https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/288371182382356793/

As soon as Gregor heard the golden haired hero needed his help, he wanted to laugh in the pretty warrior’s face, wanted to feel his nose break under his fist, but at the same time he wanted to come up with an insult that would sting the man’s pride. Maybe something like. Well, so much for you being a hero. Or better yet. I knew you were nothing without that armor of yours. Or how about you crawl on your belly first like the worm you are.

Okay, so maybe not the last one he thought, but the other insults were pretty good.

Still, even as he considered saying any one of them, he saw Daria lurking in the background, watching him with those burning eyes, and whether it was his need to agitate her further, he blurted out, “fine with me, I’ll come along.”

The sudden change in attitude caused Gauldryon to drop his jaw open in surprise, before he clapped Gregor on the shoulder with a mailed fist, and grinned at him with pearl white teeth that must have been cleaned with some type of spell, “well then, welcome to our merry band of stalwart fighters. We call ourselves the Champions of Light.”

Gregor, unable to help himself, let out a loud snort of derision that caused Daria to glare at him again. Except this time it wasn’t really his fault. Damned fools shouldn't have picked such a piss poor excuse for a name. How were the Champions of Light supposed to invoke fear in their enemies? If anything it invited trouble.

Still as Lord Gauldryon guided him towards the rest of the group, the young man didn’t seem to mind. His lips curled into a broad smile as the heavily armed fighter gestured everyone to his side. He pointed a finger to the stout dwarf who had a beard that was more dirt than hair, a bald patch on his scalp that he had tried to comb over, and rugged exterior that spoke of years on the surface.

Unusual for dwarf since it did speed up the aging process of when they would turn feral, and yet there were some who preferred the light. As for the disease that afflicted them, Gregor didn’t know much about it. All he knew was that it was passed down for generations, and affected the mind in later stages of life. “This is my good friend, Pelwar, our cleric, and healer. Beside him is Tileya, a fae of many talents.” The good looking elf with long raven coloured hair, had tanned skin, a tight fitting black jerkin that defined a woman’s body, and pursed full lips, before she shot Gregor a wink and a smile, when blades flashed into her palms. Another woman he would definitely need to watch out for, lest he receive a happy smile in the night.

Head turned as Gualdryon continued his introductions with the gnome, Glindol, a renowned scholar, alchemist, and student of wizardry at the College of Mages. He finally ended on Daria, the big surly barbarian woman from the nomadic tribes of the waste, all but staring at Gregor with bared teeth as Gauldryon held out his arm. “This ferocious fighter is Daria, whom you’ve already met. I believe she hails from the same tribe as you. Everyone, this is Gregor, our new ally, and friend.”

Both pleased and disappointed that no one reacted to the name, he guessed that must not know about him, although his reputation was pretty widespread. Or at least so he assumed. In any case they had to be country bumpkins most likely to not have heard of him. Well, sod them all, he was a famed warrior in his own right. Not like these weak mudsaps that had to band together.

~*~

Much later that day as they settled down to make camp beside a sparkling blue river that wound its way south with the mountains at it’s back, Gregor wandered along the river bank alone. His mind elsewhere as he watched the suns sink below the horizon. The rich golden horizon, a bright orange haze as fairies frolicked about in the water.

Much like the pixies he’d usually encounter on the roads, these were their close cousins the fairies, and came in all shapes, colours and sizes. They were also still very small, but there were a few that were well rounded, and floated awkwardly on tiny wings. But unlike pixies, fairies were more helpful. Still he thought it better to keep away from them, when he spotted Daria keeping lookout alone, crouched down behind some stones formed into a bird’s claw, her warhammer resting easily across her shoulder. Her muscular form taut with not a single ounce of fat upon her, not that he could really tell with her leather armor, and heavy furs.

At his approach, she didn’t look back, but growled, “Go away, I will have nought to do with you, murderer. ”

Not in the slightest bit discouraged however, Gregor lied easily, “your lordling thought it best if I came to help you out, considering how badly I bested you.”

Her jawline tightened as she clenched her teeth, she abruptly swung round to face him, her face livid with rage. “What do you want from me? Is it not enough that you shamed me in front of him?”

“What? You mean when you lost your temper back there?” he asked in curiosity, “tis nothing. I’ve done far worse, especially when I have drunk a few.”

Not in the least bit amused by his sense of humor, she spat back, “I know. I was there. I had thought by now you would have been hanged for all the crimes, and yet here you are. Perhaps it was wishful thinking on my part, that you would be dead.” She then swung back around, her braids clicking together. “Leave.”

More somber now as he peered up at the stars that peeked out from behind clouds, Gregor thought back to his first memories of Kira, the ones he could actually remember, and for the life of him most of them felt like a distant blur. Something he no doubt knew had to do with the violet eyed witch who seemed to have gone quiet again, when he finally said in a much softer tone, “I don’t remember much from back then. I remember doing stuff to survive, but beyond that,” he held out his arms and shrugged.

He then turned and walked away, and thought he felt her eyes on him, but when he looked back over his shoulder, she gazed off into the distance, when something shone wetly on her cheek, and dropped to the ground.