JETMODE: * Luke is up almost before dawn, dousing the fire and gathering his things for the trip ahead. He doesn't give the others long to sleep, rousting them as soon as the sun hits the horizon and handing them some bread and cheese to start the morning. Kain gives him an incredibly cranky stare, but he appears to be well used to early mornings.

TIAMAT: * Tai is groggy for a while when first woken, packing her things together a little haphazardly and munching on the bread and cheese in sleepy silence. When they start out, she trudges along behind the boys, but by mid-morning, she seems to have woken up and is once again humming quietly as they march through the vast forest.

JETMODE: * The next few days continue in similar fashion, with Luke occasionally pointing out landmarks and Kain remarking on something-or-other that happened there -- usually something involving an inordinate amount of work. They reach the desert itself on their fifth day of travel, at which point Luke angles away to walk along the edge of it for a while. In daylight, the sands are a surreal tableau of shifting color, glinting dangerously in the sun. By night, they glow with an eerie iridescence, silvered by the moon.

TIAMAT: * Tai actually stops for a moment when they first approach the desert, her breath catching in a gasp of wonder as she gazes at it from a distance. As they actually move into the colored sands, she pauses again, reaching down to scoop a handful of it up and letting it run through her fingers. "It's beautiful..."

JETMODE: * Kain shakes his head, though Luke smiles briefly. "It would probably lose its appeal after you had to hike in it for a week," he says lightly. "And we did," adds Kain sourly. Luke glances at him. "Well, with any luck it will only take us a day to get to the ocean."

TIAMAT: * Tai misses Kain's look, though she looks up after another moment, standing as the last of the prism-like sand falls out of her hand. "And it gets very hot here during the day?"

JETMODE: "Well, it is a desert." Luke grins at her, then presses forward again. "If we were cutting through, we'd wait for nightfall and rest during the day, but we should be able to travel normally along the fringes."

TIAMAT: * As they press further into the sands, it becomes apart exactly why Luke chose to follow the borders of the desert; even here, the sun beats down on them mercilessly, and by noon, Tai has removed her cloak and stashed it in her pack, pulling out a hair band to keep her hair away from her face and neck as well. She wipes a hand across her brow, taking a deep breath. "Whew...I never knew it could get so hot...we never had weather like this in Neenah."

JETMODE: "Just keep hydrated," Luke suggests. "And save your breath for walking -- we'll reach the ocean in another day." Kain doesn't appear to have anything to add, apparently as miserable as anyone else in the heat.

TIAMAT: * For the most part, the three of them remain silent for the remainder of the day and the next; by mid-morning of the second day in the desert, Tai is looking far less interested in the sparkling sands. Finally, just before noon, a shimmer on the horizon announces their approach to the southern coastline.

JETMODE: "Finally," mutters Kain, relieved by the sight of the ocean. Luke glances at him with a chuckle, blowing a sweaty lock of hair out of his eyes. "Not that the heat'll let up or anything, but at least we can go for a swim, yeah?" He turns to Tai with a weary smile. "We're joining up with a caravan for the rest of the trip ... there's what you might call an outpost where merchants and such gather just a bit west."

TIAMAT: * Tai takes a deep breath and nods, letting out a long sigh as she pushes her bangs out of her eyes. "Is the city right on the coast?"

JETMODE: "Yeah, right about in the middle, really," Kain answers, looking tired. "It's a long walk. Longer with a caravan." Luke glances at him and grins. "They're slow, but they make a good cover."

TIAMAT: * Tai leans on her walking stick for a moment, shifting her pack from one shoulder to the other. "They'll just let us join up?"

JETMODE: * Luke nods, quickening his pace slightly, as he hopes to at least reach the beach before nightfall. "It's fairly common to have walkers join a caravan headed for the games ... some merchants make a living providing them. We might have to pay a fee, but it won't be much."

TIAMAT: * Tai nods again and follows along in silence. The sun is just beginning to set when the trio reaches the beach, and though it's still hot, there is a nice breeze along the coast, and Tai, panting slightly, pauses for a moment to catch her breath. "Ah...that's a bit better."

JETMODE: "A bit," Kain agrees, glancing almost wistfully toward the water. Luke seems as weary as the others, and he glances at them with a wry smile. "I think we've done enough work for one day, really. How about we camp here for the night?" Kain grunts in agreement, and while there doesn't appear to be anything to use for building a fire, it's unlikely they'll need one for warmth.

TIAMAT: * Tai utters a slightly relieved sigh and unslings her pack and cloak, laying the latter over the sand and sitting. She pulls her shoes off to rub her feet, then digs through her bag briefly until she finds what she's looking for -- a small pouch of what appears to be dried leaves, and a bottle of clear liquid. She takes one of the leaves and crushes it in one hand, then pours a few drops of the liquid into her palm, rubbing her hands together until the leaf and liquid make a sort of paste, which she slowly massages into her feet.

JETMODE: * Kain kicks his boots off as well, but his solution appears to involve rolling up his trousers and wading partway into the water. It doubtless stings, but he appears to be satisfied with the results. Luke doesn't appear bothered either way, sitting down with his pack and gathering some food for a meal. He glances at Tai after a moment. "Are you a healer, miss?"

TIAMAT: * Tai glances up, flushing slightly. "Oh -- er, well, a little. My sister is a priest, and a good friend of ours is a healer, so between the two of them, I picked up a few things." She finishes rubbing her feet, then gathers up her supplies. "Dried laurel leaves and rosewater -- crush the leaf and add some water and rub it into sore muscles. It helps, if you'd like." She smiles and offers the leaves and liquid to him.

JETMODE: * Luke declines with a faint smile and a shake of his head. "No, I'm pretty much all right. Might ask Kain when he gets back from his voluntary torture." He glances at the water, where Kain is still standing lazily.

TIAMAT: * Tai nods, leaving the two items out on her cloak and rummaging through her pack again, this time for her own dinner. "I don't think Kain likes me very much," she murmurs quietly, still flushing.

JETMODE: "Eh?" Luke gives her a puzzled look, scratching his head and glancing out at Kain again. "Oh, that. Well, he doesn't dislike you ..." He chuckles weakly, shaking his head. "I'd say it was more along the lines of ... him not wanting to see you get in trouble. Something like that. I wouldn't take it too much to heart." Kain glances back at them, apparently done with his wading.

TIAMAT: "Oh...okay.." She swallows and looks up as Kain comes back into camp, watching him silently for a few moments. After a minute, she seems to pluck up the courage to talk to him. "Would you like something...for your feet, Kain? It'll help sooth the pain."

JETMODE: * Kain glances at her and shakes his head. "I'm fine. Water cooled 'em right off." He tugs out his sleepy gear and spreads it out on the ground, flopping down boredly next to his weapons. "I'm gonna go to sleep, all right? We're gonna have to get up early to catch the first caravan." Luke nods and grins. "That's the truth."

TIAMAT: * Tai nods, packing her healing supplies back in her sack and pulling out her own sleeping gear. She contemplates her sleeping bag for a moment, then decides to keep it packed away. "Don't think it'll get that cold tonight..."

JETMODE: "Not too cold, anyway," Luke remarks, biting down on a slab of cheese before flopping sideways and using his pack as a pillow. "Might want to at least use a cloak, though. It'll be a little damp this close to the water."

TIAMAT: * Tai nods and pulls out a second cloak from her bag, wrapping up in it and lying down. "See you guys in the morning, then."

JETMODE: * Kain doesn't answer, apparently already having dozed off, but Luke gives a drowsy wave. "Good night, then." It's a bit longer before he actually dozes off, but he's nevertheless the first to rise, gathering his things and rousing the others to offer them bread, cheese and water before they start walking again.

TIAMAT: * Tai is getting more used to the early morning routine, and she accepts Luke's breakfast with a nod of thanks, hastily packing her gear as she eats. "Do the caravans come right past here, or do we have to go meet up with them somewhere?"

JETMODE: "There's a landing a little way west," Luke supplies, as Kain has not woken up enough to be either coherent or pleasant. "We should get there well before noon." He pauses, smiling briefly. "Just stay close to us. I'll arrange transport."

TIAMAT: * Tai stands, slinging her pack over her shoulder and picking up her staff, nodding as she finishes her meal.

JETMODE: * Kain finishes his food in record time, gathering his gear quickly to join the other two. "Well then!" says Luke, unfailingly cheerful. "Let's get marching, shall we?" Kain gives him what could easily be a hate-filled stare as they start up the beach.

TIAMAT: * Tai bites her lower lip when she sees the look on Kain's face, waiting for him to take a few steps away before following along. She stays quiet until the sun is properly up, then trots a little to catch up to the boys. "So...these are merchant caravans?

JETMODE: "Some of them," says Luke. "As I said last night -- a great many of them make their business out of transporting people to and from the games. Those are the caravans we're looking for." Kain gives a long yawn, now apparently awake enough for casual conversation. "Not that we get to ride in the wagons or anything."

TIAMAT: "Too bad," she remarks, looking a little disappointed. "Would've been a nice relief for a little while."

JETMODE: "Wouldn't it?" Kain agrees a little sourly, and Luke snorts. "You voluntarily leave your estate without a horse or swift, never to return, and now you're complaining about a two-week walk?" Kain looks at him sharply, expression defensive. "It wasn't 'never to return' -- I just needed a break. And besides ... I wasn't planning to walk through a desert."

TIAMAT: * Tai hesitates, then glances at Kain. "Why...why did you run away, anyway? You have duties on the council, don't you?"

JETMODE: * Kain makes a noise, scratching the back of his head irritably. "It's not like I asked for 'em. I'd rather join the military.. do something useful." Luke turns a snort into a cough, and Kain rolls his eyes. "My esteemed colleague, of course, disagrees."

TIAMAT: * Tai frowns a little. "But being on the council is useful...think how much you could help the country. Just look at the mission we're on now, right?"

JETMODE: "Don't you start lecturing me," Kain growls. "Not everybody's fit to be a politician -- I'm sure not. At least I know it." Luke glances at him, then back at Tai. "On that point I am forced to agree. Young Master Kain has nothing remotely resembling subtlety."

TIAMAT: * Tai flinches away from Kain, glancing down. "Sorry," she mumbles, then goes quiet for a while. After a few moments, she looks back up. "But your position is passed down in the family? So you have to inherit it?"

JETMODE: "Pretty much," Kain sighs, sticking his hands behind his head. "Makes me wish I had a brother to pass it off to ..." Luke merely clicks his tongue mockingly. "Such a terrible, burdened life you lead, Kain." Kain glances at him sideways. "Oh, shut up."

TIAMAT: "You're the only boy in the family?" Tai looks at him curiously. "No...cousins or anything?"

JETMODE: "Not a one," Kain replies agreeably. "Not sure how we managed it, but the bloodline's pretty isolated." He shrugs. "So I'm stuck with it." Luke, meanwhile, has been looking ahead. "Ah," he says, pointing. "There." In the distance, there's smoke rising, and the sun glints off what might be metal -- or perhaps simply very pale canvas. "There's the landing."

TIAMAT: * Tai, about to respond to Kain, pauses, peering curiously over the elves' shoulders toward the source of the smoke.

JETMODE: * The landing itself, once they reach it, turns out to be little more than a large gathering of merchants and their wagons. It's noisier than the average marketplace and quite a bit smellier, but Kain and Luke seem largely unaffected by it. Before they've gone too far in, Luke disappears, presumably to find them a caravan, and Kain leans lazily against one of the few permanent structures in the area, yawning again.

TIAMAT: * Tai looks around quietly, covering her nose a bit when she gets her first whiff of the air in the area. She starts to follow Luke when he trots off to find a caravan, then pauses when she notices Kain staying behind. She hangs back as well, but stays a safe distance away from her companion -- in her estimation, anyway. She glances at him once, then contents herself by continuing to look around at the nearby haggling merchants and their caravans.

JETMODE: * More than one merchant makes to approach the pair, but Kain's progressively more unfriendly stare deters them rapidly. By the time Luke returns, he's scowling almost murderously. "Well, I found us a ride, though it's a bit shady -- but who isn't, around here?" He looks at Kain questioningly, but the taller elf shakes his head, then jerks his chin at Tai. "Ah, I see. Well, let's move along as quickly as we can, then." He walks over to Tai and offers his arm, smiling in a charming manner. "If I may, miss."

TIAMAT: * Tai blinks, looking slightly taken aback, but she recovers quickly and returns the smile as she takes Luke's arm. "Why, thank you, good sir. Who will we be traveling with?"

JETMODE: "They say they're from Samstra, but I have my doubts. Either way, it's to our advantage not to inquire too closely." He pauses, glancing toward Kain again, then bends closer to murmur. "I know I already said this, but please do stick close. As much as Kain would enjoy chasing off the occasional slaver, we can't really afford to let him get in trouble."

TIAMAT: * Tai nods nervously and seems to pull a little closer to her guide, glancing around warily. "S-slavers? That's...how they get people for the coliseum?"

JETMODE: "Well, it's one way. To be fair, there are plenty who volunteer to fight in the games." He shakes his head briefly. "But one could suppose it's best to keep a steady supply of fighters for the crowds." With that, he glances up, waving toward one of the wagons. "Here's our caravan -- they're just about to set out, so we'd better get in line."

TIAMAT: * She stays close, still glancing around. She catches sight of one of the merchants presumably with their caravan, a short, rather portly fellow dressed in silks and baubles and with an eye patch over one eye. He's bellowing orders to various members of his crew when he notices Tai staring at him. "You got somethin' t'say t'me, girl?" he rasps, taking a few steps closer to her and squinting his good eye menacingly. Tai flinches away, quickly lowering her gaze. "N-no, sir--"

JETMODE: * Kain steps between the Tai and the merchant with a threatening growl, and Luke gives a faint sigh, tugging Tai along toward the back of the train. "Come on, Kain, shake a leg," he calls as they go, and Kain does follow shortly, looking irritable all over again.

TIAMAT: * Tai stumbles after Luke as the merchant gives a faint "hrmph" at Kain, then ambles back to his duties. The girl glances back at Kain once, but from now on, she keeps her eyes away from pretty much everyone around them. Once they're set in the line, she gives Luke a sideways look. "S-sorry."

JETMODE: * Luke shakes his head. "Not a problem. Best to keep our heads down is all." He glances somewhat wearily at Kain, who nods and shrugs. "I'll take first shift," he says, and the shorter elf agrees. "Just don't forget to wake me."

TIAMAT: * Tai glances between them. "First shift?"

JETMODE: "Well, it's never a good idea to sleep unguarded when you're surrounded by this many unsavory characters," Luke says with a faint smile. "Kain notwithstanding." Kain snorts. "And you're just the picture of pristine innocence, Luke."

TIAMAT: "Oh," she says a little meekly, glancing around again before remembering that she shouldn't be looking at anyone. She quickly lowers her gaze to the glittering sands, then glancing back up again after a moment. "Should I take a shift?"

JETMODE: * An almost pained expression crosses Luke's face, and he shakes his head, but not before Kain utters an uncomplimentary snort. "We'll take care of it, miss," Luke says, elbowing him. "We're far more used to it than you are, no doubt."

TIAMAT: "Oh...well, okay." She doesn't seem terribly undaunted by this, though she does cast Kain a slightly doubtful look when he snorts. She doesn't comment, however, and remains silent until the caravan sets off.

JETMODE: * The first several days (and nights) of caravan travel pass as smoothly as can be expected. Though travelers are expected to supply their own food, a ration of water is handed out, so they're in no danger of going thirsty. It's on the fifth or sixth night, with Kain standing watch, that the relative peace of the journey is disturbed.

TIAMAT: * Tai and Luke laid down to rest some time ago, and while Luke's steady breathing suggests he's dozed off, Tai is having a little more difficulty falling asleep. She stares into the dying embers of their fire, her eyes shining slightly in the low light.

JETMODE: * There's some shuffling from beyond the light of the fire, and the faint crunch of footsteps in sand, and a couple of voices engage in quiet conversation somewhere beyond the camp. Kain doesn't appear to notice at first, and the voices continue. "The girl" is mentioned in snatches, as well as "decent price" and "opportunity."

TIAMAT: * Tai doesn't seem to notice at first, but after a moment or two, she shifts slightly toward the source of the voices, glancing up curiously.

JETMODE: * By that point in the conversation, however, Kain has apparently vanished from his post to reappear, once again, between Tai and the voices. He thumps the butt of his spear once or twice in the sand, and the voices break off abruptly. There's a moment of silence before the owners scurry off into the night, and Kain returns to his post with a shake of his head. "Desert rats," he mutters.

TIAMAT: * The girl, looking faintly alarmed, sits up a little on her elbow. "Kain..?" She looks at him, questioning and concerned.

JETMODE: * He glances back at her, a little surprised. "You're awake?" He gives a slight shrug, shaking his head. "They won't be back tonight, don't worry about it. You can sleep."

TIAMAT: "I couldn't sleep..." She sits up a little more, wrapping her cloak around her shoulders. "What did they want?" She sounds a little apprehensive, as if she's already guessed the answer.

JETMODE: "Slaves," he answers with a shrug. "Must be down on their luck if they're traveling with a game caravan.. or they're looking for easy marks." He gives a long stretch, looking out over the dark sand at the other campfires. "Just go back to sleep. We're not easy marks."

TIAMAT: * Tai gives an involuntary shiver, then lies back down, curling on her side and staring back into the fire. "Thank you," she says quietly, after a moment.

JETMODE: * Kain glances at her again and nods, but he doesn't say anything more, returning to his post on the other side of the fire and yawning. As promised, nothing else stirs in the course of the night, though it's Luke giving the wake-up call the following morning and Kain who's sound asleep.

TIAMAT: * The caravan sets out early, just as the sun is coming up over the horizon, as it has every day since the trio joined up. Early starts have their advantages, though -- five days later, around mid-morning, the hazy outline of a city can be seen off in the distance.

JETMODE: * Even Kain regards the squat, sandy city with relief as the caravan approaches it, and Luke appears to be relaxing for the first time in several days. "Well, that's the first leg," he says with some relief. "Long walk, yeah?" he glances at Tai with a slightly harried smile.

TIAMAT: * Tai, looking weary and not really paying attention, blinks when she realizes Luke is talking to her and looks up at him. "Huh?"

JETMODE: * Luke chuckles. "Guess so." He jerks his chin toward the city. "Not to worry. We'll get you a room, and you can sleep to your heart's content -- at least until we leave again." Kain frowns, scratching the back of his head. "I really wish we had some horses," he says, apparently apropos of nothing.

TIAMAT: * Tai blink again, seeming to come awake a little more and looks up. She stares at the city in the distance for a long moment, before looking back up at Luke. "That's it?"

JETMODE: * Luke nods. "That's Jareth, sure enough. We'll probably reach the city in a couple more hours, and then we see about getting rooms."

TIAMAT: * She seems to brighten immediately, straightening a bit and looking relieved. "So...so there's nothing I can do to help?"

JETMODE: * Luke shakes his head with a brief smile. "You should concentrate on staying safe and out of sight, miss." Kain nods in agreement. "Glenn'd eat us for breakfast if you ended up hurt," he mutters, and Luke grins.

TIAMAT: * Tai sighs a little, shifting her pack. "Well...if there is anything I can do, let me know, okay?" She wipes a hand across her brow. "Though I admit, my first order of business is going to be a bath ..."

JETMODE: "Understandably," Luke says cheerfully. "Though I doubt we'll have the opportunity, ourselves." Kain shrugs comfortably. "I've smelled worse." To which Luke gives a very amused, "I'm sure you have ..."

TIAMAT: * Tai remains quiet the rest of the way to the city, which they reach early that evening. Even as dusk comes about, Jareth is still very lively, and the main attraction seems to be coming from a large, circular building in the center of city -- presumably the coliseum. Many people -- including the caravan the trio was traveling with -- are migrating toward it.

JETMODE: * Luke arranges an inn before they've spent more than an hour in the city, asking for a single room and some extra blankets. "The bed's for the lady, of course," he says as they make their way to their temporary home. "We probably won't be here too much anyway." He pushes the door open and ushers Tai inside, and he and Kain follow shortly.

TIAMAT: * Tai pauses, then steps quickly inside the room, unslinging her pack and setting it and her staff in a corner. "Thank you. Aren't you going to take some time to rest?" she asks, as she pulls her hair band off, shaking her hair free.

JETMODE: "Not yet, I'm afraid. As true spectators, we ought to go see the games at once." Luke gives an elaborate bow. "We should be back before too late tonight, in any case. Rest well, miss." Kain tosses an absent-minded wave over his shoulder before leaving the room.

TIAMAT: * Tai waves back, smiling a little weakly. "Good luck." She heaves a long sigh once the boys are gone, shutting the door and wandering wearily into the bathroom. She runs a hot bath for herself and allows herself to soak and relax for quite a while before getting down to actually washing. Once she finishes cleaning up, she wraps a towel around herself and wanders back out into the main part of the room to retrieve a clean (or cleaner, in any case) set of clothes. After dressing and toweling her hair dry, she lies back on the bed, and within minutes is asleep, not even bothering to crawl under the blankets.

JETMODE: * The blissful sleep of the incredibly weary doesn't last long, however, as less than an hour later, an agile figure creeps into the room, prying at the window until it opens. From there, it's two hops to Tai's bedside and a swift motion that covers her mouth with a chemical-soaked cloth -- extra insurance against her waking.

TIAMAT: * Tai gives a sharp jerk and a terrified gasp when she feels the hand wrap around her mouth, but the sensation is fleeting -- about two seconds later, she's out cold again, limp in the dark figure's arms.

JETMODE: * He ties her up, just for good measure, and slings her over his shoulder, dragging her to the window and dropping her into the waiting arms of his compatriots, who manage to catch her with very little fumbling. After the first rejoins them, they melt into the night, much as if they'd never been there.