Turan and Pellia's Curious Quest

He took a deep breath and turned to face the woman who had been sitting next to him for the last two days. Her long dark hair was braided and held in place by what looked like a piece of amber. She wore a traveling cloak over her dress, but he could tell that beneath it she was lightly muscled. She was a warrior, even if she didn’t look like one.

He took another deep breath, cleared his throat, and began to speak. “Pellia, I have something I need to… to say to you.”

She tilted her head slightly as she listened to him. They were both on horseback – they had ridden through most of the night before finally stopping just after dawn. He had slept in his saddle while she had found a small patch of soft ground near the creek they had stopped by to rest. She looked fresh enough now – she looked beautiful as always - but he had noticed the dark circles under her eyes that morning when he had woken up.

“Thank you for helping me with that giant snake,” he said earnestly.

Her eyes widened in surprise. “You are most welcome, Turan! If I hadn’t seen the creature attacking your horse I would never have guessed there was something like that slithering around these parts! I am glad we were able to save your steed!”

He nodded gratefully and continued. “And also for helping me take down that bandit back at that inn near the river at the edge of the territory of King Tarsus…” He trailed off as he saw her expression change from polite interest to confusion, then to dawning realization followed by anger. She reached out quickly and grabbed his arm with one hand while pulling on her reins with the other to stop her horse from moving forward along with his. He stopped abruptly and turned back towards her while patting his horse’s neck in an attempt to calm it down as it tossed its head uneasily at all this sudden activity.

When Pellia spoke again, her voice was low and angry – her words clipped and precise with barely controlled rage. “Why are you thanking me for saving your life? You should thank me for saving yours? That sounds about right! After all, you killed those bandits without my help! And you got yourself out of trouble with that giant snake, too! I walked onto that battlefield and did nothing more than stand there and watch you defeat them both! You owe me nothing! Not gratitude or thanks or anything else!” She was breathing heavily now from her outburst; he could see how angry she was by the way her chest rose and fell under her cloak as well as how stiffly she sat atop her horse – a far cry from how relaxed she usually looked on a horse.

She continued hotly: “I don’t want your pity or your thanks or whatever else it is that you think you owe me because of what happened between us three nights ago! We fucked – we fought together, yes – but we fucked! That doesn’t mean that either of us owes the other anything besides a swift death if either one of us decides to attack the other in their sleep! Do you understand? I don’t want any part of any sentimental feelings you might think are developing between us because we spent some time alone together without anyone else around! We met for one reason only – just so we could get through this stupid quest alive! Got it? Either do what needs doing or leave me alone so I can do mine! Now let go of my arm before I break it off and throw it into the woods where it belongs!”