The Story:
Arrested

When she awoke, very little of the dream remained with her. Very little of the past few days remained with her; for a moment, she felt out of place and time. Then it returned to her.

Kauria slowly lifted herself up on her elbows; she was still weak from fasting. She knew Rhillan laid not to far off, closer to the embers of the camp fire he had built. They had stopped late the last night, and Kauria nearly feel asleep upon laying down (but not before she had a decent scrubbing in a nearby spring). She didn't know how long Rhillan stayed awake; the last she recalled was him staring into the fire.

Kauria stood up with the help of a tree, discovering as she did so that Rhillan wasn't in the immediate vicinity. The thought that he had left her crossed her mind, but she could still see the cart and the horses. After little exploration she found him sitting a way off, near the spring, examine something. Evidently he heard her approach, for he stuffed the small something in his pocket and turned around.

"Oh, good, you're awake. I was wondering how long you would sleep." He had already rinsed the dirt off him in the spring, and his hair was still damp. "You want to clean yourself off?" he asked, motioning to the spring. She accepted.

When she returned, he had breakfast ready and she eagerly ate the a trader's simple meal. As soon as they had eaten, they packed and set back on their way to Farlin.

"That gash looks bad, Talle..." he mentioned soon after they started off. "Where'd you get it? Does it still hurt? It's pretty well healed already."

"The horse kicked me," she replied before thinking. Immediately he hand flew to her cheek, where the wound, already fading, showed.

"When she threw you?" Rhillan asked, raising his eyebrows. "Talle" didn't answer.

Rhillan resumed his friendly chatter, but thankfully stayed off the subject of where Kauria came from. She still had some difficulty in being called "Talle" and hoped the Carullian didn't notice.

By the midday meal, he announced that they would arrive in Farlin by that evening. Kauria began to worry; what if she couldn't find a way out of Ajir once they arrived and Rhillan left her? How long would it take before Torrel found her?

She never had to find out. Only few hours had past when something pricked at her senses; something wrong. "Something's wrong," she told Rhillan.

He glance at her, perplexed. "Are you all right? I thought you said you had no injuries."

She shook her head. "Not me! Ahead." She pointed, wondering how she could tell Rhillan without revealing her Magic sense had warned her.

But once more, she didn't have to bother. Even as she tried to explain it, they came upon a blockade in the road.

It was the Emperor's men.

Kauria could feel the color drain from her face as Rhillan slowed the cart to a halt and the guards advanced. She wondered if they had a description of her, or if they were just going to arrest her for possibly being the Magic-user they had lost.

"We must stop this cart from nearing the border by order of the Emperor Torrel," the head guardsman stiffly inform Rhillan as Kauria did her best to look nondescript.

"What's the meaning of this?" Rhillan demanded, apparently outraged. "I'm behind on delivery, man, and all traders are allowed free movement to and from the Carullian border."

The man smirked. "Only at the Emperor's whim boy, and you will address me as Captain." He grinned maliciously as his mean surrounded the cart. "You will come with us," he said in a tone that implied that there was no other option. He turned his head to Kauria, narrowing his eyes at her. "The girl, too." He glanced a man to his right. "That might be the one we were told to look for."

What's wrong with Talle? Rhillan wondered. She had turned paler than when he found her, and she sat stiffly, uncomfortable. Then he recalled her remark about "having to go to Carul" and her faint whisper about "had to hide..."

And what he found in her pocket. It didn't take long to fill in the details.

"What do you mean, the one you were told to look for?" Rhillan motioned for Talle to stay where she was, not that she showed signs of moving. "Why would you be looking for my sister?"

Talle glanced at him, a questioning look in her eye, but she had sense enough to hide her surprise quickly. The captain regarded Rhillan warily, then peered at Talle. "What's your name, girl?"

"Rhona, sir," she replied, quickly recalling an appropriately Carullian name from Rhillan's accounts.

"Your home city?"

"Rhenry, Captain."

"Who sponsors your caravan?"

"Lord Maurice of Delin, sir." The Captain look doubtful. She added, "But it's Lady Miraussa who oversees our trading."

The Captain fell silent a moment, momentarily defeated. "When..." he asked finally, "were you born?"

Talle didn't answer immediately. "The final day of the last Old Year, Captain," was her final response. Rhillan cursed silently to himself. The odds were in the Captain's favor that Talle didn't know the Carullian calendar. He had to do something.

"I'm sure the Captain here could have converted the Carullian calendar for you, Rhona," Rhillan interjected quickly. He smiled at the Captain. "We've taken pains to learn the Ajirian system."

One of the guard backhanded Rhillan in his face, even from the ground. "The Captain did not give you permission to speak."

The Captain growled at the trader. "You will remain quiet," he ordered sharply. "I've heard enough. Detain them both," he directed his men. They grabbed at the two, pulling them out of the cart by force, and not without some struggle.

"Take them to the holding cell until we receive further orders. We'll keep the cart."

The guards pushed their captives in front of them, driving them toward a small cluster of stone buildings that served as a guard post. They stopped struggling after a few moments; Rhillan knew it was fruitless and Kauria seemed to be unable, as she was still under strength.

"You'll not get away with this," the trader threatened the guard. "You can't simply detain traders as you please! You'll regret this." Another backhand silenced his protests.

Kauria watched in shock as blood flowed from Rhillan's nose. What had she done now? Rhillan was innocent, and now she was responsible for him being arrested. She watched him the best she could, hoping he was lacked any more serious injuries... if she could get close enough, she could help heal some of his cuts... she stopped that thinking. Wasn't that what caused the trouble? Her using Magic?

They arrived at what was to be their detention cell, and the Captain opened the door with a set of keys. Rhillan cast a glance at her before he was pushed in, his expression understanding, yet Kauria felt no relief from remorse.

The guard holding her shoved her in the dark room. There was nothing to stop her from falling to the floor.