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<blockquote data-quote="Nonlethal Force" data-source="post: 3148263" data-attributes="member: 35788"><p>Rhema looked deep into the Provenience’s eyes. She knew that the father dragon’s mate was still under her suggestive control. Of course, this also meant that she now bore the responsibility for using that gift properly. The Provenience would need to be protected and brought to the supply cave before Rhema’s power wore off. Time was of the utmost essence.</p><p></p><p>She continued the conversation. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“Nobody, Provenience. They are acting under their free will. They desired to leave the oppression of your dragon father. They gathered up their supplies and left – on their own accord. Your dragon father’s power of control over them is broken forever.”</span></p><p></p><p>The Provenience struggled to grasp this concept and her face disclosed this fact. Her eyebrows wrinkled in confusion and the pupils of her eyes focused upon Rhema as if she was trying to bore a hole through her skull. <span style="color: Red">“Then you control them now. You are more powerful than my dragon father.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema smiled, her eyes once more darting to the ledge. For an instant she looked as if she were about to cry when she thought about how important Semeion had been to the plan. It had been his magic that had sprang Druff from the cage and allowed Druff to convince the townsfolk of their plan. He had been the one to convince Druff to help in the first place. Rhema’s eyes slowly returned to the Provenience’s glance. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“No. We are not more powerful than your dragon father. Should your dragon father return and find us here I would surely die and in all likelihood you would die with me. Your dragon father is indeed more powerful than I. Yet the idea of freedom is even more powerful than your dragon father. Control is powerful, but freedom is even more so.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema stepped back toward the dragon’s main chamber. The Provenience instinctively followed her back into the protected area of the lair. <span style="color: Red">“Wait! You cannot leave me behind. If you are more powerful than my dragon father I would follow you.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema turned her back to the Provenience and a slight smile passed across her lips. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“Gather up your things. Only take that which you can sling over your shoulder or put in a sack. We will ride out of here. Anything you leave behind will most likely be destroyed by your dragon father’s rage.”</span></p><p></p><p>The Provenience nodded. She quickly picked up her mandolin and slung it across her shoulders. She grabbed a traveling cloak that was well tattered and worn. She picked up a few other items of a much more personal matter: a mirror, a handcrafted comb, a skin for carrying water, and a blanket. All but the mandolin she placed in the center of the blanket and then rolled the blanket such that the items could not fall out.</p><p></p><p>While the Provenience packed, Rhema took a moment and ran to the edge of the dragon’s perch. She stood close to the edge and looked down. The drop was severe for the first twenty or thirty feet, but there were a few trees growing up from below. Leaves on the trees obscured her vision of the rock face below. There was no way of telling what had happened to Semeion. Obviously, he had planned on drawing the Provenience to the ledge so she could look down upon the empty village. </p><p></p><p>Rhema’s eyes searched the rock below her for any clue as to what had happened. As she searched, she talked to herself. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“His magic was not strong enough to handle teleportation,”</span> she expressed out loud in an attempt to force herself to face reality and squash the painful amount of hope that clung to this mountain face. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“Either he burned and fell or he just fell. In any case, he’s gone now.”</span> A small tear trickled down her face.</p><p></p><p>Rhema’s mourning was interrupted by the Provenience’s voice from behind. <span style="color: Red">“I am ready to follow you to this thing you call freedom.”</span> Her voice was cold and detached.</p><p></p><p>When Rhema turned she saw that the Provenience was standing with her own eyes focused upon the ledge. Rhema knew that the Provenience was still under her telepathic persuasion and thus susceptible to her own mental state. <span style="color: Red">“I am sorry that I killed him. At the time he was an intruder. He was goading me into attack.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema crossed the dragon’s perch and smiled coolly in her direction. She fought back the anger boiling inside at the loss of one of her friends and refused to let it cloud the urgency of thought needed to get them to safety. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“We must go now. We can talk along the way.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema lifted the blanket roll up from the straw mattress and waited for the Provenience to follow. The Provenience began to object to Rhema carrying her blanket, but Rhema shook her head and said, <span style="color: PaleGreen">“This is what life is like free from control, Provenience. I do not help you because you order me to or because you have the power to kill me. I choose to help you.”</span> Her words were laced with the bitterness still coming from the loss of Semeion.</p><p></p><p>The Provenience heard the sharp edge in her voice and re-coiled a step. <span style="color: Red">“I did not understand that you were so powerful. I thought only my own dragon father was that powerful. I was blinded by my dragon father’s claims of dominance and his grand plans.”</span> She was still attempting to provide an explanation for her actions.</p><p></p><p>Rhema smiled. The Provenience’s words came so easily on account of the control Rhema still exercised over the Provenience. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“Yes, and unless we hurry you will soon be under that control again. Semeion allowed you to kill him so that you could be saved by seeing that your dragon father had lost control. That must be enough for now.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema moved to the tunnel that led to the secret cave below. She descended the stairs as quickly as she and Semeion had ascended them. The Provenience followed her pace for pace. Before too long, they had reached the spot where the three horses had remained tied. </p><p></p><p>Rhema quickly approached Shauvry and secured the Provenience’s blanket roll to Shauvry’s saddle. Once that task was completed Rhema turned and pointed to Elistra. There were tears streaming down her face now. Seeing Thana had brought the emotion of loss and anger irrevocably to the surface.</p><p></p><p>Pointing to Elistra, Rhema spoke sharply through her pain. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“Ride the bigger horse. My friend’s horse will return to safety without a rider upon its back.”</span></p><p></p><p>The Provenience nodded, knowing that there was little that she could do about the pain now. She was not aware of the fact that Rhema still had a telepathic bond to her, but through this bond she was able to feel a sense of Rhema’s pain. Her face frowned as she realized that the pain had been brought onto Rhema by her own hand. Under her breath she muttered, <span style="color: Red">“I was only defending my home and my life as I saw it.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema backed Shauvry up and turned the horse around inside the cave. She loosened the reigns holding Thana in place and held her in a position to follow. She looked at the Provenience sitting atop Ischarus’ horse. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“Ride beside me, Provenience. The path will be wide enough for us to ride together.”</span></p><p></p><p>The Provenience nodded and pulled in line. Rhema spurred Shauvry into action with Thana in tow. Elistra quickly followed out of instinct. Together they left the now abandoned draconic lair behind them. The dragon hadn’t been yet defeated; but the village had been liberated. It was their biggest success yet. With regard to Semeion it was also their greatest failure as well.</p><p></p><p>Rhema cursed Semeion under his breath. The pain festered inside of her with each surge of the horse beneath her. After all, it didn’t need to happen that way. The Provenience could have been subdued without the loss of life. It might have taken longer, but it could have worked.</p><p></p><p>[Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section]</p><p>Rhema looked deep into the Provenience’s eyes. She knew that the father dragon’s mate was still under her suggestive control. Of course, this also meant that she now bore the responsibility for using that gift properly. The Provenience would need to be protected and brought to the supply cave before Rhema’s power wore off. Time was of the utmost essence.</p><p></p><p>She continued the conversation. “Nobody, Provenience. They are acting under their free will. They desired to leave the oppression of your dragon father. They gathered up their supplies and left – on their own accord. Your dragon father’s power of control over them is broken forever.”</p><p></p><p>The Provenience struggled to grasp this concept and her face disclosed this fact. Her eyebrows wrinkled in confusion and the pupils of her eyes focused upon Rhema as if she was trying to bore a hole through her skull. “Then you control them now. You are more powerful than my dragon father.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema smiled, her eyes once more darting to the ledge. For an instant she looked as if she were about to cry when she thought about how important Semeion had been to the plan. It had been his magic that had sprang Druff from the cage and allowed Druff to convince the townsfolk of their plan. He had been the one to convince Druff to help in the first place. Rhema’s eyes slowly returned to the Provenience’s glance. “No. We are not more powerful than your dragon father. Should your dragon father return and find us here I would surely die and in all likelihood you would die with me. Your dragon father is indeed more powerful than I. Yet the idea of freedom is even more powerful than your dragon father. Control is powerful, but freedom is even more so.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema stepped back toward the dragon’s main chamber. The Provenience instinctively followed her back into the protected area of the lair. “Wait! You cannot leave me behind. If you are more powerful than my dragon father I would follow you.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema turned her back to the Provenience and a slight smile passed across her lips. “Gather up your things. Only take that which you can sling over your shoulder or put in a sack. We will ride out of here. Anything you leave behind will most likely be destroyed by your dragon father’s rage.”</p><p></p><p>The Provenience nodded. She quickly picked up her mandolin and slung it across her shoulders. She grabbed a traveling cloak that was well tattered and worn. She picked up a few other items of a much more personal matter: a mirror, a handcrafted comb, a skin for carrying water, and a blanket. All but the mandolin she placed in the center of the blanket and then rolled the blanket such that the items could not fall out.</p><p></p><p>While the Provenience packed, Rhema took a moment and ran to the edge of the dragon’s perch. She stood close to the edge and looked down. The drop was severe for the first twenty or thirty feet, but there were a few trees growing up from below. Leaves on the trees obscured her vision of the rock face below. There was no way of telling what had happened to Semeion. Obviously, he had planned on drawing the Provenience to the ledge so she could look down upon the empty village. </p><p></p><p>Rhema’s eyes searched the rock below her for any clue as to what had happened. As she searched, she talked to herself. “His magic was not strong enough to handle teleportation,” she expressed out loud in an attempt to force herself to face reality and squash the painful amount of hope that clung to this mountain face. “Either he burned and fell or he just fell. In any case, he’s gone now.” A small tear trickled down her face.</p><p></p><p>Rhema’s mourning was interrupted by the Provenience’s voice from behind. “I am ready to follow you to this thing you call freedom.” Her voice was cold and detached.</p><p></p><p>When Rhema turned she saw that the Provenience was standing with her own eyes focused upon the ledge. Rhema knew that the Provenience was still under her telepathic persuasion and thus susceptible to her own mental state. “I am sorry that I killed him. At the time he was an intruder. He was goading me into attack.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema crossed the dragon’s perch and smiled coolly in her direction. She fought back the anger boiling inside at the loss of one of her friends and refused to let it cloud the urgency of thought needed to get them to safety. “We must go now. We can talk along the way.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema lifted the blanket roll up from the straw mattress and waited for the Provenience to follow. The Provenience began to object to Rhema carrying her blanket, but Rhema shook her head and said, “This is what life is like free from control, Provenience. I do not help you because you order me to or because you have the power to kill me. I choose to help you.” Her words were laced with the bitterness still coming from the loss of Semeion.</p><p></p><p>The Provenience heard the sharp edge in her voice and re-coiled a step. “I did not understand that you were so powerful. I thought only my own dragon father was that powerful. I was blinded by my dragon father’s claims of dominance and his grand plans.” She was still attempting to provide an explanation for her actions.</p><p></p><p>Rhema smiled. The Provenience’s words came so easily on account of the control Rhema still exercised over the Provenience. “Yes, and unless we hurry you will soon be under that control again. Semeion allowed you to kill him so that you could be saved by seeing that your dragon father had lost control. That must be enough for now.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema moved to the tunnel that led to the secret cave below. She descended the stairs as quickly as she and Semeion had ascended them. The Provenience followed her pace for pace. Before too long, they had reached the spot where the three horses had remained tied. </p><p></p><p>Rhema quickly approached Shauvry and secured the Provenience’s blanket roll to Shauvry’s saddle. Once that task was completed Rhema turned and pointed to Elistra. There were tears streaming down her face now. Seeing Thana had brought the emotion of loss and anger irrevocably to the surface.</p><p></p><p>Pointing to Elistra, Rhema spoke sharply through her pain. “Ride the bigger horse. My friend’s horse will return to safety without a rider upon its back.”</p><p></p><p>The Provenience nodded, knowing that there was little that she could do about the pain now. She was not aware of the fact that Rhema still had a telepathic bond to her, but through this bond she was able to feel a sense of Rhema’s pain. Her face frowned as she realized that the pain had been brought onto Rhema by her own hand. Under her breath she muttered, “I was only defending my home and my life as I saw it.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema backed Shauvry up and turned the horse around inside the cave. She loosened the reigns holding Thana in place and held her in a position to follow. She looked at the Provenience sitting atop Ischarus’ horse. “Ride beside me, Provenience. The path will be wide enough for us to ride together.”</p><p></p><p>The Provenience nodded and pulled in line. Rhema spurred Shauvry into action with Thana in tow. Elistra quickly followed out of instinct. Together they left the now abandoned draconic lair behind them. The dragon hadn’t been yet defeated; but the village had been liberated. It was their biggest success yet. With regard to Semeion it was also their greatest failure as well.</p><p></p><p>Rhema cursed Semeion under his breath. The pain festered inside of her with each surge of the horse beneath her. After all, it didn’t need to happen that way. The Provenience could have been subdued without the loss of life. It might have taken longer, but it could have worked.</p><p>[/Sblock]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Nonlethal Force, post: 3148263, member: 35788"] Rhema looked deep into the Provenience’s eyes. She knew that the father dragon’s mate was still under her suggestive control. Of course, this also meant that she now bore the responsibility for using that gift properly. The Provenience would need to be protected and brought to the supply cave before Rhema’s power wore off. Time was of the utmost essence. She continued the conversation. [Color=PaleGreen]“Nobody, Provenience. They are acting under their free will. They desired to leave the oppression of your dragon father. They gathered up their supplies and left – on their own accord. Your dragon father’s power of control over them is broken forever.”[/Color] The Provenience struggled to grasp this concept and her face disclosed this fact. Her eyebrows wrinkled in confusion and the pupils of her eyes focused upon Rhema as if she was trying to bore a hole through her skull. [Color=Red]“Then you control them now. You are more powerful than my dragon father.”[/Color] Rhema smiled, her eyes once more darting to the ledge. For an instant she looked as if she were about to cry when she thought about how important Semeion had been to the plan. It had been his magic that had sprang Druff from the cage and allowed Druff to convince the townsfolk of their plan. He had been the one to convince Druff to help in the first place. Rhema’s eyes slowly returned to the Provenience’s glance. [Color=PaleGreen]“No. We are not more powerful than your dragon father. Should your dragon father return and find us here I would surely die and in all likelihood you would die with me. Your dragon father is indeed more powerful than I. Yet the idea of freedom is even more powerful than your dragon father. Control is powerful, but freedom is even more so.”[/Color] Rhema stepped back toward the dragon’s main chamber. The Provenience instinctively followed her back into the protected area of the lair. [Color=Red]“Wait! You cannot leave me behind. If you are more powerful than my dragon father I would follow you.”[/Color] Rhema turned her back to the Provenience and a slight smile passed across her lips. [Color=PaleGreen]“Gather up your things. Only take that which you can sling over your shoulder or put in a sack. We will ride out of here. Anything you leave behind will most likely be destroyed by your dragon father’s rage.”[/Color] The Provenience nodded. She quickly picked up her mandolin and slung it across her shoulders. She grabbed a traveling cloak that was well tattered and worn. She picked up a few other items of a much more personal matter: a mirror, a handcrafted comb, a skin for carrying water, and a blanket. All but the mandolin she placed in the center of the blanket and then rolled the blanket such that the items could not fall out. While the Provenience packed, Rhema took a moment and ran to the edge of the dragon’s perch. She stood close to the edge and looked down. The drop was severe for the first twenty or thirty feet, but there were a few trees growing up from below. Leaves on the trees obscured her vision of the rock face below. There was no way of telling what had happened to Semeion. Obviously, he had planned on drawing the Provenience to the ledge so she could look down upon the empty village. Rhema’s eyes searched the rock below her for any clue as to what had happened. As she searched, she talked to herself. [Color=PaleGreen]“His magic was not strong enough to handle teleportation,”[/Color] she expressed out loud in an attempt to force herself to face reality and squash the painful amount of hope that clung to this mountain face. [Color=PaleGreen]“Either he burned and fell or he just fell. In any case, he’s gone now.”[/Color] A small tear trickled down her face. Rhema’s mourning was interrupted by the Provenience’s voice from behind. [Color=Red]“I am ready to follow you to this thing you call freedom.”[/Color] Her voice was cold and detached. When Rhema turned she saw that the Provenience was standing with her own eyes focused upon the ledge. Rhema knew that the Provenience was still under her telepathic persuasion and thus susceptible to her own mental state. [Color=Red]“I am sorry that I killed him. At the time he was an intruder. He was goading me into attack.”[/Color] Rhema crossed the dragon’s perch and smiled coolly in her direction. She fought back the anger boiling inside at the loss of one of her friends and refused to let it cloud the urgency of thought needed to get them to safety. [Color=PaleGreen]“We must go now. We can talk along the way.”[/Color] Rhema lifted the blanket roll up from the straw mattress and waited for the Provenience to follow. The Provenience began to object to Rhema carrying her blanket, but Rhema shook her head and said, [Color=PaleGreen]“This is what life is like free from control, Provenience. I do not help you because you order me to or because you have the power to kill me. I choose to help you.”[/Color] Her words were laced with the bitterness still coming from the loss of Semeion. The Provenience heard the sharp edge in her voice and re-coiled a step. [Color=Red]“I did not understand that you were so powerful. I thought only my own dragon father was that powerful. I was blinded by my dragon father’s claims of dominance and his grand plans.”[/Color] She was still attempting to provide an explanation for her actions. Rhema smiled. The Provenience’s words came so easily on account of the control Rhema still exercised over the Provenience. [Color=PaleGreen]“Yes, and unless we hurry you will soon be under that control again. Semeion allowed you to kill him so that you could be saved by seeing that your dragon father had lost control. That must be enough for now.”[/Color] Rhema moved to the tunnel that led to the secret cave below. She descended the stairs as quickly as she and Semeion had ascended them. The Provenience followed her pace for pace. Before too long, they had reached the spot where the three horses had remained tied. Rhema quickly approached Shauvry and secured the Provenience’s blanket roll to Shauvry’s saddle. Once that task was completed Rhema turned and pointed to Elistra. There were tears streaming down her face now. Seeing Thana had brought the emotion of loss and anger irrevocably to the surface. Pointing to Elistra, Rhema spoke sharply through her pain. [Color=PaleGreen]“Ride the bigger horse. My friend’s horse will return to safety without a rider upon its back.”[/Color] The Provenience nodded, knowing that there was little that she could do about the pain now. She was not aware of the fact that Rhema still had a telepathic bond to her, but through this bond she was able to feel a sense of Rhema’s pain. Her face frowned as she realized that the pain had been brought onto Rhema by her own hand. Under her breath she muttered, [Color=Red]“I was only defending my home and my life as I saw it.”[/Color] Rhema backed Shauvry up and turned the horse around inside the cave. She loosened the reigns holding Thana in place and held her in a position to follow. She looked at the Provenience sitting atop Ischarus’ horse. [Color=PaleGreen]“Ride beside me, Provenience. The path will be wide enough for us to ride together.”[/Color] The Provenience nodded and pulled in line. Rhema spurred Shauvry into action with Thana in tow. Elistra quickly followed out of instinct. Together they left the now abandoned draconic lair behind them. The dragon hadn’t been yet defeated; but the village had been liberated. It was their biggest success yet. With regard to Semeion it was also their greatest failure as well. Rhema cursed Semeion under his breath. The pain festered inside of her with each surge of the horse beneath her. After all, it didn’t need to happen that way. The Provenience could have been subdued without the loss of life. It might have taken longer, but it could have worked. [Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section] Rhema looked deep into the Provenience’s eyes. She knew that the father dragon’s mate was still under her suggestive control. Of course, this also meant that she now bore the responsibility for using that gift properly. The Provenience would need to be protected and brought to the supply cave before Rhema’s power wore off. Time was of the utmost essence. She continued the conversation. “Nobody, Provenience. They are acting under their free will. They desired to leave the oppression of your dragon father. They gathered up their supplies and left – on their own accord. Your dragon father’s power of control over them is broken forever.” The Provenience struggled to grasp this concept and her face disclosed this fact. Her eyebrows wrinkled in confusion and the pupils of her eyes focused upon Rhema as if she was trying to bore a hole through her skull. “Then you control them now. You are more powerful than my dragon father.” Rhema smiled, her eyes once more darting to the ledge. For an instant she looked as if she were about to cry when she thought about how important Semeion had been to the plan. It had been his magic that had sprang Druff from the cage and allowed Druff to convince the townsfolk of their plan. He had been the one to convince Druff to help in the first place. Rhema’s eyes slowly returned to the Provenience’s glance. “No. We are not more powerful than your dragon father. Should your dragon father return and find us here I would surely die and in all likelihood you would die with me. Your dragon father is indeed more powerful than I. Yet the idea of freedom is even more powerful than your dragon father. Control is powerful, but freedom is even more so.” Rhema stepped back toward the dragon’s main chamber. The Provenience instinctively followed her back into the protected area of the lair. “Wait! You cannot leave me behind. If you are more powerful than my dragon father I would follow you.” Rhema turned her back to the Provenience and a slight smile passed across her lips. “Gather up your things. Only take that which you can sling over your shoulder or put in a sack. We will ride out of here. Anything you leave behind will most likely be destroyed by your dragon father’s rage.” The Provenience nodded. She quickly picked up her mandolin and slung it across her shoulders. She grabbed a traveling cloak that was well tattered and worn. She picked up a few other items of a much more personal matter: a mirror, a handcrafted comb, a skin for carrying water, and a blanket. All but the mandolin she placed in the center of the blanket and then rolled the blanket such that the items could not fall out. While the Provenience packed, Rhema took a moment and ran to the edge of the dragon’s perch. She stood close to the edge and looked down. The drop was severe for the first twenty or thirty feet, but there were a few trees growing up from below. Leaves on the trees obscured her vision of the rock face below. There was no way of telling what had happened to Semeion. Obviously, he had planned on drawing the Provenience to the ledge so she could look down upon the empty village. Rhema’s eyes searched the rock below her for any clue as to what had happened. As she searched, she talked to herself. “His magic was not strong enough to handle teleportation,” she expressed out loud in an attempt to force herself to face reality and squash the painful amount of hope that clung to this mountain face. “Either he burned and fell or he just fell. In any case, he’s gone now.” A small tear trickled down her face. Rhema’s mourning was interrupted by the Provenience’s voice from behind. “I am ready to follow you to this thing you call freedom.” Her voice was cold and detached. When Rhema turned she saw that the Provenience was standing with her own eyes focused upon the ledge. Rhema knew that the Provenience was still under her telepathic persuasion and thus susceptible to her own mental state. “I am sorry that I killed him. At the time he was an intruder. He was goading me into attack.” Rhema crossed the dragon’s perch and smiled coolly in her direction. She fought back the anger boiling inside at the loss of one of her friends and refused to let it cloud the urgency of thought needed to get them to safety. “We must go now. We can talk along the way.” Rhema lifted the blanket roll up from the straw mattress and waited for the Provenience to follow. The Provenience began to object to Rhema carrying her blanket, but Rhema shook her head and said, “This is what life is like free from control, Provenience. I do not help you because you order me to or because you have the power to kill me. I choose to help you.” Her words were laced with the bitterness still coming from the loss of Semeion. The Provenience heard the sharp edge in her voice and re-coiled a step. “I did not understand that you were so powerful. I thought only my own dragon father was that powerful. I was blinded by my dragon father’s claims of dominance and his grand plans.” She was still attempting to provide an explanation for her actions. Rhema smiled. The Provenience’s words came so easily on account of the control Rhema still exercised over the Provenience. “Yes, and unless we hurry you will soon be under that control again. Semeion allowed you to kill him so that you could be saved by seeing that your dragon father had lost control. That must be enough for now.” Rhema moved to the tunnel that led to the secret cave below. She descended the stairs as quickly as she and Semeion had ascended them. The Provenience followed her pace for pace. Before too long, they had reached the spot where the three horses had remained tied. Rhema quickly approached Shauvry and secured the Provenience’s blanket roll to Shauvry’s saddle. Once that task was completed Rhema turned and pointed to Elistra. There were tears streaming down her face now. Seeing Thana had brought the emotion of loss and anger irrevocably to the surface. Pointing to Elistra, Rhema spoke sharply through her pain. “Ride the bigger horse. My friend’s horse will return to safety without a rider upon its back.” The Provenience nodded, knowing that there was little that she could do about the pain now. She was not aware of the fact that Rhema still had a telepathic bond to her, but through this bond she was able to feel a sense of Rhema’s pain. Her face frowned as she realized that the pain had been brought onto Rhema by her own hand. Under her breath she muttered, “I was only defending my home and my life as I saw it.” Rhema backed Shauvry up and turned the horse around inside the cave. She loosened the reigns holding Thana in place and held her in a position to follow. She looked at the Provenience sitting atop Ischarus’ horse. “Ride beside me, Provenience. The path will be wide enough for us to ride together.” The Provenience nodded and pulled in line. Rhema spurred Shauvry into action with Thana in tow. Elistra quickly followed out of instinct. Together they left the now abandoned draconic lair behind them. The dragon hadn’t been yet defeated; but the village had been liberated. It was their biggest success yet. With regard to Semeion it was also their greatest failure as well. Rhema cursed Semeion under his breath. The pain festered inside of her with each surge of the horse beneath her. After all, it didn’t need to happen that way. The Provenience could have been subdued without the loss of life. It might have taken longer, but it could have worked. [/Sblock] [/QUOTE]
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