Adventures of Jessa

39

"I don't know if I can spar with you any more, Dhiren. It seems every time I do so, I have to take one of those damn potions. It's a good thing Kallen was there this time." Jessa says sitting up, but she still feels off. She's not sure what is wrong with her, the potion should have dealt with any injury she had taken.

Dhiren grimaces at Jessa's words. He's not sure just how much she actually means and how much she's just teasing him, but the truth is hard to miss. "I take full responsibility for this one, love." Dhiren says but stops as Jessa holds up her hand.

"You don't need to take responsibility for the actions of someone else. I know for a fact that you didn't order him to do that. You wouldn't. You are fully capable of accepting defeat at my hands or you wouldn't keep wanting to humiliate yourself by sparring with me." This time Dhiren notices the slight smile she is holding back.

"Minx, that isn't nice, it's true, but not nice." Dhiren tells her, as he assists her up.

"Dhiren, there was something wrong with me before I was hit with that damn rock. I was wearing out and slowing down. That has never happened to me before." Jessa tells him in a low voice that won't carry. "I still feel that something is wrong, something more than the stupid rock meeting my head."

Dhiren looks at her worriedly, "What do you want to do? We could ride ahead tomorrow, have a healer come once more and look you over or send Mel to your grandfather to come and look you over." Although the last one is the one he least favors, it is the best choice and he knows it. If any one would know what was wrong it would be Alaric.

Jessa bites her lower lip as she thinks things over, "I think we'll just leave tomorrow as intended. I don't think we need to worry Alaric just yet and the elven healers, I doubt they will be able to help this. If the damn potion didn't work then there isn't much more that they can do."

Dhiren was wrong, this is the option that he least likes. If there is something wrong with Jessa he doesn't want her traveling slowly and ranging out looking for trouble like she normally does. But knowing her, there will be no stopping her from doing so.

"I am not so sure that that is the right thing to do, but if that is what you choose then I'll be staying at your side the whole way. No going away from me Jessa. I couldn't bare it if something were to happen to you and I not know where you are or how to find you."

Jessa cups his face and smiles, "Sounds good, but I don't think I'll be able to range as far ahead right now. You might have to send some of the guard ahead of us. Make sure that they can actually move silently. I'm going to talk to Kallen about having them do extra sessions in ranging until they can do a decent job."

"I think just having you threaten them worked wonders last time. Perhaps just letting them know that you will do some damage to them if you hear them? That's what you did last time and suddenly there was no noise." Dhiren smirks at the memory of the last time they went ranging out together. He had hoped that they would be able to this time as well.

Well they will be this time as well, just not in the manner that they had previously. Dhiren holds back his sigh. He's going to have to find out where Kallen gets those potions and have some made, so that he can gift them to Jessa.

"So what reason are you going to Castlerock this time, Dhiren?"

"Pretty much the same reason as last time. That and warning the human king that if we have to deal with the bandits that are amassing so close to our borders that we will be taking control of that land and it will become our territory." Dhiren and his parents are less than thrilled at the lack of care the human king has for those that live in his kingdom. They are even less impressed with how he takes care of his borders.

"If it weren't for us, he would easily be overrun and taken off the throne. His son has the potential to be a much better king than he is. This is the weakest king to reign over Castlerock that I've ever seen. It would be far better for the son to depose his father and his counselors, but that is highly unlikely. As is the king doing something about the bandits amassing and killing those that enter the pass."

"So, if I take care of the problem, would that be considered you all dealing with it or the king dealing with it?" Jessa asks her prince.

Dhiren gets a sick look on his face. He had suspected Jessa of making plans to deal with the bandits, but the idea- "Jessa, if the amount of bandits is as high as we suspect it will be, even you will find it difficult if not impossible to kill them all. Let us deal with it, please?" Dhiren doesn't like the fact that he is begging her more than a little, but the idea of her doing this alone makes him ill. He has no doubt that she can handle herself against groups of bandits, but there will be a small army this time and she is just one person.

"I'm sorry, Dhiren, I can't do that. Nathan will be taking whatever jobs he can get and so will be going through the pass. My other acquaintances will be going and dying as well. I can't stand back and do nothing. I will wait until I make my return trip from Kyron, but at that time, I won't be coming back through Silva, I'll be taking the long way and doing my best to clean out the bandits."

Dhiren turns white at her words. Yet, he knows Jessa well enough to know that he can't stop her from doing what she feels is right. The fact that the only other person that she's friends with will be in danger just makes her more determined to do so.

Dhiren slumps his shoulders in defeat. "Just let me know when you are going through, I'll have my army on standby with healers. Jessa, please, let me and the elves help. You don't need to do this alone."

"I can do this without political fallout, you can't. Although, either way you should take control of that pass so it doesn't happen again. It would be easy to cut Castlerock off if that pass is taken."

Dhiren nods morosely and assures her that they will do so. Now he determines more than ever to move his army in closer when she sends Mel with the message that she's going through. He wants to be there to keep her alive.