[Mara]

Smiling back up at Carriac, Mara turned and stepped out of the wagon, taking special care not to slip and fall like last time. Gathering her footing, she slipped down and around the wagon long before Carriac could step out.

"Traveler? Carriac and myself have decided that we're going to walk into town. It's such a beautiful day," and she leaned over, "and my butt is getting sore from sitting."

[Traveler]

After sitting on the wagon all day he was glad to finally stop. It had been a pleasant day, for the most part. ~Well, I guess I had better find a spot for us to spend the night. ~

He was climbing down out of the seat when Mara came back to the front and said she and Carriac were going to walk into town. She seemed a little flushed and acted a little giddy.

"Sure, Mara. I guess. If Carriac is ready to walk for a while. I'll find a place to camp and wait for you there. I won't go far from this spot."

[Mara]

Glancing around, She spotted Carriac coming around the back of the slow moving wagon and she giggled. "He's coming now. I think he's still trying to wake up."

[Carriac]

Carriac overheard Mara's words and grimaced as he came around the front of the wagon. "What's this I hear about a walk?"

[Mara]

Mara giggled, placing her hand to her lips as she looked up and blushed, before walking ahead, brushing one the burro's back. "I thought it would be a nice day to walk, and you could use a little exercise," as she stepped back, poking Carriac's belly.

"Anyway my butts sore from sitting on that hard thing you call a seat." With that said, she poked Carriac's belly once more before turning and walking ahead.

"Coming dear...."

[Traveler]

~I do believe she has him wrapped around her little finger...~

[Carriac]

The portly elf grumbled something about women and said to Traveler, "She's going to be the death of me. We'll probably find an Inn first thing and have a bite for lunch. You want to meet us there?"

Without waiting for a response, he reached under the wagon seat and produced his staff, then hurried to catch up with his ward.

[Traveler]

~Finding an Inn, I'm sure will be the first business. Eating may not be the first thing they do, though. ~

"Uhh, Carriac," he called after them, "Be careful." He wasn't sure whether the portly elf had heard him, though.

[Mara]

"Be nice, Traveler," Mara called out as she glanced over her shoulder and smiled. She slowed to let Carriac catch up, as her eyes caught what he was carrying.

"Where did you get that," she asked as she held out her hands. "Can I see it? Please..."

[Carriac]

"I, uh - I made it last night."

Carriac was unsure if he wanted to hand the staff to Mara. He could still feel residual negative emotions coming from within it. They weren't as strong as they had been previously, but they were still there. After a moment's consideration and a pouty face from Mara, he finally relented.

[Mara]

At first Mara spent her time looking the staff over, running her hands along the hard wood and feeling a tingle in her fingers. Thinking that Carriac had done something to it, she smiled as she hefted it up, judging the balance.

[Carriac]

"Careful, it's harder than it looks...."

[Mara]

"I like this," as she started to spin it around between her fingers. But the staff was a little taller than she had judged. One end hit the ground as she twirled it, and it came back, smacking her right between the eyes.

"OW!"

[Carriac]

He had seen it coming. While he was no expert in staff fighting, he did have some experience and he could tell that the spin was all wrong. He reached out to stop the staff, but he was too late. The impact of the staff broke the skin along the bridge of Mara's nose.

"Lirimaer, you're bleeding."

Carriac plucked the staff out of Mara's hands. He was surprised to feel an almost malicious glee coming from the weapon. What had he created?

Pushing thoughts of the staff aside, he reached up and wiped the blood from Mara's forehead. He was amazed to find that the wound was already closing.

"Oh! You're not...uh, as hurt as I thought."

[Mara]

Mara was a bit dazed by the blow, and she started to pout when Carriac came up.

"I'm ok. I think..." as she pulled up her hand to her forehead and touched the place where the staff had hit her. Pulling back her hand, she laughed. "I'm a fast healer, though I have no idea why." Looking back at the staff, her lips curled up into a small bow as her eyes suddenly changed.

"Let me see that thing again," she said in a more powerful voice and reached out for it.

[Carriac]

"I really don't think...."

Mara wrenched the thing so sharply he was forced to let go.

"Well...Ok then. Just don't spin it...."

[Mara]

Mara glared at Carriac as she let out a low growl that seem to emit from all around her as she took the staff in between her fingers and slowly started to spin it. Soon her fingers were moving with the grace of a born warrior, and the very air around her seem to shift as she switched hands, spinning the staff over her head and between her legs. She made a few quick moves, stopping the staff in mid spin, before it whistled through the air, just missing Carriac's ear.

[Carriac]

"Hey! Watch it! That's not a toy!"

[Mara]

Mara pulled the staff towards her and her smile turned evil as her eyes narrowed. "No, its not, and in the right hands it can be a very deadly weapon."

[Carriac]

The shaper ducked away as Mara suddenly advanced on him, the malevolent staff twirling a complex pattern through the air. She struck out at him. The wood glanced past his cheek, the friction of the contact burning it slightly.

"Mara, stop it."

Again, the staff lanced out, catching his other cheek.

"I mean it, Mara, stop it! What's come over you?

The staff dipped suddenly in its spin and hooked him behind the knee. Carriac fell hard on his back. Mara loomed over him and brought the staff up high.

"Tanya farnuva! Mara, that's enough!"

[Mara]

Mara stopped suddenly and blinked, her fiery red eyes changing to their cool forest green before she shook her head and looked down.

"By the nameless gods...No!"

Dropping the staff, she slowly knelt down beside Carriac and started to reach out towards him, but backed her hand away quickly. "Are you hurt...I...I don't know what came over me..."

[Carriac]

Carriac had his suspicions. Could it be that the staff was actually capable of projecting its negative emotions? Was it sentient?

No! That was impossible! Carriac was no mage to be instilling life into a piece of wood.

But what other explanation was there?

He took Mara's hand and got back to his feet.

"I'm ok. Just a little startled, that's all. It seems you're a bit more talented than I first suspected. Where did you learn that?"

[Mara]

Mara stood up with him, before tilting her head to the left as she reached over, touching Carriac cheek, and rubbing it with her thumb. The small scratches that the staff made slowly faded, along with the pain that she saw in Carriac's eyes. Biting her lip, she did the same to the other cheek, before running her hands along his chest.

"I don't know really. It just sort of came to me in a flash." Biting her lip harder, she brushed a stray strand of hair from his face and frowned.

"The worse part is I was beginning to enjoy the way the staff felt. Is that wrong...."

[Carriac]

Carriac ignored the question. He would deal with the nature of the staff later, when he would have time to study it in private. Instead, he focused on what Mara had done to his face.

"My face is healed. Another hidden talent?"

[Mara]

Mara nodded as she looked down at Carriac's feet. "I've been able to do that for some time now. I'm not really sure why though. I know we have healing abilities, but mine doesn't need to call on the elements. They seem to come...from within me."

Looking up, with tears in her eyes, she tried to smile as her lips quivered. "I'm sorry I hurt you. Will you forgive me?"

[Carriac]

"You are a girl of many mysteries, Lirimaer. That's one of the reasons I like you so much."

He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and kissed her on the cheek.

"There's nothing to forgive! Now come, I'll bet there's an Inn in town that serves a mean midday repast."

Carriac bent down and retrieved the staff, then held out his right arm to Mara.

[Mara]

Mara's smile grew as she wiped the stray tears from her eyes, before looking back up. "You mean it? Your not mad at me?" Surprised by all the turn of events, she took his arm, wrapping hers around his and started walking.

"I am a little hungry, now that you mentioned it. BUT I promise I won't eat much. I'm trying to watch my figure," and she glanced up, before she blushed, pulling Carriac to her more, and started walking in step with him.

"Can we get one of those rolls with the icing on top? Please..."

[Carriac]

Carriac glanced at Mara's figure. It certainly begged watching. He then looked at himself. For the first time in years he was concerned by what he saw.

He hadn't always weighed so much. During his years of strenuous travel he had been quite fit. Never muscular, but lean and well toned. What had happened to him?

He'd gotten lazy, that's what. Lazy - and fat. And now here he was with an attractive slim elf on his arm. They were quite a mismatched pair. His weight began to make him uncomfortable. That and the fact that Mara was slightly taller than he was.

Carriac frowned.

"Mara, you can have all the iced rolls you want. Myself, I think I'll go for a nice big salad."

[Mara]

Mara clapped her hands together rather quickly as she bounced up and down, before reaching over and giving Carriac a quick kiss. "Oh thank you, thank you..." she giggled as she started pulling on him. "Come on silly. Traveler's almost caught up with us. You don't want him to beat us in town, do you?" Giggling, she pulled harder, before turning loose and started to run around and around Carriac, until she got dizzy. Before long they were at the bridge that lead into Riverport. She stopped bouncing and giggling as she came to the rivers edge.

"Wow! This town's bigger than I thought.

[Traveler]

He watched the pair as they walked down the path. They were a sight to see. Mara almost pulled Carriac along. He began to worry that they would be ok. Carriac seemed to be defenseless, and Mara could be... a handful to say the least.

He let the mules graze for a bit as he looked around for a nice place to set up camp. He walked around a little before he found a clearing in a grove of old oak trees that would be perfect for their camp. It wasn't too far from the road or too neat. If either Mara or Carriac had been there they would have felt the sacredness of the grove and insisted that they move elsewhere. As it was, Traveler felt a peace that put him at ease. As he went about setting up camp he found an old fire pit and began gathering old wood for fuel for the night. After a short time he had found enough so he set about finding some food. There were more provisions packed than Mara had imagined. They were not far from the river yet so he left the wagon to fetch a pot of water.

He had been gone about twenty minutes or so. As he neared camp he heard someone singing gently in a language he didn't know. The melody was an ancient one that lifted the soul. Traveler didn't feel any immediate danger, and so he crept back to camp warily. He dropped into his new found _hunting_ mode and could not tell what was making the sound. He came back to his natural state and walked into camp. As soon as he stepped into the clearing the music stopped.

(to be continued...)