They moved as silently as they could through the underbrush but Ridahne, both elvish and trained in stealth, felt like each of Darin's footfalls was a crashing sound and she couldn't help but cringe. That couldn't be helped though...except maybe Ridahne might have to give sneaking lessons in the future. It would have all kinds of uses and appli--

[I]SNAP.[/I]

Ridahne whirled, her amber eyes catching a glimmer of light as they peered out from under her dark hood. Her glare was sharper than broken glass but it was short-lived; their quarry had noticed and there was no use berating the human for her misstep. 

"Ey, James!" Came a hoarse whisper, though Ridahne's sharp ears could still hear him. "Didja hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"Whoever put out this fire's still here I think..." 
Both men halted, listening, but Ridahne and Darin had halted for a moment. The elf was waiting for the right moment to 'strike' and she might learn something from their talk. The second man stirred first. "Forget that, Dax. Look at this horse! And that saddle...bet they're worth a penny!"
Dax stared out into the gloom but he saw nothing. "James I think we should go..." 
"It looks elvish...blimey James, this might be one of them desert horses. Pull yourself together and get your axe out while I grab 'em." James reached for Tsura's reins and the horse neighed and snorted and pulled away. He cooed softly to the animal in hopes of calming it, but Tsura was better trained than that. 

Ridahne gave the tiniest breath of a sigh and shook her head like she had expected better of them. One of them at least had the sense to be concerned and the other one knew nothing of Azurei horses. Well, it seemed her moment had come. The elf held up a finger and told Darin to wait a moment while she crept forward and around a bit. Behind her, Mitaja circled the other direction and together they flanked the two bandits. This seemed like they'd done it a thousand times, though usually the target was a deer or the spry goats that lived near sheer walls and cliffs. They moved as one, not in sync but in harmony. 

James figured if he couldn't get the horse to come willingly, he'd at least get that saddle. It was well made and the bags were packed full of who knew what. He bent down and hefted it up, though as he straightened and looked up to what was just moments before empty forest, he saw a dark shape rimmed in moonlight. 
"Take that saddle and I'll take a hand." As if to punctuate this sentiment, she tilted her knife so it caught the dim light and flashed white against the blackness. 
James stumbled back, wondering where on earth she had come from. He might have thought her some kind of forest sprite or something if it weren't for the very corporeal horse and saddle and the remains of the fire, which all seemed too...mundane for a sprite. 

Dax whirled and charged at her with the butt of his axe; he didn't really want to kill anyone if he could help it, but he wasn't above knocking someone about. His brave charge backfired however, as Ridahne kicked backward at just the right moment to send her foot into the man's stomach. He dropped, gasping. Ridahne looked back to James. "I said drop that saddle or you'll taste steel. I won't ask again." He did, immediately. "On the ground next to your friend. Any sudden move and I'll liberate one of your fingers. And you won't like which one I take. Clear?" He nodded fearfully and hunched beside a groaning Dax.

One of the first things Ridahne had learned was that sometimes a fight could be altogether avoided if the right manipulation was used. Make the opponent feel outclassed and they usually surrendered either more quickly or right away. Fear and a little dose of mysticism went a long way in deescalating conflict. At home she was taught to use the warping of light from heat waves, dust storms, and the glare of the sun to make a dramatic appearance or exit, or to confuse the target. Here, she had darkness. Her performance finished, she signaled Darin to join them. Mitaja stepped into the light, her greenish gold eyes glittering dangerously. The men gasped, and were even more astounded to see that this creature answered to the shadowy woman.