The past two months of courting Cecelie had been in heaven. She had loved waking up to Hawke and spending nearly every spare minute that she could with him. Her heart sang like birds in springtime and she felt everything was going perfectly. Last night they had even gone back to the waterfall for another swim, though they had to leave early because she had been so cold. A few children in her class had come down with strange fevers, and one had unfortunately passed away. Cecelie just blamed her off mood on the death of the child, but her chills were still unexplained.

As she made dinner she kept shivering and wrapping herself in a robe, then waving herself with a fan when she began to sweat. It had been so, so long since she had been sick with anything much more than a common cold and she kept telling herself it would go away. It had to go away, Hawke was coming over for dinner and she wanted him to spend the night as he always did. After she put the bread in the oven she walked into the living room to rest on the couch and close her eyes for just a moment. Sleep quickly overtook her and hit her hard, so hard in fact that the bread began to burn and smoke built up in the small Eder Kemo home.

Something was going around, though the doctors of Uru could not seem to figure what it was. None of the medicines used so far seemed to combat it unless it was caught very early on, but very few were able to catch it early enough until the symptoms truly reared there ugly head. Hawke gotten ill since a child, so he tried his best to help the sick families when others were too fearful to get near anyone that even appeared to be slightly sick. Usually when illness swept the land of Uru the aristocrats always lucked out while the commoners did not but this time both sides were losing people as more and more got sick.

Hawke came to Cecelie’s home and knocked as he usually did, waiting for her to answer the door. As he waited there however he smelled smoke and knocked harder on the door “Cece?!” He called and after a moment he panicked and kicked down the door, the smell of smoke wafting out. He didn’t see a fire, all he saw was a smoky room and he quickly walked in “Cecelie?!” He called, going over to the stove and took the bread out quickly, burning his hand in the process but he didn’t care. He then glanced over to the couch and saw her there and quickly run over and kneeled beside her, shaking her “Cece!”

There was bread and cut up potatoes left cooking in the kitchen. The bread was burned, and the potatoes were left cut and peeled and left in a pot of water (though luckily she hadn’t started to cook them yet). The poor thing just wanted a moment to rest her eyes since they were so weary and her body ached to move.

The young woman woke up in a daze, knitting her brows as she was shook and she rubbed her face. “Stop… Stop.” She argued in a tired voice and pawed at Hawke to get him to stop. “Why is there smoke…?” After a moment she gasped and scrambled to get up. “The bread!” Cecelie looked as sick as she felt. Her normally radiant skin was dull and her honey eyes were half hooded. The dark baby hairs that clung near her forehead and neck were curled with dampness as her body fought off a dangerous fever, and her cheeks were flushed from the heat. “When did you get here?” She finally realized that Hawke was there and had been the one to wake her and help her, and she touched his face with a frown. “Please do not be upset I ruined dinner.”

When she woke he stopped shaking her and touched her face, looking concerned “You didn’t smell the smoke?” Even if she was sleeping deeply, how could she not be startled awake? He leaned back on his heels and sighed “The bread Cecelie. You left unattended. It burned, but there was no fire. It’s alright” He left the front door open, so the smoke would clear out. When she got up he stood as well and looked her over, his concern growing. He had never seen her like this…something was wrong, immediately it twisted his gut to know something was terribly wrong.

He shook his head and put a hand over hers “It’s fine” He tried to say with a steady voice and touched her face, feeling the heat of her skin. Any other time if she had been sick he wouldn’t have thought twice, he would have been worried but would have gotten her a doctor and felt everything would be alright. But not now…her being sick now meant the worse. “Cecelie, you need a doctor. You need to lie down” He told her firmly, starting to usher her to her room, fear grasping his heart painfully. A doctor may be able to do nothing, if she was sick with what the others were….

The smoke smell lingered thick in her nose but it didn’t bother her. Any other time it would have, but Cecelie was off. She felt tired and lagging, as if she were in a dream still and her gaze showed how dazed she felt. “No.” She shook her head. “It did not wake me.” Nothing would have woken her if it was not for him.

Though she was sick she wanted comfort, and when he began to usher her to her room she wanted it more. She touched his side and leaned her head heavily on his shoulder, then straightened herself up to walk to her room. “But dinner…” She stopped and looked back to the kitchen, frowning at the sight of smoke escaping through the front door. After a moment she finished going to her bedroom and crawled into bed without a fuss or fight and simply laid ontop of her blankets rather than tucking herself in. “Stay with me.” She said quietly as she nuzzled her head against the pillow and shivered as her body raged with fever. "Take me home." This wasn't her home. She wanted her home and her family. There was no comfort here besides Hawke.

He shook his head and kept ushering her to her bed “Forget dinner. We need to tend to you” His heart was beating fast and for the first time in his life he felt like he might pass out just from panic. It could just be a simple flue, it didn’t have to be this dangerous illness being passed around…but a little voice in his head told him he was being stupid. When she got on the bed he made sure she was comfortable before going to get a rag, but pausing when she spoke and glanced back at her “I will. I am. I’ll be right back” He left her room and went to her kitchen, grabbing a rag and dipping it in water before coming back into the bedroom.

He sat beside her and put the cloth on her forehead to try and cool her fever. When she mentioned home he frowned and sighed “You are home, Cece” He said gently, not understanding what she meant. “I need to fetch you a doctor, alright? Someone needs to see you and make sure you’re going to be alright”

The fever was slowly rising in the Nanite girl. It warmed her body though she shivered from chills. The baby hairs near her face curled with sweat, but her body just could not cool itself and she started to feel a little delusional and confused, though she was not aware that she was not being herself. Tears dampened her dark lashes but they did not fall. “I want to go home. I want my mother.” The second part was said in Narayan, not in Cleft as she had always spoken to Hawke.

The cool rag on her forehead felt good and she closed her eyes, tilting her head up into the rag a little as she tried to get comfortable. She heard his words and nodded, but reached up to hold his hand, as if she could hold his hand while he went to get a doctor. "I am a doctor." She would have known how to take care of someone ill, but didn't have the strength to take care of herelf. Yesterday she had been fine! What happened? It frightened her that sickness swept into her so quickly. She pulled his hand close to her and kissed his fingers, then relaxed and began to fall asleep. Her chest moved slower with breaths and the shivering ceased as her body tried to relax.

When she spoke in Narayan he looked confused and slowly shook his head “I don’t understand” Some soldiers were trained in other languages if they were going to be used as scouts, but Hawke had always been raised in the hopes he’d be a guard for a powerful aristocrat or even royalty, he had learned languages briefly but not by much. It was a lengthy process to learn other languages, so only those trained to leave Uru were bothered to be taught. All he understood was she was ill and needed help and that’s all he needed to know right now. When she held his hand and spoke he frowned deeper “I’ll be right back, alright? I promise. But I need to go right now” He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek “Rest until I get back”

And then he ran. He ran out of Eder Kemo and into Teledahn. All the doctors were busy he knew because of this illness, but one of them owed him a favor. He sought him out, but at first the doctor refused to go to Eder Kemo. Doctors of his caliber didn’t go there, but Hawke shamefully used threats and muscle power to convince the man he better get his ass down there and help, so he agreed. The doctor had his nose upturned the entire time but Hawke didn’t care. He would force him to check on Cece, then force him to check on other sick people here as well whether he damned liked it or not. When they arrived at her home he led him to Cece’s bedroom and the doctor sighed and nodded “Give me some privacy. I shall check her” He said and closed the door to examine her, leaving Hawke to nervously pace.

Cecelie should have known she would panic poor Hawke and leave him confused, but in the moment she knew no better. She breathed somewhat shallow and fast, but tried to slow herself down. She watched him as he spoke and kissed her cheek. “Okay.” Was the only thing she managed to say before going to sleep.

When she woke a strange man was in her room and she scrambled back on the bed, though it was slow and she only moved two inches (maybe even less). “Who are you?” She said in Narayan, knitting her brows until he took out his stethoscope and raised a brow. The sight finally clicked with her and she remembered Hawke had gone to get a doctor, so she settled back down into bed and rested her head back on the pillow. “Where is Hawke?” She asked, feeling out of breath from moving around.

“Your soldier is just outside. Be still, you are very tired and only wasting energy.” Cecelie did as she was told and breathed her short, exhausted breaths. The doctor listened to her lungs and heart, knitting his brows as he did and she closed her eyes from exhaustion. After a few moments he gave her a medicine that she didn’t recognize, but swallowed while drifting back to sleep.

Soon the doctor came out of her room and shut the door behind him. “She has the fever that has struck through Uru. I have given her medicine, but it is not a promise. If she makes it through the night she will be alright, but tonight will not be easy. Try to keep her fever down, and try to get her to drink some water once she wakes. Now where are the others? I have more work to do."

When the doctor emerged he paused and looked to him, frowning when he mentioned the medicine “Do not give me that. The medicines do not work. Everyone knows that. It’s not working!” The medicines hadn’t helped anyone so far, people still got worse and died and he couldn’t have Cece die. He couldn’t “There must be something else, anything else! There has to be something that can fight this somewhere!” He couldn’t just sit by through the night watching her get worse trying to give himself false hope that medicine would work, too many families had done that already and it was not something he was willing to do.

When he mentioned the others he sighed heavily “There everywhere here in Eder Kemo, you can’t turn a corner without finding something that is sick. But if you truly wish to help there are small hospitals set up, they can use your expertise…”

“I apologize, soldier. There is nothing more that I can do. If there was we would stop this virus in it’s tracks. She must fight the fever, and if she makes it through the night she will be strong and live.” If she made it through the night. He had seen far too many that hadn’t, but she seemed health enough that he hoped she would (for his own sake – he hated to imagine what the soldier would do to him if she did not).

He nodded and frowned. “There is so much illness here. It is a nest for the virus… if she makes it through the night I suggest you take her elsewhere before another disease takes her. She seems important to you.” He glanced back to the door then picked up his medicine case and headed to leave. “Good luck.”

From within her room Cece slowly woke once again, tossing and turning as she did and she frowned. “Mama?” She asked, her voice a whisper before she squinted and rubbed her tired eyes. No, she wasn’t with her mother anymore. “Hawke?” She wanted to call out louder, but her voice was just a whisper and she couldn’t lift her head any higher. Her heart raced in her chest, feeling as though it beat down in her stomach and it frightened her. What was happening?

He ran a hand angrily through his hair and turned away from the doctor to pace around the room again. No…there had to be something! Uru prided itself in being ahead in medicine, but that didn’t mean they knew everything. Riven, Tomahna, J’nanin…they all had their own practices, maybe they had something? Just because they weren’t as ahead in technology like Uru didn’t mean they didn’t have things Uru didn’t. But what could he do? Not like he could go to the other Ages and try to find something that may not exist. He knew nothing of medicine, but he felt so desperate. All this time he thought he could keep Cecelie safe and…this he couldn’t do anything about but trust in some medicine that had not yet worked for anyone else.

He nodded and waited till the doctor left before growling and punching at the wall, breathing heavily in his anger. What if he lost her? What would he do? Slowly he tried to calm down before going into her room and he sat at the edge of her bed and took her hand “Yes, it’s me. I’m here” He murmured, trying to keep the pain from his voice. He took the cloth from her forehead, it already warm from her body “Do not worry. You simply need to rest, alright?” He looked away and closed his eyes, letting out a breath “Your…going to be alright. I promise” He went to wet the cloth again then returned and placed it back on her head.

It was going to be a troubling night for Hawke, the doctor knew that. He would have told him to pray but seeing modern medicine gave the doctor little faith in, well, faith. He left knowing the man would want to pull his hair out by the end of the night, but he had done all he could do.

Cecelie laid on her bed looking and feeling as weak as a newborn. She didn’t like feeling so weak and helpless. When the familiar voice of Hawke sounded and she felt his hand on hers she opened her eyes briefly. “I love you.” She said with admiration in her eyes before she closed them again. The cool cloth comforted her, but she still found herself pushing the blanket off, then pulling it back on. When the blanket was off she shivered, her teeth chattering a little and she frowned in her sleep. In her fever dreams she began to mumble in Narayan, and a mixture of another few languages. After a short while of rest she woke, her hair even more damp than before as her body fought the fever. “Hawke,” She said and adjusted herself to try and sit up. “I need a bath.” Her eyes looked around the room as if she were looking for something, but she leaned back against the headboard and tried to slow her racing heart. “A peppermint bath… the water must be tepid… There is peppermint in … in…” Where was it? She furrowed her brows and rubbed her face, trying to remember though she couldn’t think straight. “In the medicine box.”

He smiled softly “I love you too” He said in return, feeling his throat tighten. She looked to helpless, so frail, nothing like the spirited woman he knew. He had seen several people like this, sick and fading, and days later he saw the family again only to know ill person had passed. Would this be the same? Would people be telling him in a few days how they were sorry for his loss? He did not know what to do to make her feel better, he had not dealt with many sick people before and felt clueless on how to aid her. As she slept he laid down beside her on the bed and tried to rest himself, but he couldn’t, every time she moved he looked to her and checked on her, his nerves on edge.

When she said his name he sat up quickly, ready to spring into action to get her anything she needed “I’m here” He said, touching her hair. When she mentioned a bath he wanted to hit himself for nothing thinking of that before, a cool bath to help lower her temperature. He nodded and got up “I’ll prepare it for you, of course” He gave her a quick kiss before getting up. He grabbed the peppermint and made a bath for her before going back to her room and gently scooping her up and taking her to the bathroom.

It was a great comfort to have Hawke there with her. The warmth of the fever may have made her loopy, but she still knew her lover was there. In the morning she would smile and thank him, but for now all she could do was bask in the care that he gave to her. Even as they laid near each other she reached one hand over to touch his side as she slept to make sure he was still there.

When he came back and scooped her up she wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head. She whimpered slightly as they move, her body aching but she was trying to be strong so as not to scare him. Tears dampened her lashes but she kept her eyes closed until they were in the bathroom and she could smell the peppermint. It would help cool her temperature even more, she should have thought of that sooner. After she was set down she began to undress but her legs felt weak like a newborn fawn and she was sure she must have wobbled like one. As she untied her dress she looked at Hawke, then managed to look down shyly even with her fever and aches. He had never seen her nude before and this wasn’t exactly how she had wanted the first time he saw her to be, but in the moment she didn’t care much. She let her dress drop around her ankles, and shortly after her underwear followed suit. For a moment she lifted her hands to cover her breasts and looked to him, then dropped her hands to hold the tub and steady herself as she settled into the water. A sigh of relief escaped her as she lowered all the way in and held her breath underneath the water for what seemed like an eternity. When she came back up she brushed her hair back and felt relief in the cool water. Cecelie sunk in and rested her head on the back of the tub, then looked to Hawke lethargically. “Thank you."

He tried his best to keep her steady as he walked to not jar her too much, with every whimper killing his heart. When he put her down her turned his head, but seeing her struggle he gently put his hands on hers “If you give me permission, I shall do it” Right now he wasn’t thinking about the inappropriate sense of it or thinking about seeing her naked, that didn’t cross his mind, all he cared about was helping ease her troubles in this state and help her get in the bath so she could possibly feel better. He made sure his eyes stayed on her face or over her shoulder as he helped, then grabbed her hand and helped her into the bathe, still keeping his eyes from looking at her body directly.

When she was in the tub he made sure she was settled before going to the door and sitting in the frame facing the wall, wanting to be there in case she needed him but wanted to give her privacy as she bathed. He glanced over periodically to make sure she hadn’t fallen asleep and looked alright.

How had a girl stuck in the Eder Kemo ever managed to be so lucky as to have such a man? He truly cared for her. He stayed at her side when she was ill, he had made her breakfast on occasion (or tried to), and he really did love her. His words may have been said, but it was his actions that showed it. When he asked for permission she nodded, still feeling a bit sheepish though it was nothing and washed away quickly. She was too busy trying to stay upright to be embarrassed that he could look at her breasts.

In the bath she slowly sunk lower and lower until her nose was barely above the water. Her eyes were shut and she felt herself dozing off, but every time her head dipped her nose got a cold awakening. The cool water helped lower her body temperature some, but she still ached. After a while she scooted to the side of the clawfoot tub and rested her chin up on the edge and looked at Hawke. A dazed look in her loving eyes and she tried to push herself up but felt faint and closed her eyes. “Hawke,” She started and opened her eyes again. “Will you soak garlic in hot water for me to drink?” The cool water had brought down her fever just enough that she could think of more fever reducing tricks she knew. She waited for him to answer, then slowly began making her way out of the tub, dried herself off, then put her robe on. By the time she had accomplished all of this she had to sit down and planted herself on the bathroom floor, closing her eyes as she felt her world spin and her body heave with pain. It was not long after that when she grabbed the small garbage pale and began coughing up blood.

He felt just as lucky to have her in return, and that was why he couldn’t lose her. He racked his brain but for what he had no idea. He was no doctor, he knew how to mend physical wounds but not these viruses. J’nanin got most of their medicine from Uru, so he did not see how they could help and Tomhna were scientists, he felt if anyone could help it was them, but they were meticulous people and it would probably take too long looking under their microscopes and experimenting to be any help. There was Riven…they had herbs and special medicines, but they were also savage and he didn’t think they’d be willing to assist either.

When she spoke he looked to her and quickly stood at her request “Of course, I’ll do so immediately. But careful” He felt wary to leave her in the tub alone, but he wanted to fulfill what she wanted. He left to the kitchen once again to soak the garlic for her, when moments later he heard her getting sick. He quickly ran to the bathroom and looked in, only taking a moment to look at her before rushing to her side and kneeling beside her. He touched her back then rubbed it, trying to soothe her, when he saw the blood. He felt his skin go cold and clammy and he stared, feeling his own stomach twist in nausea. As a soldier Hawke had learned one very important thing….blood was never, never a good sign.

A slight smile touched her lips when Hawke jumped so quickly and obeyed a request, almost as if she were a superior and had given him an order. It was cute, but these thoughts and admirations would have to be saved for a time when she felt better. Cecelie tried her best to keep herself positive. She was stronger than the children who had fallen ill and passed. She was stronger than the elderly who had succumbed to this. She was strong. She was a Nanite. She was a gypsy, and an Atreyu. She would overcome this.

And then there was blood, and her head spinning, and her eyes were damp. All the pep talk in the world couldn’t help her then. She wiped her mouth off and stayed still, breathing fast and she felt her heart race. “Hawke” She felt his hand on her back and leaned closer and into him. “Water.” She asked for it, and for the drink she wanted him to make, but wouldn’t allow him to go far. Her hand gripped his pants and she held onto him though she was so weak he could easily slip away. Her grasp slowly loosened, and after a few short seconds she finally fainted.

He wanted to be as positive as she was thinking right now, but it seemed almost impossible. She was throwing up blood, he never knew someone who threw up blood and lived. Something terrible was happening to her body and he just wanted to fix it! Even if she survived the night, did that really mean she’d live? He felt the doctor was just feeding him false hope, the same false hope he gave to other families who watched the people they loved suffer for days and then die. Hawke would not just sit by and watch. Somehow, some way, he was going to heal her.

“It’s alright, I’m here Cecelie, I’m here you’re going to be fine. I promise, you hear me?” And then suddenly she fainted and he panicked “CECELIE!” He shouted fearfully and quickly cradled her in his arms “Cece!” He got choked up and tried to fight it back getting emotional. “Cece, please…” He needed her to wake up, to be strong and not leave him. Carefully he picked her up and laid her on the bed. She was still breathing, as long as she breathed it would be ok…it would. But he felt like he couldn’t handle this alone. So he found a boy outside and gave him money to go fetch someone and hours later she arrived to a very messed up Hawke.

Magda walked in to see Hawke sitting in the doorframe of Cece’s room like a zombie, watching the woman rest. She quickly went over to him “Hawke?! What the hell is wrong?” She looked to the woman on the bed as he sighed “She’s sick. She’s caught the illness”. This made Magda frown and back away “And what? You want me to catch it too?” She asked fearfully but he shook his head and looked to her “I just…needed someone. I don’t know what to do. I just don’t” She saw the devastation in his face and sighed “Hawke…I’m sorry. But there is nothing you can do. There’s no cure available”

He stopped and gave her a curious look “What?” He asked and she frowned “There’s no cure” She said again but he shook his head”No. You said no cure available” Magda made a face and turned away and this made Hawke stand and hover near her “What are you not saying?” He asked firmly and she groaned and looked to him “Look, Hawke, I know you want to save her. But some things are just too dangerous” He got in her face “TELL. ME” He bit out the words and she gave him a look for being so brutish but gave up “Some say there may be a, a plant from Riven known to cure an illness like this, but it’s just a rumor. Several people have gone looking for it…no one has come back. Even soldiers.” She saw the sudden light in his eyes and she shook her head “Hawke, no! It’s too dangerous! It’s a fool’s mission!” She told him but he looked into Cece’s room “If there is a plant somewhere that can even possibly help her, then I will find it”

Deep in the jungle of Riven there was a cure. The Rivenese called it their healer root, and it cured most diseases that had come to threaten Riven. There was only one small area that the plant grew and it was the bulb that needed to be boiled in water and honey then drank. It was golden in color, and the Rivenese considered it a gift from Gehn. They protected it, and any who was found to harm the plant that grew from it was sentenced to death.

Cecelie was running out of time. She was a fighter, and holding on better than most, but she was still unconscious. Every now and again she would stir but her eyes wouldn’t open. She would mumble her mother’s name, or Hawke’s name, then drift back into her deep sleep. Her honey skin was now so pale, and her rosy lips blended in against the white tone. She breathed short and labored, then slow and skipping breaths. It was only getting worse for her as the night went on.

The Rivenese had heard of the disease that swept through Uru and was killing many men, women, and children alike. They were even more on high guard than usual to keep the people safe. Guards sat at the portals, armed and ready to protect as they had been ordered to by Noel. That particular evening in Riven was warm and welcoming, and he had chosen to take Lorelei out for a late night ride somewhat near the portal to speak with the well trained but lonely guards (she always seemed to raise their spirits). Things were at peace in Riven.

“Hawke, please, be smart about this!”Madga was begging him as he gathered a few supplies from Cece’s home to take with him “I need you to stay here and keep an eye on her. Keep her cool. Try to get her to drink water if you can. If she wakes up and asks for me, tell her I went to find something to make her better” He instructed her as he stuffed things in a knapsack he had found and slung it over his shoulder. Magda grabbed his arm “Hawke! Riven isn’t like J’nanin or Tomahna! You know this! You can’t just…just go there and sit down and speak with them! There savage! They’ll kill you on sight!” She was trying to be the voice of reason, but there was no reasoning with Hawke right now. “She’s going to die. If I die trying to save her, then so be it” And then he left.

He rushed to the portal and went through, never having traveled out of Uru before but he wasn’t afraid. As he went through he slowly slid open the portal door, warm humid air hitting him that almost made him suffocate. He slowly stepped out, the area around him lit by torches in the ground and heard voices immediately, looking over to see a group speaking together. Rivenese. He quickly started to move away from the portal, only to pause when he got a better look at the people speaking. One was a woman, with pale hair and skin, there was no missing her with the way she contrasted against the darker colored men. He had only ever see such paleness from J’nanin, and wondered if a Nanite had come here and was speaking to the Rivenese…but how strange. Didn’t the two Ages hate one another?

She was smiling and saying something to the men, standing beside a mare, when she glanced over and her eyes met with Hawke’s confused gaze. Her eyes widened and she gasped, suddenly pointing in his direction and saying something in a language he didn’t understand, but he assumed it was Rime and assumed she was calling him an intruder with the way the men turned to look at him and called out angry sounds. Several of them had spears in their hands and they started after him and all Hawke could do was turn and start running. But he underestimated the way people said Riven's jungle was impenetrable...he hardly got very far from the portal when he all but hit the barrier of the jungle. He took out his sword and started to hack but he barely made a dent when then men cornered him. He turned and swiped his sword out to keep them at bay, but their spears were long and they didn't need to get close, lowering them and thrusting them at him.

Noel stood and talked to the guards. Men may have needed to be hard and harsh to guard the portal, but people worked harder when they were familiar with their leader and village members. If they knew who they were protecting they would be more fierce. He spoke to them of trivial things and promised to have dinner sent to them once Noel and Lorelei returned to the village. All was peaceful until the portal opened and a pale man came out. Immediately Noel drew his sword and stepped in fronto of Lorelei. "Stay back." He told her and began to chase the man with the guards.

The jungle was one of their best defenses. He cornered the man and held out his sword to keep him in place. "Steady. Do not kill him yet." He spoke as he looked thru man over and recognized his armor. "He is a soldier from Uru." Why had people continued to come from Uru? Curiosity overtook Noel and he glanced back to Lorelei. "Do you speak Cleft?" Noel knew some words but not enough to hold a decent conversation.

"Soldier." He states in cleft, smarter than the average savage. "Why?" Why was he here? Why would Uru send a single, useless soldier?

He was ready to fight, he was certain he could beat them, he had faced this many men before and he had made it out alive. These men were mindless barbarians, he was a skilled warrior, there was no way he would let them best him. He soon learned who the leader was, one of the men spoke and the others backed off, but kept their spears pointed at him. Hawke trained his eyes on Noel, seeing him as the true threat here. But apparently they weren’t as savage as he thought, for the man spoke in his language and Hawke looked caught off guard “You know Cleft?”[b] He asked in surprise. How? As far as he knew, these people hated anything that wasn’t pure Rivenese.

Lorelei slowly approached, standing behind Noel as she studied the stranger. She nodded to her husband [b]“I know enough” J’nanin did much trade with Uru, many Nanites learned enough to make some conversation and be able to properly understand one another. Lorelei had learned just for the sake of learning. She slowly moved from behind Noel to stand beside him and grew curious when the soldier instantly lowered his sword now that she was near, like he didn’t want her accidently harmed. Odd… when did an Uru solider care? “What are you doing here? You are not welcome” She told him in some rough Cleft, but it got the point across.

Hawke frowned at her “You’re the Nanite girl that got married here” He said in understanding and she nodded “I am Lorelei. Wife of our leader, Noel” She glanced to Noel then the solider again “Speak soldier, quickly. Or you will join your other Uruns” Her voice was firm, but she grimaced slightly “…their heads are on stakes in the village” The Rivenese were sick of their things being stolen, so when a sudden spike of people started showing up lately it was the last straw. Lorelei didn’t enjoy seeing their deaths, but it was a small consolation to know now that Riven knew it wasn’t Nanites coming to their Age and stealing.

He frowned and glanced around him before back to Lorelei “I’ve come for a plant. There is an illness sweeping over Uru, people are dying. It is rumored this plant can help them. Please, I need it” Lorelei stared at him for a moment peculiarly before looked to Noel and translating what Hawke said. The others caught hadn’t spoken…they had cursed and spit, but had refused to speak.

Noel had never been a compassionate man. He was strong and fleece and jade little remorse. His dark eyes stayed locked on he soldier and he grew more rigid when Lorelei stepped to his side. He stepped forward to protect her and looked curiously to Hawk as h lowered his sword though Noel kept his face straight. As they spoke he caught bits and pieces but was relieved that Lorelei would translate.

"No." He said clear in cleft then looked to Lorelei to speak rivenese. "The plant is far too rare. There is not enough to go around and we must protect our people, not these thieves." Noel was tired of others stealing from Riven simply because they were better off with their climate and harvests. "There is not enough to cure his people. Tell him to leave and diminish the rumors that we have a cure. We will not share with our enemies and will fight to protect what is ours." He looked to Hawke. "No." He told him again and shook his head.