Zeke squeezed through after Narda, his back aching uncomfortably already. The headache would follow, soon. The wolves still went after them, but without the tainted magic aggravating them, they were slow, careless, and far more easy to kill. Zeke joined Narda in the slaying of those that came near, appreciating the fact that her killing more slowed her down just enough that he could keep up with her. Imagining her marching in a military unit, with those long legs, was both amusing and irritating.
"I'm sure they could." Zeke said thoughtfully. "And would. Judging by how protective they are of their land." He gestured, just as she did, and then turning to watch the creatures that tailed them. "Maybe if we take them one of these things, they'll see why it would be beneficial to burn it." He cut down two of the wolves, the third wobbling unsteadily on its legs before it collapsed to the ground. With his free hand, he rubbed the nape of his neck, shifting his shoulders to try to ease the knot that was forming.
Upon hearing Narda's compliment, Zeke glanced at her, rotating his shoulders. "Thanks. You're not so bad yourself." He returned, redirecting his steps to head off a looming wolf. "I wouldn't exactly say we're all friends, but yeah, they're easy enough to get along with." He wandered back toward her. "And yeah, he did, actually." Zeke said, grinning slightly. "Since I was about nine. He raised me."
He chewed on the inside of his lip. "Its what he does. Or did. Took in kids that are abandoned, or abused, or who just need a place. Makes sure they all know how to fight, or cook, or sew, or whatever they have an interest in that will get them work once they're old enough to do so." His smile grew. "I just happened to grow up to be captain of the city guard. But it was a lifetime ago, it seems like."
~
Ysaryn shrugged a shoulder, wrinkling her nose as the action caused a twinge in her head. "With bad luck for so long, I'm due for quite an abundance of good luck." Ysaryn admitted, picking her way along beside the Amrian. She inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with the strange new scents of the new world. Trees were a mixture of familiar and new, the leaves carrying an odd aroma with them. The ground still smelled like dirt, but the animals that roamed it were different. As if they spent too long in a burrow that did not belong to them.
"I'm still alive, so I suppose I am fairly hard to kill." She flashed him her wolfish grin, her eyes wandering his face. "You fight well, by the way. Suppose that is expected, considering your job." The stream they approached smelled odd, as well, the fish more potent in her nostrils. Small as they were as they swam along in the current, she could almost count them without being able to see.
"Amria smells so," Ysaryn began, inhaling deeply, filling her lungs again with the plethora of aromas. "different. Good. Like after a rain, when everything is hightened."
She turned her head and grinned at him once more before falling silent, enjoying the views, the smells, the air that tickled through her much more lightweight hair.
As they neared the village, Ysaryn automatically slowed, her expression growing more cautious as she observed. She knew Amria had no elves here, and had no idea how they would react to a dark skinned stranger wrapped in leathers, regardless of whether or not she carried her weapons. Ed laid out their options, and Ysaryn kept her eyes forward, inclining her head as she looked over the pens, the horses, the barricades. She swallowed. "No, I can't really Walk us forward unless I know more precisely where I'm trying to get." Ysaryn craned her neck, then pointed. "Bottom of this ridge, at best. And I'm not being left alone without a weapon, so if you go ahead, so do I." She said firmly, reaching out to take his hand.
Eyes trained on where she wanted to take them, she focused for a few seconds before she pulled them forward.
They stepped back out a moment later, the elf hissing as her head twinged in pain. She let him go in order to cradle her forehead in her hands, pressing her palms to her eyes again. "Maybe I shouldn't do that again so quickly." Ysaryn commented, swallowing a wave of nausea before she looked up again, blinking furiously. "Your people have never seen an elf before." Ysaryn stated, knowing her concerns would be expressed in subtext.
~
It was definitely the language Kire spoke. Whatever that word their leader spoke first, that single syllable that could only be a swear, he'd certainly heard Kire mutter that plenty of times. He could hear their shouting, but it grew quieter fast, and he was sure he'd made his escape.
Until the whistles came. Rippling through the forest in unmistakable signals. Fuck. Ruli said as he ducked under another low hanging branch. At least his arm didn't hurt anymore, the amount of adrenalin pumping through him once again. He turned, trying to avoid the calls they made to one another. He would never admit it to Kire, but the boots helped him keep traction as he turned and wove through the trees. Still, he wish he'd laced them a little better.
Ruli turned again, heading south once more, stealing a momentary glance behind him to see if his hunters tailed him. Before he knew what was happening, the ground disappeared beneath his feet and he plummeted with a shout of alarm. The speed at which he'd been running caused him to nearly bounce off the farther wall of the pit they'd dug. With a grunt, he hit the bottom, landing on the hilt of his sword to earn himself what would unmistakably be a painful bruise. Twisting, Ruli lay himself on his back, propped against the wall, raising his hands in surrender as the faces appeared, staring down at him.
Chest heaving, skin moist with sweat, and his bandaged arm now covered in dirt as well as blood, Ruli flashed a crooked grin. "That desperate for men out here, you have to hunt them down and trap them, hm?" He asked breathlessly, watching each of the figures carefully.
"I'm sure they could." Zeke said thoughtfully. "And would. Judging by how protective they are of their land." He gestured, just as she did, and then turning to watch the creatures that tailed them. "Maybe if we take them one of these things, they'll see why it would be beneficial to burn it." He cut down two of the wolves, the third wobbling unsteadily on its legs before it collapsed to the ground. With his free hand, he rubbed the nape of his neck, shifting his shoulders to try to ease the knot that was forming.
Upon hearing Narda's compliment, Zeke glanced at her, rotating his shoulders. "Thanks. You're not so bad yourself." He returned, redirecting his steps to head off a looming wolf. "I wouldn't exactly say we're all friends, but yeah, they're easy enough to get along with." He wandered back toward her. "And yeah, he did, actually." Zeke said, grinning slightly. "Since I was about nine. He raised me."
He chewed on the inside of his lip. "Its what he does. Or did. Took in kids that are abandoned, or abused, or who just need a place. Makes sure they all know how to fight, or cook, or sew, or whatever they have an interest in that will get them work once they're old enough to do so." His smile grew. "I just happened to grow up to be captain of the city guard. But it was a lifetime ago, it seems like."
~
Ysaryn shrugged a shoulder, wrinkling her nose as the action caused a twinge in her head. "With bad luck for so long, I'm due for quite an abundance of good luck." Ysaryn admitted, picking her way along beside the Amrian. She inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with the strange new scents of the new world. Trees were a mixture of familiar and new, the leaves carrying an odd aroma with them. The ground still smelled like dirt, but the animals that roamed it were different. As if they spent too long in a burrow that did not belong to them.
"I'm still alive, so I suppose I am fairly hard to kill." She flashed him her wolfish grin, her eyes wandering his face. "You fight well, by the way. Suppose that is expected, considering your job." The stream they approached smelled odd, as well, the fish more potent in her nostrils. Small as they were as they swam along in the current, she could almost count them without being able to see.
"Amria smells so," Ysaryn began, inhaling deeply, filling her lungs again with the plethora of aromas. "different. Good. Like after a rain, when everything is hightened."
She turned her head and grinned at him once more before falling silent, enjoying the views, the smells, the air that tickled through her much more lightweight hair.
As they neared the village, Ysaryn automatically slowed, her expression growing more cautious as she observed. She knew Amria had no elves here, and had no idea how they would react to a dark skinned stranger wrapped in leathers, regardless of whether or not she carried her weapons. Ed laid out their options, and Ysaryn kept her eyes forward, inclining her head as she looked over the pens, the horses, the barricades. She swallowed. "No, I can't really Walk us forward unless I know more precisely where I'm trying to get." Ysaryn craned her neck, then pointed. "Bottom of this ridge, at best. And I'm not being left alone without a weapon, so if you go ahead, so do I." She said firmly, reaching out to take his hand.
Eyes trained on where she wanted to take them, she focused for a few seconds before she pulled them forward.
They stepped back out a moment later, the elf hissing as her head twinged in pain. She let him go in order to cradle her forehead in her hands, pressing her palms to her eyes again. "Maybe I shouldn't do that again so quickly." Ysaryn commented, swallowing a wave of nausea before she looked up again, blinking furiously. "Your people have never seen an elf before." Ysaryn stated, knowing her concerns would be expressed in subtext.
~
It was definitely the language Kire spoke. Whatever that word their leader spoke first, that single syllable that could only be a swear, he'd certainly heard Kire mutter that plenty of times. He could hear their shouting, but it grew quieter fast, and he was sure he'd made his escape.
Until the whistles came. Rippling through the forest in unmistakable signals. Fuck. Ruli said as he ducked under another low hanging branch. At least his arm didn't hurt anymore, the amount of adrenalin pumping through him once again. He turned, trying to avoid the calls they made to one another. He would never admit it to Kire, but the boots helped him keep traction as he turned and wove through the trees. Still, he wish he'd laced them a little better.
Ruli turned again, heading south once more, stealing a momentary glance behind him to see if his hunters tailed him. Before he knew what was happening, the ground disappeared beneath his feet and he plummeted with a shout of alarm. The speed at which he'd been running caused him to nearly bounce off the farther wall of the pit they'd dug. With a grunt, he hit the bottom, landing on the hilt of his sword to earn himself what would unmistakably be a painful bruise. Twisting, Ruli lay himself on his back, propped against the wall, raising his hands in surrender as the faces appeared, staring down at him.
Chest heaving, skin moist with sweat, and his bandaged arm now covered in dirt as well as blood, Ruli flashed a crooked grin. "That desperate for men out here, you have to hunt them down and trap them, hm?" He asked breathlessly, watching each of the figures carefully.