Mariel trembled as a bunch of women surrounded her, comforting her. "Lucius?" she asked, her voice trembling. She watched as a bleeding Lairiel rose from the ground.

Lairiel stood, glaring. "I'll be damned if I'll stay back!" she growled, moving up next to the stranger that had been dancing with Mariel. She twirled her knives expertly. "sir," she addressed him in a low tone. "My nature as a Ranger does not allow me to stay back."

Lucius glared at Lairiel. "Your nature as a sister warrants that you should stay with your sister. Do you not see her fear?" He frowned deeply. "I have no time to quarrel with you. Do what you will. I am a commanding officer, but have no control or command over you. For goodness sake, do not do anything stupid. I do not need your death as a distraction!" He hissed sharply. He motioned for Logan to draw back.

Logan obliged, his eyes trained on the woman before him. "For months we search. For months we trek through marsh land and swamp and here she is....at a masquerade ball?!" He cursed loudly as he took his place at Lucius' side. He glanced to Lairiel. Never in a million years did he figure she would be a ranger. That was a conversation for another time though. He focused again on the woman.

"You will come with us now, Miss. Do not make this any harder for yourself than it already is." Lucius commanded in a firm, stern voice.

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Mariel watched, aware that this was something she needed to stay out of.

"Half sister." Lairiel spat. "And I'll be damned--" she stopped, her ears catching only half of what Logan said. What? She frowned. Maybe Lucius was right...she suddenly sheathed her weapons and tab back to Mariel. She grabbe her arm. "Come." she hissed, dragging her away swiftly. She needed to leave. Something didn't feel right.

The woman in black laughed. "Why should it be hard for me? I have special...powers." she clicked her fingers and flames shot up in her hand. She chuckled, her eyes glinting evilly. Her expression changed as she saw Lairiel dragging Mariel away from the party. She glared. "Let me finish this. My prey is escaping."

"I am in no mood for your trickery tonight." Lucius hissed as he slowly advanced. "You will come now and you will come quietly. You have charges to answer to." He spoke, but knew it was doing no good. He only hoped he was distracting her enough. "We have your son," he finally said with a smirk. "Your cards are dealt; son or prey?"

Logan advanced along with his master, slowly and discreetly. "Are you not weary of running? You know we will never stop hunting you. The King wants what he wants. He will not rest. Neither will you. Lets just get this over with. If you do...your sentence could be lowered..."

Holly, dragging Morohtar behind her, ran after Lairiel and Mariel. The time would come for explanations, she hoped, but for now Mariel was in danger and needed to be protected.

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She laughed. "I have no son." she circled around them towards the left. "Trickery? It's only magic." she smirked. "But I remember you, Lucius...don't you remember what we had so long ago?" her voice lowered.

Lairiel dragged Mariel into the house, then turned to Holly and Morohtar. "Get inside! Now! Pack everything that can be of use to us!" she closed the door and barricaded it with the bench that sat on the porch once they were inside. She groaned as she began to lose more blood, but she gritted her teeth in determination.

"That was another of your trickery then." Logan stated. "The boy who came forward was a diversion..." He rolled his eyes. "I cannot believe we fell for it." He raised his sword to her. "That will be your very last." Logan looked to Lucius as the latter of her sentence finally registered with him. He turned to face Lucius. "What is she taking about my lord?"

Lucius' grip on his sword tightened. "That was a very long time ago. We were both very different back then...clearly." Lucius crossed to her, grasping her wrists, he ignored the searing pain from the fire. "I have not come to reminise. I have come to bring you home. I have come to make sure you see justice."

"Just hold on one minute!" Holly grasped Lairiel's arm. "We will not get far with you in this state." Holly ran her hand over Lairiel's wound, her hand shrouded in a golden glow. "All set," she turned to find Morohtar holding a couple of sheets and clothing.
"This should do us a couple of days. I'll go and fetch some food in a moment."

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The woman in black laughed evilly as the flames from her hands reached his clothes and began to devour the fabric as the traveled up his sleeves, jumping higher into the night air at the command from her eyes. "A long time ago...yes...but you still remember. You remember the desire. The way your eyes lit up when I would dance for you, and kiss you."

Lairiel stared at Holly in mute shock, then shook her head to clear it. "Morohtar, I need you to take my sister, Holly, and the girls. Take them far away, make sure your tracks are covered." she set her hand on his shoulder to emphasize the seriousness of her words and directions.

Mariel came down the stairs with the girls in tow behind her. Her face was white, but that didn't stop her from glaring at Lairiel. "This is your fault!" she spat out.

Lucius glanced down at his arms for a brief second. The flames did not touch his skin, but the heat was intense. "Off course I remember," his voice purred sadly. "I will never forget our walks through the forests and on the beach. I will never forget staring up at the stars with you. But neither one of us are the same people we were back then." He sighed heavily. "No matter how much I wish we were."

Logan skirted closer and closer as quick as he could. He was soon behind the woman in black, cuffs at the ready. The cuff's were reinforced tungsten. It is the strongest metal that can be found. Completely in breakable and inescapable.

Lucius slowly moved her hands behind her, stepping in close to her. "Remember when we made love?" He whispered in her ear. "I remember the way you used to kiss me. Moved me to my very core. Every. Single. Time."

Lucius snapped the cuffs around her wrists and wrestled her to the ground. His body held her immobile, while Lucius cuffed her ankles. "I'm so sorry," he whispers faintly. "So sorry that none of it meant a single thing to you." He stares at her for a small moment, before bringing her to her feet and marching her outside. "Find the girls. See that they are safe." He calls back to Logan over his shoulder.

Holly stepped over to Lairiel, laying her hand on her shoulder. "You're not coming with us, are you?" Her voice trembled slightly. "You'll get yourself killed if you stay. Please come with us." Holly's eyes were pleading. The soon turned cold as they took in Marriel. "She just saved your life! What's the matter with you?!"

A loud knock interrupts them and Logan steps inside. He bows his head to them. "Is everyone alright?"

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The woman snarled. "I will escape again. I will have my veangeance!" she spat out, struggling against him.

Lairiel jumped as Logan entered. She quickly had her knives out and ready, tensing.

Mariel continued to glare at Lairiel, ignoring Holly's question for the time being. "Everyone is fine." she said tartly. "And Holly, Lairiel is leaving. And we are staying here. It seems as though the excitement has died down." she stood tall, her back rigid. "I need you to pack your things and leave, Lairiel. Now."

Lairiel's mouth dropped open. She snapped it closed a minute later and brushed past everyone to go inside and strip off her mask, dropping it to the floor as she made her way to her room.

"Give it a rest. You're finished. You're going to have a long time to think about it all too...Well that's if the King decides to be lenient with you. With a list of crimes as big as yours, I wouldn't be surprised if it was a quick trip to the gallows for you." He walked her to the black carriage that awaited her. Two heavily armed guards stepped out of the back and waited patiently. "It was good knowing you..." He shoved her, unceremoniously into the back of the carriage and waited for the guards to follow in behind her. "Ride hard and fast," he commands the driver. He turns away before they leave.

Holly stepped in Lairiel's direction. "I don't mean to intrude on your private life Mariel, but I think you are not acting rationally. Nothing is Lairiel's fault. She saved your life back there. You owe her." Holly frowned deeply.

Logan watched in awe of what was unfolding before his eyes, entirely speechless.

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The woman smirked as the carriage pulled away. All she needed to do was send the call to her minion, and he would take care of things.

"Holly." Lairiel stepped towards her and set her hands on the younger woman's shoulders. "This is for the best. After all, i'm a ranger. As well as something I haven't told you. I am immortal. And restless...this, my leaving, was bound to happen sooner or later." she squeezed Holly's shoulders gently before slowly climbing the stairs.

Mariel remained motionless, her lips pressed into a thin line as she watched Lairiel go. They were both half elven, but the gods had chosen to gift Lairiel with immortality instead of her. So Mariel was the one left to age and die a mortal life.

Logan, sensing the tension in the room, stepped outside onto the porch and waited uncomfortably. He stared out into the dark abyss to see Lucius strolling towards him. Questions burned on his tongue. Questions that he would never be able to ask and would never be answered anyway. "Sir," he nodded, watching as Lucius made to step inside. "I wouldn't if I..." It was too late. Logan shuddered slightly.

Morohtar remained silent. There was nothing he could say that would help the situation nor soothe it. He could feel the pain that was running through Holly. He longed to cure it. He wanted to reach out and hold her, but he could not move. He knew that it was Lairiel that she needed. He only hoped Lairiel knew this. He glanced over his shoulder as Lucius entered, he bowed his head slightly.

Lucius crossed the room and had Mariel in his arms. "Are you alright?" He asked urgently.

Holly rolled her eyes before climbing the stairs. She found her way to Lairiel's room and came to a halt in the doorway, blocking Lairel's exit. "You can't leave," she stated. "We haven't finished training...I need you."

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Mariel gasped in surprise. "i am fine, Lucius, thank you for your assistance." she leaned gratefully into his arms. "our troubles will soon be over." she knew things would go back to normal now that Lairiel was leaving.

Lairiel had alread changed out of her dress and was packing things away. "Holly...you have everything you need. All the knowledge, all the skills...being a ranger comes from your heart, not your head or knowledge." Lairiel's eyes burned with unshed tears. "You have Morohtar as well. And Mariel and the girls...are you all that sure you want to take the lonely road of being a ranger when you could have all that?" she finally turned to face Holly, slinging her bag over her shoulder. She stood for a moment watching Holly, then crossed to her and pulled her into her arms. "You deserve better family than me. Take thay opportunity while you can." she released Holly then went down the stairs.

For a brief moment, Lucius held Mariel at arms length, assessing the truth in her answer. A sigh of relief escaped his tight lips. "Thank goodness..." he said in a breath he was not aware of holding. "I don't know what I would have done had you been hurt..." He drew her back into his arms, his head resting against hers. "I am so sorry to bring my troubles to your door step." His attention was drawn to Lairiel as she came down the stairs. "One moment," he whispered softly to Mariel as he turned to regard Lairiel. "You knew that woman...what is the connection?"

Holly barrelled down the stairs, uncontrollable tears coarsing down her cheeks. "You sellfish woman!" She yelled. "What if I want you in my life?!" She stopped short, realising there was company in the room. She sniffed and furiously wiped at her tears before hurtling into Morohtar's waiting arms.

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Mariel's eyes darkened at the sight of Lairiel. "Holly, you are better off without her. She brings trouble and darkness wherever she goes." she said quietly, settling a comforting hand on Holly's back.

Lairiel's shoulders stiffened. "she tried to kill my sis--er..she tried to kill Mariel many years ago. Perhaps you noticed the long scar on her arm. I gave that to her. Now if you'll please excu--" Mariel interrupted. "She was just in a hurry to leave. She has caused much pain and suffering in this house and I will not permit her here another second."

Lairiel sucked in a pained breath, fighting tears herself. Soon she would leave the only friends she had ever had behind. But what choice did she have?

"Just. Stop. It." Holly almost growled. Heat radiated from every inch of her body. Her skin glowed ominously. Her eyes changed from a gentle brown to a deep red, angry hue. "Stop your bickering!" She hissed turning on Mariel. "If it was not for Lairiel you would not be here! Furthermore you envy her immortality, but why haven't you stopped to notice that she resents it? You are her sister, but all you see is trouble..." Sparks danced in her eyes and over her fingertips. "Yet you don't see her pain. She's lonely, Mariel and when you should be supporting her, you're sending her to the streets." Holly swallowed heavily, her anger building. "Just stop it before you lose your sister forever! And you!" she turned on Lairiel. " If you don't like the way your life is going do something about it. And start accepting the affection that is given to you. Don't throw it away." a low growl emitted from her throat. "You both are so infuriating!" With a flick of her wrist Mariel's door was thrown off its hinges, embers of Holly's anger falling at the threshold. Holly stormed out, her hands balled into fists.

Logan jumped back, just managing to quench a squeal of fright. He peered through the open doorway, his brows raised.

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