Walking down the stairs, he heard a shout, Ellas voice ringing out. 'She's the maid!' That was heard clearly, and Marken broke into a sprint. So she'd come to silence Ella now? Come to take his love away? He'd stop her, he had to... Or he could help Ella, atleast. Yes, that seemed far more likely, he was only a few days into his sword training, what could he do against a trained and skilled assassin? That would fall to Ella, who he hoped was trained to do such things.

Still, he jerked the sword out of its scabbard. It was a shortsword, made from forged steel, twice folded, light and maneuverable. Perfect to start training off with, considering Marken lacked any previous finesse with a blade. He reached the bottom of the stairs, eyes widening when the scene before him was revealed. "ELLA!" He moved quickly, though his breath was running out. When had he gotten so out of shape? He wasn't even fat...