| Chapter 5 What day might bring? Marisa yawned and rolled over she was slowly beginning to wake up it wasn't till she rolled over and knocked herself to the floor that she woke up enough to take in anything of value around her. As she apprised the room it to be quite plane it had a fireplace, a desk, two chairs and a bed, one window and nothing else. Amber started to wake up mumbling about never getting any sleep any more and how life was so unfair. Amber sat up slowly once she was fully awake, all right I can't lie she wasn't fully awake. She was only awake enough to see that she wasn't in her room, "Where I'm I?" was all she said as she snapped into a completely a wake state, after the shock had worn off she just giggled. "What's so funny?" "I'm wide awake, far from home and it's not a dream. That and I slept on this all night," Amber held up her bow showing it to Marisa who started laughing too. "Why don't we go see what they have to eat here?" Marisa suggested. "Fine by me but shouldn't we change first, cause I'm not like you I can't just roll out of bed and have my hair look all right like you. It's just to short, my guess is right now it's flying all over the place." Marisa broke into laughter that she had been trying to hold back. When she had gotten a hold of herself enough to speak she said, "I was going to say something about that but I thought that it wouldn't be nice and I've known some people who will do just that." Amber walked over to her pack that she had dropped in the middle of the floor, picked it up and then threw it at Marisa, who caught it laughing. Then she picked up Marisa's and flopped with it and herself on the bed. "Got a brush in there some where I didn't even think about it at the time?" "Sure," Marisa pulled out a brush along with soft brown breeches and a tan shirt that she was going to ware that day. She tossed the brush at Amber laughing, "I'm thinking that we get dressed eat they start out again. Oh and maybe we should do like most traveler and get ourselves some horses." "Yeah likely wouldn't hurt, that is if we have enough. How much do you have left?" "Twelve gold nobles, three silver, and eighteen copper; my mother made sure I would have plenty. How much do you still have?" "Let me see," Amber muttered as she rummaged threw her bag. When she pulled her purse she counted it out into her own hand then once she figured it out she said, "Ten gold, fourteen silver, fifteen copper. Let's see that makes it," she thought for a moment, "Thirty gold, seventeen silver and thirty-three copper. And to think that we would have had more, if we hadn't bought those supplies." "Well we should have more than enough for horse, hopefully, but well still have to try our bargaining skills some. Seeing as it would still be nice to have some left, and we have no incoming money." Amber pulled the brush threw her hair a few times as she listened to Marisa, it didn't take her to long to have her short brown hair falling strait. She stood up and walked over to the basin of water someone had set out for them when they had first arrived and splashed some on her hair to let it get some of that lovely little curls that she liked. When Marisa had finished talking Amber was letting the small drops of water run down her back and shoulders falling from her head where she had dumped the water on it. She nodded her head agreeing, then after a moment more said, "Goody I've always wanted to try my hand at barraging. And while we're at it wouldn't it be a good idea to find something that would help us guard against any more immortal attacks?" Marisa swallowed hard she had almost forgot everything that had happened the night before, she nodded her agreement then quickly started dressing into her clean clothing not wanting to talk about it. Amber followed her lead garbing similar clothes from her pack and dressing. Amber was thinking about how this all seemed so weird that here she was in one of her favorite books, well one of her favorite world in a book. This sort of thing just doesn't happen in the real world, when she had first woken up that day that she had first arrived she had thought that maybe the fortune teller that slipped her something in her drink. But the longer that she was here the more she began to see it as realer and realer. It really felt as if she was in Tortall, but for some reason the part of her brain that would say that this was not possible seemed fuzzy and confused (she doubted that that was really it for some reason, it just felt right). It wasn't until Marisa started talking again that Amber was brought out of her thoughts and back to the really world, "I'm sorry Marisa I didn't hear you what were you saying?" Marisa let out and exasperated sigh then spoke as if talking to a child, "I asked if you are ready yet, I'm starving." "Oh, yeah, I'm dressed and ready to attack a plate of anything." Marisa laughed and walked to the door holding it open for Amber. * * * * Amber stared at the stuff on her plate and vaguely wondered if it wasn't staring back at her, and the smell it made her want to gag. It looked like something you scrape off the bottom of your shoe and smelled just as bad, she leaned over to Marisa and asked, "What is it?" Marisa who was poking at it with her fork replied with, "I have no clue but I'm suddenly not hungry, you?" "I don't think that you could call it hungry any more it's more like nauseated, maybe we should start on our way again?" "Yeah, I don't think that that is a back idea," Marisa rushed pushing her plate away and jumping up almost knocking her chair over. That caused the two of them to get the attention of a man that looked as if he had been sitting in the same spot drinking all night and only just now started to get that drunken up steadiness about him. He walked over to them sticking an arm around Marisa as Amber started to get up to fallow her friend. Marisa yelped when she felt this and struggled to brake free of the man's grasp, while the man was drunk and unsteady he was still far too much for her to handily. Amber blinked for a minute as the man slurred something about Marisa going home with him, thinking fast Amber figured she would try the polite approach first. She walked up to the man and tapped him on the shoulder saying, "Um, mister, could you please let her go and then you can get back to your drinks?" He looked at Amber slightly baffled then slurred to her, "You can come too, but sit down and wait your turn," then he pushed her. To say that Amber was up set would be an understatement it was bad enough that Marisa was screaming her head off and no one was coming in or doing any thing. But once he slapped Marisa to try and shut her up Amber knew that she was going to have to do some thing. Positioning herself just right she rammed her elbow into his chest, he let out a hiss and leaned forward letting go of Marisa who ran to the far side of the room. Amber backed up watching to see what the man would do next, when he stood up he came at her leaving a string of colorful curses in his wake. Amber moved to the side and he sort of tumbled past her all the while she was thinking that picking a fight like this was stupid of her and that she had never been in a fight before and that she was going to die right here. Then it hit her if she could get him in the males on true week spot maybe just maybe she could live to see tomorrow. So when he stood back up and charged at her again she sidestepped just enough so that he helped her get him in the "family jewels", he bucked over ramming his face into the floor whimpering the whole time. Thankfully when Amber looked for Marisa she was already making her way out the door with their bags waiting for her. They took off running Amber grabbing her pack from Marisa as she went out the door; they didn't stop running till they were well out of that village and breath. Both were taking whizzing gasps of air trying to fill their lungs as much as possible when she had caught her breath enough to speak Marisa said, "Well doesn't look like we'll be getting horses today." Which caused them both to brake out laughing till their sides hurt and their eyes watered. When they had gotten a hold of themselves again Amber said, "I think that we need to really think about finding someone who can fight to come with us." "Why you were great?" "Cause I don't really know how to fight and the whole time I was thinking that I'm going to die." "Although I don't know how easy that will be, for that to happen we'd have to have some really good luck and the way things are going I'd say we're low in the luck area." "Either that or we're really high, but your probably right we aren't really going to have good enough luck to find anyone to travel with us." "Well, we should get going again before something else happens." And with that said they started off again for another day of walking. ==================^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^================= Chapter 6 Walking Amber shifted her pack trying to relive some of the stress on her shoulders, it was still early in the day not even afternoon yet and they had been walking for about three hours. To say that it wasn’t taking its toil on her wouldn’t be close to the truth, all the walking she had done the day before was really starting to catch up with her. It wasn’t that she wasn’t fit or anything it’s just that sense she had arrived she had been walking for the majority of the time. "Marisa, I think that I’m going to die, we need to stop and aside from the fact that my feet feel like they are about to fall off, I’m starving." Marisa sighed, she was beginning to feel all of there walking herself and she too was hungry. "I’m liking that idea, I’m not sure that I have ever been on my feet for this long in my life. Sleep never seems to be the thing to help your feet when they already hurt." She walked over to a large rock not far off the road, she flopped down on the flat surface of the top of the rock, "As good a place as any to stop and take a rest, wouldn’t you say?" "Only if you move over so that I have room to sit on that rock too." Marisa laughed, "Well if your going to be that way I wont let you sit at all." "Don’t be that way, I want to sit too. My feet are going to fall off, move your fat," Amber never finished her sentence a high pitched scream for help stopped her. When it stopped she looked at Marisa, the two of them decided with out word that they would go see if they could help. "We don’t have any really way to help," Amber pulled her bow out and started walking on the direction of the scream. "We have to help, I can’t live with the thought that I could do something and didn’t." Once Marisa had her bow out they both started running to the spot there bags left on the ground. Once they got there they found a small grouping of houses and some bandits attacking those houses and a small girl crying as she was being circled by about five of the bandits. Amber gave Marisa a head nod indicting for her to go around to the other side of the small area, Marisa nodded understanding and then went to the other side. When Marisa was in place they locked eyes both seeming to say now or never, and with that they set there bows and fired they both hit there target taking out two of the seven. Three went after Amber and two went after Marisa, both girls hit one more bandit before the one left going after Marisa and the two left going after Amber got to them. Before the bandit could get Marisa he was pulled from behind by an unseen hand then knocked out, of the ones that were after Amber one jumped her the other grabbed her hands putting a knife to her throat. Everyone stop no one making a move, Amber found that she was holding her breath her mind racing to try and find a way to free herself. Marisa put the bow down slowly not wanting to get Amber hurt, finely after a moment Amber said calmly, "Do you really think that you both need to hold me, I doubt that with a knife to my neck I’ll really try anything." The man who had her around the waist which was the one who had jumped her let go then spoke, "Your right, after all your just a weaponless girl, so it’s not like you could really hurt us anymore." "What are you intending to do?" Amber asked, her mind was trying to calculate a way out of this and if she could just keep them talking. The man who was just a little bit farther a way had a big build the mere thought of taking him on made her think of trying to take on Ronald Swartsinarger. And the other guy looked just as foreboding, so the only thing that she could see would work would be to use their heads as there was no one else to rely on. "Well we were just going to kill everyone but you all might just be useful," the first guy said. Amber slowly edged towards Marisa and the child as the man spoke, "Oh, and what do you think that we might be useful for?" Her tone was light and simple not giving a way a thing as to what she was thinking, as she inch her way just a little more towards her friend. "Don’t move another inch," said the second who had only a slightly smaller build then the other. Amber sighed and shrugged her shoulders then said innocently, "Can’t blame a girl for trying now can you?" The men just frowned at her; Marisa bit her lip slightly as she thought realizing that Amber might just have the right idea at trying to keep them talking. "So, um, why attack a small grouping of house in the middle of no where?" Marisa asked. Amber didn’t know why but she just moved running fast into the big one with as much force as she could muster right into his stomach. He toppled over falling with a hard thump, the other guy turn toward her as soon as he noticed what was going on unfortunately that gave the girl the chance to catch him in her spell which knocked him out cold. And now the last one still able, the big one, pulled his self up off the ground, "You shouldn’t have done that girl, now your going to pay." He never got to say or do anything more for he two got caught in the little girls spell, Amber turned to Marisa and the girl, "Let’s get out of here, now." And with that said they all took off toward Marisa and Amber’s packs. It’s was an hour later after they had gotten there packs and just kept on walking again before anyone spoke, "So, kid what’s your name?" Marisa finely asked. The kid looked up towards her, "I’m Caitlin, and you lady?" "I’m Marisa and she’s Amber." There was a long pause, "So do you have any clue why the attacked you?" Amber asked. "They were looking for the gift we were sending to the King. It wouldn’t be to much trouble for me to ask if you could help me take it there would it?" The small girl was fingering something in her pocket. "Sure, we’d love to help, we’re headed that way any ways," Marisa said. "So what’s this gift that they were looking for?" Amber asked. "Well I guess I can show you since your going to help," Caitlin pulled something out of her pocket and held it out. ==================^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^================= Chapter 7 Caitlin held up a small pendent, "It’s supposed to be something that the royal family had a long time ago but lost, back when they still had it is was known as the star of hope." "I can see why," Marisa said looking closely at the pendent, "I looks just like a star it even seems to glow like a star." "Let me guess it isn’t just a nice pendent is it?" Amber ask carefully choosing her words with care. "Yup," was the little girls reply her blond curly tresses bouncing, she had pushed a side all that had happened just minutes ago. "It is said to a gift amplifier, that only the royal family can truly use. My family found it about a month ago and we sent word out right away about it to the king but I think that someone got to the messenger first." Marisa sighed, "Yup, we’re really in trouble now not only did we pick up someone else and an object that is likely to nothing but a real problem, but we still don’t have anyone who can help teach us how to fight." "Well, I’m think that we’re all a magnet for trouble so maybe we can find someone who is looking for a group of people who get into trouble," Amber said light heartedly. " They continued there walking for a few minutes in silence and the first really brake in that silence was the sound of crying, Caitlin had started to cry. Marisa stopped and took the young girl in her arms and then whispered words of to calm her much as a mother would to her child. Marisa rested her chin on Caitlin head and whispered to Amber, "We need to find a place to stay the night," she looked around. "Somewhere off the beaten path," she suggested as an after thought. Amber nodded her head and Marisa pick up Caitlin and the three of them walked deeper into the woods after about an hour they stop. There was no real clearing just a spot where the tree were far enough for them to have room to bed down and there was enough height to have a fire. Caitlin had fallen asleep and the little light that made it’s way through the trees was fading fast. Amber laid a bedroll out and Marisa gently settled the small young and at the moment very vulnerable Caitlin into it, then the two girls set about setting up camp. After they were done and sitting on there bedroll in front of the fire (Caitlin was in there only other one) Marisa said, "This looks like its going to be a far harder trip then we thought, isn’t it?" Amber nodded her head, "And unfortunately, I think that the bandits and the spidrens were just the start. I don’t know what’s going in around here but I’m thinking that pendent isn’t something that we really want to be traveling with." "We can’t just leave her or it and you know that." "If you let me finish I would have said that that doesn’t mean we can just leave them. Why don’t you go to sleep," Amber said as she stood up from the bed role. "I’ll keep a watch I think that it might be in our best interest to do that now. I’ll wake you in several hour." Marisa nodded and then with a yawn she put her self to bed, Amber sigh and set her self down in front of a tree using it as a back rest. She stared at the fire and sighed, this was a far cry from where she had been just a few days ago. * * * * * * * SEVERAL HOURS LATER Caitlin started to toss and turn in her sleep violently as if she was having a very bad dream, and Marisa didn’t look like she was doing any better she had a silent scream on her lips. Then Amber she would never be able to tell you if she heard or felt something coming up on them in the woods. She readied her bow not wanting to wake the others and then it burst out of the thick stand of trees on her left, it was a wolf. Just as she was about to fire a shoot at the wolf a girl around her age pop out as well saying, "Please don’t fire, she means you no harm." And just as the girl had said this a man who looked like he must be around twice the girls age popped out as well. Caitlin sat up with a start she felt a powerful mage near by, Marisa rubbed her face then slowly sat up muttering something about if it was her turn to stand watch yet. "Your Numair, aren’t you?" Caitlin’s small voice asked, "And that would make you Daine, wouldn’t it?" ==================^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^================= |