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The Heartwood
Late Afternoon, the Town of Cragside
Restday The Last Day of the Month of Raven, 2623

Daxia, Camelia, Darian, Bekkah, Kadri and Longtooth

It started with a scream, sudden and high pitched.

Two had begun to close upon Kadri and Lia, the shorter, darker, blocky built brigand whose hand was wrapped in metal closing with the Imperial handmaiden. His companion, his competitor, his fist turned about the handle of a sturdy three sideded dagger, the other brigand would have been able to close with the small dark haired girl, save for the sudden challenge from the street.

It was over, almost, before it started.

As if time itself was compressed by the hot rush of adrenaline, by the harsh reality of steel, flesh, shaft and blood.

The taller, more weasely brigand turned, a sneer coming across his face as he saw himself being charged by a girl. A sneer that turned quickly to panic as he caught sight of just how long Daxia's blade was, and how sure it was wielded.

Mayhaps he had seen how her temple-sister fought. Daxia swung, her sword slicing through the air in a deadly arc, the brigand panicking and tossing himself backwards in an awkward tumble, the only thing keeping himself the couter balancing swing of his own strike; but it failed spectacularly - not even coming close to the charging Dayalan.

That gave Kadri the time she needed, to reach over and slowly push the large door shut again. As she ratcheted the latch in place, taking out its heavy, valuable lock she saw Camelia dance.

It was lithe, fluid, a mirror of the move that she had used the night before against her sister. Except this time a cloaked wrapped hand batted away an incoming fist, the graceful step completed with with a sudden flash of steel. No kitchen tool she carried now, but a long, well crafted dagger. It struck home, not just slashing through the sleeve of the brigands loose tunic buy viciously impaling him through the forearm, right between the two bones, and right solid into the warehouse's solid wood door.

Lia tugged ... but her sister's dagger didn't budge.

As Kadri snapped the lock in place, she heard the distinctive snap of an arrow being loosed.

Upon the roof Darian waited, poised. Though she almost tumbled, at the sudden appearance of a man rushing the peak of the roof. It was not where she expected, and he was definitely a predator, tall, strong, dressed in waxed leather, sturdy cuirboilli - not the street clothes of the theives below. In each hand he held a pair of dangerous looking knives; while they were single edged they were thick and wide, the ends curved and hooked. like a ca's claw, they were designed for close in fighting. but she was Khannish's and today, this was her hunt. The arrow shot more than true, piercing the front of his armor as if it were rare paper, driven between ribs ... and then to tent the back of his tunic. His eyes went wide and then empty. He fell back out of sight. There was a hard clattering on the clay tile shingles beyond. Then silence. Then a solid whumf, sounding much father below.

Much father below, where training and discipline proved their deadly worth. For no sword strike is complete without the return blow, the first move only the set up for the second, as daxia completed her attack.

To the side, the body of Darian's opponent landed hard on the dirt street; it lay still in a very disturbing bent and folded sprawl. A decent sized object then bounced down the road, coming to a rest next to the new corpse. Black eyes stared up to the darkening sky, no longer seeing, as Daxia's return blow had bit through flesh, trachea and vertebrae to separate head from ... a now headless body that twitched and shuddered before it fell forward to lay still at Kadri's feet.

Shadows, farther down the street, potential merchant thugs or Kholish opportunists - carrion creatures - suddenly paused in their approach - four to the east, two to the west - as if thinking matters over, perhaps reconsidering their curse of actions in view of a rooftop kill, a sure execution ... and the screams from a guildmate whose arm was pinned to the door of Samara Kelleni's warehouse.

Daxia
with Kadri, Lia, a screaming dolt and a headless corpse on the streets of Cragside

She glanced up and down the street noting the shadows there, as well as Longtooth across the street, then looked up at the rooftop where Darian perched. Resting the tip of her sword on the corpse's leg and the pommel steadied by her shield hand, Daxia held up four fingers in Darian's direction and pointed east. Then she held up two fingers and pointed west. She wasn't sure if Darian could see from her angle... but then, the brigands to the east and west of them couldn't be absolutely certain either. Longtooth, on the other hand...

She grasped the sword hilt again, stooped as though to wipe the blood off the blade, and cut a strip of the dead man's tunic instead. As she stood, she slid her arm out of the shield's straps, and hooked one of the straps over her empty scabbard as she stepped over to the screaming man. "Be. Quiet." she ordered, as she stuffed the cloth in his mouth. "Don't move." If he does move, she will slice open his free arm with an upswing of the sword.

She took one step back and said to Lia, "Nice job." Again, Daxia glanced up and down the street. Taking another step back, she look at Kadri for a heartbeat, then Lia for a heartbeat before bringing the sword back up, tip pointing steady and sure at the the spot just below the man's breastbone. "What we do with this one, hmmmm?"

Darian

She watched her arrow fly true and fast, knowing without a doubt that it had found it's mark and done it's job. She did not glory in it or exult. The glory was Khannish's, and the Hunt was not yet done. The others who had sought to make them prey must be near. She moved to the peak of the roof, searching out if any other stood up there with her.

When she saw none, she placed a foot on either slope and made her way forward to peer down into the street. She crouched as she came nigh the edge, her leathers and stillness making her almost part of the roof.

{ooc Posting via PM currently so no need to wait unless Wolf says so)

Bekkah

She heard the scream amongst other sounds. She didn't know everyone's voice but she was certain that she'd recognize Dazi's and it wasn't her. She continued struggling with the the barrel, trying to get it in place. She knew that if she was needed out front, Dazi would come get her. She was fairly certain that she didn't want to see what had happened.

Kadri looks to dazi, "lia".

"Thank you - I can dance, but my bladework needs practice."

She moves over to the pinned man, looks him in the eye . . . And spits. And then, tracing one finger down his jawbone, whispers something inaudibly to him. And smiles angelically.

<Lia>

She smiled briefly and said simply to Kadri, "You had other things to do." The young woman frowned as she regarded the dagger in the arm and wood and then her gaze swept the area.

Her gaze briefly drifted back to the other two closer to the trapped man and her dagger before she said in an almost wistful, light tone, "I wouldn't mind having that back."

Daxia
with Kadri, Lia, a quieter dolt and a headless corpse on the streets of Cragside

She lowered the sword and stepped in close to the man pinned to the door. She looked him in the eyes and said absolutely nothing as she used his tunic to wipe his compatriot's blood off her blade. While unhooking the shield from the scabbard, sliding her arms through the straps and sheathing the sword, she maintained eye contact. Pressing the shield hard against his upper arm and torso, she grabbed the dagger handle and yanked hard, wiggling it a bit to encourage its release from the wood, yanked again and pulled it from the wood of the door and the man's forearm... still maintaining eye contact. He broke eye contact, eyes closing in pain, as he started sliding down the door; Daxia kept the shield pressed against him, guiding his fall so he landed more or less seated rather than flat on his face. Then she wiped his blood off the blade on his tunic. She rose and stepped back, feeling the weight and balance of the the dagger before flipping it over, presenting it, hilt first, to Lia. "Nice weapon. Can see why you not want to give up," she said, with a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Darian

She let out a sharp bark and viewed the scene below. Her companions across the way had things well in hand for the moment but more were coming. Four on the one side; two on the other. She drew another arrow and set it, picking of the four man crew the one who was second from the right. She let the arrow fly.

<Lia>

Still keeping her gaze on the surroundings she nodded briefly and accepted the dagger.

"Next move?"

Kadri:

"Sounds like there is action on the roof."

She motions her head that direction.

Daxia
with Kadri, Lia, a quieter dolt and a headless corpse on the streets of Cragside

"Darian."

Daxia pointed to the corpse next to the head of their own headless corpse. "Hunter kill one prey. Four more there..." Having heard the twang of the bow sending another arrow off, she amended as she pointed to the east, the direction of the alley where she'd left Bekkah, "maybe three.

"Two there," she said, pointing to the west. She looked up at the silhouette of the Hunter on the roof, then back to Kadri and Lia. "Need to get girl. Cesare climb into building. Help him get girl out, yes?" She stared across the street the door to the other warehouse. "Lock from inside, probably." She shook her head. "Daxia not climb. Stay down. Defend. You climb, both?"

While waiting for their answers, she said to the man on the ground, "You scream again, I come back cut tongue out, ok?"

The Heartwood
Late Afternoon, the Town of Cragside
Restday The Last Day of the Month of Raven, 2623

Daxia, Camelia, Darian, Bekkah, Kadri and Longtooth and eventually Cesare.

The good thing is that the barrels are empty.

The bad thing is that the barrels are ... empty.

The problem is the stacking of them can't really hide the screams of someone in pain from Bekkah. One by one she focused on her stacking until she had a small pyramid; three barrels close together with a crate on top, reaching unsteadily about halfway up the outside wall. As she finished, at the end of the alley there was a moment's quiet, then snippets of conversation, at this distance and around the corner nothing but mumblings in familiar tones. After the silence, however, there was simply a plaintiff call, no longer a scream but a whimpered mantra.

"... but it hurts but it hurts but it hurts but it hurts ..."

For Daxia, Lia and Kadri on the street, as the brigand's torn form slips to the road, well at least wasn't screaming. Though that came from up the street, to the East. Almost as sure as her first shot, from the rooftop one of Darian's arrows found it's target; one of the far shadows fell ... and with cursing his companions caught him and quickly dragged him back.

However then it is Darian's turn to be caught, stumble, a sudden jarring blaze of white hot pain catching her low in the back.

A crossbow quarrel.

From a rooftop ... across the street, to the west.

Back at the Alley Bekkah looks up. Halfway through the window cesare looks stuck. Over his shoulder is a girl sized bundle, and its starting to twist and writhe and buck. Words are muffled by cloth.

Someone isn't very happy at all.

Daxia
with Kadri, Lia, a mumbling dolt and a headless corpse on the streets of Cragside
then in the alley with Bekkah, Kadri, Lia, Cesare and a very unhappy girl

Taking the brigand's whimpering as an agreement, however temporary, that there would be no further screaming, Daxia began turning back to Kadri and Lia when a scream sounded from the east, following by a great deal of cursing. She looked up at Darian, and began raising an arm to point in the opposite direction when the Hunter was hit. The Dayalan added her own string of curses to those still lingering in the air from up the street as she nudged her two companions towards the alley. "Go, go, go! Darian hurt. Need to get all back to inn!"

She ran towards the alley, towards Bekkah, towards Cesare, towards the only access to the roof she knew about. Rounding the corner, she skidded to a stop, took in the pyramind her sister had constructed, Cesare's struggle in the open window, and looked up at the roof line... searching for the Hunter. "Kadri, Lia, help Cesare! Bekkah, Darian hurt." She looked at her sister, concern in her eyes -- no, more than concern, there was fear and dread, too. "Don't know if she can get down, but if can, going to be long, hard drop. Arrow in back, I think."

Bekkah

She finally got the barrels in place, but she still wasn't sure if it would be steady enough. And once she saw the struggling girl, she was even more certain that she needed to remain here in case they fell. She desperately wanted to go around to the front to aid those in need. Fortunately, she could hear Dazi's voice and she sounded unhurt. Had there been doubt in her mind as to her sister's well-being, she might not have been able to remain here.

Then all of a sudden Dazi was before her. It took her a moment for the words to settle in.

*Darian, which one was Darian.* then she remembered.

"Can you get her down? And what about whomever shot her? Are they still out there?"

Not that she thought, with her size, that she would be much help, but Kadri tugged 'Lia on the arm and moved to try to help relieve Cesare of the girl

Daxia
with Bekkah, Kadri, Lia, Cesare and a very unhappy girl in the alley

"Not me, don't know, don't know." Daxia answered her sister's questions as quickly as Bekkah had asked them. "If she get to edge, maybe break fall. Gonna hurt Dazi and Darian, but Darian hurt less that way. I hope." Her gaze was constantly moving from the alley entrance to the roofline to Cesare. "Where Longtooth? Don't know if he can tell her move here, or if they need be close to talk," she said absently.

Bekkah

She could tell Dazi was upset so she forced herself to remain completely calm.

"Don't worry Dazi, we'll take care of her. Good as new, you'll see. Should we try and climb up to her?"

Daxia
with Bekkah, Kadri, Lia, Cesare and a very unhappy girl in the alley

Daxia paused in her surveillance to regard Bekkah for a few heartbeats, giving her a strained smile.

"Lucky if barrels and crate hold to get Cesare and girl out. But I not let you go up," she said as her eyes continued their rounds. "Shooters maybe not see Bekkah is Lady of Attera. I not let them hurt you." She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Darian strong, smart. She know you here."

Again she paused for a moment to smile at her sister. "I know you fix. Always say you best Healer Attera see on mainland, yes?" Dazi have Bekkah's shoulder a light squeeze before resting her hand back on her sword hilt, and continuig her scan for trouble.

<Lia>

She had already started moving and absently stepped to the side when Kadri reached out to keep her arms free. Her sense appeared focused on listening and watching for more trouble.

Cesare

Well he is glad about two things. Firstly that he trussed her up and secondly that he left her ears free - though he could wish that she had remained comatose a little longer. Time to try the Rhoni charm, even though he knows the drug that was used on her and she might well not understand - or believe- what he is saying. She might stop struggling long enough to listen though.

"You are with friends. There is a lady of Attera below to help you. Most importantly we are escaping through a high window and if you struggle I am more likely to drop you. Save your struggles for when you reach the ground."

He peers over, relieved to see several more of their group below. He might have half a chance now.

"Is Darian OK? Think there's a man on the roof. I can't climb down with the girl, even if she stops struggling. Anyone got a rope so I can lower her down."

There is one in his pack but with arms full of girl it might as well be back at the inn.

"Looks like she's been beaten."

The last is said flatly but there is a hard glint in those piercing eyes that suggest he is not too happy about it.

Bekkah

When Cesare called down to them, she heard his words and a flash of anger crossed her features for a moment.

"Let him help you down child and I will ease your pains." she said in a calming voice. Even Dazi had never heard Bekkah talk like this before. She seemed so very sure of herself.

Darian

The sudden bite of pain surprised her, and she instinctively dropped to a knee and moved away from the attack which took her down the eastern slope of the roof. Darian gritted her teeth and looked about, to see if the attacked was visible and if there were another way to get off of the roof. If there was anything she could tie the rope to...

The projectile had not hit anything vital...yet.

She chirped another bark to her hound companion and carefully crab crawled towards the edge.

"Daxia?" she called, her voice strained with pain.

Daxia
in the alley with Bekkah, Kadri and Lia; Cesare and a very unhappy girl in the window; Darian on the roof

"I am here, Darian. Bekkah, too." Daxia continued to glance frequently towards the entry to the alley, but now her major focus was on the Hunter rather than Cesare and the girl.

Darian

"Catch me bow," she said, sliding it out partially over the edge. "Do ye see it?"