Ainu teleported above Kendal's father's house only moments before
sundown.  They had come at a good time seeing as William had just returned
from a hunt and had a large deer strapped to his back for supper.

	Ainu landed slowly and Kendal dismounted quickly.  This was a
surprise to William, he had not expected  to see Kendal.  As Kendal
neared, he ran and gave his father a hug. Under the fading light of the
sun, William looked over his son and was shocked.  He was not expecting
Kendal to look so battered.

	"What in the God's names happened to you son."  William was
noticing the bruises and cuts all over Kendal's face.

	"It's a long story father, but is it possible that Ainu and I stay
with you for a couple of days. I have no where us to turn to."

	"You know its okay Kendal, you can stay with me for as long as you
like.  You're always welcome in my home."

	"Thank You father."

	"Come on, I have dinner strapped to my back and this baby weighs a
ton.  Oh wait.  This won't be enough for Ainu."

	<<Don't worry about me Kendal, I was just about to go find me some
dinner.  I saw a herd of wilderbeast drinking by the creek a ways down.>>

	"Ainu will be fine, lets get this baby roasting, I'm starved."

	William laughed and wrapped his arm around his son.  Pulling him
inside the wooden house.  Throwing the deer on the grilling pit, they
cooked some dinner and sat around the table talking.  Simple pleasantries
at first, followed by small talk about how old friends and family were
doing.  When the meat was well roasted, they each had a huge helping of
the deer meat.  Large quanties of beer and mead and ale and anything that
had alcohol in it was part of the meal.

	Soon they were both punch drunk.  laughing hysterically at
anything and everything.  William reached for the flask of tequila and
poured Kendal another glass.

	"Here son, this is the good stuff."

	Kendal took a big gulp of the amber liquid, and began coughing and
gagging.  William took a swig himself, finding the taste awful.  His face
seem to contort a bit from the taste.  Kendal was coughing and spitting
out some of the liquid onto the ground as the alcohol burned his tender
throat.

	"Alright, maybe its not so good."  William gasped, as he tossed
the flask over his shoulder.

	"Dad, I don't feel so good."

	"Ah, thats the alcohol talking."

	"No, dad.  I mean I don't feel right.  I left my new home.  I ran
away from everyone I love and everyone I care about.  Especially Ailill.
I finally find someone and I run away.  I feel awful dad."

	"Son, when I was your age, I left Britania for adventure and
glory.  I was ony a knight's squire but it was a chance to find myself.  I
didn't want to leave my home either."

	"I've heard this story before dad.  You've told it to me a
thousand times.  You leave Britania, find glory in battle, took a quest to
destroy the evil wizard, and wound up in Dragonlands, where you met mom.
But this is totally different."

	"Ah, but I didn't tell you the real reason I left Britania. I left
britania because of a girl."

	"What."

	"Angel I use to call her.  Boy did I love her.  I truly did.
Pretty and smart. Fearless and tough.  Everything I ever dreamed of in
a woman and more.  But she wanted me to marry her. She wanted me to settle
down with her and her father to farm their land. Her father would have
given me some of his land if I married her.  So I decided to leave."

	"But why did you leave her if you loved her."

	"Because I was scared.  So what do scared young me do.  They run
away like the cowards they are.  I ran away and enlisted in the army.  Boy
was that a dumb thing to do.  I ran away to the army so I wouldn't become 
a farmer and I end up a farmer anyways.  Ain't that a kick in the head."
William began laughing loudly and boisterously before tipping over and out
of his chair.  Kendal broke out in laughter at the sight.

	Kendal laughed so hard that he fell off his chair as well.  Both
of them laughed so hard that when they stopped they both fell asleep from
exhaustion and drunkeness.

***Next Morning.***

The bright skies and glorious sunight bursted into the room.  William
more accustomed to alcohol was up bright and early.  Kendal hung over from
the night before had his head buried under the pillow to block out the
light.

"I know you don't think you're going to sleep in the whole morning.  If
you're going to stay you've got to earn your keep.  Come on, You can pitch
the hay."

"Dad I don't feel so good."

"I know you're agonizing over this Marrid thing Kendal.  But things will
work out for the best.  Stay a while and think things through and I'm sure
you'll come up with the best decision."

"No dad, I mean I don't feel so good.  I think it was the alcohol."
Kendal looked pale and nausous."

William grined.

"Well nothing like hard work to work off a hang over.  Come on."

Grabbing his son by the colar, William dragged his hung over son out onto
the field to pitch the hay.

NRPG
Well I'll be away a few days.  But when I get back I'll try to wrap things
up a bit more.  Kendal will return eventually.  Giving Ailill sometime to
do whatever she wants. hint hint. :)

Norman Lee
Kendal and Ainu.
	
	


 --------------------------------
		 The World has no room for cowards.
	     We must all be ready to toil, to suffer, to die.
	And yours is not less noble because no drum beats before you 
	      when you go out into your daily battlefields.
	 And no crowds shout about your coming when you return 
		from your daily victory or defeat.
	
					-Robert Louis Stevenson

Norman Lee	n-lee5@uiuc.edu
Homepage- http://www.students.uiuc.edu/~n-lee5/index.html