The Sword Maiden

Terreth

We did have to go back to Ladris. I asked Redwar if I could stay outside the city that night, in the direction of Terreth.

I knew it wouldn't make much of a difference. But it would make me feel better. Redwar said I could.

The next day we set off again. I would have loved to gallop all the way, but of course our horses wouldn't have been able to sustain that.

"Twitchy" would have been a good word for me.  I could not stay still, unless it was to sleep.  And then, I'd lay awake, staring at the stars, wondering if I'd find Derrek.  

"There it is."  

My head came up from Axe's mane at Redwar's voice.  My eyes widened.  "It's huge."  

Spread out before me in the middle of the plains was a walled city, with many surrounding buildings.  But more than that was all the farmland that spread around it.  Being a girl who'd lived in or around the forest her whole life, it was weird to see so much farmland. 

Redwar and Valeria watched me with amusement.  "You think that's something?" said Valeria.  "Imagine three times that.  That's how big the capital city of the Seven Clans of Thathia is."  

"Wow," I breathed.  The next moment discouragement crushed my wonder flat.  "How are we going to find Derrek in all that?"

"We will," replied Redwar confidently.  "And if we don't find him there, we'll search the next town, and the next one after that, until we find him."  

I'm not an introvert.  But that does not mean that I like being pressed in on all sides by people.  It does not mean that at all.  

I was seriously tempted, as I waded my way through the pressing bodies, to draw my sword and cut a wide swath around me.  Okay, maybe not actually cut a wide swath, but threaten to.  

I was wading my way through the city market, to see if I could spot Derrek, but it was now obvious this was not going to work.  I'd only been here five minutes and felt like screaming.  Why, oh why did we have to come on market day?  

I fought my way to the city wall and plastered myself against it.  I moaned and closed my eyes.  The smell of sweating humans in close quarters was overwhelming.  I was having to fight the urge to flee back to my quiet forest dwelling.

I pressed a hand to my forehead and wiped away the sweat, as I fought to think.  Height.  That's what I needed.

The city wall would be a good choice, but I didn't know how to get up there.  I decided to see if I could scale someone's roof. 

Twenty minutes later I'd made my way up on top of the roof of a tanner.  It was the only roof I could find that I could get up and that didn't have a thatched room.  Those things will make you itch like crazy.  

I sat down on it, satisfied, and began scanning the crowd below. 

I sat there for three hours.  The sun inched towards the horizon, and still I didn't see Derrek.  The crowds began to thin out, but I still didn't see him.  Sometimes I'd catch a glimpse of someone that looked like him and my heart would leap, only to be disappointed again.  

I did spot a familiar face at the end of my three hours.  It was Redwar, weaving his way through the market in his self assured way, looking for me.  

"Ravine! Ravine!" He called.  

I scampered down off the roof before calling to him, not wanting to draw attention to myself.  "Over here Redwar!"