**Yet another disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters mentioned in David Eddings's books. The others are all mine.**
Later on, after the noon meal, she saddled and mounted her small black horse. Nearby, Sir Tynian mounted his massive, fierce war-horse. Yuka was a little bit nervous of that beast.
"Are you ready?" he asked her. She nodded firmly. "Follow me," he said. "Stay close." He pressed his heels into his horse's flanks, and moved forward. As they left the stables, Lady Damare hurried towards them. Tynian reined in the huge stallion, and Yuka did the same.
"Yuka," Damare gasped, "sister. I forgot to give this to you." She held out a sparkling blue gemstone hanging on a silver chain. "As a reminder. Look into it if you need to consult me about anything, although I doubt you will. Farewell, sister." Yuka clipped on the beautiful pendant.
"Goodbye, sister," she whispered. Damare smiled.
"We will meet again. Be careful. Stay with Sir Tynian. Don't get yourself killed." Yuka nodded firmly. "And you," Damare turned to Tynian, who looked uncomfortable, "take care of my sister. I'll wring your neck if anything happens to her." Tynian gulped.
"Yes, ma'am," he agreed. "I'll look after her."
"Good boy," Damare said calmly. "Take care of yourselves. Go on, stop lingering! Go!" Tynian nodded and spurred the vicious brown horse forward. Yuka gazed at her Styric sister before smiling and following her knight-companion.
The quest had truly begun, and she was getting more and more nervous about it.
They moved along at a steady pace. Tynian seemed at first a bit worried about Yuka's riding skills, but she was an expert and soon showed him that. They rode throughout the day, stopped every few hours to give the horses a rest, and when night fell at last they made camp outside a small forest. Yuka slept half the night while her companion watched; just after midnight they changed. By morning Yuka, not used to staying up half the night, was tired out and had trouble staying awake that day. Tynian, considerate, noticed, and after a midday meal offered to let her sit in front of him so she could sleep, while he led her horse. She agreed, and slept fitfully until, later that night, they made camp. She took first watch then slept the rest of the night, so woke refreshed the next morning. And so it went on.
Just less than a week after setting out, there was a shout that echoed through the mountains around. "Tynian!" the voice yelled. Yuka's horse, frightened out of her wits by the massive voice, reared and pawed the air with her front hooves. Yuka struggled to hang on and calm the horse. Sir Tynian whipped his horse around and stared: just coming over a mound in the earth was a huge figure on a horse to match. Then a horn blew loudly.
Yuka, managing at last to subdue her horse, turned and gazed at the mounted figure. "Who is it, Sir Tynian?" she asked nervously.
"It's Ulath, from Thalesia," Tynian replied. "I'd been wondering when he'd catch up." The big Deiran then called a greeting to his friend. The two waited until the blond Thalesian caught up with them.
"Good to see you," Tynian said, shaking Ulath's hand warmly. The Genidian Knight grinned, then looked at Yuka, who had positioned herself and her horse well back out of the way, a little bit nervous of this huge man.
"And who's this?" he asked. "Are you to travel with us?"
"I-I am, Sir Ulath," she replied anxiously. The Genidian champion was huge, and made her feel very small. He nodded to her, then moved forward, took her hands and kissed her palms. She flushed. "Oh, Sir Ulath, you don't have to do that…" she said nervously. "I- I'm not used to…"
"Apologies," he replied. "I guess, since we're going to have to be friends, I'd better drop the formalities." Yuka smiled gratefully.
"Let's push on?" Tynian suggested. "We've still got a few days to go before we reach Chyrellos."
The journey became much more interesting now that Ulath had joined them. The Genidian was quiet, but Yuka found he had some interesting stories, and since she'd never been to Thalesia in her life, she listened avidly. She had discovered also that Tynian had some exciting tales to tell, but it seemed he had been at the centre of every major battle in recent history. The half-Styric, never much for a history lesson, found that the two knights made it all much more interesting, especially with their combined sense of humour. And within a few days that flashed by, the large free city of Chyrellos, the Holy City, came into view over the horizon.
"Do you think the other knights will be there already?" Yuka asked nervously.
"Bevier, probably," Tynian replied over the sound of the horse's hooves. "Kalten, no. And since Sparhawk, Khalad and Berit will be travelling with him, they won't, either."
"How much are you betting that Kalten manages to get Bevier drunk, this time round?" Ulath said drolly.
"Nothing," Tynian replied, "because he won't. He never does. Bevier won't touch anything except maybe one tankard of Arcian Red."
"You're right," Ulath agreed, "but I'm still going to wager money that Kalten succeeds this time round. Kalten can be very, very persuasive."
"Then you're more insane than I thought," Tynian replied, "and we'd better press on." He urged his horse into a canter, and the other two did the same.
They reached the large gates of Chyrellos a few minutes later.