Fragile Ground To Walk Upon. [open!]

[Draconian]

The smell of blood was heavy in the air and Raizel looked at the broken bodies in the camp, her face crumpled slightly before she dropped her head. Too late. Always too late. Her hands went to her hair and the movement caused Aki to flutter off her shoulder and land on the ground beside her, looking up curiously. A strangled yell through clenched teeth before she took a few deep breaths and went about the camp, taking what things she needed that hadn't been pillaged and stolen already.

There was a few moments where she considered burying the bodies. It would keep things from feasting off of their corpses, but if she buried them... They'd be dug up anyway and it would take far too long. Raizel decided to leave them. A warning to other travelers if the animals didn't get them first. The group of bandits she'd been following for a few days now had proven more elusive than she'd anticipated and--

The pressure in her chest forced her to move. Everything in her head yelled at her to put these people to peace somehow, if not to just move them from where they were slain. It would waste precious time though, "Aki, what should we do?" She questioned the raven quietly before he went about picking at flowers the answer left up to interpretation. 

"Fine, but we need to move quickly." It wasn't as quickly as Raizel hoped it would be.  She arranged the bodies in a line while Aki hopped around the camp site, playing with odds and ends. A flower went to each of their chests and Raizel stood still for a moment, her head bowed down offering them a better afterlife to any gods that refused to speak to her.

"If we pass another camp like this it's your fault, bird." Raizel threatened the raven when he fluttered back onto her shoulder, and again she was off, her backpack a little heavier than before.

There was no effort to hide her own tracks having little fear of being followed. Still, she moved on, deciding if no one was going to put these bandits in their place it would simply have to be her.

[JackieCat]

Kilarhas narrowed his eyes as he looked at the man in front of him.  The man was talking about the last people he had killed.  It hadn't been long ago, he said, just two days.  The whole group of bandits had attacked a camp.  Kilarhas had joined the bandit's just yesterday, and he was feeling murderous already.  He had joined them because he had heard that they had attacked another camp, and he knew that they were evil.  He had joined them under the alias 'Corak Dillifen' and they bought it. Well, it did help that he had used that name before while working undercover with bandits and assassins and the like.  As Corak he had gotten himself quite a reputation, and all of it was a lie.

If the group of assassins he was 'working' with needed someone killed, someone who was good, Kilarhas would take the job and go to the person.  He would tell them about the assassins and that he was working undercover.  He would warn them to leave, for if Kilarhas didn't kill them now, another assassin would come later and kill them.  So then the 'victim' would escape, and Kilarhas would return to the assassin victorious.  Saying no one caught him and he had disposed of the body so no one would find it.

That way he built up a bloody story for Corak Dillifen, a story that was woven from his imagination.

Kilarhas felt like killing the man walking in front of him.  He was saying how he had killed a man in his sleep, a defensless, unsuspecting, innocent man in his sleep.

Kilarhas was breathing heavily, the elf's eyes filled with rage, but he didn't do anything, he couldn't, not at this moment.  He would kill these bandits in there sleep, they deserved no fair warning from him.  There wasn't an ounce of innocence among them.

Kilarhas was waiting for just the right moment.

And then he would strike.

[Draconian]

Above the bandits, the cry of a raven broke the dusky silence. The cloaked figure stood in the distance, just blending in with the shadows. The only thing giving it away was the red sash tied around it's middle. The cloak billowed out when a breeze made it's way through the trees and there was no attempt to hide.

Booted feet crunched rocks and broken branches, crushed leaves. The lookout stood up, surprised to see someone so far into the forest but before he could get out a strangled cry a sword was shoved through his middle. Quickly it was whipped out the side and a splatter of blood dripped down the tree. A quiet sigh and the figure moved on, stepping into the camp. The camp smelled like old blood, the scent of wrong was heavy and quickly the figure looked up, gazing at the raven for a moment before she took the hood off.

"I've finally found you!" She exclaimed, "You know, I've been tracking you." The tone of voice was as if she'd been asking them if they had tea on and if they would be so kind as to let her join them. "Your watch is sloppy," the sword flicked again and the fresh blood made an arch on the dirt, "if any of you survive... Well, I'd suggest you start up with a better one." The raven cried again and Raizel grinned widely before looking up, pleased that her little chase was over finally.

"As it is, I'm afraid now is when you pay for those innocents you've killed and the only payment you're able to give is in blood and tears." A lick of her lips and a tilt of her head, she raised her sword and rushed in. The movements were exact, no swing was wasted, no strike was useless. It was violent and messy and the chocking sob of one bandit trying to swallow her sword was the only thing that broke the silence between heavy breathing and movement.  She had counted seven bandits, four lay dead which meant there were three left. Two of them she could see, glaring at her trying to decide if they should run away or try and kill her, but the third, where was the third?

[JackieCat]

Kilarhas stood in the shadows, watching as the woman attacked the bandits and quickly killed four of them.  He was impressed with her skills, but not surprised. 

As soon as she had emerged from the forest after killing the lookout, he had stepped back and concealed himself in the shadows.

Now he stood, arms crossed, leaning against a tree as he watched. He knew she would soon be looking for him, but he decided to let her dispose of the remaining two bandits to reveal himself.

He saw her glance around for him, but he was well hidden, his dark blue cloak was almost black, blending into the shadows perfectly.

[Draconian]

The last two were deposed of quickly,  Raizel gave a single exhale before she turned around again, looking into the shadows. The sun had given way to the moon and she stopped moving, the seventh bandit hadn't run come out yet and she turned around, never keeping her back to anywhere in the clearing for too long.

"Are you going to come out?" Was all she said, her voice raised just in case he'd actually run away. "You let your companions die like the vermin they are and you do nothing?" Partially she was a little disgusted, wasn't there honor among thieves? The raven that had been sitting in the trees above fluttered down and rest on her shoulder, curling it's self into her hood to rest beside her head. Raizel gave the bird a dirty look but left him.

[JackieCat]

"They are my companions, you are correct," Kilarhas said, stepping from the shadows and pulling back the hood of his cloak, letting his long silver hair fall over his shoulders. "But they are not my friends, and I am far from loyal to them.  In fact, I was going to kill them this very night, that was before you came, of course."

Kilarhas walked closer to the woman, but stopped when he was still out of reach of her sword.  He and no weapons out, not even his staff.  It was currently on his belt in the form of a short wand.  His long dagger was sheathed as well, though he would be ready to draw it at a moments notice.

"Since you killed those bandits I assume they were no friends of yours, but may I ask who you are exactly?

[Draconian]

When her new friend pushed his hood back Raizel took in his features slowly, her eyes moving from defining points before looking at him the best she could in the darkness. It wouldn't do well to let him go only to see him again when he's elbows deep in someones torso. Raizel didn't sheath her sword, she did let the top drop to the ground, a weaker attempt at being passive.

"Who I am?" Raizel tilted her head for a moment as if giving it thought and decided to be honest, "My name is Raizel." Her hands swept out beside her and she gave a slight bow which could be mocking or honest, depending on the other persons view. The Raven protested the incline of her body and made some noises.

"Isn't it convenient that you, the last one, was going to kill them tonight?" She smiled and used the red sash tied around her hips to wipe the blood from her sword and put it away slowly, not taking her eyes off of him. "You don't smell like they do though and I'm not without reason. Who are you?"

[JackieCat]

Kilarhas returned the bow, but his was meant to be slightly mocking. He took another slow step towards Raizel, his boots making no noise on the forest floor.

He took her question as an accusation and at it he stopped and frowned. "You think that I hid from my 'comrades' and now am just lying to you that I would have killed them?" Kilarhas's voice grew cold. "I am many things, ma'am, sometimes even dishonest, but I am not a betrayer," he looked away, and his silver eyes were sparked with anger, but it was not at Raizel. "I have had too much experience with betrayers to become one.  I may have pretended to work with the bandits, but I was never one of them, so while I was a 'double agent' you might say, I never betrayed them."

He turned his eyes back to Raizel. "I am telling the truth.  I am a mercenary, but I only take jobs that are for good, and I never harm innocents.  My name is Kilarhas Gindein, mercenary and former Elven prince of the kingdom Corriana." 

[Draconian]

Entertained amidst dead bodies was probably a little morbid, but there she was with a smirk on her face and her stance since relaxed. Entertained. "So you lied to them to become part of their group and then did nothing to help them when I came and slaughtered them all." She repeated the story before tapping one gloved finger against her lips as if processing the information mostly just entertained at the irony, her voice had gone low and she gave the man a sweeping glance again.


Finally they locked gazes and she watched him watch her, she tilted her head and locked the information away of his name and where he was from. "Corriana?" She repeated, tasting the words, "Never heard of it."

And then she was done, she began to poke around the camp for things that might be of use, "Take what you can carry and be on your way, you don't want to be here when the meat eaters come out." Another glance over her shoulder at the man and she smiled though it was hallow, "If you like you can join me when I make camp, it's always nice to have company and it's a waste of food if when I make too much."

[JackieCat]

"Yes, that's exactly what I did," Kilarhas said when she summarized what he had told her.  He started to walk around the bodies, still looking at Raizel.

"Yes, Corriana, and you wouldn't have heard of it, not many who are not elves have.  It is in the middle of the wilderness, and the Corrianian elves hardly ever venture far from their home.

When she told him he could take what he could carry he shook his head, frowning. "I do not steal from bodies," he nudged one of the bandits with his foot. "Not even bandit bodies."  He steepled his fingers and put them to his chin. "Though I have no qualms of stealing from them when they are alive."

He twisted his fingers and a pouch of coins appeared in his hand.  He tossed it in his hand as he walked, and smiled when she invited him to stay with her for the night. "I'll join you, it would be my pleasure." He crinkled his nose. "I've been staying with bandits for too long anyway, even though it wasn't that long."

[Draconian]

This was going to be grand fun, she decided. Raizel watched him nudge a bandit, tilting her head confused. "It's not stealing," She stated, "Stealing would imply that it's theirs and they're obviously not alive anymore which means they can't own anything." And she went about going through their packs, collecting what food and water they had left over. With her hood still drawn up and the raven snoozing beside her head she had to turn farther than normal to watch the man.

Slightly confusion when the pouch appeared in his hands and she simply shrugged her shoulders before giving a nod at his acceptance of her offer. "Good. We'll go upwind a bit," she wrinkled her nose too, "I don't want to smell them."

With her backpack now stocked with water and what food they had left over Raizel began the trek towards a new clearing. Picking up branches and hunks of fallen dried wood as she walked, Luckily for the pair the days had been nice to them and nothing was soaked through, it would have been a miserable night otherwise.  Finally a nice patch between trees was found and she dropped her backpack and pulled her hood down. The moon was bright and she dropped the wood before rolling her shoulders.

"So, Why 'former'." She inquired while she went about unpacking her backpack, "How do you be a 'former' Prince. Did you get fired?"

[JackieCat]

Kilarhas followed Raizel to the clearing, also picking up dead branches and wood from the ground.  When they got to the clearing he dropped his wood on top of hers and then crouched down.

"Fired?" Kilarhas laughed at her question. "Princes don't really get fired.  No," he shook his head, taking some of the wood pieces and starting to stack them to make a fire. "No, I got banished.  There was a war, and my father, the king, was all for surrendering," Kilarhas spat bitterly. "He wanted to give our people and our land to the enemy.  I knew if he did that our people would lead terrible lives under the rule of evil.  So I snuck, with some followers, into where our enemy lived, I assassinated him.  His followers then attacked our castle.  We won the war, with few losses, but it was better than if we would have surrendered.  My father was going to banish me and the elves who helped me assassinate our enemy for being traitors and going against his orders, even though it helped us win the war.  But then my followers betrayed me.  They told my father that I had forced them to come with me, I threatened them.  So my father let them stay and he banished me."

Kilarhas glared at the wood in his hands for a moment, but then he looked up and smiled. "But that was nearly six years ago.  I've been wandering ever since."  He pulled some dead grass from the ground and put it in the pile of wood.  Then he put his fingers right above the dry grass and snapped his fingers, a small flame lit on the tips of his fingers and he lowered it to the grass.  It lit and he drew his hand back, snuffing out the fire in his hand.

"So," he said, looking to Raizel. "That's my story, what's yours?"

[Draconian]

A piece of dried meat went into her mouth and she chewed on it, giving Kilarhas her attention while she ate. Honestly the most interesting thing was his use of magic to light the fire. Still, his story rubbed her the wrong way and she shifted. Betrayal was always an interesting subject and Raizel finished her jerky and rubbed her gloves against her pants while she nodded and pursed her lips.

What could you say to that? "That sucks," yeah. That was good. Nice and to the point. 

Raizel removed her gloves and reached out to the fire, rubbing her fingers together in a lackluster effort to give them warmth.  She simply smiled at Kilarhas and shrugged, "I don't have a story," Pushing a hand through her hair and leaning back against a tree she looked at him, "I'm sure it's interesting though, if I ever find it out. Though I hope it doesn't have the awful twist that yours does."  Frowning for a moment, "I really am sorry that you were forced to leave your home."

"Are you a vegetarian? I have more dried meat if you aren't. Some of you elves are super picky when it comes to eating animals." Raizel ignored the fact that her own ears ended in a delicate point.

[JackieCat]

Kilarhas's eyes widened when she said she had no story. "You remember nothing?" He narrowed his eyes, thinking. "That's very interesting.  And unfortunate, I'm sorry."

Kilarhas sat down and pulled his wand from his belt, playing with it in his fingers.  He liked it as a wand, it was sometimes more practical than a long staff.  As a want it looked like a smooth, thin, piece of wood about seven inches long.  It was dark oak and the end was twisted, with a small blue gem set into it.  All in all, it was a mini version of the staff.  He turned it in his fingers as he listened to Raizel.  He laughed when she asked about the meat. "I have no limits about eating meat," he said. "Those elves who claim to be closer to the earth by not eating meat puts them farther from nature.  In my opinion, it's just part of the cycle of life, nothing could be closer to the earth.  By one animal being killed and eaten, it gives life to another." He narrowed his eyes. "But what I do not like are those who hunt when they do not need the animal, or worse they do not eat or use it altogether.  Rich lords and ladies riding out after dogs chasing after an animal for sport, when their larders are stuffed full of meat and other foodstuffs.  That it what I detest." 

He frowned, thinking back to her saying she had no story. "What is the earliest thing you remember?" he asked, then he quickly nodded his head to her. "Never mind, it's none of my business."

He turned back to the fire, but looked at her out of the corner of his eye, half smiling at her, still turning the wand in his fingers.  It was a thing of habit, he hardly knew he was doing it anymore.

[Draconian]

There was a soft pull at her lips when he apologized. "I'm sure it's for the best," People didn't just forget happy things, did they? Raizel gave another shrug and offered him her pouch of jerky while he ranted about poachers. Or people who hunted for sport. She watched him play with the piece of wood, which was a pretty fancy looking piece of wood.

"So, you don't like poaching." She commented idly, giving a nod. This fellow had a lot of opinions about things. Raizel pushed her hands through her hair, the streak of white bright amidts her black clothing and black hair, she pulled her knees up to her chest and pressed her elbows to her knees. Propping her head up with her hands she gave a soft smile to Kilarhas.

"Why? Do you want to help me?" Her voice was mirthful, not expectant and obviously she was teasing. "I remember waking up." Raizel's blue eyes turned to the fire, stared at it as if she was looking for things that weren't going to be there. "My hair was longer and blonde and I had fresh wounds on my back." Then she shrugged, "Imagine my surprise when it all grew out black. Did that sate your curiosity?"

[JackieCat]

"I didn't say I didn't like poachers, just those who hunt when they don't need to."  Kilarhas listen as she told him about her memories waking up.  As he listened he looked at his wand in his hands and twirled it in his fingers.

When she had finished Kilarhas nodded.

"The part about your hair is strange," he said, thinking. "But I still wonder whatever could have caused you to loose your memory.  Was it something simple?  As in you were attacked and got concussed in the fight?  Or is something more sinister at work here?"  He smiled softly at her and looked up into his face.

She asked if he wanted to help her.  He could tell she didn't really mean it, but he tilted his head to the side.

"I actually would like to help you," he said. "If I can, and if you want me too, and if you even want your memories back.  I do not think the matter of your memory loss is a simple one."

[Draconian]

There was a shrug and Raizel ran another hand through her hair and smirked, "I think it was changed maybe magic? Maybe a potion. The rest of me has black hair." Then she frowned, curled up a little tighter and simply stared at the fire. Her fingers began to shake and she hugged her knees, which was always the reaction she got when she tried to remember. When she tried to think of why she couldn't...

Blowing out a shaking breath she closed her eyes and took a deep breath in an effort to calm herself down.

Everything inside of Raizel revolted against remember. "Maybe it's best I don't know." She rolled her shoulders, winced briefly and then looked at the bag of jerky, "What, you're not hungry?"

[JackieCat]

Kilarhas frowned as she started to shake, but when she asked if he wasn't hungry he smiled and took a piece of jerky from the bag. "Not at all!" he said, biting into it and tearing off a strip. "It's just that I was so wrapped up in your story I forgot."

As he ate the jerky he looked into the fire, thinking, and still playing with the wand.

[Draconian]

There was a moment where she frowned and she tilted her head, "You're oddly cheerful." Raizel's hands moved down to pick at the ground, moving pebbles and picking at grass and leaves. "Why are you doing that," She nodded towards his wand. The thought of 'who used a wand' traveled through her head but obviously it was this guy.

"Is that thing important?" Her head tilted curiously, oddly like a bird. The raven still snoozed on her shoulder, his head tucked under her hair against the back of her neck and his butt hanging out by her cheek.

[JackieCat]

"What?  Oh, the wand," he said when she asked why he was tirligh his wand. "It's just something I do, it's natural, I hardly even know I'm doing it anymore." He listened when she asked if it was important.  "I should like to think so," he said when she was finished. "It's my wand, I'm a mage and it helps me channel my magic.  I do not need it to perform magic, but it helps with the more difficult spells and makes the simpler ones more powerful."  He laid it next to himself. "It also does this, which I think is really cool."

Then the wand suddenly turned into a staff.  Six feet long, it looked almost exactly the same as the wand but much larger.  The blue gem set into the twisted wood at the top flowed softly, pulsating slowly in the dim light.