Record of Lodoss War Fansite.

Archives: Hunt for Kiran

Chapter 16: Rest for the Night

    Kiran, Thiana, and Zo walked until nightfall when they finally reached a small village. To sleep in a bed was tempting, or at least under a roof. The thought of sleeping out in the open make Kiran anxious. If he had a building around him, then he could hear Mica coming for him, if he did. So, the dark elves made their way to the village.

    As they walked up the side-road to the village, Kiran spoke to Zo, “Thiana and I can’t be seen. I need you to try and purchase an inn room, and we’ll follow behind you under an invisibility spell.”

    “Umm... alright... Good idea,” Zo replied. “So... just one room then?”

    “Yes, it needs to look as if you’re traveling alone,” Kiran explained, then turned to his other companion. “Thiana, we need to decide what to do with Theros. Maybe we can leave him out of the inn to wander, but I worry Mica could possibly recognize him. If you cast an invisibility spell on him, can you carry him and try to keep him quiet? I fear the spell may make him anxious...”

    Listening to th plan Thiana was confident she could do it. After all, Theros had been at her side for long enough to know what she was doing. “I can do that. He won’t be too much trouble if put under an invisibility spell. Thank you Zo, I am glad you arrived when you did.” She then waited for Zo to head in.

    Kiran nodded to Thiana, then turned to Zo. “Just led the way into the local inn. We will follow. Rent a room for just one person for the night, they must believe you’re traveling alone,” he explained. After giving his instructions, Kiran summoned the spirits of invisibility and vanished.

    Thiana picked up Theros and kept him calm while she called upon invisibility spirits, once they were invisible she waited for Zo to lead the way.

    Zo felt a bit odd being the leader to the group, as she lead them towards the nearest inn, and possibly the only inn in this small town. She was nervous as she walked in and made a beeline for the counter, but she smiled softly to the man behind the counter. He appeared a bit gruff, but clean, and he looked at her with a skeptical eye. As she approached the counter, she asked firmly but soft, “May I have a room for the night, please?”

    He let out a snort, shaking his head. “For your kind...say...twenty gold?” he said as he rubbed his beard. He glanced over her figure and reconsidered. “But perhaps I could be persuaded... for... ten gold if...” he trailed off suggestively.

    Zo tried very hard not to try to kill him where he stood as she pulled out twenty gold and placed it on the counter. “Thank you for the...kind...‘offer’, but I must decline.” It killed her to be so polite, but it was needed.

    The innkeeper just shrugged, and took the coins from the counter top, mumbling something about her loss, before speaking more clearly, “First room up the stairs to the left.”

    Zo nodded her thanks, before turning carefully to be sure of where Kiran and Thiana were standing before she made her way up the stairs.

    Kiran followed quietly behind Zo, tense the entire way. It wouldn’t have been so bad if not for the concern over Thiana’s dog, but it seemed that Theros was an easy going mutt. As Zo led the way upstairs, he was filled with anxiety to get behind closed doors, and once they entered the room and the door was shut securely behind him, he released the invisibility spell.

    “Thank the gods that went well,” he said.

    Thiana released her invisibility spirits once in the room. Setting Theros down, she patted him on the head and gave him a strip of dried meat from her pack. “Stay quiet and just lie down somewhere, alright boy? You’ll get something more substantial later, I promise,” she spoke quietly as she looked to Zo, relieved and thankful. She hated sneaking around like this, she was an entertainer after all, and she was not welcome in many places still. “Thank you Zo,” was all she could say as she sat down and wondered how long this would take.

    “You two can both sleep on the bed, I’ll take the floor,” Kiran said. The dark elven man set his pack on the floor, then sat down in one of the two chairs at a small table in the room. For all the precautions he had taken, Kiran was still nervous about being found. “Zo, go ahead and order dinner. Ask for seconds and Thiana and I will share that, but I’m afraid people will be too suspicious if you ask for a third meal.”

    Zo nodded as she carefully left the room so anyone who walked by would not be able to peek in and see the extra guests in the room. As she headed back down the stairs to the innkeeper she smiled softly. “Might I please have dinner?” she asked, a bit too sweetly for her tastes, but tonight, with who was hidden in her room, she needed to!

    The innkeep glanced over before sighing, nodding a bit as he got up to leave. “Oh, and could I please have seconds with that? I’m...kind of starving...it’s been a long walk,” she added, suddenly remembering. The innkeeper frowned but said nothing as he went to the kitchen.

    After a few moments he returned with two large helpings, which made Zo’s eyes widen at the amount. The innkeeper handed the tray to her before sitting back down in his spot. Zo mumbled, “Thank you, sir.” The innkeeper shrugged and waved it off as Zo went back upstairs carefully. She opened their room’s door and closed it behind her just as carefully as before. “Here we go,” she said as she brought the food over to Kiran and Thiana.

    Kiran took one of the plates from Zo and set it down on the table between him and Thiana. He was surprised she went ahead and got both helpings at once, but so long as no one was suspicious, it was fine. “Thank you, Zo,” he said gently. This daughter of his brought out a gentler side of him. Though he barely knew her, she gave him hope for the future, yet when he was reminded that the resigned to his impending death at Mica’s hand, Kiran’s heart was thrown into turmoil. Being around Zo had made him think that he would like to raise a child, instead of running from the responsibility like he had from Galinia and Nehen.

    Thiana smiled and nodded. Zo was very kind and she hoped her suspicions were right about her being Kiran’s daughter. “Thank you, I am grateful Zo,“ she said, then looked to the food, wearily from traveling. She started into her share of the food, though part of hers also went to feeding Theros.

    After they finished their meals, Kiran wanted to speak to Zo privately, but with their current situation, privacy wasn’t exactly obtainable. He pondered on how he could speak to her; perhaps they would have to wait until Thiana fell asleep. Looking to the window, he wondered if there was anywhere safe they could sit outside without having to leave through the door. The dark elven man crossed the room to look outside, and to his pleasure, there was a section of roofing just below the window. It looked as if the second story of the inn had been added on to the original single story building, giving it a rather unique roof on this side of the building.

    Kiran opened up the window. “Zo, will you come here? I would like to speak to you, privately,” he said.

    When Zo started to eat, her gaze lowered as she was deep in thought, almost lost in them. She was more picking at her food then really eating it. When Kiran spoke, she was startled slightly, glancing up and frowning as she tried to focus on his words, taking her a moment longer than usual. At his words she became a bit nervous as she idly wondered what he could have to say to her that couldn’t be mentioned in front of Thiana, but she nodded to Kiran as she got up. Casting a glance at Thiana before walking over to Kiran, she said, “Um...sure,” speaking a bit uncertainly.

    Kiran pushed open the window, then stepped out on the roof. “I’m afraid this is the best we can do for privacy in our current situation,” he said with a smile, then offered his hand to help her out.

    Zo glanced at him a bit nervously, wondering why he needed privacy to speak with her, but she nodded to him. She slid her hand into his allowing him to help her as she stepped out onto the ledge of the roof. She stepping a bit hesitantly, testing the strength. Once feeling it wouldn’t give out, she stood up slowly, still not trusting it completely, as she looked at him. “What... Why would you need to speak to me privately?” she asked nervously.

    Kiran sat down on the roof, then motioned for Zo to do the same. “Your mother is Galinia, isn’t she?” he said.

    Zo slowly followed his example and sat on the roof near him, almost tripping as she did so, at hearing his question. She tried to quickly hide her shock, biting on her lower lip and attempting to calm herself before answering. After a good long moment of silence, Zo spoke softly, in a deathly calm manner, and she drew up her knees, resting her elbows while speaking, “What exactly does that have to do with anything?” She didn’t confirm, nor deny it, but she was trying hard as she could to avoid answering the question; though with such a straight forward question it would be hard to avoid answering it for very long. She frowned slightly as something occurred to her. Turning her head to look at him, she added, “I am only here because I saw you in trouble...no more ... no less.”

    “It means a lot to me,” Kiran replied, his voice gentle and unperturbed by Zo’s answer. The vagueness basically answered his question. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my past, leaving your mother pregnant was one of them. I... I wish I could have been there for you, but I suppose being the man I was back then, I shouldn’t wish that on any child.” For some reason, despite learning of Kailos and Mica, it was actually being with this girl, his daughter, that made him want to be a father. It made his heart swell with pride. “Zo, how can I make up for the years I’ve missed?”

    Zo glanced up at Kiran, then turned her head to look into the window at Thiana, before whispering softly, “All I can ask is not to let Thiana know, not right now. I think...you meeting your child with her is very important, she might consider me a threat to that.” She paused for a moment, lowering her gaze before looking back at Kiran and speaking softly, “I am already grown...did you ever think perhaps...it’s too late to make up for certain things? Things that...once they happen there is no going back?” She felt her face flush with anger as she tried to control herself, “There was no daddy for me to go to ask questions about things or to comfort me at night when I got scared....” She bit her lip trying hard not to cry, as she let out a slow calming breath. “Like I said ... there are just some things you can’t make up for...and create fond memories over night.”

    “I know...” Kiran said softly. The dark elf took a deep breath from the weight of sorrow on his chest. He regretted not having been there for her... or any of his children. “My entire life has been one mistake or another, and now I have to pay the price. I am resigned to this, and all I can do is make amends for those I’ve wronged, even if that means my death. Mica will kill me, I don’t doubt it. If it weren’t for Thiana, I’d probably be dead right now, but the only reason I still live is because I intend to at least meet Kailos before my fate catches up with me. I so badly want to be a father to him, to be that to any of my children, but if Mica has decided that the only way I can make it up to him is to die, then that is what I’ll do.”

    Zo frowned, she was having an emotional battle. A part of her just wanted to forgive him and move on...but this other part of her wanted to ...hold a grudge. She knew holding a grudge was pointless as she looked up at him. Letting out a pent up sigh, she whispered, “I forgive you ...no man is perfect...but at least you learned your lesson somewhere down your path. And if my fellow half-sibling can not see that, then he is truly an idiot because even if he is requesting your death to make up for it, nothing will ever be good enough to fill in the void that is there. Not that I am attempting to throw it back in your face, but... ” She shook her head looking at the sky. “Nothing can fix what is set in stone, because even if we were to go back in time to fix it...perhaps I would not be here...or Thiana’s child.” She suddenly felt extremely old, as she leaned back slightly while still sitting on the roof.

    The corner of Kiran’s lip tugged up in a small, sad smile. What she said touched his heart, and he was gracious for the forgiveness. Unable to hold himself back, he kissed her forehead. “Thank you,” he said. “Now, we’d better go in and get some sleep.” Kiran stood up and slipped back in through the window, then reached out from the room to help Zo back in. Zo stood up slowly as she slid her hand in his to allow him to help her back inside.

* * *

    Thiana was quickly asleep after they left via the window, that day had exhausted her but she was in a restful sleep that night. Using the invisibility spirits that much to mask Theros continually had worn her out, right now she dreamt of a family and the promised reunion.

    As Zo stepped back into the room, she closed the window behind her and she paused to glance at the darkened room. She suddenly felt very tired, and she glanced at Kiran and asked, “Where will you be sleeping?” She noted the empty space next to Thiana on the bed that was big enough for two, but she didn’t wish to leave her “father” to harsh comforts, such as the floor.

    “The floor,” Kiran replied as he went to pick up Thiana’s bag for an improvised pillow.

    Zo sighed as she walked towards the bed and whispered softly to him, “Are you sure?” She sat down on the bed slowly so not to disturb Thiana.

    “Yes, it’s fine,” he said, giving Zo a small smile. He wouldn’t leave the women to the floor, it wouldn’t feel right. He’d slept in far worse places, anyway. Setting the pack down by Thiana’s side of the bed, and next to Theros, he took off his cloak. “I’ve got a pillow, a blanket, and a warm dog. I’m set,” he said, petting Theros’s head. With that, he laid down on his back and threw his cloak over himself. Theros wagged his tail at Kiran petting him, and then fell asleep soundly.

    Zo smiled slightly at his comment as she slowly laid down. Just as her head hit the pillow she closed her eyes and she could feel herself drifting off to sleep. “G’night...” she whispered to Kiran.

* * *

    Zo’s presence seemed to have a stronger affect on the innkeeper than she assumed. After the inn had closed down, the man lay awake for some time, contemplating on the beautiful elven woman sleeping alone in a room upstairs. She was a dangerous temptation, knowing that she may have some dark magic at her disposal, but the middle-aged man let his lust and loneliness get the better of him.

    As the dark elves slept, the innkeeper crept upstairs to the room he assigned to the dark elven woman. He moved as quietly as possible and pressed his ear against the door, listening for activity. Hearing nothing, he slowly, quietly, slid the master key into the lock, then slowly turned it. The tumbler clicked quietly, and the innkeeper paused, listening again for a response. Still nothing. Slowly again, the innkeeper turned the knob and pushed open the door, his heart pounding with the excitement. From what he could make out, there was at least one lump in the bed, and he stepped into the room, stalking across the floor quietly enough to make a thief proud. The innkeeper reached the foot of the bed and put a knee on the mattress too pull himself up while he felt out with one hand for the dark elf’s foot. He took a hold of a foot, but little did he realize, it was not Zo’s.

    When the innkeeper entered, Theros stirred but didn’t wake. He was exhausted from their day’s journey too.

    Thiana felt a hand on her foot and opened one eye to see who it was. Seeing the innkeeper sneaking in, she made it look like she was still sleeping. Nudging Zo, she spoke to her in a low voice, hoping she woke up from the urgent motion, “Why is the innkeeper here and touching me?”

    Thiana reached beside the bed with one hand and gripped her weapon, making a light scrape as she drew it and looked at the innkeeper, half-asleep, with the sword held under the bed. “That’s not very professional. Now remove your hand from my leg.”

    Kiran woke with a snort to the unmistakable sound of a sword leave its sheathe. “Whut...?” he grunted, lifting his head to look over Theros’s rump in the direction of the sound. Thiana’s arms hung over the side of the bed, her hands on her sword. Looking up higher, there was a large, dark figure at the end of the bed. Once he saw that, the adrenaline kicked in and he sprung to his feet. He didn’t have time to think of drawing his sword—which, in actuality, he hadn’t drawn in a good year or two—and instead, threw a punch. He didn’t know who it was, but if they were threatening his daughter and Thiana, he’d even attack Mica full on. The innkeeper, completely caught off guard, took the punch full in the face and staggered back.

    Zo almost immediately awoke to Thiana’s nudging, glancing around, a bit dazed, she took in the scene at the foot of the bed. Jumping from the bed, she reacted instantly, landing on her feet silently. She frowned, adrenaline was pumping through her as she tried to calm herself. A bit shaken, she spoke, “What...is...” She paused, blinking. “Is that the innkeeper?...What is he doing in here?” Glancing from Thiana to Kiran, Zo appeared very confused.

    The innkeeper scooted back to the door to see the three figures in the room. “What...what are all you doing in here?” he stammered, holding his nose. “O-only one person paid for the night! The two of you will have to pay if you want to stay here!” He was backpedaling.

    “What were you trying to do to my daughter?” Kiran growled.

    “I was only checking the room!” the innkeeper replied.

    “Bullshit,” Kiran hissed back. The dark elf crossed the room and grabbed the innkeeper by the collar, slapping him back against the door. “What did you intend to do with my daughter?” he asked again.

    “Nothing, I swear!” the innkeeper cried, lying. He could never confess to that crime.

    “I know exactly what you were coming for,” Kiran growled, slamming the innkeeper back again. “And you have the gall to demand we pay you after that? Go back downstairs and leave us be, or I’ll express my wrath through the dark spirits, hmm?”

    “Yes, yes, of course, forgive me,” the innkeeper pleaded, writing in Kiran’s grasp. The dark elf released him, and the innkeeper scrambled out the door. Kiran locked it behind him.

    “Dammit,” Kiran cursed, scratching his disheveled hair. “This really throws a kink in our plans.”

    Zo’s eyes widened as she heard Kiran again and again refer to her as his daughter. After Kiran threw the innkeeper out of the room her eyes automatically went to Thiana to see her reaction before glancing at Kiran again. “What do you mean ‘this throws a kink in our plans’?” she asked.

    “He wasn’t supposed to see us. If Mica tracks us here, the innkeeper will recognize me now,” Kiran explained. He looked toward the window anxiously, debating whether or not they should move on. Giving a heavy sigh, he offered the options to the women. “Now the question is, do we sneak out, or do we have enough time to rest before we leave in the morning?”

    Thiana looked between Zo and Kiran as Theros growled at the innkeeper as he ran away. So much for a seemingly flawless plan, she thought. It had taken one unexpected interruption to do this, and now there was a choice to make about their travel.

    Kiran calling Zo his daughter surprised her, but then she was no angel herself in her travels. “I think we should sneak out and carry on. We can get out under invisibility spirits most easily. It’s just a matter of distance and time for us now, and it’s safest to leave now,” Thiana said. She mentioned nothing about Zo’s relation to Kiran, and in fact remembered she had slept with his friends before leaving Marmo. “How long will you two take to be ready? I’ve had to run from a bed in worse circumstances.”

    Zo was about to speak when she heard Thiana’s comment on her having to ‘run from a bed in worse circumstances’, causing her to pause and glance at her for a moment before mentally shrugging it off. “I sort of agree with Thiana that we should leave now, it being our safest bet.”

    Zo glanced at her father out of the corner of her eye, she tried not to sigh out loud. She couldn’t believe it, just a short time ago she asked that he not reveal who she was and just moments ago... She closed her eyes briefly to calm down as she tried to reason with herself. It was a moment of urgency, he couldn’t be held accountable for forgetting himself. He was a father, doing what any normal father would have done in that situation. It was a good minute or two before she opened her eyes, back to being calm and normal.

    Kiran didn’t like the idea of having to run again. He was exhausted, and nothing sounded better than going back to sleep, even if it was on the floor. With a groan, he scratched the back of his head in frustration. He didn’t realize he had broken his word to Zo, he had just been ripped from sleep and thrown into defense mode. Thinking wasn’t coming easily just yet.

    “I guess we’d better get up and head out,” he said, then collapsed into one of the chairs at the small table. His tired mind began to churn, thinking of his options. “We can camp out in the woods,” he said. Though an elf, he didn’t imagine Zo would be too happy with sleeping out in the open, exposed to the elements. “Or perhaps not... Zo, do you think that if we will be in danger tomorrow, the gods would grant you a vision? I mean, if you go back to sleep, or meditate, perhaps you will have a new vision and find an answer for us.”

    Zo sighed; this was asking a lot of her. She wasn’t that well trained yet, and visions came easiest to her while she slept. “I don’t think I can get back to sleep so easily, but I can try to meditate,” she replied. The dark elf drew her legs up under her and sat up straight. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and began to meditate. It took some time, but finally she slipped into the proper state and a terrifying vision came to her.

    There was a heavy pounding at the door and Zo shot up in bed, Thiana beside her. Was someone trying to kick in the door? Theros was on his feet and the dog growled at the door, every hair on his back bristling. Kiran sat up beside the bed, reaching for his scimitar.

    “Come on out, father!” a deep voice growled from the other side in between pounds.

    “It’s Mica!” Thiana cried and reached for her own weapons again. The door burst inwards, flying toward the bed. There was a yelp as Theros was hit by it and the door stopped at the foot of the bed. At the door stood the tall half-elf with shaven ears, and behind him stood Adriel, the handsome young dark elf with white hair and dark skin. The two females were probably there too, but Zo couldn’t see beyond her half-brothers...

    Zo was pulled back to consciousness with a gasp. The terror of her vision still lingered. “We have to leave! Mica will find us if we stay!” she gasped to Kiran.

    After waiting patiently, Kiran listened to Zo and sighed in defeat. The dark elf’s shoulder’s slumped; he was exhausted. A selfish part of him wanted to just give up and wait, but he had a duty to Thiana, and Zo now as well. “Get ready to go. We’ll sneak out the window and head into the woods,” Kiran said to the two women, then sat and thought for a moment on what he could do. With an idea sparked, he began to search the room and soon found a stack of parchment and an inkwell in a drawer of the wardrobe. While Thiana and Zo packed up their belongings and got ready to go, Kiran composed a letter for Mica.

    Thiana quickly started packing at mention of Mica. Mica was a person not to be taken lightly and she did not seek to see him again until her needs for Kiran were fulfilled. Once she was ready, she was by the window and waiting for the others, carrying Theros until they could get on the ground again. She hoped they could stay ahead of him and that he would remain days behind them. “I’m prepared. Let’s just rest when we can. I don’t want him catching up to us. I met him once and to think of him is frightening.”

    As Zo and Thiana finished packing, Kiran folded up his letter and sealed it with a drop of wax from a candle. On the outside, he wrote “MICA”, hopefully large enough to catch his eye from the door. With it done, all Kiran had to do was pull on his boots, fasten his belt back on, and throw his cloak around his shoulders. Tossing up his hood, he stepped out the window ahead of Thiana so he could help her out. Thiana stepped out of the window, holding Theros behind her shoulders, and with Kiran’s help she made it out and then waited for Zo to leave.

    “Try to be quiet,” Kiran whispered to the women.

    Zo was a bit nervous, but said nothing as she walked towards them. As she was waiting for Thiana to step out so that she could leave behind her, she glanced over herself, making sure she had left nothing behind. She was a bit tired and wanted a decent night’s sleep, but tonight didn’t seem to wish to comply. Glancing up, she watched as everyone seem to be out on the ledge but her, and she swung a leg out over the window sill, very quietly and carefully.

    Once Zo was out, Kiran began to cautiously cross the ledge. The dark elves made their way across a short distance until they reached the roof of the stable. After that, they climbed down and onto a stone wall, then into the fields behind the inn. The field was planted with a variety of vegetables, none quite full grown yet. The soil was moist, and easy to track them on. Kiran noticed this and groaned.

    “That ranger should probably be able to track us through here...” he said. “We can ask Gnome to cover our tracks until we reach the woods,” he decided, pointing to the forest beyond the field. “We’ll walk along the same lines to make it easier for Gnome. Let’s go.”

    Thiana nodded quietly and set Theros down once they were on the ground. Hopefully they could get enough distance before their pursuers got here and would once again go looking for them. “Hopefully we can make good time before we need to rest.”

    “I just hope that Mica will honor my letter...” Kiran replied. “Go ahead of me, I’ll summon Gnome and follow behind,” he said to the women.

    “I hope so too, he terrifies me...” Thiana replied as she moved ahead of Kiran and made sure that Zo was also on the move. Whoever Zo was, she was a valuable ally and traveling companion. To be traveling with Kiran was enough to make her happy right now, but if he had to move on after meeting Kailos, she would find a way to keep in touch. If they survived Mica’s rage that was, since he had made it clear she was in danger if she aided Kiran.

    As Thiana and Zo started walking, Kiran summoned Gnome and asked the earth spirit to conceal their tracks. After the spirit responded, Kiran fell into line behind Zo.

    After walking awhile in silence, Kiran realized the mistake he had made back in the room; calling Zo his daughter in front of Thiana, after she expressly told him not to mention it. He didn’t think that Thiana would care much if Zo was his daughter or not—it was not as if Thiana was the most innocent of mothers after all—what mattered was that he promised Zo and broke his word.

    “Zo, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry I broke my word back in the room,” he spoke softly to the young dark elf as they walked. “I had just woken up and I wasn’t thinking straight.”

    Thiana walked and let them talk; she kept aware of what was going on around her, as she kept Theros close by her. She had heard Kiran when he called Zo his daughter and pretended not to notice. Right now the threat behind them was more pressing than the fact that Zo was Kailos’s half-sister, but then again she now wanted Zo to meet him as well. She missed her little boy right now, and wanted to get to him as soon as possible so he could meet his family, even just once.

    Zo glanced at her father out of the corner of her eye. She was a bit miffed but she waited a few moments, attempting to calm herself from the events that had just taken place and that fact that she was outed. Biting her lower lip while she thought, she turned her head to look at Kiran after a moment. “It’s alright, I suppose I can understand. I guess...” she said and paused for a moment. “It would seem suspicious to Thiana or anyone else as to why a stranger would suddenly wish to help you, of all people. So this, I... this makes things hopefully a bit simpler.”

    “Don’t worry much about Thiana though, she has no allusions of monogamy, as I recall,” he replied with a small smirk. He hoped he wouldn’t offend Thiana, but he did know she was a ‘free spirit’ to put it lightly. The dark elf glanced behind them to make sure Gnome was doing his work.

    Thiana listened as Kiran spoke; he was right about her and she was rather “free spirited” in nature. She did what she did to travel sometimes, though other times she was just living. “I don’t really believe much in monogamy, Kiran is right,” she spoke and then continued on, Theros staying close to her side as he always did in her travels.

    Kiran smiled slightly at Thiana’s response and the group continued on. After reaching the other end of the fields, the dark elves stepped into the woods at the border of the fields and Kiran turned to meet the spirit that concealed their path. The little earthen man figure of Gnome popped up out of the soil and Kiran knelt to his level.

    “Thank you, Gnome,” he replied, but the spirit would need more of a reward than a mere thanks to guarantee its loyalty. Kiran glanced back at the women; “Do either of you have a piece of jewelry you could stand to part with?” he asked them.

    “I don’t have any on me. I normally don’t wear much jewelry,” Thiana replied after looking through her bag quickly. She had nothing except what she needed to travel and perform with. Hopefully Zo had something, otherwise they could not thank Gnome properly.

    Zo shook her head. All her adornments were cloth.

    Kiran sighed. “Then do either of you have something else metal that we could contribute? A dagger maybe?” he asked.

    “All I have is my rapier, and I am not going to part with that,” Zo replied defiantly.

    “I have a dagger we can use, here take it as the offering.” Thiana pulled her dagger from her belt where she kept it and passed it to Kiran as she spoke. Without Gnome’s help they would be in a worse situation, so it was the best she could do.

    “Thank you,” Kiran replied to Thiana as he took the dagger. “I’m sorry it had to come to this.”

    Turning back to the Gnome, Kiran offered the earth elemental the dagger. “If anyone asks if we summoned you, remember this gift,” he said to the spirit. With a nod, the Gnome took the proffered dagger and holding it by the handle, he bit the tip off as if it were carrot, then sank back into the soil with his gift.

    Kiran stood up and and turned back to the women. “Let’s go and try to find a place to rest,” he said with a sigh, then walked on into the woods. The exhaustion and running was wearing on him. He wished he could just stop and let Mica come for him, but he had an obligation to Thiana to uphold still. Until that was done, his life was not his to give.

    “Don’t apologize. It’s what we have to do keep a lead on them,” Thiana replied. Once they headed into the woods she hoped they were not going to get waylaid by any other elves. She just wanted to sleep, herself, as the interrupted rest wasn’t good for any of them. “I know we’re all tired, but we should have some kind of warning system in case someone gets too close. Any ideas?”

    Zo glanced at Thiana and Kiran; she wasn’t going to let her exhaustion get the best of her. She pondered for a moment. “Well, if you want,” she said, speaking to Kiran, “I could scout ahead, if you wish. That way if there is anything ahead I could warn you?”

    Zo wondered how Kiran would handle this, especially since she was noting his fatherly instincts were awakening, proof positive was at the inn. Or perhaps that was wishful thinking. She attempted to stomp and kill those thoughts, as she was scared to get attached.

    Kiran shrugged. “Let’s just stick together and find a tree or cave to hide out in,” he said, his exhaustion evident in his voice. With that, the dark elf trudged on into the woods.

    After walking for awhile, heading further northwards and deeper into the woods, Kiran and company came upon a large old maple tree with a low hanging branch. “If we can find some good high branches to doze in, then this could work,” he said. “Leave Theros to stand guard. He can alert us if trouble comes.” With that, Kiran hauled himself up to the lowest branch and began to climb higher, pushing his tired muscles as hard as they could go.

    Thiana looked to Theros and smiled, before looking back to Kiran as he started climbing. “He’ll stay close no matter what. I’ll climb up after you two then and take a lower branch.” She then waited for Zo to climb up as she yawned and stretched her muscles, weary from lack of sleep and constant walking.

« Previous Chapter | Next Chapter »

Chapter List | Hunt for Kiran Storyline