[Traveler]

He smiled for a moment until Carriac said something about explaining to Mara what had happened. He hoped she would understand their need of expediency. But knew she probably would not. ~I think my use of a little magic has thrown my companion off a little. When we're on the road I'll have to explain it if I can. I'm not real sure I understand myself. ~

He climbed in the back of the wagon and looked around what was left intact. There were a few bottles that had survived the last blast. Anything made out of cloth had been burned beyond use. Not really sure where to start he began by pouring the bucket out on the floor clearing most of the mess the water seemed to soak into the floor leaving all the _leavings_ in a neat pile in the middle of the floor. He looked around the room and in a few doors till he found a broom. He swept the mess in the floor up and dumped it in the bucket. Finding several cabinets unlocked, he searched through them for broken containers. Several cabinets had places to set containers so that they would not touch and straps that would hold them down. There were enough places in the cabinets to place all the unbroken containers in. He cleaned all the burned cloth of the windows and what appeared to be a bed. He cleaned everything that seemed to be of no use and placed as much as he could in the bucket, the rest he piled up in the floor. Traveler made several trips to the river and dumped the _junk_ in it. Several times the river swirled and boiled. After one trip several fish were seen floating.

When the wagon was finally cleaned out he picked up Mara and placed her in the _bed_ in the corner. Leaving the wagon once more he stretched and called out to Carriac, "Let's be on our way, I've stowed all the items that were unbroken in the cabinets and locked them. The keys are on the counter. I've released the spell from Mara, she should sleep for a while yet. Hopefully when she wakes she'll think she has cleaned up the wagon. Let's get on the road before anyone starts poking their nose in our business." He waited till Carriac started to climb up and then offered to giver the oversized elf a leg up. Once He was seated he climbed up and joined him.

[Carriac]

Carriac took the mules' brush and used it on himself to remove the dirt and branches Mara had so kindly caused to cover him. He hummed as he worked, and was soon clean enough to suit his purposes. He then turned the brush on the mules.

The shaper finished brushing down Socks, gave Petunia a few quick passes and then gathered the feedbags. He had some trouble getting the empty bag away from Petunia - she didn't seem to care that the grain was gone and was contentedly munching on the bag itself. He wisely plucked a flower from some nearby ivy and she released the bag to chop the flower. He stowed the bags in a box under the driver's seat and then took Traveler's leg up and settled himself on the wide bench.

When Traveler had climbed up beside him, Carriac took the reins and gave them a shake. "Let's go, ladies, we've got a ways to travel before we bed down for the night."

They rode in silence for a few miles until the city of Montfort was no longer visible behind them.

"So, Traveler. Tell me a bit about yourself. Seems you're handy with both the sword AND a bit of sorcery."

[Traveler]

"I knew you were curious about that. I have no real magic power. I have learned a few tricks, that's all. I didn't know I could do that until Elizabeth..." at this point he stopped as another memory flitted through his mind "... uhhh Mara had started in on her tirade. I guess it triggered a memory. It was then I realized I could make her sleep. I also remembered being somewhere else. I don't mean somewhere else like in another place besides Montfort, I mean a whole different _world_" He looked at Carriac to see his reaction, seeing none he continued. "I know there is more I can do that I don't remember. In this pouch for instance," he motioned to the bag he carried at his side, "there are herbs for healing, some magic components, and other I don't know what they are. I know I have _attachments_ somewhere. Not a family, mind you, but something close. I know how to use a sword, and I knew there was trouble before they attacked us back there in the city. I don't know how I know, but I know."

He stopped for a minute realizing he had unloaded a heap of information on the elf. He studied the roadside for a while, watching the trees go by looking at the various flowers and plants. The different smells of the river and the forest filled his senses for a bit. Traveler was keenly aware of all the wildlife around them, the birds, rabbits, and deer... ~Deer, what is it about deer that causes me turmoil?!~

Tearing his attention away from the passing scenery he asked, "What about you? I know very little about you beside the fact you seem to be a kind generous soul, and you can weave material."

[Carriac]

The stout elf listened attentively as Traveler shared his remembered history. Carriac knew from personal experience what it was like to awaken - not being able to recall his activities of the previous several hours - sometimes days. It must be hell to remember almost NOTHING of your past.

"Well, I've been around a bit in my time. My first home was a small elven community on another continent. I lived happily there for the first forty-some years of my life until my talents started to develop.

"After a couple of unfortunate incidents, the community decided I was a menace. They threw me out and ordered me never to return."

Carriac shuddered a bit. "I can't really say that I blame them. If my children had been affected like that."

He paused a moment before continuing. "I was fortunate enough to cross paths with a very kind man - a human - who had talents of his own. His name was Barrington, and he had very similar stories to tell about growing up with a gift. He took me in and guided me in the discovery of my abilities.

"After he died I traveled quite a bit, seeing the sights and lending my aid where I could. I've been so many things over the years - a potter, a tailor, a builder, a weaponsmith." He laughed. "Even a gravedigger, though that wasn't the least pleasant of my occupations."

There was another pause. "I don't really 'weave' things, you know. That would entail making a material do something with an external force. My talent lies in communicating with inanimate things and asking _them_ to rearrange _themselves_. As far as I know, it cannot be taught - though I've certainly tried over the years. Perhaps someday I'll find a way."

Carriac guided the wagon out wide around a small patch of wild flowers. Petunia made to turn back towards the flowers, but the elf's firm hand kept the wagon on course. When they were well past the tempting distraction, he continued.

"I've spent the last ten years or so in the area around Montfort. I was happy enough, but I began to experience moments of blackout. I found it hard to account for parts of my life - sometimes days at a stretch. Those who witnessed my actions say it's like I'm a different person. I have to take their word for it - I can't remember. But then, you know what that's like, don't you. I've been to healers and priests, but they can't find anything wrong with me.

"So, here I am. I find myself in a position to visit the famed Grand Oracle of Taradhi to discover the answer to my plight and help two people I hope will be friends while I'm at it."

[Traveler]

"What do you think of Mara and her _ability? Have you seen anything like it before? What do you make of her recent ability to control it? Seems like to me it was a slip in her facade."

[Carriac]

"I'm not so sure. Barrington was an elementalist. He told me stories about his youth: catching things on fire - blowing down houses, and the like. He said that at first, he couldn't consciously control any of his powers. The first time he remembered consciously directing his abilities, he was incredibly angry. He said that the elements simply responded to his whims - he thought, they acted. He tried again not long after and found that he still couldn't control them. It took a lot more experimentation, but he discovered that his powers were directly linked to his emotions. When he learned to turn that emotional switch on and off at will, he learned to control his powers.

"Perhaps Mara's abilities are in a similar vein. Every time she's used them so far she's been emotionally stressed. This last time, the emotion wasn't as overpowering as it was when she was abducted she stayed in emotional control, and thus her powers stayed in control.

"It's just a theory, but I think it has at least some basis in fact."

Carriac smiled. "To bring up a case I point: she's going to wake up soon and I image she's going to be plenty mad. Any ideas on how we can calm her down without getting sunburned?"

[Mara]

Mara turned to say something else to Traveler as the back door slowly creaked open, and she saw him standing there with the bucket in his hand. She was about to ask him why the bucket was empty, and not full like she asked when he brought his hand up and touched her cheek. She started to smile as her head tilted towards his hand, when she felt so tired.

Then darkness took her sight.

"She is ready for her last test. Now let's see what she can do."

Mara stood there, but she felt strange, like she was standing outside of herself and watching her own body. It was a strange experience for her, and she felt frightened. She tried to move, to run and hide, but her body would not move, not react to her thoughts. It was as if her soul had been pulled from her body, leaving it an empty shell.

"Ok Mara! There will be three suits of armor heading your way. I want you to hit the first one with your flame-thrower attack, the second one with your Phoenix shield, and the third one with your blade of flame. Now get ready..."

Mara watched as three suits of armor on a long platform came rolling up towards her, and she felt her body moving. The first armor held a long sword, and some type machinery made it act like a man was inside. With one swipe of her hand, a blast of fife erupted from her fingertips, melting the armor and blade into a puddle of tin. The second Armor jumped up right behind the first, its arm raised with a rather heavy ax in its gloved hand. Mara pulled her arm up, as if to reflect the ax, and a shield of fire formed like a shield in front of her. The crest of a phoenix could be seen inside the shield.

"Nice touch child! I like the crest. That will be pressed into your skin, once we are finished here."

She felt herself turning her head towards the voice, but all she saw was a stone wall, and a very thick pane of glass. She was inside a room, and the next suit of armor was coming up. With her shield still intact, even after the ax tried to slit it in two, she made a blade of flame and sliced both armors in to pieces.

Then she just stood there, as another armor came up from out of nowhere, knocking her to the ground.

"I was worried that this would happen. With all those powers, she is still just a puppet with her mind wiped away. The Master will not be pleased at all. He wants her to be the best assassin that has ever lived, but she's nothing without being told what to do every second. And The Master doesn't have time to pull her strings."

For the first time, Mara saw the man that had been talking to her from the shadows. He was a short man, with a long white beard and large ears. His eyes were small, almost the size of small pearls, black in color, with long bushy eyebrows. Resting on his nose was a pair of wire rim glasses, and the glass was a faded pink. He wore a robe of black, with a number of runes running along the hem and sleeves of the robe.

"No, this will not do at all. All that work, all the training and yet she stands there and gets knocked away by the last man. The man she saw coming but didn't react to, only because she wasn't told too. No, she is useless without a mind to control her body. If there was a way that I could melt her mind with her ability, then she would be unstoppable!"

She watched as the little man stepped up, looking down at her as she lay there, bleeding. His eyes grew wide as he held up her arm and inspected it.

"Well, her healing abilities are growing better than I ever thought possible. What once was broken is now mended." He went about moving her arm, checking her fingers and the rest of her body, before dropping her arm. It stayed where he had held it, refusing to drop, until he pushed it down with one bony finger.

"There has to be a way to melt both mind and ability into one. I need to go back to my study. Get up Mara, and follow me back. We have some work to do."

Mara stood, even though her mind screamed for her not too. No matter what she did, she was unable to control her body. She felt herself rising up, and she followed the little man back into his study. A small room made up the little mans study, with books and scrolls laying everywhere, some open, while others were just tossed about.

"Sit down and quit standing there!"

Mara dropped where she was, landing on the floor, as the little man threw his hands up. Looking around the room, throwing books and scrolls everywhere, before pulling thick leather bound book from a pile of other books.

"Ah here we go. Mara, please stand up and come over her to me," and he turned away, only to be pushed when Mara stepped up right in front of him. "I should have known better," the man mumbled before placing his hand on Mara's head. With a few arcane words that were written in the book, he turned her loose and waited.

He didn't have to wait very long.

Mara awake, her eyes slowly opening and she felt the wagon rocking. Voices could be heard, though they were muffled outside, and she started to rise from the bunk.

"I needed that," she mumbled before her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she saw something floating over her head.

A ghost!

"CARRIAC!!!"

Both men heard the explosion inside the wagon and heard a small voice screaming, "Not again! This can't happen twice," as thick smoke billowed out of from the windows and any crack it could find to escape from.

Both mules looked back, rolling their eyes and laughing, before walking on, like it had happened a number of times before.

[Carriac]

"Well, I guess it's too late for that�."

The darkness was deepening now and though Carriac's eyes were proficient at seeing in minimal light, the mules' were not. He spotted a small clearing off to the right and directed the wagon into it.

"Maybe we better stay here for the night," he said, handing Traveler the reins and dropping hard to the ground. "I'll check on Mara."

The portly elf walked to the rear of the wagon, rubbing his aching backside as he went.

"We're going to have to find some cushions for that bench," he muttered, "It's as hard as a rock."

He was just reaching for the handle when the door to the wagon burst open and Mara came flying out.

[Mara]

Mara tried her best to jump up and get out of the way of the small ghost, or what ever it was, but it kept circling overhead, ringing its tiny hands and repeating, "Oh me! It's happening again! Oh my! Oh my..."

The smoke from the now burning bed sheets was starting to thicken as she rolled, hitting the floor before jumping up and hitting the door, finding it locked. The smoke was getting thicker and she was getting more upset. She tried to burn the lock off, but all it did was turn red, then back to gray once again. Cursing in elvish, she fumbled around until she found the keys and got the lock to open. The door suddenly flew open and she came stumbling out, wide eyed and shock up. Her face was pale and she stuttered out "G...ghost!!!"

[Carriac]

"A ghost? Are you sure it wasn't just a bad dream?" Carriac asked.

[Mara]

Blinking, Mara straightened back up as the smoke billowed behind her, escaping the confines of the wagon. Throwing her head back, she stared at Carriac and threw out her chest. "I saw a ghost! And I think I would know a bad dream from a ghost," as her eyes changed from green to red, then back again.

Suddenly she shivered and her eyes softened, and she buried her head into Carriac's chest and started to cry. "The wagons haunted! I just know it." Her hands came up and circled Carriac's neck, pulling him closer as tears fell down her face onto his shoulder.

"Protect me...Please! I'm frightened of ghosts....They look so...so dead...."

(to be continued...)