E'darin was glad to sit by the warm fire offered by the Knight-Commander, but his smile soon turned to a frown when Alexander spoke up after they sat.<br/><br/>"Marcus is here.  He took over the escort supposedly at the word of her father," Alex informed him.<br/><br/>Just that fast - E'darin's smile faded.  Marcus was not a good person.  Indeed, he had been manipulative, rude, and done all he could to win Kate's heart - even by means which were not in the way of courtship, but rather by demand and force.  He had never liked Marcus.  Perhaps part of this came from how he also had begun to feel about Kate - despite her rank, but most of it came simply from how Marcus reacted around others.<br/><br/>"Her brother is with her as well," Alex continued even as E'darin took a sip from the mug handed to him of hot tea.<br/><br/>"They do not have the battle experience to lead her escort, My Lord.  It is true her brother is an excellent fighter, but he knows little of commanding a force in the field, and Marcus is worse.  He is all talk and no show - not that he can't fight when he needs to," E'darin said with frustration.  Here he was about to see Kate for the first time in years, and both of the men who hated him were in charge of her escort...over the Knight-Commander no less.  Politics tended to grate on his nerves.  Some people held authority where they should not, and usually they were the ones who also abused it.<br/><br/>"I know, but I serve my Lord, and if this is what he wants...then I obey," the Knight-Commander noted with a sigh before taking a huge gulp of his coffee.<br/><br/>"Well, I guess I better go see if she is well.  Knowing those two - they will have her in a fit:  her brother for trying to keep too tight of a leash on her, and Marcus for badgering her to marry him," E'darin stated as he rose and sat the hot tea down.  Again, he looked up at the dark sky.  It was far colder than it should have been, and indeed already felt colder than it had just since he arrived a few minutes ago.  Warning came with the strange weather.  All was not well in the village.  Though he was new to his abilities - he had never doubted them for a second.<br/><br/>The Knight-Commander noticed how E'darin went stiff suddenly, and drew his blade a second later.  "What is it, Lad?"<br/><br/>"To arms, My Lord.  We have unwelcome guests," E'darin told him even as his bow came to his hand smoothly.  Already all of his troops were armed...blades and bows at the ready.  They were ever vigilant of E'darin...for they had seen how easily he picked up on trouble.  "Kate," he whispered narrowing his eyes, and instantly signaled the troops to descend on the inn.  The Knight-Commander was only a fraction behind him in signaling his own troops to secure the perimeter.<br/><br/>Just as he reached the inn there came a warning inside his mind from Katheryn.  Lord Eddington was attempting to kidnap her.  There was no way the scoundrels could get to the crossroads through the Knight-Commander's troops, but if her warning was accurate - he dared not take the chance.  Men piled out of the inn in the livery of Lord Eddington's knights, but five arrows felled three of the seven instantly.  Alexander led the charge against the rest, but E'darin was after Katheryn.  He did not know where Marcus or her brother were, but it mattered little.  His best friend needed him sorely, and he raced off her taking a short-cut.  It was then he realized the whole village was under attack...not just the inn.  Eddington's troops were out in force - likely covering the retreat of him kidnapping Kate.  E'darin growled deep within his throat as he signaled his men to form a wedge.  A moment later, and they formed up behind him hacking and slashing as the enemy attempted to throw them back.  More than once E'darin's bow sang out the death song for another fallen enemy, but the fighting soon became too close quartered for his bow to work.  Out swept his longsword, and the enemies soon found he was just as lethal in melee.  He gave them no quarter as he led his team to the crossroads past the invaders.<br/><br/>A horn call went up behind him.  It was the mustering horn of the Knight-Commander.  He knew what that signal meant.  Lord Alexander was gathering his forces for a counter-attack against Eddington's troops.  The enemy would soon have more trouble to deal with than the bargained.  With this call to arms - the enemy began to give way, and the pressure in front of E'darin weakened considerably.  Immediately, E'darin pushed the advantage home, and soon made it to the stables.  There, his entire team - still intact - mounted up and raced after E'darin on his own horse.  This was their land.  Here they knew how to cut down on travel time, and the easies ways to the crossroads.  From this advantage came their ability to arrive ahead of the kidnappers, and hide in the trees at the crossroads.  The Rangers had their bows ready, and the Regulars had their blades out for battle.  E'darin's own blade was still out and bloody from those he had already slain this night.<br/><br/>Her warning had told him of silver arrows, but his blade was made of true-silver - of mithril; that which the Elves loved most.  It had apparently been his Father's before he was slain in defense of Katheryn's father.  Such a blade was even better at dealing with those who must be slain by silver.  His eyes narrowed in hatred for those who had dared to lay hands on Kate, and as the enemy came riding up hastily and without caution - E'darin thrust his sword up in the air.<br/><br/>Four bows twanged their death songs again, and four of the twelve enemy fell a moment later dead.  Four more arrows flew even as the rest were led in a charge by E'darin.<br/><br/>"Katheryn!!!!!" he yelled as he raced at the column of now disorganized and dismayed troops.  The enemy glanced up startled by this sudden change in their fortunes, but E'darin gave them no time to react.  Soon, he was upon them, and striking down the one who held the woman he loved...barely missing her shoulder.  The man tumbled to the ground from his horse pulling Kate down with him.  He rolled back up with blade in hand, but already E'darin was upon Lord Eddington.  The sounds of battle raged around the crossroads as both sides fought to the death, but these sounds E'darin blocked away as he focused on keeping Lord Eddington's black bastard sword away from killing him.  His sword rang on the black as they surged back and forth across the cold road.  E'darin's eyes blazed with fury, and Eddington's began to look worried as he realized he could not touch the man he fought.<br/><br/>"You meddle in what you cannot win against, foolish boy!" the man cried out in rage as he tried to press E'darin back, but E'darin refused to give any ground...forcing his foe to fight in circles.  His strikes at the young Warden became less and less fluid, and more desperate.  In this, E'darin snatched the initiative away from Lord Eddington, and slipped his blade across the enemy's neck after the black sword whistled past his shoulder in an over balanced attack.  E'darin's blade sank greedily into Eddington's neck - severing head from shoulders in a spray of blood.  Down his foe went, but E'darin wasted no time.  He turned to help Katheryn up, but new sounds also alerted him to new danger.  Those enemy troops which had fled Tir were now arriving at the crossroads.  While they were disorganized - they also far outnumbered his small command.<br/><br/>"Hold them at bay!" E'darin growled as he helped Katheryn undo her bonds, and freed her from the sack over her head.