Leaving the City of Elua

[Damien Hughes (D)]

I was in love with Mirielle, it was true, I had come to believe it fully, especially after Beltane. I wanted to court her, to steal her away from August. But too well I knew that she had no feelings for me and possibly never would. Neither would I be so cruel as to break up two perfectly happy people.

So it was that I had found myself on Eisheth's Path and following it toward the City of Marsilikos. I was in desire to see the ocean once more, and Marsilikos had been a port of choice on many occasions on our ship. It always seemed to lift my spirits and I knew it could do it once more.

Myself, my horse, some food and stores, and my clothing were all I had brought we me, as well as some money. Not much but enough to make passage to Marsilikos and a cheap room till I was able to send word to my finacial executor. I was tired now, and so I lay down for a good nights sleep, thinking of Mirielle as I did. Tomorrow I would ride again, and hopefull come closer to forgetting her.

[Damien Hughes (D)]

"Hello, is any one there?" I had woken early in the morning and began my journey further south east. The day before I had just reached the border of Eisande, and but by late evening I was well into the country side.

But it was now, a late evening, that I found myself hearing the sounds of rustling.

A wild animal perhaps? One would hope, anyway, that what ever it was, it would leave me be.

"Evening." Damnit.

"Evening." I replied slowing my horse to the dark man that appeared from the bushes and stood before me. He simply stood there quiet, staring at me with white teeth and dark eyes.
"Is there a problem?" I asked finally to broach the silence.

"Not if you give us what you want." He replied and three other men with swords appeared from the growing darkness. I sighed and dismounted my horse holding my hands in the air.

"What do you want?" I asked keeping my eye on the leader but glancing to the others.

"Everything of course." He chuckled and the others followed. I stood on the left hand side of my horse, the leader straight in front, on to the right behind my mount and the two others coming up behind me.

"I don't want any troubles." I said glancing back to the two behind me with daggers.

They advanced and I shifted releasing my horse, which spooked and bolted, but managed to land a hard punch on the man to my right. He stumbled back as the one at my left swung his blade, slicing my waist nicely. It wasn't deep but I felt a slow trickle of blood spill against my shirt.
The leader in front of me advanced as well as the fourth went after the horse.

I was surounding, dancing back and forth, landing punches where I could, recieveing another slice across the right thigh and another against my left shoulder. I held my own pretty good but in the end the three of them and their weapons were enough to leave me weakend and bleeding against the ground.

Laughing was all I could hear as they sauntered away leaving me for dead I supposed. I laid there for a good while, trying to breath and focus my strength on rising to my feet.
When I did, I took full stock of my wounds, and my right hand reaching across my waist to the open gash now bleeding fully.

A black eye, split lip, four open wounds from their blades and blood trickling down the back of my neck from the knock to my head.

Slowly I limped along, for an our I assumed perhaps more until I finally found myself at an estate. Very good, perhaps I can get some help.