Mage Hunt: Two Kinds of Mercy

Azure Steppes: Forest Edge (East) - 


 * Covered in waist-high, green-blue grass, from the Ashlands up to the Verdigris. Endlessly rolling hills give this place a deceptively placid appearance, but the tall, clinging grass and the utter lack of man-made paths make this rolling terrain exceedingly slow going. The vast expanse of sky is utterly uncluttered, here, stars shining brightly at night and the sun merciless during the day - with no trees, not a single line of shade exists anywhere to fend off the bright. Mice are common here, as are falcons, pheasants, and doves. In fact, the endless sea of grass is often broken by flights of birds feasting on grass seed and the other life hidden in its depths. Even the slightest breeze sets the land into motion, rippling and bending in never-ending waves to the kiss of moving air.


 * A low, rock cairn has been erected here, a flat place rising to head height, unmortered and of ancient construction. Scoured clean by wind and rain, ruined on one side, the grasses slowly but surely reclaim even this sign of civilized passage.


 * It is a cold morning. The slightest breeze stirs over the land infrequently. A few wispy cirrus clouds streak the otherwise clear sky.

Padding slowly from the north is Larentia, bearing his usual red-headed rider. Kallyn is a bit grungy and looks exceedingly tired, but she is intact and alert nonetheless. The mage girl seems to be paying much more attention to her surroundings than anything else. She nods slowly to herself, "Yes... I've been through here, I think... I'm going..." a frown and another glance around her, "... south? So the river should be that way..." she gestures vaguely westwards, although there is no confidence there at all.

Blackfox hides among the low branches of a tree, Velvel lying quiet among the shadows of the bushes. Bow in hand, she has been keeping watch on a raider camp to the south, but for quite some time she has heard sounds of someone approaching from the north, and so her attention has turned that way. She frowns as she sees Kallyn, arrow still resting on the string but not drawn, trying to decide how to deal with the mage's unexpected arrival.

Kallyn's warning that perhaps she's not as alone out here as she looks is an arrow, whistling right past her to thunk into the ground at Larentia's forepaws. Blackfox does not move a muscle, staying so still and quiet as she watches from above.

"By the-," Kallyn starts, eyes widening in shock as she pulls back on the wolf's reins. The redhead glares southward, smokey eyes trying to find the exact source as she calls, "I'm just passing through, leave me be!" She doesn't leave it at that, though, of course. The mage urges Larentia westward, the wolf taking off as his rider starts concentrating on her left hand. Swords do no good against arrows, after all, and she may need a ranged attack to work with soon.

This time the hidden archer's arrow strikes home - glancing shot though it is, into Kallyn's calf. From the grasses comes a howl - not quite a wolf howl, but definitely a good imitation. A minute later, it's answered by several other howls.

Kallyn growls at that arrow. "Sandrim wasn't kidding about the wolf-man thing," she notes quietly to herself, "Fine. If they want to play, we'll play." She allows Laren to pick his own path, focusing her attention on her hand. She grunts loudly as she attempts to conjure forth a ball of flame...

... and it's a meager one. But it's fire! The girl throws it blindly in the direction she thinks the raiders are in as the pair continues to flee.

That howl seems to have called in some friends, because it's not one arrow streaking at Kallyn now, but four - and three of them strike home.

But that really isn't the worst of it. That fireball...the phrase 'spark in dry tinder' probably came from seeing things like a fireball in dry spring plains grasses. Although the fire is small, it shows promise toward becoming a good blaze fairly soon.

Out of all of the arrows that sink into her, it's the one in Kallyn's side that gets the biggest reaction. A loud, piercing scream of, "NO!" to be exact. She urges her mount on faster, forgetting about striking back in favor of getting away from her attackers and the possibility of a wildfire as quickly as she can. Larentia does his best to comply, although running does tend to tire one out.

Perhaps it is the smoke that stings her eyes or maybe the tears come from elsewhere as Blackfox takes careful aim. Swallowing hard, she lets loose a single arrow at the fleeing form of Kallyn, whispering softly under her breath, "I am sorry..."

One last arrow streaks toward Kallyn...but the raiders appear to have lost interest. From the surrounding grasses, wolfskin-clad raiders emerge...and they work on putting out that grass fire before it spread.

Fox's shot sinks into the mage's torso, causing a loud groan of pain although it doesn't manage to kill her. Kallyn clings onto her mount's fur for dear life as they continue to make westward, muttering softly to herself as tears of pain and sorrow stream down her face. The only thing keeping the battered and bleeding mage from weeping at this point is the fact that it will just make her pain worse.

Blackfox slowly makes her way down from the tree, careful not to attract the attention of the raiders as she melts back into the edge of the Verdigris. Quietly, she slips onto Velvel's back, taking the long way around to the north to avoid the men who douse the fire, looking to pick up Kallyn's trail further west.

Azure Steppes: Forest Edge (West) - 


 * Covered in waist-high, green-blue grass, from the Ashlands up to the Verdigris. Endlessly rolling hills give this place a deceptively placid appearance, but the tall, clinging grass and the utter lack of man-made paths make this rolling terrain exceedingly slow going. The vast expanse of sky is utterly uncluttered, here, stars shining brightly at night and the sun merciless during the day - with no trees, not a single line of shade exists anywhere to fend off the bright. Mice are common here, as are falcons, pheasants, and doves. In fact, the endless sea of grass is often broken by flights of birds feasting on grass seed and the other life hidden in its depths. Even the slightest breeze sets the land into motion, rippling and bending in never-ending waves to the kiss of moving air.


 * To the north, looming ever larger, the green canopy of the Verdigriss ancient forest is an ever-climbing horizon, while, to the south, the land slopes up into the rolling hills of the Steppes. The waist-high grass here is a thick tangle, making foot travel difficult, and galloping on horseback treacherous.


 * It is a cold late morning. A steady gentle breeze stirs over the land. A few wispy cirrus clouds streak the otherwise clear sky.

The redhead has managed to tumble from the saddle by the time Blackfox catches up, propped on her uninjured right knee and right arm at the river's shore. Kallyn is breathing heavily as Larentia whines and worries over her, and she has dunked her face into the flowing water to drink greedily. She lifts her head and blows the water from her nose. "Looks like... we lost 'em...," remarks the mage to her companion tiredly as bloodshot eyes look over the arrow shafts protruding from her body. A groan, and she just plops onto her right side, exhausted, bleeding, and very very unhappy.

Blackfox slips off of Velvel's back as the river comes into view, the trail of blood easy to follow. The great bow is still in hand, her finger curled lightly around the shaft of the arrow to keep it in place on the string. Leaving Velvel a short distance behind her, she approaches the downed mage with trepidation and no lack of her own sorrow. "You should let Larentia go now," she says softly.

The mage's head turns slowly, and she regards the huntress for a long moment, frowning at the bow. Kallyn lifts herself again, attempting to back away from Blackfox. There is no motion of retaliation, no indication that she intends to attack. Just fear, pain, and sorrow. "Please, just... just leave me be...," the girl asks, and while her face is too wet to tell, her voice gives away that she is again crying, "P-please, Blackfox..." Larentia, for his part, steps protectively towards the girl as she scoots rather pathetically.

Blackfox shakes her head, "I cannot," she replies, "I wish I could, but I gave my word. As much as I wished it otherwise, you have been lost to shadow and even now others from the empire hunt you down. Only they will not give you a quick death, and that is something I could not allow to happen. There are those who care for you who are forced to choose sides, and I told them I would give you a quick death if I could to spare you from the Lessening. No one should have to go through that, so please...let Larentia go and I promise you this will be quick."

Just within the water of the river is Kallyn, the human pincushion. There are no less than five arrows prodruding from her beaten and bloodied body: one from her left calf, one from the left side of her abdomen, two from her back, and one from her torso. The last looks to have narrowly missed killing the girl. She is propped up on her right arm and right knee, crying and frightened. Before her is her mount, Larentia, standing between she and Blackfox protectively. The huntress has her bow and an arrow in hand as the two women speak.

"L-Less-...," the mage girl starts, paling significantly, "That's... th-they can't, it's... it's illegal... it's /b-barbaric/...!" She continues to try scooting away from the other woman, the fear that has been growing within her beginning to make her shake. "Nihanin... I... I w-want to see him... b-before..." For the time being, she doesn't seem inclined to make Laren leave just yet.

Blackfox stands not so far away, her eyes filled with pain and sadness, "Aye," she says quietly, her throat tight, "That is what I said, and so I promised that if I came across you, I would grant you as swift a death as I could. But I cannot take you to Nihanin, for if I did so, they would take you and do horrible things and I cannot allow this. I am sorry, Kallyn, believe me I am, and I wish no harm to come to Larentia. You are in pain and I would end that as swiftly as I can for you."

Presumably quite some ways in the distance yet, the sizable form of a violet wolf runs on swift sleek paws through the forest towards where she last saw Blackfox, pink eyes shining as she lopes onward.

"P-please, there has... there has to be s-some way...," Kallyn continues to plead, "I've not f-fallen, I'm not... I w-wasn't m-myself, I've been trying so hard to make it b-better... I've t-tried to say I'm s-sorry, and... and I've been keeping my powers d-down since I w-was in the Silent F-forest unless I n-needed them... I'm t-trying, I'm getting better, I just need m-more time... There h-has to be s-some way..."

"Unless your empire changes their mind about declaring you a traitor and revoking your citizenship," Blackfox says, her tone gentle but pained, "Unless there is a way to make them stop hunting you so they can do horrible things before taking your life, then there is no way. You have been declared corrupt and exiled for what you have done, and I gave my word not to let you suffer or to bring pain to those who care for you by forcing them to do this...or worse, for them to /watch/ you suffer at the empire's hands. Please...send Larentia away so that I will not have to take her life as well."

The purple wolf nears, beginning to reach the edge of the forest- and upon dimly glimpsing some of this scene? She speeds up, running at her full pace, though she doesn't bark to announce her coming.

"Help me," Kallyn replies, her voice's pitch rising as she tries to suppress her fear, "The Empire's n-not... not entirely familiar with the Wilds, I j-just... I just need places to h-hide from them... Th-they can't h-hurt what they can't f-find..." The idea is presented in desperation, the mage girl grasping for any way to put off the inevitable. As for Larentia, she does finally decide that it's the wolf's time to go. "Laren... I don't want you getting hurt, head... h-head back to the Refuge. Go home, boy, I'll... I'll figure something out..." The wolf whines at her and hesitates, before going up to her and licking the mage's face. A sorrowful chuckle and she kisses his muzzle. "Love you, too, Larentia. Now go on." The timber wolf starts northward, leaving Kallyn with no cover to protect her from Blackfox's arrows. Although he does bark at the approaching Meain-wolf.

Blackfox nods as the wolf lopes off, raising her bow and pulling the string back to her jaw, lining up the shot. "I cannot say how sorry I am," she says quietly, tears running down her cheeks. "Light keep you, Kallyn, and grant you the peace and mercy you deserve."

And with those words, she looses the arrow from the string, praying softly that it finds its mark and ends things quickly for the rogue mage.

"Wait!" roars the wolf as she nears, leaping (though likely too slow to delay that shot) to take up the spot vacated now by Larentia. Her violet fur nearly bristles, the thin steel quills atop her neck standing straight up and eyes outright glowing. That voice is a distorted rasp, but it aims for commanding with more strength than its normal timber could muster. "Do I not deserve last words to her!"

Although Meian's cry is too late to stop the arrow from its flight, it is enough to cause Blackfox to jerk the bow to one side so that the shot goes wide, the arrow lost in the Jadesnake...

Kallyn tenses, letting out a weak squeak as that arrow shoots past her. Smokey eyes are wide with shock, the mage's entire body shaking violently at the near-death. She's barely there enough to even notice Meian, let alone say anything to her. The redhead just shakes there, trying to regather her wits as more tears stream down her face.

Blackfox looks over at Meian, the huntress clearly distraught but determined, "I...I promised Celeste..." she says softly.

"I am the one she tried to kill," the beast snarls. "Not Celeste." Pink eyes close, and after a moment where silhouetted edges blur and melt eye-twistingly Meian stands in the wolf's place. "And I am already a murderer, Blackfox, and you are not. Why bloody your hands? Mine already can't be washed off." She turns then, moving to cross to Kallyn's side and kneel. "...Have you repented?"

"Mei... M-Meian...," the girl manages to mutter as her eyes regain their sight. Kallyn breathes deeply, trying to ward off the panic, trying to make her brain process what is going on. She looks to the other mage, her crying turning to sobbing in spite of the pain it causes her, "Meian, I..." She holds out an arm, as though to embrace the other girl, her words starting to come out in a rushed stammer, "I'm s-sorry, I'm s-so sorry... My friend, m-my... I'm a m-monster, p-please, please forgive me... I've b-been trying so h-hard t-to get better, I really have..."

This scene happens to be taking place at the river's shore (practically in the river). Kallyn is bleeding and quite obviously terrified, five arrows protruding from her body. Meian has just turned from wolf form to address her. A sorrowful Blackfox holds her bow nearby. Larentia, the wolf, has gone off northward.

Blackfox stands back quietly, head bowed but still out of age-old habit, another arrow has been nocked to the string as the two women speak.

One white hand reaches to the kukri sheathed at her side, Meian drawing it in silence. The sunlight glitters off the steel, and with her expression very remote, the druid looks down at Kallyn for a lengthy wordless moment. "Are you better, Kallyn Lake? Will you let me kill you?" The knife lowers, slowly, descending toward the fallen mage's neck.

Its not the Bloodstone that first exits the ruined building, but Crimson. Its clear that the wolf smells the blood in the air, and the red furred mount gives a looks that might be considered confusion. Moments later a shaggy, beared, and hooded form exits that open doorway. The wolf rider has either become a bit more intouch with his primal side, or he just enjoys being dirty. "What do you smell?" he asks the wolf. To answer that very question, he follows Crimson's line of sight to the scene near the river. Confusion also falls over the man as he simply looks on.

Fighting instinct is exceedingly difficult. Kallyn shies away from that blade, afraid. The girl isn't ready to die, but neither is she willing to fight. "I-I...," she starts, trying to fight back the fear that threatens to crush her heart, "I'm s-scared..." Again, her voice's pitch had risen as she looks up to Meian.

Blackfox looks over her shoulder as she hears the wolf and Bloodstone, holding out a hand to indicate he should keep his distance, "Let them settle this," she says softly.

Meian doesn't seem to notice Bloodstone or his wolf yet, due to either distance or her single-minded focus on Kallyn. "Close your eyes," she says softly to the other mage, the hand not grasping her kukri reaching up to touch the red hair. "Close your eyes and trust me, Kallyn, and it won't be so bad. Can you do that?"

Bloodstone shrugs, hardly leaving the doorway while keeping a hand on Crimson to mske sure the wolf doesn't get any ideas to investigate further. "Not my problem, so do whatever needs to be done. But I'm not cleaning up the mess." he grunts without much inflection of compassion or concern.

"T-tell me that you forgive me," Kallyn replies, eyes not leaving the other girl's, "J-just, please, say that you forgive me first..." The shaking starts to slowly subside as she slowly comes to terms with what is happening.

Larentia, tail and head both drooping, alters course as Crimson and Bloodstone appear; the wolf comes over to them as if it were a prodigal returning home.

Blackfox simply nods then, watching and waiting.

"I forgive you," whispers Meian softly, still meeting Kallyn's gaze as she aims to lower the tip of steel to flesh and slice, cutting a slender red line from one side of her neck to the other. And then her head bows and she whispers something even more lowly, a bare hint of sound.

Meian whispers, "Kallyn Lake is now dead. Float away and become someone else, my friend."

The wolf rider watches what appears to be from his point of view and distance, an execution. Though, it doesn't seem to faze him so much as the approaching wolf looks to garner more of his attention than anything else. Crimson too, now has his attention diverted, his ears and eyes cantering toward Larentia while his body language gives off a welcoming posture. Bloodstone nods politely to the other wolf, keeping an eye on the three humans.

Larentia pads over to Crimson and Bloodstone, and sinks down at Bloodstone's feet, head on his forepaws. Sad wolf.

"Thank you," Kallyn replies softly, smiling. Is it sad, but... the fear has left. The redhead's eyes drift shut and she lets out a slow breath, at peace with her fate. The cut causes a small flinch, bleeding a bit as the mage utters a soft prayer to the Light and calmly awaits the end.

Blackfox bows her head and whispers a prayer of her own as Velvel moves up to her side, the huntress laying her arm around her wolf's neck.

With a soft grunt, Meian braces her feet against the riverside and aims to push Kallyn's body fully out into the river, so she can float away as the blood leaks from her neck. "Light guard you," the girl says so softly, then closing her eyes.

Kneeling down, Bloodstone rests a hand on Larentia's head and rubs inbetween the wolf's ears with a gloved hand. Doesn't look like he really needs to say anything at the moment, his invisible gaze looking now upon the floating body. He does however grunt something rather wolfish, and whatever it was makes Crimson turn about and sit on his other side.

Jaw tight, Blackfox raises her bow again, looking down the arrow's shaft as Kallyn is pushed out into the river. The arrowhead glints in the sun, razor sharp edges catching the light as the metal almost kisses the wood of the bow.

Meian remains where she is at the river's edge, head bowed, eyes closed and slim shoulders slumped. A thin sliver of blood still coats the edge of her kukri, forgotten and unnoticed.

"Well, thats that." Bloodstone says, giving the other wolf one more pat before getting back up to his feet. Another look from the two to the floating body. Not much more than that.

"Nay, I am sorry, but it is not," Blackfox says softly, "I gave my word." Tear still stinging her eyes, she fires one last shot at the body before it vanishes into the Jadesnake.

"What-" Meian's eyes flash open at the sound of a bowstring's snap, and she startles to her feet, turning a disbelieving stare to Blackfox. But she says nothing else, quiet shame and defiance mingled on her expression as her gaze falls to the ground.

"Huh...like she was not dead enough." Bloodstone notes rather cryptically, still disspassionate about what he's seen. An idle glance down at Crimson, and it could be suggested theres some kind of unspoken dialouge being exchanged between the two. Then again it could just be that wolf rider is staring at his mount, who knows.

As a /sixth/ arrow sinks into her, Kallyn clenches her jaw, tightens her throat, and fights hard to continue playing dead. That /hurt/, but perhaps the others will think Fox's arrow did the job? Regardless, she takes in a breath before her face is submerged. If the Shadow can just cut her this /one/ break...

Blackfox looks grimly out onto the water, another arrow already nocked as she searches for a target, "You would make a liar and an oathbreaker out of me," she says softly, her quiet voice rife with pain. "And you might wish to consider a new home if the raiders are not swift enough, Bloodstone, for she has set the plains afire with her magic."

As Kallyn's body is carried by the river, she opens her eyes. She's in a lot of pain and very poor health... but she's alive for the time being. She waits a while and then lets the air out of her lungs, as one might if they could hold their breath no longer and were to drown, and relaxes, allowing the river to take her where it will.