| Chapter 1 Amy |
| Carmess Indlay rode silently through the Mystalian forest, towards the small village of Ismall. If the gods were willing he would be there by nightfall and find the child he had to take to the palace. He did not want to find the girl Amy. She would be the sixth that he had tested, all five before her had failed. Why should she be any different? He rode on with his gloomy thoughts until he saw the smudge of smoke on the horizon. It was in the exact spot where Ismall was supposed to be. A nagging worry entered to back of hie mind. Bandits and raids were no strangers to this area. He shoved the feeling out of his mind and rode on. ~ ~ ~ "Don't go any further." A cold voice made Carmess look up. He had gotten off his horse to look at a body on the side of the road. The smell of smoke and cooked flesh almost made him vomit. He hated dead things. A girl sat in a tree across the road. Her brown hair was plaited and went down to her waist. She looked about fourteen. She held a bow, the arrow aimed straight at him. He froze. "You don't want to see what's left of the village," she said. "That bad?" "I'm the only survivor. The raiders' mage went insane and blew up the village. He was my father." Her voice was dead like some one who had gone far into grief. "I would have been killed, but it pleased the gods to have me out in the forest at the time." Carmess had nothing to say to this, The girl looked him over. He was tall, with chestnut hair and eyes. His traveling clothes were torn and dirty; he had an honest face. She lowered her bow, this man was no threat. "Who- are you?" he asked. "My name is Amy." ~ ~ ~ It took some persuation to get Amy to come with him. Even though she had nothing left for her there, she didn't want to leave her homeground. They rode in silence; neither of them had anything to say. Carmess did not know how to talk to a girl who'd just been through what she had. Carmess pitched camp as soon as he could, for it was getting dark. He made a quick supper of the rabbit Amy brought in and some vegetables he had with him. When he turned from the fire to offer her a blanket, he saw that she was in a tree watching him. Squirrel, he thought. He put the blanket at the bottom of the tree and went to the fire. ~ ~ ~ Amy watched as the man Carmess lay down on his bedroll. The centaurs would find her. She should tell Carmess to stay awake, but she had seen him do a wall of power around the camp. It might protect him. But he is a mage, a little voice in the back of her head warned, he can't be trusted, remember your father? He didn't look anything like her father, sleeping like a babeHe could be ,maybe, a year or so older that she was. He was definately not insane. She climbed down to get the blanket, and heard hoof-beats on the road. She froze, then grabbed her bow and strung it. It was quite dark out. "May all the gods curse that confounded girl!" declared a voice. Amy smiled coldly as she pulled an arrow from the quiver at her waist. It was him. He came into veiw,carrying a torch. A full grown centaur with a few of his friends, and ogre and a young giant. "So, you finally decided to bless us with your presence," said Amy. "Yes, and you are going to pay for killing my brother,"retorted the centaur "Your brother was an idiot," taunted Amy, "and so are you." |