Edmund got off the horse, standing to his full heingt. "I have done nothing to her but try to rescue her from the Hunters. "Still, if you wish to challenge me to a duel I shall win."
He heard the sound of the Hunters getting closer. "Or maybe our duel can wait."

Veyond: The Shadow Hunters

Silence.... Blend... Sounds of the woods..... breathe...

Jaegar Hunched into the shadows, blended with the tree behind his back. There was a whisper to his right, another hunter laying on his stomach, just a shadow. They were watching the scene in front of the hut.

"Great..." Jaegar breathed to the shadow, "Now we have three to kill..."

The shadow's hand moved in acknowledgement.

Jaegar pulled his bow from his back in a smooth, silent motion and lined up an arrow, pointing at the young man's head. Then he calmed his breathing, and waited for the order.

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

Aeryn stopped dead in her tracks. Sounds reached her ears from the forest. A squirrel squealing. A man's voice. Twigs breaking. Leave crunching.

She crouched in the bushes and listened, watching the forest before her. "Shh." She quietly said to Chyrr, pulling him down from her shoulder. Removing her satchel, she set the him and the leather tote on the ground.

Aeryn reached for her bow and one arrow, listening and watching. She tensed when she saw the source of the commotion. A rather large man made his way through the forest. Making her arrow ready, Aeryn stood. With a firm voice, she said, "You would do well to stay where you are, sir."

Vayond: Shadow of Hunters
Edmund turned to the girl and the blacksmith. "Well, we can't just stand here."

Vayond

Hinvi turned and saw a young woman, pointing an arrow at him. "Calm yourself little lass. I'm not here to harm you, just a lonely traveler." Hinvi chuckled to himself, "Emphasis on lonely."
He then went to put his spear back, but the woman pulled her arrow back firmer. "Just puttin' my weapon away." Hinvi said, then he continued to put it away. "So what's your name, and what is with that veil thing?"

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

Aeryn's eyes, which were the only features that could be seen on her face, narrowed as she watched the man. "My name is of no importance to you."

She lowered her bow slightly. "Lonely traveler does not sum up your current situation. Confused traveler would be more appropriate. The Woods of Vallea do not aid the traveler at all. If you are lost, turn around and go back the way you came." She lifted her bow again, motioning with her eyes for him to go.

Mod Note:

((Please remember to put the title of your RP at the beginning of your post so there's no confusion. Thank you. ))

P.S."Brooklyn!"

Vayond

Micah heard the noises in the wood, and immediately realized that the young man on the horse was not the enemy here. He had to act quick, and he knew it. He helped the girl up. "Get on the horse!" He turned to the man. "Take her into town, somewhere safe. I'll meet you at The Westshore Inn as soon as I can. Go quickly!" He drew his scimitar menacingly, and turned toward the wood, waiting for the enemies to appear.

-------

Rokard watched from the shadows, awaiting the order to move in and swipe the head off of the three outside the blacksmith's shop. His heart was pounding just slightly faster than usual, a sign of adrenaline. He hated being anything but calm. He closed his eyes slightly, and his mind absorbed the darkness around him. His heart beat slowed to normal pace. Better. No need for adrenaline or false emotion; logic and precision were his friends. Oh, yeah, his muscles and his Halberd were helpful as well.
He watched as the woman moved toward the horse. It didn't matter; even if she got away now, she'd never get away in the long run. The Hunters always killed their prey. Always.

Vayond: The Shadowed HUnters
Edmund pursed his lips. "She's in good hands, sir."
He quickly galloped off, with the mysterious young woman on his horse. As they were riding, he asked, "By the way, what's you're name? You never introduced yourself."

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

Hinvi let out a loud robust laugh, throwing his head back. Then he looked down at the woman, "Listen, Lass. Traveling is my business, and I haven't done anything but travel in a long time. I be not Confused. I've traveled this woods, and woods like it, on many occasions. I'm actually making my way down to a nice tavern I went to a few years back; had the best salted pork I've ever tasted. That's where I'm goin'. You can believe me when I say it, that when it comes to food, I'm never confused."

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

"There is nothing in this direction. I have lived in these woods for thirteen years. Like I said, you should just turn around." Aeryn said.

Something inside of her sensed no danger, so she lowered her weapon completely and picked up her pack. She sighed. "I can show you where the tavern is."

Chyrr took his usual spot on her shoulder.

Aeryn stepped down from the rock she stood on and walked toward him. "One wrong move, though, and I swear, I will shove this arrow so far down your gullet, your great-grandchildren will feel it."

Vayond: The Shadow Hunters

(for my two new charries, please see page 7 of Post Office)

Jarien clicked his tongue, and pulled on the reigns, "Whoa girl!" he called. The mule pulling the wood and metal plow stoped and looked at him, cocking it's head side to side.

He put a foot on the crosspiece of the plow, to keep pressure on it, and wiped his hands on the legs of his trousers. He stretched and sighed, looking around at the dusky landscape. The sun was just going below the horizon, straight in front of him, and it was throwing brilliant rays of orange out across the dirt field sprawled out in front of him.

Putting his hands back to the plow handles, he clicked his tongue again, and the mule once again began pulling the hard point of the plow through the dirt. They came to a rise in the ground, and He glanced to his left, at his house, set on the corner of the field. Smoke was rising from the chimeny, Adi's home from the butcher. He thought.

He smiled at the thought of her, and quickened his and the mule's pace as much as he could. Even going at the heightened speed, it still took them a good half an hour to finish the last row, and turn the mule toward the house.

The sun had dissappeared below the horizon he tied the mule up, and removed the straps connecting it to the plow. He drug the plow toward his lean-to shed against the side of the house, and stored it safely under a pile of old feed sacks, where it wouldn't get harmed by rain and weather.

Turning, he rounded the corner of the lean-to, and patted the mule's side as he walked to the back door. He heard noised drifting to him from the direction of the town, to the left down the dirt road in front of the house, and knew that the inn's customers were ariving. It sounded like quite a group, and he thought that maybe he and Adi would have some work tonight.

Jarien pushed open the door, it creaked, and he stepped inside. His boots rapped hollowly on the wooden floor, and he stopped as his nose was assulted by the rich smells of meat and vegatables cooking.

Adi was bent over a large pot hanging above the open fire in the fireplace. She turned slightly as he entered the room, "Ah Jarien." She smiled at him, "Supper's almost ready, you're just in time."

He nodded, "great, I'm starved." He walked over to a pail of water near the front door. He lifted it, and took it ouside.

She grinned and turned back to the supper. She was ladling it out onto plates as he reentered, his hands wet from washing. He took two steps over to her, and put one of his wet hands on her neck.

She gasped and jerked, setting the plate that she had been holding down hard, "Jarien!" she protested.

He kissed her lightly, ignoring the look on her face, and asked, "Is it ready?"

She huffed and then nodded and laughed, "Yes."

They both sat and ate. Jarien asked her how her trip into town went, she told him it was ok, but she still preferd nature to the slowly growing town. He agreed that town could get too large, "But then again, that's why our meat and crops sell so well..."

She nodded to that, and asked how his plowing was coming along. He told her that he had finished, and they could begin planting tomorrow.

After dinner, they quickly cleaned up, then Jarien stepped to the wall, took his sword belt from it's peg, and tied it to his waist, "I have to take the mule back to the inn, now that i'm done with it, someone else might have need of it."

She nodded, "I'll come too, i saw quite a few horses at the inn tonight, there may be extra work for us to do."

He didn't have to answer for her to know that she was welcome. It was a bond they shared, they could almost tell what the other was thinking. She slipped into her bedroom, and changed quickly into a new set of clothing, and then returned to find him waiting by the front door, mule reigns in hand.

Together they set off for the town.

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters
"Now, I don't be meaning to disrespect you." Hinvi began to say watch yourself, she may be small, but she’s got a bow “But I don’t really need your help. However, some company, kind or not, would be appreciated. You see I’ve been a lone for quite some time, and usually I like that, but recently I’ve had a hankerin’ for some good conversation.”

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

"Please, if you are going to talk, do so quietly." Aeryn said, not responding to anything he said. "The forest is loud enough without your jabbering."

She looked up through the open spots of the trees above and then at the man who walked next to her. "If we are to be traveling together, what am I to call you?" Her voice was quiet, barely more than a whisper.

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

Dalin Enrique breathed slowly, making sure it was silent and completely un-heard. His men that were lying in the bushes or standing awaiting his order were just as silent as he...they knew their job....and they did it well. His muscles in his arms, were brittle causing them to ache with strain. His cloak shadowed his face, his features completely invisible even to his men. His hand rested on his sword Akar. The silver weapon would gleam if drawn, so he kept it hidden in it's black sheath. The countless lives that had been taken with his blade were un-numerable...he had killed many for the sake of allegiance. He cared not, it was his job...his life...what he did he didn't think about. Mercy wasn't a word you would ever hear him saying. But now his mind was on the job. They had never failed to catch their prey before, they weren't going to start now. They were good, and had never been bested in their skills. They were the nameless fear that he would hear whispered in the dark corners of Taverns, or the shadowed shelter of a low lighted tent. He smiled grimly thinking about it. They were their name....The Hunters. He was all that his job had made him...he was the leader.

Watching the scene unfold with eyes like a hawks, he chuckled at the boys paltry attempts to save their prey. She'll will die...one way or the other....the father they take her....the farther we will go he thought cool about the situation. If they couldn't catch her here, they would go into town, find the inn, which he knew well and exterminate her there. He glanced over at his followers, then sunk back into the forest, his foot steps un-heard and movement un-seen. He new his men would follow.

*******

Susanne was so exhausted she barely knew they events that unfolded before she was tossed on a horse and road away with. She remembered falling painfully into the arms of a strong man, then being taken away from him by another person she didn't know. Now they were on a horse riding away to who knows where. She heard the voice of the boy who had put her on the horse behind her and jerked, not knowing what he intended to do. She felt his arms around her form, as he was holding the reigns. "Who....are you?" she asked weakly, barely able to keep her eyes open.