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Post by Lavinia Lionsgrave on Nov 21, 2010 22:10:34 GMT -6
He looked down at her again when she fell quiet and seemed almost disappointed. He'd lived most of his life outside the northlands, experiencing all the things a student of cartography could, lending his skills to the military for coin before joining up for the steady salary. He loved seeing places, fighting new things in new ways. And he loved sharing. He knew he could get long-winded, but he would be quiet any time someone asked if he wasn't in the middle of giving orders. It was only in recent years that he had come to the north--'the bitter, frozen, clear-aired, danger-ridden north,' he thought. 'And it's the only thing she's ever known. What will she think of the rest of the world?' Wolves howled from out of sight within the trees. Cade noticed a flash of white through the trunks. He rested the upper part of the palm of one hand against the grip of his sword, watching intently for any hint to the identity of the blur.
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Ziako
Junior Member
Posts: 52
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Post by Ziako on Nov 21, 2010 23:19:12 GMT -6
Seeing Cade's muscles tense, she grapped the hilts of her knives, left hand on the dragon long knife and the other on the shorter throwing knife. She was tensed, alert, and immediately scanning the trees for any sign of danger. She didn't know what Cade had seen, but she trusted his judgment enough to not take it lightly. She was excited, anticipation before battle made her that way. Than, she saw something a flash of white through the trees... The poor creature was alone had probably just lost a fight to the Alpha, which explained the commotion from the pack seconds before and the red streak across the white form. As long as they didn't startle him they should be fine. She whispered, " Did you see something else or was it just that arctic wolf?"
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Post by Lavinia Lionsgrave on Nov 21, 2010 23:45:24 GMT -6
"Lesson one: Don't trust to first appearances," he said softly, continuing to walk the road while quickly scanning the tree trunks. "While it turns out to have just been a wolf, it could have easily been a Drow. They are swift, secretive, and their white hair is easily lost in the snow or mistaken for other creatures." He released his sword, flexing the fingers of that hand. "One can never be on guard enough," he said, then muttered, "not even me."
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Ziako
Junior Member
Posts: 52
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Post by Ziako on Nov 22, 2010 0:01:04 GMT -6
"I looked didn't I?", she replied in a huff releasing her grip on the daggers, "I even asked quietly if you saw anything else. How is that not preparing for the worst possibility?" She indignantly crossed her arms over her torso and lapsed into silence. She was determined not to talk to him for a while. She did however continue to scan the trees, just in case they missed something. She had lived in the North all her life and even though she had never gone far from Snowhaven doesn't mean she couldn't spot a Drow from a mile away. The first thing every child in Snowhaven learned was how to spot a Drow.
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Post by Lavinia Lionsgrave on Nov 22, 2010 8:55:09 GMT -6
He laughed a little. "That was more a reminder than a telling off. Not just for you but for me, too. It's been a while since the captain sent me out for actual work."
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Ziako
Junior Member
Posts: 52
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Post by Ziako on Nov 22, 2010 17:13:09 GMT -6
She continued to look around and grumbled to herself, "Fine" She still was not going to talk to him. It was an injury to her pride and she wasn't about to let it go. She walked ahead of him now still scanning the trees; his rebuke whether he had intended it for himself or for her had left a lingering effect. She watched the young wolf sprint off to the east. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a white blur. Her muscles tensed grabbing the daggers at her side, she turned toward the blur. She felt the arrow skim her, tearing through the fabric of her right arm and wizzing along the track of the fresh wound to land in the snow behind her.
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Post by Lavinia Lionsgrave on Nov 22, 2010 21:55:20 GMT -6
"Down!" he hissed, leaping down into the snow after the white-headed Drow. He flew down, jumping through the snow, following the trajectory of the dark-skinned elf and coming around in the line. He turned to face the creature and saw it, dressed in the white arctic furs to be found on the animals in the area assisting to camouflage the dark-skinned race into the surrounding snow, running low to the ground nearly in the snow. Cade planted himself, his arms up, ready. He didn't want to use any blade on the Drow--that would just enrage it--he just wanted to capture it, hold it, interrogate it. He doubted it would continue on its current trajectory but would probably swerve off and vanish into the snow, but the fact it was here at all meant something. Capturing was not required; death was unacceptable.
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Ziako
Junior Member
Posts: 52
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Post by Ziako on Nov 22, 2010 22:44:06 GMT -6
The wound stung like hell, bleeding freely, but it wasn't enough to cause concern; she had suffered worse in a brawl. She took off sprinting through the snow. She was only a pace or two behind the Drow when it hit Cade at a sprint brandishing a small knife. Coming from behind, She didn't see what happened in the Drow's attack. She trusted Cade to know what to do. She crouched brandishing the long knife swiping it across the left heel of the attacking Drow. It barely cut through the leather of the boot, but it was enough to hit a portion of the muscles beneath causing the creature to lose some movement in the left leg.
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Post by Lavinia Lionsgrave on Nov 23, 2010 15:03:28 GMT -6
As the Drow bent its head and smashed into him, Cade encircled the Drow in a bear hug, smashing its face into his chest. Grabbing it's hair in great grasping handfuls, he yanked backwards and leaped on top of it, driving it into the snow and putting his knees hard on top of its shoulders. "Hold still!" he yelled at it, but it screamed at him in the dark undercommon used by the Drow in what he seemed to recognize faintly as a fairly vulgar term for his mother's heritage. "Ziako," he said calmly, keeping his eyes locked on the Drow in the snow, "will you please open the main section of my kit at my belt and pull out the length of rope you'll find there? It ought to be right on top. If you wouldn't mind."
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Ziako
Junior Member
Posts: 52
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Post by Ziako on Nov 23, 2010 22:46:29 GMT -6
She responded quickly sheathing daggers and retrieved the rope from Cade's Kit. She proceeded to bind the creature as best she could. Cade could check the knots later after she had the thing secured enough for him to get off. It was secured to her best estimation, so she turned her attention from the captive Drow to the woods to be certain he didn't have a companion. The Drow wasn't going anywhere with that heel anyway. Cade could probably take care of the rest as the creature, continued to struggle and yell at them in what must have been the Drow language. She didn't care; she was taught to fight them not talk to them. The fact that Cade wanted him tied up at all instead of dead was sheer insanity.
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Post by Lavinia Lionsgrave on Nov 24, 2010 11:52:22 GMT -6
"Thank you," Cade said, planting his feet to either side of the creature and standing up. He flexed his fingers and looked disdainfully at him while tugging on the ropes and knots to double check them. They were tight and efficient, well-tied, and he was content. "We ought to take him to Wintersgate with us. They'll be interested in whatever he's got to say and better holding facilities, no doubt," he said. "Might also be that we can release him when we're done and follow him back to more of his kind. That would make our job much easier." Cade yanked the Drow up onto his feet and took hold of the ropes and a handful of his long white hair. His skin was darkly purple, nearly the color of thick blood, with eyes the color of blood on fresh snow. The tips of his pointed ears barely stuck out of his hair, white and straight to below his shoulders. Cade had an odd sort of respect for Drow: they were tall, graceful, unyielding in their ferocity and brutality. Their strength was nearly unparalleled; their drive, motivation and loyalty certainly that. They were a magnificently twisted people. Cade shook his head and turned his attention to Ziako. "Any others?" he asked.
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Ziako
Junior Member
Posts: 52
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Post by Ziako on Nov 24, 2010 15:24:21 GMT -6
" Not that I can find," , she turned toward Cade. "if he had friends we probably would have known by now." She flinched from the pain looking down at her bleeding arm. The wound consisted of a slice where the arrowhead skimmed across the arm about a quarter of an inch deep spanning about 4 inches. "His entrance was not what I would call subtle..." She glared contemptuously at the creature. Cade wanted him alive for now which is why the demon wasn't already dead. "Any spare cloth in that kit of yours?"
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Post by Lavinia Lionsgrave on Nov 25, 2010 19:45:12 GMT -6
"Come here," he said, tying the Drow, still grumbling angrily, to the trunk of a tree. Opening his kit, he tugged out a length of bandage from which he tore a small swatch and a longer tie. Laying the longer aside, he blew hotly on a small handful of snow to melt a little onto the small swatch. Swabbing off the shallowly oozing blood from her arm, he tied the longer section around with a snug knot. "Better? It's lucky he missed. That doesn't happen often." The Drow spat from where he was tied, pulling on the cord. "Oooh, no you don't," Cade muttered, reaching over and grabbing the rope and giving it a firm tug. "You're coming with us."
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Ziako
Junior Member
Posts: 52
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Post by Ziako on Nov 25, 2010 22:11:32 GMT -6
She stared at the creature switching her gaze to Cade every few seconds to attempt to understand what was happening. Her only thought was there must be some military reason for the creature not being dead. Finally tired of staring at one with hatred and one with bewilderment, she started forward on the trail they had been taking to Wintersgate. She turned on her heel to face Cade and the demon for another moment, "If that thing escapes I will kill it." she stated dryly, "Despite anything you may want it for." She turned back to the road and concentrated on walking and scanning the trees. She was in no mood for anything else.
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Post by Lavinia Lionsgrave on Nov 27, 2010 13:41:36 GMT -6
"Yes, yes, I figured as much," he said, smiling slightly. He walked behind her, pulling the very reluctant Drow along the frozen and buried cobbles. The snow had stopped falling and the air was clear and clean, the breeze fallen to non-existence. It seemed almost warm now and the trees more friendly without their rustling murmur. Cade reflected on their luck: it was a nice day, they had a prisoner with a wealth of information if he could be left alone with him in a secure situation for a length of time, and they were making good time considering their mishap.
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