A Warrior's Heart Continued.

The Mage entered the Inn to seek a comfortable bed. something better then the hard ground. He knew he would not find the comfort .of his own bed or anything close to it for a very long time. He heard the men talking and the three sitting at the table looked to be just what he had been looking for. Trained men, for hire. Plus with their some what dull minds he could manipulate them to work for him.

He needed a new place to begin again and start making his harpies. He would find some Roman that was well to do in the lands controled by the Romans. One with a villa somewhere that was away from things, but fortified. That Roman would not be alive for long and he would more or less take his identity and property.

He approached them and bought them around and talked to them. Before long he had them eating out of his hand. In the morning the four of them left and he retrieved his harpie who flew on ahead of them.

Korag fell asleep but would have prefered to have had Maeve in his arms when he did. But with another along that probably was not a good idea. He awoke in the morning and sat up, streaching a bit. He gave Maeve a gentle nudge, "Time to get up. We can eat on the way."

Maeve eventually drifted off to sleep, it took a while for her to settle down enough to do so. By the time morning came, and she felt Korag nudge her, her eyes opened slowly, and she looked up to him. Sighing, she sat up slowly. "Alright." She took a moment to stretch her body, wincing a little when she felt the pain from her bruised ribs. It didn't hurt as bad as it did before, it was healing quickly. After a moment, Maeve tied her hair behind her, to keep it out of her eyes, but not really bothering to make sure it was pretty.

Korag rose and moved to his horse, getting it ready for the days ride. He patted the neck and rubbed its head. "Going to be a long ride today." he took out and apple and cut it in half. He gave his horse half and ate the other half himself. He then got Maeve's horse ready to go and brought them to the dying fire. Nara had already gotten her horse and was ready.

"Come on you two, we are burning daylight here." Nara leaned forward on her horse and spoke to Korag and Maeve. She then turned her horse and began riding. Korag swung up onto his horse and grinned. "Today we might find something." he told Maeve. he was looking on the bright side of things. Chances were slim that they would, but one always had to have a bit of hope.

Maeve went to her horse that Korag nicely got ready, though she could have done that. She mounted her horse. Hearing his words, she shot him a look. "sure," she replied, deciding not to sass him. It was too early to be sassy. "let's go then." the longer they waited, the further the bastard would get.

An hour after they left their camp they came to the village. People were gathered around a large pile of fresh produce and grabbing as much as they could. A man and his wife and young daughter almost ran into them as they half ran from the pile with baskets full of goods. "What is going on?" Korag asked.

"We don't know for sure. This pile of produce was here this morning and everyone is grabbing what they can." the man said.

"Well Good sir I do not mean to keep you from you return home, but I was wondering if you had seen a man in blue robes and a strange winged creature that he wouild be with:?"

The man looked up at Korag, and shook his head. "No haven't seen a man like that." The little girl began tugging on her fathers tunic and looking up at him. The man shook his head. "Very well Marla, tell the strangers your story."

The little girl smiled, her eyes bright and eager. "Last night I saw a man like you discribed with a wagon and a winged creature in the back of it, nort of the village. My father didn't think there was such a creature."

Korag smiled down at the young girl. "Oh indeed there are little one. We are chasing one, perhaps the same one you saw." he looked at the girls father. "If a stranger came to the village where would he go?"

The man looked up at korag then down at his little girl and back to Korag. "The Inn, at the far side of the village." his voice was full of surprise.

Korag thanked him and moved his horse forward to the Inn.

Maeve's gaze shifted to the people when they arrived to the village. She was quiet as Korag asked the questions. Her gaze shifted to the little girl, and she was glad that the mage did not do anything to the little girl. But it was a bit troubling that the child did have to see the mage and the harpie.

They were really close to the mage, that somewhat amused her, it meant they would not have to be in Roman lands for long. Of course if the damn mage didn't slip away again.

Nodding to the family, she smiled a little before urging her horse forward, following Korag toward the end.

Korag dismounted once he reached the Inn. He went inside and looked around, till he found the Innkeeper. "I am looking for a man dressed in blue robes, that may have stayed here the night."

"Aye there was a man here like that, a stranger. Came in last night and talked to three men that sat at that table there. Former Roman soldiers." The Innkeeper replied as he washed down a table.

"Former Soldier? How do you know?" he asked

"Heard them talking. One stated he was kicked out because a little girl was able to kill a couple of his soldiers and give him a scar on his right cheek. Bastard killed the girl from the sound of his talking."

Korag stiffened as he heard that. He knew Maeve lost her daughter that way. Could it be that this was the soldiers that had done it. "Which way did this stranger go, and also the former Roman Soldiers?" he asked.

The Innkeeper looked up at Korag eying him and then Maeve."The men went with the stranger to the south." he said raising a brow.

Korag turned to looke at Maeve.

Maeve dismounted and walked in after Korag. She stood beside him, her gaze on the inn keeper as he answered Korag's questions. But when he mentioned a soldier who killed a little girl that fought him and his soldiers, her body tensed. It sounded like her daughter. how many little girls could fight back and actually cut a solider's face.

Her gaze shifted to Korag. Oh she wanted blood, revenge, but she could not do anything rash. Not not when they had to stop the Mage.

He saw the look on her face and the way she stiffened when Maeve heard what the Innkeeper said. If indeed they were the men that had killed her daughter, she had every right to do what she wished to them. "Thank you sir." Korag told the Innkeeper and then took Maeve by the arm and went back out to the horses. "They are not far ahead."

He mounted up once more and looked in the direction they were going. A day's journey would bring them to the fringe of the lands controled by the Romans. They would have soldiers there to protect the villages and towns from his people and others to the north. He would get first hand knowledge of their strengths and weaknesses. But that was secondary. First the Mage.

"When we find them....." he looked at Maeve. "They are yours to do with as you please."

Maeve went with him as he took her arm. she nodded to him, and mounted her horse. "He is very slow," she stated softly, a bit amused. Her gaze shifted to the direction they need to go. "They will all pay." Even if it was not her daughter they killed, the child was someone's daughter, and no men should harm a child. It did not matter if the child was fighting to survive. It was a terrible thing to kill a child.

The Mage was no fool. He figured that the Amazons would send someone after him. They wanted revenge for his attack on them and their capture. Then there was that damn clansmen that had been with the Amazon woman that wounded him. He had returned with a strong force of men and some how had gotten the Amazons to join him in the attack on his castle. It seemed that the man was out for his blood as well, but the reason escaped him. He had not attacked or taken any one from the clans in the north so he wondered what stake he had in the matter. But what ever the reason he was not taking any chances. He had one of the three ex soldiers ride a good distance behind them to see if any one might be following him. He gave the man a good discription of Korag and Maeve.

Korag set a brisk pace, hoping to catch up to them and capture the Mage. After a while they came upon a lone man on a horse, riding slowly and as if he was in no hurry. There would be many people traveling the way they were. Korag had seen several people afoot heading in both directions. So he thought nothing of it, until he passed the man and saw the sword he carried. Only Roman Soldiers, or ex soldiers would have such swords. He looked over at Maeve and motioned with his head at the man.

Maeve rode with him, keeping alert and cautious. Her gaze spotted the lone man as well. Her gaze shifted to Korag as he motioned his head to the man. She took another look at the man, and saw he had a sword. Interesting. She nodded to Korag, perhaps this was one of the Mages new men.

Korag slowed the pace down so as to match the speed of the one man. The Gladius sword that he carried was the sword of a Roman Soldier or a former one. Most Roman Soldiers spent most of their lives in the army. Though it might be somewhat of a hard life, it was better then farming or trying to make a living some other way. The pay was steady, always had good food and where ever there were troops there were camp followers, women to take care of their needs.

Some that did retire from the army, got land that they had others farm for them. They became land owners and that is where money could be made, especially in the frontier areas of the empire. A man riding alone, with such a sword, dressed as a civilian, ment only one thing. A former soldier possibly kicked out of the army.

Korag reigned in his horse to come abrest of the man. "Good Day sir," The man looked over at him and Korag could see in his eyes that brief recgonition look. He smiled as he placed a hand on his sword hilt. "Now where may we find the Mage?" he asked.

The Man pulled his horse to a stop and drew his sword. Not a wise thing to do. Korag's sword slide from it's sheath and with a couple swift moves had the man disarmed and the point of the sword at the man's throat. "Care to interogate him Maeve?"

Maeve urged her horse to come up beside the man, watching as Korag disarmed him. Sexy. "Tell us where the mage is," she told the man. "You won't like the consequences if you lie, or don't answer." Her voice was calm, quiet, as she threatened him. She was an Amazon, she knew several ways to make a man cry. And she enjoyed it too.

The man tried to act surprised and innocent. "What are you talking about. Why are you threating me for." He looked from Maeve to Korag and glanced over at Nara. "I have done nothing wrong, what right do you have to threaten me." Korag just grinned. He knew the man had to be one of the former soldiers the Mage picked up. Besides the sword, he had a horse and not all that many people had horses. He had one because he was the son of a Clan Leader. The horses Nara and Maeve had came from the stables at the castle.

"I think it is time for those consequences." he told Maeve.

Maeve rolled her eyes, men tried to act innocent. but they were always hiding something. Her gaze shifted to Korag and she smirked at him. "Mm I believe so," she replied softly. Returning her attention to the man, she smiled sweetly. "Have you met an Amazon before? Perhaps you don't know that you don't want to cross one." Grabbing her dagger, she quickly sliced his arm, a shallow cut, a small cut, merely a warning to him that she could do worse.

The man cried out in pain as Mave cut him. He looked at Maeve with a venomess look. Korag could see his desire to kille her. The training of a roman soldier to kill the enemy. He spat on the ground, "Amazon! Want to be men bitches." One could see his disguest in his eyes. "You are weak, pathetic, and could never hope to beat a man."

Oh how Korag knew that would make Maeve mad. He could see the anger blazing in Nara's eyes. "Bad mistake?" Korag said and leaned forward in the saddle. He was on the opposite side that Maeve was on, and Nara had her horse blocking the man's horse. Korag sighed. He wanted to know if he was one of those that killed Maeve's daughter. "But yet a young girl was able to kill two highly trained Roman Soldiers and cut up your friends face." The look on the mans face told the whole story. Korag kicked the man from his horse to the ground.

Maeve's eyes narrowed, hearing his words. Oh that made her angry. He was exactly the type of man that caused the Amazons to hate men, the type of men they were taught about. "No one said we wanted to be men. And you have no idea how many men I have beaten. They all were pathetic, and weak. No different from a bastard such as yourself," she growled.

Glancing to Korag, she was a bit startled that he brought up that, but she did want to know if they were the men who killed her daughter. When Korag kicked the man off his horse, she smirked in amusement. "Do you know what happens to men who kill little girls?"

"I had nothing to do with it, I swear." he stammered, "I got kicked out of the army for stealing. It was Lucas and Antonio that killed the girl. Lucas was in charge of a squad of men and came upon a girl in the forest to the north. They were scouting out the area for a possible attack on the people of the north. The girl saw them I guess and tried to run but was surrounded by them. He claimed she said she was an Amazon Warrior. He lost two men that day to her, or so it was reported by the men he lead. He has a necklace that the girl wore as a trophy he said. Thats all I know. Lucas and a strange man are traveling to Argentorate, a Roman town not far from here."

Korag looked at Maeve, and then walked away from the man.

Maeve tensed as she heard what the man said about the little girl. Amazon. And the necklace. Her gaze shifted to Korag, watching as he walked away. If this man was telling the truth, he had nothing to do with her daughters murder. And he did tell where the Mage was going. Glancing to Nara, she motioned to the man. "What shall we do with him, Nara?" she asked softly. The anger was still there from his earlier words about men and how women were weak, but she felt no need for vengeance, if he wasn't the one who killed her daughter.

Nara looked down at the man and spat on him. "I'd rather run my sword through him but he hasn't really done anything wrong towards us. Take his horse and weapons so he can not ride to warn the mage and leave him here." Nara turned her horse to be on her way again. Korag remounted his horse and looked down at the man.

"Fortune smiles upon you to day." he said and nodded to Maeve. It sounded like the one called Lucas was the one Maeve needed to find and deal with for closure on her daugther's death.

Maeve nodded to Nara, she had thought that, but liked to gather opinions. Qucikly, she gathered the man's weapons, then mounted her horse, and taking the reins of his horse, planning on giving it to someone who needed it. Her gaze shifted to Korag, wondering what he was thinking. But instead of asking, she urged her horse foreward, wanting to find these men.

They had left the man alive, now that he didn't expect. But it was good in some ways, bad in others. Leaving him behind might not have been the best choice but he was satisfied with Maeve's decision. He was falling for her more and more and he knew she would make a good wife, advisor, and companion. When she looked at him he gave her a warm smile and urged his horse on.

The mage and his other two companions came upon a man on a horse with a servent walking beside it. He used his magic to kill two, took the mans clothes and horse and had Lucas and Marcus drag the bodies off into some trees and then push the wagon down with them and cover it with branches to try and hide it. Once changed into the dead man's clothes he mounted the horse and they proceeded. They would blend in with the Roman settlement a lot better now.

Maeve only wished to kill two men today, the Mage and the man who killed her daughter. The man she just left behind better be thankful, perhaps any other day she would have killed him. But for now she had a goal and he was not the object of her rage and pain. Glancing to Korag as they rode on, she wondered of something. "Korag, may I ask a favor of you?"

As they rode on Korag felt that they were close. He didn't want the Mage getting away to start making his army of Harpies. Maeve was out to see the same thing but had one more mission to complete. He wanted her to find closure to the death of her daughter. See to it the ones responsible were brought to justice, even if that ment her killing them. Her heart and soul would be at peace.

"A favor? What do you wish me to do?" he asked.