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[i]Tiberius Longshadow[/i]
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The sun dipped below the horizon, streaming deep hues of blue through the night sky. When at last its light vanished, the stars began to peek out.

"Go where...Tiberius?" Kaite had said. "It found us in- nngh...th' middle 'a nowhere." The woman growled with impatience. "If 'e wanted us dead...well, y'know."

Which was a good point. The idea that such a powerful enemy had merely stumbled upon them by coincidence was an improbable one. Worse, the man/beast/thing was quite capable of besting them even with the benefit of Erudessa's power. If he wanted them dead, he could have killed them. Xen couldn't quite decide which was worse - dying at evil's hand, or being used for evil.

The Storyteller seemed more concerned with the more immediate matter at hand, which Xen was grateful for, since it distracted from the long term problems facing the group. "The last time I saw her was somewhere between when we roped Vert into our journey and when we left High Council Hill. I haven't seen her since," the Storyteller said. He bent down to resume writing in his book. "If that fiend truly has taken her," The Storyteller added, "Then I fear we may not see her again...In this world, at least."

Panicked as Xen was, he realized the others were right - Dionaea was long gone and probably dead. Even if one or both were untrue, there was little they could do about it tonight, not with their energy shot and wounds to patch up. A couple people even had broken swords. They weren't in any shape to fight.

So Xen put down the broken bow and put one foot on a nearby rock. "Okay everyone, we camp here for the night. I will keep watch. Laina, supper's on you tonight."

He opened his pack and began setting up his tent. He hadn't heard a faint rustling in the bushes a little ways off.

But Tiberius heard it.