-Dareon Hallow-
He never thought there would come a day he'd be so happy to see an expanse of dry earth, especially compared to the sickly sour scent that wafted between the branches of the Barren Waste. The nights and the mists played with his head, creating strange silhouettes in the distance and making him confused about whether it was day or night. The smell gave him so many strange dreams and countless hallucinations, that he had wondered if there would be any lasting effects. Even the enormous valley they encountered—which was most certainly a battlefield—made him unnerved. He didn't voice it, but Gods he wanted to be out of that open area as quickly as possible.
Dareon didn't enjoy the idea that they could've been easily shot from a distance, no less watched and followed by wild Outlanders.
The horses they had possessed amazing endurance, and could seemingly eat anything and remain fine. However, that did not mean they left lighter tracks. In fact, the tracks they left were much deeper than what any normal horse would leave.
But so far there were no signs of any pursuit.
He'd attribute that to pure and foolish luck.
What wasn't good luck, or any kind of good fortune at all, were Atlanta's frequent questions to his actions.
The first time he had made any comment about chasing Aleksandra and their reason for it, she asked him a simple question.
"Are you fond of her?"
Dareon was quite shocked and could only say, "not really. At least, I don't think so."
The beautiful woman merely nodded before returning to attending her sword, having borrowed Lucan's whetstone. With a final glance she said, "then go."
He blinked, somewhat confused. "What?"
"Go back to your forests and your friends, go back to the West. Leave, if you are not going to retrieve her."
In all senses Dareon was surprised. The way she looked at him as she said it, and the way she said it even, made him wince. Hands tightening into fists he straightened, raising his voice.
"I can't go back, the foresters aren't there, there is nothing left in the West—"
Atlanta's eyes flashed, "then stay."
He swallowed uncomfortably. Lucan, who was sitting on the roots of a tree nearby, raised a brow as he watched them. Dareon could feel strangely pressured at his attention, and found his mouth working as he thought of a reply.
"Don't you think it's wrong?" He asked finally. "That we're only going after her because we feel obligated to—because of orders?"
His words were empty, he could tell, but he couldn't take them back as Atlanta put her sword down and stood to face him. He wished he had put more meaning in his words, that perhaps she would have understood what he meant, rather than him being afraid of what the woman would do to him.
Her eyes were ice, "I feel no shame in going after her because it would be under my King's orders. I go after her, because I have to, because without her I cannot return to my home. I cannot walk into the kingdom empty handed and demand King Cragon's attention. The knight—" she gestured to Lucan, "—chases the witch because of orders. Emiloseph is merely here because he wishes to, because he realized we are hopeless trackers in this Summer weather. If you feel guilty that you are here with us, going after Aleksandra with reasons you do not deem worthy or reasonable, that is not something you should bring unto us. Your guilt and your uncertainty are your own, forester.
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II - Sigh of Smoke
Adventure"And in the depths of memory, await only the forgotten." (text on cover) _________________________________________ Summer has arrived, and Aleksandra, Dareon, Atlanta, and Lucan make their way to Zarkarath for the second ruler of their assignments...
