[Lyra Greenleaf]

Mara fumed. Sent to bed like a little girl? We'll see about that. With the best grace she could muster she sat down, pointedly not loking at Raken to see if he stayed or went. Sleep was a long time coming, but eventually it came, with fitful dreams and nightmares.

Before the sun rose she awoke again, to see Raken stalking through the door. He wouldn't think to leave me behind, now would he? She wondered, getting up and sheathing her long knife. Silently she crept to the door past the still sleeping men (if that could describe the lumbering fools) and saw Raken had paused a little way ahead of her. "We come" he screamed and started to howl. Mara shivered. Surely he was a madman?
A smile spread over her face. A madman was easier to beat, and easier to part with his money...

They walked. The repetitive movements bored Mara but she kept going with the men, ignoring their glances. They all looked as if they could do with a good bath, shave, haircut... She shivered again in disgust as one approached her. He was a small, weasel faced man with some shade of brown hair, though that could have been the dirt. He reached out to her, perhaps trying to see if she was really there. The last woman he saw was probably his mother. And she must have thrown him out for being ugly! she thought. The smile it brought to her face obviously had the wrong effect for he came closer.

"Mara" he said "You and Raken, whats between you?"
She looked forward consideringly.
"I'd say about 30 paces, weasel" she said.
"He in't right for a woman" continued the man "He don't care for no-one but that Eye of his"
"Eye?" she asked, confused.
"I in't sure quite what it is, me dear, but I know it's a 'uge eye. And he's pledged 'is life to it"
"To an eye?" Mara asked in disbelief. Laughter burbled up in her throat. Encouraged, the man stepped towards her and put an arm on her shoulder. Not bothering to say anything she unsheathed her knife and ran it slowly over his fingers. Then she walked faster, catching up to Raken. His friends seemed to avoid their leader, none walking within ten paces of him.

Raken turned after a while, addressing her. It was all she could do not to laugh. An Eye? she thought again. Certainly a madman.
"Well, girl, I hope your waiting pays off. We'll come to the river soon. Oh, yeah, hope you can swim. If not, I'm sure Fegnash would be happy to help you across."
Fegnash? she wondered idly I wonder which one that was?
Automatically she touched her knife, more to remind him that she could deal with his men herself than anything else.

"I can swim. I'm surprised any of you and your group of hairy sons of dogs can do anything but spit, gamble, growl, and beat something bloody" she answered as calmly as she could.
Mara watched in amazement as Raken began to laugh. It seemed most unlikely coming from him.

"Well now, you're right. A good description of this lot, but, you only have to add swimming on to their list of abiltities. That's it, I promise. On, and don't worry about me, used to be a sailor, missy."
"A sailor?" she asked. Liar!"Then that must mean you aren't really a Dunlending."
"Well, I am, Half. My father took my mother away from here and way to the east and south, all the way to the Harad. Yep, my father was a corsair down there, if you know what that is. And he raised me as one, but then I got sick him. And he had money he wasn't letting me and my mother have, so I killed him. I guess he taught me too well, or I learned to quick for him. My mother brought me back here and I lived here the rest of my life."
Mara yawned, she had stopped listening half way through. Only the mention of killing his father caught her attention. She felt sick when he waved the blood at her.

"Family matters" she said, eyes flashing at him. "I ought to teach you a lesson about that, but you'd set your filthy henchmen on me soon as breathe. I am so glad that you aren't a proper Dunlending. The less I have in common with you, the better."
Deliberately she stopped and spat at his feet, then sped ahead to cross the river.

The lands of the Horsemen are there! she thought excitedly. Every battle against them made her feel good, those theives and vultures, growing fat off land that should have been Dunland. It will be ours again she thought and a smile slid across her face that had nothing to do with amusement.

[ April 21, 2003: Message edited by: Lyra Greenleaf ]