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((This is a rough summary. Not that the Prince line and the tracker line happen at the same time and actually cross paths. ))


Wounded, Prince Kocerou is found running from pursuers through dragon territory in the forests SouthEast of the Borderlands. In another part of the forest were those sent by the Fae Court to hunt him down for treason. Both the prince and the hunting party's presences are noticed by those in the area.


Princeside:
-- Ruscar, Bullseye, and Target are easily called out into the open by the Prince. Being part fae, the prince calls for Ruscar's allegiance.

-- There is some bickering between the two dragons and reborn. Okay, LOTS of bickering.

--Team Drama shows up and discovers that the scent of blood in the forest belonged to the Prince. With Ruscar on watch, Kocerou strips off his tunic and pierced chainmail so that Mercy is able to tend to the two crossbow bolt wounds. During this, he explains to Shay that the forests are dying and that he must take the throne to fix it before it's too late.

--Kocerou tells all present that if they don't wish to be a part of what's happening, that they should go as far north as they can and hope the blight does not travel that far.

--Before fully tended, Kocerou jumps up, grabs Shay's wrist in one hand and swings a knife at Shay's throat with the other. Shay manages to block with a bow she magically creates from a stone on the ground. The prince then demands to know where her allegiance lies: the king or the crown.

--Shay and her dragon give rather indirect answers which the Prince is not impressed with. He let's go of Shay when Ruscar senses two fae hunters closing in on them and relays that they need to hurry and be away from the area.

--Uritai and Falinor show up, pleasing Kocerou as they are loyal to the crown. Chosing to keep them at his side, Kocerou has Target and Bullseye go off to be a distraction to the oncoming hunters. Bullseye becomes injured as well as one of the 3 fae hunters. (For some reason the number of hunters jumps from 2 to 3.)

--The leader and unharmed hunter sense that their champion has found the Prince and leave the wounded fae behind in order to assist. Target leaves Bullseye behind to follow them.

--Cho and Aphrodite appear at the fight scene and Cho offers to heal any of them there. With magic infused in music (?) that she plays, the two of them are healed. Once healed, the fae asks who Cho is aligned with. Cho mentions the crown, but she's been away for a year and does not know what is going on now.







Trackers:
--Tracker Descriptions: One was furred like an animal with pale brown fur and even paler stripes. Another had pointed ears and a third had fairy wings the color of smoked glass. Each wore green tabards. Their horses were strange, large and horned.

-- While tracking, Astalder and Blade cross paths with the riders. Sending the other hunters ahead, the winged fae leader (recognizing where the saddle came from) requests their help to meet the area's clan leader. Astalder and Blade agree to the request. The three of them meet up at the dragon encampment finding that already most of the clan in a circle with the clan leader waiting for them at the high point.

--The champion hunter asks for the help of the dragons in hunting the traitor to the crown and bringing him back to the fae. If the traitor is not caught, war would come to the dragon lands as armies were being raised to fight against those gathered by the traitor. (He does NOT mention specifically that it is the Prince that is the traitor.)

--After discussion amidst the dragons, the dragon elder permits the hunter to search for the traitor individually or in hunting groups but notes that no army would be tolerated. The lead fae requests volunteers but no one offers until Blade/Astalder agree to help when they are asked personally.

--Kocerou senses the fae champion (Leverne) closing in on them all and quickly dons his armor and gets back on his mount, Ruscar following. He only gets a short distance before Ruscar gives warning and Leverne drops from the sky from Astalder's back.

--Seeing that Leverne is outnumbered, Blade hurls a fireball in the direction of the prince's allies as a distraction. It starts part of the forest on fire. Kocerou's horse, surprised by the flame is caught by Leverne's sword and taken down, pinning the princeling beneath its weight.

--Ruscar grabs the prince's dropped sword and tries to swing at the champion. Leverne easily dodges though and tells Ruscar to step down while the prince begs Leverne to listen to him and that the forest is dying.

--Ruscar strips off his toga skirt, throwing it into Leverne's face in order to get away.

Lost Dragonlings:
--Two young dragonlings, Neverarine and Yoshimitsu, who had been kidnapped a year prior (see: Soma Ru Palmos) suddenly find themselves out of confinement and out in the forest.

--Two dragons Vincent and Valerie come across the young dragons and their aversion to humans. A talk about evil and good in both humans and dragons ensues.

Team Knights:
--Patrolling Knight with 2 squires meets up with another dragon in the air that was sent from the dragon camp asking for their assistance. Currently, Tumlar and npc squire are at the dragon clan camp (heading off in separate directions scouting for trouble) while Squire Warden is following the two fae hunters trying to catch up with their champion.

Leverne caught the cloth with the tip of his blade and hurled it aside, seemingly unfazed by the reborn's trick. He tacked Ruscar for only a moment and then his attention snapped back to Kocerou. The Prince was on his feet now, out from under the horse, and had his sword in hand. The two fae met and their swords rang off of each other. For a moment they stood locked, arms trembling as they struggled to shove the other away. Then Kocerou stepped back, disengaging, and Leverne followed, keeping the Prince within his range. He didn't let Kocerou a moment or respite, but pressed the attack, clearly intending to end this fight quickly while Kocerou was still off-balance.

"Help me!" Kocerou cried to the surrounding dragons.

----------------

The fae seemed to relax a bit and nodded at Cho.

"Forgive me my suspicion. It's going to be a question you'll hear often though, as loyalty is a valuable thing right now. The Prince goes to war against the King. He... demanded the Crown before his time to reign. The King refused and declared our Prince a traitor... now the Prince has fled with those loyal to him that would see him seated on the throne. We were sent to bring him back. Alive, preferably, but if it comes to it we have orders to kill him."

She sounded unhappy at saying that and quickly looked away, unwilling to meet Cho's eyes. She frowned and glanced at her body, her eyes quickly taking stock of where the injuries had been.

"Seems I'm out of the hunt now. I thank you for your aid, but I'll be too weak to travel for some time now."

Ruscar cursed quietly, finding a nick on his arm. It was not bleeding enough to really get in the dragon's way, but it was certainly a nuisance. He did not dwell on it long though, and instead surveyed the sky. There was a dragon and a human, but they were not doing anything. The reborn cautiously flitted back a little bit, but did not flee.

“Who are you? Are you too aiding in the murder of a prince?” queried Ruscar. The words were accusing, but the tone strangely polite.

The Prince's cry startled Ruscar. His gaze tore off of the pair and down to Kocerou. He knew himself to be useless in such a fight. All he really could do was distract. He glanced back at the pair and without listening to their responses, he dove back down into the trees. He gave himself a bit of a distance from the flying pair and the fighting fae.

Leverne slammed the hilt of the sword into Kocerou's jaw. The prince dropped his sword, falling back against a tree, barely able to stay standing. His breath came in short, ragged gasps and he seemed to be struggling to breath. Leverne drew his sword back, the tip aimed low towards the prince's belly. And Kocerou raised his hand slightly, two fingers extended, and power swelled up around him at the gesture, dust eddying into the air in response.

--------------------

"You don't understand the full significance of what I said," the fae said quietly to Bullseye, "You are not fae. I'll explain some. The throne is meant to be handed down from King to Prince at the appropriate time. When a king's reign comes to an end, the forest starts to die. This is a sign that the prince is meant to step forwards and start his rule."

She hesitated, and when she spoke again, the words were slow and very carefully chosen.

"The forest is dropping its leaves out of season. The king has not relinquished his throne, so we wait, as he wears the Crown and we have sworn our loyalty to him until Kocerou is crowned. Kocerou... demanded the throne... out of turn... and broke his oath of loyalty in doing so. There is only one response to breaking an oath of fealty. Just one."

She left it unsaid as to what it was, but she didn't need to speak. Her voice said it all. The only response was death.

"Mortals understand so little of our people." She sounded tired. "Just as you understand so little of us, we understand so little of our rulers. They are not born, dragon. They are. Kocerou came to us as Prince and nothing else - born of the land, part of the land, and existing only to some day rule as king. If he dies there is no successor. We wait, for ages maybe, and perhaps the forest dies and perhaps your forests die as well, while a dying King sits on a throne and waits for an heir to be.

We speak with the forest and it tells us that all is not well. Perhaps our King hears it too and perhaps he is not heeding the signs. I cannot tell. But treason is treason and I am not one to understand the mind of a Prince or of a King and I am not one to betray my oath. I have my duty and if it means I must kill a Prince, than I must kill a Prince - those are his Majesty's orders. He is who sent us here. Go to him to protest, if you would dare."

She sighed and lay back, closing her eyes.

She smiled thinly, sharing in the dragon's sudden humor.

"A daring theory. The Kings hold power over the land though, and it would be impossible to imitate. You only need see the King turn the world around him to his will to know that he is our ruler. But if you wish to go to the court of the Rose, than I will guide you there. I cannot hunt the Prince any further and His Majesty will need to know what is happening. Give me thy name, dragon, and I shall give thee my word of safe passage."

The fae frowned.

"I promised you safe passage for your name. If you wish for my name than I shall have something of equal value in return."

She whistled and her horse trotted over. She grabbed the harness and slowly hauled herself to her feet, swaying slightly. Her face was very pale.

"Half a day's travel to the border," she said, "From there, we travel as quickly as my King wills the forest to permit us."