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K'nahli · **06-28-2014, 10:18 AM**

S'imba's words held no weight with the Ixal archer. His arrogance deserved no acknowledgement, no response. He continued to trudge slowly forward, his towering stature likely appearing even larger than before to the grounded miqo'te. His fellow Ixal continued to merely look on, consumed by the waters of uncertainty but seemingly absent of intention - leaving Nezul to commit to whatever he had truly wished to do, with no-one moving to argue with his motives.

That was, until the briefly forgotten Siha made her presence known to them once again.

Nezul drew to an eventual halt as the female miqo'te thrust herself between him and the wounded male. His eyes quickly fell upon her but the girl's sudden invasion of the scene failed to provoke even a flinch from the archer. He looked down upon her pleading form as the thick poison that was his contempt pumped fervently throughout his entire being. Such a despisable act was an inconceivable notion for the proud Ixal. They would sooner embrace an agonizing death than suffer the disgrace that came with but a single plea for mercy.
Though opposite seemed to be the case for featherless ones. Often was he met with such pleas, such exaggerated cries for mercy or freedom in exchange for ransom or information. It was so sickeningly pitiful.

Regardless, Nezul made no attempt to impede the girl. Silently he stood and listened to her every word, little did they seem to phase him however. S'imba may have caught him and his brothers off-guard with his retaliation but no such thing would happen a second time. This female, no matter how strong she may otherwise prove, could offer no meaningful resistance before she would find herself in the same place as the male miqo'te she shielded. Defeated in the dirt; as was the true place for any who would stand against the Ixal and their deity.
As for ensuring the male's cooperation, the concept was almost laughable. It mattered little to Nezul how strong the pugilist believed himself to truly be. He would break; just like all of his featherless kin prior. They always did, for their kind knew nothing but weakness.

He watched in silence as she quickly turned away and sought to tending to her ally's wound. Her work was swift and clean, impressive even, succeeding in both partially sealing the wound around the rigid arrow and stopping most of the bleeding. A temporary fix but one that was both necessary and effectual nonetheless.
Her decision to rise and perform such an action without permit was a risky endeavour on her part, but one that would luckily see the girl come to no harm.
Death was the last thing either of them wanted for the wounded male.

"What use would we have for yet another of your kind that stole no breath?" Nezul hissed venomously once the girl had returned to face him.

"Even the wolves cannot find savour in your kind's worthless flesh"

He took another slow step forward before lowering himself into a crouch to bring himself in front of the female's humble form. Slowly, he drew a finger beneath her chin, allowing the sharpened tip of his claw to prod uncomfortably into the flesh that canvassed beneath her lower jaw. With a careless nudge, he forced her head to tilt further upwards until she had no choice but to meet with his glare.

"If you wish to take responsibility for that waste of meat then so be it... the next arrow will be for you" he warned darkly as his misted, pearl-like eyes pierced deeply through her. The threat was undoubtedly genuine, but it was the male whom remained behind her that was the true target of Nezul's words.

The Ixal continued to eye the girl fiercely as a very brief moment of silence followed. His gaze upon her seemed to grow ever deeper as though he were trying to read her very thoughts. A faint snarl escaped out of the creature's distorted beak as he unintentionally bore his ferocious fangs once more.

"I will, however, make you a deal, female..." he spoke once again. His gaze was unrelenting and the danger as close as ever.

"...Tell me where the others went and I will spare you and your allies further torment" he continued with a more subdued tone, perhaps the closest the creature could actually come to sounding somewhat genuine and friendly. His gaze briefly wandered around him, meeting with both the lalafel whom remained bound and held behind him and the miqote who lay subdued to her rear.

"And spare me your deceit... lest the concern you displayed just now was naught but a farce" he added with warning while bringing his gaze back to her once more. The danger this time echoed from the ferocity that fueled his glare rather than mere words, though it was just as real as before.

No, even moreso.

S'imba · **06-28-2014, 11:51 AM**

When the Ixal threatened Siha with an arrow he knew that he was beaten and all he could do is look into the eyes of the gigantic archer that now stood above him. He gave a look of complete and utter loathing of beastman. Â The pain was lessened to the point is was bearable but he made no attempt to continue the fight...for now. He sat there in the dirt trying not to make the fear of what was yet to come overcome him.Â

He looked over towards Rurutani and a small smile formed on his face. Pup had taught him how to escape from rope, and he had gotten quite good at it. He turned his gaze back to Ixal and Siha waiting for her response.

Siha · **06-29-2014, 05:58 PM**

The Ixal's words were harsh and his rigid resolve even worse, the beastman didn't seem any less unruffled by her compliance and she swallowed as he crouched but her mouth seemed to have gone dry. The mere touch of the captor sent a shudder through her, not simply because he was Ixal, but because she knew that whatever intentions they had for them were dark. The prick of his claw against her skin had her chin rising just as he wished and her large violet eyes caught the misty gaze of their captor with almost glassy fear, she was afraid but more for the others than herself, she didn't want them to be hurt. Anything was better than that.

She didn't dare nod with his claw pressing to her jaw, "I-I understand" she whispered quietly, fervently, if that was the price of his defense then so be it. When his tone shifted she could practically taste the poison in it, no matter how friendly he tried to sound she had been subject to this trickery many times before and her pride stung, it was always her and maybe before she would have fallen into the trap but she knew there wasn't any friendliness here. She couldn't glare though, not even show a scrap of rebellion, so she swallowed and forced some sort of relief into her figure as though she undoubtedly believed him. Meanwhile her thoughts raced, she didn't want to give up the others who had disappeared into the trees, but there wasn't any way they could have missed the sound of the scuffle at this point.

The others would think she was a coward and her heart raced at that but she swallowed her pride, hopefully they would understand, and hopefully the other two passengers were long gone by now or at the very least not in the direction she was going to point the Ixal. "I..." she stammered her words carefully, her eyes widening with misery as she looked at the Ixal and a bit of fear, "t-they..." finally she forced defeat into her tone. "They went that way...earlier" no doubt she'd pay if they found out she was lying or wrong, but her finger pointed in the direction of the slope that Clover and Andre had gone down, but her direction was much farther south than they had gone. "It looked like they might have been circling back towards Thanalan for something" she mumbled and glanced to the others as best she could with forced guilt in her eyes, she would plead with them later if need be.

Finally she forced her eyes back up to Nezul and waited with baited breath to see exactly what the Ixal would accept of her explanation. No doubt he'd send scouts out but hopefully the two Hyur had heard and were gone by now, a few precious moments ticked by as she thought of more distractions but she couldn't delay his orders once he gave them and maybe the other Ixal would move without them anyway.

S'imba · **06-29-2014, 07:42 PM**

S'imba ears pricked up at her deception he decided he would try and help and validate the lie. Â Using the subtle body languages that only a Miqo'te could preform he flicked his tail playfully hoping she would understand what he was doing. Â

"Traitor!" he shouted trying to move away from her and drag himself into a position between the Ixal and the direction she pointed. Â He stood slowly giving him the impression he was in more pain then he really was. Â "I won't let you take them too!" Wondering if the Ixal was going to shoot him again or beat him and drag him off in chains. Â He didn't care though all he wanted to do is sell her lie.

Melodia · **06-30-2014, 08:17 AM**

Ruru was bound and couldn't see the others clearly. He heard the discussion and when Siha uttered her words he tensed and shook his head the best he could.

"No! How could you?!"

He had no idea of her intentions and his reaction was natural, believing that the woman he'd only briefly met had just sold the souls of two others from the caravan to the Ixal. He swallowed hard and glared praying that she wouldn't soon sell his soul to the their captors.

Xydane · **07-01-2014, 10:21 PM**

Meanwhile...

________________________________________________________________

It was a gorgeous day in Gridania and though clouds were starting to form in the distance, the sun still shined with a brilliant ray of majesty.

Dressed in light armor and covered by a black coat, Xydane removed his hood as he quickly made his way toward the Botanist Guild. It was funny to think that his nervousness and excitement clashed at the same time. It has been months since he had visited Clover and he was overjoyed to see her.

Held in his hand was a bouquet of emerald and golden flowers, tied neatly together by a white ribbon. The emerald flowers were meant to represent the color of the girl's eyes while the golden roses was a favorite of his past beloved. He had handpicked them himself and thought of them as a wonderful gift.

Exhaling deeply, the young man approached the closed door of the guild and knocked. Only in a short moment did an elderly woman answer, her expression sincere as it was surprised. She smiled warmly.

"How can I help you, dear?"

"Evening ma'am," said Xydane while a shy smile made it's way onto his face. "I was wondering if a girl named Clover was here today?"

With a slow shake of her head, the old Hyur replied.

"I'm afraid not, son. She's been gone for some time and I think she may still be traveling."

Hearing the news caused his smile to slowly vanish as a hint of disappointment kicked in. Still, he had traveled up north to see her and the thought of waiting couldn't hurt. Bowing his head thankfully, Xydane held the bouquet towards the woman and beamed once more.

"If she does return, can you make sure she get these flowers? Tell her it's from Xydane."

"Of course, dear! Might I also say that these flowers are absolutely gorgeous. I'm sure she'll love them."

"I'm sure she will too. You have my thanks, ma'am."

Bowing once more, the knight turned and casually walked away. Perhaps it was time for him to visit other parts of the city. Gridania was looking rather lovely this time of year anyways.

K'nahli · **07-04-2014, 11:08 AM**

Nezul's eyes shot deeply into Siha's, not wavering for even a moment as she spoke. His threat had to be made clear. Deceit would never be tolerated. For both her sake and her allies, she needed to tell him exactly what he wanted to hear. Her voice stuttered and shook with what seemed to be a typical fear that her kind was so quick to indulge the Ixali with when met face to face. It was a good start but he would not be sold on mere dramatics. Many a fool, arrogantly thinking themselves as would-be-heroes, had attempted the same trickery in the past, believing that their lies could not possibly be proven even when their direction yielded no results.
Their 'bravery' was often quickly regretted.

Her persisting fear and reluctance was a positive sign in one sense. Normally it would lend one to believe that only truth was pouring from their lips, though the skeptical Nezul was not entirely convinced. She may have been grovelling at their feet earlier, but there was more to this miqo'te than met the eye. She placed her own self in danger in exchange for the mere possibility of Simba's well-being. Her words were not to be taken lightly. Even were it the case that the two were merely bound by blood, her altruism was a trait than could not be overlooked. Her compassion and morality both had to be drowned beneath a crushing sea of fear.

Nezul snorted with uncertainty as the girl finished speaking. Not for a moment did he take his eyes away from her, even when she motioned past him to indicate the alleged direction which they had taken. He drew every so slightly closer, allowing hisÂ large and sharp fangs to reveal themselves to the young miqo'te once more. He growled menacingly. It had seemed that he had come to his own conclusion.

The girl was a liar.

"Traitor!"

"No! How could you?!"

"I won't let you take them too!"

The unexpected voices of the two males spoke aloud suddenly, the emotion and perhaps sincerity carried with them succeeding in distracting Nezul from the girl whom had come very close to earning his wrath. The archer's head quickly swiveled back and forth to bring both men into view as they interjected in protest against the girl's 'betrayal' as they saw it. He blinked once and then twice before returning his eyes to focus upon Siha yet again. A subtle, twisted smile formed across the creature's face as the corners of his mouth peaked upwards with delight. Perhaps her direction was indeed worth pursuing.

Nezul slowly rose to his feet with a faint sigh of intrigue that hissed out of his leathery throat.

"Good. In that case, let us...-" he began to speak as another booming clap of thunder from the encroaching storm rolled through the tainted ceiling of cloud overhead in warning to all who dwelt within the forest below - and with it, followed the low and commanding tone of their superior's authority.

"Nezul" Kuzal, their leader, spoke placidly though with a distinct voice of direction toward his Second.

Nezul turned to look in his direction, the evident appearance of joy soon fading from his expression as though he knew what was coming, before indeed being met with a dismissive shake of Kuzal's head.

"Why would you deny us further bounty? We can surely find them without trouble!" he retorted quickly while taking an unintentional step of belligerence towards Kuzal. His response was eager and almost pleading though it was not intended as a challenge of authority.

"..They could not have traveled far. Their rotten stench still corrupts the air.." he added a little more calmly while drawing in a large, nasally breath through his distorted beaked that he hiked up to better catch the breeze.

"We have wasted enough time here. The wind travels fast and with it our deeds here will surely be carried to the Gridanians" Kuzal replied wisely before, he too, gently tiled his beak upwards and sampled the air with a more discreetly drawn breath.

"...Someone is already pursuing us..." he added after a brief pause with a voice that betrayed a subtle hint of contempt. He blinked slowly, taking a moment to withdraw himself into his own thoughts.

Nezul snarled in irritation as he drove a powerful, clawed fist into the side of the caravan with a tremendous crack. The sturdy wood creaked and groaned under the weight of where his fist had landed, the force in turn startling the anxious chocobos once more and sending them into yet another chirping frenzy. The archer's features furrowed and frowned with dissatisfaction. His leader's direction was infuriating... though, ultimately, he knew that he was correct. Such rich fortune was not something they should test in exchange for but a little more.

"Dispatch a couple of scouts if you so wish, but we are returning. Come" Kuzal replied after looking on for a short moment longer, before then proceeding to descend from the hill.

Nezul drew in a deep breath with as he came to accept Kuzal's order. His eyes opened once more to stare absently through the fine grains that laced through the wood's surface before, with a quick glance over his large shoulder, he then focused his stare on two of his idle brethren.

"Go"

His blunt instruction was acknowledged with a brief nod from each of the two Ixali before they both hastened down the path in the specific direction that the girl had pointed toward earlier. Their weapons were drawn and readied for any encounter they may stumble upon. This situation was different from the one prior.
If they encountered anything they deemed too much of a threat to attempt to subdue and capture alone... then they would instead choose to slay it.

Siha · **07-04-2014, 08:03 PM**

This beastman was a shrewd being, she could tell that even her most genuine performance wasn't convincing him completely and fear slithered more tightly around her heart. He would know, he would find out, he would-

The cries from behind her erupted, first S'imba's whom had flicked his tail and then the more convinced one of the Lalafell, she couldn't recall his name off the top of her head but his own was completely genuine. He'd been bound and had no way of knowing her plan, if that was what had to be then that was what had to be, she would deal with his ire later when it came. If it came. She shivered again at the unknown, if they weren't going to kill them then what could they possibly want from them, she dulled her shudders and glanced up. She had to focus, had to keep playing the part, sharp blinks and some focus brought tears to her eyes as she projected a sob, "I'm sorry" she choked at the others and brought her hand to cover her mouth as though in shame.

Part of her worried that the Hyur had gone the direction she'd pointed but that worry was short lived as another more powerful Ixal spoke up the hill, one who had been silent until now. Her look upward brought her violet gaze to his figure and dread seeped through her, his power was in his figure but also in the way the others obeyed and the timbre with which he spoke. Here was an Ixal that she knew wouldn't buy her half truths should she come face to face with him and her mouth dried as she curled slightly away from his direction. His words however inspired hope, someone was following them, and if someone was following them then there was still hope that help would come. Surely whoever it was would recognize what was happening and send for help, just as the Hyur would if they reached their destination. She had to believe that.

The crack of a fist sent her head down quickly but it appeared the wrath of Nezul was towards his inability to pursue his prey and thankfully not herself...for now. Hands balling in her lap she stayed silent, only peeking through her lashes to watch the scouts head in her misdirection, hopefully there would be nothing for them to find on that particular trail. A shuddering breath later she offered out her hands without complaint, there would be time to struggle later but for now they needed to stay as safe as they could and she glanced up to S'imba with that slightly pleading expression once more. Briefly her eyes moved towards Rurutani as well but he couldn't see her and so she could only hope that he'd do nothing rash, he hadn't to this point so she had faith in the man's survival instinct for the moment.

S'imba · **07-05-2014, 12:57 AM**

S'imba was completely torn at this point. Â He had been trained to fight with surrender not being an option it had always been kill or be killed. Â To show it or to even beg for it would normally be met with severe and unyielding punishment in Thanalan how could he be any different here. Â Worse still his new friends were in danger, he knew they couldn't understand what surrender would mean. Â They didn't understand the feeling of knowing that someone else controls your freedom, of being seen as property instead of a person. Â On the other hand he couldn't try and keep fighting the Ixal's threats towards the others had made that clear enough. Â He sighed and held his hands out to let ready to allow them to be tied furious that he was about to willingly give away his new found freedom.Â

That was until he saw their leader approaching them. Â At this point S'imba's eyes left Nezul's to meet the mastermind behind this ambush. Â Though the expression on his face was different then the one he had been giving to Nezul. Â S'imba had no doubt in his mind that physically he could beat any single one of the Ixal that stood before him. Â However with their leader it was different...he was a planner he was the one who would rely on others to do his dirty work. Â He was the type that S'imba was never able to beat the foe that could use his intelligence rather than strength to beat their foes. Â An individual like his owner. Â Instead of the confident unbreakable look he had given Nezul he gave the new Ixal a look of the purest and deepest hatred. Â This Ixal was a representation of everything he hated in life. Â

Completely losing control of himself and letting the hatred take over and cloud his mind he threw himself at their leader with a snarl. Â Unfortunately for the young Miqo'te he was now completely surrounded and in his rage failed to defend against the Ixal who had been standing almost next to him, who reached out and reached a hand through the collar that was around S'imba's neck and slammed him down into the dirt with a loud thump knocking the air completely out of him. He lay coughing as the Ixal held him in the dirt squirming and kicking as he tried to free himself from the hand that held him there. The Ixal would only laugh at these now pathetic attempts to free himself from his grasp he was completely in their power now.

Clover · **07-05-2014, 06:45 AM**

As Xydane passed right by the Twin Adder headquarters, he could witness an apparently usual scene. A middle age man with a very unfriendly expression had approached Gavin, the Twin Adder soldier guarding the entrance. The former looked quite anxious.

"One of my employees hasÂ informed meÂ that the path to Gridania is completely obstructed by a bunch of debris," he explained, almost scolding Gavin as if it were his fault. "They're trying to remove it, but he estimates it might take a few bells, and I need the shipment he's carrying for yesterday!"

"I'm very sorry, sir..." Gavin tried to calm him down with open hands and an apologetic expression. "We'll see what we can do."

"You'll see?! What does that even mean? That carriage has passengers and merchandise! Will you abandon them in the middle of nowhere?"

"Not at all, sir, but I'm afraid we have other cases thatÂ take priority right now, and it sounds like the travellersÂ are capable of takingÂ care of the problem. If the path is still blocked in a few bells, however, thenÂ the Twin Adder will take part in the matter."

The following part of the conversation involved the impatient man yelling at the very pitiful, very patient Twin Adder soldier.

Xydane · **07-07-2014, 12:57 PM**

Xydane's stroll across Gridania was rather serene. He first stopped at Apkallu Falls in Old Gridania, admiring the small waterfall in the area and then casually made his way south where he watched a small play at the Mih Khetto's Amphitheatre. The city was quite lively as was it's usual and Xydane soon found himself leaning next to a wooden pillar as he watched a feud with interest at the Twin Adder's HQ.

For the moment, curiosity was Xydane's company as he stared at the man who was protesting at the soldier. The words heard in the conversation sparked interest and when he finally walked toward them, the knight interrupted the two with a slight bow of his head and a pacifying smile. "I didn't mean to intrude but I overheard that a carriage has been blocked by debris? I'll be happy to help."

The man's eyes widen with relief and he quickly shot Gavin a disappointing look before he turned to face Xydane. Thanking the stranger for his genuine offer to help, the man took time to discuss the details of the situation and when he finally finished, he shook Xydane's hand in a thankful gesture.

"It's alright, I'll handle this." said Xydane, giving Gavin a friendly slap on the shoulder while the soldier nodded in return and sighed, seeming relieved for the situation being handled and not having to hear the man bicker anymore. Perhaps Clover would return once he was finished with his task. Perhaps not. Either way, it was a good opportunity to kill time and thus he began to proceed outside Gridania, leaving the peaceful city towards the woods of the Shroud; axe on back and sword resting on his shoulders.

In the distance, above the sea of trees and rivers, lightning clapped against the darkening sky and signaled the coming of a storm.

K'nahli · **07-09-2014, 10:34 AM**

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").

Clover · **07-09-2014, 03:27 PM**

This wasn't the Andre Clover had known. Not even the same one from that first day, when he saved everyone's life against a small group of Ixal. That time, she'd watched his suffering from afar, but now... now he was closer than he'd ever been, more open than he'd ever been. Perhaps more alive too. This was the person who always smiled and never said much; his eyes were loud today, as was his heart. He was a petrifying sight.

Confined with him behind the tree, hidden from death's view, Clover's world had been narrowed to that single hyur. He was her eyes, the core of her fears, and her only distraction. A terrifying one. However, her life seemed to have fallen onto his hands, so she had to stop being herself. For a moment, her heart calmed down slightly as she turned into a ghost, watching a dangerous tale that was happening to someone else.

She was only back when he tightened his grip with alarming urgency, reminding the girl that this was her story as well, perhaps the last one. Her heart became loud again. Reality sure was a very strange occurrence; to Clover, it felt less real than anything...

K'nahli · **07-11-2014, 05:13 PM**

It near went completely against his rationality to dare and peek out from behind the tree once more. The trundling shuffle of the Ixali as they crushed fallen, yet solid branches beneath their great talons had grown so close now that it had almost sounded as though they were right on top of them - a concern that would prove to not linger very far from the truth.

Though the creatures had initially been pushing in their direction, at some point while Andre wasn't looking, they seemed to have stemmed away from where they had initially been traveling and instead hugged closer to the road that lay a little uphill from their position. It wasn't much consolation considering how close danger yet loomed, but it had certainly earned them a little time at the very least. That one, tiny blessing had been just enough to help restore the hyur's slowly, rekindling nerve.
He watched for a moment as the creatures' pace slowed, their depthless eyes eagerly peering along the fallen foliage for any signs of prior disturbance. The pace at which they moved suggested impatience and so too did the hunters make little effort to conceal their own presence from any quarry that may, and in fact was, lurking nearby. Their gnarled beaks aggressively sucked at the air as they searched through it for any tell-tale scents that could lead them in the right direction. The pair grunted and snorted violently every few seconds as though they continued to find anything of interest. To Andre it was unnerving, listening to them as they mocked his concerns for having left any sort of trail for them to follow and wondering if each short exchange of indecipherable dialogue was a plot against surprising their newly, detected foes.

"They're looking for us... but they may yet think we have escaped entirely..." Andre turned back to whisper quietly to the girl once again.

"We cannot risk moving rashly" he warned her while bringing his lips even closer to her ear. His whispering allowed his voice to come with a sedated softness. If not for the context in which he spoke, then one could have almost assumed that he wereÂ merely afraid of disturbing the silence under which the two concealed themselves. The girl had likely seen his dismay already, there was no way to hide it, though at the very least he had fought off any anxious tremor that would have sough to infect his voice. He owed it to the girl to at least try and sound assured that he could bring her out of this alive and safe.

Andre tilted his head slightly until he made eye contact with the girl. Her eyes were as pure and as clear as crystals, leaving her fear absolutely nowhere to hide. The vibrant shade of green that had once imbued her irises with a purity comparable to fine emerald had now drained until all that remained was an unvarnished reflection of the carpet of grey above.
That innocence, one that radiated from a girl who knew nothing of this world that offered only death and anguish... it no longer had a place out here.

Perhaps that fear of which her widened gaze failed to conceal was only natural. Any man's logic would testify to that, any one, that is, except for Andre. No, to him it was only one thing; a reflection of his failure. Her fear existed solely because he could not hide his own. That lack of confidence, experience and hope that could potentially see her through this only stole from her the belief that things can and will turn out for the better. His sickening show of incompetence tore at his own heart. He needed to be in control. He needed to salvage this situation so that not only they, but the others could see their way to safety once again. If he couldn't do at least that much then he was only further supporting the chances of Clover and the others getting hurt. It was time to stop.

Andre blinked again, reaffirming his grip on Clover before guiding her eyes down toward the ground with his own, gently shuffling his feet to bring attention to the carpet of leaves and twigs that would quickly see to their detection were they not careful.

"We must seek cover beneath their own movements lest they hear us" he continued while gentle readjusting his feet once again so as to not make a sound from his movement.

"Do you understand me?" he asked her while meeting her gaze once again, awaiting a gentle nod of verification. His expression had grown notably more stoic now as the confidence that he wanted to display mostly for Clover's sake had finally begun to infect himself.

His eyes quickly rolled over to his left, once again leading Clover's gaze toward a fallen, moss-infested tree that lay a short distance away - though a distance that would almost feel impossibly far were they to avoid detection.

"That's where we need to be..." he continued to whisper before gently taking his arm away from Clover's abdominem to reach up and tear a metallic button away from his shirt. He rolled it between his fingers analytically, taking it's weight and density into account before presenting it before Clover's eyes.

"When the Ixal run... so do we..." he explained quietly.

Andre carefully peered around the edge of the tree again as he took a brief moment to confirm the creatures' locations once more before committing to his next move. Luckily they had moved just a little further from their location but were still far too close for any sense of comfort. Andre pulled himself back behind the tree with a soft exhale, satisfied that this was as good as it was going to get.

"Get ready......"

Positioning the button carefully between his fingers and thumb, Andre slowly raised his arm to the extent that the tree cover would reasonably allow before flicking his arm swiftly to send the object flying hastily through the air towards a large tree.

......
............
.....*klack*....

The two Ixali raised the heads unison as the tinny sound reverberated beautifully agaisnt the solid, oak tree a distance away - successfully garnering both of their attention. They paused for only a second to exchange glances with each other before hurrying off in the direction of the sound, noisily tossing up leaves, twigs and branches in the process. They Ixali had hardly even begun to run, however, before they both had nearly entirely closed the distance on the tree they sought out.

The window of opportunity had unfortunately proven to be incredibly narrow.

"..now.. hurry!"

Due to a trip and it's preparations, a small hiatus may need to be taken with this scene. It will be continued as soon as possible.
I'm sorry for the further delay and inconvenience.

Clover · **07-25-2014, 06:00 AM**

((OOC: I'm very sorry for being slow (=A=) I'm still on a trip, but I'll try to find more time to tag.))

She couldn't fall asleep now. She couldn't forget where she was. Andre was trying to be strong for the two of them, she could tell that much from the look in his eyes, the sound of his voice. No matter how inexperienced she was or how extreme this situation might be, she needed to ease his burden the best she could.

Despite the fear in her eyes, Clover remained silent and calm, receptive to his words and actions. She'd look at him when he sought her eyes, and nod when he spoke. The warmth of a whispering voice in her ear was a very strange sensation, almost uncomfortable. Or perhaps it was the situation itself, making her more tense than what was safe.

"Get ready," he said, and Clover's treacherous heart only raised its pace. She didn't see the Ixal, no. She saw her parents in the battlefield, looking at the giant that wanted to crush them. They must have been very brave back then, even if it was the last thing they did. She could be like them now. She could run where Andre told her, push her luck and see how the next page from this book would unfold.

"...Now... hurry!"

At the signal, there was nothing Clover heard that wasn't her own breathing. The world seemed to stop at that moment. She just knew she had started running as fast as her legs allowed her, not looking back. It was an easy task, wasn't it? Running from A to B. From A to B. Beyond her, the cat she'd been following looked at her from the goal, waiting for her there. Green eyes opened wider then, and Clover felt she wasn't simply running to B. She was running to safety.

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