Thesin sat on his horse as she drank from the pool, exhausted from carrying him and his camp supplies so far and so fast. He dozed lightly with his head drooping low and his wide hat worn low upon his brow.

Not quite asleep, he started awake suddenly as there was a rustle in a nearby bush as a hare bounded out, spotted Thesin and the horse, and bolted back into cover. Thesin watched the area for a moment as he drifted back into peri-consciousness and resumed his appearance of slumber. The mare finished drinking and lifted her head high once more, ready to do her master’s bidding.

Thesin never thought of Claudia as an animal, nor even a lesser being. She was a friend who stood by him throughout all of the vicissitudes of his life, never wavering in her support. He did not snap the reigns, nor did he kick her hind-quarters, but simply said in a gentle voice “Let’s get going,” and she trotted off in a direction which he directed by lightly pulling at the bottom of her mane. The reigns were looped over her neck loosely and Thesin did not even look at them, let alone touch them.

He guided her to an overhang in the cliff face and dismounted once she was fairly concealed behind some trees. Disrobing, he jumped into the pool and swam to the waterfall, letting the flowing water blow off the road dust from his skin. Falling from that height, the water hurt him, and yet was ecstasy which awakened his senses to new heights.

He examined his surroundings thoroughly after he dried and donned his clothes, finding the hollow defensible if the need should arise. He quickly gathered dry wood, then took a sling and ventured out to hunt for a small game animal to cook. Claudia stood nearly perfectly still, munching on some of the lush grass that carpeted the earth where they camped and only taking a step here and there as she clipped off all the grass and had to move a pace to get more. Thesin returned shortly with a couple quail and began to process them for cooking. As he cooked and ate, Claudia slept.

After he finished his meal, Claudia awoke and Thesin slept for a few hours.

He was awoken by Claudia nipping at his arm and was instantly alert. He packed his bedroll onto the back of her saddle and mounted her, urging her to speed away. She knew the direction to run and needed no help from Thesin, but just as they exited the hollow, they were caught in a flight of arrows which pommeled the area. Claudia ran on, adrenaline flowing freely through her blood vessels; she was unaware of the injuries she had sustained. She must get her friend to safety. She ran on as long as she could and as hard as she could until she could not continue.

Thesin hit the ground and rolled out from under her, already sure that she was beyond help. He drew a long two-handed sword from her saddle and stood to face his pursuers.

His hat blew from his head and tumbled to the ground as the platoon of soldiers surrounded him. He held the blade limp in his hand with the point resting in the dirt until the leading man dismounted, stirring up pollen from the grass. In a flash, the tip of the blade leapt from the ground and whirled through the air until it met with the neck of its target. His head jumped off of his shoulders and rolled under his own horse’s feet.

He looked back at the body of Claudia as she lay dead on the grass. “Aaaaaghhhhh!” Thesin screamed and charged at his attackers.