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With the night of the solstice upon them, Adenah knew now was the time. Grunt would be moving toward their new branch in Yael with the smallest crew he’d run with in years and a confidence that only the truly arrogant could obtain. If she wanted to take him down tonight would be the night. Still, even with his smaller retinue it would be difficult which is why they’d taken so many precautions.

Hired hands were scattered along the barely traversed path; lying in wait for Grunt’s party to make their way through. They had it under good authority that he was trying to keep things as hush as possible until everything was set up, but more than a few times that day Adenah had seen carts of supplies go up the ‘road’.

Their teams were split into factions; Dris’rynne’s and her own. Her mother’s group would make up the majority of force near the base itself, and only once Adenah’s men had the ranged fighters picked off would they jump into the frey.

Once Grunt was officially on his way the fight would begin.

The core of Grunt’s group was protected by a few skilled sentries. Taking them down came down to being faster than them, which was difficult when a few happened to be skilled mages. The entire thing was a risk, but one that they’d willingly undertaken. Thankfully, when Adenah lunged out to throw a dagger before jumping back into the scenary her target had been an archer.

If she’d gone for the rider next to him however she’d been a mass of flesh like her man who’d fallen into the road. A splash of acid consumed his flesh in an instant and even if she couldn’t see everything she knew she’d never forget the screams. The smell of bubbling flesh slothing off bone…it was enough to curl her innards.

Still, by the time they were gathering their wits the damage had been done. Grunt’s forces were down by enough that they resembled Adenah’s and they were close enough to Dris’rynne’s group to ensure security.

Adenah wasn’t built for prolonged combat. She’d nearly perfected her skills in dispatching targets before they were ever aware of her prescence, but this…Gods, how was her mother doing it? She’d caught sight of the cloaked shifter a time or two only to see her dodge away. The woman was a far cry from the kind, if not terse, figure Adenah had grown up with. This was Korres; the former leader of this band of murderous misfits.

This was the woman that still put a thread of fear in Grunt’s heart.

The last time she’d seen Dris’rynne she had a fistful of viscera that she’d pulled from her blades. Almost as if the thought itself was enough to summon her, the shifter appeared at her side, hood still drawn low.

“Have you seen him yet?” She huffed. Adenah’s eyes darted over the crowd, trying her best to lock onto the Oban with little success. “If he slips away we’re screwed”

She’d been so close to saying something when an assailant came their way. The larger Matorian swung a massive battle axe toward them, but he stood little chance. Adenah turned her blade, driving it straight toward his face while Dris’rynne swiftly rammed a blade through his heart. In an instant his body dropped with a heavy ‘thud’ between them.

Unlike her mother Adenah still couldn’t stomach this. There was a certain amount of disassociation that came with assassinations that didn’t translate into all out warfare. When Dris’rynne had been with the Irregulars they were mercenaries so of course she could shut that part of her brain off, but Adenah was used to getting in and getting it done. Seeing the light fade from a man’s eyes, seeing the fire shift into fear as his warm innards were exposed to air…

She hated everything about it.

“I was waitin’ to see how long it took you to come for me.” Whipping around, Adenah spotted the familiar visage of Grunt making his way through the crowd. When a few of her men came after him he deftly dispatched of them like they were little more than children. “And Korres…My my, looks like the dead really can walk~”

[5/10]

Wisely, for the moment, Adenah kept away. At first it seemed like her mother had the upper hand but with every advance she made Grunt gave it back in force until the two were on nearly equal ground. Adenah was no fool; she knew that she wasn’t nearly skilled enough to step between the two of them, but she needed to help.

Her mother was already battered and worn from the battle, but Grunt looked fresh. It was entirely possible that he’d been waiting for a moment like this to give himself the best possible chance of ending them both. What she needed was an in…something to really do damage to him…

It’s now or never. Taking a deep, shaky breath Adenah stepped into battle and once Dris’rynne had backed off she rammed a dagger into his thigh. It was a cheap shot, not nearly as damaging as anything the shifter may have done, but it broke through a c***k in his armor.

It all happened so fast that Adenah couldn’t cope. For a moment all she could do was cry out as first the impact blinded her for a second and then the group slamming into her body nearly stole her breath. Even sitting up was painful; the world around her swam and when she spat what came up was blood. She could feel more of the thick, harsh liquid dripping down the side of her face but she didn’t have time to concentrate on it. Disoriented as she was Adenah could still see the force hold Grunt had on her mother and her heart seized.

“Let her go, Grunt! If you don’t you’ll never get this!” Digging for a moment into her top, Adenah produced a small vial filled with a light, glowing purple liquid. She held it up so that he would be forced to see it and despite her resolve there was a tremor in her hand.

[7/10]

“Not that one.” For a moment she worried that her efforts were in vain until Dris’rynne started gasping. She would still need to be treated, but for the moment the shifter was safe. She, however… “It’s a new strain; grown in Belrea. You’ve been so busy setting your sights on Yael that I doubt you’ve even thought of them.” The more he stumbled the more her confidence grew. It was terrifying, having a man that large lumber over her, but seeing him like this gave her hope.

Come home. That was the only promise she’d ever worried about not keeping with Dovian, but now…

“Did you really think I couldn’t have that treated?! I have fighters from Belrea! They can cure it, but when I take your head it can’t be put back!” Filled with fury, he steadied himself and rushed her. Seeing this as a ‘now or never’ situation Adenah half rose with a blade in her hand, ramming it into his chest for a second dose the moment the axe was brought down onto her shoulder.

[8/10]

The world around them faded from view more times than she could count. A certain level of fuzz entered Adenah’s view and obscured the world around her as she cried out. If he’d been at full strength the axe would have destroyed her, but as it was the combination of attacks had left it weakened. She was still deeply wounded, though if it was treated properly Adenah would survive. Already someone was pressing a cloth to the wound and doing their best to bind it. The pressure made her scream again, much to the dismay of whoever was helping her….

And as things came back into view she could see that person was her mother. Her poor, battered mother. Dris’rynne’s hair hung in limp clumps around her face and the white strands were a mess of blood and muck. The woman herself was horribly bruised, but determined. “….Is he…dead?” She couldn’t see, but surely he was, right?