This is set during the beginning of the Mage Storms

This is set during the beginning of the Mage Storms. No, I don't own Velgarth. Sure wish I did!

I ran, panting heavily, ignoring the yelling from behind, concentrating only on getting away. My breath fogged the air around my face and inevitably my glasses as well, but by then I was far enough into the heavier trees that I knew it would take them awhile to stop arguing enough to bother asking Mik to track me down. I cursed softly as my foot caught in a root and I went for a dizzying tumble on cold, frost hardened ground barely covered with a thin layer of paper-thin leaves and sharp smelling but brittle pine needles. Unfortunately for me, my glasses went spinning off in another direction and I spent probably 45 minutes running my hands futilely across the earth searching desperately for the small shiny things. Finally I found them under the outermost branches of a giant pine tree. Broken, of course. I sighed and stuck them back on my face as best as I could. Continuing deeper into the pine trees that were more and more plentiful here, I caught my glasses as they fell off my face every so often. My pace slowed as I looked up in wonder at the towering pines, my steps hushed by a thick and aromatic layer of crunchy pine needles beneath my feet. How had these magnificent giants survived the clearing of this land for development? Not once, but twice the land had been cleared, but these things looked truly ancient.

The wind picked up, swaying the thick needle-laden branches and I shivered, having forgotten to grab my heavier winter jacket in my outward flight. Stretching as I walked, I wondered at the pine needle covered track I had literally stumbled into. It looked too well used to be from the old homestead that I knew was somewhere on the property and it wasn't on any of the trail maps. There were no vehicle tracks and I knew the boss or Mik drove those trails every so often to check them for trespassers and their trash.

A strange drumming tickled at my ears and I froze. The rhythmic thunder of hooves got louder as it drew closer. Instinctively I scrambled into the depths of a pine bough laden tree. Shivering, I peered myopically through the green needles, wondering who would be riding a horse, full out, way back here? We had specially cleared riding rings for that. As the horse and rider flashed by, I gaped. The pair looked like an escaped equestrian performer team from a Renaissance Festival. But this area was too sparsely populated to support something like that, I knew. A shiver skittered across my backbone. After the frantic hoof-beats had faded, I crept out of my hiding place and walked in the opposite direction, figuring if that had been someone the boss had managed to cajole into looking for me, it might be a good idea to go the other way.

The two pine covered furrows continued on for what seemed a long ways, even though I thought it could have been no more than five minutes. Then the overgrown path joined a wider, hard-packed dirt road. I shook my head. There were no roads like this that I knew of on or around the property where I had worked. I shivered. Oh well. I had wanted to get away from work and since I didn't drive, walking was the only way to do it. My feet protested as I continued along the hard packed earth that looked like it had been in use for ages.

Somewhere along the way, I lost track of time while listening to the gentle noise of the forest, which was soothing enough. Still something about this place gave me the creeps. And I couldn't get the image of a tall, thin, man with startling white hair and a pure white horse out of my head. I'd never seen either one at the ranch and didn't know where my frazzled brain had come up with the image. I was so engrossed in puzzling over this that I did not notice the traveler until he called out to me from a top the well-trained horse that stopped at his unseen signal.

The man seemed tall from his place on the well worn saddle, bright blond hair waving in the breeze. Blue eyes stared at me from amid the brightest costume I had ever seen. He was dressed from head to toe in bright red.

"Excuse me, young lady, but what are you doing out here dressed like that?" His horse snorted at me as if to emphasize his rider's point, but didn't sidle. It had some training at least.

I frowned. What was wrong with the way I was dressed? These were decent, if somewhat grubby, work clothes. At least I didn't look like an escapee from a Ren Fest! "I beg your pardon? What seems to be the matter with how I'm dressed?" Even though I tried to suppress the sarcasm, some still leaked through into my voice.

He looked me up and down, blue eyes twinkling. "You're dressed like a field worker, milady. A man, at that. There are no farms around here for miles. Where did you come from?"

My jaw dropped. For miles? Oh dear. "Uh, where am I sir?"

Both blond eyebrows rose. "In Valdemar, young miss. On a road that runs along the edge of the Forest of Sorrows."

Where? None of those names sounded the least bit familiar to me and I frowned more at the thought that this was some elaborate joke. My glasses chose that moment to slide off my face and I cursed softly as I heard them hit the ground dangerously close to the iron-shod hooves of the man's horse. Sighing, I slowly knelt in the dirt and began searching for the blasted things. The next thing I knew, the oddly costumed man had leapt off his horse, muttering about his lack of manners and had snatched my glasses from beneath my very fingertips.

I stood slowly. Great. He had my glasses and I couldn't see a blasted thing without them.

"My apologies, young lady. I did not mean to startle you into losing your spectacles." At least his voice was not totally outraged as it had been seconds earlier. I heard him turning the fragile things over in his hands and sighed again. "These appear to be broken, milady. And constructed of the oddest materials I have ever seen." He took my hand and carefully placed my precious glasses in my palm, along with another piece that had chosen the opportunity to escape.

"Thank you," I breathed, trying to balance them on my nose again.

Once his face came into focus from the surrounding blur of colors, I smiled. Perhaps it would be best to play along with this charade for a bit and see where it went. It would be better than going back to beg for charity from my now former employer. The ass.

"I'm sorry, sir. I've never heard of those places before," I said as he wrapped his horse's reins around his wrist carefully.

Again those blond eyebrows rose. "Where are you from, young lady?"

"Minnesota, in the northern United States." His totally blank stare made my stomach sink.

"And I, milady, have never heard of those places either. But perhaps we should discuss it over some food. Have you had lunch yet?" He evidently had decided to go along with the charade as well, I thought disgustedly. My stomach, sunken though it was, growled eagerly at the mention of food and I shook my head, embarrassed. I missed his amused smile as my glasses chose to make another break for freedom and I actually caught them this time.

"Then allow me to offer you a ride to the next town, milady, where we may break our noontime fast," he said, bowing deeply.

The horse and I exchanged dubious looks. "I don't ride very well, sir."

"That's quite alright, the Lady Brighteyes is a gentle steed and won't offer you any trouble." He mounted with an ease that made me instantly jealous and offered me his hand. "Just put your foot in the stirrup there and swing up behind me." He had shifted some of the things that were attached to the saddle around so there was now room for me. "Come come, lady, there is nothing to fear! Bard Evan will not let any harm come to you!"

Perhaps it was the blue eyes that did it. Or the blond hair. Either way, I finally took the proffered hand and, holding onto my rebellious glasses with the other, swung up behind him and settled myself amongst the saddlebags and bedrolls and things. Carefully wrapping one arm around his waist, I wondered suddenly what the heck had I just gotten myself into?

"There you are! Now my name is Evan Copperbright. I am a Bard from the Bardic Collegium in Haven, which is the capitol city of the country of Valdemar. Who are you?"

Sighing, I tucked my mangled glasses into a pocket on my work vest. "My name is Anna Tessler. I am, or was, a ranch hand and clerk at the Happy Hooves boarding stables."

"If you worked with horses, then why don't you ride well?" He wondered.

"Because exercising the horses wasn't part of my job. And I guess I never saw the need to learn more of it." I shrugged.

"Ah." The smile was obvious in his voice.

From there, our conversation wandered from topic to topic and I marveled at the depth of this charade, if charade it was! This man- a Bard he called himself, had to be a consummate actor to pull this off. If this was all an act, why waste the effort on me?

The hours passed and soon I dozed fitfully against Evan's solid back, waking only when the horse stopped and my friend stirred from his position. "Wake, young Anna! We have come to signs of civilization at last!"

A huge yawn made my jaw crackle uncomfortably and I fished for my glasses quickly. The scene swam into view, resolving into a dirt-packed square with people and animals walking here and there. It was nothing like what I had expected. So I took stock of the available options and chose one: I fainted, giving in to the dizziness that made my head spin even worse than the strange surroundings. Unfortunately I was still on the horse.