Lady Silver

Silver watched Thain from the side lines and couldn't suppress her smile. Thain had won the first challenge. She was definitely surprised by his immense strength and ferocity in a brawl. She had heard rumors from one of her childhood friends Marselle's brother Kylar that he was a ruthless fighter and had been training for these contests from the day he could stand and throw a punch. She never believed it for Thain wasn't the type to fight out of anger, and she had never seen him raise a fist a day in his life. She now realized how naive she really was when it came to him. He didn't know it, but he had saved her life once she had asked her father not to say anything about it but to have his family rewarded for his bravery. She had strayed too far from the castle and fell into the river and he had been there and jumped in to save her. He pulled her out and just disappeared and she had spent weeks trying to find him to only find out he was a common farm boy. She watched him from afar and now seeing him in action she realized just how strong he really was. And she pitied anyone who decided to make an enemy of him.

She ran up to him and said, "Congratulations Thain!" He grinned at her, his face flush from his exertion. "Thanks Silver!" He stood catching his breath as people came up and patted his back and congratulated him. Her eyes travelled his body and she realized how toned and muscled he actually was. Her face turned red as she thought about how she could have never noticed that before. Then again, it's not like she was ever hanging out with him, let alone see him in armor. "What happened to you out there?" Thain's voice brought her back from her thoughts. She looked at him confused at first and then it clicked, and she turned beat red again from embarrassment and she said, "I tried my best, but I ended up being thrown out of the circle by an oaf who smelled like he hadn't bathed in days." her nose wrinkled at the memory, "I was one of the last two in my circle so that should help my scoring hopefully." Thain nodded and said, "I'm sorry but you're right and the Host did say you're not automatically disqualified and are scored on personal ability, winning only gives you bonus points."

Silver smiled as he tried to comfort her and said "True.'' Then she frowned and worried her lip "That is if I impressed the judges enough to get a decent score. Thain looked like he was about to reply but the Host's voice echoed and cut him off from whatever he was going to say. "Good show everyone!'' The Host's face was red and flushed from his enthusiasm, "Congratulations to our winner of the first challenge! Thain Nightlokk! He showed tremendous strength of the body and mind in this challenge. He outlasted and outwitted his opponents by overpowering or out maneuvering them! We will be taking a short break letting our contestants recover and then we will be back to announce what the minimum score was required to advance on to the next round and those who made the cut. We will reconvene on the hour. Thank you!"

Thain stretched, then turned towards Silver and said, "Well seeing we have some time to rest, that's exactly what I plan on doing. What about you Silver?" She smiled then saw the blood covering the side of his face. "You're injured!" she gasped as she quickly reached for the side of his face. Thain jerked slightly and said "It's nothing, just a scratch. I'll be fine." Silver could tell it hurt him way more than he let on and she glared at him and said, "Well to answer your question the first thing I'm going to do is treat that wound of yours whether you like it or not, " putting emphasis on the 'will' and the continued, "Then I probably will go and replenish my energies as well and eat some food." She went back to look at his wound and this time he didn't stop and with a few grumbles of the wound wasn't going to kill him, all of which she ignored, she had him patched up and cleaned. Looking at her work she nodded pleased with it and concluded it would hold. "There is good as new." He chuckled and said, "Then I am in your debt Silver. How can I ever repay you?" She smiled and instantly said before she could stop herself, "Join me for lunch." then quickly added, "My parents are busy, and I don't like eating alone."

Thain seemed to contemplate for a minute and then said "I would love to Silver..." "But?" She interjected sensing it. "But alas I know my aunt and uncle would want to celebrate my victory with me." She smiled, "That's ok I understand no need to apologize." Deep down however, Silver was disappointed, but she had come to the same conclusion herself. Besides, she doubted if her parents found out, that they would be pleased at all. Silver started to turn and walk away her head down slightly, but then Thain said, "However, you would be welcome to join me and my family. I am sure there will be plenty for one more." Silver brightened instantly, yes, she wanted to have a meal alone with him, but it didn't seem like that was going to happen today at least. "That would be great!"

Thain smiled and said, "Well we won't have long so let's go." She followed Thain to his Aunt and Uncle's and surely enough they were there eager to greet him and wanting to celebrate. "Oh, thank the deities above!" Thain's aunt gasped as he walked in. "You're ok..." she stopped as her eyes locked on Silver's patchwork. Thain seemed to notice her gaze and said, "I am fine Aunt Gwen, Silver patched me up." and he turned and pointed at her smiling and her breath caught. Her eyes took in the whole picture of Thain. He had raven black hair streaked with violet. He had piercing violet eyes that carried flakes of golf through them. He was just under six feet, tall by any elven or eladrin standard. He was well toned and muscled from years of hard work and tanned from the years under the sun. His face was elegant and looked as if it had been sculpted, a patrician's nose and with a smile like that all you had to do was put him in better clothes and it would be easy to mistake him for nobility, maybe even royalty.

His aunts voice stopped her thoughts as she said, "Thank you for taking care of my nephew." Silver blushed deeply and mumbled "It was nothing." Thain snorted, "She was ready to beat me herself if I didn't let her fix me up." Silver blushed even deeper, especially under his aunts knowing gaze. "Oh really?" Thain chuckled and shook his head oblivious to what was going on. Such a man sometimes! Silver thought incredulously. "Anyways you couldn't have stopped me from going' Aunt Gwen." Gwendilyn glared at him and said, "Oh I would have found a way even if it meant knocking you out and tying you up to a post until the contests were over."

"Okay Gwendy..." Thains Uncle chimed in, "No need to tear into him especially since he has company over and not only that he won the first challenge!" He smiled and looked at Silver and said "I am Titarius. It is a pleasure to meet you Silver, I am assuming Thain brought you to eat with us?" She blushed again and looked down, "If that isn't ok, I understand. " Titarius chuckled and said, "Of course it is! Come on in, we have plenty to spare! Especially for someone who is a friend of Thain's! We'd be glad if you stayed." Silver smiled, "Thank you." They proceeded to eat and Thain explained everything that had happened and what he was thinking. They laughed, joked and had a merry time. Titarius raised his glass and said, "Here's to Thain's victory!" Silver and Gwendilyn smiled and echoed, "To Thain!"

Silver and Thain both glanced at the clock, the hour was almost up. They needed to head back to prepare for the second challenge. Thain's uncle pulled him to the side really quickly to have a conversation leaving Silver with his aunt. "I know that silver hair is exceedingly rare for Eladrin and it's even rarer for Elves as Elves are our descendants. But one Elven family silver hair is what marks them. And they are nobility no less. You dress like a commoner, but your speech, manners and movements scream otherwise. So why is a MoonChild interested in my nephew?" Silver blinked and then bowed slightly, "It is true I am part of the noble House of MoonChild. Your nephew saved my life many years ago…" His aunt blinked, "So that's why we were granted this land from an anonymous person." Silver nodded, "Thain is unaware I am nobility, I wanted to get to know him and earn his friendship, as an equal and did not want him to treat me differently because of who I am."

Gwendilyn nodded and Titarius walked back in with Thain and the two passed a look and Titarius visibly relaxed. "We wish you both the best of luck. It has been an honor to meet you Silver. We had an incredibly good time, and we hope you do visit again soon." She smiled and said "It would be my pleasure. I had an amazing time myself and the food was delicious." Gwendilyn straightened with pride from her compliment. Gwendilyn turned to Thain and pulled him into a hug and quick kiss on his cheek and said, "I'm very proud of you." Thain beamed and they finished their goodbyes. Silver and Thain headed back to find out the results from the first contest.

As they walked back into the arena they were instructed to line up with the other contestants. The host walked out into the middle of the arena and everyone got quiet. "Welcome back everyone!" he said with a wide smile. "As you know the winner of the first challenge is Urithe's very own Thain Nightlokk, and he has automatically passed onto the second challenge. The minimum score to pass was sixty point, which Thain cleared with a whopping one hundred and forty-five. You were scored on your fighting ability and ability to think under pressure which Thain proved he was more than capable of doing. Along with him will be the rest of the contestants that were in the final bout with him. '' He named them off along with their scores, Thain's score beating them all by at least Ten. "Now then, our first contestant to be eliminated is the Tiefling, Scouland Linidal of the Eastern Wastelands."

Silver heard some of the crowd's reactions at the Tiefling's loss. Some jeered and laughed playfully at him, others wished him better luck next time, but he just grinned and smiled obviously having had fun regardless. "The second to be eliminated is … Silver MoonChild from right here in Urithe." Silver couldn't believe her ears. She thought she had done really well. She had given it her all and had been the second to last person standing in her ring that should have counted for something. She was so stunned, and tears began to well up in her eyes blurring her vision and she didn't see the messenger run up to the Host and whisper into his ear.

"I apologize everyone, there seems to be a mistake. Silver MoonChild will not be eliminated, she passed the challenge with a score of ninety. Again, I apologize for the mistake." Silver breathed out a sigh of relief. The fact she thought she had been eliminated she almost cried but hearing that she passed she couldn't help but cry. Thain smiled at her and patted her back and said, "Congrats Silver!" The host continued with the listings of those who had been eliminated. A Dwarf got mad when he was eliminated and had to be restrained and carried out causing a roar of laughter. After him neither Silver nor Thain were paying much attention to who was eliminated. The host finished and then began to explain the next challenge's rules. Silver looked at Thain who looked back, it was on to the second challenge, The Challenge of Courage…