Cats and Mice (Closed)

[Winters-Feather]

Awari listened quietly to Tiraris' rant, biting down on her lower lip. The last question made her lose it, though, as the fae burst out into pearls of laughter. She was right- oh, was she right! Of course this woman wouldn't trust her, though the fae was also pleased at being called a good "deceiver and a beguiler". They were insults to some, but that was how she made her living. Laughing turned out to be a mistake as she coughed some.

One she was finally settled, Awari thoughtfully surveyed their surroundings. She was not used to speaking so openly and honestly with someone she barely knew for so long. It felt liberating, but also caused her to feel quite vulnerable.
Perhaps I should do it more, the fae casually thought, though she quickly put away that thought. People could be quite dense.

'"I told you, I'm a teacher," she gently replied, "It's given the past few centuries an edge. Perhaps one day I shall decide I'm weary of this life and will start anew. Until then..."
Awari cheerfully shrugged.
"I don't charge my students.  Think of my reward as learning something new about this world. Besides, it's as you say. I've no guarantee. I think I have a good chance of succeeding, but we shall see, won't we?"
The fae paused as she held eye contact with the woman.
"I'll swear I'll try my best, if that helps," she innocently offered,  a hint of jest in her tone, "Or are you the type that mixes blood to seal the deal? Perhaps some other ritual?"

[GoblinFae]

'She speaks as if I have not heard it all a thousand times before. There is no difference between them and her. Another dead-end. You do not know that! She gives no promises when others did and fail. It means she is honest! Oh, that is rich, honesty from a thief and an assassin. You sound like your mother.' The thought froze Tiraris in her place. Shoulders tensed and eyes widened as if she was ready to flee.

At last she settled, coming to an internal decision. "I spill enough blood for my clients; I do not need anymore. Too messy," she chuckled wryly. "I do not trust you, never will. But, I will let you try what you will. Know this though, we hold no ties to each other. When we part ways, it is done. I expect nothing but, this is will be my only warning. You have no idea what you are getting yourself into. Take care before you end up like the rest of them. I have had teachers older and wiser than you, great masters of their craft, in the end..." she trailed off and shrugged.

"Get some rest Awari. If you truly desire to be of help then we can start once you are healed. I am in no hurry." Settling down on the ground, Tiraris leaned back against a tree and closed her eyes as if to sleep. In truth she was trying to settle both her mind and her magic. Both warred with each other, one more excited than the other. It had been too long since she had last had a teacher. The prospect of both another failure or a final success made her feel edgy. The fact that this had been her competitor up until an hour ago did not help matters either.

[Winters-Feather]

Awari listened carefully to Tiraris' grave words.
I do not trust you, never will.
That was all fine and all, for now, but the fae made a mental note of a hope to change that. For their relationship to work as teacher and student, it was vital to have at least an ounce of trust. Of course the woman had every reason not to trust the fae, but Awari had her optimism. The fae's ears perked up at the mention of teachers 'older and wiser' than she, but then Tiraris found it necessary to end her little tangent, which disappointed Awari. However, she wasn't too dishearten.
I'll start asking her about such things tomorrow.

Awari smirked at Tiraris' orders.
"Fine," she agreed, "But not in this country, at least not in an area so infested with iron. Somewhere deep in the woods."
She became lost in her thoughts until, eventually, the gruff healer returned. In one hand he held a steaming up, while in the other was a blanket and two cloaks. He huffed when he saw the assassin.

"I see she's still here," he grunted as he dropped the bundle to the ground and presented the fae with her tea.
"Drink all of it," he said as he carefully gave the fae her cup before setting the blankets up, "It's bitter, but it'll help."
Awari nodded and obliged, watching with amusement as he set down the blanket on the ground and folded it some at one end as he folded up the lighter cloak to make a pillow.
"Why are you doing this? I have the trees, you know," she quietly asked, a bit touched by his kindness.

"You refuse to sleep inside," the man replied, "And the nights are getting colder. This is better for your health right now than the trees."
He frowned as he looked at Tiraris.
"Well I guess I have enough food for three," he grumbled.
"Make it for two," the fae suggested as she handed back to him the towel that had been placed on her head.
 "I just want to sleep."
With that, Awari carefully moved herself to the bedding, and placed her belt next to her under the covers.  She closed her eyes and smiled as she  could feel Tiraris' magic, enjoying its strangeness. Soon, she found herself fast asleep.

[GoblinFae]

Crimson eyes slit open to watch the healer's exit before silently observing the recumbent fae. They slid shut once more and Tiraris returned to balancing herself as best as she could. It was just about the only lesson she had ever learned, to lock it all away while she was calm. The problems started when she got emotional. Even the smallest irritation could send a whiplash of magic to the surface.

Much of the night and some of the early morning was spent this way in a lucid meditative state. But, as the sun's warm rays moved to caress her face and neck, the assassin had no choice but to swim back to the surface and awaken. For the moment it felt good to just breathe. Such a simple act always put Tiraris in the right frame of mind, something she needed greatly if she was really going to go through with all of this. 'Whatever this is.'

Joints popped and tendons rolled as she forced her body into stretching and awakening. Her sharp ears could already pick up the sounds of the healer waking as well and headed towards them. Despite Awari's protests from earlier, there was a distinct sound of three different bowls being prepared and carried over, the wooden spoons bouncing slightly against the rims. Combing long fingers through silken hair and yawning, the assassin, glanced over at the fae. "Awake yet?" she asked quietly.

[Winters-Feather]

The fae muttered incomprehensible gibberish as she rolled over in her make shift cot at the assassin's words. Her blue eyes fluttered open as she coughed. The fae was accustomed to rising with the dawn, but when she was required to sleep to get over wounds, she often did so for entire days. However, Awari had to give credit where credit was due; her body didn't feel so poisoned anymore.

"Good morning," she cheerfully greeted the assassin as she thoughtfully observed her bandaged hand.
Devdarra is probably after my head, she thought with a sigh as she sat up to take  in the smell of their surroundings. It was a crisp and fresh morning, though the smell of Tiraris' weapons and the old man's hut not too far away tarnished it some. Mixed in was the smell of breakfast, which seemed to have awakened a beast in her belly, which growled something fierce.

Awari happily accepted her bowl and ravished it as their care keeper checked her temperature.
"Slow down," he said gruffly, "Your nails won't completely regrow for a while, but you ought to be fine after a few days."
The fae nodded.
"How much would it cost to buy some bandages and medicine off of you? I'm out, I'm afraid," she said after she had finished.
Much to his confusion as she carefully began to stand.
"Why?" the man snapped. "What are you doing?"
Slowly, a shield of glamour began to build around Awari. Her long locks of blue hair became a long braid of blonde. The fae's height shortened until she was a little shorter than Tirarais as the scar on her face disappeared, her fingers back to normal, and her ears became more human. Her skin was tanned and a little bit rough. The changes were subtle, and she much preferred Maar's form, but it would have to do for now.

"Well?" the man asked.  
"I can walk. Staying here may yet to put you in danger. We must leave today," the fae patiently explained in her own voice as she turned towards Tiraris.
The old man arched his brow as his eyes turned towards the woman, as if to confirm this. He knew her well enough that if thing had been odd up to this point, they had just taken a turn for the stranger.

[GoblinFae]

Tiraris' brow also raised in a challenge to the healer's question before one shoulder twitched slightly in a shrug and she looked away. Standing, she brought her uneaten bowl of food over to Awari and gave it to her, taking the other away when she was done.

"Do as she asks, Elisedd. It would be in your favor if you did so."
"Oh?" the healer questioned, eying both women in disbelief. "How is my helping her so important? Not that I won't dearie, never you fear. But, Silverd'art really I must question when even you are begging me to help someone. Isn't your job to take life, not preserve it?"

She licked her lips, breath whistling in between he teeth as she bit back harsh words. "I hardly think she was that close to dying. Do not exaggerate things."
"You are avoiding again. She means something to you."
"Well what is your preference, me burning your house down every time I need your assistance or it remaining intact and unscorched after my visits?"

"Honestly, I'd rather you didn't visit at all," he muttered under his breath before clearing his throat. "This mean she is going to try and fix you? You are both in for a world of hurt, I tell you. You missy have no idea what Silverd'art is capable of. Damn woman isn't joking about setting my house on fire. She's done it twice now, not including the small fires she also has started. On top of it she has a foul nature and a foul mouth. You-"

The assassin's laughter caught him off from continuing. Tiraris laughed and laughed. The last bit amused her to no end. "Aye, she knows me. Get what she asked and we will be out of your hair."
"And when should I expect you to come skulking back?"
"Never again, if I had my way."
"You always say that," he huffed, shuffling off.
"It has not been my way then."

[Winters-Feather]

Awari accepted the woman's bowl, though she carefully placed it onto the ground. She wasn't very hungry at the moment, and, besides, Tiraris was her student, as well as travel companion. It wouldn't do for her not to eat. Awari chuckled as the two began to bicker as she slowly refastened her belt and quietly crept away for a few moments for a moment of privacy. In any case, This wasn't her argument, and the fae suspected any input she would have made wouldn't have contributed to much.
When she returned from washing her face, Awari had found the old man gone, having entered his cottage moments ago. She looked down at the uneaten bowl.

"Why didn't you eat?" she curiously asked as she retreated back towards her tree.
"You ought to. It's a long road to Serendipity," Awari continued, not really waiting for an answer.
"We're to travel there, you know. Darken Vei will do. Now then. Fira. I like that name, don't you? I think I shall go by it in this form, and you'll do well to address me by it."
She sighed.
"Though I rather prefer Maar's... Still, I suspect she's being looked for, too."
The fae wolfishly grinned at that.
They'll forget about me in a couple of years, no doubt, if not in months, she thought. The fae didn't dare think in weeks or days- that would just be too insulting.

"Ah..."
She watched as the man reemerged from his cottage with a bundle in his arms.
"You've a way with people," the fae said to Tiraris in half jest.

[GoblinFae]

She startled slightly at Awari's question and stared silently back at her in response before shaking her head. "There are many things in this world that ought to be done, does not mean that they do come to pass. Who am I to deny this ebb and flow? As for the road I know its length well."

Keen eyes looked the fae up and down before continuing. "Fira seems to suit you. Perhaps when we have entered Serendipity you may return to your favored form. Unless of course you have caused yourself trouble there as well." She refrained from adding that she would not doubt such a thing. It would not due to upset the new teacher.

"I have no idea as to what you refer," she replied as she took the bundle from the healer and replaced it all in her own rucksack. The assassin busied herself with quick packing before standing tall once more, sack on shoulder. Before she had a chance to try and ask to leave, Elisedd took hold of her hand and placed a small package within it. For a moment a silent but telling look passed between them before he nodded stiffly and she pulled away.

"Will you be wanting anything more Lassies? If not, best be on your ways. Wouldn't want my precious home burnt to a crisp as a parting gift." An angry glare sent the tall woman's way only made her lips twitch slightly before she shook her head and moved to walk away. If Maar-Awari-Fira, whatever she was going by now, wanted something, she would not stop her. But, with no reason to stay, she desired now to move. The call of hope whispered in her ears, tugging her to Darken Vei where the possibility of relief awaited.

[Winters-Feather]

OOC: Do you want to end this thread here and continue on in Darken Vei, or should we stretch this one out just a little further?
IC:

Awari blinked at the woman's reply at her question about the food. Her answer didn't quite make sense. Though it was true that there were things that ought to be done but weren't, the food was handed to her. The fae shrugged and still motioned for her to eat it.
Leave it to a person born noble to want to waste food.
She nodded at Tiraris' understanding about the road and smiled at the thought of Maar being hunted down in Serendipity. The fae was a careful thief and assassin- trials like this rarely occurred. Either she got the job done quickly and quietly, or those who have seen her were dead or too old to be bothered. Besides, she took up many guises.
"Oh?" casually asked Awari as Tiraris denied her 'way with people'.

She watched curiously as the healer placed a package in her hands. Awari could only assume that was the goods she had asked for. She smiled sweetly at the man as she gave him another coin.
"No, that'll be it," she replied to his tart comment, "Farewell."
With that, the fae spun around and cheerfully marched after Tiraris, her hair swaying like a proud tail as she walked. She was excited- this was the first time in a while had she gone on a journey as such without a fellow Hawk. Awari examined the red haired woman's magical aura as she passed by her in stride, musing over it. She reminded herself to not be tempted to use up too much energy, but this was an alluring puzzle of sorts.

Plus, there was shelter to think about. The forest stretched out for quite a ways, and the woman didn't have a horse. Awari didn't mind, though. Long journeys were the best kind, and she had all the time in the world.
"So-o-o," she asked with a grin, "Do you know any songs?"

[GoblinFae]

Tiraris eyed the other fae cautiously wishing briefly that she could slap the other silly. "Why do I get the feeling that this journey is going to be twice as long and ten times as painful to endure?" She shook her head and stared ahead once more. "I know a few songs but I have no voice to sing them. My apologies for being such a useless entertainer."

Within her heart she felt a clenching as she remembered a songbird once sung down from its perch and into her hand. 'There is only pain down that road Tiraris. Do not fall into that trap again. It was long ago. There is no need to draw up that past again. She will delve into. They all try. She will fail like the others.'

An unsettling feeling seeped into the assassin's being at where her thoughts had turned. She shook her head again to try and rid herself of such thoughts but they continued to leave a residual imprint in her mind. They would resurface at a later time when she was once again weak. 'This one is different. That she is,' the darkness agreed.

___
Immersed in his library Devdarra angrily searched for a way to trap the two women and drag them back to him. There thousands of options but the ability to carry them out to the finish decreased with each new turn of the page.

He drummed his fingers on the tabletop, trying to think of a way to make the pair pay. "Oh and pay they shall. My pride, my dignity, my money. I have been made a laughing stock. Soon I shall be the one laughing. No one crosses one such as I and walks away as if it were nothing. No one!"

[Winters-Feather]

Awari laughed heartily at Tiraris' comment on the journey until tears welded up in her eyes. She wiped them away with arm arm as the woman denied having the voice to sing songs. Did that mean she couldn't sing, or that she didn't want to? From the way Tiraris had said things, it was a little bit hard to tell.  
"Pity," the fae replied as she brushed past a low branch as she surveyed their surroundings. By her calculations, the forest would take another  day or so to travel to the nearest village. It would have been much faster to just shadow walk, but Awari didn't have the strength for that. Besides, she was incapable of bringing along other people; she had tried pulling that trick for years.

However, she had the strength to sense her companion's magical aura and the fae quietly followed along the woman for a few moments to observe her. Now wasn't the time to be poking around personal and touchy subjects, but they'd come up. To pass the time and silence, Awari began to sing a modern Serendian reel, a popular and saucy tale of two lovers that met in the forest at night during the quarter moon. Her voice was strong and pleasant, thanks to centuries  of practice. After a while, she switched to a slower melody that sounded like gibberish and bird song, with trills and coos. In fact, it was an old nursery fae song; ghosts of its melody are still heard in the lullabies human mothers sing to their children.

In this fashion of song after song, sometimes out loud and sometimes under her breath, Awari continued to sing until the sun was high over head and entering the height of the afternoon. She let out a content sigh. It's been a while since she'd had a hike like this, with no shadow walking involved. Awari made a mental note to make it a point to do so more often. As she took in a deep breath, she caught the scent of something... different. The wind was carrying traces of iron in it. The fae grabbed hold of Tiraris' shoulder and made a motion to be silent as she strained her ears. Faintly, very faintly, she could hear shouts in the distance.
"Oh, that sounds like Devdarra's men," she whispered with a hint of mirth.
How far away were they, those clever trackers with their horses? A half mile away? Closer? Farther?
The fae had to hand it to him; that fool never gave up.

[GoblinFae]

The singing was grating tremendously on her nerves. Most of the songs were ones she knew and only served to remind her of of the past she was trying to forget. Every word spoken aloud no matter the volume still managed to reach its way deep into the recesses of her mind where it played back again in another woman's voice, sometimes in even her own. The worst had been the older melodies as they were most like those her mother sang to her in her youth.

"Wonderful," Tiraris replied sarcastically to Awari's gleeful declaration. "Perhaps they heard you and have come to put me out of my misery." The assassin cocked her head to listen as well, letting her ears hone in on the sounds of hooves beating a path into soft earth.

The assassin looked at the fae beside her, judging the figure before speaking again quietly. "Do you feel up to engaging, or will you resort to your usual tricks of talking big and then running?" There was a pause before the word "teacher" passed her lips as if to suggest a modicum of respect for Awari's new position in Tiraris' life.

[Winters-Feather]

"Don't be such a downer," Awari retorted at the assassin's comment. The woman was rather right, however; the fae shouldn't have had sung so high at moments, especially not when they were just escaping. What was she thinking? It was a stupid err and a mad one, but the fae knew she probably wasn't the sanest of beings.
Awari rolled her eyes at Tiraris' jab at her methods of getting the job done, but allowed it to pass. Let the human woman think what she will of her methods; Awari was a man-slayer, a master thief, and always got her job done. If such tricks were necessary, then so be it.

The fae's eyes scanned the trees.
We could hide, she mused, but her instincts told her that sooner or later, there would be contact.
Pity, she thought in a rather unsympathetic way.
So where to attack? Nimbly from the tree tops wasn't an option to her, at the moment.
She wouldn't be able to get a good grasp for a while, not with two of her nails  missing from a hand. But she was Fiira now and didn't need a reason to hide, not yet. She gestured towards their surroundings.
"Lend me your cloak," she instructed, "And follow me. Hide. I'll pretend to be off to visit some family in the remote villages this a way. If that excuse doesn't work, and it probably won't if they're bright, then we may kill them and steal their horses."
Devdarra's men were coming in closer now; the distinct voices of the hunters could be heard as they continued their search For a search party of two wanted criminals,  they sure were loud.
"Hurry," the fae hissed.

[GoblinFae]

"I would hardly call it being a downer considering I am the one who has had to painfully enduring your incessant squawking," she hissed right back. Tiraris waited though, interested to see what the other would do. Granted she could handle the situation on her own as she had done many times in the past. However, she was no longer alone and no longer "in charge," not that would stop her from doing whatever she wanted anyway.

The assassin scowled though at the idea Awari was coming up with. "Really? That was the best you come up with? No wonder I was always able to track and catch you. Shut up!" Tiraris was angry enough as it was. Rushing her was not a good idea. As it was she had have the mind to just shove Awari out into the open and worry about the consequences later.

"Damage it and I damage you," were her parting words before disappearing deeper into the shadows were she could watch and follow with ease. 'Remind me again why I am doing this? Because there is always hope,' her mind quipped back much to her disgust.

[Winters-Feather]

Awari shrugged casually as Tiraris chided her plan.
"It's not my best," she admitted in a barely audible whisper, "But it's one that will see us alive and out of this country."
The fae accepted the cloak with a nod, disregarding the threat as she quickly swung the thing over her shoulders and tied it, pleased by the way it masterfully concealed her weapons. She watched with approval as Tiraris visibly disappeared, though her aura gave away her frightfully close presence. Awari grunted. Squawking, indeed.

Awari began to strike up a tune native to Connlaoth as she cheerfully walked down the road as Fiira, a maiden on her way to visit her mama and papa.
If only I had a basket, she thought, ruefully.
The fae supposed she could magic one, but it wouldn't be quite real. She began to grow lost in her head and day dream what she supposed Fiira, this fantasy being of hers, might. Perhaps she was still yearning for a beloved, or was anxious about leaving her home too long... The fae give a wistful grin. Like Tiraris, she could have just hidden. It would have been too easy, but this was defiantly more fun.

"I command you to halt!" a voice ordered from behind her.
Awari gave a startled cry as she abruptly turned around to find five men on horses approach and circled around her on their tall brown and black steads. Their hands flew to their swords, though without drawing them, as she cringed in fear.
"What's going on?" she asked in Firra's voice, which she determined to be somewhat higher in pitch than hers, meek and clear.  
The fae stood firmly with her feet planted into the ground; the men and horses reeked. The smell of all the iron  from the bridles to the weapons to the armor was making her feel a bit dizzy.

The leader of the group appeared to be a man in his mid thirties, with cropped short black hair, a trimmed mustache, and the slightest hint of a beard. He threw the fae a suspicious glare.
"We're looking for two women," he explained, "A tall fae with long, blue hair with a  cut on her face and a human woman with red hair and a foul temper. They're travelling together and are wanted criminals for practicing magic and conspiracy."
Awari held back a fit of laughter as she immanently responded with a gesture to protect one from evil and humbly bowed her head.
"How awful," she replied in horror. "What are they doing on the run?"
The man grimaced at her question, clearly uncomfortable answering such a question from a civilian. As if on cue, the man next to him frowned as he peered down at the woman.

"Wait a minute," he gruffly ordered, "I've never seen your face around Matron's Hallow. How do we know that you're not that fae, tricking us?"
The other guards muttered in agreement as one eager one drew out his weapon. The men's leader threw him a sharp glare and gestured for him to stay at ease, though now all the men were looking anxious.
Awari feigned confusion as she crossed her arms across her chest, defensively.
"Mercy, I implore you," she  begged as she reached for her pouch of black powder.
"I've just received work in the country side to tutor a pupil."
The man held up a hand to shut her up as his brown eyes examined her features, contemplating over her words.

"What's your name?" he quietly asked after a moment's passing.
"I go by Fiira, sir," she replied.
"But is that your real name?"
Awari gave an impatient tsk as she nervously looked around her, calculating the right moment to attack.
"As Angsar as my witness, I'm not liar," she solemnly replied.
"But is Fiira honestly your true name?" the man retorted with a knowing smirk.
The fae chuckled at that. He had her there.
"No," she truthfully replied.

Using the wind to aid her, she spun around to swiftly blind two of the men behind her with it.  The attack caused the men to shout in confusion as their horses began to panic. Using this as an opportunity, Awari drew her daggers as she made her way through an opening in the circle. As the man closest to her tried to slice at her with his sword, the fae dodged it and threw a dagger straight into his heart.

[GoblinFae]

'Of course, incapable of lying. Could not twist your way out of the truth this time could you, Awari? Useless pixie,' Tiraris taunted in her mind as she watched the events unfold. Leaning back against a tree where her view was unobstructed from the ensuing fight, she simply observed.

Her reasoning was that she had been commanded to hide. The "we" mentioned by Awari should things turn ill was considered a royal "we." The assassin was not going to be joining the fight anytime soon. She was not the one on the verge of being caught after all. There was no sense in getting involved at this point.

Besides it would happen to be the first fight where she was not fighting the fae woman. Tiraris wanted a chance to actually observe and determine weakness and style should she need to fight this woman ever again. It was not uncommon when it came to the red-haired assassin for her teachers to turn into her adversaries. Who says Awari would be any different?

[Winters-Feather]

What happened next was a blur of movement. The man she had killed toppled to the ground in front of her. Awari  swiftly cut through the other blinded man's saddle's strap, wincing as she  nicked his horse. He fell to the ground with a loud thund,  breaking his right arm. The fae snatched her dagger in the previous man's heart and jumped onto his horse, digging her heels into his saddle. Her eyes quickly scanned her field; two men were approaching her from either side as their leader helped sooth the riderless beast to keep it from trampling its fallen rider to death. Awari took a deep breath to keep herself from being sick as she skillfully leaned in close to her newly aquirred stead and looped around one of the two men. He had been quick to try to turn his horse around to attack her, but Awari was too close; with one hand she grabbed his sword arm as with her other, she stabbed him in the back.

Unfortunately, this left her with an opening as well, and his partner was quick to use it. He charged straight towards her and attempted to slice her head off. The fae used the body of his heavy companion as a shield with some difficulty, and reached in her pouch to blow some of the black powder into his face. It gave her time enough to kill him, but  not before he managed to smack her with the blunt side of his sword.  Awari grunted in pain as she held on tightly to the horse and charged for the other two, who were mounted on the leader's stead; the rest of the horses had began to run away, and the two others have already mounted one of the other stallions while chasing down the others.  The fae gritted her teeth as her eyes stared into the bushes. It looked like Tiraris had no interest in participating on getting steads.
Useless student, she found herself thinking, just the slightest bit annoyed.
The fae rather wished  momentarily that she was out on a mission with one of her hawklings or the King- she had other responsibilities than this one, which was practically just a lark to her, after all.

Awari dismissed that thought as she flicked her own stallion's reigns as she thundered after the other two, stone daggers in hand glistening with blood. It was easy once she pulled up next to them; the leader had tried to fight her off using the blunt side of his blade as she pulled her steed in dangerously close to his. However, she had learned from her previous mistake and dodged his hit before killing him in a rather similar fashion. She watched as he fell off, his companion letting out a cry of fright as he tried to fend her off, but the fae nimbly jumped into his saddle, grabbed his head with her hands, and broke his neck.

Awari hummed to herself as she tried to soothe the two horses in her possession. All in all, they were fine steads; the one she had just acquired was white and covered in gray spots, his legs black as if he had stepped in ink. The other, whom she had ridden to catch up with the two men, had a black coat, mane, and tail; near his hooves was a more white color, as if he had stepped into paint.
Tainted for my lady, and shadows for me, she thought to herself, amused. They would suit them just fine. As for the other horses... Awari could hear them running back home, saddles and all. The fae contemplated chasing the horses down and killing them, but there really wasn't any need. Besides, she had a softer spot for them than she did for their riders.

"You can come out now, m'lady," she called out as she re approached  the fight scene, admiring her handiwork.
That was clumsy, she admitted, but efficient.
"They bad guys are all gone, and I've got us both presents. What do you suppose we should name them?"

[GoblinFae]

The assassin gracefully exited the shadows and approached the dappled stallion, letting him smell her before resting her head against his. "They already bear names, why change them when they are already recognized?" she replied softly. The horses were beautiful and this one she now claimed as her own seemed to call out to her. It was such a strange feeling but she dared not question it for fear of being mocked.

"Were you too busy hacking away that you did not hear?" Tiraris moved along the horses flank, dumping saddle and bridle alike before mounting bareback. "He is Moondust." Shaking her head as if to shake away the quiet moment, the assassin turned cold eyes to her teacher. "Are you ready or do you plan to do more blood-dancing? I grow tired of waiting."

[Winters-Feather]

Awari hopped off of her stallion to properly clean her blades, using the cloth from a fallen rider's tunic to get the job done. She said nothing to the woman's question about changing already  chosen names.
At least she's taken kindly to the beast, the fae thought as she worked, a little  surprised that Tiraris took kindly to anything at all.
"Moondust, huh?" she replied good heartily, "And just a few moments more; it will not kill you to wait a little longer."

After cleaning her daggers, the fae quickly began to rummage through the three fallen  nearby men's possessions, trying not to get blood on herself. The corpses were already starting to attract flies and reek. Once she had snatched and stowed away their purses, Awari followed Tiraris' example and undid the bridle and saddle. She had no use for it, either, and the less contact she had with steel, though it was minimal, was for the better. Once settled, the fae patted her horse. She wasn't gifted with this ability to tell a horse's name, but she had the ability to come up with a new one.
"As for you, my friend," she thought aloud as she examined the dark creature, "I shall call you Inkwell, and that is that."
The fae turned towards Tiraris.

"Now I'm ready," she said in a jesting haughty tone before patting  the horses' side before grasping tightly to his mane as he trotted along the path through the forest.

[GoblinFae]

"Who are you to say what will and will not kill me? I am allergic both to waiting and patience!" Tiraris growled out, but a slight raise of the corner of her mouth hinted at the jest she was making. As she waited though, the assassin focused her attention on her new steed. His coat was soft and silky beneath her palm.

He shook his great head, unused to such a gentle and voluntary gesture. Impatiently he stomped a hoof into the dust as if agreeing with his rider; they should not linger, it was time to fly. Tiraris chuckled at his antics and soothingly crooned to him while rubbing his long neck. "You are still young yet, but your warrior spirit is strong.

Her back straightened, strong and tall as she assumed the proper riding position, letting her knees guide him and leaving her hands free. "Oh well now that you are ready," she growled again with an added eyeroll. No longer waiting, she let Moondust set a faster pace than his companion's, leading them away from the scene of the crime and hopefully, at least in Tirairs' opinion, as far away from the squawking pixie as she could get. Serendipity was a long way off and the assassin had no doubt in her mind that her ire would be raised more than once by the time they finally reached their destination.