Arn moved briskly the small distance between him and Eilis.  He placed soft but firm hand on her shoulder drawing her close with her back against his front.  The mage squeezed her small shoulders in his hands reassuringly.  He kept his eyes on the ex Knight as the man proceeded to cut him down with words. 

Sharper and cutting deeper than any sword ever had, Uilles hit the mark beautifully.  The man was right of course.  Arn himself had often pondered the very same at times when he and Evander had come to a disagreement about troop deployment or training.  The damnable lesser noble wanted nothing more than recognition and glory.  He cared not that his rise to fame would be cemented upon the corpses of young mages.  

The master mage grimaced evidently as he could find no fault in what the man said.  Even now, Tobi and the other Shootings Stars could be on their way to assist the Heartguard.  Having more than ten years of battlefield experience, the battle mage could have prepared and controlled the other Shooting Stars into as little expenditure of life as possible. 

He moved protectively in front of Eilis as the man’s eyes rested on her.  Say what he might about him but noble or not, Arn would not suffer any ill word to be said about his protegee.  Thankfully or unfortunately, the new target was the man’s own nephew. 

The battlemage wondered if the man’s skill with a sword was half of that as with his tonge, then he would have been a literaly god of death upon the battle field.  He shuddered at the idea and a new perception lens shone on Tyrhallan.  Shouldering the blanket of being the successor of such a man as Uilles was herculean. 

Having some part in the blame of the lives lost in the skirmish, Arn lowered his head a bit in shame.  If he had been in command of the Shooting Stars then the engagement would have been more successful.  As it was, it had been foolish to go alone.  He himself had almost died.  

He looked at Eilis and he could not help but smile.  At least some good had come of it. 

[color=a0410d]"Arn, Tyr even you young Miss. Living your life filled with fear and regret will ultimately tarnish your very soul. Try to live and embrace the light as well as the dark, if you fight it, it will in turn only be your own undoing[/color]

The words resonated with him.  Too long had he battled in the dark until the girl he was holding showed up.  Too long had he tried to use his flames as a way to purify the evil in this world.  He had embraced the Shooting Stars Motto of [i]“Shine brightly for other to follow!”[/i].  Had the eldest Venray known that motto?  

Seeing how informed he was regarding current military affairs, it would not be a stretch to assume that the man was well versed in all things martial.  Wounded and cripple he might be but any less deadly he was not.  The speech had made Arn that much more aware that he still needed more power to protect his charge.

[color=ed1c24]"Well, with those wise words. Tyr escort your mother and lead our guests to the dining room. I shall aid your Uncle."[/color]

The stiffness of the atmosphere was broken by the announcement of dinner.  No doubt, the staff was well trained in such matters.  After all, generations of servants had been under the service of generations of Venrays. 

Arn extended his left arm to his lady and placed his right hand protectively upon the back of her hand.  He smiled down at her as she whispered her support and whispered back. [color=0054a6]“My dearest Eilis, it is customary for a knight to come to the maiden’s rescue not vice versa.  However, thankfully for you, I am no knight.  Like we agreed before, I need you as you need me.”[/color]  He winked at her with a slight smile.  

As they followed the Venray family to their respective seating arrangements, Arn considered the prophetic qualities of the speech Uilles had given.  Not only the current war but the very possible visit of the people hunting Eilis was in the horizon.  This was their calm before the storm.  This was their time in the sun before the long knight.  

The mage looked at the his lady and vowed to himself and to her silently that he would be dammed before he let her light be swallowed up by the darkness.  He would burn brighter than the suns in the sky and incinerate all before him.  

The Ex Knight had fanned a flame in him that had started to build since his meeting with Eilis.  Warriors needed men like Uilles to push them to their limits.  The Master Mage would seek the eyes of the older man.  He looked at the Ex Knight Captain with eyes full of respect and deference.  He would bow his head thanks towards the elder Venray as he took his seat.