FE: A Reason to Fear the Dark

[Moonlight]

A wry smile crossed Kendra's facade at Elssandra's prompting, laughing lightly. "You would likely not believe it now, but I used to get lost looking for my own sense of direction as a child. Although it has been remedied over the years, that was how I met Liam. After wandering about the marketplace for several hours, he offered to help me find Damien and my mother. We have been close since, and spoke often as we grew," Kendra said, nodding to the monk ahead of them.

He was the one that had made her start questioning the principles of how evertos were treated, even at a young age. Examples were always painfully apparent, even to children. But Liam had seemed far too kind to allow her to believe much of what was said about their race.

[Zorayda]

Elssandra grinned at Kendra, her story sounding lighthearted and amusing. If only she'd had more moments like that herself... She watched as the sun slowly sank, wondering if they'd make camp soon.

"Do you know when we'll stop? Is there a place we'll camp, or are we going to keep on until we reach a town?" She asked Kendra. "I could also use something to eat right about now," Elssa mused, patting her grumbling stomach. "Do you have provisions, or does Alister normally hunt?"

[Moonlight]

Kendra smiled at Elssandra's reaction, holding their pace steady. They had come quite a ways for a day's travel, even if part of it had been rougher than the marked trail. The young woman glanced ahead at the two supply wagons, though paused momentarily when she realized that Ezra was no longer in sight. Where had the thief gone to? However, it seemed she wasn't the only one that had noticed he was missing.

When the neared the treeline that was coming closer, Damien called for them to stop. It was time to set up camp for the night, before they lost the remaining light to work by. Alister volunteering to scout for the everto while looking for a bit of fresh meat in order to make their preserves last longer. Kendra nodding to Elssandra after a moment, realizing she hadn't answered. "Mmm. Alister is a proficient hunter, as well as scout. It should not be too long before camp is assembled, however ... Please, make yourself at home. I may accompany Alister in a moment ..." the cobalt tressed myrmidon added quietly, thoughtful.

[Zorayda]

Elssa set her things down, rolling her shoulders to work out the kinks and tightness of the muscles from walking and carrying her pack all day. She didn't miss that Ezra had gone, and that made her especially wary. He wasn't the most pleasant person around, and being an everto only made the archer even more nervous. What was he up to, skulking about and disappearing on them? Where would he have gone?

She pulled out her bow and twanged the string a couple of times, checking it. She set up her bedroll and other items for the night, readying her things so that she could go hunting with Alister. She hadn't hunted with a partner for a very long time, and Alister seemed like an interesting person to be around.

"May I be of help?" She asked, still talking to Kendra. Thus far, Kendra was the person she was the most comfortable with, being the one who had talked with her for most of the trip. "I, too, am a good scout and huntress," she added.

[Moonlight]

The young woman glanced over at Elssandra after setting her tent up, tightening the rope to secure the triangular piece of cloth to the ground. Tossing her extra belongings that she carried with her onto her bed roll, before nodding. "It would not hurt," Kendra said, offering a small smile. Tucking a lock of her cobalt hair behind an ear before motioning for Alister, the redheaded archer having been adjusting the tightness of his bow string.

He nodded when she briefly explained that she and Elssandra would accompany him, gesturing for the female archer to come along. "The more the merrier. Maybe we'll bring in something more for dinner, and have something to trade when we reach Thira. Leather is always needed for making their wyvern rider's saddles," Alister commented, before motioning towards the wooded area ahead of them.

"We will probably find a doe or buck before long, but if not we could make do," the hunter added, suddenly moving into the tree line. Fleet footed, near silent.

[Zorayda]

Elssa truly smiled for the first time in days as Alister led her into the forest, as silent as a cat. She followed quickly, eager to keep up with him and show him that her skill could be equal to his. She avoided the leaves and underbrush, keeping her breath and sounds quiet. Deer, in particular, could hear nearly everything, and they were especially skittish to boot. A movement caught her eye, and she noted a small doe grazing upon a small patch of grass. She stilled instantly, aware that any movement would catch the animal's attention. Elssa let out a soft bird call to get Alister's attention so he wouldn't scare the deer away.

She slowly, slowly, strung her bow and arrow, keeping her movements fluid and purposeful. A moment later, she had the arrow nocked and pulled back, aiming straight at the heart of the deer. She waited until she could see that Alister had gotten her signal before firing, but taut and ready to shoot at any second.

[Moonlight]

The low and wavering bird call made Alister halt in his tracks, immediately pulling an arrow from its quiver as his green eyed gaze sought out the target his company had seen. Soon settling upon the doe as well, before notching his arrow. Pulling the taut drawstring back, leveling his aim. A sharp 'twang' audible as two strings snapped back.

Different angles, all driving straight at the doe's heart. Its death was painless, a thick rosette of crimson staining its pale pelt as the doe collapsed. Nodding to Elssandra as he waded through the underbrush to get to the animal, offering a wry smile. "You're a fair shot, I must say. This'll be enough to last us days," Alister commented, sharply jerking one of the arrows out. Upon seeing the feathers attached were of a different variety than his own, he handed it back to the other archer for reuse.

Wiping his own arrow on the grass to remove most of the blood, before taking a scrap of cloth to it as not to allow it to rust the steel head and rot the wooden shaft. Setting it back in the quiver, before moving to its legs. "Think you can help me carry it back?" he queried simply, arching a brow.

Glancing around after a moment, realizing Kendra was tracking not animal prints, but boot prints. The cobalt tressed myrmidon's pale amber gaze moving about as her light steps moved beside the faint trail, hand resting on the hilt of her blade. Quiet. Only a faint rustle was audible where she walked, unable to fully avoid every stray leaf and branch.

But when nearly out of sight from the duo, a flash of umber dove from overhead branches. Cloak falling smoothly around him as he stood from his kneeling position, ruby eyes boring straight through the myrmidon. A hand on his dagger. "If I were your enemy, you'd be dead. Pay more attention to all of your surroundings, not just most of them," Ezra stated bluntly, walking past them without another word.

[Zorayda]

Kendra nodded towards Alister after the kill was made, the deer laying on the ground after being instantly put to death.

"Of course," she said shortly, and began helping the other archer to pack up the deer to take along with them. After a few moments, a tiny sound behind them caused her to look around quickly, before seeing Ezra's form flash by. She saw Kendra's surprised reaction and frowned. What was the everto playing at, frightening the poor girl that way? Her opinion of him, or what little of one she had of Ezra, suddenly became poorer. He was so incorrigible...all Kendra wanted was to make sure he was all right...She pursed her lips but remained silent, putting the information away for later. She worked at the deer with Alister, but after a few moments directed a question at him.

"Is he always like that?" She asked, her voice irritated but curious. "He always seems so..." Elssa struggled to find the right word. "...cold."

[Moonlight]

Alister simply shook his head, before hoisting the doe off of the ground. Allowing his bow to rest on his other shoulder with his quiver, watching Ezra stalk off. The everto still far from social, it seemed. "From what I gather, time has not been gentle. But he still bears no excuse to be so continually crass," the archer added, his tone detached. Not uncaring. But as if he were attempting to keep a neutral opinion on the everto. He'd been around Kendra long enough to know how much she worked to develop peaceful bonds between humans and the demonics.

Moving back to the camp with Elssandra, motioning for Kendra to return with them. The myrmidon nodded silently, turning on her heel before moving to follow them. Clearly a bit off put by the thief's ever present rebuttals. But she was not compared to a mule without reason, after all. It took more than simple biting comments to drive off Kendra once she had settled on an idea.

[Zorayda]

Elssa nodded at the archer's comment, aware that he was trying to be nonjudgmental of the everto man. She silently helped hoist the particularly fat deer up to help deliver it to the others as they passed by Kendra. Ezra was...well, he was something of an annoying mystery. Cold and hard, with some kind of history that she knew nothing about. And...he already disliked her for her background. Lucky for me... the archer thought sarcastically, a grim smirk tightening her mouth.

"..." Elssandra watched the myrmidon with a sharp gaze, trying to guage the other woman's thoughts and feelings. How long had she been at this? Trying to keep peace between them all, standing up for the evertos, dealing with all of Ezra's shortcomings and remaining steadfast even in his rebuttals? The thought made Elssa really consider her own morality and patience. In contrast, she really was the opposite of Kendra in that respect...and it added a layer of trust and liking towards her. Elssandra allowed a small smile for her as they passed, slightly apologetic in light of the event that had just happened.