"Then..." Tess looked rather disappointed, but he understood. The risks for Percival were too great. "...If you won't help, who will?" That brow furrowed and he was frowning even more. "No one will do a damn thing, as long as it doesn't interfere with their happiness why should they?" That disappointment had given way to anger. His hands clenched into tight fists. "...Fine then...I will do something about it myself.....I'll poison him..or something equally as nasty just to get rid of him...People like him do not need to live." Tes'shiran whirled on his feet and began to stalk off angrily towards Roderick's encampment.

Percival avoided looking at Tess until he snapped. He shot up and raced after him, "Tess, stop! What sort of good would it do you, hm? To throw your life away just to rid the world of one nasty man? There are worse men out there, Tess. It won't do any good to throw it away for a rather tame one!"

He stopped in front of him to try and make him stop, "Don't do this, Tess. Roderick will get what is coming to him, but not by your hand."

Tess did stop, for now. Eyeing Percival with anger and disappointment. "It's worth it to me. At least I will have made a small difference, maybe." He seemed just a little uncertain near the end. That uncertainty faded quickly though. Those blue eyes hard with anger and fixated on Percival. "Is that what you say to make yourself feel better for your own inaction? Justifying it with an excuse like..'oh..he'll get what he deserves one day..eventually..so I'll just sit here and twiddle my thumbs until it happens.' "

Percival glared down at Tess for a long moment. His own inactions were not because of fear. He didn't give a damn what happened to himself. He worried about what would happen to those he loved if he were no longer fit, or even alive, to care for them.

For a moment, Percival seemed to get slightly taller and his muscles bulged as he clenched his fist. He exhaled sharply through his nose, "Fine. You do whatever the hell you think is right. But when all hell breaks lose, do not dare run back to me for help. Bring my family into this scrap, Tes'shiran, and I will side with the Duke in whatever punishment he decides for you."

Percival moved passed Tess toward his tents. The small one was standing just outside her tent and as he approached, she mumbled something about the promise of a story and the two disappeared into the tent together.

Tes'shiran stood there..blinking..at first he had thought Percival was going to skin him alive, he was slightly surprised when Percival didn't get physical with him. It seemed, Percival could handle his anger better than Tess could. All rational thought had gone from Tess' head when he got angry but now he was just standing there looking a bit dumbfounded and feeling extremly foolish. Tes'shiran fell to the ground and wept.

Percival was such a kind man and he had said some mean things to him, Percival had only been trying to protect him and he wouldn't listen. If he tried to act on his own, there would be no one to help him..and he couldn't really do anything anyway. Tes'shiran wept mostly for how horrible he had acted towards Lord Percival and partly for how helpless and useless he felt.

Naerwen was fed up left with waiting and her legs felt restless. She left Azara's camp slowly and wandered off. She passed her own, barely glancing to it. Her stomach churned, fear bubbling inside of her, as if she feared Roderick would appear at any second and drag her off. She passed, though, without any problems. As she rounded the corner, though, she heard something she didn't expect. Crying. Her eyes settled on Tess, whom sat on the ground, crying hard. She rushed to him and knelt down, laying a hand on his upper back, "Tess? What happened? What's wrong?"

Tes'shiran jumped slightly at Naerwen's light touch. He hadn't heard her approach and it startled him just a little. He blinked softly and rubbed his face hard with his hands as if to get rid of any traces of his crying. He inhaled deeply, trying to quickly get himself under control..for the most part it worked. There were still tears in his eyes when he looked at Naerwen. "I..." He began lightly. "...I am such a horrible person.." Tess turned his head, not looking at her anymore. "..I'm so useless and weak...And Lord Percival was being so kind to me and all I did was say mean things to him." He frowned deeply, turning to Naerwen and rather suddenly taking her hand in both of his. "I want to protect you from Lord Roderick...but...there isn't anything I can do.."

Naerwen frowned as he spoke, then wriggled and sat down on her bottom next to him. She laid her head on his shoulder and sighed, "Oh, Tess. You're not weak. We all have these moments. And as for Roderick, maybe there is nothing we can do. Lady Azara said she will fight to purchase me, but I do not believe it will work." She grumbled slightly and sighed again, "I am wondering if I should just throw myself upon Roderick's mercy and take what he gives me. Whether that be freedom or the wish that I had never been born."

Tess was still frowning a bit when Naerwen sat down next to him and laid her head on his shoulder. For awhile he was silent, just enjoying Naerwen's company and the closeness to each other. "We could run away...You and I...We could go somewhere far away." He had tilted his head back and was looking at the sky as he spoke those words. He sounded sincere and he was. Sincere and a bit determined. If he couldn't fight for her, then maybe he could steal her away.

Naerwen closed her eyes and smiled. She cuddled into his side and nuzzled her cheek against his shoulder. She frowned lightly, though, when he talked about running away, "Where would we go? ..How would we live? Always looking over our shoulders and sleeping with one eye open? Is that a life you want, Tess?" She hated to say it like that. She really did. Her heart warmed and fluttered thinking about running away and living free. And it warmed her even more to know Tess would risk so much for her. But not just for her, he suffered greatly at Roderick's hands, too.

Tes'shiran sighed softly, it was foolish. He was foolish. "...No..." He pouted softly and closed his eyes. "I guess..I didn't really think about that.." Tess hesitated a moment and slipped his arm around Naerwen, holding her close. "I just wish there was something I could do...some way to fight back. It isn't right, the things he does, and no one seems to want to do anything about it."

Naerwen sighed, "I know, Tess. People turn the other cheek unless they are directly affected. We are just going to have to grit our teeth and hope for the best." She wriggled and stretched her legs. She looked up to the sky and smiled, "It's pretty out tonight."

Tes'shiran nodded slightly agreeing with her, that people were just going to ignore things that didn't directly involve them. He smiled softly, those blue eyes drifting to look at her for a moment. "No matter how bright the stars shine, they could never compare to or outshine your beauty." He had whispered those words softly, almost as if he were afraid to let her hear them. Tess bit his bottom lip.

Naerwen giggled lightly, "Oh, Tess, you flatterer." She smiled to him and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek, then looked to the sky again, trying to pick out the constallations that she knew of.

Tes'shiran blinked owlishly when she kissed him on the cheek. A light blush coloring those cheeks. "Ah..uhm..heh.." He blinked some more and looked up at the sky, feeling more than just a little flustered. Tess hadn't expected her to do something like that, he wasn't displeased, just caught of guard and now...he wasn't sure what she expected of him. He looked up at the sky, smiling just lightly.

She laid her head back on his shoulder and yawned lightly, "It's been a long day, Tess. Perhaps we should get home to get some sleep, hm?" She wriggled again and stretched her back. "Roderick will be returning soon and we should get back."

Tes'shiran sighed softly, nodding slightly. "...Your right..We probably should go.." But Tess made no movement to get up. Not yet at least. He was too comfortable and this was too perfect to end so soon. All good things must come to a close though. Still, he didn't move. He really wasn't ready go yet, even though he knew Naerwen was right.

Naerwen yawned again and slowly pulled away. She got slowly to her feet and dusted her behind off. She turned and offered Tess a hand. She smiled gently to him.

Naerwen had risen, so now he had to get up too. He frowned slightly for a moment, then smiled to her. Taking the offered hand and standing. With his free hand, he dusted himself off just a bit. Tess didn't feel much like returning to Roderick's camp, but then he didn't really have a choice did he? Mostly he wanted Naerwen to be free. He reached over and stroked the side of her face with his fingers for a moment. "If I could give the wings of an eagle, you would be free. You could fly so far and so fast and leave all of this behind you forever."

Naerwen smiled again and suddenly wrapped her arms around his middle. She hugged him tightly, "Your concern and compassion means a lot to me, Tess. It really does. But you must be concerned with yourself as well, Tess. Roderick isn't exactly kind to you either."

Tes'shiran was blushing again. Naerwen was hugging him, and like the gentle chaste kiss, it had startled him. It was not unpleasant though. For a moment he seemed uncertain though, then he put his arms around her and hugged her gently in return. She was so warm and soft. Tess inhaled deeply. "Roderick isn't kind to anyone, but I'll be fine...What hurts me the most, is seeing how unhappy you are and being unable to do anything about it."

She smiled again and gave him a gentle squeeze. She slowly pulled away and looked up at him. She placed another chaste kiss on his cheek, then moved back toward the camp again, pulling him gently along, "Come, Tess. I will give you some pillows from the wagon tonight. You will sleep much better than you have as of late."

He was blushing furiously when she kissed him again. Then she was pulling away from him and starting towards camp. They were still holding hands. Tess smiled almost dreamily for a moment and then seemed to regain himself. Still blushing he walked alongside of her. "Pillows?" He blinked shaking his head lightly. "You..don't need to do that..really. You might get in trouble for it.."

She shrugged, "I do not care. Besides, don't you rise much earlier than he does? You can return them before he wakes. What he does not know, will not get us whipped." Naerwen glanced up at him, a small, devious smile on her lips. She seemed a bit braver that night. Perhaps it was the full moon.

Tes'shiran nodded lightly. "I suppose you are right." He seemed to be considering it for a few moments. "..Alright..." That devious smile, it caused him to smile too. It really was a wonderful night. Probably the best in a long time.