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Description
The dry plains winds rustled the brittle grasses as Harald rode atop his horse gazing over the rolling hills of the terrain. He had hoped to reach the Holy City this day but despite having the Heavenly Mount to the north throughout the day he seemed to find himself no closer to achieving that aspiration. Now looking downwards at the ruins sitting amongst the coarse brush he let out a sigh of defeat. There would be no making the Holy City, not with the sun dipping towards the horizon and he'd much rather have some protection from the elements than none.
He urged his steed down the shallow slope and into the depression within which the stone blocks rested. Dismounting he secured his reins to a stone to ensure his horse could not leave him stranded here and began examining the stones he found himself within. Age had weathered them and there was little left of whatever structure had once stood here. He could barely discern of what origin they might be though truth be told he was no scholar—even as he knew his letters and could both read and write them—he was simply a man of faith who had taken up the sword to protect those who believed as he did.
The one piece of the masonry he remarked upon as odd was what appeared to be an eye gazing out from the one standing portion of the ruins. It gave him an unsettled feeling as he gazed at it and he was forced to wonder if he had perhaps fallen in amongst some ancient shrine to blasphemous gods. He shook the notion from his mind, pagans held little sway in this part of the world. There were but the three holy faiths and their adherents and the uneasy theological peace that existed between them within the lands surrounding the Holy City.
Settling himself in that declaration he returned to his courser and retrieved his meager kit with which to set his camp for the night. It was little more than a blanket with dried foodstuffs and the means to start a fire. He would not lack for fuel and set about gathering up the the plentiful grasses, setting them within the stones' scant protection. Across the sea in his homeland such a task as this would have been taken up by a squire but Harald had no such luxury here. He had come as a penitent, absolving himself of worldly possessions beyond those required to aid him in his duties to God.
Moving his horse closer to his determined campsite he looked to the setting sun. It was time for his prayers. He knelt upon the stone and dirt, taking his sword and sheathe from their place at his side and holding them up before him as he bowed his head. He recited the words he had so often spoken to his congregation in his homeland, words that he had learned from heart since being sent to learn the way of the cloth as a boy.
When finished he ate a scant portion of his rations and set his fire. Sitting with his back against the stones he wrapped the woolen blanket about himself and leaned back as darkness overcame the land in a gradual creep that soon encompassed his surroundings in entirety.
Harald was unsure when he woke, but when he did it was because of the soft nickering of his courser. Blinking in the darkness he realized that he was no longer alone by his campsite, the dying embers of his fire little more than glowing scorch marks upon the stone did little to illuminate the area around him and so he relied upon the glittering starlight overhead to see that someone was standing in the shadows besides his horse.
“Who's there?” he called, placing a hand upon his sword.
The hooded figure turned towards him and spoke with a soft feminine voice.
“Forgive me, I didn't see you there.” the woman said gently.
Harald watched as she moved in the glittering glimmer of the starlight, coming towards him slowly with her hands raised.
“I thought the horse was by itself.” she explained.
“And how did you come upon this place?” Harald asked dubiously. “This is far afield from any town that I know of.”
“And do you know these lands so well?” the woman inquired as she knelt down and placed a fresh handful of grasses upon the scorched embers of Harald's fire. “I was traveling and saw your horse, I didn't wish for it to be lost.”
Harald said nothing as she rekindled the fire, the light showing a seemingly slender form beneath the full length hooded cloak she wore. It resembled to some degree the religious garments he'd seen some of the women of the faith in these parts wear now that he had a chance to examine it, hiding her entire form from him.
“Why do you hide yourself?” he inquired. “Surely it does you no favors when you approach strangers in the night.”
“You assume I make a habit of approaching strange men at night.” she replied. “I've already told you I did not know you were here. However seeing that you are in fact here it would do me little good to flee like a thief in the night.”
Watching her as she knelt by the regrowing fire, Harald said nothing for a time as she crouched before it, seeming to enjoy the warmth of the meager flames as she remained silent before it.
“I am bound by oath to escort those who travel these lands on pilgrimage, might you be on such a journey?” he asked finally as the silence passed between them.
“Mayhaps.” she replied. “Though far be it for me to divulge my plans to an armed stranger. For all your words, you might simply be a brigand.”
“I am not!” Harald protested, perhaps more so than was necessary. After all this woman had come upon him in the night without warning.
She chuckled, standing and walking away from the fire.
“Well, whatever the case I will not keep you from your slumber.” she raised her hand and pointed. “The city you seek is in that direction, you have a day more of travel before you reach the great river and from there another half day southwards.”
Harald's eyes widened. “I was so far?” then he looked at her suspiciously. “How did you know what I seek?”
“It is plain as the cross upon your livery.” she replied with a simple shrug as she stood beyond the fire in the starlight. “Farewell sir knight.”
Harald had meant to ask more, to speak further with the woman and even ask how she intended to leave. All of that had been silenced when the massive wings spread out from her form, stretching from beneath her robes and towering above him. He was so startled and terrified that he could do no more than gawk as she seemed to kneel for a moment and then with a powerful beat of her wings she vanished upwards into the night sky.
After a moment spent gawking in horror at the sky, Harald jumped to his feet and gathered his things about himself quickly. He could not stay here with such a creature in the offing, no, he must hasten away from here as swiftly as he might move. Upon his courser once more he kept an eye upon the starlit ground before him and an ear open for the sound of wing beats as he uttered whispered prayers to God to protect him from whatever demon had visited him in this place.

Description
The dry plains winds rustled the brittle grasses as Harald rode atop his horse gazing over the rolling hills of the terrain. He had hoped to reach the Holy City this day but despite having the Heavenly Mount to the north throughout the day he seemed to find himself no closer to achieving that aspiration. Now looking downwards at the ruins sitting amongst the coarse brush he let out a sigh of defeat. There would be no making the Holy City, not with the sun dipping towards the horizon and he'd much rather have some protection from the elements than none.
He urged his steed down the shallow slope and into the depression within which the stone blocks rested. Dismounting he secured his reins to a stone to ensure his horse could not leave him stranded here and began examining the stones he found himself within. Age had weathered them and there was little left of whatever structure had once stood here. He could barely discern of what origin they might be though truth be told he was no scholar—even as he knew his letters and could both read and write them—he was simply a man of faith who had taken up the sword to protect those who believed as he did.
The one piece of the masonry he remarked upon as odd was what appeared to be an eye gazing out from the one standing portion of the ruins. It gave him an unsettled feeling as he gazed at it and he was forced to wonder if he had perhaps fallen in amongst some ancient shrine to blasphemous gods. He shook the notion from his mind, pagans held little sway in this part of the world. There were but the three holy faiths and their adherents and the uneasy theological peace that existed between them within the lands surrounding the Holy City.
Settling himself in that declaration he returned to his courser and retrieved his meager kit with which to set his camp for the night. It was little more than a blanket with dried foodstuffs and the means to start a fire. He would not lack for fuel and set about gathering up the the plentiful grasses, setting them within the stones' scant protection. Across the sea in his homeland such a task as this would have been taken up by a squire but Harald had no such luxury here. He had come as a penitent, absolving himself of worldly possessions beyond those required to aid him in his duties to God.
Moving his horse closer to his determined campsite he looked to the setting sun. It was time for his prayers. He knelt upon the stone and dirt, taking his sword and sheathe from their place at his side and holding them up before him as he bowed his head. He recited the words he had so often spoken to his congregation in his homeland, words that he had learned from heart since being sent to learn the way of the cloth as a boy.
When finished he ate a scant portion of his rations and set his fire. Sitting with his back against the stones he wrapped the woolen blanket about himself and leaned back as darkness overcame the land in a gradual creep that soon encompassed his surroundings in entirety.
Harald was unsure when he woke, but when he did it was because of the soft nickering of his courser. Blinking in the darkness he realized that he was no longer alone by his campsite, the dying embers of his fire little more than glowing scorch marks upon the stone did little to illuminate the area around him and so he relied upon the glittering starlight overhead to see that someone was standing in the shadows besides his horse.
“Who's there?” he called, placing a hand upon his sword.
The hooded figure turned towards him and spoke with a soft feminine voice.
“Forgive me, I didn't see you there.” the woman said gently.
Harald watched as she moved in the glittering glimmer of the starlight, coming towards him slowly with her hands raised.
“I thought the horse was by itself.” she explained.
“And how did you come upon this place?” Harald asked dubiously. “This is far afield from any town that I know of.”
“And do you know these lands so well?” the woman inquired as she knelt down and placed a fresh handful of grasses upon the scorched embers of Harald's fire. “I was traveling and saw your horse, I didn't wish for it to be lost.”
Harald said nothing as she rekindled the fire, the light showing a seemingly slender form beneath the full length hooded cloak she wore. It resembled to some degree the religious garments he'd seen some of the women of the faith in these parts wear now that he had a chance to examine it, hiding her entire form from him.
“Why do you hide yourself?” he inquired. “Surely it does you no favors when you approach strangers in the night.”
“You assume I make a habit of approaching strange men at night.” she replied. “I've already told you I did not know you were here. However seeing that you are in fact here it would do me little good to flee like a thief in the night.”
Watching her as she knelt by the regrowing fire, Harald said nothing for a time as she crouched before it, seeming to enjoy the warmth of the meager flames as she remained silent before it.
“I am bound by oath to escort those who travel these lands on pilgrimage, might you be on such a journey?” he asked finally as the silence passed between them.
“Mayhaps.” she replied. “Though far be it for me to divulge my plans to an armed stranger. For all your words, you might simply be a brigand.”
“I am not!” Harald protested, perhaps more so than was necessary. After all this woman had come upon him in the night without warning.
She chuckled, standing and walking away from the fire.
“Well, whatever the case I will not keep you from your slumber.” she raised her hand and pointed. “The city you seek is in that direction, you have a day more of travel before you reach the great river and from there another half day southwards.”
Harald's eyes widened. “I was so far?” then he looked at her suspiciously. “How did you know what I seek?”
“It is plain as the cross upon your livery.” she replied with a simple shrug as she stood beyond the fire in the starlight. “Farewell sir knight.”
Harald had meant to ask more, to speak further with the woman and even ask how she intended to leave. All of that had been silenced when the massive wings spread out from her form, stretching from beneath her robes and towering above him. He was so startled and terrified that he could do no more than gawk as she seemed to kneel for a moment and then with a powerful beat of her wings she vanished upwards into the night sky.
After a moment spent gawking in horror at the sky, Harald jumped to his feet and gathered his things about himself quickly. He could not stay here with such a creature in the offing, no, he must hasten away from here as swiftly as he might move. Upon his courser once more he kept an eye upon the starlit ground before him and an ear open for the sound of wing beats as he uttered whispered prayers to God to protect him from whatever demon had visited him in this place.