Nakaida didn't know what to do. She was so accustomed to being the leader, the self-assured one, but now her head ached horribly and gnawing certainty grew inside her that not all was right - much was wrong. Where did they go now? What did they do? The Keepers had been sent for one purpose: to destroy Okandar. Now that was done, but obviously it had mended little in this wronged world.

Too many decisions. What Nakaida really wanted was to have done with it, the whole sorry business. But...strength, Orindil had said, and somehow his approval mattered more. Goddess, she pleaded mutely. Help me know...help us all know...

And though since Okandar's seeming demise the Goddess's presence in her Air Keeper's mind had withdrawn, one word now rang out clear through Nakaida's consciousness, and an image flashed behind her eyes. Spires of stone in the moonlight...arching pillars of marble to the very skies. What might once have been a mighty city...

"Navhieri," she said aloud, breaking the stillness. "Where is that?"

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"Navhieri?" Orindil echoed in bemusement, glancing at her strangely. The city's name had been proclaimed randomly. In fact... "Just south of the northern reaches," he elucidated, scrutinizing her face. A week's ride from here, perhaps extending to a month if blizzards reign in the mountains." He paused and let his next words fall flat. "A city in ruins. Razed in the Second Age, in the civil war that plagued the Northern Empire. Why do you ask?"

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"That's where we need to go," said Nakaida with as much certainty as she could muster. It occured to her how ridiculous it must seem to have come up with this out of nothing but air. "I don't know why," she added helplessly, scanning their faces.

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His expression carefully deadpan, Orindil nodded. "If the Goddess guides you, then I follow your intuition without question." He glanced over to Naidele. "Do you know - "

Suddenly a voice, cracked with fatigue but unyielding still, sounded from behind him. "Stop! Who are you?"

Hand on his rapier, he deliberately turned around to be confronted by half a dozen armed men. Their faces were inscrutable in the dim light, but they bore the air of those who'd been through hell and back. "My name is Orindil," he introduced evenly.

The lead human, one with the muscular build of a blacksmith, gestured with his broadsword towards the others. "And you?"

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Naidele's first reaction to Nakaida's random proclomation of the city's name was to be puzzled, but almost instantly after the name was spoken, a sense of rightness and urgency filled her soul. She knew that Nakaida was right. She didn't know why, but she knew it was true, and she knew that it was of the utmost importance that they make it there soon.

"Nakaida speaks the truth," she said, "We must get there quickly. I feel it. Maybe if we leave as soon as possible and travel as quickly as we can, we can make it before the blizzards." The urging feeling she had in her gut at that moment was not unfamiliar. She knew that it was the Goddess herself urging her and Nakaida to make it to Navhieri.

Then suddenly a voice spoke up behind them. Naidele turned swiftly and was met with half a dozen armed men.

"I am Naidele," she replied more calmly than she felt when the man demanded to know who they were. The Goddess's command was becoming more urgent in her soul, and she was eager to be off. She didn't want to be detained by these men longer than was nescessary.

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I'm back!

Khienro looked on as the discussion about the ruined city came up, and simply wathched. He started slightly when the men arrived, and looked at the obvious blacksmith with distain. If he made the swords around here... How on earth did he get paid? Masking his dislike for the man, Khienro rose his head as he answered,

"And I am Khienro."

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You may (or may not) know me elsewhere as Elfpen

"Nakaida," she said sharply after a moment of hesitation, and came warily to stand beside Orindil. Even in the dark she was pale and wan, and Naidele too did not look at her best. "We mean you no harm, be assured."

There was a pause, in which Nakaida debated inwardly. Deciding that it couldn't hurt, she added - "we are no more loyal to Okandar than you."

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Sensing truth in Nakaida's words, the men lowered their swords in weary relief. A few went as far as to slump to the ground in exhaustion. The blacksmith stepped forward, nodding at the men and managing a polite bow towards Naidele and Nakaida. "My name is Andron," he spoke quietly. "I lead this resistance force that once numbered in the hundreds." He swept his hand back towards the paltry campfires to indicate their current sorry status. "We call ourselves the Revolution."

"Honorably met," Orindil said with a small smile. "We were once Okandar's prisoners. If not for you, our liberty would be moot."

Andron cocked his head. "We knew not what suicidal mission we had committed ourselves to, but now we know how the fortress's collapse saved the remainder of my men. We heard the half-demons screaming about a certain goddess's return... a goddess and her emissaries. Do you know anything?"

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There was a small, awkward pause and Nakaida hesitated. She was loath to lie to these men, who likely had lost much in their resistance against Okandar and deserved to know the truth. She was naively unaware that even in the strongest of resistance movements there were those who would tell secrets over a pint of ale. "Yes," she decided after a moment, "we know of them."

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"And I'm Aeryn." Aeryn finished as the took in the new info. He still kept a good grip on his sword hilt, but listened.

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Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

Naidele exchanged a look with Nakaida. She didn't know what she should say or how much information they should give these men. True, they were part of a revolution against Okandar, but it would not do well if everyone knew of who she and Nakaida were.

"Yes, we have heard of them..." she agreed with Nakaida. She wasn't exactly sure what to say.

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I'm back!

"Indeed," Andron mused, scrutinizing their faces. At length he sighed and backed down. "We make for Northkeep. Come and share our fires if you like. If there are healers among you, your services would be vastly appreciated."

"I dabble in the clerical arts," Orindil volunteered, stepping up. His frown deepened in sympathy as he scanned over the many wounded forms around the campfires.

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((Ok... Anything in particular I should be doing? ...O.o))

Khienro looked out at the dark sky. Apparently this was for the night, he supposed. Eying the newcomers carfully, Khienro tried to determine their ages.

Ah... Its useless, Khi... You've been awake for one day to many... He told himself as he walked closer to Naidele, his hand once again finding its way to hers subconciously. "Do you think its too early to turn in?" he asked, whispering. He looked at her through tired, worn eyes.

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You may (or may not) know me elsewhere as Elfpen

Nakaida's face softened in sympathy upon surveying the many wounded, but in truth she could not say she had any experience in these matters. More and more she found herself lacking, she thought ruefully. Andron, however, had mentioned Northkeep - again her knowledge of geography was limited, but if this ruined city was likewise in the North, and Orindil had said it was, what harm could come from traveling with these men?

"I'll help you," she said suddenly, coming to stand by Orindil. If nothing else she could ask him his thoughts on the matter.

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Aeryn shook his head at Khienro. "I think you should turn in, mate. You look dead." He patted his shoulder and sighed. "I'll take first watch, I guess."

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Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

Naidele brightened at hearing that they were heading to Northkeep. They too were heading north. Maybe good would come of traveling with a larger group. They would not be so easily overwhelmed if they were attacked by another evil.

Khienro came up and his hand found hers. She smiled slightly at thinking about how right it felt for their hands to be intertwined. At his question she sighed. Her eyes surveyed the wounded men in the camp. She wasn't very talented in the skills of healing, but surely there was something she could do to help. After all, these men were allies.

"I think I had better help," she told Khienro. She looked at his weary eyes, and then she remembered that it had been awhile since any of them had gotten a good rest. "Maybe you should get some rest though," she continued, "You look exhausted." She gave Khienro's hand a squeeze then walked over to join Orindil and Nakaida.

"I'll help too," she said as she came to stand by them, "Though I don't really know what to do...."

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I'm back!