Carnaby

"If we don't run into trouble," Karana pointed out.

"Good point," the others nodded or murmured.

She mounted her steed, a blue roan gelding. She ran her hands along his shoulders, upper legs, and back. (Strong, quick... No problems as far as I can tell...)

She sighed. "I feel guilty riding such beautiful horses. I might pay that man again when we return!"

"Why?" Lethero scoffed. He still eyed the horses like a beast.

"Because he was courteous to have us pay for two of these beautiful horses and get the others for free." She turned her steed and rode into the woods.

Skye

"It was very nice of him. A shame we didn't have enough money to pay him the full amount. I liked him," I agreed as we rode through the minature town. Then the buildings grew sparser until only the odd farm house remained as we passed through, into the countryside. By this time, the day had advanced and we decided to eat the midday meal beside a stream in a pleasant meadow.

"It's beautiful out here," Aubrey noted, trailing her hands in the water.
"Isn't it just?" Sarka agreed and then her face wrinkled in surprise as if she had not meant to speak or perhaps it was the fact that Lethero was eating fruit.
"That's got to be better than a horse any day," Sarka remarked, back to her usual tone.
"Actually I was thinking just the opposite," Lethero replied smugly with a glance at the fifth horse.
"We should name them," I decided, "He wont feel so good about eating an animal with a name."
"Okay," Lethero agreed, "Mine's called Pork Chop."

*haha, nice. *chuckles**


Sarka glared at Lethero. "Can't you think of a nicer name!?"

"No, why?" he tossed the remains of the fruit away.

"Oh, for heavens sake. Mine's name is..." Sarka thought about it for a few minutes. "Maybe."

"What kind of name is that!?" Lethero asked.

"It's the name i gave my horse. You would do better to pick a different name for your's, too. Maybe then you won't be so hungry all the time."


*all i've got.*

"I'm gonna name mine...Lance." Aubrey said.

"Lance?" Karana said questioningly.

"Yup. Lance." She said.

**shrugs* No idea what to write*

Skye

I rolled my eyes and then peered at my own horse. Before me stood a tall, golden gelding with expressive brown eyes.
"Mine's called Aztec Angel," I decided.
"That's a pretty name," Aubrey remarked.
"Thanks. What are you calling your Karana?" Karana looked across at her blue, roan gelding.
"I'm not sure. Let me think about it."

"Okay. Well think while we ride. We've stopped long enough and it's time to be going," Lethero decided impatiently.
"Wow. He wants to get on his horse? I think he's starting to like him," Sarka smirked as all of us except Lethero mounted and we resumed our journey. Lethero went to scout ahead and Sarka took Pork Chop's reigns to encourage him to follow Maybe.

"Would you hold Aztec Angel's reigns for a moment?" I asked, pulling up alongside Karana who appeared to be an experienced rider.
"I suppose, but why?" She asked. I passed the reigns across and fluttered out of the saddle.
"I'm going to take a look ahead and see what Lethero's up to. He hasn't reported in a while," I replied.

Lethero looked back when he saw Skye coming. "What you doing out here?" Lethero asked.

"Looking for you."

"I've been waiting for you guys to come along. Besides I'm hungry." Lethero indicated to the dead deer next to him. "Can't a guy have a snack?"

Karana let her gelding walk at his own pace, which was quite easy and patient, beside Aubrey's Lance.

"How does Beau Regard sound? And call him Regard?" Karana asked suddenly. That was her father's horse's name, and he had turned out to be the greatest horse in the area.

(I wonder what's taking them so long?) She wondered as she looked at the road ahead, where Lethero and Skye had disappeared from view.

Aubrey looked around and and jumped off Lance.

"Did you guys hear that?" She said, then realized it was in her head. She sensed someone who wasn't one of them. Karana must have heard it too because she got off her horse as well. She pulled out a dagger she had with her and heard a twig snap.

"Get your weapons out if you brought them...I think we're gonna have company." She said. Just then men in black armor jumped out.

Skye

"Sorry," I mumbled, turning away from Lethero and his meal. Then I heard raised voices and turned to find Lethero already racing back towards the others. I ran forward and launched myself into the air, skimming between trees and over brambles to reach my new friends.

Many men in black armor were closing in on Aubrey, Karana and Sarka. Lethero was already there, snarling at those on the outskirts. With a grimace, I clenched my fists and formed two lightening bolts, holding them at the ready.
"What do you want?" Lethero snarled.
"Ah. Now there are five," One man noted in a cold, steely voice before drawing his sword and lunging at Sarka. I hurled the lightening at two guards with precision and they fell to the ground with shrill screams.

Lethero drew his sword and cut at the man who attacked Sarka's throat. Blood rushed out from his neck as he slowly died. "Come on, I dare you both to attack me," Lethero said.

They both hesitated a second then lunged at Lethero who swung his sword taking off one's arm and the other's fingers. Lethero kicked them both to the ground. "What have you come here for?"

Sarka quickly changed into a wolf and attacked another of the men. He fell to the forest floor, blood gushing from his leg and chest. She whipped around, expecting to find another, but the only one left alive was the one Lethero and Skye had pinned down.

Sarka changed into a dragon and walked over. She lifted her claw and rested it around the human, making sure he could not run. Skye questioned him.

"Who are you and why did you attack us? What did you come here for?"

Karana listened closely, temper rising as the soldier spoke in a tongue no one else seemed to understand. She nudged Lethero to the side and knelt in his place.

"E venit ad ducere e?" she asked. She knew what it meant. She had lived with the people who spoke that tongue before her brother disappeared.

The soldier nodded. He spoke again.

"Can't he speak in common?!" Lethero demanded, sounding disgusted.

Karana translated for him. The man shook his head.

"Well, what's he saying, then?"

She stood up. "We're not welcome here. There are soldiers everywhere past this point, and they will kill us if we don't turn around."

Skye

"Ask him why we're not welcome here," I suggested. Karana turned back to the man and they exchanged more words.
"He says that a wizard is imprisoned not far from here and has been warned that five strangers will try to free the man," Karana explained.
"Oh dear. It looks like our mission just got harder," Aubrey remarked.
"So what do we do now?" I wondered.

"It's simple kill him and split up into groups," Lethero answered.

"Why kill him?" Skye asked.

"So he won't talk, when we split up in groups. If we're in groups less than five, we're safe. They're looking for five people not three or two."

"Do we really have to kill them?" Aubery asked.

"If you don't want the blood on your hands, I'll do it."

"Be my guest." Aubrey said looking away. She heard the man screams and she almost threw up. He walked over to them.

"So who's going with who?" Karana asked.

"I'll go by myself. Aubrey and Skye, you two can go with each other and Karana and Sarka can go together." Lethero said.

"No. You're not going by yourself." Aubrey spat.

"Why not?" He growled.

"Because I don't want anyone going out alone. No matter who you are." She said. "You can go with me and Skye." She said.