Green Paladin: This was a really difficult chapter to write. I'm very worried about how it'll be received. It's still all due to me, not my darkly dressed friend here. I confess to nicking and slightly altering a piece of text from the late great Douglas Adams.

Green Blackguard: Review or I'll eat your Pituitary Glands!

The border of Bern approached, and I noticed a strange quiet around us. No one was talking, even Sain. He wasn't even trying to chat up Lyn like the stupid lout that he is. Silence wasn't unusual for Kent, however. But Wil always seemed to want to talk about something or other that was very obvious, like "It's a nice day," "You're very tall," or "So this is it, we're going to die." I much preferred his conversations to Sain's, however.

Overhanging branches shrouded the path, and the autumn leaves fell along the road. Golden shafts of light penetrated the blanket of shade, and the silence compelled me to comment. "Ahh, this road is the most beautiful I've seen in a long while. I must pass this way again someday."

Still silence. No one seemed to notice my statement. I felt the wind against me, and continued, "The breeze is soft and cool, just how it should be." Still nothing. I grew irritable, and snapped. "Well, at least I'm trying to relieve us of this tedium. Humph." I crossed my arms in annoyance, and frowned.

Lyn looked across to me and smiled, "Thanks for trying." She then looked as gloomy as me when she said; "I suppose it's difficult to be happy when we're being chased by many groups out for our blood." The road seemed ever longer. I didn't anticipate what was to come, however.

The Ganelon had caught up. Lyn had made a good point when she had talked to them, but blurted it out in frustration as her pent-up anger exploded outward. I tried my best to calm her down, but she'd killed several of them before I could stay her hand. But at that moment I heard a girlish scream from afar. "That scream…" murmured Lyn, before returning to her senses. "Look! Andur, someone's over there!"

"That's the old Lyn talking!" I cried happily. "Lets go!" But I saw she'd already left and was halfway there, where I saw a female priestess cowering behind a man who was slightly limping, creating fire in his hands and throwing it at an opponent- one of the Ganelon bandits. I rushed to catch her up, and as I ran saw the bandit's clothes set alight, and he burned. I arrived at the two stranger's position as the charred corpse had started smouldering quietly. Lyn was talking to them, and looked as though that priestess was giving her a hard time.

"…You got us into a terrible situation! Now, how are you going to get us out?" screeched the priestess in a semi-squeaky voice. I almost couldn't bear listening to her. 'Gahhhh! I hope the other guy isn't as dreadful as her… Hate her already…'

"Serra, if you'd not been so meddlesome, this all could have been avoided," interceded the robed man. His deep eyes darted to Lyn as he said, "My apologies. Please trouble yourself with us no more."

"But... if you're going to have to fight anyway, shouldn't we team up? It will end things faster, right?"

"Hey, great. I'd love to have that banshee along with us," I commented loudly, voice thick with sarcasm. "Hey, why don't I go over there and kill myself?"

Not noticing my anguish the excruciatingly annoying priestess replied to Lyn, "That's true. Yes! That's a good idea. Erk! Go and help these ladies."

"Ermm… ladies?" I asked, perplexed. "Lyn and Florina are the only ladies here."

Once again, everyone ignored me, and the man called Erk looked like he was going to explode any second. 'Can't blame him, having to travel with that witch.' "But… I…" The priestess looked firmly at him and he submitted. "Fine!"

"Very good, my name's Lyn. So, tell me, will you join arms with us?"

"I think the answer's obvious," I interrupted. The priestess looked angrily at me, and I felt the need to cower behind Lyn. So I did so.

"Yes, we'd be glad to. My name is Serra. This is my escort, Erk. Be a good boy and go fight now, Erk." Oh dear. Erk was about to blow. But surprisingly he calmed down and gave up, simply sighing.

"Come on, Erk," I called, emerging from Lyn's shadow. "You're with me and Lyn. Could use a support unit." I turned to Seriously-Evil-Really-Really-Annoying, and spoke as calmly as I could while still keeping a trace of authority. "Serra, go with that group behind us, they'll need healing. You can do that, right?"

"Of course!" She looked at me for a time, and then unfortunately spoke again. "Hello. You're Andur, right?"

"How'd you know that? But yes, I'm the happy, cuddly tactics guy," I smirked, glancing at the noble lady beside me, and she grinned back, but with a small degree of insincerity. 'I wonder…'

"I'm Serra. Nice to meet you. By the way, see this contrary mage here with me? His name is Erk. I think he's been hurt. I am Erk's employer. 'Master', I suppose you could say."

'Poor Erk,' I thought.

"What I'm getting at is... I was thinking of healing him free of charge. I know, I know. I'm generous to a fault."

"You're joking right?" I asked, very shocked. "Aren't clerics supposed to heal for free?"

"Hm? Why are you looking at me like that? Praise my generosity! Anyway, that's the deal. Please direct me to him."

"Erm… he's standing next to you."

"Oh, of course!" she said, completely unfazed by her own mistake, as though it were deliberate. She tuned to face him, and raised her staff. A blue glow radiated from the globe at the top, enveloping the poor mage. I could see Erk's form rise up, and soon he was standing normally again. The energy field returned to the staff's tip, and she lowered it again, looking somehow satisfied.

I motioned for Serra to join the others, and Erk to follow me. I ran with Lyn and him to a small group across a ridge. Erk patted me on the shoulder and said in a very placid tone, "You are Andur? I am Erk. I'm not sure how I got in this mess." Suddenly perking up, he shouted, "If I am going to fight, however, I will show you the true power of magic!" He whispered a few words in a tongue I couldn't understand, and moved his hands in specific, deliberate motions. Fire sparked between his fingers, and formed a sphere of flame. Erk pushed his arms forward with great force at the nearest foe, and the ball shot out striking the man's chest. He began to burn, and I motioned for Lyn to advance, almost without thinking.

"That's very impressive. A successful demonstration," I said, patting the overworked mage on the back. I ran after the fair maiden (who has an unhealthy fixation of killing people) and shouted some more orders, trying my best not to be a hindrance. Erk's fires rained from above, and many of our foes were torched before we could even reach them. I looked around to see if there were any more, and I was knocked aside by something. I tumbled away, and saw a short, stocky man bringing his axe down at my head. I barely rolled away in time, and the axe glanced my left ear cutting a small nick off the top. I focused on my enemy instead of the injury and kicked him between the legs, then as he fell backward I followed my kick with a stab in the same place.

I ran back to Lyn's side, and heard Erk finish the kill I started. The green hair of my travelling companion swayed gracefully as she moved from side to side, evading an axe. I thought, 'Why do all bandits we come across use axes? Have they no variety?' I realised this wasn't the time or place for such thoughts and joined the battle. My feeble sword skills proved to be enough, and I smashed his forehead with my sword's hilt, and knocked him over. I struggled to hold him down, and saw a well-patterned blade snake under my arm and into the man's heart. He spitted blood, and gasped, "Blaaaaah... Scum... You're all scum..." before he stopped drawing breath. The field fell silent, as the knights and their companions rode toward us; I knew we had won for now.

"Oh no…" I groaned as Serra returned from her berry picking, and moved straight towards me. Erk was shuffling behind, carrying several more baskets of berries than I believed humanly possible. I couldn't even work out how he was doing it, let alone coping with it.

"Hello! I need another volunteer for berry picking! I had to heal Erk's bones already, and I think he deserves a moment's rest!"

"Yes!" I shouted grandly, "Sain would love to volunteer!"

"WHAT!" It looked as though Sain was about to die of fear.

"Come on then, my brave knight!"

"But--"

"Come on! Don't be so slow!" called Serra as she walked down the spiked path, slipping easily between the thorn bushes due to her small size. Sain however, is a bit larger. 'Hmmm. Maybe I'll grow to like her.' Erk, sitting by the fire with Wil, looked like he needed serious help, though. I strolled toward him while chortling at Sain's pained screams from behind me.

"Erk!" I called.

"Not… so… loud…" Erk rasped.

Seeing the worn out look in his bearing, I lowered my voice. "Looks like you could do with some coffee. Or something stronger." I looked at his face, exhaustion in his every expression.

"Stronger."

I grabbed my pack and opened it, revealing my only bottle of Whiskey. Pouring a small amount into a tankard, I handed it to him, patting him on the shoulder. "There, there, she's gone now…" I consoled.

"She's… so… so…"

"It's alright. I understand."

"Always running into danger… What did I do… to deserve this…?"

"Bad career choice. It happens. Soon, it'll be over. Don't forget that."

"So reckless…" I ended up doing this all night. The bottle was soon emptied. When I returned to my tent, I noticed Lyn walking off into the woods, seemingly in a daze. I began to walk to her, but Kent prevented me by interposing himself.

"The lady has asked that no one disturb her." He said sternly.

"Why? Oh, never mind." I climbed into my tent and began to sleep, wondering what she's been doing all this time.

I was woken by a firm shaking, and saw Kent was tying to wake me. "Wha…? Go away… Huh… Kent? Wha's… going on?" I mumbled.

"Andur, Lyn has not returned from her walk."

I sat up instantly and cried, "What! Again?"

"I'm going to look for her. I need you to-"

"No. I'm going," I stated firmly.

"Very well milord. In case you don't remember, she left to the west." I quickly gathered my cloak and set off in search of her. 'I told her not to do this again! Why didn't she listen? Oh, what's wrong with you…'

She could've been far from here by now, but I decided to follow her tracks. She hadn't left much of a depression in the ground so it was difficult to follow. Soon I lost the trail, and found myself at the edge of a high cliff. The Mani Katti was impaled in the grass-covered ground near the edge, casting a grim shadow in the moonlight. What… A hand touched my shoulder and I relaxed, knowing who it was. "Did I worry you?"

I turned to Lyn. "Of course! Well, Kent woke me and I followed your tracks but… why did you come here?"

"I… needed a place to think." She looked down, and looked a little depressed.

I waited for a moment and then said, "What about?"

She was silent.

"What do you need to think about?"

"About all this!" She suddenly flung out her arms in frustration and shouted, "I wanted to get revenge for my clan, but now I'm in the middle of a political power struggle! And suddenly I have a grandfather I never knew about! And a granduncle who wants me dead! And I'm the wielder of the sacred Mani Katti! And assassins hound us at every turn! All because of me! So much depends on me! It… It's too much!"

'Her words that night… That's what she meant…'

She quickly spun away from me, and as tears began to stream down her face she cried, "I'm nothing special!" Falling to her knees and putting her face in her hands she said weakly, "I'm… nothing special…"

I calmly said, "Lyn, listen to me." Feeling that she did not hear, I ran round in front of her, fraught with concern, and fell on one knee. Holding her hand tenderly, I spoke from my heart. "I can't imagine the stress you must be under right now. But you must listen to me." She looked up and I shouted more emotionally than I ever had before, "You are special. That's what all this is about! You always have been special! But that doesn't stop you being you!" I grabbed her sides and stated firmly, "You are Lyn of the Lorca Tribe. No matter what happens. Even after all this, you haven't changed in my eyes. You are still you."

"…"

"I believe you are who you've always been. A kind, compassionate woman. You're funny, smart, and brave. That's always been you. These new things… they're just a part of you as well."

"I'm… still me? Even after all these events? These revelations?" she asked, brightening up a little.

The answer was so simple. "Yes. Nothing can change who you are, deep down."

A small smile appeared on her sodden face.

She stood up and gazed at the moon, and I followed, wiping the tears off her now happier visage. "You were right."

"About what?" I asked.

"The moonlight. It somehow… puts things into perspective."

She stood there for a time, and I was compelled to speak. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. I can do this. I can be me, and the marquess' granddaughter. I can be the wielder of the Mani Katti. I can be Lyn, of the Lorca Tribe."

I smiled, and replied, "Good. I'm glad I could help."

"I needed that reassurance. I now realise this wasn't something I couldn't work out alone. Thank you, for being a friend."

"I'm glad you of think me as one."

"Yes… I do."

"Come on. Kent's probably just as worried as I was."

Lyn began to walk back to the camp, and I stayed a moment to gaze at the moonlight, as I did every night. But I had a strange feeling that I was being watched. I turned to where I thought the intruder was, but I saw no one. Shrugging, I departed.

But as I left I thought I heard an unfamiliar voice whisper, "You've changed, murderer."