CHAPTER 7 Lost.

She awoke the next morning... she stood up from her pallet on the ground and stretched. she let out a massive yawn as she exited the manmade tent. She took a deep breath trying to rid herself of the weight of sleepiness. She made sure to keep the cursed eye shut as she walk into the small clearing towards Fred. She had left the eye patch and cape in his saddle bag.

When she got to the tree Fred greeted her with a slight neigh.

" Good morning to you as well, Fred. " she gave have soft pet to his neck and belly. She went over to the tree stump she had the saddle and reigns sitting on she reached into the saddle bags searching for the eye patch but..... Was unable to find it to her surprise " Aw man! I mush have dropped it some where..... Geez..." she looked all around the stump but to no avail. " I need to go into town and get a new one if I cant find it..." she started getting agitated at her self for being so careless. " If you don't find what?" the sudden voice surprised her she jump and quickly turned around to find Dalton walking towards her. She quickly cover her eye with her hand and looked at him. " Lieutenant Summers! You scared me!" She raise her voice towards him. " I'm sorry I didn't know that would scare you." He remarked tilting his head. " What did you lose?" she looked up from searching " My eye patch." She said curtly and resumed searching " Where is the last place you saw it?" He asked as he also began searching. " Well last night before I went to bed I wrapped it up in my cape and put it in Fred's saddle bag I'm thinking it dropped out of my cape somewhere..." she heaved a heavy sigh and clutched her bangs in her hand. " Forgive me for asking this but... Is something wrong with your eye?" he asked hesitantly. She stopped in her tracks and casted a glare at him.

" This eye is a curse... It looks horrible to be honest I have thought about clawing it out at times..." She went silent for a moment and then started speaking once more. " Any way I can't keep it closed forever I'll get tired... I'm thinking about going into town and buying me a new one." Dalton looked at her and spoke " I see... Well I'll escort you to town if you want?" She stopped for a moment and looked at him. " Have you organized the patrol for this morning?" " Yes they've already headed out and won't be back until sun down. and the camp is secure with the soldiers who are resting from patrolling last night and the camp guards." He spoke formally towards Elizabeth.

" Hrm.... well we're getting no where with the search...." she let out a heavy sigh and looked up at the sky. " Get yourself a horse we will head out into the nearest village and see if they have one.... Dalton I'm sorry to trouble you with something so stupid it's just i-" Dalton cut her off " It's okay you don't have to explain I don't mind." with that remark he left to get a horse.

Elizabeth started saddling up Fred. Once she was done she gave him a couple of small sugar cube's for him to eat. As she hauled her self up, Dalton came up riding an black stallion a little smaller than Fred. " Are you ready to go? The soldiers who are from this area said there is a village North from here." Elizabeth nodded and gave a swift kick to Fred's side to make him speed up until Fred was in pace with the other stallion. " So... What's the curse placed on that eye of yours?" Dalton asked looking away awkwardly . Elizabeth looked at Fred's mane and thought for a minute " Well it's not really a curse I just call it that...hmmm what I'm meaning to say it isn't really pretty to look at..." She said as she gave another kick to Fred's side to speed him up into a trot... They both fell silent for the rest of the way there....