As Clonin's hooves galloped on and they left the desolate land further and further behind, the landscape slowly changed to a cheerful green. Spruces and pines heavy with verdure flanked the rocky path, and the warbling of birds could be heard. A mild frangrance of honeysuckle tinged the fresh morning air. Sir Morguerat felt a little more cheerful, but thinking of the plight of the land now far behind him his countenance soon resumed its pall of gloom.
Then he noticed a human figure just emerging from the trees several paces ahead. It was a handsome young man with long hair and a trim beard. Short and dark, he wore nothing above the waist and was strongly built, and in his hand was a long stick-like object with a large ball of glowing crystal fixed to one end. A magic wand? Sir Morguerat wondered.
Could this man be one of the evil mages that sought to destroy the land?
Yet the youth's large, smiling eyes and bright complexion suggested to Sir Morguerat that he wasn't evil. The young mage smiled at Morguerat. "Good morning, Sir," he said. "I'm
Rufus. I live in this forest. Who are you?"
(Click
here to see how Rufus looks like.
)
[ 03-28-2002, 07:18 PM: Message edited by: K T Ong ]