PM to join [The Bronze Woods]Into The Woods...(Garland and Tiath)

[Eluri]

32nd of Spring, 515 A.V.

The breeze was pleasantly sweet that night, carrying with it the scent of a world in bloom, the smell of soil and forest floors, and the fragrance that was uniquely that of trees. It was a green scent that Eluri knew...but didn't. She had never left the confines of the Fortress City, the stench of it all having grown into something she was accustomed to, and it had only been on the suggestion of a friendly knight that she had even thought of leaving. And she did leave that night, her nocturnal form displayed in all of its glory under a white dress. Despite all of this, first time leaving Syliras's walls and all, the Lethaefal recognised the smell for what it was.

But there was a few complications with Eluri's little trip into the woods. She was lost. Complete and utterly lost. Leth knows how she ended up deep in the Bronze Woods, much deeper than she would have expected, but it was the fact that she had been following the knight, who had been guiding her, that made it all the more confusing. How in the name of Aquiras does one become lost when following a guide, let alone lose him while watching his back? By no means did she really care about getting lost, in fact, Eluri loved being stranded in the wilderness, but it was outright dangerous. Even though she loved it and all, she still had much to do in the place she now called home, let alone visit the hotspring.

Eluri stopped her trekking for the umpteenth time that night, looking around her to see if there were any dangers. It was instinct that she was acting upon, and she knew that she had absolutely no idea on how to survive out in the wilderness, but she also knew that there was a better chance for her to survive if she was more alert. The ethaefal couldn't have been too far off from the hotspring but she didn't dare move from her spot. She knew that not knowing where she was, what direction she had come from, would make heading back towards the city a gamble she could not afford. If she headed any further into the woods, she could either end up dead, lost beyond help, or, with the gods on her side, either out of the woods and onto one of the main roads or back to the city. But Eluri didn't take chances, not silly ones that had way too many variables for her liking.

The white clad woman didn't find anything strange or dangerous lurking around as she stood there, admiring and scouring the woods in equal measures. The Bronze Woods was filled with song, even that late at night. The insects around her sang to one another, looking for a chance to procreate, and the occasional flapping of wings formed into a symphony of life that was carried on the breeze that seeped through her dress. It was soothing, the rustling and chirping of the forest undergrowth, and Eluri couldn't help but find herself somewhere to sit while she thought of a way to exit the woods, or until someone came to find her.

There was a fallen tree that she had noticed while she had been on the lookout. It had toppled over some years back, from what she could tell, and the forest had reclaimed it to some extent. Moss had crawled over it, painting the decaying trunk in patches of emerald, and other assortments of flora blanketed the corpse of a tree in colours that celebrated spring for all it was. Splashes of lilac and red blossoms tumbled from where the moss didn't grow at the ends, adding colour to the muted world that night brought with it. Ferns and unidentified fronds of tender green curled around its base, lining the bronze and rust of the trunk with a border that defied the dark earthen tones of the rich soil that had yet to burst into life. Blue ephemeral flowers cascaded towards the ensemble, finishing the picturesque appearance of the log with a flourish that only Caiyah could recreate, and swayed in the breeze. It was a wonderment to behold for Eluri, the art that nature proved to be, and she decided to wait there if she was to wait at all.

She placed one foot after another, her boots crunching what little left there was of the dried leaf litter that the previous autumn had left behind, and sat upon the fallen trunk. She couldn't sit on it with a mere squat, no no. The trunk, although it was tall enough for her to sit on it comfortably, was a tad bit too tall for her to sit on the go so she had to heave herself onto it.

Turning her back to the trunk, Eluri placed her hands on either side and slightly behind her, the ball of her palms lying flat on the wood, and lifted herself onto the thing. It was more a heave than anything, but it did the trick, and it sent her hair flowing around her with the breeze. Her hair was longer than what most would deem practical, but she didn't quite see how it really affected performance or anything. If need be she would braid it and tie it up with a string or discarded ribbons she may find lying around somewhere.

Once seated, Eluri watched her surroundings again, this time her ears more alert and sensitive to the noises around her. There was nothing out of the ordinary, just like before, but she was more tentative. The woods was still singing its nighttime song, and the moonlight still spilled over the leaves and flowers, but there was a feeling almost as if the night was holding its breath. The breeze was still running its fingers through her hair, gently making it spill into the beams of light, but it felt like there was a sense of waiting as she sat there, her fingers roaming the patches of damp wood.

Her fingers wandered across its surface without much care, a dangerous thing to do while waiting in the middle of the night, following the dips and curves of the grain of the wood. It had mapped out most of the area around her, trailing through the soothing cool of the moss and over the petals of the flowers, when Eluri suddenly discovered a hollow in the trunk. The sudden appearance of the hollow had surprised the ethaefal quite a fair bit, but she didn't find it all surprising because it was a hollow. No, it was just an affect of losing her balance as she toppled over the trunk and fell into a heap of white cotton and silvery hair. It was a sight to behold, how Eluri did an amazingly clean flip and collapsed into an elegant pile of moonlight, and anyone nearby would have chuckled at the look of surprise that came across her face. There was even a loud "oomph" and thud to be heard. Nevertheless, surprise and elegance made for an awfully interesting combination and her seemingly aloofness made it all the more delightful.

However, although she found it herself quite a funny predicament, Eluri couldn't help but notice the object that laid buried beneath the leaves and dirt hiding behind the half-deteriorated back of the trunk. It was hard to make out, moonlight was not enough to reveal it alone, but she noticed it only because she had somehow known it was there. Upon her fall, her hand had grazed the very thing, her dress having stirred up the detritus beforehand, and now it laid there, nestled in the banks of the rotten wood, beckoning. She wanted to grasp it, to inspect it further as her inquisitive mind urged her to do, but she looked at it first. It could have been something like an egg, for all she knew, and so she kept her distance for now.

The object was black, a dark, abyssal black that she had yet to see anywhere in Syliras. Long and almost fuzzy looking around the edges, Eluri couldn't make out what it was without pushing the remainder of the leaves aside, scraping away the dirt with her slender fingers to see it more clearly. Once her work was done, the Lethaefal sat back to see what it was once more. She didn't feel easy, though, with the discovery and so listened to her nerves to look around the semi-clearing once more. The flowers still rustled in the cool breeze and the trees still whispered, but there was a slight lull in the song of the insects. They had softened their calling, almost as if in answer to her fall, and it made noise all the more acute for Eluri. Her nerves were on edge, and her mind wanted to know, to find out for itself, what the black lump was. It was long, and had a weird, bulky look to it, but she still couldn't decide whether or not it was an egg. She didn't know enough about eggs to decide.

But she was sick of waiting.

Eluri plucked it from where it rested and inspected it up close and personal. What she discovered upon touching it puzzled her deeply as she lifted it into the moonlight, standing up and brushing off her skirt as the leaves whirled and eddied in the breeze. It was something wrapped up in a wool sash, an oddity that would not have been normally found out in the woods, and a chill seeped from it into her fingers and hand. It was soothing, familiar even, and that spurred her to unravel the mysteries of the item even more. The peaceful event of the night had completely disappeared from her mind by then, the hotspring having been long forgotten, and she didn't even notice whether or not there was someone nearby. All she could focus on was what laid behind the cloth, heavy and chilly at the same time. And with a final hurrah, a determination that would have spoke to others that she would not regret her decision later, Eluri tugged at the tattered bow that was tied at its base.

It spun, the object in the black cloth, and danced as the force of the blue haired lady pulled the two tails of the bow in opposing directions. Whirling in the air for what seemed like an eternity, the cloth danced before Eluri, as if it was taunting her. It didn't affect her, though, and she waited for what was truly within the object to unwind itself from its funerary wraps. And, with a final twist of the black cloth, the object flew into the air. It shone in the light, a cold light that didn't quite make any sense to the ethaefal, and it ultimately plummeted back to the ground, impaling itself into the earth as it had most likely impaled flesh long before.

There was no mistaking the object for what it was. A sword, one wrought from a material upon which darkness and light danced in a flickering waltz of black and silver metal. One with her very name engraved on it.

[Garland]

Patrolling in the wood at night alone is just asking for trouble. With the chilly night air and soft noises in the forest could make anyone feel lost, the dense rows of trees just looked so much alike, it would be nearly impossible to find one's way in the forest.

Luckily for the squire, he was leaving a trail to the foliage, crushed leaves, broken branches facing where he was going, at least he would know where he went and where he came from and knows where the road to the city would be.

Still he was mentally cursing the squad that was suppose to patrol this part of the woods. Though he couldn't really blame them, they were attacked by bandits and needed to recover, but still, Garland could be in his warm bed, snuggled in his blanket and dreaming about something or other. His dreams were always on the weird and crooked, never really staying on one topic and always changing.

But of course, fate had other plans. The squad of knights drove off and captured the bandits, so the likeliness of an attack is quite low, but its still possible. Yet the knights were confident enough to send a two-man squire team. Him and Alex, the woods were trouble alone, even with the two of them, it was still a hassle and dangerous.

Garland gave a small sigh. Garland was no tracker or hunter, but he could tell someone had come through here, the foliage and shrubs were disturbed like the thing he was doing, but these looked more... random would be a close enough word. It seemed more accidental, while Garland's disturbance was deliberate.

He looked over to Alex and pressed his finger on his lips, signalling him to be quiet. The woods are dangerous place, even moreso in the night. There is no such thing as being too careful in Mizahar, no matter where you are, even in the city of peace there are plenty of dangers here and there. From a simple bar brawl to a knight rushing down the street, trying to catch the occasional thief.

As much as Syliras prides itself on safety, no place is truly safe. Garland watched the trees and the shrubs, anything and anyone could be hiding here. Garland had never liked going deep into the woods, but sometimes it is needed, and sometimes he can't ignore it like everything else.

As they neared a small clearing, he could see someone there, he couldn't make it out, but he could tell the figure was a she, and quite beautiful too, maybe a Vantha? Or some other race, he can't really tell, though she seemed human enough, but the otherworldly glow gave Garland a sliver of doubt.

He lowered his hand, signalling his partner down, as he did the same. He watched the girl as she seemed to stumble around, thinking if she should go off to stay put. Ultimately she settled on just staying put, she didn't seem like bandit, but looks can be deceiving. He looked around the area, it could have been a trap or something, but the pale light of the moon made it difficult to see anything at range.

Not finding anything that would suspect otherwise, it seemed that it was just someone lost in the woods, but Garland was still a bit skeptical. He decided to watch a bit more. Usually he would rush headlong and not care about the consequences, but usually he would be alone, and the only life that was being risked would be his own. Now though, he had Alex with him, and possibly a civilian that was lost.

As the girl pushed herself on a log, fairly soon, she found herself tumbling to her back, Garland covered his mouth, to try and stop him from snickering, it worked for the most part, but if you were close to him, you would hear a faint giggle come from Garland's mouth.

Then she found something strange. Something wrapped in a dark cloth, something sword shaped. This is interesting. She unwrapped the bow, holding the cloth in place, revealing a bright shimmering sword. It was quite beautiful, an elegant weapon to be sure.

Garland thought that it was safe enough. He got up and raised his hand. "Hello? Excuse me, Miss? Are you lost?"

[Alexander Ross]

Alexander Ross With the cool night air and inky darkness surrounding him, Alex felt strangely at peace. It was impossible for him not to, with the relaxing sounds of nature chirping about and the occasional gentle breeze that washed over him, cooling the outside of his armor. Overhead, the stars could be seen twinkling in the black and blue night sky wherever the thick treetops would allow. All in all, it was a peaceful night, despite the danger they were in. In all honesty, Alex never exactly cared for patrolling this deep within the Bronze Woods. Especially at night. When the sun is not out, then the darkness provides plenty of dark, shadowy hiding places for potential threats. He had heard about the last party that had patrolled before them, and how they were ambushed by bandits, and it did have him more than a little on edge. Of course, it was a lot better than the alternative choice. The boy would choose to be out at night making use of his time, rather than lying awake in the squire dorms tossing and turning within the firm embrace of insomnia. He glanced over at Garland just in time to see him press a finger to his lips, signaling for him to keep his voice down. Alex responded with a nod, heightening his alertness. He scanned and inspected every bush and tree that the darkness would allow, waiting for anything to come charging out. Of course, he was never the best at observing things, but the least he could do was try. Once they neared a small clearing, Garland suddenly signaled him down. At first, Alex didn't know why he was doing this, but he quickly heeded the warning once he caught sight of the girl who seemed to have found a rather handsome-looking blade. Clutching the hilt of his longsword, he quietly strode up next to the other squire, being careful where he stepped. Of course, it wasn't without flaw, a few times a particularly noisy leaf or twig crunched beneath his feat, but thankfully they remained unnoticed. He stopped when the girl suddenly tumbled backwards, and a pang of worry shot through his chest, but was soon to be replaced by amusement. From next to him, he heard Garland try to stifle a giggle, and Alex gently nudged him with his elbow. Before anything else could happen, Garland stood up and raised his hand, announcing his presence. Following his lead, the boy stood up to make his presence also known, but decided to keep quiet. It may be better to let Garland do the talking.

[Tiath Othos]

The sound of a twig snapping filled his ears while filling his being with fear.

Tiath glanced around in a panicked rush as he continued to walk haphazardly through the forest, his hand twitching towards his shoulder to draw his sword each time he heard a noise, "You've got to came down" he whispered to himself, willing his heart to stop pounding in his ears so loudly. He forced himself to stop walking, close his eyes and take some deep breaths, Yeah, that’s not helping. He slowly opened his eyes again, expecting to see something coming for him from a shadow his hand twitched again, he really needed to get a grip on where he was before he moved again.

The moonlight was filtering down through the leaves as they rustled softly in light breeze, casting a moving weave of shadows across the grassy floor, giving the world an unearthly feel while making it difficult to see anything in detail. There was a single tree with a fallen branch that he could use as a marker, giving him some hope that there was at least some chance of him finding a way out of here tonight, however he knew that the chances of that were nearly non-existent due to he had navigational skills as it was and it would be sheer dumb luck if it happened that way.

He glanced around one more time to makes sure that he had picked up other markers that could be of any use, not finding any he took another deep breath before starting to walk, trying to make notes of out of place objects, something that he could use more markers for a path back to where he had been. Calming down a little he started moving more slowly, trying his best to make a little less noise as he moved however it felt as if the forest was out to get him with the sheer number of twigs that were broke underfoot.

He steeped around into a clearing, hugging against the tree as he peered around the clearing, nothing of any interest but it did make another place in his head of where the path to follow would be. Glancing back behind him he realised how everything there looked the same and couldn't tell what trees he had moved around to get where he was, causing him to realise how much trouble was in, his breathing increasing in panic. He moved more haphazardly as me moved through the clearing and into the denser trees.

It was by a stupid a really stupid choice that he ended up in this place and it was by stupid chance that he ended up in another clearing, this time however it wasn't as empty as before. His gaze jumped panicked between the three of them, two of them were men, armed by from what he could see, armoured too. There was a female as well, who seemed to be glowing and a weapon in hands. His hand jumped to his sword pulling it free as he stepped backwards around the tree he had come around from.

[Eluri]

Of all of the things that could have came from that black bundle, a sword was what Eluri had expected the least. But there it was, a sword with a blade brilliant in its luster and haunting in its shadowed edge, sitting embedded in the leaf litter that blanketed the clearing in the middle of the Bronze Woods. The fact that she had found it was odd within itself, enough to make others wonder why and how a sword had happened to be hidden within a fallen tree, let alone a high quality sword. But the fact that it had her name, the name that she had happened to choose for herself, was eerie. It pulled at her mental barriers, calling to that sickly feeling of ominous memories and foreboding, and she knew, in that moment, that the sword was hers. Even if her mind did not realise it...her body did.

It was an impulse that was undeniable, a tug that only she could feel towards the sword, and that she followed without hesitation. Eluri knew what she was doing as she reached out to grasp the grip, the shagreen an icy blue that complimented the blade in its cold touch, her fingers nimbly wrapping themselves around the grip in a soft, yet firm, brace. Her impulse was placated by the touch, but it had triggered something more profound. Although it was merely a moment, a single moment of blankness of the mind, it was still the very trigger to the beginning of something she couldn't quite place.

With one hand on the sword and the other nestling a bundle of feathery black cloth, Eluri pulled the sword from where it rested. It came loose almost without any resistance, leaping into her hand and away from the earth in a single, smooth motion. The ethaefal didn't understand as to why it was so easy, though. The sword had been clearly embedded, quite deeply at that, in the forest floor and yet it had leaped free from it with just a tug. A single tug.

"Curious..."

With every mystery surrounding herself that piled up, and with the mystery of the sword, Eluri saw a new challenge, a new puzzle that needed solving. She knew the answers were somehow important, the mere thought of them tugged at that far off memory that just wouldn't make itself known, and it spurred her on even further. The missing puzzle pieces fed her hunger for knowledge and only served to make her more fixated than before, every turn and twist of the story only lead to something that needed solving. And this, the feeling of rightness that came over her as she held the shimmering sword in her hand, proved to be the biggest piece yet. It held her answers, a guide to what she wanted to know, and she was determined now to unlock it.

But for that moment, Eluri stood there, admiring the feel, the look, and the completeness of the sword. It was like a long lost friend that she had finally reunited with, what she thought, deduced, was surely a remnant that had carried over with her sense of justice and moral compass. She lifted it into the air and it split the moonlight that lit upon it, spreading Leth's glory to where it usually would not under the canopy of the woods. The blue petals of the flowering vine were carried on the breeze, dancing around Eluri and the blade in a spectacular waltz, and the scenery that was already present in the woods became all the more radiant.

However, the calm sounds of the night were hushed in a swift display of words.

"Hello? Excuse me, Miss? Are you lost?"

It was a short burst of sound, the voice sounding all the louder with the peaceful calm of the woods, but it was enough to draw her attention. Turning towards the sound, Eluri noticed the man standing proudly in what appeared to be armour, a sure sign that he was either a well equipped bandit or a member of the Syliran Knights. It was impossible to tell whether or not he was fit or fat underneath all that protection, but it wasn't particularly hard to make out the features that were lit by the amount of light that filtered down into the clearing.

It was a man, quite a clear fact as there weren't any relatively large curvatures in the armour to hint breasts, but he seemed nonthreatening. His voice was also a dead giveaway, belonging on a scale and note that was clearly deeper than that of females. However, the part that disconcerted her the most, although she was by no means disconcerted, was the fact that she couldn't make out his face. But it wasn't anything particularly major. Even without seeing his face and expressions, she could tell from the way he had addressed her that he was nothing close to the rough bandits that she had heard of while walking around in Syliras. What she heard of their descriptions, anyway.

"Oh. Yes."

Her reply was monotonous and straightforward, blunt and short but it was enough to ascertain the stranger's question. It was also only after speaking herself that she had noticed the boy beside the man, this time with much better lighting. She could make out his features, too. But he looked like someone who'd probably need protecting more than provide it. He was like a child, and Eluri was a sucker for kids. But a noise had disrupted her analysis of the boy, shortening her close observation with a cracking and rustling that she could hear painfully loudly. The forest had grown silent, when and how was a mystery, and it didn't bode well.

Turning this time towards the sound, she swore she could see someone move behind the trees. It was suspicious and outright shady, reeking of bandits and dread, but it somehow seemed too panicked to be anything deadly. If they had wanted to attack her they'd have attacked her when her back was faced towards them. Not to mention that they were anything but stealthy, stirring up a trail that she could see to the side of the tree.

Although the man and boy was her ticket out of this clearing and back to Syliras, she believed that the person hiding behind the tree was somewhat a more urgent matter. If it had been a random passerby then they'd answer her and possibly even reveal themselves. If they didn't, then that'd mean that they had a reason to hide.

"I know you're there. Reveal yourselves."

However, what Eluri had failed to realise was that there was more than one hidden lurker. Out came six stupid looking men, more than she could handle and outright dumb looking, from the trees. She didn't see where they had come from, but she noticed that none came from the tree that had held her attention. However, one did move towards it, a blessing within itself and a curse for whoever hid behind it. Eluri didn't care much for whoever hid behind the tree, but she didn't want to see anyone innocent, and a child and animal the least of all, to get hurt because of her.

Eluri wasn't trained in fighting, let alone sword wielding, but she somehow knew how to wield a sword, swing it, at the very least. It wasn't a very hard thing to grasp, a beginner could do it, but she knew the stance and footwork that was required. She had never learnt it, nor employed it, but she knew that now was the time to do so, an automatic response by her body. Her hair was going to be a nuisance so as the leader of the bandits, the cockiest one in any case, approached her, the ethaefal stabbed her newly acquired sword into the ground, tied her hair into a neat pony tail that a child had taught with the black sash, and retrieved the blade from the ground, all in quick succession and precision. It was merely a few seconds later that the cocky man, reeking of musk and blood, was merely a handspan away from her.

"Well, well, well. What have we here?"

It was a sickening sound that matched the man's mangled face much too perfectly, a voice that rasped at the wrong chords and rattled like a string of teeth. The woman didn't like it, and her urge to silence it flared in an instant.

"A pretty lady like you out here in the woods? Why, that's so very dangerous! Who knows," the man continued on, not noticing the sword that was blatantly obvious and the hand that tightened around its grip with every passing word, "big, bad bandits may just take you away. What's a pretty girl like you doing here?"

It was a silly joke for silly minds, an irony of sorts that Eluri found no humour in, but it was funny enough for the other men. They laughed and cackled like feasting crows, and that only grated on Eluri's nerved further. These men were killers and slayers of innocents, children and animals, and she hated them for their confidence. They were pack animals, weak on their own and inexperienced in the art of wielding the sword, but that was what made them dangerous. It was logic: numbers can kill. It made her all the more furious, and her desire only began to boil. She wanted to be off with them.

Off with their heads? Even better.

"Trash disposal."

Curt and filled with disgust, Eluri's voice and tone seemed to catch him by surprise. It was filled with venom, snappy and sharp in tongue, but its crystal clear, elegantly mellow music offset the whole tone in such a manner that it left him stunned.

In a flash of movement, Eluri did what anyone could have done; the barest basics of wielding anything. She thrust her sword deep into the scoundrel's throat, feeling the flesh and bone resist for the merest of seconds before giving way to the weight of her thrust and the sharpness of the blade. There was a sucking and squelching from the sword, a sickening firmness for a moment before everything just slid through, as she pierced his flesh like piercing a pig with a spit. It wasn't particularly great that she was also only wearing a white dress, completely armourless in comparison to the friendly man and the boy he had with him, as the blood sprayed from his neck and splattered Eluri in a gory mist of red. It was better than nothing, though, and was no worse than what those bandits wore.

Eluri found no satisfaction in her first kill, watching the man gasp and reach for the sword in his throat before withdrawing the sword with a flick. It was a small arc that the sword traveled in as it was taken back from the dying man, blood welling up from the gaping hole of his severed airway, but the scarlet droplets that spattered the clearing floor signaled a torrent of events.

As their leader stood there, swaying with his blood seeping into the soil, the bandits stood where they were, much too many paces away from their leader to have protected him in time. They had been stupid to let their commander to trek up to an unknown horned woman at night, their stolen weapons and numerous kills pushing the power to their heads, and now they had paid for it. It was a quick kill, though, and the gushing blood was merely an aftereffect of his heart pumping as it usually did. His brain had been severed from his body, his spinal cord severed at its base, and his body had crumpled forwards slow enough for Eluri to side step. The thud was grim and gruesomely heavy, but so was the battle that was to ensue.

It was only a matter of moments before the men recovered from their lord's death and seek for revenge. Whether they had discovered someone behind that tree she had seen before, and whether or not the armoured man would help her or not wasn't, was of no importance to her. If all it took to fell the strongest of the group, for that was what Eluri believed to be the way they chose their leader, was a single stab...then these bandits were small fries that even a house wife could take on, one on one.

Reinforcements, however, would mean a whole other level of dangerous.

[Garland]

With the clearing and the moonlight showering them from above, Garland can see quite clearly. This girl was very beautiful, almost ethereal, and has strange horn thingies poking out of her head. "Well, you're welcome to join us on our patrol and when we eventually head back to the city. You can ride with Alex over there, my horse is... unstable around new riders." He said with a smile and walked closer into the light. "I'm Garland and this is Alex." He said and pointed to his partner.

Then a rustling in the bushes, a thick oder of meat and ale whiffed through the air. "Alex... be ready." He whispered to his partner. "Be careful."

"I know you're there. Reveal yourselves."

The way this girl holds her sword was something to behold, she looked as if she was use to holding a blade, and she probably is. He was hoping that they weren't going to run into the bandits that attacked the last group. The last group drove them off, but suffered heavy losses.

Then again, the last group that patrolled the forests were wet-behind-the-ears squires, and one knight. Garland was not some newbie when he came to the sword. He had more blood on his hands than some of the younger knights. He just hoped Alex had the stomach for blood.

Six dumb looking men waddled out of the bushes and into the light. These looked like they barely knew which point was the stabbing end and which point was the holding part. Garland watched as, what he assumed was their leader, stepped forward and acted as if Garland and Alex weren't there.

Garland gripped his sword, he was confident with his quick draw with his sword, but he wasn't going to risk this volatile situation to explode with his rash actions. Garland was trying his best to keep his cool, though his hand was twitching to draw out his sword and attack.

"Well, well, well. What have we here? A pretty lady like you out here in the woods? Why, that's so very dangerous! Who knows, big, bad bandits may just take you away. What's a pretty girl like you doing here?"

Garland was about to step in between the two, but the strange girl had reacted first. With a quick snarky reply and following up with a deep stab in the neck, the bandit leader was nothing more than a dying man. Garland quirked an eyebrow at the girl's sudden attack.

"Well... Let's get started." Garland said to himself and pulled out his sword and raised up his shield. The familiar weight of his sword was a blessing to the boredom he was experiencing as they patrolled along the forest, as much as Garland wanted a peaceful night, he also wanted a bit of excitement to go along with the peaceful walk. A bit hypocritical, but that's what Garland had wanted.

As the bandits watched the girl and Garland get ready for a fight, one of the bandits looked off to the side and saw a retreating figure. "Oi, who that?" The bandit said, barely grasping the basics of common.

Another bandit looked at the retreating figure and replied with the same dumb stupor as the last bandit. "That Iggy me thinks."

"Iggy died last raid on knight patrol!" With that, the bandit went over and pointed his sword at the retreating man. "Oi! Who you!?"

Garland saw the man as he was being threatened by the bandit. Time to cause a distraction. With that Garland charged into the group of bandits and landed his blade right in the middle of one of the bandit's head, right between the eyes.

With that, Garland gave planted his foot on the dead bandit's body, and with a strong kick, pulled out his sword from the head and sent the body spiraling to the ground. Now, Garland was had the entire gang right in front of him, yet he showed no fear on his face, even in the pale moonlight, they could see a small grin on his somewhat bloody face. "Hello gents, fancy a bit of brawl?"

[Alexander Ross]

Alexander Ross Alex paused when he got a better look at the woman. She was very beautiful, almost otherworldly. She would have seemed like a normal human were it not for the large horns jutting from the side of her head. He had never seen anything like her before, and he wondered what race she was. He resolved to ask her some other time, once they were all better acquainted. He grinned and nodded his head when Garland introduced him. His attention shifted to the bushed when he suddenly heard rustling from that direction. Glancing back at Garland, he could tell that he had heard it too, gently whispering to him. "Alex... be ready. Be careful." Alex nodded in response, grasping the hilt of his sword and watching intently. "I know you're there. Reveal yourselves." It was then that six men walked out of the bushes, revealing themselves in the rays of moonlight that filtered through the trees. By the way each man looked, he could tell that they barely knew how to swing a sword, which Alex couldn't help but chuckle at. Of course, nothing was more dangerous than underestimating a person by their looks. They may not look very smart, but they may know a few dangerous things. One of the men, who Alex assumed was their leader, approached the girl. As soon as he started talking, Alex wanted nothing more than to silence it. "Well, well, well. What have we here? A pretty lady like you out here in the woods? Why, that's so very dangerous! Who knows, big, bad bandits may just take you away. What's a pretty girl like you doing here?" Alex rolled his eyes and was just about to make their presence known by tossing out a few threats, but before he could the woman swiftly thrust her sword into the man's throat, blood squirting from the wound, running down his torso and pooling at his feet. Alex's eyes widened at the sight. Well... that works too... He thought with a gulp. He honestly didn't know what to think, considering it was the first time he had ever witnessed someone being killed. Suddenly, Garland rushed out, pushing his sword right in between another bandit's eyes. "Hello gents, fancy a bit of brawl?" He taunted. Alex figured that this was his cue to join in. Forcing himself to stay focused, he ripped his sword from it's sheath and darted out of the shadows, his lurching stomach soon going unnoticed under the sudden rush of adrenaline the boy felt. While the rest of the bandit group was focused on Garland, Alex charged past him and, doing his best to aim carefully, plunged his sword into one of their ribs, easily puncturing a lung. With a few tugs, he pulled his sword from the surprised man's body, nearly gagging at the crunch of bone and the sickening squelch as blood began pouring from the wound. His hands and knees shaking, he scrambled back next to Garland, taking his stance. Of course, anyone could tell by the look on his face that the boy looked more like he was ready to throw up, rather than proud that he had made a lucky strike on a bandit.

[Tiath Othos]

Straining to hear any sounds from the clearing, Tiath held his breath and readied himself his hands becoming sweaty as he gripped the sword even harder. He knew he could defend himself from the average swordsmen, well he thought he could but knew this would be an entirely different scenario then the practice spar's he had in the past. "Three of them, 2 armoured and a girl.." He thought to himself wondering how to deal with them, rapidly glancing around the area for something, a way out, anything that could help him avoid facing them.

"I know you're there. Reveal yourselves."

His blood froze with as the words rung in his ears, knowing that he might be done for he took a deep breath and leaned to poke his head from around the tree. It was then he saw others move into the clearing from other trees, his heart skipping a beat with relief, this might be just the thing he would need to get out of this situation. He released the breath that he been holding onto without knowing and straightened himself against the tree, silently hoping that none of the new attendees had spotted him.

"Oi, who that?"

Again he froze, "No no no no, don't come closer" was all that went through his mind as he heard steps getting louder, panic rising within him.

"That Iggy me thinks."

Ok, they knew he was here, his mind went into overdrive and he tried to weigh up the odds of fighting or flight. His mind quickly coming to the idea of flight. He quickly slid his sword into its scabbard before he broke all sense of stealth and starting running, a voice came from behind him but he took no notice, he just needed to lose them. He ran without knowing, dodging around trees and over fallen logs, taking turns whenever he thought he saw anything that resembled a path. He glanced over his shoulder to see that two of them were after him, it was this act that caused him to not notice a small log that was in front of him. Pain rippled up from his toes as right foot connected hard with the log, he tensed himself as he hit the ground, feeling the wind being forced out from his lungs. He closed his eyes for a moment in pain, his world becoming pain for a moment. The footsteps of the two following slowly down to a walk, their breathing heavy as if they hadn't ran anywhere in a long time.

He forced himself to move, opening his eyes and slowly pushing himself to his knees and putting some weight onto his foot, pain again flaring as he did, there was no choice tho but to push through. Slowly he stood up and turned to the two men who had followed him, drawing his sword slowly as he continued to move away from them.

"Oi Zac, look what we have here, a wee boy" He bellowed with a laugh which set Tiath's teeth on edge, "Drop the sword, you might just live"

Tiath shook his head slightly, before gaining a little confidence and standing a little straighter, "We both know that that’s the moment I die" He said quietly, his voice shaking a little. He suddenly felt his back rest against something hard and realised that he had walked into a tree, the two men laughing as the moved towards him. He could hear the sounds of fighting close by and realised that he must have moved nearly in a circle as he had run. His focus brought back to the fight as one of them took the lapse of concentration to swing at him, it was a sloppy strike of one who barely knew their own sword and he easily parried it to the side. He knew that he could easily take their lives if he had too, he just didn't know he could do it.

"Please just leave me alone" He yelled at them, his voice wavering before he parried another blow, swinging his sword at the man’s fingers, cutting into the side of bottom off their hand slightly as a warning before defending from an angered blow that was returned to him.

[Eluri]

Adrenaline and the metallic tang of iron and blood filled the air in the clearing like a cloud of mosquitoes on a lacerated corpse, heart still beating with an inhumane will to live. It was thick and cloying, choking everyone who had never experienced such acrid stench before with a blanket of death. But Eluri didn't seem to mind it. It was almost as if she was acclimatized to those conditions, having already endured far worse and done so much more, but she couldn't recall anything similar to the event that took place around her. To make a point, Eluri didn't actually have many memories to begin with, but what she did have, especially of events that seemed distant and didn't seem to make much sense, were nothing close to this. None of them had blood, although the bloodshed did seem to trigger a hardheartedness within the otherwise calm and relaxed female, and that made the situation all the more fascinating.

Eluri had no experience with killing and yet she knew how to do it well enough. One thrust into the neck was all it took.

Still, Eluri knew that it wasn't the worst smell to come off a battlefield. She was a clever cookie, oddly knowledgeable about basic things for a person who was technically younger than a season old, and she knew that piercing the stomach would be the messiest of ways to die and kill. The wastes and half digested food, bacteria and all that yummy goodness that comes with decomposing and digesting, would have leaked out into the air and filled it with a stench that'd call to its close by brethren. The weak of will and stomach would have emptied themselves of whatever morsels they had had for supper, only adding to the tear jerking atmosphere and making the clearing a bigger mess.

Watching the leader jerk and twitch as his blood drained, Eluri lifted her eyes away from the dying wretch and up to the remaining fools. It wasn't much of a surprise, though, when the ethaefal discovered that the battle had already begun. There had been a short lull in the forest in which the scenic view of things, the scattering petals and lush moonlight, was untainted once again besides the presence of the dying man, who Eluri promptly stepped over. However, it was shattered irreparably when one of the uglier members of the walking degraded humans noticed what the now blood spattered woman had seen before. She didn't know whether they were an ally or a bandit at the time, though, but seeing as to how the dumbest pair of talking, walking, breathing and excreting practice targets had dashed after the mystery figure she had only glimpsed, Eluri knew that they were in trouble. It didn't necessarily mean they were an ally, but whoever runs away from these two dimwitted humanoids must be a pacifist of some kind...or an extremely conniving man. It was the perfect bait for someone such as Eluri, and she knew it herself, but she didn't seem to care.

It wasn't soon after that Garland, or whatever he had called himself, and the boy beside him, Alex, dashed into the fray of bandits, taking out two of their ranks. It was a bloody fest, ones that involved much more ruthless ways of killing than that of Eluri's own, but it didn't grasp her attention quite as firmly as the departure of the two bandits for an unknown person. She noticed how the blade of the larger squire (or was it a knight?) plunged through the temple of one of the bandits, imprinting a grisly image that would have made the naive ill, and splatter liquid life onto the earth. She noticed how the blade of the smaller boy bit into the chest of a different bandit, something that she would have pitied the bandit over. But she wasn't concerned about these men; they were armoured and clearly beyond the levels of those who went against them in that clearing they all occupied, dancing the tango of blood and death.

The man Alex had stabbed in the ribs would have died a pitiful and painful death, unable to breathe, dying and drowning in their own blood, but it didn't matter to the men who Eluri had spotted dashing into the fray. Reinforcements, the very thing that the ethaefal had hoped wouldn't appear, by the looks of their ragged clothing and horrid visage. And it was by no means theirs.

Even though they were there to help their only brother left in the clearing, who had survived by some miraculous luck, they had failed to notice their dying brother on the ground and crushed his head instead. It was quite the vivid image, the unintentional mercy of the brute whose foot had heavily planted itself through the fallen's head, with the soft, jelly like consistency of the brain sprayed over the ground and took the eyes with it but it still did not keep Eluri from her tracking. It was gory, she would have not denied that fact, but she wasn't as concerned over such details as she was for the boy running for his life...right around the clearing, a perfect circle that brought him back, closer even, to Eluri.

He was still running when Eluri counted the reinforcements, a total of seven just-as-useless men, and was still doing so when she was finished and had returned her attention once again to the running boy. It wasn't for long, though.

In a matter of moments, the unknown boy had made the mistake of not paying attention as to where he was going and was sent flying over the small, and honestly hard to see, log that had buried itself halfway into the earth. It was clearly painful for the boy, seeing as to how he remained still for a few seconds, but it was enough to draw Eluri back into action.

It was close to the Lethaefal's position in the clearing, a safe pace away from the rest of the hustle and tussle, but it was still much too far away for her. She could tell that the boy was in no position to fight, his reluctance identifiable even from where the woman had been standing, but he didn't seem inexperienced. It was the contrary, actually, as he held his sword with enough skill, despite it being blurred by dread and panic, to fell those two men down with a single slice. Nonetheless Eluri took it unto herself that she took down those two men before they laid a finger, let alone their blade, upon the boy.

Dashing off towards the place where the boy was now ambushed between a tree and the encroaching men, Eluri made her travel as swift and soundless as she could, placing her foot where the soil appeared the softest and had the least twigs. It wasn't fast enough for her, feeling almost as if she had awoken from a deep slumber to find that all of the skills she had cultivated over her life were now missing, but it was better than nothing. She wasn't short of breath, her breathing and body was strangely calm and serene even as she ran, but she knew that if she kept running she was bound to get into trouble herself. She was lacking endurance, severely so, and the two men who were now merely a leap away from her were most likely all she could do before the situation really took a turn for the worse. She could take them down easily, it was merely a swing of a sword away before Dira received their unsightly souls, but that wasn't what she was worried over. Eluri could tell from the look in the boy's eyes, especially now that the three were so close to Eluri and with Leth's light illuminating the boy and the bandits, that he wasn't one to take a life lightly. It reminded her of the look children had when they found injured puppies, ones abused by neighborhood boys and cruel children, and connected with them in a way that she couldn't help but want to prevent. It reminded her of sorrow and pain, and only fueled her anger towards those who would bring those things upon the young and the helpless.

She was a silly lady, Eluri, but she couldn't help it. Children were her weakness and she would do near everything to protect them, be it from harm or the world.

With one last glance at the boy's eyes, Eluri changed her path and began her approach from an angle, this time more towards the front of the boy, slightly to the left of the enraged man who appeared to have retaliated at the boy for a slight he had made. She didn't know why she was doing, merely something to do with not having to fly into the man's body and mess up her attack all together, but it was a success when the feel of crunching bones and the resistance of flesh pushed against her blade, her body flying past the man in a blur. She had taken off his head, with much taxation on her energy reserves, and that was all she cared for at that moment; save the boy first and deal with the others later.

The impact and the awkward weight of the swing of her blade threw her into the embrace of the downy soil, but she knew that there wasn't time to lose. Eluri wasn't dumb to take a break after that run which had seemed substantially longer than it truly was. She knew that she had taken down yet another bandit, but there was still one left within her immediate vicinity and she needed to deal with him as soon as possible.

Peeling herself away from the woodlands floor, Eluri leaped to her feet and spun around, her sword miraculously still in hand, in the direction of the final bandit. It was a clean spin, a clever movement of feet, but it was enough to lend a brutish force to the mysterious blade.

Eluri didn't feel anything unnatural at the end of the blade. There wasn't any resistance, no cleaving of bones or liquid resistance of muscles and organs, but what she saw told her otherwise. The man who was still standing there, stupidly close to Eluri and whose blood was gushing over her already stained scarlet dress, had already grown pale when the ethaefal's eyes adjusted to the bright light. His blood was already spilt, the major blood vessels severed in that pirouette of death, and it was only a matter of time before he toppled over much like his companion and leader had. It wasn't what she had expected though. She had expected more of a struggle, at least a wary opponent who had clearly seen his companion get killed by a lady who had just rolled into leaf litter, but that wasn't so. She was by no means complaining, it was merely a curious thing that Eluri had happened to notice and believe to be logical.

But the quick death of those mean saved her energy and time to return and assist where she could in the fray of things back at the clearing, and she was grateful for that. She was saving the life of boys, young men, by assisting them and she felt pride in that. If killing lead to protecting, then she would do it if it fitted her morals and values. What little there were, anyway.

Her breathing was still calm and even when she had flicked the blood from her blade, spraying it on the earth and quenching the forest's thirst for a moment. Her heart, though, was working overdrive. Thrumming the blood through her body at rates that...many would have had their own running in such a situation, Eluri took a deep breath, exhaled it, and turned to the boy.

"We should go."

It was the very first thing she had uttered to the boy, no name or anything else to acquaint them, but it was enough for her. Eluri didn't have time for introductions and the likes. Not at that moment.

[Garland]

As Garland gave a small grin towards the bandits, but two of them ran off, saying something about a dead bandit or something, leaving Garland with only one bandit to face.

The bandit in question was angry, but he could see a bit of fear hidden away under his dull eyes. "I'll cut you down, half-pint!" The bandit said with a heavy scratchy voice, something akin cat choking on a hairball. He swung his sword, aiming at Garland's neck, but Garland blocked the attack with his shield, making a loud metallic clang resonating across the clearing.

Garland gave a swift kick to the bandit's groin, sending him sprawling to the ground in pain, clenching his family jewels. Garland raised up his sword and sent it down on his head, impaling it like the previous bandit. "Thank you Asen." He said silently for the sudden idea of a quick kick down below.

He looked over to Alex, seeing him finish off the bandit, he was glad his friend was alright, but honestly he could finished him off a bit less... brutal. A quick and painless death is best for everyone, more time for the attacker to recover and focus on other things and less pain for the victim of said attack.

Soon enough he heard more rustling in the woods, making their way into the clearing, and by the looks of it, more bandits, about four to six, it was dark, Garland couldn't see them all, though Garland did see the unintentional squashing of their comrade's head. "Alex, look alive, more of them."

Garland raised up his shield, ready for the incoming bandits. He had more combat experience than Alex, so he decided to take on the bulk of them, he was always itching for a bit of fight. "Oi! Petch faces! Over here!" Garland went over and spat at the ground between him and the bandits. "Honestly, I've fought kids tougher than you lot! And that's actually quite sad for both of us."

Four of them went right for Garland, leaving Alex with only no bandits to worry about, though unbeknownst to Garland, there were three more hidden along, slowly making their way into the clearing. Garland watched them all carefully, they were obviously drunk from the smell of their breaths and the movements they were doing.

"I'll cut ya up, ya-ya-ya uhh... bugger!"

They were either so stupid they can't make any actual threats or they are piss drunk. "Really creative. Come on, petching shyke for brains, come get me." He said with another spit, this time to the bandit's face.

The bandit grew red with anger, and swang wildly at Garland, aiming for... well... not actually aiming for anything, just swinging his sword as wildly as he could.

Garland dodged and blocked the attacks easily, even with the other bandits joining in, all he had to do was step back a lot and attack when they got tired. They swung their swords hard through the air, in fact, some of them were even hitting themselves in the process.

Garland found a lull in their pathetic onslaught of attack, he took advantage of the attacks and ran forward, knocking one the bandits down with his shield. He swung his sword hard at another bandit while the one on the ground was recovering. It caught the bandit off-guard when retaliated with a strong slash, cutting open his chest, though he was far from dead, it only made the bandits angrier.

Garland stomped on fallen bandit's neck, crushing his windpipe and cutting off his air supply, he knew that he was mentally scolding Alex for killing the bandit painfully, but this was four against one, he had a bit of liberty to take them out as quickly as he could.

Garland raised up his shield, blocking another attack from his left. He rolled back away from their attacks and put some distance between them. He tapped his sword on his shield to mock them, making them more angry and more clumsy.

Garland was a bit cocky now, but otherwise he kept his guard up, he never lets his guard down at all, even though having your guard can still leave you open in some areas, it significantly lowers the risk of being flanked and overpowered.

Garland watched at they gave a few cautionary looks at each other, they were nervous and scared. Garland looked at the two uninjured ones and gave a devilish grin.

He quickly rushed at them, with some form but mostly it was just the natural bloodlust in Garland's veins. He sent a flurry of attacks after attacks against the two bandits, they didn't even have time to react before Garland could cut them down, reaching deep into the bone and muscle.

There was little form and finesse in Garland's savage style of fighting, he had learned by sheer observation during his younger years, and only started his formal training last Fall, he needed to know the strengths and weaknesses he has so that he may overcome them, but here and now, on the battlefield, he used the skills he was most accustomed too, which was a mad flurry to quickly knock out his opponent. In this case it was kill.

The two bandits fell to the ground in a crumpled mess of bones and flesh, covered in slashes and stabs. The other one, the last one, has a large gash across his chest from where Garland had attacked earlier. He had a look of utmost terror in his eyes, backing away slowly from the bloody squire.

It didn't take long for him to go on the full on sprint, heading back into the forest, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. He was tempted to run after him, but in all honesty, he was tired, usually his onslaughts were his downfall in long battles, he was tired and left open to any other attacks, but if his flurry defeated his opponent it did not matter as much.

He searched around the clearing for the mysterious lady, she had disappeared somewhere. Hopefully she didn't run off deeper into the forest, that would just be rotten luck.