Author's note: Finally, here it is! Took me forever to type this one.It's
got some more character development for Jea, and a teeny bit on some of the
others. I really appreciate all of you who are willing to spend time
reading this story.It makes me feel good..
Oh, and I know some of you are probably thinking the same question: How on earth is it possible for Jea and Laguna to be in ANY kind of relationship at all, all things considered.Let alone MARRIAGE. Um.Lemme see if I can answer that without three and a half pages of explanation.
One: Laguna, despite being a paladin, is a paladin of the god Goku. For those of you who ever seen Dragon Ball Or DBZ, you know that Goku is a hero who is so noble, good, and kind that just listening gives you cavities. Laguna is a LOT like his god. Now, I know paladins are supposed to be Lawful Good.But If they are of an Order, they follow the LAWS of the ORDER. Goku is more a Neutral Good character.So, Laguna's behavior is more like that of a NG character-but because of his "affiliation" he counts as LG. Strange, ne? Besides, Goku's married.To she who we affectionately call "Chichi, The Psycho Bitch."
Two: It's is highly possible-and very likely for the two personalities to be a good match. Why do I know this? Simply put, Jea is me. Laguna is effectively (for all intents and purposes in this case.), my very best friend and fiancé. It can happen-first hand experience talkin'. And compared to the two of us.Jea and Laguna took FOREVER to get together.
Anywho, I saw The Two Towers today..GO SEE IT if you haven't already. It is worth 3x what you pay to get in!! There are comments in there only a Gamer could appreciate..
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, gang! I hope you enjoy everything!!!
Wolfie
Chapter Twenty Nine
Upon reaching the palace and presenting the letter, the party was escorted by armed guard to the grand audience chamber of the king. The monarch, a rather young man in his mid 20's, rose to greet and thank them formally. He had close cropped black hair, and a pale smiling face. His form seemed thin, but it was difficult to tell; his robes disguised him well.
"Noble Heroes, we hath called thee here to address thy courageous deeds, grafted forever in the history of this fair and glorious city. Paladin Kimsteed of the Order of Goku, step forth."
Laguna moved forward, bowing deeply. "Your Majesty?"
"Thou hast impressed not only us, but our advisors. Thou doth do thine Order a credit. As thy deeds were most noble, so shall thy reward be. Upon the eve of this audience, thou shalt be escorted promptly to the stables, were thou wilt receive thine own war-horse. The head of thine Order hath already been contacted and hath given his blessing."
The King looked towards the rest of the group. "Ranger-Druid Jea Kinnaran."
The young woman stepped forward with a small nod of respect. "Thou hast earned the gratitude of our wondrous city. In an attempt to balance out the standing," at this the young king winked mischievously, "we offer thee a chance to take a single item from our treasure vault-should thou not take us up on this offer, the boon will be reserved for a later date of thine own choosing."
Jea snickered mentally. -Ah! So that's who he was!- She remembered this youngster. He'd been a sneaky little boy the last time she was here and she had saved him from a thrashing by a nearsighted cook. In fact, they'd kept in touch over the years through a series of letters. The youth, Tersian, reminded Jea of the little brother she'd never had. Her mind flashed back to their first meeting.
Flashback:
"You little devil, I'll thrash you! Get your lazy serving hide outta here and get to work instead of pinching my cakes!" The obese man flailed around, trying to grab the quickly moving spot on his poor vision.
The youth snickered as he grabbed another cake and stuffed it in his mouth. The old tub of bear fat would never catch him, he thought smugly.
All of a sudden, a cold, chubby hand snatched him by the neck and lifted him up in the air. "I gotcha, you little thief!" the "tub of bear fat" exclaimed, breathing foul breath in the boy's face. He was choking him ever so slightly, and began to rain blows on the 13-year-old's body, bruising and breaking bones, damaging internal structure.
This is what Jea walked into. She frowned at the sight, and moved into the kitchen. There was no excuse to beat a child like that. With a small snarl she punched the man in the back of the head.
His eyes rolled up and he collapsed, dropping the half conscious youth. Jea caught the boy and darted to another empty room. Laying him down, she inspected his injuries. Without a thought, she healed the broken bones and internal injuries. The youngster would be a little sore but he'd live.
He groaned and opened his eyes-only to find himself staring into a pair of wolfishly grinning ones. He squeaked and scooted back from Jea. "Who're you?"
"Relax, kiddo. I took care of that fat ball of grease. What'd you do?"
"Uh.nothin'.Just had a snack."
"Ah," the mahogany woman remarked, nodding in understanding. "Well, you'll be fine-" She looked expectantly at him for a name.
"Uh.Tersian."
"Well, Tersian, you might be a wee bit stiff, but you'll heal."
"What's your name?" he asked hesitantly.
"Jea Kinnaran," she responded. The ranger turned to go.
"Wait! How can I repay you? My father says that I should always repay what I owe."
Jea smiled. "That's a smart papa you have there.Don't worry about it." His contorted face told her he would anyway. "Alright.I'll tell you what. You can repay me very simply. Do what I have done."
"What?" he wondered in confusion.
"If someone is in need of help, being treated unfair, or anything like that, do whatever is in your power to help them; and when they offer a reward-refuse it. Good deeds aren't good deeds if they're done for money or riches. Instead, ask of them the favor I ask of you," she clarified. He nodded in agreement.
The ranger made to leave. As she disappeared, she called, "And stay away from the fat cook! He does remember you!"
Jea smirked and replied, "I think I'll save my favor, Majesty. Who knows when someone might need help."
The king's face twitched in amusement, and he turned to the others of the party, repeating his offer to them. Shikatsu decided to save the favor, but Ambermist and Dumbugg picked the treasure pile.
Jea snuck off from the others as they headed towards the treasure room. She would meet them at the stable, but first, she had somewhere to go.
* * * * * *
Jea leaned casually against the wall in the still vacant room, waiting patiently. A few moments later, the skinny king entered, clad in servant's cloths. He peered around anxiously, not seeing the woman in the shadows. She decided to surprise him. "Hello again, Tersian. Long time no see, me boyo."
He jumped in the air, freaked. Turning to her he replied shakily, "Hi.Again.I didn't expect to ever see you again. You left in quite a hurry."
The woman shrugged. "I've been around the world a few times since then. It's an adventurer thing.You seem to have done pretty well for yourself. King, huh? So how'd you manage that? You pop somebody off? Or did you impress the late King so much he GAVE it too you?" she teased.
He blushed. "I.uh."
"Eh, don't concern yourself with it. It happens all the time. I didn't come to rag on you. I came to ask if you'd kept your end of the bargain.and to present a small gift to a friend." She presented him with a small frosted cupcake.
He grinned. Taking the cake, he took a small bite. "Hmm.good."
Jea smirked. Hoping quietly, she wondered if the life extension potion she'd added in there had worked. Tersian was the kind of king who could do a lot of good, if given the years to do it.
Tersian finished the cupcake, and spoke. "Yes, ma'am. I have tried to do everything in my power to help people in need. I'm actually trying to fix the city's problems of hunger and homelessness. I figure, if people have what they need to survive, the crime rate will be less.and people will live better."
Jea smiled again. "I have to go meet up with my friends, Tersian. It was good to speak with you again. I have certainly enjoyed the letters over the years. Keep in touch, you hear?"
"I will," he laughed. "You too, ranger."
Jea dashed out of the door just after her party walked by, rejoining them without much notice. Laguna raised his eyebrow querulously, but Jea waved him off. The ranger then inspected what her friends had acquired. Ambermist was wearing a gray cloak that positively oozed with magick. Dumbugg had a large shield casually slung over one shoulder.
* * * * * *
They were led with great ceremony out to the stables. There, they waited patiently as a groom retrieved the horse. Jea lounged by his side, interested in seeing the animal and making friends. Laguna was practically quivering with anticipation, eager to look over his new mount-considering he'd been raised on a horse farm.
They were surprised, however, when five minutes later, the horse was led out. He was a beautiful stallion: fine configuration, apparent breeding, good size, perfect proportions, and amazing appearance. The young stallion was a lively horse, with sparkling eyes full of intelligence. The only thing that was out of the extraordinary and into the utterly bizarre was his coloring.
The animal was, of all things, a sparkling emerald green, with a darker mane and tail. His hooves were like a green crystal so dark that it was almost black, his mane and tail the shade of twilight leaves in the heart of a virgin forest. His coat seemed to sparkle of its own accord, catching and reflecting light like the contours and facets of a million polished gems.
The stallion whickered as he forced his way to Laguna, shoving his head down to the paladin's level. The animal's gleaming yellow eyes showed curiosity as he began searching Laguna for food.
Jea giggled as Laguna made an apple appear from somewhere and fed it to the horse, who crunched it happily and looked for more. Laguna stroked his new war-horse's neck.
The horse gave Jea a dirty look when she touched Laguna's arm a minute later to ask a question. He bared his teeth and nipped at her in warning. Imagine his surprise when she bit back.
The ranger pulled out a lump of sugar and offered it in way of a peace treaty. When the animal got a whiff of her scent and realized what and who she was, his whole demeanor changed. He acted like a playful kitten with both paladin and ranger/druid, seeking to please.
Laguna laughed and shook his head at the horse's antics. Dear gods, if his parents could see this. -Heck,- he thought, -What would they do if they could see me? A paladin, with a party, a green horse, and a fiancée-not to mention the whole impending fatherhood creeping up on me! Oh, man, they'd have a cow!!-
He stifled his snicker and turned to Jea. "So.Jea, where to next? We've done what we came here to do."
Jea thought for a moment. "Well.I really hate to ask this, but." she trailed off distractedly.
"What?"
"I need to stop through my hoe and check on Papa. I've not been home in about three years, and my da needs to be checked on once in a while.he's not.well."
Laguna looked concerned. "Where's your mom? And the rest of your family? Don't you get help from them?"
The young woman's face was filled with bitterness when she responded. "Lemme tell you something 'bout my worthless family, Laguna," Jea whispered quietly. "Papa used to be an adventurer; he was in a large party. He had a brief and badly ending affair with another party member-an elven mage.my mother. I was the reason it ended bad. My mother was the second daughter of a Grey Elf noble, and she had been brought up to consider half-breeds a sick abomination. She.she didn't want me."
Jea paused to take a painful breath. "Papa refused to let me be abandoned. He was a ranger, and his bitch wolf had two puppies the same day I was born. After my mother," Jea spoke the word with heavy sarcasm, "ditched me, I was fed with Starfire's puppies. That maybe why I can speak to all the wolves, and not just Wolf. He left the party with me and traveled the two and a half weeks to his home."
"We made it to the village; Papa's family was not too thrilled to see him. He came waltzing back in with a daughter and no wife. Plus, I was half elven. They didn't like that. So they held the Ceremony of Bonding to link me with Wolf.as a way to get rid of me, get me out of the way. My aunt, the family matriarch, encouraged the village children and the rest of the family to ostracize me. I sought the village Elder, and the wolves for companionship. My family-Papa's family-continued to snub us. I became VERY cynical; you deal with that much shit and you'll get that way. I would fight with my cousins-physically and verbally-and then get yelled at by my aunts and uncles.
"At first, I went home, crying to Papa. He would comfort me, telling me it would be okay, but I knew it hurt him, a lot.so I stopped. I learned to fight back.
"Papa trained me in the skills of the rangers. I could track at four, shoot at six, and by the time I was nine I had learned everything he could teach. When I was 10, Papa's companion, Starfire died, and something died in his mind. The Elder, Treesong, took a liking to a fiercely independent girl. He trained me in the ways of the druids, enhancing my knowledge of the wild world, and, in a way, giving me an outlet with which to calm the raging hormones and emotions that are common in young teenage girls.
"By the time I was 15, I spent most of my time in the forest and away from Auntie. It wasn't much of a stretch to pack up and leave town, with a promise to return every once in a while to check up on Papa.."
Jea took a shuddering breath, fingers woven into Wolf's fur. He nuzzled her with his nose, and Thistlechaser stood next to Jea in sympathy.
Laguna put a hand on Jea's shoulder. He hadn't intended to bring up unpleasant memories. She smiled gratefully at all three. "Anyway, what I was going to ask was 'Where do your folks live?' If it's on the way, we can stop by for you to visit them.They might be interested in your horse. Speaking of which.What're you gonna call him?"
Blinking in surprise at the subject switch, the knight thought for a minute. "Um.How about Arkadia?"
The horse whickered approvingly, nodding his head up and down. Jea smiled happily. "It's a good name, Lover," she agreed.
Ambermist swaggered over. "Are you done yet? I'm tired! What are you doing?" she demanded in annoyance.
Jea shrugged noncommittally. "Trying to decide where to go next. But we can do that on the way back to Shik's."
During the trip back, Laguna whispered softly in Jea's ear, "I would like to stop at my parents on the way, but I think we need to get married first."
Jea bared her teeth in a fierce and evil grin. "How about we do it before we leave town." The ranger woman was pondering at the same time. -Gee.I wonder if we'll have to hit the priest.Heh heh heh.-
".Okay." Suddenly Laguna was VERY scared.
Oh, and I know some of you are probably thinking the same question: How on earth is it possible for Jea and Laguna to be in ANY kind of relationship at all, all things considered.Let alone MARRIAGE. Um.Lemme see if I can answer that without three and a half pages of explanation.
One: Laguna, despite being a paladin, is a paladin of the god Goku. For those of you who ever seen Dragon Ball Or DBZ, you know that Goku is a hero who is so noble, good, and kind that just listening gives you cavities. Laguna is a LOT like his god. Now, I know paladins are supposed to be Lawful Good.But If they are of an Order, they follow the LAWS of the ORDER. Goku is more a Neutral Good character.So, Laguna's behavior is more like that of a NG character-but because of his "affiliation" he counts as LG. Strange, ne? Besides, Goku's married.To she who we affectionately call "Chichi, The Psycho Bitch."
Two: It's is highly possible-and very likely for the two personalities to be a good match. Why do I know this? Simply put, Jea is me. Laguna is effectively (for all intents and purposes in this case.), my very best friend and fiancé. It can happen-first hand experience talkin'. And compared to the two of us.Jea and Laguna took FOREVER to get together.
Anywho, I saw The Two Towers today..GO SEE IT if you haven't already. It is worth 3x what you pay to get in!! There are comments in there only a Gamer could appreciate..
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, gang! I hope you enjoy everything!!!
Wolfie
Chapter Twenty Nine
Upon reaching the palace and presenting the letter, the party was escorted by armed guard to the grand audience chamber of the king. The monarch, a rather young man in his mid 20's, rose to greet and thank them formally. He had close cropped black hair, and a pale smiling face. His form seemed thin, but it was difficult to tell; his robes disguised him well.
"Noble Heroes, we hath called thee here to address thy courageous deeds, grafted forever in the history of this fair and glorious city. Paladin Kimsteed of the Order of Goku, step forth."
Laguna moved forward, bowing deeply. "Your Majesty?"
"Thou hast impressed not only us, but our advisors. Thou doth do thine Order a credit. As thy deeds were most noble, so shall thy reward be. Upon the eve of this audience, thou shalt be escorted promptly to the stables, were thou wilt receive thine own war-horse. The head of thine Order hath already been contacted and hath given his blessing."
The King looked towards the rest of the group. "Ranger-Druid Jea Kinnaran."
The young woman stepped forward with a small nod of respect. "Thou hast earned the gratitude of our wondrous city. In an attempt to balance out the standing," at this the young king winked mischievously, "we offer thee a chance to take a single item from our treasure vault-should thou not take us up on this offer, the boon will be reserved for a later date of thine own choosing."
Jea snickered mentally. -Ah! So that's who he was!- She remembered this youngster. He'd been a sneaky little boy the last time she was here and she had saved him from a thrashing by a nearsighted cook. In fact, they'd kept in touch over the years through a series of letters. The youth, Tersian, reminded Jea of the little brother she'd never had. Her mind flashed back to their first meeting.
Flashback:
"You little devil, I'll thrash you! Get your lazy serving hide outta here and get to work instead of pinching my cakes!" The obese man flailed around, trying to grab the quickly moving spot on his poor vision.
The youth snickered as he grabbed another cake and stuffed it in his mouth. The old tub of bear fat would never catch him, he thought smugly.
All of a sudden, a cold, chubby hand snatched him by the neck and lifted him up in the air. "I gotcha, you little thief!" the "tub of bear fat" exclaimed, breathing foul breath in the boy's face. He was choking him ever so slightly, and began to rain blows on the 13-year-old's body, bruising and breaking bones, damaging internal structure.
This is what Jea walked into. She frowned at the sight, and moved into the kitchen. There was no excuse to beat a child like that. With a small snarl she punched the man in the back of the head.
His eyes rolled up and he collapsed, dropping the half conscious youth. Jea caught the boy and darted to another empty room. Laying him down, she inspected his injuries. Without a thought, she healed the broken bones and internal injuries. The youngster would be a little sore but he'd live.
He groaned and opened his eyes-only to find himself staring into a pair of wolfishly grinning ones. He squeaked and scooted back from Jea. "Who're you?"
"Relax, kiddo. I took care of that fat ball of grease. What'd you do?"
"Uh.nothin'.Just had a snack."
"Ah," the mahogany woman remarked, nodding in understanding. "Well, you'll be fine-" She looked expectantly at him for a name.
"Uh.Tersian."
"Well, Tersian, you might be a wee bit stiff, but you'll heal."
"What's your name?" he asked hesitantly.
"Jea Kinnaran," she responded. The ranger turned to go.
"Wait! How can I repay you? My father says that I should always repay what I owe."
Jea smiled. "That's a smart papa you have there.Don't worry about it." His contorted face told her he would anyway. "Alright.I'll tell you what. You can repay me very simply. Do what I have done."
"What?" he wondered in confusion.
"If someone is in need of help, being treated unfair, or anything like that, do whatever is in your power to help them; and when they offer a reward-refuse it. Good deeds aren't good deeds if they're done for money or riches. Instead, ask of them the favor I ask of you," she clarified. He nodded in agreement.
The ranger made to leave. As she disappeared, she called, "And stay away from the fat cook! He does remember you!"
Jea smirked and replied, "I think I'll save my favor, Majesty. Who knows when someone might need help."
The king's face twitched in amusement, and he turned to the others of the party, repeating his offer to them. Shikatsu decided to save the favor, but Ambermist and Dumbugg picked the treasure pile.
Jea snuck off from the others as they headed towards the treasure room. She would meet them at the stable, but first, she had somewhere to go.
* * * * * *
Jea leaned casually against the wall in the still vacant room, waiting patiently. A few moments later, the skinny king entered, clad in servant's cloths. He peered around anxiously, not seeing the woman in the shadows. She decided to surprise him. "Hello again, Tersian. Long time no see, me boyo."
He jumped in the air, freaked. Turning to her he replied shakily, "Hi.Again.I didn't expect to ever see you again. You left in quite a hurry."
The woman shrugged. "I've been around the world a few times since then. It's an adventurer thing.You seem to have done pretty well for yourself. King, huh? So how'd you manage that? You pop somebody off? Or did you impress the late King so much he GAVE it too you?" she teased.
He blushed. "I.uh."
"Eh, don't concern yourself with it. It happens all the time. I didn't come to rag on you. I came to ask if you'd kept your end of the bargain.and to present a small gift to a friend." She presented him with a small frosted cupcake.
He grinned. Taking the cake, he took a small bite. "Hmm.good."
Jea smirked. Hoping quietly, she wondered if the life extension potion she'd added in there had worked. Tersian was the kind of king who could do a lot of good, if given the years to do it.
Tersian finished the cupcake, and spoke. "Yes, ma'am. I have tried to do everything in my power to help people in need. I'm actually trying to fix the city's problems of hunger and homelessness. I figure, if people have what they need to survive, the crime rate will be less.and people will live better."
Jea smiled again. "I have to go meet up with my friends, Tersian. It was good to speak with you again. I have certainly enjoyed the letters over the years. Keep in touch, you hear?"
"I will," he laughed. "You too, ranger."
Jea dashed out of the door just after her party walked by, rejoining them without much notice. Laguna raised his eyebrow querulously, but Jea waved him off. The ranger then inspected what her friends had acquired. Ambermist was wearing a gray cloak that positively oozed with magick. Dumbugg had a large shield casually slung over one shoulder.
* * * * * *
They were led with great ceremony out to the stables. There, they waited patiently as a groom retrieved the horse. Jea lounged by his side, interested in seeing the animal and making friends. Laguna was practically quivering with anticipation, eager to look over his new mount-considering he'd been raised on a horse farm.
They were surprised, however, when five minutes later, the horse was led out. He was a beautiful stallion: fine configuration, apparent breeding, good size, perfect proportions, and amazing appearance. The young stallion was a lively horse, with sparkling eyes full of intelligence. The only thing that was out of the extraordinary and into the utterly bizarre was his coloring.
The animal was, of all things, a sparkling emerald green, with a darker mane and tail. His hooves were like a green crystal so dark that it was almost black, his mane and tail the shade of twilight leaves in the heart of a virgin forest. His coat seemed to sparkle of its own accord, catching and reflecting light like the contours and facets of a million polished gems.
The stallion whickered as he forced his way to Laguna, shoving his head down to the paladin's level. The animal's gleaming yellow eyes showed curiosity as he began searching Laguna for food.
Jea giggled as Laguna made an apple appear from somewhere and fed it to the horse, who crunched it happily and looked for more. Laguna stroked his new war-horse's neck.
The horse gave Jea a dirty look when she touched Laguna's arm a minute later to ask a question. He bared his teeth and nipped at her in warning. Imagine his surprise when she bit back.
The ranger pulled out a lump of sugar and offered it in way of a peace treaty. When the animal got a whiff of her scent and realized what and who she was, his whole demeanor changed. He acted like a playful kitten with both paladin and ranger/druid, seeking to please.
Laguna laughed and shook his head at the horse's antics. Dear gods, if his parents could see this. -Heck,- he thought, -What would they do if they could see me? A paladin, with a party, a green horse, and a fiancée-not to mention the whole impending fatherhood creeping up on me! Oh, man, they'd have a cow!!-
He stifled his snicker and turned to Jea. "So.Jea, where to next? We've done what we came here to do."
Jea thought for a moment. "Well.I really hate to ask this, but." she trailed off distractedly.
"What?"
"I need to stop through my hoe and check on Papa. I've not been home in about three years, and my da needs to be checked on once in a while.he's not.well."
Laguna looked concerned. "Where's your mom? And the rest of your family? Don't you get help from them?"
The young woman's face was filled with bitterness when she responded. "Lemme tell you something 'bout my worthless family, Laguna," Jea whispered quietly. "Papa used to be an adventurer; he was in a large party. He had a brief and badly ending affair with another party member-an elven mage.my mother. I was the reason it ended bad. My mother was the second daughter of a Grey Elf noble, and she had been brought up to consider half-breeds a sick abomination. She.she didn't want me."
Jea paused to take a painful breath. "Papa refused to let me be abandoned. He was a ranger, and his bitch wolf had two puppies the same day I was born. After my mother," Jea spoke the word with heavy sarcasm, "ditched me, I was fed with Starfire's puppies. That maybe why I can speak to all the wolves, and not just Wolf. He left the party with me and traveled the two and a half weeks to his home."
"We made it to the village; Papa's family was not too thrilled to see him. He came waltzing back in with a daughter and no wife. Plus, I was half elven. They didn't like that. So they held the Ceremony of Bonding to link me with Wolf.as a way to get rid of me, get me out of the way. My aunt, the family matriarch, encouraged the village children and the rest of the family to ostracize me. I sought the village Elder, and the wolves for companionship. My family-Papa's family-continued to snub us. I became VERY cynical; you deal with that much shit and you'll get that way. I would fight with my cousins-physically and verbally-and then get yelled at by my aunts and uncles.
"At first, I went home, crying to Papa. He would comfort me, telling me it would be okay, but I knew it hurt him, a lot.so I stopped. I learned to fight back.
"Papa trained me in the skills of the rangers. I could track at four, shoot at six, and by the time I was nine I had learned everything he could teach. When I was 10, Papa's companion, Starfire died, and something died in his mind. The Elder, Treesong, took a liking to a fiercely independent girl. He trained me in the ways of the druids, enhancing my knowledge of the wild world, and, in a way, giving me an outlet with which to calm the raging hormones and emotions that are common in young teenage girls.
"By the time I was 15, I spent most of my time in the forest and away from Auntie. It wasn't much of a stretch to pack up and leave town, with a promise to return every once in a while to check up on Papa.."
Jea took a shuddering breath, fingers woven into Wolf's fur. He nuzzled her with his nose, and Thistlechaser stood next to Jea in sympathy.
Laguna put a hand on Jea's shoulder. He hadn't intended to bring up unpleasant memories. She smiled gratefully at all three. "Anyway, what I was going to ask was 'Where do your folks live?' If it's on the way, we can stop by for you to visit them.They might be interested in your horse. Speaking of which.What're you gonna call him?"
Blinking in surprise at the subject switch, the knight thought for a minute. "Um.How about Arkadia?"
The horse whickered approvingly, nodding his head up and down. Jea smiled happily. "It's a good name, Lover," she agreed.
Ambermist swaggered over. "Are you done yet? I'm tired! What are you doing?" she demanded in annoyance.
Jea shrugged noncommittally. "Trying to decide where to go next. But we can do that on the way back to Shik's."
During the trip back, Laguna whispered softly in Jea's ear, "I would like to stop at my parents on the way, but I think we need to get married first."
Jea bared her teeth in a fierce and evil grin. "How about we do it before we leave town." The ranger woman was pondering at the same time. -Gee.I wonder if we'll have to hit the priest.Heh heh heh.-
".Okay." Suddenly Laguna was VERY scared.