Lumara laughed when Tihlas said what they would do after the horse race. The woman had something in mind, but it was just too funny and weird to actually tell him what she was planning. Yet, he said that they had no horses. Her smile faded and she frowned at him childishly, almost seeming as if she were about to cry. Her eyes were wide and eyes furrowed. She actually didn’t think that there wouldn’t be horses to ride… and it made her feel depressed. Her shoulders sagged and she returned to leaning against the wall. [i]It’s so boring…[/i] she sighed, crossing her arms as neatly as she could and glowering ahead at the doorway. They had potential to have fun and it was ruined by reality. [b]”What can we do? We have no horses and if we steal some, we’ll get in trouble…”[/b] she told Tihlas. [b]”I mean, what else is there to do?”[/b] of course, she [i]had[/i] gone dry for… what. The amount of time they had been running. Either everyone was afraid to actually exert energy in rutting around in the bushes, or she wasn’t trying as hard. Which meant that she would have to try harder. Lumara sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Well, at least she had her sight set on what she wanted to do… but that would mean leaving Tihlas out of the action. In her drunken state, she actually cared about leaving her drunk buddy behind. And she knew exactly what she was going to do to bring him along. Her eyes darted back to Tihlas, and she grinned broadly. [b]”I suddenly have an idea of what we can do… and it involves the both of us…”[/b] she purred in a very seductive voice, walking over to her new friend and touching his chest. Her playful look had grown dark and her grin had become shady. There was no reason why Tihlas wouldn’t be getting the message. Her posture, the tone of her voice… it all signaled out her longing for someone to be in bed with her, even if it was just for the night. Maybe it was all going too fast; they could just borrow some horses from the Plegians. No, Lumara knew what she wanted, and she didn’t want to ride stupid horses. Not now, anyway. And if she wanted to ride something, she could very well ride Caius. But Caius was sleeping somewhere where he wouldn’t catch the public’s eye. If he curled himself up enough he looked like a large brown rock. Perfect for blending in with the desert landscape. She attempted to grab his collar and bring him close, her smile becoming more and more mischievous. Lumara hoped that she hadn’t scared him away. If she had, she would have to search for someone else, probably drunker than Tihlas. --- At least the Mend was working. He grunted, slight pain radiating across his body, until the green light at the edge of the staff faded. The Troubadour girl had been healing him with that staff, then. Talbot wanted to thank her, until that thief spoke up. She said something about his lute, how she knew where it was, and that he had to do something for her to get it back. At that, his anger flared—mind you, Talbot’s anger almost [i]never[/i] got the hold of him. However, this thief woman was saying that she had something precious to him, and was keeping it hostage. His eyes blazed with an ignited fire as he glowered at her. [b]”Give. Me. My. Lute. Back.”[/b] he growled out the words through gritted teeth, his dark brows furrowing as he began to sit up again. Even though the Mend had worked, pain still licked up and down his spine as if someone had dropped burning oil on it. Wincing, he laid back against the bed and put an arm over his eyes. This arm had not been broken, but it was still sore from the impact of the water against his body. Yet, words still escaped his lips. [b]”If you don’t, I will hex you. Don’t test me.”[/b] Talbot was a sorcerer, yes, but he had one fatal flaw—he disliked using Dark Tomes. There was a reason for it, but he would never explain it to anyone. His [i]lute[/i] though. That was what was at hand at the moment. That woman with the staff didn’t understand what he was saying, and the woman that did had a heart as dark as Darrian’s. He removed his arm from over his eyes and scowled deeply at the two women. [b]”That instrument is dear to me. Give it back!”[/b] his voice cracked with pain at the end of his shout, but he was pretty sure that he got the point across. His eyes blazed at Misani and Aelitha. [b]”Naga help me, I’ll use your bodies as sacrifices for a summoning.”[/b] Empty words, but still fearful ones. Talbot’s lute was something he held close to his heart, and the thief woman was keeping it hostage. He went to touch his head when he suddenly felt nothing but his skin on his scalp. Faltering, he stared at the Troubadour. [b]”… my… hair… where is it?”[/b] he gaped at her, horrified at the new discovery. Had… she shaved him bald? He had liked his hair the way it was! And now, he probably looked like some dumb pervert… it would take ages for his hair to grow back to that length again! Well, not ages, but it would certainly feel that way with people laughing at his baldness. --- Looking up from his meal, the Exalt looked at his friend. The man had kicked his feet up and crossed his arms, seeming very comfortable in his position. He certainly wished that he could act like him, but surely men would talk of his inadequate behavior back at home. Darrian could not risk that, for his advisors would be even stricter with him. [i]”Don’t slump over when you eat,”[/i] they would scold as he leaned over his breakfast, [i]”A lord should not take on such an appearance when at his meals.”[/i] [i]If I wanted to be treated like a child, I would have let my mother teach me proper behavior.[/i] he thought as he rolled his eyes. [b]”You don’t think that the disease has not spread naturally? That someone has been controlling it?”[/b] he questioned lazily, swirling the drink in his flagon and glancing down at the dull liquid. [b]”Maybe that’s the case, or it’s just coincidental. What matters is that I’m still here, and if there [i]was[/i] someone manipulating the sickness, they have failed in their mission.”[/b] he chuckled, taking another bite of the meat and chewing on it ravenously. He allowed his eyes to travel over the room, eyeing his men as they enjoyed their meals and drinks. Darrian wanted to make sure that none of the soldiers did anything idiotic. The innkeep came over and asked if they wanted something to drink. Darrian liked the fact that he actually took the time to bow. Yes, that pleased him. It was sad that not many other peasants performed the curtsy. [b]”I would love some more of this brandy.”[/b] he told the man, holding out his flagon. However, when Xanxus said that he didn’t drink a lot, he glanced at him in alarm. [b]”Innkeep, please, don’t listen to my good friend here. He seems to have some sort of fever.”[/b] he explained, looking rather grave. [b]”Get him some of that brandy you have. I’m sure he’ll love it.”[/b] Darrian’s attitude had wavered a bit due to his drink. As everyone knew, he was a bitter, immature man who thought he deserved all of the power in the world. That one drink had made him calmer, mellower. The man clapped his hand on Xanxus’s shoulder, laughing a bit. [b]”Come now, you have to have a drink or two. It’s a nice form of stress relief.”[/b] he told the general, leaning a bit back in his seat.