Compassion

Muldran and Tim met up with several others from the Shadow Court - Callum, Gorthyn, Decardo and Cherry - and watched the opening part of a play that told the tale of the founding of the Guardsmen Militia. At the interval point, Muldran collected Tim, and both started to head away from the platform.

The others caught up, Gorthyn remarking that he was impressed we were all still in one piece. Decardo acted with disbelief when Muldran proudly said that they were walking and sailing without magic. Cherry reminded the father and son of the responsibilities back in the Court, and Muldran advised her that they would be home soon.

Walking through the woods, Tim and Mul found an abandoned outpost; Muldran mentioned it would make a good checkpoint for the Court to keep observation on Yew. He marked a rune there, and Tim started copying the words of magic he uttered. Mul stopped him, and explained a bit about how magical words can run away with people, and sounded out the words that he'd used; explaining a little of the magical language.

Setting off down the road, they came to the edge of the Compassion desert. Muldran realised - with surprise - that he'd run out of reagents to cast attacking spells, so Tim stepped forward with the bow, and proceeded to guide the two through the edges of the desert, towards the Shrine.

The biggest nuisance were the swarms of scorpions, rushing backwards and forwards and trying to overwhelm the pair. They soon reached the shrine, where Tim once more knelt down to meditate.

This time, Mul observed sparks of light snapping from the ankh towards Tim's hand as he tried to concentrate. Tim said that the 'remaining strands were working together, making it more difficult for him to find the mantras'. Muldran urged him on, and with great effort, Tim tamed the strand of the quest that related to Compassion.

After a rest, Muldran suggested they run for the eastern edge of the desert. Doing so, a large group of scorpions churned after them, as did a sand vortex. But even on the greenlands they were not out of trouble - as a group of brigands had seen the commotion on the desert, and had come to investigate.

Running past them, and loosing them in the woods, Muldran and Tim found their way to a cave tucked inside a mine. The pair went inside, and lit some wood, and before they could talk, Tim had fallen asleep.

Muldran watched him cautiously for a moment, and then slowly let himself drift off.