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A Dangerous Road (DragonSong)

Started by PixelatedGlory, April 03, 2018, 01:25:03 PM

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PixelatedGlory

@DragonSong

"We should make it to Selevea before nightfall as long as we keep up this pace," the well-groomed man in leather armor turned to check on his companions. The young woman atop his gray horse looked exhausted and her child was just waking up at the sound of Arden's voice.

The boy, who looked to be about 5 years old, sleepily looked over at the man escorting them and said, "I gotta go potty, please," in a very shy voice. Arden looked around and saw no immediate danger. He chuckled and pulled on the reins of the horse to bring her to a halt. Nodding to the woman he helped her son down from the saddle and added quietly, "If you have a similar need, I'd rather not stop again until we get to town. It is not uncommon for bandits to watch these roads." She did not reply but she did also take his hand so she could dismount.

The boy quickly ran off into the bushes, undoing his pants even as his exasperated mother followed after him chiding him to be careful. Arden stayed by the horse, keeping a watchful eye on the area. He hadn't been lying about the bandits. Selevea was a decent town but the large number of smuggling opportunities tended to draw in some less savory characters.

I'll be glad to spend a night in town, with a locked door to keep them safe, he thought to himself. It had been a long trip from southern Connlaoth over the mountains and into Serendipity. The woman and her child had hired him to escort them to Summervale and though the pay was not very good he had his own reasons for accepting the job.

As the woman and child were returning from the bushes the sound of a snapping twig caught Arden's attention. He peered into the trees surrounding the road and thought he saw a flash of movement up ahead.

No time to make a run for it and we only have the one horse. If its highwaymen with crossbows even sending the others on the horse won't work.

With quick and decisive movements Arden pulled the young woman and her child behind him and  stood in front of them with his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Let us pass. Don't waste your time or blood," he called out in a commanding voice. Even as he spoke he shifted slightly to make sure his charges were shielded by his body on one side and the horse on the other.

Four men emerged from the bushes in front of the stopped travelers with weapons gleaming in the sunlight. They didn't seem like they were going to just let them through. Worse still, two more exited the brush behind Arden and his charges.

One man in the front group with a scraggly beard and missing teeth called out, "You don't make the orders here. We'll take your money and that nice armor you have and then maybe if we are feeling charitable we won't take your wifey there. He laughed in a tone that made it clear he had no intention of being "charitable."

Arden drew his sword as the man who had spoken gave a signal to the rest. One man approached from the front group with a rusty looking axe while the other two leveled their crossbows at Arden. Meanwhile the two men in the rear approached with their swords drawn. Arden grimaced, knowing that he would have to use his magic against these men and even that might not be enough with so many of them. He blinked once and as he turned to cover the woman and child from the men behind them a light blue silhouette remained in his place and solidified into an exact copy of Arden. The copy then stepped forward to meet the man wielding the axe.

DragonSong

Catching the bandits' scent was easy. River followed the trail through the underbrush off the side of the main road, hoping to cut them off before they reached the road itself, but it seemed she'd had no such luck.

Their target seemed to be a small family, a father and mother and child, and...another man? When had he showed up? She could smell magic, but in her wolf form colors were lost and it was difficult to distinguish the magical copy for what it was.

No matter, she didn't have time to worry about this. With a low growl, the black wolf crouched, then sprang out onto the road, her paws hitting one bandit solidly in the center of the chest and knocking him to the ground with a startled, "Oof!"

She snarled in his face, snapping at him, and the reek of fear surrounded her. Before he could so much as blink, she lunged forward and sank her teeth into his throat, tearing.

The bounty did say "dead or alive".

PixelatedGlory

((if you wanted River to take out a different one of the bandits, I can easily change it))

The copy of Arden stepped forward and slashed for the axe man's wrist, knocking his arm back and leaving the man vulnerable to a backhand strike across his right leg. He wasn't taken out but he was off balance and slowed down considerably.

The real Arden had slipped behind the woman and child with just enough time to parry the blow from one swordsman and kick him into his companion. Both men were unhurt but the distraction gave Arden the breathing room he needed to set his fighting stance. His feet were apart and he crouched a little lower. His sword was raised and ready to react to whichever man stepped forward first.

Meanwhile, and unseen by the copy of Arden, one of the bandits with a crossbow had been tackled by a huge black wolf. He never even got a chance to fire his weapon before his throat was no more. The second man with a crossbow fired but missed wildly at the distraction of his buddy being felled by the wolf.

The leader of the bandits was surprised by the sudden appearance of a second man protecting the travelers and even more surprised by the commotion behind him. He was struck trying to decide which of his men he should help and ended up just drawing his weapon and watching for a moment.

The woman crouched over her wailing child, trying to protect him from the violence.

DragonSong

((All good!))

River growled, then barked, a sound that was almost more of a roar. Blood painted her jaws as she stalked forward, closing in on the second man with the crossbow.

The bandit fumbled, trying to get a bolt up, but she was already on him, snapping her teeth over his neck with a sickening sharp crunch. He fell, head lolling at an unnatural angle, eyes blank.

The wolf skidded into a sharp turn, putting her body between the rest of the bandits and the woman and child. A shiver and a breath, and suddenly she was human, a ragged pair of breeches and just as ragged cotton shirt her only coverings.

"Get off the road, into the underbrush," she barked sharply at the two cowering humans.

PixelatedGlory

As the wolf skidded over towards the woman and child the "man" who had been facing off with the axe-wielding bandit snapped his head towards her and started to move to intercept her, ignoring the axe. He raised his sword to strike at her but halted as she suddenly became a human.

The man with the axe capitalized on the distraction and slammed it into the back of the distracted swordsman's neck. There was no blood or scream in pain from next to River. Instead the "man" who had been fighting the bandits shattered and disappeared.

At the same moment there was a grunt of pain from the man behind them as he stabbed one bandit and used the body to shield himself while pulling it out. However he didn't seem to be injured.

The child was too petrified to move but at least the mother seemed to hear the order to move for the brush. She dragged the child with her but it was slow progress. The axe bandit and their leader closed in towards the unarmed woman.

DragonSong

"Oh no you don't." River launched herself forward, once again taking her wolf shape. She slammed into the bandit and they went trembling over each other across the ground, her jaws snapping solidly as she tried to get a hold on the man.

PixelatedGlory

The bandit with the axe was blindsided by the wolf's tackle. He wasn't sure what was going on and he had lost the axe but he tried desperately to get into position to pull his dagger from his belt. The wolf ended up on top of him and his arm was pinned under the weight.

Behind the group Arden had freed his sword from the dying body of one bandit and engaged the other as he tried to come down with a slash form above. Arden twisted out of the way and dragged his sword across the belly of the bandit. The bandit wasn't dead yet but he was finished.

The bandit leader flinched as River changed into wolf form but when he realized she hadn't gone for him he grinned evilly. He strode forward and pointed his battered sword at the neck of the child. "Stop fighting or he dies." The blade drew a tiny bead of blood as its tip rubbed against the neck.

Arden turned to see the situation and froze immediately. He did not drop his sword but he did hold his position, glaring at the bandit leader with an icy coldness.

There was a faint *pop* sound and the smell of burning hair filled the air as the bandit leader's smile faded. The child had also grown silent, though the mother continued to whimper and plead.

DragonSong

Jaws already sunk in the ax-wielder's throat, River froze as she smelled new blood and raised her head, seeing the child's danger. Slowly, she backed away from the bandit's body, taking human form again.

"Easy." She flicked her eyes from the boy to his mother and back. "Look, back away from the kid and this doesn't have to end bloody for you."

PixelatedGlory

As River looked at the child, she might have noticed that he was no longer crying. Instead his eyes were as wide as could be and frozen in what could only have been described as abject horror. The mother whimpered and tried to pull her son away but he stood there staring at, and through, the bandit leader.

The leader himself failed to reply to River in any way. He didn't move and he didn't make a sound. There was a brief pause as everyone was unsure what to do and then suddenly the bandit leader slumped forward over top of the child. The sword clattered uselessly to the ground in symphony with the collapse of his lifeless body. There was no blood, only a small singed hole through the leader's head and a wisp of smoke from where some of his hair had been burnt.

As if the fall of the man had broken a spell, the impact of his body jostled the child and he began wailing at the top of his lungs and struggling uselessly to get the body off of him. Arden sheathed his sword and ran over to help move the body off of the child and his mother. While doing so he addressed River, "I don't know who you are but thank you for assisting us Ma'am."

DragonSong

River darted forward the instant the man was down, kneeling beside the boy and brushing his hair away from a dirt-streaked face with a kind smile.

It may have been somewhat oddly contrasted with the blood painting the corners of her mouth.

"Easy, lad, you're alright," she soothed as she ushered the boy into his mother's arms. She glanced up at the swordsman. "No need to thank me. Couldn't very well let that lot kill such nice folks as yourselves, could I? Sides-" she jerked her head toward the leader- "that one's got a bounty on his head big enough to last me a couple months."

She stood gracefully, wiping blood and dirt from her palms before thrusting one hand toward him. "Name's River. What're you all doing out here by yourselves?"

PixelatedGlory

The little boy flinched at the unfamiliar touch, but he seemed to calm a bit at seeing a friendly smile where before there had been a man trying to kill him. His sobs were muffled as he buried his face in his mother's arms. She in turn offered a tiny "thank you," towards River. Otherwise she was completely focused on comforting her child.

Arden finished moving the body of the bandit and let it lie with a very undignified slump. He had blood on him from the wounds of the other bandits but he seemed to be unhurt himself. "All the same, you helped us so you deserve a sincere thanks at the very least." He glanced over at the dead leader, "Well they're all yours as far as i'm concerned. Hunting people down is not really my business any more."

He accepted her outstretched hand, but instead of shaking it he clasped his own hand around her wrist. It wasn't exactly the proper way to greet a woman, but as far as Arden was concerned she was just as much a fellow fighter as she was a woman. "Arden Deschane is my name, and i'm escorting the lady and her child down south to somewhere a little safer for them. The mother's name is Rarra and that little one's name is Gin."

DragonSong

River grasped his wrist in turn, recognizing the gesture for what it was and nodding to him respectfully.

"Nice to meet. Though I'm sorry it was under such circumstances." She glanced at the bodies around them with distaste. Snapping her eyes up again, she nodded back over her shoulder down the road. "How much further you guys traveling? My employer gave me a drop point in Selevea, I could go that far with you."

PixelatedGlory

Arden was glad that she seemed to understand the greeting and nodded back to River. "There are worse ways to meet someone than being rescued by them I think," he grinned. After their greeting was finished he knelt down to check for himself that both the woman and her child were unhurt. They were understandably shaken up but had no injuries. The child continued to hide his face in his mother's dress but she was now looking back at Arden and River.

Arden looked over at River, "We're headed to Selevea now. Plan to spend a day or maybe a couple there to let everyone," he glanced towards the woman and child, "recover a little. then I think the plan is to go somewhere near the Summervale coast."

The woman also spoke up after Arden finished. "I have a friend who moved down there after the unrest got to be too much in Connlaoth so we're going there to visit her for a while."

"Before we go anywhere though, do you mind if I ask what you are River?" he asked as he moved over to check on the horse. It had been spooked by the appearance of the wolf but it was calming down now.

DragonSong

The bounty hunter nodded along as she walked toward the body of the bandit leader, kneeling and pulling a strangely shaped crystal from the inside of her tunic. She pressed it against the corpse's brow and it glowed green for a moment, then she tucked it away again, straightening up and glancing around.

"Shifter," she replied to Arden's question, then quirked an eyebrow. "Bounty hunter, if you meant profession." She knelt to grabbed the body under the arms and grunted as she started dragging it off the road, then moved to the next dead bandit.

"Help me clear the road and y'all can get moving sooner," she noted blithely.

PixelatedGlory

Arden watched as she used the strange crystal with curiosity. Although he traveled outside of Connlaoth a lot he still was fascinated and a little apprehensive when magic was used. Though it appeared that this was a magic item rather than the work of a mage.

Arden laughed, "I suppose I was asking about both without even realizing it. I've never dealt with a shifter before, but bounty hunters i've met plenty of. Is it just the wolf that you become?" He seemed more curious than anything else and he watched her drag the body for a bit.

"We could just leave without you and get going even sooner," he relied with a smirk, "but that would be rather impolite. And I don' think I want to be on the other side of those claws of yours." He then moved to pick up the bandit's legs so the body could be moved quicker. He wasn't sure if she needed to so something with the crystal on each body or not so he didn't want to move the others yet.

The mother walked over to the horse and led it a few feet away from the corpses so they could wait for Arden and River to clear the bodies. She was careful to keep her son's face pointed inward at her body so he would not stare at the blood.

DragonSong

"Aye, just the wolf," River chuckled. With a quirk of her eyebrow, she added almost playfully, "Why, that not enough for you?"

The bodies cleared, she stepped back into the road and shot Rarra an apologetic look. "Here, lad." She approached and knelt to be on the child's level, smiling gently. One hand hunted in the pouch at her hip, then reemerged with a small wooden carving that she held out to him.

"Gin, right? That's a good name, y'know. Strong. Ever heard the story of the great hunter Gin?" She pressed the little toy into his palm: a slightly roughly carved hawk. She's been working on it for her eldest nephew, but it seemed like Gin might need it more in the moment.

PixelatedGlory

"Oh, i'm sure the wolf is plenty enough," Arden replied with a wink and continued, "but really I haven't had many dealings with 'shifters' so I was curious." He kept the tone of their conversation fairly light and clearly wasn't too bothered by dealing with the aftermath of the combat.

After the bodies were all removed from the road Arden started to head over to check on Rarra and Gin but noticed River approaching them first. Maybe better handled by a woman. They trust me well enough, but still. He instead checked on the the horse and its saddle and bags while River spoke to them. Arden was, however, carefully watching their interaction. And smiling.

She is gentle and caring despite having just torn out the throats of these bandits. Very interesting.




Rarra was concerned when River started approaching her and Gin but she let her try to comfort him. There wasn't much more Rarra could do and maybe the strange woman could help. When she saw River pull out the wooden carving she smiled.

Gin looked at the carving River was holding and then he nodded that his name was Gin. He didn't say anything but as soon as she pressed the hawk into his hand he closed it tightly and held it very close to his chest. For a moment it seemed that would be it but then he let go of his mother and threw his arms around River. His words were unclear but it sounded like "Tank'ee."

After letting them embrace for a little bit Arden cleared his throat, "We should get moving soon. We want to make it to town before dusk and find you a nice inn to stay at." And I think I could use a drink. He gestured to the horse and put out a hand to help Rarra up into the saddle.

DragonSong

River nodded in agreement and helped Gin up to settle in front of his mother. Brisk and businesslike, she moved to stand in front of the horse and bent to breathe into the animal's nostrils, teaching her scent.

"Easy," she murmured when the horse snorted. "I'm gonna look different in a minute, but it'll still be me, okay?" She'd found horses and other domesticated creatures often reacted better to her wolf if she took the time to introduce herself as a human.

Stepping back, she fell forward onto four paws. The suddenly jet black wolf twisted to nod at Arden again, indicating she was ready when he was.

PixelatedGlory

Once up on the horse Gin tucked the wooden figure into a pocket and held on as his mother wrapped one arm around him and used the other to hold the reins of the horse. She wasn't really going to be in control of it but it made her feel better.

Arden watching with curiosity as River breathed on and spoke softly to the horse. Either she knew what she was doing or she really loved animals, but regardless he wasn't about to interrupt. He knew too little about her and her abilities so letting her have some leeway was the smartest thing to do.

The transformation was still a little bit of a shock even though it was pretty much expected. Arden didn't jump or flinch but his heart did race for a second. Seeing a wolf on the road was not something you just got used to so quickly. The horse snorted and huffed, taking a couple steps back but it didn't seem to be panicking. Arden patted it gently on its side and whispered, "easy there Dori. Just a friend with a little more fur than we're used to."

With everyone ready to go Arden began leading the horse and its passengers along the road. It was a quiet journey towards Selevea. Gin and Rarra were still recovering from their fear and Arden doubted River would be able to talk as a wolf. Fortunately they made a good pace and made it to the outskirts of town just before sundown.


DragonSong

River easily kept pace with the horse, and after a few minor incidents of skittishness the animal seemed to accept her presence.

She was relatively through most of the walk, but as she caught sight of the town on the horizon she yipped excitedly and darted forward a bit, glancing back at her shoulder and barking in a Hurry up! kind of way.

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