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Talin jumped nimbly from branch to branch, traveling along the tree roads of the jungle canopy like he had been born here and not in the far northern hills and mountains of Sauti.

He was humming to himself; pleased with his band's expansion and the prizes he was collecting along the way. Now all he had to do was find some Oban caravans to raid or rich merchants with a bad reputation.... He would have loved to attack anything, but past experience had made him war. Now since he was so near the Alkidikes and their stupid blood lust and arrogant notions of right and wrong he had to play it safe. Only go for targets that others wouldn't miss and would probably be happier seeing raided... and he had to behave himself with the killing he thought with regret.

Absorbed in his thoughts he bounded and swung lithely along, only half aware of his surroundings.

Talin heard the sounds of someone approaching and stopped humming as he slung himself up into the crook of a branch. Hiding behind the leaves he pulled out a knife; Where the alkidikes hunting him? He was in shifter lands but those tall annoyances roamed the entire jungle like it was theirs....

He almost let fly a knife the instant he spotted the antennaed girl... almost but not quite. She was not as large as the ones he'd seen before and she was pale. Pale with red eyes: is she a.. hybrid? Based on the paleness, Talin figured she must have wind tribe in her.... He relaxed just a bit. Only full blooded alkidikes had been on that raid that had killed his old gang... so he should be safe...

She was armed with a bow, so Talin figured she was at an advantage... unless he got in close.... He waited for her to stop.. if she di then she was looking for him.. or had herd him humming and come to investigate. If she continued on and left then he would continue his merry way as well.
Talin was paranoid about facing the Alkdikes; they were a race of warriors; warriors who trained a lot more extensively than he did! He was good at sneaking, ambushing from the shadows and slipping away without a trace. To go toe to toe with an alkidike is not something he wanted.

He waited a while still.... did he actually want to face an Alkidike? No not really.. but.. she wasn't completely alkidike.

He dropped down on to the branch behind her (simply because he loved to do that to people) and stayed crouched down, ready to roll off the branch and vanish into the shadows below.

"Why'd you come after me, hybrid?" He asked a bit sharply; he was not really in the mood to encounter alkidikes.

Talin raised and eyebrow and looked her up and down. "You sure look like a wind hybrid, darling. The paleness of my tribe is rather noticeable when mixed with other tribes." He relaxed just a bit. She didn't sound aggressive... and he could probably take her in combat.. maybe.

As for her being pure.. she did sound defensive enough that perhaps what she said was true... but... "So how does an Alkidike end up looking like one of my tribe then? Without being a hybrid?"

Lacks color? Must be that odd.. albino thing I've heard. Never though a person could be an albino, though I've seen animals with it.

Talin chuckled, smirking at the girl's words; "I see another pale one right in front of me! And the trees are safer and easier to vanish should trouble appear." Also better for ambushes... but he wasn't going to mention that.


He leaned against the tree trunk behind him; confidently crossing his arms. "You didn't answer my question. Why'd you come after me... Alkidike?" He paused just a bit before calling her an alkidike. She did look like a pure except for the coloration so.. perhaps she was telling the truth. Either that or she was lying and wanted to hide her earthling blood.

"I don't trust Alkidikes." he said flatly. "Too quick to attack, the lot of you." And maybe she was after him... some of those Alkidikes were bound to come hunting him once they realized he'd been a part of the now dead Bandit King's group. Especially once they realized he and a few others had been the ones to sneak onto the isles and steal their familiars.... That had been nerve wracking! And he doubted he'd ever do it again.... but... perhaps the information and experience would come in handy one day.


"And there's always trouble! It's the jungle girly. Trees are dangerous, there's predators everywhere, and then you have people who may wish you harm. Only a fool would traipses carelessly through Jauhur!" Which he'd sort of been doing.. humming and all that. But he knew this area from his time with the leaf bandits; knew it almost better than his home in Sauti!

Talin snorted; "So says an alkidike during times when everyone knows that alkidikes are attacking hybrids just cause they're hybrids." He mockeingly imitated her voice; "We don't attack those who don't deserve it -- heh. Tell that to the hybrids." He loved it when he had an excuse to talk back to alkidikes... and not get killed for it of course.

He chuckled at her insinuation that he didn't belong and was a fool. "Oh please. Anyone can learn to live anywhere. I've been ere a good ten years and know it better than the foot hills and mountains of Sauti. The only fool is one who doesn't try or goes in blind."

Talin laughed; "My people keep to ourselves! We've never raided our neighbors, tried to kick others out of their homes like yours keeps on doing." Usually, of course there were tribe wars within ... and they did kill intruders at time.... but never on the scale that the Alkidikes seemed to! "I too have never killed anyone simply because of their race." He killed them all equally! And stole from anyone. "If I did... you would have been met with a dagger instead of words, Alkidike. I have little reason to like any of your kind considering how many of my friends you've killed." They'd all been bandits but still; they were dead because of Alkidikes.

"I wanted to travel, see the world, expand my horizons. I enjoy the thrill of new places, new people... new challenges. Jauhur is filled with all of these.. and interesting times happen here so I never get bored. I think you alkidikes are missing that... I almost never see you in Sauti; you stick to your jungles and brood over how it should all be yours...." He snorted. "Why'd you invade and take away the Shifter lands? You could have just traveled and returned home.. or shared the land with them! But nooo.. you jut had to kick them out and take over."