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Morda quietly rode her horse into the small village. It was late, but a few windows still glowed with candlelight. Though she left her horse beside the tavern's stable, she did not go inside. Instead, she wandered back through the tangle of houses to one she'd known her cousin had taken up residence in under the name of "Ida". Morda knocked politely, though the house seemed dimly lit. Curious she tried to peek in through cracks in the boards of the door, only to have the door swing open at her touch. Before her was a disaster. The furniture, dishes, and other household items had been tipped over, broken, thrown, scattered... everything! Even worse, slumped over the legs of a chair lay her cousin. Morda quickly ran over to check, but Ida's body was cold and she could tell by the odd angles that Ida had broken one leg and her right hand.

The scene hit her like ice water. Morda had come here with the intent to tell Ida that Ida's father was murdered, but now, so was Ida. She knew this meant that she was the last one of her family left. She swallowed hard, not wanting to scream or retch, lest she draw attention. Instead, Morda quickly went back to the tavern where her horse stood patiently. What was she to do now? Why did her family have to be treated this way?

Tired and emotionally quivering, Morda decided to at least spend the night in one of the rent-able rooms above the tavern. It'd be the first time she'd slept off the ground in a month or two, and should give her time and privacy to think. Taking a moment to straighten her posture, and tighten her cloak about her shoulders, Morda stepped up and pushed the door of the tavern open, her face steeled to expressionless.

"Ah- excuse me," Vilto didn't even look at the one he'd bumped into as he was on his way out of the tavern, but he still cordially bowed to them at least. It was just his luck that he'd settled down after a good meal and word got out there had been a murder. Usually people didn't notice for a day or two at least. Well, once the body started to smell they usually noticed. However he barely took two steps before he swore he saw a ghost. Not more than ten feet from his face was a woman that looked like Ida. Luckily he caught himself before looking the fool for staring, instead he stepped aside to let the woman through, bowing slightly again. He did, however, watch her head into the tavern. She looked a bit like a statue, which made him curious if she was the one to report the murder. That thought, however, was quickly dismissed as likely she'd still be talking to the local enforcement if that were true. As he dismissed the thought his eyes landed on the person he'd bumped into and Vilto, even for having been better trained against surprise, couldn't help but do a double take.

Vilto followed the two women into the tavern, waiting by the door as he watched Morda pay for a room and ordered a drink to be sent up later in the evening. After she had ascended the steps to the room, Vilto himself ordered an ale. He needed to think. Oppertunity was right at hand, he could tell it! Looking about he selected a table near the bar, but far enough to the side to see most of the tavern. He drank and thought. Who was this strange person he'd seen? Fur all over her face? Using the mug as a way to cover his face, he looked about as he took another swig of ale. The small individual seemed to have ducked behind a chair at the moment and... was that a roll? He sat back to think. The woman here was clearly the same family. That being said, his hire would want her dead as well. But without an agreed price up front, how was he to know if he'd get paid reasonably for the kill, evidence or not? He sipped again, glancing now and again to look for the one seeming to hide from sight. Clearly his best option would be to keep track of this woman, and should a bounty become available, take it. But how?

Vilto watched the strange cat-like being skitter out the door in haste. It obviously was there, as he'd seen other people glance it's way, so he was clearly not imagining it. He downed the last of his drink, his next step of his plan already forming in his head. He headed over to the counter and rapped on it to get the barkeep's attention. Quietly he asked if the drink for Morda's room had been brought up yet. He described her appearance and smirked at the guy as if he knew more about her than he let on, like any boyfriend would know of a woman he was courting. In exchange for a few coins, the barkeep let Vilto bring the mug of ale up for Morda.

Vilto climbed the stairs to the second floor and knocked on the last door to the left, the one the bartender had instructed him was Morda's room.

He heard a shuffling inside before the door opened, "Thank you," she said, taking the cup and intending to close the door on him.

Vilto wouldn't let go of the mug, "Miss," he whispered, "May I speak with you? It's urgent. I promise." Morda narrowed her eyes at him, wondering what he was about as she waited to hear more. "It's about Ida. I'd heard she was dead. People are looking for the killer and... well, you look the spitting image of her." he watched as Morda's eyes went wide at him, "Please, I came to warn you, there was someone downstairs, watching you in the bar. I think they mean you harm. Does your room have a window? Can you escape?" He didn't bother to tell her that the person he was referring to was himself.

"Damnit..." She swore under her breath, just her luck, getting stuck in the inn instead of fleeing like she should have. Morda glanced down the hall, then whispered to him, "How much do you want?" She knew any informant likely would want to get paid for their tip, lest they start a rucus and bring attention to her.

"I... that is, Ida was a good friend of mine. Please, I can help you. At least get you out of this town and to a safer place?" he offered. Safer was relative, after all.

Morda nodded, "I have a window. Meet me in the barn." she closed the door in his face, though she knew she'd talked to him long enough. Quickly she pulled out a harge hook and rope, intent on getting out that way. Once down, she shook the rope to free the hook and fled to the barn. Vilto was already waiting for her there, holding his horse at the ready.

Vilto nearly fell off his horse as he heard the creature speak, "Y-you're real?" it took him a moment to even fathom that what he'd been watching earlier wasn't just his imagination.

Morda jolted, as she didn't know that there was anyone else around. She peered around her horses rear end to see the strange individual that Vilto was speaking with. A small squawk of surprise escaped her mouth before sh clammed up, not wanting to be caught herself. "W-who o-or what are you?" she exclaimed as loudly as she'd dare whisper.

Vilto slowly slipped form his horse and backed towards Morda and whispered out of the side of his mouth, "She was in the tavern earlier, nearly distracted me from the person following you."

That comment reminded Morda of the task at hand. "We need to get going!" she reminded him too. For emphasis, she hopped up on her own horse who could sense her urgency and trotted in place a little.

Vilto raised an eyebrown, "Alone? Why are you alone?" he asked, curious if he could make a profit off from this creature. Easilly he could see someone would pay good money to have it. Either to show off to others for a price, or to have stuffed and kept in their home like a trophy. Such a strange creature was likely worth a good amount, but Vilto admitted, he wouldn't know who to sell to.

Morda hesitated, unsure of what a 'taral-taral' was. It certainly didn't look human. Her horse snorted as the door to the tavern creaked open. Someone was leaving, and instantly Morda felt she'd be caught! "I-i gotta go!" she yanked on the reigns a bit too hard, causing the horse to rear up and then bolt from the shed.

"WAIT!" Vilto called out after her. He took one last look at the strange creature, knowing that the price on Morda's head would be easier to find, he gave his horse a kick and sped off after her.

Vilto charged after Morda, both of them risking a broken ankle on their horses should the beasts misstep. But it was near midnight, and with the full moon, there was still plenty of light to ride by. Vilto urged his horse faster, getting closer to Morda. Close enough he tried to call to her, "Wait! I can help you!" At first Morda didn't seem to listen, but just as she took a curve, she reigned in her horse, suddenly stopping. Vilto huffed a sigh of relief, only to realize why: The road was blocked by a fallen tree. While this did allow him to catch up with her, he knew darn well there hadn't been enough wind to knock it over, nor was the very full-branched tree in any sort of ill health to cause it to fall for dead. "Careful, this looks like a--"

He didn't even get a full warning out before bandits came out of the woods, three with bow and arrow already pointed at the two of them, while a third and forth had swords, "Well, lookit what we found fer ourselves, eh?" one sneered at the two of them. Morda only scowled. As much as she'd spent time on the road, she hadn't come across this tactic herself. She might have considered herself lucky in that regard, but she hardly could think about luck at the moment.

At first, both Morda and Vilto were frozen in place. Not from fear, but because they'd been caught flat-footed. Morda had already suspected the incident before Vilto had caught up with her, but plowing her way through the woods at night, regardless of how much moonlight there was, would have been slow goings and the bandits would have likely caught up with her eventually. So for her, the choice would be to fight, or surrender; they were, after all, only bandits and might not have realized there was a price on her head.

Vilto however, was already processing how quickly he could dispatch the five attackers while weighing the likelihood of one of them getting badly injured or killed. He was already onto thinking if Morda would be of any use in the fight when a large, patterned cat seemed to suddenly burst from the woods and ripped the neck out of one bandit! His horse was taken aback and shied away as the body hit the ground, only for the cat to leap to another target. Vilto didn't waste time. This strange cat certainly made for a good distraction, but best not to stick around if it eats them too. He quickly slid off the far side of his horse, bluffing as if he'd been shot. The bandits, for their part, were already confused as to what was going on, and trying to see what happened to their comrade, while also wondering where the hell this beast of a cat had come from. Vilto rolled and pulled a small dagger from his boot, only to immediately use it on the ankle of a sword-wielding bandit. Down the bandit went, only to meet the dagger across his throat when he'd reached the ground. That left one sword and one bow left.

Vilto's action shook Morda out of her freeze and into action, she reached quickly for her dagger at her belt, but the near-by swordsman yanked her off from her horse, dumping her in a heap on the ground. She tried to get up, but his sword was already pointed at her. Luckily, he was too close and she swept her foot across, knocking his feet from under him. His sword tumbled across the dirt as he struggled to get a hold of Morda in hops of using her as a hostage against the others. Morda kicked him fiercely in the side, but he hauled on her other foot and then her arm, dragging the both of them to their feet. Immediately she'd stomped on his foot, eliciting a howl from her attacker.