No escape

[Talwyn]

Crouching down, the cloaked figure touched the ground with a gentle hand. From underneath the hood, a pair of stern looking gray eyes was flitting about, making sure there was no danger. Taking another look at the tracks, the hunter gave a satisfied nod. Still fresh, it wouldn’t be long now. Getting back up, the small, scruffy looking horse behind the figure gave a near inaudible snort.

Throwing back the cowl that obscured her face, Erin looked at the beast. “Oh hush Colt, “ She whispered as she patted him on his flanks, “we’re gaining on the bastard. If we keep up this pace, I’ll probably have to leave you behind tomorrow. “ In response, the horse snorted derisively as it shook it’s head. Leave me? What are you thinking?

Her eyes lit up as she laughed, the melodic sound a stark contradiction of the image commoners had about rangers. “Don’t be such a worrywart Colt. You know I have been doing this for several years now and it’s always been fine. Besides, sneaking up on an assassin with a horse, even one trained as well as you, is not a very good idea.” Looking at her, it almost seemed as if the horse conceded her point.

Swinging herself back in the saddle, she grabbed her canteen as she drove her heels in the beast’s flanks. “’Sides…” she said in between drinking. “he might know how to stay undetected while in a city or castle. He’s a rookie when it comes to staying undetected in the woods.”

After the sun had set, Erin, alert as ever, noticed a flash of light within the woods to her left. Forcing Colt to halt, she jumped down and told him to stay. It was obvious he did not like this order, but, he obeyed. Being a ranger horse, he too had been trained extremely well. Grabbing her bow, she nocked an arrow and stalked off towards the source of the fire.

According to her estimates, this could not be the assassin. The earliest she’d expect to run into him would be somewhere in the afternoon of the following day. Still… It couldn’t hurt to be careful. Circling around the camp, she found a spot where she wouldn’t have to look in the direction of the fire and stepped out of the shadows. “Valearan Ranger Corps! State your name and business. And unless you want to end up as a pincushion, I’d suggest you refrain from grabbing your weapons.”

[boomdeboom]

Making his way through a huge patch of curled nettled which seemed to be attracted to his clothes, as with each step he winced as he could fear the fabric of his clothes ripping. After about 2 minutes of making his way through the overgrown thorns, he cursed under his breath and while raising his hand, yet causing the cloth on his arms to rip as yet another thrown ripped through it, he gave a quick and swift movement with his hand. And, after the movement was preformed, within seconds the once bothersome thorns were now burning to the ground, creating a clear, but burnt way. With a smug look on his face, he moved forward, taking large steps.

Usually, being an elemental controller was annoying, what with people calling you a freak of nature and all that. But, in times like this, he was happy to be one. Proud, in a way. With the only sounds in the forest being his footsteps, the clang as his metal coloured earrings bounced off eachother and his odd happy tune which he hummed under his breath, Kit felt a sense of calm overwhelm him. Who needed to be in a village where you were overcome with financial worries and all that when you could be out here with absolutely no worries, only thinking about having enough food and a comfortable place to sleep.

After another good bit of walking, Kit stopped as the forest became engulfed in darkness as the sun set, ending yet another day. Giving a quick sweep of the area, he agreed with himself that this would be a good place to set up came. Setting down his rucksack, he picked up a few odd sticks that were laying around and placed them in a bundle. Then, with a murmur of words from a forgotten and old language, a blaze of fire shot down and soon began to eat at the dry sticks, causing a large and warm fire. Yet again pleased with himself, he sighed with content as he sat down on the ground, opening his rucksack to fish around for some leftover food which he had picked up on the last village.

But, a noise soon stopped him in the middle of his action. Turning his emerald orbs to a patch of darkness towards his left, Kit took his hands out of his rucksack and laid them by his side. Someone was there, he could hear their footsteps, although now they had stopped, suggesting that they were now looking at him. So, because of his early assumption, he wasn't surprised to see a figure jump out threating him.

Picking himself up off the ground, brushing away the dirt from his already filthy clothes, Kit let out a laugh, bringing his hand up to his long sandy brown locks which he ruffled. Raising an eyebrow, he then put up both his hands in a slight mockery, closing his eyes as he shuffled from foot to foot, saying with a tone which suggested that he wanted this to be over as quickly as possible as he had other plans.

"Kit, I'm a traveler so I have no business here, just passing through. Oh, and I have no weapons, Ms. Ranger." Kit wasn't usually too fond of rangers, having run into trouble with them in many villages in the recent years. However, he was curious as to why a ranger was out here, but again because he wanted this to be over as quickly as possible in order for him to make a meal for himself, he refrained himself from asking. Also, he was a bit nervous and wary around this woman, she didn't seem like the kindest person.

[Talwyn]

A look of surprise flashed across the woman's face. A kid? Out here? All by himself? She tentatively eased the tension of her bowstring as she lowered the weapon a bit. Her eyes flitted about, making sure there was no trap that was about to be sprung upon her. getting up from her slightly crouched and battle ready position, she finally placed her arrow back in the quiver as she looked up at the young man.

Looking at the youngster, her gray eyes seemed to look directly into his soul. Studying the boy for a few more seconds, a smile appeared on her face as she decided there was no trap. Stepping fully into the light of the fire, she revealed herself to be of quite a small stature as she had to look up to look the young man in the eyes.

Letting out a sharp whistle, she looked in the direction of the path she had just left. Within a few seconds, Colt came stampeding into view. "Very well, Kit was it? My name is Erin, and this is Colt." After petting the beast, she sat down near the fire. "Would you mind to share camp with me for the night? I have a few questions for you that I'd like answered."

[boomdeboom]

Kit was used to a look of surprise going across the face of any person whom came across him Because he was still so young, although he himself thought 16 was pretty much adulthood, many people thought of him as a joke whenever he came into a village and asked to stay in a single bedded room. Usually people his age would still be living at home, working on a farm. It was rare for anyone so young to travel, and yet he had been travelling ever since he was young.

Feeling her gaze pierce through him made his eyes crack open, not wanting to cause any uncesscary trouble by looking to guilty or something stupid like that. Although he did want to want to cause any trouble, he couldn't help but grin a bit and chuckle under his breath as he found the threating voice from before to be nothing more then a rather harmless looking female, who being smaller then him, made him feel slightly superior, although he knew that wasn't entirely true.

Wincing slightly at the very high pitched whistle, Kit jumped back slightly as the horse made its way through the shadows. Not having any experience with horses, only knowing that they were rather dangerous when they were pissed off, it made Kit a bit wary, unsure how to treat such an animal. However, it did look rather tamed, and after a few moments of staring at it, he retreated to sit down, knowing that if it attacked he could just use to fire to startle it off.

"Nice to meet you Erin. . .and Colt." Surprised that an animal could receive a name like a human, usually calling any animal whom wandered with him by its species, Kit was needless to say again a bit wary of letting her stay her with him. But she did seem rather harmless at the moment when she wasn't threatening him, even though the horse still did freak him out whenever it neighed suddenly. So, again reaching for his rucksack to look for dinner, he replied.

"Yeah sure, stay if you want. Questions? Hmm. . .." Raising his gaze to look at her from the side of his eye, he shrugged.

"Ask away then, though I'm not sure if I would know any answers." Ending with a smile of satisfaction, Kit pulled out two large items wrapped in brown paper. Grabbing two sharp sticks by his side, he opened the paper to reveal rather large pieces of salmon, although they had been caught two days ago, they were still good. Sitting in a cross legged position, holding the stick with the balls of his feet, he proceeded to pierce the fish, making sure that it wouldn't fall down, and while sticking the stick into the ground, the fish hovering just above the flames of the fire, he asked while proceeding the pierce the second fish.

"I'm afraid I only have fish, and I'm pretty sure horses don't eat meat. Colt will have to just make do with grass or something. Now, what were the questions you want to ask me." Raising his bowed head after piercing the first and sticking the stick right beside the first one, Kit stared with his green eyes at Erin, leaning back and cross his arms, ready to ask anything that was thrown at him.

[Talwyn]

When the boy said Colt would have to make do with grass or something, the horse let out a derisive snort. What’s wrong with that? Erin Laughed as she turned to face him. “Oh you know there is nothing wrong with it Colt. Now hush already, you’re making the kid nervous.” Colt made a grunt like sound before turning his attention to a patch of fresh grass. Fine.

Laughing once more, Erin turned to her ‘host’ once again. “Fish will do fine, thank you.” She said as she gave him another gentle smile before staring into the fire. Despite looking relaxed and laid back though, she was in fact still keeping her eyes on her surroundings and the boy. Yes, she trusted him for now, and Colt would warn her if he were to try anything, but still… one did not become a Ranger by being complacent.

She also knew that she was a far cry from the regular image people had of Rangers. When people thought of Rangers, they imagined gruff, rough looking males with little patience. This image was completely wrong, but no one ever tried to change it. It tended to serve them well after all. Erin however, was a rather petite and frail looking girl. Her pretty and youthful face wasn’t helping either, as it tended to make people dismiss her as nothing but a girl.

Getting up, she went to her horse and grabbed a satchel from the many pouches and saddlebags strapped to his back. Producing two cups from it, she filled them with water and proceeded to make coffee. Looking at her… companion… she held up one of the cups. “Coffee?”

It seemed she was in no particular rush with her questions, as she patiently waited for both of them to finish eating. “Well then, thanks for that. Now that our stomachs are full it’s time I got down to business.” Her eyes changed as she said this. Gone was the friendly and playful look. Now she looked every bit the gruff and serious Ranger.

“Several days ago, a man attempted to assassinate Lord Dalesburry of the likewise named barony. Mind you, I said attempted. We managed to save the lords life. The assassin, however, got away.” Her face turned sour at this, obviously she blamed herself for the man’s escape. “I have been tracking him since and I just happened to stumble upon your little camp. Now, Kitt, it is of the utmost importance that I find this man, so I need you to describe everyone you saw in these woods the past few days.

[boomdeboom]

Looking at the two of them, he wondered if for some weird reason this woman and horse could. . .communicate? It appeared to be that way, as she laughed as if the horse had just told a joke of some sort. But, that wasn't possible to communicate with animals, was it? This thought was soon gone as she said 'kid'. That word always got on his nerves, and with a grumble as he adjusted the fish so that the opposite side now cooked.

"Kid. . .I'm not a kid. Practically an adult." Age didn't matter to Kit, he judged people more on their experiences. Considering he had seen a lot of blood shed throughout his short life span, causing some of the blood to spill, of course with good reason. Still curious about the ranger, Kit kept on throwing quick glances at her when he wasn't staring at the flames. He had never heard of a woman ranger, the only rumors he had heard of them were that they were scary men who were to be avoided at all costs. Yet, here he was, sharing a meal with one of those dreaded rangers. How odd.

Raising an eyebrow at the raised cup, he slowly took it, giving a smell of the liquid, only to be relieved that she wasn't lying and was giving him some sort of poison. It did appear to be coffee. Thanking her, giving a soft smile, he still waited until she took the first drink before he managed a sip. Then, seeing that the fish was now cooked, he took the stick out of the ground and threw one to her. With his stomach grumbling as the smell of fresh food caused his hunger pangs to intensify, he didn't hesitate before he began to wolf down the fish, hardly chewing before he swallowed and took another bite.

After a few moments, Kit picked out the remaining fish bones out of his mouth and leaving them by the bone pile on his side. Rooting through his rucksack once more, he took out a large coat which was made of wolf fur. Wrapping it around his skinny body, he buried his chin into the warmth of the fur before he turned his attention back to Erin. He couldn't help but note that her personality had now turned very serious. So this was the true ranger.

Reaching down for the cup, taking another sip of coffee, he closed his eyes as he leant his back against a rock. Sighing, wrapping his arms around the cup, he said slowly, trying to recollect all the memories he had since he had made his way through the forest.

"Hmm...I haven't seen that many people in this forest. I saw a weird person who looked like they were half cat or something. I didn't talk to that one, its fangs and claws turned me off a bit, and I decided against it.

I saw, what do you call those people. . . ." Pausing, scratching his head, he began to wave his hands in a circular motion, the flames of the fire following his movements.

"One of those that do those weird dances and songs to settle the dead anyway. I saw one of them by the river just singing and moving that odd stick of there's. I don't like to do anything with the dead, so I walked ahead, 'fraid I can't describe that person for you.

Then, the last person I saw was two days ago. .he did look rather fishy. He was wearing a rather large coat and, like you, he stumbled past by campsite. 'Course he wasn't as friendly as you now, but I managed to get him to go without doing any harm to me." This caused a smug smile to come on his face as he remembered the scared look which the man held as he preformed some elemental spells on him.

"Again, I can't really describe him because his cloak shrouded his face. He did have black hair to about his chin, and a really scruffy beard. He also had green eyes. . .or were they blue. . .maybe brown?" Pausing one come as he tried to think of it, and then nodded.

"No they were blue, definitely blue.

That's about all the people I've seen so far, not too sure if that was any help to you." Shrugging, he tightened the coat around him as he opened his eyes, his shining emerald orbs now locked onto Erin to see what sort of reaction she would have. He still couldn't believe that such a young looking girl could be a ranger. . .it just contradicted all he had ever heard about them.

[Talwyn]

Despite being all serious, Erin could not help the slight that escaped her when Kitt started grumbling about how he was practically an adult. After he described the people he had seen, she nodded at the description of the third one. If he had hoped to get a serious reaction however, he would be disappointed.

“That’s the one alright… You said he came to your camp… and he left? Without harming you? This man is ruthless. How did you get him to leave? Actually, never mind. I am more interested in how he was doing.” She sidled in closer to him, looking him straight in his eyes.

“This is important boy. Did you see any weapons? Wounds? I nailed him with an arrow as he escaped, it’s one of the reasons his trail was so easy to follow. For the first several miles he was leaving a nice trail of blood after all.”

Still… something did not add up… why hadn’t the man attacked or killed the boy… Shaking her head she dismissed the thought, it was of no importance at the moment. The kid was safe, the reason did not matter. As she listened to him further describing what he had seen, she backed off again and leaned against a tree near her horse.

“Thank you Kitt.” She said as she stretched her limbs and gave a visual yawn. “Have no worries, I will be gone at first light. Until then… sleep well. Colt will warn us if any danger comes near.” Throwing her cowl back over head, she hid her face in its shadow before folding her hands and resting them on her stomach. Within seconds, she seemed to be fast asleep.

In truth however, she was still wide awake, considering everything the boy had told while keeping a close eye on him, her eyes hidden by her cloaks cowl. There was something about this boy that seemed… out of place. She didn’t think he’d harm her, but it wouldn’t hurt to remain on guard for a bit longer.

[boomdeboom]

"Probably would be best if you didn't ask." Although he was still smug with the fact of how he managed to make this 'ruthless man' pretty freaked out.

"Hmm, sorry, he was wearing a rather large cloak which covered his whole body. Plus it was dark like tonight so I couldn't see any blood stains. In that case, he must have bandaged the wound knowing that he was leaving a trail. Or, he could have passed out from the blood loss and so you've already passed him out without knowing." Though he knew the last one was rather unlikely, as rangers were supposed to check every inch and corner for their bounty. He could also tell from her expression that she was curious as to how this dangerous man managed to leave a innocent 'kid' such as himself alive and without a scratch. It amused him somewhat that she tried to keep herself so professional yet still wanted answers.

"Ok then, though I'm not too worried about anyone bothering us in the middle of nowhere like this. I'm more worried about what would be out here." True, he was rather worried about the bloodthirsty creatures which roamed the woods at night, having had a run in with one in particular a couple of weeks ago. Burying up to his nose in the warmth of his fur coat, he stared at the fire silently, although he was rather surprised at how fast Erin had fallen asleep.

After what seemed a good hour or so, and still not feeling tired, Kit sighed as he began to grow bored. Throwing a wad of sticks into the still burning flame, he decided to try and rid the boredom by doing something to past the time. So, sticking out his hands, he began to murmur soft words under his breath while waving his hands back and forth, coaxing the fire. As if it were a trained dog, the fire began to follow the movements of his hands and began to grow in size with each movement. Soon, the fire had grown a foot eye and was now beginning to form into a human shape. Yellow eyes had now grown into face of fire and limbs had sprouted out of the fire body and after a couple of moments now appeared to be the body of a woman. Taking a step out of her domain onto the grass, which became scorched from the flames, the woman continued towards Kit, and once beside him, knelt by him. Curious about the beast which now eyed her cautiously, the fire gave a soft innocent giggle, straightening herself and skipped over towards the horse, although she remained a good few feet away from it. The fire asked Kit what was the creature, to which Kit replied was a 'horse'. The fire, just having met such a beast for the first time was very curious and began to ask quite a number of question in an old language, but Kit was too tired to reply, not that she noticed as she was focused on the horse in front of her.

Kit, enjoying this as it took away its boredom, suddenly stopped as a branch snapped nearby. Sensing the alarm, the fire woman also turned towards the sound and in a breath disappeared, knowing that she would attract unwanted attention if it were something dangerous. Narrowing his eyes, he tried to make out anything in the dark, but alas his eyes could not make out anything. Turning towards the presumably sleeping ranger, he wondered whether he should wake her or not.

[Talwyn]

Erin had to fight hard to keep herself under control as her eyes went wide at the sight of the fire coming… well… alive? She was both intrigued and scared. And slightly amused as she noticed the shape the boy had created was rather voluptuous. Still, yes, she was scared. So scared in fact, she almost missed the sound of the snapping branch.

If it hadn’t been for Colt giving a near inaudible snort as he shook his head right before it happened, she most likely would have missed it. Forcing herself to focus on the more immediate danger of the approaching stranger, whom Colt had identified as a likely threat, she let her eyes skit about.

Kitt, she noticed, wasn’t paying attention to her and the newcomer still couldn’t see them. Silently grabbing her bow, she rolled away and wrapped herself in her cloak, blending in with the forest as she disappeared into the shadows.

Standing still, she took several deep breaths in order to calm down. People often accused Rangers of using magic, but the truth was that there was nothing magical about their abilities. In fact, this was the first time Erin had seen magic at all. Or well… she assumed it was magic. What else could be used to make a fire come alive like that?

Scolding herself, she focused once more. Now was not the time. Grabbing an arrow, she started circling around, unseen and unheard, until she caught sight of whoever it was that approaching them. Standing behind the newcomer she drew back the bowstring and fired an arrow in the tree, making it miss her targets head by a mere inch.

The vicious hiss was followed by a loud “thunk” as the arrow buried itself deep into the tree trunk. Her second arrow was already drawn and ready before the first had finished its flight. “Okay pal, Valerean Ranger. Hands where I can see them. Slowly please. That’s the way. Now, march, let’s get you in to the light shall we?”

[boomdeboom]

Stepping out of his large fur coat, laying it on the ground, Kit readied both of his hands in case a fight was in order to get this person or thing away. However, when he turned around to see how the sleeping Erin was doing, he let out a 'ehh' as he saw that she was no longer there. Since when was she gone? She didn't run off anyway, since her horse was still here, hence the quite annoying random snorts and soft neighs it gave out.

Focusing on the new threat on hand, ignoring the fact that she had disappeared and that her horse was rather annoying, Kit began to make his way towards the shadows, his eyes still squinted as he tried to make out any sort of shape in the darkness, but to no avail. The only sound which gave way was the sound of something being shot through the air. From the way the air felt on his fingertips as he put them in the direction of the sound, it seemed like an arrow, as the air was split in two for a few seconds before going back together. No one could ever tell the difference the air made whenever anything was shot or anything that involved moving air, only those who controlled it.

Giving a quick few steps over towards where Erin's voice now sounded, he was pleased to find that at last he could make out a figure, and also another figure behind it, to which he assumed was Erin. Deciding to test out a new spell of his, Kit closed his eyes and began to whisper, putting his right hand up in a fist. Underneath him, he could feel the earth moving towards where the first figure was. Then, as the spell in the earth hit a tree, making him see the world through a tree, he used the vines on that tree to grab both of the hands of the shadow and force them upwards in order to prevent any unneeded battles, which truth be told he wasn't too keen on when his eyes couldn't work in the shadows. Because the vines were also long, they made it so that this person could walk. So, he forced the person to 'march' into the clearing.

Stretching his hand out of his fist, releasing the spell, he was surprised to find that he was out of breath and rather sweaty, but managed to walk over towards the captured figure. Blinking, his emerald eyes looking the person up and down, he thingyed his head to the side and pressed his lips together, silent. This was the person from before, the one with the cloak. However, without the shroud of the cloak, the person looked rather frail, although no doubt there was a glint in the eyes.

Stepping back, giving a glance towards Erin, Kit shrugged and walked over to the fire, wanting to warm his cold body, which had become cold after using the new spell. Making the fire grow so that the heat intensified, he closed his eyes as he said.

"I think that's your guy, it was the one I saw from before. . ."

[Talwyn]

Erin once more had to fight hard to keep the fear from her eyes at Kitts display of power. Walking behind their prisoner, she kept her bow drawn but angled it slightly so she now aimed at Kitt. Her eyes still hidden by her cowl were full of uncertainty. If it hadn’t been for her training, she’d be trembling in her boots now.

“You…” Her voice was steady at the moment, for which she was grateful, but it no longer carried the same air of authority and confidence. “What are you?” Sensing his masters distress, Colt too, got up. Looking a little nervous as he eyed the young man that had spooked her he took a step towards Kitt.

“First that… that thing that came out of the fire. And now this!” It was somewhat hard to see with her head covered like that, but she nodded to the vines that held the would be assassin prisoner. “And don’t think about trying any of those tricks on me, unless you believe you’re faster than a speeding arrow.”

Her mind was racing. She was a confident woman. Proud even. Truth be told, she had earned that right. Not many women made it into the ranger corps. In fact, she was the first in almost ten years that had made it past the apprentice stage.

She had faced many dangerous situations. Often without knowing just what she would be getting herself into when setting out. But… those opponents had always been human. This boy… it somehow seemed wrong to think of him as that now, clearly possessed powers far greater than any human could ever hope to have.

And that made her nervous, even somewhat frightened. A feeling she loathed, being the proud and strong woman that she was.

[boomdeboom]

Surprised by the sudden change in her voice, he opened his closed eyes and blinked as he saw that he was now targeted by her. Stepping forward from the fire, he raised his eyebrows for a moment before sighing. People usually did act like this, so he was rather used to it, although it still hurt him slightly, but he managed to hide that way from his face, just barely. With a soft laugh, rubbing the back of his neck, he looked at her straight in the eye, his bright striking emerald eyes glowing from the fire which was slowly growing with each passing moment.

"I know for a fact that I could burn that arrow if you shot it. I may not be faster, but I'm pretty sure that the fire could catch it before it came near me." Not saying that in any sort of way of a joke, he would not hesitate to protect himself. If he could harm her, well that was another story, and the answer would probably be no. She was only human, it was normal for her to be scared of something that could not be explained. To onlookers looking at his performances, it would be fine because they knew he wouldn't hurt them. Especially the children. But out here, in the wild, anyone who saw him would automatically think of him in a different aspect. An enemy.

Raising both of his hands, a way to show he was 'defeated' in a sense, he gave another sigh, shuffling from foot to foot as he said.

"I won't hurt you. If I was going to, I would have the moment you entered this camp or slept. I'm. . . .I'm an elemental controller. I can control any sort of element, with practice of course, like it was a friend. I can bend it to make it do as I wish without any protest." Giving a glance at the prisoner, he also saw that the men was also scared, obviously not used to being held hostage with vines. Again, something Kit understood, even if it again hurt that he was causing such fear. He would never hurt anyone.

Putting his hands down, he again stared at Erin, still surprised that she would harm him, and from where she was aiming, she meant to do it so that he would be paralyzed. It just showed that he couldn't truly trust anyone. With a wave of his hand, the vines which held the prisoner threw him onto the ground in front of the ranger. With a dazed look on his face, a look he put on when he didn't want to show anyone his emotions, he then turned around and faced the fire once more, calming it until it was a soft glowing fire. Then, he slowly said, his gaze on the fire the entire time.

"Well, you have your man. That's what you wanted right? You might as well head on your way, and don't worry, I won't send you up in flames or anything silly like that." After finishing his sentence, he then said softly.

"I'm sorry for scaring you."

[Talwyn]

Erin kept standing there for several minutes. She wanted to believe the boy. And truth be told, if he had harmful intentions, than surely he would have attacked her already. It certainly would have been much wiser to attack her before showing her his powers. But then, her eyes opened wide. Colt made her decision for her.

The horse had walked up to Kitt and neighed softly as he gave the boy a playful push with his head. After a few more seconds, Erin lowered her bow as she relaxed the tension on the string. Colt’s instincts about who to trust had never let her down. Putting the arrow back in the quiver, she pulled back her cowl once more.

Her eyes still showed a slight amount of fear, but the rest of her body language showed no sign of it. “You owe me no apology. If anyone should apologize, it is me. “ The way Colt looked at her, it almost seemed as if he was telling her that she should indeed. “Yes, yes, you’re right. Fine. “ She shook her head at the thought of being scolded by her own horse before actually apologizing to Kitt.

Turning towards their captive, she turned him around to look him straight in the eyes. A sharp intake of breath was the only signal that something about this man alarmed her. “Who are you?” She asked him as her eyes turned to slits. “You have used a lot of effort to look like my quarry, but you’re not.”

The man grinned grimly. “Oh my, you figured it out with just one glance? I guess you’re not just a pretty little girl trying to play ranger. Well sorry for you toots, but my lips are sealed on this matter.” The second he finished talking, his head started ringing and his eyes were spinning.

Despite her small stature, Erin’s right hook was not to be underestimated. “That was for insulting me based on being a woman.” A second punch nearly knocked the guy out. “That one is for calling me ‘toots’. Hey now, stay with me tough guy.” She slapped him gently across the cheeks to keep him awake.

“Now, as much as I enjoy punching the lights out of rude guys like you, I don’t have the time for an extended interrogation.” Despite her still fearing Kitt’s abilities herself, she definitely saw some possibilities here. Letting the man go, she turned to Kitt. “Can you make those vines pull him up so he’s dangling in the air? Oh and if possible, bind his legs as well.”

[boomdeboom]

After a few moments of silence, Kit was surprised at the horse, so much so that when it gave him a push, his body fell over. Blinking, his emerald irises set on the horse, he couldn't help but laugh as he picked himself off from the ground. Raising a brow, he then hesitantly put of his scrawny hat and gave a small pat the the horse's head, giving a soft smile. Then, giving a small shrug, he took away his hand and then turned towards her, saying.

"Nah, you don't need to apologize. Only to be expected for someone to react like that when they see something we don't understand. Plus I've had worse reactions." With a chuckle towards the end, he scratched the side of his neck as the memories came flowing back, although he disregarded them quickly with a shake of his head.

Following her gaze, he raised both brows as he took a step forward. The wrong person? But it looked exactly like him. Taking a step forward, even with a closer look he wouldn't have been able to know that he had caught the wrong one. It seemed as if rangers were excellent it telling if a random captive is the one which they look for. And of course, it seemed as if they certainely knew how to punch. Wincing, wrapping his arm around himself, it felt as if he were the one getting punched. Of course he didn't feel sorry for the man, he was asking for it talking like that to a ranger.

Not really respecting men like this, he didn't hesitate to further make him vulnerable. So, with whispered words, and a few movements with his hands, the vines raised the man the man a good few feet in the air. Then, with a swirling motion with his right hand, more vines came out of a nearby tree and wrapped themselves firmly around his dangling legs. With more words from a different language, a sharp burst of air sliced the vines making it so that vines were only on his legs.

Rubbing his hands off eachother, sighing softly, Kit then straightened himself up and looked towards Erin, asking.

"Is that good enough?"

[Talwyn]

Looking at the man, Erin grinned as she nodded towards Kitt. “Oh yes, that will do fine. Thanks.” Tugging at the man’s boots, she tossed one of them to Kitt. “Here, look.” The boot hit the ground with a rather loud thud sound. “He weighted his boots, to make his tracks appear deeper than they would have been, making them seem identical to the tracks of the man I was hunting.”

Facing her captive again, she smiled. “Quite clever. And here I was thinking you lot were awful at the woodsman game.” Giving her a smug grin, the man said nothing. “Fine, be that way. Don’t want to get too friendly with you anyway.”

Walking over to the flames, she grabbed a branch and let it catch flames. “If you start to feel queasy, don’t hesitate to turn away. This might get messy.” She said while casting a glance at Kitt. “I don’t have time to take this easy. So, sorry.” Moving back over to her prisoner, she held the flaming branch to his now bare foot.

As he screamed in pain, Erin merely looked at him with a grim satisfaction. “Now, where is he headed? Is Lord Dalesburry the actual target, or was that just a ruse to get me out of town?” The man tried to spit in her face, but this was met with just another punch to the nose and a disapproving stare.

After a little over an hour, Erin went back to the fire and sat down next to Kitt. “Sorry you have to witness this, but I have no choice. I hope it’s not making you too uncomfortable.” Grabbing her canteen she started drinking a little as she tried to gauge Kitt’s reaction.