Reining her horse to a stop, Kirriam looked around in desperation. They had to be around here somewhere! The lieutenant said they were in a grove to the east, and she knew that was exactly where Tolan had ridden off to. She had to find him! Her foolish brother was crazy! What was he thinking, riding off into the woods alone, straight into the heart of a mercenary camp loaded down with riches and practically no weapons! What got into him sometimes? Why did he insist on riding off into dangerous situations, without an escort...
...without an escort...
Oh, dear...
He rode off without an escort, just like I'm doing, Kirriam realized. Riding alone into a mercenary camp, with practically no weapons, and loaded down with riches... She glanced down at her pearl-trimmed gown and jewelry, and felt the weight of the silver-and-pearl diadem still in her hair (though sitting a bit askew from the hard riding), and for the first time, it sunk in just what she was doing. She'd been so overwhelmingly concerned for the safety of her only surviving family, and yes, a bit steamed at him too, that she hadn't once realized she was doing the very same thing she was condemning him for. And now it was too late to change her course of action.
"Hello?" she called nervously when she thought she might have seen or heard something there in the trees. "Who's there?"
