CHAPTER 7: AT LAST TARTUM!!!

It had been four days and the duo of Kyra and Smith had yet to encounter another traveler, not even Guards or lumberjacks, and certainly not bandits. Their food and water supply was more or less exhausted because they were two now, Kyra being the extra mouth to feed. If it were only Sarsson, he would have managed his supplies till he got to Tartum but now they had to find at least a water source.

The gentle forest breeze blew on the duo as it carried the scents of fresh and decayed leaves rolled together in one and the smell reminded them of the circle of life. They had eaten the last of Smith's dried beef the night before and the Smith came to the realization that Kyra hadn't packed any supplies, not even a dagger to kill game with. How did this foolish girl want to undertake a journey of almost a week with just the clothes on her back? In fact he was going to ask her.

"So now that we've exhausted my food and water what are we going to live on for the remaining half of the way?" Smith asked with a blend of sarcasm and mockery in his tone. "..." Kyra didn't reply to the jibe and kept walking. "Were you planning to live off the land?", "Yes, and I didn't even beg to accompanied or be fed by you" retorted Kyra with a frown and embarrassment in her voice. "Easy for you to say now you've shit it out..." muttered Smith under his breath as he trudged along slowly behind her so as to not offset the crippling pain he felt around his shoulder girdle.

At around noon, their tongues had begun to stick to their palates as their throats itched for some moisture. "I mean, you could magic us some water 'mage'..." Smith croaked, thirst breaking his baritone voice into a pathetic half-screech. "I wish I could soldier boy, I wish I could..." replied Kyra somewhat disappointed at herself. She wasn't sure of herself in the slightest as one mistake in using her powers could lead to catastrophic consequences. They kept walking down the path in the Slarap woods till around late noon. "There's a lake an hour or two west from here but that would take us off course and add an extra day or two to this already pissy journey", Smith suggested looking at her expectantly.

Well, he was too injured and would slow her down if he tagged along and it seemed there was no one else in the forest so it seemed safe for her to go and fetch some water from the lake. Kyra sighed but she had to take the initiative. "I'll be back by nightfall, don't die..." said Kyra as she grabbed the two bottle from his bag and headed in the direction of the lake as Smith sat on a log to await her return. "Wait…" Smith stopped her as he unsheathed his dagger and handed it to her, "… I feel you might need it".

She took it from him and went off in the direction of the lake to get some water. They needed to worry about water first and foremost before worrying about food. As she trekked along the forest, her shoes crushing twigs and pebbles under them, she thought to herself whether to leave the stranger who had been of great use to her. Even after so many days together, she still didn't trust him. She could never trust anyone again in her life. Who could blame her? Life had only ever been cruel to her. He had gotten significantly weaker as each day passed and he would never make it out of this woods alive if she abandoned him.

However if she abandoned him, his blood might be on her hands even if to her he was the opposite of innocent and deserved death for serving in the Guard. As she walked, she stepped on something rather warm and soft, she looked down and the smell hit her, it was animal dropping. This one was semisolid and it's color was greenish black. It was probably a horse or cattle. Disgusted as she was she couldn't immediately do anything about it so he wiped her boot on a tree root and continued her journey begrudgingly. It didn't really occur to her that there might have been other people around. She just wanted to get the water and return to her fellow traveler.

Not too long after she arrived at the lake. She hadn't washed in almost a week and she was already stinky and uncomfortable so she decided to take advantage of the water and at least clean up a bit before going back to join Smith. She filled the bottles and set them aside and began taking off her clothes. After stripping down she walked into the lake and started washing up. She swam around it a bit before eventually deciding to go back to Smith who was still waiting for her at the clearing. He knew she couldn't double-cross him as she didn't know her way out of the woods to Tartum.

Unbeknownst to Kyra, there was band of bandits in her vicinity. As she finished washing, tidied her shoes and was about to get dressed someone grabbed her by her arm and put her in an arm lock. Two other men emerged from the woods, one on a white steed and now they were three. "I say we know her…" one of the men suggested. "Yeah, she looks young and firm and quite succulent too if I say so myself…" the one who restrained her replied. Kyra was terrified. She didn't think there were any other people in the forests at this time or was this why?

"You fools…", the third man who appeared to be the leader of the band as he wore a chainmail shirt and what seemed to be a bearskin cloak bellowed, "…she isn't from here and she is clearly untouched by any man". "She will fetch us a good price at the slave market…", "I hear someone has been buying virgin slaves for three times the price at Filaria". He went and inspected her belongings and saw the dagger, a make specially issued to Imperium Guard captains and officers by the blacksmithing guild". "Quite an expensive knife she's got here, she must be a noble", "Tie her up and let's scoot boys".

The other two bandits proceeded to tie her up and as they were tying her she saw her chance to attack them and escape. By now it was almost nightfall and the wild beast would soon begin to hunt. She kicked one of the men in the nuts and as her eyes glowed she punched the other one with icy hands relieving him of all his teeth on the left side of his mouth. The leader unmounted and attempted to subdue the girl but one powerful blast of fire sent him flying through the air in flames taking out two trees in the process. Kyra quickly wore her clothes back and took her water bottles. She attempted to run but she elected again that and decided to mount the horse instead.

She wasn't a good rider and couldn't get the horse to transport her so she decided to just put the water with the bandit's other belongings including some gold, food, fire starters and psychedelic mushrooms. She then walked the horse all the way back to where Smith was waiting for her. She was really sick of having to support him and felt that the horse would get them out faster. When Kyra came back early the next morning, she found Smith asleep on the log.

"Hey, wake up…" she urged. "…here have some water", she poured some water into his dried lips and Smith felt alive again. After drinking up a stomach's worth of water he asked her what took her so long. "We're not the only ones in these woods…" she replied, "…we need to get out of here as soon as possible". Smith looked up "Is that a horse?", "Did you rob them?" he asked. "It doesn't matter, let's get out of here if you can ride…" replied Kyra.

After having some of the bandits' food for breakfast, they mounted the horse and rode for Tartum and in less than a day, they could see the entrance of the bumbling town. At last they had reached Tartum and they could go their separate ways. When they got to Tartum by nightfall, they saw that all the light in the houses were still on but no one was outside. Tartum was a pretty complex town, mansions juxtaposed by hope sapping slums but one thing Tartum never was was quiet or asleep. The streets tonight were empty and the squares silent. Kyra accompanied Smith to the Golden Eagle Inn and helped settle him in so he could get some treatment from his injuries and when she was done with that, she decided to focus on the mission which brought her hither, Balo Fer…