[center][b][h2][color=silver]Erik Elfhame Ostriecher V[/color][/h2][/b]
[i]Mistmoor Stronghold
With: Tarrian Kar, Lady Victory[/i][/center]

[indent]A subtle, yet undeniable shade of red hinted in Erik's face as Tarrian committed herself to his company. He simply acknowledged her confidence with bobbing nod of the head before setting his way back onto his path to the main guardhouse. [color=silver]"Your progress has been notable,"[/color] he said. [color=silver]"Likely why my father has been pushing you as hard he has."[/color] If Tarrian's goal was indeed to become a knight, she was both well on her way and had much work to do. 

Looking at the setting sun, Erik hastened his pace. Not so much as to leave Tarrian behind, but enough to ensure he wouldn't be delayed by others; a few other knights and guardsmen passed by the pair, but all of them simply acknowledged them without word. As the pair would close in on Erik’s destination, he turned to Tarrian. [color=silver] “If you’re going to evade the guards, now is the ti--”[/color]

He cut off his sentence abruptly. A breeze riled the stillness of the dusk. Usually a sudden breeze would be of no concern; the weather in the mountains was rarely so stable. But this wind sent a chill upon him that cut deeper than his skin. Then the birds erupted from the edge of the woods just beyond the wall. Another chill followed. Erik pulled his eyes towards the treeline, and then along the wall where a guard screamed in terror before collapsing into a lump of cloth and metal. 

A rush of monsters came upon the gate below, thrashing and clawing at the thick wood. A pair of archers from within the wall let loose their arrows from either side, striking their marks, but failing to kill them before they too cried in fear, their next arrows falling from their bows to the ground outside of the wall. Erik searched along the trees for the source of the duress. Swiftly, he found the golden eyes standing among the outskirts of the woods, and the woman they belonged to standing still like a spectre in the coming night. The Light Bearer battled the fear pressuring against his will and turned to Tarrian. 

[color=silver]“Go to the guardhouse and raise the alarms. Consider it a step towards Knighthood.”[/color] As for Erik, he made haste to the nearest steps down to the gate, where he began the effort bracing the doors against the attacking monsters.[/indent]