I flew for almost a day, away into the Grimhold Mountians. Landing near a stream I changed back into human and sank down crying. So many of my friends were dead, and so was Alicia. I knew I had never appreciated Alicia the way I should have and only when she was dead did I realize this.
Through my tears, I noticed a blanket next to me. Realizing that I had no clothes, I wrapped the blanket around my waist.
"Oh!" A soft voice exclaimed. I looked up. A pretty, bronzed woman leading a horse stood near me. She looked terrified. The large dog next to her growled.
The blanket must have been hers. Before I could reassure her, the woman's face changed to a look of resolve and she drew out a dagger.
"Stay back," She was holding the weapon as if she knew how to use it. "I'm warning you."
"For Mithros's sake! I'm not going to hurt you." She didn't look convinced. "So… where are you headed?"
"Corus," She replied shortly.
"Corus? That's great, I live there."
Lowering the weapon slightly, she said. "You do?"
"Yes, I'm a mage. That's the reason I'm not wearing anything but a blanket; I was a bird a moment ago."
"Oh."
"Look… my name is Arram, well actually its Numair…" I was even confusing myself. "I could help you when you get to Corus, if you needed a job or something."
"I have friends," She replied rather haughtily. "I know the queen."
"Are you K'mari? Jon told me that Thayet is half K'mari."
"You know her too?" The woman lowered her sword completely. "I'm Onua, I think we can help each other."
From then on, Onua and I were close friends. As soon as we reached Corus, I made sure she got a job with the Riders. But I could not forget about Alicia and the other riders who had died because of me. I couldn't endanger any more of the Queen's Riders by working closely with them. Instead, I moved into a deserted tower near Pirate's Swoop. Of course, I helped Tortall quite frequently, especially after the immortals came. They kept a set of rooms for me at the palace. But I was careful never to allow a lover to get too close; I didn't want the incident with Alicia to repeat itself. This is how I lived my life, until I met a very special girl.
Through my tears, I noticed a blanket next to me. Realizing that I had no clothes, I wrapped the blanket around my waist.
"Oh!" A soft voice exclaimed. I looked up. A pretty, bronzed woman leading a horse stood near me. She looked terrified. The large dog next to her growled.
The blanket must have been hers. Before I could reassure her, the woman's face changed to a look of resolve and she drew out a dagger.
"Stay back," She was holding the weapon as if she knew how to use it. "I'm warning you."
"For Mithros's sake! I'm not going to hurt you." She didn't look convinced. "So… where are you headed?"
"Corus," She replied shortly.
"Corus? That's great, I live there."
Lowering the weapon slightly, she said. "You do?"
"Yes, I'm a mage. That's the reason I'm not wearing anything but a blanket; I was a bird a moment ago."
"Oh."
"Look… my name is Arram, well actually its Numair…" I was even confusing myself. "I could help you when you get to Corus, if you needed a job or something."
"I have friends," She replied rather haughtily. "I know the queen."
"Are you K'mari? Jon told me that Thayet is half K'mari."
"You know her too?" The woman lowered her sword completely. "I'm Onua, I think we can help each other."
From then on, Onua and I were close friends. As soon as we reached Corus, I made sure she got a job with the Riders. But I could not forget about Alicia and the other riders who had died because of me. I couldn't endanger any more of the Queen's Riders by working closely with them. Instead, I moved into a deserted tower near Pirate's Swoop. Of course, I helped Tortall quite frequently, especially after the immortals came. They kept a set of rooms for me at the palace. But I was careful never to allow a lover to get too close; I didn't want the incident with Alicia to repeat itself. This is how I lived my life, until I met a very special girl.