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It was the first day of Sir Aeric and Dona Karissa's quest to find Knight
Panthra, who had disappeared while on an errand to retrieve a pair of evilly-enchanted
swords which she had earlier hid in her desert homeland of Arunwe.
As the sun set, the pair found a reasonable place to set up camp. Aeric tethered his horse to a nearby tree and fitted a feedbag over its muzzle, while Karissa gathered kindling from around the area. Shortly afterwards, the two of them were sitting across from each other over a small fire. Sir Aeric munched absently on a piece of waybread, apparently lost in thought. Karissa waved her hand where it seemed that he was staring. "Sir Aeric? Sir Aeric?" He moved ever-so-slightly, and Karissa knew she had his attention. "Are you OK?? You seemed deep in thought." "Forgive me," he said. "I’m worried about Panthra, that's all." Karissa shook her head. "No, that's quite all right. I, too, am worried. She should have been back weeks ago. I though when Bianca came back...oh." Karissa stopped when she saw the expression on Aeric's face at the mention of Panthra's bodyguard. "Never mind." Aeric stared at her from across the fire, his chin resting on his hands, which were folded across his knee. His demeanor was cool and somehow catlike. "What do you mean, 'when Bianca came back?' I was under the impression that Panthra had to go alone. That's what she told me...that's why I didn't go with her myself." "I don't know if she actually went alone," Karissa answered. "Bianca usually travels with Panthra to and from her homeland." She paused for a moment. "What I do know is this: Bianca arrived at my door with a sealed letter from Panthra. The letter simply stated that she would be back four days later and that the care of Morgan could go to Bianca if I so chose." She smiled half-heartedly. "I guess she thought that by that time he would have gotten into quite a bit of trouble. She wasn't kidding! Morgan and the Zando-Fairy are a fearsome combination. I had to replace ALL of the curtains at the Outpost!" Aeric seemed unfazed by her blatant attempt to change the subject. Karissa cocked her head a bit to one side. "I didn't know you had asked to go with her. That would explain why she told me to hold onto this map in case you went after her." Aeric smiled faintly. "Well, 'asked' isn't exactly the word I would use, but yes, I did want to go. Panthra is my page sister; besides, that demon probably wants his swords back, and Panthra knows nothing about such things, let alone posesses the strength of arms--or will--to fend it off should it attack her." Aeric slammed his fist into his open hand. "Dammit! Why did I let her go on her own? I should have DEMANDED to go with her!" Aeric stood up, and Karissa could see the tenseness in his limbs. "We're wasting time. We should ride on. Tonight. Make as much time as we can. The road is level and the sky is clear...it should be safe for the horse." With that said, he started to gather things up from around the makeshift camp and carry them towards the horse. Karissa began to gather her own belongings. As she did, she looked up at Aeric. "Panthra is more adept that she seems,” she said. “Don't underestimate her." She doused the fire. "Let's ride on." After the bags were secured, Sir Aeric swung up into the saddle and helped Karissa up behind him. With a crack of the reins, the two of them thundered off into the night. Several hours later, well past midnight, the horse had slowed down to a walk and both Companions were swaying with every step, fighting to stay awake. Finally, grudgingly, Aeric agreed to stop for the night. Exhausted, Karissa made the minimum exertion to lay out her bedroll before collapsing into it. She looked up and saw Sir Aeric, still on his feet, brushing the lather off the horse's hide. What force of will this man must have, she thought tiredly, to stay on his feet when he is clearly spent! He's like a man possessed. The sun rose early the next morning, and as it began to shine though the trees, Aeric arose as well. Still stiff from sleeping on the cold, hard ground, he stretched and noticed Karissa's things were neatly packed up and ready to load for the journey. The thin level of dew that covered the ground covered her belongings as well, indicating that they had been packed for a while. Karissa herself was nowhere to be seen. Aeric called her name, but there was no answer. Hurriedly, he started to pack his things in preparation to search the nearby woods. Just then, he noticed a lone figure kneeling in the middle of a small grove of trees to the left of the campsite. As he approached apprehensively, he realized it was Dona Karissa. He approached the grove, leaned against a nearby tree, and cleared his throat. Karissa did not stir. Aeric cleared his throat again, louder this time; but still she did not respond. Anxious to quit wasting time and continue the journey, he started forward, but found he could not. Something was holding him back, keeping him from entering the grove. Quickly he took a step back and looked down at the ground, and noticed a line of scorched earth forming a perfect circle around her. Moments later, Karissa rose and walked towards him. "I'm sorry, I was not expecting you up for another hour or so." She continued to walk past him towards camp. Over her shoulder she asked, "did you sleep well?" Sir Aeric was floored by her casual tone. "What's going on here?" he asked. "I was meditating," Karissa said quickly. "I'm sorry if I put you behind schedule. Are you ready to carry on, Sir Aeric?" |
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