Diran caught Linai's smile and returned it, letting her company lend him strength as well as warmth.  He had never been a loner until he had been banished from his town.  Life was hard alone.<br/><br/>Letting his thoughts wonder as they rode on, Diran was oblivious to direction, but somehow knew when his horse was straying off coarse and corrected him.  He was surprised how different the terrain had become when Linai's voice finally drew him away from his thoughts.  Clusters of scrub trees began to appear and the road had become harder between the dunes.<br/><br/>Diran's expression remained blank as he mulled over her questions. "He told me," he nodded grimly, not completely comfortable with the situation either. Her second question made him even more uncomfortable because it was the topic he had worried about the entire way. "I don't know.  I believe we're supposed to find people to aid us somehow, but I don't know what exactly is to be done, or how... especially if they choose not to aid us." He shrugged.  "He'll tell me." That much he could be sure of.<br/><br/>After a quick glance at Linai (the first since they left the temple), Diran sighed and decided he would come clean about his motives.  She deserved it for her loyalty at least. "I trust you, Linai, so I won't keep you in the dark anymore.  People might die before this is over... a lot of people.  But it is fair.  My father was killed when the new priests came to stop him from teaching about the Beast.  My brothers died too, protecting me and my sister."  Diran showed her the long scar on his throat.  "My sister has one like it, and other scars that don't show."  He looked ahead again with a slight darkness in his expression. "All I know is that my God's imprisonment was unjust in light of what my family gave up for him. So I will set The Beast free, and he will have the chance to face those who have oppressed us however he wishes.  If this fails, then it was not meant to be, but I can't just forget the sacrifices that my father and his followers made in his name."  Diran almost sounded angry at the God.  Maybe he was a little angry, but how would The Beast have helped, locked away as he was? No, most of his anger was directed at those who he watched hack his family to pieces.<br/><br/>"I hope you don't think of me as some revenge-maddened lunatic."  He glanced at her again with a little smile. Telling her about his grief had gotten it off of his chest a bit.  "I do this only because it's right."