Somewhere in the middle of nowhere...

[bedevere]

*Nathaniel has taken his leave of those he travelled with, and quietly gone off on his own. he ends at the edge of a clearing, where several bodies have been laid to rest. Sitting down on a patch of ground seeming no different to the rest, he sighs, and speaks out loud, despite nobody else being there*

Well, you certainly were a worthy companion, Threan. I can think of nobody who achieved even close to what you have...

*After a few moments, Nathaniel takes a box from his bag, opens it, and takes out sixteen small stones, which he places on the ground, and he starts arranging them in various patterns*

[bedevere]

*After perhaps an hour, Nathaniel stops moving them at random, and starts thinking to himself. He lies back and looks at the few stars visible through the fierce clouds*

Lets see. Logically, a geometric shape of some kind should be the key. also, one stone in the middle of whatever the pattern is. That would leave fifteen others...

fifteen. Cant get much from that. either triangles, which would not be large enough to make rows of four without stupidly complicated overlapping, or pentangles. hmm...

*Nathaniel sits back for a few more moments, and sits up. After a few attempts at various arrangements of the stones, he smiles, as he places them into an arrangement that as far as he can tell, offers the exact qualities requested by his God.*

[Ben]

**The stones sink into the ground and disappear**

[bedevere]

*Nathaniel smiles*

I don't know if that was Threan, or Risk, but either way, I'm finished with them.

*Nathaniel places the box the stones came in on the same spot of the ground, and waits to see if anything happens to that. As an afterthought, he places a small coin next to it*

Here. I forgot I still had this. If you want it back, my lady, its yours.

[Ben]

The box sinks into the ground and the coin leaps into the air, spinning end over end

[bedevere]

*Nathaniel hold his hand out, ready to catch the coin. As it nears his hand, he calls out*

Heads? Tails? Or... Edge?

[Ben]

Three identical coins land on his hand. One heads, one tails and one perfectly balanced on its edge.

[bedevere]

*Nathaniel chuckles, and nods his head*

All things are possible, however improbable. I suspect theres some other lesson here that I will understand in time, but for now, one piece of wisdom will have to do.

*Nathaniel pockets the coins, glances once more at the ground where he had been sat, and once he has satisfied himself that no sign of his being there remains, he leaves*

[Ben]

In his pocket, the coins become one again

[bedevere]

Ah. Watch your money, or it'll be gone before you know it. A good lesson, but I knew that one already.

*Nathaniel chuckles again as he begins to pick up the pace, hoping to get home before the others, who had a head start*