Hard Knocks

-Border Forest, near Jocelynn's Brothel. 0 DSTR, Noon-

Simon folded the canvas of the ten on itself and rolled the bedroom into a tight cylinder as Katya spoke. Listening to her speak of the necklace that Celestia had given her, he narrowed his eyes slightly. Magic was an evil force, or that was what was drilled into him from his days as a squire. There could be no benefit from casting the unnatural cancer, and any practitioner, no matter how slight their use, was deserving of death by execution. Tightening his grip on the straps tied around the tent and bedroom, he stood slowly and moved them both to his left hand. Picking up the wood that had been used as the frame, he walked over beside her and sat down on the tent roll. Breaking the sticks and adding them to the fire, he stared into it for a long moment in silence.

He watched the flames lock their way along the new wood and he could not help hut be reminded of Celestia. She was a fire, no doubt, and ever since he met her, he could feel her eating away at the sacred anti-magic teachings he had learnt as a child. Lowering his chin to his chest, he hummed softly as he picked up a small bunch of grass. Ripping at the blades of grass, he rolled his neck back and forth before speaking softly, "I don't suppose we have much luck. We have no way of finding them, it would take far too long to track them. We would always be following, never gaining the upper hand. No, we must go to this witch and enlist her services."

Standing, he took the two rolls to Maddox and stuffed them within his saddlebags. Reareanging some things to make both horses even on both sides, he took off the lengths of leather that hobbled their legs and slooped them over his belt. Retrieving his axe and slipping it into his belt, he nodded before speaking, "Katya, before we continue, we need to be able to trust each other. I trust you with my life, you have defended my back against an onslaught and I would choose you again to stand by my side in battle. I was foolish and I allowed my guard to slip, but please trust that I would not have let her cause any harm to the success of our mission."

Tag - Katya