Chapter 7: Old and New Problems

It was very early in the morning when Lizzie and Serri walked through the woods. Lizzie was whispering to Serri, "I know our camp is around here somewhere. Do you see any signs of a camp?"

"A camp, no; but you might want to ask that woman over there with the bow that she is aiming at me. Serri whispered back to Lizzie, while she stood very still.

Lizzie peered into the darkness finally seeing Lori standing next to a tall bush with a drawn bow and arrow pointed towards Serri. "Lori, don't shoot. It's me Lizzie."

"Why are you stumbling around in the woods and who is the girl with you? You were not sent out to gather the down-trodden, especially elves."

"Things got complicated at the inn, I had to leave early. This is Serri, an indentured servant that I rescued, a half-elf as you can see. She needed to be saved and you would have done it in my place if you were there. I'll tell you all about it, but we need to move now., we're in danger."

Lori relaxed the tension on her bow and put the arrow back into her quiver. "Nice to meet you Serri, I'm Lori. Lizzie can get you something to eat and try to find you some clean clothes, while I wake up the other women." She then led Lizzie and Serri to the camp site.

The newest companion was led to the clumped group of packs and sacks containing the group's stores. She offered various foods to Serri until she accepted a piece of flat bread and a carrot. Serri let several pieces of meat go by leading Lizzie to correctly assume that she was a vegetarian.

In the meantime, Lori was waking up Tamarilla and Danni, who were cuddled together, with nudges and whispered instructions to 'wake up and be quiet'. Tammi took in a breath to complain in a loud voice about being woken in the middle of the night. Lori had anticipated this and clamped a hand down over Tammi's mouth. "Hold onto your complaints until Lizzie can tell us what is happening. She has returned early with a friend and she says we have to be on our way because we are in danger here." Lori whispered making sure that Tammi heard everything she said.

Tamarilla pried Lori's hand off of her mouth and hissed, "You don't have to treat me like a child, I know we are on the run! You said danger, what danger? Lizzie brought a friend? Did Lizzie know her friend before? Half a night doesn't seem enough time to make a new friend, even as flirty as Lizzie is." As Tammi spoke her whispered hiss became louder and louder.

Lori pointed a finger at Tammi with a warning look in her eyes. Tammi closed her mouth with an audible clunk and started to get ready to go. Lizzie cut short the anything but sisterly kiss she was sharing with her sister to whisper to Tammi, "Yes danger. The least of which is an angry Herbert! You do remember Herbert from your village? I saved Serri from his clutches and we have to flee." Tammi's face turned pale and she moved twice as fast to get ready to leave.

Lizzie managed to get some clean clothes from her sister for Serri. She changed out of her dirty, torn clothes right there with no hesitation at all. Tammi blushed and turned away from the slim half-elf. She had managed to rid herself of some old-fashioned ideas about public nudity, but she was still a girl from a small village at heart.

They started out with Lizzie leading the way and telling of her adventures at the inn. Serri walked close behind her, almost like she was attached to the warrior woman. Danni followed close to her sister too, anxious to hear her tale. Tammi stumbled along complaining to herself about walking in the dark, being woken up early and life in general. Lori followed along behind Tammi poking her with an arrow to keep up and shushing her, so she could hear Lizzie's story.

Lizzie led the group southward paralleling the main road. She related her story about why they had to watch out for soldiers, elves and Herbert looking for them. "Oh yeah, we have to be careful about the locals too, something about stealing an indentured servant."

Hearing this, Serri, who had been very quiet, blurted out, "I don't understand. I thought you bought my indenture from the innkeeper with a ruby?"

"Oh I did, but once he looks at the gem in the sunlight and sees the hidden flaw, he will complain that he has been cheated. I really had no choice, I was out of coin and I couldn't let Herbert get his hands on you." Serri smiled her thanks and hugged Lizzie's hand. Danni just muttered to herself about her being called a thief.

They had been walking for awhile when they heard the sounds of horses galloping down the road. "They have started after us sooner than I had planned." remarked Lizzie. The women had all ducked down as the riders came upon them. The riders galloped past them without even searching. Lizzie had seen this before and enlightened the others, "They will ride to where the two Kingdom roads meet and will guard against us passing there. Soon the search parties will take their time and look for us. The King's soldiers have done this with much success in the past."

Tamarilla was worried, and she showed it. "We can't get captured by the soldiers! They will turn me over to Herbert! And they will arrest Lizzie and Danni too! You know what they do to thieves! We're doomed, the elves will capture you L ... Mmmmmff!" Tammi was yelling in her hysteria, until Lori clamped a hand over her mouth. Serri whispered in her ear and Tammi stopped struggling.

Tammi looked into Lori's eyes and then looked down at her friend's hand that covered her mouth. Lori slowly let go of Tammi, ready to grab her if she started yelling again. Tammi worked her mouth and jaw in an exaggerated motion like her mouth had been held closed for hours. Lori rolled her eyes seeing how Tammi was going on.