[Sytze]

What she feared came to fruition not long after. They had walked a little more than two hours when Sytze had suddenly halted and fell down on his knees. He was breathing heavily and was frantically gasping for air. “I…I am sorry,” he gasped. “I can go on no longer...” his voice trailed off as he was trying to get a hold of himself.

Amara, not in the least surprised about his current situation, nodded silently. She gently took his pack off his back, which Sytze reluctantly allowed her to do, and did the same with hers. She then searched for some food and drinks and put them near the tired rogue. “Here, eat these,” she offered helpfully. “I’ll go look around to see if it is safe here. It should be, though, for the orcish lines are still a long walk from here.” She stood up and gave the rogue a short glance before setting out.

When she came back, Sytze looked a bit better. He was sitting nonchalantly against a large tree, his right arm resting on his right leg. While eating an apple, he shifted uncomfortable as he saw Amara approach. He felt kind of ashamed by his signs of weakness.

“So, traveller, how long has it been since you’ve last slept?” Amara started as she squatted down in front of the archer. As she saw the confused and surprised expression on his face, she continued speaking, smiling warmly. “There’s no need to look at me like that. I don’t have to be a druid to conclude you’re obviously very tired. Your eyes give more away than you might think.”

Sytze somewhat regained his composure. “Truth be told, the last time I rested was yesterday, just before I decided to involve myself in the battle between your friends and the orcs. Although I only slept for an hour, then,” he answered, still unsure of what or what not to tell his new companion.

Amara frowned at him, her brow furrowed. “And before that?” she asked quietly.

“I don’t know,” Sytze mumbled, casting his eyes to the ground. “It must’ve been a couple of days, probably.” The rogue couldn’t precisely recall when he had left Athkatla; his mind seemed to play tricks on him in his fatigued state.

“I see,” Amara mused. “And what, exactly, have you been doing these past few days?” she continued, hoping to pry information out of the rogue, who hadn’t really been loose-lipped since she had met him.

Sytze gave her a suspicious glance. “I’ve been on the move,” he answered tactically. Even though Amara looked like the trusted sort, he decided not to tell her too much – not yet anyway. It was better this way, both for her sake and for his own protection, or so he reasoned.

He let out an extensive yawn, albeit a bit too dramatically, hoping to either change or end the way their current conversation was going.

Amara noticed he was exaggerating his tiredness, and decided to change the subject of their discussion. “I am guessing that, by now, you regret not taking a horse along the ride?” she smirked, a little too cheerful.

Sytze raised an eyebrow at the druid. “No, you guessed that quite wrong. I thought I told you when we left the grove that I was quite unprepared to travel by horse?” he reminded her, putting an annoyingly disdainful tone in his voice.

Amara rolled her eyes in an exaggerating manner. “You were quite clear in your objection towards horses, yes. Your loud ‘hell no!’ was indication enough when I arrived with the creatures. However, you never told me why you didn’t want to go by animal.” She eyed the rogue intensely, hoping to get a truthful answer.

“It’s not like I dislike horses,” Sytze started, folding his arms behind his head to gaze skywards. “Well, no, that’s a lie. I do dislike horses.” he jested, not looking directly at Amara.

“Stop beating around the bush and get to the point,’ Amara sighed, still urging him on for a straight answer.

Sytze chuckled inwardly. “Very well then, impatient one. Reason number one – and this is actually the most important reason - is that I can’t ride a horse. It’s as simple as that.”

Amara’s mouth fell open, and she was ready to retort. Everyone could learn to ride a horse.

“And before you ask why I’ve never learnt to ride,” Sytze continued. “I do not like how horses smell. They have this remaining, penetrating scent hanging around them that makes one need to bathe two or three times before that smell is finally gone.” He unceremoniously grabbed his pack and put it behind his head, lying himself flat on the ground.

Amara’s jaws fell open even further, her face a mixture of disbelief, confusion and absolute indignation.

“Thirdly, and more seriously,” Sytze interjected in a hurry, grinning calmly. “I prefer to walk, above riding an animal. Always have and always will. Besides, sneaking and scouting is so much more effective alone than with a horse by your side.” He shifted again, slightly uncomfortable, trying to manoeuvre himself in the right sleeping position.

“Do you really think that?” Amara asked, baffled by this city-born archer.

“Yes, I do,” Sytze answered, still in a serious tone. “And don’t tell me we would’ve travelled through this woods undetected by horse, because I refuse to believe that.”

Silence was his part, for he didn’t receive an answer from the druid.

He let out a loud yawn once more, though this time is was truthfully caused by his fatigue. “If you don’t mind, I really need to get me some rest,” he murmured, closing his eyes while trying to ignore the sounds of the breathing forest.

“Yes, try to get some sleep,” Amara declared dryly after a short while. “The surroundings seemed safe enough to get some rest a minute ago. I will keep watch for now.” She went through her belongings and for the second time today she took a couple of maps out, looking at them intensely while her hand was hovering above them, holding a pencil. Sytze opened his eyes for the last time and looked at the frail women, her long, braided hair lying peacefully upon her shoulders. As he saw her examining with incredible concentration at the maps, with the tip of her tongue sticking out between her lips, a giggle escaped his mouth, luckily inaudible to Amara herself. He swallowed the rest of his amusement and closed his eyes, allowing the midday sun to gently touch his skin.

Just as he was about to succumb to slumber he was stirred by the woman once more.

“You should have said something,” Amara growled, not angrily, but more in an exasperated way.

“What?” he asked, only half awake.

“What kind of man can’t ride a horse?” she complained. Her hand went to clutch a wooden carving hanging off her belt to ease her tension. “I would have called a couple of deer. They’re faster and almost trackless in the thick of the forest. And no, smart one, they don’t cause their riders to stink!”

She stood and began to walk back to the woods, probably to recheck the area. All along the way she continued on like that. “We could have been out of these monster-infested woods hours ago, but no. The city-boy never learned how to keep his balance on the back of an animal!”

Sytze watched her wander away until she was gone, both from sight and hearing. He hadn’t any idea how to reply to her musings, and at that point he was much too tired to bother with it. He threw one last glance at the blue sky, the foliage of the tree he was laying under blocking the brightest of sunrays, and then closed his eyes once again. Within seconds he had dozed off to the land of dreams he so craved for.