Author: Caitlin, Posted: Sun May 1, 2016 5:32 PM, Post Subject: An Unusual Circumstance [p]

It had taken her almost two months to stop looking over her shoulder at every noise.  Caitlin had been convinced that she would find her father there somewhere, angry and ready to drag her home.  But she had vowed to never go back, not to the chains that waited her in the village.  And especially not after seeing so much of the world.  They had left their Highlands village, traveled to Cittapashe and taken a boat to Vilpamolan.  Now they were heading southeast towards Adeluna, and it was from there that Caitlin wanted to find her way to Wyllmochvar.  She had heard tales of a Mage school on the other continent, and she had her heart set on attending.  She had been carefully rationing the silver from her dowry, and there should be more than enough to see them both to the other continent.  Assuming Will would still be following her there.

Glancing over to her traveling companion, Caitlin was glad they had stayed together.  She would have been lost without him, since she didn't have the first clue about surviving in the wilderness. But once she had gotten used to the road, Caitlin found herself learning quickly what it meant to be on her own.  And being able to rely on herself and her skills was a revelation.  "Will, it's getting dark.  Why don't we find a place to camp?  If this map is right, we're only two days from Adeluna," she said, a bright excitement in her voice.  Looking up the path, there was a cave, and the young woman pointed at it.  It didn't take the pair long to have a camp established, and Caitlin got a nice fire going while Will went to hunt supper.

Something caught her eye, a glinting in the back of the cave.  Her eyes went wide as she retrieved the bracelet, she had never seen a piece of jewelry so lovely.  It was made of iron and studded with fire opals, and Caitlin tried to figure out just how it had gotten into the cave.  Letting the idea tumble over in her head, she slipped it on without another thought and waited for her friend to return.  "Will, look what I found!  It was in the back of the cave.  I wonder how it got here," she said, showing off her new prize.  Maybe he would think of something she had missed.