PM to join [Sunberth Forest] A Shackled Shipment (Aliara)

[Kaie]

36th of Winter, 514 AV
14th Bell


Cold. Always so damn cold, The Myrian thought bitterly as she trudged through the snow in her bladed boots, lips pursed each time Morwen's breath left shivers down her spine. She knew she should've been used to the wintry weather by now. Five years she'd been abroad and away from the warm embrace of Falyndar. Five winters and each time she hoped they'd be more mild than they tended to be in Sylira. If only she had such luck. With the winter cloak tightly wrapped about her body, Kaie resigned to grit her teeth and bear it. The rendezvous with the employer wasn't too much farther off. Several more paces and she'd reach the designated glade where the shipment of slavers would be waiting, shackled bodies shivering in their scanty clothing. Certainly the chill of winter did them no favors when it seeped into the metal that confined them. Noting their reddened skin where the cold chains and manacles touched their bodies would be an unwelcomed sight. However, it was not the place of the hired mercenary to question the humanity of their employers. She was merely an escort for coin, not some glorified abolitionist. At least that's what she'd had a habit of telling herself over and over whenever she received jobs of this nature.

When she'd finally reached the glade, the scene before her was exactly as she imagined it would be. Sitting inside a pair of caged wagons were the slaves. Most were sitting upon the wagon's wooden floor, shivering and huddling together to conserve what little heat they could provide for one another. One or two were bold enough to stand and grip the frozen cage bars to stare at the oncoming mercenaries with nothing short of hatred. They were the last to remain unbroken. The city will fix that unfortunately. Two mercenaries stood on guard beside the cargo with their hands on their weapons. They too had a disapproving glare as the Myrian woman emerged from the forest.

"Ya made it! Good. Cold as shyke out here without a good fire. Don't want the slaves freezin' up before my brother can sell 'em either," came the bold voice of one man in particular who approached her suddenly. He scrubbed his gloved hands together for friction. Snow was caught in his scruffy, orange beard. "We outta get a move on pretty soon. Get off the streets before Syna sets if ya know what I mean. What are ya called, woman?" The Myrian took her extended hand and shook it firmly, which yielded a satisfied grin from her apparent employer.
"Kaie. And you must be Devin?" She replied steadily, her hand dropping to rest on the hilt of her sword out of habit. The man flashed what was left of his teeth and nodded.
"Aye! Merchant at the docks told me 'bout ya. Heard ya made 'em dress as a slave himself to disguise yer selves. You and that Bitzer woman saved his life and his wealth, ya did! Clever, but he told me yer cutthroat too. A real pisser. That's exactly what I need!"
"As long as you pay me fair, I'm willing to be put to good use."
"Ah, learnin' yer business too I see. Fair enough. I'm as honest a business man you'll find. Forty gold paid to each of my mercenaries as long as you prove yer worth."
"Forty gold it is. What sort of job are we doing here?"
"We're waitin' fer one more. Another woman. I'll let ya'll know what I'm expectin' from ya soon as she gets here. Try and play nice until then, Myrian."

And with another friendly grin he was off, already barking orders at the pair of laborers in charge of driving the wagons. Their mediocre horses stomped impatiently, hooves kicking up clusters of white flurries. The Myrian paid the people and animals about her little mind. Instead her striking amber eyes settled on the forest, listening and watching. Having been a part of a squad in Syliras that slayed slavers to hijack their merchandise, she'd be fool to think such a group wasn't watching them that very moment. Let's hope they don't have the numbers to pull anything.

[Aliara Cantrell]

Pulling her jacket closer Aliara shivered, winter was harsher than she thought it would be with so many of the older Sunberthians dropping like flies and each time Aliara found the the sunset quarters grew quieter. happy to be out of the gloom that her home provided Aliara was happy to have received a job request it was something about escorting a mans shipment, of what Aliara was unsure however she did know that his name was Devin and she knew that Aliara had mentally made fun of him for his orange beard.

The turns Aliara took to get to the glad as instructed soon became robotic turn left here and turn right there, nothing interesting was happening around her apart from the small children playing in the streets screaming at each other as they played a make belief game in a made up land. Aliara didn't remember doing such things as a child she was always play fighting with sticks and planks, it was odd to think about others childhood to your own, some had wealth and some had poor. Turning the last turn Aliara was struck with the hidden truth of her job, the question was why was it such a surprise, it was Sunberth after all.

Slaves huddled together shaking in the breeze, how could the slavers not give them blankets not to share? Slavers generally didn’t class their products as people but still Aliara thought they would have to be worried about losing his stock. As she stared in slight horror at their cold bodies the familiar red beard ran up to her the cheeks above his flaming beard red with cold.

“Aye! There ya are! We can't wait much longer if we do they are useless to sell and my brother would not be happy! What’s yer name?”

Holding out her gloved hand Aliara offered her hand to shake, so the man’s product was not actually his, something made Aliara assume he hadn't told her the whole truth incase she told someone. A rival could make a lot of coin of this amount of bodies.The man shook her hand and nodded.

“Aliara Cantrell, I’m assuming your Devin?”

He simply huffed in response and pointed her towards another lady, she was beautiful and short. Frowning Aliara strode forward as she continued to examine her partner. It was obvious that the woman had more skill then Aliara but the one thing Aliara noticed was her long hair and amazing eyes. As she looked other the woman she wondered if people underestimated her as well. Pushing her unruly hair up into a bun Aliara smiled widely and offered her hand.

“Aliara Cantrell, i use a cutlass and have some skill in a kuri, yourself?”

Aliara had always found it easier to introduce herself like this, to tell her partner what skills she had saved a lot of time and it meant they could start working sooner.

[Kaie]

It wasn't long before she heard the amicable, rough voice of Devin calling out through the glade. Horses continued their stomping, slavers adjusted positions in their huddles, and mercenaries strode about with their hands firmly on their weapons. Kaie was no different. The silence of the wintry woods continued to make her uneasy, bringing her fingers to wrap tightly upon the hilt of her gladius. It wasn't a nervous air that kept about her but an alert one. The swivel of her head behind her now and then, the skeptical glances she shot at her fellow sellswords. The infuriated gaze of one of the slaves did not escape her observations. Nearing footsteps caused the Myrian woman to turn on her heels. Sure enough there was that other mercenary woman Devin had promised would arrive. Right on time, she thought to herself as she paused her drifting to receive the stranger.

Oceanic blue eyes were the first thing the savage woman registered about her new companion besides her height. She was well put together, hair kept properly and physically fit for the task she was entrusted to perform. There was something off though. Something different from the Myrian herself and the many of the same profession she'd come across. Though the woman might've been hardened from growing up in Sunberth, she seemed somewhat untainted by it. Genuine, even. Perhaps it was the smile and the directness of her friendly introduction. In any case it perplexed the Falyndar native as she shook the woman's hand as barbarians usually expected.

"Aliara Cantrell? I'm Kaie, and, well..." She gave a pat to the hilt of her sword with one hand while the other gave a tug upon the front shoulder of her kukri harness, though the weapons were holstered upon her lower back. "I prefer a shorter range. Gladius and kukri." The jungle born left it at that. Sure, she preferred her fists when frustration kicked in against a worthy adversary if blades weren't a must. Sharing her strengths with strangers? Not an interest so long as she was trying to keep knives out of her back. For all the warmth her new partner provided in their meeting, she'd come to know better than to just trust a friendly face.

"Alright! Listen up, ya shykes!"
With a roll of her eyes she shrugged at Aliara and began to head to the gathering of hired swords. They swarmed toward the wagons. Standing upon one of the driving seats, Devin cupped his hands around his mouth. "We've got some work to do!"
"This should be good."She settled in beside one man of physical prowess, his thick arms folded tightly across his chest. Grumbled about the cold rose about before Devin's voice overpowered them.
"Gig's easy! All ya have to do is make sure me and my merchandise get safely from point A, that's here for all ya uneducated idiots out there, to point B."
"Where's point B?" One voice rose up among the mercenaries, bringing the few others in his company to turn their heads to gawk incredulously at him. Most resigned to merely shake their head in disgust. Devin, on the other hand, made his face almost as red as his hair with restrained anger.
"Someone backhand the dumb bastard for me please? Thank ya, Marv. Back to business. I want two of ya in the front leadin' the wagons. Two on either side. Two in the back. Simple enough? Good. Ladies?" Their leader's finger pointed to both savage and blond. "Take the right side. Marv and Greg out front. Peter and Vernon on the left. Figure out the rest. Let's get to it now!"

Kaie turned to Aliara then with a neutral expression, though there was a bit of frustration in her gaze. They had been lumped together, but the Myrian had a feeling that was less than a compliment to their skills and more of an idea of inferiority because of their gender. Either way she would make it her goal to prove them wrong. "Hope you're as good with that cutlass as you look. Something doesn't feel right." There was something about the woods other than the crispness of the air. More than the presence of strangers or the complaints of slaves. Whatever it was, like the woodland creatures that roamed the area, she hoped the crunch of feet upon snow would provide early warning.

"What are you doing?! Get in your spots! We're moving out!" Came Devin's authoritative voice. Bodies shuffled to their positions and Kaie followed suit. Soon after the wagons began to move and so did the Myrian along its right side. It became more clear why no one was quick to oppose their position. Moving beside her were the slaves in their cage, the right side open to the wintry bite but restricted by bars. One of them spit in her direction, but luckily it missed. She drew her sword with a growl and rapped it against the metal bars, smacking the flat steel of the blade upon the knuckles that gripped the bars. The young man leaped back with a howl, but he dared not make another gesture of that nature again.

[Aliara Cantrell]

It was no surprise the woman before her looked as if she had been in the trade longer than Aliara and had an unusual personality, maybe not as local as Aliara assumed of everyone. Nodding in response to the women's skills she made a note that she could learn some tips. Kaie was an interesting name however it oddly suited the woman that looked rough around the edges. Shivering slightly again Aliara looked at the landscape behind Kaie and her eyes darted around the trees and brushes. When the voice rang out Aliara spun around and narrowed her eyes, Devin was wanting some attention all while these slaves were freezing. Looking back towards Kaie Aliara looked to see what she was going to do, Aliara wasn't exactly in the mood to gather in a group of smelly mercenaries but when the other woman moved off Aliara slipped into the back of the crowd hoping not to get noticed.

The men around her were all the stereotypical mercenaries, big in every manner but a brain the size of a peanut, made to follow orders. Big burly man covered in hair and scars and here Aliara stood all blonde wavey hair and big blue eyes, it certainly was a bit concerning. Devin began to explain to the crowd but Aliara was more interested in the unsettling feeling she was getting from behind her, everytime she turned around there was no one there but Aliara couldn't shake the feeling.

“Wheres point b?”

And there was an example for brains the sizes of peanuts, watching carefully as another mercenary under the name of Marv, Aliara had met him before and had decided then that he wasn't very bright either. Turning her attention back to Devin, Aliara had turned in longer enough to find out she had been paired with the only other girl, groaning Aliara pushed her way towards Kaie, She wasnt very pleasant from the brief time Aliara had spent with her but this was a job she didn't need to get along with her partners and Aliara probably got on better with Kaie than she would with the men. Kaie was making a remark about her cutlass however Aliara felt the strange feeling again, nodding to whatever she had said Aliara followed behind Kaie to hide the fact she wasn't paying attention . Moving into their spots Aliara looked towards the slaves just in time to see one attempt to spit at Kaie, Stupid, yet as she slammed her sword into his knuckles Aliara winced as she saw the skin slightly split from impact. Looking around to make sure she wasn’t seen Aliara tore a small strip from her scarf and slid it underneath the bars towards the man. Keeping her eyes forward Aliara bobbed her hair slightly and moved beside Kaie.

“I dont have a good feeling,”

Drawing her cutlass Aliara couldn't help but feel slightly comforted by having easy access to it, feeling its cold metal in her hand may have been a slight discomfort with the cold but it settled her mind. Fluttering her eyes towards the slave she say him slowly and cautiously pick up the scrap of cloth and wipe off his knuckle, causally looking back at the other mercenaries posted around the caravan. A loud voice called out and everything began to move, the slaves were jolted as their cage began to move and Aliara began to walk slowly attempting to watch the side and in front of her at the same time she was here to guard.

[Kaie]

There was a tension between the two female mercenaries. That much was clear to the savage woman. It was a distrust that was palpable between them, evident in the side glances they gave one another when they thought the other wasn't looking. It was a confusion about the woman that perplexed the foreigner most. Mercenaries she'd worked with in the past were not warm. They did not share strengths and were tight when it came to anything beyond names. It was a trade that earned fewer friends than it lost. The dominate mentality tended to be along the lines of "focus on the job and the mizas, and petch everyone else." Part of her considered it being some sort of image, maybe one intended on letting her comrades drop their guard around her. Or maybe she was truly new to the trade. Ignorant to its rituals and unspoken codes. Kaie couldn't help but wonder how many people she'd slain.

The gesture toward the slave did not go unnoticed. Neither did her words of advice. The Myrian shook her head but nodded to her shared feeling of discomfort as they traveled. The wagons groaned under the weight of their cargo, horse hooves pounded into the snow in plumes of white. Mercenaries trudged stubbornly, cursing with the cold and baring chilled steel in their calloused hands. Kaie gave a glance again at the cloth the slave grabbed and pressed to knuckles. Another shake of her head. "A lot of kindness from a woman escorting him to a life of sorrow," She pointed out in a tone that carried more fact than accusation. Amber eyes looked to Aliara and she offered her a shrug. "Just sayin'."

With no further rebellion from the hopeless congregation of slaves, the caravan moved steadily on through the woods. Wagon wheels struggled against the rough terrain of the modest, hardly maintained path. Though she had no true love for the beasts, Kaie found herself wishing she'd been mounted atop a horse's saddle. "Keep up, ya shykes! The quicker we move the sooner we get paid!" A few grumbles rose from the mercenaries around them. A squirrel skittered up a tree in fright as the caravan approached, circling around the cracked tree trunk into the safety of above. The Myrian couldn't help but fixate on the animal for a moment. That is, until something else caught her attention.

Her head whipped to the right, eyes narrowed and teeth bared. Now just as Aliara had, the savage slipped her gladius quietly from its scabbard. For so long she stared at that one spot, feet absently moving along as the wagon rolled. There was the softest hiss to her other side. The woman whipped her head back to eye the cage. Much to her disdain, a pair of serpentine eyes and a single, flicking tongue greeted her at the bars of the cage. Dhani. The superior slitted eyes too stared out into the woods. A masochistic smile painted across the human viper's maw. Its emaciated body adjusted, and the weak laugh that erupted from its tired chest seemed to rattle its whole frame. "Nervoussss, Myrian? You ssshould be." A growl ripped from the jungle-born's throat and she slammed her sword upon the cage again. The cold-stricken Dhani only breathed another laugh and sunk back in the cage. What she would've done to sink the edge of her blade in its scaly flesh...

"Oh, for petch's sake! What in the shyke was that?"
"Looks like we broke a wheel, sir."
"Broke a wheel, did we! Snow's smooth! The petch did we manage to do that?Well that's just petchin' great! You bring the spare like I told ya?"
"Aye, sir. Gonna take time though."
"Well hurry up before I piss myself, boy!" The caravan leader roared from his seat beside the young man on the first wagon's front. The slave wagon beside it came to a halt. Hooves stomped the snow. Grumbles and curses rose from the other mercenaries. Kaie took a few steps away from the cage, and gave a gesture toward Aliara.

"This is all wrong. Get ready. Something's coming. I just don't know what...or where."

[Aliara Cantrell]

The snow continued to crunch under foot and the mercenaries continued to groan and grunt, they weren't exactly taking the unnoticed approach and that made Aliara more uncomfortable with the feeling she was getting from the surrounding area. Swapping her cutlass to the other hand Aliara stretched her frozen fingers, this job was probably the worst time, as the company walked the snow began to slowly fall again. Glaring through the bars where the slaves, wearing then less then everyone there and being forced into a cage made Aliara feel a twinge of regret for being warm.

As the wagon continued to roll through the snow Aliara began to watch the horses that were pulling the carriages, they were magnificent beasts but Aliara couldn't help but wish she owned one, with power and grace… Aliara pulled her attention away from the horses just in time for Kaie’s comment about the slave.

“That’s exactly why i should be nice to them, what guarantee of kindness do they have where they are going… So why hold back kindness?”

Aliara could feel her toes starting to freeze in her boots and her sword growing cold. The call out to pick up the speed caused the surround mercenaries to groan once again. Her mind focused in on itself creating thoughts of pure fiction, of great beasts that roamed the streets of a town called Nyka. Travellers often spoke of the city, a deeply controlled city that hid away at night. It always amazed Aliara as child, hearing tales of all the cities in the land with their different laws and sets up that was until Kaie began freaking out beside her. Hissing and bearing teeth, Aliara had never seen a person do that before but she was from a different culture.

Moving her sword back to her best hand Aliara followed Kaies gaze, there wasn't anything there but Aliara could tell what had set her off. One of the men in the cage was a Dhani, however Aliara didnt see why that would anger her as it did or why the Dhani said her race specially. Once again Kaie Slammed her sword against the cage and Aliara cringed.

“Oi… Kaie, If you do damage to the slaves they might not pay the guy meaning we won't get paid-”

Her sentence was cut off when a wheel broke from somewhere in the line, Aliara frowned and looked back at the cage as the Leader roared orders from the front. Seeing Kaie gesture to her Aliara nodded in agreement it was all wrong and the timing seemed to consequence… Walking up to the cage Aliara growled.

“What did you do! This is way to suss!”

Glaring back at the front of the line Aliara kept hearing what the Dhani had said, tightening her grip on her kurki Aliara spun around looking for what causing her to feel this unease, she stopped to look into the woods. Something was moving, at first Aliara was sure it small tree creature but when it moved again Aliara was sure it was something bigger and just before it burst through the woods Aliara uttered.

“Kaie… The woods…”

[Kaie]

There was the subtle urge to pause, to attempt to explain to her assigned partner the hypocrisy in her kindness. A thought to point out the ancient enemy found in the Dhani, and the hatred between them that incited a breaking of her composure to lash out. Only a fool in her position would've diverted their attention from the direction she stared just then. There was constant bickering behind them still, fidgeting with broken wheel and working begrudgingly toward a solution so they could get back to their mission. Yet they too should've been less absorbed in themselves as opposed to their surroundings. There was a foreboding silence, a telltale chill in the wintry air. And then, just as Aliara began to utter something beside her, it came.

Thunk!

The savage's amber stare diverted for a tick to catch the sight of one of the men farther ahead drop, a bolt protruding through his chest. Motion ahead of her brought her back toward the previous direction. That's when she saw him. He was massive in size, built like an ox, and colored a deep midnight blue. Powerful legs displaced the snow in his way, and a single lakan was raised as he ambushed them with a deep throaty battle cry. By then it seemed the forest had jumped to life. She heard the roar for arms on the opposite side of their wagon, and the thud! of a poorly placed arrow shot into wood. One of the horses reared, inciting panic in the others. Hooves pounded forward as a bolt found purchase in one of the animal's hindquarters, launching one of the wagons forward along the road; the wagon driver roaring profanities as he worked to regain control. Several bodies joined the ambush on the mercenary band with steel of all sizes bared. And still the hulking Akalak came.


"Whatever you do, don't get surrounded!" was all the Myrian offered toward her partner, before she lunged forward to meet her adversary head-on to buy Aliara time to adjust. Lakan and gladius clashed in a hideous shriek of metal upon metal. Sparks flew and grunts were elicited from either warrior. Three from the thieving band came up from the rear to join the fray. One man, lanky and toned, seemed to lead them. He gestured with his nail-studded club toward the left, an order which the two subordinates followed and raced off. He, however, taking in the sight of Aliara and her cutlass, offered her a wicked sneer. In a tick his scarred frame was stomping her way, nails shining in the sunlight.

The Myrian had no other focus than the threat before her. She lifted the gladius again to block the savage swipe of the Akalak forged weapon, and received a solid right hook to the face that grounded her instead. With a groan she fell upon the hard, snow graced earth on her back. And all that saved her from the fatal downward stab of the lakan to her chest, was the panicked swing of her gladius and the forward kick that sent the giant reeling back.

[Aliara Cantrell]

It had all happened so fast. Aliara barely began her sentence before the audible thud of someone dropping into the snow. They were under attack by what Aliara couldn’t see as of yet but she continued to search the surrounding area. Tightening her grip on her Cutlass Aliara took a second to look back to the man who had fallen, he was without a doubt out of the action, everyone around him had leapt into action either protecting the man repairing the wheel or pulling out their weapons.

Panic began to swell In Aliara’s stomach, the horses were starting to rear and complain and she didn’t know where to place her focus, the attack seemed to be coming from her and Kaie’s side but everyone was jumping to Aliara’s side leaving theirs undefended. Turning back Aliara saw the mountain of an Akalak bounding towards the caravan. Gulping Aliara slipped into a defensive stance but the issue of people abandoning their posts kept nagging in her mind.

Don’t get Surrounded, that was the only advice that she was given as the myrain jumped into battle. At first Aliara took a step forward to follow her with Cutlass ready for a sideways swipe before she stopped herself. An Akalak seemed to be a bit to eye catching, for what they had in skill they lacked in being suss so for someone to send him out first seemed incredibly stupid…

“Don’t leave your posts!”

The words left Aliara’s lips in almost a roar but she already knew that it would be too late most of them were only a few feet away from the Akalak looking for a fight or for others to join. Groaning Aliara looked behind her, it was confirmed an another attacker, this time human an average human not to stand out.

“Kaie! I’m sorry!”

Turning on her heel Aliara abandoned her post and left the Myrian to fend for herself. The girls had been posted beside the cage and from what Aliara had pieced together in the short amount she had to process what was happening she had guessed it was a slave break. Darting to the side of the cage of slaves Aliara attempted to guess which group of slaves he was going to first, he definitely wasn’t going to the first as Aliara could see him and though it would be a shorter distance there was a guy right there repairing a wheel, he had to be going for the one that Aliara and Kaie had been guarding.

Almost holding her breath Aliara watched the man slowly approach, by the looks of it attempting to stay out of notice. Unlucky for him Aliara was fairly good at outright tackling someone and if he got only a few steps closer he would be in range. Counting his steps Aliara slowly began to move forward getting both a better chance of hitting him and a better view. One step, Two step and something cracked under her foot, Aliara first assumed it would have been okay with the commotion of the battle but since she was in full view his attention was immediately draw towards her, swearing softly under her breath Aliara decided to just run straight for him and attempt capture him for further questioning.

[Kaie]

With the giant backing up to regain his balance after her swift kick to his chest, time was ticking away before he could lunge back at her. Get up, was her mind's only firm command. Her body was quick to obey. She rocked on her back, knees pulling in toward her chest. When she began to rock forward, her legs shot out and she succeeded in a kip up that landed her back on her feet. The Akalak let out a roar and charged her. Gladius in hand, Kaie wobbled back into a defensive crouch on the balls of her feet. Blades met again and the dance continued. His superior strength had her gritting her teach each time she worked to fend him off. Feet moved rapidly, pivoting this way and that as she twisted and turned to compensate against his attacks. One thing was for certain: she was going to have to work hard and be patient for her victory.

The opportunity came. Hoping to catch her off guard with his free hand, the purple man hurled his fist toward her head. Kaie's left hand intercepted it instead, halting his assault with her forearm against his before he could strike. His eyes turned wild. That's when the lakan whipped diagonally down from above. With a shriek, Kaie tore her gladius up to bash the foreign weapon in the opposite direction. She spotted the opening. A tick later she yanked her gladius back to split into his vulnerable throat. Though freed without her sword as a barrier, the purple hand wielding the lakan slumped along with his body. Blood splattered across the snow, and when the hulking man dropped, snow melted with the hot pool of blood that emptied from him. Kaie stood over him, chest heaving. "More blood for you, Mother, but this battle is not yet over," she prayed in her mother tongue.

Turning, she found her words were true. One man, who had been taken by a bolt, crawled with his one good arm toward cover beneath the broken wagon. Blood trailed behind him, but pooled beneath those whose screams filled the air as Dira stole them with a single blade-stroke. Petch. Is anyone useful still alive?! Amber eyes scanned the field for Aliara, whose last words to her were something along the lines of "sorry" for one reason or another. A bolt thunked past her head and embedded itself in the wagon beside her. Cursing, the Myrian turned to find the culprit. He was no older than a boy but not yet a man, and already was the next bolt being loaded to try again. Just as he lifted the crossbow, Kaie ducked around to the other side of the wagon. It was there she found Devin.

"Back to Dira you go, you little bastard!" He roared as he put his heel through the bloodied face of a grounded combatant. His shirt was torn as if a dagger had caught him, but the blood that spurted along his clothes was not his. "Myrian! Thank the gods!" Devin picked a longsword from the bloodied snow and gestured toward the few still fighting. Though it appeared lop-sided from the other side of the wagon, it seemed their mercenary forces were winning. "Lemmy's almost got the petchin' wheel back on, and Darrel's hardly got control of the petchin' horses!"
"What are you about to ask me to do?"
"They're here to steal our shipment to sell for themselves. Blasted thieves! Find anyone left alive! Secure the slaves so we can get the petch out of here!"

Devin needn't say more. A nod was given from the savage, and the soldier bred within her was in control. Just need to get rid of that petching crossbowman! There was a cry of neighing from the terrified horses, and profanity flying from the lips of the man called Lemmy while he argued about speed with Devin. Back on the other side of the wagon where she had originally been stationed with Aliara, Kaie heard some kind of scuffle that signaled conflict. Aliara? She grit her teeth. Only one way to find out... Back against the wagon, Kaie turned her head to peer around the corner to locate the crossbowman. She was greeted with the whizzing sound of a bolt instead. In a flash she was back behind cover, but when she realized that meant he was vulnerable until he could load another bolt, the savage darted out with a battle cry.

He was closer than before, having advanced from his cautionary position along the treeline. This time he was nearer toward the cage. A perfect spot to pick off attackers while his fellow bandits fiddled with the cage locks. Legs pumped for speed, lungs heaved for oxygen, and then there was a crash as she barreled him over to knock the aiming crossbow from his hands. He landed upon his back and ripped free a dagger. "I'll kill you!" the boy warned shakily, the small blade rocking nervously in his hands. And just when she was sure to hack the boy to bits, the Myrian stopped. Fallon. Zandelia. They would not like this. And just like that it was a fist that pummeled into the boy's face instead, knocking him out cold where he lay.

The Myrian whipped back around, spotting Aliara as she battled with the man with the nail-studded club. Shyke... Feet broke into a dead sprint again in her direction, gladius at the ready in case her unofficial companion had need of rescue. No one had dared touch the slave cage they had been guarding in light of the Akalak's demise. No doubt the purple-man from a breed of fighters was the one trusted to handle that task. So with the slaves secured for the moment, her only worry was ensuring her comrade's survival.

[Aliara Cantrell]

It had seemed simple at first, launch yourself at an attack and crash into the snow together but as Aliara was running she began to see she could quite easily miss and lose the attacker forever. Groaning mentally Aliara continued her chase, the snow was making it harder for her to run and causing her to become more exhausted than she normally would. Keeping her eyes on the assailant Aliara watched his every movement, he seemed to just be heading straight ahead which was both confusing and good at the same time, if it was Aliara who had been running away she would duck in between the carriages in attempt to lose her pursuer.

Just as Aliara had been thinking this the assailant stopped in his tracks, it took the last few steps for Aliara to process before she finally started to slow herself down, she had enough room to tackle him but if he was to start running again it would be a pointless venture. The last few steps were coming up before Aliara would have to decide if she was going to stop or launch herself at him but the boy did something unexpected. He punched.

His gloved fist collided with her cheekbone just below her eye, it was like a splash in the face to begin with, all just shock but the pain wasn't far behind. It exploded across her entire eye and nose and Aliara regretted, almost instantly, going after this boy. Aliara used her downward trajectory to tackle the boy to the ground, her arms wrapped awkwardly around an arm and part of his hip as she brought him to the ground. The impact was enough to wind Aliara which meant it was probably worse for him, the thought made Aliara smile inside after all she could already feel her eye puffing up and closing.

The pair hit the ground enough to cause them to sink slightly into the snow, growling in response Aliara fumbled in mess of limbs and snow to move her sword to the mans neck, once she had him in a position where she could kill him he would have to comply. It was exhausting, every time she thought she had him he would wiggle out of her hold.

“Petching idiot stay still!”

It was an odd thing to say and at first Aliara wondered what it would achieve. It turns out it made Aliara feel better about the whole ordeal, hitting the boy with her elbow Aliara struggled to remain in control and it was a lot harder when her already swollen eye filled with tears. Blinking as much as possible Aliara cleared her view. Her elbow collided with the boys nose and Aliara felt the impact with a sting of her elbow and the flow of blood that started to flow from his nose. It was enough shock for Aliara to get a steady hold on the boy.

Flipping him so his face was in the snow Aliara used her scarf to roughly bond his hands. She would probably have to buy a new scarf. Aliara placed her foot on the boys back as she pushed herself up and rubbed her black eye. The boy continued to wiggle but this time it seem more to find a way to cover his nose.