Several hours have passed since:
~Tiberious was not in a good mood. After what happened in the shop in Grorr he had gathered his trainees and got them geared up for a trip to Cape Salarain. They really were a bunch of no hopers, in his opinion. He was trying to whip them into shape, but it was taking time. They had finally managed to assemble and mounted their horses - at least they knew which way to face on them!~
~He had taken his jet black stead, and together they had started off on the road to the cape. He really should have made them run all the way.~
~A little way in he had told them he had a new plan for them. They were to proceed to Salarain on their own. he would catch them up as he had a few pressing matters to attend to first. If they managed to reach Salarain before him, then he would ensure they would be rewarded that night. But they all had to reach the city as a unit. If he caught up with them, then there would be hell to pay. They had set off at a fast gallop, leaving Tiberious alone.~
~He had then set off, taking a different path. The one into the forest. He had in his pocket a small key; a special key for a special person. Who wasn't that special at the moment, and he didn't want anyone getting the wrong idea.~
~He followed the various paths through the forest, until he reached the lake. He dismounted and walked noisily towards the cave. He wanted to announce his prescence - he wasn't here to cause any trouble this time. But when he got there, the place was deserted. There was evidence of someone having been here a while ago, but that would have been hours before he left Grorr.~
~He was crouched down, examining the ground, and he rocked back on his heels as he thought. They should have been back by now, they had plenty of head start. But the fact they hadn't returned at all meant two things.
One, that something had happened to them on the way back, which was unlikely because he would have come across some evidence of it on his way here. Which left option 2. They didn't come back by choice. Which pointed to one thing. They were ignoring what he had said.
Well not they as such. HIM.~
~He walked back to his horse, mounted him and galloped as fast as he could to find his trainees. There would be no reward for them tonight.~