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While there was still blood seeping from Christian’s temple, most of it had dried, leaving his hair matted to the side of his head.  Blue-black bruises were erupting down the side of his face and his eye was nearly swollen shut.  He could still taste the blood in his mouth and the nausea of the head trauma caused him to vomit as soon as he tried to stand up. 

“Easy lad, I don’t need ye to pass out on me again,” said Thonas.

Disorientated, Christian asked, “What happened to me, there was the nymph….and …. I was gathering firewood,” he winced, “and there was pain!”

“Trust me son, I know your pain,” Thonas replied, stopping briefly to rephrase his wording, and quickly added, “you did to take on an ogre lad, not many of your years can make such a claim.”

Gathering himself to his feet Christian managed a laugh, “I’m afraid I didn’t do much of the taking on!” Thonas joined him in the humor of the matter as they retreated toward camp, “What say you of a nymph?” Christian relayed his story of his encounter with Liola as they made their way through the trees. “She even thought me an elf at first,” Christian added to his tale. Thonas laughed with him. So far, for Christian, the nymph was the most pleasant aspect of his journey.

“I don’t think ye should be wandering off by yerself again lad,” Thonas scolded after a bit of silence, “Especially since you think it not important to take yer sword with ye.”

            Thonas had almost completely forgotten about the mystery archer while enjoying the boy’s tale.  Not to mention, rejoicing in the fact that Christian was not too severely injured. He saw no purpose in telling the boy about it right now, besides, what did he really have to tell him. Being so knew to travel, he was certain it would only disturb him.

The half-elf re-strung his bow to his back. How he hated using the weapon of his mothers people, but he was good at it, and that made it bearable enough.  He dropped himself down from his perch in the tree and silently ran to see his handiwork.  Three arrows, patterned within inches, neatly penetrating the ogres heart. “Sorry you smelly old brute, but those two are mine,” the half-elf proclaimed to the dead ogre, “Whilst they will both die, it must be at my hand, not some monster’s.” 

It was time for him to check in with the dwarf.

By the time Christian and Thonas emerged from the woods, the morning sun had completely broken free from the seas edge. They arrived back in camp to find the rest of the crew just awaking, all except Udorus.  “Where be Udorus?” Thonas asked of one of the other sword hands.

“He said he was off to scout the beginnings of the pass this morn,” mumbled one of the hands dragging himself from his sleep. 

“Well then, get up ye rags and get thy packs together,” Thonas announced, “We’ll be headin’ out as soon as he returns.”

While the majority of the crew did not even take note of Christian, several noticed his wounds, and could not help but point and whisper amongst each other and stare. None had the courage to ask what had happened.  Thonas had told them to leave the boy alone, that he was his concern.

“Get some water lad and clean them wounds,” Thonas ordered Christian, “And strap that sword to thy side. Don’t ever let it leave there again.”

The boy nodded his consent and thought to himself how this man was starting to sound more like his father ever day.  Yet, perhaps it was good to have someone look after him. The throbbing in his head had yet to subside and he wished he could crawl into his own bed back in Nanholve.

            Udorus returned nearly a half hour later, announcing that the initial pass was clear. He went on talking about how if any of it were going to be blocked, it would be the very beginning.  Thonas had taken the pass as almost as many times as the dwarf, and had never heard anything of the like but let his ranting go uncontested.

Against Udorus’s wishes, Thonas insisted Christian ride in the wagon instead of walking for the rest of the day due to his injuries.  The dwarf assured Thonas that it would build character to make him walk, but there was no arguing with Thonas, not this day.

The pass into the mountains was a well-traveled road, unlike the road leading from Nanholve to the base of the mountain.  The wind was still calm, and the sun on their backs helped to keep them warm even though the glare caused eyestrain on all of them.  There were very few trees once they got onto the established trailed.  The pass was wide enough for the wagons with spare room on each side.  No doubt it was cleared by dwarves many years ago. The right side of the pass went straight up, not leveling off for forty or fifty feet and the left varied from sheer drop offs to fairly level, yet rocky platforms jutting off over the side of the mountain. From the pass, you could get a clear view of Nanholve and the sea it nestled up against. 

Having no complications, other then Christian’s spat with an ogre that morning, they gained several miles before dark. The sunset earlier for them, being on the east side of the mountain, and shadows grew long on the edges of the trail.  The men were tired and claimed to be seeing things in the depths of those shadows that were not really there. The marched on until they found a suitable camping spot just off the trail.  Most likely it had been used by one of the other companies crossing the same pass some time earlier. 

As they prepared for the night, having tethered the horses and set the tents, the men began sharing tales of past adventures around the fire.  They shared their stories of meeting folk from other lands and fighting monsters, while barely escaping with their lives.  It was not long before each had shared their tales, all but Christian, Udorus and Thonas. Udorus refused to tell a tale, he claimed dwarves were modest and their exploits were kept amongst themselves.  Everyone knew this was not true, dwarves loved to spin tales of their heroic or weaponry deeds, but no one argued the point.  Arguing with a dwarf generally was not advantageous. This being Christians first journey out of Nanholve, he had no tales to tell.  The only one left was Thonas.

“Thonas, weave us a tale!” one of the hired hands begged, “We all know you are the best of us all.  I be thinking thee a bard in sooth and just choose not to tell us!”

“Aye!” chimed in the others heartily, gathered around anxiously awaiting his beginning.

“Well, a bard I am not,” Thonas continued, laughing, “and if you had ever heard me sing, ye would agree.  But, if it is a tale thee wish, then a tale thou shalt have.”

So, is it wrong to have more pictures of your chihuahua than your children?  Not asking for any particular reason, just curious:) I mean, come on though, if you’re chihuahua was this cute how could you not just love him to death?