There have been so many times I could have lost hope. But now, despite my sorrow and my loss, I have more of it than ever before knowing the Child of the Storm has finally come. I always doubted that this day would come until it arrived.

Journal of Daphney Crenst 32nd of Taru Des, 6199

"Steep discount my ass." Perched in the saddle of her newly procured mount, Sheala swayed back and forth, attempting to find comfort. Leaving the rebel allied farm Lagos Dunn had directed them to, a full day east of Mours Towers and the Sagon Wall now far behind them, the thief who'd grown up on the streets of Catersburg summarized the bluntness of her feelings one more time. "Paid as much for these geldings as a team of top tier stallions would cost. And the tack certainly wasn't a steal either. I don't care what he claimed. Damn stuff's more worn out than the village whore."

"Oh, quit your bellyaching." Reane considered the now lighter purse on her belt. "Not like you were the one shelling out the gold for them."

"I think they handle beautifully," Sayra added. With Sheetah perched on the back of her saddle, wings out and warming in the sun, the elven woman patted the disheveled main of her salt and pepper mount while it trotted along with blissul unawareness. "It beats walking, that's for sure."

Anthony followed the elf with his own assessment. "There isn't much of a selection to be had these days, I'm afraid. Not with the Empire pillaging every able-bodied mount they can lay hands on from anyone who owns one. Citizens have been protesting about the confiscations since they started five years ago. The fact that our new friend had two dozen somewhat respectable, if not less than premium, mounts for us to choose from amazes me."

Brentai took his turn to join in the conversation. "Never really cared much for riding, myself." He shifted in his saddle as though it truly pained him while adjusting the sash of knives across his chest. "We Pelsan's always assumed we were given two good legs for a reason."

"I just hope our other new friend doesn't feel slighted that we didn't buy him one as well."

"Somehow, Anthony?" Reane said with a smile. "I don't think he'll mind,"

A minute later, the time passed in silence with no further quibbling over the quality of their horses versus the coin spent on their purchase, Reane drew the group to a halt. She put fingers to lips and released two short, ear piercing whistles. After the last echo from them faded into the natural sounds of the wilderness and the road, Korg plodded out of the thin stand of trees along the roadside from where he'd been hiding from view.

The wooded area was only one of a few in the surrounding area. While trees were common, so many so close and so tightly packed were not with the lands having been clear cut for farming over the years.

Axe on his shoulder, the behemoth otaur regarded his recently joined companions along with their new mounts. A long huffing snort blasted out of his nostrils.

"That's why we didn't get you one," Sheala replied.

"I really hate how you can do that," Brentai said.

"Do what?"

"Understand Korg like you've spoken otaur grunts and snorts your entire life. That's what."

"It's her medallion," Sayra said. "Otaurs, being the guardians of the Old Kingdom, my ancestors obviously foresaw a need for the Child of the Storm to be able to communicate with them. Perhaps they knew we'd have one along for the journey?"

"It's still unnatural."

Another snort from Korg.

Sheala laughed. "Yes, he's always so serious and grumpy."

Brentai turned his nose up at the insult directed towards him. "You know, I also really hate being able to only hear half a conversation. Especially when I'm the one being talked about."

"Don't worry." Sheala tried to sooth his injured pride. "Korg likes you. I think he sees you as like a kindred spirit, both of you being far from home. Stranger in a strange land and all."

"You think Mours Towers has fallen yet, Reane?" Changing the subject, Brentai found one he desired more. Even if the topic was a rather morbid one to consider.

As the seer urged her gelding to move again, Korg's powerful legs and long strides allowed him to fall right in step with his mounted companions. "I'd guess so. Which means our little ruse has most likely played itself out. I'm sure Sheala's sister will be searching for us soon, and if she chooses to send dragons out looking, I definitely want to make the Eastern Woods and get under cover before that happens. We'll be sitting ducks out here in farming country."

"Do you think Cass killed Herena?" Sheala asked.

"If I had to place a bet, I'd say yes. Your sister isn't really the sort to take kindly to the problems life puts before her. Her method of dealing with obstacles is to eliminate the source of them."

"Yeah." The drawn-out sigh that accompanied Sheala's response spoke volumes. "Sometimes I'd wonder if I'd even recognize my sister if I met her."

"You would. She's still your blood."

"I know." Hands tightening on the reigns, the former thief pondered the entirety of things she'd learned. "But all these stories I've heard about General Nightwing and knowing who she really is? She's killed so many people. I just don't know any more how much blood means. And sending Herena off to die and all? I kind of feel bad about that." Sheala rubbed at the place under her armor where her once more still and cold medallion rested.

"She had her role to play so you can play yours. Be thankful there are people in this world willing to lay down their lives for others. If there weren't? We wouldn't have made it this far."

"Just seems like her and Lagos Dunn had a really special connection. I could tell by the way he hesitated when that dwarf singled her out and gave her the mission. The steward didn't like it, although he tried not to show it. And he couldn't bear the thought of loosing her."

Korg growled.

Sheala turned to stare at him. "Really? They were to be married? Well, now I feel even worse." She cast a partially hidden sideways glance at Brentai riding near her. "I've lost people close to me and that I loved. I don't wish that upon anyone."

A split second before Brentai turned to look at her, Sheala pulled her eyes forward and locked them on the road ahead. As though she'd never been looking at him at all. Sensing how his vision lingered on her, Sheala's head dipped and with the slightest of sighs she urged her horse to hasten its pace and flee the uncomfortable situation.

Once ahead of the group by about ten lengths, Sheala let the clip she had summoned relax to what it had been before her escape from Brentai's stare. The hooves of another horse quickly clopped up behind her on the dirt, pursuing her. She didn't turn to look.

"I know," Brentai said, "that we're both kind of used to playing second string to each other's obligations: me to Reane and the Oracle, and you with your career as a thief, an ambassador, or savior of the world. Whatever it is you're doing at any given time. We've both sort of blown the other off a lot rather than investing in us. I think, if we both want this to work, that's going to have to change."

"I don't think either of us has that sort of commitment in us." Sheala hardened her gaze on the road ahead of her. "Neither one of us is exactly the settling down type. Honestly? I think the fact that we both have our other obligations and interests besides each other is what has kept us from falling apart. Before this whole bizarre adventure began, I only saw you for what? Maybe three months out of the year, and never for very long, while you sailed to and fro with Reane or on her behalf?"

"What are you saying?"

"What I'm saying is look at us now?" Sheala used a hand gesture, the only purpose of which was to emphasize her opinion. "We've basically been up each other's asses for the past year. And where has that gotten us? Resentful of each other, that's where."

"Don't impart your feelings on to me, Sheala." Brentai pulled in a steadying breath. "I'm not caring about you any less now than I did last year. You might feel that way about me, but that's on you."

"I don't want to argue about this. You've seen a side of me you don't particularly care for, I know that. You said as much that you think I'm trying to please ghosts and live up to what my parents would have wanted. And you're right." Sheala struggled between allowing herself to think about her parents and trying to forget them all together. Unconsciously, her one hand touched the hilt of the sword hanging at her side. "I am. I want to make my parents proud. Even if they aren't here to see it. I also want my sister back. I'm sorry if you can't accept that. For the first time in my life, I feel like I have a purpose. Something to focus on other than just surviving on the streets and watching out for knives aimed at my back."

"Don't read too far into the things I've said. What I'm worried about is you are loosing yourself, what makes you unique and wonderful, in all this."

"Loosing myself?" Sheala's snort that came along with the words rivaled any that Korg could have given. "That would imply that I'd found myself before now. I don't think I ever had. And if I did, what good was that self? You know how many people I've stolen from? Heck, do you know how many people I've killed for money or revenge?"

"Or in self-defense?"

Sheala shook her head as it drooped and stared at the horn of her saddle. "I'd never have had to do any of that if I hadn't started down that path in the first place. Cass didn't want to stick around with Ebeth and his gypsies when they found us. She told me that doing so would lead to nothing good. And she was right, but I didn't listen. They treated her like garbage. They treated me a little better, but only because I could make them money by stealing for them. When she left? I figured all I had was myself. When what I should have done was realized I always had her and gone with her that night. If I'd have done that, if I'd have followed her out into the storm, we could have been there for each other and neither one of us would've turned out like we did."

After a brief silence, Brentai found the words he wanted to reply with. "Even though you'll disagree with me, I'll tell you that I understand why you feel that way. But you don't know what the future would have held if you'd have acted differently."

"What the future would have held was me and my sister being together."

Brentai nodded. "Most likely." Then he shrugged. "We'll never know. We'd probably have never met then, though."

With a sigh, Sheala raised her eyes up. "Don't take this the wrong way, but if we'd have never met, and I'd have been with my sister, I think I'd have been happier."

"Well, I never really thought it was my job to make you happy. While I'd want you to be happy, I'm not the one who will lead you to that goal. Only you can do that. No one else. Not even your sister."

Sheala followed his words with a dire pronouncement. "Everything is coming to an end. You know that? One way or another. Good or bad."

"Sure do."

After his nonchalant answer, Sheala finally decided to look at the man she loved. Even if she struggled to understand those feelings. "Doesn't that bother you?"

"You're talking to a man who had his Breath Stone ripped out of his larynx." Brentai tapped at the prominent scar on his throat. "Then was cast out by his clan, sold to a slaver, put on a ship to a foreign land, and intended to be sold into bondage. I look at every day since Reane purchased my contract, and then tore it up, as a blessing from the gods. And if there aren't many left? Well, I'll just take the ones I've had because I could have had a lot less. And if everything goes to shit? The only thing I want is you by my side, corny as that may sound."

The breath in her lungs to reply, Sheala let it escape her before drawing the next and using it to say something completely different. "You know, I was getting ready to chastize you for going all philosophical with me. But after that last bit, how can I be mad at you?"

"If you want to, you'll find a way." Brentai winked at the red-headed woman riding next to him. "You always do."

"Gee, thanks. Am I really that terrible to deal with?"

"No. But everyone has their moments. And their quirks. Unlike your sister, you like to run from your problems. That's why you are where you are. It's not an indictment of you or a putdown. It just is who you are. And maybe something for you to work on if we make it out of this alive."o

Another moment of silence. "Ok," Sheala said. "Deal. If we make it out of this alive? I'll work on that. I'll stop running from the things I see as problems and start finding solutions to them. And to us."

Brentai smiled. It was one of satisfaction that he'd been able to get his point across and that the woman he loved actually listened to him. For once.