Alena twisted away from the sword of one Paled, wanting to draw the creature away from the area, but as long as she was kept on the defensive, she knew that there would be little chance of her doing anything but going in the for the kill. In a fluid motion, she buried her sword deep within the gut of another paled, fury in her eyes as the creature sank to the ground at her feet. Within seconds another paled was upon her and the two sparred near the edge of the glade. Finally the paled gave her a sharp kick that sent her back against the hard bark of a tree. Alena groaned as her back slammed against the bark and her sword fell from her hands. The paled leapt upon her then, aiming his dagger for her throat as she used her hands to push him back.

"Die, mortal scum" he hissed.

"You first." Alena replied with equal venom as she kicked the paled in the legs, with enough force to send him backwards a bit so that she could retrieve her sword. As the paled leapt upon her again, she raised her blade to block his blow before running the creature through.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

"The brilliant and heroic escap will have to wait, I'm afraid. You're going to be a bit busy being captured." As he spoke he stepped carefully but surely towards the Paled. "By the way, what's your name? Mine's Blaidri, but my friends-" he motioned to Riannon and Madog "-just call me Blaid." He hoped to keep her talking, anything to keep her not thinking about making a run for it. Blaidri had the sneaking suspicion that it wouldn't work.

Fareni scowled and took a cautious step backwards as Blaidri stepped towards her. He'd knocked her off-balance a bit by giving his name, which came unexpectedly. Her name wouldn't really endanger her, so she gave it. "Fareni, though I can't say I'm pleased to meet you." Knowing words such as those would one day get her killed, she left it at that. She doubted she'd be around him long enough to use his name, but didn't say so, noting he'd pointed out the archers, intentionally or unintentionally. Good thing she wasn't staying for long...

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Kai-Larr paced back and forth on the floor of her quarters. Her mind was racing as memories came flooding back to her all at once.
"Tika.." she muttered to the same luxurious walls that lined the corridors outside. "What is he up to?" she asked rhetorically, before picking up her sabre claw daggers* and sheathed them into the strapping and sheaths on her back. Pulling out her large scimitar she examined it's etched beauty carefully before sheathing it again. Putting her long black leather trenchoat on she made her way back out her quarters and back through the hallways and corridors to the high ranking officers stables to collect her horse.

Kai-Larr managed a smile as she gazed upon his magnificence. A beautiful jet black stallion that was given to her by the King, as a gift after she left there people. Her memory began to wander again.

"Why do you hold back?" the stern female voice came at her, "You are weak, unworthy to be an assassin for the King"

"Weak?" another female voice retorted angrily, "I'll show you I am no weakling" and let out a roar and ran towards her aggressor. Within seconds she felt herself on the floor looking up at a smiling face.

"You put too much anger into your attacks. You lack composure" the first female spoke , this time softly and with a little laughter in her voice.

"I am trying Mistress Tika" she said, taking Tika's outstretched hand and raising herself up and dusting herself off. "But maybe you are right. Perhaps I am no good" she spoke sullenly and with more than a hint of defeat.

Tika looked at her companion and frowned.
"My dearest Kai-Larr do not say such things. You have so much potential to be a ferocious warrior and an excellent assassin when the time is right. Do not be so harsh on yourself. Trust your instincts, trust me to guide you and teach you.

Kai-Larr sighed and slumped on a nearby bench, "I know you are right. But sometimes I feel I'm only here because of...him"

Snapping out of it, Kai-Larr looked around and realised she was alone. She shook her head at the memory and mounted her steed.
"Ride out Talyn", the horse whinnied in compliance and they rode off out into the plains.


*I decided to change her daggers from butterfly to sabre claws. Like the ones Riddick uses.

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((Wow, you guys have given me a lot of reading... Sorry I can't catch up now, I'm still on vacation. Well, I better go. The marshmallows are calling.))

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Thanks Nurratiel, *Ennostiel*, PD, and Githoniel

((Marshmallows? Yumm!))

"I'm not pleased either, Fareni." Blaidri said, still inching closer. "That's a pretty name, by the way. Does it mean anything?" He was within feet of her. Another couple of seconds and he would be close enough to bind her.

((Feel free to run, DarkMelda! ))

[[Ahahaha, I shall. *steals marshmallows* ]]

She smiled. "Fareni," she paused, taking a few steps backwards as Blaidri came towards her, "means 'free spirit'." Quite ironic, under the circumstances, she thought. Free spirit. As she backed away, her hand met rough bark. She looked down at it, then at the foliage behind her. Now was her chance. In one swift, flowing motion she ducked behind the tree and ran as fast as her legs would carry her. Zig-zagging through trees and bushes, she smiled to herself. Now for the hard part.

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Blaidri growled curses that would have made a sailor blush. He sprang off after the Paled. Madog quickly got off a shot, but it was wide. Riannon took more time to aim. She fired, but Blaidri didnt see where the arrow landed. "Did you get her?" He asked as Riannon and Madog hurried after him.
"I don't know." Riannon replied. "I couldn't see."

Fareni slowed to round a narrow corner, when the arrm grazed her shoulder. Muttering under her breath, she tried to keep moving and stem the bleeding. It wasn't a terrible wound; she'd had worse before. But it would slow her down. She was close enough to the edge of what had been the battlefield to see what remained of the Paleds she had travelled with, all dead or dying. Thinking quickly, she picked up a short sword, scratched from combat and deeply bloodstained. It'd have to do. She listened for Blaidri and his two archers for a minute, then moved swiftly off again. With more caution, this time.

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Kai-Larr motioned to her stallion Talyn to slow down to a canter. She began scanning the area all around, looking for any signs of life wether it be Paled or Human it mattered not. She tuned her ears in, listening for anything that would give her indications of battle or any kind of fighting. It was eerily silent, but Kai-Larr and Talyn continued on slowly keeping her senses attuned to all around her.

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Aryann just smiled. A warrior who had rushed off after she said "refreshments" returned with a tray of food. "Thank you." Aryann said as the warrior bowed and left. She looked back at Tika. "Just answer the question," she said.

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Thanks Nurratiel, *Ennostiel*, PD, and Githoniel

Tika narrowed her eyes. "My name is Tika, I came from the castle, and I wish to destroy all Paleds. Especially the king himself."

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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 quickly parried the blow from one Paled warrior and kicked it to the ground before turning to face another. She had just run another of the cat-like creatures through when she felt sharp steel pierce her leg. She winced and glanced down in time to see the paled whom she had kicked aside retract the sword from her flesh, tearing the wound further. Growling, both in pain and fury she buried her own weapon in the skull of the creature before it could strike again. "Filthy creature," she muttered as she tried to block the pain from her mind.

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AWESOME set by the AMAZING Lembas!!!

"Why do you wish to destroy the king?" Aryann asked, not at all taken back at Tika's answer.

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Thanks Nurratiel, *Ennostiel*, PD, and Githoniel

Tika looked away. "A long time ago he asked me to kill some one that was very dear to me, a rebel, I refused so he had the man killed infront of me, while I was chained like an animal."

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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)

For a moment a pain came into Aryann's eyes, but she quickly replaced the hard-faced mask. "And you think that I will let you join my warriors, and trust that you will not betray me or any of my people to the king." She looked deeply into Tika's eyes, "That is a lot to expect from someone who betrayed her own king."

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Thanks Nurratiel, *Ennostiel*, PD, and Githoniel