Crimson Shadows

[Winters-Feather]

The road was  lit by stray beams of moonlight, concealed mostly by a canopy of leaves. Autumn had nestled in throughout the kingdom, the air crisp and cool. Though it was dark, glints of gold and orange danced as the leaves fell to the ground, the pair of horses quietly treaded upon them. Abruptly, the leaves of an oak tree rustled as a seemingly young girl garbed in Connloathian garments suddenly dangled upside down from its branches. From her perch, she patiently waited for her companion and her own stead to arrive before smoothly flipping down to sit erect on his back. The girl gave a smug grin as Inkwell only twitched his tail and shook his head; he had long since stopped being spooked by his new owner's antics. He was a smart one, Maar had decided. A flying eagle really wasn't her thing, but a horse she could trade easily and this one had a brain, besides. Though her nails quickly grew in and her magic came back to her a bit quicker, during her time during hiatus, the fae had grown fond of the beast.

After it had came back, however, things became different. A few days before Tiraris and Awari had reached Darken Vei borders just two nights ago, the fae was swift to retreat back to her child form, and stubbornly refused to be addressed by her true name. Not too many knew of Awari, even those back at the base, and she intended to keep it that way. The fae took in a deep breath, in even higher spirits then she normally was.
It's good to be home, she reflected, Or at least in a forest that smells like one. She licked her lips as she took the lead. Tiraris and her didn't often travel this far past nightfall unless they were being pursued.
We still might be, she thought, though didn't mind it so much; some rather dedicated bounty hunters had tried to cut them off at the border, but the fiery duo had outfoxed them. Still, they were wanted fugitives; Maar doubted they have seen the last of them.

Maar directed Inkwell off of the road and into a trail that eventually lead towards a large clearing by a rocky mountain edge with a brook gently flowing besides it.  It was an old part of the forest, with ancient magic embedded deep in its soil; they were safe here, at least if only for the night.
"There's a village a day's journey from here," she said, thoughtfully, "We probably should press forward for a few more days, but we I think we can rest for a night or two and begin your lessons."
The fae jumped off her horse and stretched. The past two and so weeks had been eventful, though the creature knew her real work was still cut out for her yet.

[GoblinFae]

"Show off," Tiraris grunted as her horse followed that of her teacher. The road had been long, and as the assassin had predicted, irritating. It suited her just fine that her teacher wished to be referred to as Maar but, the child's form was still unsettling. It would take her a moment to remember that this was not a little girl ordering her around but something much older. Not of course being older made much of a difference to Tiraris, she was not exactly one to be ordered about to begin with.

"What is the matter dearest? Afraid to travel by dark? Do not fear, mommy will protect you." It was the same taunt she made every night since Awari had returned to being Maar. Hopping down from her own horse, the assassin when through the nightly ritual of caring for the beast and then setting up camp. It saddened her some that their journey was almost over.

The child-like giddy hope of the lessons working had hardened once more into skepticism. It was only the horse that brought a faint smile to the assassin's lips now. The idea of parting, for surely she could not keep him, served to harden that shell even further.

[Winters-Feather]

Maar smiled sweetly at Tiraris' jeer, as she always did.
"Shouldn't I be more worried about that than the silly old dark?" she playfully retorted. That was her usual line, as part of their routine, if Maar could even it call it one.
"I'm off to fetch dinner," she announced as she skipping off into the dark, famished. Unlike Tiraris, she was glad their journey was almost over. She was glad to have Connloath behind her and the prospect of something new to experiment with. From the start, Maar knew this wasn't going to be easy, even more so with how she and her pupil clashed. The fae smirked; Tiraris' displeasure at her antics, from her tricks to the child-form had quickly become a primary source of amusement for Maar. Pushing people's limits always gave her kicks; the fae found she could learn a lot about a person this way, and Tiraris was so dynamic.  Besides, she rarely opened up about little else, up to this point.

Same, thought Maar as she looked up at the distant mountains.
She almost felt wistful for her home back with the Hawks, though the fae hadn't been gone for a terribly long period of time. The fae was almost fearful that her time with Tiraris would take quite a while, especially at the rate they were going. A twang of regret tugged at her heart; what had she been thinking, offering to help teach another student outside the King's permission?
I don't need permission to teach, she stubbornly thought as she silently pulled out  her daggers; what the woman didn't know wouldn't kill her. Besides, as Maar found, she was growing fond of Tiraris' company.

Despite her bum feeling sore from hours of riding, Maar scrambled up a tree and began to make her way through the branches, he eyes keenly searching the ground for prey. She watched as a will-o-the-wisp zip by, thankful it was too much in a hurry to notice her; though the fae could easily slip by it, the creatures were still notoriously bothersome. After a couple of minutes of nothing but snakes, mice, and the screeching of hunting fowls, Maar's eyes shone in the moonlight when they caught sight of a womger, native to the country. The creature was a stout brown thing with a prominent snout. It was chubby and short of legs and tail; currently, it was sniffing around the base of the trees. Maar slipped into the shadows of the tree to avoid making any noise. Then, she pounced.

With the creature that appeared to be a third of her size slung over her shoulder, Maar triumphantly returned to the camp on foot. She had tried to be careful to not get blood on her clothes, but the fae couldn't avoid getting some on her vest and gloves. Her eyes glanced over to the horses to make sure they were doing all right before she beamed at Tiraris.
"I'm back," she cheerfully said to Tiraris as a greeting, showing off her prize like a child.
"Did ya miss me?"

[GoblinFae]

Tiraris glared at Maar in response. "Why is it when I am just starting to enjoy your absence you always show up? Would it kill you to get lost or something and take a really long time to return. I savor the quiet without you," she grumbled, laying down on her sleeping bundle and placing her arm over her eyes.

Since they had started spending more and more time together, the assassin had been suffering for longer periods of migraines. As of yet she had said nothing of them to her company but, she knew it was only a matter of time as they grew steadily worse and worse. 'It is listening to the brat for hours on end,' she would try justifying. Or, it is the false anticipation. My magic is just flowing more on the surface lately. It is nothing.'

Whatever the cause, Tiraris did know that they were painful and she was always glad for night when she could hide the pain in the cold and the dark. "Are you just going to stand there like a cat demanding praise over a dead mouse or are you actually going to cook that? What more do you need, an engraved invitation? There is a fire and everything you need. Just clean it and cook it, brat."

[Winters-Feather]

Maar thinly smiled at Tiraris' jab She knew her response was going to be less than warming, though it was quite annoying; she didn't escort this woman across country borderlines only to be treated like this.
Oh well, she thought. It would pass. After all, she knew better than to fight back; though she liked wearing this guise, she was above acting like a child.
Though doesn't mean I can't think like one, she thought, a little sorely, Spoiled noble.
Maar turned to the brightly burning fire and already made spit; at least the woman hadn't remained idle. With a sigh, she quietly settled down by the fire and began to set to work on cleaning her catch.

Her eyes wandered from the meat in her hands to Tiraris, who was now lying on her back with her arm concealing her eyes. Her lips twitched into a grim frown; this wasn't any good. The fae had noticed the woman growing snappier over the pass few weeks. At first, Maar had just assumed that this was normal behavior before it got worse. Then there was her magic...
It's restless, the fae mused as she contemplated which sticks were the better ones for roasting with. Throughout their journey, the fae had silently observed Tiraris' magic; for better or worse, it was growing. Why this was happening, the fae could not fathom, but it was clear that the woman was having difficulty handling it.
Thus the sour nature. It'll kill her if she continues on, stubborn thing.
Maar took in a deep breath as she began to roast their dinner using the spit Tiraris had made.  She had wanted to wait, but they needed to start doing things now.

"Get up," she ordered. Her tone was casual, as always, but there was a hard authoritative edge to it that normally wasn't present.
"This has gone on far enough, I think. Take your hands away from your face and sit up straight. Tiraris, if you know what's good for you, do so now."
The fae paused.
"Please," she added.

[GoblinFae]

The assassin's ire flashed, forcing her magical aura out in a wave before hurriedly collapsing back inward. Her nostrils flared and her fists clenched with the struggle. In a dangerously low voice she addressed the other woman, no longer taking into account age and respect.

"The sun has gone done and the sister moon risen in her place. All day long I take your orders and endure your ear-shattering squawking. This is my only moment of peace. Go find someone else to bully. I have had enough of it for one day let alone those that have already come to pass and the many more that have yet to come. Just leave me alone!"

She would have continued too if Maar had not uttered that simple 'please' at the end. Something about it commanded Tiraris to sit up, spine straight and hands in her lap. Her eyes burned with pain and suppressed fire but her lips were tightly sealed. The urge to growl out a "what do you want now," was hard to keep locked within but somehow she managed.

For a moment she had forgotten who needed whom here. For a moment she misjudged the grounds she stood on. Hopefully though her silence would make up for it or at least keep her punishment for disrespect down to a small tongue-lashing. Although those never seemed to get through to her. Years of ignoring her mother and other noble tutors had honed that capability quite well.

[Winters-Feather]

"Good," Maar said quietly as she pulled the food away from the fire, a little reluctantly. The fae was ravished, but this was a priority. In any case, she didn't want the good meat to burn. So, she staked their dinner a yard away from the fire before picking up a long stick and approached her pupil.
"Has anyone ever taught you how to mediate?" Maar asked as she began to walk around Tiraris, dragging the stick in the ground to draw a circle, stopping now and then to squiggle quick runes, or kick a stone out of her way.

"If you do so properly, your headaches should cease, and I think you'll have better reign over your magic," Maar explained.
She was careful not to add any definite, for even she wasn't certain where this instruction was going to lead them.
Not completely.
"Relax your shoulders, don't be so rigid," she instructed, "While slowly counting to seven, I want you to to take in a deep breath, and then release it. Slowly."  
By now the fae was done with her circle, and looked down on her efforts. At more or less even nine points was a different rune. The spell wasn't always required, but Maar figured it should help a bit with keeping control.  

When she was done, Maar drew a smaller circle on the opposite side of the woman and sat inside of it with her legs crossed. While relaxing her arms against her thighs, the fae placed her right hand over her left, facing upwards, as her thumbs touched.
"Do this with your hands," she said, "And close your eyes. Clear your mind as you count, drawing your magic inwards. It'll become easy once you get the hang of it!"
Maar smiled, somewhat encouragingly.
"Come on, let's see you try."

[GoblinFae]

Tiraris wordlessly copied Maar's posture although her back still remained as rigid and unmoving as a great oak tree. Her face was a mask of stoney silence that locked away all emotion and pain. So it had been for years and so if she had her way would it continue to be.

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the way the other woman tried to encourage her as if she were but a small child herself. Instead she let her eyes close and her breath slow. Every inhalation and exhalation following a steady seven-beat rhythm.

No longer focused on thoughts but feelings, the assassin's eye twitched slightly as her headache radiated outward and seated itself behind her left eye. Frantically she could feel her energetic core rip at her magic, trying to reel it all back in. Her hands grew hot and slitting her eyes barely open revealed them to be holding a fiery ball of blue light precariously in them.

'Gods above, now what have I done?'

[Winters-Feather]

"Oooh," Maar exclaimed as she clung to her ankles.
The fae's face glowed in the light of the fiery magic ball as she peered curiously at it. She resisted the urge to touch it, though the silly thought had crossed her mind- that thing was undoubtedly dangerous.
Figures something like this would happen, she thought with a sigh, remembering her other pupils back on the mountain. This was good, in it's own way; though Tiraris' magic was by far the most unique one she had seen in a human, at least hers behaved in a somewhat similar fashion. Somewhat.
 
That usually only happens with mages who manipulate outside forces, Maar thought, Physical things, like fire...
Those with abilities that dealt with forces that couldn't necessary be seen or touched, like seeing the future, often went haywire on the 'inside'; unwanted scrying and headaches were frequent. So the fae had expected the headache... but not this.
It has the properties of  one type, but acts like another, Maar thought, utterly fascinated.
"It's fine; this happens sometimes," she said as soothingly as she could.
"Don't be scared. Reel it back in, slowly. Focus it here."
Maar poked her stomach, demonstrating  for her new student.
"Can you do that?"

[GoblinFae]

Sweat beaded her brow as Tiraris struggled with the volatile energy. But, with nearly audible snap the magic was sucked back within her like a stone launched from a slingshot as her concentration was broken. The rebound was extremely painful, causing her hands to clench into pale, white fists, the blood to drain from her face, and her eyes to constrict dangerously small, leaving fiery red irises to glare out at Maar.

"So much for your brilliant ideas, teacher. Have any others or are we good now?" she spat out venomously. Tiraris was in pain both physically and mentally. She had allowed her hopes to rise some and now things were worse than they had ever been before. Past teachers had spoken about the instability of her core, she feared the damage it would cause if the precious balance was disturbed. It seemed she was one step closer to finding out and that frightened her.

As much as she pretended not to, the assassin was truly terrified. She could keep the cold facade up for only so long before it would fall like everything else in her life. She did not want to be left to live her life alone as the curse desired her to be. No one ever asked if an assassin wanted something more than a life of paid murder and living on the streets, a life of unending change and movement. Tiraris did not know what she wanted but she did know she wanted the chance to make that choice herself. She would not be ruled by this any longer. If the pixie could not help then she would find someone else, this had to end and soon.

[Winters-Feather]

Maar glared curiously at Tiraris, as if  mulling over an experiment instead of a student's welfare as the woman struggled to contain her magic.
My theory might be off, she dully realized.
The fae could only justify that this was to be expected from the start; her other teachers might have came up with similar answers before they infamously disappeared. Maar was grateful she had the foresight to create the circles; more damage would have been caused otherwise. She offered a thin smile at the woman's question.
"You rest some. I'll go back to making dinner," she cheerfully replied as she quickly jumped from her seat and patted the dirt away from her clothes.

Maar removed the stakes with the meat she had drove into the ground.
She had wanted the challenge, and now she was starting to understand the depth of it. Maar stared deeply into the crackling campfire, as if her answers lied there as she placed the meat on a hand made spit and began to turn them over the flames. The heat was beginning to make her eyes water, but as the night was growing chilly, the fae  found comfort the warmth of its flames.
Maybe her magic is like these flames, the fae thought, brainstorming.
Perhaps it needs to burn a little.

A  couple of minutes later, the fae pulled the sticks away from the fire, examining the meat.
She reached into a small pouch she kept on her person and pulled out some herbs, sparely applying them to both their meals. Maar hesitated for a moment before finding one of the last remaining leaves that helped with headaches and internal pain and sprinkled a little over her student's food, as well. It was normally for tea, so she didn't know if it would be particularly helpful or not, but neither of them had  a kettle.  Maar held out the finished meal for her companion.
"Eat up," she ordered as she plopped herself on the ground near by  before tearing into her own food.

Her eyes roamed to the runes she had inscribed on the forest floor before turning towards Tiraris.
"What have you tried, anyway?" she asked, "Tell me about your  teachers."

[GoblinFae]

"Get up. Do this. Lay down. Go rest. Make up your mind!" Tiraris hissed lowly under her breath, uncaring as to whether or not Maar could hear her or not. Yet despite her growling, the assassin did lean back again. Letting the crackle of the fire soothe her frazzled nerves, Tiraris attempted to slow her heartrate once more and relax.

She drifted deep into thought and did not notice the food was done until her teacher thrust the food towards her and ordered her to consume it. With an irritated wave of her hand Tiraris pushed it away and shook her head. The woman doubted she could stomach anything right now, what with everything seeming to be in a state of unsettled roiling inside her.

Wishing to return to her thoughts was impossible though as the little Fae continued to squeak at her. Dispassionately, the assassin turned a dead gaze towards her teacher. An exasperated sigh signaled her irritation however she decided to answer the questions for now. It could be too soon to give up right now. There was always a minor possibility that things could turn for the better.

"Many were fools who had no idea what they were doing. Many see power and only wish to usurp it for themselves. You can understand my caution with choosing my teachers now. Others, like you sought to find the key in control through peace. Meditation and discipline have all been repeatedly tried and failed. If that is all you have to offer me, then you are wasting my time. For your sake I hope that is not true."

[Winters-Feather]

Maar listened as she ate.
It all sounded rather boring- useless power seekers and the well meaning, both on opposite sides of the spectrum. None worked. Why? The fae brushed aside the insult; it had no weight or  meaning to her. At least the insult 'fairy' wasn't used, this time.
"I'll leave when that moment comes," she bluntly replied.
Maar was trying to pay back a dept, but if there was nothing else to be done, then pride be damned. She'd be on her way, back to the Hawks, and the woman could cause havoc where ever she pleased.
Her magic...

Some of her teachers had been on the right track. Despite Tiraris' skepticism, the fae knew that meditation was important.
I'll have to teach her how to draw runes, Maar thought.
She suspected that learning how to meditate was part of the reason that Tiraris was even still alive. She was almost appalled by how minimal her student's training had been; it was scarcely any wonder that some of those poor souls were killed. What were they thinking?
Humans can be so daft.

Along with more proper meditation, Tiraris needed the training. They were going to have to do some experimenting to figure out its true nature.
But what to do with it...
It was all giving the fae a headache.
Maar looked mournfully  at her finished meal and checked upon her student's. Tiraris' food wasn't touched at all. The fae frowned. She was still hungry, but the woman needed the energy more. She would have persisted, but Maar figured that the woman had enough for the day.

Maar rose to her feet and began to dim the fire. She bid the woman good night before scrambling up a tree; she could have just used the shadows, but the fae wanted to make use of her newly grown in nails. However, though she was settled on a branch, she could not sleep. Instead, Maar's keen eyes quietly watched the red haired woman before  quietly staring off into nowhere, her thoughts elsewhere.

[GoblinFae]

Beneath small slits in her eyes, Tiraris watched the Fae's movements as she prepared for the night. It irritated her to not only share her space with another but to have her weaknesses observed in such a way by an enemy. While it was true for now the two assassins had come to a truce, there was nothing to stop them from going back to the way things were once the debt was repaid.

"Did your mother teach you nothing, pixie? It is impolite to stare," she snapped, her eyes flashing open to glare up at Maar. "What is the matter, cannot find a proper solution? Already giving up? No need to be shy, not like I have not heard it all before anyway."

[Winters-Feather]

Maar tittered at Tiraris' comment.
On retrospect, she should have known that the woman would have been able to pick her out.
"Your mother should have taught you to be more polite," the fae retorted.
Instead of focusing on the woman, her attention now remained fixed on the stars.
She liked it out in the forest, where she could see the night sky and the constillations all the more clearly. That was one thing that remained consistant; the world around her may have changed, but the stars always remained the same in their own fixed dance.
Maar loved her change and lived for the thrill of it, but such consistancy was a comfort, in a way.

"Besides," she continued quietly, "I don't remember my mother."
Though her memory was vast, many things were vague and slipping away.
Maar fancied that she was born of star and shadow. She had friends back in the days when she was just Awari, some fae, some nymph, fawn, and the like. Perhaps one of them had been her mother, but the fae was equally fond of them all. She didn't suppose it would have mattered who was and who wasn't. She speculated if her mother, assuming she had one, was even still alive.
Such a thought never really occured to the fae until now, though none of it really mattered to her.

Suddenlly, a presense tugged at her magic.
The fae refused to turn her head, least the woman picked up on her tension.
Instead, Maar relaxed against the branch of her tree as she tried to identify it; it felt like one of her fellow hawls that were on the prowl. It was Zal, one of the older Hawks under her command, a human mage shapeshifter. Now was as good as time as any to send a message.
But I must be quiet and swift, she thought.  After the woman falls asleep.
Tiraris must know none of this.

"Good night," she chirped cheerfully and closed her eyes, allowing herself to relax some. She had the rest of the night ahead of her; there was time enough.

[GoblinFae]

"You assume that my mother knew what being polite was to begin with. My mother was a whore," Tiraris acidly replied, her eyes also trained on the sky high above. For several long moments her mind reflected on her own mother. In her mind's eye she could already see the graceful features, the coquettish smile, the fluttering eyelids, the expensive silks that rustled with her every movement. Where others might have felt nostalgia in such a moment, the assassin only felt cold detachment, some days even hatred. This was the woman who played with her as if she were a living doll. This is the woman who tried to marry her off the second she realized her trysts had been found up.

Tiraris had no respect for her mother, nor would she ever. To have Maar bring her up only irritated her further. Her hears heard what the little Fae said but she chose not to respond. She felt no pity for the other assassin; the maternal bond between mother and child was a lost concept to her and therefore left her indifferent to the other's comment. If anything Tiraris considered it an attempt for the Fae to deceive or beguile her. The assassin would have none of it though. She knew better than to fall for such childish tricks.

Now fully awake and angered by reminders of her manipulated childhood, Tiraris began to realize that she would be spending yet another night awake and calculating. Over and over her mind went through twists and turns as it analyzed everything that happened to her when she was young. When that began to bore her, she refocused her attention on all the possible results of her current association and linkage with Maar.

"Goodnight yourself," the assassin distractedly replied, her mind lost in opportunities of subterfuge and backstabbing.

[Winters-Feather]

How sad, Maar thought without a drop of empathy.
She tried to imagine feeling sorry for the loveless relationship between Tiraris and her mother, and how awful the rift was between them for the expelled noble woman to lash like that. However, try as she might, it was only just pretending; the fae was creative, but she wasn't very original. She couldn't bring herself to care.

After a few minutes, Maar peeked her eyes open to catch a glimpse of Tiraris.
The fae had to stiffle a burst of laughter. Tiraris was so livid; had her words so truly upset her so?
Maar was almost regretful that she had even brought up the touchy subject; the assassin didn't look like she was about to sleep any time soon.  However, the fae was starting to feel rather comfortable in her perch; sleep was creeping up on her. To remedy that, Maar lightly banged the back of her head against the tree trunk as she began to go through the constillations, reciting their names and stories in her head. The fae started with the Maiden by the moon before moving on towards the Serphant...

Two hours passed in this fashion. Maar had begun to make a game out of it, mulling over the details of each of the stories. She had forgotten some, and so came up with new details in her head. Of course, the fae knew enough that such words would never pass her lips; Maar didn't doubt she'd forgot her silly tales by the morning. However, she was too busy keeping track of Zal's location to care much. His presense was faint, but he hadn't moved for the past half hour. He was taking a break- the fae knew he would be on the move again before the night was over.

Maar stole another glance of Tiraris before slipping into the shadows, slipping down the tree and through the forest. She was the grass, the rock, the animals- the fae always enjoyed the opportunity to 'stretch her legs', so to speak. It was tricky, the fae proudly noted, to track one of her best Hawks in the enchanted forest. Finally, she found him, not two miles away from her own campsite.  He was was busy, digging for mushrooms that varied in size and shape in the shape of a beautiful red fox. The clearing was cramped, encircled itself by a canopy of trees.  Maar perched herself on a tree branch above him. The branch didn't shake to alert her presense, yet he still stopped and sniffed the air. Maar waited a few moments before revealing her hiding spot with a giggle.
"I thought I taught you better than that,"she said ,"That's a fae ring. I don't need to remind you what comes with them."

The fox's ears perked up as it stared up at her with large black eyes.
"I've a message for you," she continued, softly.
Within a blink of an eye, the fox had transformed back into the shape of a stout man with a round and soft face, contrasting to his narrowed brown eyes and muscles. His shoulder length light brown hair was tied back. He donned a vest, tunic, breeches, and boots of the most common quality. Maar knew that under the shirt hid his tattoo.
"Is it that woman?" he said.
The man didn't seem surprised that Maar was around; if he was, he made no show of it.

"You knew?" she replied, amused.
He gave a toothy grin. There was a gap in the front; one had been knocked out in a fight long ago.
"Words out that some Connloath boke lookin' for two women," he said, "One fiery headed, the other blue."
"Devdarra," Maar said, not allowing the blue haired comment to phase her.
"Aye. He's in trouble with the authorties; a big scandel, it is."
A bigger grin spread across Maar's face. Morindo proved his worth yet again, so it seemed.

"What are you doing here, Zal?" the fae asked, "Where's Talner?"
The man pointed vaguelly towards the north.
"She's restin' her wings," he explained, "Been ridin' all day. Goin 'on a little stroll around Arca. A maid there from Arca has something precious my client wants."
Maar nodded.
"Good," she replied before dropping down from the tree to embrace the brawdy man.
"My message," she continued, "Tell the King that I'll be sticking with this red headed woman for a while. She's my student now."
Zal  was taken aback by this news. When he questioned her motives, Maar briefly explained what happened back in the Hollow and Tiraris' magic. She talked for a few minutes, leaving out the details of her transformation. The fae allowed her student assume that the 'blue haired woman' was just a guise.
"That's why," she finished, "I wont' be home for a while. I don't know how long, but not much longer than the longest of missions."
"Three moon cycles," Zal suggested.
"Maybe. " Maar  said, "Maybe not."
The man frowned, his eyes on where her own tattoo was placed, covered by her own clothing.

"No," Maar replied, guessing his answer, "She doesn't."

[GoblinFae]

Blood-red eyes watched from below as the pesky little Fae dashed off into the shadows of the night. The assassin hesitated long enough for the sounds of the other to begin to fade before following at a much slower pace. She had grown accustomed now to the other's pattern of movement and allowed that knowledge and her other senses to guide her in pursuit.

Tiraris arrived near the end of the pair's conversation, hanging back in the shadows to further observe. 'King? What duplicity is this pixie? Selling me up the river already? Best be quicker than that then Maar. I am not as dumb as you take me for.'

Her eyes followed uncomprehending but trying to, what was meant by the look towards the woman's arm. 'What are you after boy? What information are you trying to steal?' There in the cold shadows, Tiraris debated her next move. Did she reveal herself? Did she stay? Did she return to camp? If so, did she pretend to not know? Did she confront Maar? It was unlikely that the Fae did not know she was there already, but the boy could not. Tiraris was too careful of that. 'Your move, Maar. Now what?'

[Winters-Feather]

Sneaky girl, Maar thought with a straight face.
Of course she could sense Tiraris' presence, though the fae was surprised the woman was somehow able to track her. She didn't mind terribly that the woman was here, though it would complicate matters. Maar hadn't wanted to talk about this, not with her, but the fae knew that it was now necessary.
Not a word to Zal, she thought, who smiled innocently at the man who was currently narrowing his eyes at her, clearly puzzled.

He  wasn't one to defy her decisions normally, but Maar could tell that he thought her decision to teach an 'outsider' was a risky one, Purple Hawk or no.
"That's good," he replied, slowly. He didn't want to defy what his teacher could and couldn't do.   
The fae nodded, patiently waiting to know where he was getting at. Zal was never the type to hold his tongue when something was biting him, authority or no.
"But if she does," he quickly continued, "Then..."
"I know the rules better than most," Maar quickly replied.
Kill her or swear her in. 
She wanted to say "That wouldn't happen", but she knew this wasn't true.  Tiraris knew too much already, so it seemed.


Maar shrugged and stretched her arms.
"You ought to search for food elsewhere," she suggested, pointing towards the east.
"These rings have their purpose, and the forest  doesn't like it when  fools mess with its things. Even the animals don't touch them."
Zal nodded, his shoulders slumped. It was clear to Maar that he wanted more of an explanation  out of her, but he understood that he wasn't going to get it. He gave the fae a small bow.
"My message," Maar reminded him.
"Aye," he replied with a wave as he cheerfully went off in the direction the fae told him, whistling.

Maar stood quietly in the middle of the fairy ring until she was positive Zal was out of range.
"You can come out now, Tiraris," she said. Her tone was lighthearted, but there was a slight, wary edge to it.
"Did you hear the whole thing?"

[GoblinFae]

Tiraris allowed her back to rest against the tree trunk that had shielded her from view, causing the moonlight to filter in through the leaves above and create splotches of light and shadow upon her body.

"Hard not to when you talk as loud as a trumpet, Maar. Selling me out already, are you?" A slim brow raised in challenge as the assassin crossed her arms. She was prepared to move if need be but her muscles were not yet bunched in true preparation of flight. "Who is he?"

'Better yet, what does he have to do with me? I could have killed him Maar. I still can. He is just a sapling in comparison to the great oak trees. Do not forget what I have already done for you. My generosity extends only so far before the thin edge of the blade will finally slip and down you shall fall.'

"No more games, fairy. You may be older but that just makes you slower with age. You have already seen one display of what I can do, I would not test it further tonight if I were you."