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Old 10-10-2003, 01:56 PM   #87
Ealasaide
Shadow of Tyrn Gorthad
 
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Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: The Fencing Lyst
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Sting

Benia

Benia had not meant to fall asleep, but the combination of the quiet, the fire, and Gilly's good stew had lulled her into a light slumber. Or maybe it was the relaxing effect of the herbs the bounty hunter had put on her ankle that had pushed her over the edge. Or the fact that she was bone tired. Or maybe it was all of it. Either way, all Benia had intended to do was close her eyes for a moment, but when she awoke, she knew a good bit of time had passed. The fire had died to an orange glow and the first hint of silver was evident in the eastern sky. The bounty hunter had returned.

Still feigning sleep, Benia watched him from under her lowered lashes as he knealt down beside the fire, his pale eyes taking in the details of the scene. First, he reached over and picked up the long leaves of kingsfoil that Gilly had fished out of the cooking pot and laid to dry on one of the stones of the fire circle. After smoothing them carefully, he folded them and returned them to a pouch on his belt. Then he opened the lid of the cooking pot where Gilly had left the remains of the stew. Benia held her breath. He would know in a glance that the stew had not been made entirely from the supplies they carried with them. Bound wrist and leg, she knew there was very little she could do to protect Gilly should Kaldir reach for his dagger, but she tensed herself to cry out at the very least.

Gilly's untying herself the night before and running off to fetch herbs and potatoes for a stew when the bounty hunter had left them with plenty of perfectly edible fare, had upset Benia considerably. She had thought it a silly and reckless thing to do, and for what purpose? Food was food. As long as one was fed, what difference did it make whether it was stew or bread and dried jerky? She knew what bounty hunters were capable of. Life was cheap to the likes of them. Benia had lost her mother and almost lost her father to bounty hunters. To lose Gilly, too, and over something so silly as a stew, would be more than Benia could bear. Her heart hammered in her ears as the bounty hunter and bent and smelled the rich aroma of the stew.

Instead of drawing his dagger, Kaldir replaced the lid on the stewpot and stared intently at the ground in both the direction of the horses and the exit from the campsite through the bramble bushes. Then, he leaned over and touched the charred ends of the rope that Gilly had rewound around her wrists but, being unable to retie them, had left hanging before dropping off to sleep. Gilly still snored softly, unconscious as to how closely death hovered over her sleeping form. Benia drew in her breath, waiting for the moment when the bounty hunter's evil temper flashed into action. His eyes were hidden for the moment in the depths of shadow, so she watched his hands. Having finished examining the rope that draped Gilly's wrists, he sat still for a moment with his hands resting idly on his thighs.

Then, to Benia's amazement, the bounty hunter actually chuckled. He sat back on the heels of his boots and laughed to himself. Benia's amber eyes widened in surprise. Seeing her watching him, Kaldir smiled a wry, one-sided smile and picked up the stew pot.

"It's amazing," he said softly, rising to his feet. "What a talented chef can do with a bit of dry bread and cheese." With that, he turned and, carrying the remains of the stew, walked to the edge of the campsite and began to eat.

Benia stared after him, not knowing whether to laugh or be frightened. It could be that he was genuinely amused, or it was equally possible that he was the type to laugh first only to slit their throats a moment later. Nervously, she reached out with her shackled hands and gave her friend a nudge.

"Gilly!" she whispered. "Wake up!"
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