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I studied the way Aurelius' lips seemed to curve into smiles as each word about his hunting hobby left his mouth. I also noticed how his eyes changed shades of blue as clouds would cover the sun, and then flee from it. It also struck me a little funny how his hair seemed to stick up a little in random places, reminding me of wheat in a field. This was not how I pictured a king, especially one with a specialty in fighting battles, to look. Yet, I think it's a pleasant surprise.

"Enough about me," Aurelius chimed. "Would you like me to accompany you into town?"

Suddenly it all came back to me: Edgar's sad face as I left, the basket I had left next to the road, the pungent smell of a dead wolf. I began to backup, "Oh, I could never ask someone as noble as you to accompany a poor girl like myself, I must be heading back anyway."

He gave me a look I did not quite understand. His eyes squinted a little, head cocked a little to the side. "Yes, if you say so." He straitened himself up, his shoulders appearing more broad, and the sun hitting him just right behind his head, making him appear to be the king I had imagined. "Well, if you ever need rescuing from another wolf, don't hesitate to call." And with that he backed away towards what I would assume to be Camelot. With a good distance between us, he raised one hand, a strange smile on his face, and then turned, disappearing amongst the trees.

With Aurelius being gone, the scent of the wolf penetrated my conscience once more. Each passing second seemed to be worse, as if it decayed much faster than any other living creature. I looked at my blood stained hand and my heart began pounding. I had never seen something die before. My eyes felt wet as I looked back at the wolf. It still looked mad, but I began to feel bad for the wolf's madness. I shook my head and wiped my eyes with my sleeve and ran back towards the incline to the road.

Once back on the main road I found my basket, seemingly untouched. I wondered if I should really head back to Edgar, after all I look very questionable in this splattered dress and my hands the way they are now. If only I had not met that wolf... I would be speaking with my brothers by now, surely. I exhaled, feeling a bit frustrated. My dress didn't get it too bad, maybe I could take the money I got and purchase a new dress in Camelot without much grief.

I decided that was the best idea. If Edgar is going to get mad at me, I may as well have another dress he won't have to steal to make up for it. So, as if nothing had happened at all, I raised my head high, basket in hand, and continued towards Camelot, the land of Magic.