It was a cold, blustery day, normal for the Borderlands at this time of year.  A tall woman swept through the streets, looking neither right nor left as she made her way through a town as grey as the day itself.  Booted feet strode over the cobblestones, and a face that would have been pretty had it not been so severe, looked out from the cowl of the heavy winter's cloak.

Many drew aside as she passed, the holy symbol prominently worn on the outside of her cloak drawing as many glares as respectful looks.  She ignored both equally.  The pack on her back was full for the most part, but was really despairingly light on rations.  Still, she had enough gold in her pouch to resupply for the continued trip southward, to the Civilized Lands.  Those soft countries where the Holy One was prated about, but not truly followed.  Used as an excuse by the so called "churches" there to bilk the poor out of their hard earned gold and line the coffers of corrupt priests.  Her order had sent her to study the ways of the Great Church in the soft lands, and report back on what she found.  They had been dubious, sending someone so young and untried, it was believed the Great Church to be steeped in politics and the subtle ways of the Evil One, but with the EverWar on their borders, there was no one else.

She passed by an alleyway, head turning as the sounds of a scuffle came to her.  Gripping her quarterstaff, she stopped, considered the blackened mouth for a moment, then stepped in, eyes darting this way and that to adjust to the relative darkness of the side street.

What she saw made her blood boil, effectively nullifying the icy wind that blew through her heavy clothes.  Four heavy set men, Softlanders by their armour, had cornered a young tavern wench in the alley.  She shivered on her knees as the men surrounded her, rough jokes and laughter raining down on the young girl's head.  Her eyes were large and fearful, shining with tears as she huddled in her woolen dress.

"Hold, you blasted pigs," Karinsa's voice rang through the alley.  "In the name of the Holy One, I order you to leave off this poor child."

They turned as one, eyeing the newcomer.  She tossed back the hood of her cloak to afford them a better look at her righteous wrath.  Long black hair streamed out to her waist, and sapphire eyes flashed out of a striking face with an olive complexion, cheeks now highlighted with crimson.

"Looky here, boys.  Looks like another playmate wants to join the fun!"  one of the men chuckled.  One of them saw the holy symbol and paused, nudging the others.

"She's just a wee git," another one spat.  "Church or no Church, she's nothin'.  No one'll miss her."

Three advanced on her, one staying behind to stroke the tavern wench's hair, one hand slipping to the shoulder of her dress.

One reached contemptuously for Karinsa's staff, but she knocked away his hand and dealt him a ringing blow to his skull that sent him reeling.  The other two drew short swords with snarls and approached more cautiously, but still with obvious dismissal in their eyes.  She set herself in stance and waited.  One lunged forward and she invoked the name of the Holy One, freeing one hand long enough to gesture.  The yoke of his studded leather flashed into light, and he stumbled, wincing at the sudden burst.  However, the other one took the opportunity presented and slashed at her.  The stroke caught her in the chest, and she staggered back, feeling the impact of the slice against the leather beneath her robes.  A quick glance down showed the gaping tear in the fabric.  Back now pressed to the wall of the alleyway, the other two men had recovered.  She grimly took hold of her staff and prepared to deal out the righteous fury of the Holy One.

A door opened into the alley, and a woman stepped through.  Dressed in dark blues and reds, her clothing was solid fare, if somewhat decorative, obviously an entertainer of some sort.  Copper hair spilled out from underneath a cap with a feather set at a jaunty angle.  Her slightly tilted eyes swept over the scene, from the man in the glowing armour to the barmaid to Karinsa pressed against the alley wall.

"Ah, Sallie," she said in a cheerful voice to the barmaid.  "There you are!  My ale is getting a trifle warm," she added in a slightly chiding tone.  "Would you please come and give me a refill?  My throat parches with the telling of my stories."

With a fearful glance at the man holding her, the barmaid began to get to her feet.  The men exchanged looks, obviously sizing up the new arrival and estimating odds.  The woman's eye fell on Karinsa, and she smiled.  "It is inhospitable times for a lone woman to travel, friend," she said warmly.  "Perhaps you would like to join me inside the tavern?  I have a good tale or two left in me yet for the day."

Karinsa watched the men watching the woman.  The one near the barmaid clenched his grip on her shoulder and with a whimper of pain, she was forced back to her knees.

"I liked yer stories, bard," one of the men spat.  "But you'd best stick to tellin' 'em, this ain't none of yer affair."

"Oh, but it is.  I need my drink refreshed, and the lady is now my guest.  That makes it my affair, good sir.  Come inside, and I will regale you with wondrous tales as well."

"You had yer chance, missy.   Now you can join in the fun, as well!" and one of the men left off Karinsa to attack the woman in the doorway.

She was obviously ready, however, and made a gesture of her own.  The man abruptly stopped, face confused, head swinging this way and that as if trying to remember what he was doing there.  Karinsa saw her duck into some shadows and seemingly vanish before turning back to fending off her own attackers.

The men were obviously not used to fighting as a team, and kept getting in each others way, preempting each others strikes.  She was able to clip one behind the ear on one upswing of her staff, and smash the butt of the other end into the other man's knee on the downstroke.  One wobbled and one hobbled, they rallied back to the attack.

The man holding the barmaid went down with like a felled tree, and the woman in blue materlized behind him, dagger in her hand, pommel first.  She whispered to the barmaid, who lost no time in hiking up her skirts and bolting for the doorway.
The woman circled warily around the confused man, who was lashing out blindly with his short sword.  Darting in at an opportunity, she neatly tripped him, kicked away his sword as he fell, and dealt him a blow similar to the one she'd dealt to his companion with the pommel of her dagger. He managed to catch her jaw with his elbow before he went down, and her hat went flying, but she was still able to dispatch him.

Karinsa had just finished dealing with her two, and the women stopped and stared at each other for a moment.  The woman in blue studied the holy symbol Karinsa wore for a moment before extending her hand. 

"Rianna Illvuae, nice fight.  Thanks for coming to the help of the barmaid.  I saw these four follow her into the kitchen, but was unable to get away from my audience in time."

Karinsa, in turn, was studying the slightly pointed ears that were revealed when the hat was knocked away, the too fine bone structure of the face, and those slightly tilted, large eyes.  But she took the proffered hand.

"Karinsa Mezenkan.  Novice of the Holy One.  It was my duty to stop such evil, no matter the cost to myself.  It is the duty of all people, in order to wipe their own slate of evil clean."

"Um&ldots;right."  Rianna picked up her hat, sighing over its now somewhat battered appearance.  "My offer of ale still stands, good cleric.  And that of the tale.  Would you join me?"

"Assuredly," Karinsa, despite her initial distrust of the half-elf, found herself liking this woman, and smiled.  "Make it spring water and I would be glad to join you.  Sometimes the protection of the Holy One is not quite as corporeal as I would like."

Rianna laughed.  "There is a sense of humour in there.  Come, friend.  Let's get that drink."

Straightening her cloak, Karinsa nodded and followed Rianna through the alley door into the tavern, after saying a brief prayer for the four men, hoping they would find the way of the Holy One, lest be drawn to the Evil One on their deaths.