Being an apparent greenhorn when it came to 'roughing it', I fully expected to be hindered by a few things. I expected to be attacked along the way by monsters or bandits, but the trek was surprisingly uneventful, much to my relief. I expected to be completely exhausted by the time we'd moved off the beaten path and trekked all the way to the edge of the forest, but that was far from the case.

Neither Mauri nor I were winded in the slightest, even as we went about setting up camp for the night. The setting of the sun hadn't exactly changed the rather warm temperature very much, so we'd both built up a sheen of sweat, but other than that, and much to my surprise, I felt like I could easily walk another dozen miles or so.

Maybe it's because I was a little less human and a bit more equine in a past life?

I was of course joking, but the more I thought about it, the more I began to wonder whether or not that was actually the case. I'd been through some fairly strange experiences after all—who was to say that horse-like endurance hadn't carried over? If Mauri was to be believed about her age, she'd most likely been training her body for hundreds of years, and was probably already used to long treks across the country.

She probably had quite a bit of muscle built up under that armor and despite her small childish frame. With all the experience she had, it was no wonder she wasn't tired, but I was a different story altogether. I felt like I had no reason to be as fit as I was, and the more we walked, the more I wondered about it. It baffled me and made me feel like I was cheating somehow, though I didn't mention anything to Mauri about it.

In the end, I just decided to leave well enough alone and help Mauri with the camping equipment. It didn't take very long, as Mauri had decided to sleep out under the stars, so the only thing that really needed setting up were some rough looking mats, thick wool blankets, and a campfire. I personally thought it wasn't a good idea, given what I'd heard about the dangers of life outside the towns and cities.

There was also the matter of sanitation, bugs and the like, weather to worry about, and a number of other concerns I voiced to the smaller woman, but she insisted everything would be fine. I didn't like camping so close to the forest, even as small as it was, but agreed in the end, having to content myself with taking watch in shifts.

We hadn't been attacked yet, but that didn't mean we were in the clear. I had enough sense to realize that if anything were going to attack us, now would probably be the best time for it, and knowing that, I doubted I'd be sleeping well that night. Before setting up the mats, we'd gone a short distance into the forest to gather some firewood and again, to my surprise, came back completely unmolested by anything dangerous.

All throughout the relatively short time it took us to finish getting everything in order for the night, I was incredibly jumpy. It amused Mauri to no end, but I couldn't help it. My expectations of what lurk beyond the safety of the town had already been colored by the things I'd read and heard about.

While I was aware that I could probably bounce back from most wounds I received, I remembered that getting stabbed still hurt quite a bit, and wouldn't be at all an experience I'd want to repeat. I was certain I didn't want to go through any similar scenarios either if I could help it.

I still knew little about myself and what I could do, and I didn't think it was wise to simply rely on something I knew nothing about to keep me safe. We'd managed to find a large patch of ground devoid of any grass near the forest and it wasn't long before Mauri and I were sitting across from each other on opposite sides of a warm crackling fire.

Neither of us had stripped down to more comfortable clothing for the night, and probably wouldn't for the foreseeable future. I still had some other clothes I could change into, but Mauri had convinced me to sell some of the more flamboyant outfits Rosalyn had gotten for me. I felt guilty about it for awhile, and still did to some degree, but ultimately realized it might've been for the best given how we were traveling.

I watched Mauri with some curiosity as she rummaged around her bag. She looked back up at me for a moment, taking notice and giving a small shrug in turn before resuming her search.

"Normally this journey would not take too long, even on foot and even with our little detour into the forest," she explained, "but with Qaedis involved, it becomes a different matter altogether. In return for your permit, he may ask us to go out of our way to do something, perhaps far out of our way," she pulled out two apples and eyed them for a second, "I want to make sure we eat anything that might spoil along the way first, just in case."

With that, she tossed an apple over the fire and towards me before reaching back into the bag while I was fumbling to catch the fruit. Setting her own apple to the side, she pulled out a large lump of something wrapped in a soft, thin white cloth. She unfurled the cloth to reveal two loaves of baked bread.

"Picked these up from the bakery before we left," Mauri said, throwing a loaf my way, "keeps pretty well, and still tastes damn good even after sitting in my bag for a few hours."

Prepared this time around, I caught the bread in both hands and was immediately aware of just how soft the loaf still was. Mauri had indeed spoken the truth if the smell was anything to go by.

"I am assuming you brought your own provisions for a long trip, yes?" the other woman asked as shereached for the canteen she'd placed beside her, "things you need for a long trip? Dried meat, beans, water, some cookware and the like?"

"Yeah," I replied, pulling my own canteen from my belt, "I didn't really know what to expected once I left town, so I asked around and found out it was a good idea to bring food that wouldn't spoil," I grimaced slightly, "none of the stuff I got looked too appetizing to be honest."

"It is not supposed to be appetizing," Mauri chuckled, "it is supposed to keep you fed while you are on the road and far away from home, and believe me, the longer you are on the road, the better it tastes," she tipped back her canteen and drank deep before biting into her apple, "you will find the salted bacon starts to grow on you after awhile."

"We'll see about that," I muttered, relishing the taste of the bread. I took another look around the area outside our camp, and my eyes lingered on the shadow of the trees not so far away in the distance, "I still think we should've at least brought some tents or something."

"Oh?" Mauri replied, raising an eyebrow at me, "and why didn't you? You had plenty of time to in Thatch."

"I actually meant to, but with everything I was worrying about, I kind of... forgot," I answered with a heavy, regretful sigh, "and besides that, I'm already carrying a lot."

"Well there is no use whining about it now," Mauri concluded with a dismissive flick of her green locks, "what is done, is done. Best to worry about what you can help, rather than what you cannot, yes?"

"Yeah, I guess so," I responded without much enthusiasm, "at least it's not too cold out."

"Mm, there is that," Mauri agreed with a nod and a small mischievous smile, "though I would still be cautious. This kind of weather invites all sorts of nocturnal insects to crawl about. You might fall prey to beetles and mosquitoes and even the occasional spider. Be sure that none make their way into your bed tonight, eh?"

"Ugh!" I shuddered in revulsion, "that's not what I needed to hear right now, Mauri! I'm pretty sure I wasn't gonna get any sleep tonight, but now I know I'm not!"

But Mauri just laughed and waved my new worries away with a hand before taking a bite of her own bread.

"Relax, Sparkle," she said, still smiling in amusement at my reaction, "I am sure you will be just fine. The insects around this area are not poisonous, at least," she jerked a thumb towards the smallish forest behind her, "not until you get deeper into these trees anyway."

"Poison, huh?" I mumbled thoughtfully, frowning as something tugged at my memory. Whatever I was forgetting eluded me, but a sudden and unexpected wave of dread washed over me, making me shiver. I set my food and canteen aside and pulled at the hem of my tunic nervously, all the while staring into the fire, "...hey, Mauri?"

"Hm?" she'd also been staring pensively into the fire, and looked up with some concern when she saw the look on my face, "what is it? Something wrong?"

"Just how safe are we really?" I asked, looking up and staring into the woman's eyes, "I know I sound paranoid, and maybe I am... but I've... I'm not as ignorant or naive as you and Darmund might think," I hugged myself tightly and turned back to the fire, my eyes losing focus as terrible memories ran through my mind, "I've been through some... pretty bad experiences, and they always seem to happen when I think I'm in the clear."

"That often is the way of things, or so I have realized since leaving my homeland," Mauri admitted quietly, her troubled frown deepening as she watched me, "if living on my own and traveling this country alone all these years has taught me anything, it is that no place is truly safe, Amethyst," she sighed and flopped down onto her back, hands behind her head and her icy blue gaze pointed towards the starry sky above, "the only thing you can do is pray for the best and prepare for the worst."

I gave that some thought as I finished off my meager meal and stared quietly into the flickering, crackling blaze in front of me. I realized after some time that she was right. That was all I really could do for now, and worrying about it wasn't going to change anything. I knew it wouldn't, but still I sat there and ruminated on everything I'd been through since waking up in that empty white void.

I thought about what could've caused me to end up in that empty place, what that thing was that chased me, and why I ended up here of all places. I thought about the life I'd lived before arriving in this world—about what things might've been like as a pony, as the Princess of Friendship.

Even now, the very idea that I'd come from some fairytale land of friendship and harmony, and that I was a completely different creature altogether seemed absurd to think about. Then there was the fact that I couldn't say anything about it, that some kind of mysterious force was actively stopping me from speaking about my origins.

Too many mysteries and not nearly enough answers... but where do I even start? How did I even regain what little memories I have now?

It was all too much to think about at once, and I had to keep most of it to myself or risk sounding like a madwoman. Then again, I'd spoken to Rose about a lot of it, and she seemed to take it rather well, all things considered. It had felt good to confide in the old woman, and looking back on it, I didn't regret any of what I'd said in the slightest.

I looked from the fire to Mauri, still lying on her back and staring up at the sky with that same contemplative expression. I tentatively bit my lip and glanced down at the rune inscribed Spellblade I'd set down beside me.

How would she react if I told her what I'd told Rose? What would she do if she found out I was the one that killed the Headhunter, or that I could use magic? What if she knew this was a real Spellblade? What would she do then? Try to steal it? Kill me for it?

I turned back to Mauri.

I had the feeling the woman already suspected the authenticity of my sword, and she herself had said she knew there was more to me than I let on. Still though, she'd been content to let me keep my secrets for now, and even aside from that, she didn't really seem the type to stab me in the back—literally or figuratively.

You know better than anyone that looks can be deceiving though. You've been taught that painful lesson more than once in a very short amount of time.

"You have something on your mind."

I blinked and refocused my attention on Mauri. She was sitting up now, and returning my idle stare with an expectant raise of her brow.

"You have the look of one who has the world on their shoulders," she continued, crossing her legs and leaning forward, "the expression does not suit you, I think," she gave me a reassuring smile, "if you have something you would like to share, I am happy to listen, we have plenty of time to talk after all."

I hesitated, unsure of how to respond.

Just tell her! It worked out in the end with Rose, who's to say she won't take it the same? She might even be able to help you find some answers!

In that moment I wanted so badly to just tell Mauri the truth. On the surface, I felt for sure that she wouldn't betray me, that she was a trustworthy individual. I knew that once I started talking, it would be easy to continue, and I wanted more than anything to be the one to reach out a hand in trust and friendship.

The problem was that deep down, I didn't trust her.

I felt I couldn't afford to—not after what I'd already been through. I felt like there was too much to lose if she turned on me, and in truth, seeing her mischievous smile here in the flickering firelight sent involuntary shivers down my spine. I knew Mauri wasn't the thing I'd killed and left in the cabin up at Devil's Peak, but I couldn't help but be reminded of it when I saw that smile.

She wasn't the Headhunter—she couldn't be, but her smile, like everything else around me, still seemed a lot less friendly in the moonlight. I knew intellectually that in order to gain trust, I needed to be willing to give it, but right then, no matter how much I wanted to... I just couldn't, not now and not with something like this.

In the end, I shook my head and gave Mauri a sheepish chuckle and an apologetic smile.

"No, it's fine," I replied, grabbing my sword and rising to my feet, "sorry if I worried you. I do have a lot on my mind, but I'll be alright." I paused for a second before starting to strap my sword back on, "I'm probably not gonna be getting any sleep anytime soon, so I can take first watch."

Mauri watched me with an inscrutable look, then smiled one of her wide knowing smiles a moment later, making me incredibly uncomfortable in the process.

"Aaah, I know what this is," she practically purred, as she rose to her own feet, "you don't trust me, do you?"

I faltered with one of the straps of the scabbard in my surprise and the whole thing slipped off my back and fell to ground with a dull thud.

"W-What? No, I..." I quickly picked back up my sword and whipped around to face the still grinning woman making her way over to where I was, "I just figured since I was already nervous about sleeping out here I might as well—"

"I have had plenty more rest than you, and I will be the one to take the first watch," Mauri interjected, walking right up to me and leaning in close. She looked up at me, her frosty blue eyes twinkling in the light of the slowly dying fire, "despite what you say, you are tired, I can see it."

"No really, I'm—"

"I cannot force you to trust me, Sparkle," Mauri interjected, her eyes hardening and her tone becoming stern, "I do not know what ordeals you have been through, and I will not ask, but without even the smallest amount of faith, I can do nothing for you."

For a long, uncomfortable moment we stared into each other's eyes, my gaze nervous and uncertain, and hers firm and expectant. The moment soon passed however, and she snorted, turned on her heel, and moved back over to stand on the other side of the fire. She turned her back to me and stared out at the forest, hands on her hips.

"I told Darmund I would lead you to Ruvenbor, and I even agreed to accompany you on your other errand," she continued, her back still facing me, "but trust is a two way street as they say, and out of the two of us, I believe you have far more to hide than I do, little miss amnesiac."

She turned to give me a cold stare from over her shoulder and I found myself flinching back involuntarily.

"So tell me, Miss Sparkle... can I trust you?"

I was about to blurt out that she could—of course she could. I didn't have any intention of harming or stealing from her, but I stopped myself at the last moment and really thought about what she asked. To my shame and guilt, she was completely right and I knew it. I knew it, but I was so caught up in my own problems that I hadn't considered things from her point of view.

Looking at it that way now, I definitely seem like the more suspicious one... just like when I was with Jack. Nothing's really changed in that regard, has it?

"I would hate to do it, and I really do like you, Amethyst," Mauri continued with a heavy sigh. She turned to face me as she spoke and I winced at the disappointment in her expression, "but if this is going to be an ongoing problem, I can pack my things and leave you to your own journey."

"No... no I understand," I quietly replied as I dropped my sword to the ground next to my mat, "you're right, I'm sorry. I just... I'm just... scared, you know?"

I grimaced as I laid myself down on the mat and pulled the blanket closer. Mauri had been right, and I was getting tired, but that didn't stop me from worrying about what was out there, as well as wishing I'd remembered to bring a pillow of some sort. Nevertheless, I pushed aside my discomfort and turned to face Mauri from where I lay.

"Yes, it's true, I have my secrets, and I'm pretty sure you have yours, but you're right. It's like I said before, I won't get anywhere if I don't take any risks," I gave her a weak and probably unconvincing smile, "and since you're going out of your way to do all this for me, the least I could do is trust you to keep watch for the both of us for awhile while I get some sleep."

"Ah, now you speak sense, my little Amethyst," Mauri replied, cracking a wide, satisfied grin, "words well spoken. Granted you did not answer my original question, but I will let that slide. Whatever your secrets might be, I already knew you were one of the good ones from the start."

It may have been a trick of the firelight, but I thought I saw her smile faltered and a flicker of something else cross her face. Whatever it may have been though, it was gone in an instant and the smaller woman adjusted the scabbard hanging from her side before turning away and once more staring out at the trees that made up the small forest.

"I will not allow either of us to come to harm while I am on watch, so you need not worry, my little Amethyst," Mauri continued solemnly. She half turned to give me a confident smirk, "I will wake you once the third hour has passed. Until then, may the Nightmother bless you with pleasant dreams, Miss Sparkle."

"Um... yeah, thanks... same to you," I replied, unsure of what to say in response. My awkward half smile turned more genuine, "and thanks again for doing all of this for me, Mauri. I really do appreciate it."

"Just remember that not everyone and everything is out to get you, even if most things and people are," she replied with a wink, "do that, and I will forgive you for your horrible lack of faith in my good character."

I gave her an indulgent and partially apologetic smile at that—a smile that slowly slipped off my face as she turned away from me to watch for whatever might be lurking out there in the wilderness. For a long while, I simply laid there, watching Mauri go about her patrol around our meager camp as I tried to sleep.

I was tired, but as I expected, sleep itself didn't come easily. I hadn't felt this restless and nervous since I followed Rosalyn back to her house. I couldn't shake the feeling that something horrible would happen if I let myself fall asleep, so I stayed awake and ran through my memories, searching for something I knew was there but couldn't reach.

I always felt like I was missing something or forgetting something important, especially whenever night fell. As I had nothing else to do and sleep seemed out of reach, I resolved to try and search for that elusive 'something' that I was missing, all while keeping a discreet eye on Mauri as she returned to staring out at the trees.

In my mind I'd accepted the point she'd made, but deeper down, things weren't as simple as that, and the mistrust and fear were as strong as ever. I wasn't sure how long I stayed that way, but eventually my eyelids became too heavy to lift, and slid closed. My mind grew hazy with the promise of rest and my consciousness began to slip away. The soft pop and crack of the fire lulled me the rest of the way to subconsciousness and I was soon fast asleep.

In a flash, the darkness vanished and gave way to a blinding light. I blinked a few times, trying to get the spots out of my eyes, and when my vision finally cleared, my eyes widened and my mouth dropped open in horror. I took a staggering step back and my knees nearly buckled at the sight of the white nothingness splayed out before me. A familiar sense of despair began to well up in the pit of my stomach and my lip trembled as I whispered hoarsely.

"No... not again," I muttered numbly, "I escaped this place. I'm not supposed to be here anymore... I escaped. I'm free, this isn't real, not anymore. I made it out and this is some kind of dream... right? It has to be. It has to be..."

And indeed it is, child...

In an instant, the white void was rendered pitch black, just as if something or someone had sucked the light right out of existence. Frantic and wide eyed, I turned this way and that, trying to find the source of the all consuming and oddly familiar voice, but it seemed to come from everywhere at once and it was impossible for me to pinpoint the sound.

A false and empty world born of deep seated fear... the mere fabrication of a tortured mind and nothing more. Pay it no heed, Stella Sparkle... or should I call you Amethyst?

There was a strange chirping cough that echoed impossibly loud in the crushing silence. The sound brought with it vague memories of a dark shape in the shadows, but before I could make sense of it all, another brilliant flash of light momentarily banished the darkness, this one a brilliant golden in its glow. Once again I had to blink the spots out of my eyes, but the light remained, and I followed its source upward.

I wanted to scream, but my own voice caught in my throat and I couldn't. Bathing me in their glow were two massive orbs of golden light. I could see nothing beyond those glowing orbs—those piercing golden eyes, but I could feel the overbearing presence of the being they belonged to crushing me down. It all came rushing back to me, the identity of this towering monstrosity hidden in the darkness.

"Owlowiscious..."

The eyes shifted diagonally, giving the impression that the creature was tilting its head, perhaps lost in thought. After a few seconds it gave another loud chirping cough, that mocking laugh that seemed to say 'I know much more than you ever will'.

Yes, this is nothing but a dream, Amethyst Sparkle... and you cannot stay in this place, drowning in your fears. You have a job to do... a task to complete. You have to show them... show the world that you are something to fear, something to worship, something beyond what they will ever be.

It chuckled its odd chuckle.

Yes... it all starts here... embrace the poison, Amethyst Sparkle. Use it to free the so called 'demon' within you... use it to show them your power... I'll be watching, so please do your best not to disappoint me...

With that said, the glow faded entirely, and with it the overbearing presence. I was once more left alone in complete darkness, but it didn't last long before everything began to grow fuzzy and my head began to swim. Disorientation overwhelmed me and I felt myself falling.

I don't know how long I was falling in that utter blackness, but it felt like an eternity...

Then all at once, everything snapped back into focus as a sudden impact jerked my head to the side.

My cry of pain and surprise was quickly muffled as something grabbed my hair and viciously shoved some kind of cloth in my mouth, rendering my jaw locked into place and unable to do much other than give muffled grunts and cries. Terror, grogginess, confusion, and shock warred with each other in my mind for a few moments before I finally managed to start thinking somewhat clearly. What little I managed to deduce in the few seconds of consciousness sent my heart racing with horror and panic.

Even as I tried to blink the drowsiness out of my eyes so I could see properly, I could already tell something had gone horribly wrong. A sharp, stinging pain in my cheek told me I'd probably been slapped awake, and the foul tasting piece of cloth shoved in my mouth told me I'd been gagged.

Any attempt at movement was met with immediate resistance, as my limbs were all bound with what felt like rough and coarse, but thick and sturdy rope. With my arms, wrists, and legs tied, the only thing I managed to do was tip over and fall onto the cold earthen ground as whoever had a hold of my hair shove me away.

"Goddesses but ya sleep like th' dead," came a gruff, thickly accented male voice from somewhere above me, "damn talent is what that is. Wish I could sleep half that well."

As my vision finally cleared, I looked up to see a scruffy, lanky man crouched down, arms resting on his knees and peering down at me with an amused grin. He had a weather-beaten look about his tanned face, his short, greasy black hair and beard were unkempt, and his teeth were cracked and yellow.

The one thing that stood out to me in that moment however, were the color of his eyes. One iris was a soft hazel while the other was a deep green. The rudimentary and slightly rusty looking silver armor covering his shoulders and chest looked ill fitting over the ratty brown tunic beneath, but the sword shoved through his belt look plenty sharp enough.

"Yer a lot heavier'n ya look, ya know that?" he continued, reaching down and gently patting my still stinging cheek, "still, you bein' conked out like that made my job a whole lot easier in the long run, so no harm done I s'pose, eh?"

In my panic I tried to respond, to ask what happened, where I was, and who the man in front of me was, but all that came out was more muffled grunting and whining. I quickly gave up on the idea and instead looked away from the man to take in my current surroundings.

It looked like I was in a large camp located in a large clearing in the forest. It was still dark out, and a flickering orange glow somewhere behind me told me there was a fire blazing nearby. Behind the man, a few yards away, I could see a couple of decently sized, but worn looking tents propped up. Further back past the tents were the dark thicket of trees that lined the clearing.

Unable to make anything else out beyond those trees, I turned to look behind me. There was a battered looking pot hanging over the fire, and past that, a few more tents, but not much else. Altogether the camp looked as though it had been hastily set up and made to be taken down quickly should the need arise.

Looking around, I could see three others in the camp. A thin, nervous looking man with a clean shaven face and long brown hair was speaking to a broad, muscular woman in hushed tones over near one of the tents. It was a bit harder to make them out as far as they were from the only real source of light that was the fire, but I could see them well enough.

The woman had to be one of the biggest people I'd seen so far, at least two or three heads taller than me I would've imagined, and with twice as much bulk in her arms and legs. Despite the muscle however, there was most definitely a feminine curve to her frame. She had a curtain of dark red hair that fell down her face in long curls, and I could just make out an ugly looking scar on one cheek.

Both the man and woman wore the same rusty, worn armor as the man before me—though the woman's seemed a bit small on her and less of it covered the sleeveless black tunic she wore. The thin nervous looking man was practically wearing an entire suit of rusty armor, with only a hint of a dirty white, long sleeve cotton shirt and dark brown trousers underneath.

Both had weapons, the woman shouldering a hefty broadsword and the man holding a rifle not dissimilar to my own. He was holding onto the thing for dear life, clutching it close to his chest as though it were his most prized possession.

"Oh come off it, Del. If it weren't for Haelda, you wouldn'ta been able to even lift the bitch," came another voice, the feminine lilt at odds with the coarse language, "the way she tells it, you were huffin' and puffin' the whole way back, even with her help."

Sitting cross legged in front of the fire, opposite me and the man with the different colored eyes was the woman who'd spoken. Unlike everyone else, she wore no armor over her short sleeve blouse and corset. Her thick wool leggings were equally unadorned, though both her gloves and boots did have a small amount of armor plating.

Like me, she wore both a blade and a rifle, with the rifle being slung across her back and the sword—a simple shortsword by the looks of it—sheathed and hitched to her belt at the lower back. Out of the group of would be kidnappers, she looked the most out of place.

In a word, the woman was beautiful.

Her skin was fair and there didn't seem to be a speck of dirt on her or a hair out of place. Her platinum blonde hair hung to one side in a loose but stylish braid tied off with a small silvery ring of metal near the bottom. Her golden yellow eyes remained intensely fixed on a familiar object cradled in her gloved hands.

My eyes widened further as I noticed what she was examining so closely. With a thoughtful frown, the woman held up my Spellblade, scabbard and all, trying to get a better look at it in the firelight. It was only then that I realized the only thing I had left on me were the clothes on my back, and though I couldn't see it that well, I had the suspicion the rifle the woman wore was my own as well.

"Ah, what does it matter anyhow?" the man continued, looking away from me to glare at the blonde woman, "we got 'er here without any problems didn't we? Like I said, no harm done."

"Aye, true enough," the women replied, resting my sword on her lap and finally turning to face the man with a disapproving scowl, "but it might be next time you aren't so lucky," she leaned forward, a dangerous glint in her eye, "it might be you get stabbed in the ass while you're draggin' your heels. Think about that when you feel like havin' a rest in the middle of a job, eh?"

I glanced between the two, desperately trying to work out just what had happened and how it had come to this. Apparently I'd been dragged off into the forest while I was asleep, but how had all of that not woken me up? I wasn't that heavy of a sleeper, or so I thought.

No, something definitely isn't right. I'm pretty sure anyone would've woken up if they were being dragged off like that. More importantly though, where was Mauri? Where is Mauri?

Indeed the small woman was nowhere to be seen, much to my dismay. The fact that I'd been taken so easily and that she wasn't here stirred up an unpleasant mix of emotions, not the least of which was hurt, anger, and a horrible sense of betrayal. The worry was there, but it was stifled by the sting of the last words of assurance she'd spoken before I'd fallen asleep. An indignant snort jolted me from my grim thoughts and I looked up to see the lanky man rising to his feet.

"Bah, what's done is done," he grumbled, brushing the dirt off his trousers and turning to walk off towards one of the tents, "the purple cow is finally awake at any rate. She's all yours now."

With that he stomped off, leaving me and the woman alone by the fire. I watched him go for a moment before the sound of the woman's voice brought my attention back to her.

"Crazy world, isn't it?" she asked, watching me with a small smirk, "one minute, you're asleep, safe and sound, thinking everything is peachy keen, and the next... well..." her smirk widened into a grin and she idly stroked a hand across the indigo colored wood of the Spellblade's scabbard, "...anything could happen, really. Such is the way of things out here in the wilderness."

I didn't say anything in response, mostly because I couldn't with the cloth in my mouth. Instead I settled for giving the woman a weak glare that probably did little to mask my fear and uncertainty of what was to come. The woman tapped a finger against the scabbard, her lips pursed and her brow furrowed in thought as she looked at me.

A moment later she let out a tired sigh, set my sword to the side, and stood up before walking around the fire and towards me. Her gait was slow and deliberate, the walk of someone who knew they were in control.

"Alright, enough beating around the bush," she said, squatting down in front of me the same as the man before, "here's what's gonna happen," she poked me in the nose and I flinched back. She smiled at that and continued, "I'm gonna remove that cloth from your mouth, and you're gonna answer a few questions for me while we wait for the rest of my boys to get back."

She reached down, and with a practiced flick of her wrist and slipped a wicked looking knife out of a thin holster strapped to one of her thighs and tapped the flat of the blade against my temple, the coldness of the steel making me wince. All the while, that cruel smile never left her face as she spoke.

"If you scream for help or refuse to answer, I start cutting, and I'm pretty sure that ain't high on the list of things you want happening to that pretty face of yours."

I know I said there'd be more action this time around, but the setup took a lot longer than I expected and there was much more to unpack here. Next time though... next time...