The long road ahead

[Dantherian]

Dantherian sat for many hours delicately wrapping the body of Mi'anna the monk, painstakingly he placed the flowers within the wrappings before he stood. A deep saddness stired within him, he gazed out at the lush green grass and breifly was drawn in by the song of a bird.

Everything is so peaceful. Even Mi'anna look's peaceful now that she is in eternal slumber. He thought and a tear ran down his cheek.
So young, so beautiful and now she is gone. It isn't right. I failed her in her time of need, twice I failed to defend her. The last time she paid with her life for my mistake. He thought as he picked up the corpse of his friend and gently placed her in the cart behind his horse.

Slowly Dantherian made his way on to the back of the horse and headed for the city of Qeynos to see if there was any family to notify and to deliver her body to her homeland. The going was slow and Dantherian was low in spirit and not feeling much like traveling. The birds themselves sang sorrowfull songs as if the could feel the saddness and regret eminating from him. Dantherian pushed on, because it was his duty and because though he had known her breifly she was his friend.

[Dantherian]

Dantherian rode in silence his guilt overwhelmed him.
I am a Paladin of Tunare, I am supposed to be protector of the good, the weak and the innocent, but I failed. Oh, Tunare why? Why couldn't I be strong enough to protect her? Why did you allow her to be taken before her time? Never again will anyone hear her sweet voice, nor see her beautiful face. She never had the chance to bear children and what them grow.

I am wretched, I am a failure a mockery of your honored warriors. I am not worthy to perform your sacred tasks, the forests are not my home any longer, for they are your realm. I have robbed the innocent of life, let the weak be overpowered and let evil triumph over her. I swore an oath as a defender of your realm and I have broken that oath, I shall not return. Dantherian said in his prayers.

Dantherian raised his head from his prayers to see the people on the road ahead had cleared a path for him. All of the people bowed their heads in respect for the dead girl as Datherian rode by. The city of Qeynos could be faintly seen on the horizon. almost there. Dantherian thought.

[Dantherian]

Dantherian had spent a week in Qeynos, he had gotten on with his upleasant duty when he first arrived and took the body to the monks near by. He wasn't allowed to be present when they gave her body to the soil. Dantherian had spent the time since getting drunk and sitting outside the walls of Qeynos.

Today he gazed out toward the sea and wondered what lay on the other side. Is there a place that my guilt and shame won't follow me? Dantherian thought as he sat there. His thoughts drifted back to home, back to Fayspire and then the pain of not being able to return there hit him.

He got to his feet, planning to head to the inn today as he had every other day this week, but soon he found himself heading south along the walls of Qeynos. Dantherian was perplexed, by the time he decided that maybe he needed to turn around the city of Qeynos was far from his view. Dantherian shrugged and continued on his path Southward.