4. INTO THE NORTH

Sighere turned and offered Jalisa a humble bow. "Honored to be of service, m'lady." he said to her with a politeness that was a little out of the ordinary for the Lieutenant, but then he always was a little needy. His brothers simply dismissed his behavior as another one his ploy's for a woman's affection.

The Rohirrim warrior's eyes never left, the dark haired woman and only when she disappeared into the woods did he become aware that was indeed standing in the cold, rushing water of the Anduin.

"Praise be to the Rider!" Cursed Sighere, "Aye, Othargren! I think me satchel's gone!" he agreed with the Dwarf in jest, laughing loudly at his own situation.

Othargren folded his brawny arms and shook his head. "Well, com'on then lad. Get outta there before yer bollocks permanently take up residence in yer guts."

Jorneff chuckled at the Dwarf's comment as he approached the bank and gave his brother a hand out.

"Forget her, Sighere. I hear the women in Oron_D_Narr are hot blooded and their curls are thick!" The big man said as he embraced the smaller Rohirrim, jostling him in a most unbecoming manner.


"All right me pretties," Grumbled the Dwarf, "Let's get back. A warm fire and fresh roasted meat awaits."

Othargren let the Men pass by and take the lead. For a moment he gazed out over Anduin, watching the last of the strange mist recede into the darkness. He was reminded of the tales his grandfather had told him of dangers the lied in the mist.

'Sometimes the deadliest of creatures did not bear fangs or claws, but the curves of a woman to lure men into their jaws.'

The Dwarf was no simpleton. He saw much more than he let on, but 'twas often wiser to play the fool when danger lurked in the king's court. Walking behind the two Rohir, Othargren wondered if the ranger suspected, Jalisa. Her charms were disconcerting, and despite the fact that there was no real evidence to implicate her, Dwaves simply did not trust the giles of women. Her feminine ways definitely had some sort of effect on Sighere, or did it go much more deeper? Othargren could not be sure, but he would be keeping an eye on her and the Lieutenant from now on. He needed proof, however; but a fragment would do. He would not trouble the ranger with this matter otherwise.

The Dwarf had to laugh though. His people had always been resilient to the charms of women or any such influences. They cared little for nothing else but the jewels and precious metals that they toiled to uncover. Work was their mistress and rich were her rewards. He looked forward to the Elf-like woman to seek to tempt him with that scrawny pale form so designed to play upon the weakness of Men.


Skajinir was silent. Whether he agreed with Brianna or not, she could not be certain but the lord did seem more relaxed. His eyes followed her as she rose and the nod of his head promised that he would think on the words she spoke.

It was not long after, Brianna departed that the others returned from the river, and this caused some concern in Skajinir for the woman's safety, but then he remembered that she could take care of herself. Besides, there was a Dragon among them, and who would dare to threaten any within his presence.

Back at their own private camp, Othargren watched as Sighere's eyes settled upon Jalisa as they passed by their fire. Innocent enough perhaps but the Dwarf saw it as bad omen, but what could he say to these Men, that they would not take offense to? He struggled with the question for a moment, at least until seeing the sleeping pup on the lord's lap, it's belly bulging with venison. The Dwarf just stared with a horror stricken expression and bellowed, "Are you mad lad? You should not be wastin' good meat on that lil' bag 'o bones."

Skajrinir laughed. "Ease your tone master Dwarf. There is more than enough to go round."

"Aye, maybe for you. Seems you've not ever seen the like of a hungry Dwarf." Countered the Dwarf.

Skajrinir just continued to smile. "Aye, I have not. Let us see then."

Othargren sat down and eyed the lord. "Oh, 'tis a challenge then? The three o' you against one o' me, then? Well yer on!"

Skajrinir's usual somber tone suddenly lifted at the prospect of the challenge. The Dwarf it seemed brought some levity to the lord's heavy burdens and he decided to take advantage of the feeling while it lasted. He hacked a good sized steak for himself, sliced into his slab and devoured a piece in playful defiance to the Dwarf.

Brianna made it to the river without incident, having grabbed her small bag before she'd left camp, but her thoughts were heavy. She worried over Augustine and where he was. She knew the druid liked to meditate in privacy and hoped that this was all it was. As for Skajrnir, she had no clue. He reminded her of the young man from her village whom she had been infatuated with and yet not. There were enough differences between them that she was sure he was not the same young man she knew had to be dead with the destruction of her village by the Gorrinvul. Again, her green eyes took on a saddened look as she undressed to bathe in the chilled water. She sighed, reminding herself that what was done was done and she should be grateful that her adopted parents had become the walking dead, instead they were truly gone and at peace. She gritted her teeth as she stepped into the chilled water, quickly submerging herself once the water was up to her waist. Her breath sucked in sharply as the cool water hit the rest of her body. Once she became used to the temperature of the water, she cautiously swam around, staying close to the shoreline but far enough away that she could enjoy herself in a swim. Once she was finished, she waded out of the water, droplets of water glistening on her skin as she reached for her small bag and pulled her prized bar of lilac scented soap. It was becoming thin, and would have to be used sparingly after this use, but for now she would enjoy it's scent. Walking back into the water until she was chest deep, she first washed her long, dark hair, enjoying the smell of the soft lilac scent as she massaged her scalp. After what seemed like forever but was only a few minutes, she slicked her soap covered hair back and washed the rest of her body as the lilac scent permeated her hair. Once she was done, she disappeared under the water to rinse off, running her fingers through her hair, making sure that all of the soap was gone. Rising, she lingered a few minutes more before leaving the water to dry off with a small drying cloth. Wringing out her long hair as best she could, she dried off and redressed. She'd given herself a sponge bath back at the keep after the battle and had changed into clean clothing, so she didn't have to worry about putting on dirty clothing that stank with the blood of the Gorrinvul.

Once she was completely finished dressing, she found a rock to sit upon and began to comb her fingers through her wet hair, taking her time to work out any tangles until she could run her fingers through the strands easily. She sat there on the small rock looking out over the moonlit river and enjoyed the peacefullness of the night, knowing that it wouldn't last. A battle was coming, everyone knew this and she would enjoy the peace while it lasted. She hoped that Skajrnir would learn to do the same.

Augustine had been deep in meditation, much deeper than usual. The druid had 'dreamed' this time during his meditation, this had never happened before. Augustine had not fallen asleep, he had simply had a sort of a vision while he was deep in memory and thought.

In the dream Augustine was presiding over a funeral mass, before him was a fresh dug grave. Burial in the ground was not terribly common among the races of middle earth, many elves and men were sent to the next world atop blazing funeral pyres. Dwarves were laid to rest in elaborate stone tombs deep beneath the surface of the earth, the Drow too sealed their dead up in monumental black sarcophagi deep underground. However, the simple druids of Columba buried their dead in earthen graves just a few feet in the soil, hoping that they would lie among the grasses and wildflowers that grew there.

In the vision Augustine was reciting the mass not knowing who the deceased person was. He looked down into the dark grave and could see nothing. The druid continued to stare into the open grave, soon he saw a shimmer of liquid in the grave. It was as if the open pit was filling with water. The liquid quickly filled the grave and spilled out onto the ground. It was not water, it looked to be blood, it's red color was running at Augustine's feet. Augustine stepped back to avoid standing in the dark red liquid but it moved swiftly, staining his boots. From the blood filled pit a figure was rising, it was hard to tell what manner of man or devil it could be. The figure was soaked in the blood, long hair obscured it's face. The blood slick creature lifted a thin hand and wiped the wet hair from it's face. It was then that Augustine noticed that the thing was wearing armor, a Rohirrim coat of arms could be seen beneath the thick blood. The breastplate of a horse master was gleaming gold beneath the running red. The creature wiped the wet hair from it's face and Augustine could see the proud features of Ceolwulf staring back at him. His face was gaunt and dark, his eyes were milky and sunken, the shade lurched at Augustine and the vision came to an abrupt end.

Augustine shuddered as he pushed the dream from his mind. There was no funeral, no blood and no dead king. Augustine looked around him, he was a short walk from camp but he had been gone for hours. The moon was now overhead and the air was cool, a few fireflies danced and twinkled just above him. All was quiet, it was time to put an end to this long meditation and it's dark visions. The druid stretched his legs, they had fallen asleep as he sat. Slowly he began to walk back to the others as the feeling came back to his legs.

What of the blood and the shade of Ceolwulf? The druid was not prone to these kinds of visions, it was not a practice of his sect to dwell on dark magiks or the undead. Perhaps the dream was symbolic of the trials and tests that lay ahead. Perhaps the druid was experiencing guilt over lacking the power and knowledge to spare the great leader of the brave band of Rohirrim. The druids were fine healers, Augustine was perhaps among the best of them but there was no resurrecting the dead. Death was only a beginning but it could not be bargained with and could not be turned back- could it? A living creature that passed into death but remained on this plane and refused to travel into the next world was an abomination, an unnatural. These types of creatures were worthy of destruction, which is why the druid had no qualms over helping to purge the vile Gorinnvul from this world.

Lord Ceolwulf had fought bravely and died well, he no doubt was celebrating in the hall of his fathers. Outside of being unable to help Lord Ceolwulf the druid had committed no sins nor made any compromises so the dark symbolism of this vision disturbed him. The bad 'dream' lingered in his mind as walked back to camp. The heaviness of these thoughts were soon greatly lifted by two things, first the sight of Brianna sitting and brushing her hair. The druid could smell the fresh scent of the Lilac, it was a welcome change of mood. Second, the druid smelled the venison cooking, another welcome distraction.

"Good evening Brianna, I fear my meditations ran long this evening. Have you eaten yet? I know it is impolite to speak of hunger but I welcome this meal. If you are ready to join the others I would gladly accompany you."

Brianna's eyes brightened considerably at hearing Augustine's voice and she hopped down off of the rock and ran to the druid, hugging him in a tight embrace before letting him go, stepping back and blushing. "Sorry, Augustine....I was worried about you. I've eaten, but I would be honored if you would accompany me back. I would like to sit with you, though, while you eat. I find that I'm thirsty."

She gathered her small pack with the sliver of what was left of her lilac soap, but said nothing. Tossing it over her shoulder, she was ready to walk with him, back to the camp.

Loki's emerald eye's opened and he sniffed the air, Shape rose his head and sniffed as well, then stood. Loki and Shapes movements stirred Lac, who stood up quietly, stepped out from unded Loki's wing and gazed out across the valley . "Isti saeevnaesaeeth isatae tarosoth miryor finrenithestanirdilstar, onnarev welhamos dayothevsat nayothtyn starlaeeldaestapern tynhaleva pirestancaleldafinuthlae sarlonethevpal ossafal delethaarthutarhal ithsat nareldaarrun ." (TRANSLATION: I sense it too my friends, one who does not sleep the peceful sleep of death is near.) he said quietly. Both Shape and Loki nodded their heads slightly.

Augustine walked with Brianna back to where the others were gathered, the men were debating the proper way to roast the deer. Most where happily eating the meat and resting near the fire. The druid was glad to have met up with Brianna by the river, her smile and the smell of her lilac soaps helped to clear his mind of the dark things he had seen while meditating. The visions were fading in is mind like a bad dream.

"Is there room for two more in the kitchen?" Augustine said playfully as he approached the feasting men and the dwarf.

The men made up two plates, one for Brianna and one for the druid. The meat was cooked perfectly and Augustine enjoyed his portion.

The men of Rohan seemed to be relaxing a little, Skajrinir least of all but still...

Sighere and the dwarf never stopped ribbing each other, women where the topic of choice at dinner. Sighere had many barbed and funny questions about dwarf women and the master dwarf seemed reluctant to answer them. Maybe the dwarves had great respect for their women, or maybe they did not think of them much while away from home. The druid did not anything about such things but now was desirous to hear some about the dwarven women.

"Tell us of your fine women back home master dwarf, tell us of their strength and beauty." The druid said cutting some of the good natured tension.

Othargren, offered Sighere one last glare before turning his attention to the most noble druid. "For ye, and ye alone, master druid I shall talk of women but know that unlike these Rohirrim heathens, we Dwarves to not amuse ourselves with such prattle." he growled as he tossed a large bone into the fire then smacked his hands clean.

"There is much mystery among the fairer sex of our people, because quite often my good Augustine they are not so fair as those of Humans, Elves and the like. They are strong and loving; good mothers who raise our children with a firm, but understanding hand. If we Dwarves are made o' stone as ye Human's often jest, then our females are the mortar that bind us together. 'Tis the beards that oft' cause a Man to look twice, but not all of our women grow fine silken whiskers. More o' them now, prefer ta keep their skin smooth, but it is they that ne'er leave our cities and are thus rarely seen by outsiders such as yerselves, but soon you'll all dine among me people. You will sit as honored guests, and then you shall see my people with yer own eyes."

Sighere was quiet then, still trying to imagine what would set a Dwarven female from her male counterpart, "Oh, the vision of it pains my head." he wailed in jest, to which the brawny Dwarf feigned a back hand.

"Were we not brother's sworn to the quest, Sighere, I'd let ye feel the back o' me hand." bellowed the Dwarf, to which the merry Rohirrim warrior just continued to laugh.

The travelers ate and drank into the night. Between the ones who traveled there was always someone keeping watch over the rest. As the fires dwindled towards the first breaking light of day, Jin rousted from her slumber and stretched her weary body. Looking beside her she saw the Ranger still sleeping and smiled. Slowly sliding from her bed roll, she quietly made her way to the edge of the water to splash her face with the cold water.

As the water removed the last of the web of sleep from her mind, she stood up, stretched once more and looked around the camp. The dwarf and his companions slept soundly. All of them snoring in some fashion or other. The Druid had joined them at some point. The dark haired Rohirrim woman had bedded down with the other Rohan warriors who seemed to separate themselves from the others.

Tiphereth and Jalisa seemed to be slumbering peacefully together as well and she looked over at Lac once more seeing Loki still resting behind him and Shape with his four legged friends spread out around the ranger.

This group was about as mixed as you could get it and while they had all come together for a common cause, they were all still separated by old prejudices and lack of trust. How were they ever going to be able to defeat an enemy as strong as the one they all faced if they didn’t come together and fight as one?

With a little luck and some help from the Gods, Jin hoped and prayed they learned to do that before it was too late. Sighing, the Drowess walked back to the sleeping Ranger and laid down beside him. As she approached, Shape, Loki and shape’s friends lifted their heads and watched her sleepily. With the animals starting to awaken, it wouldn’t be long before the rest of the camp did as well.

As the coming of the rising sun began to pain the sky in brilliant colors of amber, lavender and orange, Jin leaned closer and brushed her lips along Lac’Nala’s cheek before she whispered in his ear.

”While I would love for you to sleep until your heart is content, I am afraid the time has come for you to awaken, ussta ‘chev (my beloved)”

Lac stirred, slowly opened his eyes and stood. He looked around slowly as the sun painted the far sid of the eastern mountains with a a glow of pink and gold. He kneeld, picked up his bow and quiver, slipping both over his shoulder, then stepped to Ssinjin and lightly strokeded her cheek with his hand. "Xunus dos v'dri al" ( TRANSLATION: Did you sleep well? ) he asked softly. Lac then reaced down and patted Shape then rested his hand on Loki's side.

Tiphereth awoke from his slumber, well rested and cast a furtive glance toward the Rohirrim warriors who were beginning to stir. He was pleased the Dwarf had allied himself with the Men; Othargren would need people that he could trust at his back.

The Deithir then quickly folded up his silken bed roll into an impossibly small compression and tucked into his satchel of many compartments offering not a word to the Dragoness. He felt rather strange that morning, not in a bad way, it was quite to the contrary in fact; he felt — like himself. So long had it been it seemed since his will was entirely his own, but what was the cause and how long would it last? Presently, Sorrelwind cared little for the answers and immediately pondered racing the winds westward right then and there, putting as much distance as he could between he and Verin before his presence returned. Feeling no eyes settling upon his form, the Phaerie slipped through time, appearing at the edge of the river in the blink of an eye. There was a fine mist over it, a churning mass of minute clouds hovering over the rushing water which, Sorrelwind tread upon as if it were solid ground, then paused in the middle glancing back toward the encampment.

Lac, spoke softly in Loki's ear, "Fara minn vinur og útsendari áður okkur."

Loki, rises slowly, spreads his 300 foot wing span takes to steps and leaps into the air, flaps
his wings slowly and climbs circling the camp, then barrell rolls banks, and flys west then north towards the mountains.

Jalisa had awakened but lay watching everything without even opening her eyes. It was one of the traits she enjoyed the most about being the species she was. And of course she would use it to her advantage each time she got the chance. Like now.

She could see Sorrelwind practically dancing upon the mist over the water and she couldn’t help but smile slightly. So childlike was he at times and yet she knew he was ancient. Perhaps even older than herself. And Loki. One day she would discover the truth and perhaps exchange knowledge with him but until then there was a ruse they had to maintain to keep the others from growing suspicious.

The Ranger and Drow were awake and canoodling nearby. The animals were beginning to awaken and when Loki too to the air, the rest of the Rohirrim peoples and the Dwarf pulled themselves from their induced slumber. The Dwarf, true to his kind, bwlloewd loudly about giant lizards taking to the sky when others were trying to get some beauty sleep. The Rohirrim warriors chuckling as they brushed the sleep from their eyes and the dark haired Rohirrim woman silently pulling herself together and rolling up her bed roll.

Morning had finally come to the travelers and it was time to get the party back on the road. Finally Jalisa stretched like a lazy feline and sat up yawning delicately. Ever so carefully she got up and stretched once more before kneeling and rolling her bed roll up neatly and tying it so it would remain neatly rolled up. Moving away from the others to the edge of the water, she knelt down on the bank of the stream and splashed some of the cold water on her face and felt the cold refresh her skin.

When she stood up, patting her face dry with her hands, she looked over at Tiphereth and shared a look with him for a moment. She too could tell the oppressive presence of Verin was missing this day and like her Pharie cohort, she felt a lightness of heart. How long they could enjoy such a lightheartedness, she didn’t know, but she was enjoying what she felt right now.

Finally with a small smile, she nodded ever so slightly to Sorrelwind then walked back to where the others were breaking camp and preparing to embark on the rest of this journey they had all agreed to take. No doubt things were going to get very interesting from here on out.

And Jalisa couldn’t wait.

It was time.

The call of his kind whispered on the morning winds, beckoning him to follow, and so he would. Standing their upon the mists of rushing river, his tall form drifting down river like a golden autumn leaf he bid the Dragoness a solemn nod and was gone. He would not return.

Sorrelwind had for the most part played his role and the time had come for he and the questers to part ways. There would be no farewells, no sentimental exchanges, the Phaerie would go as he had come into their lives. Silent, mysterious... a dream within a dream.

Verin's grasp upon him had weakened. The ancient Phaerie expecting his power to eventually wane had been but biding his time until the moment came when the door but opened a crack. It was all he needed to escape the Drow's hold and he would not allow him an opportunity to replace the yoke. In mere moments he was down river and soon he would be far away, forever beyond his master's grasp... free.

Continued in 'The Way of the Heart'

Jalisa watched as the Pharie faded out of sight. Something told her, deep down, it would be the last time she laid eyes on him. At least in this life. He was a being from another world and she wished him well and hoped he was returning to that mysterious place just beyond the veil. For a few more moments, she stood looking in the direction she saw him last but even her other senses could not feel his presence any longer. With a soft, audible sigh, she turned and started making her way back towards the others as the camp was nearly ready to move out.

Without so much as a word to the others, she prepped her mount for the days ride ahead. When the others questioned the Pharie’s presence she would let them know then. Until that time, she would keep his leaving to herself. After all, no need to bring the mood down or cause troubled thoughts as to why he left.

Walking the horse to line up with the others in the group, she slowly mounted up and waited for everyone to be ready. If she were mad, it didn’t show. In all honesty, she was not mad. At least this way Verin couldn’t manipulate them against each other and with only one puppet in the group, it would be better in the end when the ultimate confrontation took place. When ever that would be.

Finally, she took another deep breath and let it out slowly as she waited for all the others to be ready to leave. She would miss the elusive Bard and she felt a sadness slip into her soul. She wanted to find out more about him and his world. Not for her own manipulative purposes but because the knowledge he held within him was a wealth she would never get the opportunity to explore.

As Lac saddled his horse , he looked around, making a mental note of those that were for the days journey. He smiled faintly has he heard the grumblings of the dwarft. As he watched Jalisa preparing, he took note of the absence of Tiphereth and asked "Has anyone seen Tiphereth this morning?"

“He is gone.”

Jalisa delivered the words without emotion and stated it plainly enough so there was no mistaking her words.

Jin ceased what she was doing and glanced at the dark haired woman.

“Gone?”

Jalisa nodded.

“Yes. Gone.”

Jin didn’t care for this woman’s games and she was quickly growing irritated by her flippant ways.

“What do you mean by ‘gone’?”

Jalisa sighed annoyingly then glanced down at Jin as she sat on her h orse waiting for he others to join her. By now the rest of the group has ceased what they were doing and looked at Jalisa with baited breath to find out what she meant by her statement the Pharie was gone.

“Gone as in he won’t be back.”

Jin felt her stomach fall to her knees.

“What? Why? Did he say anything to you?”

Jalisa shook her head then.

“No. He just drifted downstream and faded away. I suppose he isn’t the sort that is good at goodbye’s so he did what he thought was best for all of us. He slipped away so he wouldn’t have to deal with the emotions his departure would surely cause.”

Jin curled her hands into tight fists as she listened to Jalisa.

“And how do YOU know all of this?”

Jalisa turned her head to level her gaze on the Drowess and the slightest hint of a smirk slipped across her face.

“Green is not a color that suits you, Drowess. Besides, you already have someone warming your bed. What would you need with another? If I’m not mistaken you are a changed woman who has forsaken her previous perfidiousness. Or have you?”

Jin snarled and lunged for the woman from where she stood but before Jin could make two steps Jalisa had dismounted and stood with her arms by her side, her head slightly bowed and her eyes trained on the Drowess. The slightest tint of red slipped into her eyes and Jin felt an ominous presence suddenly drift about the area and she stopped moving forward.

“If you insist on this right here, right now, I will gladly indulge your need for violence.”

Jin saw something different in Jalisa at that moment and something deep inside of her told the Drowess this was not something she needed to pursue. At least, not now. Thankfully it was at that moment Lac stepped between the two women, giving them both harsh looks. Jin glared at Jalisa then glanced at Lac before turning and heading back to her own horse. Jalisa slowly raised her head and when she blinked, her eyes were that blue color they had all seen in the past. She saw the look Lac gave her and then turned to climb back into the saddle once more and ready herself for another day of travel.

Lac had stepped between the two women and said softly .... "We have grandure enemies before us, fighting amongst ourselves only weakens us and strengthen those we oppose." Lac then turned towards the others and spoke. "All of you are free to abandon the path that I have set upon. This journey must be taken freely and you alone must determine either to become slaves of the darkness that threatens us all or fight for the freedom of self determination. To ensure the blessings of a free and prosperous life for your people. I for one chose freedom for my peoples, their heirs and all creatures. If it requires my life be forfeited then so be it." With that said he turned, mounted his horse and started off towards the mountain pass, silently.

His thoughts though were filling his brain with questions of why Tiphereth had indeed left without counsel. He prayed that the fey and he once again would fight side by side. Tiphereth's lance would sorely be missed in the future, of that Lac was certain.

Lac, mounted Lightning, gentely laid the left hand rein against the horse's neck and turned him around one hundred and eight degrees. He whisperd softly to him "Cirosmaeeva maeya forrunisaeldanaydel, oruthaeren deleldsartaeistnelyis anwenathaisttirsil unesor. Loresttil uthusat sarevetha wenhamantir arwinastriintynsae uthusir. Layethtae uthusil runevtaeunerennor ornorcureld mayothraeeld taeol ossaunerae halossamayelda." {Translation: Come my friend, our destiny awaits us. Let us see what awaits us. Let us return once more to our home.}

His eyes active and scanning his surrounding. Lac led what remained of his companions, up the winding path and into the mountains. He could not shake the feeling that the party was being watched. He sensed the eyes were not near but they were there none the less. Shape and his companions, trotted up beside Lac as he rode. Lac looked down and made a small motin of his hand. Shape and his comanions ran ahead Shape taking the point, his fellow wolves splitting up to climb narrow trails along the walls of the mountain. Searching the skies, Lac could see above the peaks that towered ahead the shadowed outline of Loki's wings and body, as he circled a distant peak.

Lac and the remainer of the party continued to climd the mountain pass in silence. All could feel the tension, the unexpected departure of Tiphereth had brought. Along with the unnatural sense that they were being watched. Lac led them along the trail, around a bend and suddenly pulled up Lightning to a halt. Before him were the ruins of a watchtower, at the edge of a gorge, overlooking a valley. "The watchtower of Rhun." Lac said as he dismounted, walked to the edge of a large flat stone patio with two stone winged horses and looked out across the mist covered valley. Then up at the sky, as a dark cloud appeared to be swallowing the sun and white clouds and steel blue skies above. In the distance along the mountain ridges, lightling flashed. Lac's expression turned solem and a fridgid hand seemed to clutch his heart, as his eyes scanned the horizon.

The group was somber, to say the least, now that Tiphereth had exited. And Jalisa felt as though she’d been abandoned to carry on the role of Verin’s puppet alone. If she could have gotten her hands around the Pharie’s throat, she would have tried to choke the living breath from his body. But he was gone and there was no need in stewing over it now. She’d have to deal with Verin the best way she could and when the time was right, she’d make him very, very sorry he’d ever crossed her path.

Jin sat huddled in the folds of her cloak. She dind’t like the bright sun beating down on her face. It still hurt her eyes. While she’d spent quite a bit of time on the surface, most of her life had been spent below ground and her eyes were still, for the most part, more used to nocturnal places.

As the structure came into sight, Jin sat up a little better on her horse. She was curious as to where this was going to lead all of them. How were they going to deal with a common threat when they still seemed to be divided amongst themselves.

She glanced back at the others then ahead at Lac’Nala. When he stopped close to the structure and dismounted, Jin followed and stood next to him as he looked out over the land. Something ominous hung in the air as she, like Lac, looked out over the rolling hills and swaying grass. It was as though she felt she were looking at it for the last time and that frightened her more than anything.

Glancing up at Lac as he looked out over the horizon, she slowly slipped her gloved hand into his and curled her fingers around his palm. When he looked down at her, she smiled at him from beneath the folds of her hood.

”I believe you once told me that as long as we have each other, there is nothing we cannot face. Heed your own words, Ranger. They were never more true than now.”

Lac tightened his grip gently on Jin's gloved hand, tooked at her and smiled faintly. "Yorestasay tinhaleth winothraedasae Isti hiemartavalkesta saypalorkarnevanar braneldfayosraeeth taeol yinothuth, startilistalonlon hinossalayday tarhureldistaren tayreluthaytynhir , arsata diloth yinoruthaerelsir." (TRANSLATION: Yes the words I have spoken before to you, still hold their truth , as do yours. ) He then looked over his shoulder at the others. "We have traveld far and hard this day and our hearts are heavy from the loss of Tiphereth. We will rest here for tonight, tommorrow we desend into the valley. Move into the shelter of the watch tower. The horses need feed and rest as well."

Jin nodded and reluctantly released Lac’s hand before turning and walking back to her horse. She looked at the others and let them know they were resting here for the night and to bring the horses so they could be tended to as well. As she led her and Lac’s horse further into the structure and out of the wide open, she found a place where the horses could be gathered together. As the others were bringing their steeds around, she glanced at Jalisa and furrowed her brows. There was something about her that simply wasn’t normal. After the near confrontation she had with the dark haired woman that much was even more obvious.

Quickly tending to their horses, Jin walked to the tower and glanced inside. In the waning light of day, she couldn’t see anything but she knew she couldn’t get a good look unless she stepped fully inside. With a glance over her shoulder, Jin stepped inside and cautiously walked further back into the tower’s base. She’d made it in a few feet when she heard a small noise behind her. Turning quickly she suddenly found herself engulfed in total darkness that even her eyes couldn’t see in. A presence lurked nearby but she couldn’t see it. Withdrawing one of her short, curved blades, she waited, straining to hear something. Anything that would let her know what way the attack was coming from. When the voice spoke to her, it wasn’t an audible sound in her ears but in her mind. And it wasn’t pleasant at all.

~You will soon understand why your plight is futile, Drowess. You are trying to fight against forces that have been around much longer than you or any of your band of would be heroes. Return to your own kind and forget about what happens above the surface. Perhaps you’ll even find your House in order. But should you choose to stay, I assure you those you travel with will perish, as will you. One. By. One. And it will be most excruciating. For all.~

The pain in Jin’s head was so bad that she dropped to her knees, dropping her blade onto the hard surface causing a metal clang to fill the air. She was trying to fight against the pain but it was useless. Placing her hands on either side of her head, she fell over as the pain reached a level she could no longer tolerate. She saw the angry, open maw of a dragon outlined in heat coming for her and she screamed as the pain intensified.

The darkness lifted and she heard feet rushing all around her seeing Augustine and the Rohirrian people coming in with weapons drawn. Blinking her eyes several times she felt disoriented and each time she tried to move she felt as though she were falling to one side or the other. Her hands reached out, grasping for something to steady herself with but she couldn’t gain her balance long enough to reach for offered hands.

What the hell was wrong with her? Why was she here in this tower? What was she doing here? Why was she having such a hard time getting to her feet any why was her head smarting so badly?

Standing behind all the others near the doorway, Jalisa looked on curiously, peering over the shoulders of those trying to help the Drowess. Her brows furrowed as she showed her concern for the woman. Or, at least she hoped it looked like concern.

Lac was just entering the watch tower, when he heard a muffled scream and the sound of steel striking stone. Looking around, he did not see Jin. Drawing his sword, he rushed deeper into the gloom of the tower a mear step ahead of the others. There he saw Jin holding her head struggeling to rise. Reaching her he knelt, he reached for her hand as it flailed and she fell into his arms. As the others approached closer, Lac spoke softly to Jin, just above a whisper, "Jal zhah al, ussta ssinssrigg , Usstan lu' dosst abbilen ph' ghil. Nau jivviim shlu'ta doer ulu dos. Tesso uns'aa vel'bol zhah ol nindel zhah xusst?" (TRANSLATION: All is well , my love , I and your comrades are here. No harm can come to you. Tell me what is it that is wrong ?)