The man's eyes widened slightly at the mayor's information, and then at Narda's axe as she thumbed it. Ysaryn could smell the fear spilling off him; such a foul scent that she twitched her nose and exhaled. "Uh. Sh-she..." He stammered. "People who c-can ... care f-for her. Her ... "
He looked to Daryll as he questioned the girl's name. "N-not my daughter. But yes. My wife's girl." Ysaryn inhaled again, the coughed. The noise made the man jump, his beady eyes wandering her curiously, taking in her details. Her swords, her ears, the strange colour of her eyes. And when she grinned, those teeth! He took a step back. "She needs uh ... uh ... a specialist."

Ysaryn wasn't sure what this word meant here in this context. 'Specialist'. But the manor in which he said it made her skin crawl. "You are to give her up?" She questioned sharply, brow furrowing. That horrible scent met her nostrils again. "Good. We are to take her. Yes?" She asked, looking around to Daryll.

[hr]


"First sign. We promise." Ruli agreed with a nod.
Envy, hearing the two, inhaled, determined. "I want to court Narda properly." He confessed suddenly. Ruli chuckled. "I'll need pointers."
"Not now, Envy." Ruli said gently. "When we're back. We'll see about wooing your woman."
Envy squeezed his hands, squared his shoulders, and stepped with Ruli as they moved into the woods. 

It was warm as the desert fell around them again. Ruli welcomed it despite its strange origin, his skin welcoming the arid heat like an old friend. To his right, he heard Gavin offer his eyes to Envy, and while he didn't hear any sort of answer from the elf in return, he felt Envy shift as they walked. 

Then the singing started. Ruli furrowed his brow and suddenly remembered this morning, when he'd been woken before the sun had risen by the same sound. It was like a lullaby, but slower. More somber. 
A dirge. 
He remembered sitting up for hours, which explained the soreness of his back, and hated that he hadn't been laying down beside Kire, who had joined him because she needed him for comfort. Was she annoyed that he hadn't slept? Why didn't he feel more tired? Nothing around him made sense. He could still [i]feel[/i] Envy and Kire's hands in his own, but couldn't see him. It wasn't quite the same as the empty blackness of the shadows. Somehow, it was bright. Warm. As if he were standing in the middle of a sandstorm. But no sand ate at his skin. No wind howled. 

"Gavin!?" He heard Envy shout, and the yank as the Kartaian moved suddenly. Ruli shouted back, grasping for the elf, yanking hard enough on Kire's arm to yank her near off her feet. His fingers wrapped around a bony wrist, and he pulled. "Back!" He shouted to Kire. He hoped she, at least, could see. Or that Gavin could, on Envy's other side. 

Only, when they retreated and the fog fell from around Ruli's mind, the music going quiet again-
Envy was gone.

Gavin's wrist was in his grasp, the Kartaian no where to be found. Not even his footprints in the dirt leading out. Only in. "Envy?" Ruli shouted, dropping both Gavin and Kire to spin around, looking back toward the forest. "Envy!?" 
Raising his arms, he ran his fingers through his hair and turned on Gavin. "[i]What did you do!?[/i]" He snarled, eyes wide in panic. "Envy!" He shouted again, pacing a few feet one way, than the other, wanting to go back into the forest to find his friend. 

[i]Maybe he panicked and left.[/i] Ruli couldn't breathe. He inhaled and vanished, appearing inside Narda's home, circling, rushing outside and into the garden, looking for any sign. Then to the Tower. Anywhere Envy would know to Walk to. Would he know to walk through the gate? Or how to find it? Ruli bolted through the Tower, almost leaping through the gate. No Envy there, either. No where in the tunnels. Back through the gate, to the camp, shouting for his friend, before he went back to where he'd left Kire and Gavin. "[i]Envy[/i]!" He shouted, voice echoing against the unnatural trees. 
[i]He's got to be in here.[/i] Ruli stared at the woods, breathing hard, pulse racing, then started running for them.