Unfounded [Open to any and all]

[WolfEnchantress]

Adrian sighed in frusteration, then shook his head vigorously at the person's question. There might be too much snow, but he could forge a path for them to follow in easy enough.

He sat, tilting his head to one side at his next question, which seemed irrelevant to the topic. And why was...what? He ignored it. Maybe the man was talking to himself again.

Then he turned to the blue-haired girl behind him, waiting for her answer. Would she mind them going through? If not, he might be able to find a way around. But then there was the issue of the exchange of services. He had no idea what he could want form this person, at least not yet. In time, possible, he could think of something. But what about her?

He woofed to her, tilting his head to the other side and pointing his ears forewards in thought. What do you think? Should wo go with him? He flicked his eyes in the man's direction questioningly.

[iridescentdreamer]

A wry smile merely answered the other man's inquiry, before the voided blues of her eyes averted.

"You didn't think I didn't try to off you for a cookie, did you?"

Whether it was meant to be a joke, or a rhetorical statement, was left to interpret.
Either way it made the point, if that by outward appearance if nothing else. She'd be watching in some way.

Though, the willowy girl's voice turned winsome when she heard that soft woof, and saw the questioning gaze of the wolf, making her smile a bit more sweetly when she saw the flick of gaze.

She didn't know why, but it was nice to know, wolf or not, that he was waiting for her say.

Closing her eyes, the young woman turned, brushing a few stray strands out of her face.

"Since you're probably going to try to go whether I like it or not....I'm saving a lot of frustration by just coming along."

Her eyes how ever, glinted with a new mischievous light, one as bright as the blue chill of her hair.

"Although. You look....very unprepared for the cold. So just as well. Snow won't be a problem; at least with me."

She paused. Giving the wolf a side glance.

"So, don't hold back on my account Mr. Wolf." On her defense as far as name choice went, she had nothing to go by, and didn't want to insult what she hoped to be somewhat...of a good friend, and if not, friendly acquaintance by calling the wolf something....especially embarrassing.

"Name's Kai Tsurara, Kai for short. Do not call me a pixie, or disturb anything not meant to be disturbed, and we'll be 'A-OK'. Mainly because I don't want to be the one hauling your sorry ass back here if you get lost, die of hypothermia and leave your body in a really horrid stench of-"

She coughed the odd, accented greeting cutting short as she thought better of it, thrusting a dainty hand laden with small, but intricate rings as to awkwardly offer a handshake as well.

"Ah, sorry. Talking too much."

Whelp, maybe THIS is one of the reasons it is ill advised to strike a deal with a fairy of any kind.

[Silvarn]

Silvarn's right eyebrow slowly rose throughout the blue-haired imp's monologue, the skeptical look finally focusing on the tiny, outstretched hand glittering with bands. He looked carefully at them.

Why would she tell us not to call her a pixie, unless...? Scorcahr mused.

None of them were forged of iron.

Of course not. Jewelery bands rarely ever are. But, in light of the command she gave us and her impossibly slight frame...she's a Fae.

"Well met, Kai Tsurara. And well met, Mister Wolf." Silvarn inclined his head only the slightest of degrees to both of them. "You may call me Silvarn.

"And, since you now know my business, it would seem only polite to reciprocate. Why are the two of you here?"

[WolfEnchantress]

Yes! thought adrian. Names!! He grinned, as much as a wolf could, at the name given to him. He didn't mind it, if and when he turned back he'd tell them his real name.
He listened to Kai's speech to Silvarn, cringing, expecting Silvarn to react much differently. But he didn't, to his relief.

Adrien sat on his haunches, glancing at the town and licking his lips. He was just trying to get food. Usually, he could hunt. But lately the ridge around his home had been scarce-it was a mild winter, and the human hunters took advantage of that. Then he glanced up farther on the ridge, digging a small hole and curling up in it, like a bed in a home. He lived up that way. He was curious as to Kai's answer, though.

He glared at the setting sun as he waited for her reply. It was getting late-they'd better be out of the town'd boundaries before sunset, or they would be found. That would be bad news for all of them- especally being with the wolf that was so hated. He sighed impatiently.

[iridescentdreamer]

"...Hoping to travel...and see new places." she replied easily, retracting her hand with out offense and thought it better to stretch a little. "Didn't quite think it through though. I've never had gone past this village, and I don't have much as far as clothing and food goes, not that I can't live off the vegetation normally, but with the weather...." she trailed off rubbing her head in an embarrassed huff.

"...anyways I was going to try to purchase something from in town...and I guess I kind of got too nervous to talk to anyone when I found this fine canine over here." she shrugged. She didn't seem too worried about the slowly setting sun.

"M'just not used to being around alot of humans...which is probably going to stand to be a problem for me later...since I'm probably just going to get lost..." She wrinkled her nose.

It seemed she already deemed the other two males non-threatening. Perhaps a little too trusting on her side.

Blinking twice, she finally followed the docile wolf's glances to the horizon, before dimwittingly making a face as she gave the tall man a once over. Wondering how again, this man expected to travel in such light clothing, through this type of place...where snow and temperature drops aren't uncommon....

"You don't look very prepared for nights here either..."

[Silvarn]

"Contrary to your beliefs," Silvarn began, "I am quite capable of taking care of myself, be the environment cold or dark."

He squinted at them in concentration, trying to derive motives and desires from the imp, seeing if there was, indeed, something she desired that would be equatable to his request to visit the Shrine.

"I know this will not qualify as your end of our agreement-to-be; but, consider this a favor. I am willing to shelter and feed you for the evening, granted you come up with a definite answer to my request by morning. Though, I am uncertain as to what to do about finding accommodations for Mr. Wolf."

Silvarn brushed by them imperiously, his eyes set on the town he had just left. Every town had to have an inn, a tavern of sorts. If he treated the two with hospitality, he figured, they would be more lenient in their part of the contract.

[WolfEnchantress]

Adrian nodded. He could hunt for himself as well as sleep comfortaby out in the raging cold, even blizzaards. There was no need to accomidate him.

Then, as he watched Silvarn brush by them, he barked a warning, but he knew if he didn't do something Silvarn would walk right into what would probably kill him. He jumped forewards, grabbing Silvarn's arm and pulling him backwards into the snow, gently enough that his teeth would leave no marks on flesh or cloth. He woofed an apology, ears down in proper shame, before plunging his face into the snow, digging and shuffling snow away. Finally, he found what he was looking for, and seized it in his jaws.

When he pulled up from the snow, a massive snow-bear trap dangled from the chain gripped in his mouth, no doubt set for Adrian himself to step into. The razor-sharp points shone purple with an incredibly fast acting poison so potent it would kill a bear in sixty seconds, let alone a person. He delacately set it back down, giving Silvarn a look of, again, apology, and then of caution.

Adrian searched carefully around for the next few minutes, pulling up five more of the traps in the imediate area, all like the first was and all set with the poison. Ha laid them carefully in the snow where they were found, looking at both of them gravely. He'd grown used to finding the signs of a trap, and even the scent of the poison under all of the snow, so faint it was impossible to smell with a hman's nose, or even a regular wolve's. When he was absoloutely sure there would be no more traps, he nodded and sat aside for him to go into town, and probably for Kai to follow, but there would be no force that could make him go in as well. He grinned, giving the go-ahead. It was safe now.

[iridescentdreamer]

"...I....no offense...but I'm not sure if I should." She looked into town, before glancing back at the wolf..though..the turn up of traps had her even more wary...-having just come from that direction. Somehow she was thankful for her own light footed step...

She looked thoughtful for a moment. Before she smiled, addressing the wolf.

"I'll accept the offer...and bring you out some tasty meat scraps through the back door since I can't eat it, okay?" she nodded to herself, glancing at the man.

[Silvarn]

Silvarn stopped in his tracks, dumbfounded by the wolf's sudden action, saving him from extreme discomfort.

We have been through worse -- wait, is that...Yozi Venom? Scorcahr gaped.

"Indeed," Silvarn affirmed, bringing his cold grey eyes hazardously close to the sheen of purple. "A particularly potent blend." his eyes snapped up at the grinning wolf. His mouth clamped, his features in a perpetual scowl, he nodded in thanks. He rose again and gave a flick of his wrist, sending palm-sized spheres of flaming silver into the traps, utterly disintegrating them without too much fanfare.

"We should hurry. Whomever set those traps will be back soon. And, if they are desperate enough to use Yozi Venom, they will check it frequently to see if their quarry has been captured."

Ironically enough... Scorcahr groaned.

"Are they coming?" Silvarn asked a nearby tree, his eyes scanning every inch of the surrounding landscape.

Humans -- four grunts, three archers, and a mage. Scorcahr informed, swiveling Silvarn's head in their direction.

As if on cue, a bolt of livid red flame rocketed from within the cover of the dark woods, aimed at the white wolf. Silvarn acted quickly, sending out a tendril of icy silver from his palm, intercepting the missile before it struck the beast. He struggled with it for a moment, before finally consuming and banishing it and its threat.

"And a powerful one at that." Silvarn mused to the wolf.

He clenched his face, his face distorting in focus, summoning a pool of writhing dark grey mists around his feet. From the pool of mist, he summoned to perfect spheres of vibrant silver to his hands, arcs of white electricity playing from them back to the pool.

"Alright, show yourselves!" he commanded, aiming his hands at the direction of the hostiles. "Come to me groveling, and there might be a chance of you surviving this encounter."

[WolfEnchantress]

Adrian was surprised when Silvarn completely destroyed the traps, and even more so when he blocked a blow that may very well have killed him, at least maimed him.

Crap. People. Obviously aiming for him. Which meant he was spotted, and he was with people he didn't wish to be harmed. That was an issue, but it didn't really leave him an option. If the ones arriving were in fact after him, he'd hope thay would give him the chance to explain. If not, he would fight.
He was positive the chanch to explain would not come. Which meant he would fight.

The huge canine shifted into a hlf-crouch, lips pulled back and snarling feircely at the newcomers, hackles raised. His yellow eyes radiated hostility, as did his body posture. He could take whoever it was, he'd done it before. He dipped low, blending with the snow so that only yellow eyes showed.

He stared straight ahead as the figures emerged from the trees, not in any way grovelling as Silvarn had ordered. Looks like they would get no mercy, from either of them. Adrian glanced at Kai..She looked frail, but may just be a hell of a fighter. One couldn't judge by looks.

[iridescentdreamer]

Her sweet smile turned almost vicious at the burst of magical energy bursting from Silvarn, and the mage from afar,...it was almost surprising when four came out into the open, arms raised, which meant;

It was time to play.

She hummed, twiddling two fingers at the disgruntled looking figures.

Idly, Kai approached one of them with a slight skip in her step. Her robes concealed a good portion of her form for the most part, making her tiny frame seem slightly bigger, but that was probably only because of what was concealed underneath.

Not flinching when three arrows landed at her feet with a tight 'twok.' She merely smiled widely at the largest grunt, before pulling the lacings of her robe loose, causing it to pool at her feet.

The clothing underneath was a frightening vibrant of red white and blue that stuck out like a sore thumb....but what was strapped to her back...made it seem almost comical.

It was a double headed axe. Taller than her, and probably made from a melding of silver and bronze, rather than iron. And undoing the buckled of such straps, the large thing thumped to the ground in a horribly distracting way that the poor man could only stare at for a moment as she surely gripped the leather handle, and hefted it up to her shoulder.

"Dance with me?" She asked sweetly.

"Don't just stand there and stare'-You moron!"
she hopped back easily, narrowly avoiding another blast of magic, in which flames licked at her clothing, and probably singing more than a couple of hairs. Though you could see it on her face, that mad gleeful expression accompanied by a mocking giggle that probably made most want to pull their hair out in annoyance.

She had always been scolded for not taking fights seriously, but what was the point of extra stress?

[Silvarn]

Indeed, the thumping of the overly large axe distracted Silvarn, whose jaw dropped in bewilderment. What did the imp possibly plan to accomplish by swinging that thing around?

Ah, it is almost admirable how desperately she wants attention. Scorcahr sneered.

The grunts were obviously focused on the imp, and so were the archers, so Silvarn turned his attention back to the assaulted wolf, who did not seem to appreciate being attacked. He dashed over to it, blasting the one grunt who had decided to attack him with an eruption of twilight, sending him smashing into a tree. He skidded to a halt near the irate wolf, careful not to get to close to it, looking about for his rival.

Again, a firebolt rent the air; and, once again, Silvarn dismissed it in an almighty explosion of conflicting magics. Almost immediately, a tremendous column of flame roared from the trees, singeing the evergreens in its path. Silvarn bared his teeth in aggravation, summoning the Twilight in a violent vortex around him. The pillar of fire hit him square on, but the maelstrom of mist scattered the fires every which way. He conducted the mists with fluid sweeps of his arm, directing them forward. In a concussive blast, his own silvery flames struck against the opposing mage's, playing a reverse tug-of-war.

The enemy mage poured his magical reserves into the blow, driving forward against Silvarn's counterattack. Silvarn, however, had been planning on this. He kept the onslaught at bay long enough to send tendrils of Twilight into the ground, seeping them forward. With a vicious sweep of his other arm, the ground was wrenched upward beneath the enemy, sending him soaring into the sky. Not hesitating, Silvarn used the Twilight to grasp one of the mighty pines, dislodging it and hurling it at the opposing mage, hitting him dead through the chest. The tree crashed back into the forest, shaking the earth with the force.

Silvarn staggered backward, reeling under the sudden loss of energy. The world was darkening around the edges of peripheral, and he felt the urgent need to vomit. He lost his balance and toppled to the ground, landing firmly on his hindquarters. In a dazed stupor, he watched, more or less, the rest of the scuffle unfold.

[WolfEnchantress]

As silvarn and Kai fought the group of attackers, Adrian had slunk through the snow, unseen, to the rear of the attacking party, reminding himself to thank Silvarn once this was over for saving him from the incinerating blasts sent his way. He watched their movements. The grunts seemed the most dangerous. He watched a moment longer-Kai seemed occupied with one of the grunts. He blinked in surprise-he'd not expected her to bear any weapons.

So, ignoring the one in combat with Silvarn, Adrian lunged for the closest Grunt, silent as wind, and seized his neck with powerful jaws. He shook his head viciously, and the Grunts neck snapped, spraying blood across his coat and face, staining the snow. He let the body drop into the snow and watched in momentary fascination as the mage was thrown into the air, followed by a tree. He began to trot to Silvarn, alarmed, as he collapsed, but a sharp, firey pain in his shoulder alerted him to another enemy, one of the archers.

Adrian craned his head around to the arrow protruding form his shoulder. It was in too awkward of a spot to pull out, but he managed to snap off most of the shaft, which would have caused more annoyance than he was going to put up with. He jumped as another hit the ground where he stood, and turned to his attacker.

At the look the massive white wolf gave him, the archer faltered. Or maybe it was just how he looked, the white fur on his maw and chest dripping in his companion's blood. Either way, Adrian took the opening and lunged, a savage-sounding sound ripping it's way from his chest before he latched onto the man's arm, breaking it and rendering it useless. The archer dropped to his knees, making him easy to dispose of in much the same way he'd done with the first.

Then there was three. The one Kai was after was fuully occupied with her axe, but the others were free, with Silvarn out of the way. He whined in concern for the fallen man, glancing over to make sure he was allright, not getting attacked while he was down.

"You're not going to get out alive," One sneered at him, and with a pang of anger he realized they were probably right- three large Grunts, all with weapons. He cold handle two, maybe, but with an arrowhead in his shoulder and three of them surrounding him, it didn't look good.And if he was killed, it was only Kai and Silvarn. He growled and bared his blood-covered teeth. They could attack. He would fight, even if it meant his life. They were not going to kill him like a coward, and hopefully not at all.

[iridescentdreamer]

Some times it paid to be the distraction. No one ever thought to attack the fallen ones when they got a brightly colored attacker up their ass mocking them. It was a calling target for most archers...and if she kept it up, the opponent she faced would be pretty infuriated.

and yes, this guy was pretty pissed,

She spared a glance behind them, seeing the strain of magic that dueled in an impressive show of power, before she swung the axe up in an upward ark. slicing the man's throat up the middle.

Quickly, she glanced around her.

Wait...where were the other three?

Her neck probably would have snapped off if she had turned her head any faster, seeing both the wolf and silvarn surrounded that distance away. There was no way she'd get over there in time.

Thwack.

Maybe she should pay a BIT more attention, so chastized her screaming shoulder which now had a pretty new feathered decoration inbedded in it.

One of the arrows struck home.

"Oh well...I suppose I will have to actually focus...it's not just me out here." she mumbled to herself, allowing another arrow to hit her-this time on her forearm as she focused, eyes narrowing into blue slits.

The snow distorted at one of the men's feet,-one who getting ready to strike either the wolf, or silvarn-she couldn't tell, nor did she care, she just needed to buy time for a second wind didn't she?

"Get UP!" she barked out, light voice having an extra bite in it, and the snow hardened, before seizing up, white powder and ice crawling up the man's form at a frightening pace.

The grunt dropped the weapon in surprise, clawing at the crawling ice crystals in desperation, and she relinquished control when her eye contact was broken, having to move out of the way of another volley of arrows.

The snow receded as she moved, axe resting against her shoulder. Three against two really wasn't fair- but the other men-

She yelped, ducking another arrow that thwoked against the tree above when she moved to join her peers. She seemed mindless of sickly sweet blood dripping down her elbow and arm, staining white sleeves. Almost as if it were in the norm for her, she glanced at the damage, and flexed hand with a soft intake of breath at the sharp pain that answered. "...well I'm one handed." she said in a rather chipper voice.

"Left handed as of five seconds ago to be exact." She merely raised the large thing and crouched down when a sword struck down at her, again and again with raw clanks. It was to the point that she barely had to move because the axe was so large.

It then became apparent the weapon choice was more for defense and intimidation than anything else.

Especially when this guy seemed...very unappreciative about almost being buried with icecold-

Clank. Stab. Riiiiiiiip.

Oh. It seemed he got smart and decided to suddenly thrust. Tearing the side of her thick clothing, and she had to thank the stars that she happened to be small, and enjoy comfortable, large clothing

She REALLY needed to learn to pay attention. Her mind chided again.

There was one good thing about this though, when positioned BEHIND their opponents. Arrows couldn't very well be aimed and shot with such disregard for allies...would they?...and if so good for them. Might make the fight easier.

[Silvarn]

'Get UP!'

Get up, you idiot! Scorcahr echoed, his reedy voice echoing inside Silvarn's cranium.

The grey mage shook his head violently, trying to banish the fatigue creeping in his eyes and mind.

That was nothing! I have seen you do worse and be better for it. the demon growled, on the verge of throwing a tantrum.

"Shut it, Scorcahr!" he fairly shouted, staggering to his feet. The demon was right, though -- he had put on more impressive feats of magic and been less drained from it. Was he out of shape? Was there another mage occupied with putting a magic-dampening curse on him? These questions were banished as Silvarn set his weary mind on a target: the two grunts threatening the wolf. His fatal tunnel vision took him, causing his fatigue to forget it existed.

He dashed forward from behind the wolf, calling twin orbs of silver flame to his hands. A stride from the wolf, he hopped onto it, pushing lightly off its back, and dove forward, gripping the grunts' faces with his long-fingered hands. With lethal force, he drove their heads into the ground. The one in his right hand had his neck snapped, while the other writhed on the ground as the silver fire melted his skin from its anchoring bones. Silvarn, his face disturbingly apathetic, charged his right fist with grey Twilight magic, and drove it clean through the abject grunt's skull.

He left the two and advancing menacingly on the archers. One fired an arrow in desperation at him, but Silvarn shattered in a flash of silver light before it even got halfway to him. In retaliation, he fired a barrage of his own bolts of icy fire.

There would be no prisoners.