Gherrick watched her disappear. The horses, the riders were nearing. He drew in a breath, a soft, rainy wind rustlign through his hair and at his blue, silk clothes. Stepping outside from the tree trunk, he paused, studying as the men approached, surrounding half the tree as the dogs brayed at him, their calls forthing from their black lips.
The men exchanged glances before addressing Gherrick. One of hte men leaning forward, clearing his throat.
"Sir, have you see a woman pass through here?"
Gherrick simply stared, eyeing up each man slowly before turning his blue eyes back to the one that spoke.
"A woman?" he said, smiling and leaning casually against his bo staff. "Hrm, can't say I really saw anyone. I was visiting the graves."
The man's face fell only slightly, his eye going to the red rose on a nearby grave, then back to Gherrick as his brows furrowed questionably. "A friend of the family?" he asked, suspiciously.
Gherrick shrugged. "You could say that."
The man went quiet, but the dogs did not, continuing to bray. His eyes furrowed as he grew annoyed. They could obviously smell her.
"Are you sure you hadn't seen a woman?" the man pressed, growing impatient as he tensed his grip upon the reigns.
Gherrick stared at him, then simply nodded.
"Someone may have passed, but I wasn't paying much attention until I heard the sound of your hounds and horses."
The man leaned back in his saddle, chin going high as he contemplated what to make of this man. His dress was interesting. Perhaps he was a nobleman visiting the area.
"My dogs seem to think differently," the man accused.
Gherrick only gave a rude smile.
"Naturally. I've got meat on me. They probably smell it."
The man narrowed his gaze on Gherrick, not liking the way he suddenly seemed to have an attitude. Was that arrogance he smelled!?
"You know messing with the affairs of a nobleman could get you into a lot of trouble. Are you sure you haven't seen the woman?"
One of hte men got smart and decided to look up into the tree, curious of what he could see there. Gherrick didn't miss it, and found himself sweating a little, and was thankful for the cold drizzle of the rain. He looked from that man back to the one who kept addressing him.
"I am mostly certainly well aware," Gherrick replied, seemingly unenthused he would use such a card against him. Really, who did they think he was? So he simply smiled and watched the other man from the corner of his eye, hoping they would leave him alone and not spot the woman in the tree above...
But as luck would have it, it seemed the men did.
"Hey- is that.."
Gherrick almost cursed between his teeth, and when the man on the horse before him turned to look- Gherrick's bo staff swung out, a red blur before it connected with the man's head.
With a terrible 'crack'! the man went down, crumpling with a painful groan onto the floor. And jus as the other man began to realize what just happened, Gherrick was already twirling his staff about with effortless grace, before taking only but a single step forward and thrusting the bo staff forward- knocking it into the other man's chest, and dehorsing him painfully int he process as well.
The first man began to rise, and the other 2 who hand't been harmed began to draw their blades.
Thankfully his bo staff was easy to manuever, as was his foot, as a swift kick came to the man's head before him, rendering him unconscious from the blow before he took to the air, smashing the end of his bo staff to the ground and launching himself clean over his now unconscious body-
and his foot kicked out in midair, body as a graceful spear and smashed it into a horse's side, startlign the beast and forcing it to kick off it's rider, which spooked the other animal who was the only one left with a rider.
"After him!" that man called, sword in hand as he pressed it heavily into the horses side and made pursuit.
All of this for a pretty face, Gherrick thought, dashing madly away.
There were only two men left, and the one who ws on the ground gave a growl and released the hounds as they began to tear off after the blue silk dressed man.
SOon both men were on horses and quickly advancing, but Gherrick new this land well, he just needed to plan everything just right and..
His feet skirted past a sink hole from a freshly dug grave that was half covered in mud-
moving lightly, he knew he would barely disrrupt the surface..
but when the riders came by, the ground collapsed beneath them, sending them into a bowl of mud and bones with dogs crying, horses on their back ides and men crying ut as their own horses were crushing their legs.
Gherrick paused and turned back, panting as he smirked at the men now trapped inside that hole.
"It's a pity we couldn't be friends," he said, bowing before them before grinning over at the tree, mud now staining his face, rain slicking his hair against this cheeks and blue eyes dancing.
He was quick to make his way back to the tree. One horse was still left.
He called up to the woman with urgency, offering a hand, "Take my hand! We've got to get away! Come on! While the guards are preoccupied!"