Seven dead, that was the count as of the afternoon. Alayse stood in the worship hall and looked at the tree patterns painted on the ceiling. In another room down the side hall, Prime Arlin spoke with the other heads of the temple and deliberated on what their response should be. Alayse was in the meeting but when she demanded the right to take the fight to the priests of Astikar she was asked to leave.

Now she tried to calm her rage as she looked at the once peaceful temple that had become a battleground. She sounded the alarm and sent priestesses combing through the temple searching every room. There were nearly a dozen more of the assassins skulking about searching for Thayle. They found several dead priestesses of Ulustrah as well. Women killed because they had seen the intruders or were simply in the way. Most had throats slit; some were strangled. One was found with her dress torn off and cast aside. Alayse did not like the implication that discovery meant.

Several of the men of the temple were also dead. The assassins didn't seem to care who they killed so long as they remained unseen. Once the alarm was raised, they were found quickly, and several battles raged in the back halls. The assassins were killed or driven from the temple. Some of them escaped through the windows on the third floor, but it was clear the bulk had used to cliff gardens to enter the temple and then escape it.

“You are tense,” came the familiar voice of her captain Yevine.

“I command the second company. I should not be left out of such a discussion!” Alayse said, turning to glare her angry eyes at Yevine.

Yevine was tall with the slim grace of a woman but the proud face of a warrior. Her brown hair was as always tied back with a black cord. She stood in full armor and didn't flinch under Alayse's stare.

“You think the order of Astikar is to blame?” Yevine said.

“Who else would hire assassins to come here?” Alayse said, shaking her head and tossing her curls.

“What cause would they have to send assassins into our temple?” Yavine asked.

Alayse knew that it had to be Thayle and the people hidden in the west hall. She needed to know more about who they were, and luckily, she found a way. These friends had used the dining hall and had a lengthy and drunken conversation where others could overhear. She'd sent one of her soldiers to question to serving girls and find out what they heard.

“I suspect they are hunting for Gersius of Astikar,” Alayse said.

“The traitor priest?” Yavine intoned. “What makes you think he was here?”

“Thayle,” Alayse said. “He was last seen fleeing north from Whiterun. The little mouse's temple was right in his path. She came here not a week later with people who needed protecting.”

Yavine nodded her head and paced a bit.

“So Thayle brought him here,” she said. “And he was hidden in the west wing this whole time.”

Alayse nodded her agreement. “I have a sneaking suspicion this wedding Thayle held was for him and some other.”

Yavine turned to look at her with a curious expression. “Did you know Thayle took a woman from the west hall out into the city? She is why the temple was closed, and some of our soldiers set to guard the gate. This mystery woman overpowered a noble in the streets and threatened to eat him.”

Alayse raised an eyebrow at this revelation. “Why was I not told?”

“Prime Arlin wants everything kept a secret. I only found out because I know a girl who was on the street and saw it happen. She told me just the other day.”

Alayse shook her head as a scowl passed over her face.

“Why is a temple filled with women run by a man?” she growled.

“He was chosen,” Yevine replied.

“Two!” Alayse said, throwing her hand in the air with two fingers up. “There have been two male primes in a row! There are scarcely seven men in the whole temple and nearly a hundred women!”

“Ulustrah chooses the prime,” Yevine said. “We have to trust her judgment.”

“A woman would have seen the danger and agreed with me,” Alayse said.

“Maybe that's why a woman doesn't head the order,” Yevine said.

“Why would you say that?” Alayse asked with an angry toss of her head.

“Because we are talking about open war with another faith. We need to be sure this is about Gersius and that the order of Astikar is involved.”

At that very moment, a young woman with blond hair ran up noisily in her armor.

“Governess Alayse,” the woman said with a bow.

“Report Myria,” Alayse said.

“You were right. They did use the dining hall. It was two men and a woman. The woman had the dark skin and hair of the southern tribes. One of the men was a cellic. The other looks to be a westerner. He was larger and stronger and spoke with their thick dialect.”

“What else did you learn?” Alayse asked.

“They overheard all the names. The woman's name was Ayawa, the cellic's name was Tavis, and the westerner's name was Gersius.”

Alayse snapped her gaze to Yevine, and the brown-haired woman only shook her head.

“So the mouse brought the most dangerous man in the land to our temple and tried to hide him,” Alayse said.

“She must have had a good reason,” Yevine said with a wave of her hand as she started to pace again.

“Good reasons are something Priestess Thayle is short of,” Alayse snapped.

“Grand Priestess,” Yevine reminded.

“It should be Governess!” Alayse argued.

“She chose the other path,” Yevine argued back. “It was her choice.”

“She never took either title,” Alayse said. “She went to hide in that tiny temple.”

“She went where she could work directly with the people,” Yevine said. “Her heart wanted to help with blessings and kind words. She didn’t care for the path of the sword.”

“She was brilliant at it!” Alayse argued. “She is gifted with a blade. She has a duty to put that gift to use for her goddess! To turn her back on such talent is unforgivable!”

Yevine's eyes looked heavy, and she walked up to Alayse and put a hand on her shoulder.

“You need to let this go. She didn’t run because of you.”

Alayse jerked her shoulder away and paced a few steps.

The hall was silent a long moment until the door to the side hall opened, and the five heads of the temple emerged. Alayse watched them all file past until, at last, prime Arlin approached them.

“I hope you can forgive me for asking you to step out,” he said, looking directly at Alayse.

“Of course my Prime,” she said with a slight dip of her head, but her words were strained.

He noted the tone of her voice but let it go.

“We have decided not to act,” he said.

“What?” Alayse barked dropping all pretense of civility.

“We can't be sure the priests of Astikar are behind this attack,” he said.

“Who else would send assassins here looking for Gersius?” Alayse barked.

Prime Arlin looked at her with narrow eyes.

“So you know then,” he asked.

“I know you have been keeping a dangerous secret,” Alayse said. “Why would you allow the traitor to hide here?”

“Because he isn't a traitor,” Prime Arlin said. “I asked him directly if he attacked the city of Whiterun. I asked him if he was to blame for all the things the Father Abbot accuses him of. I watched his aura, and I saw the truth of it all. Gersius is innocent. It is the Father Abbot that is lying.”

Alayse glanced to Yevine who looked even more disturbed.

“Then the danger goes all the way to the head of the order of Astikar?” Yevine asked.

“It would appear that it does,” Prime Arlin said.

“So how can you say the order of Astikar isn’t to blame then?” Alayse demanded.

“I can't link them to the assassins,” he replied. “I am no fool, I believe they are to blame, but I can't order a dangerous confrontation on what I believe. I have to know! We are talking about a war between faiths, not some petty squabble over a holiday or service rights. We have temples side by side with the priests of Astikar in a hundred towns and cities. An open move against them will mean a sudden and vicious battle all across the land.”

“Our temples are not protected like Astikars are,” Yevine said. “We would be slaughtered.”

“Exactly,” Prime Arlin said.

“So, we do nothing?” Alayse asked.

“No, on the contrary, we are already doing something,” Prime Arlin said. “We are going to help Gersius topple the Father Abbot and bring the order of Astikar to heel.”

“How?” Alayse asked.

“I have aided him in a quest to find a man to replace the Father Abbot,” Prime Arlin said. “I gave him armor, weapons, equipment, food, drink, and my blessings. I sent priestess Thayle with them to aid them directly. With any luck, he will beat the door of the false father down and end this conflict before it escalates.”

“He would have to take the city of Calathen even to reach the mad man,” Yevine pointed out.

“He would indeed,” Prime Arlin said.

Yevine and Alayse exchanged worried glances again.

“How is he going to take Calathen?” Alayse asked. “It is the most heavily defended and fortified city in the known world. It makes Eastgate's defenses look like a sandcastle.”

“I trust Gersius to figure that out,” Prime Arlin said. “In the meantime, I want to quietly send extra forces to any town that we share with the order of Astikar. We will strip priestesses from the remote areas and double or triple the priestesses on hand in the larger towns.”

“What about my legion?” Alayse asked.

“I am going to move you closer to Calathen. I want you in Mordholm. I need you to protect the rose temple and Ulustrahs emerald bowl.”

“You don't think they would dare bring the battle to the rose temple?” Yevine asked.

“I don't trust a liars judgment. If he finds out we are helping Gersius, he may move against us. If he could take the temple he could use it to blackmail us into submission,” Prime Arlin said.

“No priest of Astikar will set foot on Ulustrah's holy ground,” Alayse said in a voice that dripped with death. “It is bad enough they came here!”

“It also puts you much closer to Calathen. You may be needed to help Gersius when the time comes,” Prime Arlin said.

Alayse nodded, understanding he meant a full-scale assault on the city.

“I am calling the first company from the far east as well. When they arrive here, I will send them to reinforce you.”

“What about the third company?” Alayse asked.

Prime Arlin shook his head and looked deeply into her eyes.

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. Her gentle heart wasn’t made to carry such a burden.”

In the morning they awoke to find bowls of freshwater on a table next to the rug. A bowl of small yellow fruits sat at one end of the table, and they tasted delicious. A large wooden screen decorated with faded pictures of birds was placed at one corner of the rug.

Numidel arrived just as they finished washing and Gersius was done shaving his face.

“I do hope this was of help to you?” he said, walking down the steps.

“We are grateful for your kindness,” Gersius said.

“So what are your plans?” Numidel asked, walking up to Gersius as he dressed.

“We are crossing the mountains to get to Avashire. I am hoping to find help there,” Gersius told him.

“Still three or four days by foot, assuming you pick a good path through the mountains,” he said.

“It was this, or go around them, that would take much longer.”

“Why have you not thought to fly?” the old dragon asked.

All heads turned to Lilly, who was changing her dress from behind the screen.

“I have managed to touch another sore spot,” Numidel said when he saw their faces.

Lilly hung her head, and a tear immediately ran down her cheek.

“Sweetheart, please don't cry!” Thayle said, running to wrap her in a hug.

Numidel looked to Gersius for direction, “I don't understand?”

“Lilly,” Gersius spoke to her softly. “Show him.”

Lilly pulled the lacing of her dress wide open and let it fall to the floor. From behind the screen, all the men could see was her head.

“Please, Thayle, move back,” Lilly said in a sad voice.

Thayle moved around the screen and stood by Gersius.

“Is this a good idea?” Thayle whispered to him.

“Maybe he can help,” Gersius whispered back.

White mist crawled across Lilly's skin and grew into a billowing cloud that suddenly flashed with light. Lilly didn't wait for it to dissipate; she crawled out of the mist around the edge of the rug.

“By Balisha child, your wings are gone!” Numidel gasped. “How did this happen to you?”

Tears rolled out of Lilly's eyes, and she cast her head up.

“I do not wish to tell the story. I have told it enough, and the pain never gets any less.”

It was Gersius who answered him.

“She was attacked by another dragon who shattered her wings and her body. I took her to my brothers for healing, but they betrayed us and cut what was left of her wings off.”

Numidel cast his eyes down and offered a little prayer. “Such is the way of dragons and men. It is no wonder Balisha cries.” He walked to Lilly and stood before her. “Go, child, find the river in the Silverwood, follow it, and there you will gain the boon of your heart.”

“The boon of her heart?” Gersius asked.

Numidel turned to look at him with serious eyes. “If you love her, you will get her there.”

“Can you fly us Numidel,” Lilly asked.

“I fear I cannot leave this sanctuary, I have taken an oath to protect it, and its contents,” Numidel replied. “Still, even without your wings, you would be able to carry them. It would be much faster than walking as a human.”

“You mean to ride on her back?” Thayle asked.

“Yes, I will get you something to throw over her back and a good bit of rope to hold on to,” he said.

“Thank you, Numidel, but we can't ask Lilly to carry us,” Gersius said.

“Why not?” Lilly replied. “It’s a good idea. I can walk three times the speed you do, and I can cross broken ground far easier.”

“Lilly, you are the woman I love. I cannot use you like a pack mule,” Gersius said.

“I have already carried you twice, Gersius. Once in my arms and once on my back. It would be nice to carry you while you were not badly injured.”

“I will get the things you need,” Numidel said as he rushed off.

“Lilly, are you sure you want to do this?” Thayle asked, looking at her dragon form in awe.

“Yes, my love,” she said to Thayle making her blush. “I would rather enjoy carrying both of you.”

“You really have been adopted,” Gersius said to Thayle.

“Stop encouraging this!” Thayle barked.

Gersius glanced up at Lilly and gave her a smile before going back to his pack.

Numidel returned in his dragon form and crawled out over the room to them. He had a large, heavy-looking rug with a leather hump in the middle. It had a strap that was a foot wide and hung down to a buckle.

“I never get to use this anymore,” he said in a pleased voice.

“Turn your back child,” he said to Lilly, and he placed the rug over her back. The leather hump rested over the spins along her back just behind her shoulder blades. He took the strap around her chest and pulled it through the buckle and tightened it.

“This was made for the sole purpose of allowing humans to ride on dragons safely,” he said.

“Humans used to ride on dragons?” Lilly asked.

“It was a different world back then,” he replied. “There are loops on the side you can tie your packs too. She should be able to carry twenty times what you brought. The leather saddle is to protect you from the back spines, Lilly's are rather small, but some dragons have long sharp spines.”

“Thank you, Numidel. We are in your debt,” Gersius said.

“Nonsense, it is a delight to meet a sister of the scale who is free. Even more to meet the ones who love her so much.” He ran a bit of rope around her neck and tied it to a ring on the leather saddle. “This is to give you something to hold on to if she decides to run. We dragons can outrun most horses,” he said with a fanged smile.

“Thayle, would you pack Lilly's clothes so we can tie them to the side,” Gersius asked her.

“Of course,” she said, moving off to gather Lilly's things.

“I have one more gift for you, Lilly,” Numidel said. He walked around her so he could stand in front of her.

“Seeing as you are traveling so lite, I am sure you will have no trouble carrying this,” he produced a leather bag large enough to stuff Thayle into and held it out to her.

“What is it?” she asked him.

“Just something to make you feel at home,” he said and stepped back as she held it up.

She opened it and looked inside, and Lilly's eyes went wide. The bag was full of silver and gold coins.

“You are giving me a part of your hoard?” she asked him in shock.

“Someday, Lilly, you will realize that you value other things far more than gold,” he said.

“We cannot accept this,” Gersius interjected, seeing the size of the bag.

“It is too late. The gift is already given, besides I have plenty more,” Numidel said, walking up the steps to the altar. He turned to face Lilly and spoke in s somber tone. “You will know what to do with it when the time comes, remember it is a small price to pay for your happiness.”

Lilly nodded, unsure what he meant and went back to getting ready. She took more rope and tied the sack to her back behind the saddle and then leaned down so Thayle and Gersius could climb on.

“I can't believe I am doing this,” Thayle said as Gersius lifted her onto the saddle. She settled down and smiled as the thrill of riding on Lilly filled her mind.

“Husband, have you secured my lover?” Lilly asked, turning her long neck around to look at Thayle who was violently going red.

Gersius climbed up behind Thayle and braced her against his chest. He took the ends of the rope and wrapped them around his wrists.

“She is secure,” Gersius said with a laugh and a shake of his head.

“Neither of you are going to let this go are you?” Thayle said.

“Probably not,” Gersius replied as Lilly lurched into motion.

“Good luck noble dragon,” Numidel called from the altar as Lilly ran off at a trot.

Lilly quickly stalked out into the yard outside the doors and tried to stand on all four limbs with her back level.

“Which way do we go?” she asked, as she stared at the snow-covered mountains climbing all around them.

“We need to go north, follow that hillside and go across the far ridge,” Gersius said, pointing it the direction they should go.

Lilly walked off at a speed that was a comfortable walk for her but was practically a full run for a human.

“Why didn't we do this sooner?” Thayle asked when she saw how quickly they were moving.

“We didn't have the saddle,” Gersius replied.

“Couldn't we have used our bedrolls?” Thayle said.

“I have ridden on Lilly's back once already if you remember. The spikes on her back do become painful after a while.”

“I don’t recall you complaining about it?” Lilly said.

“You were rescuing me. I was not about to complain that you were not rescuing me in comfort,” he replied.

“I would have hit you on the head myself,” she bellowed.

Gersius laughed as Lilly gracefully raced across the jagged ground.

They climbed slopes they would have to had to go around and passed over snow that would have been too deep for human legs. Lilly was able to step over narrow gorges and carry them easily over tumbled stones.

By noon they were twice as far as they had gone on their first full day of travel, by late afternoon they were much further and heading downhill.

Thayle and Gersius sat in the saddle swaying gently as Lilly ran along a flat snowy hill.

“Lilly!” Gersius called out giving Thayle a fright.

“Yes, my husband?” Lilly called back.

“Has Thayle admitted she loves you yet?” he asked.

“Will you two, please stop it!” Thayle yelled out.

“She told me last night,” Lilly said with a deep laugh.

Gersius smiled almost as if in approval.

“You know you're supposed to be upset by this Gersius!” Thayle said.

“Why would I be upset? Lilly loves you,” he said, swaying behind her.

“Lilly is your wife, and not by marriage, but by a double binding of souls, you two are connected in a way that puts normal love to shame,” Thayle said.

“Which is why I do not feel threatened by her loving you too,” he said.

“How can you not feel threatened?”

“Thayle, I can feel Lilly, I know she loves you, but it is different, it is not the same love she has for me, you cannot intrude on it.”

“You are impossible!” Thayle cried.

“I have been told that before,” he said, smiling.

“I fear priestess that you will simply have to accept your fate,” Lilly said.

“What fate is that?” Thayle asked.

Lilly's great head turned around and looked her right in the eyes paralyzing her.

“Your mine!” she said, as a forked tongue came out and licked Thayle across the face.

Gersius burst out laughing as Thayle tried to wipe off her face.

Lilly crested a ridge and looked out over the landscape.

“I can see trees,” Lilly called out.

Gersius twisted to look around her neck.

“It is the northern forest lands, you have taken us three days travel in half a day,” he said.

“So I can get off this ride of embarrassment soon?” Thayle remarked.

“Careful priestess or I will lick you again,” Lilly said, not looking back.

“Head down that slope on the right. We can pass between the two ridges and get out into the hills,” Gersius said, pointing for Lilly.

“The one with the tall trees on it?” she called back?

“Yes, there is plenty of room for you to pass through them.”

“Hold on to my lover then, the slope is steep,” she said and headed off.

Lilly easily ran down the hill, scattering rocks and soil as her mighty clawed feet ran across the ground. She reached the bottom and entered a flat stony area where several tall ancient pine trees stood. They towered overhead, and the stone floor was covered with their needles.

Lilly dashed between them effortlessly gliding through the open spaces rocking both Gersius and Thayle as she went.

Thayle was trying to calm down from the shock of being licked by a dragon when she looked over her shoulder and saw a tree trunk racing their way.

“Look out!” she screamed.

Lilly twisted to look to her right and barely moved them out of the way when the trunk slammed into her shoulders and threw her back. Thayle and Gersius were thrown from the saddle into the needle covered ground.

Lilly groaned in pain and quickly recovered her feet, turning to see what had happened. Two of what appeared to be humans were rapidly moving toward her. They looked like savage men with twisted, ugly faces and mangled beards full of filth and grime. Their hair was black and greasy matted to their heads. They wore what appeared to be the hides of some large animals as a single piece of clothing. They towered up nearly twenty feet tall and carried thick tree trunks as clubs.

“Giants!” Thayle screamed as she struggled to get up.

Lilly let loose a torrent of white death hosing the giant down with ice. Her blast was cut short when the giant swung the trunk and battered the side of her head. It made a loud crack, and her head swung out to the side as she fell over.

Gersius rolled to his feet and sprung back up. The armor had absorbed the bulk of the impact, but he was sure he would be sore later. He saw a giant strike Lilly again, and the blow threw her to the side. A second giant was coming up behind her raising its trunk to smash it overhead on her.

He ran as fast as his legs would carry him, and out came his sword as he charged in.

The giant noticed him as he closed and turned as if to change the blow to him, but Gersius ran through its open legs and slashed at the inside of one as he passed through causing a roar of anger.

Lilly blinked to clear the stars from her head as the first giant closed in with his trunk swinging it over his shoulder to batter her down. The blow came racing in, and a thunderous clap was heard as it shattered over a glowing green disk of light floating next to Lilly's head. Lines of green flowed through the air to the disk. Lilly glanced to see Thayle with her hands up speaking words of power and channeling a shield of protection.

“Lilly, get up!” Thayle screamed when Lilly finally made eye contact with her.

Lilly's eyes burned with a savage light, and she exploded into motion, throwing herself at the towering threat. Claws and teeth tore into his flesh and causing him to stumble back as he tried to beat her with the broken end of his trunk.

Gersius raced around trying to stay behind the giant as it turned to try and batter him. The sound of a dozen angry bears and the snapping of trees filled his ears as Lilly, and her giant wrestled in a dance of savage death, crashing through the forest behind him.

He darted back in as the giant changed tactics and tried to stomp him with a foot as large as his chest. He took another swipe at the other leg but only managed a glancing blow. The giant whirled around, dragging its trunk across the ground. It missed him cleanly, but by dragging his club, he threw up rocks and dust pelting Gersius in a hail of stones.

He saw the giant with Lilly throw her free of him. It bled form a dozen places, but his eyes burned with rage. It grabbed another tree trunk and slapped it from the ground and charged in after her.

Gersius struggled to get out of the choking dust cloud as he ducked under another swing of the massive trunk. The giant raced in raising its foot to stomp him as he rolled and suddenly Thayle was standing in his way.

“Thayle!” he shouted as the foot came racing down.

Thayle had her hands up her voice full of words of power the green shield formed again.

The giant's foot slammed into the shield, and the impact caused it to pitch over backward.

Gersius wasted no time scrambling to his feet and running past her as the monster came crashing down.

He leaped into the air his sword in both hands as the creatures back hit the forest floor with a thud.

The giant made a feeble attempt to sweep him from the air as he fell, but Gersius landed true and buried his sword into the monster's chest.

Lilly released another gout of ice, but the giant came thundering through the cloud and smashed the freshly broken trunk down. She managed to race away as it battered the ground where she once was. He was covered in frost now, but it didn't seem to slow him. She coiled and jumped at him, tearing at him with clawed hands and feet. His skin was like leather, and she struggled to cut him.

He grabbed her with one arm and pulled her off again to throw her.

She quickly snapped her head forward with her jaws wide open and clamped down right over his face and let another torrent of ice loose directly in his eyes.

He howled and threw her off, tearing her teeth from the sides of his face and stumbled back, covering his eyes with his free hand.

Lilly hit the trees, snapping them as she plowed through them and scattering her sack of coins.

She scrambled to her feet, struggling to get free of the broken trunks. She saw Gersius stabbing wildly at a downed giant as the one she was battling continued to stagger back.

“Are you alright?” Thayle called from the forest edge as Lilly got to her feet.

“I am very angry, priestess. This fool has spilled my coins!” Lilly roared and went racing in.

She leaped up and slammed into the wounded giant, and her impact carried him to the ground a second time. She dug and clawed at him as he punched her with his free hand.

“Lilly!” Gersius yelled. “Go for the neck!”

She lashed out with her jaws and clamped down on its neck, taking blow after blow as it tried to beat her off of him. It struggled to roll over, throwing her down, but she held on to it with her jaws pulling the giant with her.

Gersius buried his sword into the back of its leg, causing it to stumble. It fell to its hands and knees with Lilly ferociously pulling on its throat using her legs to drag it back.

The giant began to falter and crumple as blood began to pour from Lilly’s jaws. It groaned a deep wailing moan and then fell forward into the forest floor.

Thayle ran up to Gersius as Lilly released her bite and turned to look at them.

“Are you two alright?” she asked with a horrifying expression of a fanged maw dripping with dark crimson blood.

“I am fine,” Thayle said panting and trying not to recoil from her appearance.

“I am unhurt, maybe a bruise or two. This is some good armor,” Gersius said to Thayle.

“Are you alright, Lilly?” Thayle asked, moving closer to her.

“My shoulder hurts badly, and the side of my head,” she said, walking back to them.

“Come, sweetheart, let me see,” Thayle said, walking up to her.

Lilly lowered her head, so it was even with Thayles shoulders.

“You have a nasty bruise all down the side of your head, the blow removed some of your scales,” Thayle said, putting her hands to Lilly's head.

She began to chant and call on her power to heal as a golden light began to crawl over Lilly's head.

Lilly felt Gersius's hand on her shoulder.

“I assume it is this one,” he said as he touched her.

“Yes, that one really hurts,” Lilly replied.

Gersius put his hands to Lilly and steadied himself. He hadn't reached out for the power of his faith since the disaster of Whiteford. His heart still burned with anger for Astikar, and he didn't want to call on the power only to be rejected. One look at Lilly's shoulder and knew he had to try. She was battered so badly that dozens of scales were gone. The bare flesh beneath was blackened with bruising and running with blood. He knew Thayle could probably heal the bruise to the head, but she would not be able to do both.

He opened his mouth and began to pray in his deep musical tones. Thayle looked up as she heard it, and Lilly looked down at the woman.

“He hasn't spoken to his God since Whiteford,” Lilly tried to whisper.

“You mean more to him than the fear of his faith,” Thayle whispered back.

Gersius opened his mind, trying to summon the power of Astikar. Golden light flowed through his hands and spread across Lilly rolling over her shoulder and down her back. It healed other minor scrapes and bruises she hadn't complained about and filled her with a warm sensation.

“Thayle!” Lilly whispered loudly.

“What?” Thayle asked.

“I can feel it! I can feel the power he is channeling through the bind! It’s amazing!”

The golden light spread up Lilly’s head and finished healing the wound Thayle herself had started.

“I told you he was a much stronger healer than I was,” Thayle said with a smile.

When the light stopped, Lilly turned her head around to look at him.

He stood beside her motionless, not making a sound. He held his hands out before him looking at them as if he didn't believe what had happened.

“My love, are you alright?” Lilly called out to him.

“I am fine,” he said, putting his hands down.

“You have healed me completely,” she said.

“I failed to heal you completely once before, I could not do it again,” Gersius replied.

“I was minutes away from death, Gersius. You did the best you could.”

Thayle stepped around Lilly’s head.

“Your aura is ringed with sadness, Gersius,” Thayle said.

“I can feel it across the bind, your heart is so heavy,” Lilly added.

“I did not want to talk to Astikar,” he said.

“Gersius, Astikar did not betray you. A small number of your order did,” Thayle said.

“But he did nothing to stop them. He allowed them to use his power against me, and Lilly,” he said.

“The Gods don't work like that, and you know it, Gersius. Nobody knows it as well as you do,” Thayle challenged him.

“He let them heal me over and over so they could keep breaking my ribs,” Gersius said, staring off into the distance.

“Please, my love,” Lilly said moving so she could rub her head against him. “Don't be so sad. My heart can't bear it.”

He put his arm over her head and let a tear run free down his cheek.

“I am sorry, Lilly. I know you can feel it.”

Thayle's hand came to his left shoulder, and she put her other hand over his on Lilly's head.

“I don't know why any of that happened to you Gersius. I know you are hurting, and you are short on answers, but one thing you are not short of is love,” Thayle said.