A Cold Night To Remember

[3] No Farewell...

It felt as though only a moment had passed when Arovis awakened to the sounds of the dark man moving about the tent. When she finally opened her eyes she could see him strapping on his black leather armor. The rope around her wrists now limp on the ground by his feet. Morning light seeped through the door flaps and through the holes in the tent's stitching, shining upon the man's face. She noticed something shine around his side, and as her eyes adjusted she saw a line of steel knives strapped to his ribcage in a leather bandolier. They were throwing knives by the look of their small thin handles. His hands deftly placed a dagger into his boot and belted a sword at his hip. She watched him silently, studying him as he strapped on his greaves and bracers, pulling on the strings to tighten them with one hand and the help of his teeth... "You need a servant for all that armor," She remarked, pushing herself up from her cot with her bound hands.

"I do fine on my own." He spoke, his voice deep and full of emotion. She only now noticed how strange his accent was, and she placed him as someone who had spent a lot of time in the northern mountains. She remembered when dignitaries and traders from the north would visit her father's kingdom, bringing interesting foods like potatoes and cabbage as well as the various animal pelts they sold. He picked up his hooded cowl from the trunk and pulled it on, leaving the hood down. He approached her and pulled apart the knot he had tied her hands up with some difficulty. Eventually her hands were free again and he turned away immediately. 

"What do they call you?" Arovis asked, finally standing. She adjusted the neckline of her too big shirt, letting it's length fall to her thighs in an effort to preserve what modesty she could. The pants hugged her curves, their straight cut not forgiving for her feminine shape. He didn't respond to her, rather he placed his now tightly rolled bed into his trunk, grabbing her sheepskin next and rolling it as well. She was surprised to find he could fit all of the contents of the space into that single trunk. He stepped out of the tent, leaving her alone for only the briefest of moments.

Arovis gasped as the roof of the tent began to fall down. Two men outside hammered the pegs out of the ground, preparing to pack it all away. The cloth was pulled away and rolled, the poles and rope with it. She smiled to herself for being so on edge and afraid of such a minor thing. 

-----editing----

Once the tent was gone she could see that there were many tents, more than she had estimated, it was a huge company. To the south she could see part of their caravan moving away, and to the east as well, a group was already packed and leaving. Their band was much smaller now, and more condenced. It would seem they were splitting up to keep from being caught... and perhaps to sell their new wares... 

Splitting up... Lyla! Arovis shot away, catching the eye of the mystery man as well as a few others... She came to the place where the women's tent used to be... There was nothing. Gone... "Lyla!" Arovis called out, turning to and fro trying to find her fair headed friend... she was no where to be seen. 

"They have already left for the Caldeels." Her hooded friend explained to her, he somehow had made it very close to her without her noticing...

"no..." She said pathetically, tears whelling up in her eyes...

"I'm sorry..." He said, sounding as though it pained him too... he was an odd one...

"Your sorry! What do you know!" Arovis turned on him like a rabid dog, anger blasing through her being. "You let them take her away! You knew they would be gone by morning! That's why you took me last night! How could you! She was my only friend."

The sun was rising higher by the minuet, everything starting to look ready to move on.

"Your lucky I did." He snapped back, then turned away from her to go back to paking up.

"How can you sleep at night... stealing innocent women from their familes, selling them! Your a dog." She spat at his feet.

He stopped walking, is fists clenched... he seemed as though he were about to snap. For a momment Arovis felt intense fear, even trough her anger... she did not know what he would do to her... but she knew there was no one wo could save her from his wrath... But a momment later... he let out a sigh, and kept walking away, no retort, no slap to the face... nothing. He simply took it and went on...

You are strange...