"Block!" the staff swung up in an arch and Tarm countered, he stepped sidewise and swung low for the legs.

"Jump!" his opponent was not quick enough to respond and landed sprawled in the dust.

Tarm laughed.

"Vix, what have I told you?" he walked forward to offer a hand but found the staff jabbing into his chest.

"Give me one good reason not too" Vix growled, prodding him for emphasis.

"Dinner time!"

the two fighters exchanged looks of amusement before Vix relaxed her weapon and let Tarm pull her to her feet, she dust of the dirt from her tunic and shook her head.

Evelyn looked between them and sighed, then raised her hands in the ritual blessing.

"Our goddess earth, to you we give thanks for this bountiful...." she opened one eye and risked a look at the bubbling pot "vole stew and pray that you continue to bless us with your gifts of small vermin"

"So mote be it" the other two chorused.

Tarm began to wolf down his meal, commenting now and again ‘how you could really taste the vole’ and ‘what is that delightful herb?’

Evelyn picked at her meal replying to Tarm with a ‘thank you’ or ‘just something I found growing by the little stream west-ways’

Vix ate distractedly, gazing deeply into the fire her mind on other things.

"How many silvani* left?" she asked mildly, picking a bone from her stew and throwing it into the campfire.

"We had nine, payment from the mayor of Casitue for freeing his city from the curse" Tarm said with a mouthful, Vix nodded and gingerly touched her shoulder remembering where the curse’s creature had wrapped it cold, dead hands around her.

"And you spent most of them on the devil drink if I remember rightly" Evelyn said primly folding her hands in her lap "I’ve told you Tarm that put unnatural substances in to your body will only anger the goddess, that is why you awoke with a throbbing head"

"And I’ve told you that they make ale using what the goddess gave us, its as natural as your vole stew" Tarm railed up to defend his vice.

Tarm was a skilled swords man and had been in the Silvirion army until the devil over took him and he fell by the roadside drunk every night and by day sold his skills as a paid assassin.

This was how he had met Evelyn, she was a cleric of the goddess and hand travelled to preach to the city of Theb of their murders ways.

Evelyn truly believed this was her calling ordained by order of the goddess and could be found outside taverns and whorehouses preaching about the devils of drink, lust and greed.

The village counsels of Theb found Evelyn a plague upon their city, well know for its high alcohol and low morals, and had employed Tarm to rid them of this disease.

Tarm had cornered her in an alehouse and pressed his knife to her throat when he found his arms to heavy to move and his body as of lead.

Evelyn had touched his contorted face and whispered a prayer to the mother earth.

Freed, Tarm had dropped to his knees and prayed to the goddess for forgiveness. he had became a believer that day.

But unlike Evelyn who saw all that was not pure as new snow to be evil Tarm saw everything as the goddess’s balance of good and evil.

"I did not ask for your views on religion" Vix snarled at them. "I asked about our money"

"Well" Evelyn said promptly "taking into account Tarm’s drinking, the healers frees for your arm and a contribution to the temple of out earth mother our founds come to 5 pevrics and a casna"

"Not even enough for one round at the bar" Tarm moaned.

"How much did we give to the temple?" Vix enquired, Evelyn looked at the ground and began to twist her hands together.

"After the healers bills and Tarm’s drinking we had six silvani left and I thought money is the root to all evil but money buys food and people are starving..."

"How much Evelyn?"

"5 silvani, 14 pervics and two casna" Evelyn cowered, Vix raised her hand as if to hit but then thought better of it and rested her hand back in her lap.

"How far to the nearest town?" she asked, Tarm licked his fingers and, after fishing about in his pack, produced a browning map.

"Hstin, two miles"

"The casna can probably buy us a room for the night" Vix said slowly thinking through her options "then we will have to see if anyone is in need of worriers or spiritual enlightenment.......for a reasonable price"

"But money is the root to all evil....." Evelyn began again but Vix cut across her.

"Money is what keeps the temples in supply of holyer than holy water and passes to the heavens"

Evelyn sniffed, hating to be reminded of the corruption of her religion but remained silent, her stomach was grumbling for something more substantial than vole stew and she wanted to sleep in a soft goose feather bed again.
Tarm once again went searching in his pack and brought out a small flask, he took and swig and shuddered.

"Devil!"

* silvani’s are the highest amount of currency in Silvirion, three casna’s make a silvani, 25 pevrics make a casna. Ale costs 5 pevirics a pint so to buy a round for a whole bar you’d better hope to have a couple of casna on you.