Ericahs lay in the darkness pretending to rest, but not a wink of sleep crept over his eyes. He was watching Lismella with the intense gaze of a hawk, following her every move. He knew there was more going on than what Lismella was telling him, and one way or another, he was going to find out what. He had drunk none of the water in which he’d seen Lismella mixing the powder, though he had emptied the container when she had her back turned. He wanted her to believe he was under its influence, whatever it was. Observing Lismella now, he could see that his ruse was working.

Lismella carefully rose from the fire, not even bothering to check if Ericahs was awake, or alive. She wandered almost out of reach of the firelight and turned her back to Ericahs. He couldn’t see what she was doing, but he surmised by her movements that it was probably some kind of magic. Then she began to speak. Her voice started out low and rose to a loud roar that echoed through the night. “Eie-Eigah-Eigah Ha-Eigah Halia-Eigah Tila Halia!” She finished with a shout.

Ericahs was suspicious but intrigued. Lismella was clearly a sorceress of some type and while she didn’t seem to hold anything against Ericahs personally, she certainly had large plans whirling around in that innocent looking head of hers. Ericahs could only wonder if he was being unwittingly used to help Lismella gain her own ends. He watched as she came back to the fire.

Lismella did not lay down to sleep as Ericahs had expected. Instead she began to rummage through Ericahs’ belongings; he could only wonder if she was trying to rob him. He half contemplated sitting up to let her know he was watching her, but he thought the better of it. He was far too interested in finding out what she was up to.

Lismella kept digging until she found Ericahs’ sword. She held it gingerly and brought it back to her side of the fire. She inspected it carefully as though looking for any defects. After being seemingly satisfied that there were none, she rose with the sword in her hands. Judging by her stance and her clumsy movements, Ericahs could tell she was not a swordswoman, but still he did not intent to startle her while she held his sword and he held nothing.