Micha sighed and gave a knowing look. He reached up to her face and made a futile attempt to clean her cheeks. He did little more than smear the grim around, however.

"I'm sorry... this place holds lots of memories for me. I lived here for a time, fighting these orc brutes. There were many times where it was kill or be killed and... I did some things to survive that were quite undesirable. When he said his leader was wanted us alive... the only thing I can think of is all those times... all those orcs I killed and their leaders who would want me alive. The things I would have to do, once more, to survive. I don't want to walk that road again... but I will if it is my only path to survival."

He paused and looked at her eyes. He leaned in and kissed her gently on the forehead, then said softly. "And now I have you to think of as well... I can't let them drag you into this."

_________________




Visit The Varsian Kingdom!

Sygnet smiled and took his hands in hers, "Micha, my love, I could be dragged into Oblivion and would never feel fear, as long as you were right by my side. I will always be part of you, remember that," she put her forehead against his and gently nuzzled his nose.

She would walk through fire if it meant she would never have to leave his side. She couldn't bear to be without him. The thought frightened her.

Micha felt the anxiety flee as Sygnet spoke those words, yet a firm determination remained. More a determination to keep her safe to all his ability as opposed to a fear that he wouldn't be able to. "Thank you..." he said after a brief silence. "That means more than you may know. I would do the same for you, without hesitation... I love you." His last three words came softer. He took a deep breath, "We should get moving... before more show up."

_________________




Visit The Varsian Kingdom!

Sygnet nodded, kissed him on the cheek and smiled slightly, "the horses are around here somewhere," she began searching the trees, letting out sharp, quick whistles. Her appaloosa steed trotted through the trees and whinnied slightly, happy to see her slive. Syndar following close behind.

Sygnet gently patted the horse's nose and led him over to the small camp, so she could pack it all up.

Micha nodded and squeezed Sygnet's hands gently before she went off to find the horses. By the time she got back Micha had much of the camping items packed up and ready to go. He handed Sygnet a few bags and took his to Syndar.

He rubbed the horse's neck and spoke a soft word to his friend. The horse lowered it's head and leaned it on Micha's shoulder for a split second and nickered. His head raised, then, sniffing the air. He pawed the ground and looked a little more alert.


Micha looked up, then to Sygnet. "We need to go," he repeated the obvious. He jumped on Syndar and turned towards the pass in the Misty mountains. Hopefully if they tracked the duo they would track them to Redhorn pass and assume they continued on the typical rout. Few knew of the secret underground passage and certainly, he figured, the half orc tribes would not.

_________________




Visit The Varsian Kingdom!

Sygnet quickly loaded the supplies and jumped into the saddle on the horse. She waited until Micha was set and then allowed him to lead, following just behind him at a slow canter through the trees. Her own horse was nickering nervously as he moved along. Sygnet drew her sword and held it in her hand, guiding the horse with the other.

They hurried through the night, horses still tense but calming. Micha seemed to let memory guide him, around stones and through trees. He was surprised how well he remembered the landscape. He couldn't tell if anything was following or tracking them but he wasn't about to stop and find out. He knew Sygnet did't need sleep and he could go a couple days without it and fully intended to. He couldn't chance stopping and letting anything catch up to them

"Can you tell if anything is following us?" he asked Sygnet after some time of riding. He slowed only slightly to let the horses catch their breath.

_________________




Visit The Varsian Kingdom!

Sygnet slowed her horse to a stop in order to fully register the sounds of the air. She closed her eyes and went still. The only thing that moved were her pointed ears that shifted slightly whenever an owl hooted or a bird took off from its branch. After a minute or two of total silence, she opened her eyes and looked at him through the pith black darkness, "Nothing," she said, voice low and steady, blending together with the wind's gusts. She couldn't feel it but it was getting colder ever minute they got closer to the mountains.

There was no moon that night and stealth was easier than expected. Getting away from the half-orcs was most important and luck seemed to be on their side.

Micha stopped Syndar and held him still. The silence was slightly disconcerting given the current circumstances. The report, however, was quite positive.

"Good," Micha said, a sigh of relief released from his chest and he eased his tense muscles as Sygnet announced they were not being followed. "We better keep going, though. I'm sure they will follow our tracks once they find their men were all killed. Once we enter the underground tunnels it will be easy to loose them."

He turned Syndar back towards the pass and started up and a quick walk.

_________________




Visit The Varsian Kingdom!

Sygnet nodded and gently nudge her horse into a walk, keeping steady pace beside Micha. She reached over and took his hand with her free one and squeezed it gently, "It will be alright. We will be alright," she attempted to assure him. Centuries of practice at keeping her voice steady allowed her to deliver this message with a calm tone. She didn't know why, but she was nervous. There were dozens of orcs in that clearing. Those had to have been the scouts, meaning more could be on the way. Her hearing could only do so much against the half-orc's uncanny sense of smell. They could smell them easily but she could only hear in certain conditions. Their lives--Micha's life-- all depended on her and whether or not she could hear the orcs coming.

Micha looked over to Sygnet as she took his hand. He forced a smile, mostly for her benefit. He squeezed her hand lightly and spoke. "I'm sure it will all work out... I'll just feel a lot better once we are out of here and have made it safely to Lorien."

_________________




Visit The Varsian Kingdom!

Sygnet nodded. She would be glad as well. She missed her old home however, the memory of why she left was still imprinted on her mind. She wondered if the elvish bakers still made their elvish mead and wine the same way as they did all those centuries ago. Everything might have changed and she didn't even know. She kept on alert for even the slightest sound of an enemy and would jump whenever the horses would step on a stick. She took deep breaths to calm herself.

Micha was jumpy as well. He hurried along until they came to Redhorn Pass. They wound up the rocky trail for a ways and then ventured off to the side. There was a rock wall with steep sides and a pile of boulders.

"Up there." He pointed. "It's a bit tricky, but we can lead our horses up the side and down into the tunnels."

He started up first to lead the way, weaving Syndar around the large boulders and on to sure footing. It didn't take long to reach the top. Once there they traveled along the top of a large flat rock and near the back where the side of the mountain rose into the sky there was a skinny crevice, barely big enough for the horses to squeeze through.

Micha glanced back to be sure Sygnet was making it up alright before heading into the tunnel.

_________________




Visit The Varsian Kingdom!

Sygnet's injured side burned slightly and she straightened up and in the darkness, placed a hand over the bandage in her side. She flinched ever so slightly. This shouldn't be happening. The elves fixed it. They fixed her! She was frustrated and angry that that didn't seem the case. The fight...agitated it. It wasn't helpful and it didn't speed the healing process but after everything that happened, she needed to get over this mountain. Sygnet shook her head slightly and continued to follow Micha on foot up the mountains paths.

(I'm going to apologize because that passage might be really bad because I've had a migraine and my words aren't making too much sense in my head so, I'm sorry!)

(No worries, made perfect sense to me. )


Micha noticed Sygnet grip her side and concern swelled in him... one more reason they needed to get to Lorien! He moved forwards to help her, offering her his hand. "Were almost there," he told her.

_________________




Visit The Varsian Kingdom!

Sygnet took his hand in hers and used it to pull herself upright. She was getting tired, more and more with each step but they had to keep going. She had to be strong for Micha.