He awoke to the rising of the sun and smiled briefly before he reached over and found his bed empty. Sighing as the memories came back to him of his wedding day, he arose and heard the call of the ocean nearby. He had been living by the beach, by that beach, their beach for a month now. His wife was ... gone, she was gone, and the only comfort he found was to sit here in his chair and watch the dolphins as they swam by. As he and Fins used to do.
He had left everything behind him to live here on the beach. He had lost his one true love to one of the fickle God of chaos' whims. He had left the only life he knew, the life of a guild master and had not kept in contact with any of the Elite guard of Ica. All he had ever known was gone now.
Every night he would sleep and find himself dreaming of his Lady Fins, dreaming about a life that should have been theirs, and then he would wake to this reality. He poured some oats out into a bucket for the black stallion he had tethered to a tree, near the lean-to.
Walking down to the beach, he took Fins' evening gown from the leather bound chair and sat down heavily. He held the dress in his hands and remembered when she last wore it for him. It was the night he had proposed to her. His hand instinctively reached up to hold the ring that hung around his neck. He still wore her engagement ring around his neck and probably always would.
A small tear began to well in his eye as he shook his head trying to control himself. He knew he must deal with this. He couldn't continue to sit here in mourning forever, but what was he to do. He had journeyed back to town only once since she...
Rising quickly from his seat, he whistled for his horse. He needed to leave the beach. Maybe some riding would do him some good. The mustang galloped up from farther down the beach and nuzzled up against him. Cameron had always had a special affinity with the animals he rode, and this mustang was no exception. Seeing the enjoyment the mustang had as of late, the ranger had a change of heart. There seemed to be some quiet conversation going on between them as the two stared at each other for a few moments. The horse reared up on its hind quarters and shook it's head violently. The ranger sighed.
"Do nae make this any harder on me. We will meet again someday," the elf said aloud. "But fer now ye are free. Go, run tae yer hearts content. Go... I will call fer ye if I am in need."
Turning its head, the mustang looked out to the fields of wild wheat that bordered the beach. "For the Love of a Lady", for so had the mustang been named, nickered at Trollhater one last time and galloped away to live its life in freedom, knowing he would never see his elfin friend again.
Trollhater laid the dress gently across the leather chair and returned to his lean-to. A soft neighing met his ears as he was greeted by Precision, the black war stallion of the Lady Fins. He had taken care of her mount ever since that day, and would until the day that Kali called for the stallion's spirit.
"Hail dear Precision, are ye up fer some riding this day? I need tae feel the wind in me hair, as I am sure ye are in need of some of the same as well. Come ... ye have finished yer oats. Let us roam the lands as ye used tae with yer former companion."
The stallion shook it's head as if in agreement, the mane tossing in the soft breeze from the sea, as if it had understood the elf's words. A slight smile crossed the rangers lips as he saw the enthusiasm in Precision's gesture. Trollhater leapt to the horses back and began the journey, riding bare back, as he always rode. Starting off slow, they trotted away from the beach and out onto the east causeway slowly accelerating until Precision was at a full gallop.
