It took them a clean week to get all the preparations made.  
They needed horses, that was for sure, and supplies to put 
on them, and traveling clothes, and maps, and...well, it was 
a messy, busy business that barely touched Sarai or Aerin, 
even when they wanted to help.  However, Sykes and Lo and 
Yin (they'd taken to calling the two by the nicknames that'd 
been given...made them feel friendlier) had smoothly--or 
sometimes QUITE roughly--told them to keep out of the way.
 
 The morning the journey was to start Aerin awoke early.  
Well, early for her; she was used to sleeping a half hour or 
so past sunrise; now, though, the yellow-gold disk was just 
peeking up over the horizon.  She yawned and jumped from her 
bed, all traces of sleep evaporating as she remembered what 
was to happen today.  Finally, I'm leaving! her thoughts 
crowed, and she smiled victorously.  It was so GOOD to be 
alive.

 Pa and Mam being merchant DEFINTELY has some perks, she 
thought to herself as she trundled down the hallway towards 
the bath.  They actually had a semblance of running water; 
though it was mostly cold, Aerin already knew she could 
change that.  All she had to do was place one of her heat 
stones nearby, along with a cold stone alongside it, to 
produce the perfect amount of heat for a soothing shower.  
She actually washed her hair and herself with great care 
this morning, for she knew it could be weeks before she'd 
get this sort of luxury again.  Afterwards, she reclaimed 
her stones and carefully stepped out, binding her hair 
behind her head with a thong.  She scurried back to her 
room, dried quickly, and chose from her new clothes the ones 
she would start the journey with: a pair of tan breeches and 
a gray and tan shirt.  Her shoes were of new, softened 
leather that easily fit her feet; now all she needed to do 
was eat breakfast and get out of the house.
 
 Checking the sun, she found it had barely risen.  Ack! she 
groaned internally, slipping back into her bed,  I HAVE TOO 
MUCH TIME!

 She rested there for awhile, the heat of newly abandoned 
bed warming her.  She unbound her hair and brushed it out, 
still facing the small window which told her how much time 
she had left.  After it was smooth and silky, she bound it 
back up again in a slow, careful manner, getting all the 
knottings right.

 And still she had time.

 Finally, she felt the sun had risen enough for her to run 
downstairs to breakfast.  Much to her surprise, she found 
herself facing most of her family, all looking like they'd 
just risen.

 Breakfast was a harsh affair.  Most of the people around 
the table seemed on the verge of anger or tears, and it 
bewildered her.  Every time words started to be said, they 
died away nearly immediately, suffocating in that 
atmosphere.  Finally, her tiny brother Jute leaned over and 
whispered, "I'm going to miss you, Aeri."

 That did it.  Emotions flowed out in a waterfall-like burst 
from EVERYONE, and for the next five minutes she floundered 
bewilderdly in the onslaught.  Finally, her puffy faced 
father called order, and drying his eyes, they all resumed 
breakfast. 

 Afterwards, even as she was checking over her things (and 
looking for a way out), her two youngest brothers approached 
her.  Jute touched her arm, and Stianio caught a piece of 
her hair.  "What?" she demanded of them, almost harshly.  
She HAD been BUSILY counting her stones--why couldn't they 
just leave her ALONE?!

 "We wanted to give you presents," Jute said.

 "Yea, cause we'll miss you," Stianio, all business, 
implored.  

 She looked between them, and around her, feeling the rest 
of her families eyes upon her.  "What is it?" she asked 
finally, trying not to sound exasperated.  
 
 Both boys lined up in front of her as she crouched, still 
holding two of her clear stones over the leather bag she 
kept them in.  Stianio opened his hand first, holding up 
something strange for her to see.  It was a black stone--
stone she was sure of, she could feel it--but it looked like 
glass, all clear and yet all black.  She picked it up, and 
rubbed it--smooth, like glass.  Yet there was some sort of 
explosive power within this stone, something she wondered if 
she could even control.  "What is it?" she asked, mystified.  

 "I don't know, but Da says its special like, and very rair.  
Very, very rair," he said, his big brown eyes gazing at her 
with a deep solemness.

 "Rare," she whispered, turning it over in her hands. 

 "Do you like it?" he asked.
 
 "I like it," she pronounced firmly, gently placing it in 
her bag.

 "Wait 'til you see what I got!" broke in Jute, and he 
eagerly held up his hand to her.  Inside it was a flat, 
grayish piece of metal that barely glimmered in the morning 
light.  She took it in her hands and found it cool to the 
touch, almost furry it seemed; there was also power inside 
this one, not as great as the power inside the black stone, 
but much harsher and harder to stop.  She also depositied it 
in her bag, pulled it shut, and then swept her brothers into 
a hug.  For the first time, her eyes started to tear, and 
softly she whispered, "I'll miss you boys."

 "I love you," the two replied back to her, and she choked 
for a moment.  Then, twisting off her emotions, she stood, 
took up her packs, and steadying herself one last time, 
exited the house.

 She found Lo already there, bringing out horses.  She 
silently jumped into the work, bringing out a raven colored 
animal called Mors Lumen--I wonder what that means! So many 
of them are named in other tongues!--and a plain brown mare 
named Grout.  They were Sarai's and Sykes', respectively, 
and decent animals, both.  Ferox, the splendid roan that Lo 
was to ride, was already wisking flies off her own horse, 
Sprite.  She pulled the animal away, found a block, stripped 
off the halter and began to brush it throughly.  The 
creature whickered at her gentle touch, and she smiled at 
it, brushing the hair in the direction of the saddle.  She 
found the greenish saddle pad and smoothed it over the 
animals back; then she came around front and talked with the 
animal for a bit, resisting the urge to pet its velvet nose.  
Her father had caught her doing that once, and had NOT been 
happy with her, telling her never to do it again.  And she 
hadn't.  Horses didn't seem to care one way or another.

 "Fine animal you have," Lo said briefly as he led his own 
horse over, to brush him and place on the pad.  His deep 
blue eyes shone brightly from the shadows they were hooded 
under, and she found herself melting under the color.  
Occasionally one with green or hazel eyes was born in the 
village--Sarai was a good example of that--but no one with 
blue.  They were so fascinating, the depths the color of the 
sky or the sea (so she'd been told), and it seemed to 
automatically draw her to them, as if they were a magnet.  
"Yes," she managed to breath.

 "Are you staring at me?" he said as he looked down to his 
horse, brush running along the animal's hide.

 "Yes," she admitted honestly--she preferred honesty.  "I've 
never seen eyes your color before."

 "Doubt you've seen silver eyes, either, and Yin's got 
those," he pointed out, looking up for a moment to 
illustrate his point. 

 She smiled.  "She's not around to stare at, Lo, and you 
are."

 He looked up again, and a small grin touched his mouth.  
"Very right, Aerin."  The smile vanished, and the color in 
his eyes clouded over, sorta..."Can I call you Rin?  Or Ri?  
Aerin is too formal for people who'll be travelling together 
for a long time."

 "On one condition," she said as she smoothed her animal's 
neck.

 "What?"

 She turned, and grinned.  "That I can stare at your eyes 
whenever I want, too."

 "As long as Yin doesn't mind, I don't care," he replied 
nonchalantly.

 "Should she?"
 
 "What?"

 "Should she care that I've been staring at you?"

 He stopped for a beat, then looked up at her, eyes exuding 
a powerful magnetism.  "Yin's a very particular person," he 
said.  "I guess she would care, but only because she's a 
little territorial."  He played with the horse's mane again, 
eyes down.  "However, I doubt it would affect you.  She 
likes you a lot."

 She nodded, then asked her second question of the day.  
"Why do you call her Yin?  Isn't Lyn short enough?"

 He nearly grinned at that one.  "My family used to make 
jokes about us," he replied.  "They thought we were closer 
than we actually were, or are now.  My mother had a 
favorite--calling her my 'Yin' because she so balanced out 
the dark 'yang' I was."  He shook his head.  "That old bat 
is so fond of symbols.  Then, the whole family started it, 
and I just caught it.  She never minded."
 
 He went back to brushing the horse, and she started to 
place the saddle on hers.  She checked to see if it had 
taken a deep breath--some horses did that when they didn't 
like the cinch--but it hadn't.  Still, she only tightened it 
a hole or two at a time, talking at the horse as she did.  
Finally, she'd gotten the saddle securely fastened, and 
looked up to see Lo staring at her in a bemused fashion.

 "You know horses, I see," he said, placing the saddle on 
his.

 "Uh-huh.  My father is a merchant, and occasionally I 
traveled with him.  Not FAR of course, but often enough for 
him to teach me 'proper horse etiquette', as he called it."  
She patted the dark haired 'Polsa's neck.  

 "Oooh, you and Yin will get along.  She loves horses--good 
with them, too."

 "Naturally."

 He offered her a small smile.  "Naturally.  And you can 
stare at her eyes, too--silver is very rare."

 "Actually," she replied, rummaging for a bridle, "I thought 
it was non-existant."

 "Not in her family," he replied, starting on the saddle 
pad.  "Their eye and hair colors are their traits, all 
skewed from normality."

 "You seem to know her very well," she replied.  "A-ha! 
Found you a bit, Sprite."

 "Charmed, I'm sure," Lo said sarcastically, stroking the 
mane of his horse.  A saddle was in his hands before you 
could say "Jam" and he was adjusting straps and such.  "And 
yes, Lyn and I go back a long, long time."  He seemed 
suddenly wistful.  "A very long time."

 She wanted to question him on it--admittedly, she was 
curious about this relationship.  However, that was when Yin 
and Sykes arrived, each looking rosy in the morning light 
and clearly excited.  "So, Sarai's the late one, eh?" Sykes 
called.

 "Always is," Aerin replied with a smile.  "Morning, Yin."

 "Salutations to you as well, Lady Aerin," she replied, 
slurring her name together so it sounded like "Yair-in".  
Both giggled immediately; it was a sort of joke between 
them.  

 Feeling that she'd warmed the bit enough between her hands, 
she worked on bridling the horse.  Meanwhile, Yin and Sykes 
went off to check the pack mules--they had two, mostly for 
Sykes' benefit, since she wanted to take home some good 
pottery from Rainbow Falls--and load their horses.

 Except, as Aerin had quickly noted, Yin had never secured a 
horse.

 She'd managed to fit the bridle to the horse and get the 
bit in its mouth when Sarai came dashing up to the yard, 
pack slung to back, both hands in her skirts to allow her 
feet to run.  "I'm not late, am I?" she cried out as soon as 
she was within shouting distance.

 "Not all all, Rye," Lo replied.  

 "You've shortened her," she observed cheerily.  Hmm, combo 
of morning air and trip excitement is getting to me...

 "Not that she needs it," he replied, and she tittered as 
she set about to arranging her things.  

 "Mules all right...well, finally Sarai! We were wondering 
about you!" Sykes exclaimed as she returned, leading her 
horse.

 "Wondering if we were going to leave you, that is," Yin 
said, grinning.

 Two bright spots of red appeared on her cheeks, and she 
stammered, "I'm sorry, but Mam suddenly decided to be 
nice...and she wouldn't let me go...and....well...uh..."

 "Just teasing, Sarai," Aerin called out.  

 "Are you going to stand there and talk all day?" Lo asked.

 The red spots darkened, and she gathered up her pack and 
went off to ready her horse.

 "Yin," Aerin asked tenatively as she finished securing her 
things, "do you have a horse?"

 "I will in a minute," she replied.  

 "You aren't going to call him, are you?" she wondered 
aloud.

 "Call him?  From a stable?  No, my dear, no.  I just prefer 
to chose last," she replied, smiling.

 "Actually, she plans to show off," Lo whispered to Aerin.

 "I don't see how," Aerin replied with a grin.

 Sykes mounted her own horse, and they moved to follow.  
Even up in the saddle they were adjusting various straps, 
doing some last minute rearranging as their mounts placidly 
sat beneath them.  I wonder if this is illegal, she thought 
quietly.  After all, couldn't it spook the horse?

 However, that didn't happen to the group, so she shrugged 
it off.  Once in the saddle, they moved together, Sykes 
leading the way while the two of them clumped behind her.  
The anticipation she'd felt earlier was still there, but 
refined, and spreading, since all the horses were now 
chomping at the bit.  She messed with the reins a little, 
trying to work out the nervous energy that flooded her; she 
didn't want to get that "bath" feeling she got when she went 
with her Pa on some of his trips.  Disgusting and weird 
feeling, she recalled.  Ick.  She furtively moved, mentally 
checking off her list of stuff.

 If we don't get going soon, she thought, I'm going to drive 
myself insane!

 Sarai trotted out on her black horse, and for the first 
time Aerin noted how small she was on it.  The horse, though 
it only stood about sixteen hands, had to have some war-
horse blood in it--the thing was built like one, at least.  
There was even a slight feathering on its fetlocks, a 
throwback.  Still, the girl had the beast expertly under 
control, which was no surprise.  Sarai always worked better 
with animals than people.

 Aerin! she scolded herself.  That was mean!

 Oh yes, I'd better go mentally apologize, her mind 
retorted, and she stifled a giggle.  "What?" Sarai asked as 
she loped around to join her.

 "Nothing," she replied immediately, grinning.  "So, Mam got 
all lovey?"

 "It was sickening," she confided.  "One minute she's 
scolding me, then she starts crying and saying how much 
she'll miss me."  She fiddled with the reins, then added, 
"Truth be told, I don't think I can return the feeling."

 "I understand," she said.

 "The boys give you a weepy send off?"

 "Yea," she nodded, eyes misting a hair.  "It was so cute.  
They even gave me some new stones."  She fished in her stone 
pouch, which was conveniently slung nearby, and took out the 
black one.  "Isn't it pretty?"

 "Gorgeous," Sarai breathed.  "I've never seen anything like 
it."

 "Neither have I.  I'm not even sure what its power is, 
other than that its incredibly explosive." 

 "Odd," Sarai said.   She looked around, then whispered, 
"What's taking so long?"

 A shrill whinny came from inside the stables, and a boy 
they recognized as Cete tumbled from the stable.  
Immediately both girls dismounted to help him up; he brushed 
them off, muttering a few choice curses under his breath.  
Aerin may have been used to hearing them, but Sarai's ears 
turned red. "What's going on?" she asked.

 "Some idiot asked for Stryker," he replied, then spat.  
"Same idiot wanted to go in there and get him.  I never knew 
a woman with so little brains."  

 "Stryker?  Kern's horse?" Sarai gasped.  Aerin added, "Same 
one that kicked his brains out?"

 "Same one.  Pain it was gettin' that off his hoofs," he 
said, spitting again.  "Top of the morning to ya ladies.  
Love to stay and chat, but I have hay to replace, stalls to 
muck, and bloodstains to clean."

 "See ya, Cete," Aerin said, and the boy dusted off his 
thighs and headed back into the stable.  As the two girls 
swung aboard, Sarai asked, "Who would want to ride Stryker?  
That's the most dangerous horse in the entire village!"

 "In the entire area, Sarai.  But also one of the best 
bred," Aerin pointed out.  She thought for a moment, and 
then her eyes grew shiny.  "You don't think Yin...."
 
 "I think she has more sense than that," she said primly.  

 "Did I hear something about Yin having sense?" Lo asked, 
moving a little closer.  The two girls started; neither 
realized he was there.  He chuckled, the same little grin 
moving onto his face.  "That's not likely."

 "She seems sensible," Sarai said.

 "In public," Lo retorted.  "That girl may have a good Gift, 
but I say she should have been given common sense instead.  
Might keep her head on her shoulders a little longer."

 He looks a little worried when he says that, Aerin thought.  
She racked up another question to ask him.

 Suddenly, another loud whinny came from the stable, and 
then was suddenly cut off.  The three exchanged puzzled 
glances as Sykes read the sun, and shook her head; they 
needed to get going!  Nearly half a minute passed before 
they all got their wish, for out of the stable, on a packed 
horse, came Yin.

 Riding a shiny coated blood bay with excellent points who 
could only be one horse--Stryker.

 "Told ya she'd show off," Lo said again.  

 "Took you long enough!" Aerin said.

 "Yea! We were about to leave you behind!" Sarai added.

 "You think calming a horse this fierce happens in seconds?" 
she asked with a grin as she joined them.  "Not likely! 
Besides, I had to load him, too."  She patted his neck.  
"Docile as a lamb now."

 "You Tame, too?" Sarai asked.

 She shifted in her saddle as if suddenly uneasy, and Aerin 
watched Lo shoot Rye a dark look.  "As a Caller, I have my 
ways," she finally replied.  Then, raising her voice, she 
called out, "Mother Sykes?  Ready to leave?"

 "Just Sykes, dear, for the last time.  And of course."  She 
smiled.  "Did you have fun showing off?"

 Aerin had the pleasure of watching Yin turn a beet red, 
nearly matching her horse, as Lo and Sarai laughed.  Then, 
with a gentle tap on its sides, Sykes turned her horse, and 
they were (finally) on their way.

*	*	*	*	
 Traveling is tiring, Aerin thought as she snuggled into her 
bedbag, another present from her family.  Basically it was 
canvas stitched to down with buttons on the side enabling it 
to be closed up; once that was down, the sleeper was soon 
soaked with their own body heat and very comfortable.  She 
was near the point of sleep, but not quite there yet, for 
her mind persisted in sifting through her memories of 
travel.  Finally she just closed her eyes and watched the 
day play by.  

 Yin and Lo, for obvious reasons, had ridden the front, with 
Sarai, Sykes, and the mules behind them, and her behind 
those.  Not that she minded her position; she had a clear 
view of the front and sides of the group, and her eyes were 
renowned for being sharp.  They kept up a good trot, 
sometimes reducing to a walk, in order to keep the horses 
going smoothly.  After all, what use was it if your animal 
was blown the first day you started out?  

 Naturally they fell into a steady rhythm, and the thrumming 
of horse beats down the trail had a hypnotic effect on her 
for awhile.  That is, until she began to see the eyes.

 At first, she thought it was a daydream, and pinched 
herself several times to try and rid herself of it.  
However, then the eyes began to connect themselves to forms, 
misty gray, blending in with the shadows and moving at a 
ground eating trot.  Subtly she shifted herself in the 
saddle, eyes darting around here, but they only found more 
shadows.  She pulled herself back down carefully, and 
rummaged for a stone, finally alighting on a yellow-orange 
piece she knew was suitable for flaring.  She collected the 
reins in her right hand, and the stone sat in her left, her 
mind tensing as it sought its power.  It had to rummage 
through the depths a bit until it settled upon the seething, 
clear core; with that, she let go, knowing it was primed and 
ready.  Checking the shadows again, and noting that the 
forms were still in close proximity, she softly pressed her 
heels into the animal's sides.  It responded by shaking its 
head and lengthening its stride, until she came to about 
head with Sykes.  The old woman seemed to notice nothing--in 
fact, she seemed completely in a daze, contrasting Sarai, 
who looked about like a bird, taking in the newer 
surroundings.  

 "Ware," she whispered.

 "What?" the woman replied, her voice more than a touch 
above the set whisper, and Aerin winced.  

 "Ware," she repeated, slightly louder.
 
 "I can't hear you, dear," she replied, and Aerin felt her 
face color a bit.
 
 "Problem?" Lo said, swinging back with an easy lope and 
pulling the horse up to match her stride.  Even coming from 
a village where horses were said to grow from men's legs, 
she still noted his horsemanship.  He was in constant 
motion, hands sliding up and down on the reins, legs 
twitching, shoulders moving a fraction or two.  
 
 "I see creatures," she confessed uneasily.
 
 "Creatures?" Sarai said loudly, her own ears having caught 
the scuffle.
 
 "Uh-huh," she nodded, still uneasy.  "I don't know why they 
would attack so close to a village, but...."
 Lo's blue eyes were laughing now, cutting her off.  "What?" 
she protested.
 
 "Hey Yin! You forgot to brief them!" he called in reply.
 
 "About what?" she asked, horse prancing.  A soothing touch 
on its neck was her reply.
 
 "Our honor guard," he said with a grin.  Looking to Aerin, 
he calmly added, "Don't worry.  We just forgot to tell you 
something pretty important." 
 
 "What's this about?" Sykes asked as Yin rode up.  "Showing 
off again?"  Her voice was stern, but her eyes twinkled 
merrily, and it broke up some of the tension in her body as 
well as the approacher.
 
 "Not really," Yin replied with a soft grin, silver eyes 
dancing in the forest light.  "It's just that I forgot to 
mention that we are traveling in the company of wolves."
 
 "Wolves!" Sarai cried out, eyes darting around.  Aerin 
thumbed her stone again, uneasy.
 
 "Not always--it can be foxes, lynx, puma, raccoons, etc, 
etc, etc," Lo rattled off.
 
 "The explanations are a bit murky," Yin said, steadying 
Stryker again.  "They sense my and Lo's Gifts, and chose to 
guard us." She sighed.  "Or, as my family would say, we are 
blessed by the Naturals, and therefore they send animals to 
guard us."
 
 "Naturals?" Aerin hissed.  "What kind..."
 
 "Aerin!" Sarai reproached.  
 
 "Sari, Naturals aren't exactly the best people to be 
blessed by.  In fact, its more of a curse," she replied, and 
then wheeled her horse back to her place in the line.  The 
little contingent began to break up, and the sounds of hoof 
beats and riding covered what Aerin wished to forget: "Don't 
take offense, dear," Sykes whispered to Yin.  "It's said her 
parents were killed by Naturals."
 
 And then the day got boring, she recollected with a drowsy 
smile.  The heat and the day were starting to take her toll 
on her body, and slowly she was shutting down.  However, she 
did recall the last 
thing--puzzle, almost--of the day.  It had been Sykes's 
insistence to guard the camp that night.
 
 "Mother!" Lo had protested in the formal.  "Pardon me, but 
that's not very sensible, is it?"
 
 "I've been camping since before you were born, Logan 
Ga'rovt," she snapped back.  "Do you think I don't know how 
to stand my watch?  Posh! Posh and rubble!"
 
 "But Mother Sykes, shouldn't one of us do it?  So that you 
can rest?" Sarai had offered gently.
 
 For a moment a smile seemed to break over the old woman's 
face, but she quickly turned on the girl.  "It's a nice 
gesture, girl, but I'm not that old yet.  A day's travel is 
old hat to me."  She eyed her.  "Though I probably couldn't 
say the same for you.  Why don't you help start the fire?"
 
 And that had been that.  No one else could persuade the 
elder to step down, and so she had departed for the edge of 
their boundaries while the rest of them made a fire, hobbled 
the horses, and unloaded their goods for the night.  They 
had  travel cake--a rich, thick patty made of some mixture 
of healthy stuff that tasted dry and mushy--water, and some 
roasted roots Sarai had found.  She was naturally good at 
that sort of thing due to her love of hunting.
 
 Finally, it was time for them to sack out, and still there 
was no sign of Sykes.  Furthermore, no one seemed 
preoccupied about that fact, or at least weren't concerned 
outloud.  Lo banked the fire as they scrambled into the bush 
to change into their night woolens; it was Spring, but the 
nights always came chilly around here.  When they returned, 
Sarai and Yin had immediately each gone to different places, 
and followed in step.  
 
 Quietly, as she faked snuggling down into her bag, she 
looked around.  The darkening night and low fire were 
deterrents to her search, but she couldn't feel comfortable 
until she made sure it was safe herself.  Da's rules, she 
recalled quietly.  All in all, her search turned up nothing, 
and so she had started to slip into the bag.  As she hunched 
her way into the warmth, her eyes had caught sight of 
something strange.
 
 It was Sykes; she could tell from the diminutive form and 
the extremely light colored hair.  However, there seemed to 
be...more in the shadows than just her.  It was as if Sykes 
had somehow woven the shadows around her to give the 
appearance of something more, or taken pieces of the dark 
and formed her own little barricade.  It was puzzling, but 
not puzzling enough to warrant interest.  
 
 Though I wonder... came her final thought as she fell into 
sleep.