~*~ Brywahr Academy ~*~

Lilly tried to gather up everything that she knew into one section of her brain, she hoped she would remember everything.
"I think we were supposed to make some sort of a list of... of... of all the different combinations for the tools that the givers teach us how to use... Nan said that they only gave the right combinations to some of us, that they knew which one of us would live and which ones were gonners... or something like that." She stopped herself from tugging her hair, now was not the time for insecurities. "We're supposed to steal the devices that they teach us -you know the strange ones that can erase things- I really don't know anymore from there... only that Nan said that this was the only chance we've got..." He voice trailed off. Nan. what would they do without Nan?" She gave in and tugged hard at her hair, ignoring the pain from ever healing cut on the side of her head "I don't know what I'm doing!" she she exclaimed "How am I supposed to figure all this out?" Her eyes started to water, no, she thought, I am not going to cry again. She held back her tears.

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

"Oh do drop your weapon Jarien!" Susanne cried, looking at him with wide eyes. She didn't want to see anyone come to harm, especially those who had been thrown into this because of her. She exchanged a glance with Adi, her expression telling her as well that she thought her weapon should be put down.

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

For several long seconds, Jarien didn't move. Everything in him told him not to put that dagger down, not to drop it. But he couldn't let someone get hurt because he failed to act.

He wasn't going to just let it go though. With a flick of his wrist, he embedded the knife in the hard wood of the oak log they had been sitting on moments before. The blade sank into the wood to it's hilt, and then Jarien raised his hands, "there...now what happens?"

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

Sephora arched a brow and said, "Oh, how accommodating."

She relaxed her hand and the knife left Shyanne's throat, but was still held uncomfortably close. With her free hand, she extended her fingers toward the entrance of the cavern and said, "We need to be on our way."

Shyanne's eyes were still wide. She looked at Susanne and offered a quiet look of gratitude. Behind her, Sephora pushed her forward and Shyanne slowly walked toward the entrance.

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

Micah's eyebrow rose as he watched Telwyn's curiously humored behavior, trying to discern what sort of a person would act like that.

"Yes, you should walk in front. Or at least where I can see you." He was glad that she was willing to comply with his distrust; that made the situation easier. He held out his arm in the direction they had to go, toward the wood and a little east. "This way, if you will," he instructed her, still wondering if he was doing the right thing, but a tad more comfortable with the decision now than he had been before.

As the two of them began the journey, Micah was suddenly hit with a horribly anxious feeling deep within, as the thought occurred to him that he had been gone for several hours now, and the others may already have encountered danger. He brushed the thought aside; the Hunters wouldn't be back so soon, and even if they were they would probably attack at night, when the cover of darkness could be effectively utilized. After having hesitated over the thought for only a step or two, Micah regained his composure and continued on without paying heed to the feeling of dread again.

Living on the run was so nerve-wracking.

-------

Tristan held his knife only inches from the young man's face, smiling at his helplessness. With his gaze still firmly planted on the victim, his head jerked in a nod toward one of the other bandits. "Search him for weapons and gold, Reuel."

"With pleasure," the thief named Reuel snickered, and approached to do the bidding.

Tristan noticed then that Sephora was coming out of the cave, holding her knife to the golden-haired girl. The others were also slowly exiting, with Quill's watchful eyes surveying their every move.

"Hello again, granny," Tristan joked, referring to Sephora's previous guise as an old woman. "Glad to see you looking so much healthier. And my, what a big knife you have!" He chuckled at his own humor, but then his tone turned serious as he barked out orders to a few of the other thieves. "Surround them, and watch them closely. Search them as well."

Tristan grinned at each of the victims in turn, and then said, "Welcome to Our Woods. So glad you could come visit."

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

Sephora pushed Shyanne onto a rock and grabbed a piece of rope from one of the bandits. She tied Shyanne's hands tightly behind her back and said, "Sorry, my dear, it's for your own good."

"Tristan," Sephora said, walking closer to the other bandit. "May I introduce the lovely Lady Shyanne, Lord Henrik's only child." Lowering her voice and grabbing his wrist, she added, "She stands to inherit everything that man owns. Don't hurt her."

~~~

Shyanne watched the bandits, her blue eyes still filled with fear. Her legs weren't tied, she could easily run. Despite the fact that running wasn't ladylike, she had done it often enough to know that she was fast.

However, before she could get up, a bandit lifted her by her tied hands and said, "This beauty will fetch quite a price."

"She will," The older woman who had held the knife to her throat walked up. "Which is exactly why I want you to leave her alone."

The bandit held up his hands and backed up. Sephora sat down next to Shyanne and said, "Madam Sephora is my name."

"I do not care what your name is." Shyanne said icily, scooting away as much as she could. "I want to know what you want with us."

"All in good time, my child, all in good time." Sephora laughed. "You will soon know."

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

Tristan feigned an offended glance when Sephora warned him not to hurt Shyanne. "Me, hurt her? What do you think I am, some sort of ruffian? You impugn my honour, madam!" He chuckled humorously, and Sephora gave him a stern glare, so he answered her more seriously. "Of course she won't be hurt. I don't hurt captives unless I have to, you know that."

He glanced over Sephora's shoulder and saw Reuel forcefully pulling Shyanne up by her tied hands. "You might want to tell Reuel what you told me, though," he said, drawing her attention to the situation. Sephora went to deal with the situation, and Tristan looked back to the other captives, surveying each one carefully as he looked for hints of revolt in their eyes. The men were clearly on the alert, looking for a chance to strike back at their captors; thankfully, the other bandits knew well enough to keep their eyes on them as they tied their hands. Some of the women also looked like potential trouble; he made a mental note to watch them as well. At least one of them, however, was obviously very frightened and upset. She was looking fearfully at the big, brutish Groban, who was approaching her to tie her hands. For one reason or another, Tristan took interest in her; oddly, something about her seemed somehow important.

"Let me do that," Tristan said, grabbing the rope from Groban's hand. He stepped behind the girl and tightly bound her wrists, which he noticed were already covered with cuts and scratches just beginning to heal. "You look like you've been through a lot recently," he said, making sure his tone was gruff rather than sympathetic.

OOC: To clear any confusion, Tristan is tying up Susanne.

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

Edmund watched in horror, as the theif tied up Susanne. "That is no way to treat a lady!"
He crept over to his knife, putting it in his sheath. Covering it with his shirt, he demanded she be let go.

~^*^~Remember~^*^~

After standing in a whirlwind of the swirling mist, Maddy was very shocked to see herself surrounded by people. The people seemed to be looking at one area of... Of a place she vaguely knew. Then she remembered, she must be at Stonehenge! But the people didn't seem to notice that she just appeared,- if that was what happened- they seemed to be starting a ceremony. She was drawn to a certain area of the crowd and looked down to see where she had left her purse. Once again she was surprised, her purse was, well, no longer a purse, at least not the same purse. It was a leather looking pouch that seemed to tie around her waist. She also noticed that she was now wearing a long light yellow dress, made of a very thin fabric, and a woolen cloak. She looked at her legs and saw, resting against them, the most beautiful, handcrafted bow and a quiver full of arrows. She slung the bow and quiver on her back, tied the pouch around her waist and set off to the area she had been drawn to before.

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

Adi waited for the others to start heading out. She stayed behind Jarien, and quietly drew her knife. If these bandits were taking them, she had to do something. But not something that would get them killed.

She bent quickly and in the wood of the log, scratched:

M,
Bandits
J/A

Then she jammed her knife into the wood next to Jarien's. She came up next to her love and put her arm around him, and he slid his over her shoulders. They came out of the cave last, to see both Susanne and Shyanne already tied. Jarien kept a grip on Adi though, daring any of them to try and take her.

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

Sephora watched everything and everyone like a hawk, her blue eyes missing nothing. An annoyed sigh escaped her when she saw Edmund grab his knife and hide it. Obviously, Reuel hadn't tied him properly and now the man was only pretending to be tied.

Standing, she walked over to where Edmund knelt on the ground. Sephora watched him for a few seconds, noting that he tried to act as if he was innocent. The back of her hand flew across his face and then she placed her hands on her hips. "Remember who you're dealing with, young man."

"Tie him up." Sephora commanded a young, saucy-looking thief, who quickly obeyed. The younger woman tied his hands, tightly and carefully. She then removed the knife from under his shirt and walked away.

Sephora nodded and returned to her spot next to Shyanne.

Vayond: The Shadowed hunters

"Yes, I have" Susanne responded to Tristan, glancing at him as he bound her wrists. She flinched as he cinched the ropes tight. "I have a feeling I shall have to endure more, thanks to you and your company"

******

Quill kept her hawk like eyes trained all of their captives. Several of them still need to be tied, and seeing this she retrieved the rope, and approached a young woman, who look stranger than all the rest. She noticed the way she bore herself, and how her ears were pointed and her eye brows arched. "Don't struggle" Quill hissed as she moved to tie her hands.

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

Tristan chuckled at her spiteful remark. "Glad to be of service," he replied, tightening the last knot. "Be nice, and don't try to escape, and this may be a bit easier for both you and us. Just a hint." Once he was finished, he forced her roughly to the rock where Shyanne was, and then looked to Sephora expectantly for further orders. "Should we bring them to the pit?"

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

Edmund groaned. "Get off me!" He tried kicking, but it was no use. As soon as Sephora's back was turned, he twisted his arms in attempt to wriggle free from the ropes.

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

Sephora nodded to Tristan. She whistled to gain the attention of all her fellow bandits. "Let's move."

"Evewen," Sephora said, looking at the dark-haired woman who had tied up Edmund's hands. "Take care of Shyanne and the other young lady."

The woman nodded and went to do as she was told. Sephora went to retrieve her cloak from the cave and then walked away, toward the thick forest.

~~~

Shyanne stood as the woman, Evewen, had told her. She walked forward with everyone else.

~~~

Isla repositioned the strap her her satchel-like bag. "What do you suppose the man was hiding, Falcon?"

"When I saw him, I saw glimpses of my past...Do you think they were important? I saw a woman. She was wearing a ring very similar to the one I gave him. I thought perhaps it belonged to him or her. Or something. That's why I gave it to him."

"I feel so confused..." Isla mumbled as she ran a hand through her dark hair and pulled a worn letter out of her satchel. The letter and the ring that she had given Micah were the only two possessions that could be called hers. Everything else had been given to her by Falcon.

She unfolded the letter and read its contents. She knew every word by heart; she had read it so many times before. However, each time she read it, she focused on another detail. Sitting down on the stairs that led into the store, Isla read it one more time while Falcon decided where they should go next.

One particular part of the letter stood out to her today:

...your father says that the ship is due for another coat of paint. He is very eager to paint over the name written on the stern. He says it brings bad luck. I think 'Sephora' is a good name for his ship and that he shouldn't waste the money just paint over it, but he never listens to anything I say, especially after he found out about you and I. He will paint over it and it will be called 'Evewen's Star' from now on. Where that name came from I cannot tell you...

I know those names, but why haven't I noticed them before? Isla crumpled the sides of the letter as her fingers tightened around it. Her dark eyes widened and held a hand to her head, trying to remember what she had seen when she first saw Micah. It seemed like every memory was waiting to be recalled, but Isla couldn't remember a single one.