[Flashback]Off on the Wrong Foot(Ronin)

[Raiyari]

Off on the Wrong Foot Spring 36, 509 A.V Wearily, Raiyari trudged up the Sanikas road. It was only by force of will that she managed step after laborious step. For years she had worked towards this goal, to set out on a quest of Awakening. The Acolyte hadn't realized that this 'Wind Reach' was just about as hard to reach as Lhavit. She'd used to laugh at those who hated the long trail up to the City of the Stars. Now, she felt exactly like one of them. Left, right. Left, right her voice echoed in her mind, telling her legs to go forwards, to bring her closer to Wind Reach. The throbbing pain in her left arm had not subsided, and a bandage there covered a big scratch. Petching wildlife, thought Rai, her eyes narrowing. Shinya-in-training she may be, but Rai was a city girl, through and through. Exhausted and more than a bit pissed off, Rai gave herself a brief respite, sitting down on a boulder by the side of the trail. Her hand rested on the hilt of her katana, and she dangled her feet off the edge of the rock. For a few minutes, she allowed herself to enjoy her surroundings, to take in the beautiful view. The air was thinner up here, which she didn't mind. It felt more like home than the wilderness had, but it carried the scent of danger and a exotic foreign feel. She was no thrill seeker, and the almost constant sense of danger had tired her out, leaving her jumping at every little sound. The fierce winds whipped about her, sending her hair every which way. Though it had started out as a neat bun, now it looked more like a bird's nest. With a sigh, the girl took her hand off her weapon, reaching up to undo her hair. Rai took it down, and a curtain of black hair obscured her vision completely. Quickly and efficiently, she pulled it back up, tying it up with a leather tie.

[Ronin]

Ronin enjoyed spending time in the woods when he wasn't working. Lately he had not had as much time outside the city as he usually liked so he today was especially peaceful for him. He roamed the woods aimlessly with his pet bird and his bow. He rarely went out looking for trouble, but like most young Inarta it seemed to come naturally to him. Ronin moved fluidly over rocks and through thick brush like they were nothing. A true outdoors-man at heart, he was simply enjoying the serenity of it all.

Raiyari's labored walking created plenty of noise, and Ronin approached stealthily, trying to see who would be past the next group of trees. He caught a glimpse of her from a distance and slipped silently behind a tree. At first glance he could tell only two things, it was a woman, and she definitely was not Inarta. This was easy to tell base on her lack of their fiery trademark. From his quiver Ronin drew an arrow and placed it gently on his bowstring. As he came out from behind the tree he pulled back the string slowly.

He approached the woman with soft, quiet steps. Ronin decided when she stopped that this was as good a time as any to get a closer look. He quickened his pace slightly, still making stealth the priority. Out of the clumsiness that comes with being not yet fully mature this plan failed him. About thirty yards away from Raiyari a single wrong step cracked a twig underneath the leafy ground cover. The noise snapped through the air loudly and Ronin knew his position had been given up.

[Raiyari]

The snap of a twig alerted Raiyari of danger, and she instantly dropped down from her perch, placing her back against the boulder. It had come from behind her, that much was certain. In a natural motion, she drew her katana from its sheathe, as smoothly as if she was pulling it out of water. City girl she may be, but Rai knew how to fight. She'd trained under the Shinya, so to not know the art of combat was unthinkable. Perhaps some might underestimate her, based on her height, gender, and general lack of wilderness knowledge. But that would be incorrect. Since the beginning of her teen years, she had trained to be a protector of her people, like all acolytes. However, unlike the rest of her peers, she'd witnessed the chaos of a true fight as well, and learned to withstand the various beatings that she had been subjected to. Raiyari was no amateur. The Acolyte waited for a long moment, but no roar came, no charging animal. This was strange. Either the animals here got craftier as the altitude increased, or she had just met one of the natives. "Who approaches?" She yelled out in Common, her katana held out in the middle guard position. Her voice was thickly accented with Lhavitian, but her words were not too garbled. Perhaps they spoke it, along with their foreign dialect here. If not, and no peaceful communications could be reached, Rai had nothing against simply ending the conflict by force. Of course, that would involve lulling her opponent into a false sense of security, so she could get close enough to stab. And who wouldn't underestimate an diminutive and innocent looking female? Well, the katana she was currently holding didn't exactly contribute to the innocent aspect. Perhaps if she sheathed it, and hid her Tanto in the folds of her robes? Yes, that would do nicely. Swiftly and silently, with the well-oiled metal barely making a whisper as she slid it back into its sheathe, Rai pulled her dagger-like Tanto out, holding it so that her wide sleeve fell over it. The Acolyte reluctantly stood, knees bent slightly, just in case she needed to make another dive behind the boulder. Raiyari's sharp back eyes searched for her oponent.

[Ronin]

Ronin came to a stop when he saw the woman slide down off the rock. His hands held so tightly to his bow that his knuckles turned as white as the winter snow. Her small size suggested she might not be looking to fight him, someone who was considered tall among the Inarta. But none the less, he used the utmost cation in approaching the situation. Common was not his best language, but he had learn it when he was younger from a traveling merchant. Her use of it sealed in his mind that she must not be from Wind Reach.

"I am the mighty warrior of the Inarta, Ronin. Identify yourself foreigner and tell me why you are here."

This was of course a bluff. He may have been able to hunt game in the woods with moderate accuracy, but killing another person was something he had never done.

"Hurry, or you'll die where you stand."

Ronin added, hoping to instill some fear. He was confident that at this range he could win a fight, but if he wanted to get another look at her he would have to get closer. He began to walk closer, but not directly toward the rock. He walked to that he would come around the side of the rock still about ten yards from her. He once again tried to be silent in his approach so she would not know which side he was coming from. How effectiveness this would be would depend on the perceptiveness of her hearing, as it became harder and harder to go unnoticed the closer he got.

[Raiyari]

Raiyari's eyes narrowed, and she did her best to keep a solemn expression on her face. Impolite foriegner she scoffed, her face giving away no trace of her inner emotions. After all, she'd had a lot of practice in that. His threats did not faze her. Though she knew she was just an Acolyte, unexperienced, Rai knew not to let her opponent's tactics confuse and influence her emotions. But the wording he used hinted that he had a ranged weapon. Yes, she really did need to get closer.. It was simple enough to tell where he was coming from. The simple fact that he was in fact, yelling to her, made this possible. If he had kept silent, then perhaps he could have snuck up. As it was, Rai spotted him. The young woman pulled her loose robes around her, and sheathed the tanto, hiding the hilts of both weapons. Though it might not fool him if he got close enough, it might perhaps give him the illusion that he would have much more time than she to draw her weapons. Funnily enough, the same stroke that she would use to unsheathe the katana would be in the same fluid motion that one could slice at her attacker. Rai, though young, had no qualms against killing a threat to her. He was an enemy, an opponent. Honor demanded that she defend herself. But she would prefer if this could be resolved peacefully. The short Lhavitian stared him down, and politely bowed. Keeping her eyes fixed on the Inarta, she leaned forwards fifteen degrees. A gesture of respect, even if this man had given her none. Raiyari finished, her back returning to its usual rod-straight posture. "Well met, Ronin. I am Raiyari, Acolyte of the Shinya. I've come to Wind Reach on a task from my superiors," She spoke calmly, giving him the proper respect before introducing herself. Rai was nothing if not polite. "Will you shoot a woman in peace, Ronin? I wish only to talk"

[Ronin]

Ronin was a bit taken back when he came face to face with her. Despite his attempt to seem aggressive, seeing her now, up close, had made him think he may not be able to kill her even if he had to. She seemed too sweet to pose any real threat. However, Ronin did not suspect she was stupid enough to face a stranger with a weapon pointed at her completely unarmed. He slowly lowered the bow and looked her over thoroughly. She said many things that he did not fully understand, and he took a moment to before he addressed her.

"You have my attention. We do not get many visitors, so I hope you understand my caution."

Ronin was close enough to her now that if she attacked him he would not have time to draw his bowstring back again and fire. So he put the arrow back in his quiver as a offering of peace.

"I can take you into the city if you would like. If you tell me more about what you are here for I may be of further assistance to you as well."

He was going to wait for her response, but through the calm air came a sharp screech. He whipped around to face the direction of the sound. He had forgotten the potential danger of the foreigner, and is she had wanted to kill him she could have done so easily now. But his attention was on a much greater threat. As he suspected, he turned around to see in the distance a small group of Yukmen. The shrill sound had been one of the Yukmen alerting the other four to the presence of Ronin and Raiyari. They were now all sprinting toward the pair.

"I hope these Shinya have taught you how to fight. Otherwise, I'd suggest you start running."

Ronin drew an arrow from his quiver and quickly fired it off. The arrow found it's way into the leg of one of the Yukmen, causing him to fall on his face. Ronin grabbed another arrow and readied his bow again.

"So what will it be, running or fighting?"

[Raiyari]

"I do understand the need for caution, Ronin of the Inarta. These are dangerous times," agreed Raiyari in thickly accented Common. She watched in mild amusement as he tucked away his weapon. Now that he had established that she was of minimal threat, the Inarta decided to be polite. But that was of no matter to Rai, it simply seemed that she would not have to attack him. For all her training, the Acolyte had never killed a man, nor did she particularly want to. "I would be most thankfu-" Raiyari had decided to take him up on his offer, but not before a piercing shriek cut through the air. It was too primal to be human, which left only one option. They were being attacked by some sort of animal. But the figures in the distance did not look animal at all, they were some sort of humanoid. Judging from the reaction of Ronin, this didn't affect their hostility towards the two humans. And Honor prevented her from simply leaving this human to his death. In a single broad sweeping motion, her katana had left its sheathe once again. "They did," she agreed tersely, focusing on the enemies that were sprinting towards her. Some sort of odd creature, covered in... no she couldn't tell what sort of natural armor they posessed, not from this distance. The Acolyte pulled the blade back up into the middle guard, gauging the distance between her and her opponents. Rai took a couple steps forward "I will stand with you, Ronin of the Inarta. The creatures are quickly approaching, have you a weapon more suited for close combat, in case they break my defenses?" If he did not, she would offer him the use of her Tanto for this battle, handing him the 12 inch blade hilt first. "You may use this to defend yourself for now, if you wish." Rai was very protective of her weaponry, but desperate times called for desperate measures. If lending this man her Tanto for this battle made a difference, then that would certainly be for the best. Whether he required the weapon or not, she could step forwards towards the incoming opponents. Her heart quickened at the thought of a real battle, but she supressed the anxiety and anticipation. She very well might die in this battle, but she had lived every moment in preparation of that fact. While the strange creatures before her were only battling to catch their dinner, or for the simple joy of killing, Ronin and Raiyari had a more powerful instinct that propelled them to action. The Yukmen fought for their midday meal, but the two humans fought for their lives. And with that rather philosophical thought, Raiyari walked serenely forwards, lifting her weapon in preparation of the attack. One of the Yukmen leapt towards her, and she stepped fluidly out of the way, bringing the weapon over her head and back down, inserting her strength into the blow. The Acolyte screamed out a kiai, releasing a single exposive focus of will. She could feel the blade bite down into the creature's arm as it miscalculated her position and hurtled past her, its severed arm falling to the grass. The creature screamed in pain, and it fell to the ground, clutching at the wound. Rai never hesitated, she'd trained for this moment for too long to do so. With a shriek, she drove the katana into the Yukman's throat, ending the creature's life. The Acolyte didn't wait to watch the life fade from the creature's eyes, stepping back with her sword in the guard position, keeping the creatures in her sight. She blocked them with her body, preventing the Yukmen from reaching Ronin and his bow.

[Ronin]

Ronin kept his eyes fixed on his quickly approaching foes. Raiyari had been armed as he expected, but now he was glad for it. "I have another weapon." He said sharply. "I thank you for the offer, however." He added, fearing he had seemed rude at first in return to her politeness. His other weapon was a knife for the skinning and gutting of whatever game he caught. It's seven inch blade may not have been as impressive as her Tanto, but Ronin was familiar with it.

As soon as he had finished speaking he let out a breath and let loose another arrow. This one flew with more accuracy and embedded itself squarely in the chest of the nearest Yukman. Even this did not bring it down, but merely lodged itself in the creature's horribly cracked skin. The seemingly unsuccessful first two shots did not stop Ronin from firing another, and another. Two arrows in rapid succession came from his bow. One missed entirely, striking a tree. The other found a much more favorable target. In a stroke of luck, Ronin had fired the arrow at the same time one of the Yukman stopped a screeched again. The arrow flew into the gapping mouth of the creature and through the back of it's throat.

"Praise be to whichever god is smiling on us this day!" Ronin exclaimed. A gruesome gurgling noise came from the Yukman as it feel to the ground, smote by a single lucky shot.

By now the Yukman in front had nearly reached them, and Ronin drew his knife from it's sheath on his waist. He move forward to Raiyari's side with his knife out in front of him. His face was stoic, but the fear was obvious in his eyes. He had fought Yukmen before and had only narrowly escaped with his life.

"Today is as good a day to die as any, right?" He attempted to joke, but his voice was shaky and showed evidence of his belief that they truly might die.

[Raiyari]

OOCFour - 2... two left then Not counting the one flat on the ground. "It is a good day to die," Nodded Raiyari without a trace of humor, her facial expression showing the conviction with which she delivered the statement. "Ronin of the Inarta... be careful, and stay out of my reach." She said in a respectful way, but tinged with warning. Whether the Inarta wanted to fight or not was of no consequence to her, a man had to choose his own path. But as long as he stayed safely out of her sword's reach. A whirling katana was did not discriminate between friend and foe, and she wanted no part in this man's death. "If we die, we both die with honor. I will hold them off for as long as I can, but I think your part in this is not yet over. Fight well, Ronin." She did not intend to comfort with her words, there was nothing in them that could possibly be taken as reassurance. Rai was simply being matter of fact. For her, dying in her quest had always been a possibility. She'd learned to accept that fact. And with those words, she leaped forwards. The katana was not something she could wield easily when right beside an ally, and she wanted to make sure that she had more than enough space to swing it. "For Zintila!" She cried out, swinging the blade towards the closest Yukman's midsection. It jumped back, just out of her reach. They circled for a moment, and the creature dove towards her. She ducked, and it sailed over her head, but it rolled and recovered quickly, now on the opposite side of her. The Acolyte straightened, standing up and readying herself for the attack of the Yukman before her. What she did not expect, however, was that another attack would come from the side. Her concentration had been focused solely on the opponent before her, but her reflexes were fast enough to twist away from the blow. Claws slashed at the air where she had been a moment before. The dodge had cost her the stance, and she toppled back onto the grass, rolling to keep the impact from jarring her too much. A Yukman fell upon her triumphantly, straddling her, claws slashing at her face. Out of instinct, the Acolyte shielded her eyes with her forearm, and the creature's claws tore through the thin fabric of her robe, slicing through the skin beneath. She cried out, and her own blood dripped into her eyes. Blinded by both the ruby fluid and pain, she groped for her weapon. A yard away, the katana lay on the grass, thrown there when she had executed her roll. That left only one option: the Tanto. Glad that Ronin had not accepted use of the dagger, she pulled it from its sheathe with her good arm, and plunged it into the Yukman's chest. Again and again, it entered the creature's chest, and the blood on Raiyari was no longer just her own. This was no longer kenjutsu, this was a mad struggle for survival. At first, the creature wailed in agony, trying to retreat, to get off this threatening enemy. But the dagger caught it, slashing across the creature's throat as it rose, unprotected. The yukman collapsed on her, dead. However, Raiyari, injured though she was, was still alive. The young woman struggled under the weight of the beast, trying to get free, to get this petching weight off her. What if Ronin needed help? She simply couldn't just wait here, she needed to do something! With as mighty a push as her small frame would allow, Rai finally managed to get to her feet. She was quite a sight, hair disheveled, covered in blood, and wielding only a dagger.

[Ronin]

Ronin would have helped Raiyari if he had not been engaged in his own battle with a Yukman. He stood with his feet planted and his weapon ready, he had a minimal understanding of their tactics and anticipated the creature to charge at him. And charge it did. Ronin's hand to hand combat skills were novice at best, and, though he expected his opponent's move, his reaction was poor. He attempted to meet the Yukman's dive with his blade, but the creature easily deflected away the knife and tackled Ronin. Ronin remembered a move he had once seen used while a couple of the young Inarta were wrestling. He used his foe's momentum to propel it off of him as they hit the ground.

To Ronin's surprise, it worked. The Yukman an Ronin both lay on the ground just a few feet apart. They both scrambled to their feet and faced each other once again. The creature seemed to learn, as it did not make another reckless charge. Instead, he circled slowly, waiting for the right moment to strike. When Ronin's gaze momentary shifted to the blood covered Raiyari it found its chance. But Ronin was quick, and he dodged to the side letting his opponent fly past him and fall to the ground. He seized this opportunity and jumped on the Yukman's back, plunging his knife into it's back again and again.

Once Ronin was convinced it was dead he returned to his feet. Exhausted from the ordeal, his awareness was compromised. In that moment a flare of pain overwhelmed him and a scream escaped his lips. The Yukman whose leg he had taken out had continued to crawl toward them. It was now at Ronin's feet, clawing and bitting deep gashes into his leg. Fighting though the pain, Ronin lifted his good food and brought it down with as much force as he could muster on the creature's neck. A bone-chilling crack resounded from it's spine and it fell limp from his leg. Ronin too fell to the ground, cringing in pain from the mangled flesh of his leg. The blood soaked the ground and his hands as he tried to apply pressure to some of the worse lacerations. He was in no condition to fight another Yukman, and without Raiyari's help, his life would be forfeit.