Son of Zaoldyeck

Essence of the Blade seemed to open a whole new world to Robi, new faces and places, meeting people she would remain friends with forever it seemed. With Owyn rapidly rising through the ranks she saw less of him than she would have liked, however when they did meet it was like they had never been apart, always laughing and playing around lost in their own world that consisted of two.
"So soon..." she whispered in the half light of the early morning as she lay in bed watching Owyn as washed and dressed ready to head back to the ongoing conflict in Wintergrasp.
"'Fraid so gorgeous, but hopefully won't be for long and I'll be back before you know it," he replied as he shouldered his shield.
But not for long stretched to weeks, luckily her meetings and the like with Essence of the Blade, eased her loneliness and filled her time. It was during this absence she also got to know key members of The Knights of Lordaeron.Oh she knew of them of course, who hadn't?But the close ties between them and The Blades meant she found herself working closely alongside them on many occasions.
She found herself in a companionable group and friendships were formed, now rather than go home to the cottage in Loch Modan or to idly kick her heels around Dalaran, her free time was spent in Goldshire with her new found friends, Langlam and his on-off girlfriend Iselinn, Hollye Zeal, Erethorn Lorath, Calahan Scully and the myriad of females that followed him around hoping for a crumb of attention from him, and little Helmut Spoon, the SI:7 gnome.
She looked at him closely, she supposed she could see why he was popular, immensely good looking, if a bit old, I mean he must have been pushing thirty. His eyes always seemed to hold a flirtatious sparkle and he did seem to have a knack of making every female think that the playful, appreciative half smile that always played around his mouth was just for them. And light..his hair, she would -kill- for hair like that, although it was a nondescript brown in colour, it shone with vitality and condition, always tied back in an immaculate ponytail, she would have given her right arm..well nearly...to unfasten it, see it cascade over his shoulders and then run her hands through it and brush it. Once or twice she nearly asked if she could but never quite dared.
Surprisingly it was with Cal that she struck up a friendship with, not a close intimate one but more a teasing almost childish one. They'd goad each other and set silly challenges, bets and dares.
Wow though he was competitive, every challenge set he went all out to win, she still smiled the day she'd offered to arm-wrestle him, he'd been mining all of that day and had been tired and muscles aching and she had won. He'd -not- been happy and sat grumbling to himself "beaten by a little girl...."
Maybe it had been that comment, "little girl" that had prompted her to visit Stormwind and on impulse had her hair cut and styled, gone was the unruly tumble of hair that she had always scraped back into a ponytail, instead replaced with a sleek style that framed her face yet still kept the length she loved. A visit to the clothier and the battered worn leathers were replaced by well fitting tailored trousers and a figure hugging shirt.
As she walked back to Goldshire she was amazed at the reaction, wolf whistles and often lewd comments followed her.
Gone was the scruffy looking girl, replaced at last by a surprisingly attractive young woman.
And Calahan noticed.
Their previously childish friendship now took on a harmless flirting tone and she found herself flirting back. Nothing serious or with intent on either side, they knew each other too well for that, but it added to the fun.
Owyn wrote to her and explained he'd been given an extended tour and wouldn't be back as arranged. She sighed with disappointment, it had been months now since she saw him, and from the letter it sounded as if it could be months again. She wrote back, telling him she loved and missed him and would wait his return, she scribbled her news such as it was. "Cal this...then Cal that...Cal...Cal...Cal..."

A week or so after that, they had all returned to the inn after a strenuous days hunting and battling, gratefully they all took up relaxed positions around the fire and drinks were ordered.
Robi sat with her back against the fireplace, savouring its soothing warmth on her aching shoulders. Cal had punched her shoulder-pad a couple of times then grinned at her as he rested his head against it, sprawling out by the fire.
Cheeky sod she'd thought but let it go, using it instead as an excuse to finally get to play with that ponytail. She wound her hand in the silky softness, he didn't object so as she sipped her drink she idly played with the sacred locks.Her eyes half closed with weariness.
"Mmm" sighed Robi "Smooth bourbon, warm fire...what else could we want"
"A kiss from a pretty girl?" said Cal giving her a wink.
She laughed and poked his side. "Idiot..."

"So this is Calahan" a voice sailed over the inn.
Robi's eyes shot open and she smiled widely
"Owyn!" she said and quickly put her drink down.
Cal opened one eye lazily and grunted the affirmative.
"Get your filthy hands off my wife"
Robi's eyes widened, she'd never heard Owyn speak like that to anyone.
Cal grinned and slowly raised his head from her shoulder.
"Owyn...." she started then stopped as Owyns steely, angry eyes turned to look at her.
"Hey Hey mate...it's not" Cal started
"Do -not- call me "mate"" Owyn replied his voice now coldly angry "Get away from my wife..NOW!"
Cal laughed and looked at Owyn.
"And if I don't?"
All Robi heard was a dull crack and saw Cal stagger back holding his face. Looking up she saw Owyn standing white faced with fury, his fist still clenched.
"Owyn...." she gasped "What did you do that for? theres nothing going on with me and Cal...."
Cal shook his head to clear it and stood upright wiggling his jaw.
"Not a bad punch ...." he said
"OWYN NO!" shouted Robi as she saw Owyns arm draw back and let fly another blow at Cals face.
"Gods, Cal are you ok?" asked Robi concerned turning to help him stay upright. "Owyn for lights sake stop it.."
"Stop it? Stop it?" Owyn almost shouted "I come back to see you and find you sprawled all over...that"
"I was not!" Robi sounded shocked
"No mate, was me resting on...." Cal was silenced as another fist flew. "Ok Ok big guy..lets settle this outside..with blades"
Owyn looked at Cal with unveiled contempt and fury.
"Owyn please..calm down" she stood beside him and placed a hand on his arm "Theres nothing between me and Cal, never has been never will be, we're just friends"
Owyn looked at her and she baulked slightly, Owyn was furious, "seeing red" came to mind, he really looked as if his anger had taken over and was incapable of rational thought.
"Look" she tried to rationalise "Lets just go home and sort this out"
"Yeah" added Cal "He's obviously too scared to take it outside..."
Robi sighed as Owyns fist drew back again. "NO! NO! OWYN STOP IT"
Cal feinted to one side, dodging any incoming blow and smirking.

By this time the whole inn was looking at the spectacle Robi wished the ground would swallow her.
"Tell him Cal, theres nothing going on between us" she pleaded.
"Told him lass..." Cal grinned at her
Owyn unclenched his fist and looked at Robi then Cal.
"I haven't the patience for this" he growled, his fury still evident and he turned to leave. Robi went to follow but he raised his hand. "I don't believe you..either of you" and strode angrily from the inn.
Robi stood dumbfounded and watched him leave.
"He doesn't believe me...." she whispered, she felt devastated. She'd never so much as looked at anyone else before, she was married to Owyn..forsaking all others...she was hurting inside more than she thought possible.
"Let him cool down lass...." Cals voice
"No ..gotta sort it" she cried and dashed from the inn.
Owyn it seemed had gone, she ran to the city, but found no sign. Perhaps she'd best go home see if he was there.
Then the hurt was slowly replaced by anger, how could he have thought she would...? How dare he think I would....! The more she replayed it in her head "I don't believe you....""I don't believe you...." the more her anger and indignation rose.
She walked back to Goldshire, her indignation still festering.
"Better say sorry to Cal" she thought. "Wasn't his fault"
The inn was empty
"Ah well" she thought and made to walk back when she saw Cal turn the corner and head back to the inn.
She caught him up in the entrance passage.
She tried to apologise, her cheeks flushing with shame as she saw the bruise forming on his jaw. Her anger with Owyn rose further.
"'S' alright lass, not your fault" he grinned "packs a fair punch that old man of yours"
"Yes..but he had no right..." Robi fumed "He said he didnt believe me...."
"Aye bit harsh there"
"Ive a good mind...." she started
Cal raised an eyebrow,
She looked up and smiled
"You still want that kiss then?" she found herself saying
Cal laughed lightly, looked her appraisingly, bit his lip and nodded.
Anger guiding her actions she stood on her tiptoes and brushed her lips lightly over Cals.
"Ther...." she started but broke off as Cals mouth found hers and kissed her hard and hungrily, his arms grabbing her waist and pulling her hard up against her.
Robi felt a moment of panic, but Cals arms around her, the kiss hot and heady she found herself relax and give in to the moment.
He withdrew from the kiss with a grin
"That was nearly worth the punch " he said.
"Only nearly?" she laughed back "Then maybe this will pay the rest"
She ran her arms over his shoulders and pressed her lips to his again, this time kissing him as he had kissed her, again he dragged her into him.
"Might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb" she whispered huskily
"Aye..."
and with that they sunk into yet another fiery hungry kiss, neither of them noticing the silver haired paladin watch them with complete and utter devastation before turning and walking slowly away, dropping a single red rose onto the road and grinding into the dirt with his boot.

Robi fretted, she hadn't seen Owyn for weeks now, but more worrying was that she hadn't heard from him either. She'd written several times and still nothing. He wasn't at home and the chill in the rooms told her he hadn't been back in some time and she'd seen neither hide nor hair of him Dalaran.
Although she'd never seen Owyn so angry as he had been that night, she somehow couldn't believe he was still angry over her sitting with Cal in The Lion's Pride. She thought about the trampled Rose she'd found that night she'd kissed Cal in a fit of indignation at Owyns anger.
A sinking feeling in her stomach that made her feel physically sick, it couldn't have been, surely not...she dismissed the idea, but the feeling remained, wouldn't go and somewhere somehow she knew....

It was still more weeks before she laid eyes on Owyn again, he walked into Goldshire and looked at her, almost as if he was expecting to see her with Cal. Truth was that after she'd kissed him that night, they'd gone back to their old friendship, goading and teasing, true their flirting was sometimes a little outrageous but it had stayed that way, friends, it was as if she knew what had happened that night was just the moment, it had happened and nothing could be done to change it, so effectively that was that. Chapter closed.

"We should talk" Owyn said
Robi nodded and followed him out to the lakeside.
"I saw what happened.." he started
Robi nodded.
"I'm sorry Owyn..I was angry with you when you said you didn't believe me...and I couldn't find you..." she tried to explain "But thats all it was I kissed him..nothing else...."
She looked him in the eyes but couldn't hold his gaze, the hurt deep within them cut her to the core.
He nodded
"I believe you..." he said smiling wanly. "I kinda believed you then too, but I was just too mad to let myself"
"That hurt when you said that" she responded.
"But I can't forget it Robi, I see it over and over again...you kissed him because you were angry...I understand that, but also Robi you kissed him again because you wanted to..."
"No..."
"I saw it and I know what I saw..."
"It was a kiss in anger Owyn..thats all..."
She felt herself getting defensive and battled with herself to quell it.
"Youre sorry you hurt me that I know, youre sorry you betrayed me, but deep down you cant say youre sorry it happened..." he said
Robi shook her head.
"Ive said it how it was Owyn..I wish I hadn't done it, I'd give anything for it not to have happened at all" she looked at him. "What are we going to do?"
"I don't know Robi, I can't forget what I saw, the betrayal cuts through me, I just don't know" he replied sounding drained
"It was hardly betrayal Owyn, it was a kiss, nothing more..youre reading too much into it, Ive said Im sorry I can't do anymore, I made a mistake...but you were the catalyst when you betrayed me with your disbelief"
He looked sharply at her.
"I betrayed you?"

And so it went, every argument and counter argument saw both of them become more exasperated and indignant with each other. The "crime" each had perpetrated in the eyes of the other growing in stature with every sentence.
"Well maybe I wouldn't have been with Cal in the first place if you spent more time at home, instead of running into battle all the time or running through old castles looking for remnants of Kael'whatsisface....or stuff like that.." she snapped
"Perhaps if you had made more of an effort to join me in these ventures,instead of sitting around Dalaran being the martyr, you may not have felt the need to run to Cal..."
"Your friends are odd, and they don't like me anyway, why would I want to help them?"
"You don't let them like you...."
"Owyn you were getting as boring as they are..." she huffed and their discussion closed.

They met a few times afterwards, both trying to heal the rift and save their marriage.
But too much had been said, too many wounds opened and both too proud to be the one to say I was wrong forgive me. To proud and stubborn to see what they were doing to each other.
Owyn stuck to his wounded pride and betrayal stance, convinced she had kissed Cal "because she wanted to"
Robi saying she had said all she could to convince him and after all it had been "just a kiss".

Neither prepared to give an inch either way.
"I should have done this sooner..."Owyn said holding her lightly by the shoulder. His lips touched hers tenderly as he pressed his wedding ring into her hand. "Goodbye Robi"
She stood holding his ring and looked up at him as he turned to mount his horse.
Run after him you fool, tell him sorry, beg him to forgive you..her thoughts screamed but her pride stayed her voice. Instead she forced a shrug and let the ring drop to the ground.
"yeah sure bye Dudley..." she said lightly "See you around maybe"

She watched him him ride away, the certain he was gone she ran to the lake and silently broke her heart.
https://youtu.be/mEszTzdUMcY