Closed Escalation (Katelyn)

[Rhov]

89th of Spring, 515 AV

Today, Rhov had come dressed for war. Hardened leathers strapped tight against his bronzed skin, muscle sharply defined from a season's worth of trials. Steel shined bright from both hands as he tested his dagger and his gauntlet. His hair was braided back long down his back in a traditional Chaktawe style. He found fortune today in the form of a pair of raven's feathers, and he took extra caution to weave the objects into his braid. Black warpaint splayed across his face from temple to temple, it's dark coloring blending in with his set of onyx-black eyes. If one could dress to kill, Rhov would be the picture of lethality.

It had taken him a week to finally track down his current target, and the young bounty hunter wanted to ensure he was prepared for conflict should it arise. He was warned of his current target's, a Miss Fennel Nodderin, slippery nature, but it had taken careful planning to finally force the woman out of hiding. She had taken residence in the Bronze Woods during her tenure as a criminal, and while Rhov was comfortable fighting in the woods, he had no wish to give her the chance to lose him in the dense forest. So, he had taken delicate measures to let his prey know that she was being hunted; leaving her warrant near her campsite, placing obvious tracks around her vicinity, and so on. While this course of action might have seemed counter-productive in his attempt to capture the wanted woman, it proved fruitful as the woman proceeded to react to Rhov's benefit.

Seeing that her current encampment was compromised, Nodderin took to leaving the Syliran region as quickly and safely as possible. This meant, however, she left herself exposed while she traveled on the Kabrin Road. The road, while safe, allowed for the opportunity of ambush by any enterprising individual.

In this case, that individual happened to be one moderately clever bounty hunter by the name of Rhov.

Rhov grinned with wolfish intent as he saw a form matching Nodderin's description approach his position on the road. After a season of mixed luck, perhaps the universe had finally granted the Chaktawe boy some small form of luck. With the casual confidence of a brash youth, the young bounty hunter approached his quarry openly and without fear. As the two neared each other, Rhov stood to block her path. His tone deep and filled with ominous intent, Rhov let his feral smile overtake his face as he growled aggressively.

"You should have stayed in Syliras, Fennel. The knights are much nicer than me."

Nodderin's eyes shot wide with fear as Rhov's words took meaning in her mind. Her movement's slow and non-threating, the woman backed away slowly from Rhov's intimidating form. The Chaktawe did not move. Her paced increased as the distance between the two increased. Still, Rhov did not move. When she stood about 10 meters from his position, Nodderin turned and began sprint from her intended captor. Rhov moved.

I love it when they run, he thought with predatory contentment. Exploding into motion, Rhov began to gain on his intended prey within a few seconds of their chase. Fennel was a wanted thief, cunning and wily, but it was obvious that she relied more on stealth than speed. He gained closer and closer on his prey, closing the distance to where they were no more than half an arms length apart, and then he pounced.

Muscles crashing against the criminal's smaller form, Rhov landed firmly on top of Nodderin's back. Keeping her arms pinned roughly against the ground with his gauntleted hand, Rhov used his free hand to grab the manacles attached to his belt.

I swear, nothing can ruin today, Rhov thought with a smile as his bounty struggled futility beneath him. His hunt successful, Rhov took a slight moment to enjoy the surprisingly strong Spring wind which beat against his skin.

[Katelyn Marks]

Katelyn looked like shyke, and she didn't think she'd ever felt more like the word either. Physically, she was battered and sore. Inside though, her spirits soared. Yesterday had been a crucial point in her life as of late. She felt freed from all of the self-doubt and fears she'd been feeling since winter, and a new drive had replaced the quagmire and turmoil of her mind. The squire's usual cheer and eager energy was back. She had eaten her breakfast that morning with gusto and rushed to the stables to retrieve her Tiaden.

Kate couldn't keep the smile from her lips, and as she drove Garrison into a canter once they passed through the gates and hit the hard-packed road, found herself admiring the woods bordering the road with the appreciation she once had. The shadows under its boughs no longer danced with a sinister darkness, and movement out of the corner of her eye didn't send her into a nervous fit. Garrison carried her past wagons, traders, and travelers. As the traffic thinned and the road opened, the redhead let her stallion choose his stride and stretch into an easy gallop.

While her confidence had returned, she held onto the wary preparedness that had kept her safe up until now. Her longbow was strung and at the ready, sitting in its sheath strapped to the saddle behind her left leg. A quiver full of arrows was buckled beside it, and she had her usual knives strapped to her hip and tucked inside her boot. While she was pretty miserable with a bow still, the intimidation factor was something Katelyn took advantage of more. Strapped over her clothing was studded leather armor borrowed from the Order, and on the hard chest piece was the symbol of the Wind Oak carved into its solid hide.

It was of course a symbol anyone in the surrounding region knew well, and was another form of protection in and of itself. Petty criminals cowered at the threat of the Knighthood, but that did leave larger groups of marauders to be wary of. Still, this stretch of road between the Outpost and Syliras was probably one of the safest places to travel in all of Mizahar. It was impossible to walk it and not hit a patrol.

Despite all of that, far ahead as the squire guided her horse around a slow bend in the road, she spotted a struggle between two individuals. Garrison's heavy hooves drummed hard on the earth beneath him, and she slowed him into a canter for more control. As he ate the gap between the strangers she heard the frightened screams of a woman, and quickly identified the other as an armored man. Kate wasted no time acting, and drove her stallion back into a hard gallop. With one hand she reached back and plucked her bow from its sheath, steering him with the other and through pressure from her legs.

It would be impossible for the struggling pair not to see or hear her, and she played into the loud arrival by yanking back her stallion to come to a rather dramatic sliding stop. He snorted and tossed his head, stomping his massive shod hooves, eyes rolling excitedly in his head. Katelyn plucked an arrow from the quiver strapped to her saddle and nocked it on her string. She drew back the limbs in one quick motion, and anchored the fletching against the corner of her mouth. Her grimace was significantly less attractive thanks to her ugly black eye, split lip, and bruised cheek.

"Stop there, in the name of the Order!" Katelyn snapped harshly, pointing a particularly sharp looking bodkin at the man. The woman, bless her heart, looked dirty and terrified. She had shackles binding her from running, and tears stained her grubby cheeks. The squire felt disgust twist her battered features, and she pulled her longbow's limbs a little tighter. If she released, at this range the armor-piercing arrow might actually break through the other side of his chest. That was if she could actually hit him--but he didn't need to know that little uncertainty.

"What's going on here?" It was pretty obvious, but she wanted to make sure he understood the situation he was in.

"Help me, please!" the woman wailed, and Kate tried to smile at the victimized maiden to ease her fears, but said nothing.

[Rhov]

A clamor of thunderous hoofbeats assailed Rhov's ears, breaking his focus from clamping down irons upon the squirming form of Nodderin. Fingers twitching in response to the sudden movement, his natural born Chaktawean senses all-but confirmed the oncoming interference. Not that Rhov needed the confirmation, as the stranger seemed intent on alerting the whole woods of her arrival. With a deafening crash, the monster of a horse she was riding halted in front of Rhov, rearing back with the whole of its intimidating prowess. Rhov rolled off his prisoner and into a low crouch in response to the sudden appearance of newcomers, his steel-clad hand clamped down on Nodderin's wrists to prevent her escape. A single bronzed hand drifted stealthy towards his Angle-Knife's sheath located at the small of his back. Whomever this person was, she certainly had gained his attention for the time-being. And his suspicion.

Looking upward, Rhov found himself stared down by both rider and arrow; the threatening point all but promising a messy end should he resist her demands. The woman sat as an intimidating figure on her beast of a mount, her form rigid with distrust. Her hair, windswept from riding and messy from effort, trailed fire down her back; its red hue blazing in the full light of day. The woman carried a fierce air about her, and Rhov had no doubt she carried the wounds of a warrior on her soul. She barked orders at him, demanding he cease his current actions. Hazel eyes glared daggers at Rhov's current position, daring him to disobey her orders.

Unfortunately for the both of them, Rhov did not take kindly to orders. This was his hunt, and he would defend his claim ardently. Violently, if needed.

"I'm a bounty hunter. She's a criminal with a bounty on her. Do. The. Math," Rhov growled with obvious discontent. Who was she to interfere with an honorable hunt? Rhov cared not if she was from the venerated Order or not. He had legal claim to his prey, and he did not take kindly to being interfered with.

"He's..he's lying!" Nodderin sobbed, actually managing to sound sorrowful at her current circumstances. To anyone else, it might have actually sounded convincing, but to Rhov, who knew the full extent of her crimes, it simply sounded desperate. He rolled his solid black eyes in sad disbelief as Nodderin struggled against her chains. "Just look at him!" she begged. He's a savage! Look at his eyes! You can't trust those eyes, they're inhuman. Please, you have to help me!"

Scoffing with absolute contempt, Rhov turned his head to find the arrow surprisingly still trained on him. Being as distant from Syliran culture as he was, the Chaktawe did not realize the viability of her claims. She was right, to some extent. Strange eyes melding into black warpaint, an odd accent from an obviously foreign land, and worst of all, definitively inhuman upon close inspection. He certainly looked the part of the savage, and even some of his mannerisms betrayed the truth of a feral nature. In his current position, one could easily mistake Rhov for an aggressor rather than an extension of the law.

Onyx eyes narrowing in anticipation, Rhov scanned his surroundings. He was only a short sprint from the cover of the Bronze Woods, where he could find solace from the woman's arrows should it turn to conflict. She had the advantage of speed, but Rhov knew this forest to a decent extent. He could find denser foliage where no horse would be able to maneuver through. Pulling Nodderin roughly to her feet, Rhov stood on edge for the woman's response. Thick clouds gathered in the distance of the two figures, nature seemingly emulating the tension which hung thick in the air. Be it conflict or resolution, Rhov proved prepared to handle either.

[Katelyn Marks]

Her heart went out to the woman all the more as soon as her attacker decided to throw some sass. Katelyn's glare narrowed at his tone, and her lips twisted in disgust. "You're in no position to give me an attitude," she spat haughtily. Until now she had been too caught up in the excitement and adrenaline of the moment to take everything in, but at his victim's urging broadened her focus further than the situation itself. A chill ran through her when she met his eyes. The only real differentiation between them and the dark smear across his face was their slight shine in the glare of the sunlight. It was a limitless blackness, with no whites and definitely no kindness.

Her arms were beginning to protest now against the weight of her longbow's limbs, and she grimaced in discomfort. The man's long black braid was thrown haphazardly over a shoulder, where it spilled down his chest. Kate didn't think she'd ever seen a man with such long hair. His bronze skin was too smooth and distinct to be from the sun, and the general way he held himself gave her the impression of a cornered animal. She couldn't place his accent either. For all she knew he really could be a savage. Katelyn hoped he couldn't hear the hard galloping of her heart against her ribs.

Despite the arrow trained on his chest he seemed cool and collected. The only emotion that the squire could read in his intimidating eyes was contempt. Her muscles were starting to burn now, and she gnashed her teeth with the effort of keeping the bow's limbs taught.

"Release her now, and step away," Katelyn barked when she noticed him search discreetly for an escape into the trees. "Do you have proof to back up your claim?" If he was lying, he couldn't flee with her in tow. Not with Kate on his heels. And if she was lying... well, the woman was surrounded. Her impatience was mounting quickly as the strain of keeping her arrow at the ready grew.

[Rhov]

The slow tick of seconds consumed the silence of a wind weathered road; the standoff of the immovable against the unstoppable colliding in a violent cacophony of quietness. Rhov almost smiled at the sun-streaked woman's latent anger which corrupted her words. Apparently, she was not a fan of a caustic tongue or a scathing word. That was fine with Rhov, as he wasn't fan of having his hunt interrupted by women with delusions of authority.

"Of course I have proof of my claim," the bounty hunter barked back at the woman's inquiry. Confidence flowed through his form as his free hand searched the confines of his side-pouch. If she required the warrant, Rhov was more than happy rub it in her freckled face. He proved tired of this delay, wishing only to complete the job he had set out to do.

Confidence curdled into the sour taste of fear as the Chaktawe found neither trace nor track of the dull yellow paper marking his target. Dread laced through his thoughts as Rhov raced across his memories. He had the bounty with him from dawn to dusk the past few days, and couldn't remember for the life of him why he didn't have it on his person now. Then, like a cool splash of water awakening slumbering dog, his memory yipped and snarled the solution into the light of his mind. Petch.

Rhov had left the warrant at Nodderin's old campsite. He was so proud to have outsmarted such sly prey that he let overconfidence guide his movements to folly. The realization dawned upon him with unrepentant reality, stark its apparent truth. Regardless of the events which had led to the loss of his warrant, Rhov now stood face to face with the truth of the matter. He had no warrant, and a member of the Order had an arrow aimed for his heart.

Wings stained with sunset beat overhead in steady reminder of Eria's presence. She oft appeared when Rhov proved determined to do something reckless, and her appearance indicated that peaceful resolution was unlikely to occur. Still, like a chiding mother attempting imprint patience, Rhov's Guardian attempted to abate her charge's innate impulsiveness. Rhov, let's not do anything hasty... the blood-orange eagle began, swooping low to rest on the hardened leather which wrapped the youth's shoulder.

A cry like broken glass pierced the air in annoyance as Rhov shoved his prey before the towering figure of the warhorse before him. Bright plumage streaked high into the air as Rhov took off with fierce determination towards the tree-line. He hoped the prone figure of Nodderin would delay the other woman long enough for him to break into the copper-colored woods. Arms and legs pumping in a furious torrent of movement, Rhov sought solace in the bright greens and dull browns of the Bronze Woods which surrounded him.

In an odd twist of fate, he who would be predator has found himself the prey. A hunter now hunted, Rhov only hoped this game of cat-and-mouse ended in an upheaval of nature.

Who knew? Perhaps Eywaat would smile upon him, and let the mouse catch the cat.

[Katelyn Marks]

Katelyn waited with obvious impatience for this apparent proof that the abrasive criminal--at least a criminal in her merciless eyes--seemed to sure of. But if seemed fate was not smiling on him today. She saw his confident feature slowly melt in surprise, quickly followed by dismay and anger. Her black eyes showed little indication of real fear, but she equated it her own inability to read his exotic face. The silence was heavy between the three of them, and it seemed to stretch for an eternity. Finally, knowing he had nothing to show her, the squire prepared to fire. All in a matter of moments though did the situation deteriorate before her fingers could release the string.

She saw his features twitch, indicating a shift of direction in his gaze. Without thinking her eyes followed the movement to the treeline where he surely planned to flee. Her lungs swelled, preparing to shout an order, but the words died on her lips as his frustrated scream filled the electric air. Everything else happened too quickly. The criminal shoved his prey forward, tripping the woman and sending her careening into the chest of Katelyn's warhorse. Afraid of her arrow hitting the woman, the squire relaxed the tension in her limbs and pulled the arrow from the string, replacing it in the quiver with the rest of her ammunition.

She grabbed the reins in her free hand as Garrison skittered back, frightened by the collision with the woman. As she righted herself, tears in her eyes, Katelyn turned to see the man making a break for the treeline. "Shyke!" she snapped, and spun her stallion quickly. "Are you alright?" the squire barked quickly, and the victimized woman nodded frantically. "Don't worry about me! Just go get him! I'll be fine!" She looked well enough--no obvious injuries except for some possible bruising. Katelyn nodded and dug her heels into her stallion's flanks, slipping the longbow back into its sheath.

"Head up to the city and ask for help there," the squire ordered over her shoulder as her Tiaden jumped into action. The massive stallion surged forward beneath her, pushing off with his massive flanks into a hard pursuit. The man had already pushed past the thick tangle of brush that grew along the roadside, and she saw a flash of movement through the trees ahead. He was a fast one, but surely couldn't outrun a trained warhorse. His thick hide would help protect him from the brambles and weeds, but Katelyn just hope the chase didn't lead into thick, wild, overgrown territory. If she had to dismount, she could easily lose him.

As Garrison charged through the belly-high brush, branches snapped in his wake, and heavy hooves crushed leaves and sprouting growth trying to take root. Katelyn stood in her stirrups as he jumped and bobbed, crashing his way into the trees. She ducked low over his neck to avoid the branches growing around head height, and only sat up once they made their way into the clearer area of the woods past the thick border along the road. Kate reined in her horse and looked around, listening to the relative quiet of the forest. She heard boots snapping branches and crushing dried leaves ahead, and though she couldn't see movement, kicked Garrison back into pursuit.

The air was heavy with moisture and she heard a distant rumble of thunder to the south. It was darker here under the shelter of the trees, and the graying sky overhead was ominous. The bellies of the leaves were turned upwards as they did when heralding rain, and she only hoped she could find him before the approaching clouds opened up.

[Rhov]

Rhov

Vibrant strokes of color streaked past him as Rhov darted through the tangled undergrowth of the Bronze Woods. Branches snapped with uproarious indignation as the panicked Chaktawe careened past. All pretense of stealth or subtlety which normally marked the bounty hunter's gait were abandoned as he hear the clomping hooves of a warhorse echo closer and closer through the din and clamor of the forest. Rhov had one drive consuming his mind, one thought pushing him to move beyond the normal limits of his body.

Run.

Legs and arms pumping in a furious symphony of movement, Rhov attempted to outpace his hunter through the sheer speed of his sprint. A small bead of sweat trickled down from his forehead, and Rhov found himself thankful that he had put effort into fitness this season. If events continued in the fashion they seem to take today, he suspected that there would be a lot more running to do.

Deep down, Rhov knew he couldn't outrun a trained horse and rider. To do so would be far beyond his capabilities. But for the moment, it was the only plan he had. If he could push farther into the densest part of the forest, he might lose the rider in the twisting labyrinth of trees; or at least force her to take to the ground. So, Rhov ran. He ran and ran until his legs screamed with pain and every breath burned his lungs. He darted through the trees in an unorthodox pattern in an attempt to through off his pursuer, weaving in and around the woods like a dancer amidst a plethora of partners, but still echoed the dogged clamor of a warhorse hot on his trail. The surrounding forest had long since become unfamiliar to Rhov, and even he who spent so much time among the proud trees of the Bronze Woods found himself at a loss to where he was.

Back against the rough bark of one such towering tree, Rhov took a moment to catch his breath as the knight came ever closer. Relief swelled in his chest as oxygen flooded his searing lungs, but he only allowed himself a moment's respite from the chase before turning his mind back to his would-be captor. He had done his best to lead her deep enough into the forest where she would have to abandon her mount, but it seemed that all luck had abandoned him in this hunt; the steady beat of heavy hooves only indicative of her oncoming approach. The steady sprinkle of rain from the clouds above cooled Rhov's body as his mind raced for a solution.

She's damned stubborn, I'll give her that, Rhov chuckled darkly, the crashing clamor of his purser clashing with the light tapping of rain hitting the canopy above. The storm brewed above with ominous indifference, apathetic to the tiny conflicts of the creatures which roamed the land below it. The light pattering of rain turned to heavy drums as the downpour of water beat on, what was once grey clouds shifting into a raging storm.

This rain will cut her visibility. Best shot I've got, the Chaktawe thought to himself, moving from his spot at the tree's base to a nearby cluster of foliage. As the emerald green leaves wrapped around his bronzed skin and black hair, Rhov let himself shift into his familiar hunter's crouch. His hand hovered briefly over the dark handle of his Angle-Knife in lethal preparation, before returning swiftly back to his side.

No. She's just doing her job, just like I was doing mine, he decided with absolute finality. Rhov couldn't fault her for following orders, and he sure as Hai wasn't going to resort to lethal force because of it.

A flash of red hair denoted the presence of his hunter, and Rhov found a wolfish grin curling at the corners of his mouth. His tired muscles tensed in anticipation, the cool flow of adrenaline icing through his veins. No, he wasn't going to kill her. He wouldn't end a life for this misunderstanding. But if this woman stood between Rhov and freedom, she was going to learn just how much one could live through.

[Katelyn Marks]

It certainly seemed that Zulrav wasn't on her side as the pursuit led her deeper and farther into the trees. The storm that she hoped was still a ways off was already upon them, and as droplets pattered the leaves above with growing fervor, so did her desperation grow. Garrison snorted with each heavy stride, seeming to know just where to go. His training had kicked in without hesitation, leaving her to simply hang on and scout the forest ahead. Though she'd lost sight of her target Katelyn could hear him in the distance, but she knew that the storm would soon drown all else out. Her heels kicked the Tiaden faster, setting more urgency into his pace.

Despite his increase it speed though, it proved to do little in her attempt at outrunning the rain. Soon the sky was raging, and water poured from above. I've lost him, she thought desperately, slowing Garrison with some pressure on the reins and change in her seat. He snorted wildly, fighting the change in gait, but finally reluctantly stumbling into a quick trot, then slowly a walk. Katelyn was disheartened by her assumed failure and angry that the criminal had escaped. All she heard around her was the loud drum of rain and the silence of loss.

If only she'd known how well he was simply blending in with the turbulent weather, the squire might have been able to prepare for the fright in store for her. As Kate guided her mount over a fallen and rotting log, she didn't notice his ears swivel and attention narrow, for she was too busy scanning the gray haze ahead of them. Suddenly, the half ton of horse flesh beneath her balked and twisted. Garrison had seen the man hiding in the leaves--his keen senses of sight and smell missed little. Rearing back on muscular hind legs, the stallion screamed in warning, but his attempt at protecting his riding threw her clear of the saddle and into the mud under hoof.

Frightened by her sudden tumble, he crashed to the ground and danced away, kicking terrible shod feet as he went. As the squire smashed into the sodden leaves and soaking earth of the forest floor, the world spun and churned. Her face smacked first, and with a mouthful of mulch the redhead cried out in pain. Feebly, disoriented by the rain filling her eyes and the tangled mess she'd become, Kate tried to right herself.

[Sayana]

 

Rhov

Skills

• Planning : 1
• Intimidation : 1
• Hunting : 1
• Tracking : 1
• Running : 3
• Unarmed Combat : 2
• Observation : 4
• Stealth : 2
• Rhetoric : 2
• Tactics : 3
• Land Navigation : 2
• Endurance : 1
• Bodybuilding : 1

Lores

• Planning: Luring out a target
• Location: Kabrin Road
• Manacling a target
• Bounty Hunter: Never forget your warrant
• Tactics: Planning an escape route

 

Katelyn

Skills

• Riding: Horse : 3
• Land Navigation : 3
• Observation : 4
• Rhetoric : 3
• Intimidation : 2
• Interrogation : 2
• Bodybuilding : 1
• Tracking : 2
• Endurance : 1

Lores

• Location: Kabrin Road
• Initimidation: Rearing a horse to intimidate
• Tracking: Pursuing a criminal through the woods
• Horseback riding: Being thrown from one's horse

Shield Points

• Patrol: 4

Comments: Great thread despite it getting abandoned. I loved the misunderstanding and how they each responded to it. Too bad the thread didn't get finished but it was exciting and suspenseful nonetheless.

Your Grader,

Sayana

Boxcode design: Firenze