[center][abbr= E S K A N D R   |   R A N G E R   |   # B 1 E E E A][img]https://i.ibb.co/JKR1YZD/629981d22811d2.png[/img][/abbr][/center][hr][indent][indent][indent][indent][indent][indent][indent][indent][color=#B1EEEA]L O C A T I O N[/color]             |     The Witch Woods
[color=#B1EEEA]I N T E R A C T I O N[/color]    |     Kol, Death’s Hand [@Th3King0fChaos]; Mentions of Nettle [@A Lowly Wretch][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][hr]Where Kol’s heavily armored form left its mark upon landing, Vali left nothing; his feet were light upon the ground, barely-there as he pulled the energy from the movement, practically instinct by now. His eyes scanned the cliff before them, senses reaching out with the Gift for any sign of danger among the rocks. Though these steep walls would make good shelter for seabirds, there were few that remained; with the scent of blood and storm on the wind, a few more dove, wings sweeping the air as they cawed raucously over the waves. He felt rather than saw them vanish into the darkening air, eyes already scaling the stone. 

[color=Crimson]"Brother, go an take this group and scout ahead. Any hidden mages or groups will need to be dealt with."[/color]

Vali turned towards Kol, lips curving in a predatory grin. His blue-green eyes looked past the king, towards the men he was being given, and the ranger nodded sharply. [color=#B1EEEA]”Better climb quickly, Brother, or there’ll be nothing left for you,”[/color] he replied, gaze locking with the Death’s Hand. He slung his bow around his chest, seeing many of his rangers doing similar, and jogged towards the cliffside. 

Looking to either side as his small force lined up against the stone, Vali barked out, [color=#B1EEEA]”Quick, but quiet! We don’t want to startle our prey.”[/color] He reached up, fingers digging into the rough stone, and began the ascent. Though Vali was known for using his Gift to sense and track while softening his movements, he was no stranger to climbing. More often trees than cliffs, but the strength was there—and was boosted by his Gift, letting him move a little faster and reach a little farther. He pulled a little ahead of his followers, though many of them were capable of similar feats.

Vali reached the clifftop and pulled himself over, staying low to the ground as he reached his Gift out across the small bit of open land that rested between the cliffs and the forest. There was nothing in that grass, the only nearby movement that of rangers pulling themselves over the cliffside onto their feet or their bellies, staying low and watching Vali for a sign. 

[color=#B1EEEA]”If they’re hiding, it’ll be in the woods. Spread out, but stay within sight of someone else. Kill any stragglers, but hold off on attacking anything larger than us,”[/color] he ordered, voice low as the Eskandr around him nodded. They crept forward, low but swift, crossing the grass and road into the first brambles of the Witch Woods. The mists of Eskand were at their back, but rain began to pour heavily upon them as they made it to the shelter of the trees. 

The woods seemed to grow dark and darker still, and Vali halted. Was it a trick of his eyes, or some unknown Gift at work? 

He breathed out, closing his eyes and reaching. It was faint, here at the edge of the woods, but the trees moved more than the should—swaying softly to and fro in the winds, but moving [i]upward[/i] too, it seemed. The forest was thickening like something from a story meant to scare children.

His eyes scanned to the right and found the ranger on that side had paused, watching him. Vali gestured over him, and the woman on his left. As they neared, he stated quietly, [color=#B1EEEA]”The trees are not with us in these woods. Best not to climb them.”[/color] The pair watched him for a moment, glanced toward each other, and then nodded. The picked their ways through the bracken to either side, to pass the message along. 

Vali continued forward, awareness spreading around him like a pool of water. He could feel the ripples of his own force. Occasionally, he would sense something else—some small group of fighters, perhaps lookouts or perhaps those who had simply strayed from the herd. Twice he saw them with his own eyes and twice ended them with his own arrows, but others were taken out further down the line. 

The magic seemed to grow, much like the trees, as they made it deeper into the forest. The rain still poured, dampened by the canopy but seeming to only grow heavier. The ground was wet with every step now, but Vali did not splash in the rivulets that ran beneath him. He felt as though he could hear [i]singing[/i], just on the edge of awareness, but it was too hard to tell with the noise of the rain. 

He sensed the edges of the encampment long before he would’ve been able to see them, and paused the advance once more. Pulling his flanks in, he explained the plan that would be passed down the line to either side. 

They were to circle the force, staying hidden within the trees. Once the ends were in place, they would give a signal—following Vali’s own, the rangers were to open fire on the camp, staying hidden and staying in motion. The goal was to harry and confuse them, using illusions if anyone was skilled, and keep them guessing as to how many were here and on the attack. Keep them occupied and uncertain until Kol’s men—who Vali was sure would not be far behind—arrived and started the fight in earnest. 

If the senses of the force in the Witch Woods were not keen, the only warning they may have would be a few seconds of birdsong before the rangers attacked; some might realize this was strange in such a storm, or that the birds were not native to Relouse but rather to the lands far south—but noticing this would only give them a moment to brace. 

[hider=Posting Information]
Vali and a force of ranged fighters are going to begin an attack on the force in the Witch Woods. NPCs are attacking from every direction, maybe with the use of the Gift. 

These secondaries are open for attacking, fighting, and killing as you see fit. 

Message or @ me if you want to discuss interaction (direct or indirect!) with Vali![/hider]