Deception of the Ages

He travelled for several days, resting only as long as he needed, moving as fast as he could manage without sprinting. The Weather changed from damp to dry to damp again as he left Endoron and entered the swamps surrounding the freeland city of Zadartis, where he picked up the first signs of his target. It was an old lead though, she'd won a tournament and moved, information he managed to coerce from an Eldari wanderer who'd stuck around in the city. A few drinks and some shared war stories and the man told Rowan all about her. Rowan moved on, heading north east to Zendar on a whim. That was when he picked up her trail properly, leading into Mondolin It was only a few days old, and there was a scent of blood left behind, along with three unfamiliar scents. She'd been injured.

He hesitated to cross the border, instead stalking along it towards Zendar, worrying that something had gone terribly wrong, when he picked her trail up again. Recent, a few hours, they'd just passed by. The other unfamiliar scent was with her, and he was willing to be it was the heanta. Rowan began to follow them, as the sun started to fall behind the horizon. The moon was bright atleast, giving him some advantage in the dark. As he followed them, he noticed a pair of New scents join the trail. One reeked of death and blood, the other darkness, and both were heanta. Seemed the heanta Fayla was travelling with was about to spring her trap.

He crept forward silent as the night, his heavy hood concealing his silver hair, which would otherwise be a beacon of warning in the bright moonlight. Moment's before he entered a clearing the two heanta split up, one leaving a visible trail. That one was big and clearly didn't care about stealth. Other than the scent of the other, there was no signs of him, no footprints, nothing. As if he hadn't even been there. He was far more dangerous than the big one, who likely had more muscles than brain cells. No, the other one was the ring leader, the Hornless was his bait and beefy was his muscle. Rowan would deal with him first and sort out the other two after he got to Fayla. Rowan moved quietly towards the empty clearing. There was no sign of the heanta, but he was there, somewhere. Rowan waited.

Creeping through the shadows alongside the hulking mass of Korroth Vex, the Heanta assassin known only as Knightfall longed for the days of freelancing he enjoyed in the Free Lands before he entered the service of the Warlord Roth Vandel. The Warlord did actually provide him with excellent opportunities to add more fear and respect to his name with several high profile "projects", the term Knightfall used for his victims. However, the last few years had become more tedious, as Vandel had utilized Korroth and Knightfall for personal protection over more proactive tasks. Then, out of nowhere, the Warlord had ordered the pair into the Free Lands, on a project that was almost more trouble than it was worth. While the opportunity to make a project out of the granddaughters of the mightiest warriors who ever lived did not come around every day, the rush of the order meant that there were far more variables than Knightfall would like, and even less time to prepare for them.

But alas, Knightfall did not acquire his name and reputation without being adaptable. He and Korroth tailed their quarry through the forests towards the small village of Zendar, where Korroth would lure them out into the forest for Knightfall would spring into action. Knightfall stopped, looking around at the clearing they had entered. This would be a perfect spot. Without a word, Knightfall nodded to Korroth, and the hulking mass of warrior simply grunted and trudged off into the forest towards Zendar. While Knightfall doubted Korroth would listen to his word alone, they were under strict orders not to cause a massive scene this far south, as it could rile up other parties against the Heanta Warlord. While this was none of Knightfall's concern, it did ensure a modicum of compliance from his accomplice.

Once Korroth was gone, Knightfall took up position in the shadows of a particularly large oak tree, utilizing the thick canopy to wait, surveying the clearing. A form moved in the treeline, from the direction they had come. It was only a fleeting movement, but it was enough for Knightfall to surmise that it was not simple leaf movement. As quickly as Knightfall had spotted the form, it was gone, and Knightfall knew that it was not Korroth, as the big man had no concept of stealth of subtlety. Pulling his hood up over his white hair, Knightfall silently activated his Shadow Clone power, sending an illusory copy of himself down into the clearing to try and draw out anybody that was hiding in the foliage. The clone acted like it was trying to hide but messed it up, providing a tempting target for any would-be tracker.

Rowan moved carefully through the low shrubbery. The heanta was nearby, Rowan could smell him, but he couldn't hear him. He was most likely concealed up a tree or in a bush waiting for his friend to return. But then Rowan's sharp eyes caught movement, and the heanta emerged, trying and failing badly to creep across the clearing. Well, that was easy. Rowan waited until the heanta had his back to him, drawing his axe from his belt. One swift blow to the back of the head should be enough to dispatch the rogue, unless he had preternatural senses. But the stranger didn't move as Rowan crept forward, but just before he left his cover, he noticed something. There was no scent, and no heartbeat from the man before him.

This was likely bait. But was it for Rowan, or Fayla? He had been stealthy, but there was no accounting for the senses of the stranger he was facing, or pure chance. But perhaps he should spring the trap, and set a trap of his own. Rowan gripped the handle of his axe next to the head and hid it behind him, then sprang forward, drawing his greatsword and swinging it over head in one hand, attempting to cut the illusion or what ever was before him down the centre in a single stroke. Assuming he hit, he would purposefully leave himself open, a nice invitation for the real heanta to attack, at which point he would try to catch his attacker out with the partial concealed axe. Primed for battle, there was no sneaking up on Rowan now.

Knightfall stayed as still as a statue when the large form emerged from the brush and headed towards his clone at impressive speed. The man bisected the Shadow Clone straight down the middle with a mighty blow from his greatsword. The blade passed straight through the illusion with no resistance, as the image was completely incorporeal, and it turned to face the man before dissolving into the ether. Knightfall used to opportunity to analyze the man with rapid precision. He was tall enough to tower over Knightfall and obviously possessed great strength given his choice of weapon, but he also possessed great speed for a man his size. Deciding the fight would need to end quickly, in order to not disrupt his plans for Shor and Hornless, he waited for just the right moment. Bait taken, Knightfall sprang into action.

Dropping from the canopy as silent as a hawk, Knightfall waited until he was nearly at the man before activating his Shadow Step, and appearing behind the man in one swift motion. He raised Malady's Kiss, his favored twin knives, about to deliver the killing blow to this unexpected menace. Out in a remote part of the woods wouldn't normally be his preferred location for a project, but it was necessary in this instance to facilitate the bigger picture. This had been too easy anyway. Too easy. Knightfall's eye's widened as he realized his mistake. His quarry had used his own trap to ensnare him, and he saw the gleam of metal as an axe was revealed and aimed for his head. Knightfall backflipped into a Shadow Step, landing about six feet away, then Shadow Stepped back another six feet into a combat stance. He regarded his opponent with nothing but pure contempt, but said nothing.

Rowan's bait was taken, and the stranger tried to attack from behind but got cut off by Rowan's counter with his axe. The Heanta jumped back in a burst of shadow that reminded Rowan of Yavanna's ability to teleport short distances, and when he was back far enough, stopped to glare at the Eldari. There was silence, as the two stared daggers at each other across the clearing, Rowan noting the Heanta's daggers, and the sword across his back. Rowan undid the clasp of his cloak, letting it fall away so he wouldn't trip on it. There was unconcealed hatred on his face. In the following seconds as it fluttered to the ground, Rowan drew back his arm and hurled Kaila's Axe at the Heanta. Then he used rush down, closing the distance at alarming speeds that were hard to follow.

Upon reaching the heanta he would preform and earth ripping uppercut, attempting to end the fight then and there. However the blade was aimed to take the leg off, not kill. He had questions, mainly about the other heanta and the hornless girl, before he ended this one. Assuming he would answer. Rowan followed the attack up with a quick slash towards the man's left wrist, to rid him of one of those daggers. He didn't count this stranger out yet, given he'd managed to get out of Rowan's trap at the last second. In one piece or three, Rowan would growl out the question, "Where are the rest of you're friends, heanta?"

Knightfall studied the man as much as he could in the instant before the fight continued. He wielded an axe that seemed to be of Heanta origin, and a greatsword possibly of Human construction. When he undid his cloak, the hood fell away to reveal his face and his pointed ears. An Eldari. Knightfall did not care why he was here, only that he was jeopardizing the Heanta's carefully laid plan. The Eldari then hurled the axe at Knightfall with great velocity, forcing the Heanta to sidestep quickly. The Eldari followed up by charging in at even greater speed, then sending an uppercut Knightfall's way, attempting to take his leg off. The Heanta backflipped to the side, landing to the Eldari's right. The Eldari then quickly slashed at his wrist, trying to take one of his knives away. Knightfall spun with the strike, deflecting the blade with his other knife before jumping back out of range.

The Eldari growled a question at Knightfall, demanding to know where the Heanta's friends are. Knightfall was not sure, how much the man knew about what was going on, though it was highly likely he at least knew about Korroth, given the brute's lack of stealth ability. Knightfall also knew that the man was looking for information, and thus was trying to disable Knightfall rather than kill him, which gave the Heanta a bit of help. He looked at the Eldari, narrowing his eyes in disdain. "What business is it of yours, Eldari?" Before the Eldari could answer, Knightfall activated his Shadow Mastery, his shadow energy manipulation ability. In an instant, Knightfall hurled an Average-damage ball of shadow energy at the Eldari, and then followed it in, leaping up and over the man and aiming twin slashes for his neck. Upon landing, Knightfall would then slide low, attempting to cut the tendons in the man's knees, then roll to his feet and regard the man with more disdain.

The Heanta was quick, proving to be more skilled than he had hoped. A quick takedown would have suited him better. The longer this went on, the more likely the big one was to come back. The Heanta shrouded his arms in darkness, of course, and fired a blast of dark energy towards Rowan. Rowan threw his greatsword up between him and the attack, unleashing a burst of cold energy to block the attack, and hopefully knockback the heanta. However, the heanta was far to quick for that and managed to get behind Rowan in an instant, slashing for the back of his neck. Rowan rolled foreward away from the heanta and spun, blade swinging at incredibly speed, but the heanta had already gone low to slash at the knees. Rowan stepped back, one blade lancing across his calf and avoiding the other, then aimed a well placed kick to the face, using his greatsword as a counterbalance.

The heanta lept back and glared at him. "I think you already know the answer to that." Rowan responded now that there was a break in the fighting. "Faylandrea Shor is under my protection. Run away now, and you might make it back to Kyrias before I'm done killing the rest of you're band." Rowan said. A generous offer, but one he doubted the heanta would accept. He gave the heanta the count of three to respond, then closed the distance and renewed his attack, opening with a half horizontal swing. He held back, aiming to clip the heanta and take him out, and also so there was less momentum behind the end of the swing, allowing Rowan more control as he released the grip from one hand and attempted to catch the heanta by the front of his shirt. If he succeeded, he would pull the man in for an earth shaking headbutt.

The Eldari was far quicker than Knightfall had anticipated. He managed to get his blade up and release a blast of energy to halt Knightfall's own blast. The cold blast would have knocked the Heanta over had he not seamlessly moved to his next step. However, The Eldari thwarted that step as well, rolling away and slashing rapidly at Knightfall. The Heanta had again already moved on, having gone low to aim for the tendons. The Eldari however had finally outpaced Knightfall, stepping quickly away from the slashes and aiming a hard kick to the Heanta's face. Though Knightfall could not dodge in time, he did manage to get an arm up to dampen the blow slightly. The force of the kick still knocked him backwards, rolling a couple of feet before leaping to his feet again.

The Eldari spoke again, and Knightfall regarded him with curiosity for a moment. He was there to protect Fayla Shor, but he also kept referring to Knightfall's group. Could it be possible that this Eldari thought Vala was part of their plan? It was a long shot, but it might be worth it. "You'll forgive me if I don't jump at the opportunity you are offering. Besides, it matters not." Knightfall sneered at the Eldari. "By the time you reach her, the Hornless one will have completed her task." He was interrupted by the sounds of breaking foliage in the distance. Assuming the Eldari heard it too, Knightfall would smile knowingly before using the distraction to escape, using his Shadow Step to disappear into the night. Hopefully Korroth and that worthless interloper will kill each other. Knightfall smiled to himself. That would be great.

Something didn't feel right to Korroth. He wasn't a paranoid person, but for his size and power, he was still just smart enough to know when something was up. Korroth was about halfway to where he needed to be when he stopped. Low and behold, just up ahead, a patrol of Sunlight Warriors on the road. While Korroth didn't doubt he could deal with them, he couldn't deal with them and the Eldari and Heanta who had just crossed paths with the group. They were exchanging pleasentries. Korroth growled. Leave it to knightfall to fuck things up. They should have just attacked them in Zendar weeks ago.

Korroth turned and stomped back towards the ambush point. As he did, he heard the sound of clashing blades and fighting. Apparently someone had ambushed knightfall. If he was killed, Korroth would be pissed. That was his death to claim! Korroth started to sprint.


The Heanta was proving to be allot harder to pin down. Rowan scowled as the Heanta got out of reach and started to speak, confirming Rowan's worries. If he wasn't quick, Fayla would be killed. He was about to charge the heanta, when he heard stomping. The ground shook. He turned just in time to see a massive heanta covered head to toe in heavy armor burst from the trees. How hadn't Rowan heard him coming! The other heanta was already running but rowan didn't have time to chase him, as The big one roared and swung a massive bardiche, smashing Rowan with it hard enough that even though he blocked he was thrown backwards.

Rowan's mind was hit with a burst of pure Terror at the sight of the massive heanta, but a before the heanta raised his weapon to attack again Rowan managed to shake it off and dive aside as the bardiche came down over head. Rowan dashed forwards and landed a firm blow to the shoulder, the plate armor turned the blade but the impact was enough to stagger the heanta who took a few steps back, seemed to comprehend him for a moment, then Roar in rage as he rushed forwards and tried to tear Rowan in half with a mighty swing. Rowan had managed to recover enough from the sudden appearance to throw his sword up and parry the strike, knocking the bardiche up, and slashing at the heanta's side to hopefully cut through a weaker part of the armor.

The heanta stepped in and caught the blade before Rowan's swing could reach full potential, and tried to headbutt the Eldari who lept back, knowing full well if that had connected his skull would be shattered. The Heanta didn't pause for breath as he resumed the attack. Rowan used his speed to get out of the way, and followed up with a counter strike that landed firmly across the heanta's back. Still turned on the plate, but the heanta staggered forward and wen't down on to one knee. Rowan tried to strike again to take the head, but the heanta's hand shot out launched a blade towards the eldari. longknife or shortsword Rowan wasn't sure, but the blade slashed across his chest before spinning off into the darkness. Rowan growled, as the Heanta surged to his feet again and nearly threw Rowan across the clearing with a blow that he barely blocked. There was no quick finish to this fight, he realised. He'd traded the slippery heanta for a fucking fortress of death.

He didn't have time for this. Every second he wasted on this monstrosity gave The Hornless a chance to kill Fayla. Rowan grabbed Kaila's axe and ran.


The eldari ran, faster than Korroth could keep up. He attempted to chase, but gave up pretty quickly. He stared in to the darkness after the man, rage boiling his blood. But he was also confused. "Who the fuck was that..."


After escaping the heanta, Rowan continued to track Fayla but was forced to halt to heal his chest. The beast had scored a better hit than he realized. When he was done, he pushed on until he finally stumbled upon a group of Soldiers. He managed to get close without anyone noticing, and watched them from the shadows of the trees. He could smell Fayla from here, and the other one too. For what ever reason, they'd chosen to camp with the soldiers, the group shared stories and food. Rowan settled into a tree, watching from a vantage point. There was no danger to Fayla right now, and he couldn't risk killing the heanta now. To many witnesses, and no matter how much he wanted to end her, he didn't want to kill these men and women for no reason.


Rowan woke as the sun began to peak over the horizon, and the soldiers below began to stir. They were quiet enough not to disturb Fayla, and after a short breakfast, bade farewell to the heanta who had kept watch for them. Fools. She could have slit their throats in their sleep. She was likely planning to do exactly that to Fayla as soon as those idiots were out of earshot. Indeed, twenty minutes later, she rose and vanished into the foliage. Rowan shifted on his perch. If he killed her while Fayla was asleep, she wouldn't have to know what had happened, and she'd be safe. Then he could turn his focus to tracking down the other assassins.

Rowan dropped from the tree, silent as death and slipped through the trees after the heanta. He spotted just as she was returning to camp. One clean strike to the neck and it would be over. Rowan moved closer, drawing Kaila's axe. The heanta seemed to notice something and stilled. Rowan lunged from the foliage, axe ready to strike, when she looked at him. He hesitated when he met those eyes. Purple, like Kaila's. But she wasn't Kaila, or anything like her. She was going to kill Fayla. Rowan striked. But his hesitation was enough for her to duck the blow and strike back, landing a solid hit to the gut that winded him and forced him back a step. The heanta dodged around him. "Fayla wake up!" She shouted as she backed away. Rowan followed, snarling.


Vala snarled at the strange Eldari who'd nearly decapitated her as he approached. Her first instinct had been Fayla, who was thankfully unharmed and was waking up groggily. Vala put herself between the man and Fayla protectively. She studied him quickly, noting the massive sword on his back and heanta'n axe in hand. The Eldari looked at Fayla, then back to her, and lunged, axe scything.

Faylandrea Shor knew she was dreaming, and that dreams must end eventually, but she was going to enjoy it while it lasted. She was walking along a road in the woods, with Lilian Toral alongside her. The road was endless, but with her Human friend alongside her, Fayla didn't care in the slightest. She clasped Lilian's hand tightly, turning to her love with a carefree smile. Ever since she had confessed her feelings to Lilian, this was a dream she visited often. The Eldari still did not know what to do with her feelings exactly, and she was seriously considering a visit home soon to ask her mother for advice. The crunch of leaves under their bare feet brought her back into the moment, and she sighed contentedly. Everything seemed so simple here. She was broken from her reverie by a voice in the distance. It was Vala's voice. Normally she would be annoyed to be interrupted from her dreams, but something was different. There was an alarming urgency in her friend's voice, which told her something was wrong. She looked at Lilian, only to find herself standing alone in a fog. I'll be back, I promise.

Returning to the Material Plane, Fayla opened her eyes slowly and turned to see a Vala-shaped blur confronting another blur. Blinking her eyes into focus, Fayla stood up and brushed her hair out of her eyes and fixed a surprised stare on the now-familiar face that opposed them. "Uncle Rowan? What are you doing here?" Surveying the scene, Fayla realized that the soldiers they had camped with and kept watch for had left, and Vala was standing between Fayla and Rowan as if to protect her from him. She didn't understand what was going on, but she needed to defuse the situation quickly. Fayla put a hand on her friend's shoulder and started to try and step past her. "It's okay, he's a good friend of my mother's." But before she could continue, Rowan charged at Vala, axe aloft. Fayla surged to meet him, calling for her sword and bringing it up to meet Rowan's as Grace appeared in her hand. The blow put Fayla down to a knee, but she withstood. Mostly. She felt a pain in her side, the impact affecting her slowly-healing injury. She powered her way back to her feet and stepped right up to one of her idols growing up, Rowan Aratris. She could not believe he would come here to attack them, and she was going to get answers. Assuming a scolding posture not too dissimilar from her mother, Fayla narrowed her eyes at Rowan. "Uncle Rowan, what do you think you're doing? Explain yourself, now!" She tapped her foot impatiently, again like her mother.

Rowan was surprised when Fayla surged forward, calling Grace to her hand to block the blow. A flash of something crossed her face, and she went down to a knee. Concern mixed with anger, and Rowan stepped back as Fayla stood back up and stood her ground. "Fayla step aside. That heanta needs to die." He said. Vala, who was no behind Fayla was watching the two of them bewildered as her friend stared down the massive eldari. Uncle Rowan. As in Rowan Aratris, one of the legendary Eternal watch members? What was going on?

Perhaps this was an misunderstanding. Vala stepped from behind Fayla. "Hey listen, We're friends alright. Calm down, I'm one of the good ones." She said. Rowan shot her a hate filled look. "There are no good ones. Why don't you tell Fayla about the two assassins I found tailing you." He snarled, before looking back to Fayla. "I thought you were smarter than this Fayla. I know you're young, but heanta are the enemy. It was only a matter of time before she tries to kill you, and that time has come." Vala snarled back now. "What the fuck are you talking about! If I was going to Kill Fayla, I'd have done it the first day we meet you big meat head."

Rowan snarled and tried to push Fayla aside. "who knows why you people do anything." He said, pointing his axe. Vala snarled at the sight of it. "Nice throphy. Who's corpse did you pluck that off of." Her words struck a nerve, and he did push past Fayla this time, shoving her to the side, before lunging at Vala. Vala lept back out of range, and just as he came in for another swing she activated Wrath, catching the handle of his axe. "I don't want to fight you, but push my friend again and I'll break your arms." She said. The Eldari responded by driving a massive knee up into her gut, winding her. He shoved Vala back, drawing his great sword, and preformed a spinning slash as the blade swirled with blue energy.

Vala threw up her arms infront of her, activating her Gauntlet's bubbleshield to take the blow. The shield shattered where the blade hit, and though it took the brunt, she was still hit and thrown back into a tree. Pain flooded her body, overwhelming her resistance as her thumped off the wood. Blood streamed from her forearm, half severed, bone snapped. She was about to pass out. The Eldari raised his sword and prepared to finish the job.

Fayla looked up at one of her mother's best friends with a mixture of anger and confusion. There was no logical reason for Rowan Aratris to be here, never mind here trying to kill Vala. The man demanded that she step aside, because he needed to kill Vala for some reason. Fayla did not back down, however Vala moved around her and tried to calm Rowan down, but that only set Rowan off. He asked Vala about a pair of assassins that he had found tailing them on the way here. Fayla wasn't surprised. She was sure it was Korroth and Knightfall, but she didn't know why Rowan thought Vala was in on it. Rowan then turned and chided Fayla for her perceived naivety, and Fayla stared at the older Eldari coldly. Vala tried to fight her corner, but she was only making things worse, and she looked at her as Rowan tried to push past her, talking over his protestations. "Vala, I got this." But in truth, she didn't have it. This became clear when Vala asked about his axe. Fayla looked at Vala again, this time angrily. "Vala! Enough! I'll handle-"

Fayla was cut off by Rowan suddenly shoving her forcefully to the side, causing her to land on her injured side. She grunted in pain, but did her best to hide it. She didn't want to give her uncle any more excuses to harm Vala. She looked to see Vala halt his axe and threaten him if he pushed Fayla again. Fayla already knew what was going to happen, but she couldn't react in time. Rowan kneed Vala straight in the gut, before hitting the Heanta with a spinning slash that broke through Vala's barrier and sent her flying into a tree with a sickening crunch. Fayla ran as fast as she could as she saw Rowan follow his foe over and raise his sword to finish the job. Fayla dived in front of her uncle and activated the strongest version of her Second Chance ability, leaving a clone of herself as she dived through, which should block Rowan's attack. Rolling to her feet, Fayla walked right up to Rowan and grabbed Rowan's collar, attempting to pull it down to her level. She stared ice cool straight into his eyes.

"That's enough. I know I'm young and not as experienced as the mighty Rowan Aratris, but I have more experience than you with Vala. So you'll forgive me if I don't just step back and agree with your madness." She released his collar, and pointed her sword directly at his face, standing directly between him and Vala. "Now. We already know about your two assassins, Korroth and Knightfall. They've been tracking us for a while now. As in, both of us. They want Vala dead as much as they want me dead. As for this situation, Vala has been my best friend for almost twenty years, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let someone take her away from me. Even you." She lowered her blade slowly, a pleading expression crossing her face. "So I'm going to ask you once, Uncle Rowan. Stand down. Please. I know it's not common for an Eldari and Heanta to get along, but it's not impossible. You of all people should know. What would my mother, or Yavanna, think about this?" Fayla knew that the subject of Rowan's now-dead Heanta wife, Kaila, would hit him hard enough to make him see some sense. Just to make sure, she added an extra volley. "What would Kaila think, watching you from Novaris?" Fayla stepped back and knelt beside Vala, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. The Heanta was a mess, and she looked down at her friend with concern. "I'm sorry, Vala. I didn't mean for this to happen." Tears began to well up in the corners of Fayla's eyes, as she put her cloak around her friend, to try and aid her regeneration.

Rowan pulled his swing as soon as Fayla stepped in front of him, and only after she stood up, he realised it was a clone. There wasn't a chance in the world he'd ever harm Fayla, which made his job all the more difficult when she stepped in front of him and tried to pull him down to her level. He didn't budge, but that didn't stop her giving him an icey stare only he could rival, and begin to chastise him. As she stepped back and pointed her sword at him, he scowled. "Fayla, it's not madness. Our spies uncovered the plot. The Heanta assassin basically admitted she was in on it." He said as she dismissed his mission. Vala let out a quiet laugh, head lifting up slightly. "Then Knightfall played you." Rowan snarled.

But Fayla knew about the assassins, and apparently they were after the hornless too. As if he'd buy that. No heanta would dare place a hit on the child of Celaena the hornless. It would start a civil war. What struck him was the claim that they'd known each other for twenty years. The hornless coughed. "Yeah, jackass. I saved her life." She said. Rowan looked at Fayla for confirmation. Then Fayla tried to appeal to him, to think what Yavanna and her mother would say. His two oldest friends, only friends after Kaila died. They would not approve. He knew that. Especially if he continued to fight and Fayla got hurt. Rowan stared icily at the heanta. His resolve started to waiver. And then Fayla hit him, one last time. What would Kaila think? "You've got nothing but memories and hate, beefcake. I don't want you to live like that."

Rowan's hands started to shake. He'd never told Fayla about Kaila, so Yavanna must have. She must have known about Vala too, and advised Fayla to not tell him about her because he could never accept their friendship. She was probably afraid he'd try something like this. Twenty years, how hadn't he noticed that. From what he was told, it had only been one or two. "But the other heanta said.." Of course he did. He'd tricked Rowan. Killing Vala would start a civil war. But if Rowan did it, and that knowledge got out... The warmongers in the golden city would get what they wanted all these years. Rowan let out a roar of rage, spinning and slashing a tree with his great sword. The blow cut clean through, and the tree toppled into the woods. "I've been played like a fucking fiddle!" Rowan shouted. "Ya think?"

Rowan turned around to see Fayla helping the heanta, tears streaming down her face. The rage evaporated from Rowan in a second, replaced by guilt. Oh, there would be a reckoning later, but he'd just made a serious mistake and needed to makeup for that. The heanta reached up and brushed the tears away. "Quit blubbering I'm fine." She said. There was years of freindship behind that gesture. he was a fucking idiot. Rowan's eyes scanned the heanta's wounds and assassed how bad they were. nothing fatal, Her regeneration would fix her, but it didn't mean he couldn't try to help. He dropped his sword and Kaila's axe and took a tentative step towards them. "Fayla, I'm sorry.." He took another step. "I'm.. I." He stepped past, towards the hornless, surveying the damage he'd caused. "You must feel like a big man, beating up a little girl like that." Kaila's voice said. He knelt down beside them. "I can help.." He said, reaching out a hand.

The heanta cringed away from him. "Get the fuck away from us." He almost did, almost turned and ran into the forest. "Suck it up you coward, if she bites you you'd deserve it." Kaila said in his head. He didn't question the voice, instead put his hand on the Heanta's arm. Healing magic spilled from his hand into her arm, combining with her regeneration to speed the healing up. He had allot to answer for. But so did a certain council member, and a heanta named Knightfall.

Rowan hesitated when he was confronted by Fayla's Second Chance clone, which was all she needed to get the man's attention. When she confronted him, Rowan tried to plead his case. He defended his intention, stating that Knightfall had admitted that Vala was in on his plot. Vala, managing to stay conscious despite her injury, stated the obvious. Vala also put an unnecessary exclamation point on Fayla's statement about their friendship, and Fayla frowned at her friend. "That's enough. You're not helping." Fayla then went on to ask Rowan what his closest and dearest would think, which hit the man hard, especially Kaila. Fayla inwardly regretted bringing up the man's dead wife, having been told about her by Yavanna years ago when Fayla herself was conflicted about her own relationship with Vala. She also regretted keeping her friendship with Vala a secret from Rowan, with Yavanna telling Fayla about Rowan's grief over his wife's death, and his new hatred for Heanta ever since.

Rowan's resolve was shaken to its core, and Fayla knew the man well enough to spot that at least. She watched Rowan destroy a tree in rage at being fooled by Knightfall. The great man was immediately disarmed when he saw Fayla in tears trying to help her friend, even more so when Vala replied teasingly to her while wiping away her tears. She looked to him with sadness, knowing that her uncle was a good man, but had simply been manipulated by evil. He dropped his weapons and approached, offering to help. Vala, quite understandably, was less than keen, but Fayla gently put her hand on Vala's good arm. "It's okay. He can heal you."

Rowan began to heal Vala with his restorative power, which greatly sped up the Heanta's own regeneration. Once Vala was healed, Fayla checked on her friend, before launching into Rowan with a genuine and heartfelt hug. "I know you just wanted to protect me, and I am a bit silly at times." She released her hug enough to look up at him with big green eyes. "But I can look after myself. I've made it this far haven't I?" She stepped back and joined Vala. "In fact, if it wasn't for Vala, I wouldn't have made it out of Mirallas the day it was raided, and that's how this started." Fayla clasped Vala's hand tightly with her own, in a show of solidarity. She looked at her uncle curiously, suddenly thinking about what he had told them earlier. "I am curious. Who sent you down here? Mother would have warned me if she thought Vala was going to try and kill me. I don't understand that part. The Knightfall-tricking-you part, I get. He's a conniving dick. Him and Korroth have been on our case for a little while now."

Maybe it said something about Rowan's behavior that Fayla had been afraid of telling him about Vala. It was hard, not to hate heanta, after everything that had happened. No matter how he tried to see past it, he could only see the brutality they were capable. That left him with only one answer, brutality in return. Fayla hugged Rowan. The eldari wrapped his large arms around his Niece in all but blood. "You should have told me. You should have been able to tell me. I'm sorry." If he'd known, he might not approve but he wouldn't have been manipulated so easily. Fayla explained how it had all come about.


Rowan looked at Vala. "You showed mercy and honor. Like you're grandfather did me. I should have remembered that before attacking you." He said.
"Yeah, you should have." Vala snapped back. "You would think being related to the heanta who gave his life for Dalrodir Shor, or the heanta who Defied her warlord to help Fight Onyxus would have atleast earned me a chance to explain myself." Vala said. She was getting real sick of people jumping to conclusions about her. Going back to Zendar would be a relief, atleast she was treated as a person and not a mindless killer there.

Rowan's head dipped in shame. "I owe you a life dept." Rowan replied. Vala shrugged. "I don't want it." She replied. There was no negotiating it though. Not for an honorable warrior like Rowan. "I'd say questionable honor, Beefcake." He would make it up to her, eventually. Fayla asked about the supposed plot, and Rowan sighed. "It wasn't just the heanta. A councilman set me on this trail. He told me about your friendship with Vala being a ruse to kill you and start a war, but the council forbade going near Vala, incase it started a war. So he asked me to discreetely take her out. If I'd succeed, and word got out an Eldari killed Vala the hornless, there would be war. I've no doubt that's what he was going for."

Vala snorted. "You're zealous hatred towards heanta made you easy to manipulate. How you're world must be crumbling to see we're not all monsters." Rowan frowned. "Are we all monsters, Rowan?" He shook his head. "It's not that simple." Vala sneered. She was still pissed at him. "It seems pretty simple. You carry a heanta'n axe around like a trophy, and you barely hesitated to kill me." Rowan looked at the axe on the ground. "It's not a trophy.. It's.." His eye's looked to Fayla's for help. He couldn't say it, couldn't speak the truth. "You've got to face it sometime. Refusing to talk about what happened to me is going to destroy you."

It hurt Fayla profoundly to watch her adopted uncle, one of the mightiest men she had ever met, crumble like he was now. The tragedy he had experienced had now festered and was now only fueling his rage and sorrow. He attempted to apologize to Vala, only to be beaten back by Vala's own angry retort. His head sank, before declaring a life debt to Vala. The Heanta was having none of it, though Fayla knew that Rowan would consider it a debt anyway, that was the honorable man he was.

Rowan then explained the original reasoning behind his trip down to the Free Lands, and Fayla's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I wonder who that could be. I knew it couldn't be official business, because mum wouldn't allow it. She-" She suddenly looked at Rowan as something came to mind. "Does mum know?" Vala snorted and sent another volley of barbs Rowan's way, and the man had no defense against them. He seemed to be struggling internally with something as he futilely attempted to muster some sort of challenge, but his efforts were torn asunder when Vala pointed out the Heanta'n axe that Rowan wielded, claiming it was a trophy. Fayla saw the opportunity as her uncle faltered again, and faced her best friend.

"Vala, please stop. It's not a trophy. It belonged to his wife." Fayla took a deep breath and looked to Rowan for confirmation of what must come next. "She was a Heanta, called Kaila." Fayla put a hand on Rowan's arm, knowing from Yavanna and her mother just how hard Kaila's death had hit him. She looked to her friend pleadingly. "Vala, how Rowan acted here was wrong. He knows that. But he was used by some prick who took advantage of my uncle's weakness, and they are the real bad guy here." She then looked at Rowan. "Proof that every race has bad eggs." She held her uncle's hand and outstretched her other hand to Vala. "We need to deal with the real bad guys here. This council member, and the two clowns."

Vala watched the eldari crumble and sneered. She didn't care who he was to Fayla, he still tried to kill her. She'd let the fact Fayla was a reasonable Eldari affect her judgement, and assumed that this one could be reasoned with. Next time, she'd knock his ass out and worry about talking after. Her last barb cut deep, and the man looked at Fayla, lost for words. Fayla told her to stop, and explained that the axe wasn't a throphy. It belonged to his wife. When Fayla continued, Vala suppressed a flinch. "That doesn't explain anything. I seen the hatred in your eyes." She stated neutrally, though she felt anything but.

"She was killed by her brother." The massive eldari muttered. Vala pursed her lips. That would do it. He probably had some serious survivor's guilt, and was directing it towards heanta. Vala knew she could destroy him with a few words, but she doubted Fayla would appreciate it. "Was she with a clan?" She asked instead. She had a feeling she knew the answer. "Strixa." Rowan managed. Vala had heard of Kaila Strixa. Most heanta knew of the fuck up that was her father, though she doubted many knew exactly what had happened to her."I see." Vala said.  

Fayla defended her uncles actions, because he had been manipulated. Vala wasn't feeling particularly charitable towards the Eldari, but she atleast ceased lashing out. "Fine. I'm not going to forgive him just like that but we can atleast talk about the big picture." She said to Fayla. She avoided looking at the Eldari as he answered Fayla's questions. "No, you're mother had nothing to do with this. Yavanna doesn't know either, but I'm sure if I'd told her she would have talked sense into me." He said. Vala couldn't help but let out a tch.

"I can deal with the two heanta before I go back and sort things out in the golden city." Rowan said, but Vala shook her head. "You might be tough Meatslab but you won't survive a second encounter with Korroth and Knightfall." Vala said. "They know what their dealing with now, and there's a reason they're two of the most feared heanta in existance. Besides, they're our opponents. I'm not about to let someone else fight my battles, and I doubt Fayla is either." She said looking at Fayla for confirmation.

Fayla let out a sigh of relief when Vala agreed to relent. Rowan had revealed the cause of his hatred of Heanta, the death of his wife at the hands of her own family. Fayla had been told the story when she was younger. She had told her mother and Yavanna about some of her adventures with Vala, but was advised not to tell her uncle. When she asked why, she was told the story of what happened to Kaila Strixa, and the effect it had on Rowan. She had meant to tell him one day down the line, but she couldn't have imagined it happening here like this. Vala said she would be unable to truly forgive Rowan just yet for what he had done, but she agreed to put it aside for now while they decided what to do with Knightfall and Korroth. Rowan offered to deal with them before he headed back to Gilderan to address the councilor who had instigated this whole mess. Fayla was about to protest, but before she could, Vala did. Like her Heanta friend, Fayla knew that as formidable as they were alone, Korroth and Knightfall were an even more powerful team, even for Rowan. Fayla nodded in agreement with the Heanta.

"It's true. But we also know what we're dealing with too. Together, they'll be too much for even you. But we've been fighting together for decades now. We can handle it." Fayla sheathed her sword and ran a hand through her hair, in a fashion not dissimilar to her mother. "We can handle it. You need to go and find the one who sent you here and kick his ass for manipulating you like that." Fayla pulled a piece of string from her belt pouch and tied her hair back into her customary style, even more accentuating her resemblance to her mother.

Rowan looked between the two girls as they told him in no uncertain words to go after knightfall and Korroth. He frowned, about to object, but remembered that Fayla was no longer a child, even if she was barely an adult, and Vala was daughter to one of the most powerful heanta alive. He felt bad for the other two heanta, almost. With a smirk, Rowan stood up. "Very well. I deal with the instigator of this whole mess. But I'm coming back, with Yavanna. You'll have to kick some ass, before we steal all the fun." He said. Vala opened her mouth to protest, but changed her mind. If things went bad, she didn't want anything to happen to Fayla. Better to have back up on the horizon, than no help at all.

Rowan looked at Vala. "Once again, I would like to appologies for attacking you. Take care of Fayla for me." He said. Vala snorted. "I'm not forgiving you that easily. And don't look so cocky, you only landed that blow because I was holding back." Vala replied. Rowan shook his head with a smile. "I don't doubt it.." He leaned over and hugged Fayla, then straigtened up. "And with that, I'll be going." He said. With a wave, he stalked off into the trees. if he cut through mondolin, he should make it back in less than a week, assuming he didn't rest to much.

Fayla watched her adopted uncle as he looked between them, frowning as if he was about to object, before thinking better of it. She deeply appreciated everything Rowan and Yavanna had done for her over the years, but this was her fight. The man smiled as he stood up, finally acquiescing to her request, with the caveat that he would be back with Yavanna to make sure the two Heanta were dealt with. Fayla returned his smirk with one of her own. "You sure? I don't you to have to travel all the way down here for nothing." Rowan then apologized again to Vala, telling her to take care of Fayla. Vala responded with a jab, implying that she only got tagged because she was holding back. Rowan smiled before giving Fayla a hug, then excusing himself. Fayla watched the Eldari leave, pitying whoever sent Rowan down to kill Vala when he got a hold of them, before turning to Vala with a sheepish look on her face. "Sorry about that. Wanna get some food? I'm starving. Can't beat up ass-clowns on an empty stomach."