Tylen took a moment from her exhausting climb to reflect on the scene before her. Brilliant reds and subtle purples assailed her senses as she watched another day run its course. She enjoyed a deep breath of the crisp mountain air before lowering herself onto the moss that covered the rocks next to the trail she had followed most of the day.

Tylen slipped her pack off her sore shoulders as she pondered the progress she made this day. Her second day into the treacherous Kimtari Range had proved uneventful so far, and barring any serious mishap, she estimated that she would reach the Ruken supply post early the following morning. "No matter how many times I make this trip, I can't bring myself to feel at home here. Nedo should have gone mad by now."

Tylen smiled ruefully at the irony of her last statement. "You may no longer be an impartial judge of such matters, after all, people who find comfort in conversing with themselves are often frowned upon."

Her demeanour quickly sobered when she reflected on current state of affairs within the Ruken hierarchy. "I may be the only person I can trust right now," Tylen muttered as she absently gnawed on some stale bread that she retrieved from her pack. The disturbingly high number of defeats in recent Ruken campaigns had brought out many of the ambitious underlings in their ranks, and a few notable Ruken officials had payed the ultimate price for not watching their backs.

Operating solely on her survival instincts, Tylen sorted out the noises of the wilderness which surrounded her. She picked up her waterskin and proceeded to the mountain stream a score of yards from where she had stopped. Her thoughts drifted back to Darien's face on the day she had left as she walked.

"Please keep your eyes open, Tylen," he had pleaded with an earnest face. "Jaruk seems to ignore the lessons that history teaches all too easily, as of late."

She could not think of his fair face framed in dark hair without smiling. "It took all my energies to convince you that someone had to remain in Tamoor, my dear friend. They say the walls have ears, and at this time, I will gather all the information at my disposal."

The humour of her recurring habit was lost in her ponderings as she absently dipped her waterskin into the clear, cool water. Fears that had been lingering just below the surface threatened to intrude on the calm Tylen had worked hard to surround herself with. She sat back on the soft grass and let the cool water wash away her fears with her thirst. She was not surprised to discover her hand seeking the reassurance of the tough leather hilt of her blade. She absently studied the young face on a backdrop of fiery red hair as it reflected off the fine foot of steel held up to the dying light. Intense emerald irises appeared to glow with their own inner light as her thoughts drifted back to the present situation.

What do you think? As previously mentioned, I will eventually be returning to this work. It has been around for so long, I'm not even sure if I can remember my original thought process. As always, comments are welcomed. The wonderful thing about infancy is its utter freedom. Thanks for reading.

Last modified: March 31, 1998

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