The wind blows 3

The Wind Blows...
Fire Burns....
Water Falls...


Grell woke again in the soft bed in Cleo's home, though this time he was thinking about how he must of looked to anyone watching him. Grell Grainstaff, known in some of the northlands as a Merc that got the job done, kind to women, and ruthless in battle had been saved by a woman twice. Once by healing his body from injuries sustained in a beating he received by the mob his first day in the village, the second from a poisoning from a creature known as Valdemar.

" It's pathetic." he groaned.

" No... just bad luck." Cleo sighed as she patted his head with a wet cloth, " And you Grell must have the worst."

He let out a " Ha Ha" and then sat up noticing the pain was no longer in his body.. just a dell ache in his back, " What is that thing? Valdemar?"

Cleo shut her eyes, " He is ... or rather was a man. He worked for Fellis for years and after the first attack on Fellis was mortally wounded. However as they say, the master couldn't let the dog die and used some dark magic to bring the man back... only something else came back... it changed him." Cleo put her hand over her mouth, " There are few of us that have seen him without the coverings... and I must say." She looked like she was going to vomit.

" Look.. if it makes you sick just talking about it then I know I am gonna hate fighting him again." Grell smiled and stretched, " Now what can I do to repay you again, m'lady?" Cleo raised an eyebrow and let out a loud laugh. Grell looked on at her and laughed as well before asking her why they were laughing.

" You remind me of my husband." he wiped away a few tears that began to form at the edges of her eyes, " He would wake up after getting hurt or being sick and ask me the same thing. Silly fool would actually go out and cut wood, get water, or even go to the forge to work on the new shields when he was to be sleeping in bed."

" He must of been a good man." Grell added softly. Cleo nodded and reached out to Grell hugging him softly. Grell sat there... not knowing what to really do.

Being a Merc ment going from place to place not knowing what the next day would bring. Grell had decided to not get involved with women because he did not want to have someone following him... worrying about him... waiting for him. Or to have them taken from him.

Cleo looked up at the Darkblood and pulled back slowly, " I'm sorry." her eyes were looking at the floor. Grell felt a new pain inside him and reached out and caressed her cheek.

For a Darkblood she was very beautiful, she could even pass for human if it wasn't for the blue tint to her skin and the two small horns sprouting just above her eyebrows.

" Don't be.." he smiled and rested his hand on her shoulder. She lifted her gaze to his and smiled, " Does this mean I finally can take you to dinner?" he asked her and laughed out loud. She joined him as well.

" Okay but the way you are... you better eat here.. "

**********************************************************************

Grell woke in the middle of the night. He didn't know what he had been thinking before. Cleo was taking little chances to brush against him, to sit near him. Faun watched the whole thing and he wondered if she was angry that her mother was leaning towards this man that had come into their lives nearly a week before. He was beginning to think about staying... living there with Cleo and Faun... starting over with his life.

" A dream only." he whispered to himself as he tested his body. It moved at his command.. a bit sluggish but he could fight. Moving from the bed he grabbed his clothes and swords. Then looking down he grabbed the shield he had bought from her, strapped it to his back and walked out the door.

" Thank you for that dream, Cleo." He smiled softly, not knowing that she had heard him and was sobbing softly in her bed.

**********************************************************************

Grell snuck into the city, the guards were lax, probably due to the fact that the people were too scared to fight those in power. A couple of guards were even drunk, laughing about how " stupid" those that lived outside the city were. Grell just sauntered up to those men and smiled to them as they watched him smash their heads together... knocking them out.

" Sorry guys but you chose to back Fellis.. and I am here to stop him." He smiled as he checked for their pulses.

" Stop him?" a voice cackled behind him, " Why stop him... if he gets what he wants... he will be around for a long time."

Grell spun around and drew his long sword, Urd, " Valdemar, why does he want those people gone?" The sword felt heavier than normal and he began to silently curse himself for showing up.

Valdemar crouched down and flexed his needle like claws, " Runes are like candy... they taste so sweet... and they can keep things alive... " His danced with an unholy fire behind the mask he wore, " When they dig... they will find.. the runes... and the power!" He tapped his claws against one another, " Granted you will not see this."

Valdemar dashed at him, filling his vision with black death. Grell could see what would happen... the whole battle playing out... his mind wandering away... to a home... a woman. The vision changed... to a man standing over a woman... hitting her... laughing with the stench of booze on his breath... and fire... hot consuming fire!

Grell could never tell anyone what happened during the battle or why he moved as he did. He could see everything. How he lept into the air over Valdemar, slicing through the creature's right hand as it entered the space he had occupied moments before. How the creature turned and slashed wish his good hand and simply caught the shield that hung from Grell's back.

Urd felt light in his hands... and he swung with full force, slicing the creature in half... then pulling Mugen from the sheath from his back and slicing him from groin to the point of his head. At this moment he felt time slowing back down... the world coming back, and his eyes focusing on Valdemar... his body slowly sliding ... falling to the ground motionless. The folds of the cloth wrappings on his body fluttered slightly, exposing his skin and face.

Times in his life Grell would look back on this and feel his skin crawl. The sight of the skin curled and emaciated. Some places were stitched together with cloth and pitch... others were just pieces of jagged metal, but on his forehead was a small clay marker. Grell felt sick as he smelled the foulness spilling from the long dead creature that was Valdemar and the poisons that oozed onto the cobblestone road.

Grell backed away and let his heart slow down, to clean his blades, and to collect himself. Jal Fellis was in town and if he had sent Valdemar then he was waiting for him.

A growl rose from his throat as he dashed through the darkness of the city. Searching for his mark...


**********************************************************************

A knocking noise filled the small hut and a woman rushed to the door. Her eyes were alight with hope and a hint of love. She had not been awake but it was still in the early hours of the morning... before others of the village would even think of stirring.

" Grell?" She called out happily as she tossed open the door, her arms ready to throw around the man behind the door.

" Oh am I not to be expected?" the sing song voice of the vile Valdemar chided, " Or are you waiting to see that loveable lummox who believes that he killed me."

Cleo backed away slowly, " What is going on?" she asked as her eyes searched for a weapon... one that she knew exactly how to hold, use, and kill with. Once she spotted it she edged close to the wall, " Where is Grell??"

Valdemar smiled and brought his claws up to his lips and licked the tips in a manner that even the most perverse man would not find appealing. " He fought me in the city walls... killed me and moved on. Good poise and form... very good fighter... shame that he will not make it to Master." he laughed as dashed up to Cleo, his masked face inches from her own. " Though just in case... I was told to bring you... I don't ask... I just do."

" Mommy." a voice croaked from the bedroom.

Valdemar smiled, " Ooooh... looks like she is awake... should she come to?" He asked as he grabbed her and pulled her towards the bedroom. " Or should I just use these," he flexed his claws, " On her... keep it light... sleek.. .simple."

Cleo shook her head and let go of the short sword she had in her left hand... " No... I will go with you.. just do not touch her."

Valdemar nodded, " Don't worry I won't touch her." He then pulled her to the door and outside... away from the hut, " Though I can't say much for him." he smiled as he pointed to another man walking towards them... wrapped in black cloth, sporting the same long needle like claws like Valdemar.

" Good evening Valdemar." the creature in black bowed and greeted Valdemar.

" Good evening Valdemar." Valdemar laughed and bowed as well as he continued to pull Cleo further from her home. Her eyes transfixed on the creature that was Valdemar. The creature slipping inside the house.

A cry echoed over the village... and then was abruptly cut short...

" Aww... too bad... so sad... so young... so short... of a lif that was." Valdemar laughed and pulled a now sobbing and thrashing Cleo to a hidden entryway just a few hundred yards from the city walls. He liked it when they thrashed... tried to fight back. It made him feel powerful... though it was a fleeting feeling. Though an exciting one.

( To be continued)