Vivianne, ever the lady and ever possessed of presence, enjoyed visiting with Lord Varatt. Too often people were reticent around her and there were no other women in the house with the rank she wore so graciously so it was a pleasure to have him explain about his life and Maric. She was surprised when he asked about Nimue.<br/><br/>“Nimue is a good natured creature if somewhat impulsive. She was married to a farmer close to yonder village until just a few years ago. They had a smart, crafty small son and a nice sturdy house. Nimue was loved by everyone in the town for her sunny disposition and her willing heart to help anyone in need. She worked hard along side of her Daffyd and was usually finding wild animals to nurse back to health. Her husband indulged her. They were actually in love and quite happy.<br/><br/>Nimue had found the egg that eventually hatched out a dragon and raised her in the woods just below the Tor. Dragons are slow to mature, just as the egg is slow to hatch. They eat meat, then they learn to fly, awkwardly at first, and then not until they are fully mature, do they breathe fire. Layla followed Nimue around like a puppy for a long time and she had trouble keeping her hidden. Little by little, she realized she needed a place to hide the creature for the monks declared her unholy and possessed of the devil. So Nimue divided her time between home and here, learning to communicate with the dragon in their own special way and how to fly<br/>.<br/>One day, Nimue had stayed home to help Daffyd with the harvest and that is the day the blue demons attacked. The Vikings raid these shores every few years and it seems the attacks become more fierce. At first they wanted our land, then our riches, and now our very hearts blood. This last raid, they killed everyone and everything that moved. Daffyd and Andrew were among the dead. Nimue escaped because Daffyd squirreled her away in a crawl space under the floor just heartbeats before the raiders entered the house.<br/><br/>When all the fire had died down, the smoke cleared and bodies counted, Layla flew low over the razed landscape roaring as if in great pain. Nimue crawled from the wreckage, climbed on her back and was deposited here. Two days later, the dragon breathed her first flame. If only she had been able to the day of the attack.<br/><br/>Nimue worked in the Lord’s court but her impulsiveness was her undoing. The grief made it nearly impossible for her to concentrate. So she has been here ever since, saying she wanted to devote herself to the Mother and to serve, but, Lord Varatt, I know she was meant to create havoc for some lucky man.”<br/><br/>The two of the chuckled softly.<br/><br/>“What shall I have the cook serve you for dinner, my lord? Have you something you desire?” the Lady Vivianne inquired as they reached the sanctuary of the great hall. “Wine perhaps and some cheese to tide you over?”