Shadow Dance...Chapter Seven

Shadow Dance...Chapter Seven

“Which is worse? Eh, Namir?” Aves’ voice rang out and filled the vale that they were camping in as the small groups’ peels of laughter echoed with it.

“Your babbling.” Namir looked Aves directly in the eye as he tried to keep his mirth in check.

“Namir, that wasn’t one of the choices.” Hessa argued. “Come on…please.” She did her best to look innocent as her chemise pulled tightly over her ample body. She had folded her wet legs were under her chemise as well to make it a little less revealing.

“Very well…if I must.” Namir took a quick look around them to ensure that the others were out of earshot before he continued. “I’d have to say Jaconis’ complaints are worse, though Halin’s endless questions are harder to bear. Now that I have said it, leave me be until they get back.” Namir turned and stalked back to the river. He hoped that they would remain by the fire and leave him alone with his thoughts.

“What should we do when Nurn and Halin get back?” Aves shouted after Namir as he left.

He turned back towards them slowly. If the ladies could have seen his face they would have shrank back from him instantly. Still rankled he replied, “have them quell the flame and ready their packs, we will leave as soon as I get back.”

“And what if Jaconis should return first?” Hessa mimicked Aves’ tone and demeanor as best she could. This not only annoyed Namir at times, it also proved difficult to tell the two of them apart.

Namir stopped in mid turn and snapped without sparing a glance, “Aid him in readying the game. That is if he has caught any.”

‘Nine days on the road so far and no sign of a good fording place.’ Namir ignored their further attempts at conversation. Instead he let his mind race back over their journey. ‘It seemed to have started out so well too.’

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Once he left the council hall, Namir had fled Ellsted and slipped past the sentry that Jaconis had set after him effortlessly. After that he made his way back to Tipin’s Smithy. He remembered the feeling of warmth as he came back in through the panel in the roof. There he found Nurn and Halin waiting for him. The night seemed to alive, as if there was a spark of adventure flying free in the air itself. It was a very refreshing feeling and the three of them enjoyed it as they spoke. After a brief conference to find out if they had been followed as well. When they confirmed this he shared with them the provisions he would need them to pack for him and gave Halin the last of his money to repay him for the clothes he had bought for him. Since the brothers had been followed, Namir decided it best to avoid making contact with Hessa and Aves. Instead he went straight to the meeting point and slept there.

The night seemed to drag on forever to Namir and it definitely felt as if it was the longest night of his life. The feeling that he was followed haunted Namir’s every step, yet every time he turned there was nothing but pools of shadows and darkness behind him. Once or twice he thought that he actually saw something move, but Namir couldn’t decide if it was real or just his wearied eyes playing tricks on him. Namir stood at the base of the hill for a while arguing this point until lethargy forced him to fall sleep where he had stood. He was able to rouse himself after a few moments and he made his way to summit of the hill where he fell back asleep instantly. There Namir passed out in his favorite nook, the one in which he greeted the dawn everyday.

When he awoke the first vestiges of the morning sun was burning across the sky and set the clouds aflame with hues of orange, yellow and gold as it arrived. Namir had often wondered about how it would feel to wake up to the rising sun above him and now he knew, it felt exquisite. He sat there motionless; as if he was afraid that his movements would steal the moment away from him. After a too brief period of time passed, sounds from the base of the hill slowly made their way to him and drew Namir from his indulgences.

Namir remembered descending down the path toward the base of the hill where he saw Jaconis already waiting for him. Disgusted, Namir decided to wait for the others to arrive before he revealed himself to Jaconis. ‘With any luck Jaconis didn’t see me yet and I can surprise him with my entrance.’ Namir mused to himself. While he waited, Nurn and Halin arrived. The brothers, thick in mirth as usual, walked up playing some sort of game. Namir always wondered how they came up with so many different games to play. He knew it was as impossible to keep up with the rules that they would take turns spouting off as it was to learn the various strategies well enough to be any good at them. Both of brothers were laughing raucously as they crested the small rise and came upon Jaconis sitting on a stump. Seeing Nurn and Halin brought a smile to Namir’s face. ‘It will definitely be a good trip with them as company.’ Namir decided from his hiding place. He lingered there a little longer than eh planned just to see what the brothers might do to Jaconis.

Almost immediately Halin approached Jaconis and, while grinning, held out his hand in greeting. Jaconis hesitated for a few moments while he looked at the tawny haired youth and appraised his intent. Finally Jaconis succumbed to Halin’s jovial demeanor and clasped his arm in greeting. From where Namir sat he could tell that Jaconis’ greeting was made very impartially and had none of Halin’s warmth to it. Soon it was evident to Namir that both Halin and Nurn noticed Jaconis’ lack of warmth and neither seemed overjoyed by it.

Nurn waited patiently as his brother had settled himself on a nearby rock and Jaconis resumed his perch on the stump before he walked over to him exactly like Halin had. Jaconis looked up as he saw Nurn approach and he reacted in the same way, though a little more reluctantly. As Jaconis clasped Nurn large wrist, still with a look of indifference that bordered on loathing, Nurn’s grip tightened. The look on Jaconis’ face was well worth the wait to Namir. He saw his cousin’s eyes widen with shock as a look of extreme discomfort spread across his face slowly. Jaconis’ mouth fell open noiselessly when Nurn leaned forward. Whatever Nurn had said to Jaconis was indiscernible to Namir as he watched the scene unfold. Immediately Jaconis fell to his knees and placed his head to the ground in humility and prayer. ‘Whatever Nurn told Jaconis must have made a great impact.’ Namir thought jovially. Namir started to stir from his hiding place as he saw Nurn slowly drop to his knees and closed his eyes as well. Watching the two of them sit there held Namir’s attention until the sound of hoof beats roused Nurn and Jaconis from their prayers.

The feeling of astonishment washed over Namir again as he recalled Aves’ and Hessa’s arrival. They had not only been dressed as poshly as nobles, but they rode in a splendid carriage as well. Namir remembered exactly how they looked. Both girls were dressed in matching gowns and bore enough a resemblance that they could have been mistaken for sisters if not twins. Their russet dresses offset the red hints in their hair and the hazel hue of their eyes. Separately each of them was stunning, but together they were completely breathtaking. After the carriage halted the driver vaulted down in one fluid motion and opened the carriage door. His movements were graceful and so fluid that the low bow he ended them with seemed to be the most proper way to stop. Namir chuckled to himself as he remembered watching Jaconis, Nurn and Halin bowing to Aves and Hessa as well. It wasn’t until Aves has risen from her seat in the carriage and stepped out that the three of them remembered that she was their party member and not a visiting member of the royal family that they remembered themselves. Their bow ended abruptly and only Nurn rose without the reddish flush of embarrassment on his face.

Namir had known that Armani owned a carriage from the many tales that Aves had shared with him when they were younger. Even so he had convinced himself that all of her stories were creations of her imagination. The main reason for this was the simple fact that no one had ever seen the carriage. Aves had assured him, when he had asked why her father never used it, that it was unnecessary to use one in Ellsted due to the small size of the town. Now Namir was proven wrong in a very beautiful and grand way.

The carriage that the girls had arrived in was wonderful. It was crafted lovingly out of a sleekly polished deep red mahogany. The brass wheels had been buffed to glisten perfectly in the gather sun light. Overall the design of the carriage was slim, yet functional. It was open to the air without any type of covering to restrict the gentle breezes that the three rivers were known for. This allowed the passengers to enjoy the softly scented gusts of wind as they came across them. The carriage was large enough to accommodate four passengers and had room for two more on its boards as drivers. To make the ride even more wonderful the carriage was drawn by two beautiful mares. Both mares had a deep chestnut hue to them which matched the carriage’s reddish gleam and the black socks and mane of the horses accented the carriage’s brass fittings nicely as well. However the carriage was designed as more than just a pleasurable way of traveling. There were ample storage racks below the main deck and along the back end, all of which had been filled with chests and barrels full of provisions for the group. In all the carriage was the single most expensive thing that Namir had ever seen in his life.

The memory of the anxiety that Namir had felt as he tried to make his way silently to the path by stealthfully maneuvering up to the crest of a small rise just above the group reawakened old aches and pains. He recalled that the sun was almost in the perfect place for his dramatic entrance. He had heard Aves ask the others if anyone had seen him yet and Namir knew that he had to make an appearance soon or else they might start searching the place for him. So he decided that that moment was a good for his arrival. The look of wonder that spread across their faces as his shadow fell across them, especially Jaconis’, was a memory that he would cherish forever. The sun had felt as wonderful on his back then as it did now and the cool rippling of the water around him only strengthened his recollection of the cool morning breeze that had blown across his face that morning nine days ago. He had waited a few moments before he descended the rest of the way down to the amazed group. Once he had arrived Namir was immediately barraged by their questions and demands. He waived most of them away, although Jaconis’ sardonic tone forced him to address many things that he wished not to mention. Even now his anger burned as the heated debate they had replayed itself in front of his mind’s eye.

“Are we to take someone with us that the council doesn’t know about?” Jaconis’ demand had brought all other conversations to a halt.

“Would you prefer to walk all the way to Hornshir?” Retorted Namir coolly, though a hint of venom had seeped in noticeably.

“I am not saying that!” Jaconis challenged.

Nurn’s rebuke had come swiftly. “Then say what you mean and be quick about it!”

The menace in Nurn’s voice still rumbled violently across the little clearing when the driver spoke up. He was a timid man and barely stood as tall as Aves. “I was asked only to bring the ladies here and to instruct one of you in the carriage’s operation. Once that is done I am to return to Ellsted.”

“And who ordered this!” Jaconis shot before Namir had the chance to reply.

“That is enough from you Jaconis!” Namir looked calmly into his cousin’s emerald eyes. “Do not force me to have Nurn silence your tongue. I believe he has already taught you some humility once today.” Namir had paused for a moment to enjoy Jaconis’ look of shame before he continued. “Are you so eager to learn this lesson again so soon?” He stared Jaconis down and waited until everyone else quieted down. Namir had then turned to the driver and asked. “Please continue. I am sorry for my cousin’s brashness, though he does have a valid question. I would love to know who to show my gratitude to for this most generous gift.”

The driver smirked at Namir’s word play. “Armani of course. But I thought you already knew that much, milord.”

“Aye, the thought had crossed my mind that he was the one who gave us this boon.” Namir looked over to Jaconis smugly for a moment before motioning to Halin and Nurn and continuing. “Please teach these two your craft. I believe that we will do better to have two learn how to handle the carriage than just one.” Nurn and Halin immediately rose to their feet and stepped up to the carriage driver.

“So be it.” The driver bowed and took them aside.

Namir relived his disgust at being delayed for most of the day, but he felt that the speed of the carriage would make up for the minor delay. What had troubled Namir the most was Jaconis’ reaction to the carriage.

‘Why must he always make things difficult for us?’ Namir brooded, mulling the scenario over again in his mind. ‘Somehow I will either have to rid myself of Jaconis or get Jaconis to stop making things harder than they need to be.’ Neither of these ideas appealed to Namir in the slightest.

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“Namir!” Nurn’s voice shattered Namir’s brooding by its urgency.

Namir had waded out of the river and spun in the direction of Nurn’s voice before he had even realized what he was doing. Waiting only a few seconds as he spotted the movement in the bushes that indicated where Nurn was before he called back, “Here!”

Nurn broke through the brush and almost pushed Namir into the river as he gained Namir’s presence suddenly. Still panting Nurn gripped Namir’s shoulders ruggedly. “I wanted to tell you myself.”

“What is it?” Namir stood there as he moved both of his hands underneath Nurn’s shoulders to prop him up as if he were Nurn’s sole means of support.

“I couldn’t find the horses.” Tears came to Nurn’s eyes as he confided this. “I looked as far as I dared to alone, but found no trace of them.” Nurn slumped fully giving his weight over to Namir to support completely defeated.

“It’s ok, my friend. We can get by on foot if we need to.” Namir reassured his hulking friend as best he could. Bitterness crept into his heart as he thought about yesterday’s incident. “Go back to the others. Help Aves and Hessa gather up what’s left of our supplies. Hopefully Halin can find some trace of the carriage and the rest of our provisions.”

Nurn rose slowly as Namir watched him lumber back through the brush leaving him alone again with his thoughts. Hatred welled up within Namir as he watched Nurn make his way back tot eh others. His agony was complete. Namir picked up a rock and threw it into the shallows of the river nearby. ‘I know that Jaconis had a hand in this somehow,’ Namir thought to himself angrily, ‘if only I could prove it.’ He let another rock sail into the clear waters and he closely followed it with another. He needed to cool off. His mind wandered back to the attack as he waded back into the river.

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It had been the end of the eighth day and Namir was pleased to have been proven right in thinking that the carriage would aid them in their travel to Hornshir. Everyone had been in a spirited mood and the sky was clear. Nothing could have gone wrong. The day had passed much like the ones before, uneventfully. Halin entertained everyone with the songs and tales that his mother had taught him. Even Aves helped pass the time by accounting some of the stories she overheard from her servants and her father’s guests. Overall it was proving to be a very pleasant trip. In the evenings Nurn and himself would try to help Halin understand how to fight, although most of the time it seemed pointless. Halin was just too lighthearted to take the training seriously. The only one that seemed bothered by anything was Jaconis. For some strange reason the farther they managed to get from Ellsted the more irritated and distant Jaconis had become. Namir remembered thinking that it just homesickness and paid no real attention to Jaconis’ brooding.

As near as Namir could tell, they had gained at least three days of travel for every day they had spent using the carriage. Within the first day, although it was nearly spent by time they had left, the group had made it to the first hollow that Namir had selected for their refuge. By the end of the sixth day they were almost half way to Hornshir. The lack of a good ford bothered him, however, and Namir had made a point of going to the river at ever stop in the vain attempt at finding some sign of a good fording place. The main problem that they had to overcome was the carriage. It would flood if they had taken any of the earlier fords that they had passed and the farther they went the less likely it was that they would find a suitable ford.

Namir had lingered at the river grappling with this problem while the rest of the group prepared the evening meal and the fire. By time Namir had rejoined them, a raging fire was blazing forth in the middle of the glen and a number of makeshift beds lay scattered around it. Halin was singing a haunting tune while Hessa cooked some sort of stew. Nurn was just finishing the beddings as Namir approached him. The thing that bothered Namir the most was the neither Aves nor Jaconis was anywhere nearby. He had quizzed Nurn about this and was assured that they were feeding the horses on the other side of a row of bushes. Namir recalled feeling uneasy about it still, but he allowed himself sometime to relax and to listen to Halin’s singing. In the back of his mind he knew that something was not quite right, he just did not know what. Namir had swore to himself to ask Aves about their absence when she returned and allowed himself to get lost in words of Halin’s song.

Namir could still hear the lyrics of Halin’s song perfectly as he recollected the incident. Halin’s voice was a light tenor in the light breeze of the evening and was oddly accompanied by the crackling flames and insects heralding the arrival of dusk.

“Gather around to hear my tale, the only tale left to tell.
Feel the mists of your shore arising up from hell.
Wanton beasts in a row, nothing there left to lose.
Death comes for your coward heart, forming up the noose.

Fire and wind in the night
Tell me what you feel is right.
Winds and rain in the morn
Whisper of secrets forlorn.

Hail and water falling down, only your hope can survive.
In the dream your answer comes, bringing you back to life.
Come with me and see the fate that lies for you in the light.
Bask in the glory of his wrath; whose is the power of might?

Fire and wind in the night
Tell me what you feel is right.
Winds and rain in the morn
Whisper of secrets forlorn.

Thunder claps and clouds will roll, gathering for the war.
Winds will howl and the sky will fall, ripping the veil as before.
Mountains move and march into the waiting ranks from above.
The trees move last and these perilous things all begin to shove.

Fire and wind in the night
Tell me what you feel is right.
Winds and rain in the morn
Whisper of secrets forlorn.

Darkness itself arraigned to fight, the battle of great woe.
In the end its power was slight, the light proved the greater foe.
Peace was bought through bloodshed of the earth and the sky.
How can we hope to live without ever knowing why?

Fire and wind in the night
Tell me what you feel is right.
Winds and rain in the morn
Whisper of secrets forlorn.
Whisper of secrets forlorn.”

It was Aves’ scream that had first roused Namir from Halin’s compelling lyrics. At least he had thought that it was Aves’. Namir recalled the feeling of dread he had experienced as he leapt to his feet and found himself racing Nurn towards the sounds of a struggle. Thorns tore at his pants from all directions and his arms were completely gashed to the point of bleeding when he had finally erupted into the clearing. The first thing that he had noticed was Jaconis lying bruised and unconscious where the carriage should have been. It was Nurn who had found Aves a few feet away and on the other side of a small group of shrubs.

Namir shivered at the thought of how she had looked lying there in the dirt all bloody and lifeless. In many ways she resembled a very battered and discarded doll with her limbs splayed out in all directions. Aves’ skirts were hiked up and torn to shreds and welts were raised across her cheeks, arms and exposed thighs.

Namir had let his mind focus on his two unconscious companions instead of what might have been missing. He reflected on his choice to turn his shirt into make shift bandages for the two of them. At the time it seemed natural enough to him. But now he was sore pressed for clothing. Either way, he had chosen to cut his shirt into strips as he bandaged Aves’ most brutal wounds before moving over to Jaconis to tend to his as well. Namir had believed that Nurn decided to tell Hessa and Halin of the attack. A part of him had hoped that Nurn wasn’t just standing there watching him, but that he was doing something productive. It wasn’t until Nurn had taken him by the shoulders and shook him lightly that Namir noticed that not only he was finished bandaging both Aves and Jaconis, but the two of them had been carried over tot eh fire and he just sitting there alone in the darkness.

Namir remembered the feeling of numbness steal across him as the situation registered to his brain. Although several hours passed before Namir had regained most of his senses, he still felt that a part of him was lost in the attack. By the time that Namir was finished caring for his injured companions, any and all hope of tracking the thieves had fled with the last vestiges of daylight. Nurn assured him that both Halin and himself had looked as long and as hard as they could. At least they had until Hessa demanded that they help her get Aves and Jaconis over to the fire. Once that was done Hessa fell to preparing the group’s evening meal and Halin stayed with Aves and Jaconis in case they awoke. That had left Nurn free to find Namir and see why he hadn’t returned to the fire as well. Namir understood Nurn’s fear that he might have been attacked as well and quickly agreed to return to the fire with him.

Aves had been the first to awaken. Not only was she disoriented, but she was sore all over. Namir had hoped that she could give them some idea of who had attacked them or at least which direction they had come from, but for some reason Aves could not remember anything that had occurred. It was almost as if her memory of the attack was limited strictly to Jaconis telling her that he had found a berry bush beside where he had led the horses. She had distinctly remembered turning around and starting to walk over to him, but nothing else from that point on until she had awoke near the fire. Aves’ only memory of any sort was a quick wash of color and blackness.

Jaconis was no better. He had proven extremely angry and belligerent, but he had no recollection of what had happened either. He claimed that he had just found a berry bush and wanted Aves to help him determine if the berries were poisonous. Jaconis emphatically remembered calling Aves over to him and as he turned to see if she had decided to come over to him a black figure moved forward and struck him across his forehead with something hard. The only other thing that Jaconis was able to remember was hearing the horses braying frantically as he fell into unconsciousness. Jaconis had described hearing the horses as he related feeling someone hitting him many times as he was falling into unconsciousness. At first Namir wanted to verify this part of his story, but Hessa had pointed out that the type and number of wounds that Jaconis had received validated his story perfectly.

‘As if the attack wasn’t bad enough, the berries that Jaconis had found actually were poisonous.’ Namir fumed as he sank beneath the surface of the river. He shuddered as he felt the icy cold water of the river slowly rise over his head and brought him back to his senses again. Namir floated in place hoping to find a solution to their problem…any solution. ‘We can continue without the carriage and horses. We had planned to do this from the beginning anyway,’ Namir conceded to himself. ‘It’s the loss of the supplies that is the problem.’ Almost everything that they had brought to trade in Hornshir, as well as all of the gifts that had been sent with them to try and gain the trust of Hornshir’s council, had been on the carriage. Recovering from the loss of these gifts and trade goods might be impossible. ‘If I could just figure out which direction the carriage had gone.’ Namir brooded as he returned to the surface of the water and made his way to the shore again.

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Halin sulked as he followed the ruts of the wagon’s wheels into the forest. ‘Why was I chosen to track the wagon,’ he complained to himself in his own mind. Halin could picture Namir answering this question easily by saying ‘Because you are not skillful enough to track down the horses,’ or ‘because you are useless with the injured.’ There were probably a million other reasons that Halin did not know of as well, but he really didn’t want to know the answer. Instead Halin allowed his thoughts, and his imagination, to carry him further from his task as he wandered through the woods. He managed to wander quite a ways from their encampment before he stumbled over an exposed root and fell face first to the ground. Halin slowly regained his footing, keeping his imaginary conversation with Namir going the whole time. He meticulously brushed the dirt and twigs from his clothes as he stood and added his clumsiness to the already lengthy list of why he was the one selected to track the carriage. It wasn’t until Halin was finished with brushing the last vestiges of the fresh dirt off of his boot that he noticed that this section of the trail had been recently brushed clear of any marks.

This realization brought his imaginary debate with Namir to an end very abruptly and turned thoughts to his lack of weapons and knowledge of fighting quickly. “Why couldn’t Nurn and Namir have helped me more?” Halin whined quietly to himself as he snuck along this new trail arguing with no one about whether or not to go back and get the others. He finally decided to continue on without them. “Besides, this way I can let them know more about what happened to the carriage and not just return empty handed,” he mused. Halin prowled along this new pathway and was encouraged when he saw the ruts appear over a little hill several paces from here he had fallen.

“Obviously the thieves think that their pathetic attempt to hide their trail will elude us,” Halin snickered to himself. His hopes soared, ‘it’ll be just a matter of time before I come across them now. But should I go back and get the others…or should I attempt to find the location of these marauders?’ He mused again, pulling the argument that he had recently decided on back from the recesses of his mind. As confusion dawned upon him he sat down to puzzle it out before he was too embroiled in it to notice the tracks. Halin came to the realization that he desperately needed to rest while he chose the right course of action a little slower than he should have. But he felt confident that he had come to it in time.

‘Nurn would probably continue on. He would also be able to bring the carriage back single handedly…if only I was as strong and talented as he is.’ Halin thought bitterly. A few moments later he focused on what Namir might do and he finally decided that Namir would be able to bring back the carriage by himself as well, but in a different way. This left him only one choice…he was going on and would not return unless he was successful. Besides, this way he could prove to the whole group how useful he really was.

From what Halin could determine from his vantage point, the trail led north…away from the river that separated them from Hornshir. He moved as fast as he dared to without running. This way he could move quietly and avoid detection, but still be able to gain a little time on the fleeing thieves. Halin was determined not to miss any signs of their passage, so his travel proved to be slower than he’d have liked. Although the main ruts were evident and clear, the brigands might attempt to lay a false trail or to disguise their true path. This meant that Halin was certain that he would either come across the bandits or find that he had been following a false trail at each and every bend that he came to. The farther he went the more certain of this he had become. Halin followed the trail farther from his own encampment than he had originally planned to, but he didn’t care. He knew that if he could manage to at least find the carriage then his absence would be vindicated no matter how much time it had taken him. His steady stride beat its rhythm in his ears like the beat of a great song and he let his mind get carried off with it as he stalked along the carriage’s path.

Once again Halin was startled as he stumbled on an upturned root that grabbed his boot as he passed a thickly overgrown area of the woods. As Halin fell to the ground his surprise only increased when the bush next to him started to move and rustle on its own. Halin tried to push himself up from the ground quickly, but his hands found only fresh mud and loosely packed dirt. His grip on the ground slid from him as he tried to twist his body to his feet. Each effort failed to do anything except produce a dull thud as his body struck the ground. After several attempts Halin was able to determine the reason that his attempts were failing. The loose dirt below him was being changed to mud. Somewhere a spring had started to gush into the soil all around him and now he lay in the middle of a growing mire.

Before Halin could discover how this was happening he felt a sharp pain blossom in the center of his back. Whatever it was that had hit him managed to dislodge what little breath he had caught in the brief rest he took from his struggle to regain his footing in the mud. Halin decided to quit moving entirely. Something was pressing sorely into his back and the weight of it was making it impossible for him to stand. He hoped that if he quit moving whatever had landed on him would go away. So Halin laid in the rising mud and brine confused and afraid. How long he had lain there prone and defenseless was beyond him. The only thing Halin was aware of was the dirt in his mouth and clothing, the pressing weight of whatever it was that pinned him to the ground, and his bruised pride. After the mud had risen to cover his nose, Halin decided to try and determine what it was that was on him. He forced his senses into focus, as he did so he noticed that the sun had set and the early hours of night were upon him. Whatever was on his back seemed to have settled itself firmly where it was and was extremely hard. ‘It could be a branch that fell onto the path and me…or a rock of some size…or…’ Halin felt his mind wander a little as a new pain sprouted in the back of his head. He could see the darkness of oblivion loom before him and he fell into its welcoming embrace swiftly.

Consciousness flooded new pains back into Halin’s body as he awoke. Slowly he realized that he was lying on his back and that the thing digging into the small of his back was a rock. Halin tried to move his head slowly to the side and felt the pain grow worse with every attempt no matter which side he moved it towards. So he decided to stop moving his head, which didn’t seem to help either. Even though all he could see around him was the blackness of the abyss, Halin was positive that his eyes were open. He was positive that Nurn or Namir would have tried to figure out where they were by focusing their attention on any noises or light that they might be able to discern, so Halin strained to see or hear anything. He chided himself mentally as he failed each attempt to detect some kind of sound or a faint light of any sort. One of his senses just had to give him some idea of his predicament.

The urge to scream slowly stole its way over Halin’s mind as he lay there in the darkness and if it wasn’t for the sharp throb that pounded inside of his skull he might have tried to. More uncountable time passed as Halin became aware of low buzzing now. He was unsure if the monotonous buzz in his ears was worse that the accursed blindness that he was experiencing, but he knew that he could do with out ether of them just then. At length Halin resolved to lie where he was and to be as still as possible. He also determined that the incessant buzzing and the buzzing and the blindness were equally as bad as the other.

‘Hopefully this will pass soon.’ He thought to himself, the sound of his own inner voice causing new ripples of pain in his head. ‘If not I’ll just die. Then I might be able to get some sense of my surroundings.’ Even his own sarcasm failed to raise his spirits. Completely depressed at his own failure Halin succumbed once again to the euphoric escape sleep offered him by his pain. ‘Hopefully it will subside.’ This was the last thought that passed through Halin’s mind as he drifted off to sleep.

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“You didn’t have to enjoy it so much.” Jaconis fumed after he was sure that no one had followed him.

“But it was so much fun, my beloved.” Tali leaned over and kissed Jaconis’ bruised cheek lightly. “Besides if I hadn’t of made it look so real, Namir and the others would never have been fooled. Now we wouldn’t want that…would we?”

Tali’s playful tone and demeanor forced Jaconis to grin. “Can’t you take anything seriously?” Jaconis put his arms around Tali’s soft back and pulled her down on top of him as he kissed her deeply. “Though you are a devious one, I’ll give you that much.” Jaconis lightly ran the back of his hand along Tali’s cheek and jaw.

“Part of my charm is my lack of concern for anything that happens around me.” Tali winked at Jaconis as she pulled away from him. Then, as if she thought better of leaving him, she bent over and licked his lips playfully. “Another part is my sexual appeal…wouldn’t you agree?” Tali arched an eyebrow and awaited his response as she stood up again.

Jaconis wrapped his arms about her and reveled at the feel of her firm breasts as they pressed against his chest. “That’s the part that I wouldn’t trade for anything. Now…when I leave, have Barness go back over the trail. I want him to make sure that no one finds your little nook. Namir has both Nurn and Halin looking and although Halin isn’t too adept at tracking, one of them is bound to notice Barness’ initial attempts to cover the carriage’s tracks.” Seeing Tali nod in acquiescence he continued. “Where are Canges and the others?”

“Hunting.” Tali looked disappointedly into Jaconis’ eyes. “Does this mean that you are leaving so soon?” Her left hand caressed Jaconis’ groin while her right one played with his hair.

“Not yet…there is still something here that I need to do.” Jaconis reached up and ran his fingers through her silky hair. He then pulled her face down to his and kissed Tali passionately.

As the heat of their passion rose, the wind about them mirrored it. Soon the breeze, that was mere moments before lightly frolicked along their skin, fiercely whipped about them completely frenzied and menacing. Tali leaned back and pulled momentarily away from Jaconis’ grip. She lifted up her arms and let the wind take her bodice off of her sumptuous body. This exposed the softly tanned skin of her torso marvelously. Jaconis drooled as he looked up at her lightly bronzed and toned chest and arms. Tali smiled as he did so and flung her head to allow the growing to ravage her hair as it had her bodice. Tali looked like a wild vision of ecstasy and passion to Jaconis and he enjoyed every breathtaking moment of seeing her shed her clothes and twist in the wind.

Tali grinned down at Jaconis coyly; she fully enjoyed the look of ardor on his face as she unclasped his belt. Jaconis tried to rise up to her, but she forced him back down to the floor of the carriage easily. Both of them knew that Tali was in control of everything around them now and she would not relinquish it any time soon.

Jaconis marveled at how much he enjoyed her forcing herself on him. Every time he tried to resist her she easily forced him to comply with her will either by striking him lightly or by simply shifting her weight. ‘Tali truly is a remarkable woman.’ Jaconis thought voraciously as his desire for her ate away at the dark recesses of his mind.

Tali allowed Jaconis to lean up and kiss her once before she forced him back down on his back. She enjoyed feeling Jaconis’ warmth against her skin as he suckled her left nipple lightly. This caused Tali to arch away from him in pleasure so unexpectedly that she lost her hold of his clothing. A few moments later she struck him across his face and pushed Jaconis back down to the floor of the carriage in order to finish stripping him of his clothes. Tali then slowly moved up his body, playfully exploring his taught and lean frame. Her warm kisses flowed over Jaconis’ body as she meandered her way up to his neck. This forced a moan of intense pleasure from Jaconis as he writhed in delight.

Jaconis’ hands wandered along Tali’s body as she explored his with her lips. Jaconis marveled at Tali’s voluptuous yet tight and firm figure. Everywhere Jaconis’ hands touched was warm and soft, yet the flesh held an unyielding quality to it. His touch became heavier on her and soon he tried to pull Tali down on top of him again. This time he tried to guide her down on top f him to fulfill his seething desire.

Tali’s teeth found the side of his neck as he pulled at her and Jaconis reacted exactly as Tali thought he would. He arched up into her as Tali pressed herself against him harder. She knew the pleasure that this would bring so she sank her teeth deeper into his neck. Tali hoped that she had time her final bite right as she felt Jaconis spasm beneath her again. This spasm came at the perfect time and it allowed Tali to sink her teeth into Jaconis’ neck hard enough to bring his blood welling greedily to the surface from Jaconis’ unguarded flesh. Tali suckled at his blood greedily and giggled as she felt its warmth spread across her exposed bosom.
Jaconis felt the pleasure of her bite mingle with the intense pain of the wound. His body writhed in both a horrific feeling of ecstasy and the mind numbing agony as he felt Tali’s tongue moving through the open wound. Several moments passed before he could do anything other than writhe in the intense moment. Then, without warning, Jaconis screamed as loud and as hard as he could.