Vayond

Edmund listened carefully at how the strange alliance formed due to one girl. Then again, he and Micah had rescued her first. "We need to find some men who could fight them. I mean, can't we sneak up on them or something? WHy do we just sit around helpless?" He remebered to when he told someone of his suspicion of the king, how he had been chased out of the castle. His life was in danger too, but he was beginning to almost care for someone other than himself.

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

Susanne wasn't sure if there was much more to say. The others just looked at each other, and she curled up on the damp dirt. Her cheek rested gently against her hand, and she tried to block out thoughts of the hunters. Surely she was safe here, with these people, who had striven hard to protect one another. It seemed like the beginning of a bond...the forming of a group. She couldn't keep her eyes open any longer. She could finally rest. Sleep....Her head fell and her breathing set into a rhythmic pace. Her body set into healing everything broken and wearied. The small scratches scabbed as the hours passed and her muscles became stronger. Her wounded mind began to also heal as for once, a night where she could rest with a basic sense of security. Though one night could not take away all weakness from days of running, with no rest, it could begin the repairing process. She slept quietly, dreaming not of Hunters, but of the sun and her saviors.

*****

In the morning, slits of sunlight cut into Susanne's sleep. Her waking mind roused slowly then she sat bolt up right as twigs snapped.

Vayond

Edmund heard the snapping fo twigs, and how it startled Suzanne. What if that was one of the Hunters? Should they stay or try to fight them? He kept his hand on his sword, just incase one of the Hunters were to come in. He whispered, "What should we do?" As he said those words, he could not believe he was actaully waiting for the advice of others. Especially since the last time he brought something up to someone, he was chased out of the castle for treason. The sounds were coming closer and closer.

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

Jarien rolled upright from his laying position on the floor of the cleft. Adi rolled over a foot or two away, her eyes were open and staring at him. They were both listening.

The sun was just rising and playing light and shadow into their hideaway. Most of the cleft was still dark since the sun wouldn't directly shine into it until about noon.

Jarien took a covert glance around, seeing that the young lady was also now awake, and so was the younger man. There was the cracking of twigs at the far end of the rift, and The kid whispered something about the hunters.

Adi looked at him, with a little fear in her eyes, and he shook his head, "If it was them i don't think they would make any noise.... look at how well they snuck up on us last night at the inn..."

He lifted himself onto his haunches, and crouched, staring at the end of the cleft. The rocky entrance blocked most view into or out, and the green of the moss and grass blended with the forest behind.

There was movement, and suddenly a large buck bounded into the cleft, it's antlers nearly scraping the rocky overhang above them. It skidded to a stop as it's dark eyes spotted them laying there in the depths of the shadows. The buck's nostrels flared and it turned to bound away.

When Jarien saw the buck enter, he whispered to Adi, "Breakfast..."

She nodded, and brought herself to stand against the wall.

The deer spun, and two white bladed knives flashed from the shadows and embedded themselves in it's neck. The dear cried out in a gutteral noise, and fell to the leaf strewn floor.

They waited a moment, and then both Jarien and Adi moved up and removed their blades, cleaning them on the skin of the dear and sheathing them.

Jarien turned and spoke again, "Breakfast."

Vayond

Edmund felt relief, as Jarien came in with a young buck. How long had it been since he'd eaten? It felt like days! Still, did they have to eat it raw? "Any fire you can cook it over?"

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

Micah nodded at Edmund's suggestion. "We'll need a small fire." He stood to his feet, stretching his back to relieve it of soreness and stiffness, though it was a vain effort. He looked at his hands and arms, and saw they were nearly dirtier than they would be after a days work at the forge. "I'll go gather some wood. I'll be back." He looked at Susanne and saw that she looked a good deal better than the night before; she was unkempt and dirty, like them all, but her eyes seemed to hold more life. He grinned, and began to leave the cleft, carefully placing his steps so as not to step on anyone in the close space. "A little breakfast will be good for us all."

Micah moved slowly through the forest, gathering any dead branches he could find and adding them to the growing bundle under his left arm. All the time he kept an eye out for any nearby enemies. The wood was beautiful beyond description, seeming to glow a glorious green shade in the new rays of morning, slowly drying after the torrential rain that had showered it the night before. The sound of rejoicing birds and scurrying animals added to the cheeriness, but Micah knew better than to let his guard down just because everything seemed well.

Vayond

Sirius woke up the next morning with all his bed sheets kicked off. Idiot! he told himself. Why do you always have to do that on the coldest mornings? Oh well, I have to get up anyway. He got up quickly, dressed, and went to wash up. When he got to the washbasin, however, he felt disgusted by the water. I need fresh water. Oh well, I'll just make the walk to the stream. Once outside, he set a straight course towards the woods, trying to ignore the giant pile of ashes, but admiring the beauty of the early morning. At the stream, he shed his clothes and plunged into the icy water. Once he was fully awake, he climbed onto the bank, put his clothes back on, and set out for home. Halfway there, though, he realized he needed to check on Jaegar ((his tiger, not the hunter. No, I did not copy the name. I found it myself before I even decided to join vayond. )). As he turned around, a man emerged from the foliage, carrying a bundle of sticks. Sirius recognized him at once. It was the same man he had seen climb out of the window of the burning inn.

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

Micah stopped suddenly and held his breath, hearing the footsteps of another person coming through the forest. He peered through the foliage, and saw a young boy who looked strangely familiar, but he couldn't place him. He seemed to be unarmed, and his young age made it clear that he wasn't too dangerous. Just a boy, walking through the woods. Micah stepped out of the foliage in front of him. "Hello, who are you?" He asked.

Vayond

Sirius stopped in surprise, but seeing that this man was stronger than him, he replied shakily, "I-I...My name is Sirius, Sirius Telanor. B-but who are you? I saw you climb out the window when the inn was burning."

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

Micah hoped he hadn't scared Sirius, but he realized he must look very imposing - a strong blacksmith, dirty from sleeping outside all night, with a sword on his back, barging out of the woods. "I'm Micah Tanniyn... you say you saw me leave the inn?" he thought about that for a moment, and realized that he had seen Sirius last night. "What you saw last night was me and several others escaping from a group of people who want to kill us... they're the ones who set fire to the inn."

Vayond

Micah Tanniyn. Sirius mouthed. "Wait, these people you speak of, who are they? Why did they burn the inn?" He felt anger welling up inside him. "Why do they want to kill you? Have you done something wrong?" This "Micah" looked pretty rough, but he didn't look like someone who would do something bad enough to be chased down and killed for it.

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

Shyanne awoke and rubbed her eyes. The dirt on her hands smudged on her face, but she didn't notice. Her blonde curls were tangled and unkept.

Shyanne looked around. "Where's Micah?"

After asking, she saw the deer. Her eyes widened and she frantically asked, "What is that?"

Vayond

Edmund swallowed. "That is our breakfast. Micah is getting some wood. It's been a while, I should see if he's okay." Edmund put a hand on his sword, then ventured out into the woods. Passing by the green trees of the forest, he found Micah being yelled at by a boy maybe his age or a little younger. "It gives me no pleasure killing children. Tell me what you mean by yelling at the blacksmith. You an enemy?"

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

Micah lifted his hand - his free one, the other was still holding branches - to stop Edmund. "Hold on, he's no enemy. This is Sirius Telenor, he's just a boy from town." Then Micah turned back to Sirius questioningly. "What are you doing out here in the woods, Sirius?"

Vayond

Edmund put his sword back in its sheath. "Sorry. Very well, then. Do tell us your business in the woods."
SInce SIrus was not an enemy, he felt relieved. Then, he wondered if the HUnters were chasing him also.