Reece was up early that third morning.  She sat, as usual, away from everyone else. The swordsman was practicing with his blade. The "Bull Lady" was chatting it up with the caravan leader. The others were going about their morning rituals. Reece stood, stretched and eyed the bull on which the lady rode. "Why not", she said to no one in particular.<br/><br/>She walked towards the beast, and keeping a fair distance, she spoke. "And how are you this fine morning?" she askd.<br/><span style="color: #FFFF00">BC raised his head from where he was grazing, cocked his head to the side. "You talkin to me?"</span><br/>"Yes, I am. Does that surprise you ?"<span style="color: #FFFF00"><br/>BC chewed slowly as he regarded her, "No. Confuses me. No one but Mamma talks to me and understands me" he paused, his nostrils flaring as he thought about it, "You are not normal. Do you mean to hurt me or my Mamma?"</span><br/><br/>Maintaining her safe distance, Reece explained "Oh, No. I would never hurt such a wonderful creature as yourself. In fact, I was hoping we could be friends."<br/><span style="color: #FFFF00">BC snorted and tossed his head, "Why? Mamma no like your kind"</span><br/><br/>Her face saddend a bit. "Yes, I know she doesn't. But.." She thought for a moment, then continued. "Well, maybe it was a bad idea. Have a good morning." This, as she turned to walk away.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FFFF00">BC cocked his head to the side, then seemd to give a shrug before lowering his head to go back to grazing. Thinking to himself that she was odd, and rude. Unlike the covered man who brings him sweet treats, when he talked to him. Not to mention the scratches, he so loved it when he was scratched. She should have brought him something sweet. Then he would have been her friend. He likes sweet things.</span><br/><br/>Before she walked away, Reece turned back toward the bull and asked "By the way, do you like snakes?"<br/><br/><span style="color: #FFFF00">"The things that slither on the ground? I chase and stomp on them. They break very easily. I protect Mamma from them"</span><br/>Reece smiled at this. "As you should. You're a very good bull."<br/><br/>She turned and walked over to the food line, and helped herself to a bowl of oats. She returned to her little spot away from everyone else, near her horse, sat on the ground against a tree and began eating. She saw the swordsman sheathing his sword...<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">*Boundary walks over to the caravan after finishing his morning meditations and warm-ups...sheathing his sword on the way there. He grabbed a bowl and spoon and served himself a bowl of the rather delicious looking oatmeal, delicious because it was some of the only food he had eaten for the last few days. Walking back to his personal space, he starts to eat it rather quickly. Putting his bowl down and letting out a satisfied sigh he looked over and saw the sad elf...alone and eating. She had seemed rather interested in the bull...as was he. He decided now was as good a time as ever and he walked over to her*</span><br/><br/>Reece Looked up with mixed anticipation as the human approached. Nothing good ever came from a confrontation with a human. They all hated her, or so it seemed. As he approached, she placed her spoon into the bowl, leaving her right hand free, and watched him carefully.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Mind if I sit with you?" Boundary asked, hoping she would not think it weird that he wanted somebody to talk to.</span><br/>Her eyes not leaving his, she swallowed, nodded her head slightly and replied "No, not at all"<br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Thanks," he replied, making a small smile and sitting down. He lifted his hood off from his head, revealing his head of black hair...which unfortunately did not tolerate being under his hood for so long and was not very tame. He quickly fixed it, "I just thought you looked lonely over here and thought I would come and chat seeing as we are going to be traveling for the next few days together."</span><br/><br/>Reece gave a bewildered look, raised an eyebrow and replied "How very thoughtful. Aren't you afraid someone will-  see you with..." She looks to the ground, and her voice becomes nearly inaudible. "With me?".<br/><span style="color: #0080FF">Boundary gave her a questioning look and raised an eyebrow in return, honestly unaware of what she was talking about, "What do you mean?"</span><br/>Now Reece was plesantly confused. "Well, I mean, you know...  I'm... You're a human. I just never had a human want to talk with me before. At least, not in a nice way.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"How strange..." Boundary mused to himself, "Where I am from elves are treated no differently from humans."</span><br/>"Oh?" Reece replied, "Where are you from? I should like to go there!"<br/><span style="color: #0080FF">Boundary frowned a little and glanced away, "It is very far away from here....and as far as I know, gone."</span><br/><br/>She looked down. "How sad. I'm truly sorry to hear that. I would have enjoyed a place where humans and elves laughed and worked together."<br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"They do not here?"</span><br/>She shook her head slowly. "No, it seems humans believe they are superior to elves. Some will at least tolerate me, but others...:"  her voice trailed off. Then she Looked back up at the strange human. "You are different, aren't you."<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"....You can say that." he replied.</span><br/><br/>Reece took a few more bites of her (now cold) oats, then asked "So what will you do once we get to Shoven?"<br/><span style="color: #0080FF">Boundary paused and thought a moment, "Travel I guess...never thought about what I would do when this adventure was over."</span><br/>"I have had enough with traveling", Reece said. "I'm ready to find a place to call home. Someplace where elves are welcomed."<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">Boundary replied, "I just want a place to feel safe."</span><br/>"Safe?" she asked. "Do you not feel safe among your own kind?"<br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"I would rather talk more about that when we are better acquainted if that is alright." </span><br/><br/>Reece nods, takes a few more bites of her oats, then "I haven't felt safe for weeks, so I know what you mean, in a way. But If I could wield a blade as you do, I think I would feel much safer. I've seen you practice with that beautiful sword."<br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"It belonged to my teacher."</span><br/>"He must have thought a lot of you to give you such a gift. And you use it so well."<br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Not even close to how well he did. Besides, one does not need a weapon to feel courage, at least that's what he told me."</span><br/>"One does not need courage to feel safe, either." she replied.<br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"If they have people around them with courage, that is."</span><br/>Have you courage?<br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"I have courage, but I feel fear as well. Fear for not knowing what my fate has in store for me."</span><br/>"No one knows what the author of fate has written for them. That is nothing to fear"<br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"When life and death are the two answers to the question of fate you learn to fear it."</span><br/>"The question of fate has many answers. What of love, prosperity?<br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"What do you think of that question?"</span><br/><br/>Reece shifts her gaze back to the ground "What I think has no meaning.. I am but a quill in the hand of the author of fate."<br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"That's hardly a way to think of yourself."</span><br/>"I know not what lies ahead, and it makes me uneasy, but I do not fear it. I should fear the past more than the future."<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Well...." (thinks on what she says, and smiles a bit) "If you are not afraid then I guess I have no reason to be afraid either."</span><br/>Reece's face brightens into a huge smile. "What a beautiful thing to say! By the way, my name is Anareecia."<br/><span style="color: #0080FF">Boundary's face reddens slightly. "Thank you....and what a nice name."</span><br/>Reece shakes her head and smiles. "You have no idea how long it has been since I have heard a kind word."<br/><span style="color: #0080FF">Boundary smiles back. "You are very welcome."</span><br/>"We should probably prepare to leave soon."<br/><span style="color: #0080FF">Boundary raises his hood over his head and checks to make sure his sword is on his belt. "Yeah...I guess you are right. Let's travel close ok? We will be better off if we travel close together." he said, not necessarily lying about that fact.</span><br/>Reece smiles as she stands. "I would enjoy that very much."<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">Boundary stands up and dusts dirt off of robe. "Ready to go when you and your horse are."</span><br/>Reece gathered her belongings, such as they were, untied the horse from the nearby tree, walked the horse to where her new found friend was standing, and declared herself ready to travel. The fact that he hadn't offered so much as his name had not escaped her, but he was the nicest person she had met up with since her.. her<span style="font-style: italic">departure</span>from home.