The lanky, blonde man had introduced himself as Straw, a traveling adventurer who had had the good fortune of acquiring a map to the ruins of a once-great castle some 5 days travel north, in the middle of what was once a glorious kingdom, but was now untamed and dangerous wilderness.

Could those ruins still contain lost, shiny treasures of precious metals and rare gems? Although he claimed competence with a sword, Straw said it was not smart to make that journey alone. And so he needed to recruit a few able bodied adventurers that would be willing to make the trek, promising equal shares of whatever wealth was found.

And so, for dreams of riches, fame, or reasons of your own, you have accepted. The members of the small party are to meet outside the town gate in the morning, packed and ready to depart.

--

Straw arrived early and tied his packhorse to a hitching post. Then plopped himself down on a large rock nearby and hummed to himself as he waited for his recruits to show up.

Sometimes you need money, sometimes you need some adventure, sometimes you just need to get out of a city very quickly. The young, pale elven woman's reason for joining the little expedition had been the last option. She really needed to leave the place for one reason or the other. Her short dark hair was a mess, it covered her left eye and partially hid her pointy ears. Her loose fitting clothes had seen better days - the wide sleeved shirt had a noticeable tear near the elbow and the right knee of her rather worn pants had another tear on it. She looked tired and quite sick - which was rather weird taking in to consideration her race. From the tear on her shirt a small part of some kind of a tattoo was visible.

Her right eye was bright green in color and the left one was covered with bandages that had some form of arcane writing on them. She grimaced slightly every time she had to move her right hand that hang more or less limply at her side. Despite all that she walked briskly and even flashed a very little smile at Straw when she finally caught up with him. She moved a large rucksack to rest more on her left shoulder. "Judging by you still being here I'm not late." Her voice was warm, calm and kind, but still she mostly sounded strained.

"Yer the first to arrive, lass," Straw answered, pausing his humming and climbing back to his feet to greet the elf. And I sure hope she ain't the only one, he thought, taking note of her rather rough appearance. In the morning light her injuries looked worse than they had in the dim tavern lighting the previous evening when he'd pitched the idea to her.

"Rough week?" he asked. It wouldn't be the first time he'd picked up an "adventurer" running from something. In fact, it was rather rare that he recruited someone who wasn't a bit down on their luck.

About this time, a young man was hurrying toward the pair, still pulling his coat over one arm while carrying a pack and a hunting bow in his other hand. "Uh... hi," he said, grinning, as he drew closer and looked between Straw and the elven woman.

He blushed for no good reason as he looked at the elf. "I'm Calvin," he said, as way of introductions.

Calvin:

The elven girl bowed her head politely to both men and straightened up. "I am Cyra-" She coughed and quickly shook her head "Cyriana. I am Cyriana." She hastily corrected herself and flashed a little smile." She adjusted her hair a bit and cautiously brushed her fingers across the bandages that covered her eye. "Uh.. so, How long a trip should we expect?" Cyriana asked as she tilted her head a bit.

"Bout 5 days, I should think," Straw told Cyriana. Since he was now up on his feet, he started checking his gear, ensuring everything was secured tightly onto the packhorse. "Gonna take the road north up to Dawsbury," he continued. Dawsbury was little more than an outpost, the last of the tamed territory headed in that direction. "After that, well... there's some paths... so I've gathered, at least."

"I don't mind the walk," Calvin chimed in, excited by the prospect of treasure and maybe even something of an adventure. He exchanged a quick glance with the elf, wondering the injury to her eye was recent, but looked away quickly, not wanting her to think he was staring.

"Well..." Straw said, pausing as he stared down the road for another few moments. "Don't look the other ones are gonna show. You two ready? They'll just have to catch up if they still wanna come 'long."

Calvin nodded enthusiastically. "Need any help with that pack, Miss Cyriana?" the young man asked, blushing again as he spoke to her.

Cyriana rolled her visible eye and shook her head just a bit. "So you are implying that we'll be trudging around the wastes until we hopefully find what we are looking for?" She let out a little giggle and shrugged the shoulder her pack was resting on. "Don't rally mind that - I for one have had enough of cities, towns and villages for a while."

She turned her attention to Calvin and smiled a bit devilishly as she handed the rucksack to him. "It's a bit heavy, but I'd really like to rest my shoulder for a while." The rucksack slipped from her fingers as the elf was handing it to the man - it made a rather unnervingly loud 'tunk' - either the elf was very strong for someone of her size or there was something she wasn't telling to the rest of the small group.

"Guided by a map, at least," Straw replied, not sharing in her humor. "So no... not aimless trudgin'."

Calvin took the offered pack, sagging a little under its unexpected weight, but didn't complain as he wrestled it onto his back, now looking a bit awkward as he held his bow and his own, much smaller, bag in his hands.

"Room for some of that on ol' Apple here," Straw mentioned, giving the horse a pat on the shoulder. "Lemme throw that bag up 'ere." And before Calvin could unshoulder the heavy pack, Straw plucked the smaller bag from his hands and started securing it on the pack animal.

"Oh... ah... thanks," Calvin said.

"Best get started then," Straw said, giving Apple a little click of his tongue and started on the road to the north.

"Hey, you got rocks in here or what?" Calvin asked the elf as they started off.

Cyriana smiled a bit sheepishly as she followed afte the two men. "Oh, just a little bit of this and that - gold, some potions, clothes... Few other valuables..." Suddenly the elf began coughing rather violently and clutched her side with her properly working arm. The coughing fit lasted for nearly a minute and she actually spat few droplets of blood to the ground before straightening up and shaking her head like nothing had happened. "So not that much stuff really." She added and shrugged her shoulder.

"Ah.." he nodded and continued carrying the heavy pack.

Calvin couldn't help but wonder why Straw would ask the obviously ill, or perhaps just injured, elf to accompany them. If anything, she seemed like she'd be better off resting somewhere than spending the next couple weeks hiking into wild territory and sleeping on the ground.

Maybe she's got some special information or... skill... or magic even! Calvin pondered this as they walked along, passing fields where shepherds guarded their flocks of sheep or herds of goats.

And on the other hand, how come she wants to go? If she already has a pack full of valuables, what's she hoping to gain? Unless she's trying to get away from something...

The terrain changed slowly from tended fields and pastures to a young forest and the road narrowed to a single wagon's width. From somewhere ahead, the trio could just make out the sound of men and horses approaching. It was difficult to tell exactly from the noise alone, but there were at least two, and probably not more than a half dozen.

"I will not lie. Even this close to the properly patrolled roads I always feel a bit uneasy when I hear the sound of hooves." Cyriana stated politely as she stared towards the rough direction of the approaching riders. Her frail fingers brushed against the bandages that covered her left eye and seemed to gain if not strenght, then at least determination. "Best we be on our guard." The elf added more to herself than the two men accompanying her.

"A girl after my own heart," Straw said, then added "'course, trouble is best avoided altogether, I think. Let's just get off the road and let 'em pass." He was already leading the pack horse off the road and into the young, thick growth.

Calvin raised an eyebrow, wondering what there was to be concerned about. Like Cyriana had mentioned, they weren't far away yet from civilization. But he exchanged a glance with the elf and shrugged. Not wanting to get on the bad side of his new employer so early on their journey, he followed suite and stepped off the road.

Cyriana moved nimbly after the man leading the horse. Despite her injuries and visible weariness the elf did not stumble on any roots or rocks. She dropped on a low crouch behind the thick growth and silently took a deep breath. "If there is need for self defense I'd humbly ask you to give me enough room." She whispered and smiled - it wasn't quite a cocky smile, but a smile of someone who has years of experience under their belt. "My condition is not quite as bad as it might seem." The frail elf added with another whisper while she fiddled around with the bandage that covered her left eye.

The trio were well off the road when two horses came into view. A bearded man rode the lead horse and both horse and rider looked weary. The second horse was burdened with two riders, both women. Between the three of them, only the man was visibly armed, a long dirk hanging from his belt.

"I think we're coming out of the forest," the trio hidden could hear the man say as he turned in his saddle to look at the women.

"At last!" said one, perking up slightly. "I thought I'd never see it again!"

"I hope we're in time to warn the tavern keep about Laethros," said the other woman.

As the horses passed, Straw made no move to reveal himself, despite the non-threatening appearance of the riders.

"I don't think they are a threat to us..." Cyriana whispered and glanced at her two traveling companions. Without warning the elf straightened up and made her way back to the road. "Travelers, what news from the road?" She inquired in her most calm and polite tone while keeping her hands visible. "No need to be alarmed, me and my companions are not bandits or other such ruffians." She tilted her head slightly and gave the armed man a rather puzzled look. "You lot seem to be in some amount of distress. May we perhaps help you in some way?" After a brief pause she added "Who or what is this Laethros you mentioned?"

The trio looked momentarily startled by the appearance of the elf. The man turned his mount quickly to face her, while the woman pushed their horse behind slightly so that they were shielded by their companion.

He looked her up and down for a moment, "Nay, lass, the good folks at Dawsbury patched us up a bit and gave us a hearty meal. All we need is a bit of rest. 'Sides, you look in worse shape than us."

As he spoke, Calvin slowly stood and came to stand beside the elf, leaving his bow in hand, but no arrow nocked.

After eyeing up the young man, the rider continued, "As for Laethros, tis a good thing you haven't heard his name. We met 'im in Dawsbury a few weeks back. If you meet the traitorous lout, don't trust 'im if he tries to hire you on to go lookin' for some old tome or such. Try ta stab ya in the back!"

Still hidden, Straw pulled his hat down a little, suddenly quite glad that he had changed clothes and name both since the last time he had seen this trio...

"Safe travels, friends!" the man said, turning his mount to continue heading toward town.

Cyriana was about to ask some further questions, but the trio began riding off before she had managed to get a word out - and at that moment the horrible racking cough was back. The frail elf fell on her knees and clutched her side while again spitting droplets of blood to the ground. She gasped for air for several moments before getting back on her feet and wiping some blood from the side of her mouth. "Damn it... This just keeps getting worse... Maybe I should..." Her hand moved to the knot that kept the bandages over her left eye in place. She seemed to hesitate and glanced at her travelling companions. "Would the two of you please avert your eyes for a few moments?" The elf inquired with her sweetest tone.

As the riders left, Straw emerged, looking concerned. But Calvin took the look as nothing more than concern over the coughing elf. "Maybe we should take you back?" the young man suggested, looking at the blood Cyriana had just spit up. "You sound like you need a week in bed, not a week traipsing through the wilderness." But he did as she asked and averted his eyes, hoping that whatever she had wasn't contagious.

Straw pretended to look away, though glanced sideways at her a moment later. The elf was definitely in worse shape than he had previously realized, though turning back would be extremely risky now that he knew the three travelers that had just passed knew his face.

Cyriana removed the bandages that covered her left eye. In the place of what once had been a beautiful emerald green eye was now something that was awfully discolored. It seemed more like a lizard's eye than anything else and the fact it was not moving made it seem like it was an oddly colored pearl or something such. The frail elf closed her right eye and lurched forwards. The strange pearl began gleaming, the gleam became a flash of light - the intensity of which became stronger by every passing second.

Then the light was gone and Cyriana stood up straight. She quickly covered the left side of her face again and took a deep breath. She seemed so much better all of a sudden - though still pale her right arm was healed again. "I feel much better already. Perhaps we should be on our way?" The dark haired elf glanced at the two men and stretched her right arm.

Straw's mouth was slightly agape as Cyriana's strange pearl eye apparently had just magically healed some of her wounds. He closed it quickly when she suggested they continue on. "Oh... ah... of course," he said, figuring it best not to ask questions.

Calvin, who hadn't quite seen what had happened other than the bright light, looked at her in wonder. "You're a healer?!" he blurted. No wonder Straw had asked her along.

As they started moving northward again, Straw breathed a small of relief.

Cyriana glanced at Straw and tilted her head a bit "You peeked, didn't you?" Surprisingly she did not sound as much angry, more just disappointed. "Here I was hoping I was travelling with gentlemen." She glanced at Calvin over her shoulder and shrugged. "Oh, I have been many things over the years. A healer, farmer, thief... I even spent some years in a monastery, but that wasn't really my place." She rolled her eye and smiled before again heading towards the north.