Laura - 2001-06-02
"hy Miss Manikas what brings your visit today? --Wait? Where is your father? " Mrs. Ansley spoke with a puzzeling look about her face.
" It's alright, he is not with me today. Actually, I wanted to speak with YOU." Azari's face turned a little pale suddenly as she realized that her words may strike fear into Trevor's mother heart.
"Yes- go on.." Raising a eye the tense silence of anticpation was written all over Mrs. Ansley's face.
" I-I am afraid I have heard some rather bad news. A noble man came to visit my fathers home not too long ago to tell me that Sir Ansley was reported missing or ....maybe even found for dead. I am very perplexed and vexed over this. I have kept a vidual for his arrival to High Tor. There must be some kind of mix up." Azari noticed Mrs. Ansley's eyes. It was like looking at Trevor himself. " Well..it's settledd. I am heading out to where I had seen him last. I shall return with word once I know for sure what really happened."
Azari gave time to answer all Mrs. Ansley's questions. When she left the shop she decided to ride to Torriagn all the way thru to the next town out heading in the direction in which she came home.
Azari had spent enough time home to make enough coinage to buy more of the things she would need for her trip.
The next day, after her rest, she traveled onward to gain haste for where she could find Sir Ansley. Stopping for a moment to eat and lodge as they days rolled by. Seeking from the bar maids information did not help. Azari had no companions with and no luck at finding any comfort any where.
It had been 5 days of traveling. The first three she had hardly any rest. During the last few days she took her time admiring the weather.
The Inn she decided to lodge in was very pretty. Her room had a over look of the praire. The wildflowers of cammomile had peaked. The fragrance of lavender, fresh lillies and wild daiseys filled her nostrills with delight. Azari calmed all her aches and pains in a nice luxurious tub. Life was sweet and peaceful.
Lawrence - 2001-06-02
"mmm," Tarin muttered to himself, as he strolled down the marketplace, looking for a good cloak. "Nope, not green, to lively, ummm nope, that blue is too light," then,"Ahhh, here is a perfect one," he said as he spotted a cloak colored a deep red. He walked up to the merchant and said, "How much for that blue one there sir?" As the merchant turned to see which cloak was being pointed at, Tarin quickly grabbed the red cloak, and placed it in his sack.
"This one here," the merchant asked, holding up a light blue, silken cloak.
"No, no, no, no. Not that one. Ohhh nevermind, you merchants really need an education," Tarin called, as he turned away. Then to himself, "they really do. That's the fourth one today, with the same trick."
Tarin kept his eyes out. "Oooo, there's a good one." He said softly as he spotted a richly clothed man riding down the street upon a white mount. Tarin quickly walked up to him, "please kind sir, would you lend a poor soul some money?"
"Get away from me wretch, or I'll call the city guard on you!" The merchant snapped.
'Suit yourself' Tarin thought, then when the man looked back ahead, Tarin drew his dagger, and cut the rope holding the man's purse to his belt. He slowly walked off to a small alley to count his earnings, and to don his cloak. As he opened the purse, his eyes glittered in wonder. "That man must've been a king or something to be walking around with this. He counted out 1 platinums, 48 torches, 30 shields, and a few coppers. Quickly he took off his old worn dark green cloak, tossing it upon the ground for some begger, then taking out the new one, and latching it on with the clasp. Then suddenly a soldier appeared.
"You there, halt. You are under arrest. The reason, theivery."
Tarin, always thinking quickly, took out his grappling hook, and tossed it to a buildings ceiling. Quickly he started to climb, wrapping the rope about one leg in the process. The guard, standing helpless on the street, started calling for aid. "Time to leave, I think," he stated to himself.
Soon, he was sprinting from roof to roof, "This would be much faster with a horse, as a matter of fact I think I'll get one before I leave." He turned in the direction of the stables. Luckily he made it there before the soldiers thought of it. He perused his way through the line of mounts and grabbed a tall black one. "That ones 1 platinum sir," said the stablehand, as he spotted Tarin opening the stall. "He's a real beaut and brute," the stablehand said with a chuckle. Then, "hey," he screeched, as Tarin tossed a saddle on and mounted, "no riding until you pay up."
Tarin ignored the man, and was soon bursting past the city gates, and out on the open road, leaving shouts for his life behind him. "That was a close one today," then looking at his mount, "I think I'll call you Knight Thief."
Amber - 2001-06-03
elene was amazed but delighted that he didn't tease her about her tidiness, a smile coming over her face in reply to his own smile. She couldn't help it; she was a neat woman and did NOT like being dirty. His smile was infectious, especially when one was on the emotional high she was on.
His kiss took her breath away.. He'd kissed her, but not with that much passion, something that made her heart thud in her chest. She laughed quietly, to hide her own jumbled feelings. "Thank me? For what?" She looked up at him with her softly stormy teal eyes, meeting his own eyes. "You're the one who's deserving of the thanks. You've saved my life over and over.. Thank you..." She said, and, surprising herself, leaned over to plant a gentle kiss on his lips, blushing slightly at her boldness.
At the mention of his armor, she smiled. "I do not know how much help I can be, but whatever I can do.." She said, running a hand through her curls to try and trick and tease them into place. 'I wish I had a brush...' She thought, mentally sighing. Her brush was with the rest of her toiletries in Starstruck's saddlebags, and Starstruck was ostentatiously still missing. Stupid horse.. If she ever saw the beast again she'd probably end up turning him into jerky. Still.. She couldn't blame him from the lightening; she herself had been terrified.
Suddenly she was aware of a crashing sound; something large was coming their way. She turned in the direction of the approaching entity, her heart sinking in her chest. They weren't ready to fight anything off again and it sounded like it was a large, wild animal.
Then it burst through the bushes, and she laughed out loud in sudden relief. "Starstruck you stupid nag!" Indeed it was her stallion, a bit worse for wear, saddle cockeyed, twigs and leaves gnarled in his mane and tail, smeared with dirt, but with all of her saddlebags. She caught his reins as he pranced near her, arching his neck and snorting, supposedly with happiness at finding them. Selene was relieved; this meant they could ride away from the bandits and towards an inn or something with similar facilities and accomplish both more quickly with less strain. Selene was worried about Trevor; he still had that cut on his thigh from rescuing her from the runaway horse, and on top of that all the cuts and bruises from fighting the bandits. Of course, being a noble, she had a tendency to think they were worse than they seemed; to her a small papercut was cause for great concern.
"I can't believe he came back.." She muttered to herself. "I'd have thought that he'd have returned to the livery." However, she was smiling as she led the horse over to Trevor. "At least someone up on those clouds is looking out for us." She said wryly, feeling fatigue start to take its toll.
Laura - 2001-06-03
efore Azari had decided to take a bath, she had put tea light candles all around her Inn room, especially the bathroom in which she made up her mind to spend the next two hours soaking in a warm, hot tub. There was a small 5x5 window to the far north west side of her room. She had cranked it open half way to give herself the aromatherapy of fresh herbs and wild growing flowers. The Inn bathroom had a small bath tub attached mirror. The tub was not made out of wood or old metal. It was made with something new she had not seen before. The carving of the tub had made it easier for her to lay all the way back and relax without sitting. Upon her getting the tub ready, fresh bottles of ointments and buidware encircled her for easy bathing access. The shampoos and body washes were all the same but Azari always pretended each had their own purpose. The rich lather and fragrances mixed with the night air and fragrant breezes made it easy for Azari to feel nothing but pure bliss.. She gently soaked in the tub and washed her hair and body lathering to her delight. Jetta was in a stall barn just 200 feet from the Inn entrance. The night light took over the sky but the little candles burned enough light to mix the room with enough light to have Azari see herself in the mirror in the tub. She rinsed her hair under water. As she came up from out of the water, she suddenly realized that Trevor could have been with Selene all this time.
As the water dripped down her body and over her head, soap caught into her eyes, gasping for air to return to her lungs, she quickly emerged upright to remove the soap from her eyes. Wiping the water out off of her face, her heart began to beat hard as she for a brief moment felt completely stupid for coming to look for him. "Hmmm after all, he never came to look for me.." Azari looked into the mirror talking to herself.
Copyright (c) 1999-2001 Abigail Laughlin and the members of the Circle of Stone.