"We are going to bring him with us?" Annika asked. The Barbarian, Ragnar Crowson, from what she had seen in his memories, was no angel but nor was he a wanton butcher. Annika took no pleasure in the idea of cutting his throat while he was unconscious, especially know that she had inhabited his mind.

"There is no honor in killing an unarmed opponent and if we leave him he might wake up thirty seconds from now and set the whole pack of them on us," Orion pointed out. There was no edge to his tone but Annika couldn't help but feel slightly shamed by her own thoughts and her dusky skin took on a slight blush.

"Of course," she agreed hastily, tucking the stolen laser pistol into her waist belt and following along behind.

"Let's just be sure we are far away from here when he does."

It was nearly an hour later by the time the Vuldrock began to stir. By that point the sun was beginning to paint the eastern horizon and it was becoming more difficult to evade the roving bands of Vuldrock, they seemed to be concentrated between their landing sight and the city, curse their luck.

"We should find somewhere to hide out," Annika advised as she moped the sweat from her face. The going had been rough as they had been forced to avoid roads and trails and she was unused to such sustained physical exertion.

"I need to pray also," she added with deliberate understatement. The physic exertions she had undertaken differed from thuegry. While it was safe enough for her to use them, overextending herself as she had tonight engendered certain risks. She could already feel her dark twin moving in the back of her mind, stirring unhealthy desires and lusts that she worked to keep under control. The Vuldrock slung over Orion's shoulder began to moan as she spoke. It was obvious the knight, in peak physical condition as Annika's distracted mind gleefully reported to her, wanted to continue but he could see that she needed rest and they needed to determine what to do with the captive. Fortunately the Pancreator smiled upon them and there were several craggy defiles penetrating a nearby granite hilltop. Orion selected one and they followed it into the hill until it became a true cave. A rivulet of cool fresh water flowed along the center of the narrow space that opened up to a small pool where it welled up from an underground spring. It was pitch black but Orion, perhaps guided by his augmetic eye led her without faltering. Once they reached the spring they gathered up anceint brushwood and piled it in the opening to block out any chance of light escaping and started a small fire with the aid of the laser pistol. 

As Orion propped the Vuldrock against one of the stony walls the barbarians eyes snapped open as the cold stone touched his back. Orion had his sword to the man's neck in an instant and the big raider froze in place, hands extended. Annika pointed the laser pistol at him more or less haphazardly though she doubted she could finish the job if Orion failed.

"Slig Hassen der vender bakan Thane," the Vuldrok said quietly.

"He says he is at your mercy lord," Annika translated. Orion glanced at her, surprised that she seemed to speak the languge, in truth she had lifted the knowledge from his mind when she had melded with him earlier. Without practice it would fade but for now she could manage it. She knelt in the sand and sketched out the symbol of the universal church with her fingers then began to pray.

"Dreken hexen will curse us both," the Vuldrok said, his words resolving into the common tongue as her rite imbued all present with the ability to understand each other, just as the Pancreator understood and judged all souls, regardless of their faith.