K'nahli

Andre quickly followed after the miqo'te as she led the way in the direction that he had last seen Clover run. He failed to conceal the occasional, gentle grunt of pain as he hobbled along dizzily but his movements, too, were slowly improving as the debilitating feeling that had once smothered him began to lift. His eyes briefly travelled up to gaze upon the overcast sky that lay beyond the interlocking branches above before quickly retreating forward again. Nothing had been said by either of the two fighters, but the weather had certainly not been forgotten. The inevitable downpour had yet to commence but the occasional interjection of droplets tapping loudly against the large and springy ferns in the distance was a sore reminder of that time that they did not have. Andre's eyes remained fixed ahead of himself as they hurried along. Clover was safe, he had made sure of that... and yet, a creeping doubt continued to seep inside of himself, causing his heart to ache with a new pain from the uncertainty and anxiety of never being sure enough for comfort.

("But then... why is..") K'nahli's eyes skimmed over K'rahto unconsciously as she searched her thoughts for another explanation, though even had she managed to find one she truly doubted that it would have allowed her heart to rest even slightly until she confirmed it for herself. Blinking, she looked directly at him once again. "...excuse me a moment.." the girl spoke with an apprehensive belligerence as she moved toward K'rahto to peer through the entrance of which he so obediently guarded. Her maroon eyes flicked to briefly meet with his amber glare, seeking to anticipate any opposition that the tia was often so eager to deliver, before they were quickly withdrawn again and focused toward the tent's entrance. Her hand gingerly reached forward to lightly grip around the opening in the flaps. Though her appearance and determination outwardly appeared to be no different from moments before, there was a subtle hesitation evident through the pace and tenderness of her actions as her heart began to thump even harder against the inside of her weakening chest. As she finally found the strength to lightly cast the fabric aside and reveal the tent's interior to herself, a faint but distinct voice immediately caught the girl's attention. "K'mih..." (".....?") This strange, intensifying feeling that was causing her heart to both ache and race so uncomfortably... "....Thank you. You've done well." K'nahli's presence had never seemed weaker as it stalked quietly from the tent's entrance, a dark and featureless shadow, hidden against the tangerine light that gleamed in around and past her to dimly illuminate the tent's interior. An unusual darkness seemed to be cast over her deceptively neutral expression as the girl watched her father offer her younger sister a tenderness and sense of gratitude that she, herself, had gone so long since she had last seen offered to her. The vibrance in her eyes seemed to fade to nothing, drowned out by the saturated light that outshone them and a somber expression that had been so quickly dampened into neutrality. Her gaze seemed to lose focus and yet, all that she could see was that perfect image of a once familiar father and a more-lovable daughter. A sharp pain sliced through K'nahli's heart as, for the first time in her entire life, she felt a passionate, choking venom for her younger sister. A burning rush of envy surged through the girl with a remarkable discretion that took all of the girl's strength and will to simply resist from showing any sign of weakness and discomfort in response to such a cruel and mocking scene. Her eyes strained torturously as the girl so considerately resolved not to scowl. Her fingers itched furiously as she so kindly fought to deny their pleas to dig and inflict a vengeful pain into her sweaty palms. And her throat, her throat had closed itself off so defiantly as it instinctively guarded against the near-uncontainable animosity that screamed to be released from the unexplored depths of the young girl's heart. ("This isn't K'mih's fault...") she tried to tell herself. ("K'mih... she did nothing wrong, she didn't...") ...but no matter how hard the girl tried to bat away her own guilty thoughts in that moment, it only proved to be a futile attempt. Her heart knew not of rationality. Everything else had been swiftly drowned out. Almost as quickly as she had appeared, the ghostly presence of a blue-haired girl had suddenly vanished outside once again without so much as a sound to formerly announce that her presence there had even existed. If anyone had even noticed her there, she didn't know... it didn't matter, it really didn't. There was nothing that made sense back there, nothing. Nothing. K'nahli simply resumed walking, her expression a forced facade of non-affliction but her aura anything but undisturbed. She faced herself forward, toward the dune she had initially sought out, though everything seemed to have fallen out of focus as the girl silently battled against acknowledging her own emotions. She wasn't bothered. Why would she be? Nothing unusual had been seen in there, nothing. After all, what did it matter if he preferred K'mih? That's very normal. Everyone likes K'mih, especially more than K'nahli. So too did it apply to her father it seemed. That's still normal, it's okay. Why wouldn't it be okay? It's normal for her to try for her father while K'mih... precious.. little.. K'mih doesn't need to, right? Yes... It is normal.... Everything she saw was just so normal... and so completely fair... K'nahli stopped in her tracks as, miraculously, a non-self absorbed thought managed to creep it's way into the storm that was brewing within her mind. She hesitated a moment as she prepared her words with her back remaining turned on the target of her direction, though whether it was to hide the strange feeling that tickled against the surfaces of her eyes or not was unclear. She lifted her chin slightly and spoke with a voice that had been raised just enough so that it was made clear and to be heard for the first and only time she would say it. "The injured must be moved now, K'rahto. We must be ready to leave before nightfa-ll." Was that a stutter? No. After all, nothing was wrong. You don't stutter in your speech when nothing is wrong. The girl took a single, long and hard blink as she cleared the built up moisture that the cooling weather had so oddly coated - thinly - over her eyes before resuming her pace forward.

"No... you don't understand" Andre breathed with discomfort, his tone sounding almost irritated that he needed to force out even more words to explain the situation. "The Ixali... they already attacked our group. The girl I.. assume you saw... she and my-..self, by a stroke of luck, had been briefly sep-arated from the rest... right after our caravan was stopped..." He paused briefly as his eyes rolled away back down to the ground, seemingly in thought, though his expression was a blatant revelation to his bitter feelings. "...and before the Ixali attacked....". Andre scowled slightly as he found himself stuttering and even speaking more slowly than he'd have liked, but simply finding the words necessary to properly summarise the situation was a challenge on it's own to him at this very moment. Each word he formed came with a new, tortuous pain that refreshed the pounding sensation which seemed to be radiating even further across the back of his skull, leaving the hyur to struggle against simply wincing from the sheer agony. "They... took the others... and sent two scouts to try and find us, though just as one had returned to rejoin his group the other... he began to approach our hiding place.." Andre slowly blinked a number of times as his focus was slowly but surely returning to him. Giving his skull one last firm squeeze of relievement, he slowly shook his head and raised his gaze away from the forest floor and brought it back to meet with the miqo'te's stare. "Still... I'd appreciate if we could find her first....before anything else.."

Oh God I can't stop laughing wwwwwwwwww Edit: Oh never mind, I just read this: "For selfish, sociopathic, or narcissistic characters, the third wish must inflict harm on themselves." Still..! >w<

Well played, sir.

Where is K'yohko? K'yohko deserves one of the male miqo'te spots....!

The unmistakable sound of flesh being sliced open forced the hyur to flinch even harder as death's brutal call beckoned toward the hyur, drawing him into it's domain. Though, oddly, the afterlife as he had imagined it was not what greeted him... As the seconds past he soon began to question if he had already been killed. He was well enough to tell that he still remained seated against the tree, upon the same damp, forest floor on which he had last drawn certain breath... but...... where was the pain? Why was it that he could he still hear his flesh being torn so brutally asunder? Finally, curiosity overcame all else. Andre forced his eyes open as he anxiously sought to find the answer to the questions that plagued his mind. As Andre looked on before him, his genuine bewilderment was disguised well behind a pained expression as the defeated Ixal crumbled lifelessly before him into the soil. The perpetrator, an unfamiliar miqo'te whom, after pulling herself and her weapon away from the beast, seemed momentarily transfixed on the results of her handiwork before eventually moving her gaze on to that of Andre. "Are you dying?" she asked bluntly, seemingly absent of both emotion and interest. Her question, regardless of it's tone, had no immediate bearing on the hyur as his eyes scanned from her, to the Ixal and back to her again as he struggled to make sense of the situation that had so unexpectedly unfolded before him. Was this... real? Or had he instead passed out and fallen prey to a deceptively, real dreamworld? He watched the miqo'te for a moment longer in silence before his lips parted slightly in an attempt to answer. "I... uh.." He blinked furiously as he dried to alleviate himself from the daze whose effects continued to dull his wits. "I'm... I'll be fine... thank you.." he finally managed to blurt out as he struggled to pull himself back to his feet with evident difficulty. His answer, too, was lacking a connection if its own as he seemingly still appeared unsure of what had just happened. His eyes met with the female as he silently hoped for an explanation. Just who was she and what was she even doing here?

It was almost time. Crouching, hidden behind the fallen log as the Ixal beast drew ever nearer, oblivious to his presence, the hyur was relying completely on his sense of hearing. The sound of everything being destroyed under those massive talons filled his ears and became his whole world. Nothing else mattered beyond the sound of it’s approach. Not the past and not even the aftermath. There was no room for distraction nor hesitation. He just needed to get this right. *Crunch* .. *Crunch* .. *Trundle* ("Here it comes") was the hyur’s single thought. His index finger tapped rhythmically against the object he held in his hand to each step Ixal took, calculating the remaining distance and timing carefully. ("Just a little more and...") *crunch* *crunch* *crunch* Drawing near to the log, the Ixal’s pace suddenly quickened as he prepared to launch himself over it with a single stride, an effortless task for a creature of his stature. Andre’s knuckles grew white as his grip on the thick branch tightened with determination. …… “…!” Suddenly launching himself upward, Andre drove the log with all of his might until it struck the legs of the airborne Ixal, sending the beast into a tumble as it lurched forward to land heavily in the soil behind them, causing the ground around them to tremble slightly from the impact. Success. The unsuspecting Ixal grunted heavily as it slowly scrambled to push itself back to it’s feet, having momentarily been dazed by the sudden fall. The colliding force of the beast and log had briefly forced Andre back to his knees though luckily he had escaped the daring attempt uninjured. With a sharp exhale he too, returned to his feet and turned to face the Ixal whom had also regained it’s composure. The two of them quickly met eyes as a dark atmosphere quickly descended down around them. The surrounding environment almost seemed to grow dark, the world around them shrinking, as both man and Ixal faced one another - both with an impassioned intent to kill. A low and threatening growl escaped as the Ixal bared it’s fangs menacingly and reaffirmed it’s grip on the large blade that it carried by it’s hip. Taking a moment to size up the creature that stood before him, Andre slowly strafed around to the side, placing himself further away from the large log behind which he had been hiding, his eyes locked with a permanence against the Ixal’s beady orbs. The creature’s gaze followed him closely; refusing to break away from the arrogant scum that had dared to assault him. His dark eyes burned with an uncontainable fury as he stared the hyur down. This Ixal, as was typically their kind’s nature, would not sacrifice vengeance in exchange for the girl. Andre drew to a halt once more and awaited the beast to make it’s move. Holding his attention for but a little longer would ensure Clover’s escape. A sudden roar of anger filled the air as the Ixal suddenly charged forward and began swinging long and powerful strikes in the hyur’s direction. Andre narrowed his eyes in focus as he quickly responded with evasive dodges and crouches, anticipating each attack well as the fury-driven beast hastily threw wild slashes in predictable patterns. He retained his grip on the log in both his hands, holding it firm and close to his chest protectively, ready to use it at a moment’s notice but holding himself against retaliating too hastily. "…!" Andre’s attention was momentarily diverted as his back collided with the trunk of a tree, its rough bark pressing sharply against his back with warning. Hurriedly returning his attention forward, his gaze focused on Ixal just in time to see a downward strike slicing through the air down toward him. A sudden gasp pushed out of the males pressed lips as he launched himself away from the tree, barely escaping the Ixal’s fatal wrath as he nimbly dodged beneath it’s sword and passed behind his assailant. The sharpened steel drove cleanly into the aged, tree bark with a mighty crack, pinning the Ixal for a fraction of a second as it quickly jerked away to pull himself free again. It was a small window but not one that was wasted. With a forceful heave, Andre slammed the log against the Ixal’s back to strike it’s tough body with it’s entire length. The heavy piece of lumber struck cleanly against the Ixal’s spine, pushing it roughly into the tree before it. Andre withdrew a couple of steps to regain his own balance and to allow his breath to return to him. His eyes seemed to grow a little wider with surprise as a sudden feeling of hope stirred within him. He was certain he would die, or at least be captured here... but now he had briefly been captured with the idea that perhaps it didn't have to end that way. If he could just remain focused then perhaps even with only a mere log... He tried to control his excited breathing by returning to take in slow and deep breaths, his eyes still focused on the Ixal’s back as it agitatedly turned to return his glare upon the hyur once again. The Ixal snarled angrily, as it turned away from the tree he had been thrown into. His merciless eyes appeared to grow even more fierce as it became progressively more agitated, his glare focusing intently on Andre once more. Andre returned it’s glare in silence as he, once again, awaited the beast's next move - to launch into yet another attack. The Ixal grunted loudly before charging forward again, resuming it’s flurry of strikes all thrown with an unrivaled aggression in the direction of the blonde male. Despite his elevated aggression, the beast’s strikes had grown slower and more precise this time as each one was more cleverly delivered than from the time previous. A raspy breath escaped the hyurs lips with each dodge as the blade drew nearer and nearer to striking it’s target, quickly slicing away the thin veil of hope that had only barely begun to creep over over the male. He knew that he was quickly approaching his limit. "Gyahh..-ah..!" A small cry escaped as the beast’s blade eventually made it’s first mark. A cleanly cut laceration to his upper arm almost forced the male into a spin as the blade dragged across his flesh with great force. A thin lace of crimson danced through the air and landed amongst the green shrubbery that nervously spectated from beneath the safety of the nearby trees. Andre fought against the instinct to protectively grip and seal his wound as he forced his gaze back upon the Ixal. He was hardly given the opportunity to so much as respond to the pain before the Ixal quickly followed through with yet another downward strike aimed directly for the man’s skull, but this time there was no time to dodge. Andre quickly threw the log upward in an arcing pattern across the blade’s path as he had no option but to attempt to parry the strike. The Ixal’s steel blade sliced deeply into the log, causing the air around them to resound with a fearsome crack as it almost completely snapped through, but otherwise succeeded in stopping the blade in it’s path. The Ixal didn’t hesitate for even a moment. Retracting his weapon suddenly, Andre was roughly drawn in toward him before being met with the beast’s massive, driving claw. The creature’s harsh grip spread out firmly across his neck, choking the hyur with a frightening level of malice before casting him backwards to collide against a nearby tree. Andre’s head harshly struck against the trunk of the tree, forcing his back to slide down along it's length until he came to a seated position at it’s base. The young male grunted weakly as he slowly reached up behind his head to attempt to alleviate the pain that pounded furiously from within the back of his skull. Knowing that his foe had been momentarily incapacitated, the Ixal strode toward him with a bitter satisfaction, his pace moderated but anxious. Andre’s eyes struggled to lift themselves away from the ground that was shaking dizzily beneath him. He blinked repeatedly as he vainly tried to regain focus and clear away the darkness that had moved in to occupy the borders of his vision. Eventually, with a slight shake of his head, the hyur laboriously forced his gaze upward just in time to see the Ixal draw to a stop before him. The creature appeared no less determined than it had been all along but there was something else… a faint hint of joy that was struggling to creep past the raw anger that dominated it’s naturally-sculpted, threatening features. With a low hiss, the Ixal’s sword rose high into the air as he prepared to deliver the finishing blow. In the end, it was as he had initially predicted. There was no recovering now, this is where he was to die. Beyond his daze, within the corners of his vision, the hyur could once again see the fleeting, ghostly form of the young girl’s back as she rushed through the woodland to escape the scene behind her. Andre blinked wearily as he tried to focus on the image. If nothing else, he could take with him the satisfaction that at least she would survive. Her innocence, Clover’s.. innocence.. it had no place here. For her kind to be taken or even to have loved ones taken from them by the violence and corruption that tainted the hidden reaches of this world was just too cruel of a thought, and yet... it happens… it has already happened. Hidden reaches...? The thought echoed back through Andre's mind. It no longer even seemed that way to the hyur. The dangers of the world had always been present, but they were not something that could just reveal themselves to anyone... least of all the people he knew and cared for. Was it that the world was changing or had he truly been so naively ignorant to it's extent all along? A grunt echoed from the pit of the Ixal’s throat to interrupt his train of thought, announcing it’s readiness to deliver the final strike now. Forcing his eyes to a close, Andre tilted his head away away as he awaited his fate.

From my experience, anyone will do, depending on whether Team B has enough tanks/dps/healers (for example, if the team only has one tank to help peel opponents off its healers, it shouldn't send the tank to guard the outpost). The outpost's defender's job isn't really to fight off all enemies, but to let the Alliance channel know that there are enemies "incoming." Once the entire Alliance knows, people, whether they be in Team A, B, or C, will usually stop by to protect the outpost. Okay ^^ Thank you very much for your insight, I really appreciate it.

Thank you very much. Now how about outpost defence? Is it worth leaving a lone tank from Alliance B to deter easy steals from enemy teams or is that subjective?

What ungodly amount of gil are we talking? ; Probably huge. I guess, but if it comes down to it then I think my male hyur can take one for the team and go the love dungeon route.

What ungodly amount of gil are we talking? ;

In one match today we were faced with 4-5 healers and I was so tempted to just say "This is hopeless, why are we wasting our time here?" but then they started dropping liked flies, haha. In any case, can someone explain to me the add spawns and how many points they give? Including the big one and the times that they all appear.

Sounds like fun for those who participate but I think it'd make me sad to see K'nahli played so.... un-K'nahli-ly! ;w;

Actually, the size is discouraging..... it would bother me for my miqo'te especially.

Beautiful. That makes me feel much better about purchasing this.

Yes, I was thinking of the subscription rewards which are sent to everyone(including mount rewards).

I wonder do all of our characters get the double mount or just one of our choice though ;

How unfortunate. I'll be kicking myself when they reveal alternative ways to get the mount after I waste my money.

"Put them with the others" Kuzal spoke solidly as he led the party over a final, small hill that overlooked the Ixali encampment. After a long and tiring walk for the scared and weary prisoners, they had finally arrived at their destination. The small hill on which they stood sloped down at a gentle incline into a hidden basin within the woods, encircling their camp and offering them a natural source of protection and camouflage from afar. Kuzal proceeded into the camp along a subtle, dirt trail that had been lightly carved into the dissipating remains of the grassland that weakly reached into the edges of the camp. On either side of it, an army of short, cleanly-cut, wooden stumps tediously littered the slope along its length, indicating where trees had been intentionally chopped down by the Ixali to increase the size of their residence to suit their convenience. Near the base of the hill, the area naturally died away into an open clearing that licked at the heels of a notably large cliff-face that closed off the remaining edges of the territory. The ground had leveled off quite nicely here and, as opposed to hill that dipped away from the surrounding treeline, offered little-to-no natural obstruction that took up any space within the camp. A number of pale-grey plumes of smoke could be seen spindling delicately into the air from various locations in the camp where small fires had been lit to accommodate various needs, while a larger, more central campfire was located closer to the middle of the clearing, billowing an even larger column of smoke to an audience of tents and small, makeshift residences that hugged closely to it's embracing warmth. Their chosen location suited the Ixali well. Even in clearer conditions, the weak-coloured smoke that was emitted from the camp's many fires would fail to be seen from even a short distance through the thick woodland that so protectively enclosed them. In addition, much of the wind's strength failed to carry far enough past the dense, maze of trees to reach them, which allowed the smoke to flow directly upward in a neat column before dispersing silently and discreetly into the air above upon passing over the the tops of the trees. Reaching the base of the hill, the group quickly dispersed as they each committed themselves to their individual duties. As if the numerous guards that were to be seen to be stationed on the outskirts of the camp weren't enough, there were many more to be found within. The prisoners were guided forward by one Ixal with another following closely behind the group. The area was surprisingly well-kept for the most part, but the foul stench of rotten meat scraps, wolf excrement and twelve knows what else hung thick in the air. The Ixali tribe appeared to be efficient and organised but that did not deter many of them from engaging in arguments and aggressive taunts, bringing a threatening atmosphere down upon the captives who were now entirely at the mercy of such rowdy beasts. Passing along side the central fire, the prisoners were met with the vicious barking of a number of Ixali-tamed wolves that had been carelessly bound to a metal post that protruded crudely from the soil. The post had been implanted at such an angle that it looked as though it would fall and set the animals free at any moment. The chains rattled loudly as each of the beasts launched themselves at the passers-by wildly. Behaviour aside, it was easy to see that the animals had been treated horribly, likely with the intention of making them increasingly more vicious. The ill-fitting, steel collars that trapped them had left painful, red sores along their neck where patches of fur no longer existed and their skeletal forms proved without a doubt that the animals had been cruelly starved; again, surely a deliberate act. Most of the other Ixali, however, didn't so much as offer a passing glance in the direction of the prisoners that were oh-so casually being led further into the camp. Their attitudes about the whole scene could be found to be very unnerving. This was ritual to them. A practiced routine that had long since fallen beyond reasonable recognition for the warriors. "Forward, keep moving!" the Ixali would occasionally spit as they led the weary travelers toward a large cliff-face. It's shadow leered darkly over the encampment below but offered them secrecy deep within the woodland. A natural hollow, too shallow to be deemed a cave had been carved along the base of the jagged, rock-face, creating a small over-hang that provided a reasonable shelter from the rain for any who would wish to seek it. Though not for the Ixali however; no. This space was was reserved especially for the captives. Drawing closer to the cliff-face, the three prisoners could now clearly see that they were, in fact, not alone. Five figures, most of whom were huddled closely together lingered beneath the overhang. Their posture clearly indicated that they too were bound by both hand and feet, forced to lay uncomfortably against the same sharp and jagged rocks that offered them some degree of refuge - pitiful as it were. The first figure was that of a larger man, a Highlander it would appear, clad with an unusually green attire. For anyone familiar with Gridania or even the Black Shroud, it would have quickly become apparent that the man was a Wood Wailer that had seemingly been captured while on duty. The man appeared to be in his mid thirties, visibly older than the others that were in his presence. His thick brown hair was saturated with tiny twigs and flakes of dried mud which only added to the roughness of his appearance. His eyes had wearily followed the three new captives from the moment they drew near though it wasn't long before he allowed his head to hang low once more. He appeared to lack the energy to offer too much interest but for the short while that he meet their gaze, there was a sadness to be found within the fading amber that lay beyond those ageing eyes. A few feet away from him were a young couple of midlanders that would seem to have been previously acquainted with one another. The female was resting her head against the shoulder of her apparent partner, her long black locks mixing untidily with his as both strayed messily down across and under his low-cut shirt. It was a heartwrenching image as he offered her a weak, comforting embrace while his grey eyes, however, failed to reach away from the ground even to display a remote interest in the new captives that had been approaching. Both appeared to be regular civilians judging from what remained of their tattered clothes that had been soaked through with mud and water. In spite of this, it was possible to tell that they had not been captives there for very long, but even so both their spirits appeared to have been completely broken down. The woman's dirtied face further sullied her morbid expression, though upon closer inspection, the deep red marks that had been rubbed sorely around the frames of her eyes from persistent sobbing would become quickly apparent. The man who tried to offer her safety and warmth seemed less expressive, though there was an aura about him that seemed just as weak as his female companion. He held her with the intent of offering her comfort though little could come from it when he too had already abandoned all hope. Finally, further away from the other three sat two males, a grim-looking, duskwight elezen and a younger, sunseeker miqo'te who, unlike the others, seemed to be much more fidgety and energetic. The miqo'te's eyes were glued to the three new captives as they were led toward the cliff face. He seemed transfixed, mischievous almost as he harassed his elezen companion some subtle nudges with his elbow. Leaning in close as he did so, the male offered unheard whispers as he continued to gaze on toward them, though the older, elezen male failed to reciprocate the interest of his giddy companion and instead shrugged the miqo'te off with a lazy roll of his shoulder. "Prisoners stay here at all times. Dare to worm your way out and we'll sever your foot faster than you can shed your bindings" one of the Ixali warned savagely before pushing them all to the ground next to the highlander. The ground beneath the overhang was incredibly damp as a contaminated, stream of water leaked over the edge of the cliff from beneath the moss that clung to it's summit, hugging it's dark surface and bestowing it with a permanent state of moisture. If any blessing were to be taken from the horrible excuse for their new residence then it would be that the faint and natural odour of the moisture helped to quell the remnants of the putrid smell that had infected the camp now that they were away from the activity nearer the centre, but truly there was nothing else offered to them. With an irritable growl of pure despisal, both of the two Ixal turned and left to disappear into the midst of the camp, leaving their freshly acquired quarry alone with the others beneath the cliff face.

The tia was still him usual self; spiteful, resentful... completely full of irrational and arbitrary hatred. It mattered little to K'nahli how angry and fierce he wanted to make himself look. All she wanted was an answer to her question, and eventually, she indeed got one. "...He's inside with your sister." K'nahli recoiled a little, unconsciously appearing a little less tense than when she had first approached K'rahto with the question. Both her shoulders and posture relaxed more as her eyes scanned briefly across the sands in thought. ("...that's good..") was her initial thought, once again trying to fool herself into believing she had no right to be truly concerned. Though she blinked hard as her thoughts stemmed away from her father now. ("..but, wait..") ("....with your sister.") K'rahto's words briefly echoed once again in her head. "K'mih.... why is K'mih there? Is she unwell?" her question came naively with half a step forward as she contemplated peering inside without awaiting an answer from the lethargically-tongued male, losing most of the spite that had previously been burned into it before being served to K'rahto. ("she is of no use to K'zhumi... what reason could she have for being inside..?") She honestly believed that she had no real reason to feel such a way, and it were truly as if the thought hadn't even occurred to her - but.. already, a sudden feeling of discomfort was rising through the girl.

((OOC Note: It was actually my fault for not notifying Clover about needing to reply. Ignore her humble post ¬o¬ I'm very sorry for the inconvenience, everyone) Andre quickly released his hold on the girl and swapped it instead for a tight and perhaps uncomfortable grip around her wrist. He launched himself away from the tree with a sudden jerking motion and hurried forward with a swift pace, his exposed fingers tethered to the girl who struggled to keep up with him. Clover did well to listen and follow his instructions closely, but even so, he would settle for no less than to drag her along behind him if necessary. If they were spotted by the two Ixali then it was all over; for them and possibly even the others to whom they were the only witnesses of their capture. After all, there was simply no way that either of them could even hope to fend off such powerful beasts while unarmed. The distance in which they needed to traverse was rather short but for the hyur, each second seemed to drag out to an eternity of its own. He cursed every tiny hollow that had been engraved into the soil and every tangled bramble that would attempt to trip him were he to dare take his glance away from them for even a moment. His mind was in a total state of chaos as too many questions raced through his mind at one as he led Clover to the nearest “safety”. Were the Ixal still running toward the decoy? Were they making enough noise to cover the movements of their prey? Had they been discovered already? Would stopping behind the log only ensure their death? Each question would sting like a pin-prick as they continued to hound his mind without rest in the final few seconds before they finally reached the log. Once they stopped to take cover however, he would have his answer to all of them. Leaping over the final obstacle, Andre immediately dove toward the ground, bringing Clover along with him to come to a stop on the forest floor next to him. The ground had grown a little damp from the weather and the leaf litter in this particular area seemed to ice perfectly over the soil like an emerald-coloured frosting, offering them the tiny grace of a softer, and more muffled landing. Andre quickly reached his arm over Clover's lower back and latched her down forcefully to ensure that she made no attempt to move. Seconds passed as the pair lay side-by-side on the ground in silence for a moment as they anxiously listened for a particular sound; the oncoming sound of trampled leaves and twigs that would have all but confirmed their detection. The wind in the forest was growing progressively stronger by the minute as the oncoming storm drew nearer, causing the massive branches to sway and creak loudly overhead. Nesting birds chirped happily above in response to the gentle rocking of the canopies as they remained completely oblivious to the scene below and the low rumble of a distant, tumbling river could be heard as it reverberated dully against the maze of trees around them. The sounds of nature carrying on harmlessly around them gave way to an uncomfortably peaceful and inappropriate image, but even so.. they were in fact the only sounds that could be heard. Nothing seemed to be approaching. Raising his head slightly, Andre peered through a small crack in the log that allowed him to see out ahead of himself. It wasn’t quite large enough to see through at an angle, but the rotten wood appeared to be flexible. Bringing an index finger to his lips in an effort to instruct Clover to remain still and silent, Andre released the arm that had unconsciously pinned her down toward the ground and reached forward to peel back the damp bark that obstructed his view. A soft sigh of mild relief pressed past his lips as the wood obliged without much complaint, allowing him to get a much better view of the area ahead. Hawk-like eyes scanned the woodland before him, adjusting minutely to overlook the shrubs that hugged the fallen log they resided behind. Andre’s heart began to race once again the seconds continued to pass before finally the Ixali returned to view, an almost strange sight to be grateful for. The hyur sighed heavily to himself as a wave of relief washed over him. So, they really had made it. For the moment at least, they were safe. A short distance away, a loud ‘thunk’ echoed through the woodland as one of the Ixal sliced at the nearest tree in frustration, allowing a low grumble to roll out of it’s throat at the same time. The other Ixal blinked calmly, his demeanour and body language giving the impression that he were oddly unafflicted by their lack of fortune in their pursuit and instead continued to sample the air around with him, creating soft yet indicative snorts with each long and drawn-out breath it took. “Enough time has been wasted here, let us return with the others” the first Ixal finally stated after having apparently thought on the matter for a moment. “Their scent still fills the air…” was the other’s response as he continued to suck at the air and slowly survey his surroundings, his head gently bobbing with each inhale. “And even so, we could spend much longer merely trying to seek them out” the first debated with insistence. It was clear, even from his grated voice, that he was not eager to abandon their prize so hastily but he seemed to understand that they longer they tarried, the more risky it would become for them. “The featherless-ones will surely be here soon in numbers, we must make away” the first repeated, suddenly turning to make a hasty retreat without so much as confirming his companion’s obedience. The remaining Ixal took one step back in the direction the first had run off, and then another... though something seemed to have caught his attention. He was more insistent than the others about sourcing whatever scent he had captured. A third step backward was taken as his head slowly revolved for what seemed – judging by his arched posture – to be be a final glance around before retreating. Suddenly, however, his eyes fixed on something. The Ixal made no immediate movements but it was clear that something had definitely earned his attention. The Ixal slowly took one more step, and then another… and another.... But this time he wasn’t moving backward; no.... this Ixal was steadily moving directly for where Clover and Andre were hiding. His pace calm, yet accelerating. "....!" Andre withdrew from the log suddenly as the Ixal began marching toward them. He grimaced with apprehension as he realised that his hand may have been forced. His eyes reached for the floor as he began to scan frantically among the leaves in a vain hope of finding a more reassuring solution, but he quickly realised that there was simply no choice left for them. Without warning, Andre suddenly spun around, gripping Clover roughly by the collar and pulling his face in close to hers. "Clover, you need to run. Now" he spoke darkly in a tone very unfamiliar with his character, allowing the girl no room to argue with him. "Do not look back and do not stop for anything. Get to Gridania and inform the authorities of the ambush." Without releasing his grip on her, Andre quickly turned to peer through the log once more. The approaching Ixal appeared only to be suspicious of their hiding place for he was still only walking and hadn't even attempted to call for his fellow scout when he was still within range, but even so, there was absolutely no avoiding it now. They would be found. The blonde hyur shot his glance back to meet with Clover once more. His eyes burned with a fiery determination as he focused his mind on the one, remaining task at hand. "Now, as fast as you can! Go!" he ordered in an elevated whisper as he pushed Clover away from himself with a forceful shove. His eyes followed the girl for what he believed would be the final time as she clumsily pushed herself back to her feet and hurried away through the trees, before he himself, while still crouched and hidden behind the fallen log, turned forward once again. As expected, the Ixal had quickly launched into a charge as he beheld the sight of his prey fleeing before him. The sound of the twigs and branches being crushed under his massive, clawed feet grew increasingly louder as he quickly closed the distance between them. Andre's drew in a long and shaky, deep breath as his hand slowly glided along the ground to reach out to reaffirm his grip on the object he had spied earlier. The young and inexperenced knight's anxiety was difficult to suppress, but he was ready for what came next.

The dark animal hide that decorated her hand in the form of numerous bands let out a soft creaking sound as she gripped the bow tightly in her right hand. It was cool beneath the protective shade of the tent. Even the intensity of Azeyma’s glare failed to press much light passed the limp, tent flaps that lay a couple of feet behind the girl; though purposefully allowed just enough to dimly illuminate the interior so that it were easy to navigate within. K’nahli’s maroon eyes locked onto her weapon. Slowly, they trained over it’s delicately-carved texture, involuntarily following along the length of the wood grain that guided her vision across it. She was still hurt by her father’s words, even as she tried to reason with herself given the severity of the situation that had, at the time, been unknown to her. It was odd, she thought, that somehow his reaction had more of a hold over her mind than the potential, looming danger that he warned of. Perhaps it was for that reason why she had so much difficulty understanding the way he had spoken and acted toward her and choosing to do anything but take it personally. It was natural for him to be angry she thought, anxious even… and yet… The girl squeezed her grip more tightly against the belly of her bow as she finally managed to frown lightly - though her expression looked to be more of a pained one than one of anger. She breathed in deeply, bidding her eyes to a calming close for a few seconds before re-opening them once again to accompany a soft and melancholic exhale. Slipping the bow over her head and down over her nimble body, she quickly turned to abandon the tranquillity of her tent before the peace she found there stole her away for much longer. Passing through the flaps once again, she was engulfed in the sun’s brilliance, forcing her to instinctively raise her arm to protect her eyes. A faint note of puzzlement echoed from the depths of her throat as the intensity of the sun’s brightness caught her a little off guard. It felt like it had only been a moment but perhaps she was inside a little longer than she had thought. K’nahli had always been awkwardly susceptible to falling lost within her own thoughts to the point of losing track of time, albeit this time it at least seemed to have been no more than a few minutes. The girl blinked a couple of times in a vain effort to recover from her momentary daze before turning to face toward her destination. There was a lot of commotion going on amongst the entire tribe, even some angry shouting it had seemed; though not a single word of it was registered within her mind. Unless she were directly involved then she had no interest in joining such annoying engagements. With a gentle huff she pushed forward through the camp with a steady trot. Avoiding contact at such a time would normally have felt rather selfish but at least now she had an excuse. Her eyes fell upon a distant dune that lay on the outskirts of the camp ahead. It would serve both her mind and her duty as a huntress adequately for the time being. The girl proceeded forward, deliberately rendering herself oblivious to everything that was happening around her. She didn't want to get involved with anything right now; or more accurately, anyone. Her heart oozed with a thick venom, causing bitter thoughts to flow throughout her mind. Sometimes it felt like it were an unspoken law for at least one person in the tribe to deliberately and indiscriminately piss her off on a regular basis. A humoured idea as it were, she couldn't even force a belated smile as her thoughts came back to that of K'rahto. The girl would never admit it, not even to herself... but it was not just her father who had hurt her today and the denial of such only made the thought of the tia anger her more than it had any right to. Her thoughts were soon cast aside however as numerous splotches of blood trailing along the ground caught her attention. Having making herself oblivious to all but her destination ahead she had momentarily forgotten where exactly she was. She studied the trail for a couple of seconds before realising what the source had been. Here eye lids dropped lazily over her irises as she childishly feigned disinterest in an attempt to fool herself - though ignoring the fact that she had already begun following the blood spatter. Her eyes were focused down on the sand as she walked. The dark blots of blood had fermented into a deep, near-black crimson when mixed together with the countless, parasitic grains of sand that infected it. As unhealthy an image as lost blood would generally portray, the trail was even less of a sight to behold, giving the impression that her fathers injuries were even worse than they had evidently been when she stood before him. Adamant as the girl would hold herself to her annoyance, she did well to subdue most of the anxiety that once again began to tickle inside her. It was not until the dampened rattle of the medic tent in the evening breeze echoed loudly in her presence that her gaze was forced upward from the crimson splotches that tainted that the golden sands. "..........." K'nahli blinked with a moment's surprise before a familiar scowl returned to shape her eyes and furrow her brow. That's right... he was here, wasn't he? How could she have forgotten such an important fact? K'nahli's fists tightened by her side as she contained her irritation from merely having to look at the tia, forcing her gaze away from him in her moment's pause before trying to walk on past him. "....." Though it was no use. The girl only made it a few steps before her provoking concerns had forced her to a halt. Frustrations aside, she just nee...- ...wanted to make sure that the old fool had gone inside to have himself tended to. It would settle her mind a little after all... yes. A perfectly, reasonable desire. "Tia!" K'nahli snapped suddenly as she whipped around on the spot to face K'rahto. It was foolish of her to add to the tension that already existed between them but addressing him by name felt almost too familiar than the male deserved. "My father... did he come here?"

I love when people don't take travel lightly like this, thank you very much for creating such an event ^^ I hope you all have fun.

This is a rather good idea, thank you. Followed.