Infinity (WIP) part 3

Chapter 21

Meanwhile...

The jade stone was now in the hand of its third scholar. Tall and lean, brown haired Erethai was typical of his people, wearing a loose robe, a few braids in his long hair, with graceful movements and most importantly the delicate pointed ears - if she could see him Claudia would have said he was straight from the books of her favorite author, J.R.R. Tolkien.
Holding the stone in one hand and a scroll in the other, Erethai was the first to try using magic on the stone. The only oddness he could detect was the lack of age. All the spells he could think of had normal results. It was starting to frustrate the normally patient Morainthi.
Eventually he gave up and set it up on a shelf. Perhaps time would help him figure out what it was. In the meantime, he sent out a couple letters to Morainthi colleagues asking if they had any knowledge of a pale green stone with a glassy sheen.










Chapter 22

Summer and Winter

The rest of the summer passed with the ranch in its normal routine. Being a rider short with Goben and Shari still not as healthy as they had been last year meant the other Riders each worked a little bit harder. There were plenty of shaflin to train, tack to clean, laundry to do, and food to cook.
As summer drew to a close Goben finalized his choice of shaflin to take to the fall sale in Tarklan. He asked Claudia first, but she declined his offer to accompany Arcben and himself. He just clasped her shoulder and nodded.
It ended up being Varn who went this time, leaving Telca in charge. Five days later a courier arrived, bearing gifts for all three of them left behind. Telca delightedly pulled out a few pouches of medicinal plants and salves. "Excellent choices to refill my stock!"
Arraci was handed a bag of sandwiches. He held one up to his nose and took an exaggerated breath. "Ohh, heaven!" Claudia laughed at him, and he grinned back. "I told you, they make the best larnos in the land!" The courier was grinning too. "Yes, it was so tempting to eat them on the way here! I go there every week for a few fish larnos. Claudia, this bag is for you."
Her gift was a beautiful silver dagger with a hilt made of a deep brown wood, carved with many horses. The leather sheath had horses carved into it as well, with a few deep blue sapphires as highlights. She smiled happily, rubbing her thumb over them. "Goben must have sent a few of my stones into town to be carved. How thoughtful!"
The next few weeks passed uneventfully, with only another courier's arrival to break the monotony. With a couple days warning, they were able to have a feast ready for the evening that the outriders were due back. Arraci rode out to meet them at the canyon exit, and it was a jolly group that he led back.
There were many new stories for Goben, Arcben and Varn to tell that night. They had tried to recruit a new Rider, but all the hopefuls were vetoed by one or another. Rolling his eyes, Varn told of a trio of city boys that couldn't even ride the steady mounts. Goben was roaring with laughter trying to tell of a sailor that fell off one of the young stock.
The next morning Goben handed out new winter cloaks, fur lined boots and the other miscellaneous articles that had been ordered, then they all helped unload the supply wagon that had accompanied them. Bags of flour and sugar, a couple bags of seed to bolster their own supplies, a box of new dishes, a barrel of salted meat, some new piles of ropes and straps, and a pile of various blankets and fabrics.
When the snow started falling that winter, Claudia offered to take a broodmare band up to winter forage. Goben agreed, "You may as well take Thorn's band up there. Perhaps those three sorrel mares as well, that'll be 6 mares total. There should be plenty of forage up in the meadows, and you know where the caves are for shelter. I'll have a Rider bring you supplies each week, and you can bring the whole band in once month for their checkups."
Early the next morning she rode off on an older grey gelding with a young pack shaflin and the three sorrel mares. By midmorning she had reached Thorn's meadow. After watching him graze for a few minutes, she let out a piercing whistle. His head snapped up, then he whinnied and came galloping her way. Dismounting from the grey, she waited for Thorn to reach her. He nickered as he stopped in front of her and she wrapped her arms around his neck.  "Thorn, my handsome boy, I've missed you!"  When he started nibbling on her braids she laughed and pushed him away. "Let's go round up your mares. We've got some distance to travel."
While she mounted the grey Thorn greeted the mares.  She rode the grey down to the three pinto mares that were carrying Thorn's first foals. Talking softly, she rode in a circle around them. There was much squealing as the mares greeted each other. Claudia held the boys back until the mares had calmed down, then coaxed Thorn into helping her herd them in the right direction.
With the pregnant mares she couldn't push them too fast or too far, so it was the afternoon of the fourth day before she had them up to the northwest forage. Leaving Thorn with the mares, she took the geldings up to the shelter. After unsaddling and brushing them down, she turned them loose. Leaning against the stone entrance, she was smiling as she watched the younger one take off running and bucking playfully with the older gelding following at a slow jog. Stepping back inside, she started the long task of getting the shelter livable.
Goben had sent up a farmer and wagon up here a couple weeks back with straw bales and a couple bags of grain. Claudia was pleased to find the grain untouched by mice. Breaking open one of the straw bales, she spread it thinly around the livestock section of the cave. Next was the unpacking of the rest of supplies into her section. By nightfall most things were in their place. 
Claudia stood in the entrance and whistled. She heard Thorn whinny back and smiled. "This is going to be a nice winter, better then the first one up in my little valley. Plenty of supplies, a small herd of shaflin to keep me busy, and company now and then."
Three days later Arraci rode up leading a pair of pack shaflin. It was late in the evening, as Claudia was bringing the mares closer to the cave for the night.  "Claudia! How are you doing up here?" He dismounted and gave her a hug.
"Missing you guys. My cooking can't compare to yours!"
He laughed. "I've brought all the ingredients for my stew, you'll have to practice making it."
Pleased to have the company, Claudia led him up to the cave and helped him unsaddle. "This is allot of supplies, are they all for me?" She turned to him with an eyebrow raised.
"No, take what you want from it and the rest I'll be taking to the cabin a day's journey to the east. Goben has me training almost all of the stock as pack horses. He has heard the skirmishing half the world away is turning into a full war with the Empire becoming involved." His whole demeanor had turned somber.  "There are many tribes to the west that don't have much contact with Tarklan, if it does come to war they will not have much warning before the legions come searching for volunteers."
"This ranch will be protected, as long as there is breath left in me." Claudia was fierce.
With a grin Arraci clapped her on the shoulder. "I do not doubt it my friend! Now come, let us forget that and cook dinner!"
He left the next morning, but weather permitting he was a fairly often visitor. Sometimes the shaflin would be hauling supplies, sometimes they would be hauling sandbags. Every 30 days or so, she'd start heading the band down to the ranch. They'd spend a couple days down there, and she would usually swap out the two riding shaflin before heading back out. The days passed quickly, the winter gone in a heartbeat.
The spring was much more eventful. Claudia was very excited to see Thorn's first foals born. The mares were all lean built with a wild shaflin close in their pedigree and she was hoping to have at least one foal with Thorn's coloring. The first mare foaled early, during a heavy rain storm. Claudia was busy helping Telca with three other mares that foaled that night as well, and the foal was 2 days old before she saw it. Quite striking, it was a bright chestnut colt, with a bold white stripe down his face and four white feet. The other two foaled closer to their due dates, and both delivered fillies that were the twin of their sire. Claudia chose the colt to keep as payment for Thorn's stud service, and Goben was more then pleased to keep the fillies.












Chapter 23

Springtime Roundup

Later in the spring Thorn was turned out with a pair of Mungo's brown daughters. Goben was excited to see how he would cross with a stockier type shaflin, and Claudia had her hands too full with training other shaflin that she could not spend much time with him.
All the Riders had their hands full with more shaflin in training then in previous years, and they were still a Rider short. Each day was full from sunup to sundown, and Claudia would drop into bed exhausted each night. Sometimes she dreamed of her short-lived romance with Mencal. More often, she dreamed of battle; usually with a red haired Gaelic woman and an elf with two silver blue swords fighting side by side in a palace of ice.
After the first couple dreams, Claudia went to Goben. She described them as best as she could remember, but he did not know of any ice palace. "That red haired woman, she sounds like a mage but I've never heard of a mage and a Morainthi working together. Hmm... I haven't heard an update from the dwarf Nogan about your stones in a few months, I'll send off a letter to him when we go into Tarklan for the spring sale next week."
The next day Goben called all Riders in for a meeting. "I'll be leaving in a few days for the Spring Sale. Hopefully I'll be able to find someone worth hiring."
Arcben spoke up. "We don't have many shaflin ready, but if we don't take a full set we'll have too many for the Fall sale."
Goben nodded. "I have thought about that. I think we'll take a couple yearlings. Claudia, we'll need your steady influence on this trip. Arcben, you'll be coming along. Another trip, and it will be you leading." Goben held Arcben's gaze. Arcben paled, but nodded. Varn laid a steadying hand on his shoulder.
Goben spoke to the other Riders. "Varn, Arraci, Telca. You three will stay here on the ranch. Focus on working with the three year olds."
"I've got a list of some herbs, needles, bandages and other things I need from Tarklan."
Goben nodded at Telca. "I'll make sure we pick it up for you. Does anyone else have a request?"
"Claudia, the day before you leave, you must pick up some food from the Laughing Heron!" Arraci grinned. Claudia laughed. "Why don't you learn to cook them yourself?! You could have them year round instead of a couple times a year."
"Ah, but then they wouldn't be the treat they are!"
"Alright, everyone out, normal routine the rest of today. We'll start pulling the shaflin together tomorrow." Goben stood up and walked with them out the door where they split up.  Claudia was working with her feisty little chestnut colt this morning, then taking out a pair of black striped shaflin for a long ride in the afternoon.
The next morning, as Claudia was brushing out her long hair, someone came knocking on her door.
"Come in."
Claudia was surprised to see Telca, it was usually Arraci who came to shake her out of bed.
"I've got that list of supplies for Tarklan, and I wanted your help with an injured gelding. Fool shaflin picked a fight with a lead mare and got a couple nasty bites and bruises."
"Sure, just let me braid my hair and pull on my boots."
Telca nodded and withdrew. With a few quick twists of her wrists, Claudia had her hair in two long braids. Pulling on her boots and grabbing her cloak, Claudia strode out in search of Telca. Working in concert, the two women were able to quickly heal the shaflin. Telca fed him a couple crunchy treats, rubbing his horn affectionately.
Goben poked his head into the barn they were in, "Claudia, did you want to bring that chestnut colt to the sales?"
Claudia shook her head. "I'd rather keep him for a couple years, sell him as a 3 or 4 year old already trained."
"Sound plan. He'll make a nice flashy saddle shaflin for a noble. Telca, will you accompany me today? We need to decide which yearlings and adults to take with us."
Telca and Goben wandered off, arguing over which yearlings were better suited for selling now. Claudia went off to find her colt, and the next couple days progressed like normal. On the third day, Claudia took an older grey shaflin out to Thorn's band and exchanged them. Thorn was not entirely happy to leave his mares, but when Claudia asked for a run his ears perked up and they flew across the land. A couple hours later, Claudia and Varn bathed the shaflin they were taking to the sale. At the end, they were wet and dirty but the shaflin were sparkling clean. After a quick but fun water fight sparked by Arraci walking too close, the laughing trio went back their rooms for dry clothes.
Dinner that night was lighthearted, with many jokes and tales before they turned in early. They were all up before dawn, getting the shaflin tied into strings of three, a couple packs tied on and last minute lists exchanged. Claudia on Thorn had the yearling threesome. She took time to pet each one and breathe into their noses before tying them to Thorn and mounting up. The sun was just peaking over the hills when Goben lead them off, with Arcben and Claudia trailing him.











Chapter 24

Meanwhile...

Mid-winter Erethai was surprised by a visit from someone he had not seen in a very long time. When the tall brown elf shook off the hooded cloak, Erethai raised his arms in welcome. "Brother, what brings you to this small corner of the world?"
Jornan gave him a fierce hug. "It is good to see you again, it has been too many years since we've been face to face."
Erethai elegantly raised an eyebrow. "What brings you here? It can not merely be to say hello." Their amber colored eyes were nearly identical when they frowned.
"Word came to me that you have a stone you can not identify. I came to see if it is a mage stone. Some mages have the ability to conjure items, although most are temporary - more illusion then true shape changing. If it is a true conjured item, then we have a new master mage."
"Ah, I had not thought of that. It did not react to my magic probes, and I could not find any magical traces left on it. Come, it is on my shelves in the back room."
Erethai lead the way into a room full of little trinkets, feathers and things. On a shelf between a dead beetle and a jar of sand, he picked up the little green stone and blew a layer of dust off it.
"Here it is. Primitive carving, looks like a shaflin perhaps."
Jornan held it in his hands appraisingly. "You have not been able to identify the stone?"
Erethai shook his head negatively. "Not even a close possibility."
Jornan tossed it in the air, watching it gleam in the sunlight. "I'm going to take this with me, if you don't mind. Hamna will want to see it too. Where did it come from?"
"Malrif, in xxx. He received it from the Dwarf scholar Nogan in Manzi. I do not know how he came to have it."
Jornan nodded. "Thank you brother. I will head out with tomorrow's tide. Manzi is a far distance from here by ship."













Chapter 25

Tarklan


The day and a half trip was uneventful, Claudia made sure to keep the yearlings calm and under control. She tried to make sure the calmness she gave them would last, installing it deep in their minds. It seemed like no time at all before they riding down to the gates of Tarklan.
Claudia marveled at the ancient stonework. "Goben, do you know any stories about the walls? I can feel a very faint magic trace in them still, holding them together."
"Back when the Anru were still a nomadic people and Tarklan was a small village, the Morainthi came. They are a magical race, much like the mages. Don't let them hear you say that however! The Morainthi and the mages are mortal enemies."
"Telca once mentioned Hunters."
Goben nodded solemnly. It was Arcben however who answered her. "Beware the hunters. They are ruthless, extremely proficient with their blades. They walk in the shadows, seeking out mage blood. Many generations ago, the mages nearly exterminated the Morainthi. Legends say that it was because of a lost love, or because of a stolen treasury, or a combination of the two.  Morainthi have a longer lifespan then we of the Anru, but even they have lost the true reason to time."
"I'm impressed my son. I did not know you had an interest in them."
Claudia could see the youth in Arcben; his eyes were sparkling with merriment. "What young man has not heard the stories and dreamed of finding a Morainthi love mate?"
Goben roared with laughter. "Yes, even back in my day we had those dreams even though Tarklan has not seen a Morainthi woman since the council decided to fly the Empire flag instead of the Morainthi one."
They were riding through the gate now, with a wave to the guards. After weaving among the livestock yards, Claudia breathed a sigh of relief when they rode into their yard. It had been a year and a half since she'd been here last, and she much preferred the solitude of the ranch to the multitude of the city.
After settling the shaflin into their stalls, they trooped into the house. Henk had a good evening feast started, so the Riders split up to go shower before eating.
The next day Claudia pulled each shaflin into the center yard for a good grooming while Goben and Arcben strolled through town to renew friendships. When they came back that evening, both men were wearing frowns. "Claudia, I think tomorrow you should head back to the ranch." Goben looked worried.
With an eyebrow raised, Claudia looked over the back of the shaflin she was brushing at them.
"Hunters are in town, and I think I was the one to call them here. That stone I sent off, after a couple scholar friends couldn't identify it they sent it off to Morainthi scholar. They are here looking for a rogue Mage."
Claudia frowned. "I can not spend my life hiding from them, no matter how much I love my life on the ranch. Besides, if they are as tenacious as you've said before, it will put your lives in danger. I am not one of those mages."
Their evening meal was quiet, each absorbed with their own thoughts. That night Claudia was tossing restlessly, unable to sleep. She was worried about the inevitable meeting with the Elvin hunters, and how it would affect the ranch. Finally, she drifted off to an uneasy sleep. Early the next morning, after feeding the shaflin Claudia headed into town to do some shopping. She had a list from Goben as well as Telca's medicinal list. Arraci had given her directions to where to buy those kinds of things and what price she could expect, but of course his directions started from the Laughing Heron. After purchasing a couple of larnos sandwiches for their lunch, she headed out into unknown streets.
"From the Heron, take the street to the left, past the pink store selling fruits take a right. You'll eventually get to the fabric section of the marketplace. At a store with green and white striped awning, operated by a dwarf (a dwarf selling fabric, unusual yes but he has excellent taste in soft to the touch fabric!) you'll take a left. Three stores down will be a small store on your right. She does not have a cart or shelving outside, but you can smell the minty incense she prefers to have burning. This symbol will be written on the door." Arraci had drawn a quick diagram in the dirt of the yard. It was the two moons, one slightly in front of the other with a )( inside of each one.
Claudia was able to follow the directions rather easy, the stores that Arraci had pointed out were the brightest on the block and tended to catch the eyes. Ducking into the herbalist's shop, she took a deep minty breath.
"Welcome!" The shopkeeper was an older blue skinned woman, her face well lined with wrinkles.
"Good morning." Claudia smiled. "I'm here to pick up a few things for Telca of Cre."
The old woman nodded. "Ah, time for the spring restocking. Did she give you a written list?" Claudia nodded and handed it over.
"Umhm, yes, a few bags of these, I just got my own supply in of those, good strong twigs this year. Oh, some (name), lets see, right over here.."
Claudia smiled as she browsed the tourist section of the shop, listening to the woman mutter to herself.
A short time later Claudia was heading back to the stockyard to drop off her purchases. She had taken a shortcut, but was walking slowly, enjoying the window-shopping, when she felt a disturbance up ahead. Slipping between groups of Anru, she peered around the corner of a stout wagon. A tall lean woman with flaming red hair was stalking down the street away from her, toward a brown haired Elvin-like man. He had two silver swords drawn, and his dark eyes were fastened intently on the woman. The woman was in shiny red leather, the man in plain riding gear. The people on the street had scattered, shoppers and shopkeepers alike.
Claudia set her bags down underneath the wagon she was crouched next to, then edged around the corner into the doorway of the next shop down. The woman was snarling something at the elf, when her hands started glowing Claudia's eyes widened. "A mage, one of the bad ones.."
A second elf walked up beside the first, also clad in plain riding gear and wielding a pair of swords similar to the first. Claudia gasped, gripping the stone of the doorway so tight her knuckles turned white. The second elf was the Hunter in her dreams.  He was shouting something at the Mage, who laughed manically. When the mage shouted "FIRE!" and threw a pair of fireballs at the elves Claudia reacted instinctively, throwing a shield up in front of the men. The fireballs were extinguished as the woman howled in rage. "Can you not fight your own fight, pathetic Therran!"
The first elf just smiled, the second one replied with a smirk. "Kitmuss. Give up while you can." She snarled, and with a lightning quick flick of the wrist threw knives at the men. Claudia reacted just as quickly, reaching out with her mind and turning them into flowers. Therran laughed. "Hamna, I like your tame mage!" Hamna, the second elf, quirked an eyebrow up. "Kitmuss, you can not win here. Give up, we'll treat you better then you do us."
Kitmuss snarled and made a graceful gesture that Claudia couldn't see. Claudia could however, feel the air pressure increasing swiftly and intuitively knew the mage was building up an explosion. Therran leaped forward, blades extended, with Hamna on his heels. Claudia threw a bubble over Kitmuss, and an extra shield in front of the men who bounced off it. "Kalli!" growled Hamna. Behind him, the Gaelic woman from Claudia's dreams came running up. "You said southern market! Damn it, do you know how hard it is to run 15 blocks through shoppers!? What? Oh!" The men were looking at her strangely, but she had looked past them and felt the shielding around the mage. As swift as thought, Kalli had thrown her own mind into reinforcing the shielding just in time for the mage Kitmuss to disappear, leaving an explosion behind her.
The force of the blast into the combined shielding nearly caused Claudia to black out. She staggered backwards, into the shop whose doorway she'd been hiding in. The frightened shopkeeper came running out from a back room. "Rider! Are you alright?!"
Claudia was thankful for the well recognized blue cloak she wore. "I need to sit down. In the back?" He helped her into the back where she collapsed into a chair. She wrapped the cloak around her and rested her forehead on her drawn up knees. The shopkeeper went outside to find out the extent of the damage. He came hurrying back in a minute later, astounded. "There was no damage other then a black spot in the street! Did you see the fight? There are two hunters out there, with a tame mage!"
Claudia nodded. "Yes, I saw part of it. There was an explosion."
The shopkeeper clucked sympathetically. "Rider, you leave those fights to the Hunters. It is their life's job to hunt down those evil mages."
With a laugh and a groan Claudia stood up, rubbing her temples. "I will remember that."
Saying farewell, she slipped outside and around the corner. Many people were crowded around, but she didn't see either of the hunters or the mage Kalli. Grabbing her bags from under the wagon, Claudia slowly weaved her way through the crowd back to the stockyards. She collapsed into bed, barely able to kick her boots off before she fell asleep.











Chapter 26

Meeting the Elves

She was shaken awake some time later by Goben.
"Claudia, wake up. Were you in that fight?"
She groaned, then sat up slowly. Goben was sitting on the edge of her bed. Rubbing her eyes to bring back into focus, "Yes. Kind of. Can you pass me the water?"
Goben picked up her canteen from where it lay with her pack and handed it to her. After she took a long swallow, she felt much better.
"I was at the healer's shop. There was a mage outside, she attacked a couple hunters. I defended them until another mage - but not mage - showed up. She was the one from my dreams Goben." Claudia was worried. "Why is she here? When does my dream take place?" Then she blinked in surprise. "How did you hear about the fight already? What time is it?"
Goben chuckled. "It is the next day, midmorning. Those hunters are well regarded by the Empire, so there are messengers around town already with fliers advertising a reward for information. They are under the assumption that you are a tamed mage, and that there must be a Hunter here to own you."
Claudia frowned. "After having met this mage Kitmuss.. Goben, what is it?"
His face had paled considerably. "Kitmuss. Are you sure that was her name?"
Claudia nodded. "That is what the hunters called her. Why?"
"She is the leader of the worst of them. She rules because she is more powerful and more ruthless then any out there. I can not believe she was here!" He shook his head in disbelief. "Tarklan has not had a mage visit in over a generation, and yesterday there were three at the same time."
"The other mage, the red haired one, she was not like Kitmuss. She was trusted by the Hunters, and she joined with me to hold in the explosion that Kitmuss started."
Goben was very worried now. "The two of you touched minds?" At Claudia's nod he sat back and sighed. "Then the fliers are just a warning, to give you a chance to turn yourself in."
"I don't understand."
Goben held her hands in his. "If she is powerful enough to have fought alongside the Hunters against Kitmuss then she would have been able to pick up enough information to find you. My guess is that since you protected the Hunters instead of Kitmuss, they are waiting for your handler to bring you in."
"Then I will go. I will not risk them coming here in anger."
Goben's grip on her hands tightened. "I wish I had all the Riders here for backup."
Claudia took a quick shower, then dressed in her best clothes before pinning her cloak on. A quick brush and braiding of her hair, and she was ready. Goben and Arcben met her at the stables, their shaflin already tacked up. They too were in their best clothes, with their blue cloaks worn proudly. Claudia brought Thorn out of his stall and led him outside. The threesome mounted their shaflin quietly, and headed out of the yard at a solemn walk.
Arcben led the way, winding down almost to the docks before turning into the residential section. Goben spoke softly. "Claudia. You are a free woman, a Rider, bonded to a wild shaflin. Be proud of that."
Claudia turned her wide eyes to him for a moment, then closed them. With a deep breath, she could feel her power fill her from fingers to toes. Thorn pranced underneath her, tossing his head. Claudia smiled and stroked his neck. "Easy boy."
Arcben turned in his saddle to grin at her. "We are nearly there. Your eyes are sparkling." He winked at her, then straightened.
The people in the streets began to clear out of the way, so they rode three abreast with Claudia in the middle. Their shaflin were gleaming with health, prancing because of the tension in the air. They were met at the gates to the Council Quarter by three Hunters on foot. Therran and Hamna she recognized from the fight, and another that she did not know.
For several long moments there were no words spoken, only the intent looks the Hunters were giving Claudia. She met each one's eyes unblinking, her head held high. Goben and Arcben were flanking her, and she felt calm knowing they believed in her enough to risk this meeting.
It was the unknown Morainthi that spoke first. "I am the Hunter Jornan. This is Hunter Therran and Hunter Hamna."
Claudia nodded politely, then swung down off Thorn. He followed her several steps forward, where she bowed from the waist. "I am Claudia, a Rider of the shaflin ranch Cre."
The hunters had tense when she had walked closer, then frowned at her bow and introduction. It was Therran who spoke next, his brown eyes intent. "Are you the one who helped us against the mage Kitmuss?"
Claudia nodded. "I am." Anticipating their next question, she continued. "Quite by accident. I had been shopping, and was on my way back to the yard when I saw her attack you."
"Why?" It was the black haired elf Hamna who asked.
Claudia frowned. "Because it was the right thing to do. Because she would have killed you, and it was within my power to stop it from happening. Because I could sense the darkness inside of her, the opposite of the life-force I work with."
The elves were silent for a moment, then withdrew a few paces to confer with each other. Claudia did not understand their language, and chose to not use her powers to translate. Instead she turned to Thorn and leaned against his shoulder. He nickered softly, nudging her with his nose. She smiled, then rubbed the base of his horn. "Good boy Thorn."
Hearing a saddle creak, she turned and looked up at Goben. He and Arcben were smiling encouragingly at her. She gave them a weak smile before facing the elves again. Jornan was standing only a couple feet from her, but staring at Thorn. "May we examine your shaflin? I have never seen anyone riding a wild one."
Feeling slightly insulted at the unspoken slur that she was forcing Thorn; she tried not to show it. Instead she nodded, patted Thorn gently then stepped back between Goben and Arcben. With an eyebrow raised, she watched Jornan greet Thorn in that other language while he held his palms out for Thorn to sniff. He then raised them up and placed his palms below Thorn's eyes, his thumbs meeting below the horn.
Claudia tilted her head in puzzlement; she could feel something pass between them. When Jornan blinked and took a step backwards she spoke up. "You can talk to him? That was incredible."
He raised an eyebrow at her. "Many Morainthi are animal empaths. We may not have the power of mages, but that does not mean we are powerless."
"That fight yesterday was the first time I had ever seen one of your kind, and the first time I've seen a mage." Claudia was frowning. "He sure is prone to insults" she thought.
"This shaflin supports you. I have never before heard of that happening." He raised his gaze to the mounted Riders. "Your backing of this mage has been noted. We won't harm her, for now. You may leave us."
Fighting to keep her face expressionless, Claudia turned and walked up to Goben's stirrup. Both men were frowning at Jornan, their shaflin moving uneasily beneath them. "Boss, Arcben, thank you. From the depths of my heart, Minaldrine. Your ranch has been my home, and I have loved every minute of it."
Goben reached down and clasped her hand. "You will always be a Rider. We will be at the yard for awhile longer."
Arcben swung off his mount and grabbed Claudia in a big hug. She hugged him back. "Blessings on you and your house Arcben. You are a good man."
Turning, she placed a hand on Thorn's shoulder and followed Jornan into the Council Quarter. The other two elves warily followed behind her. Claudia did not know what her future would hold, but she knew there was no stopping the change now. She took strength from her bond with Thorn, thankful that the last couple years had been so good.
It was a silent walk to the House where the elves were staying. It was a large grey stone square much like Goben's house, but with only one side having stalls. They met no other people while Claudia was settling Thorn in. Leaving him with a final pat on the neck, she followed the elves across the yard and into the house. The similarity to Goben's house ended at the door. Inside were lovely paintings hung on the wall, shelves with vases of flowers, delicate scrollwork on the staircase railing. Claudia was feeling like a country bumpkin next to the graceful elves in this setting, and she did not like it.
Claudia was still immersed in power, keeping it ready to call upon it in an instant, so she could sense that the room they were approaching was shielded. The elves still had not spoken, so she was quite apprehensive when Jornan stopped in front of the door and faced her.
"Know that if you turn out to be just another power-hungry mage you will not make it out of this house alive." His face was nearly expressionless, with only a slight frown marring it.
"I assure you, again, I am not like them." She was feeling mighty peeved at this point, but tried to let go of those feelings. "They have no reason yet to trust me, and plenty of reason to distrust me. Patience." She told herself.
Hamna stepped past Claudia and Jornan to slip inside the room. A heartbeat later Jornan opened the door and motioned for Claudia to walk in ahead of him. With her heart in her throat, she held her head up high and stepped inside.













Chapter 27

Meeting Kalli

Inside the room, her eyes were first caught by Kalli's bright hair. She was seated in a comfy chair, with Hamna perched on an arm. Claudia walked into the center of the room, with all eyes on her. Jornan was close behind her, Therran had stepped to one side, and there were 2 more Hunters spaced around the room. One of them, the one she faced, was old. His hair was long and grey, his face was lined and she could see hundreds of seasons in his eyes.
She looked straight into his eyes for many long moments, knowing that he was studying her. When at last he spoke, she was surprised at the youthful timber of his voice. "Well met, Claudia. I am Thalnor."
She bowed from the waist, eyes to the floor. Standing up straight, she answered. "Well met, Elder."
He quirked an eyebrow up. "So respectful. That is unusual."
"I have seen only 3 full passing's of the seasons here. Where I grew up, I was taught to respect my elders, for they have the wisdom that the foolish youth pretend to have."
He frowned slightly. "You consider yourself a youth."
"I have seen barely three tens of years since my birth."
All the elves were frowning now, but Kalli was smiling. "You are just about the age that I was, when I came here."
"You are from Earth?!" Claudia had slipped into English in her surprise.
"My last year there was 17 hundred forty two, I lived in Ireland." Kalli's accent was much stronger speaking in English then in Empire Common.
"Would you two be so kind to speak in a language we can all understand?" Thalnor was looking slightly annoyed, tapping his fingers lightly on the arm of his chair.
Claudia blushed. "My apologies, Elder. I never thought that there would be others here, from my own homeland." She was grinning now.
"Kalli has demonstrated her loyalty, both in fights and by life-bonding with Hamna. It is a good thing that she is here. It is not often that we talk face to face with an undrugged Mage."
"I had not even met a Mage until that fight two days ago Elder. Since I came to this world I have been either alone up along the mountain spine, or on the Cre Ranch. I learned more about my powers from the Prophesy that hangs in the Ranch then I did experimenting on my own. I want..." Claudia paused, not sure how to word her request. "I want to learn. I do not experiment much with my powers, because I have been overwhelmed by them before."
Thalnor was sitting forward, elbows on his knees and steepleing his fingers with a fargazing look on his face. Claudia continued, her heart in her throat. "I would give much, to ride with Kalli for a time and learn how to use my powers properly."
"I was thinking of how to ask you to ride with us, but I see that was not needed. We have requirements of you. Kalli here was the first young mage that we have adopted into our ranks. She has life-bonded with Hamna, so we know that she would never double-cross us. You..." Thalnor had a very intent look on his face. "You must swear an oath."
Claudia frowned. "While I am willing to trust Kalli as a teacher, how do I know that your sense of honor and morality are compatible with mine?"
Therran snorted, but sat back with a bemused expression with a wave of the wrist from Thalnor. "She has a point Therran. We are assuming that she shares the ideals of the Mages. So far Claudia, everything you have said rings true, that you are more child then Mage."
While Claudia didn't care for being called a child, she did suppose it fit when comparing her to these elves.
"Do you know what a blood oath is?" When Claudia shook her head negatively, Thalnor reflected for a moment. Turning to Kalli he asked of her "Will you teach Claudia our language? It will serve her in good stead, and being a language of magic it will bind her oath more properly."
When Kalli nodded, grinning, Thalnor turned back to Claudia. "Will you give me your word, on your honor, that you mean us no harm?"
She did not hesitate with her answer. "Yes. You have my word Elder. I mean you and yours no harm."
Kalli stood up and walked up beside Claudia. "Come, sister. Let me teach you what I can today. We'll get a room prepared for you, for now the garden will be a great place to talk."
With a final bow to Thalnor, Claudia followed Kalli out of the room.













Chapter 28

Shield sisters

Down the hallway, around the corner and down a different set of stairs they walked. Eventually they came to a small wooded door, engraved with vines. Opening it, Kalli motioned for Claudia to walk ahead. On the other side was a lovely little garden. There was twenty feet from the doorway to the outer wall, and the cliff that guarded the city was only feet beyond the wall. There was a stone path through the center, cutting the short green grass in half. Against the wall were several small trees, and many types of flowering bushes.
Claudia was smiling, breathing deeply of the scented air. She was feeling much more relaxed as she walked slowly down the path. Down at the end were several small trees. Claudia and Kalli sat down under their shade, facing each other.
"Feeling better?" Kalli asked. Claudia smiled and nodded.
"Yes, thank you. This is a wonderful garden."
"I was very happy to find this once we came off the ship. A quite place where one can relax is very important. Now, before we get to more serious things, how did you get here? When and where did you come from?"
Claudia laughed. "I've been dying to know that about you too ever since I met you! Lets see, it was the year 2005 when I left Earth. The world has changed a lot since you left it. England lost its colony in the New World, and it is now called America. That is where I came from. My people were there long before the Englishmen came over the ocean. There has been a ton of technological advances, most people live in large cities. Oh, where to start?!"
Kalli's eyes were bright. "I do miss my family very much, the first few years here were very hard. It has been almost one hundred years since I came over, and sometimes I can barely remember their faces." She sighed sadly. "But the life I have had, and you will have too, has been wonderful. There is a lot of danger here, but we are equals to any Mage whether mage born or a transplant like us. I think, many ages ago, that we had a purpose. To guard over the races here. But mages are only human, and one or more became corrupted. I've found older texts that talk about the first Betrayals. Mages were slaughtered by Mages, until only a handful was left. Since then, there has been no new Mages found by friendly people until me. And now, you."
"That explains much." Claudia said somberly.
"Sister, you have not heard half of it. The evil Mages are loosely grouped beneath the rulership of Kitmuss. They rule over several countries to the south and west, with the Empire between them and the Morainthi who hunt them. They have preyed on the elves for many generations, the claim that a Morainthi Hunter makes a good pleasure slave."
Claudia sat back and sighed. "There is always conflict of some sort. I guess there will always be." She opened her eyes and stared at Kalli. "I am willing to do what I can to protect people from them. If my dreams are correct, Kitmuss killed someone I was close to when she attacked a Dirian settlement."
Kalli's face dropped. "I am sorry to hear that Claudia. I know that one day, Hamna will grow old and die while I continue on. That scares me so badly, he is my soulmate, my other half."
Claudia reached out and they clasped hands for a long moment, sharing in each other's pain.
When they broke contact, Claudia wiped a tear off her cheek and managed a small smile. "Okay, you had mentioned teaching me the Morainthi language?"
Kalli nodded. "Yes. Let us sit cross-legged, knee to knee. I want you to open you mind to mine. I am going to give you all the words I know, and it might be overwhelming at first. Just relax and absorb it. Like a sponge, ken?"
"I have mentioned I've never done this, right?" Claudia giggled.
Kalli laughed back. "Will it scare you to know I've only done this once before myself?" She winked at Claudia. "As long as we don't fight each other during contact, it will flow quite easily. Come now."
They sat knee to knee, with Kalli gripping Claudia's wrists. For long long moments there was no movement except for the slow rise and fall of their chests. Hamna and Therran wandered in and sat down on either side of the women. "Hamna, is this what it should look like? It seems a rather deep trance for a simple language teaching." Hamna shrugged. "I would not be surprised if Kalli was teaching our new friend a few things about control, politics and battle. She does not have much time to learn these things, a battle is brewing and we need to be prepared." He looked at Kalli with worry in his dark eyes.
"I am still amazed at the depth of love you two share. Do you think this one" nodding at Claudia "has such a bond in her future?"
Hamna shrugged again, a graceful lifting of the shoulders. "I hope so. For all our sakes. An unattached mage, in a town full of men could be a dangerous thing if she shares the addiction to sex magic that the Mages have."
"She has not responded to any of us yet, there is hope."
Hamna nodded, then they both fell silent, lost in their thoughts. An occasional wind gust would rattle the leaves, and in the other end of the garden a pair of sparrows squabbled over a feeder. The first sign of life in the women were their eyes rolling backwards. With a gasp, they broke their connection. Claudia sagged backwards against the little tree, while Kalli leaned into Hamna's arms.
Therran offered Claudia a water bottle, which she gratefully accepted. After a moment Kalli sat up straight and spoke in elven. "Can you understand me?"
Claudia got a real puzzled look on her face and hesitated before answering. "Yes. It is... very odd."
Kalli grinned. "You just need to sleep, when you wake up it will come more naturally."
"Yes, a bed would be nice."
Therran strode up and offered a hand to Claudia. Gratefully she took the help, feeling shaky in the knees. She followed Therran to a nearby room. It was a simple bedroom, but quite appealing. As soon as Therran closed the door she stripped off her clothes and undid her braids before slipping between the sheets. In a few heartbeats she was fast asleep.
Out in the garden Therran rejoined Kalli and Hamna. Thalnor had also joined them in sitting under the trees. Speaking softly in their native tongue, Therran asked "What did you gather from her?"
Kalli took a moment to answer. "She is sincere in her desire to help us. I like her, there is no evilness or duplicity in her thoughts. I tried to teach her something about Morainthi honor, it closely resembles her own."
Thalnor nodded. "That verifies my own opinion of her. When she wakes I will ask her for an oath of loyalty. I have also examined her wild shaflin. It is amazing, no one in my lifetime has done such a thing. Is our ship equipped for livestock? I doubt that Claudia will be willing to leave here without him, and we need to take her home."
Jornan and Therran stood up. "We will go check on the ship. The captain wanted a day or two notice in advance."
Thalnor nodded. "Kalli, stay close by until she wakes."













Chapter 29

Leaving the Anru

When Claudia awoke her mind was still whirling, but it was not as overwhelming. She could reach into her memories and pull individual thoughts out of the maelstrom. After a good stretch, she sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. With a little power crackling in her fingertips she unbraided her hair and finger brushed it out. She decided to leave it loose, quickly conjured clean clothes and dressed.
With perfect timing Kalli knocked on the door and called out. "Claudia, how are you doing?"
"Come on in."
Claudia was shaking out her cloak as Kalli peeked in.  "Want to come back out to the garden?"
"Yes, that would be lovely. Could I get something to eat please?"
"Yes, of course! We'll detour to the kitchen first." Kalli was grinning widely.
After they had grabbed a few pastries to munch on, they made their way back to the garden. Claudia wandered slowly from shrub to shrub lost in thought. Kalli sat down on a nice grassy patch and watched her. Hamna and Thalnor stood in the doorway for a few minutes before joining Kalli. Eventually Claudia finished her breakfast, wandered over and sat down among them.
"Greetings Claudia."
"Greetings Elder."
"Are you willing to swear an oath of loyalty to me?"
Claudia took a moment to organize her thoughts before speaking directly to Thalnor. "Kalli gave me a couple memories, impressions of you. She thinks very highly of you Elder. I respect her opinions. I would be honored to swear my loyalty to you."
Thalnor nodded and held out his hands. Claudia reached out and grasped them in her own. "Elder. Father. Holder of legends. Thalnor, to you I swear my loyalty. In life or death, I am yours to command." As she spoke there was a gathering of power centered on their hands. When she finished speaking she though she could see it coalesce into tiny chains that looped around their wrists before dissipating. She could feel the bond that now existed between them.
"Are you ready to leave Tarklan? I would like to take you to our home city so that the rest of the hunters may meet you."
"After I say goodbye to Goben. Will we be leaving by ship? What about Thorn?" She stopped when Thalnor raised a hand.
"It is being worked out. Our ship does have room, and the supplies, to take Thorn with us. We will be going through some rough weather but as long as he'll stay calm there is no danger. If you want to go now and say goodbye, we'll leave with the dawn tide tomorrow."
Claudia felt a pang on hearing she would not have time to say goodbye to the Riders left behind on the ranch. "I will be back tonight."
Hamna's quiet voice spoke up. "Therran will accompany you in case of trouble." Claudia started to protest, but his expression was firm. "Now that you are one of us, your safety is my responsibility. He will accompany you."
Claudia gave in gracefully. "I will meet him at Thorn." She stood up and bowed to Thalnor. Kalli got to her feet and walked with her down to the yard. Claudia whistled and smiled when she heard Thorn whinny back. It was with a light step she walked up to his stall and unlatched him.
"Hello handsome." She gave him a good scratch on the neck before wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him. "We've got some traveling to do big guy. Let's go see Goben." She swung up on his back and rode out into the yard. She was just in time to see Therran come trotting in. He rode up beside her and patted Thorn on the neck. "I was just seeing to his stall on the ship. Everything will be ready by tonight. He'll be as comfortable as we can make it."
Claudia nodded gratefully. "Thank you. Hamna wants you to ride with me back to the Cre yard."
"Okay." He turned and guided his shaflin back out the gate and through the city. Out of the Council Quarters, through the Inner Wall and up to the Outer Wall they rode in silence, taking back streets when they could to avoid crowds. Claudia was happy to see the familiar stone buildings that made up the Cre yard.
Arcben was grooming one of a pair of shaflin tied up. When he heard the hoof beats he turned around with a frown. That quickly was replaced by a big grin. "Claudia!" She slid off Thorn's back and into a big hug. Laughing she disengaged and patted him on the cheek. "I am happy to see you too my friend."
"Come, my father will be happy to see you too." He nodded politely at Therran. "You are of course welcome here. Come!" He led Claudia into the house, into Goben's large study. Goben was poring over a stack of papers when they came into his room, but he dropped them to give Claudia a big hug.
"Claudia, it is good to see you again. We were worried."
"It is well my friend. I will be leaving with them on tomorrow's tide. I am only here to say goodbye."
"I do not like goodbyes. Instead, farewell until our paths cross again."
Claudia could feel her eyes tearing up. "You will give my goodbyes to the others?"
"Of course. We will keep a room for you should you ever come this way again. You will be taking Thorn?"
She nodded. "They are making room for him on the ship."
"His bloodline will live on in his fillies. Let me give him a last treat. It has been an honor having both of you on my ranch."
They were a very quiet group standing around Thorn a minute later. Finally Claudia could bear it no longer. With tears on her cheeks she flung her arms around Goben then Arcben and leaped up on Thorn's back. "Goodbye. I will come back, someday." With Therran on her heels she pushed Thorn into a fast gallop out the gate. A couple blocks down the road she asked him for a halt, then buried her face in his mane. Therran sat on his shaflin only a few steps away, not sure how to respond to her tears. After a moment, she sat up and wiped her tears. "They are my family." She responded to Therran's puzzled look.
They slowly made their way through the evening crowds back to the house. While feeding Thorn and cleaning his stall, Claudia was feeling very pensive. Her thoughts kept wandering back through the last couple years. "It's been over 3 years Thorn." As she finger brushed his mane, he lifted his head and snuffled into her hands. With a smile she kissed him on the nose before leaving the stall.
Kalli met her in the hallway. "Welcome back." she said with an understanding smile and a hug.
Claudia could feel tears welling up again. "I have this terrible feeling that I will not see them again."
"Ach, we will hope that is just fear talking and not a premonition, yes? Come, dinner is about to be served."
Kalli lead Claudia into the dining room. The elves were already seated around Thalnor, talking quietly. When the women entered they stood up and rearranged, leaving empty seats on either side of Thalnor. "Come, sit by me tonight. Claudia, I would like to hear of your life here in Anru." She nodded and took the seat at his left. Jornan was seated on her other side; with Kalli, Hamna and Therran opposite. The meal progressed quickly, with Claudia telling stories of her first year alone. Thalnor was especially interested in hearing stories about Thorn.










Chapter 30

Leaving on a ship

That night saw Claudia tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Eventually she slipped out with a blanket and curled up in a corner of Thorn's stall. She fell asleep listening to his breathing, and it seemed only minutes later she was awakened by Jornan. "Claudia. It is time to wake, the ship is waiting on us."
Rubbing the sleep from her eyes Claudia got Thorn saddled. With a quick flick of the wrist her braids were neat and her clothes dewrinkled. Leading Thorn from the stable, she was met by Hamna and Kalli standing with their arms around each other. Kalli had her head resting on his chest, and the loving look on Hamna's face warmed Claudia's heart. Ignoring the small stab of jealousy, Claudia greeted them. "Good morning." Kalli straightened but kept an arm around Hamna's waist. "Good morning." she said with a smile. "Are you ready?" Thalnor and the other elves came striding out of the house right then. On foot, with Thorn walking at Claudia's shoulder, they walked down through the town. It was barely dawn, and the town was starting to stir. 
The docks were busier then the streets, with two other ships getting ready to depart on the tide. Their ship was a two masted schooner, over a hundred feet long and nearly that tall. The sails were a light green, the flags were a darker green with a golden six pointed sun. As they got closer Claudia was amazed at the detailed figurehead, the individual scales, teeth and claws of a sea dragon were all meticulously carved and painted a light teal.
As they walked up beside the ship, it was the loading crane that caught her eye. Attached to the crane's hook was a small railless platform. "I hope they do not plan on loading Thorn on that..." she muttered.
"If not that, then he'll need to load on the plank we'll be walking up." Jornan pointed out a narrow boarding plank with one rope railing.
"If it will hold his weight, yes. I would prefer to use that." Claudia laid a hand on Thorn's shoulder. He was walking calmly at her side, his head high and ears pricked. While Thalnor talked with the captain's mate she unsaddled Thorn. He did not need the bags catching on the railing while trying to board the ship. While Claudia was immersed in her own thoughts, idly petting Thorn, a swarthy Anrun sailor came and scooped up her saddlebags. With them over one shoulder he easily strode up the boarding plank and disappeared belowdecks.
The elves followed him up, then it was Claudia's turn. Taking a deep breath she started up, Thorn walking on her heels. Her fears were entirely unfounded as Thorn walked up the narrow plank like he had been doing it every day since birth. The big bearded captain was standing at the top with a wide grin as they stepped onto the deck.
"Welcome aboard the Wild Dragon! That is a fine shaflin, mighty fine. I'm Captain Siamoma."
Claudia clasped his offered hand. "Minaldrine. He is named Thorn. I am Claudia."
"Good, good. Come this way. We've set up stalls for him both belowdecks and up here. There is a steep ramp, but he should have no problem with it. Even had the best hay I could get delivered." Siamoma led the way over to a sturdy wood rail corral on the middeck. There were two troughs for food and water, and shavings laid down. Claudia was quite impressed. After settling Thorn inside, Siamoma took her and Kalli on a quick tour of the ship. The ramp led down to the first three levels of the ship, with a stairway down to the bottom two levels. Their cabins were on the second level, so was Thorn's stall. The next decks had various cargo stacked and tied down. "We're in the stern of the ship, crew's quarters are on the other side. My cabin is above the ramp."
"Tide is switching, we're ready to cast off Capt'n." One of the deck hands called down the ramp. "Ah, if you'll excuse me ladies." He bowed then strode up with long strides.
"We'll have plenty of time to explore the ship. It's a 14 week journey to Faellon, a Morainthi port city much like Tarklan. We'll be stopping twice to resupply. With the two of us to help keep conditions favorable, we might be able to speed things up. Have you done any weather work?"
Claudia groaned at the thought of being cooped up for that long of time. "No, well, not on purpose at least. But if it'll make the journey faster then I'd quite willing to learn."
Kalli grinned. "This is going to be fun."
With Kalli teaching Claudia how to use her powers, the days fairly flew by. The mages were able to keep a stiff wind blowing, and ill weather stayed on the horizon. Claudia proved to have little talent for manipulating the weather, but a greater talent for assisting. Thorn spent much of his time in the top deck stall being spoiled by the sailors. Claudia spent evenings with Thalnor, sometimes just the two of them, sometimes the whole group. They had many long discussions about morals and what honor meant to them. Sometimes the conversation wandered to the many races on this planet that Thalnor called Terran. There were many connections in names and languages to her own Earth, leading Claudia to speculate that this planet was  Earth in an alternate dimension.
One afternoon a few weeks later they sailed into Bulcub Bay. Claudia was perched up above the wooden dragon figurehead, watching the port city come into view. They had passed one small fishing boat out trawling an hour earlier, and now they were following a heavily loaded cargo ship into the harbor. After Captain Siamoma had untangled the red tape, Claudia rode Thorn off the ship.
It was a small dock with two long piers. The other cargo ship was to their right, swarming with sailors unloading crates and things. Claudia rode up the pier and turned the other direction. She could see a walkway that lead down to the beach and that is where she guided Thorn. They were the subjects of many stares, but she ignored them all, happy to be on land again. The captain had said they would not leave until late the next day as they were already a week ahead of schedule and she was going to enjoy every minute of it!
After skirting a small group of children playing on the beach, Claudia asked Thorn into a long strided canter.  Softly sitting his rocking chair gait, she closed her eyes and sighed deeply. "I am not a natural on a ship like Kalli is." She could detect the smells of woods inside the strong sea salt air and felt a deep longing for the forests she had left behind.
They swiftly left the town behind. The sand was firm enough at the water line that Thorn's canter was effortless. Each stretch of beach was capped by rocky prominents that Thorn had no problem crossing. At the base of the third one, Claudia spotted a trail heading inland and took it.
Late the next day, as the captain strode the deck snapping orders, the elves were standing on the dock discussing her.
Hamna was calm. "She will be here. She knew what hour the ship was due to sail." Of them all, he had experience dealing with the solitude needing mages.
Jornan and Therran were not convinced. "We shouldn't have let her loose."
"She is a mage after all, despite her looks."
Captain Siamoma roared in their direction. "We sail in half an hour. With or without that woman!"
Kalli had been dozing against a stack of crates nearby. Raising her eyelids a fraction she admonished them. "She is on her way. Have some faith."
Still mildly bickering, Jornan and Therran walked onto the ship to join Thalnor in his cabin. Hamna walked over beside his sleepy mate and watched her, a small smile playing on his lips. A moment later Kalli grunted. "Stop staring at me!" She cracked open one eye before sticking out her tongue. Hamna chuckled then pulled her to her feet. Kalli snuggled close against him.
They were still holding each other when Claudia and Thorn strolled down the dock. "Do you two need a cold shower?" She was grinning widely. Hamna's eyes were glowing softly, love for his mate written in every feature. Kalli smiled at Claudia. "Welcome back. You look refreshed."
Claudia nodded. "Yes, it was wonderful to be alone under the shade of old trees." With a sad sigh "When is our next port?"
Kalli laughed heartily. "You are not even back on the ship yet!"
Captain Siamoma bellowed "All aboard!" and the party walked up the gangplank for another long journey.