Changing the Game

[DragonSong]

@Draconian

Yvaine would never claim to be an outdoorswoman; she liked nature well enough, but she was just not well practiced enough to survive on her own for longer than a day or two away from proper civilization.

For some reason, this was the thought that kept circling her head  as she tugged futilely against the rough rope binding her wrists behind her back, wrapped tight around her torso to keep her pinned against the trunk at her back. Even if she somehow managed to free herself, she had no idea where she was, or how to get home.

If she even could go home.

She shook her head quickly and clenched her eyes shut, swallowing something that was dangerously approaching a sob when it rose up in her throat. She let her head thump back against the trunk of the tree, just below the carved words "Free Our Sisters".

The mages who'd kidnapped her seemed to have thought it made the best statement: leave the youngest daughter of a fairly prominent house to be weathered by the elements and the wild, a representation of the young women who had been dragged to mage camps during the war.

Whatever was left of her when she was found was sure to make an impression.

"No." She blinked. She hadn't realized she'd said that aloud. Gritting her teeth, Yvain lunged forward against her restraints again, a strangled, frustrated cry bursting from her and echoing into the trees.

[Draconian]

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.

[DragonSong]

Yvaine jerked when she heard the sound of someone approaching- quickly- and shrank back against the tree, because what else could she do?

Had they come back for her? The thought made her whimper quietly.

She nearly cried out again when the stranger emerged from the trees. He was certainly...not what she'd been expecting.

But he seemed wiling to help her. She nearly cried with relief, sagging against the ropes. She didn't care what he was, as long as he was going to get her out of this.

"I-I'm not...hurt," she managed to stammer out, blinking in an effort to hold back tears. "Not...really." There was a cut on her arm and bruises dotted her form, but she didn't see much point in mentioning something so minor. She just wanted out. "Who- how did you find me?"