The Tomb of Coritonius

I had been on my guard since she had leaned in. Not that a kiss from her would have been a bad thing, but I didn't think she was gonna kiss the guy who had been tailin her and who she had just called a dumb shit.

Still, I didn't not expect a kick to the groin, even though I probably should have. As such, I managed to turn my leg in a bit so it just grazed my jewels, but there was enough force that I still went down.

I got up as quickly as possible but she was no where to be seen. "Well, shit.", I said out loud. A man nearby heard me and scurried away in the opposite direction.

I made my way back to the museum. I found the professor in a store room packin up. "Ah, well, sir... I, uh, lost her." It just killed me to say it. I hated losing.

 

I laughed to myself, certain that he wouldn't be chasing me. "Ha! I finally got away. And now I can go get my treasure!" I skipped merrily along, enjoying the bright sunlight and my freedom. Suddenly it hit me like a ton of bricks. I didn't know where I was going. I didn't know where the dig site was. I had to go with Talon and Professor Symthe, otherwise I'd never find my treasure.

I stopped, thinking. I would have to shelve my pride, and go back, with my tail tucked. Talon would get a kick outta that. What a perv. I didn't want to do that! But I knew that I had to. Slowly, I walked to the museum, trying to delay the 'happy' reunion as long as possible. I stopped at the door, brushing my hair out of my face. I pushes the door open half-heartedly and stepped inside. "I'm back." I said as quietly as I could.

 

"I'm back.", Honor said from the door. Hmm, well that is the last thing I expected to happen

At first I was gonna make a sarcastic comment about her coming back, but I am sure that is exactly what she expected. Instead, I gave her a friendly grin and said, "Hey! I'm glad you came back."

 

I braced myself for some sort of snide comment, but all Phoenix did was smile and say "Hey! I'm glad you came back.". I smiled at him, inwardly rolling my eyes. Then I said scathingly, "What? No sarcastic comment? Whatever, let's just go." I whisked past him, walking to where the Professor was. The sooner we left, the better.

 

Hmmm.... I wonder if we need more then 10 cans of canned ham... As I stood there, thinking about what to take and what to leave behind. The door opened and Miss. Brighteyes who had so mysteriously run off suddenly came in. The two youngsers greeted eachother in their usual not so chipper way even tho Mr. Knight seemed to try to be diplomatic.

I stopped looking at the store shelves as Miss. Brighteyes made her way over to where I was standing.

"Well, hello again my dear! So glad you came back, I was getting a bit worried that I had lost both you and the map. Without either our little expiditon would be doomed for sure. He, he." I chuckled and gave her a warm grandfatherly smile.

"So tell me Miss. Brighteyes, Do you like canned ham?" She wrinkled her nose but indicated that she could eat almost anything if she had to even tho she might not enjoy it. I nodded as I packed a few extra cans just to make sure, as well as some potatoes and a large sack of water made from some unidentifiable animal hide. I closed the box and pushed it over to Mr. Knight.

"You look like a strong lad, would you mind lugging this one out to the carts behind the musem? I'd do it myself but, heh... My back isn't what it used to be."

The young man nodded and proceeded to pick up the box with surprising ease and walked out the door. I grabbed a smaller box that I had already packed and made a motion to Miss. Brighteye's to follow me as I went to check on the horses...

 

After setting the box down in the cart, I pulled Honor aside.

"Listen Honor, I really was tryin to be nice earlier. I want us to get along. You can be at my throat this whole trip if you want, but I won't do it."

 

Talon pulled me aside in his usual annoying manner. "Listen Honor, I really was tryin to be nice earlier." He said, "I want us to get along. You can be at my throat this whole trip if you want, but I won't do it." I realized that I was being horrible to him for no good reason- hmmm... maybe I should stop. There are some advantages to being nicer to him... I thought. "Alright, we can get along." I said, then walked away to help Symthe, leaving him dumbfounded.

We were off! It had been about an hour since we'd set off, and Symthe, me, and Talon were clipping along in our cart, up to the dig site. I didn't know what to expect when we got there, but I hoped it would be treasure, and lots of it.

 

"Alright, we can get along.", was all she said. Well, I guess it could have been worse, I thought as she walked off.

We got packed quickly and headed out. There had been very little talking since we left. I was still trying to figure out if she had been serious back there. I mean, I thought she would have said a bit more. And she hadn't said anything to prove whether she meant to be nice or not since we had left. "Women!", I mumbled under my breath.

 

The cart rattled along, the horses trotting briskly. It had been two days since we set out, and I'd avoided talking to Talon and Symthe as much as possible. Of course, I had my own tent, and they shared. I wondered how long it would be until we reached the dig site. I hoped that it wouldn't be too much longer, because I wanted my treasure as soon as possible. Looking to the sides of us, I was open mouthed with amazement. I'd never seen such beautiful countriside in my life! Rolling green hills, lush trees, sheep, and fields of barley and wheat. Growing up in the city, I'd never seen such sites before.

Night fell, after a long day. The fire crackled merrily, and I gazed into its depths, thinking. Symthe and Talon were talking about something, I wasn't really listening. My nightdress' strap slipped down over my shoulder, and I absentmindedly pushed it back up. I was thinking of my future and past. If there was really all this treasure like there was supposed to be, then I would live out the rest of my life without stealing. I wondered what it would be like to live a life with no illegal activities. I was also thinking of my parents. I stood, saying, "I'm going to sleep. Wake me in the morning." With that, I went into my tent, and tucking the map under my pillow, went to sleep. Symthe (I still wasn't comfortable calling him "Donald") said that we could possibly make it in a day or two, if all went smoothly. I wondered what the next day would bring.

 

"And you'd never guess how we found it! It was under his boot all along! haha!"

I'd just finished telling Mr. Knight about one of the adventures I had during my youth. The lad seemed interested and I got the impression that he enjoyed my tales. We had spent a good hour in front of the fire, chatting away. Miss Brighteye's however, seemed somehow distant. She wen't to bed before us. The lass had a serious look upon her face as she crept in to her tent, asking us to wake her in the morning.

"Right ho, You have a good night now." I said calmly as I lit my pipe and poked the fire with a stick.

Talon said he was tired as well and soon left for our tent, but not before complimenting me on my ability to spinn a tale. I sat up about half an hour after both of them had turned of their lights in the tents, making sure that the fire would burn down and of course seeing to it that I didn't waste any tobacco.

 

You never would have guessed from looking at Smythe that he had been quite the adventurer in his youth. He really did have some amazing tales, but I was also keeping one eye on Honor.

Not that I expected her to run off again, she seemed resigned to the fact that she needed us, but she seemed distracted by something. I thought about going over to her tent to talk to her when she went to bed but figured she would take it the wrong way.

Instead I just listened to Smythe's stories. He had been to places I had never even heard of in my travels and I had thought of myself as a fairly seasoned adventurer!

After a while I excused myself to the tent we shared. We were headin out early in the morning and I needed to get some rest.

 

I feel asleep quickly, and didn't rise until the next morning. It was very early, just past dawn, and neither Smythe nor Talon were awake. Clouds covered the normally brilliantly blue sky, shielding the sun from view. I slipped out of my tent with my bag, unable to see anything in the darkness of my cramped tent. Pulling out some clothes, I changed into them, then started to pull down my tent. I'd just finished, gasping for breath, when the sun peaked out from behind a cloud, bathing the world in golden rays. I sighed impatiently, waiting for the others to rise.

 

When I awoke and maid my way out of the tent, I saw that it was well past dawn and Honor had already taken down her tent. I felt like such an amateur. I usually woke up at dawn when I was travelling.

I made my may back into our tent and got Smythe up. We then proceeded to take down our tent. Honor just watched impatiently.

"Everyone sleep good last night?", I asked tryin to make conversation while we were breaking camp.

 

"Everyone sleep good last night?", Talon said, trying to make small talk. I ignored him, instead saying, "Let's get out of here as quickly as possible. I want to get there tomorrow." I figured that we might be able to make it if we left soon, and went through all the day and most of the night. I knew that was optimistic, but I wanted my treasure and to be rid of them as quickly as possible.

I stood, picking up my bag and tossing it on the cart, and leaning against it, arms crossed. "I'm ready, you two hurry up."

 

I eyed Honor a second before finishing up. She was tough shell to crack, that's for sure. After we got everything loaded up and headed out I went up next to Honor to try and talk some.

"You ever traveled outside the city before?"

 

"Oh dear! I must have overslept!" I jumped out of my sleeping bag as fast as a 400 year old person can do. Gathering my few belongings, I put on my coat and made some almost instinctive motions with my hands to make sure that my beard and mustache where in reasonably good order.

I got out of the tent where I saw that both of the youngsters where already waiting for me. "I beg your pardon my young friends. I guess I shouldn't have stayed up as long as I did. Bad form, especially when its our first night as a party and all." The two didn't really seem to mind, altho Miss. Brighteye's looked a bit more impatient then usual. I got the tent together and put it up with the rest of our equipment on the cart. As I did this I felt a sudden pain in my left leg. It was a pain I knew well, almost like an old friend. It was the result of an injury I had sustained almost 80 years ago that for some reason (probably my age.) had refused to fully heal. It acted up now and again whenever I strained myself. I staggered and almost fell over, had not Mr. Knight caught me. "Argggh... Its alright lad. Thank you. Its nothing serious, I'll be fine." Limping, I walked over and climbed aboard the cart. The pain was still very much there...

 

As the cart rattled cheerfully along, Talon asked me politely, "You ever traveled outside the city before?" I sat, thinking for a bit. Had I? Not that I could remember. It was always Tarant. "No, not that I can remember," I replied, hopefully in a tone that would dissuade futher conversation. "Smythe, how long do you suppose this will take?" I asked the Proffessor.

 

The tone in Honor's voice made it seem she didn't want to speak with me, but I wasn't finished just yet. I couldn't figure her out and it bugged me.

Finally, I decided it was better to just come right out with my problem and said, "What is it that you have against me? I'm really not a bad guy, at least I try not to be."

 

For a short while, (one of the happiest in my life!) Talon said nothing. Then he spoke. "What is it that you have against me? I'm really not a bad guy, at least I try not to be." I pointedly ignored him. I don't have to answer him! He's... But I stopped. Why didn't I like him? Hm... I'd have to think about that.

In the meantime, I clucked to the horses, urging them to go faster, and waited for Smythe's reply.

 

I just stared at Honor's back as she rode off. What do I need to do to get her to be friendly? Why do I care so much? With those thoughts still on my mind, I scanned the surrounding country side. You can never be too careful.