Lawrence - 2001-07-02
arin's brow was covered in sweat as he neared the village. "Come on boy, just a little farther, then we can...we can..." At the last bit he fell from his mount; the horse, being a knight's horse, halted it's motion to wait for it's rider to mount. Tarin lay in the road, shivering with fever. "Need...help..." Looking up at the horse, with halucinating eyes he called, "Friend, help me... Bring me a healer...What's wrong?" he asked as the horse whinnied. "Please help...me." Then his eyes closed shut, and Tarin lay still, unconcsious in the middle of the road.
Days later he woke, shivering, in a small white bed. Alongside his bed were many identical divans. Many people in red spattered, white robes milled about, moving from bed to bed; soon one such person came to him. "Ahhh, you're awake child. Rest, soon you will be well. We are a guild of healers. A man found you unconscious in the road with an armored horse nearby; he brought you and the mount here. Your horse is tethered outside."
"But...but, but how how did you cure me of my fever so fast? I mean, I'm grateful, but I just don't understand: who would find me in the street, and help me rather than rob me? What man helped me? I must return the service!"
The healer sighed. "We gave you a special potion we concocted, and the man who helped you didn't leave a name. If you would like we will give you a description so that you may find him in the village, but other than that, we can't help you further. I recommend that you rest here for another day before you leave," he commented, noticing Tarin's attempt to stand up. "You need to sleep. Your horse is being well fed, as will you before you leave. Now please sleep. I must get to the other patients as well." With that the man moved away, and onto the next divan. Tarin gave a grunt then conceded to sleep another day.
The next day, before he left to find normal shelter, he was given a good meal, and the description of the man who had aided him. Thanking the healers profusely, Tarin mounted his horse and set out to the market place. "Well now to find this guy: tall, brown hair, green eyes, muscular... hmmm, a farmer's outfit. hmm, well at least I won't have to pay a favor to some dirty merchant," he said the last words quietly, considering that he was surrounded by those 'dirty merchants'. He quickly checked his packs, making sure he still had all his stuff, then set about looking for the stables. Within the hour he found them, tucked away in a corner of the town. "Ahh, kind sir, how much is it for me to leave my horse here?" he asked, spotting the stablehand.
"Ehh, oh, that'd be 8 coppers a night. How many nights ya reckon y'll be here?"
"Five days should do it; here's the money for two nights. I'll pay ya the rest at the end of that period." He tossed the man a small sack and moved his horse into the stall, removing the saddle, and halter, hanging the latter on the wall, and slinging the saddle over his shoulder. "Now to do some business," he said to no one in particular. He set off at a brisk pace for the market.
Laura - 2001-07-03
zari's eyes gave a snarling look as she snatched to rag out from the newly found strangers hand. Spitting out some of the droppings of dung that made way to her eyes and face among other places, she was able to speak yet even though her heart felt embarrassed and confused as to what had happened so suddenly, Azari was not too happy to be up to her knees deep in dung from the stall of long traveled horses.
"You should have moved this from out of the way a long time ago! Azari's look grew cold and icy as her tone began to show anger. She proceeded to make harsh remarks while wiping her clothes and boots off as best she could. "I should NOT be confused with the likes of you as HELP around HERE. I am a well paying guest here at the Inn and NOT THE HELP!" Azari took the rag and threw it at Jarren. Before she walked off to go back to the Inn she turned around to give a dead stare. "I will have to say a few words to your boss about this. You can pay for one of my nights here for all the trouble you have caused me. Do YOU realize what your mistake caused me?" Azari suddenly had a thought, ...oh no! I saw his horse! Azari left quickly as if she wanted to say something to Jarren but took off in the middle of her heated moment. "Never Mind!" She picked up her dress and dashed off down the paved cool pathway. You could see strands of hairs that had fallen out of the bun she had put in her hair. The echoes of her boots hitting on the paved ground from echoes off of the wall. The swishing of her dress followed the echo down the way and off to a fade as she disappeared leaving Jarren unable to get any word in edge-ways.
Laura - 2001-07-04
Azari decided to go up to her room and clean up. Perhaps after her bath, she would feel better, she decided. Quickly she sat up, looking around to see if anyone was watching her or nearby. When she thought she was alone, she decided to recompose her posture and ease nonchalantly back into the Inn pretending nothing had happened, even IF she did get many looks.
People were going out of the door saying, "Excuse me-I am sorry," but Azari didn't hear a word; she passed by as if she believed no one noticed her. Creeping up to the top of the stairs where her room was, she walked down a few doors in the hallway until she over heard familiar voices coming out of the largest room. Azari slowly walked to the door to get a better idea of the familiar voices.
"No, you are in no shape to travel. Neither are you, Selene. How can you protect her if you can't even hold a sword? No, I will rest here and return home in the morning. You two can follow after you have had a day or two to rest."
"All right, we'll stay here. In the meantime, let's get some food and a nice, hot bath."
"I am sorry for all the confusion. I wish we could have met under more favorable circumstances."
Azari knew that someone would be coming out the door. She had to get back to her room and do it in a hurry without being caught by Trevor's sister.
Azari took very large steps to get a few doors down. As soon as she had passed she ran quickly off to her room before anyone could see her, her heart pumping from all the adrenaline and the sudden anger and jealousy she began to feel all at the same time.
Opening her door she went in and locked her door as she closed it. " So! It's true, he IS with her. Huh- to think all this time I was horribly worried something bad had happened to him. He was perfectly fine all along ..." She couldn't say another word. Tears began to roll down her face.
She let her body plop backwards falling straight unto the bed. ((clunck)((the bed wobbled and the bed posts squeaked with the thunderous force of her weight crashing down))
After a hour or so of just staring at the ceiling, she rolled to her side and sluggishly went to the bathroom to draw water to get the tub ready for her bath. After she finished changing her clothes and taking her bath she had decided or tried really hard to convince herself of all the reasons why she would simply pretend that nothing was bothering her. She rehearsed in her mind all the possible ways he would find out she was there. She decided to act very distant and cold. As if she was self sufficient and didn't need him. Her heart ached so but it was too hard to bear.
" Who needs him anyhow, besides Azari..he ISN'T your type...remember?" she had reasoned with herself. "He can have his little princess for all I care--I will be going back to Torriagan and forgetting this ever happened and most of all....HIM!"
Azari was definatly having a pity party.
Copyright (c) 1999-2001 Abigail Laughlin and the members of the Circle of Stone.