Talia walked carefully through to the entrance of the cave.
"...Av-Avrail?"
"Over here, child! What do you want now!"
"Er...I've come to be named.."
"Every year! Every year you pumpkin heads send your doddering offspring to be "named"! Why do you think I moved out here?"
"Er.."
"To get a bit of peace and quiet! Huh! No chance!" An old woman hobbled out of the shadows.
"Well come on then child!" She grasped Talia's hand and led her over to a pool of still water. Images floated in the water, then evaporated, then reformed...
"Well, look in there, and tell me what you see! Quickly!"
Talia kneeled on the wet ground.
"I see a man...two men! They are wearing robes...chanting something! Ari...ahriman..."

~~~~~~~~ Lord Zorom wiped the sweat from his brow.
"Well? Dark Priest, what is the hold up?"
For the Dark Priest had stopped in mid-chant.
"I feel...a presence! Someone is watching us!"
Lord Zorom stiffened. "WHAT?" he roared.
~~~~~~~~ Talia jumped backwards. "Oh my god!"

The old woman sounded scared. "The prophecy...it's true..."she muttered, tracing out the cave wall.
Talia felt numb. "Wha...what prophecy?"
Avrail recovered. "Go to Thais! Go to the Collegium of War and Magick, ask for Master Gerrith, tell him I sent you. Go, quickly!" She pushed Talia.
"What? I...what's going on?"
"Just go! You have no idea what is at stake here!"said the old woman angrily.

"She WHAT? Where is she?" Talia's grandmother was livid.
Talia tried to calm her grandmother down. "She said I should go to...erm, Thais. And to some college. To talk to Mister...Berrim."
Her grandmother thought for a second. "Hmm...the mainland is dangerous. Run and ask the blacksmith to lend you one of his boys."
Talia's heart skipped a beat. Maybe Devin would...no, she shouldn't think that. They'de propbably all chicken out anyway.
She walked around to the upper part of the village. As she headed for the waterfall, she saw Lidia Perry and her friends. Oh no! thought Talia. Maybe if she was quiet Lidia would not notice her..
"Maurva!" Lidia shouted across to her. "Come here!"
Talia sauntered over. God knows what would happen if you didn't.
"You knocked into my brother today."
Talia nodded, trying not to look scared. She still had bruises from the last time she had got on the nerves of Lidia Perry.
"Now why'de you go and do a thing like that?"
"It..was an acc-"
"She likes him! It's all over the village, they're going to elope!" one friend giggled.
Lidia's eyes flashed. "What?"
"Shouldn't worry Lidia, Devin will never go for someone with a chest like that!" her second friend sniggered.
Talia ran away. She ducked into the blacksmiths. She knew they wouldn't follow her there; they thought it was too dirty, noisy.
Barbar strolled over."Yes?"
Talia smiled. "Good morning! I have been set a quest by Avrail, and I have to go to the mainland, will one of your boys escort me?"
Barbar walked into the back of the workshop. "Boys! Young miss Maurva needs someone to escort her to the mainland!"
Billy looked up. "I've heard about this one! Word has it that Avrail wouldn't name her and she's running away!"
Talia whirled around. "No! Tis not true! I have been set a quest by Avrail!"
Jerad laughed. "The mainland! Huh! I wouldn't go there if you paid me!"
Talia clenched her fists. "Fine! I'll go there alone! I'm braver than the lot of you put together!" She turned to go.
"Wait!" a voice called after her. She turned around. Devin...

"I'll go with with her. We can't let one of of our girls wander the countryside alone, right?"
There was a silence.
"I owe you my life, Devin." said Talia quietly. This was why she loved him.
Devin smiled. "Does your grandmother know?"
"Y-yes...I'd like to go tell her that we are leaving...won't your sister be angry?"
They had somehow managed to walk out of the workshop.
"My sister's fights are on her own." (i forget what he says exactly..)
~~~ Devin joins the party! kidding, xD ~~~ Talia walked into the house, thinking. If she kept on acting shy around Devin, it would make things awkward... she had to grow up. No more more silly crushes on Devin. She ran into the kitchen where her grandmother was, feeling all the better and somehow all the worse as well, for her decision.
"Grandmother, I'm leaving now."
"Yes dear. Have a good trip." Her grandmother kissed her on the forehead. "I baked you some fresh loaves, and here are a few pennies to pay the fare to mainland."
Talia took the loaves and the money.
"...Goodbye, grandmother." She turned and ran out of the house. It was an abrupt, rude way to say goodbye. But Talia felt so confused.
Devin was waiting for her at the dock. "Did you make it here okay?"
Talia nearly blushed. Nearly. But she was learning. "Yes, thanks Devin. Anyway, my grandmother gave me money to pay the fare with, so lets go!"she said, with out a stammer.
As she walked up and began talking to the ferryman about the fare, Devin look at her sideways. She was very on and off, blushing one minute, confident the next. He liked her.

There was more than one reason he had joined this journey though.