[Mara] Mara was sitting by the rivers edge, running her fingers over and over the hairpiece, moving it from one side of her head to the other, before dipping her fingers in the water and watching the ripples speed away with the current of the river. She hadn't heard Traveler as he made his way deeper into the forest, nor had she seen Carriac making a hasty retreat, after she had kissed him for the second time. No, her mind was on something else as she traced her lips with her wet tongue. The quick kiss that she had placed on Carriac�s lips still lingered, and she felt like she had suddenly swallowed a rock. The pit of her stomach felt strange, but she took that to mean only one thing. "I'm hungry...." She waited for someone to say something, but all she heard was the soft sound of the river, and a simple chatter of a squirrel near by. Pulling her hand down from her hair, she slowly turned. �It's quiet...� she whispered as she looked around the camp, and not spotting any movement. �Carriac...Traveler...Anyone...� Not hearing them calling back made her heart skip a beat. The two burro's turned and glanced her way, but went back to nibbling on the grass, moving the wagon a few inches each time they ran out of the sweet grass. Standing, she slowly turned and every sound seemed to be closing in around her. The flutter of a wing, the river running over rocks, the sound her feet made as the dirt under her feet crunched. Everything there was starting to make her nervous. �Ok guys! Enough with the games! Come on, your starting to frighten me,� as she pulled her arms around her and started rubbing her arms. Each step she made seemed to echo throughout the forest as she made her way up to the circle of stone. �I�ll just make a fire! That will keep them away.� Reaching down, she had to push the burros back, in order to get to the firewood she had dropped. �Its ok girls! No one going to hurt you while I'm here.� Yet, her voice shook, and that didn't reassure them one bit as they looked at each other, before glancing back. Carrying the wood back over to the circle, she dropped them and started standing each piece on end. Before to long she had what looked to be a teepee of wood in the center of the circle. �But how am I going to start a fire? They didn't leave me a piece of flint, or a striking stone.� Mara jumped when Socks stepped on a stick, and she pulled her knees up to her chest and started rocking. She buried her face into her knees and started to cry. Before long, the tears failed to come and she sniffled her nose and looked up as she heard a haunting voice. ~That�s no way to make a fire! ~ Mara jumped back when she saw the small gnome she had seen before peaking at her through one of the dirt smeared windows of the wagon, his one hand to his chin as he floated around, disappearing at times, before floating back. �Go away! Your nothing but a dream!� ~A dream, am I? I�ll have you know that I am no dream missy! ~ �You're nothing but a figment of my imagination, or bad piece of bread or cheese. Now leave me alone,� and she picked up a stone and threw it, hitting the side of the wagon. �And don't call me Missy!� The stone hit and bounced down by Petunia�s feet. Picking it up with her teeth, she tried eating it first, before tossing it back towards the circle. ~Such manners! I was going to help you, but not with that attitude. My mules have more sense~ With that said, the small gnome faded from the window. Mara threw another stone, missing Socks ears within inches, before puling her knees back up, and burying her face back in between them. Circling her arms around her knees, she started rocking back and forth. The sound of her crying echoed in her ears, before she stopped. The sound of stones being crunched under someone feet caught her attention, and she slowly pulled her head back, peaking over her knees. There, standing over her, was Traveler, holding what looked to be their dinner for the night. Jumping up, she threw her arms around Traveler and her whole body shook, as she buried her face in his chest. �I had thought you left me! I was so scared,� and she held him so tight that her fingers were digging into his back. �I'm glad that you came back,� and she sniffled. Pulling her head up, she wiped her cheeks clean on his shirt, before looking down at the firewood. �I couldn't get a fire going. And it was getting so dark, and I heard noises...� Placing her cheek against Travelers chest, she ran her arms down his back and hugged him once again. �And I was getting so hungry...� and her stomach growled and gurgled. Looking down at what he had in his hand, Mara stepped back and bit her lip, before looking into Travelers eyes. �Are those for me?� [Traveler] "Uhhh... No, Mara. They are for _us_. The THREE of us. _ONE_ rabbit for _each_ of us to eat. I have to finish cleaning them then I'll put them over a spit and roast them." [Mara] �Just three rabbits? But that�s not enough...� and she slowly dropped down by the circle and sighed. �I guess it will hold me over, until morning,� and she yawned and stretched. [Traveler] Traveler just shook his head and said, "Sorry, there just isn't enough food in the forest to fill you up. When you're on the road you have to make do with what is at hand." Traveler started for the water to skin and clean the rabbits. "It would be nice if you would go ahead and start the fire." He walked on to the river and skinned the rabbits, debating on whether or not to try to tan them. ~I wonder if Carriac would be able to do anything with them. I'll go ahead and clean the skins and scrape them.~ After he had finished, he walked back to the camp where he found Mara sitting and pouting. There was still no fire. ~This could be a lot easier if she knew she could just think about it and start a fire!~ Traveler handed the skinned rabbits to Mara and asked her if she could spit the rabbits for him. When she puckered to spit up, he quickly explained he wanted a stick stuck through them. Traveler gathered some small dry twigs and other bits of dry wood where and placed it under the teepee of wood Mara had made. He placed a small amount of charred cloth in the middle of the tender and struck a flint on the back of his knife, which caused a spark. The spark landed in the cloth. SLOWLY, he put a small bit of dry wood next to the spark and blew gently on it. It took a couple of seconds before the wood and charred cloth caught fire, but when it did the other dry stuff caught quickly. He added some other dry pieces of wood to make the fire grow. Before too long he had a nice bed of coals to cook over. Mara had gathered enough wood to last the night. After he had made the prongs, he set the spitted rabbits on them and sat back to watch them cook. Noticing Mara was still standing he motioned to her and said, "Come on and sit down before you fall and break something. The rabbits will take a little while to cook. Sure would be nice to have some garlic and butter to rub them down with while they cook. What do you think, Mara?" [Mara] Mara looked over and smiled, and nodded her head. �That and a little salt, with some wild onions and mushrooms,� and her stomach growled once again, causing her to blush. She grew quiet after that, watching the rabbits cook and turning them once in a while so that they cooked evenly all around. [Traveler] "Tell me something of yourself." [Mara] Mara picked up a burning twig and blew out the flame, leaving the hot coal at the end of twig burning, and she started tracing things in the air. �I remember very little about my past. But some...things are slowly coming back to me,� and she dropped her head. �But only in my dreams. I remember being very young and playing with some other children, just on the edge of a great forest. The trees looked so tall, that you had to really climb to reach their first branches. We would swing from tee to tree and chase the squirrels, and they would chatter and chase us back,� and with the ember, she drew a small squirrel, hanging on the side of a tree trunk. �I remember laughing and running through the forest, hearing the whispers of the trees, as they told us stories and tales of when they were small. We would chase after butterflies and pick berries from bushes, filling our hungry bellies and turning our hands, lips and tongue black.� The picture of the squirrel faded and in its place was a number of hands reaching out for small berries. � We spent our care free days out along the edge of the forest, because we were told not to go any further. Because there were humans and Orks out there, just waiting for one of us to eat.� A picture of an Ork came into view next, before the ember faded. �Then men came early one morning, with beasts that pulled a large wagon. The men came into our forest and took us away. The pushed us into the wagon and we couldn�t hardly move, there was just to many,� and Mara dropped the twig into the fire as the Ork drawing faded away, as a single tear dropped into the fire and sizzled, causing her to look down. �The rabbits are done, I think. Can I have mine now?� Looking over at Traveler with a soft smile she waited until he nodded, before tearing into her rabbit. Before long she had devoured, the bones placed in a small pile beside her. And they were cleaned off, right down to the gristle. �Traveler...� she whispered. I�m still hungry. Do you think Carriac will want his?� [Traveler] I can't really say if he'll want it or not. I suppose we should leave it for him though. It would be fair for us to have our fill and him go hungry. By the looks of him he doesn't seem miss fulfilling his indulgences. [Mara] Pouting, she crossed her arms across her knees and sat there, glaring at Traveler, until her lips curled up in a small bow. With a sigh, she said, �I guess your right. It wouldn�t be fair to Carriac,� as she reached down and picked up a hand full of small stones. With a flick of her finger, she sent a stone into the forest, and quickly turned. �What was that?� While she watched Traveler turn towards the sound, she quickly pulled a piece of meat of the back leg of the rabbit, and then spun it around so Traveler couldn�t see it. She did this a few more times, until she noticed that the four-legged rabbit was now down to three. Biting her lip, she spun the rabbit once more, before yawning. Her eye lids were starting to grow heavy and she felt full, but for how long. Smacking her lips, she glanced over at Traveler and smiled. �If Carriac doesn�t want that rabbit, you best let me know,� as she slowly yawned and leaned her head over, dropping it in Travelers lap. Rubbing her nose, she yawned and mumbled, �because I�m...still...� and she was asleep. Her hands were tucked under her head as she pulled her knees up to her chest, as she slowly smacked and licked her lips. Before long, she was fast asleep, snoring like an old bear in Travelers lap. At times she would shift her weight, and pull on Travelers leg, getting it under her neck, before she was satisfied with her new found pillow. Her left arm found its way around his leg, and she spent her time rubbing her nose into his leg and mumbling in her sleep. Poor Traveler had no where to go... [Traveler] Traveler turned at the noise and scanned the edge of the forest for signs of Carriac. Seeing no one there he turned back to the campfire in time to see the remaining rabbit turn. He grinned as he realized it was a ploy to keep him occupied. He pretended not to notice, but it was hard to notice the rabbit spinning on the spit every time he looked away. Before too long she seemed to have her fill, and most of the rabbit was still left. He settled back on the boulder that the fire had been built near and was staring at the fire burn. The embers seemed to move like water as they were consumed. He was thinking of his past, which as of now consisted of a few days and a few fleeting memories. He was so engrossed with his thoughts that he didn't even realize she had fallen asleep in his lap. He drifted off himself until she began to stir and whimper. He looked down and she was curled up in a tight ball as if to keep warm. He picked her up and moved her to the wagon and laid her in the bed and covered her with his cloak. She stirred for a moment but turned and never woke. He walked back out side and took the now burned rabbit off the spit and placed it in a container at the back of the wagon. Then, he walked to the fire and placed some more wood on the fire to last the rest of the night and laid down. Staring into the fire he tried to remember more about what he had been. He couldn't seem to remember anything. He slowly drifted off to sleep trying to remember something of his past. [Carriac] He didn't know what was wrong, he only knew that he needed to be away from the camp. He took the opportunity to begin construction on the last of the items he would make with the adamantium. Traveler had caught up with him just after he had found the perfect tree. For some reason, he hadn't wanted the warrior to see his face. His answers had been terse, but they had had the intended effect. Traveler had gone, leaving Carriac alone in the quickly darkening wood. The ash heartwood staff was perfect for the elf's purposes. The wood was very hard and very flexible, bending but not breaking. The staff was approximately six feet long and one and one half inches in diameter. It was fairly light. Carriac twirled it a few times to test the balance. It would serve admirably. The previously banished memory poked at Carriac's mind again. He thrust it back, but it clung tenaciously to the edges on his consciousness. Leallyn, lying in a pool of her own blood, her eyes staring up at him, devoid of life, yet pleading with him to continue�. The shaper took refuge in his power, driving his consciousness into the wood and the final block of adamantium that he removed from his hidden pocket. Tendrils of the seemingly living metal snaked up from the block and entered the almost invisible veins that ran through the staff. In spite of the darkness, Carriac could 'see' the tiny metal strands invade and penetrate the wood. So engrossed was he in his work that he failed to notice the memory slip its own dark fingers into his conscious thought. As it did so, his eyes darkened, the whites and sea green irises swallowed up in an inky blackness. The intensity of his power became almost palpable as the darkness merged with his mind. It was a tedious process, but within a few hours, thousands of the adamanium threads ran the interior length of the staff. They bridged out occasionally at odd intervals to join with adjacent strands, forming a literal web of the marvelous metal throughout the hardened wood. The exterior of the staff had also been shaped, relief carvings covering the entire surface. Carriac didn't even notice. As his power drained from him, a single thought assaulted his mind. Mara had kissed him. The taste of that kiss was again upon his lips. He licked them, savoring the memory. She wanted him. She NEEDED him. Well, she would have him. The elf ran his hands up and down the staff. His fingers traced over the violent images found there in an almost reverential manner. He would take her this night. She would scream for pleasure. And for pain. A smile formed on his face as the banished memory now took on Mara's face. Gripped with the madness of the thought, Carriac turned his black-eyed gaze back towards camp and began walking. [Bird] An inky black shape detached itself from the branches of the chosen ash tree and followed Carriac back to his camp. Had the portly elf turned to look he would have missed the bird's presence, so completely did the creature blend in with the surrounding gloom of the forest. The shape alit on the lower branches of an oak as Carriac reached the campsite. It settled back to wait. And Watch. [Carriac] Despite his bulk, Carriac moved with the preternatural grace and silence gifted to all those of his race. His entry into the camp went unnoticed by Traveler, who lay sleeping by the fire. Carriac barely paid him a second glace. His mind was set, instead, on one thing. Where was Mara? Jet eyes noticed the slightly open door of the wagon. The image in Carriac's mind shifted. He saw himself in another time, another place. A secluded cabin in a peaceful wood - the door beckoned. Carriac reached for the handle. The door was locked. No matter. A touch of the shaper's hand and the door opened, swinging silently on well-oiled hinges. The interior of the cabin was awash with light. A cheery fire burned merrily in the hearth and an oil lamp flickered slightly on the kitchen table as a chill breeze from the outside assaulted the warm flame. Carriac shielded his black eyes from the harsh light and stepped into the room. Still partially blinded, he stumbled over a bucket left carelessly by the door. "Carriac, is that you?" The voice came from the bedroom. Leallyn. Carriac ghosted across the floor and met the young woman as she stepped through the bedroom door. "Oh, it is you. You startled me for a moment...." Her eyes widened at the sight of him. A look of joy turned to one of terror as she saw the malicious grin on his face. "W-what...C-carriac?" His hand moved so quickly and unexpectedly that she couldn't avoid it. The blow caught Leallyn across the jaw and she was thrown backward onto the bed, dazed. Carriac threw himself atop the stunned woman. He seized her blouse and ripped. The fragile fabric tore easily. He knew what she wanted...and now she would get it. Leallyn's face was there before him.... ~What are you doing?!~ The chilling voice tore through Carriac's mind, driving an icy wedge between the blackness and his conscious thought. Mara's face. It was Mara's face before him. Carriac stood in the wagon. Mara lay on the bed before him, peacefully asleep. Moonlight shone through the window, bathing her features with a soft silver radiance. His hands were grasping the front of her blouse. The fabric was torn, a jagged rip revealing milky skin. Mara's skin. Carriac tore his eyes from the still form and looked for the source of the voice. The ghost of Moiran hovered in the air near his head. ~What are you doing?~ the gnome repeated. Carriac shook his head to clear it. He didn't know. The last thing he remembered was introducing the last of the adamantium into the staff. The final vestiges of shadow departed from his mind and his eyes shifted to their normal sea green. His thoughts were clear. Another blackout, that much was certain. But how had he got in here? And what HAD he been doing? He glanced again at the still form of his ward. And the ripped blouse. Panic seized him. Had he done that? Had he been about to...? With trembling fingers he reached down and repaired the rip. His shaking caused him to brush the soft skin more than once. Mara sighed in her sleep and rolled over, but didn't awaken. Carriac swallowed hard and turned to address the ghost. "I'm just checking on her," he whispered, a slight waver to his voice, "That's all." When the gnome looked to protest, Carriac pushed on. "I don't want to discuss this now. Do you understand? You'll mention this to no one or I'll see that you rot in this wagon forever. Do you understand me?" The little gnome nodded his head vigorously and faded from view. Carriac took a deep breath, then turned and left the wagon. [Bird] The shadowy creature watched the events unfold through the window of the wagon. If it had possessed a mouth, it would have frowned. Its master would not be fully pleased, but at least there was progress. Without a sound the black form winged its way into the night. [Traveler] Traveler woke with a start with a vague sense that something was wrong. Looking around the camp he saw nothing out of place. Thinking it was a bad dream he laid back down to sleep when he heard a squeak coming from the wagon. He rose and quickly went to the wagon. He heard voices. At least one of them was Carriac's He was about to open the door when Carriac opened it. "Hey, everything all right?" Traveler asked. [Carriac] "Uh...yes, of course. Just checking on Mara." [Traveler] Traveler watched in bewilderment as Carriac hurried past him and laid down by the fire. He moved to close the door when his foot hit something. Traveler looked down and saw a staff on the ground. It had been carved with many terrible images. He looked back to see Carriac laying by the fire tossing and turning. He would wait till morning to ask him about it. He walked in to the woods to find a good place to watch over them till morning.
(to be continued...) |