With a heavy heart to match her heavy footsteps, Kai-Larr made her way through the multitude of layers within the King's palace. She knew where she had to go, but was uncomfortable with the why. Still she trudged on, her pulse racing.

Several levels had passed her by before she made it to the very bottom level. It wasn't lavishly furnished. No paintings or sculptures to be seen. It was grey and stark and utterly bleak. The only lighting coming from torches perched at random intervals along the stone walls. Two guards stood outside a metal door that had been double bolted and sported a large padlock. Both men stepped back and bowed to her.

"Open it!" she barked the order, using her authority to intimidate them.

One of the guards scrambled to get the padlock open and the bolts pulled back. He pulled the heavy door open and Kai-Larr began to walk in, the guards at her side. Turning to them both she sneered at them.
"Leave us..." they looked at her with concern "Now!" she demanded.

Both guards walked outside the cramped holding cell and waited. Kai-Larr spun on her feet. "I meant altogether"

The elder of the two men piped up
"B-but we're not supposed too..." he stammered

"Are you disobeying my direct order soldier?" Kai-Larr leaned in toward him, her eyes stern and sharp.

He didn't ponder her question for very long, before grabbing the other guard and making his way out the dungeon level. Leaving Kai-Larr, Head of Security for the Paled King. With a human captive.

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Blaidri both cursed and praised the rain. Sur, the rain muddled the sences-smell, sight, hearing- which is what he needed for an ambush. On the other hand, the rain was wet, slippery, cold, and did he mention wet? Blaidri was forever pulling at his clothes;straitening a sopping wet shirt, wringing out a sleeve, even a brief tug at his drenched loincloth to keep it from riding up and...lodging...in a certain part of the human anatomy. His tribe members may laugh at him for being so blatant about it, but Blaidri knew that deep down in thier hearts every one of his fellow tribes men respected him greatly as thier leader. He also knew that those proud souls must be suffering from one hell of a wedgie.

Suddenly he heard heard the approaching Paleds. As stealthy as they were, it was impossible to keep completely silent in thier metal armor. Blaidri drew his bow and loosened ties on his back that held his glaive. He held his men back as the Paleds martched by. Count to ten, and then attack. That had been the agreement between the three tribes. Blaidri counted to ten as quickly as he could, then lowed his hand. His men that could see them immediatly loosed thier arrows. The ones that couldn't fired was Blaidri shouted "Fire!" Even in the dark and the rain, his men were good shots. He'd trained them to have night eyes. The Paleds, being part feline, had a night vision that humans couldn't hope to match, and that was more than enough incentive for Blaidri to give his warriors ample night training.

Once his arrows were run out, Blaidri leapt from his tree weilding his glaive. Spinning the knife tipped staff with precision he hacked at a Paled, drawing blood. The cat-human yowled and then fell. Blaidri's men followed him after thier arrows ran out.

((Oh that is great, maybe Tika could jump in the fight againest the paleds, and end up side to side with Gareth, but because of her scarf, no one knows what she is.))

Tika stopped, and jumped into a tree, some feet away she could see a group of humans killing her kind. She could smell the the blood in the air. "They won't last." She told her self and jumped down, racing to the fight, she took her two swords outand started slashng at the paleds. She could tell they weren't aware of her at first.Soon she came side to side with a human man, and struck out at a paled that was about to do him in.

((The human man is Gareth.))

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

(Thanks Las.

And Rain, I was thinking along the same lines for how Alena and Xavier could meet)

As the fight intensified, Alena and Gareth found themselves separated.

"Alena! Little sister!" he called out, trying to find her as the bodies piled on the battlefield. So distracted was he that he did not notice a paled that snuck upon him until a female struck out at his attacker. Mentally cursing at his own foolishness, Gareth turned to look at her in surprise. She was fair enough, yet she was still a stranger to him and years of suspicions against strangers were hard for him to break. She saved your life, he chided himself. The least you can do is to be cordial to her. You owe her that much. "Thank you for the aid," he said finally as he plunged his sword into another paled.
__________________________________________
Alena twisted away from one strike and buried her sword in the heart of another paled. She was well trained in war, but she was feeling herself beginning to tire. Seeing a paled archer aiming at the back of one of their younger warriors, she felt new strength fill her being as she quickly raced to her side.

"Myra, beware!" she shouted as she stepped in front of girl as the arrow was released and the point buried itself deep within her shoulder.

Alena grimaced in pain as she sank to her knees and pulled the arrow from her shoulder. Instinctively, she placed a hand on the wound and her crimson blood seeped through her fingers.

"Alena!" Myra cried, her eyes wide as she knelt by the older woman's side.

"Go!" Alena commanded and pushed the girl away with her good arm. "You can not help me now. If you stand there you will only get yourself killed!"

"I'll find you aid," Myra said and turned to go but Alena grabbed her by the arm firmly instead.

"Do not concern yourself with me. Fight against the paleds to the best of your ability, but do what you must to stay alive. Understand?"

When the girl remained silent, Alena grabbed her arm harder with her own good arm. "Do you understand?" she asked her more forcefully.

The girl nodded slowly as she raced off, sorrow reflecting in her eyes.

Alena slowly raised herself to her feet and grabbing her sword once more she blocked the blow of another paled. Feigning a move, she managed to run the warrior through, but with each passing moment she could feel herself weakening. Her blood still continued to flow from the arrow wound in her shoulder and she knew it was only a matter of time before the swift blows of her adversaries would hit their mark. Suddenly a sharp kick to the abdomen sent backwards, causing her sword to fall from her hands. Grimacing, in pain she tried to reach for her sword but the paled stepped on her arm, preventing any movement. The cat-like fiend grinned down as he looked down upon her, pausing for a moment to enjoy the moment of the kill...

(Okay Rain, feel free to come in whenever)

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Fareni snarled silently. Obviously the humans had planned an ambush, something they hadn't quite forseen. Her fingers rested on the hilt of her sword, aching for the thirll of the battle. She narrowed her eyes, for a moment refusing to believe that the human amush was <i>working.</i> SHe'd have to stop this. After a moment she pulled out her sword, running a finger down its length before charging into the nearest human, knocking them to the ground.

"That'll teach you." she muttered, glaring at the face of the human. Fareni looked up just in time to block an attack from another human. Pushing him away, she spins around the blade, aiming for their heart. She misses her mark by inches after being caught by arrow in her side. The man falls as she pulls her loodystained sword away, and snaps the arrow shaft and throwing it to the floor with a loud shout. They'd pay for this.

_________________

Xavier watched as the ambush progressed. The humans were starting to take casualties as well, but not as many as the Paled. Just bellow the branch he was observing from a woman was kicked to the ground and was about to recieve the death blow.

Since she was close enough, Xavier signalled his men, hidden in the trees, to stay where they were. Then, pulling out his longsword and jumped down, pushing the cat-like creature out of the way so he stood between it and the woman. In the same movement he planted his sword in it's heart. He turned in time to parry a few blows and run another Paled through.

What had driven Xavier to jump into the ambush? Usually one life taken from another tribe didn't matter to him, neither was another life from the cat-like enemies. Maybe it was just a pretty face. Of course, it had been awhile since he had been in a good fight. With a nod, arrows came from the trees from three different places. Xavier's men, only three in number, were starting to shoot at the Palebs from the safty of the branches.

_________________

(}--{)Imagination Inspires Ideas -Zandain(}--{)
Married Cloud Strife 9/17/08

Alena forced herself to a sitting position and stared up at Xavier in surprise. She recognized at once that he was from another tribe and judging from his stance, he was either one of their best warriors or a leader of some sort-possibly both. She also knew that their tribes had long been rivials and had caused as much sorrow to each other as the paleds had to all that belonged to the dominion of men. Why would he risk himself to help me? she wondered.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Xavier fought off a few more Palebs before there was a break in the ranks. What few that were left were now finding other warriors to fight. He then turned to Alena and regarded her for a second before starting to walk back into the forest. He had seen all he needed. Him men would stay behind in case he missed anything. Xavier had more to do...

(Alena can stop him while he's walking by her...)

_________________

(}--{)Imagination Inspires Ideas -Zandain(}--{)
Married Cloud Strife 9/17/08

Alena quickly climbed to her feet and walked up to Xavier. "Wait," she called after him, feeling compelled to at least thank the handsome stranger that had rescued her. In all her years, she had never met one of another tribe that did what he did. "I do not even know your name, but thank you for my life," she said softly.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

When the woman called after him, Xavier turned to look at her as she spoke.
"It's Xavier... leader of the Stonestar tribe," he said plainly, wondering if he did the wrong thing to reveal himself as a leader of one of the other tribes. Then an idea came to him. "May I speak with the leader of your tribe?"

Xavier wanted to make a truce. Seeing the capabilities of the warriors made it so that he didn't want them as his enemy. And besides, he was tired of fighting other humans, anyways...

_________________

(}--{)Imagination Inspires Ideas -Zandain(}--{)
Married Cloud Strife 9/17/08

Alena nodded. So he is the leader of the clan. I should have guessed it. "I am Alena." she said with an inclination of her head. "For what you have done for me, it is the least I can do. I will take you to her presently if that is what you wish, though it may be best if you wait until the battle is over. And it may be best if I speak with her first. I do not know how warmly she will receive you..." she said her voice trailing off.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

Seeing that most of the Paleds were dead, Aryann took the chance to look around. She spotted Xavier walking away, then Alena going after him. A deep fury built up inside of her. Xavier was her second enemy, the Paleds came first, but after they were gone... She knew she would have revenge on him. She and Blaidri had made a treaty to unite agaisnt a common enemy, but one with Xavier, that was going to far. During a battle between his tribe, Stonestar, and hers, Nightstar, he killed her sister. Her fifteen-year-old sister. She had been fighting only because Aryann had let her, and their father had not. Xavier killed her sister.

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Thanks Nurratiel, *Ennostiel*, PD, and Githoniel

Kai-Larr stepped inside the dark, dank holding cell. Curled up in a corner was a human male. Kai-Larr roughly estimating him to be in his twenties at least. His clothing was torn and dirty, his skin covered in bruises, abrasions and wounds of varying degree. Kai-Larr closed her eyes briefly, it was things like this that were making her question her King and his policies.

"What do you want?" came a husky, liquid deprived voice "I have nothing to say to you people" his last words were spat out with a deep rooted anger that shook Kai-Larr out of her thoughts.

"I came to make you an offer" came her cool reply.

"You have nothing that I could possibly want" he sneered back

"What about your freedom?" she asked him matter of factly, eyeing him and his very movement.

"You lie. Why would you do this for me? I am the dirt beneath the Paled feet"

"Because this insanity has to end!" Kai-Larr snapped back at him, cutting the human off mid sentence.
"I've had enough of innocent blood being shed for a madman's pleasure" she finished off softly though her words tinged with a bitterness.

The man looked at her with suspicion, obviously very wary of Kai-Larrs statements.
"Who are you?"

"Who I am is of no importance. Getting you out of here in one piece is. Now...follow my instructions carefully" Kai-Larr said walking slowly towards him and gently kneeling down by his side.
Pulling out a set of keys she unlocked several of the locks, loosening them enough for him to move freely.
"When I leave, the guards will return. Take them out with this" she whispered as she handed him a dagger "I won't be far behind, I'll escort you out a passage way I used as a child" she stood up and began to walk out the cell.
"Can you do this?" she asked him sternly

He nodded back to her "If you make any attempts to betray me, do not think I won't hesitate to use this on you"

Kai-Larr smiled at his tenacity "And that goes doubly for you." and walked out the cell up the corridor to the guards who had been waiting patiently.
"He's all yours" she said with a mock haughtiness.

_________________

Xavier nodded.
"I think so, Alena. I wouldn't be supprised if your leader had a grudge against me and doesn't hear me out," he said softly, finally now sheathing his sword which he realized he had been holding. Xavier's three men had stopped shooting arrows and had changed positions...

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(}--{)Imagination Inspires Ideas -Zandain(}--{)
Married Cloud Strife 9/17/08

Tika smirked. "Of course, these Paleds must die, as must there king.He is truely evil." She said and continued to fight by the mans side.

((DarkMelda I was thinking, perhaps Fareni knows Tika, not as a friend, But she knows what Tika was to the Paled king, his best assasin, whom she had met only breifly once.))

_________________
Where do you go when your running away,
The cost of stopping is too great to pay.
~Amanda (saw this written in a washroom stall at a movie theater)

Alena nodded. "Then I shall look for her at once," she said softly. With that she glanced around the battlefield for any sign of Aryann. Seeing her strong form in the distance, Alena turned back to Xavier. "I will speak with her now. If you wish to follow, I would remain in hidden until I know her true intentions." she said as she waited for his response.
By now, her the blood from her shoulder wound had begun to clot, though it remained a dull ache which she forced to the back of her mind. She knew that her brother would chastise her once again when he found out about her foolishness, accusing her of being to rash for her own good, and she found herself almost wishing that she had fallen in battle instead. The last thing she needed at the moment was a lecture from him-though she knew he did so only because he cared about her.
__________________________________________
Gareth smirked at the woman's words. At last a girl with some spunk, he thought with some amusement. Without turning to face his the paled that moved behind him, he swiftly twisted his sword and buried the weapon deep within the cat-human's flesh. He did not need to see his opponent to know that his blade found its mark, he let his instincts guide him, and when he was not distracted, he was nearly unbeatable.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!