. . . Kelly found herself positioned on a large platform of white marble with hazy gray fog lightly wisping around in fingered tendrils. In front of her, however, was the most impressive thing around her surroundings. The figure standing in front of her was tall and well-proportioned. He had long white hair that rode down to the tops of his wide shoulders and a full mustache and beard. He wore a glistening white robe of satin and in his left hand was a tall, slender white staff with an owl carved into its crest. In his other hand he held a gleaming white stone in the shape of a globe. He was looking directly into Kelly's eyes with a look of seriousness etched upon his face. Then he relaxed, smiled, and said. "Kelly An'Tanis, my child. It is very reassuring that you are with me at a time like this."
Captain Tharas Domanes lowered his head, and slowly shook his head back and forth. Dead soldiers lay sprawled everywhere upon the battlefield in crumpled heaps in the large clearing in front of him. Blue and black uniforms and red and black uniforms were mangled together looking as though a master artist had went mad creating his creation. The smell of the dead filled the air, and vultures that had been feeding off the carcasses flew up and began circling when Captain Domanes legion of men approached the top of the brown grassy knoll. Flies buzzed frantically in the air and on the bodies laying eggs that would soon become hungry maggots. The creak of leather sound loud in the quiet, breezeless air. The nervousness of his fellow soldiers was paramount. A few among them talked quietly amongst themselves pointing out that they were glad that they were not among the dead in the clearing below.
Then they both heard the sounds of a large cat prowling around somewhere deep in the woods. The mule jumped around with the whites of its eyes showing, then settle down, and began to tremble. Terl pulled lightly on the lead rope, but Sala did not want to budge for the moment.
"Its probably a cougar hunting in the daytime hoping to catch something unawares so that it can eat it. Sometimes they do that."
Perl looked at Terl's face, and then down to his small belt knife on his waist. "I do not think that little knife of yours is going to protect us if that cat decides to come down, and make us his midday meal, Terl."
"Do not worry, little sister. That cat is not going to make us his midday meal. He or she has much more important things to catch that satisfies him or her, besides two humans and a tough old mule."