An Unexpected Encounter
The Never Ending Quest - Episode 32868
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Fred sat at a table on his own, since he didn't feel like socialising
right now, a glass
containing a double measure of spirits in front of him. Skye was still
perched on his
shoulder, drawing curious glances from the other customers. If anyone was
tempted to ask
Fred about the bird, though, one look at his morose expression was enough
to dissuade
them.
He hadn't been there very long, when he had a surprise. Tarsa entered the inn, looked around, and on spotting him came and sat down at his table. She was dressed for travelling, her clothes covered by a long cloak, sturdy shoes on her feet and a pack on her back. "I wanted to thank you and to say goodbye," she told him. "What happened wasn't your fault. I know that I wasn't the easiest of people to deal with, but I felt under enormous pressure. Strangely, that has all gone away now. The worst has happened - or perhaps not the worst, since I'm still alive - and I no longer have to feel responsible for ensuring that good will overcome evil. It's such a relief. Did you know, Suivant had a back-up priestess being groomed to conduct the ceremony, in case anything happened to me, and he hadn't even told me about her! I only found out just now." She hesitated a moment, as if she might say more, but then settled for: "So, farewell, Fred." "Where are you going to go?" "I don't know. I hadn't thought that far ahead. Somewhere a very long way from here, where I needn't worry too much about either Granas or Valmar." "A young girl like you shouldn't be travelling on your own. It's not safe." "Well, none of the faithful are prepared to go with me, either because they fear that my own corruption may spread to them or because they are afraid of more mundane dangers." Tarsa sounded disillusioned and rather bitter.
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JH
9/19/2003 11:40:51 AM
Extending Enabled
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