Blackfridayrule

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Ridahne shook her head. "I did not mean performance that way. I meant you performed your task well. And yes, that includes a little theatrics, but more than that. I think you handled it well. Still..." she sighed, a smile playing at her lips, "I would have liked to leave more than just a scar...but I'm not sure how you do such things in your lands. Either way, they will now have to find themselves clothes and food somehow, and two naked men with cuts across their chests do not get to casually pass through a town without explanation. They will not have so easy a time gambling when they have clearly lost everything they have."

Ridahne laughed about the underwear and shrugged, sheathing her knives behind her back with a practiced skill and grace equal to a highborn lady pouring a cup of tea. "I don't know, burn it, leave it. It wasn't for you but for their shame. But that knife will be good for you. I know you've got one, and you have a sickle, but whoever made that knife at least had some idea of what they were doing. Take it and leave behind your other knife, unless it holds some meaning to you. I suggest you find a way to conceal that one. It is good to have one weapon visible and another secret. The visible one has advantages of intimidation, but if it's ever taken from you, not many will suspect you are still armed. Secrets like those will keep you alive. We can get some leather and sinew and I can teach you how to make a blade harness like mine."

Ridahne lifted her shirt a bit to reveal the worn leather straps that fitted her like her own skin. The leather was smoothed with wear and dark with sweat, but for the most part it moved with her and under loose clothing made her concealed blades (which were not small) quite hidden. She had scars on her torso, too. Two looked like blade marks, and one on her back was wide and blotchy and could not have been made by a blade. "There are other ways too, like hiding them in your boot. But that's an old trick and the harness is an Azurei secret."

Ridahne looked up at the sky and nodded. She hadn't really gotten much in the way of sleep, but she wasn't feeling worse for wear so she didn't mind pressing on. Besides, she was anxious to see the tree, too. It felt like something she had to do and it was best to get it over with. So they packed up camp, mounted up, and rode on at an easy pace. The Tree was not far, and they would reach it in just a couple hours.

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Ridahne listened and nodded once very slowly, her eyes cold as she still stared at the men. The ruse they were playing at was only half false--Ridahne did want to give Darin the last word. Partly, she wanted to see what kind of person she was, what she would do in that moment under pressure. It would be good for the girl to make some tough choices but also to take responsibility for her new position. The human never wanted it, that much was clear. But Ridahne knew without a doubt that it was her duty to make sure she was one day ready to take it in full. Ridahne was not her mother and would not decide things for her, but she would advise as best she could.

"Good. A just choice. Come! Let me look at you fools." Ridahne threw back her hood; her dark hair streamed out and caught faintly in the dim light from above. Her tattooed marks lined her narrow face gave her a wild, fierce look. And both Dax and James knew in that moment that they beheld death herself. This was no Azurei elf, this was a spirit of death in the flesh. They both shuddered as she drew her second knife from behind her back, and though Darin knew about the blade harness she wore, to the men it seemed like the weapon appeared out of nowhere. She used them to lift their shirts a bit, or to tilt their heads from side to side. They followed her every unspoken command like slaves enthralled.

Ridahne laughed, and the sound of it was cold. "Seems they've done well for themselves as horse thieves. You've got yourself a fine set of clothes here, Martin. Go on boys, take them off." They hesitated only slightly, but slowly peeled off their shirts. When Ridahne did not step away or look appeased, they took their pants off too and were left shivering in their skivvies. A cold smile spread on the elf's lips. "Well. Go on." The men blanched. She couldn't have been serious...but then one look into those eyes and they knew she meant it. Slowly they stripped down until they wore nothing but their skin and made pathetic attempts to cover themselves.

Ridahne finally lowered her blades, but she did not put them away. "Good. Now understand something, Dax and James. My apprentice here is kindhearted. But where I'm from, the price for horse theft is a hand. The dominant hand. And you can be thankful that you aren't in my land. But you still have to reckon with me. And I am not so kind. My apprentice does not wish to see you crippled and I did put your fate in his hands." She leaned in and whispered to them, "But there are other ways..." She leaned back and with mirrored strokes of her blades she cut expertly across their bare chests. The wounds were not deep and would not require stitches to heal, but they were long and would scar, and little rivulets of blood trickled gently down their fronts.

The elf cleaned her blades in the grass with routine efficiency. The men had not the time to scream, but now they were gasping for air in their shock and fear. They had brushed with death and come away breathing.
"We'll go... please..." Dax pleaded.
Ridahne turned on him, her gaze heavy. "Yes. You will. And that cut will serve to remind you of this night. But I have one more question of you. Have you no remorse? Do you not feel the will of the tree pressing down against your wickedness?"
Dax blinked. "Uh..."
"Answer me truthfully."
"Erm...well a little. But not...not much?"

Ridahne was trained well and did not show any of her thoughts on her face, but she was deeply troubled by this news. The tree was already failing in its influence on Astra. And it would only get worse with time. She lifted her blades again. "Turn around. Walk. And if you trouble anyone on the road again, and I hear of it, it won't be just your hands I'll be having. GO." And with that the two naked men went sprinting off into the darkness feeling more fearful and shaken than they ever had in their lives. Ridahne breathed a sigh and tucked a bit of hair behind her ear, the mysterious air around her disappearing. She was Ridahne Torzinei again, Azurei exile and disgraced slayer of Sols. "Well now. That went well, eh? You performed spectacularly." And she meant it.

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

The two men finally broke their gazes away from their captors and looked at each other as if deciding who should be the one to speak. By some silent agreement, Dax spoke. "I'd have thought that was obvious..." he said softly, but immediately regretted his cheek when the cloaked shadow took one purposeful, elegant step towards him. She had entered a beam of light and he could dimly see her face now, inked and lit by her two glittering eyes that seemed to him to be too light for her skin tone, giving her an otherworldly look. She was corporeal, of that he no longer had doubts. But learning that she was indeed Azurei did not comfort him. They were a hard, mysterious folk from a distant land just as hard and mysterious as the people who tended it, or so he'd heard. And she obviously knew how to handle herself. And a blade.

"Careful," came Ridahne's low voice. It was no longer hard and furious but cold and almost sweet. He visibly shivered; somehow that was worse. "I'm not the patient sort. And fingers make crunchy snacks for hunting cats."
Dax blanched, balling his hands into fists and tucking them protectively at his sides. He had the good sense not to dither and espouse apologies and instead made his amends by giving the pair what they wanted. "Men gotta make a living somehow. James and I came on hard times about a year ago...and well..."
"You decided to casually take up horse thieving? There's more you haven't said." Ridahne wasn't sure of that exactly, but she was going to put pressure on them and see what came of it anyway.

The men fell silent. So her hunch had been right. She let that silence build as she studied them, looking for a hesitation or weakness to exploit. She found it in James, who was the one fidgeting and avoiding eye contact. Ridahne wheeled on him like a shark on a struggling fish. Her cold blade reached out quickly to the soft underside of his chin and, with the utmost control, she held the point to his skin with enough pressure to make it uncomfortable, but not yet enough to draw blood.

"Gambling debts!" He squealed. "We were both in deep and we needed something fast, so we stole a horse to pay the debts!"
"Ah, there it is. And you've continued both gambling and thieving ever since." The men nodded, ashamed. Ridahne lowered her large knife and stepped back, though as she did this, Mitaja slipped through the darkness to pad behind the men and make their spines tingle with the unnerving sensation of being loomed over. The bond between the cat and her handler was evident in that moment, as neither made any kind of sign to the other and yet they operated in tandem somehow. If the men had not been so thoroughly distracted by fear, they might have seen how truly beautiful their partnership was, and the unflagging trust that lay between both elf and cat. Ridahne might have been many things, but she was without a doubt a person who loved and respected animals and there in that moment it showed to any who had eyes for it.

"Well now, my young apprentice," Ridahne said easily, "What do you think? What should we do with them?"

In Dark Seas We Sail

Rohaan wasn't sure what to expect in retaliation for his cheek. Berlin would have given one last warning before he dumped the ice barrel into his, and Uban would have (rather foolishly) attempted to reach in and grab him in the hopes of wrestling the lad into submission. And he supposed that he expected Hana to either try more coaxing or at worst, perform some kind of magic on him. Instead of any of that, he only felt a soft thump on the side of the barrel. Curious and wary, he shifted back to his natural form and peeked out over the lip of the barrel to find a teetering Hana. She toppled over right as a rolling wave hit the side of the ship and sent it lurching starboard. He couldn't help but giggle a little as she hit the deck. She didn't look really hurt, just thrown a bit off balance. Served her right for trying to--

Thwack! The soap bar hit him squarely between the eyes and splashed into the water with a plop. Not only did the warm water immediately start to dissolve the bar, fouling the nice clean(ish) water with it's oily feel and decidedly floral scent, but when he opened his eyes they stung a little; the soap had gotten in. Clamping his eyes shut he squealed like an impaled animal and rubbed at his face under the water. He could now taste the soap and its residue in the water as he'd inadvertently opened his mouth. The boy spat, still scrubbing at his face.

--

Uban took a moment to work out what Wheel meant, but the second he did he broke into hearty laughter. Coins. That was good. That laughter continued as he followed the man's gaze toward Hana and the chaos unfolding there. What had appeared to be an unfortunate slip actually worked out in her favor, as now the near-feral shifter was momentarily blinded and distracted. Now, she had an advantage to press.

"Get him, Hana! Get him while you can!" He shouted. "Show no mercy in war!" He was still laughing, and Berlin was too as he watched. And for a moment, all the subtle, built up stress of recent events and the anticipation of future ones was lifted as the whole crew shared in just a small moment of laughter.

In Dark Seas We Sail

Though Rohaan had been initially sour about having to take a bath in the first place, the warm water was a welcome surprise. It felt delightful on his sore and tired muscles, and he did not feel inclined to ruin the niceness of it with vile soap. The only response that came from the barrel was a wet, deep-red tentacle that slid silently up over the surface of the warm water and curled around one of the few remaining ice chunks floating there. With surprisingly keen aim, considering he couldn't see her from his watery fortress, Rohaan tossed the little ice chunk at Hana, then withdrew the tentacle back into the depths. It left no ripple in the water's surface except for the gentle sloshing back and forth caused by the soft listing of the ship.

---

Berlin smiled and shrugged. "I suppose we don't. But be sure to get a little extra anyway. And I might even have a small stash of limes, too, if you felt so inclined..." He slapped Wheel's shoulder and left to survey the horizon and make sure of their heading before eventually returning to Pieter's side with a cup of mint tea in a dented tin mug. "You've got yourself a fine apprentice there, Pieter. I don't think he has any idea what he's truly capable of. None of us have ever downed Wheel...I'm not sure if I should present him with an award or be concerned for my berserker's health..." There was a surface note of jest in his tone, but his gray eyes were deep in thought. Those eyes strayed to the aft deck where Hana sat over a suspiciously still and quiet barrel. She was still composed, but he thought he could detect a hint of frustration in her expression. Just a little.

Berlin looked back to Pieter with a very poorly concealed smile fighting to break out one his lips. "Poor, brave soul..." he sighed, shaking his head.

--

Uban was beginning to cool down a little, though his eyes were still a somewhat disturbing shade of bright gold. "Really mate, I didn't realize it would be like that. I didn't even know I could do anything that...intense. Sorry." He did look a bit more bashful now that the adrenaline was wearing off. "I'll buy you a few rounds next time we make port, eh?"

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Finalllllyyyy got you a post! It's not much but it gets things moving again. Thanks for standing by, it's been a crazy week or so. My car did finally meet its timely end so I've been dealing with that and entertaining guests and all that. But hopefully things will be calmer now.

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

The men just sort of stared, unsure if they should keep their eyes on the green-eyed cat with the very large teeth, the young speaker, or the phantom behind her, which loomed tall and slim over all of them. James kept muttering softly and shaking his head; Ridahne couldn't make out his mutterings directly but she knew too well the look and sound of heart wrenching regret. He was softly cursing himself, thinking that for sure he and Dax had just gotten themselves killed. Dax remained perfectly still, though his breathing was a little uneven as he recovered from the kick in the gut. Neither felt composed enough to speak as fear settled in their hearts.

After a span when neither answered, Ridahne gave her knife a swing so artful it could have been part of a dance. The sharp blade whistled through the night air as its edges reflected the moonlight once more. Her eyes glinted hard and cold from beneath her hood. "The lad asked you a question." Her voice was low and soft in volume, but it was made all the colder for it. In her was not a blind and wild rage but a calculated wrath that would not be challenged. "We aren't the sort to ask twice, James."
The use of his name startled him horribly and gave him the uncomfortable sensation that he had been watched for longer than he had thought, so the first thing out of his mouth was, "Sorry! Uh, sorry. Um, we're uh, uh, well we're horse uh..."
"Horse thieves," Dax added softly. Neither seemed proud of admitting this, though whether it was because they felt remorse about the whole business or if they were only sorry because they were caught, Ridahne didn't know.
"You're horrible horse thieves if you think you can just approach an Azurei Ismari and think he'll let himself be led away by two fools. He was not bred for his obedience."

James let go the breath he was holding. The Ismari breed of horses were prized for their agility and speed and on this side of the mountains they were worth a fortune to the right buyer. Too lofty a target for him, he realized. He should have known better.

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Woof okay, it’s been a whirlwind over here. SO sorry I’ve been so absent but I haven’t left! I had family over this weekend and then I’m also now facing some critical car issues (might have to get a new one) so thing have been crazy and stressful here. I’ll try and get you a post soon I promise!!

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Somewhere between coming up on 3 months of tendinitis plus trying to get my cosplay done, I’m a mess. Bear with me as I try to balance everything. I haven’t abandoned you!

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Sorry for delays, it’s been a busy weekend and I’m gearing up for comicon! So posts from me might be a little slow in coming for a while.