Perhaps Arassel may have imitated the Drabarian, swinging up into the branches of a stout tree to hide from the incoming beasts, perhaps she may have pulled back her bowstring in anticipation or hidden within some dense foliage, if not for two important things.

The first of these was that she had known the Gnolls were coming their way at least since entering the boundaries of the forest, not so much hearing them as [i]smelling[/i] them – they smelt rancid, their distinctive tang causing her nose to wrinkle, like sweat mingled with wet canine. 

She had pondered as to why it had taken Jex so long to react to what was such an unusual presence within an otherwise Eden-like place, considering that maybe he was just not as attuned to his surroundings as someone who had spent more-or-less their entire extended life in a forest or forest-like environment, watching him slither upward to a safer point with some amusement on her face.

Why had she not bothered to tell the others about this potentially deadly threat? Mostly because she knew they were mercenaries, so-called professional warriors and killers, and if they needed her to tell them that they were being tracked by baying 'dogs' then they deserved to let themselves die here. Here, where the forest would grow from what remains the Gnolls did not devour.

The second reason for her lack of real nerves or even precaution against the forthcoming enemy was that she was, and had been since they had entered the forest, travelling in amongst the canopy of the forest. Indeed, it was often seen as something superhuman by those not of Elven blood, being able to leap with the athleticism of an acrobat between trees, barely needing to touch one branch or the next to propel oneself here an there.

Nevertheless she did freeze where she was, instantly seeming as if every one of her muscles had seized up, her half-crouched form blending nicely with the surrounding leaves and spattering of the suns rays peeking between the gaps. 

One hand gripped the bow gently in one hand, the other leisurely resting by her side, oh how she hoped to use it soon...