Ohtaredan stumbled, hastily regainig his balance as he wandered over the thick roots of a tree, coming out of the forest and into a village. Now, not only had he lost the men, but Herebrand, as well as himself in his neglectful wanderings in the forest. True, he had been searching for their men, but he should have payed more attention to where he was going. It would do no one any good, least of all him, for him to get lost and perhaps worse.
Fortunately, Ohtaredan had barely time to think of this before he was in civilization again. He found himself standing outside a tavern just as the sun came up over the trees. A young lady with a cap on opened the shutters of the front window, looking at him quizzically as she caught sight of him.
"Forgive me," Ohtaredan said obligingly and explained himself. Miraculously, the girl had seen Herebrand as well as another, a girl, who had asked the same question. Ohtaredan thanked the girl kindly and prepared to set off again.
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In the brief triumph of a new direction, Ohtaredan had almost forgotten that he hadn't found any of the soldiers yet. Leena, Ilisit, Jesslyn...in his sudden distraction, Ohtaredan wandered off the path again, but more fortunately this time. He looked up at the sounds of life, realizing that he was back at the house. Thinking that he should probably go back, for the others might be worried about him, Ohtaredan spied a female figure standing close to the door, as if in momentary thought.
Keeping his hand vaguely on Gostannendoll (more for personal security than anything else, as there could hardly be a safer place than this public one at the moment), Ohtaredan came up to the door to find to his surprise and utter elation, Jesslyn standing there. She had her back to him and seemed to have gotten her hair wet.
He cried the girl's name, coming forward to greet her, pushing past the people entering thouse, not noticing the look of distress her eyes--not looking at his--had adopted.
[ July 20, 2003: Message edited by: Mathom Collector ]
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