The Wang Chronicles Again, Part 13

   Jules was standing on the dock of Cobblestone, watching the rowboat make it's way closer to the dock to pick up it's passenger for the ride south.    Beside him, resplendent in her traveling dress of deep green was Red Shelly.    At first glance, one might mistake the coiffed beauty for one of the richer women of the world, bandying about in her fine silks and oversized skirts, totally unsuited to the rigors of the half-baked and under developed regions of the Uncharted Lands.    Of course, upon closer inspection, one might discern that her skirt did not poof out like those pamper pigeons, that strategic slits of considerable length turned what should have been a liability into a distraction that could be abandoned at a moments notice to allow for fluid movements.    And it was no satin slipper of matching color for this creature, but rather a muted mahogany set of boots of fine workmanship and bearing signs of wear that screamed that all was not as it seemed.
   Then again, the sword belted about her waist might do the same thing.
   "So I'm doomed to quest on some stupid errand for that frizzy haired faker while the world craters around me!" Shelly grumbled in a fit of pique.    "He could have at least said something about preventing a "lesser" evil or something to make it worthwhile."
    Jules looked askance at her, she was still pretty.   "You didn't listen very well, did you."
    Red turned her full gaze on him, daring him to be flippant.
    "THE Mad Maestro of Magic Himself, out of all the people who wield wonderweapons, not to mention all the potential people who make a living venturing forth, choose the one person whom he felt has the best chance to complete the quest, sounds pretty worthwhile to me."
    Red took a deep breath, moving a fair amount of cleavage in the process before allowing a smile to break through and dispel the tension.     "THAT" she spoke in a husky voice that sent chills and thrills down the bards spine, "is why I'll always have a weak spot in my heart for you."   Swiftly she grabbed him and delivered a kiss that threatened to melt his toes inside his shoes and then pushed him away and strode towards the boat which was bumping the dock.    "Fare well Bard, Till we meet".    Stepping smartly into the boat, she settled herself and spared no further glance for the bard.
   Jules watched for a few moments to make sure that she was not going to turn back to him, then turned around and nearly fell over Monty standing directly behind him.
  "Damn it!" Jules spat, doing a lively jig as he avoided falling on his butt.   "Do you have to do that every time?"
  "Naw, just when I need a laugh, now, onto business, you have a schedule to keep and I don't have time to watch you make moon eyes over every wench that loves you and leaves you."
   "But.."
   "No Buts!    You got two days to make the mountains and you'll need to fly to get there, well, in your case, you need to ride, which is why I got you a horse at the stables."
   "Ride?   Why not just magic me there?"
   "What, and miss all the fun between here and there?" Monty chortled, "You got two days, I didn't say you would make it!"

-0-

   So far, Jules had come up with close to 50 different ways that he was going to pay Monty back for having gotten him into this latest mess.     The stables had held exactly one horse, a brown black geldling who was half broke to the saddle and more interested I nipping, jumping and bucking his rider than on making progress down the road.    Not that they hadn't made progress when the horse had gotten spooked by something and charged off wildly down the roadway with Jules holding on for dear life!    Out of the coast lands and into the hills, past outcropping and stream, past people who dove to clear the road and past carts that just weren't fast enough or inclined enough!
   Jules had finally gotten the horse to stop, winded and thirsty, at a stream where he was trying to determine the size and expectations of the blisters he had received, check the status of the horse and also figure out just where he was in relation to the lands of the Beasbarians.     Monty was less than forthcoming with the background and while Jules knew "about" where the Beasbarian lands "might" lay, he was unsure as to where that put him at the current time.
   The horse, having gotten a great deal out of his system, was now content to drink a little water, eat a little grass and basically not to another dang thing!   Despite his coaxing, his impassioned pleas for assistance, the horse was pretty much done.   Jules finally gave in, deciding the stream he was by was good enough for a camp and removing the saddle, set about making the horse as comfortable as possible, knowing that tomorrow he was going to depend quite heavily on the horse getting things done and bearing him safely to the Beasbarians BEFORE the prophecy came to pass.
    Still, it was a restless night, the night sounds were not quite the same as the northern climes and there were hoots, grunts, ticks, skrees and other sounds that Jules was not able to identify and thus, had to consider as hostile.   The fact that the horse was starting at most of these sounds was another good sign that Jules had no time to rest!    Finally, just as the sun was beginning to lighten the sky to the east, Jules became aware of another presence close by, watching him.    Standing less than three feet tall, the creature looked like a teddy bear, if such cuddly things had four inch fangs on either side of their mouth pointing down!    It stood at the edge of the clearing, watching the Bard, who was watching it.    Then it turned around and slipped into the bushes and Jules felt both a wash of relief and a pang of jealousy.      He was sure that had he borne one of the Endless Bottles that he would have had a tale indeed to tell around the royal tables, the day he almost drank a wabba under the table!

Next: A Funny Thing happened on the way to the feast