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Setting Out

Gard stood at the north gate of Wilusa. Waiting for Cheetara so they could set out, he looked up at the sky. The sun was shining, there were no clouds in the sky it seemed too good a day.

Holding something Kat had made for Balor, Gard could not help but smile. It was a stone circle with his likeness on it. Perhaps, things really had turned around for him.

As Balor came running past, Gard looked to his young descendant. "Looking for something, my boy?"

"Someone." Corrected Balor.

Gard grabbed Balor by the shoulder and handed him the gift from Kat. "May I inquire as to who?"

"Brigid."

Smiling, Gard remembered his own days of love so young ago. Balor and Brigid were eight years old and already love was sprouting and a good thing with them being arranged to marry when they turned sixteen. "I believe she is back at her family's hall. Where have you been?"

"Asking Sweyn about where to find a place."

"And what place would that be?" asked Gard.

"Oh, nowhere in particular." And with that Balor continued on his way.

Gard raised an eyebrow. No one asked about a place that was nowhere in particular. Still he would not pry. The only thing left to do was wait for Cheetara.

()

Balor ran to the Hall of the Zuvowangidae. Zuvowang was nursing a hangover at the dinning table, muttering: "I am getting too old for getting this crapulous." When Balor ran in, the loud footsteps of naked feet slapping against stone was torture for Zuvowang.

"Zuvowang, where is Brigid?" asked Balor.

"On this floor." Stated Zuvowang, not even turning his head to look at Balor. The siege had laid a number on him and he was finding it difficult to sleep at nights and often opted to just get crapulous until he passed out. After this he was going to be looking into something else to help him sleep.

Balor searched the floor and found Brigid taking a bath. Evabon bathes were the first on Third Earth to make use of heated water by way of water heated in a cauldron over a fire with every pipe and channel, every drain leading to that cauldron. If emptied completely into the pipes a person could be boiled alive.

Swimming and bathing were too different things. Seeing her dress and her green –two-piece outfit with a skirt on the floor, Balor swallowed nervously. This was awkward.

"H-Hi, Brigid!"

"Hi, Balor!" Brigid didn't even turn her head to look at Balor.

"Come, on I know where a grand locus is!" That was good. "Grand locus" was good. Hanging around the adults was certainly helping Balor's vocabulary.

"Balor, I'm kind of in the middle of my ablutions."

"Then finish up, get dressed and let's go!"

"This better not be any place dumb."

"It isn't, it is really excellent!"

"Ahnd jus wee is the eahwwy excewwen wocus?" Balor turned to see Brigid's aunt Hamyone behind him. Balor almost didn't know what Hamyone had said. Her speech ranged from understandable to incomprehensible depending on her mood. "Well, wee is it?" That was more understandable.

"Uh, by the Abandoned Bivouac!" exclaimed Balor.

"The Abandoned Bivouac?" asked Brigid. "I've been there! We both have! What is so great about it?"

"I'll show you when we get there." Said Balor casually.

Brigid was then clued in. "Aunt Hamyone, may I go with Balor?"

"Finish your bath and then you may." Stated Hamyone.

Balor would be setting off with Brigid for Gnozzoz, Gard and Cheetara would be setting off to help the ThunderCats. Two roads were going to be taken.

The End