Satine woke up to the sound of wings. She saw the very end of his tail; Satine knew she made him angry. She sat up straighter and stretched out. Sleeping in a sitting position up against rough stone is a bit hard on the back. While stretching, Satine noticed a pile of goods on the other side of the fire pit.
Looking out to make sure he was really gone Satine got up and inspected the items. The first thing that caught her eye was a sword. She picked it up and inspected the long, silver blade. The lightness of it made it easy to swing and move with it. Impressed, she put it back in the scabbard and strapped it on her left hip. She pulled it out and put it back a couple times to test the feel. Getting bored of it she looked at the remaining items, a bow and quiver.
Under the bow and quiver lay some sore of material the color of the stone floor. She grabbed the bow and an arrow, testing wont hurt anything anyways. So she put the arrow butt to the string and aimed at one of the skeletons. Her aim wasn’t very good, yet she hit the exact spot she wanted to. Surprised she tried again only this time aiming for the eye socket. The arrow flew true to the mark. Satine looked down at the quiver then to the bow, and then strapped the bow to her back with the quiver.
Satine looked down to see that a dull gray cloak almost the color of the ground lay folded neatly. She was about to just leave it there but when she shifted her weight the color changed. It wasn’t a big color change but still, it changed. Satine shifted her weight back thinking it could have just been the light, but the color stayed the same this time. So, she picked it up to inspect it. The cloak moved over her hands like silk and felt as light as a feather. Becoming bored with the cloak, Satine just threw it on her pack.
She looked over at the skeletons while she began to pack up her things. Checking her food supply she found that she only had enough for a couple more days. She looked around trying to figure out what she would do. A movement outside the cave caught her eye, a deer. Smiling to herself she slowly pulled the bow off her shoulder and an arrow from the quiver. She notched the arrow to the bow while she moved like a shadow. Once at the entrance she lifted the bow and shot a clear shot at the deer. As she winced at the impact of the arrow she cocked another arrow, and stood ready for the deer to run at any moment. She stared at him for a long moment when she realized that he was dead and stuck in a standing position on a tree. She put the arrow and bow back and walked out to the deer. While she dragged it back she looked to the sky for any signs of danger or the dragon, finding none.
She entered the cave and dragged the deer to the side of the fire. She grabbed some flint and steel from her pack to start a fire. After she started the fire and had it burning well she went back to the deer. She began the gruesome task of skinning and stripping the meat off. She tried her hardest not to throw up during the whole time, but did when she finished. She sat outside getting some air and looking around at the trees to find a stick she could hang the meat on. Finding one she took a deep breath and went back in. Satine hung the meat on the stick over the fire. She sat back and watched the meat cook in the heat and smoke. While being hypnotized by the flame she fell into a dreamless sleep. The next thing Satine knew the suns rays were pouring into the cave. She packed the items given to her and the meat as fast as she could. Satine looked around to make sure she had everything then left, leaving only the fire pit as evidence of her being there. She did not want to have to deal with that dragon again. Once outside the cave she looked left, right then straight. Satine had no idea were she was and she was not going to ask that dragon. So, figuring things couldn’t be worse she went left.



*

Satine looked around then up the steep slop. She recognized it as the one she passed several days before. The wizards keep was about a mile past this hill. Sighing, and seeing no other way, she started to climb. The snow wasn’t thick here so the rocks were easy to find and help her. Satine made her way carefully up, hoping not to disturb the snow to much. A roar slowly began to rise as it came closer and closer as the ground started to shake. Satine stood as still as she could next to a rock that could have fit at least five of her inside it. She saw the avalanche just in time to hide behind the rock. The snow clipped her and made her lose her footing several times. She kept herself pressed up against the rock as hard as she could. The avalanche would not have her.




*

“You idiot! What about the person that was down there?” Derrick screamed.
“Oh she will be fine. A little hard work to keep her life won’t hurt her.” Messel said as he and Derrick walked calmly down the trail, following the avalanche. They left their war horses off to the side to let them graze calmly in the soft grass.
“Really? Well if that is your take on life then why don’t I make you work for yours? I could throw you over the edge, cousin, and see how well you can fly.” Derrick looked over to his cousin to see the smug look.
“Actually I can fly quite well, or did you forget?”
“So you finally learned that method huh? Took you long enough. How long have you been trying to learn that skill? Two, three years?”
“No! It’s harder than it looks and I’ve been trying for only six months. I am one of the most powerful wizards of our kingdom, you know.” He proudly added an extra bounce to his step. They came to the edge of the drop off to see the girl climbing up.
“My, my, what a pretty girl.” Messel looked over at Derrick and smiled.
“Keep it in your robes cousin.” Derrick looked back at her. Her hair shone like a golden sunset, with the deep red and gold accent. By the way she climbed he could tell she knew how to move with stealth and grace.
“What is she doing all the way out here?” Derrick didn’t even hear his cousin, she was just so beautiful. Like something in a dream but yet she seemed to be familiar somehow.
“Hey!” Messel yelled irritably.
“What?” Derrick yelled back just as irritated and looked over at his cousin.
“I said what is she doing all the way out here?”
“How would I know?” Derrick asked as he looked back down at her.
“Well your looking at her hard enough I figured you had connected your minds.” Messel laughed, making a weird dog like bark.
Derrick looked over at him with a glare only to notice something flying towards them. “What is that?” He asked as he motioned with his chin.
Messel turned around and looked at it, then turned back to Derrick with a concerned look. “That’s a flicker,” he looked down at the girl. “And he is headed straight for the girl.”
Derrick began to panic. “Put a shield around her! Now!”




*
The demon flew into something solid. The air shimmered as if water. The demon flew back a ways and shook his head. Looking at the girl confused it flew off. Derrick stood at the top of the hill and watched as it flew away. After it became a speck he looked to Messel.
“Thank you, cousin.”
“Your welcome but the trouble isn’t over. That thing will come back.” Messel looked from his cousin to the girl, then back. “Why are you so concerned for this girl? I know she’s pretty but you can have a hundred girls like her.”
Derrick looked at his cousin. His mind raced for an answer. His dragon shouldn’t be able to communicate with him still. It’s been to long since he rode his dragon so they shouldn’t still be connected like this. How could he explain to his cousin that they share their thoughts still? Derrick’s thoughts were interrupted with the words “you have to save that girl. She is the only thing that can save our family.” Derrick sighed and looked to Messel.
“Do you think she will get to us before that thing comes back?”
“I’m not sure,” Messel looked down at her. She had just started to climb again and she still had a lot of the ground to cover. “Maybe, why?”
Derrick shrugged Messel’s question off and looked to the sky to see if the demon was headed back yet.
“What is wrong with you lately?”
“Nothing, why?” Derrick looked at his cousin out of the corner of his eye, then back again.
“Because, you have been distracted lately and staring off in random directions, as if you’re listening to something that isn’t there.” Messel looked to the sky to see what had Derrick’s attention. Seeing nothing he looked back to Derrick.
“I’m just thinking.” Derrick looked down to check up on the girl. She was close to the top.
Derrick stepped back and motioned to Messel to do the same. The girl reached the top and staggered to a standing position.





*
Satine bent over with exhaustion. When she straightened she saw the two men in front of her. She looked from powerful green eyes to soft joyful gray eyes. She recognized one of them but didn’t have time to even smile. Buzzing noise from behind caught her attention.
The bug demon flew up and landed behind her. With his four arms, two on each side, the demon leaned over her and hit Derrick with two of them. At the same time he hit Messel with the other two. Messel flew several feet into a wall knocking him out. Satine turned and drew her sward. She stepped back enough to defend herself. Even before it started advancing on her she knew that she couldn’t survive a battle with this thing. Satine heard derrick scream out her name before her first block. She managed to get a couple more blocks before a broadsword came down between them. Satine moved as quickly as she could to get out from between them, she tripped over the rocks and landed with her back against one. Derrick moved with grace that seemed to not belong to someone of his size. Satine watched, amazed, while the six foot man cut off one arm then another. Finally he swung his sward and cut the demon in half.
Satine sat still afraid what would happen if she moved to fast. Derrick stared back at her taking her in, noticing the sleeve that covered just her right arm. His black leather creaked as he wiped off the blood on a body then sheathed his sward over his shoulder. A moan from behind him brought them both back to the world around them.
Satine stood and ran to him as Derrick turned and moved to his cousin. Satine knelt beside Messel and touched his forehead. She closed her eyes and let her power flow through him to heal any damage. Derrick watched with silent, probing eyes. Satine, finding nothing wrong, opened her eyes and removed her hand. She looked to derricks green eyes.
“How do you know my name?” she didn’t know him, but yet his eyes looked so familiar.
“I . . .” a moan from Messel made them both look down. Messel opened his eyes and sat up. He shook his head and looked from derrick then to Satine. He smiled widened.
“Satine! It’s been so long, and I missed you so!” Satine just smiled and sat back on her heels. “How have you been since I last saw you? And why are you across the boarder? That’s not the smartest idea in the world.”
Satine looked down at her hands and shrugged. “I got lost is all.”
“Really? An elf that gets lost? That is a first, especially for you.” Messel sat up straighter and looked her in the eyes. Satine just sat there trying to figure out what to say. After some time Messel cut into her thoughts.
“Look Satine you know you can trust me. I know the only reason that you would leave home is to do something. So, tell me the truth. You owe me at least that much.”
Satine took a deep breath. The wizard knew her to well. Satine remembered how he could always tell when she lied or didn’t tell him something. Even though they were together for a couple months he had taught her how to use some of her power. Messel was a friend of hers and she couldn’t understand why she lied to him. Sighing, she told the truth.
“My home was invaded last month by Zenarack’s men. He burned down half of the wilds and ran through the rest. My grandmother sent me to get help from your kingdom.”
“And how did your grandmother expect a king that is aligned with Zenarack to help your people?”
“I’m not after the king.” Satine looked at him as her eyes began to fill with tears. “I’m looking for the rightful air to the throne, the prince. I have been looking for him this whole time. A wizard that lives not to far from here was supposed to help me but he got mad when I made fun of his robes.” Satine folded her hands in her lap and began to cry.
Messel leaned forward and pulled his friend to him. “It’s hopeless,” she cried. “I won’t be able to find him. No one knows where he is let alone his name. I can’t do this. I have no idea what my grandmother was thinking when she sent me out. There are other elves that can find him better and faster then me.”
“There, there child. You are not as hopeless as you think.”
“I’m not a child!” Satine glared at Messel only to have him smile back. Derrick got up and walked over and grabbed water from his horse. As usual they hadn’t spooked from all the drama, the war horses just kept gazing.
“You needed a wizard to help? Well, here I am I will help you find the prince of the dragon riders.” Derrick choked on the water he had just drunk. Satine looked at him then back to Messel confused.
“Don’t mind him, he’s suffering from the lack of sleep and lack of women he has had in the last hundred years.” Laughing Messel stood up. Satine glared at him and smacked him over the head with the palm of her hand.
Derrick stood in shock; he grabbed Messel by the arm and drug him away from Satine.
“How exactly are we going to bring her with us with only two horses?” Derrick growled to Messel making sure Satine couldn’t hear him.
“Well my cousin, I thought that she could ride with you. She is light and your horse is bigger than mine. Plus I can already tell you fancy her.” Laughing Messel added, “At the next village I’ll get you two your own room.”
Derrick glared at him then noticed Satine. While they were talking she had walked up to his horse and started petting him. With one last glare at his cousin derrick walked up to Satine.

“Where are your things?”
“What?” She looked up from braiding a small braid in the horses’ mane.
Irritably derrick grabbed her hands away to make her stop. “Where did you put your bag of things?”
Satine pulled her hands away from his with a blush and shrugged. “It’s by the cliff edge.”
Satine watched as Derrick walked over and grabbed her bag. Messel walked over to his horse and mounted. Satine looked up at him with a look of help me. Messel just smiled a knowing smile and fiddled with his reins. Derrick walked up and threw her things at Messel. “Since I get the girl you get the items.”
“If I didn’t look to Satine as my friend I would take her on my horse. You’re my cousin, I trust you to not be foolish.” Whispering to derrick he added, “Careful she had knives everywhere.” Messel began to strap the bag to his saddle and Derrick look awkwardly at Satine.
“I’ll help you up; the saddle is big enough that we both can ride in it.
Satine looked at him for a moment then walked up and mounted without help. Messel couldn’t help but giggle. Derrick glared up at him then mounted behind Satine. They shifted in the saddle for a moment then moved off. Satine, paying attention to the man behind her, hadn’t noticed when they were walking by the road next to the wizards keep. “How dare you come to my home again you imbecile!” Satine looked over in time to see the sickly yellow robes and fried hair running at them.
Messel casually moved his hand and the frantic wizard stopped in his tracks. Messel turned his horse and slowly walked up. “Now Serk, you should know better than to run up and startle a powerful wizard such as me.”
Derrick shifted in his saddle distracting Satine momentarily. “Get on with this Messel we need to move on and get away from here.”
“Fine,” he turned back to the ridiculous wizard, “well we will be off. Hope you have a nice day.”
Messel turned and started on the trail again. Satine watched as the yellow robed wizard fell to the ground as they turned a corner.
*
They came to a village some time later. Satine knew the village well. She traveled through it several times when she was younger. The towns’ people busied themselves with shopping and trading. There was always one mother yelling for her children. They followed the dirt street for some time then stopped at the Grasser tavern. Messel dismounted and helped Satine down. Satine looked off to the side as she fallowed the two of them into the tavern. When they came in a lean man with an apron and a rag walked up to them.
“How many rooms?” He began to wipe down a table.
“Two, and where can we find supplies?” Derrick replied in a rumbling voice.
“That will be ten copper then. There is a store down the street; there you can find all you need.” He took the copper that Derrick handed him, “you will have the last two at the end of the hall. Will you be having any drink or food that you want sent up?”
“No,” Derrick replied, “that will be all.”
“Alright then suit yourself; my stable hand will take care of your horses. You will have to bring your own things to your room.”
They moved out front again to gather their belongings. Satine stood at the door and watched them. She did her best to keep her hood up and not let anyone of the villagers get a good look at her. Being found would not be for the best. Derrick and Messel brought their things up to the rooms, Satine just followed behind. Derrick turned to her “we will get another horse for you; you will be coming with us.”
Satine looked to him then Messel questionably “Alright, but I don’t like this town.”
As they moved out Messel fell into step with her. “Why is that?”
“Because the king’s guards like to randomly come here, being an elf and all the rest is easy to figure out.”
Messel looked at her with a teasingly confused look. “Why would you hate the king?”
“Let me think, he outlawed elves and killed his brother. Oh, don’t forget that he’s trying to get rid of the true air to the throne and he is in line with Zenarack.”
Messel came to a sudden stop and looked at her with stunned disbelief. Derrick turned and grabbed Satine by the arm and pulled them both along. “You two keep it down. I don’t need to be hunted down today.” He looked to all sides and pushed them into the supply shop.

It was relatively cluttered but there was still room to move around. Derrick and Messel walked up to the counter. The fat, short store keeper bargained with them on prices they thought outrageous. Satine moved about the store trying not to disturb anything. Nothing interested her so she lost herself in thoughts. She couldn’t believe how lost she had become. It was only a year ago when she left home, every ones hopes with her.

One year. Yet she had only accomplished being captured twice and tortured almost to death. She stopped at a front window to watch the children in the street playing. How sweet it must be to have that kind of innocence. Satine remembered her easy childhood of playing in the trees and long grass. A call from Messel brought her back to the brutal reality of it all. To the fact that only the deep Elvin woods were safe, but only for a time. As she fallowed Derrick and Messel out of the shop she wondered how much time she had before the peace in her home could last.

They walked back to the inn, the silence hanging awkwardly between them. When the three walked in the door the usual chatter ended abruptly. Satine held her breath, they knew. Derrick put his hand on her back and ushered her up the stairs to the rooms even as Messel walked up to the innkeeper. He closed the door and bolted it as soon as they were in her room.

“Get your things together.” Satine stood stunned but only for a moment. She collected her few things and shoved them in her bag. As she did this Derrick put up his hood and glided to the window. He waved his hand as he spoke a single word, the room plunged into darkness. The twilight glinted off his futures, making him the only thing she could see. So there she sat with Derrick by the window and before she knew it darkness had fallen.

Suddenly Messel burst into the room. “The King’s guards are on the way! Let’s get the heck out of here!” He ran to his and Derrick’s room and picked up their things. He ran back into the room, “there is a back door that the keeper told me about.” He threw derrick his pack and they ran down the hallway and down the stair case hidden behind a shelf with Satine right behind them.

Right outside the door derrick skidded to a halt. “We don’t have Satine’s horse yet.” He turned to her then back to Messel. “Supplies are going to meet us at the north road by the woods now lets go.” He motioned for them to fallow. Messel ran into the barn, and then turned back to derrick.
“We can’t get her horse right now with Sator’s guards’ right behind us. So just ride with her on the back like we have.” Messel jumped on his horse as did Derrick. Satine stood for a moment not sure what to do. The Elvin woods loomed only a few miles from this town. She looked up to Derricks hand, she took it. He pulled her up on the back and pushed his horse into a gallop right after Messel, only moments before the kings guards barged in.



*

They rode for what seemed like days, only the sun rose once. They stopped and Derrick held his arm out to assist Satine. She accepted it. Satine took a couple steps from them then turned back to Derrick and Messel. “We are right next to the wilds.”
They looked at her for a few moments then looked at each other then back. “No we aren’t, those woods lie one hundred miles to the east.” Messel walked up to her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry we wont run into any guards patrolling the boarder.”

She smacked his hand away. “Your wrong!” she turned and whistled, first low then coming to a high crescendo. Derrick and Messel looked at each other; for sure she had gone crazy. This land hadn’t belonged to the elves since it was taken twenty years ago. As if answering Satine’s whistle a scream vibrated through the woods. Soon after a midnight black horse jumped over a log appearing as if out of thin air. Its hooves hit the ground like thunder clapping in the middle of a summer storm.

The horse ran up to Satine, bucking as if playing, its snow white mane and tail flying everywhere. The massive horse stopped a few strides from her and slowly walked up to Satine, the powerful muscles in its body rippling over perfect bone structure. Satine wrapped her arms around its head, barely being able to touch finger tips, and kissed the horse’s quarter moon on its head. She turned to Derrick and Messel, “if we weren’t close I wouldn’t be able to call him.” She ran her head over his moon then turned back. “Derrick, Messel I’d like you to meet my horse, storm. He’s actually gentle, I promise.”

“Sure,” Messel replied sarcastically, “that horse looks like a deadly war horse that Derrick used to ride before…” Messel abruptly came to an end looking over at Derrick.

Derrick glared back. “Look Satine, there is a meeting of the generals from the before the rightful king was killed.” He looked into her blue eyes. “You are welcome to come.”

All she could do was stand in stunned silence. Then looked at him subspecialty, “Why?”
“What?” Derrick looked from the ground to her.
“I’m not part of your kingdom so why should I come?” Satine folded her arms over her chest and glared at him. Storm danced around behind her.
“You. . . I. . .”
“Derrick and I have been talking.” Messel interrupted, “I know you well and you are good at ‘sneaking up on the snake’ so I told my stumbling cousin here that you should come.”
“All right.” Satine nodded then walked over to her horse; she took off her cloak and threw it up on him. She pulled it off and a saddle lay on his back completely strapped on as if it were always there. Satine grabbed the bridle off of the horn and walked to his head. Storm lowered his head and immediately took the bit; she pulled on the rest of the bridle and began to buckle it on when she noticed Messel and Derrick looking at her. “What?” she finished and jumped on.

“So you finally figured out your magic?” Messel commented. He mounted as did Derrick. Satine just shrugged her shoulders and smiled. Derrick lost his breath, her smile was reminded him of the sunrises he would watch with his dad. The sunsets that came only on the end of a perfect day. The beauty could melt a rose, yet hers made the rose jealous. He stopped himself at the thought of how lovely she smelled. Her sent, he knew, he could never forget. Just something about it made him unable to.

A few miles later they encountered a man that was holding a horse with supplies piled on it. Another just had a saddle. Messel hopped down and gave him silver. The man grunted and turned back down the road. Messel, Satine, and Derrick distributed the supplies to the two horses and moved on the trail headed west.



*
Satine felt as if her butt had gone flat but she didn’t complain. They had been riding for days, they stopped of course. Only they didn’t stop for long. She began to ask herself questions on weather or not she should have come, putting her thoughts aside she patted storm and felt bad for him. At least she didn’t have to walk, that would have taken twice as long. Satine looked up and saw a trail headed off to the side from the main road.
Messel points to it. “There’s strange magic there.”
“What kind?” Satine said off hand. She shifted in her saddle, wincing at her sores.
“It’s strange and powerful, perhaps dangerous; I’ve never felt this kind before.”
“Really?” Satine sat up straighter in her saddle and became alert with eagerness.
“Yah, let’s go see what it is!” Eagerly Messel turned his horse towards the path.
“No.” Derrick said in his commanding voice. Too late, Messel and Satine already were headed down the path. Derrick sighed irritably and turned he horse to follow.
The tall oak trees and green brush opened up to a gruesome scene. Demons of all sizes were laid out dead. Close to fifty of them lay slaughtered. As Satine looked around she noticed a sword standing on its tip on a rock in the center of the clearing.
A tall, enormously strong man with blond curly hair walked up to the sword and glared at it. He looked over his right arm to them then back to the sword. Satine could just barely breathe from the beauty of him. The stunning green eyes seemed to sparkle something mischievous. His appearance was as if it belonged to a god. Looking down his body, admiring it, she noticed the empty scabbard but didn’t pay attention to it. The man cocked his head to the side as if he was listening to someone really annoying. Then glared and spoke in a tone that meant no arguments.
“You know I was eating breakfast, but no! You took me here!” He yelled at his sword. Satine sat back in her saddle a little surprised but she soon just shrugged it off. She figured there was something they couldn’t see there. It didn’t occur to her that she would be able to feel it if there was something there, especially if it was magic.
“No, no. she won’t do that.” He paused as his face started to turn red with anger.
“I’m still hungry! What exactly is going to happen to the deer I killed last night?” He paused again to listen to what he was yelling at. He began to pace in front of his sword. “She’s not going to do that! No!” He sighed, “Yes they were evil but still, I’m hungry.” He stopped as he listened some more to what he was yelling at when Satine realized Messel was laughing.
“What are you laughing at?” As much as Satine tried she could not take her eyes from the godly handsome man.
“Can’t you see Satine? He’s talking to his sword which means he’s insane and yet just killed close to fifty demons! We should have. . .” he couldn’t draw a breath from laughing.
Satine just shook her head. The god like man walked up and grabbed his sward. It wouldn’t budge when he tried to pick it up. He began to strain against what held it there. His face turned red and his muscle rippled beneath his skin. The sword wouldn’t even shift. He stopped pulling on it and bent over in exhaustion.
“Fine!” he shouted as he stood straight, “I’ll leave you hear!” He turned to walk away but stopped and laughed. He turned around and grabbed his sword and sheathed it over his shoulder. “That’s better.” He walked towards them and suddenly tripped over nothing. “Sorry, sorry.” He said with his head cocked a little to the pommel of the sword as he straightened walked up to Satine, Derrick, and Messel.
When he had reached them he looked up to them with half hearted interest as Messel dismounted. The man didn’t look like he was going to stop but did anyways but reluctantly.
While walking up to the god like man Messel held out his hand. “Hi, my name is Messel. What is . . . whoa!” He jumped back and looked the man up and down. “So, was that your or the sword?”
The man shrugged. “That was the sword. So you’re a wizard?”
“Yes and a Dragon Rider.” Messel straightened in pride.
The man just grunted and looked passed him as he said in an unimpressed voice.
“My name is Karlan, disciple of Katharnak. I’m human.”
“Huh, I’ve never heard of that god being worshiped. I guess you do learn something new every day. Anyways, I’d like to introduce you to my underlings, Satine and Derrick.” Messel waved his hand indicating his companions.
“Underlings?” Derrick grunted. Karlan looked at the wizard with a questioning look, then to Derrick.
Laughing Messel corrected himself. “Actually Derrick is my cousin, the crown prince of all dragon riders. This beautiful elf is Satine. She is the ruler of the wild elves land.”
Karlan looked them up and down committing them to memory when suddenly he got a weird look on his face. He looked down at his empty scabbard then cocked his head to the side to speak to his pommel. “Where did my scimitar go?” He moved his head to the side as if listening to his pommel instead of talking to it.
“Fine, just tell me when I get close.” With his head cocked to the side he stepped over the dead demons.
After he moved about ten feet he suddenly got angry. “What! How did I go from ice cold to burning up in one step? Do you even know were it is?” he listened with his head cocked to something they didn’t hear. “Oh that’s productive! You know if she was here she would get it for me.” He paused a moment listening. “After she found it would she give it to me? Good point.” He looked around and noticed the pommel of the sword sticking out of a demon a couple of feet behind and to the side of were he was standing.
Sighing irritably he walked over and picked it up, cleaned then sheathed the sword. “Where’s camp?” He listened a moment and then turned to his right and began to walk through the most dense brush out of the clearing.
“Hey! Sense you’re headed in the same direction we are and we have an extra horse you can travel with us.” Messel offered to Karlan. Karlan stepped out of the bush and looked at them.
He stared at Satine for a few moments then looked to Messel, “sure I’ll give the lady proper escort.” Karlan proudly accepted.
“She is protected well enough!” Derrick yelled at Karlan. Turning to Messel he added, “If he comes you have the responsibility to make sure that he knows only what he needs to!” Looking at Karlan he adds, “We don’t want to be noticed and so you better not attract attention to us!” With that Derrick turned his horse around and stormed back down the path.
Messel watched until Derrick couldn’t be seen anymore then turned back to Karlan and smiled. “Sorry about my cousin, his lack of women is taking a toll on him.”
“It’s fine, no, no we can’t do that. I know!” He shook his head and looked to Messel to see him confused. Karlan shrugged and glared back to his pommel. They both looked over to see Satine smoldering in anger.
“Jerk!” With that she turned her horse and galloped off behind Derrick.
Messel just laughed. “Those two were made for each other.”
Karlan grunted and followed Messel to the horse he would be riding.