"

"You didn't need finding, you came to me."

"Aye, curiosity kills, eh? So, what have you come for?"

Matteus looked unnerved, he glanced around suspiciously, then back to her. "I need a favor. There's a parsel waiting for me in Britain, but I can't get across the border. I've got £200 for you, if you'll bring it to me. Name a place for me to wait for it, name a time for me to give you your pay."

"No."

"No?You're passing up £200?"

"No."

For a moment, he looked at her, confused. Her next movement was quick, and, according to the look of shock on his face, unexpected.

She replaced the brick, rubbing a finger over the edges of it securely. As she rose, she left behind her his body, a shuriken sticking out of his throat, and his purse missing. "Connor, my food?" Before she could reach the bar, it was sitting on a tray, wrapped, and waiting for her to take it with her.

"That's a good lad" she pulled a £l paper note out of the dead man's wallet, and dropped it into his hand. She reached up, pulling the throwing knife out of the beam above her head and picking up her food, she walked out.

Eva paused outside the Strathyre Common, and looked across it toward where the road forked, and she chose the one that headed back toward the ocean, where the large estate stood like a promontory against the sky. She took in a deep breath, and smiled, "Home again, eh lass?" and consciously putting one foot in front of the other, she started toward the large Baronial house that awaited her.

She paused outside the doorstep as she reached it, and looked up, one large window sported a burning candle "Your soldiers are coming home.. "

Behind her, she heard a small step, and turned, a knife already drawn, held at the throat of the man who stood behind her. "One step forward, you're dead...who are you? And what are you doing on my fathers land? "

He chuckled, knocking her hand away with a quick motion of his wrist "I don't need one step forward." The large muscular man had her wrapped in his arms in seconds. "Hello, beloved Lass, and welcome back to Strathyre!"

"OH! Finn!" her voice rang out a joyful tone in her exclamation as she wrapped her own arms around him, and kissed his cheek "I'm so happy to see you! But..what are you doing here?"

"I made it back to Strathyre last night..hey, I heard news of a new corpse that needs to be buried..is that your doing?"

Eva giggled, as she pulled slowly out of the embrace "Aye, it is.." She looked up at the large man "Come, lets go inside and drink a mug of tea while we share our stories of the battles weve fought thus far.."

"Thus far? Don't ye think its over lass?"

"Nay..I dont..and theres naught ye can tell me otherwise.." She paused, pushing the door open and stepping in. "I'm not done with it anyhow..are ye?"

"I've no reason to keep fighting.."

"How about....Donnagans been kilt.."

"Donny?..our Donny?"

"Aye. Our Donny..  He took a sword to the middle two weeks ago..back at Ackergill when we were trying to keep the tower. He tried to take the front line single handed. Stupid lad..but I don't intend to let him go in vain."

Finn just nodded, looking dumbfounded by the news. He followed her inside, and held a hand out to her. She took it with a smile, and they walked through the corridor to the common room of the house, where she and her brother had often played many a game of war and Britt vs. Scott.

She hesitated in the entrance to the room, looking momentarily at the frame, before entering, and her companion looked at her curiously. She was slow to bring herself to explain her recently developed habit, and shrugged to ward off his attention to her minor flaw.

"So, Finnhow was your experience as a warrior..?"

"Eh? Lass? Warrior..no..I was no such thing. While you were out battling monsters and Britts, I was home holding off the wolves I was defense on the bloody football team."

"Nah, love, ye were a bit more an that.  How many raiders did ye keep out of the grain bins?"

"Too Many to count, love.." Finn smiled, pressing a small kiss to her forehead, and sat down opposite her. "Any new battle scars?"

She pointed at the small abrasion on her neck "got nicked by an arrow..but Ill be fine, so says the doc" 

He smiled "Glad to see you're otherwise unharmed..but we should both get to bed, before the old man gets up and starts a fuss...we'll never sleep that way."

Eva nodded, and rose, moving off through a side door toward what must've been stairs, as Finn heard her steps a moment later, then rubbing his neck, he sighed and followed her.

Waking up in the morning was for Eva like breaking through a wall of soldiersher breath was heavy, and pushing away the heavier silken covers, so different from her soldiers roll, was painfully tough for the young woman.

She brushed aside a few stray locks of hair which stuck to her face, as she wiped the sleeping dust from the ducts of her eyes. She sat up slowly, and propped herself on her arms. Her lower lip was slightly swollen, she noticed, as she gazed into the looking glass on her wardrobe across the room.

As the blankets and sheets slid from her shoulders, the scar on her neck became visible, and she grimaced. Pale gray eyes wrinkled into a frown and stayed there. She watched how it moved over muscle and collar bone as she glided from under the covers completely. She walked forward until she stood before the mirror in her simple blue shift, and moved her hand up to her throat, sliding over the permanently damaged flesh.

With a soft sigh, she turned the knob of the wardrobes door, and pulled it open, trying to force a small smile as she looked in at the long flowing gowns within. She reached past each of them, and pulled off the hanger a simple blue woolen skirt, and a matching cotton shift. She slid the night-shift down, letting it move slowly off her shoulders and fall to the floor with the barest whisper of a swish of fabric, for a moment, she stood nude, rustling with the fabric of her day shift, before it was right side out, and she could pull it over her head.

The skirt was easier, pulled up over the shift, and fastened with crisscrossed strings at her hip, she turned it around, so the tie was in the back, before looking back into the wardrobe for the leather bodice which she would wear over the blue shift. She didnt see it, and had to reach in blindly to find it on the floor of her wardrobe.

She took a moment to lace up the grometted bodice, before turning to lift the simply crafted metal pendant bearing her familys crest to clasp about her neck. Finished dressing, she turned toward the door and moving to it, twisted the knob until the door clicked open, and she stepped out into the hall.

Eva took the stairs two at a time, to the floor below, where her fathers bedroom was located behind two large oaken doors. She knocked once, and heard within a gentle "Hello? "

On the other side of the large oak doors, the lord of the manor, Sean, moved about his inner chambers, trying to right the terrible mess of his sleeping place. Blankets had been strewn about the room in his sleep, but at the knock on his door, he stopped in his tread, looking up at the door which lead to his outer chamber. Upon speaking, his momentary hesitation was broken, and he walked forward to open it.

Eva pushed the door to the outer chamber open, and stepped in, just as her father stepped out of his inner rooms. She smiled softly, before he had half a moment to notice her, and she was at his side, an arm wrapped about him in a happy embrace. "Hello, Father"

"Why! Eva! Youre home!When did you get in?" Her fathers embrace was slow, but strong and full of love.

"I came into Strathyre last night. Little Donnys gone fatherhe was killed in battle."

"Noooh!" Her fathers face turned pale and upset, "Not Donny!"

She sighed softly, and nodded "Aye Father, Donnagan. I'm sorry.  There are soldiers a few days travel back, bringing him home he finished a battle with his last strike, and will be honored as a commander."

With a hesitant frown, Sean nodded, "there's that at least...but I had not thought to lose my youngest child so soon. Must you go back?"

"I will not let him go un-avenged, father. His killer will die before I can sleep soundly in my bed."

She stepped back toward the door "I will have Cookie start breakfast. I must go see what info I can find on Matteuss funeral."

"Matt?....Lord Matteus?"

"Aye, he's dead. As of last night. He is the reason half of the war is happening, but if you see Lord Antoine, as you may hear he's looking for me, I have not been home."

Sean frowned "You killed a land-owning man, Eva?"

"I've killed many Father. Matteus wont be the first, and I'm sure he wont be the last. Besides, after all the people he's been cheating, I think he deserved to die. His daughter will take over the keep now, and it will prosper with its people, instead of because of them."

Sean laughed, a deep hearty laugh "My dear, I am proud of you."

Without another word, Eva stepped out of his chambers, and headed down the stairs. "I'll tell you what I hear."

Eva left the hold moments later with Finn riding a stallion at her side. Eva remarked "Finn do you think there's any chance anyones talked?"

"About you, Eva? Oh, I'm sure...but no one would have told the police.  You're a savior to too many for them to talk."

Eva dismounted at the sight of the large crowd gathered around the Village Tavern. Frowning, she turned to look at Finn, who dismounted, in turn, and moved quietly to her side, wrapping a protective arm around her. As the group heard the arrival of horses, they were quick to turn and gaze upon the newcomers.

Evas voice was full of fear, as she spoke "Finn" she backed up, and turned to grasp the bridle on the horse.

"Eva..get on the horse" Finns voice was soft, yet commanding.

Eva paused.  "No. I wont run...I murdered a man last night. I will suffer my consequences." She turned in her spot, and faced the crowd, but it was not an accusing finger they pointed at her.

The crowd before her cheered her on with several bright smiles. Eva looked at Finn with a look that plainly stated she did not understand, as the officials moved out of the common toward her, and reached out their hands to shake hers. She was hesitant in giving them her own, for fear they might cuff her yet after a moments thought, she did clasp her hand about those of the officials, with a small smile. "What have I done to receive this honor?"

One of the officials stepped close, and embraced her "We know you kilt Lord Matteus...and were on your side herebut his guards will be coming up today to search the village for him...and his killer. You should go now, while you can."

"Thank you, Johnny, I wont be long in going anyhow, you should all know of my brothers death, if you have not heard it as of yet. Donnagan Dunbar died two weeks ago, while defending a rank of our men. He took out the enemys commanding officer, before he fell in battle, and for it, he will be given a commanders funeral within the week. I hope you will all attendbut I must make myself scarce. "