Beginning of the end (Doc)

[Ycharley]

"What I see is a trap. The only thing in the opening is my sister, she is in a cage, and it appears the only thing that is covering her form is a dirty blanket," Devin said his voice almost a whisper, the rage clear in his voice.

"That is what I see, they probably have a trap sitting right where we would of landed, that is what I see," Devin continued his body literally shaking with rage.' He could push the son of a bitch off, kill him, yet he still runs his mouth,' Devin thought, the dragon taking a sharp turn to the right to land away from the camp so they could do the night fight.

[Doc]

As soon as the dragon landed Cauwyn practically threw himself to the ground. He stomped a few feet away taking time to breathe and calm himself before he did something stupid. Despite what most people thought, a calm head was key when dealing with mercenaries. Most of them would blow up in a second and killing a man would put you down in numbers, so Cauwyn had learned early from Aldarius that it was best to finish with words than steel. Not that you should ever show weakness, but that something like mercy was the greatest form of power you could wield. Not taking a life when you could.

"Look, kid, we need t' get some things strait.." Cauwyn started in a reasonably calm voice as he turned on his heel and started back toward him, "One, if you value your tongue then you'll learn t' control it better. Two, if'n you're so sure it's a trap 'cause they were expectin' you an' your dragon, then what in th' hells are the chances they're gonna track that things landin' to here? You know these people, yeah? How bad you think they're gonna want ya?"

[Ycharley]

Devin had his head against a tree, taking slow deep  breaths. He was trying to get the image of his sister and the possible things that she had endured out of his head. The thoughts enraged him, made his blood boil.

'It's not just me that they want, they want to kill Lilth, they want to torture Lilly then they want to kill me," Devin started to explain. He took a deep breath before turning to Cauwyn. "They aren't going to try to track us because then they won't get Lilth, they know that. They also know that as long as they have my sister I will be trying to get her back," He said looking down, his voice a mixture of rage and near defeat. Of course his sister would be the one that would do the deed with someone who wouldn't give a shit about her later. Who would be more concerned about a few words then saving an innocent girl.

[Doc]

Cauwyn listened intently, staring at the man in what looked like his darkest hour. Everything Devin said, Cauwyn absorbed and began putting to use. He had seen a bit of the terrain on the flight over and he looked around a bit, though he still listened to the pained words of Lillys brother. Once he was done talking Cauwyn looked back to him.

"Alright," He said with an almost cheerful grin, smacking Devin on the shoulder with his hand, "now we're talkin'. I'm startin' to get a feel for these cocks, an' what they want. How much danger is Lilly in right now? If'n we stay here an' wait for nightfall I mean? I get they want yer dragon and they want you, but what 'bout Lilly?"

His smile faded away as his face became a hardened mask of hard edges and intense eyes, "I know what people like that would do with a pretty girl like her.. I don't plan on lettin' that happen if'n we can stop it. Now, fightin' them at night is the best plan for us, an' I ain't tryin' to get killed rescuin' someone 'cause that ain't me, but I don't plan on lettin' that girl suffer none either.."

[Ycharley]

"They have already tortured her and used her as they wished to just for the hell of it, they would save the rest for when they got their hands on me," He revealed, his voice rough with rage and pain. He knew he would have to calm down before going into battle or he would let emotion cloud his instincts.

"She didn't look good Cauwyn, from what I had seen she had been beaten pretty bad, she looked like she had been tortured that bastards probably used magic to torture her, to dehydrate her. Plus it looked like all she had was a blanket to cover herself," He spoke, quickly cutting himself off, not even wanting to continue with what that last part probably meant that they had done to his sister.

[Doc]

Cauwyn ground his teeth as he listened. He started pacing, like a cornered wolf, and his hand fell to his sword tightening around the leather wrapped handle. He had to force himself to even out his breathing, trying to concentrate on what they could do now. His attention flicked briefly to their surroundings again before he spoke to Devin.

"How many are there an' did ya see where they were? We need t' get Lilly outta there, an' the best way is t' start now. Start bleedin' them a little.." Cauwyn stopped his pacing, his eyes had become cold hard daggers, "Start pickin' them off an' given them a bit to fear.."

[Ycharley]

"There has to be at least fifteen and no more than twenty five," Devin spoke, leaning heavily against a tree. His body seemed to relax. He was releasing the anger, he had too. He would get it out of his system when he was killing the guys.

"If you want to start picking them off we should get going," Devin said walking back to Lilth. He grabbed a bow and arrow out of a pouch that was wrapped around the large lizard. He then pulled out quiver full of arrows, he was ready to start killing, he was ready to get his sister home.

[Doc]

"Good." Cauwyn said with some finality in his voice. He didn't flinch at the numbers that had been mentioned, only started to work at the strap for his shield as Devin went to fetch his bow. Cauwyn pulled the shield from his back and his pack with it, setting both down against a rock near a bush. Then he reached behind his back and pulled out a long dagger with one hand and took the ax from his belt with his off-hand. His sword was to big to use in an operation like this.

"Alright, stay low an' quiet." He started to turn toward the direction they needed to go, but stopped then looking back over at Devin and then his dragon. He looked back to the man, "Is that," He corrected himself, "is he going t' be staying here? We don't want t' give away our hand. 'course, if they know he's here already an' if you guys talk in your mind, maybe he could hit to the sky an' keep a lookout for us, yeah?"

[Ycharley]

Devin turned to Lilth, closing his eyes. He took a deep breath, deepening his connection for the time being. Devin turned back to Cauwyn, his eyes looking almost like Lilth's. Lilth leapt into the air, taking to the skies. "Okay, if he spots anything I'll be the first to know," Devin spoke as he walked along side Cauwyn.

"Lets go kill these bastards once and for all," He spoke softly.

[Doc]

With a firm nod Cauwyn took off at a light jog. He moved smoothly over rocks and through the underbrush, not so much graceful as simply well practiced. Every so often he would stop and look at the position of the sun and then search the ground for prints. This went on for a while until he heard the soft rumbling of laughter in the distance. Cauwyn stopped, holding up a hand for Devin to do the same, and then started a slow crouched walk forward.

Two men were leaning against a tree swapping stories with a third man who stood in front of them. They were passing around a wineskin and each boasting about everything from their prowess in battle to prowess with the ladies. Cauwyns lip curled up into a sneer and he looked over at Devin, signaling with a jut of his head that he should go right to get around behind them.

[Ycharley]

Though Devin was a few years younger than Cauwyn, it seemed that he too was rather well practiced and probably would have had a good mercenary if he hadn't become a dragon rider. His footsteps were almost completely silent. He looked at the men, they were vaguely familiar from battles past.

Devin nodded at Cauwyns signals, moving the the right silently, pulling an arrow, ready to notch it. The elf he had befriended was the one that had taught him archery, and he quickly found out that he had an uncanny natural ability for it.

Devin looked towards Cauwyn, letting him direct the assault. He didn't do this just because Cauwyn was older and possibly more experience, but because he knew he was too emotionally distraught to lead the assault.

[Doc]

Once Devin was in position Cauwyn gave him a quick nod. Then, schooling the hard lines of his face back into an easy smile Cauwyn put both the weapons behind his back and sauntered into the little clearing as if he didn't have a care in the world.

"'ello gents!" Cauwyn said with a wide smirk as the three men, all taken off guard, turned to face him. They all placed their hands on their weapons, but it didn't even slow Cauwyns waddling strut toward them, "How goes the day? See ya have a wineskin there.. Suppose ya wouldn't mind letting' a fellow get a drink?"

"Fuck off!" Growled one man as he pulled out a rather squat broadsword. Cauwyn just continued to make his way closer.

"Oi, you 'eard 'im!" A second man shouted, this one tightening his hold on the sword handle peaking over the top of his shoulder, "an just who the 'ell do you think you are, commin' 'ere demandin' our wine? You know who the fuck we are, boyo?"

Both men stepped forward, closer to Cauwyn, leaving just the one man holding a spear and standing behind and in between the other two. Cauwyn stopped as they both came in range of him and he gave them a rather patronizing shrug and smile, "Sure don't fellas. How 'bout you enlighten me, yeah?"

[Ycharley]

Devin notched and arrow and drew back. At the slightest hint that Cauwyn was about to start fighting the men. He didn't know Cauwyn's fighting style so he didn't know how quickly he would be able to kill the men, but he knew he would be able to pick at least one of the men off.

Lilly felt like a caged animal. She laid on a raised wooden floor, which she figured was better than laying in dirt. She laid on her side, a blanket wrapped tightly around her hips waist and legs, and a part pulled up to cover up her front upper half, leaving her back exposed. Her back was littered with raw nasty looking marks lefts from a fresh lashing.

[Doc]

"Ah, you about to be enlightened, boyo!" Said the man with the sword behind his back, just before he drew the blade. He started to step forward, a deadly hunger in his eyes when the other man stopped him with the flat of his blade across his chest.

"How 'bout you show us your hands, fella." He said cautiously to Cauwyn, suddenly realizing for the first time Cauwyn's hands were behind his back.

"Ah, where m' manners? Not a pro'lem gents.." Cauwyn said with a two sweet smile and a small bow of his head. When he straitened, Cauwyn moved. The dagger and the ax both came into view only a split second before his body twisted at the waist. He swung the dagger across his body driving it up and deep into the throat and up into the skull of the man who had just drawn his sword. Just as the tip of the dagger broke the flesh of the mans neck to start it's journey Cauwyn stepped one foot over the other and let the thrust of the dagger carry his momentum as he swung his ax wide in the same instant, it burying its self into the face of the other man with a sickening thunk.

This of course left him exposed to the man who had been behind the two, but Cauwyn held onto both his weapons hoping Devin really did have his back. Maybe sleeping with the mans sister wasn't the best of ideas before such a daring raid, but then he probably wouldn't be in this mess if he hadn't..

[Ycharley]

Devin released the arrow and it hit its target with a sickening sound. The arrow was left sticking out of the man's neck as he fell to the ground. Devin walked to catch up with Cauwyn, another arrow notched and ready to be drawn.

"Nice," Devin spoke softly. He looked over their surroundings and was glad that it seemed no one noticed.

Lilly's head was pounding and the high pitched clink or metal hitting metal was making it worse. A man drug a dagger across the bars of her cage as he laughed darkly. "It's starting to look like your brother won't be coming, well won't that be a shame. He'll just have to miss all the fun we're going to have with you," The man spoke darkly.

[Doc]

Cauwyn pulled his weapons free of the two men with out a care in the world, blood dripping from both blades as he turned to Devin. A small, humorless grin drifted onto his face as he looked down at the arrow in the mans neck and reveled in the fact he was still alive. Cauwyn turned that same look on Devin.

"Nice shot," He chuckled softly, though there was no humor in it. He then looked up toward the direction they were heading and gave a small nod of his head. As they both started moving, it was only a matter of moments before they found the next group of three. Cauwyn paused, looking at Devin with a much more somber, stoic face.

"How fast can ya shoot that bow?" He looked out at the men who were cooking a small bird over a fire, " 'cause I figure, if you can take down two we can ask the third where his friends are an' what their plan is, yeah?"

[Ycharley]

"I can shoot all three before any one of them could make it a yard," Devin said reaching back and pulling out two more arrows. "I'll shoot the first two then maim the third," Devin spoke before taking a deep breath.

He notched the first arrow drawing back and letting it go, striking a man in the spine. He almost instantaneously had the second arrow notched and drew back before letting it go and hitting the second man in the chest. Just as before he notched the third arrow and after drawing it back let it go, watching it hit the thrid man in the thigh.

[Doc]

"Nice job, kid." Cauwyn hissed with a dangerous grin before he darted out from cover and to the little makeshift campsite. The man who had been screaming in pain began attempting to crawl towards his weapons when Cauwyn came running up. Of course, he wasn't given the chance as Cauwyn stomped his boot down on the mans outstretched hand with a sickeningly friendly smile.

"Hello mate, me an' you are gonna have a little talk.." He tucked away his ax as he crouched down and, without a single question asked sliced off the mans ear. The screaming grew louder as Cauwyn dangled it in front of him, "You keep screamin' like that, I take your balls. You stop yer bellyaching an' tell me what I know... well, you'll get t' keep more of yourself, yeah?"

[Ycharley]

"Please, please, I'll tell you anything!" The man screamed, his face pleading.

Devin just watched, he had been in war before and he had been hardened towards pleas and torture. Plus these men had done god knows what to his sister. So he saw it as only fair, they were getting what they deserved.

[Doc]

"Good.." cawing said in a calm, placating voice, "Good, that's what I like t' hear. Now, who's runnin' this piss-pour ambush an' where do I find 'em?" To help make his point, Cauwy placed his heavy soled boot down on the mans arm, pinning it to the ground. Still crouched low he took his dagger and placed the tip of it against the mans middle finger.

"Oh, an' if I think your lying t' me I start takin' off fingers an' shit.." He flashed broad smile that never held any humor, "Think of it this way though, ya get ten tries.."