--- Adventure 1 ---

"I don't know.... but I don't like her, not at all."

Sihaya smiled. Smiling twisted her scar in odd ways. "I mean you no harm. Moreover, you might find my aid useful, if you plan on crossing the ancient wood of Shilmista."

Then she turned towards Thorn and her eyes flashed angrily. "You, however... What in the name of all that is green do you think you were doing? If you ever try this again with any animal, as long as I am around..." she left the phrase hanging, but the rage in her eyes and her hand twitching on the scimitar said enough.

"Should I have jogged up to the forest and back instead?" snapped Thorn.

He made a sour face and turned his back on her. He went to sit next to Duro'than. "Women!" he mumbled furiously. "Are Barbarian women so impossible to understand, too?"

Angy who was sitting right by Duro'than said angrily :

"Right , of course...all women are complicated , and you're the only resonable being around here!"

It was precisely this sort of behaviour that made her dislike men in the first place.

Then , she went airly to Sihaya and said : "Uhm , well , welcome .... I'm Angelique...but you can call me Angy , like all the others do."

She , even though Sihaya would be an "enemy" for her in flirting , liked this girl.

Ias saw that the food was almost ready and improvised some supports for the meat, while it would roast.

"We have to finish this stake in time... maybe they'll be reasonable afterwards..." Rissa shouted to Angy. "I take it that you know Thorn... right? Well... I'm Rissa..." the were said, while she threw the pieces of meat over the fire. Ias carefully impaled them and arranged them around the flames, so that each had one generous dinner.

"Um... you can call me Ias... I wish we met un less dire circumstances..." the horse spoke, but not looking to the druid, since he was busy not burning himself. "I think we have a small issue, though... Girls... you counted six pieces of meat but now... we are seven."

Duro'than gave Thorn a meaningful look in response to what he asked asnd then turned his gaze towards Syhaya. He could feel tension between the women but for the moment that would have to be their own business.

Lifting his right hand he said:

"I am Duro'than. I hope i didn't disrupt the balance of this forest by killing a deer but we walked a long way and we are hungry"

He was young and inexperienced but at least he knew not to mess with the druid in her territoy.

"Of course Rissa , of course..." said Angy . Then she hurried to the fire , and poured a little more wine on the steak.

"It will be ready soon , be patient folks."

"From my part, she can stay a night withouth food..." Rissa mumbled only for Angy.

"So... we were up for a story, weren't we?" Ias said cheerfull.

Sihaya seemed oblivious to the fuss she had created. She sat crosslegged at the fire, with a smile on her lips that could've meant anything. "Don't mind me, I had already eaten when the raven reached me", she said petting the bird and flashing another angry glance at Thorn and then turning to Rissa. "Yeah... I had the... misfortune of knowing him."

"And don't worry, Duro'than. Predators are as necessary to the balance of nature as the more gentle creatures of the world that become their prey. As long as you kill for need and not for greed and honor those which you kill, no creature will bear you grudge. Not too much grudge, anyway."

She adjusted her cloak more comfortably, the movement revealing a small silver flute in her belt.. Her left hand was still on the hilt of the scimitar, but it just rested there. It seemed to be a habit gesture more than anything else. Her staff was resting across her lap and with her right hand she was petting the raven that had come to sit on her knee. A curious gleam of joy flashed in her eyes as she looked at Ias. "Stories? I adore stories."

"Grrr...." Rissa didn't say anything, only resuming herself to occasional wolven mumbling.

"I and Drogo shared a bit of information about the realms and places we were in at some point but... a true camp story is welcome and I'm afraid that *my* talents are not yet to be used... is not the time... for me." Ias would have told some of his tales, but... he felt that this is was not quite the audience.

She noticed Rissa's frustration. She looked at the new "member" of their group. She understanded Rissa in one way or another. But she also liked Sihaya for what she has just done to Thorn. Finally.... she said in a hushed tone to Rissa:

"Calm down my friend , I can understand your frustration.. she is a bit annoying. She's...so much like Thorn."

* What the...I'm puzzled... they are alike...but they still fight with each other.*

"Rissa , please , just give her a chance...who knows? Maybe we are wrong....".

But she was not so sure about this.