Ridahne gave him a dark, sardonic laughter. She knew all too well how fruitless the search was for the Gardener, though in the back of her mind she had a growing feeling like she [I]had[/I] found her. But that wasn't important right now. Right now, she had rats to deal with. She found their presence irritating and insulting and she did not like the way he spoke to her, nor did she appreciate that Luke person shuffling around behind her. He'd have to be the first to go. But more than that, she knew deep down in her core that these people needed to die. They were evil in a way she'd never quite felt before.

"Didn't mean to upset me? You did a piss poor job of that. I would think that if you 'meant no offense' you'd have picked up on my warnings to BACK OFF." She took a step forward towards Mark. "That lad's got nothing to do with you. But you've got a score to settle with ME. I did warn you. You should have listened." She took another step forward, raising her blade just a little, and this accomplished exactly what she wanted. Behind her, Luke decided to make his move and the moment she heard the ring of steel being drawn, she feigned a move forward and instead doubled back with her knife, stabbing the man in the chest. Blood gushed. Her hand and blade came away bright, wet red. She heard the barman exclaim something from where he'd been watching from the kitchen door, but her eyes were only for the two left. 

Mark reeled back as Sarah reached for her own weapon. There was no way she'd have time to string her bow if Ridahne decided to focus on her, which she appeared to, so she had to improvise. She grabbed an arrow and tried to stab with it, but Ridahne saw the move coming and slashed at it with her knife, snapping the wood in two cleanly. Ridahne reached behind her and drew her sword, the longer, elegant blade glinting in the sunlight through the windows. Mark lunged, now with a knife of his own, but Ridahne was ready for him. She swung out with her sword, the blade singing like a nightingale as it slapped his away; his blade was nicked, but hers remained whole and sharp. Then Sarah was on her again, one hand wrapped around another arrow and the other around a very small boot knife. Surely, the two thought, they could best her if they worked together.

But they did not know Ridahne. 

She parried a few blows from each of them, one with each hand, and then struck out with her sword to smoothly and cleanly cleave Sarah's knife-bearing hand off. The flesh dropped to the wood floor with a wet smack and Sarah reeled back, struggling to find her breath. A quick swipe of Ridahne's knife, and she struggled a little harder. Blood streamed down a deep cut in her throat, and she dropped. Ridahne rounded on Mark, who looked decidedly less confident than he had before. He backed up a step, but Ridahne followed. She was spattered with blood, including her inked face, and the expression on her face was somewhere between a smile and a snarl. It was the look of a hungry wolf cornering her prey. She advanced on him as he continued to move back until he felt the wall behind him. She had him cornered. 

"They never listen," she growled ominously. "I told you to leave us alone. I told you I'd take a hand. Did you listen?" She shook her head and came a step closer. "No, of course not. You picked the wrong person to fight, Mark." Her voice was low, barely above a whisper. "I am Ridahne. I am fire and I am stone. I am your death." A quick swing with her sword and Mark's head thudded to the floor, followed by the rest of him. 

The barman had sent for the constable during all this commotion, and it was at this moment that the man finally arrived. He bust open the front door, causing the elf warrior to wheel around, dark hair flinging around her and sticking to her face where it was spattered by blood. The portly man's mouth dropped. He was used to tavern brawls and drunken disputes, maybe some theft, but not...this. The woman before him was sleek and dangerous, and the blood made her look downright crazed. "I..." he sputtered, unsure of what to do. What was he going to do, arrest her?
"They attacked first." She wiped her knife clean on Mark's pant leg and sheathed it, though she kept her sword out. "Stand aside." 
The man fumbled. "Um..." 
"I don't like having to repeat myself, Constable. Don't test me, I won't ask again." The man immediately stepped aside and Ridahne pushed past him, running off in the direction of the stables to find Darin.