Kito
08-23-2005, 05:44 AM
A cold breeze tugs playfully at the wisp of fire you managed to coax out of the wood for your campsite. You sit and watch the dance, mindful that if the wind did decide to steal your flame, you would be in for a very uncomfortable night. But strangely, the thought does not bother you. Perhaps it is too cold for you to care.
You lean against your pack, too tired to summon the strength required to go to sleep. Nearby, the sounds of your horse snorting in his sleep are a comforting reminder that you are not totally alone. Your eyes close briefly, and you open them to fight off sleep for just a little longer.
Someone has joined you at your fire. Cloaked in black, the flames seem to shrink away from him. Your mind is cloudy from lack of sleep, and the fact that this strange man has joined you seems perfectly normally; certainly not worth making a fuss over. He pushes back his hood and smiles at you, showing very white teeth.
"Well, hello the camp," he says casually. "Cold night tonight, isn't it?"
You smile wearily back and nod. "Yes."
"I hope you don't mind if I join you for a while," the man continued. "It has been a while since I have been around these parts, and I could use the company."
His suggestion seems reasonable enough. You chat on blithely, feeling as if this whole encounter is a dream. Your conversation is pleasant and the man seems interested in news that you had thought quite mundane. His smile and tone indicted good will toward your arrangement, but his eyes, black as his robe, seemed alert and constantly shifting.
When you are done talking, the man shakes his head in disbelief. "So much can change in so short a time," he reflected sadly. "The seeds of war have sprouted, and friend and foe alike have forgotten." He rises. "Thank you for your hospitality," he says. "I have taken enough of your time, and you look like you could use a good nights sleep."
You look at the stranger blankly. "It was my pleasure."
"Safe journey," he said, as you drifted off to sleep. "You never know what the Shadows hide..."
You lean against your pack, too tired to summon the strength required to go to sleep. Nearby, the sounds of your horse snorting in his sleep are a comforting reminder that you are not totally alone. Your eyes close briefly, and you open them to fight off sleep for just a little longer.
Someone has joined you at your fire. Cloaked in black, the flames seem to shrink away from him. Your mind is cloudy from lack of sleep, and the fact that this strange man has joined you seems perfectly normally; certainly not worth making a fuss over. He pushes back his hood and smiles at you, showing very white teeth.
"Well, hello the camp," he says casually. "Cold night tonight, isn't it?"
You smile wearily back and nod. "Yes."
"I hope you don't mind if I join you for a while," the man continued. "It has been a while since I have been around these parts, and I could use the company."
His suggestion seems reasonable enough. You chat on blithely, feeling as if this whole encounter is a dream. Your conversation is pleasant and the man seems interested in news that you had thought quite mundane. His smile and tone indicted good will toward your arrangement, but his eyes, black as his robe, seemed alert and constantly shifting.
When you are done talking, the man shakes his head in disbelief. "So much can change in so short a time," he reflected sadly. "The seeds of war have sprouted, and friend and foe alike have forgotten." He rises. "Thank you for your hospitality," he says. "I have taken enough of your time, and you look like you could use a good nights sleep."
You look at the stranger blankly. "It was my pleasure."
"Safe journey," he said, as you drifted off to sleep. "You never know what the Shadows hide..."