((Contains imagery some may find disturbing.))

The sun came up over the lake, banishing the gray of night and setting the sky alight in shades of pink and orange as the world came slowly to life after a long night's rest. Inside the cottage that stood near the lake, a man stirred. He had already been awake for hours, unable to sleep, nerves wound too tightly. It was the way he always felt before a battle, not knowing if he was going to live or die. It was different this time, and the anxiety he was feeling was for a far different reason, but it was that same pins and needles feeling, that nagging fear that something would go wrong.

Not this time, Duncan told himself as he paced the floor, anxiously awaiting the dawn and the imminent arrival of his loved ones. The sooner, the better. If Marissa could open the portal from here, they could easily make their escape without Stefan's notice. Duncan had been careful this time. He had thought of everything, and yet, he knew only too well that even the best laid plans sometimes went awry, especially where he was concerned. He'd once thought it was a curse, but not anymore. Life was what you made of it - it was as simple as that. He had wasted enough time wallowing in self-pity; he wasn't going to waste anymore.

His breakfast lay mostly untouched upon the table - a cup of tea, fried eggs, sausage, biscuits, and a bit of cheese. But for the tea, he had hardly touched it, as anxious as he was. He could hardly believe his luck - after all these years, she still loved him and he had a son. He paused in his pacing to take a peek out the window, not daring to step outside just yet, lest someone should see him and inform Stefan. Stefan, that bastard. He had made Duncan's life miserable from the first moment they'd met, pretending to be his friend when he was anything but. More importantly, he had hurt Mara, mistreated and abused her, and for that Duncan sorely wanted him to pay. Where in bloody blazes were they' Where was Marissa" She had gone out hours ago, claiming she'd be back by dawn.

The sound of horses' hooves against the dawn-touched grass was familiar enough to be ignored - Lake Silvermere was a popular destination for morning rides among those who maintained houses out here. But there was an urgency to the thunder of the hooves that drew closer, a sense of barely contained panic that did not still as those hooves clattered to a halt before the forgotten cottage. Footsteps ran into the house, and before Duncan could really have a chance to react, his son came barreling into view, tears streaming down his face. The little boy threw himself at his father, wrapping his arms tight around Duncan as he sobbed, his words incoherent in his panic and upset.

As on edge as Duncan was, he started at every sound, even if hoof-beats were a common sound this time of the morning, but he couldn't miss the sound of those same hoof-beats stopping as they neared the cottage. His heart beat hard in his chest as he waited for the door to open, hoping it was Mara and Rob. The sooner they arrived, the sooner this long nightmare would be over. Before he had a chance to react, there was Rob, rushing into the cottage and into his father's arms. Taken aback as Duncan was, at first, he thought the boy was just happy to see him, until he quickly realized his son was crying, sobbing incoherently. Duncan's heart froze in his chest, fearing the worst. Where was Mara" Elise" Marissa" He went down on one knee and took the boy by the shoulders, drawing him away so that he could see his face. "Robert, what?s wrong" Tell me what?s happened."

Something had very clearly frightened the child out of his wits, a dull red mark on his cheek enough to prove that someone had raised their hand to him not so very long ago. As Robert sobbed, trying to come out with something more coherent than garbled references to his mother, another step announced a second presence. Elise leaned heavily in the doorway, battered and bruised herself, her eyes heavy with anger and fear. "It's Stefan," she told Duncan in a dull tone. "He came to the house. He took Mara."

They were soon joined by a young woman with long brown hair and vivid green eyes. She looked like she was hardly more than a teenager herself and yet, there was something old and wise about her that made her seem older than her years. She listened quietly as Elise gave Duncan the news, but instead of anger and fear, her expression only showed sadness.

As for Duncan, his face darkened with rage and hatred, as he realized what had happened. The bastard had apparently raised a hand to his son and even to Elise, and had taken the one thing from him more precious than any other - Mara. "Where did he take her?" Duncan demanded, rising to his feet, that look of barely repressed rage flashing in his eyes, even as he wrapped a protective arm around his son.

"Oh, gods," the girl who had remained silent up until now muttered to herself. It was all playing out all over again.

"The city," Elise told him painfully. "He doesn't have long before the Triad act, but I know him. He doesn't need a long time to break her, especially if his sister is waiting for him." She swallowed, easing herself down onto the nearest seat with a quiet groan as Rob tucked himself tighter into Duncan's arms, whimpering quietly in his distress. He had seen Stefan's violence only once before, but never had it been directed at him.

"Does he know I'm here?" he asked, wishing he had time to tend to their wounds, to wipe his son's tears, to assure them that everything was all right, but Duncan was a man of action, and Mara's life was likely depending on it. He didn't need to ask where Stefan would be, or why his sister might be there with him. One was as dangerous as the other, as lethal as vipers.

"Duncan!" Marissa broke in, stepping further into the room. "It happened this way before. If he knows you're here, he's using her as bait."

"Before?" Elise frowned, her confusion evident on her face as she looked at the girl she'd seen only from a distance once before. "What do you mean, before" He's never used her as anything but a punching bag." Shaking her head, she looked to Duncan sharply. "I think he must know you're here, Master Duncan. It came too fast for us to be aware of it, and ....the Triad aren't the only ones with eyes in that house."

Duncan clutched Rob tighter, though there was nothing he could do to ease his pain or fears until he was sure Mara was safe. "And if I don't take the bait, he'll kill her," Duncan countered, knowing Stefan - and Leandra - well enough to know they'd like nothing better than to cause him pain and suffering by taking away the one thing he loved most in all the world. "This has gone on long enough. It ends today," he said, clenching his jaw in grim resignation. If he had to kill Stefan in cold blood, so be it. He let go of the boy long enough to retrieve his sword belt and fasten it around his waist.

"There's no time to explain now," Marissa said to Elise, stepping forward and laying a hand on Duncan's arm, obvious fondness in her eyes for the man, like a younger sister might to a much loved older brother. "I'm going with you."

"Nae, you're not," Duncan told her as he adjusted the sword at his hip. "If I'm not back by sunset, you are to open the portal and take them to safety. Is that understood?"

Marissa looked from Duncan to Elise to Rob, her gaze settling on the boy for a long moment. She had known him before - an older Rob, closer to her own age than this boy who stood before her now who looked so like his father, even so young. She knew she couldn't deny him, and she slowly nodded her head. If anything happened to Duncan and Mara, she would take Rob to safety. "You have my word," she replied solemnly.

Stefan didn't spare a glance upward for his sister, focused on Duncan, his jaw set in fury. For a moment, it seemed as though there really was nothing more he could say. "Tell me, Duncan ....how does it feel to know your son has grown up believing himself to be mine?"

Duncan's gaze darted briefly to the landing, gratified to find Mara getting the better of Leandra, but his gaze didn't linger long - not long enough for Stefan to take advantage. "He's not grown yet, Stefan," Duncan reminded his rival quietly, almost too quietly - the calm before the storm. "How does it feel to know I have only known him a night and he already loves me and hates you?"

Stefan let out a roar, charging at Duncan, sword raised. This had all begun with his desire to be loved by Mara over Duncan, and that last barb cut deep. He knew in his spiteful heart that Robert would never believe him to be his father now that Duncan was returned.

How Stefan could have ever thought Mara or Rob would love him when all he'd ever done was mistreat them was beyond Duncan's reckoning. Maybe later there would be time for remorse, time for regret, but right now, all that was important was saving Mara's life. Even revenge and vindication for all the years of pain and heartache and humiliation were unimportant compared to this. Sword struck sword with a metallic hiss, as Duncan raised his own blade to meet that of his mortal enemy, no longer the timid boy whose heart had been broken. He had become a man in whose hand a sword was a lethal weapon.

Though Stefan was nowhere near Duncan's level what it came to mastery over the weapon, his fury lent him a strength that gave him a fighting chance, if only for a little while. He pushed and kicked, little or no skill in his style as swords clashed. "I'll kill you," he promised, already struggling for breath as he snarled once again. "I'll make it slow, and I'll make you watch your whore die before your eyes."

Of course, that would all depend on whether or not Mara was actually killable. A thump from above them suggested that Leandra was finally beginning to learn what happened when you pressed a mother too hard.

As for Duncan, he met each of Stefan's thrusts and jabs with one of his own, parrying, spinning, striking back; stepping out of the way when Stefan got too close. It quickly became apparent that Duncan was the better swordsman. This was child's play compared to what he'd faced in battle, and though Stefan couldn't see them, Duncan bore the scars to prove it. While Stefan became winded, Duncan hardly lost his breath.

"Brave words for a man who's had too much soft living. Tell me, Stefan, when was the last time you lifted a hand to anyone who wasn't a woman or a child?" Duncan drove him back, pressing the man hard, but almost toying with him now. He could have gone for the kill any time, but he was almost enjoying taunting him, and from the sounds above his head, he had a feeling Mara was doing the same.

Winded, yes, but burning off his fury, Stefan lunged for Duncan once again. His sword clashed against that of his opponent harmlessly, but it was the other hand that needed watching. It dropped to his waist, drawing a short, wicked-looking dagger from his belt, plunging it toward Duncan's sword arm, desperate for even a small advantage by this point.

Despite his experience, Duncan wasn't expecting the dagger. Maybe he was distracted by the two women above them or maybe he was just having too much fun taunting Stefan, but the dagger took him by surprise, tearing through cloth and flesh and drawing first blood. Duncan dropped back a moment in obvious pain, a dark stain spreading across the sleeve of his torn shirt, but the wound only infuriated him further. "If you think me an easy kill, you are sadly mistaken," he warned the other man.

Stefan danced back, the sword heavy in his hand, blood glistening on the blade of his dagger. "First blood is mine," he hissed in triumph. "How does it feel, Duncan, to know I've drawn the blood of every person you love?"

From above came a strangled curse that could only have come from Mara, and the juddering thump of bodies tumbling partway down the stairs. Duncan's golden-haired lover had a handful of Leandra's dark hair, dragging the other woman down with her as they slithered painfully over the wooden steps.

Stefan's words only enraged Duncan further, but he was smart enough to know that was the point of it. Instead of losing his temper, like most men would and charging into the fray, he only set his jaw and moved the sword from his right to his left hand. Few knew what had become of Duncan after he'd left Dreven all those years ago; few knew he had been trained by the best and had honed his skills many times in battle since then. Right or left hand made no difference to Duncan; both hands were equally skilled.

"I will have last blood," he said in a tone of voice that was dangerously cold and emotionless. He heard the ruckus on the stairs, but drove it from his mind, completely focused on the enemy in front of him as he drove forward, slashing his blade to meet Stefan's.

The ice in Duncan's voice finally seemed to break through Stefan's anger, his fear finally coming to the fore as he found himself looking death in the eye. Like the coward he was, he turned to run, casting his dagger directly at Duncan's face in a futile bid to buy time for his escape. Yet he turned just in time to see Mara grasp hold of his sister's head and twist with vicious strength. The crack of bone shearing seemed very loud in that moment. The dark-haired woman barely made a sound as she slumped forward, her body pushed down the steps to land in a crumpled heap at her brother's feet.

Duncan easily ducked the thrown knife - a child's move in a fight between men, proving which of them was the better warrior and the better man. He sprang after Stefan as he tried to make his escape, more out of fear for Mara than anything else. From the look on Stefan's face, he knew he had already won, and the body slumped at the man's feet only proved it further. Stefan had lost everything, and all because of his own greed and jealousy and hatred. Duncan looked down at the slumped body of the woman who was Stefan's sister and lowered his sword, a look of pity crossing his face for both brother and sister, neither of whom would ever know the kind of love he shared with Mara and their son.

As the man stood there, shaken not only by the man at his back, but by the body of his sister lying at his feet, Mara dragged herself onto her own feet. Bruised and limping, she stalked down the stairs until she was level with Stefan, glaring into the horrified fear that dominated his eyes. "Like I said," she snapped. "You're a slug wrapped in diamonds you had to steal."

As her hated husband looked up at her, she drew back her fist and punched him as hard as she could. Stefan reeled back with a grunt of pain, seemingly shocked that the woman who had allowed him to beat her so badly over the past decade had finally had enough. Mara swallowed, turning away to lean against the bannister. She didn't see the murder rise in Stefan's eyes, or the surge of motion as he raised his sword, lunging at her back.

Hoisting Rob higher on her hip, Mara stroked his hair, looking around worriedly. "Where's Elise?" she asked, concern flooding her that perhaps her beloved friend hadn't made it out of the house at all.

"I'm here," the familiar voice made itself known, and Elise came into view, a laden basket over one arm. She'd packed every scrap of food she could find in the little cottage, as well as a few blankets. "It isn't much, but I've got what little gold we have, too."

Marissa would have assured them they didn't need even the gold, but there was no time. They could only take with them what few possessions they could carry through the portal, and she found Duncan contemplating the horse. She smiled gently, touched by his apparent love for the big black beast. "You can bring him along. He'd be lost without you," she said, as if somehow she knew. And then she moved off a few paces and pulled something out from beneath her blouse, her lips moving silently, as her hands wove invisible sigils in the air.

With Rob finally quieting against her shoulder, Mara came to stand beside Duncan. She didn't know what was about to happen, only that somehow they were going to leave Dreven behind them entirely and would never be able to return, even if they wanted to. She felt Elise come to stand at her shoulder, sliding her free hand into Duncan's as they watched Marissa murmuring to herself.

Somehow Duncan sensed it wasn't going to take Marissa long to do whatever it was she'd come here to do, but he felt Mara's fingers touch his and he turned to face her, his heart lurching at the sight of her and their son right there beside him. They might be beaten and battered and emotionally exhausted, but they were alive, and that was more than he could have ever hoped for. "Love you," he murmured to them both, but before either of them could reply, a sound almost like the wind rustling through the trees reached their ears, and Duncan turned to find the air split wide open in front of them, like a cloudy glass mirror hanging there all on its own.

"It's time!" Marissa called. "All of you. I'll be right behind you!"

Tear-stained and shaken, nonetheless Mara smiled at the soft murmur that reached her ears. She might have responded in kind, but the sudden rend in the air before them made her flinch back, unfamiliar with magic or even the portals that were almost legendary on this plane of existence. Her hand tightened in Duncan's as she pressed her lips to Rob's hair. "Don't look, sweetheart," she told their son, not wanting him any more frightened than he had been already today.

A hand at her back pushed gently, Elise always there to urge her on. "Best be moving quickly," the woman told them. "Leave no trace for them to follow."

Duncan waited for the women to go first, Mara and then Elise, grateful Elise was there to help, if only for Mara's sake. She had, after all, been like a mother to the girl for many years, and he wouldn't dream of tearing them apart. Duncan took a last look around, as if he wanted to commit this place to memory. He'd left once before all those years ago when he'd fled Dreven with a broken heart. That adventure had only ended in him coming back, but somehow he knew this time it was final.

He hadn't had much time to say goodbye to those few friends he'd left behind, though Rob's pony had at least been given a good home. He knew in his heart that there was no way he could tell them all how much they'd meant to him anyway. Maybe they'd meet again someday, in another time and another place, but for now, it was goodbye. He turned back to the portal that Marissa had opened, coaxing the black along behind him. Even though the horse knew this was no natural occurrence, he had followed his master through portals before and he trusted him.

He was the last in line, just before Marissa, pausing a moment before stepping through. "Thank you," he told her, and then he, too was gone.

((All right, so it's taken us over a year to get back to them, but look! They emerged victorious! More to come, too. Many thanks to Duncan's player!))