The Pain of a Memory - Part XII

I apologize for being gone so long - I was celebrating my birthday this month and totally forgot that this blog was also (yay! Bloggie's two years old now!). Hopefully you can forgive me for my absent-mindedness once again!

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Part V

Part VI

Part VII

Part VIII

Part IX

Part X

Part XI

***

            Echo dismounted from his horse. He turned around a signaled his men. "Time to camp," he said to them, getting his satchel out of the horse's saddle pack.

            At his command, the other men in the party dismounted their own horses and began to get their packs out. Some of them began to set up a camp. Good, Echo thought. Everything is taken care of.

            Echo opened up his satchel. He looked inside. There was some of Lania's bread inside. She had packed it for him, and put some of the fresh-baked loaf in there. Echo smiled. Now this was traveling food. It was certainly far better than what he usually got, which was also traveler's bread. But the real difference was that one kind reminded him of home, and the other only reminded him of the journey. Echo sighed a little, still smiling to himself. Soon enough, he would be home again.

            With these thoughts in mind, Echo turned back to his men. The camp was all set up, and a good fire was blazing in the middle of it. He walked towards the center of the camp. Then he sat down next to the fire. Echo tore a chunk off of the bread from his satchel and ate it. Then he put the rest back. He looked into the fire's resplendence absently.

            Then one of his men sat down next to him. Echo looked over. "Hello, Evern," Echo addressed the knight.

            Evern nodded. "Captain"

            Echo smiled. "It's Echo when we're alone, Evern. And aren't you hungry?"

            Evern shook his head. "I'm a bit unsettled about this journey, Echo. I've heard plenty a thing about this robber band from some Nistrian travelers. There are supposed to be a hundred score of them, so I'm told"

            Echo laughed. "You listen to travelers too much. If there are a hundred score of them, then why has no one before gone after them?"

            Evern shrugged. "You tell me, Echo. You're the one who's been in this area before"

            Echo nodded and sighed a little. "Yes... But it's been a long time since I've had to be here. The last times I was here it was for a mission"

            "And it is so once more"

            "Yes..." Echo looked off into the distance. "But in particular, we're going to a place I haven't ever been to for a mission"

            Evern looked over at Echo. "I thought you'd been there before?"

            Echo nodded. "I have. I was there about fifteen years ago, back when I was a infantry man in the war"

            Evern laughed. "Has it really been that long?" He shook his head. "It doesn't seem like the war was that long ago, does it?"

            Echo shrugged. "Well, in all hopes, it will be very long before any such thing ever happens again"

            "That could be accomplished, so long as Nistria would be compliant"

            "Well, they'll have a new king soon enough, so that may help things, Evern"

            Evern nodded. "And I've heard rumor that Ingrecia is considering an alliance with Nistra, which would also help things"

            Echo looked back at Evern. "Really? What kind of an alliance?"

            Evern shrugged. "I have absolutely no idea"

            Echo smiled. "Well, you're the one who talks to travelers all the time - haven't you heard something from any of them about it?"

            Evern shook his head. "Not a thing"

            Echo laughed. "Well, why'd you go and hear the beginning of the rumor if you weren't going to have the decency to hear the end of it?"

            Evern joined him in laughter. "Well, you know, I cannot choose what I hear or don't hear, Echo"

            "Yes, but you can choose what you begin to tell me and what you keep silent. Why did you even tell me the beginning? You know I hate stories without an ending, Evern"

            Evern smiled. "Well, I'm no storyteller such as yourself, Echo. But at least all of my stories are true, whether they ever are finished or not"

            Echo chuckled. "Was that jest a jab at my truthfulness, Sir Evern?"

            Evern shrugged nonchalantly. "Perhaps. But if you have a story to tell, it often is one, well, of your own fancy"

            Echo shook his head smilingly. "I at least finish my little fairytales, which is better than having an unfinished real event to tell"

            Evern nodded in defeat. "I suppose so" After a moment of silence, Evern just laughed. "We are rather ludicrous knights, now aren't we, Torriven? All we've done since the camp was up is discuss foreign politics and storytelling, when we have a mission five days ahead of us"

            Echo shrugged. "You forget that you were the one who started both of those so-called ludicrous discussions, Evern. And the mission is ahead of us. We have not reached it yet"

            "Yes, I know, but surely we must put some measure of focus on it?"

            Echo laughed. "You are the ludicrous one really, Evern. We went over it when we were in the town" At Evern's comical expression, Echo laughed again. "Don't worry, Evern. I was only jesting. Believe me, I have been thinking about the mission"

            Evern nodded and stood up smilingly. "Good, because I don't want to follow a distracted captain into a mission. I mean, it wouldn't be quite ideal to follow an absent-minded knight, who's only constantly thinking of his little village and little family the entire mission, would it, Echo?" And with this, he promptly left, still smiling, with a hint of sarcasm in his tone and expression.

            Echo merely burst out laughing. Evern knew him perhaps a little too well...

What did you think? Any critiques? Comments? Suggestions? I would love to hear any feedback, especially since this story's now being prepped for longer roads, so speak your mind!