“If she wants a husband I’ll have her,” Lonn said boldly, a grin upon his face.

Kele turned, and looked directly at him. “I would die first,” she said. “You have ruined my life, but I would die before I took you as my husband!”

“Thank you,” Vartan said. “You have been a brave lass. Sit now and I will hear from the others involved in this matter.”

Kele’s parents spoke. Yes, Key and Lonn had sought Kele for a wife. They did not like Lonn, but they left the decision to their daughter, who chose wisely. Since the horrific incident they had kept their daughter confined, seeing no one. The next witnesses were those women who had been at the village well when Lonn had been told in no uncertain terms by Kele that she would not have him.

“You are certain she was firm in her intent?” Sholeh asked. “She was not flirting with him as young girls will do?”

“No, lady,” the witness, an older woman, said. “She could not have made it any plainer, but he kept harassing her. Finally a group of us chased him away, for poor Kele was frightened and trembling. Who knew that he would violate the poor lass?” She shook a fist at Lonn. “Curse you! No decent woman will have you now. May your line die out forever! You are a monster!”

“When did the violation occur?” Vartan asked.

“Almost a month ago, my lord,” Kele’s mother said.

“Has the lass had her flow since?” he continued.

The mother nodded, blushing.

“It is possible then that Lonn has done no permanent damage,” Vartan said. “Where is the betrothed?”

“Here, my lord.” A pleasant-faced young man stepped forward.

“Do you wish to sever the betrothal, Key of Rivalen?” Vartan asked.

“No! But they have not let me see her since it happened, my lord. I have not been able to comfort her, or tell her that I love her no matter,” he said in anguished tones. “We are to be wed at the harvest. Our cottage stands ready and waiting for us.” He turned to the girl. “I love you, Kele! Tell me you yet love me!”

“Oh, Key! I love you, too, but my parents said you would not have me now, and that I had brought this shame upon myself by going berrying with my cousin instead of within a group of girls where I would have been safe. They said I was foolish, and had doomed myself to a lifetime of misery,” Kele sobbed.

Key went to the girl’s side, and raising her up enfolded her in his arms. He glared at her parents. “You told her these things? Without consulting with me? I love Kele and I intend wedding her at the harvest as we have been planning for months. All I want is justice from the lord. You will not keep my betrothed wife from me again!”

“Then it is settled, but for the matter of punishment for Lonn,” Vartan said. He looked at the accused. “We have heard from everyone in this matter but you. What have you to say for yourself, Lonn of Rivalen?”

“I wanted her,” he replied. “And when she shamed me before the village I had my revenge on her.” He leered at the lovers. “Do you want to know how she screamed when I thrust into her, Key? And struggled? It was glorious!”

“You do not deny your guilt, then,” Vartan said, a look of revulsion on his face.

“No!”

“Will you repent of your crime, and make amends to Kele?” Vartan asked.

“No! Why should I? The little bitch got what she deserved.”

Lara felt Andraste quivering within its scabbard as it lay across her back.

“Then I condemn you to death for your crime,” Vartan said. “The sentence will be carried out immediately.”

“Let me!” Lara cried out, stepping forward.

A gasp arose from those in the hall, but a small smile flitted across Vartan’s face. He had meant to carry out the sentence himself, but she had said she was capable of killing. Now he would see if she merely boasted, or spoke truth. “Very well, Lara, daughter of Swiftsword. He is yours, and you will execute the sentence. Take him outside, and make him dig his grave in the hillside first.” He stood.

“Do you think she can do it?” Sholeh asked, rising from her seat.

“She says she has killed before, and if she fails, I am here. Come, cousin, and let us see this matter through.” He stepped down from the dais saying to Kele and Key, “You must witness the execution, my young lovers, for only then will you be free of this tragedy, and able to move on with your lives.”

Sholeh’s hall emptied as the villagers, Lonn tightly in their grasp, moved toward the hillside just beyond the village. Once there the condemned man had his hands unshackled but not his ankles. He was given a spade, and began to dig. He did so, singing bawdy songs, and laughing almost maniacally as he dug. Finally the grave was done. He looked at Lara, and licked his lips leeringly.

“I should like to have you beneath me just once, faerie girl,” he said, and he rubbed his crotch with a dirty hand. “I’ll bet you’d scream and struggle nicely for me.”

Lara eyes grew cold. She slipped Andraste from its scabbard, and the blade hummed quite audibly. She looked at the condemned man, and a small smile touched her lips. “Nay, ’tis you who will scream and struggle for me,” she told him. Then she looked to Vartan. “My lord?”

“Put him on his knees,” the lord said dispassionately.

And at that moment Lonn felt icy fear pour over him, certain the faerie girl had bewitched him else he would never be afraid. But he was. He shrieked like a maiden, and struggled against his captors as they forced him to his knees, but he would not bow his head. Lara raised her sword, and he watched in disbelief as the blade swung toward him. He heard the sword singing even as it began to slice his head from his shoulders.

“I am Andraste, and I drink the blood of evil men!”

Lonn’s severed head fell into the newly dug grave. There was a long deep silence, and then the villagers cheered loudly as Lara wiped his blood from her sword on the slain man’s tunic, and sheathed it neatly in its scabbard. She looked to Vartan questioningly.

He nodded his approval. Then with the tip of his boot he kicked Lonn’s body into the grave to join his head. “Whatever worldly goods he had will be given to Kele in reparation,” the lord said. “Now I must leave you, for the ride back to Camdene is a long one.” He turned to Sholeh. “Give the betrothed pair this from me on their wedding day,” he told her, slipping a gold coin into her hand. “Did the monster have kin?”

“None,” Sholeh said.

“Good. None to seek vengeance, or cause difficulty over this unfortunate incident,” Vartan said.

“You were serious last night when you said you meant to marry her?” Sholeh asked him.

“Very serious,” Vartan answered.

“Listen to me, cousin,” the headwoman said. “She does have a destiny, and not an ordinary one. I saw it today in my hall when she calmed Kele. I saw it when she offered to be Lonn’s executioner, and then slew him without fear or remorse. I do not know why she has come to the Outlands, but if she will wed you, remember that even her marriage, a love for you, or the children she gives you will not prevent her from following her destiny when she knows the time is right. You must understand that, or she will break your heart, Vartan,” Sholeh warned him. “You are the first man I loved, and it would pain me to see you harmed in any way, cousin.”

He nodded. “I know what you say to me is truth, Sholeh, but I, too, have a destiny, and she is already mounted upon her stallion. The horse talks, by the way, as does the staff she carried,” he chuckled at his cousin’s surprised look.

“A horse and a staff that talk and a sword that sings.” Sholeh shook her head. “There is much magic about Lara. Has she bewitched you, then?”

“There is no faerie magic in my feelings, cousin. I saw her and my heart was gone from me,” he explained. “She was raised in the City by her all too human father. She did not know her mother until recently. She has little practical magic about her, but I believe she is blest by the faerie kingdom, and protected by the magic of the Shadow Prince who sheltered her, educated her, and saw she had these weapons.”

Sholeh shook her head. “All these years you have been sought after by our most eligible women, but none caught your heartstrings until this faerie girl came into your view. I have to believe it is your fate, Vartan, may the Celestial Actuary help you.” She kissed his rough cheek. “Thank you for your judgment in this dreadful matter. I will speak with Kele’s parents, who are to my mind a pair of fools, but the lovers are at last reunited and the villain dispatched. Ride safely, cousin.”

He kissed her back, and then turning mounted his own horse. “We have a long ride ahead of us, Lara, daughter of Swiftsword,” he said. “We will probably not reach Camdene until after dark, but there will be at least one moon to guide us.”

“I overstepped my bounds,” Lara said as they rode off, “when I came forward so boldly to offer you my services, but the man was despicable, my lord. I ask your pardon.”

“How many have you killed before Lonn?” he asked her.

“Just one. Durga, the Head Forester, who was foolish enough to follow me to Shunnar, the palace of Prince Kaliq, my protector and friend. I slew him without mercy for he had shown me none,” Lara said.

Vartan nodded.

“It is Andraste,” Lara said. “The sword makes me brave, and it will not kill the just, I believe, but only the evil-doers. Lothair, the Shadow Prince, made it and gave it to me. Verica, my staff, is my mother’s gift. And Dasras is Kaliq’s gift to me. They are all I need to meet my destiny, my lord Vartan. When I return with you to Camdene I must make my plans to leave you.”

“I do not believe it is time for you to leave me yet, Lara, daughter of Swiftsword,” he told her, “but we will speak on it tomorrow if you like.” He must not make her feel that he was constraining her, but he knew in his heart that he could not let her go.