Scars of War - Lore Story

Part two of the Scars of War story Magic's Price:

Cursing as she stumbled again, this time with enough force to splash water from the bucket she carried over her sandals, Shandra decided it was time for a break. Setting the bucket down on the path, she ignored the curse from the student behind her as her sudden stop forced him to change direction, clumsy under the weight of his own burden.

Sighing, Shandra took the opportunity to massage her shoulder muscles, seeking to ease the throbbing ache that had settled into them. Ahead of her, the other students continued up the path behind Master Vrain and Mistress Indra. The group of them had been walking for over an hour, the students walking in pairs, sharing the burden of their alloted water bucket between them. Well, most were in pairs. One of the students had caught some illness or the other, leaving their count uneven. Shandra had been the unlucky one, left to carry her burden up the rock-strewn hill alone.