My next chapter, even tho no one reveiwed! u wont get another if u dont.... i crave 'em.... sniff...
same disclaimer, plz reveiw!


Chap2: A bit of traveling

Ulath was finishing up his packs, making sure he hadn't forgotten something important. His sister Kyshi was waiting around the docks for the ship to be ready to leave Thalasia for Verdenais in Elenia. He would meet his friend and fellow knight, Tynian, both on thier way to to meet up with old friends in Cimmura as they had planned.
He was worried for Kyshi though, she looked drawn and worn like she had cried, and not slept even for a moment last night. Certainly him leaving wouldn't affect her so much, would it?
"Lady Brat, what in the world is wrong with you?"
"What? Oh nothing, I just slept badly." She covered, trying not to sound as tired as she was.
"Yeah right. I'll send you some letters if you want. Maybe you won't worry so much." He reassured her, thinking he was the cause of this distress.
"Your kind of letters? Don't bother, you might as well have an ogre read it to me." She said, knowing his penmanship and eloquence on paper weren't scholary material. She gave the big Gendian knight a hug. "Come back in one peice Ulath."
"I will, Kyshi; stay out of trouble." He said, and walked up the gangway to the merchant ship that was bound for the Eosian continent.
"Yeah right," She said, before disapearing from the docks.

*~§~*~§~*~§~*

Ulath stood on the aft deck, looking out at the salty. He thought of seeing his friends again, he had missed them in the seasons passed scince their adventures in the lands of the Crygai, in the Tamul empire. He idly wondered if he'd undertake such an expedition again. Of course he would, but it wouldn't be the same without the same group of friends, and their adventuring days were probably over.
"Ah well," he said to the sea. "I don't think we could top the last one." The few words he ever did say were wasted on the sea as the leagues went by under the ship gliding over the waves.

*~§~*~§~*~§~*

"He said Verdenais.... okay.... then I want to go to Verdenais. He won't have another adventure without me..." Kyshi was talking to thin air, or so it seemed. "I never asked before... please?" She seemed to be listening to the howling of the wind, or of the wolves. She slowly nodded, "I understand..."

*~§~*~§~*~§~*

Kyshi found herself in a narrow alley. Once she re-oriented herself the first thing she noticed was the lack of snow and the heat.
"It... It worked!" She shouted happily as she shead her heavy cloak and looked around in wonder. "This must be Verdenais."
She stepped out of the alley and fallowed the noises of busy people to a large market place. She stared openly at the gaily dressed Elenes, dealing with equally motley-clothed merchantes pushing their wares. She definitely looked out of place, a girl dressed in heavy clothes fit for a winter storm.
Kyshi had never left Emsat, but she knew generally what to look for. She walked passed the merchant square, passing several homes, taverns and various buisnesses, looking for an inn. She would explore the town first, but she would rather know where she would stay. After all, Ulath's ship would only arrive in two days' time.

*~§~*~§~*~§~*

She settled up with the innkeeper with the money she 'borrowed' from Ulath. Two nights and two dinners; and concidering how hungry she felt right now, the exorbitant price was nothing.
She sat at a table in the far corner of the room. She made sure to watch and listen intently, a confrontation with the men around was not what she wanted. A fifteen year old girl might attract some unwanted attention. She was not so worried about the danger to herself, then not wanting to make a scene in this new place.
She inadvertantly overheard someone mention the name of the ship Ulath was currently a passenger on. She lifted her head slowly and set her gaze on the two men who had spoken.
One seemed very built with a pleasant face while the other had tar smeared clothes and a crooked nose.
"I cun tells ya when that ship is comin' ta dock, what was 'er name 'gain?" the crooked nosed one asked the other in some dialect Kyshi found hard to follow. The other bought a drink for his tar smeared friend.
"She's the Weaver." He said in a nicer accent, taking a sip from one of the two tankards brought over to their table.
"Fine vessel she is, but all 'em travels to Thalasia'll wear 'er out soon 'nuff. She be dockin' here day after the next; unless she sunk summat." He said as Kyshi leaned in closer and thought over his words.
"Thanks neighbor. Would you like another drink?"
"I ain't one ta refuse m'lord," he said, "Muh ship's still grounded 'till we patch 'er hull."
Kyshi looked at the man's clothes again. She should have guessed he was a sailor by the patching tar and dialect; the other one though, wanted to know about the Weaver. 'Why,' Kyshi thought, 'Would he be concerned about that ship?'
She mulled it over for a moment, and tensed up in her seat as the second man sat beside her.
"You seemed quite interested in our conversation there..." He said slowly, his tone devided between suspicion and amicable.
She backed away sizing him up. She was quite acomplished in hand to hand combat, but against a man like that she didn't think she could win if he decided to be trouble.
"So? That's my buisness." she said, then added my lord like the sailor just in case.
"Mind telling me why, Miss?" He said in the same tone.

*~§~*~§~*~§~*

Ulath stood behind a fellow traveller, helping him in his latest bout of sea-sickness. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah," The passenger said as he lifted himself from the rail. "If i ignore the nausea and discomfort..." Ulath didn't bother to reply, instead he turned back to the sea. "Something bothering you friend? You seem preoccupied.the passenger said as he regained some sences.
"Just wondering..." He said after a moment, in his usual untalkative mood.
"About? Come on tell me, it will take my mind off the rocking of this damn boat."
Ulath paused, then said, "A sibling back home is turning out to be a troublemaker. I;m just wondering about the trouble she'll cause back home."
The smaller man pat Ulath's back, "Never worry about the trouble back home, trouble is always ahead of you."