Disclaimer: I do not own these characters or this world that they are in and I am making no money out of this. I just want to write a sequel to a really good book that I wish had one.

Chapter 7

Tanea was tired, they had spent the past few days continuing their trek to Haven they were approaching a large town now, she squirmed a little on Lance's goat looked up, a little startled but continued on, she was not looking forward to this.

So many people, so much emotion, when they were a quarter candelmark from the entrance she felt it, the press of all those minds and emotions pressing against her. The town was impressive, with thatched roofed, the occasional ornate door and she found what was hoping for, an Inn.

Once she saw that, a new burst of energy flowed from her fought on heading for the local Inn. When she found it she when to the counter where a large burly man with a cheerful expression stood serving ale. When he had a free moment she spoke.

"Heyla, me name be Tanea, was wonderin' if ye had a room me an me lad could use fer t'night"

The man responded with a downcast expression "I'm afeared we don' miss Tanea, we be all booked full, even yon hearth an the stable. Now it be spring folks be flockin to White Foal Pass where yon battle with the Karsites was wone, even if te price fer victory be high," he called back to the kitchen "Hey Solann pack up twa travellin' packs" he turned back towards Tanea.

"Thank ye very much kind sir"

"Bah ''twas the leas I could do considerin' that I canno' offer ye a place, an judging by yer clothe ye be on a long journey." He turned as a young girl came up and offered him two packs which he then handed to her "one fer ye, and on fer th'lad".

She thanked him again and left.

When she returned to the boy she found, that he had rolled himself over and was having some kind of nightmare witch settled dow a few minutes afterwards, she heard him mumbling things like, "fire" and "not the old man" and then he stopped and the silence was a little eerie. She the stood up and taking the goats reins by her hands she started towards the temple.

But when she arrived she found that they would not be taking any guests tonight as there was a sacred ritual going on. So she was now left with the options of forging on until she found a campsite, or camping in an alley.

She disliked the last idea, due to all the people, she had been here over a candelmark and she was getting more woozy from her curses hopefully she would fall into a dreamless sleep and be unaware of her curses until morning. She had already discarded her first option, of forging on, due to the darkness and the likelihood that one of her goats would fall and break a leg.

As she continued through town it was dark when she found an alleyway that suited her needs small enough that she shouldn't be noticed that much, but big enough for her the boy and the goats, the walls were made of wood and the ally dead ended.

She looked at the sky to see if it would rain, but as she studied it carefully she saw no clouds as far as she could see. So she began to set up camp, she unpacked their bedrolls tucked the boy into his and setting about making their meals.

The Innkeeper had been thoughtful enough to include some soup in their travel packs.

After she had fed the boy she took a piece of bread and stuffed it in her mouth as she fed the goats she thought to herself "why am I helping this boy? I could've just left him or turned him over to the Guard?" As she was finishing up with she goats she answered her own question. "I don't have to do any of this, but it's the right thing to do" as she finished she heard a voice behind her.

"Well well well, look what we got 'ere"

She turned around sharply to see three thugs all with knives and one carrying a wicked looking bow, approaching her with grins on their grubby faces.

Two were stout and looked heavily build with brown hair, square jawlines and dark eyes. The third was tall and lean with blond hair and dark eyes that complimented his features.

"Looks like a bunch o' free food" Saitta the thug on the right, the one on the left replied "an' some goats ter sel at the market"

Tanea started to back off "I ain't gonna let the likes of you take me ride" she reached for one of her pots glowering.

The ally dead ended and the only exit was behind those thugs. That was when they charged weapons drawn. She stumbled backward arms flailing as she hid the ground, seeing stars.

Then she stat up. The two thugs with knives were standing over her, gleeful looks in their eyes. And then the incredible happened.

She saw the boy suddenly sit up, and quickly raise his hand just before the bowman fired at her chest.

She closed here eyes tight at what she knew was going to happen. But the arrow never hit, instead she opened her eyes at the sound of something hitting the ground and a scream of surprise to see at the bowman's feet, a pile of ashes. The bowman, looked at his hands in shock, his bow had spontaneously burst into flames and was now a pile of ashes. He drew his knife, his goons rushing to him to check if he was alright.

And then there was a guttural scream that sounded vaguely like "Pol." And a wall of flame roared up around the thugs on all three sides leaving only one option, retreat. And retreat the thugs did, as the walls of flame started closing on them.

This time what she felt was mainly desperation mixed in with slightly diluted, tightly controlled copies of the emotions she felt that fateful day she met the boy. She looked at him in horror for a second, realising that he was the cause of that terrible fire.

But then she looked at his face and she realised that he to bore curses. Maybe they were different from her's but they were curses non the less. And it wasn't his fault, it was whatever had caused those emotions.

She noticed he was fading fast, that this wakefulness was a brief thing and soon, he would be back in his coma. She rushed to his side, arms wrapped around her neck and he whispered in her ear. He fell helplessly back into his coma, only this time his consciousness seemed a little closer.

Now, she had a new resolve, he had just helped her tremendously; and for that she owed him a great debt, and knowing that there was a chance he could be saved, she would do everything in her power to get this boy to the Healers.