The sight of the two Ixal suddenly speeding in their direction was enough to make the hyur's blood run cold. How could they have possibly known? He had taken every precaution to remain out of sight of the assailants whilst attempting to eavesdrop on the scene above, there was just no conceivable way that they could have known where they had been. Had they known from the beginning then they would long-since have made their move, but this was unacceptably sudden. Was it sheer luck? Or had someone else offered them guidance?
Regardless of the answer, it mattered little right now. Andre blinked furiously as he shot his head forward once more, his grip growing increasingly tighter around the likely, oblivious Clover's fragile form. Both he and the girl were unarmed and in great danger. If they weren't careful now then they too could end up captured, or worse...
Andre swallowed hard against the surmounting sense of confusion and panic that was steadily tearing him apart from the inside out, his mind suddenly bombarded with a thousand, agonizing thoughts that rained down upon him like cannonfire. He tried to analyze the events around him but rationality was not born from the impulsive thinking that the situation demanded. His mind immediately succumbed to the options he faced in a worse-case scenario; if they were located. After all, was death truly the worst outcome? If they were found then should they submit to capture and risk an existence that would break even the stoutest of warriors? Or should they refute the chance of liberation and life in order to avoid what could prove to be but a short-lived hardship?
The young knight became flustered as his lack of experience quickly caught up on him. His body twitched excitedly as it begged him to move, to act... while his mind demanded that he remain still until it was absolutely necessary to. Each deep breath he drew sought to steal back the control that he was continuously losing over his body - but it would not be so easily pacified. How does one make such decisions for not just themselves but another? Could he really take responsibility for signing over Clover's life... or for bringing about her unnecessarily, early demise? Such poisonous thoughts seemed impossible, utterly unfeasible and reprehensible.... but it was not something that he could just wish away, nor one that he could run away from this time. His expression convulsed fiercely as though he were vehemently struggling against revealing an excruciating pain that tortured him relentlessly, bringing the male to the point where a cool, trickling sensation could be felt surfacing within the corner of his eye - effectively serving as yet another, subtle reminder of his own mortality.
Andre blinked again to rid his vision of the droplet and quickly peered out from the far side of the tree at an angle where the incoming Ixal would not be able to detect him. He exhaled sharply with what little relief he could manage to express in that chaotic moment. The main force of the Ixali seemed to be departing ahead of the others, and with them, all of their archers. He quickly withdrew once more as his eyes jumped widely around himself in search of something before leaning in to briefly whisper a hastily spoken instruction to the girl that he held tightly within his arms.
For now there was only one clear choice that had to be adhered to, one that stood out amongst all of the other binding questions that held his body and numbed his mind. Only one true objective whose importance seemed to scream within his own skull, almost deafening him to all sound until all that could be heard was the piercing and ceaseless ringing that echoed loudly within the depths of his ears.
("Just until they are out of earshot...... it will be enough... I will make sure it's enough.....") he echoed quietly to himself repeatedly as though the simplicity of the idea would somehow help him regain his nerve.
("....Do not be detected").
Regardless of the answer, it mattered little right now. Andre blinked furiously as he shot his head forward once more, his grip growing increasingly tighter around the likely, oblivious Clover's fragile form. Both he and the girl were unarmed and in great danger. If they weren't careful now then they too could end up captured, or worse...
Andre swallowed hard against the surmounting sense of confusion and panic that was steadily tearing him apart from the inside out, his mind suddenly bombarded with a thousand, agonizing thoughts that rained down upon him like cannonfire. He tried to analyze the events around him but rationality was not born from the impulsive thinking that the situation demanded. His mind immediately succumbed to the options he faced in a worse-case scenario; if they were located. After all, was death truly the worst outcome? If they were found then should they submit to capture and risk an existence that would break even the stoutest of warriors? Or should they refute the chance of liberation and life in order to avoid what could prove to be but a short-lived hardship?
The young knight became flustered as his lack of experience quickly caught up on him. His body twitched excitedly as it begged him to move, to act... while his mind demanded that he remain still until it was absolutely necessary to. Each deep breath he drew sought to steal back the control that he was continuously losing over his body - but it would not be so easily pacified. How does one make such decisions for not just themselves but another? Could he really take responsibility for signing over Clover's life... or for bringing about her unnecessarily, early demise? Such poisonous thoughts seemed impossible, utterly unfeasible and reprehensible.... but it was not something that he could just wish away, nor one that he could run away from this time. His expression convulsed fiercely as though he were vehemently struggling against revealing an excruciating pain that tortured him relentlessly, bringing the male to the point where a cool, trickling sensation could be felt surfacing within the corner of his eye - effectively serving as yet another, subtle reminder of his own mortality.
Andre blinked again to rid his vision of the droplet and quickly peered out from the far side of the tree at an angle where the incoming Ixal would not be able to detect him. He exhaled sharply with what little relief he could manage to express in that chaotic moment. The main force of the Ixali seemed to be departing ahead of the others, and with them, all of their archers. He quickly withdrew once more as his eyes jumped widely around himself in search of something before leaning in to briefly whisper a hastily spoken instruction to the girl that he held tightly within his arms.
For now there was only one clear choice that had to be adhered to, one that stood out amongst all of the other binding questions that held his body and numbed his mind. Only one true objective whose importance seemed to scream within his own skull, almost deafening him to all sound until all that could be heard was the piercing and ceaseless ringing that echoed loudly within the depths of his ears.
("Just until they are out of earshot...... it will be enough... I will make sure it's enough.....") he echoed quietly to himself repeatedly as though the simplicity of the idea would somehow help him regain his nerve.
("....Do not be detected").
![[Image: ecec20e41f.png]](https://puu.sh/xvMxb/ecec20e41f.png)
Characters: Andre Winter (Hy'ur) / K'nahli Yohko (Miqo'te)
