A Long Day's Night (Berry-Tree)

[Lion]

Theon watched with wide eyes as Arya set her wrath on the red-faced man.  Suddenly, as if a matchhead struck by tinder, he caught fire in a wave of flame that, at first scurried across his arm then set him ablaze.  The fire worked quickly to engulf him while he wailed in rage and pain and Arya escaped into the brush beyond.  The fire, he quickly thought, would not hold him long, and saw his assumption come true when the man seemed ignore the fact that he was roasting and raised his sword to give chase.

Theon's eyes shot quickly to his left and a few feet away resided the dagger that landed in the dirt.  He crawled toward it with hasted and grasped it in his hand.  Within a second, he lifted the knife by the blade, and aimed at the burning man.  He launched it and it spun in a whirl of glinting steel as it sailed through the air.  One moment the roasted bastard was about to go after her, and soon he was stock still, his sword loosely clutched in hand, and he landed on his knees and to the ground, the knife having dug deeply in his back.

Theon stood up and looked around them, at the bodies that cluttered the ground.  Theon strode over to the underbrush and peered into the shadows.  "Arya, it's safe to come back now!  Arya!" he called out and waited to see her walk through it.  Jouzan fluttered down from his spot on the tree and glided to the ground near Babs.  "What a bloody mess," said the hooded crow and gave Babs a beady eye.  "Wait, look, over there.  There's one that's unconscious.  Over there," the bird jerked his head, "I think there ought to be a great deal of questions for him when he wakes up."  Jouzan ruffled his feathers and hopped to peck at what one of the dead men had in his pockets.

[Anonymous]

Aryas' eyes were like giant saucers that reflected the light that bounced off him. Around her she could feel heat, as if the entire forest had gone up in flames. It didn't seem to deter him however. He was still reaching for her, yet this time she could feel the dangerous heat bouncing off him. She opened her mouth to shriek as the red sword lifted to come down on her. Her hands automatically covered her head, but nothing happened and she dared a quick look.

He seemed frozen in time, his lit expression blank. Then he simply fell to the ground, nearly on top of Arya. Flames still licked along his body, highlighting the knife in his back. She felt herself exhale and shakily reached to touch the body, just to be sure. The fire reached out for her, almost with a life of its own, but the heat was no longer dangerous. It was almost soothing. She touched it with no pain or fear then, but it suddenly vanished and the forest darkened again, except for the weak campfire nearby. "I'm fine." Her voice was weak, but she adjusted herself anyhow and stood, facing to look at Theon who had come over. "I'm fine..."

"Talking birds, well I'll be." Babs sheathed his sword and talked once he could visually confirm Arya was alright. She looked shaken, but fine. "That fire again though. That'll come later for more pressing matters first." He thought and glanced to the man the bird had pointed out, strewn awkwardly on the ground. He might have taken a blow from the back from either of them from a pommel of a sword, or even from an ally in the heat of the scrap, but either way he looked fairly unharmed, though out cold. Babs pushed him on his side with the heel of his boot and quickly secured his hands tightly with a scrap of strong material he had. "So, that came out of nowhere." He looked up again to give a quick grin to Theon and Arya. "Very well trained for some random thugs however." He pointed out next, his gaze serious as he looked down on their now prisoner.

[Lion]

Jouzan furrowed his eyes as he gave Babs an indignant look.  The crow managed to pull out a rations store from one of the bodies and began pecking at pieces of dried bread to sate his own hunger.  All the while, he watched them as he ate, scarfing down the bits of it.  He paused when he saw Theon stride toward their new prisoner.  Theon wiped whatever blood that was on gleaming blade of Lohengrin before sheathing the weapon.  He stood over the prisoner and grabbed the waterskin by his side.  He poured a handful of it into his palm and splashed it over the face of the man.

"You're right," Theon noted to Babs.  "I should have seen this coming...but they were well hidden.  Makes me wonder if they were very random at all."

The fool was scruffy looking with a thick black beard and head shaved on the sides.  The water made him jolt awake and he gasped as he looked at the two men that stood above him.  He glanced at the direction of Arya and tried to move his arms.  He found he couldn't and instead looked up at Theon with narrow, baggy eyes.  "So whatcha plan on doing with me now?" he snapped and spat at the dirt.  His head was pounding where he'd been struck by Lohengrin, but it was a pain that reminded him that he was still very much alive, unlike his comrades.

"That depends on how much you are willing to tell us," Theon said firmly.  His hand gripped on the hilt of sword to keep frustration from him.  "Why did you come after us?"

"Like I'd tell you.  If you're going to kill me, then do it all ready.  I ain't gonna answer any of your questions!"

Theon knew it wasn't going to be so easy and he cut his eyes to Jouzan.  The hooded crow flew up to Theon's shoulder and made his perch there, turning to gaze deeply into the man's eyes.  The bird ruffled his feathers and made a low pitched caw that rumbled on for half a minute.  The man became almost paralyzed and he couldn't tear his eyes away from the bird.  Jouzan just kept piercing his beady eyes at him.  The man's skin grew visibly pale and a cold sweat took him, he looked afraid, visibly afraid at what he saw in the crow's eyes but could not utter a word of what he saw.  Finally he did speak and his voice audibly cracked under pressure.  "It...it was Jory's idea.  Jory, the big bald one that went after the girl!  We were going to take the girl....  Her!"  he jerked his head in Arya's direction.  "And leave you for dead.  He said she had the perfect blood for what the Rah wanted."

"What are you talking about?  Who is the 'Rah'?" Theon pressed and did not break his stance, nor did Jouzan.

The man shuddered and he didn't blink.  "I can't say anymore!  The Rah will have my tongue!"

"The bird will have your eyes if you don't.  Tell me."

He breathed in and kept his eyes on Jouzan.  "I-I don't know his name!....  I just work for him.  We call him the Rah because he doesn't go by anything else.  Jory was his messenger...and now that he's dead he will hunt you.  All of you."

Theon finally did stride closer to knelt before the man, right before seizing his shirtcollar and yanking him violently close.  The man, visibly shaken finally put his eyes on Theon and he didn't like what he saw there.  Theon spoke slowly but carefully.  "You will go back to this 'Rah' and tell him what happened to Jory and the rest of these men.  And you will also tell him to leave us be or face the consequences."

"You're...you're going to let me go?" he breathed.

"Yes...but not without a sign.  Jouzan...take his eyes."  Theon stood and walked away as the hooded crow rose from his place and flew at their prisoner's face, clawing and pecking at the man's face as he screamed in pain as the bird took his eyes.  With his hands bound, the man could not defend himself and did nothing but yell in agony.  Theon did not look remorseful but nor did his face seem to express any enjoyment at the man's expense.  He looked stoic but kept his back to the prisoner until the yells ceased and Jouzan flew away to land on Theon's now extended arm.  The man was still alive, but his eyes were gone and he stifled the urge to keep crying out at what pain throbbed.  Theon looked at Jouzan and tossed him up for him to take roost in a tree.  He then took a strip of his cloth from his own clothing, a thick patch that was long and he proceeded to wrap the man's face where his eyes had been before cutting him loose.  Upon release immediately the man stood and ran through the trees, wildly and without direction, wanted to get as far away as possible.

Theon looked at his companions and frowned.  "I am sorry that this had to happen," he said carefully.  "And I know you're tired Arya, but the night is long and we should depart here as soon as possible.  Before anyone else comes along."

[Anonymous]

Quietly Babs stood back as Theon approached the man, shocked him awake and began his interrogation. His eyes fluttered from Theon's sharp and cold expression to the man's fright. It seemed like he had stumbled upon a rare gem in the pile of coals; few men he knew had this confidence in battle. Not only that but he seemed competent and sure of himself, even without steel pressing into his palm.

He could feel his fingers tightening around the hilt of his blade on instinct. Theon was not after their blood and there was nothing to tell him otherwise, yet his gut still cried out warnings for her safety. He forced himself to relax and sheathed his blade. Below, the fire crackled and he softly put his foot down on it, killing the last of the embers.

Arya had meanwhile come to his side. Her hands still shook from the shock but she had steeled her expression to the point where she was glaring. "I didn't quite mean to do that." She started slowly in a whisper to her guard, selecting her words carefully. Glancing down, she studied the palm of her hand. Nothing had changed, not a single burn, though a little bit of dirt was visible from where she had dragged herself through the undergrowth. A scream distracted her from the interest though and Arya looked up rapidly, only to turn her head away with a grimace. The interrogation had suddenly gone from simple talk to horror and the image of the bird desperately flapping around the victim's face, his beak embedded deep within it was far too much to bear. She bit her lip, forcing herself to push it out of her mind and cast a wary glance at Babs.

His arms were folded, his expression grim. His gaze followed the victim until he had vanished from sight and he looked back at Theon. "A strong message I'm sure, but a little unnecessary." He shrugged lightly, as if it meant nothing. "Let's move we can talk while we walk." He strode through the trees, ending up on the road again and paused, waiting for a moment for Theon so he could fall into step with him. Arya was in front, trying to look as if the little incident had been no more then a prick in her finger but her furtive glances told otherwise.

"So I'll take it that you're aware Arya is a little... special." His voice was easy but low. "What they could want with her 'blood' is beyond me... but I might have a little but controversial theory as to who this Rha man is..." He cut off then hesitant. "Most likely I'm wrong, but few know that Arya has some... magical talent."

[Lion]

Perhaps it didn't seem to be a necessity in the small view of things, but Theon knew that carving out the man's eyes did not seem very practical at first, and he would not bother to explain why he'd done so.  It was nothing personal, it was not something he took joy in seeing for this, as he'd come to quickly know, was a painful world and there was enough pain to go around as it was.  But some things, he deemed were necessary evils as well and it would not bode well with him to execute this man that was only following orders.  Perhaps he could have killed him and just have been done with it as it were.  Maybe nobody would care about these fools and they'd leave it at that, or maybe those in league with them would find the bodies and wish to know who had done so, and begin to track them, without their knowledge.  At least in questioning him they'd found who would be their pursuers, and in taking his eyes, perhaps that would be a sign that it would not be wise to follow.  Theon looked at the pair he'd only recently met and while he didn't doubt Babs' ability to defend them and Arya no doubt had gifts of her own, between the two of them, they looked like they could use all the help they could get.

So Theon turned and walked along with them after he'd let the man go and tried to wipe the solemnity from his face, with no avail.  When Babs had spoken, he turned his gaze to Arya and found a smile soften his features.  "Yes," he nodded.  "It's impressive for what it is.  I don't suppose she comes from a line of mages does she?"

Theon nodded in understanding, but to learn that Babs might know who this Rah was, was enlightening and he tilted his head in curiosity.  "Exactly, who, do you think he is?  Is he someone that should prove to be a dire threat in the future?  Will we be needing more mercenaries to come along and protect her?"  He smirked smartly at the young girl as if she needed protection after what he'd seen.  He was more than confident she could take care of herself should the need arise.