There was still magic in the wilds. It was stagnant and unused but it lingered there despite the time that had passed and those who had sought to be rid of it. Bandits and refugees where the only few who wandered so far from known civilizations now. Still, very little had changed from the last time Unamia had visited the place; the trees remained large enough she nearly felt comfortable enough to fly over them without being seen. Nearly, but she was too close now and there would be no way of knowing the man’s reaction to seeing a dragon. Even if he himself where a demon. That had been a surprise; never before had she followed close enough to get so close but the shadows of the forest gave her the confidence to approach. It made things clearer; the varying gossip she had collected had hardly seemed connected to the same person. One a large but restrained man who barely spoke, other stories of an equally-large near monster who swung in blind rage with unnatural strength. Now she was half a day’s travel ahead of him; at least at his speed. She had just come to the edge of the ruins the day before, at least as far as she could tell it had been a day, and found a group of bandits. Unsettled by the forest as they already where, the young men unused to elves and magic, had moved rather quickly after a brief ‘haunting’ she had given. While it had been a bit of excitement for her, they had been at least 6 in number, and she doubted both their willingness to abandon a prime spot for camp, sheltered as it was, and her ability to fight them alone in her current form. There was also the girl, uncomfortably close to both Unamia and her charge, but she was a young, small thing who was unlikely to be a threat to either.
She looked up towards the canopy, not that it gave any signs to the time of day. Birds where still making sounds, so it wouldn’t be night just yet. A sharp snap to the left drew her attention and she waked five paces to collect a small rabbit, stunned and hanging by a rope attached to its ankle. She was careful to snap its neck quickly, before it could let out a shriek; then froze as it twitched in her hands. There was a smell of smoke, she collected her rope, prey, and staff quickly and retreated to the darker shadows. It came from the east, when she had come from. The girl or the demon? She jumped through shadows, pausing only briefly every few moment to judge her position and listen for voices. It was the demon she saw first; though he had reverted to his human illusion and after a moment it was clear why. The girl she had seen before was the source of the fire, barely a few feet away and clearly terrified when he approached; despite his disguise. With her saw a human man, that was a surprise; she hadn’t seen any sign of him previously. A slight twinge of worry at that, but she didn’t hesitate too long before showing herself clearly, coming from behind the wall the fire was glowing against; the opposite direction the others had come from.
“You’re terrifying the girl, or was that your intent?” She spoke quietly from behind the unknown man, but was unable to completely mask the amusement in her voice.
“And you may want to come out of the shadows so she can see you’re not a monster either.” A nod in the direction of the demon, then she quickly looked down into her small bag, part to retrieve the dead rabbit, part to conceal her smile. It was still warm, but no longer moving. A hopefully more sympathetic look plastered on her face, she offered it to the girl.
“Warmth and light can draw many friends in this lonely place, and I thank you, as I have need of some friends at the moment.” The dwarf was armed, and there was a sword by the girl, but that fact she wasn’t holding it, terrified as she was, spoke volumes. Still, mercenary or no, few came into the wilds if they had better options available. “If anyone where here to rob you they would have tried already, as it is weapons are sheathed and food offered. It may be best for you to sit and eat something before you faint. Then we’ll talk.”
She looked up towards the canopy, not that it gave any signs to the time of day. Birds where still making sounds, so it wouldn’t be night just yet. A sharp snap to the left drew her attention and she waked five paces to collect a small rabbit, stunned and hanging by a rope attached to its ankle. She was careful to snap its neck quickly, before it could let out a shriek; then froze as it twitched in her hands. There was a smell of smoke, she collected her rope, prey, and staff quickly and retreated to the darker shadows. It came from the east, when she had come from. The girl or the demon? She jumped through shadows, pausing only briefly every few moment to judge her position and listen for voices. It was the demon she saw first; though he had reverted to his human illusion and after a moment it was clear why. The girl she had seen before was the source of the fire, barely a few feet away and clearly terrified when he approached; despite his disguise. With her saw a human man, that was a surprise; she hadn’t seen any sign of him previously. A slight twinge of worry at that, but she didn’t hesitate too long before showing herself clearly, coming from behind the wall the fire was glowing against; the opposite direction the others had come from.
“You’re terrifying the girl, or was that your intent?” She spoke quietly from behind the unknown man, but was unable to completely mask the amusement in her voice.
“And you may want to come out of the shadows so she can see you’re not a monster either.” A nod in the direction of the demon, then she quickly looked down into her small bag, part to retrieve the dead rabbit, part to conceal her smile. It was still warm, but no longer moving. A hopefully more sympathetic look plastered on her face, she offered it to the girl.
“Warmth and light can draw many friends in this lonely place, and I thank you, as I have need of some friends at the moment.” The dwarf was armed, and there was a sword by the girl, but that fact she wasn’t holding it, terrified as she was, spoke volumes. Still, mercenary or no, few came into the wilds if they had better options available. “If anyone where here to rob you they would have tried already, as it is weapons are sheathed and food offered. It may be best for you to sit and eat something before you faint. Then we’ll talk.”