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 Posted: Mon Apr 12, 2021 4:22 pm
After what felt like an eternity Sylvirah was finally home.
She'd already forgotten what it felt like to have the air ripped from your lungs. There had been days in their ascension up the mountain where she and several others had to take breaks just to acclimate to the elevation. In her condition the trip was becoming riskier by the day. At this point in her pregnancy she was already showing, though not so much that she couldn't trudge through the snow that encased her calves. She'd been advised to ride on one of the wagons or at the very least to take Ada, but neither really settled well with her. The creatures pulling the wagons were struggling enough under the weight in the current climate and flying on Ada right now, as much as she wanted too, wasn't safe. For one the air quality would be much harsher that high and secondly if she disappeared as much as Ada then Gunnar would grow suspicious.
After all, it was through Ada that she'd been sending messages to Zyphire.
With one hand pressed on the growing swell of her stomach, Sylvirah looked past their little group into the trees behind her. Somewhere out there was Zyphire or at least she hoped he was still back there. Honestly, it worried her to think he was trudging through this alone. As far as she knew this was his first time being this far north and it...was an experience.
"You should rest."
Turning her head, Sylvirah saw Gunnar standing at the top of a crest and looking down on her with concern. Despite his clear anger at the whole situation he'd still been 'gentle' with her; almost as if he were mentally willing the child in her womb to be his. She shook her head and pressed on, reaching up to take his offered hand and allow the man to pull her up to his level.
"I'm fine. Besides, this used to be mormor Yngvild's place. We're close." Seeing the way the snow almost completely encapsulated the old hut was daunting...When she'd left Yngvild's body had just been burned and there was still a clear path to the door. Now she could barely tell where the roof had been...
They pressed forward for another half day before finally coming across the Ild'vann village. For the entire length of the journey Sylvirah felt sick to her stomach. If that was what Yngvild's home had looked like then what of her own? What would happen to the people still living here, to her grandparents?
She'd expected horrors, but what Sylvirah found was so much worse. When they crested the hill leading to the settlement what she found was an array of decimated buildings. Their homes had never been as grand as those in Zidel, but they were long, sturdy buildings that could handle the weight of a snowstorm. So why...why had they been burned?! For a moment Sylvirah zoned out. Her eyes were impossibly large, mouth fully agape behind the scarf around her neck and in an instant she was crying out. Gunnar reached for her, but she didn't slow down. The iceling powered through the landscape to reach the center of their village and when she looked around her cries only picked up in tempo. Not a single building had been left untouched and there, half hanging out of one window was the frozen, half burned body of her grandmother's best friend.
Sylvirah hesitated for just a moment before trying to take a half step forward, but her foot caught on something. When she looked down she saw a frozen eye looking up at her from the rumpled snow and screamed. This one, unlike the others, had a large axe in his back...
"Sylvirah!" She could hear Gunnar calling for her, could hear the sounds of boots smacking in the snow toward her, but mentally she couldn't process it. When he reached out to touch her she slapped his hand away with a snarl.
"What happened?! Who would have done this?!" She didn't realize how loud she was being and she didn't give a damn. Tears were freely streaming down her face at that point and the huntress felt like she couldn't breathe. "Where are they? I have to find them-"
"Calm down, we're going to-"
When he reached for her again Sylvirah unsheathed a dagger and brought it to his gut. "Don't you dare." With her threat made, Sylvirah took a half step back and took off as fast as she could toward the back of the village, where her familial home was. It took like the others had been burned, but even when she shoved her way past fallen stone she couldn't find her grandparents bodies.
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Posted: Thu May 27, 2021 6:49 pm
Despite living in Zena for over a decade Zyphire was constantly shocked by how cold and barren it could truly feel. Even though the Shifter had learned to acknowledge the beauty of the icy terrain it was something different to enjoy the milder weather of southern Zena when compared to those who fought for survival in the icy throws of the northern hellish winters. He had sworn never to return to such areas after exploring a few times in his more foolish and youthful years but here he was once more. The Shifter’s mouth was pressed into a tight line, determination making his silver gaze narrow while he trudged along through the snows. He would ride Coro when possible but it was getting more difficult to not get spotted while flying after the caravan. Knowing his mount the reckless chiavi would be immediately on Ada as well if he even slightly spotted her in the distance. That much had been confirmed when he received the first message from the larger bird, his firm grip on Coro the only thing keeping the other chiavi from chasing after her.
Lay low for a bit, Coro. Zyphire had snapped before dismounting and taking to walking for himself. Thankfully he had invested in some clothing that could retain as much of his body heat as possible, fur cuffs even secured his pointed ears from view while a scarf and hood were both wrapped tightly around his face to protect against windburn. The journey had been exhausting but his resolve stayed with him and the stubborn man eventually made his way right up the hill behind the caravan. Where he had been expecting to see an exchange of goods to allow him to sneak into some shelter for the night, the Shifter instead found a massacre. His stomach twisted sharply and Zyphire found himself spinning to place a hand against one of the larger trees that twisted upwards around the edges of the village.
How had this happened!?
No bandits would come this far North….nor would they expect to find anything here. Zyphire closed his eyes and breathed in and out, his senses reaching out as far as they could around the area. The stench of anything like the Dretch was nowhere to be found either. Nor did he expect the bug mages to want to come so far North, not when they had been pushed back far underground. As it was he made certain to push himself forward, his hand resting along his hip to draw his swords at a moment’s notice. Sylvirah’s group surely had just arrived and the corpse he had spotted was definitely a few days old. Burials will have to wait. He whispered a quick prayer to the spirits for the body he had found before darting back towards the shadows. For now it would be best to just follow Sylvirah and wait to protect her. Showing himself now would just add to the chaos, a realization that made his blood boil and his stomach twist in frustration. He would destroy whoever had harmed all of these innocent people...and he dared anyone to try to touch Sylvirah while he was here.
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Posted: Fri May 28, 2021 3:40 pm
None of this made sense! Sylvirah pushed against a charred timber with her shoulder, grunting with the force of it until the wood fell away and revealed the embers of her childhood home. Seeing the way snow filtered in through the open roof made her sick. Ice had already started creeping down from the remnants of rafters towards the space her grandparents may have slept...For a moment panic stole her breath. Were they here-?! No, no they couldn't be. The family 'home' had never been large and it only consisted of two rooms. If they'd been here during the attack then they would have been outside fighting or huddled by the fireplace. Padding forward, the huntress kicked snow away with the tip of her boot and didn't touching a body.
Which was as comforting as it was worrisome. If they weren't here...then where were they?
The sound of movement at the doorway caused Sylvirah to quickly turn, her spear at the ready, but what she found was Gunnar. "It's not safe for you here, Sylvirah, not in your condition. Let's find a place to set up camp and then my men can-"
"My condition isn't going to stop me from doing what needs to be done." Her voice was cracking, broken, but Sylvirah's will was resolute.
"I'm not telling you to turn away, I'm just asking you to let me help you." This time when he reached out to touch her she let him. Gunnar gently guided his wife out of the structure into the center of the village and wrapped a reassuring arm around her shoulders.
-----
Meanwhile, a rather large iceling was picking through the snow around the edge of the village towards Zyphire. He was making just enough noise to be noticed by the other man, but not enough that the group itself would pick up. When he was spotted, the older man introduced himself as Torval, an Ild'vann hunter and Sylvirah's own grandfather.
There were others that had survived the attack, but not many. The rest, as he pointed out, were just over the hill in hiding. The only reason Torval could surmise as to why they'd been left alive was that the men who had burned the village assumed either blood loss, the elements or infection would take out the survivors. What they hadn't accounted for was Ild'vann determination.
At first he hadn't been keen on trusting Zyphire at all and had raised a blade to him, just as he would any scout with that group. Still, after a little discussion he knew he had to pick his battles.
"They don't know we're here, and our numbers aren't great, but I can't let this stand. We welcomed them into the village because Gunnar was leading them, and seeing him with my granddaughter..."
It was clear the old man wasn't a killer of men, but with the right direction he would be; gladly. All they needed was a plan and some sort of hope that it would work out.
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Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2021 6:27 pm
A boiling fury filled Zyphire's veins. At first the Shifter had been wary and ready to slice the older iceling man down when he noticed him walking around the edges of the village, but after they had settled into discussion or rather some whispered arguments the two had decided to place aside their weapons. It would have been a shame to fight someone who was not only on his side but also related to Sylvirah after all. Hearing that it had been Gunnar leading the charge instantly set Zyphire into a blind rage and had he not been tugged back by the older man the earthling would have charged straight into the village to slit the b*****d's throat. Ooooh, how satisfying it would be to see those crimson stains splattered across the white landscape! Just the very thought of Gunnar's death made Zyphire's gaze light up with fiery determination. Before this day is over I swear I'll help destroy that b*****d. For now he just had to grit his teeth and bare it long enough to make a plan so that the survivors didn't rush in blindly and die like the rest.
"If they don't know that you're here then they surely didn't expect to encounter a fight." Mused Zyphire as he studied the group from beneath the shadows of a great tree overlooking the village. Just seeing Gunnar touch Sylvirah and direct her made the Shifter's stomach twist and he wanted to vomit from the sheer amount of disgust he felt just watching the simple interaction. Not only was that man touching one that Zyphire deeply cared for but the grimy piece of s**t was also too close to their unborn child. Gunnar had no right to even breathe the same air as Sylvirah let alone touch her after what he had done! Just think about cute little roati so you don't rush down there and murder him right now....one, two, I'll freakin' cut him...I mean three...
Admittedly Zyphire did not want to acknowledge that he had seen his fair share of bodies over the years, especially those that were the makings of his own actions, but they had little choice if the village was to eradicate this threat. Gunnar's men had already proven that they were willing to do whatever to secure whatever the hell it was that man wanted and Zyphire was ready to write his own conclusion to this awful chapter for the village. "You know the village best and I doubt he brought Sylvirah here to kill her. If anything we wait until they are preparing to head out and can ambush them. We just need to separate Sylvirah from them first so that she doesn't get caught up in the fight. It's too dangerous for her...err I mean for us if she accidentally strikes back when we engage them." Zyphire gestured towards his weapons and already explained to Torval that he was trained for silent and quick swordplay but that the issue was he would stand out like a dark blot against the snowy landscape until later in the evening. If the group settled here for the night instead of just leaving now then they could attack then during the dim light of dusk through passages that perhaps the villagers would know more about. They were hunters and could just consider these earthlings a smaller version of the mammu that were both dangerous yet quite possible to cut down with the proper planning.
His parak was trained to follow commands and he could easily use her to get Sylvirah's attention. She knew that Zyphire had been set to follow them to the village and surely would recognize his familiar. While the villagers got their weapons ready along with a few traps set up that he shared ideas for with Torval, Zyphire could try to meet with her and explain what was going on. That would be the tricky part considering how much Gunnar was stuck to her side....maybe he would have to cause some sort of diversion first...
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Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 4:41 pm
Torval clapped his hand down on Zyphire's shoulder and squeezed, his own gaze as filled with murderous intent as the shifter's. "We'll have our chance," he snarled, one thick hand curling around the stock of a lance. Watching Gunnar comforting his granddaughter caused the man's skin to mottle indigo and after a moment he spat into the snow before turning away completely.
"Separating her from him will be difficult. He'll want to keep her close so she doesn't notice anything he doesn't want her to see. If I know my Sylvi she's already picked up on something and he won't let go." It's what she'd been trained to do; that much was obvious to everyone there. She was a product of the Ild'vann and operating under the most dire of circumstances was as much a part of her as her blood.
In truth, so many feet away, the gears in Sylvirah's mind were whirling. She'd seen the axe buried in the huntsman back and no amount of snow could disguise it. This was far from a natural attack, but Gunnar wasn't listening to her. He was so focused on her emotional state that he didn't care to listen to her concerns!
"You're just upset and you're not thinking. Sylvirah, who would come all this way just to murder a withered tribe?"
"I know what I saw-" Tugging his arm, she pulled her husband toward the village square where the body was and....saw an empty space? The snow didn't even look disturbed! "It was...it was just here!"
With a soft sigh, Gunnar pulled her close and put a kiss on Sylvirah's forehead. "It's a lot, I know, but maybe now you can see that sometimes there really isn't anyone to blame..."
It still didn't settle well with her. Sylvirah's brows furrowed and a hand unconsciously placed itself atop her unborn child. Was she...was she really overreacting? Creating images in her mind to make sense of this tragedy?
Torval watched the exchange from atop the hill, but without being able to hear anything he simply nodded along with Zyphire. Part of what the younger man said caused him to turn his way, a sharp brow pulling up on his scarred face before turning back towards the pair. They were starting to pack up and would be heading out soon.
"Night will be setting soon. Gunnar knows that. If I were to guess I'd say he'll go a little ways south from here, barely even a walk, and settle near the river. If we go around the backside of the village and head north, we can drop down to catch him from upwind. His mounts won't scent us then." The older iceling turned to Zyphire then. He wasn't sure why exactly a shifter was this far North or more importantly, why one so clearly soaked in blood was looking after his granddaughter but at the moment it didn't matter. "No mercy; the b*****d doesn't deserve it."
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Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 8:02 am
Well, on the bright side of this entirely frustrating situation there was the fact that at least Sylvirah's grandfather shouldn't be completely upset when he found out exactly what Zyphire's relation was to the huntress. One would hope that I'm an upgrade from a backstabbing b*****d. He quipped quietly, his own rage rising as he had to hold himself back instead of simply rushing into the village and ripping her from Gunnar's side. "Fair enough. We'll just have to have faith that she can get out as well during the chaos." They both knew Sylvirah was quick witted, surely she would recognize them during an attack and if anything Zyphire was determined to be the first one to arrive by her side. Still, Zyphire would feel more comfortable if he could just give her some sort of sign before things escalated.
"I'll trust you then." Zyphire finally stated as he looked back towards Torval. "Get those who can fight and bring them to the river. There's still time to prepare a surprise if we hurry." They could take the whole group by surprise and in the meantime Zyphire could pick off a few here and there, starting with those trying to hide the bodies that were left in the open. His silver gaze darted around, his skin already shifting as the sun's rays started to get lower in the sky. Everything would be covered with an amber hue soon enough and then darkness. My favorite time. Zyphire grinned, almost like some devil, towards Torval. He would thoroughly enjoy enacting justice against these murderers. "You're hunters, correct? Bring out all of the traps that you have and place them around the river. If there's any coverage then have the villagers hide along the top left and right sides. I'm sure they'll take the easier central path and for that they'll lose some ankles tonight before we even need to fight."
"I'm going to send Tiki to see if she can get her attention at least." Zyphire looked towards Torval as a pair of black eyes peeked out from his hood, the snowy tips of the parak's ears peeking through as she peered into the outside world. "If you feel confident that you can handle the traps I can keep an eye on these thugs and maybe try to send Sylvirah some sort of sign." Even if she couldn't leave Gunnar's side just yet the Shifter could at least do something to warn her. Bird calls? Tiki? Anything really...he would just have to try and see what was possible when he got closer. At least he was good at going around without being detected, that much Zyphire was certain of.
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Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 5:46 pm
"I'm not concerned with getting her out; she just needs back up. We'll need her to take them out." It was clear from the way the man spoke that he hadn't noticed the bump his granddaughter sported, and honestly, even if she'd been further along he would have been able to. With the amount of furs and leathers she wore Sylvirah was barely even noticeable as a woman among the horde of burly men.
If the sight of a shifting shifter wasn't enough to set Torval on edge one with such a menacing grin was. The elder earthling furrowed his brow as if he were about to say something, then shook his head and swallowed his words. "We'll need to move fast if we have any hope of setting traps sturdy enough to hold." If they arrived too late and created a hasty snare then a strong enough leg would break through. That being said Torval had no intention of allowing that to happen. If he had it his way more than a few ankles would be broken tonight. "We can handle the traps; just give the signal when you're ready." Pausing a bit, he looked at the parak and turned to make his way down to the remaining villagers. As soon as he told them the plan they would start to move out.
Gunnar hopped up onto the closest cart and turned to hold his hand out for Sylvirah. When she didn't immediately take it the iceling almost let out a huff, but held it back at the last second.
"I'm going to walk."
"Sylvirah, the snow is knee deep, don't be stu-"
"Ég er að labba." With a determined snarl, Slylvirah proudly proclaimed that she would walk and brushed him aside to do just that. The carts wouldn't be able to move much faster than her normal speed anyway so it wasn't as if they would loose time. Gunnar called after her, but the woman kept moving so eventually he gave in and the caravan started forward.
Naturally after a bit she started to lag behind. Once the adrenaline started to wear down a bit exhaustion started to settle. They'd been on the move all day and now this was just...If I call Ada I could just fly back to the village and search more. But would Gunnar even let her? And if she did she might draw attention to Zyphire if he was still trailing them?
Spirits, how she wanted him. Trudging through the snow, Sylvirah wrapped her arms around her torso and huffed. Everytime Gunnar touched her she didn't know what to do. A part of her desperately wanted some sort of comfort, but when she looked up into his eyes instead of Zyphire's her stomach flipped.
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Posted: Sun Jun 27, 2021 7:51 am
Zyphire nodded. "Move quickly then." He replied before watching the iceling hunter stride away and disappear into the snowy landscape. Zyphire could give a whistle or something that would stand out - everything just depending on how the next part played out. Now that things were in motion there was no time to dally and the typically playful shifter had become more of a devil as he stuck to the shadows, the gargled sounds of a few the only noise of protest as he slowly whittled at the few stragglers others would wave off as coming along later. Hopefully that extra pint was worth it. HIs gaze narrowed in distaste as he kicked a fresh body into a snowdrift.
Eventually he ran out of stragglers and found himself catching up to the caravan. The old man was right. It looked like they were headed to the exact location that Torval had described. Zyphire could only hope the couple of mercenaries that turned around to look for their straggling companions would slow things down enough as he made certain they couldn't return with any reports to the caravan. Crouching down behind a tree, its thick branches laden with snow and emerald needles, Zyphire let Tiki out so that she could jump onto the ground and wait for him. He hesitated a moment before using a dagger to carve in a simple word trap into the twig that he gave the snow fox. It was too risky to give a full message even with Sylvirah behind the caravan now, something that Zyphire saw with relief, and he hoped the one word would be enough to get her thinking.
"Tiki, deliver." Zyphire gave the parak a small pat before gesturing for her to move forward. She would recognize Sylvirah from previous meetings and he hoped that Sylvirah would recognize Tiki as well. The little parak darted through the snowy landscape, her lithe body disappearing in and out of the shadows as the sun started to sink even lower in the sky. Eventually the creature would skirt around some trees and emerge next to Sylvirah, its dark gaze studying her with her head tilted for a second studying the iceling. When she realized there were no treats and a faint bird call caught her attention the parak dropped her twig and darted back through the snows again like any wild creature.
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Posted: Fri Jul 09, 2021 3:39 pm
If Gunnar's crew was expecting retaliation they were very skilled at hiding it. The men very likely had assumed that whoever survived running from the initial attack wouldn't survive long after being exposed to the harsh, mountain weather so the trip back was horrifically casual. Sylvirah could see several of them leaning close to one another, almost as if just by whispering she wouldn't be able to hear the jokes passed between them or see their smiles. She may not have heard everything but she knew they weren't nearly as bothered by the massacre as they should have been. What sort of disrespectful bastards were they? The men tried to keep their tone down, but those smiles....it was like looking at the faces of devils. The only one who looked truly 'stricken' by it all was Gunnar whenever he would look back at her, but even that felt off.
She kept one hand casually balanced on top of her stomach and the child within. There was so much she wanted to find out, but Sylvirah knew her hands were tied. If only she could sneak off for a bit...The parties mounts seemed to pick up a bit the closer they came to the river, likely out of a desire to get a drink, and the timing couldn't have been better. A bit of noise in the tree line caught the huntress' attention and when Sylvirah turned she saw the parak. At first she thought the creature was just native to the North, until she recognized the coloring and smiled. Tiki. And what was she carrying....? Looking around, Sylvirah made sure she wasn't being watched before stepping forward and awkwardly bending down to pick up the twig.
Trap.
Her blood cooled. A trap? But for who?
Reaching out for a nearby tree to balance herself, the huntress stood and looked after the caravan. The mounts were still strapped in which meant any chance at a quick escape was ruled out. The wagons were far too heavy for that which meant it was a trap for them which meant....
....Zyphire had found reinforcements.
Sylvirah snapped the twig into several different pieces and scattered them around the snow to hide the evidence. When she saw Gunnar look her way she waved him off. He started to walk up to her, but she waved again.
"I can piss on my own!"
That seemed to stop him. With a little smile he shook his head and turned back to the men. It was the perfect diversion; no one followed her into the trees and no one questioned which direction she was going. Instead of simply doing her business Sylvirah moved as far away as she could while still staying close. Any moment now something was bound to happen and she wanted to be there for it....
Torval, however, was just arriving in his position. Gunnar's group was blindly setting up for the evening while a group of icelings waited in the wings, as bloodthirsty as starved raptrix.
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Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2021 6:25 pm
The evening snows were quiet and almost serene as the sun slowly began its descent from the horizon. As the beauty of the pristine snow slowly sunk into shadows and the amber light faded across the surface a bluish tint began to claim everything that the sun abandoned. It was the perfect coverage for the tribe of hunters who had crept into position while the caravan continued towards the few traps that they had managed to set up within the sparse amount of time provided. After Sylvirah separated from the group, Zyphire felt his spirits lifting and he did not hesitate to let out a sharp whistle. Within a few moments of his alarm came the delightful sound of screaming as the peace of the snowy landscape shattered into chaos and bloodshed. One of several metal traps had been sprung, the giant teeth shattering a man's leg while another mercenary found herself dragged across the ground by ropes that ripped at her skin and left a bloody trail as their body was flung down the hillside and into the stream. While the others were startled by the appearance of the traps the hunters rushed forward from hiding, a thirst for vengeance driving them forward as they started to take down any that weren't quick enough to react.
Zyphire wanted more than anything to be one of those that rushed forward into the caravan, his blades thirsting for the blood of the man who had destroyed so many innocents but his priority was Sylvirah. The Shifter cursed, his gaze narrowing as he watched the others engaging in combat, but his movements took him towards Sylvirah instead. "Don't kill me." He breathed as he twisted around a few trees and spotted the familiar huntress in the chaos, "There's been a bit of a twist to your husband's plans." Zyphire managed before suddenly spinning, a knife flying from his hands and embedding itself into the throat of one of the mercenaries who had tried running away into the forest. Crimson blood gushed from the wound and tainted the pristine white of the snow as he slowly fell to the ground with a few final gurgling noises as he choked on his own blood. Unfortunately for him, Zyphire was hoping to get a bit of alone time with Sylvirah and any runaways would only cause a mess. Zyphire refused to let anyone slip through the cracks unlike Gunnar, that overconfident smug b*****d. He just prayed to the spirits that the rest of the hunters were doing well during the surprise attack. It was hard to tell exactly who was winning just yet considering the yelling and clashing of weapons that continued on in the distance.
"Apparently delivering supplies meant getting rid of the villagers instead. Thankfully a few survived including your grandfather." Zyphire breathed as he gestured towards the fighting. His silver gaze looked over Sylvirah, his expression surprisingly gentle. "Looks like we surprised them well enough so hopefully this should be over soon."
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Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 1:56 pm
Within moments chaos claimed the Zenan wilderness.
It was the cries of the mounts that hit her first. The poor creatures were surprised by the chaos around them, biting at the bit to flee seconds before their masters were crying out as well. She was far enough away from the bloodshed to remain 'safe' but still close enough to see a wire trap cinch tight enough around a mans calf to sever it completely. He clawed at the bleeding stump, desperately pleading for someone to help him, but his cries went unanswered.
Sylvirah could have helped; instead, she turned away.
Her spear may have been saddled up with Ada, but Sylvirah's bow was still with her. It didn't take long for the huntress to knock a few arrows, letting them fly into the foray and catching a merc in the hip. When the woman fell to her knees she let a few more fly, each going further up the woman's body until the last sailed through her throat. Still, it didn't bother her as much as the man Zyphire had brought down did. He was much closer, his death so much more audible and she had to clamp down on the way her own hands shook. As much as death was a part of everyday life for Sylvirah she'd never personally taken a life.
Somewhere along the line her trip to aid her village had turned out so, so very wrong...
"Gunnar did this?!" It made...almost too much sense and her grip tightened on her bow. She'd had suspicions, but a part of her just hadn't wanted to believe it. "I knew he wasn't acting himself, but this...The Ild'vann is as much his homeland as it is mine! Why would he do this?!"
She couldn't help turning towards the fighting. Even if she couldn't see him just knowing that her grandfather was still with her gave Sylvirah hope. Still, he'd only said grandfather which meant....Grandmother forgive me.
"My people will fight until they die so they can handle the rest, but we should find Gunnar and-" Looking over to Zyphire, seeing the way he was looking at her....She wasn't one to typically blush, but she did, all the same. Her expression was filled with absolute love as she looked upon her shifter. "I don't know if I want to kiss you or cry. "
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Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2021 4:07 pm
Zyphire's gaze softened as he noticed Sylvirah's hands but as much as the Shifter wanted to reach out and comfort his lover the man knew it would be reckless to let his guard down now. "That's what I want to know. None of it makes sense unless he truly thought the village was such a hindrance that....well that he did what he did." Zyphire didn't even know how to explain the massacre. Did someone offer money to clear the land? Not like it would be an ideal vacation spot so even that seemed far fetched. Was there truly nothing here of value? There was no mercy in killing those who were expecting actual aid. Did this Gunnar even have a soul? Either way Zyphire had the feeling he would be finding out soon because there would not be enough time left in this world for the foul iceling. At least not if Zyphire had any say.
Sylvirah's words broke Zyphire's thoughts and he found himself blinking in surprise, an actual flush decorating his own cheeks. "Well hopefully neither for now as much as I adore the idea of one of them." He admitted with a small smile, "I think we should finish this so we can bury the dead and help the rest of the villagers." His gaze narrowed thoughtfully as he glanced up towards the late afternoon sky. "The moon is rising soon." It would get cold, too cold and they would need to make certain all of the mercenaries were taken care of before finding shelter for the night.
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Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2021 12:39 pm
"The only way we'll know is when we find him." It certainly wasn't a matter of if; Sylvirah wouldn't leave the mountain until she had answers. Even as they spoke she saw a man charging their way and this time she had less hesitation than the first. She knocked an arrow and let it fly in the time it took the man to draw his blade. The arrowhead sunk into his eye socket causing the Zenan to drop to his knees with a shriek.
Think of it like a hunt; nothing more, nothing less. It was the only way she would make it through.
His comment about the moon brought her attention first to the sky, but then back toward his own skin. She quirked her mouth just a touch and reached out to cup his cheek. "I hadn't noticed." Would their child take after it's father and change under light of the moon? As strange as it still was to see she hoped it would. Still, as interesting as it was to see, it posed a problem. Shedding blood and exerting energy like this in frigid temperatures would only burn through reserves that no one could afford to waste. This needed to end soon.
"Let's go." Without really waiting on him, Sylvirah dipped low and moved as quickly as she could around the side lines. Movement was awkward for her as the iceling couldn't move her body as freely as she would have liked. Still, it kept them on the fringes of the battle and allowed the pair a decent look at those participating.
A good enough view, that is, to find him.
And that she did.
Gunnar was doing his best to shout orders to his subordinates while raising his blade against his own people. The lack of mercy in his eyes...it was enough to set her blood on fire. "Are you ready?"
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Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2021 4:04 pm
Zyphire was both impressed and slightly disturbed by Sylvirah's increasing accuracy for killing. It was a situation where they honestly had no choice and he knew that every mercenary they brought down deserved nothing less for their actions against the innocents in this village. How many had been just young teens? Elders? The very thought made his blood boil and his gaze flashed as he turned to follow Sylvirah towards the side lines. There was one b*****d responsible for bringing all of this about and they would rip their answers from him before letting him personally go and apologize to the deceased. It was not just the brutal cold that made up this area of Zena, everything out here was wild and ruled by its own rules of survival with no need to worry about council interference or the like. And that much Zyphire appreciated about this northern wilderness, especially when he witnessed how the village was enacting its own justice for the earlier massacre.
A few more daggers flew from his hands and into the necks of others as they ran past. Zyphire raised an arm and blocked an arrow with a slash of his blades before realizing that they had come upon their target. "As ready as I'll ever be." He replied with grim determination. "I'll take down any that try to stop you." Including Gunnar. Zyphire could already imagine striking at the man's tendons, rendering his legs useless while Sylvirah had her way. Actually that may not be the worst idea at all, he thought as he braced himself for the fight ahead.
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Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2021 4:31 pm
Watching the way the Ild'vann descended upon the mercenaries was akin to watching half-starved raptrix tear into a fresh meal. She could see their gaunt cheeks flare back with great battle cries, thin arms lug axes twice their weight, and even with deadly wounds they carried on. This was how they should have gone down; with honor, with a fight and not with a damned dagger in the back!
When the time was right Sylvirah charged ahead. Gunnar was too busy on the man infront of him to notice her coming at his side, and when he did he assumed it was another tribesman. Almost unconscious he turned his sword to strike her, but when she raised her spear to block the blade he stalled. "Sylvirah? Kæra hjarta, what are you doing?" He looked over her head, the surprise in his features morphing into outright rage when he saw Zyphire. "You."
Without hesitation he shoved her back and put some distance between himself and the pair.
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