It didn't take too long for Akella and the Lady Snow to come across the marching guardsmen, and the imprisoned civilians they had with them. It seemed as though the other peasants in the vicinity were either doing their best to ignore the marching group, or unduly fascinated by it in a way that they'd likely regret later on; Snow herself seemed to be very uncomfortable with the situation, at least in the first moment of glancing at it, but then deliberately turned her horse away, putting on a cool facade as she began to ride off. Akella, by contrast, could not bring herself to just leave. These people... she tried to tell herself that, maybe they were all criminals, maybe they deserved this. But that was surely impossible; at least a third of the village's people were being herded like animals, to who knows what fate, and nobody was doing a thing about it! This could not, would not-!

'Akella, let's go.'

The Lady's voice in her ear made her jump a little, and she turned to her employer, who by now had erased any trace of upset from her features. The mercenary gritted her teeth, and tried to appeal to the noblewoman's better nature: 'This is barbaric. We can't just stand by, surely?'

'This is not our concern. It's not our [i]job[/i] to be concerned.' Her voice was as cold as her features.

'Then whose is it?' Akella replied, anger starting to tint her voice. 'There's no way something like this is going to end well, and I can't in good conscience do nothing about it.' For a moment, the Lady seemed cowed, bowing her head and once more showing what seemed to be distress, only to raise her head again, herself angered... but not with the events unfolding before them.

'What do you think you'll accomplish? Hm?' the Lady asked. 'Judging by the numbers here, there are probably guards all over the village. Are you planning to fight [i]all[/i] of them, Akella? Is that your plan?'

'If I have to.'

'You will [i]die trying.[/i] You are not one of those heroes from legend. Maybe you think otherwise, but you are [i]mortal.[/i] You are a [i]mercenary.[/i] You would do well to remember that, and you would do well to remember that you've been hired to [i]protect me,[/i] not anyone ELSE.'

In truth, and even as she glanced to the crowd and back, Akella knew the noble was right. It wasn't her job to fight in larger battles; it wasn't her job to try and protect the larger mass of life, but those who could pay her. Such was the lot of a mercenary.

...and it was the job of the guards to protect said life. When they failed to do their jobs, who else could?

'Hide somewhere.'

'...pardon you?' Lady Snow asked, mildly incredulous.

'Find somewhere to hide, and stay there until I come back for you.' She turned her horse, and began following after the crowd, staying out of sight of the guards as she moved.

'...are you joking? Akella... Akella!'

Akella had stopped listening. If the Lady would not let her take this detour, she would have to go against orders for once. It seemed like the crowd was moving toward the town center, as a general rule; if whatever was happening would take place there, then she'd be there too, no matter what.