Linthice, it turned out, was a very strong and independent female.  Although she invited Zaraek to help her bring down the massive clefthoof she faced, it seemed to be more of a privilege to accompany her, rather than that she really needed the help.  With a bare grunt of satisfaction as the clefthoof collapsed, she nodded toward the east, permitting him to follow her on another errand, no explanations offered.  The afternoon raced by, as did Linthice, with barest glimpses of her on her winged steed ahead of him, almost chance encounters inside a cavern teeming with ogres.  He could barely keep up with her. 

     In the cavern, they were joined by a troll who seemed to have some prior connection with her.  Zaraek fell in, helping where he could.  As the two of them charged the target he would pull the creature to him with his death grip, allowing them to get in powerful strikes from behind.  It was easy work with the three of them, mindless butchery.  He had no idea why he was doing this.  Just for the gold.  Just for Linthice, who might, just might, share his ache for something more than empty existence.  Or just for his beloved Tabalah, who waited on the other side of life. 

     And then, when the cavern was cleared, Linthice was gone in a flash.

     He spent another week in Nagrand, working alone.  Sometimes he thought about her, wondering if the Light would bring them together again for its own purposes, but as the days passed he began to forget everything but that familiar pain he had seen in her eyes.  When that flash came to mind, he found himself placing a hand on his own heart. 

     Then one day, as night was falling, he finished up with some fishing and found a floating island to camp on.   It seemed like a pleasant spot when he first brought Zephyr up onto the ledge, with an apple tree in full fruit, until he saw skeletal legs sticking out from the other side of the tree trunk.  He shook his head with a sigh and didn’t even bother to look closer.  Just another place of beauty marred by death.