The road he had been following along gave the appearance that it was it was often traveled by many people. It was wide enough to allow teams of horse drawn carts to travel in both directions at the same time. The road today however had been entirely devoid of people save for Eargrif. This fact had not escaped his attention after the sun had risen high into the sky and he had not seen any other travelers on the road. The world had been silent since he had left the bridge, animals seemed not exist. Grass and trees to the sides of the road were the only signs of life on this deserted countryside.
"There must be a bridge out somewhere up the road” Eargrif thought “Why else would this road not be used."
As the day wore on Eargrif began to wonder if he was he was going to find anything to eat before he found a place of the trail to sleep. Eargrif knew better than to sleep on the side of the road. Anyone who slept on the side of the road awoke to a lighter load to carry, courtesy of the thieves and bandits that roamed the countryside for victims. Eargrif didn't think there was anyone, let alone a bandit, out here but still felt sleeping away from the road would be a better idea.
Dusk came quickly bringing a cool breeze but still no signs of animals. Eargrif had hoped to find a rabbit to eat for dinner, but he would have to settle for something less satisfying. There were no trees grouped together to provide any form of shielding from the road. The best thing he could thing to do was to sleep propped up against the tree trunk and hope he wouldn’t fall over in his sleep. After looking them over he decided on a short large leafed tree with a medium trunk. Before settling down for the night Eargrif ate several leaves to quiet his growling stomach.
Eargrif's sleep was troubled all throughout the night by disturbing dreams of a menacing sort. Many times he awoke in a cold sweat, the memory of his dreams just beyond his grasp. This was followed by a deep longing for what he could not tell. The pull of Eargrif's emotions threatened to make him break down and cry. After a period of a few minutes he was able to push his emotions down and drift back into sleep. A few hours before daylight his dreams suddenly stopped and Eargrif slept peacefully until the warmth of day woke him.
The air was fresh and the sky was bright when Eargrif woke up in the late morning. He was laying flat on the ground in full view of the road. Continuing to lay on the ground he looked around and saw the contents of his pack littering the grass. Eargrif thought immediately that he had been robbed and strained to hear if the thief was still present. The continued absence of animal sounds left the countryside in complete silence, putting Eargrif's nerves further on edge. Eargrif risked moving his left hand behind him, slowly searching for his sword. The slowness of his search and the fear of being caught awake caused him to break into a sweat.
Eargrif's search grew frustrating as his hand began to move too far to go unnoticed by any person watching him. The only thing in his reach was dew wetted grass and the book from his pack. Eargrif stopped moving and tried very hard to remember what he had done with his sword. He had taken the baldric off and laid it between himself and the tree. That sword would draw the attention of any thief that wanted to make a large profit from his work. Still the sword was his only weapon and if it was still there he would need it as soon as he confronted his enemy.
Eargrif could tell he was just over an arm’s length away from the tree and decide to not waste anymore time thinking and just act. He raised his right leg and pushed off the ground hard. Rolling backward over his right shoulder Eargrif strained with his left arm to reach his sword. His hand touched the leather of the baldric as he sprang to his feet in a low crouch position. Eargrif drew the sword as he came full upright, bringing forth an unusual metallic ring which filled his ears drowning out the silence of the countryside. Eargrif looked for his first target to strike down only to find himself entirely alone.
Eargrif stopped, his breathing heavy as his heart repeatedly slammed into his rib cage. The pack was laying at his feet with most of it's contents spilled out the opening. Eargrif was very confused the pack had nothing of value in it but his sword had to be worth a fortune. If a thief had been there why didn't he take the sword which was in plain sight? He sheathed his sword and dropped back on the ground. Something thumped against his chest, Eargrif looked down and saw the dragon-like emblem hanging around his neck by it's silver necklace.
