After maybe a few minutes, Jaques woke up with a splitting headache, letting out a pained groan. He felt horribly nausious. He waited for everything to be less of a blur, before realizing he had no idea where he was. At that point he began to panic, but then remembered the faces, remembered pouring his second drink, and then the rest was a complete blur. He opened his mouth to say something, but quickly turned around and hurled.

He guessed that he passed out. But he hoped he hadn't revealed anything important about himself. "...Where are--" He realized his voice was a bit higher. he quickly fixed that by faking a cough and continuing in a lower, more forced tone,"Where are we..? How much did i miss..?" That was a stupid question. He most likely missed a lot. Great. Before thinking more, he let out another groan and held his head. His head hurt. His muscles hurt. He made a horrible mistake.

Tahra and Logan followed Ian into the escape tunnel where Ian placed the past out drunken boy on the floor. He sealed the hatch behind them, the others would not be able to follow. Tahra understood but she didn’t like it.

“What do we do now? We clearly can’t stay here.”

Logan instinctively placed himself between Tahra and the way forward since the way behind them was sealed off.

“Ian, lead the way,” Tahra motioned down the tunnel. “We stick to the plan. The others know where we’re going, they’ll find us or do things on their own.”

Just then Jaques woke up. Tahra stifled a laugh when the boy threw up on Logan’s boots. “You didn’t miss much, just the Royal Guard finding us and attacking. No clue where we are now, some escape tunnel. You are, unfortunately, safe with us for the moment.” Logan kicked the vomit off on the side of the tunnel wall and give Tahra a quizzical look as she gave him a warning glare.

Tahra bent down as though she were checking on the boy, rubbing his back soothingly. “Don’t worry Princess Rosalind, your secret is safe with me. The others just assumed you were drunk and nothing more.”

Jaques blushed in embarrassment when he realized who's shoes he had thrown up on. "Uh...Sorry" He muttered toward the man. He guessed that Logan wouldn't be to happy with him for the rest of the journey. He would just try to keep his distance. Then Tahra bent down to him. When he heard her say his true identity, his eyes widened. "How did you...?" he paused. "Oh yeah." They had met once before when the were younger. She would have found out sooner or later.

But from what the child had heard from the princess must have meant that he said something that could have ruined his disguise. Whatever he said, it probably didn't matter. Nobody thought anything of it except for Tahra. He would be safe. But he was travelling with a party. Soon enough, they would have to find out as well. But for now, it would remain between him and Tahra.

He couldn't remember if anything about going anywhere was mentioned earlier, since he was too drunk to have remembered anyway. He had no idea where they were headed. He also had no idea where the others were. He stood up and stretched, his body still aching horribly. Him and Tahra could talk more about his disguise later, for now, he would just ask important questions. "So where exactly are we headed, and where are the others? ...Forgive me if you've already talked about this...I was to drunk, or to unconscious to remember.." He gave out a weak laugh.

Wledic was about to answer the merc's challenge, drawing his blade and stepping down toward him, but before their blades met the Dullahan pulled him up onto the cart and they rode off through his disoriented guards. He was well aware of the dangers this line of work help but seeing his men killed still infuriated the man, he didn't even flinch as a bolt flew passed him and tinked off the nearby wall.

With a sigh he gesture for what guard weren't too heavily injured to begin moving those that were "get them back to the castle" He looked off in the direction the cart had gone in "up to the King's foot now"

---

Ian started at the sound of a loud boom outside the small tunnel but brought his attention back to their current situation when the knight Tahra had come with inquired about what they would do next and Tahra was saying that He should lead the way "We can follow this to the outskirts of the city. We can go from there" at the same time Jaques regained consciousness, only to throw up on Logan's shoes.

While Tahra was checking on him Ian bent down to help "It's just straight out that way, you two are probably better fighters than I am so you should probably lead the way in case we run into any of the town guard before we're free. I can help him along now until we find a better place to rest" He stooped down and put an arm around Jaques "C'mon kid, we're getting out of here now" His intention was to support him while they walked but given how light the kid was it was easier to just try and carry him "let's go"

The shouts of men were far behind him as he stalked through the dense forest that laid outside the city walls. Kolgrin had left a trail of dead soldiers in his wake, many of whom he had once served. He would be hunted as a traitor now, of that he was sure. The king's men would probably be hounding after him at this very moment if they weren't too busy running around like decapitated chickens. The great wolf wasn't too worried about them, to be honest. He was more worried about finding the one person he found himself truly loyal to.

The princess had more or less raised him from a pup since he had arrived at the castle. The king being too busy to bother with him, and the maids being terrified of him, the gentle hands of the young royal was all he'd had. Once he had been big enough, he had been traded off to the royal army to serve. However, his heart remained the softest for the young woman who had reared him. He may have fought with the soldiers, but in his mind, it had always been for her.

And now she was gone. Upon hearing of the young mistress's disappearance, and the queen's death, Kolgrin knew he could no longer stay in the castle. He couldn't hunt the person he was loyal to. He didn't know if she actually killed the queen or not; he didn't care. A wolf's loyalty didn't waver over such matters. All he knew was that he had to find her.

He'd led the first search party out of the city, where he knew her trail didn't lead. Once they were far enough away, he'd turned on them and tore into them so suddenly that they didn't have time to fight back. Once they had been killed, he bounded off into the woods. Her trail hadn't left the city, which made him think that she was still hiding within the walls. However, he couldn't go back now. Not without raising some sort of alarms. But sooner or later, she would have to make a break for it. And Kolgrin planned to be there to help.

The black furred beast crouched down into the thick brush upon hearing hoof beats. The clack of armor approached him, and the talk of men made his ears perk up. Another of the king's search parties was out scouring the forest. He hunkered down, waiting for them to come close enough to ambush.

.

The air was crisp and carried the stench of death with it, of that Kellen was certain. Reluctantly rocking from his slumber a top the branches of a great willow, the young fey crinkled his nose at the repugnant sensation that swept over him. Sure enough, the sounds of screaming men swept through the forest like the ghastly wind that had come before it. Standing on the branch, Kellen curiously tilted his gaze in the direction they had come from. It wasn't uncommon for men to find their end in these woods; bandits, beasts and even his fellow fey were all known to frequent these parts. To encounter any of them would be most unfortunate.

Even so, the curious fairy couldn't resist the allure of seeing which creature spelled the demise of those poor, unfortunate souls. With a spring in his step, Kellen gracefully leapt from the branch and began his descent into the woods. His talons found the next branch, but only for a mere second before he had jumped to the next. His movements were tranquil and without sound as he found his way to the bloodbath of men before him. While Kellen thought himself to be unfazed by such sights anymore, even he found himself feeling ill from thinking about what might have transpired here. Nonetheless, he couldn't help but investigate.

Among the mauled remains of what were once men and the blood stained armor, Kellen spied a set of beast tracks leading off into the woods. They resembled that of a wolves, but surely no wolf could have paws that large. Perhaps it was a fey, similar to himself? He'd never known a fellow fey to be this vicious though. Unable to come up with a conclusion, Kellen resolved himself to following the tracks. His prior excitement was replaced with a slight anxiousness. Kellen wasn't usually one to succumb to fear by any stretch of the imagination, but the thought of what he might find at the end of the trail was definitely unnerving.

The tracks continued into the woods for quite some time, and judging by how spaced they were apart Kellen could tell this was definitely a creature that could move at great speeds. There was no doubt in his mind that it was a four legged beast now; but he'd never encountered such a large beast in these woods that he'd called home his entire life. Eventually the tracks stopped just near a large shrubbery. Staring into the brush, Kellen took a cautious step forward with his hand outstretched. Before he could pull the brush apart, the sound of hooves and armor clinking and clattering turned his attention to an entourage of knights approaching him at an alarming pace.

Like a doe face to face with a lion, Kellen was frozen as the men dismounted and surrounded him.
"Could this thing have killed the first search party?" One of the men spat out, pointing a speartip so close to Kellen's chest that the Fey instinctively stepped backwards. As he did he felt a heavy, crushing sting throughout his shoulders as the soldier behind him rammed his shield into the young Fey. Toppling down to the ground, Kellen scurried around in an attempt to find an exit; though there were no such opportunities.
"Please... I have no qualms with you, humans." His voice was hushed and frightful, almost a whimper. Would he have to fight his way out? He wasn't certain he'd be able to wing against such overwhelming odds.
"Hah! The monster speaks!" Another Knight jived, rallying his fellows into a sickeningly cruel laugh at the helpless Fey before them. Fear finally overcoming him, Kellen covered his ears and sobbed into the dirt; hoping this was all just some bad dream and that he was still sleeping peacefully atop of the willow.

@Metronome

A thunderous snarl tore through the forest as the black beast leaped over the hedge he hid behind. He had watched as a strange creature let itself be approached by the men, and then found itself surrounded. The party was only three men, but they wore full armor and bore arms. The news of the first party's demise had spread, but not what had killed them.

Kolgrin's massive paws landed softly on the dirt road. His head hung low as he stalked towards the men, his golden eyes meeting theirs with a hint of venom.

"Kolgrin?" One of the men questioned, recognizing the beast from the army.

"What are you doing, you big ugly brute," Another of the men jeered. But as the northwolf approached, he began to slowly back away. Two of the men had dismounted their horses, and one remained in his saddle. Kolgrin sprung for one of the horseless men first. The armored equines cried out with fear and bolted quickly without their riders.

The soldier put his shield up to the wolf, but Kolgrin's weight pinned him to the ground. With his own shield crushing his chest, the man was helpless. Kolgrin's jaws wrapped around his head, and the men was quickly dispatched. The other horseless soldier charged behind him, baring his sword. Kolgrin turned in time to receive it into his shoulder. It cut past his thick black fur and into his hide. But the man made the mistake of missing the fatal blow. The black wolf turned on him in an instant, knocking him, too, to the ground and descending upon him like a demon straight from hell.

The mounted man charged his steed towards the giant beast. Kolgrin leaped out of the way of his sword's swing. His powerful jump landed him across the road. His fiery eyes watched the last soldier with little mercy.

"I don't know what's gotten into you, beast, but you'll pay for your treason," The soldier growled. He turned his stallion and charged again. Kolgrin met this threat head on. He leaped at the horse, wrapping his forelegs around it's neck and pulling it down. His jaws snapped at the rider, who quickly abandoned his steed. The man began to run, but Kolgrin was far faster than any man. The beast quickly caught up to him and swiped one paw at him, claws outstretched. The swing flung the man to the ground, and it didn't take the wolf long to maul him as well.

The wolf straightened himself up once the deed was done. He licked his maw as he looked back at the creature in the road. The last horse, slightly wounded, fled into the forest. Kolgrin held his head higher as he turned to approach the strange being. His malice was replaced by mild curiosity. He bent his head down to sniff at the fey, his cold, wet nose prodding gently at him. He definitely smelled odd. Like flowers and spring pollen. Kolgrin reared his head back up to sneeze. He grunted and shook his head, his ears flopping about. The shake went from his head, then all the way down his body to his tail. Once his fur resettled, the beast took one last look at the creature, then turned and began to make his way back on his path around the city wall.

Tahra took up the lead, having a silent argument with Logan who reluctantly took up the rear, just in case the sealed hatch did not stay that way. The tunnel, as Ian had said, lead to the outskirts of the city. Tahra held up her hand to signal to the others to stop, her elven hearing allowing her to hear the distant footfalls of soldiers, no doubt searching the city for her.

Silently she drew the bow off her shoulder, leaving the arrows in her quiver for now. “Stay here. If I’m not back in a few minutes head to the forest, the elves are still your safest option.”

Before Logan could argue with her Tahra had left the safety of the tunnel. She stayed in the shadows, moving silently as she stalked the soldiers on patrol, looking for her and her companions. They were the only things standing between them and the safety of the wilderness outside the city. There were five of them, she could go back for Logan but despite the man’s military prowess he had a hard time being quiet and sneaky. No, it would be better for her to handle this herself.

Tahra climbed atop a house that gave her a good vantage over the soldiers, waiting until one of them started to straggle behind the others. Stealthily she dropped down behind the soldier, he hadn’t even heard her feet hit the ground just inches behind him when suddenly he found his air supply cut off by Tahra’s bow. He struggled and Tahra fought hard not to lose control of the situation, his body eventually falling limp once he had suffocated to death. Tahra drug his body into the shadows, relieving his body of his coin purse Tahra moved on to the next soldier.

---

Logan paced irritably at the entrance of the tunnel. Tahra hadn’t been gone too long, but ten minutes felt like an eternity. “You two can go on if you want, I’m going to wait for the Princess here.”

Logan drew his sword when he could hear someone making their way straight to where they were hiding, he pushed the small boy back further into the tunnel.

---

Tahra had taken four of the soldiers down without incident. One left to go, but he had just realized that he had not heard from his compatriots in some time – it was too quiet. He turned around as Tahra was making her approach to assassinate him as she had the others. He lunged at her, knocking her bow from her hands and the two wrestled on the ground. The soldier was heavier than her and eventually had her pinned beneath him, his hands wrapped tightly around her throat, crushing her windpipe.

“The King doesn’t care if you come back dead or alive.” He snarled at her before running his hand down her face. “Doesn’t mean I can’t have some fun with you first. I’m sure I’ll be the only man to say he had the Princess.”

Tahra was searching desperately for anything to attack the man with, her hand closing around a brick before she slammed it into the side of his head. She rolled away from him, coughing violently as she tried to gulp down as much air as she could while crawling away, hoping to put distance between her and the soldier.

He pounced on Tahra again, infuriated that she had attacked him, she felt a small blade sink into her side. Instead of dropping to the ground as he anticipated she threw her elbow back as hard as she could, hearing the satisfying crunch of his nose breaking. She pulled the dagger out of her ribcage and sank in into the man’s throat before pulling it out, wiping it clean on his uniform before taking the sheath for the dagger along with the coins he had on him.

She pressed her hand to the wound on her side and winced, she would have to take care of it later. She wiped the blood off her hand and tore a strip of cloth from her undershirt to stuff into the wound for now. She made her way back to the tunnel.

“It’s me! It’s just me. I took care of the guards. Now is our chance to leave the city.”

Tahra didn’t wait for argument, they needed to leave before more guards came. She led them as far away from the city into the woods as she could before she had to stop. They would be safe for the night. Logan built a fire while Tahra sat with her back against a log, holding Jaques in her lap, hoping to coax the boy to sleep. He didn’t need to keep watch, the adults could do that, and he was suffering from a terrible hangover. Tahra stared into the dancing flames, absentmindedly stroking Jaques hair as she began to sing. She had a beautiful voice but there was an undercurrent of sadness to it as she sang, she was singing the lullaby her mother used to sing to her.

“Te tye ni túl -o ana túl coiv- yare ni anta ar ni lar- ve a manen anann care- tye mére- ana n? Na- ullúme fárea, na- ullúme fárea? Manen anann - tye mére- ana n? Na- ullúme fárea? 'martime- ni'm tye up ni slip -esse caima yare tye're lorna ana hold tye close ar feel your súle tar'll n- so limbe ana - ni'll -esse a ól- as tye manen anann - tye mére- ana-? Na- ullúme fárea, na- ullúme fárea? Manen anann - tye mére- ana n? Na- ullúme fárea? 'martime- ni'm tye ve tye ráne- ter- sina -esse -o ilya vana tye pole- hendu yare tye're miles au- ar lar- mime óma ve a manen anann - tye mére- ana n? Na- ullúme fárea, na- ullúme fárea? Manen anann - tye mére- ana n? Na- ullúme fárea? 'martime- ni'm tye na- ullúme fárea? 'martime- ni'm tye.”

She gently moved Jaques so she could get up, finding a spot where Logan couldn’t see her. She pulled the cloth out of her wound and winced.

Ian was waiting probably just as anxiously as Logan was, more so when footsteps were coming toward them. Fortunately those turned out to be nothing and Tahra returned not too long later to lead the way to the forest. Ian followed along, still half-carrying Jacques to help him keep up, until they found a place far enough to rest.

While Logan built a fire Ian was keeping watch, sort of. He saw Tahra slink off, he'd noticed the ever-so-slight limp she'd had along the way and decided to go after her. First he'd wandered back to the center of their little camp and, with no explanation and a nod at Logan, he placed a dagger with the blade in the fire. Then he'd went to find Tahra, finding her as she was pulling cloth off of a wound. coming from the shadows smirking, he said "Well I suppose that place wasn't as safe as I thought, I guess that means no kiss huh?" He kneeled down beside her and went to examine her wound "C'mon lemme see...hmm, one of them got you good. just wait here for a second"

He went back over to the fire to retrieve his dagger, giving a small wave to Logan before disappearing again to return to Tahra. Keeping the heated knife hidden as he approached again "I've had to deal with being stabbed a few times in my line of work, didn't always had a lot of bandages on hand though, course I coulda torn up some old clothes like most people buuuuut-this'll hurt a little" He'd slipped an arm around her to move her clothes slightly and expose her wound. After that he'd quite suddenly clamped a hand around her mouth to stifle her scream and pressed the flat side of the heated blade to her wound, cauterizing it. Sure, he probably could've asked if she'd like to try this method, but he'd a feeling she would prefer the not-being-burned one, like most other people, and as appealing as it sounds to see her walking around with only half a shirt on, they probably shouldn't be traveling to another kingdom in tattered clothes and having to worry about changing bandages every so often.

even if he was going to get a kiss before...

How long had it been since Jaques felt such comfort? He could barely even remember. He had no idea how his parents were, and the closest he had of a father had been separated from him. So much stress had been on him as he only thought of these people for such along time while being off on his own. Tahra was the closest person he really had left from his past.

He felt her gentle touch through his hair. For the first time in a long long time, he felt relaxed. He was safe in Tahra's arms. He was on the brink of dozing off, when he heard Tahra's voice begin to sing. He could not make out the words, but he did in fact feel safe. And with that, he fell into a deep sleep.

"A disguise would be best, at least for the wizard." Sergei nodded. "And considering that last bastard was left alive, we best keep our heads low as well for a while. Exiting the city will be... difficult, but not impossible, if we're smart and lucky."

The knight leaned back. "That said, it's well past dark, and a loaded wagon and rider at this time is suspicious by any man's standards. We should check into an inn quickly, stable up, rest and go over supplies and strategy. Maybe lay low for a few days, until the guardsmen aren't out for blood- and rest assured, they'll grow angrier the more bodies we leave. We also need to decide what to do with the lazyass sleeping back there, anyways."

Sergei looked down at his now wet surcoat, and wiped some blood off his cheek. "Firstly, though, stop by a river or a well or something. Ain't a man alive gonna let me in slick with gore. You're gonna have to scrub it off this seat as well."

The black fur of the beast melted into the brush as the sun began to set and dark shadows overtook the forest. His eyes, gleaming in the lacking light, were still far sharper than any man's. The wolf was surprisingly silent for his size. The speed he traveled at was a brisk walk. He'd already circled the city once since that morning, and he'd keep doing it until he picked up his mistress's scent.

Luckily, that didn't take too terribly long. The wolf came upon a drainage tunnel, and the smell of his mistress lingered. He perked up, his tail giving a wag of excitement. She was alive! And it smell as though she had company. The wolf's demeanor darkened quickly, however, when he followed the trail a bit further into the woods and found the scene of a scuffle. Three dead guards laid on the ground, and one smelled more heavily of the princess than the rest. The scent of blood lingered in the air. She had been injured.

Kolgrin quickened his pace as he followed the trail, his nose pressed to the ground. He couldn't tell if the other scents were traveling companions or enemies trailing her. One in particular smelled familiar; perhaps a guard of the castle.

It didn't take the wolf long to come to the end of the trail. He slowed, quieting his steps as he came upon a campsite. The smell of smoke and the glow of fire drew him near. But his mistress was absent. Then, the faint scent of burning flesh and hair crossed his keen nose. Kolgrin turned to follow it, and he was very glad that he did.

He caught a glimpse of his mistress's face in the darkness of the forest. For a moment, his heart jumped. He wanted to run up to her like a happy pup, tail wagging and begging for pets. However, the twisted look of pain on her face made his blood boil instead. A man stood behind her, hand clapped over her mouth. His sharp eyes picked up a glint of silver at her side; a knife. His ears pinned back and his lips receded over his dagger-like fangs. A loud snarl tore from his throat as he barreled from the underbrush, fury in his shining eyes. He would end this man's life for harming his mistress!

Vert was leading the group towards gates of the city. "Guess it's time to use that fear factor that comes with Dullahans." Vert said giggling a bit before she grabbed the spinal whip on her hip. She gave it a crack as she approached the gate. A blue flame started to come out of her neck. This ability was more for show than anything else. "Move unless you want your spine to be a part of my collection mortals!" Vert yelled as her voice bounced around the area.

Many of the guards saw this display from Vert as terrifying as many of them had heard the stories, and Vert was the picture perfect version of those tales. The guards just stood by in state of terror as Vert passed them. She was fast and the wheels of the wagon were barely able to handle it. Soon enough Vert had gotten them out of the city and turned off her flames once she had gotten the group out of eyesight of the gates.

Soon enough Vert found a clearing in the woods that was the home of an old goblin camp that was now mostly destroyed with a pike of three goblins nearby. It stunk alot. "Alright, we are out of the city." Vert said as she stopped the cart and got off of Steve to allow him to graze a bit.

Once sat down Vert took the arrow out of her side with a bit of wincing and giggling from the pain. "So does anyone have a plan?" Vert asked the group as she held her side as a flame seemed to come out of the wound to cauterize it.

"Yes, a disguise," Stephanie replied to the old man, "hmmm... well, you're right enough. For now we should concentrate on keeping a low profile and settling in as we can. From there we can- blood? Oh, not the mahogany!"

Stephanie leaped into the back again and grabbed a cloth, rubbing the stains vigorously.

As Stephanie was cleaning and brainstorming a plan to get them all out of town safely, and one was beginning to come together in the mind of the genius merchant girl with the face that made men swoon and women... also swoon, she did not notice the Dullahan riding directly up to the gate. What she did notice, however, was Vert's voice booming all around. Stephanie bolted upwards, startled, and her face went pale. Not at the horrible visage of the unseelie beckoning men to death, but at just how completely screwed they were.

She was in shock until they reached the clearing, and Vert began talking again.

"P-p-plan!?" she blurted out, shaking both in fear and anger, which actually ended up making Stephanie look more like a nervous puppy than anything threatening, "I was coming up with a plan! One that doesn't involve a manhunt! B-b-but you- and then- with the theatrics and- oh, crap, we are so screwed."

Stephanie rubbed her forehead intensely with her fingers.

"We had an advantage. No one knew what most of us looked like. But with that scene at the gate, they almost assuredly have horses and hounds on the tail of a group whose looks are quite distinctive. A plan. God, we need a plan. O-OK, so, we can't go back there for at least a month. Thus, we must go somewhere else. They probably wouldn't expect us to go into the woods because a cart can't maneuver for crap in here, so the only thing is for us to cut through. We should keep moving. There's a town to the north, so... maybe we can rest there for a day? At most? If we aren't captured or killed?"

"Plan?" Sergei's good eye twitched. "The PLAN, you fucking IDIOT, was to LAY LOW AND WALK OUT WITH OTHER TRAVELERS." he shouted, spittle flying towards the dullahan.
"ARE YOU DENSE? DID YOU MOTHER DROP YOU?" he picked up a pinecone, and flung it at the demihuman.
"In case you haven't fucking noticed, SHE'S a knife-ears, I've got half a god-damned face, and your head can pop off! Do you think we're hard to track? You stopped us right outside the city gates! They'll probably light the woods on fire to smoke us out, if dogs don't rip our throats out first! And for fuck's sake, the only thing in this old camp is a bunch of rotting carcasses! We're gonna get rot-lung if we camp here!"

Turning, he brought his fist into the side of the cart, leaving a small crater in the wood. "I have such a fucking headache right now. Oh gods above."

Sergei slowly stripped off his bloodied surcoat, hauberk, and gambeson, hiding them under a canvas in the back. He took the a scrap of canvas, and awkwardly wrapped it around his bare chest like a cape, then brushed his hair roughly over the scarred half of his face. He took a seat next to Stephanie, and partially hid his longsword in the bed behind them, leaving the hilt close enough for a somewhat speedy draw.

"Hood up, knife-ears. Your ears are exotic, and we can't draw the eye of some lecherous guard. And me... I'll need something for my face, and a prosthetic. That can wait though. The horses will collapse if we run them much harder. We'll rest at the village for tonight, then continue further north at dawn. Next proper town after should be safe enough to grab some new threads and plan our next move."

Vert gave a sigh as half of the group got mad at her. "Laying low isn't something I can do. And my head doesn't just pop off, I can't put it back on. Doesn't matter what I do, I'm still gonna stand back. But I will admit that was a dumb move on my part, didn't help that I have no idea on the layout of that city either. Also my mother did kind of drop me on my head, though it was more like she dropped my head." Vert said with a sigh towards the others.

"But in the future, don't let me drive like that, I tend to make bad decisions when I'm rushed like that." Vert added, she knew it wasn't an excuse for what she had the group do, but she honestly had no idea where she was going to take that cart on such short notice. "Going to a village seems like a good idea though. How's the wizard man?" Vert asked looking back into the cart. While there wasn't much at the old goblin camp there was a few scraps of cloth laying around, though that was about it.

Steve in the meantime went over to George and seemed to encouraging nudge the other horse as if thanking him for his efforts. Steve seemed to have an interest in George. It could just be because they were both horses, or it could be because Steve was a very strange horse.

Ian wrapped an arm around her and suddenly had his hand over her mouth. Before Tahra could even struggle, Ian was holding a hot knife to her wound. Tahra screamed but it was muffled by Ian’s hand. The next thing Tahra heard was a guttural growl. Kolgrin, her childhood friend, had found her and clearly thought that Ian was an enemy, harming her.
Tahra scrambled to her feet holding her hands up in front of her, placing herself squarely between Kolgrin and Ian. “Lare-! So na- a nur!”

Tahra slowly approached Kolgrin, running her fingers through his fur, whispering soothing words to him as she kept herself between him and Ian. She inclined her head to the fire, inviting the wolf to wait for her there. Logan would be pleased to see Kol, the two had played rougher than Tahra had ever played with the wolf – she had preferred to snuggle with Kol with the occasional wrestling match.

Tahra turned back to Ian. “That was Kolgrin, he was my friend when I was younger, my father gave him to me like he was a common dog. Once my father realized his usefulness he was sent to the Army, it’s been some time since I’ve seen him.”

Tahra held her hand against her wound, relieved that it was no longer bleeding. “Thank you, Ian. For the wound…and for earlier. I never did thank you for trying to rescue me. I believe I promised you a kiss.”

Tahra walked up to Ian and placed her hand gently on his face before pressing her lips to his, lingering for just a moment before pulling away, heading back to the fire to sit with Kolgrin and to keep an eye on things, she could see better than most at night thanks to her elven blood. She wouldn’t sleep tonight anyway. She couldn’t close her eyes without seeing the sword burst through her mother.

Kolgrin came to a screeching halt when the princess stepped in front of him. He jutted his head off to the side, glaring hard at the man she was with. His hackles were raised, but they quickly fell when he felt a tiny hand brush over his fur. His ears drooped and he gave a couple pitiful whines. The giant wolf turned into little more than a puppy, his tail wagging and his big, wet tongue lolling out of his mouth to lick his mistress happily. He was very happy that she was okay, even if he was still wary of her company.

Once their reunion was over, Kolgrin took the hint and slunk off towards the camp. He held his head low as he approached the fire, taking in the other two faces that were there. When he saw Logan, his head perked up, his ears standing straight. The wolf leaped at the man, clobbering him to the ground to shower him with licks and headbutts. Kolgrin hadn't forgotten Logan, even if they hadn't had a chance to play in quite some time. He could always be rougher with the knight without fear of harming him...to badly at least.

Needless to say, Kellen was somewhat unnerved by the ferocious nature of the great wolf that had pounced the three knights and easily dispatched them. Though when the beast pressed his nose gently against the fey to gain his scent, all that uneasiness seemed to melt away. Beaming, Kellen used his knuckles to gently rub behind Kolgrin's ears before the creature rose from him.
"I am in your debt, magnificent creature." He spoke in a hushed whisper, watching the wolf retreat into the woods. Sitting on the path for a while, Kellen eventually decided he'd had enough excitement for one night. Standing up and dusting himself off, he quickly climbed up the nearest tree with a nimble gracefulness uncommon for creatures of his size. Perched up on the branch, he had intended to head back towards his lakeside willow when a sensation overwhelmed him.

Kellen stared back at where his four legged friend had departed. Overcome by a strange sensation of melancholy, Kellen couldn't bring himself to put this event behind him as easily as he'd intended. Turning his body fully, Kellen began to leap from branch to branch. Though instead of heading back to his willow, he had departed in the direction the great wolf had fled.

Tracking Kolgrin proved to be more of a challenge than Kellen initially thought. It seemed the beast possessed both brain and brawn; a thought that made the fey quite giddy. Humans had a nasty habit of viewing the many woodland critters as beings of lesser intelligence. Kellen had always possessed a natural inclination towards the animals of the forest, allowing him to understand them on levels that humans could not. Even so, it had taken him longer than usual to trace the steps of the wolf from earlier. Eventually he had found his way to what appeared to be a campsite. Approaching from a safe distance, Kellen perched high above in a nearby tree and began observing the scene. There were a few figures surrounding the flames. Kellen assumed them to be humans. After his recent run in, he was a bit afraid to approach another human. Though the site of Kolgrin among them was certainly reassuring. Leaping forth to a closer branch, Kellen silently dropped from the canopy so he could gaze upon the group at ground level. On closer inspection, it appeared there was also an elf and a young child with the group.

Perhaps he should introduce himself? No, the thought alone was enough to make him tense up. He'd have to approach them eventually; the wolf had his scent after all. Though surely a few minutes of watching from the shadows would be alright.