"Sir Cecil, did you hear what that guy said?"

Porom nudged her horse close to Cecil and gazed at him with apparent concern. Cecil said nothing but nodded. He didn’t really pay attention to the hunter’s words…their tales of the forest…tales of the unearthly visitors…vagabonds like them were always filled with outlandish stories, fit for nothing but a union of travelers around a campfire or a dimly-lit smoke-filled tavern where the ale poured faster than insults from the tongue of a drunken dwarf.

Yet the hunter’s last request echoed clearly in Cecil’s ears.

"Be careful, Sir Knight…"

Spoken in a convincing tone…most ruffians never offer such condolences unless they are believers of their own tales.

(Be careful, Sir Knight…)

After the encounter Cecil would definitely heed the warning.

"…ghosts…"

Porom gave her brother a look that claimed that it would have been best if he did not mention the word. He grinned slyly at her and pressed on.

"Did ya hear that, sis? Ghosts!"

"SO?!"

She glared at him as if she didn’t mind the fact that ghosts would soon be surrounding them.

"I don’t care…"

Porom wished that she believed herself…she was irritated as Palom began to laugh to himself…

"What?!" she demanded, scowling angrily at him. "What’s so funny?!"

"Nothing…" he claimed quickly, only half-managing to suppress his laughter.

Porom continued to glare at her brother.

"You think I’m scared?!" she asked, trying to keep her voice defiant, but ending up making it sound as if she should have asked ‘Does it show that well?’

"I didn’t say that…"

The grin on Palom’s face was infuriating…Porom wanted to shove him from the horse and get rid of that smile…

"But I know that’s what you think!"

Palom hove up beside her and nearly ran her into a tree. Her horse snorted and glared at Palom as forcefully as Porom glared at him.

"Well, sure…it’s what I think…" he admitted, not regretfully. "I just didn’t say it…"

"It’s probably the first time you kept a stupid opinion to yourself…" she scoffed, trying to maintain a satisfactory distance from him. "And don’t call me sis!"

"Sorry," Palom offered with genuine regret. "It’s short for sissy…"

Porom groaned in exasperation and said nothing more. She knew it was impossible to try to argue her way ahead of her brother. Everything she said just urged another comment from him, and he wouldn’t keep quiet unless she did first.

The next time she spoke, it was directed at Cecil.

"Did Grandpa tell you how long it’ll take us to get to Mt. Ordeals?"

It was one of the first things the twins had said to Cecil ever since they started their journey, so he was stunned for a moment.

"No," Cecil admitted guiltily. "He gave me a few vague directions but nothing very specific…"

Porom couldn’t hide the dismay that crossed her face…Cecil noticed and decided to add something heartening to the statement.

"We can follow this river for awhile.."

She knew exactly which river he was referring to…it was the river just beyond the thick bushes that she had been inconspicuously avoiding ever since it appeared.

"That way we’ll always have fresh water nearby…"

Porom silently agreed like she thought it was a wonderful idea…she was actually nervous about being so near to a body of flowing water.

That fact was not unnoticed or unmentioned by her brother.

"Hey Porom," he called loudly before she could rebuke him. "Don’t get too close!" His sarcasm was thick enough to catch in the goatskin flask she carried on her side. "You might fall in!"

"If I do, I‘ll drown you…"

She was rather proud of her remark, and she was ready to continue the friendly conversation; Cecil, however, wanted no part of such a family feud so he took it upon himself to subtly interrupt the quarrel.

"The Elder of Mysidia," he started, maneuvering his horse between the twins. "You call him ‘Grandpa…’ Is he –"

"—He’s not really our grandpa," Palom broke in. "Most of the kids just call him that…"

Porom snorted in derision.

"Yeah…and some of the really dumb kids call him names like ‘Gramps…" By her tone of voice Cecil knew her words were aimed directly at her brother.

Palom looked at her as if she had revealed a secret that he longed to be part of…

"Only the cool kids call him that, sis…"

Porom rolled her eyes and turned to Cecil to finish her explanation.

"I don’t know why everyone calls him Grandpa…" Her voice became thoughtful. "He doesn’t seem to mind; even some of the adults call him Grandpa…"

"He’s old enough to be everyone’s Grandpa," Palom informed whoever was listening, which, at the moment, to his extreme delight, were his sister and Cecil. Cecil would have whole-heartedly agreed with his observation…he knew that Porom would reprimand her brother and, frankly, he wanted no part of it.

"You’re an apprentice to him, Palom…" she reminded her brother. "Don’t forget that…"

Palom didn’t reply (Cecil could not admit that he was ungrateful for the silence), and the trio continued deeper into the forest under a veil of apprehension, and with the words of the hunter still ringing in their ears.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

The heat of the dense forest was nearly suffocating, and, although they saw no ghosts or unearthly visitors, Cecil thought he was on the verge of hallucinating only a few hours after midday. They all agreed, miraculously, that they should stop for a moment at the bank of the narrow river that murmured always at their side. It was a harmless suggestion…the horses, after all, needed some sort of refreshment…the sides of the huge beasts were flecked with foam; and more than once Porom made a declaration of sympathy about the animals.

As the horses stood in the shallows of the river, Palom started trying to make some acute observations into the clear water that flowed around the horses’ skinny legs by leaning precariously forward over the horse’s long neck…his endeavors ultimately ended when he tumbled headlong over the horse’s head and sprawled helplessly into the river with a tremendous splash. The dumfounded beast sauntered backwards, and, as Palom surfaced, sputtering and causing a ruckus in the fashion that he only he could; the horse’s puzzled countenance reflected the boy’s own as he gazed around to see who noticed his performance. Before the water streamed from his eyes, he could hear Porom’s loud laughter.

"HAHAHA!" She stared down at him, grinning like a pickpocket on market day.

"I knew that was going to happen, Palom!" she declared triumphantly. "Now you look like a wet rat!"

She did not appear upset about her brother’s fall into the river, but Cecil immediately believed that the boy must be seriously injured…

…After all, he made no remark as he surfaced from the clear water…

"Are you okay?"

Cecil’s voice was filled with nothing but anxiety as he looked upon the present situation.

"Oh…I meant to jump in…" Palom replied, minimally concerned about the fact that his bow was lost somewhere downstream and his quiver of arrows was overturned, sending its contents washing down the river in every direction. He flashed a sly grin at Porom as he slapped around in the shallow water.

"I thought I needed to cool off since I’m so hot!"

His tone of voice obviously presented that he was not indicating being hot by qualifications of the temperature. Porom scoffed at him as she dropped down to the ground beside her horse.

"And since you REEK!" she added, hands on hips. Cecil felt that he should say something…he decided, however, that Porom had taken quite a maternal role over her brother and she would handle the situation with a well-deserved scolding.

"It’s just your upper lip…" Palom said haphazardly, starting toward the bank. He appeared to not be having as much fun as he had several moments earlier.

"Are you gonna help me out or not?"

Cecil presumed that the boy was speaking to him…his demand was aimed at his sister, which Cecil soon found out by her response.

"Hmm…I guess I COULD get you out of trouble --" she groaned as though she could have just as well given him an answer in the negative.

"—for the hundredth time!" Porom added pointedly as she approached the edge of the water.

"You know…" Palom began thoughtfully, "I owe you one, sis…"

Porom’s foot sank into the mud, and she turned her nose up in disgust as she slowly extended her hand to her brother. His hand was outstretched as he patiently waited for her hand to close around his…at last, with a groan of disgust, Porom’s hand closed tightly around Palom’s hand, and she prepared to drag him from the water.

"—so I’ll pay you back NOW!"

Palom shouted gleefully, snatching his sister’s hand with all of his might. She gave a shriek, which was abruptly cut off by a loud splash as she flailed into the river.

Cecil feared that for the few minutes that followed, Palom’s laughter would never fade away in the once peaceful forest.

Porom’s head emerged from the water; she coughed and sputtered angrily.

"Palom!" she managed to gasp between coughs. "You moron!!"

She rubbed her eyes and glared at her brother, who, to no one’s surprise, was grinning broadly.

"Porom!" he exclaimed in mock surprise. "Now is not the time for a swim!"

She swatted a jet of water at him in frustration…succeeding in only making him collapse into laughter.

"You are such a moron!"

Porom mopped her hair from her face.

"Now I’m all wet thanks to you!"

He seemed about to reply, but he never stood a chance as Porom lunged at him, sloshing water over him (not to mention herself)…a fierce splashing war ensued, accented often by bursts of loud laughter from the twins.

"Uh oh…"

Palom at last gasped through the waves of water gushing over his face. He gazed at the shore with unexpected apprehension.

"…darkie not happy…"

He was indicating Cecil, who stood on the bank of the river, staring down into the water but trying not to appear too concerned.

Porom gave the dark knight one quick glance before agreeing.

"No…darkie not very thrilled—" She splashed Palom once more, adding: "—And I wouldn’t be either if I had to put up with you!"

"You don’t ‘put up’ with guys like me, sis!" Palom insisted casually. "You cherish the time you get to spend with such wonderful human beings…"

"You’re a dork," came her short reply as she started to the edge of the river, pulling herself out of the now murky water. She surveyed her clothes helplessly before turning back to her brother with a scowl.

"Palom, will you get out?" she demanded. "You’re attracting flies!"

With an impatient sigh Palom scooped up as many arrows as he could conveniently reach and hoisted the quiver, the bow, and the handful of arrows onto the bank before climbing out himself.

"I’m not the only one who’s gonna smell like pond scum!" he made the prediction almost victoriously and sniffed deliberately in Porom’s direction. By the frown on her face, Cecil could tell that she was thinking of something to match his conviction.

"Well…mine will eventually wear off…"

She smiled at him triumphantly, but her smile slipped into a frown as her brother pointed out, with a tinge of remorse:

"—but your face won’t—"

Porom sighed as she began to fiercely wring out her clothes. Both of the horses stood in the exact spot that they had been when the twins dismounted (if the method by which Palom removed himself could be labeled a dismount), and now the big animals stared lazily at the twins.

And with a bit more patience than the dark knight…

Porom noticed that Cecil was not sharing in the twins’ enthusiastic (and accidental) swim in the river. She hastily grabbed at Palom’s horse, who in turn loped toward her obediently.

"Just get on your horse and let’s go…" she instructed her brother, kicking his quiver of arrows across the ground. She turned toward her own horse and in the process gave Cecil an apologetic shrug that clearly said ‘I would have left him in the river if he wasn’t my twin brother..’

They managed to leave again; Porom was more than nervous because she knew the Dark Knight must have been totally disappointed in his company…her thoughts were quickly interrupted as Palom’s voice inevitably rang out:

"I guess you don’t want me to tell you that you’ve got moss strung all up in your hair…"

If Porom could have seen beneath the dark mask of the knight riding in front of her, she would have seen on his face an unexpected smile.