Tolik begins to walk south, heart to heavy to fly. He plods onward, also not looking back. As he walks, Asif's words echo through his mind, leaving them fresh to tell Rhune. And even now, he begins to regret being so harsh on the obviously torn man. But the past is the past, and he continues onward, one foot in front of the other.
Nearly an hour later, the others ride up to Tolik, depressed slogging back toward them with the sitar in hand. He tells them the story of what he encountered and what Asif had to say.
After hearing Tolik words regarding the departure of Asif Ullar remains silent. Stories float through his mind as he remembers that there were elves who died when their loved ones were slain or taken away. Not wanting to alarm the others about this, he keeps the thoughts to himself and rides back to Rifflian in silence.
Back at the inn....
Rhune paces back and forth as she waits for news of her love. Her stomach in knots both from worry and her condition. At one point she feels a wave of dizziness wash over her and leans against the nearest wall, tears streaming down her face.
Caboto asks for a flagon of wine and a cool pitcher of water, which he brings to Rhune. "I am very sorry," he says. "Please replenish yourself my Lady. With luck, we will have good news when the rest return."
Somewhat awkward at this sort of thing, Giovanni will resume his studies and annotation of the Blue Tube once and only if he assures himself that Rhune is no longer in need of concerned company.
Tag stays in town and tries to console Rhune. "Rhune I know how Asif felt. He would not leave I am sure unless under some duress. We will return him too you, I swear. I would offer you wine, but I fear it is not good for one in your 'condition'" Tag looks at Rhune and her belly with trepidation. "Here let me sing something soothing to calm both our nerves."
"Thank you Tag. that would be nice." she sits down and listens to his song. But her eyes dart to the door every so often. When he is finished it is a few moments before she notices. "Oh I am sorry, Tag. It was a lovely song, honestly." sighing deeply, "I think I will go lay down for a bit. Thank you for sitting with me." she says to him. Once out of sight she waits until he is no longer in the inn proper and then leaves to go after the others making sure to tell Stubbs to tell that she is going to look for them and will be back soon.
After Pietro leaves Rhune's room, he walks up to Stubbs. "Rhune is not feeling too well, she will probably stay in all day. I'm going to go after Ullar and the rest." Pietro walks out the door, gets his horse from the stable, saddles it, and leaves Rifflian in search for Ullar and Asif. Once in a while he stands still and searches the horizon for the whereabouts of the small group.
Rhune waits patiently at the inn in Rifflian. but as the time goes on and no one returns to her, her worry grows even more. Deciding to forget what she promised Pietro and needing to know what is happening she slips back upstairs and puts on her chainmail and gathers her things. By the time she is ready to leave it is nearly dark. Seeking out Stubbs, "Will you tell my friends that I have gone after them. just in case I miss them in the darkness. I will only go about an hours ride from here and return if I do not see anyone." she then leaves before he can stop her, taking her horse and heading out the way the others went. She plans to travel for an hour or until she spots some of her friends. If she does not she or the hour comes she turns around and with heavy heart returns to Rifflian and the inn.
Plebius had sat quietly throughout all of the discussions. The quiet priest-mage was barely becoming comfortable among his recent companions. But now Plebius was out of his comfort zone again amongst these strangers whom he had only met once for a few hours. Sitting quietly, he had heard the talk of weddings, and group titles, recruitment, and travel.
As the others rushed to pursue the missing party member, Plebius quietly arose to comfort the bride to be in her fainting spells.
Now, as he witnesses the maiden going into the night alone, Plebius offers his company," Fair lady? Allow me to accompany you. My traveling companions have also ventured out tonight. I would see where they have gone, and it is not safe to be out alone."
"I can't wait any longer to see what has happened. I have to go see what is taking so long." she says as she tries to saddle her horse.
Plebius does the same," I can't allow you to go out alone."
Pietro doesn't find Ullar, but rather is being found himself, because Ullar is returning with the small group. Upon seeing them, he can already see that the mood in the group is down. Pietro rides up to Ullar, "What happened?" After hearing the story from Ullar, the elf is obviously shocked to the bone. "I have to tell you something Ullar, Rhune just found out that she is pregnant as well. We will have to tell her, but also have to look after her really carefully in the next few days. I will personally keep a very close eye to her. What do you say?"
A big sigh is Ullar's first reaction. "This must hurt her even more. I can hardly imagining what she will be going trough when we tell her. And I suppose Asif doesn't know this either? How sad. How very, very sad. I'd appreciate it if you stay close to her, my friend. I'll do the same. She will need all the friends she has right now. Thank you Pietro, for taking care of her!"
Before she can get her horse saddle she sees the others coming back but without Asif. Tears well up as she returns back inside the inn to wait for them wondering what has happened.
Feeling that he is one of the closest friends of Rhune, Ullar tells her in detail everything Asif and Tolik said, while keeping her close.
Listening to every detail till he finishes, she just sits there for a few moment then bursts into tears laying her head on his shoulder. She just cries for a long time.
"I'm very sorry Rhune... " is about all Ullar can say as he looks in her eyes.
She refuses to look to into his eyes as she nods and runs from the room and the building slipping into the shadows trying to hide for awhile.
After the tale, Arkady spurs past the elf and rides for several minutes before stopping and screaming curses into the air at the top of his lungs. He turns and rides back to the others. He glares at all of them with rage in his eyes. You notice he has bitten into his lower lip and gnaws at it while blood pours down his chin. He spurs Kril-pesh forward and heads back for the Village in silence. During the ride he sheathes the silmar blade and draws the black handled blade from it's saddle scabbard. He keeps watch for something to take out his anger on.
Arkady veers off and rides at full speed into the woods. Soon the rest of the group can hear his screams of rage and pain echoing along the sounds of metal hitting wood. In the forest Arkady lets the voices have free reign, he hacks with his black handled blade until it shatters leaving only 18 or so inches above the hilts. He rides and primally screams until he is hoarse and drained. All benefit of the picture burning is lost as he staggers back into camp and storms into the inn.
Tolik stands quietly off to the side, holding the sitar from Asif. He places it carefully on a table then steps away.
As she pulls away from Ullar to leave the inn, she notices the sitar. Looking up at Tolik, "Thank you, my friend." she takes the instrument and rushes out for a few moments. then returns a short time later. Coming back into the inn she sits down and wipes her eyes off, and tries to smile.
"Friends, can I have your attention..." says Ullar, as he addresses all of both groups at Stubbs place. "Although it's very sad what has happened, we'll have to go on. Now that the wedding is off, " says Ullar, while giving Rhune yet another sad look, " .. there is no reason why we should stay here any longer."
"As most of you already know, our group was heading towards Death's Head Country to get all the details regarding the blue tube and find out anything there is to know about the Golden Valley which is located even further up north. The original plan was passing through Threshold, but with all the news we heard and the arguments stated by some of us, I think it is not wise to visit Threshold."
"Ullar, I remembered something about the blue tube. Mother Kuzma had mentioned that some of the script on the tube looked like that of the Death's Head tribe. Perhaps, they will know how to open it." she adds her voice still strained and a wan look about her already pale features.
"Stephan, you say that we can easily pass through it, but I have my doubts. However, your suggestion to find a guide in Threshold sounds very reasonable. Perhaps we could ride towards Threshold after this discussion and make camp about an hour from the village. From there you and perhaps somebody of our group could travel further and find ourselves a guide for the northern region. Does that sounds logical? I'll cover the expenses, don't worry about that." Ullar continues.
Stephen looks a bit askance, "Well, as long as the one with me is one of the more martial fellows, I suppose that would be satisfactory. He looks toward the woods, "And I would prefer it not be that fellow." He motions toward the sound of Arkady madly chopping at the trees. "You'll have to make camp further away though, as the town patrols out that far, and probably would not welcome you settling down outside of town rather than in it. As long as we don't run into any trouble on the road there, your plan should work out fine." His voice makes it sound like that is unlikely.
"However, I hope you understand that with everything Akhitos told us, our first priority is getting the map from this blue tube! Perhaps you don't have any interest in it, but to me it has become vital. But if you find it too dangerous or anything I can understand that. I hope you will join us in this 'quest' because your knowledge about these areas is very valuable." says Ullar, while looking at Stephan.
Stephen shrugs, "My interest is in the golden valley. I will be happy to accompany you as far as the gnoll country. If you wish to go no further, I will go on myself. I must know what lies there. I must!"
"Rhees, Ullar, it seems indeed that a 'quest' draws us back together. Rhune will not be well enough to travel quickly though. Let us make travel plans at a leisurely pace. If only we had some way of knowing more of what has drawn Asif away so suddenly and some way of telling him of his brides condition" Tag remarks.
"Look, I don't think anyone can sleep tonight, at least none of us who feel close to Rhune, so I suggest we depart now and ride at night. Anyone a problem with that? I will talk to Stubbs regarding some refund of our expenses here, although that's not really my area of expertise." Ullar says. "What do you all think? If no one objects, let's pack our stuff and ride!"
"We can leave anytime you want. There is nothing here for me to do anyway. I think we should go directly to Death's Head then threshold." she says looking around at the others. pausing for a moment, "I will repay you all the money that you lent me to get things ready for...the we....for tomorrow." tears well up in her eyes and slips from the table taking the sitar with her to head upstairs to get her things together.
Once upstairs, she carefully packs the silk wedding dress away in a pack and then flows a cloth around the sitar and slips it into a sack. Sniffling as she gets her things ready she places one hand on her belly and sighs deeply. Putting on the elven chain mail and strapping on her sword she crosses to the window and looks toward the direction her lover went, "May the gods go with you my love. Hanali, please keep him safe and return him to me soon." she whispers to the night wind. she then turns around and gathers up her pack and sack and heads back down to the main room of the inn.
Tolik nods. "Agreed, I think this place would be best left behind. It isn't a danger, but will forever will be a place of sadness for some of us. We need to leave it behind and let the healing begin."
"I'm not happy to have to go to Threshold at all, but I can see the wisdom in your words Ullar. The risk would be better than the alternative, wandering through the wilderness."
"So I suppose I cast my vote for getting underway. I see no reason to stay, and every reason to go." Looking toward Antonia and the others who traveled with her, he adds, "Are you traveling with us as well? The help would be appreciated.''
Antonia has been watching and listening for all this time, seeing so many people talking all so fast seems almost more than she can keep up with, though she does succeed in doing so. She looks at Daegwyn thoughtfully for a time and then speaks, "Doesn't Asif have the right to know about the baby? Doesn't he have the right to know that there is more to what is going on than he knows? It is my understanding that wives and children are very important to him, so I ask myself why he left Rune, and I understand. He does not want to bring his problems that seen to have caught up with him to a marriage. but he does not know of the child and I believe he has a right to know. There are two of us here that can catch up with the group that he rides with given time. With the fact that they move so quickly, it may take a few days, but it can be done. I truly believe he has the right to know and I am disappointed that no one even thinks to tell him." She looks at Rune, "Do you let him go without this knowledge or do you try to find a way to make him come home, do you fight for him?" She falls silent and waits for her to answer for that answer makes her decision.
"Yes he should know. If you could catch him and tell him for me I would appreciate that very much. I can not travel that fast at the moment. There is more that you do not know about his situation but I would like for him to know he has a child and that I will be here and that I love him." she looks pleadingly at her.
Tolik gives Rhune a puzzled look, then turns back to Antonia, then back to Rhune. "Hold on a second. Baby? What baby?"
Rhune looks at Tolik with tears in her eyes, "I am going to have a baby Tolik. Asif's baby." she murmurs her voice tight with emotion.
Caboto jolted at this, and poured himself a drink of the wine he'd brought for Rhune.
Daegwyn nods as Antonia speaks. "Antonia speaks the truth. The knowledge we can bring Asif may change his mind, and he has the right to know. Unencumbered we should be able to catch them. We also have the skills to be able to find you again once the message has been delivered. Knowing where you are headed and the composition of the group should make tracking you an easy job. Hopefully we could be back with you within a two weeks time." Daegwyn looks at Rhune with pleading eyes before speaking to her in elvish, "Do not let love escape you now, for there may not be time for it to return. His race does not have the luxury of time which yours allows."
"Yes I know this. Perhaps you can change his mind with knowledge. But if he does not come back with you then that is the way it is to be." she replies in elvish. then adding as her voice tightens, "I will wait for him to return in any event."
"Consider it done," Daegwyn replies in elvish. Then turning to Antonia, "Let us make haste before their trail grows cold." Daegwyn retrieves his horse from the stables and awaits Antonia, Grey, and Shadow to begin the chase.
"Rhune, can you spare me a moment. I am deeply saddened for the lost you are enduring. I know I can't say anything to lighten your pain, but I can at least try to make you see things a bit clearer. I haven't known Asif for very long yet, but I know he hasn't made his decision to go home lightly. Honor and family sent him home, not his heart. You know Asif a lot better, and I think you know as well that if Asif would have stayed here, he would have lost part of himself. He wouldn't be the man he was before. When things settle down at home, he will return to find you, so you can finally have your wedding." Pietro smiles for a moment, the lights returning to his eyes for a moment. "This is becoming a habit for me in saying this, but it is well meant. If you need help or a listening ear, please just say so."
Rhees shakes his head softly, "This a truly miserable quandary. We are presented with a quest of the heart and a quest against a truly foul foe. Rhune and Asif are friends to many here and their love for each other an inspiration to us all. Surely, a better resolution to their story could be found if the energies of this group were brought to bear. But to do so, we would have to leave the Bishop to his plotting. As Ullar has so wisely pointed out, the Bishop has been allowed to act on his schedule and agenda for too long. If we wish to stop him we must seize the initiative - and in so doing, see friends suffer for it." Rhees shakes his head softly.
Knowing how to appreciate a compliment when he gets a genuine one, Ullar nods to Rhees, making a mental note to talk to him in private when the time is there.
When Manus hears Daegwyn and Antonia say they will follow Asif and tell him of Rhune's condition he shakes his head. "A noble gesture but there is no way the two of you will catch that group which is mounted on the swift desert horses...not with this much of a lead. Only Tolik stands a chance of catching up to Asif and telling him, though I am unsure of his range. Perhaps if the two of you were to travel day and night for several day you could catch them."
"I am with Rhees in his assessment. If we are to defeat the Bishop we must not tarry over what we cannot change."
Daegwyn nods respectfully to Manus, "But we do not know if this can be changed. And while their horses may be swifter than ours, it is not always the fastest that wins the race. It is Rhune's desire for Asif to have the knowledge that he has fathered a child so that he may make an informed decision. I will not throw away the one chance to make this known to him. I am confident that with my tracking skills, Antonia's magical abilities, and the aid of our animal friends we will be able to catch up to Asif."
Antonia looks at Daegwyn and then at the group. "Truth tell, only Tolik and I would have a chance at catching the group, but even then if the rest of you decided to go on, we would need Daegwyn to help find and track you. As it is if Daegwyn and I go without you, Tolik, I will have to go on ahead of him and contact Asif alone, then backtrack to Daegwyn and hunt the rest of you down. This I will do because Asif has the right to make his decision when he has all the facts. Tolik, it is your choice to come or not, but understand, some of it will be the same way I came to you the other night." She waits for his answer so that she can go.
Tolik listens quietly as they discuss the matter of finding Asif. He remains silent even as they begin to talk about him coming along. It is not until Antonia addresses him directly that the elf takes the appearance of anything more than a casual observer.
She addresses him, and Tolik casts her a vacant stare, as if to say, 'What are you talking about?' Then something in his head clicks, and his cheeks turn a bright red. "Uhh, oh!" he exclaims. He blinks his eyes several times, and shakes his head vigorously. "Uhh, I think that maybe, umm, well..." He swallows, and stares into the fire for a moment. He seems to regain his composure.
"Okay. Better now. Anyway, I would love to come, but I don't know if I could do the distance. When its a good day, I can go a long ways, but on a bad day I have trouble staying aloft after little more than an hour. Its wonderful, but can be so tiring. And that other thing, well, I'll deal with it. Its not like I'm gonna be running along side you the whole way."
He looks to the members of the group he had been traveling with and then scratches his head. His eyes glaze over, as he is lost in thought weighing both sides of the matter. After a shorter time then he would have liked to ponder the decision, but probably more than Antonia would have liked him to take, he speaks up. "I think I need to go with you. While I would like to journey onward, I think this is what I need to do."
Nodding to Ullar, he adds, "I will be back, don't get too comfortable without me. The ingots are with the horse's saddle, feel free to spend them." And then he follows Antonia outside so they can get underway.