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Tuk takes his blanket over to Sen and drapes part of it on the ground with the rest of it across her. He then settles down on the blanket and uses Sen as a back pillow as he wiggles about then settles in to sleep. As he drifts off to slumber he quietly speaks "Sen. You are my bestest friend and I hope we can be friends for a long time" then continues in the same soft tone

"Thank You Great Goddess for this day
for the blessings and lessons that came my way
May my sleep be peaceful in dreams and rest
and tomorrow may I do my best".

Tuk grows quiet and starts to breath slower as slumber claims him.

The night passed uneventfully for the companions. As dawn broke, Sen was the first one up. Bright rays of sunlight seemed to reflect off the glistening drops of dew that dotted the foliage. Small clover-like leaves grew amongst the undergrowth. All seemed well.

When Sen stirs to rise, Tuk rolls off from against her back to flop on the ground. He stirs slightly with a slight hiccup snort and wiggle that puts the blanket over him while he drifts back into slumber with a smile on his face and faint whisper across his lips "Sen".

Sitting up Sen blinks. She had been dreaming. In her dream someone was pressing her down. Down onto the street in the alley. That someone had friends. Two, three, four, more. They were opening her legs. Time passed. She had screamed. Once. Then, near dawn, when they had slaked their lust on her, the darkfire woke and there were many screams. Animal, pain-filled, inhuman screams. But not hers. Never again the darkfire inside her promised. Blood on the street. Blood on the walls. Then there were no more men. Only parts strewn across the alley and a sick lust for blood that snarled through her bared teeth. Sen blinks again and wipes a hand across her sweat drenched brow and the memory of the dream is gone, replaced by sunlight dancing behind the leaves of the trees overhead.

Her back, she realizes, feels warm and, looking over sees the pile of blankets that cover Tuk. So. The source of her nightmare. She sighs. Rising slowly and being careful to give no sign of her inner turmoil she looks around the camp.

Her brow knits as she realizes, belatedly, that she was never wakened for her watch and that all her companions sleep. No watch was set? She bites back an instant reprimand. She had no reason to expect that any of the others would take it upon themselves to take the lead since she had done so the night before. The fault was hers and hers alone. By sheer luck they were alive and unhurt.

Filled with self disgust she quietly leaves the camp, sword in hand, and does a quick reconnoiter to assure herself that all is truly well. And to indulge in a little quiet verbal self recrimination. She would NOT embarrass herself with such a display in front of the others.

Deep in slumber, Tuk is in a vivid dream where he is walking with Sen through a luscious green field dotted with sun blazed flowers. Holding hands as they walk, Tuk looks up at Sen with a smile as he says her name before returning his gaze to the romping animals at play in the field.

In a blink, the sun filled sky is covered with rumbling dark grey clouds and the scent of rain floods the area. All the animals rush about to seek cover as Sen rushes towards the woods while holding Tuk’s hands. Dragging him through the brambles, that cuts and scratches his skin, she continues deeper and deeper in the woods. As the darkness wells up so does fear well up in Tuk till he whimpers and balks at going deeper.

Without warning, Sen releases his hand to run off in the dark. Tuk stands frozen in fear, feeling his heart pounding, limbs trembling, panting rapidly whether from the run, the fear, or both. With eyes darting about in an attempt to peer deeper in the darkness, Tuk listens intently in an attempt to hear where Sen went. Off a short distance away, Tuk hears what he thinks is Sen so fumbling blindly through the woods he stumbles over roots and through brambles towards that area.

Tuk breaks through the darkened woods and stands on the edge of a clearing where he sees Sen in the middle facing away from him. As he steps into the clearing, his foot lands on a twig that snaps under his weight. The being that Tuk thought was his friend spins about and growls at him through a feral mask of rage and pain. This being’s face, while looked like Sen, was twisted into a snarl mixed with pain and rage, her body is hunched over while bloody scraps of cloth dangle, pulsing wounds cover the body while they bleed.

As Tuk stands still, looking at what he considers his friend, his eyes fall upon the ground surrounding her. Scattered far and wide are bits and pieces of men. In that moment, Sen the wounded one, rushes at Tuk with a sword in her hand. As she raises the sword to strike, Tuk closes his eyes, knowing he could not avoid it so Tuk stands still.

When no strike arrives with the searing pain of flesh being sundered, Tuk cracks an eyelid open to peer about. He sees that he is standing in another clearing but it is lit with the radiance of the moon shining down on the mother of all. Her skin sparkles like diamonds, the smell of wildflowers fill the clearing, as she moves a breeze stirs the grass.

With a soft gentle sigh that causes wind to ruffle his hair, she gestures to Tuk “My gentle Tuk. Come walk with me.”

Tuk moves to walk beside her as she continues to speak in voice that sounds like a babbling brook or soft wind through the forest, or many other sounds of nature but still comprehendible.

With a smile that is a mix of a wise woman and a young girl, she continues to speak “You are going to have to make choices that you have never experienced before. Sen is hurt in ways that you do not know and until you show her how to love without fear, without judgment, and most importantly how to love one’s self, she will continue to grow darker until the Sen you know and love is no more.”

Tuk opens his mouth to speak but she places a finger on his lips before continuing “Tuk, my time here with you is fleeting so please remember this. There will come a time that you must make a choice. You will have to follow your heart or your mind. I cannot tell you more for all living creatures have freedom to choose. You will not see me in your dreams again for a long time but remember what I told you here as best as you can. Now awake for light brightens your skies but darkness grows in a breast”.

Tuk surges up from his covers which are flung off him as his gasps and looks about with wide eyes. “Goddess, Where’s Sen?” Tuk almost screams.

The morning sun glowed around the companions as they got together their breakfast, and prepared to set off. Songbirds flew amongst the trees. It was strangely idyllic.

Tuk leaps up to start looking about in a wild fashion as he calls out "Sen" and continues to call out in a louder voice every few seconds as his tone starts to climb higher in tone as panic creeps into his voice. Looking at Ceasar and Howell with wide eyes, Tuk almost screams at them "Where's Sen"? He leaps up onto a log at the edge of camp and calls out as loud as his lungs allow "SEN".

Sprinting down the log to a reach a nearby try, Tuk throws his head back while cupping his hands around his mouth and calls out as loud as he can again "SEN".

The foliage is thick around the companions campsite. A small stream runs a stone-throw away from their bedrolls. Alders reach up towards the sun, their grey trunks stretching high like the pillars of an ancient temple. Maples stand beside them, their striped trunks reminiscent of a painted house, green and white alternating. Trilliums grow across the forest floor, their white petals adding color to the wild green carpet. Small, heart-shaped flowers can be seen here and there, pink dots of color. Ferns of many shapes grow up from the ground, stretching high, in a hopeless attempt to reach the height of the trees. A dogwood stands nearby, it's color vibrant and bold. Small insects can be spotted left and right. A rodent skitters through the shrubs. Tuk can feel the forest alive around him. He can almost sense a heartbeat to the woods, as though it is one unified entity.

Sen stumbles over a log, and comes crashing down into the foliage, with a loud noise that sends the nearby wildlife rushing away. It is then that she notices that the woods are getting rather quiet. She looks up. Several yards away from her stands a huge cougar, eyeing her strangely. It lets out a low growls, and begins to pace slowly towards her.

As Sen falls, Tuk and the companions hear a loud crashing sound coming from the east.

Sen, hearing Tuk's panicked shouts, hurries back to camp and trips over a log that had been half-hidden in the leaves and underbrush. She lands on her hands and knees cursing her clumsiness, her sword falling at her side. Looking up she sees a cougar standing not far from her. Fast as she can she grabs up her sword and leaps at the cougar, a snarl ripping from her lips.