CAZine

Tristran awoke to a red dawn that bled across the sky. This was seen as a bad omen through Catiana and Eric’s eyes. He quickly put on his leather armor, grabbed his bow and stepped out of the tent. Tristran scanned where they had set up camp the night before. They were camped in a pass leading over more bounding and rolling hills. Large pillars of rock stood tall on each side of the pass. Glancing towards Catiana and Eric’s tent he saw Cat twisting a tick into what was left of the fire. She was cloaked in black as always and her short sword just poked out of her robe. Eric stepped out of their tent, but he was different than normal, Tristran thought to himself. He then figured it out: he wasn’t wearing his armor, he was wearing cloth. Tristran knew this was the first time he saw Eric in anything except his armor. Eric looked at Tristran and then looked at Catiana. He crossed his legs and sat down right next to her. He then wrapped one of his arms around her revealing the skin of his arm. She then rested her head on his chest and continued twisting the stick in the fire. “So… more rolling hills?” Tristran asked while biting his lower lip. Neither Catiana nor Eric said anything. After a long while Tristran finally decided to come sit next to the fire. He set his bow next to him and lay back onto his shoulder. It stayed quiet for what seemed like hours. Finally Eric got up and said, “I’ll prepare the horses.” When Eric’s arm released from around Catiana’s shoulder she shuddered as if she was cold without his warmth. Tristran did not know what the whole sadness mood was about and from Cat’s face it didn’t look like he was going to find out. He felt very much that he was intruding. Eric brought the horses to the center of the camp and tied them to a nearby tree. He stepped into his tent and started fastening on all his armor. Catiana stood up and put out the small fire with the water pail. She brushed off the dirt from her sleeves. Tristran fetched his horse and brought him to the tree in which the other horses were tied. Tristran rubbed the horse’s strong neck. The white-grey color of the horse reminded him very much of home. The little cabin lost somewhere in the pine forest of Loth Loin. –Vividly- Remembering the snow that would accumulate on the trees and the top of the house.

“Tristran,” Catiana said. Tristran looked at her with a sad eye. “We need to leave,” she said, glancing at the pass.

Eric stepped from the tent fully armored. They packed their things and began to move south into a marshland. “We are sure to be caught by something moving through this bog,” muttered Eric. “Well there is nothing for it, we have to cross it one way or another,” Eric rolled his eyes and then with a sharp glance looked at Tristran and said, “If you would of stayed where you came from we wouldn’t be crossing this bog at all. Tristran immediately turned his grin into a sorrowful stare. Tristran waited for Catiana to lash out at Eric for saying what he did as she usually had, but she didn’t. Catiana pointed to a small road that lead doper into the marsh and said, “that should be the road there.” Eric squinted for it was hard to see with the mists. His eyes eventually focused around it. He kicked his horse giving the horse the order to move. Tristran’s anger was starting to set in and he thought viciously about what Eric said. Bishop Anidus had me condemned to Catiana though, there was nothing I could do. Tristran thought and wanted to say what he had on his mind but thought it wise not to. They approached the road and all three of them glanced down the never ending path. Their journey began here and it was not going to be an easy path through the marsh. Eric started riding into the marsh. “Stop,” Catiana said. “There is someone coming.” Tristran looked forward and he did see a figure starting to form in the mist. A hooded figure covered in black and riding a black horse. Eric drew his big hammer from his back. Tristran quickly notched an arrow to his bow. He aimed and fired the arrow at the faint figure, a fatal mistake on his part. The dark figure quickly removed a small dagger and deflected the shot. Recoiling from the blow the figure then threw the dagger at Tristran. Eric had foreseen this and quickly clapped his palms together creating a barrier of light around Tristran. The dagger hit the barrier of light faded and Tristran looked to Catiana. She yelled “Who gave you permission to fire!” “Show yourself or be burnt to a crisp.” Eric said with a calm tone. “Would you calm down it’s only me,” the figure muttered. The figures voice was female and Catiana recognized it immediately, “Felaan,” Catiana gasped. “I thought the worst had come to you when the General sent you on that foolish ore mission.” Felaan stepped out of the mist and removed her hood. Lush brown hair come down to her shoulders. She wore a black cloak similar to Catiana’s. Tristran drew the line that they were sisters after examining both of them. Felaan looked at Tristran. “I see you’ve brought along a pathetic excuse of an archer.” “I find it very unwise to bring young boys into dangerous bogs such as this Catiana.” Catiana replied, “Tristran is has been ordered by the council to accompany me on my travels.” Felaan then said while looking around, “I don’t see how a young archer could learn anything from a necromancer.” “Did you not here her it was condemnation not apprenticeship that ties me to Catiana.” Tristran said. “Oh well that figures, the Aratians don’t train their knights the old fashioned way,” Felaan said with content. “How did you know”- “Those tattoos under your eyes, the end of the hilt on your short sword have a scarlet symbol on it, the way you hold your body has a very… Arrogant feel to it definitely a Crusader and your arrows they are not Elven made, only men could create such useless arrows,” Felaan finished her long speech on how Tristran definitely came from the Aratian Monastery. “That was impressive.” Tristran remarked with a smile. A deep rumbling came from within the mist and was rapidly approaching the group. Felaan looked back into the mist and quickly dawned her hood. “Hurry pull the horses off the road.” Felaan whispered. “And hurry along; I’ll deal with these fools.” Felaan removed her two daggers and slid off to the side the road and hid behind a tree. Tristran stay in the shadows and stay quiet.” Catiana said. “Catiana what is going on, I’m confused.” “There is an ork patrol coming down the road.” “How do you know?” “We just do! Now stay quiet and watch the horses.” Catiana said quickly removing her sword from her horse and returning back onto the road. Tristran sat for a moment in silence and in deep thought. Why am I her sidekick if I don’t even fight beside her. He thought about this for a few quick moments then it started. Swords met in mid air making loud clashing noises while the sight of bolts of fire traded sides. It was so loud the chants and war banter still being instilled on the Karm filled side. Tristran thought for a second and realized how outnumbered Catiana, Felaan, and Eric were. He looked around for something that he could use that might- the torch! He had found a lit torch hanging from the archway that lid into the marsh. -Marshland- was inscribed into the sign probably with an ice pick. Directly under it was –Karm Terratorry- it was painted red with a little green around edges. Tristran stood up and removed his bow and an arrow. Quickly notching the arrow on the string and aiming up to the torch. Eric had foreseen Tristran’s idea and grabbed Cat and Felaan with his big gauntlet hands. Tristran had noticed briefly that Cat and the rest of the bunch had stopped fighting and were running towards him. He fired the arrow anyway and hit the torch dead on cascading ti quickly to the ground. Tristran was surprised how effective this played out in the end. Every Ork and Goblin were now burning the last minutes of their lives away. Felaan broke free of Eric’s grip and speedily walked to Tristran. She pushed his over and kicked him multiple times in the gut, before Catiana got to her and held her back. “You could of killed us!” Felaan yelled. “You stupid son of a”- Felaan kept screaming. “You’ll be the end of us all! Get out of here you runt!” Felaan was yelling so loud that she was spitting all over Tristran’s face. This was mentally destroying him for he feared it was all true. Every word hurt him so bad. Tristran lie there beaten, bloodied, and hurt. Felaan spat out her last obscenity, “ Go die prick, no one likes you.” Tristran was sure that Catiana would say something to Felaan about that last comment, but she just stood there looking at Tristran. This said everything for Tristran now knew that not one of these people cared for him and he was alone in this group, alone in this world.