The ride

Hemma was an apt rider but the buckling countryside was more than uncomfortable on the hind of the saddlecloth and Varion was once more grateful for his cup. The young priestess had been quite amused about the fact that he had strapped on his groin protection in preparation for their hunt.

At least, her humor had made for a more open exchange. Along the ride he had sought comfort in finding out more about their situation and as it turned out, his riding partner was more open in answering his questions than Daria. For now it was clear to him. Ariella had sent him away as a means to tell him they were no more. A rebuke as this could only portend the demise of their closeness and the resumption of their former tutor-student relation. He accepted it with icy rigor perforating his chest.

“So why did you join them?” asked he, wishing to know what could drive someone into regions such as these.

“Look at me. I was not born in wealth nor did I enjoy a formal education. According to the laws of this country I am but a free woman and free, in that particular sense, means the liberty to drudge. So me and my sister joined Crod’s Lot. Thought we could better our lives by the spoils of better people.

“When Persilaus first entered our camp, I was frightened and urged my sister to take flight immediately. But then we saw how he conferred with Crod. They did not interact like hunter and hunted but like two old officers reflecting an operose past. He walked away and Crod sent my sister as a scout to see if he really did leave the area. It took me days to find out that Persilaus had a liking in Anis and that Crod exchanged her for his continuing support. He sold her––a free woman––and he sold her like a slave!” The last bits she shouted and her horse, incensed by the spirit of the discourse, spit.

He most certainly knew how a fellow friend of his would react.

All he could think about was his solemn tutor. And as he relived the horrors of their last discussion, an equal amount of admiration supplanted his desperation concerning Ariella.