A Cold Night To Remember

[4] What's in a name?

I wonder what my family thinks? Do they think I'm dead? Are they still seaching for me? What of Lyla? What has happened to her? 

        Day after day past with no sign of her resquers... Their small band of ciminals traveled farther and farther north as each day went on... they were traveling to some village where the rest of their compnay was to meet them the follwoing spring. Arovis soon found out what how organized the Theives Guild really was. WIth Generals, captians, slaves, soldiers, spys and the like. They had spies everywhere...informants. There were anuel meetings each year, but on the most part they kept seperate, paying their 20% tax off the top to the guild, who in return took care of each members families in hard times, or they would finace large tips to get large amounts of coin back. That's what they had done for her. A good amount showed to capture her processtion, knowing her dowlry, maids, and many wealthy courteers would be traveling with her, and her Lord's procession was to meet her's at the bridge, and together enter his Manor... That never took place... From what she could glean from the bits of conversation, was they there had been traitors to tell them when and where to attack... it would seem they were suposed to caputre more women, but failed in that regard... She was to be held for ransom, and who ever pays the most for her would get her... She was now a pawn in a game...no longer a person, just an object... like a gold pice in a die game...

Each of her days seemed quite the smame, although each day got colder, and more signs of the north mountains showed. They were getting higher in elevation every da...she could feel it in her lungs. 

Each nigt the band would bed down by fires, the horses all picketed around them to help with sequrity...If anything was to be eaten, it would be a horse, not a human. Arovis had her ankles tied together each night, ever since she ran away... she didn't get far...

She hadn't slept in the mystery man's tent again... although the band rarely proped the tents up now... they seemed to be in a hurry. She now slepted in her wooden cage/carrage... Although she was given a blanket, which she was graetful for. It amazed her the small things in life that stick out once you no longer have them...

Her days were spent either on a horse, or in the carrage... the men didn't quite care where she sat as long as she was quiet and didn't bother them. They apparently all have a preferance for silence... It was quite maddening... so boring it could made one just want to scream...

 ***

They gave me this horse on purpose...

Her steed was the worst in the camp, that she could be certain of. SHe had asked to ride for the day, and they gladly ablidged her, only later for her to find out her horse was nutorious for... flatulence. Constant and loud... and every time her horse did so it made all the surrounding men giggle like little boys.

Sun adled half wits...

Eentually she gave in and laughed with them... it was sort of funny... The sun is working wonders on me too! 

It would seem not all the men all that terrible... some were quiet tolerable... but most turned into dogs once the wine was being passed around... well, all except one person... Her "mystery man". He was quiet around everyone, not joking or messing around like the other idiots... But he wasn't old or cruel... he just kept to himself. From wat she could see, he camanded a certain amount of respect from the men, even the "leader" of the band seemed to be beneith him... Perhaps they were afraid of him? But what could be so frightening about a man?

***

That night, the group sat around the fire, bread and cheese was their supper tonight...no meat. Oh how she missed meat..

Arovis sat alone, not very close to the fire light, nibbling slowly on her food... Their food storage was low... she hoped that meant they were close to their destination. The air was cold and it bit at her ears and nose... I'm a deserflower in a frozon wasteland... she thought to herself... her a flower? She laughed at her own poetry.

"What is it you find amusing, m'lady?" She looked up shiftly, her heart jumping out of her chest. She didn't see him there...

It was him. The "Mystery" man who never seemed to speak.. She wasn't sure how to reply, caught off gaurd by his sudden interest in her. 

"It would seem the cold has frozen your toung." He remarked, then handed her a fur pelt... It was a hooded cloak, almost a coat... It was not finely made, or of the best furs, but it would be warm. 

"You will need this now. We are in snow country..." He began to turn and walk away when Arovis spoke up, "Wait!" 

He did, and turned to look at her with his peircing blue eyes, "What is your name?"

He waited a momment, glacing at the hard ground before replying, "What is in a name? A past? A Future? No... I have no name...I am of the wind. I am seen and heard but none know from wence I come or where I am going..."

"Then what are you called?" She asked intently...

"I am called Tristan... but that is not my name..." He smiled at her, a smirk, coy sort of smile... it looked good on him... And that momment stayed with her longer than most...