The Third

[Isis]

The icy snow capped slopes of the mountains were a relentless, brutal wasteland. Snow constantly blew across glaciers, the top of the world seemed like a barren place to live. Yet, some creatures had no choice in the matter. The sky overhead was clear, however, as the clouds usually hung below the mountain crest. To be ontop of the world, to be looking over everything in this land. From the grassy knolls of the plains to the grand warrior city of Avaren, off in the distance.

No place to live, but it had its moments. The frozen wind blew at the cape of a pale skinned woman with long locks of ebony. Ahead of her as she walked up the snow covered hill, a white wolf trudged around sniffing. It stopped and waited for her to catch up to it. The woman's striking green eyes looked around from up high, observing the world with a cool gaze. As unfortunate as it would be, they would need to leave their home in the mountains, their purpose coming swiftly.

The Queen of Dragons sighed to herself, her vibrant orbs closing half way and being lost below luxurious lashes. "Looks like our decent from this mountain side is coming swiftly, old friend," she said, turning towards the wolf. Isis brushed free a wrinkle from her nearly immaculate clothing brought on by the slow wind that crept up the mountain side. The hem remained stained with water from repeated wear.

She crouched and scratched the wolf behind his ears. This would be a dangerous trek down, even for her. Certainly, there would be all sorts of Mountain Trolls, elves... tricksters... that still remained in the trees that covered the mountain and its base. She stood once more and disappeared beyond the ridge. The weather was kind enough to her that it allowed her to leave the snow and begin to travel much lower into the warmer climate of the wooded areas of the mountainside. She was fairly aware of how limited her chances were for meeting someone in such a remote area.

However, among the green, her white clothing stuck out sorely. Isis lowered her hood and paused yet again, the warming weather still took a little getting used to. She checked the pocket of her simple white dress, pulling out a small pouch of gold pieces. These would get her far in the human world. How funny it was that Gold made the human society run around in circles, trying to catch their nonexistent tails in an attempt to make ends meet. She looked down at the Wolf who was sitting patiently. "Remind me not to pass through Aesir," she stated with a slight nod. The wolf huffed and then got up and continued walking. They still had a way to go before they would rest for the night.

[Horus]

"A mountain? Are you serious? What makes you build a kingdom near mountains." A man with dark hair and tan skin muttered to himself as he took the low road around the mountain. He had been traveling for days no real problem with the eastern plains and then, poof, there was a mountain. This kingdom really didn't want visitors.

He sat on a carriage drawn by a pair of horses. His provisions where running extremely low but thenkfully as he and the horses continued it seemed the mountain path lead to a forest. Oh good trees that means animals are likely to live there and i can hunt. Good news boys that means I don't have to get into your, thank the gods, I would have have gone batty if I had to degrade himself to that level. No offense to you of course. Alright lets speed up." He said whipping the reigns And making them move faster.

A head of him he saw a woman a very beautiful and well dressed woman. And she walked with a wolf. Smiling he decided he would try his luck it hand been months since he left his father's harem, and Maybe the lady might like a ride.

So he caught up with the woman, "Excuse me miss, but we seem to be going the same way care for a lift?" He asked putting up his princely charm.

[Isis]

Isis halted as she heard a horse drawn carriage near her. The wolf parter she had was quick to lie back his ears and growl. "My friend, I do not feel it is necessary to show such hostility to a man asking a simple question," she spoke to the wolf in a slow and calm voice. It was not until her deadly gaze slowly crept its way up to the man's visage would he have realized just what kind of woman he dared to speak to.

"I appreciate your gesture, young man, but I do not feel it is necessary," she said in her unintentionally sultry voice as she looked down to the wolf who still growled at the stranger every time a glance was drawn towards him from the outsider. Of course, the comment of young man must've sounded quite odd from her as she looked no more older than a woman in her prime. Such a curse placed upon her, but it had its advantages. At least no humans sought to slaughter her now.

"Have a nice day," the black haired woman said as she then continued to walk away at her own pace, her immaculate white cloak slowly moving around behind her as she moved. Isis did have the feeling that in all likelihood, she was going to be pursued in some manner or another. The young man speaking certainly did not seem to be the kind to give up easily whatever the reason.

[Horus]

Was that a no? That gaze of hers did catch him off guard she was far more intimidating than he expected. Still what was wrong with his gesture. He was a prince people didn't say no to a prince especially not beautiful women, well there was that one Harem girl, but she had practically saved his life he guess he could for give that. Even if that's ALL she did, but this woman wasn't getting away that easy just because she had that piercing glare of hers.

He continued forward keeping pace with her. "Are you, sure you don't want to ride with a Prince? I should have some left over Jerky for your friend there and seeing as the forest is up ahead I see no reason not to share." He continued in a confident, if a little arrogant tone. It was a tone as if he was entitled to her company.

Despite The Prince's confidence the horses where really not liking the wolf and wonder why their master continued to pursue the growling mouth full of teeth, sharp teeth that could bite. No this wasn't logical and they where noticeably nervous.

[Isis]

His arrogance was amusing, but at the same time irritating. She noticed the horses acting nervously around her friend. Now was not the moment to make him leave, whether he wished to or not. She was still winding up the horses a little. "You are a prince? You look like a rat that stole the carriage of a poor man," she chortled. If he dared try to set her off, she would fire back with the utmost cruelty.

Isis took a few steps forward again before she slapped the horse's rump. It would have been more than enough to spook the horses into action. Her wolfish friend continued their fear by snapping and barking at them. It was not until they had started careening away did she call her wolfish friend off and they continued on their merry way. Naturally, she had a feeling she would encounter the male further down the road. He dared to speak to a queen like that? What a spoiled human brat.

[Horus]

"A thief how dare youuuu!" His voice rose in pitch as his horses spooked and ran offhe just barely grabbed the reigns in time to try and steer his carriage. but the Horsed had found another path a rockier path. The Carriage bounced violently as the wheels hit rocks and got batter like crazy and finally one of the wheels cracked and folded under the carriage The prince didn't let go and he was pulled from the carriage just as it flipped over, the gold that was meant as a gift for the rulers of Avaren went every where However the Prince was quick enough to let go. a wall of rock rose in front of him his feet made contact his legs folded and he jumped off doing a back flip in the air and landing behind the now wrecked carriage unscathed except for a bit of rope burn on his hands.

No horses and no gift for the royalty. The Prince was not happy like seriously unhappy. He walked back up to the road. The path the horses had taken had been quite a shortcut not that it mattered now that he was empty handed except for what gold coins he found scattered on the road, the swords on his back which her really wanted to use right now, and a dagger that was more trouble than it was worth.

He stomped up the path and as soon as she was in view he began yelling. "YOU COST ME TWO HORSES AND A BARREL OF GOLD ARE YOU INSANE I HAVE HALF A MIND TO CUT YOU DOWN WHERE YOU STAND YOU KNOW THAT!" He was not a happy Prince.

[Isis]

Isis arched a brow as the human male proceeded to yell at her. "I do now," she said, crossing her arms for a moment. She looked down at her wolfish companion and gestured to leave. In silence she proceeded to walk away. Her footfalls sounded practically nonexistent. Isis was meant to be a ghost. The Aesirians thought they had gotten rid of her for good as well as many other dragons. The human male only proceeded to dig himself deeper into the hole of spoiled prince that Isis had placed him in.

She was kind of hoping he would attack her though, at least then she could fry him without a second thought. But for now, she had to bide by the human rules of not killing unless it is in self-defense. It was so hard, he was just so annoying. She then looked down at the white wolf that she deemed her companion. "Go scout ahead," she told it. It nodded to her and with the beast's well founded speed, it disappeared.

Isis had noticed the earlier display of mediocre talent for terrakinesis. Needless to say, she was far from impressed. Humans dared to still practice magic after what they had done to her race and to their own city? She was surprised half the time by Avaren still standing after the battles it drew itself into. Nonetheless, Isis sighed. "If you use the earth like a funnel, you can retrieve your trinkets," she advised while she disappeared beyond the bend of the road.

[Horus]

He heard her solution spoken to him like he was a child. "There are dozens of solutions. I could pull the clay from the ground and form pots for me to put the gold into. I could use your funnel idea and lift out the rocks. There are plenty of solutions, some I can't even discuss not that those would work anyway, but that doesn't bring back the horses who where scare out of their minds and that doesn't fix my cart. What you expect me to break my back carrying huge jars full of gold all the way to Avaren. And that's not gonna stop my father for kicking my ass because i was distracted by some high minded woman, and lost our chances for an alliance because of it."

He realized that at that moment he really wished his dagger worked because he could just rewind to the moment before she slapped the horses rump and just went along his way instead, but gods forbid that bloody piece of magic activated again. "Well i guess it can't be helped now how about we start over." He stopped and bowed sarcastically. "I'm Prince Horus, Son of King Sharaman Ishtar to the east. I'm making my way to Avaren to hopefully form an alliance with their kingdom." So what of you? "So. Who are you, what's your business in Avaren, if that's where your going.

[Isis]

Isis continued to walk down the hill. "You may call me Isis," she said simply. He had introduced himself, so she felt he earned something. She crossed her arms loosely under her cloak of white, her long locks of black hair slipping behind her instead of over her shoulder. He was certainly a rambler, one who spoke far too much. She rolled her green eyes slightly from the irritation he was spurning from her. The queen watched the woods for anything that resembled a highway man or thief.

She finally let the male have the privilege of her gaze. "My business in Avaren is mine alone, a busy-body boy has no place among such business unless he wishes to meet his demise," she said. Her voice remained cold and distant, what she felt was a futile attempt to make him go away. It did not appear to be that there would be any kind of thief presence today. That certainly uplifted Isis a little. Last thing she felt like doing was getting blood on her hands.

She then remembered she could very much so make him get out of her way. How silly of her. When he tried to put himself in front of her to gain her attention, she made the earth itself move beneath his feet and turn him in a circle so he was behind her. It left him watching her back as she disappeared again beyond a ridge in the hills.

[Horus]

The prince felt the earth beneath his feet move, Taking him around the woman so that he was now behind Isis. He was mad, and was about to start ranting he saw movement in the rock ledge above their path. Curious he ran towards the wall and with expert agility he ran up the rock ledge, grabbed the edge of the miniature and pulled himself up.

Once on the ledge he noticed that there was barely any way to get up her but to climb. There was a small cave strait in front of him with a spent fire pit outside its entrance. Off to the side of where Horus climbed up. where two highway men who had stopped watching the prince, and continued to follow the queen whom seemed the easier target seeing as she was a woman in an elegant dress, such a thing didn't exactly scream 'ass-kicker.'

He watched as they signaled each other with hand gestures, and contemplated maybe letting them going about their business and then saving the woman if her obvious skills in magic didn't work. Or he could attack now and show this woman he wasn't as useless as she seemed to think he was. He was going to be traveling with her anyway unless she sprouted wings and began to fly to Avaren. He might as well make it more pleasant than it was now.

Horus quietly removed his swords from the leather scabbard on his back. He moved quick an kicked one man in the chest as he turned before he could react to the prince running up to him. He was knocked back m his foot hit a large stone and he fell back tumbling down the steep side of the cliff and onto the path that Isis was still walking on.

The other man already had a wooden club in his hand and rushed at him and swung. Horus dodges and slashed with his blade slicing at the man's back. The man fell to the ground in pain he wasn't going to be causing any more trouble for them so he let the man live and went to the edge where he had kicked other guy down from, and jumped the hill be came less steep so Horus could slide down safely to see what had become of Isis and the other highway man.