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[Revy Hiroe]

4th Day, Fall 516 AV

Two iron clad ladies were riding on their respective horses through the Bronze woods. These two ladies weren't your particular run off the mill women, as both were armed to the teeth. On one hand you had sera Theresa Stalinsa, a knight of the syliran order. On the other you had Revy Hiroe, a squire of aforementioned Theresa. Both of these women wore stern expressions on their face as today was a day of hunting.

There had been a few reports about a dangerous animal skulking near the Eastern Kabrin road and Sera Theresa had decided that that might be a good thing for her squire. She needed more experience patrolling. Going parallel to the road, inside the forest, should provoke a reaction out of that thing. After all, these two ladies were trespassing on it's territory.

Revy was the first to break the silence since they left the city. Of course she didn't exactly know what was going on. Her patron had just told her they had to patrol the edge of the bronze woods. "Sera, what exactly are we looking for here? Or is it just a standard patrol?"{/b], the woman asked.

Her patron had thought it was wise not to tell her squire exactly what was going on, lest that squire get out of control. Which Revy often did when there was the slightest scent of danger. [b]"You'll know at the end." was all she said. And Revy knew that was a hit for: "Shut up and don't ask".

[Nixie]

How many years had it been since Nixie had left her birthplace? She never really kept track. The days had a tendency to blur together, her thoughts directed too inwardly to care what happened around her. There were a few exceptions of course, as there were with most things. Like the chanced meeting of a strange creature that snatched her away to a dark place where she shouldn’t have survived. And wandering the shifting streets of illusions to meet a Lark and his pet. While those two instances may have been the most memorable of the time she spent away from Sylira, they weren’t the only ones. All the while her wish to become more than a depraved imposter, to find and reclaim who she once was, remained unrealized. Eventually it was obvious that she would have to return, once again, to where everything had begun. But as a coward, through and through, such an endeavor would be easier said than done. Nevertheless, she had managed to convince herself to hitch a ride with a caravan. With every day that passed her anxiety, and a fear instilled from a young age, grew in tandem with the closing distance.

Sitting off the back side of a wagon with one leg dangling to swing back and forth and the other bent with an elbow perched atop its knee, Nixie held a burning pipe between pressed lips and listened to the clamor of sound around her with closed eyes. The groan of turning wooden wheels and rhythmic clack of hooves sounded down the road and through the forest that lined said road. Caravan runners spoke loudly and happily, excited that they’re journey to Syliras was going to end soon. Nixie mostly kept to herself, only speaking when spoken to and even then, with only a few words. She might have been a bit less sullen and more talkative if she quit agonizing over the ‘what ifs’ and maybes that awaited her. Also, she might have recognized something bad was about to happen, even if she wasn’t skilled enough to change the outcome.

The caravan runners cheerful conversation quickly faded to silence when one of the younger ones noticed something just past the tree line and pointed it out to the rest. But before anybody could make heads or tails of what was happening, they were attacked from both sides. Not by bandits or men of any kind though, something more beast-like. In a flash Nixie was tossed from her spot on the back of the wagon, the horses trying to run from whatever danger had struck. She landed hard on her shoulder and rolled off to the side of the path where the grass grew longer. Lifting her head from the ground to glance around, everything was in upheaval, carts were nothing but broken planks and splinters, the shipment and her belongings were scattered in all directions, and people were screaming out of fear and agony. Seeing that her pipe was within reach, she was relieved. Reaching for it, a sharp pain shot through her arm and chest, evoking a growled yell from her, but she was determined to retrieve it and fought through the pain until she had it. She wasn’t safe there though, so pushed onward. Dragging herself with her unhurt arm, pipe in hand, and pushing with her legs. She inched her way towards a tree that had fallen over long before the caravans arrival. It was near the tree line so she hoped it would provide enough cover to hide behind until the attack was over.

From behind the fallen tree, Nixie pressed herself against the wood, cradling her shoulder and trying to stifle her ragged breath. With her belongings, including her sword, scattered about the pace, she was defenseless.