Capher's Journey

[Talas Anthavin]

Ta'las feels the old man slip a little and then regain his balance.  He is about to look back and ask his companion if everything is all right, but then the old man pushes his face into Ta'las' back.  He is unsure, because Desert Rose is travelling quickly now, but the Shendar thinks he hears a muffled scream.

"Are you well, my friend?"  He tries to look over his shoulder at the old man, but his companion's face is still hidden in the folds of his cloak.

"Stop, Desert Rose," Ta'las commands and taps the Aj'nuvic's flanks sharply.  Desert Rose stops immediately.

"What is wrong, old one?" the Shendar asks in alarm, seeing the panic-stricken look on the old man's face.  Thinking that perhaps his passenger's fear resulted from the rapid pace he had set for his Aj'nuvic, Ta'las continues more gently, "did we jostle you too much?  We can slow our pace if necessary, but I fear we must find Talia as soon as possible."

Ta'las

Edited by: Talas Anthavin at: 7/18/05 5:14

[Capher]

The old man was startled at first when Ta'las stopped Desert Rose and asked him if maybe they were going to fast.  He mentions that they could slow down but he fears that they must find Talia.

The old man thinks, If I tell him about the voice in my head he will definately think I am crazy.  I am not too sure about my sanity either. "Yes, i guess I was not used to the speed of this animal."  He looked into Ta'las's eyes.  Their was kindness in those sparkling black orbs; they reminded him of another person's eyes; the intelligence, and the kindness that resided in them. The same dark black hair, though this person's hair was longer and the person had more feminine features.  "Talia" The old man whispered..

Capher.

[Talas Anthavin]

Ta'las furrowed his brow as he gazed back at the old man.  This journey is definitely upsetting him, he thought.  I hope he will be all right.  "I will be sure to keep Desert Rose at a slower pace, but we must still go quickly.  I suggest we skip lunch."

The Shendar looks back at the old man another moment and smiles reassuringly before turning to the task at hand.  He pats Desert Rose on the back and whistles at his Aj'nuvic.  "Come, let's go."

The Aj'nuvic sets off again, this time slower than before, but still at a steady trot.  Ta'las pats Desert Rose's soft fur, and receives a disparaging snort in return, obviously put off at the interruptions to its morning run.  As the morning progresses, the trees become thicker and the path narrower.  The river is still within earshot, but the sound of rushing water is now muffled by the dense curtain of foliage on either side.

Ta'las

Edited by: Talas Anthavin at: 7/18/05 5:11

[Capher]

The old man sitting behind Ta'las was lulled into a sense of security as Desert Rose slowed her pace a bit and it felt very comfortable.  He soon started to doze but was awakened when he felt the pull of something he did not know grow a bit weaker. He opened his eyes and noticed that they were closer to the forest.  Ta'las seemed to have found a path and was following it.  But, something told the old man, that they were heading in the wrong direction.  He tugged on Ta'las cloak.  "Ta'las we are heading in the wrong direction.  We must head south now, along the river."

How the old man knew that he did not know except that the feeling of the pull was definately south and not north.

Capher.

[Talas Anthavin]

Ta'las stops Desert Rose and looks back at the old man.  He does not appear so anxious now.  In fact, the old man has the gleam of confidence in his eyes, and the tone of his voice is very sure.

"Very good.  I apologize for taking us so far."  He heads Desert Rose south along the river.  "Please let me know when you see what it is we are looking for."

Ta'las

[Capher]

What were they looking for?  The old man did not know.  He only felt a pull, deep down inside of himself.  As Ta'las turned Desert Rose around and headed south the pull again became a bit stronger.  The old man tugged on Ta'las's cloak.  "Yes, this the way.  I can not describe the place where we should go, but I will know when we reach it.  Please do not ask me how.  For I do not think I could explain it.  I am not sure even I understand how.  For now I think, if you are willing to trust me, this is the way we must go.  Maybe when we reach where we are going, this Talia will be there waiting for us."

The old man's eyes seemed more clear and his mind seemed to be better than it had been in awhile.  He still wondered about that voice in his head and what it had said as they traveled along.  Maybe one day I will understand. he thought.

Capher.

[Talas Anthavin]

Ta'las was uncertain about whether trust was at issue.  He was lost and the old man was definitely confident that he had turned them in the correct direction.  He had no recourse but to follow his passenger's direction, as he could not navigate the Quallian on his own.  The Shendar wonders if his mother-sister had sent him on an impossible mission, or if somehow she knew he would find the old man.

The pair travels for some time, and the trees become less thick again.  He glances back over his shoulder.  "I believe the trail we used to cross over the river is ahead of us some distance," he says.  "Did we perhaps take the wrong path?" he asks dubiously.  But that would take us away from the elven forest, Ta'las thinks.

Ta'las

[Capher]

"I believe the trail we used to cross over the river is ahead of us some distance," he says. "Did we perhaps take the wrong path?"   Ta'las asks.

The old man shook his head, "No, we are heading in the right direction.  Just follow the river.  I will know when we have reached the right spot."

The old man did not know, how he would know, but he just felt he would know.  Besides that the pull was becoming stronger the more they followed the river south.

Capher.

[Talas Anthavin]

Ta'las nods at the old man, and continues to direct Desert Rose southward along the river.  The air here is thick with insects that live in the tall grass and reeds at the edge of the riverbank.  The Shendar fans the bugs away from his eyes and nose.

"This place is not too much further?" he asks hopefully.

Ta'las

[Capher]

Ta'las asks if the place they are going is much further.  The old man does not know.  He replies, "I am not sure, Ta'las.  All I know is that we are heading in the right direction."

The old man looks up into Injera and notices that it is high up in the sky.  "Ta'las maybe we should find a shady clearing and stop and eat lunch.  I am hungry, all of a sudden.  And we have been traveling quite awhile.  I am not sure about your animal, but I know that horses need rest after traveling at such speeds as we have been on Desert Rose.  Besides, she may need a drink of water.  And the river looks awfully cool and inviting."

Capher.

[Talas Anthavin]

Ta'las nods and shades his eyes with his hand as he peers ahead.  "There is a clearing over there," he points to a small meadow near the river in the distance.  "There will be enough shade for us, and we can take a meal."  He smiles back at the old man and adds, "thank you for your concern for my Aj'nuvic.  Though he is quite strong and able to go much further distances, he will enjoy the break."

The Shendar continues ahead for a short time until they reach the shade of a circle of large trees and stops Desert Rose.  He quickly jumps down and holds out a hand to help the old man to the ground.

Ta'las

[Capher]

The old man gladly takes Ta''las's hand to be helped down from Desert Rose.  "Thank you, Ta'las."  The old man replied.  He was quite wobbly on his legs but soon got his legs under control.  "I am going to take the waterskins and fill them up at the river."  Capher said as he grabbed the water skins.  "You can make camp while I am gone."

Capher walks the short distance to the river.  He kneels down, unplugs the waterskins and begins to fill them up.  He stares at the surface of the river.  A face, a familiar one by now, shows in the rivers surface.  She has the same smile, same dark black braided hair.  Then as before the image changes and the old man jumps back in revulsion.  She has been terribly burned: most, if not all of her hair was burned off, she lay on a cot, inside a room, she was in a comatose state. Somehow the old man knew that this must be Talia.

Talia, the one that Ta'las was looking for and somehow he was being drawn to.  He also knew that he was the only one who could cure her.  How? He did not know.  He just knew that he was the only one.  He saw the room as clear as day; he could see the cot she lay on, the elven healer by her side, the smooth timbers of the ceiling and the feel of a temple.  Was he a cleric of that temple? He asked himself?

Suddenly that voice again in his spoke. "No Capher, you are not a cleric of that temple.  But that woman and others will help you on your quest."

"What quest?" the old man asked.

"To save me and ultimately the world, " came the reply.

"Who are you?"

"My name is..."  And then as suddenly as the voice came, it left.  The old man yelled again.  "Who are you?"  But he got no response.  The old man put the stopper in the first waterskin and began to fill the other one.  He thought of all that had happened.  I guess my name must be Capher. At least that is what this voice keeps on telling me.  But what is this nonsense about me saving him and the world?

Capher looked at himself in the water; a wrinkled old face stared back at him.  But his eyes, one green, one blue, were very bright and showed intelligence and...youth?  His hands were gnarled, his cloak, the one he designed himself, looked brand new though he could not reason why, after all the travel they had done.  Surely some dust and wear and tear should be shown?  He asked himself.  But he could find none.

He filled the last waterskin, plugged it and began straightned up.  It was then that he felt the pull.  This time it was extremely strong.  He could tell it was farther down the river.  Whatever it was, it felt like he was being dragged to it now.  He became excited and ran back to the camp.  "Ta'las, as soon as we eat, we must be on our way.  I feel like we should be where we should be by nightfall."

Capher.

[Talas Anthavin]

Ta'las is brushing Desert Rose's soft brown fur as Capher bursts into the camp.  He notices the excitement on his companion's face.  "You seem more sure of yourself as we travel, my friend.  I think, you are finding your lost  purpose.  Perhaps even who you are."  The Shendar finishes brushing his Aj'nuvic's fur and allows his mount to drink at the river, while he quickly eats some salted meat and redberries.

In short time, they are ready to continue.  "We can speak more if you wish as we ride," Ta'las says as he prepares his Aj'nuvic for the remaining ride.  Ta'las helps his companion up onto Desert Rose, and then mounts the Aj'nuvic himself.  

"Quickly now, my friend," Ta'las says as he taps Desert Rose twice with his feet.  Happy to be moving again, the Aj'nuvic quickly gains speed, once more running southward along the riverbank.

Ta'las

[Capher]

Desert Rose takes off at Ta'las's urging and soon they were traveling fast. The old man; he still thinks of himself as that, though the name Capher, is becoming more familiar to him the more he thinks about, becomes much more comfortable with the gait of Desert Rose and as they ride south the pull of whatever it was became stronger.

Injera slowly slipped down the sky; as the distance also was eaten up quickly by their travels.  Capher could feel the pull very strongly now.  He then saw a clearing on the other side of the river.  The pull was overwhelming, it almost pulled the old man off of Desert Rose.  He excitedly shouted. "Over there Ta'las! See that clearing across the river?  We must go there.  Besides, it is almost dusk and we need to stop and make camp for the night and that clearing is the only one I can see.  Also it seems the river is not as wide, though I do not know how deep it is.  But, we have to try.  Please do not ask me why, we just need to get to that clearing. I...I sort of feel like we have to.  If that makes any sense?"  The old man asked.

Capher.

[Talas Anthavin]

Ta'las looks ahead at the clearing the old man is urging them toward and nods in agreement.  "Yes, that should do for the night."  He does not fully understand what his companion means when he says they must reach that particular clearing, but the old man is fairly insistent.  I hope we have not delayed seeing Talia too long, he thinks, remembering the original purpose of his journey.

The Shendar jumps down off Desert Rose.  "I must walk ahead to find a place for us to cross."  He tests the depth of the water in a few places, before deciding on a point slightly downstream from the clearing where the riverbed is firm enough to support his Aj'nuvic.  

Ta'las whistles at Desert Rose, and walks ahead of his Aj'nuvic to the other side of the river.  He pats his mount fondly and leads them ahead to the clearing.  Once there, he helps the old man to the ground.

"I will set up a fire for tonight and prepare camp," he offers, sensing that the old man wishes to search for something.  "I hope you are able to find what you have been looking for."  The Shendar then turns away and begins preparing the fire and the evening meal.

Ta'las

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