*two weeks later*
Lanen studied the countryside as she walked beside Jocelin, thinking. Why am I going with Jocelin? I guess it's my fault that I didn't tell him about Thom and the fight we had. How did I get myself into this? I only wanted to stay in the city until Thom learned his lesson. Lanen sighed, it was good to see Joss again; she hadn't realized how much she had missed him.
"What are you thinking about?" asked Joss as he glanced sideways at her.
"I-I was just thinking about about my friend Daine. She used to live in a village here in Galla, Snowsdale. Have you heard of it?"
Joss looked at his traveling companion suspiciously. "I've heard of it, but I've never been there. Are you sure there's not something else bothering you?" Joss was worried about Lanen. Since they had set out from Corus Lanen wasn't eating much, but Joss knew she thought she was hiding it from him.
"Yeah, I'm fine. My back is just soar from so much walking. Are we almost to Cria? It's getting dark and I don't want another attack." said Lanen.
"We're already here. There's an inn I know of not to far ahead." replied Joss.
When they reached the inn, a fat, bald headed man approached them with a young girl not far behind.
"G'day." greeted the Inn-keeper as he looked them over. "Travelers, I suppose ye'll be wantin' rooms? Ye'er in luck, I have one left. Got a pretty full house, what with the fair and all. So, what'll it be?"
"We'll take the room, along with some hot food and ale." Joss told the inn-keeper.
"I'd like a hot bath, before I eat." said Lanen as the young girl went off.
"Very well, m'lady. I'll have the maid fetch ye when it's ready. So are ye in town for the fair?" asked the friendly man, as he showed them to a table.
"Yes, I'm a painter." said Joss.
"Hey! What do ye think yer a doin'?" yelled the inn-keeper as he left.
Lanen and Joss sat at the table sipping ale when the young girl informed Lanen her bath was ready.
In her room, Lanen stripped off her clothes and gently lowered her aching body into the hot bath. The hot water soothed her soar lower back, which had been bothering her since they had left Corus. Lanen was also having trouble keeping food down. She thought both had been because of all the unaccustomed walking at first, but then it persisted. She didn't complain to Jocelin, but she knew he suspected she was ill.
Joss had eaten and was now enjoying the noise common room. After a while, he wondered what had happened to Lanen. So he went up to the room to check and tapped on the door. "Lanen? Lanen, what are you doing in there?" When she didn't answer, he opened the door, looked in and chuckled to himself. She had fallen alseep during her bath. He entered the room and gently shook her awake. He hadn't realized how thin she had become; he knew it was because she hadn't been eating.
Lanen awoke to see Jocelin standing beside the tub. She didn't care that he had seen her naked, she was to tired to care. Joss turned around as Lanen stood and wrapped a towel around her body. He kept his back turned as he listened to her dress.
"Lanen, I'm worried about you. You don't look well, and you're much thinner than you were when we left Corus. I think you need to see a healer." said Joss
"Don't be ridiculous, Joss. I'm fine, I don't need to see a healer." said Lanen with a false laugh.
"Damn, Lanen! When are you going to stop lying to me?! You can trust me, you know you can. I know that you haven't been eating very much, can't you tell me why?"
"Joss..." said Lanen as she came up behind him. "I-I don't know why. I j-just can't seem to keep anything down." she cried as tears slowly rolled down her face. Joss turned around and took her in his arms, holding her while she wept. "I do trust you. I do. I'm sorry, I'm just tired."
"Well, at least try to eat something. Tomorrow we'll go see a healer and you can see the fair." smiled Joss as he escorted her downstairs to the noise common room.
_______________________________________________
"You silly, silly child." smiled the elderly healer. "Can you not tell that you are with child?"
"W-what? there must be some kind of mistake." the healer shook her head, pated Lanen's hand in sympathy and left to see other patients.
Joss stood staring at Lanen in shock, and wonder.
"Joss...I-I didn't want to tell you, but I guess I have no choice now. Thom and me-this is his child. He...We had a fight and that's the reason I left the safety of the palace. I-I'm sorry...I wanted to forget" said Lanen.
Jocelin smiled as he took her in his arms. "Congratulations, Lady Lanen. Your going to be a mother." For a minute Joss was so close, Lanen found it hard to breath. Then he suddenly pulled away saying, "Lets go see the fair, while I find some work."
They remained at the fair for a week, while Lanen explored the wonders of distant lands and Jocelin painted.
___________________________________________________
A few hours after the fight, Thom had realized how harsh he had been.
He went into the city, searching for Lanen and praying that she was alright. He went into every inn and asked about her. Until an inn keeper told Thom that she had left with a very nice young man, headed for the fair in Cria, Galla.
For the last three weeks Thom had been miserable without Lanen. He trained harder than ever with the hopes of putting her out of his mind. He only stopped to eat and sleep.
Lanen studied the countryside as she walked beside Jocelin, thinking. Why am I going with Jocelin? I guess it's my fault that I didn't tell him about Thom and the fight we had. How did I get myself into this? I only wanted to stay in the city until Thom learned his lesson. Lanen sighed, it was good to see Joss again; she hadn't realized how much she had missed him.
"What are you thinking about?" asked Joss as he glanced sideways at her.
"I-I was just thinking about about my friend Daine. She used to live in a village here in Galla, Snowsdale. Have you heard of it?"
Joss looked at his traveling companion suspiciously. "I've heard of it, but I've never been there. Are you sure there's not something else bothering you?" Joss was worried about Lanen. Since they had set out from Corus Lanen wasn't eating much, but Joss knew she thought she was hiding it from him.
"Yeah, I'm fine. My back is just soar from so much walking. Are we almost to Cria? It's getting dark and I don't want another attack." said Lanen.
"We're already here. There's an inn I know of not to far ahead." replied Joss.
When they reached the inn, a fat, bald headed man approached them with a young girl not far behind.
"G'day." greeted the Inn-keeper as he looked them over. "Travelers, I suppose ye'll be wantin' rooms? Ye'er in luck, I have one left. Got a pretty full house, what with the fair and all. So, what'll it be?"
"We'll take the room, along with some hot food and ale." Joss told the inn-keeper.
"I'd like a hot bath, before I eat." said Lanen as the young girl went off.
"Very well, m'lady. I'll have the maid fetch ye when it's ready. So are ye in town for the fair?" asked the friendly man, as he showed them to a table.
"Yes, I'm a painter." said Joss.
"Hey! What do ye think yer a doin'?" yelled the inn-keeper as he left.
Lanen and Joss sat at the table sipping ale when the young girl informed Lanen her bath was ready.
In her room, Lanen stripped off her clothes and gently lowered her aching body into the hot bath. The hot water soothed her soar lower back, which had been bothering her since they had left Corus. Lanen was also having trouble keeping food down. She thought both had been because of all the unaccustomed walking at first, but then it persisted. She didn't complain to Jocelin, but she knew he suspected she was ill.
Joss had eaten and was now enjoying the noise common room. After a while, he wondered what had happened to Lanen. So he went up to the room to check and tapped on the door. "Lanen? Lanen, what are you doing in there?" When she didn't answer, he opened the door, looked in and chuckled to himself. She had fallen alseep during her bath. He entered the room and gently shook her awake. He hadn't realized how thin she had become; he knew it was because she hadn't been eating.
Lanen awoke to see Jocelin standing beside the tub. She didn't care that he had seen her naked, she was to tired to care. Joss turned around as Lanen stood and wrapped a towel around her body. He kept his back turned as he listened to her dress.
"Lanen, I'm worried about you. You don't look well, and you're much thinner than you were when we left Corus. I think you need to see a healer." said Joss
"Don't be ridiculous, Joss. I'm fine, I don't need to see a healer." said Lanen with a false laugh.
"Damn, Lanen! When are you going to stop lying to me?! You can trust me, you know you can. I know that you haven't been eating very much, can't you tell me why?"
"Joss..." said Lanen as she came up behind him. "I-I don't know why. I j-just can't seem to keep anything down." she cried as tears slowly rolled down her face. Joss turned around and took her in his arms, holding her while she wept. "I do trust you. I do. I'm sorry, I'm just tired."
"Well, at least try to eat something. Tomorrow we'll go see a healer and you can see the fair." smiled Joss as he escorted her downstairs to the noise common room.
_______________________________________________
"You silly, silly child." smiled the elderly healer. "Can you not tell that you are with child?"
"W-what? there must be some kind of mistake." the healer shook her head, pated Lanen's hand in sympathy and left to see other patients.
Joss stood staring at Lanen in shock, and wonder.
"Joss...I-I didn't want to tell you, but I guess I have no choice now. Thom and me-this is his child. He...We had a fight and that's the reason I left the safety of the palace. I-I'm sorry...I wanted to forget" said Lanen.
Jocelin smiled as he took her in his arms. "Congratulations, Lady Lanen. Your going to be a mother." For a minute Joss was so close, Lanen found it hard to breath. Then he suddenly pulled away saying, "Lets go see the fair, while I find some work."
They remained at the fair for a week, while Lanen explored the wonders of distant lands and Jocelin painted.
___________________________________________________
A few hours after the fight, Thom had realized how harsh he had been.
He went into the city, searching for Lanen and praying that she was alright. He went into every inn and asked about her. Until an inn keeper told Thom that she had left with a very nice young man, headed for the fair in Cria, Galla.
For the last three weeks Thom had been miserable without Lanen. He trained harder than ever with the hopes of putting her out of his mind. He only stopped to eat and sleep.