Yet another forest thread [haze/open]

[Anonymous]

Despite it being summer, mornings in the forest were always known to be cool and humid. Today was no different. Dew still drizzled from the green leaves in the woods as the first warm rays of the sun had begun working on spreading the thin fog that had accumulated overnight. While daybreak itself had come a few hours ago, the sun always seemed to take its sweet time to creep over the mountains that rose over the valley that was Connlaoth. The fog itself had begun receding into the safety of the lush woods as the clearings around the riverbeds received their first rays of warmth.

The receding fog revealed a tiny house by the river. Like all those built in cities and villages, this one was also made of stone material to keep the strong winds from blowing it down. Strong winds, that had yet to make a showing today. This particular morning there was little more than a slight breeze; at least when compared to the storms the are was prone to. The wind was still enough to fly a kite with and found itself constantly blowing the woman's hair into her face. She didn't mind however, or at least not at this particular moment; her mind was clear as she practiced the same movements she had for years.

A single lone figure stood in the clearing between the small stone building and the nearby river. Dressed in simple, loose fitting white clothing, Faye's fiery red hair was pushed about in the breeze; much like her clothing that fluttered about with her movements. Movements that were dance like, but much more slow and controlled; the basics of the martial arts that had been ingrained into her mind since childhood. This particular set of moves focused on her breathing rhythms; eyes closed, she allowed memory to lead her body. Slow and controlled, this focused, dance like state could go on for hours in some cases.

[Haze]

From the shadows, a hooded figure watched. He leaned against a tree, eyes narrowed at the sight of the woman who seemed to move and bend with the wind. The only woman he knew who could move like that could also kick his ass, if he gave her half the chance. He thought back appreciatively to the little spitfire captain of the Mordecai. Though he'd never served under her, he'd met her often enough and knew enough to approach cautiously. Or maybe not. She looked so engaged in her movements, she probably wouldn't notice his approach.

He might not have been the kind of man who liked to play games, but he never gave up the opportunity to have a sparring partner of this caliber. He boosted himself off the tree, feet falling silently on the ground. Carefully watching the repeated motions, Alak got himself behind the woman, and grabbed her with one arm tightly around her waist, and the other coming up to her neck, pressing the blade lightly against her skin.

"I didn't know you came out this far to practice, Captain."

[Anonymous]

Rape! Completely involved in her movements and the sound of the breeze, Faye was caught completely off guard by the sudden grapple. Before she knew it, there was a powerful arm around her hips, pressing her against the burly figure behind her. From the other side, some kind of knife was being held against her throat. The voice of her assailant was deep and gruff, definitely not someone young. But... The man's words caused the younger gal to swallow a gulp as she tried to regain her composure.

"C-captain? I think you got the wrong person." Chuckling a bit nervously, Faye slowly rose one of her own hands to meet the one holding the knife. The trick was getting a hold of him without startling him, once there the girl could use her superhuman strength as a form of leverage.

[Haze]

As soon as she spoke Alak realised he had the wrong person. Her voice was somewhat timid, not barking and commanding, and without the soft lilting accent. As her hand came up to his wrist, he removed his arm from around her waist and stepped back. He shook off the hand around his wrist, and glared at her. If she cared to face him she'd notice his scowl directed at her.

"Sorry." He said shortly, silently berating himself for his lack of care and precision. What was he doing out here, in any case? Oh yes, that was right. Hunting down that good for nothing prick who'd stolen away a girl from her family while they were sleeping. He'd lost their track into the forest - it was as if they had just disappeared. And it was very unlike him to lose a person's tracks.

With a frustrated motion of his hands, he cast an eye to the little house. "That yours? Mind if I take a look?" Without waiting for her reply, he started to stalk over, intent on searching for his target.

[Anonymous]

It seemed he wasn't too pleased to have the girl get a hold on him, but at least he had let go. That was good, her master's teachings were always to avoid confrontation whenever possible. From his sudden reaction it appeared it had indeed been a case of mistaken identity. A sigh of relief escaped the woman's chest as she heard him apologize. With a lighthearted smile, Faye turned around to acknowledge him.

"Don't worry abo...ut... it..." Again she felt herself choke when her sparkling green eyes met the older man's less than friendly stare. He certainly didn't look like a very happy fellow. Of course, she figured it was to be expected, considering he was the type to hold up a knife to your throat as a greeting. Faye wasn't quite over the shock of her 'guest' when he was already making her way over to the house.

"Err... what? Wait up!" The gal suddenly jumped, put off by the man's aggressiveness. Cautiously, she rushed over to intercept his path. "Hold on mister, do you just attack people and barge into their homes for a living?"

[Haze]

Alak's lips formed into a tight line and he narrowed his eyes down at her as she stood in front of her. His arms crossed over his chest, dagger still held lightly in his hand.  He wasn't about to explain himself to this little woman. Not when he had a job to do. It was his fault for being distracted in any case.

They had to be here. It was the only explanation. "It's none of your business." He said, shortly, before pushing past her and continuing to the house. His eyes flickered over all entry points, a perpetual scowl adorning his features, as he tried to figure out where exactly they'd got to.

"Stay outside." He called back, "don't come any closer." He put his hand out to her, and began to creep around to the door, ear turned to listen for noises.

[Anonymous]

"None of my WHAT!?" This guy had some serious nerve to just show up, attack her and help himself into her home. Let alone turning around and pushing her out of the way saying it was none of her business. Faye had never met anyone quite as rude as this man, even when the mordecai had shown up to question her abilities. This was just too much, the woman could feel her temper rising as she struggled to stay calm.

"Okay, that's enough!" Finally lashing, the gal reached out to take a hold of the man's extended arm. Taking a hold of him by the wrist, she would use her massive strength to pull him out the door. From there, Faye would lower her stance and use her other hand to grab him near his armpit. Finally she would complete her move by pulling down on the man's are as she turned, causing him to lose his balance in an attempt to throw him back first to the ground.

[Haze]

"What the FUCK-" All of a sudden she had him by the wrist, and was flinging him around like he was a rag doll. He didn't understand how it had happened. One moment he was stalking towards the door, and the next she was there. This here girl was unlike anyone he'd met. It certainly wasn't often he met someone who coukd match his strength.

He glared up at her, and sprang to his feet from his back, and towered over her petite frame. "Only explanation," he started darkly, "for that kind of reaction, is guilt." He stepped forward, and a hand lashed out, grabbing her by the hair.

"Where is he. Tell me now, and I will consider keaving you alive."

[Anonymous]

That throw hadn't gone over too well. The old guy got and and looked anything but pleased. His cold stare somewhat disheartening. Lucky for the woman, the man's 'tough guy' spell had worn off and now she looked up to a gaze she was used to. This stranger had those same stern eyes as her old master. Of course, there were many other differences. Her master, for example, would not go about throwing random accusations like this man did.

Caught in the though, Faye was unable to react quickly enough to the man's sudden movements and found herself within his grasp once again. His words were rather over confident though; as if he had assumed victory by such a simple move. At this the woman found herself frowning, thinking to herself that any trained warrior should know better than that.

Using the flexibility gained from a lifetime of martial arts training, the girl rose her leg straight up to deliver a high kick to the man's chin. That would be sure to rattle him a bit. Her natural reaction afterwards would be a powerful palm thrust to his mid section, right below the sternum.

[Haze]

Alak staggered back from the kick, a hand comung up to his chin and rubbing ruefully. But that was inly until the palm of her hand slammed into him. The breath was knocked from his body, eyes bulging a little at the shock of what was happening. She is kicking my ass. He threw out a hand, intending to back hand her across the face like the little girl she was.

He pulled his hand back though, before it connected and eyed her suspiciously. She was more agile than he could have imagined. He considered throwing his dagger at her, but that would only leave a mess he'd rather not clean up. And it wouldn't answer his questions, either.

With a growl rumbling in his chest, he stood stock still, capturing her gaze in his stare. She was stronger than most, and he, being Connlaothian, and ex-army to boot, had a dut to uphold. "Moredcai know you're out here, little girl? I know for a fact that your... Prowess... Can't be natural."

[Anonymous]

As soon as her strike connected, Faye pulled back into a low fighting stance; one arm outstretched in front of her as a buffer between her and her opponent. She was ready for the incoming strike, but it appeared he had changed his mind half way and pulled back as well. From his stare alone, she could tell the man wasn't too thrilled with the current outcome. This idea further justified by what sounded to be a threat to call reinforcements.

"Mordecai?" She wasn't too happy with the visitor herself, but that word only made the woman scowl at him even more. There was no real worry as she had already proven herself to not be a magic user, but her past encounters with the mordecai had always been less than pleasant.

"Who are you?" Faye retorted rather coldly, a tone unusual to herself. "And what do you want here?"

[Haze]

"It doesn't matter who I am," he replied  just as coldly, his eyes narrowed  at her in clear distaste. He had met enough uppity little girls in his life who thought they could fight  just as well as him, but now it appeared he had actually found his match. Although, someone like her might be a good accomplice... Evans knew he got into enough sticky situations he would have loved to have had a hand getting out of.

"As for what I want, I am in the hunt for a no good sonofabitch who kidnapped a young lady back in Uthlyn. Their tracks ended here, unless I am going blind in my old age." Every word he spoke was in clipped tones, but his mean stare was changing into one more thoughtful.

While her reactions had been quick, he could only fathom a guess that it was more his brisk manner that had brought them in. If only he had a few more manners. Still, he wasn't about to let him worry about that now.

"have you seen anyone time through here in the last two Days?"

[Anonymous]

"I see." The words were mostly a whisper to herself more than an actual acknowledgement of the man's presence. At least that explained his recklessly pushy attitude. Although she still hoped he would have been more polite about his visit. Regardless, Faye noticed her nameless guest's brow soften slightly which she read as a form of relaxation. Noting this, she lowered her stance into a more natural standing pose.

"I'm afraid I haven't seen anyone around here lately." The girl's voice had also softened back to it's usual innocent tone. "But unless the guy was really prepared, he'll probably want to follow one of the rivers sooner or later." Faye wasn't exactly the greatest tracker in the world, in fact she had little experience at all in the matter, but she knew the majority of people needed water to survive.

"Wish I could be more help." Finalizing her statement was something resembling a nervous chuckle.

[Haze]

Noting her relaxation, the burly man allowed himself to relax too. But only marginally. Alak nodded at her observation. So, she has a head on her shoulders to boot. Good.

"Yes, I know that." He replied, not giving her the satisfaction of thinking she had given him new information. Of course he'd need to follow the rivers. He'd planned to do that, before getting ... distracted.

At her statement though, his busy eyebrows lifted marginally. "You can be." His voice didn't change from the gruff, callous tone. "Come with me. You're strong, you're quick, and you sound like you're not dumb. As long as you don't try and talk too much, I'd like your help."

[Anonymous]

The girl was a little thrown off by his sudden change in demeanor. A minute ago he was threatening her, now he was asking her to come along. Of course, she couldn't help but continue to chuckle nervously at his words. His tone didn't allow Faye to figure out if he was actually complimenting her or if it was some kind of veiled insult.

"Yea, I guess I can go with you." The gal shrugged as she responded. Quite honestly, she had nothing better to do and being the helpful person that she was, she had no qualms about helping the man catch a criminal.

"Just give me a minute." With that she briskly made her way into the house. Moments later she walked out, trying the straps of the fancy looking jade colored blouse she had placed over her white, long sleeved shirt. From the waist down, her skirt fell to her ankles as part of her usual attire. Her hopes were that the dense forests would keep the wind at bay. "Okay, I'm ready"

[Haze]

"What the hell are you doing," Alak muttered to himself darkly as he watched the young thing wander back to her house. The offer for her to join him was completely out of character. He worked alone. He lived alone. He was alone. But, nontheless, what was done now was done.

He almost followed, to make sure she hadn't been jumped by that person he was following, but decided she could probably handle herself okay. So while she was gone he cast a glance around him, thinking to where they were headed, running a hand through his hair tiredly, and rubbing at the scratchy stubble on his chin.

He just hoped she'd have the good sense to - What the hell is she wearing?! Alak's brows pulled low over his eyes and his gaze returned to a glare as he watched her return. It was totally impractical, and compared to his own neutral, practical coloured clothing, Faye looked she could be dressing for a day at the markets. Alak shook his head slowly with a snort. "You reckon. You going to be comfortable fighting and runnin' and crawling in mud and shit, in this?" His large hand plucked at her skirt, and he turned away from her quickly, to hide the incredulous laughter he could feel.

Alak. Never. Laughed. "Alright then, little girl. Name's Alak. Now let's go."

[Anonymous]

"It's actually not as bad as it looks." The front of the skit was actually open all the way from the waist to the bottom, making it look more like a cape than an actual skirt. The girl even flapped it a bit to show it was loose and wouldn't hinder her movements at all. "Besides, it good camouflage" This was said more as a joke, noting that hear clothing was now mostly the same color as the foliage.

Admittedly, Faye wasn't an expert on stealthy tracking, since most of her food consisted of fish from the river, or any berries she could pick in the forest. Therefore she figured her normal attire would work fine for a 'day out' in the forest.

"I'm Faye." A smile lined her features as she replied. "So then, which way do you plan on going?"

[Haze]

Alak just snorted at her explanation, and continued charging back into the forest where he'd come from. And already she was asking questions. They hadn't even been going for five minutes, and she was asking questions. The older man hissed under his breath, clenching a fist.

He didn't answer her straight away, but stopped in the last place he'd actually been looking for the kidnapper. His eyes narrowed down to the footprints on the ground. That's why he'd been confused. He crouched down, studying the overlapping prints with a scowl. "He's clever, all right. Look at this. A set going in every direction." He paused, scratching at his hair, and then shook his head.

"Yes, a set in every direction, but only two sets going this way. Idiot. Shoulda been paying more attention." Straightening up, and glanced at Faye. "We're going to be heading south. You need to step lightly, and try not to disturb anything along the way. If I say stop, stop. If I say shush, then you zip your mouth. Understand?"

He didn't wait for her response, but tugged at her arm as he walked past.

"Howsit you're all alone out here, anyway?"

[Anonymous]

Faye followed to man back into the forest, looking over his shoulder as as he explained the situation. Nodding silently, she payed attention as Alak spoke, although she didn't quite understand what he was saying. Having no training in the field, all she saw was a bunch of foot prints all over the place. However, the girl did notice his sudden talkativeness, and figured that despite his demeanor, he was actually excited by the hunt,

"Okay." Soft and gentle, it was the only response from the gal as they started moving once more. She would have added a shrug with it, but she was busy being pulled along by the man.

"I live here." She quickly replied, a bit surprised that this wasn't going to be a completely silent and awkward trip. "I go up to the village from time to time, but almost anywhere else in the country people don't really like me. So if I'm not here I'm traveling. How about you? you seem to be doing police work, but you don't exactly look like a soldier."

[Haze]

Alak was already mentally kicking himself for engaging in any form of conversation. Oh yes, she was eager to talk, this one, and quick to make assumptions too. "Whaddya mean I don't look like a soldier?" He growled at her, eyes pulling in to glare. "You wouldn't know a soldier if he kicked you in the face."

He huffed, and walked ahead a bit in stony silence. No, he wasn't going to answer her. Wasn't going talk to  this little wisp of a thing, who seemed bent on emasculating him, simply on the fact that he didn't look like a soldier. So what? Soldier's 'sposed to be young and handsome, is that it? Well, I'll you something here, Missy, I ain't one of the best trackers around without any military skills. You might be faster than me, and stronger too, but I'm damn sure I have a whole lot more sense than you do when it comes to meeting new people.

Gruffly he barked back at her, "Hurry up, girl. You're slowing me down. You need to walk more, and talk less."