"Sheep one, Mage!"

Ilshai knew that if she had to fight all three of the horde in front of her, she wouldn't last much longer.  The three trolls in front of her seemed to realize they had the upper hand and put their all into what they thought would be Ilshai's last stand.  Partially hidden in the shadows, Jadsia threw up a shield with the last of her energy, buying the Rogue some time.

"Sheep!  LEALENYA!  Sheep it now!  What are you waiting for?!"

"What?  Sheep?  Oh!  Sheep!  Right, got it!"  

Several agonizingly perilous seconds later, one of the trolls looked up at her and bleated through a puff of smoke.  With one of her opponents temporarily incapacitated, Ilshai was able to make quick work of the two left thanks to Jadsia's timely healing spell.  By the time the polymorph wore off, Ilshai was able to face it with no difficulty.  After bending to pull a dagger out of the back of the freshly slain troll, Ilshai rose to glare at Lealenya.  The Mage stared wide-eyed a the Rogues face, clearly confused at the anger Ilshai seemed to be aiming at her.  Lealenya slowly sidled to Jadsia's side as Ilshai circled around her.  

Ilshai's voice was calm, cold.  Deadly.  "Why didn't you sheep the damn troll to begin with?"

Lealenya, wide-eyed and completely oblivious to the precarious position she was in, responded in all honesty.  "I'm sorry, I sometimes forget I can do that."

As Ilshai started in on Lealenya, dagger rising in her hand, a shield appeared around the Mage.  

"Oops.  I'm sorry.  Wrong spell,"  Jadsia said through clenched teeth, glaring at Ilshai.  Ilshai lowered her dagger, glaring right back at Jadisa.  The Rogue stomped off, leaving Lealenya and the Priest in the aftermath of the ambush.

"Jadsia?"  Lealenya asked quite seriously, "are we going to have to move camp again?"

Jadsia sighed and touched her forehead with delicate fingertips.  She shut her eyes and tried to remember the countless lessons of patience that came with her craft.  Trying not to be frustrated with the Mage would test even the most patient of people.  "Yes, Lealenya, we do.  When your enemy knows where you are, you move."



That evening, the three women sat around the campfire four miles from where they had started.  Jadsia and Ilshai stared at Lealenya.  Lealenya stared back.  

"What do you mean," Jadisa started calmly, "that you don't know how to conjure food and water?"

"I just never thought I'd need it," replied Lealenya, quite innocently.  "I just didn't study it."

Ilshai's voice, clearly strained with trying to remain civil, was nearly at a breaking point.  "You knew about this trip for a week.  Why didn't you study it then?"

Lealenya tilted her head to the side, her eyes looking a bit like a startled deer's.  "I forgot?"

Ilshai rose from the fire, hand slipping to her dagger.  Jadsia grabbed Ilshai's wrist, pulling her back down to the ground.  Ilshai's huff and indignant glare went unnoticed.  

"I see," said Jadsia, "Well, I have a few pieces of jerky here in one of these bags, we'll eat that tonight.  Tomorrow, we'll just have to hunt or buy food.  I suggest we all get some rest."

Ilshai turned to Jadisa, a pleading look in her eyes.  Jadsia slowly shook her head.  They ate in silence and as Lealenya began to stretch, Ilshai once again glanced at Jadsia.  The Priest glared at Ilshai and the Rogue stalked off in anger.  Jadsia looked down at her lap, shaking her head again.  As Lealenya began to snore softly, Jadsia once again shielded her just as a dagger flew at the Mage from the trees.    Ilshai's dark eyes glittered with anger as she stepped from the shadows and into the firelight and surrounding shrubbery.  

"Oops again.  Damn spell almost seems to go off by itself."

Ilshai grabbed her bedroll and stomped off, not willing to sleep near the sad excuse for a Mage.  Just for good measure, Jadsia murmured a prayer of Fortitude for the sleeping Lealenya and re-shielded her before drifting off to sleep herself.