"I didn't lie, exactly," Moraglin replies sharply. "I told you I was asked to join you by the Prince. He said the Good father had gone with you but he was,....ahem.... an older fellow and perhaps not up to the rigors of the journey. I had to say I was curious on several accounts so I follow you to figure out what was going on.

"When the good father failed to ride out with you and the dark young man Septimus went off on his own I continued on and decided you were going to need my skills since you had not real magic user, or cleric."

"Certainly, you must admit you did need me. That Septimus fellow would have been dead but for me."

"Now that the good Father has made it this far you still need a mage, and I am the best one for the task."

"But if you want to get you coat all fluffed up over it I can go home,but make it a group decision. All for me staying, raise your right hand. All for me going home, you keep you hands down."

"Alex," Zara runs up and hugs the older man, "I am glad you are back."

True to her nature she immediately changes tack. "Moraglin why ask for a vote, you have the ring of the prince so you have every right to be here."

"And Oko, I am sure Moraglin just wanted to feel us out, I mean she might not have liked us. Maybe she did not really know why Alex did not ride out with us, I am sure she did not want us to think Alex was too afraid to go on."

Looking back to Alex, "I am sure Alex had a reason."

"Now, does anyone need anything more to eat?"

As far as things went Zara had accept what was without question.

"If not I will pack up the food."

Clint made a mental note to chastise Oso when they were underway. His little joke with Oko's steed was uncalled for. Oso would have sensed tht the animal didn't want him close, but didn't move. On purpose. He knew the bear had no concept of humor, but at the same time he also knew that, occasionally, any animal had had an instinctive desire for the immediate reward of whatever they considered to be "fun". And recognizing that Oko's mount was a well-trained warhorse meant that Osonaar's little stunt could have gotten the bear hurt, maybe even seriously hurt.

No, nagging him about it later would be useless. The bear had "got his jollies" from his litle trick, and would have no clue as to what Clint was referring to if he mentioned it hours later. It would have already been forgotten. No, let it go. But he'd keep something handy to lob in the direction of the bear if he tried that again -- IF it happened again.

Clint was just finishing "tacking up" his own mount when he heard the confrontation near where Dae's tent had been set up. A disagreement of some sort, obviously. Clint purposely stayed where he was, within ear-shot but out of "choosing" range. Since he had joined their company less than a day ago, he wouldn't take part in any decisions that didn't concern him directly. He had been under the impression that Moraglin had been with them for some time. An erroneous assumption, it seemed now. Clint would refuse to be involved in any decision as to whether or not she stayed with them. For now he remained silent.

When Zara asked if anyone else wanted more to eat, Clint quietly shook his head when she glanced his direction.

"Come on people lets get to getting on with this. ANd evereyone keep a look out for bubbles. I Bet if we break them while they are high in the sky the occupants will fall out and go BOOM," and for effect Zara threw her hands up into the air.

She mounts her mule and Looks back to the rest. Moraglin was going to be fun, more fun than Dae who acted like her mother. Alex was a fount of knowledge, Oko was neat and so was the new man, Clint, and the bear was going to be fun too.

The days starteed out easily, with a low ground fog as the rode down the hill and into the scrub oaks the clunped about the grassy low rolling hills. Lazy streams were crossed here and there, giving them the chance to water the horses. The sun beat down on them from a bright blue sky. Ground birds were startled up as the horse disturbed their coveys. Crows fly over head hoping to see something to scavenge. Higher up a pair of eagles circled lazily on the thermals also in search of food. Rabbits darted in and out of their warrens and squirrel scampered up trees to chitter at them as they passed.

By noon the group come upon a fair sized creek running by a gigantic old live oak.

"Look," Pointed Zara pointing to a far off three of good size, "shade and water. Time for food."

"Last on ther has to make lunch." Zara kicked her mule into a run, and that took a bit of side thumping. She shook her reins at him.

"Run!"

"I am curious, did the person who told you do bring this to me also tell you it's function?" Clint asked.
" He told me Who know's it might have a creature from another plane or it might just be another ring." Alex replies. Then Zara came up behind ALex and greeted him. Asking if he had a reason for not leaving with the party. He smiled and said "Yes little one I had a reason I was being held captive by some mages it wasn't until today that I managed to brake free of my captives." He then looks at the mage sitting on her horse and scwols. For though no one but him and the mage knew it was her that had caused his capture.
Alex then truns as Zara says something about food and gladly obliges.

O
ut comes the table from her bag of holding and next comes a couple of baskets and a small keg. From one of the baskets she pulls a a long loaf of bread, a big ham and then she slices the bread in half the long way, Next she btought out a pot of mustard, some butter, some ripe tomates and some greens. After buttering the bread and spreading out some mustard she slices the ham and tomatoes. The thin slices of ham are layered deep on the bottom half of the bread, then came the tomatoes and finally the leaves of salad greens. She finishes it by putting to top of the bread back on the stuffed loaf.

"OK, cut off what you can eat," and pulling the cloth off the other basket reveals a variety of fruit. She immediately cut off about 4 inches of from one end, fills her mug with ale and finds a rock to sit on.

Moraglin rode surprisingly without complaint on the mare she had take from Septimus when she gave him back his out foul-tempered beast. The things tried to bite her as she popped him out of her bag. Ungrateful beast.

As for the rest of them Moraglin made her mind up that she would travel with them. That bubble of magic was something that if it occurred again she wanted to be their to find out more about it. Seemed to her it was a interesting way of traveling. Perhaps she could get enough of a look at it to understand how to duplicate it.

When Zara spotted a place for lunch Moraglin was happy to be obliged to stop and rest.

Dae moved the group on trying to cover as much ground has possible with the interesting mix of individuals. She didn't command she just led them steadily forward keeping an eye on them all. She had not doubt that Zara, despit her age, Oko and now Clint could keep up with any pace she set but her weather vanes were Alex and Moraglin. Strangely Moraglin had ceased her complaining comments but towards mid day she could see the mage needed a break from ridding. and Alex. though he bore it well, was a older man and probably not use to such long hours in the addle at his time in life.

There terrain hadn't changed much but the enviornment had. vegetation was lighter, trees were sparse and low growing. Animals were scarcer too.

Dae nodded to Zara, TIme for a lunch break. and Zara to care of the rest. Dae rode over to where Clint was she hoped he had some information about this area..

"Clint do you know much about these lands that border the barrens. IS there any decent hunting. I thought it night be our last chance before we cross into the Barrens itself."

Alex looked at the stop with graditude, he had run his horse to near death running into the party and had hoped to find a break before taking off but only found that he had to walk even though he was an old man. When the party stopped for lunch Alex made sure that he would find whoever had the bag of holding that contained his over horse Firefly a horse that was magicaly enchanted by his god to withstand any type of challenge for she was a flaming horse when engaged with battle a secert that only Alex knew. Alex rested for a while seeing the vision of the winged creature again.
"Ah he and his party are so very close." The creature said in a dark and evil purred to the mage that ALex had fought almost a week ago.
"Yes my master he is very near and this time I will not let him escape." The dark mage replies.
"No my young follower it is a battle that I must fight alone if you are to fight it is to kill him after I'm gone but he has aged so much due to the curse that was placed upon him by me that I doubt that he will be able to defeat me."

"Clint do you know much about these lands that border the barrens. IS there any decent hunting. I thought it night be our last chance before we cross into the Barrens itself."
"Actually, this close to the Barrens, the hunting is sparse. But there are rabbits, and "grey diggers", squirrels that burrow rather than climb. Both are rather gamey, greasy meats, but will suffice to keep one alive when there is naught else."

Even as he spoke, an owl flew in from directly sun-ward, silently gliding to land on Clint's shoulder. He actually didn't seem surprised, as he calmly reached up to unfasten the small leather pouch attached to the bird's leg. Once that was retrieved, the bird disappeared, winked out.

Opening the small pouch and pulling out a small fold of paper, Clijt unfolded it and read. His ever-ready smile quickly turned to a serious pursing of the lips. He looked up with genuine sorrow furrowing his brow.

"This message is from some former comrades of mine. They are in dire straights and need my help as soon as possible -- well, acutally, the message said 'now'. It looks as if my own personal quest, although mingled with your own, must go by the wayside so that I can go to aid them. I am glad that I left Ponk saddled instead of giving him the break he deserves. He will be able to rest later."

He goes to mount the grey-white steed, speaking as he walks, "I extend my regrets that I was unable to help your cause. I hope you do well and that you find what you seek. For myself, I hope I am in time. Farewell, to all of you. Luck, health, and life!"

He wheels Ponk and canters back the way he came, Osonaar loping alnogside easily ...

[[ Explanation in Q&A ]]

"Bye," Zara says at a loss for other words. She looks on with sadness as the old ranger rides away, with the bear lopping along side. "Bye Oso, I save you some honeycomb."

After watching until the rider and bear disappeared over a hill, zara turned back to the others.

"Well I suppose it is time to move on," she gathered stuff together and put it away in her bag of holding.

Zara goes over to Sebastion and checks the position of the saddle before tightening his girth. She watched his ears to make sure that she did not do it too fast or too tight.

( Sorry for the down time I forgot to tell you that Sept. is a very slow month for games I DM. I hope I can get Utan back.)

Alex Watched the horror in Clint's eyes as he quickly read the letter and rode off. Though Alex couldn't see the letter he could easily read Clint's mind. There was a lot more to tell and Alex knew it. Though he wished he could sit there and travel with the lone ranger he knew that with this new threat that he would be needed even greater then before. Alex felt with his telecantic powers and the long hard prayers to the god of secerts that this was just the beginning of the troubles that were about to befall upon the party. And though he wasn't quite certain about what was happening he knew that he would probably only see the ones that left the party at an early start once before they died. Boy how much Alex hated his power when it came to knowing an awful future. Alex turned to Zara with tears in his eyes and said "Let's go meet destany"

Zara reaches out and pats him on the shoulder, "Meet Destiny?," she smiles slightly, "Destiny is like Fate. One does not actually have to go out to meet it, somehow it finds us anyway."

She then swings up on her mule, "Time to ride." She waits for Alex to mount and then joins in next to him.

"Okay, Oko. The direction is thataway," she points North East.

As the group moves out, Zara falls into silence. She drops into a state of meditation and lets the mule just follow the others. Her thoughts, now free, move into areas that the others, even Dae, could not fathom, though her half sister at least knew that Zara was capable to such levels of thought.

Oko watches Clint ride off, and listens to the talk between zara and the cleric. still watching the magic user he will mount back up and contue the jurney with the rest.

The day was boring, the saddle, hard and as Moraglin pulled to a stop as Clint left and stepped onff her obsidian steed. With a word the steed shrinks down into a small black obsidian statue and she slips it into her pouch.

"That is enough of that," she said and she dusted herself off with a wave of her hands. A small whirlwind arose and the dust whisked away the dust of the road until it dissipated far from her. "I will not continue of the excuse of a road breathing in the dust of the road."

With a flourish. Moraglin opens her pack and draw out a carpet about 9x12, it unrolls itself and floats about 28 inches in the air. Moraglin steps on and pulls out a large bolster from her pack and sit down leaning against it. The carper rise up until Moraglin is above the dust kicked up by
the horses.

"Now I am ready to continue. Lead on"