The woman's smile stretched only a hair further at Whitetail's request. The first was fairly expected, but the second was surprising. Perhaps he was brighter than the others of his kind she'd dealt with. That was good, she always enjoyed a challenge. Out of slight respect for the intelligence of his request, she gave him what he'd requested. 

[color=ed1c24][i][b]"We are the Blood Vines, and I am Keelie, the warlord. And we are not your mother's captors, merely her masters. She is here, willingly, to pay for her mate's debt, for it was her servitude, or his blood."[/b][/i][/color]

As Whitetail enrobed himself in his wings, Keelie followed suit by crossing her arms, though her predatory gaze never lessened. Her smile, however, became a bit more jovial now. This relaxation led to an immediate response from her people, who immediately took up a defensive perimeter. The mountain of a man looked down at her, awaiting instruction. [color=9e0b0f][i][b]"Gerhein, it seems we have a few unwanted guests, due east. Bring them to me, it is nearly meal time. Keep them alive, for now." [/b][/i][/color]

The large man nodded, and slipped into the shadows of the trees, much more stealthily than one might think possible of a man his size. The woman sat down, legs crossed, gesturing to Whitetail to do the same, across from her. Her playful expression continued to study him, in silence for a while. 

The Treggers began shifting nervously, glancing about them, while Vegarra continued peering through the darkness of the copse. She could only make out slight movement, from the Screamers, not the gargoyles. The Lieutenant wished to be closer, in order to hear the conversation at hand. She found it hard to believe that Whitetail would be a traitor. It seemed more likely that he was being coerced, and probably didn't know about the Screamers until their arrival. 

[color=0072bc]"Down!"[/color]

Vegarra flattened herself to the ground, an instant before a massive axe-head sliced above her, taking a few stray hairs as payment. She'd never seen a weapon so large move so fast. She immediately picked herself up to a crouch, and rolled forward, trying to get out of range of the unknown assailant. Her long swords were drawn, as her eyes took in the massive, tattooed Screamer. The Tregger brothers, completely identical save for their weapons of choice, were being forced back. Royce and his large, curved knives were struggling under the weight of the giant axe, while Talif and his maces were being fought off easily with a single gauntlet covered hand. She'd never seen the Treggers at a disadvantage before, and they were known for taking down entire raiding parties of Screamers. She silently circled around the man, knowing that the longer this fight lasted, the worse it would be for the three of them. Charging forward at the man's back, both swords slashing, one for hamstrings, the other for the ribs, Vegarra hoped to end it quickly.

She just barely had enough time to pull the swords in defensively as the massive leg kicked out from the giant, the massive boot crushing the swords against her chest, and throwing her several yards off her feet. The landing on her back, knocked the breath from her lungs and stunned her for a moment. In that moment, she watched as the Screamer cuffed Talif, knocking him out. Royce quickly followed suit. Why wasn't he killing them? By the time she managed to get to her feet, a large, metal fist rocked against the side of her head, and her world went black. 

Keelie's smile brightened, as if she knew that Gerhein's mission was already successful. [color=ed1c24][i][b]"Now, down to business, for that is what we are, Whitetail. Businessmen. You should know by now that I have no need to sell your mother to you, and while she may not be very useful to me now, I could always sell her to someone else. Her fate is really no skin off my nose. So what is she worth to you, Whitetail?"[/b][/i][/color] She didn't bother looking up as Gerhein dragged the three Ebon Knights into their little clearing, and deposited them roughly to the side. Immediately other Screamers set about relinquishing them of their weapons, and tying them to the trees.