As they followed the frigid stream northbound, trees became scarce. Only small clumps of evergreen lined the slate path. They climbed more hills, the frigid air turning their noses red and numbing their fingertips. Nimer drove them into a small clearing with slate ground and a cliff guarding the area, thinking it was a suitable place to stop.
"We'll make camp here," he commanded and tethered his horse to a nearby tree and prepared his pipe for an afternoon smoke.
Ray brought over rocks to surround the fire pit and sticks for making the fire. "Look at him. He's not doing anything. He's just standing there."
Jex sighed, "Give it a rest Ray. We're doing just fine." Jex took a hold of the flint and steel Ray had presented and struck it a few times creating clear sparks into the dry material under the pile. It was only a few seconds before flames grew from the kindling at the bottom smothering the evergreen bark.
Ray's jaw dropped, "Jex, how did you do that?" She turned to him and reached for the two stones, "Gimme those!"
"No," Jex said, playing keep away.
Ray crossed her arms with a pout, "Jex!"
"They are mine. I started the fire, you didn't," he smirked.
Ray jumped at him, tackling him to the hard ground with a playful smile, "Give it Jex!"
Jex laughed and tried to push her away before pulling her close, rolling on top of her and pinned her to the dirt that now littered their clothing. He smiled down at her and waved the stones in her face. "You can't get them," he taunted.
"Jex! Get off!" she squirmed but her smile made the grey surrounding colorful. With a forceful knee to the groin Jex fell off her with a whine.
"All right, you win," Jex groaned on the ground, his precious flint and steel now in Ray's hands.
Nimer watched from afar in a distant manor. Every element of his face dwindled while he watched them with lifeless eyes. He wrinkled his lip in bitter disgust at their love game. "Are you two finished?" His voice was cold as he continued to his saddle bag.
Ray and Jex both sat up and looked at him, Ray with utter disgust, "We were just having fun. Sorry to bother you, dragon slayer."
"We are on a mission. Also playing that close to the fire might burn you. Have you any sense at all?," Nimer said, withdrawing his flask and a morsel of food.
Ray stood, anger igniting her eyes. She approached their guide spite Jex's feeble efforts to stop her. With quick steps she marched right up to Nimer and swatted the open flask from his hand. It plummeted to the ground causing the internal fluid to leak out all over the ground.
"I have plenty of sense, thank you," she spat, "and you sir are nothing but ass! For all I know you're just jealous cause you can't have fun because of your precious ego you seem to carry with every imminent step and action you dish up!"
Nimer held a stone cold stare on his brass flask now spilled on the ground. A dark glint met his eye as he glared at Ray. His frame shook as he radiated the anger he had contained for the days burst from him in a rapid fire. "How dare you assume that! Your incompetence is overwhelming for you spilled all of my brew! How dare you beat me senseless for gain in pride and vainglory! Why won't you just shut up!"
Ray flushed, embarrassed. In a mighty drive she pushed Nimer backwards. "You're talking! You hide everything! You give me no reason to trust you! You stand around like you're better than us, like you are so important and that your way matters. Have you any idea how to take advice?"
"Step down and maybe you can answer your own question. Have you ever been a guide?! Where is your experience to boss me around, hell I didn't even want to do this in the first place! And here you're accusing me? Since when did it become a stranger's fault for your problems? Have you looked at yourself?" Nimer barked back.
"It's not that I want to follow you, that's what Jex wants to do, not me. I came along cause I care about him and what happens to him! He's quite the child at heart. He'll act like one without me around. Jex needs me."
"By controlling him? People aren't puppets! You can't control people no matter how childish and unworthy they might be! It's wrong and cruel!"
"I don't control him! We may even walk away from this! I didn't want your help in the first place!"
"That may be mighty swell because you no longer have my service!" Nimer yelled savagely.
"Fine! Jex, we're leaving!" Ray whirled around to find an empty campsite. The only sight was the fire burning in the built fire pit with a small pillar of smoke towering above it. "Jex?" Ray paced looking by the tethered horses to find them both there along with all their belongings. "Jex!" she shouted.
Nimer breathed, calming his nerves. He scouted the camp site, not the least hint of worry on his face. "Where is he?"
Jex plowed his way through the thickness of the wood, growling under his breath with each step. He could hear each call behind him but camp was the last place he wanted to be. "Why won't they just stop fighting?" he asked with frustration as he marched on, crunching leaves and twigs that littered the ground. He turned trying to lose his way through the mass of rocks and trees while pushing damp branches from his path.
"I just wish she'd listen, just once!" he mumbled and scoured the dense forest as he trudged through low-lying bushes, tearing through the trees. A branch snapped back, flinging rain onto his face. He swatted it away as he drew to a stop in the middle of the trees, a frown etched on his face. He paused, a sigh rolling from his breath as he searched the tops of trees for life trying to draw his mind away from commotion and chaos. Suddenly, it dawned on him. Ray had never been this way, not that he could recall.
"Why now?" he thought, raising a hand to his face and wiping it dry of water.
The clear sound of a tree twig snapping brought his nerves to stand on end as he froze in his spot, eyes wide. Turning his head, he was on overwatch for possible signs of life. He stood for a long moment glancing to the overcast sky as a black crow that fled from a tree not thirty feet away.
"Odd," he thought and continued further. He felt eyes boring into his back causing an eerie feeling to arise in his gut. A few steps forward brought the sound of rushing footsteps through the brush causing Jex to swing around. Pushed into a nearby tree, his head hit the stringent bark of an evergreen and a hand from a figure in a dark cloak with a hood covering his face exerted a rag against Jex's mouth and nose, muffling him. The cloth wreaked a tangy, sweet smell with a hint of alcohol.
Jex struggled to grab hold of the culprit's wrist and attempted to kick at the figure with his boots though the rag remained in place. Jex's head whirled as his body became heavy. His knees wobbled as the ground took his presence. His hands slipped from the culprits wrists and his eyes slid closed as slumber enveloped his mind, his body falling to the floor of the forest, out cold.