/I don't own anything you recognize in this story. /

Chapter Two

"To thine own self be true." –proverb

The thudding of the horse's hooves on the ground was steady, slow, and deliberate. Balian liked that sound—it was a comforting sound like the soft trickling of the creek over the stones. But at the moment, Balian's thoughts weren't on moving creeks or thudding hooves, they were on the road ahead.

The rider next to him—the one who first talked to him yesterday, was named John, a simple name, really, but he had mentioned earlier that his mother was very religious and named every one of her children after someone from the Bible.

"Are you alright?"

Balian glanced over at John, and snorted. "Of course I'm alright, why wouldn't I be?"

"You just seem to be deep in thought is all."

"Is thinking against the law now?"

John shrugged. "No, I guess I just like to know what everybody's thinking."

"Well, do you know what I'm thinking? I'm thinking that you're talking way too much for my liking." Balian touched his horse lightly and the horse started trotting off faster than he was already going to get away from everybody. He didn't know why he was being angry with John, he couldn't help it that he had to carry out Sibylla's orders, but Balian wished he had fought harder so he wouldn't have had to leave—so he wouldn't have to deal with this John.

As the day wore on, Balian's mood didn't improve. By the end of the day, Balian was sweaty, dirty, and in a terrible mood. As they set up that night, everybody stayed away from him, keeping their distance from the man. Who liked being around someone in a foul mood who wishes not to even be here on this trip?

The fire the men built sat crackling at the men settled down, either cooking or looking up at the stars, daydreaming. Not far off, Balian stood on his own, looking off into the oblivion. It was easy to get oneself lost into the night—the dark swallowing him up until he disappeared with nobody in the world to even notice or care.

"You feel like you could go on forever, couldn't you?" John asked, appearing suddenly at Balian's side.

"For some it might, for others, an endless sea of uncertainty—one of vast fears and obstacles," Balian murmured.

"Don't get all philosophical on me here, Balian, because I'm not going for it," John said.

"I wasn't trying to be."

The crickets chirped their songs in the distance, filling the night air. It was as if they couldn't stand having anything completely silent, not even at night. After several moments, John turned back to Balian.

"Balian, I, uh, wanted to ask you something. Do you believe in God?" John asked.

"He's certainly dealt me an Unfriendly Hand, if that's what you're asking," Balian said.

"I haven't asked you what He's dealt you, I was just wondering if you believed in Him."

"Figure it out yourself, isn't it obvious?"

"Do you know what your problem is, Balian? I think you are too bitter. Life's dealt you a bad hand and you drink it as if it were poison, but there's no way out of it," John commented.

Turning to John, Balian spoke angrily, "Oh, really? And I'm sure you can tell my future too, Master, what I'm going to be doing."

"Why can't you be more light-hearted?"

"Why can't you be more serious?"

The two men glared at each other for several moments, breathing heavily and faces red. If looks could kill, both of them would have been dead and smoking. Finally John turned on his heel and headed back towards camp. He wasn't going to be seen being in company with this monster for another moment longer.

After watching him leave, Balian sat on the ground before lying back on the ground, his hands behind his head. He had a feeling that this journey was going to be a long one, and even at the destination, the journey will go on longer than that. Once again, he wondered what Sibylla wanted with him, but Balian knew it was no use trying to figure out what it was yet. Everything was going to be explained once he got there.

Nevertheless, it took several hours before Balian would finally fall asleep, dreaming of nothing until he woke in the morning to another long day of traveling.