Why would they send probably the most recognizable mordecai out?
Probably because of that. While he was the most recognizable he was also the most useless. Not really but Hek-Akiz was clearly the most obvious. It was a private hire. Maybe it was because he'd been a bit of a farm boy? He knew which way the trees growing meant or something equally confusing. That instantly translated well into 'hey go into the forest?'
Hek was mostly just the 'in case' buffer. Always the mordecai to be on the outskirts. Make the radius of 'no magic for you' wider. Though he froze, jerked his head.
Was that a noise?
Hek-Akiz looked around, frowning slightly before he just... Ran. Moved. The noise echoed too much for him to know where it was coming from but he just closed his eyes and ran. Well, he didn't close them. closing them would mean he'd hit a tree, but he followed his gut and what his chest was telling him and...
"Oh my God," he said, "Why is there a woman tied to a tree?!" He exclaimed, rushing forward to untie her, "Are you okay?" He finally gasped out, looking at her, concern in his eyes. Well, his one eye, the other was just sort of strange and lavender, like there was something growing under the skin. "are you hurt?" he gasped out, a little winded. He didn't think to check to see if this was a trap. Didn't double check to see if the coast was clear.
"I'm a mordecai, my name is Hek-Akiz, you're safe now, okay?" And he went about picking at the rope with not much luck - he didn't think the grab the knife in his boot.