Four days' passing found them in quite another situation.
"What say you, kind sir?" The words rolled off Quinn's tongue like blades of cold steel.
He had not been kind, nor had he been vocal except to grunt with exertion while he swung his blade in clean, deadly arcs when Quin'elin'och had gotten too close.
Xi had awoke to the strange man rooting through their things, and had flittered over to wake Quinn, who was already awake and had crept up behind the massive man like a lithe panther, soundless and ready to strike.
Melanie now awoke as Quinn issued her challenge.
"Come on, big guy... I need my beauty sleep, or I get cranky." She said, grinning down the edge of her blade, 'Justice'.
His grunt and warning swing was expected, but Quinn simply stepped back slightly and waited.
"Trouble?" a new voice said from the road, sending the Paladin into a sudden whirl.
She hadn't sensed or heard the man approach, but he was obviously there, his eyes spoke of cunning and cruelty, hiding behind a facade of dignity and beauty, his waist-length, dark red hair flowed in the wind like a river of blood, his matching eyes flickering in the moonlight, a striking comparison to his bone white and silver trim clothes, making the Necromancer known as the 'Bone Death' quite the looker.
"Your thug I imagine, probably recently deceased and given a new lease on life to run the realms as a common thief, correct?"
"You are astute, Lady Quinn" he replied smoothly, waving a hand and dropping his zombie into a lifeless heap "Though now he is useless to me."
"Why, Darak? Why bother us? We have no problems with you."
"You have something I rather need... and I intend to retrieve it." he said with a grin.
Quinn sneered, fighting off the urge to spit.
"Enjoy your peace while you have it... it will be short lived, I assure you" With that, Darak, the 'Bone Death', turned and walked away into the night.
"Blast you, Black Wizard, I'll repay you for Joleen, one day!" she yelled after him, remembering her fair sister. "I swear it!"
Melanie shuffled over to Quinn's side, hugging her.
"Get some sleep, Melanie, tomorrow will be a long day."
Soon, as Melanie returned to her slumber with a little frown, and Xi settled back on a nearby leaf and closed her own eyes, Quinn lay quietly on her bedroll and stared at the moon.
"Joleen... I will avenge you..."
Her promise was lost as sleep defeated her and took her prisoner.
The next morning dawned behind clouds of grey, damp with rain, rolling thunder echoing across the plains.
As the three females took down the tiny campsite and prepared to ride, little did they know they were being watched.
A Paladin, a Human child and a Faerie. the man thoughtI'd have to take out the Holy Warrior first, she'll be a challenge indeed.
He stood and disappeared into the shadows, knowing soon he would meet the girl face to face.
They rode in silence, the rain dumping buckets of ice cold torture on the Holy Warrior and her charge as they rode huddled close together, each under heavy, hooded cloaks and capes to attempt to keep warm and dry.
"Look, an old building!" Xi called from the front of Quinn's horse, buried deep in it's mane.
"That's no building, it's a tomb." Quinn said with some disgust.
Melanie shivered yet again.
First I have Zombies in my pack looking through my personal things, not that I have many to begin with, then it rains and I have no dry clothes, and now we're back to dead people.
"Melanie!" Quinn called. "Get in here before you catch cold!" Her words slicing through Melanie's muddled thoughts with concern.
She hopped off her horse Quinn had 'picked up' from a bandit they had met a few days before and tied it beside Quinn's own faithful steed, then dashed into the shelter of the tomb.
"Well, it's not much, but my holy aura should protect us if we stay close together." Quinn put in as she started a fire in a corner, away from the politely resting and thankfully quiet dead near the entrance.
Melanie sneezed.
"Uh oh" Xi said, flittering over to Melanie. "Someone's gonna be sick if she doesn't dry off and get warm soon."
"I'll be fine." Melanie lied badly, sniffling and dropping to her bottom near the fire.
"Lying in my holy aura" Quinn chimed in, acting upset, but smiling. "Whatever will I ever do with you, little one?"
Melanie sighed and shivered yet again, lost in her thoughts.
Quinn sighed herself, her attempt at humor failing, sitting to dig out some dry blankets and food.
Be strong, Melanie, I'll get you to Terragon somehow. she thought with determination.
"Up!" Quinn's voice echoed a bit more than she anticipated.
Melanie's soft moan and Xi's little sneeze from inside Melanie's cloak brought a smile to the woman's face.
"Why so early, Quinn?" Melanie said softly, fighting the urge to snuggle back into her blanket, her clothes hanging nearby, still a bit damp from last night's rainstorm.
"The sooner we leave, little one, the sooner we get away from here... and the sooner we get to Terragon."
Melanie sat up and grabbed her clothes, snuggling under the blankets with them to get them warm before she started to dress under the warmth of the blankets.
Xi giggled and flittered over to Quinn.
"Another long day in the saddle, hmmm?"
"Yeah, it will be, but this time, since we're doing so well and making such good time, we'll stop in the next town and have a real meal... IF we all get UP soon!"
Melanie opened her eyes, blushing a little and sitting up, pulling on her only dress and wrapping in her cloak as she stood.
"Sorry... I'm just so tired."
"I know, little one, I know." Quinn's smile was warm. "We'll be there soon, I promise, then you can sleep all you like."
The three went about breaking camp in silence, save for Xi's singing. Since she was so small and unable to help much, she often sung or told Faerie stories to make the time move faster and keep everyone's spirits up.
As she stuffed her few meager belongings into her pack, Melanie turned to Quinn.
"I had a dream last night."
The Paladin raised a slender brow, as Melanie's dreams were usually visions. Melanie wasn't aware of this yet, Quinn knew this all too well.
"I was on a really huge tower, and I was calling out to someone flying on a Pegasus, but they were too far away to make out, and couldn't get closer, like they were being pushed back by the wind."
"Maybe it was just a bad dream, after being scared and all wet and not very happy." Quinn put in, trying to sound optimistic.
Melanie shook her head, her hair slightly matted from the rain and her sleep.
"Go on then, Melanie."
Xi quieted to listen intently, Quinn rarely used people's names, and it meant she was worried.
"I was calling out, and crying, I was scared, but I knew someone was just behind me, holding me, so I wouldn't fall."
"But you're confused because you don't know who the other people were?"
"Yeah."
The paladin walked over and took the young girl in her arms. "I'll be here to keep you from falling, always."
Melanie snuggled against Quinn and closed her eyes. "I feel... so small... so useless."
"Hush Melanie, you're not useless." Quinn said, holding the girl closer in her arms.
Xi flittered out quietly, leaving the two alone, gliding over to check on the horses.
"Hi guys." she said in perfect horse speak, smiling and curtsying a bit as she landed on the tree branch they were tethered to. "You two OK?"
"Wet, tired and under appreciated." Windrunner said.
"We're fine, Xi" Melanie's horse said with a bit of an accent. "Just a little cranky."
Xi giggled. "We'll be leaving soon, and Quinn said we'd be stopping in a town, so you'll be all pampered soon enough."
"Hey Xi, would you sing for us while they get packed?" Windrunner asked.
Sitting on the branch and smoothing her dress a bit, she pondered a moment, thinking, then closed her eyes and began to sing a song about a noble horse that brought his rider home from a war, though the warrior had died, the horse brought him home anyway, and was considered a hero.
As she sung, Melanie and Quinn both sat inside, listening and holding each other, neither ready to face the new day until the other had calmed down.
They sat atop their horses, walking along the road, Xi singing from Melanie's mount. Melanie happy, but seriously wishing she didn't have to ride anymore, her thighs cramping already, and Quinn riding along quietly, not having said a word since they broke camp an hour ago.
Xi finished her song, Melanie clapping and smiling.
"You sing so well, Xi, I wish I could sing like you do."
"But you have a great voice, Melanie, you just haven't tried to share it with the world much." Xi replied, flittering up to sit on Xi's shoulder, fussing with her dress a little. "It's all about practice, and your love of the song, and being unafraid to share your voice with anyone."
Before Melanie could reply, Quinn raised a hand, pulling her horse to a stop, Melanie doing the same.
"I'll protect you, Melanie." Xi whispered, trying to hide her own fear.
Quinn hopped off her horse. "You two, ride on until you reach the first clearing you find, don't talk to anyone, set up camp and wait for me. I'll catch up by sundown."
Melanie watched the Paladin take her steed and turn to walk back down the trail, kicking up dust despite last night's long rain.
"And if you don't return?" Xi voiced the question Melanie dared not ask.
Quinn stopped. "Then I'm dead, go on without me. Stay on this road and it will take you to Terragon."
"Quinn..."
"Be strong, little one, and you too flitterbug. You'll both be fine, stay together and never give up."
"I'll do it for you, Quinn! I'll make it to Terragon, no matter what!" Melanie said, turning and kicking her horse, trotting him down the trail, not once looking back, determined to be strong.
Xi did all the looking back, and forever after, kept the secret of Quinn's words on the path that day to Melanie a treasured secret.