Until the Bloody End

"DID YOU TRY TO STEAL MY FIRE?!" raged the Dwarf.

The figure held up a black gloved hand. "Oh no friend Dwarf, the wild shaman over there stole it with his portal, Olin is it not?" His hooded head shifted to look at the woosy Olin who had just slumped back to the sandy ground, "I saved it for you master dwarf and now I freely return it to you." and with that the stranger offered the wooden stick to Dim.

Balar made to comment but he was distracted by the exchange between Luna, Caligari and the Ice elf.

"Once we are back to Midgard I’ll leave are little group I should have known better then to follow Balar and Tiella."

Those words from Luna set off a low growl in Balars throat as he shook his head slowly. He watched silently then as Luna defied the witch once again and set about her task of "curing" the ice elf. Her work done she slumped to the ground and Balar moved to kneel by her side. He grabbed a water skin from his pack and handed it to her.

"I almost killed you back there." he said locking his eyes on her own, "That was a thing of madness and will not happen again, but after all of this Luna. He glanced towards the dead body of Tiella, after all we have sacrificed..." he brushed away a tear from his eye, "You came with us by your own choice and the choices you have made since have bound you to us as strong as any blood oath. If you try to leave us before this thing is done as much as I care for you I will kill you. I swear it by the throne of the All Father, and it will not be a thing of madness, it will be a thing of honour. So no more talk of leaving, I will forgive your mistakes but I will not forgive you abandoning us to their consequences. You are with us until the bloody end."

"Oh my dear boy I could not have said it better myself." Balar turned slowly to face the hooded figure by the fire, his heart cold with fear and loathing.

"Remove the hood." he commanded.

"Why of course." the stranger complied drawing back the hood to reveal a patchwork face of blue and white diamonds and a wide smile. His eyes shone bright silver as he met Balars stare.

"Harlequin." Balar spat as he drew Hofund from its scabbard.