Chapter Three

I suppose it was about a half hour after nightfall before anything interesting happened, seeing as how their conversation was exceedingly boring to me.

An arrow came whizzing by my head, just hitting my ear, making me bleed slightly.

"You hear that?" I said gripping my ear in an attempt to stop the blood. "Well? Did you?" They were so immersed in each others eyes, and mouths, that they didn't even care to notice.

"HEY! WAKE UP YOU TWO!" I shouted, startling them into breaking the kiss.

"What? Oh I fell asleep." He said, then yawning and stretching simultaneously.

"Oh yeah, me too."

"OK stop. We gotta fight this guy who shot the arrow at my head."

"What? Who?"

"The one over there behind that tree." I said pointing towards a tree slightly left of the path.

"I'll handle it. It's the least I could do for your letting me come along, sirs." She said quietly, dismounting and moving on extremely stealthy feet towards the tree at which I had pointed.

"Well this is interesting." I said as she drew her sword, her back to the tree.

"Yeah, it is." He said, still dreamy-eyed.

"Are you just gonna stare at her all day?"

"I suppose so. Why?"

"We've got better things to do."

"I haven't." I decided to leave it at that, as what she was doing was getting interesting. She slung her sword around the tree at neck height and brought it about 6 inches from the tree.

"I can't believe that guy waited around that long." She then moved around, holding the sword steady and moving around the tree. She gave the man standing there a motherly lecture, then as he started to talk back to her. She quite suddenly pressed the sword against the tree. There was a low thud as the head fell in between their bodies and hit the ground. Then multiple others as the lifeless body collapsed to the ground.

"You sure you want this one? I'd hate to see how she'd deal with her kids." I said as she started to walk back to us.

"Aren't you judging us rather quickly?" She was about halfway back now, and still out of earshot.

"Oh I'm sorry, but by the way you were kissing half the way her, I just didn't know what to think. You two seem rather serious." About three quarters, now just barely out.

"I suppose you're right" He said, smiling as she came back into clear view from the darkness.

"Well, that was fun!" She said as she hopped onto, oddly enough, my horse.

"Hey, um, I think your boyfriend would rather have you." Roy gave her a puzzled look.

"Yeah, I know." She sighed. "I suppose you're right." She dismounted and remounted, this time on Roy's horse.

It was about this time I realized I didn't know her name.

"Say, what's your name?" I had decided just to end the silence.

"My name? Eh, well. My name is" she seemingly trailed off into deep thought for a second or two then spoke again

"My master never really gave me a name" She shrugged.

"Are you a slave?" Roy said, eyeing her strangely.

"I was."

"Well that's odd."

"Does this change anything?" She asked with a half questioning face, though I'm pretty sure she knew it didn't.

"Not that I'm aware of."

"Good!" It was after they had discussed this matter for another five minutes or so when we had finally reached a village large enough that it had an inn and a tavern. So we rode down the hill that leads to it, passed a few houses, stores and such. Tied up our horses on the outside and entered the front door. This, as soon as we were through, was broken through by a man who had been thrown by another. Quite an amusing thing, bar fights.

The tavern's inside was actually a rather nice place, relatively new. Stone walls, wooden ceiling. Nothing spectacular, but it suited well for a few drinks. It was, quite conveniently directly connected with the inn at which we planned to stay for the night.

We chose a table in the rear corner for various reasons. They wanted their privacy, I didn't like people much, and we didn't want anyone asking too many questions. Our newly acquired friend had a rather peculiar look on her face. As if she wasn't quite enjoying this.

"How about Zahra?" Roy said, breaking the ice of silence.

"For what?" I said curiously

"A name for my new companion here."

"Why don't you ask her?"

"I was."

"Oh. Sorry."

"So, what do you think? I've always been rather partial to that name myself."

"I love it!" She said, her face brightening up.

"Good! Then from now on you shall be known as Zahra."

"I've never had a name before."

"Yes we know that." I decided to join the conversation. After that there was silence for a few moments as they stared deeply into each other's eyes, with me watching.

"So what's with the service around here? I haven't seen a single waiter or waitress all night." A nearby man must've overheard my saying that as he said "Ya gotta go to the bar to get whatcha want."

"Ah, ok. I will then. Thanks." I then turned back to the lost friends of mine. "You two want anything?" Nothing. "HELLO? You two want anything?"

"Oh! Yeah, I'll just have a shot of vodka. And you, my dear?"

"Ohh" She blushed and giggled slightly. "I've never really been anywhere like this before. I'll just have whatever it is you're having." Her face was radiating with happiness, as was his.

"That's a little strong."

"Are you calling me weak?"

"No! No!" I could tell he was fighting a smile, it was just a matter of if she could or not. I decided then to get our drinks.

On the way I almost got hit with a flying beer mug. A rowdy place, this tavern.

I noticed the bartender had a so called 'blue gold' medallion around his neck.

"Nice pendant. What's that on it?"

"A fox" He replied, thinking nothing of it.

"Ok then. Anyway, I'll have a pint of your best stuff. And my friends will each have a shot."

"Of what?"

"Vodka" The man walked around the bar a bit, finding the Vodka and what he had decided to give me.

"Here you go. That'll be ten for the pint, and five each shot."

"TEN?" I replied in disbelief

"Yes, ten. Now buy it!" I handed him the two yellow rupees needed to pay and started walking away.

"Taxes!"

"Huh?"

"You forgot to pay taxes! Two rupees, please."

"AHH! Fine." I tossed him two green over the table, which he caught one in each hand.

"Thank you." he shook his head as if I were some kind of fool.

As I sat down and slid them their drinks, I noticed my two friend's faces were unusually far apart.

"You two fighting already?"

"Why would you say that?" Zahra said, looking puzzled.

"You're not kissing."

"So?"

"I've always had to yell at you to make you stop. And now, you're just not. Without my yelling."

"Must we all the time? It is an enjoyable activity, but still." Roy decided to jump into the conversation.

"Well I guess if you don't want to, I'm not going to force you into it."

"Good."

The evening from that point on was rather eventless. At least until we went to the inn for a room.

As we walked through the dimly lit passage that took us from one building to the next, there was a man lying on the floor covered in a wool blanket, asleep. I, in particular, tried to be quiet going past the man. I'm not even sure they noticed.

As we passed through the small wooden door to the inn, the light grew much brighter. Roy and Zahra walked to the counter as I sat on a rather disgusting wood bench.

"I'd like three rooms, please."

"Two!" Zahra said, smiling.

"Two? But there are three of us. Only one bed per room, dear."

"I know. That's the point."

"Three rooms, please." Zahra sighed when she heard this, and struck him playfully.

"That'll be twenty five each." Roy took out three reds, a yellow and a blue to pay for this. Handed them to the lady, and took the keys she held out after that."

"You'll be in the three rooms at the end of the hall over there." She pointed to the hallway.

"Thank you." They walked back to where I was sitting, tossed me a key, and we walked to our rooms.