Unfounded [Open to any and all]

[WolfEnchantress]

Adrian nodded to Silvarn, voicing no objections. He figured the mind-probing wouldn't be so bad if he was ust going to track them. And once he and Kai were a safe distance away from the town, he could finally take out that accursed arrow from his shoulder. It grew more painful with each passing minute he used it.

Once Silvarn had separted, he looked Kai over once, making sure she was fit to travel. If she wasn't, he was willing and far strong anough to carry her, though he didn't think she'd like that too much-she was too proud to be carried unless she was unconcious.

They set off through the snow. Adrian plowed through the snow, pacing himself as much for his own sake as Kai's. Neither could afford to move too fast at the moment, but neither could they afford to go slowly.

And after a while of trekking through the powdery fluff, going through streams and around numerous bends as to confuse followers, he slunk under a low hanging tree into small copse of wintertrees that would shroud them for the time being. He promptly flopped onto his side, fairly wiped out, conserving energy to change. He picked up his head and whined to Kai, inquiring to her health. After such a brutal poisoning, a trek like this cold harm her, and he felt bad about having to make her do it. But, if he didn't, she wold likely be dead by morning.

[iridescentdreamer]

At the magic user's almost scolding tone of her 'subtle' request, Kai snorted rolling her eyes. "So says the man who was offering dinner before the attack. Should 'ave known." the comment didn't sound snide as it would coming from most people, but rather with a light tone, as if she was holding in a laugh.

She found him funny, in an unorthodox sort of way.

"...I'm not that picky anyways, nor nor thirsty. So don't get your underpants in a ruffle. I take pride in making things irritating and hard, and your grumpy face makes it all the better. Just be safe." She gave a weak wave and a playful wink, deciding it better to follow the wolf's lead, and she stood straight, forcing her tired muscles to press on and move.

As nice as it was to know she couldn't be affected mentally, she *almost* wished she could so she could mess with the man when he did decide to probe around, but alas, things had to be -boring-. As odd as it was to consider what others would consider a gift to have such a natural defense, boring.

She had to be thankful for the snow though as she followed the wolf in the opposite direction Silvarn had left, because otherwise she knew her Axe would be scraping against the forest floor roughly the way she dragged it behind her.

She was even more thankful for the wolf's slow pace, having to stop a couple of times herself to gain another wind.

Where the wolf had settled was an almost comforting setting to her, old wood with adequate cover.....she relished having the thought that she could finally sit down, and let her weapon drop dully once she entered after the wolf.

A whine reached one of her ears, causing them to twitch in startlement before she gave a tired smile.

"I'm fine...I'm fine......achy and tired, but fine." she said in a tone meant to reassure, but it was apparent she was about to drop, and didn't wait to sit down, Plopping down adjacent to the wolf's body, she merely raised a hesitant hand to scratch behind a soft looking ear.

"You manage to look as icky as I feel though." She added in a dry concern. She knew it could be fatal to fall asleep too soon, so she spoke aloud regardless of the wolf's silence.

"...Think he won't ditch us?" She spoke idly, wondering if she was disturbing the resting animal.

[Silvarn]

For one of the many times in his life, Silvarn found himself at the business end of a spear. For one of the few times in his life, he found himself at the business of a circle of such spears. Albeit, some where pitchforks, others sharpened stakes, but the intent was no less diminished.

"All I want is some food for my friends and I, and I am more than willing to pay for said sustenance -- "

The man Silvarn took to be the leader jabbed his brass-headed spear at Silvarn's midsection, "You sure talk pretty. A pity your face isn't."

"Now, that was uncalled for," Silvarn growled, "Normally, I would not be phased by such a comment; but, seeing as how the pot is attempting to call the kettle black -- "

"Quiet, you, or we'll be roasting you for our dogs!" the foreman threatened.

"Better dogs than beasts." Silvarn shot back.

"Skewer him!" the foreman roared, driving his spear forward into -- thin air. Several sharp points clanged together, and a few hands were slashed. But, the mage had vanished. The leader and his followers glanced frantically about, trying to locate the grey-robed fiend.

Suddenly, the leader found himself stuck with at least a dozen spears. Almost as sudden, he found himself being lifted by his throat, the mage beneath him.

"A pity. They do seem to prefer your countenance to mine." the mage's face melted into the man whose death he had just orchestrated, then back into his own. "We all wear masks." he finished cryptically, dropping the man and letting him crumple to the ground. Without provocation, Silvarn flared his hands with silver mist and grey electricity, "Now, give me the food, unless anyone else wants to stand in my way."

Ten minutes later, Silvarn was striding swiftly away from the village, a sack heavy on his back. In an instant, Scorcahr found the duo's bearings and Silvarn oriented his path thusly.

After another half an hour in silence, Scorcahr whined suddenly, Silvarn, there is a problem.

"Yes?" the mage responded tersely.

There are three life forms.

"What do you mean?"

Obviously, the wolf's is the strongest, since I am connected to its brain. I can also sense the pixie's, but it is painful to do so. However, there is a third...

Silvarn answered by quickening his pace.

[WolfEnchantress]

Adrian sighed heavily, reassured of Kai's health by her touch. If she could move, she'd be okay. For a while he drifted in and out of sleep, keeping alert and yet dreaming at the same time. Finally, the pain in his shoulder woke him. The position of the sun told him that it was getting even later. Silvarn should be back soon. Ay minute, in fact. He'd felt the mind probing for a while now, even as he'd slept.

He rose and placed a firm paw on Kai's arm and accompanied it with an almost unheard growl, an order to stay that he made as clear as was possible. He hobbled out of the copse of trees and down the path he had plowed until he was out of sight. Then, checking to make sure he was alone, he changed.

A wolfen snarl turned into a very human cry of agony as bones changed and muscles twisted. He coughed as the wave of overwhelming nausia swept over him, followed by the burning sensation as his features changed. Legs reversed their bend, fur shrank into his skin. In a matter of seconds, he was human.

Mostly.

His senses dulled only slightly, and his eyes remained a bright, wolfen yellow. His hair was as white as his fur once was, and two canine fangs replaced human ones. All consequences of remaining as a wolf too long, during the harshest winter the Ridge had ever seen. Even he couldn't have survived as a human. Groaning, he staggered to his feet, fighting the deadly urge to go to sleep and he slid on the shorts wrapped around his neck, then the cloak. With snow, he scrubbed off what he could of the blood smeared across his face and chest, that once coated his fur and muzzle. He fell to his knees again, sighing as he grasped the shaft of the arrow.

With a sharp gasp of pain, he jerked it free, blood spilling down his arm. He scooped up some snow and pressed it to the wound, laying on his back in the comforting snow as he staunched the bleeding. He rose to his knees, one hand firmly on the ground. He'd return to Kai once the bleeding was stopped-he just hoped desperately that she'd stay put another few minutes.

[iridescentdreamer]

Silence drove on for a few hours as they waited. She had dosed off, and surely, after a while her strength had started to come back, leaving her thirsty. So very thirsty when she had awoken.

It seemed her thirst hadn't caused her to awake, rather the warm soft thing next to her shifted, and she stared up in a confusion as a paw, large and round pressed against her uninjured arm, willing her to stay.

Then a scream. Not quite beast, not quite man- it echoed, the sharp sounded belt of pain hit her sensitive ears, making her flinch back and clutched her chest, palm over over her rapidly beating heart as she tried to calm herself, and not act like a frightened bird.

After a minute of no further sounds; rather a pained wheeze and coughing that sounded more man than not, worry gripped her...was the wolf...?

Timidly, she moved, lifting the axe with a bit more ease than earlier, the wound in her arm had closed it seemed, as her body had slowly righted herself.

Fatigue ached at her muscles, but she pushed it back, peering out from behind a trunk of another fallen tree.

Indeed. It was a man-a young one, if the softness of that pained face was any indication. Skinny he was, but was far from small. Quite the opposite actually; was the thought eyeing the man's body, before she noticed the arrows on the ground, the blood seeping from a hauntingly familiar wound.

Eyes wide....she was voiceless for once, taking in the soft white hair.

His eyes were closed...but from the oddly calm aura that she always felt when around the wolf.

She knew they were a soft, piercing gold.

She gasped sharply without meaning to as she climbed over a root, mulling over this information, and cautiously approached...until she was a foot away from him.

The woman stayed silent though, biting her lip nervously as she glanced around with wide blue eyes. SHe didn't know why...but she felt like, she was being watched.

No matter. The condition of the wound worried her,....and-

"...let me help you this time." She said quietly.

Moving slowly, as to not startle the other, the fae gingerly, grasped the man's large hand with thin fingers, meaning to gently pull it away, before placing a hand over it without touching it.

"..Mmn....probably best to close it like mine...and not waste energy before Silvarn comes back." ...if he comes back. The nagging pessimist at the back of her mind added, and her fingers took on a soft glow, and a cool magic seeped into the skin.

The wound didn't close completely, but it certainly stopped bleeding, now not as deep or wide as it had been, however, she had to force herself to stop.

Kai was already at her limit anyways, having almost spent any energy she had gained resting the past few hours, but smiled weakly never the less. She didn't trust herself to move.

She felt awkward though, blue hair surely mussed, sitting stupidly next to a half naked bloodied male-her cheeks further flamed when that fact became rather prominent. She knew that she probably should be more wary from the supposed 'deceit', but couldn't bring herself to care, rather....wishing she had bandages to make sure nothing got infected-


The faerie abruptly stopped, smacking her forehead in a 'doh!' motion.

"I can't believe I didn't think of it in all this time!"

Not really mulling over the awkward situation she was probably about to create, she reached a hand under her tattered shirt, as if feeling around for something. as she licked the corner of her mouth. Got it!

Long white cloth it seemed, unraveled finely. having been rapped around her torso several times.

It seemed she had used the material to bind her breasts-possibly to make physical discomforts when fighting a lot easier.

Once the cloth was in an unraveled pile on the floor, oddly clean in comparison with everything else. She spoke-earlier shyness replaced with that familiar confidence, crossing her arms at her bosom, and allowed her smile to widen a little.

"Lend me your arm please?"

[Talwyn]

Evening was approaching and still no sign of Talwyns goal. Seemed like another day wasted. Although, he mused, he did clear out that small bandit group yesterday. Naturally such a small band had no items that interested him, but still... decimating bands of bandits, no matter how big or small, always felt... satisfying. In any case, he figured it'd be best to start gathering firewood and head to the copse he had seen earlier.

Suddenly hearing something, he wasn't quite sure if it was in fact something or someone, he slightly changed his course towards the source of the sound. He hoped it turned out to be someone though. Not that he felt a desire for company, but he had been searching for days. So if it really was a person there was a chance he or she might know the way.

When he reached the origin of the sound he looked surprised, though his cowl covered his face as usual. He stood there openly, looking at the two of them, still carrying the firewood he had gathered earlier. And he couldn't believe his eyes. There was a fae. A fae! Now this might turn out to be interesting. Both she and the man seemed hurt however. "Need help?" he asked. "There is a small copse over there, can you make it? We can make a fire there and get your wounds checked."

[Silvarn]

The blizzard struck from nowhere. Where once the stray flake danced spasmodically between the trees, a sheer wall of pulsing white forced even the trees to bow to its might.

"Why did you not warn me?" Silvarn half-roared, half-gasped. "Surely the animals must have sensed this?"

If they had, do you honestly think I would keep that information from you? even the demon's nonexistent teeth chattered. This blizzard came literally from nowhere. The animals are scurrying for their lives as-is. There might be a malignant force trying to kill us.

"Whatever the case may be, we need to find shelter so we do not freeze to death. Any signs?"

There is a cave nearby, but it is occupied by a mother bear and her cubs.

"No good." Silvarn paused as a vicious shiver ripped through his poorly-equipped frame. "Find somewhere else."

There is a small grove, but it a fair distance away, and you will not be able to make it if you continue to lug that sack around -- you will need the energy. it disturbed Silvarn sometimes how Scorcahr knew more about his body than he did.

Taking his servant's word, Silvarn dropped the sack of food and medicine in the ever-growing snow and trudged on, using what Twilight he dared to clear a path before him. After about fifteen minutes, he plunked down in the grove, listening to the wind shriek around him, trying to drive the snow into the grove, to kill him.

Then, he saw the spirit. She fairly glided into the grove, her long, flowing sky-blue gown rippling lightly, despite the gale surrounding her. Her eyes glistened with an icy blue, and her skin shone with the reflected light of fresh snow. Silvarn was forced to squint hard against her dazzling beauty, lest he be blinded by it.

"Grey-Eyes." she stated calmly as she stepped into the grove, yet upon the utterance, a blast of snow came from behind her, showering the grove in snow. "I have waited a long time for this."

"I beg your pardon, lady, I have no knowledge of a prior encounter betwixt us." Silvarn growled, his ire replacing his chill.

"Of course you would not." the icy eyes hardened, "But I do. You slaughtered my husband, my sons, my mother, all before me, that damned calm expression upon your face all the while. The gods heard my dying prayer for retribution, and gave me power. More importantly, they gave me truth." Icy energy crackled around her delicate hands as her voice became dread, "Now, perish slowly, disciple of Khul'Yddis. Die the many deaths you forced me to endure."

Before Silvarn had a chance to summon up the Twilight to defend himself, he found himself trapped in a cocoon of impossibly blue ice. The ice numbed his body, his mind, his spirit. He felt his power ebbing away from him, bit by bit.

[WolfEnchantress]

Adrian opened his eyes, focusing on the one healing his arm.
"Kai," He chided gently. "I told you to stay." His voice was hoarse and raspy, adjusting itself to producing human sounds once again. Nonetheless, he offered his arm so that it may be bound. No matter how many times he sewed himself up, it never grew any less of a painful task.
Isn't she mad at me? wondered to himself.
Then there was another person, though it was not Silvarn. Adrian growled softly (as he often did, even as a human. Mostly out of habit,) and rolled into a crouch. Realising the newcomer was not dangerous, he stood, stumbling. His legs, also, needed to get used to walking on two legs. That, and the changing had left him exhausted.
"I'm not hurt. Not anymore, ayways. Just tired. And I believe the area you speak of is our current camp." He shot Kai a glance before continuing. "If I may ask, who-"

He never finished his question.

The gale of the sudden blizzard, seeming to spring out of nowhere, knocked him flat on his back. Gasping, he staggered to his feet, crouched low against the force of the winds. He grabbed Kai' arm firmly, then fought his way over to the one who'd apeared a moment before.
"Come!" He shouted over the screaming wind, leading them back to the grove of trees. It offered only poor shelter, but it held off some of the wind.

"I'm going to go find Silvarn," He called to them, straining to be heard over the raging storm. "He won't survive out there." Adrian had to admit he didn't know if Silvarn would survive. He'd displayed powerful magic before, and maybe it could help him. Either way, he'd go.
"Here, take this. You'll need it more than me." He pulled off his cloak and tossed it back to the two. "Don't freeze to death on me, I'll be right back! Stay here this time!" And with that, he had slipped out of the trees again. Silvarn had to have been close when the blizzard struck, he shouldn't be too hard to find. He hoped the two would listen-this blizzard was wicked. He'd no idea of their ability to survive the cold, but this was cold, even to him, which really said something.

He fought against the furious snow, leaning into the wind so low he nearly touched the snow. He now wished he'd never changed-snow was much easier to handle as a wolf. He'd deal with it, however. another change would surely kill him.
"Silvarn!" He yelled, but the word was torn from his mouth and carried off my the wind. He struggled down the path, snow stinging his eyes. His bare toes gripped the ground, but still he slipped frequently, forcing him to haul himself from the ever-deepening snowdrifts. He shouted again, getting the same results.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, he spied a dark figure huddled in a grove. It had to be him. But he was so far off! He shouted again, increasing his pace through the waist-high fluff, gaining every foot with a sense of victory until he was close enouh that the wind died down some and he fell forewards.
"Hey! Silvarn!" He shouted as loud as his voice would let him. Then he saw the block of ice encasing him. He missed a step, stumbling, before heaving forewards, focusing golden eyes only on the figure the short distance from him.

[iridescentdreamer]

"I never take orders well." came the simple reply, tightening the bandages. She didn't really spare the new comer a second glance, though it was obvious she had heard, one of her finely pointed ears crooked back suspiciously.

"...I'm already treated and recovering from treatments from earlier....we're just waiting for supplies from a companion, cursed one."

Her eyes flashed, as she finally glanced over her shoulder at him, an odd look on her face as her eyes traced the marble stone like texture of that blue hued skin. A color that rivaled her own hair.

"Funny. Never seen a Golem with a pure free will and quick mind before....."

Her words died, and she felt a surprisingly sharp jerk on her arm as the cold wind surged cruelly in a sudden blast.

It all felt oddly glorious to the ice faerie. and she felt energy return to her slowly but slowly, from the crackling magic.

After all. This was her element.

So when the wolf bid farewell and told her to stay put. Her jaw set, and she flung the coat at the new comer.

"...I need this even less than he does." She added with an oddly bland humor at her own lack of humanity in these temperatures. She could run bare naked in this if she wanted to, though...she wouldn't be able to help others thrive in it.

Cracking the joints of her bare feet, she gave an impish grin, retrieving her axe and setting it back on the strap on her back.

She then gave a hearted sigh. "After all. Wolfy is still hurting I bet, I'm still tired, and I don't doubt the crazy bat is freezing to death~"
The thingyy her seemed to be back full force, and she had no doubt that on any normal means. This would get people pissed off at her. However, she didn't quite care at the moment, and it WOULD be rude to leave this odd man by himself.

She didn't think twice before she took the man's large hand into her pale thin one, took off tugging him behind forcefully.

"You better keep up or I'm leaving you."

Light on her feet, She skirted after the path the wolf took through the heavy snow and wind. Visibility was horrible, white everywhere.

It was comforting to her. She could grasp most things in it, it was the reason her eyes had no determinable difference between the blues of her iris and pupil.

The only problem would be finding the other two in this mess.

"Argh...men." She sighed, gazing too and fro....before she saw it!

Her hand shot out, snatching for Adrian's hand before tugging him forward,

"No effin' way I'm sitting back like some helpless dame. You'd have to knock me out before I stay behind next time!" She shouted over the wind.


"Especially when it's like this! I don't know if you can even see through this or not, and you expect me to sit back and not worry about it!?" She continued, hissing a little.

Yes. She was stubborn, and never did as told. Probably was going to get herself killed one of these days.

[Talwyn]

He blinked when he was called a golem. Now that was a first. How she had seen his face from underneath the cowl he didn't know, but he pulled it backwards fully revealing his face. No sense in hiding it any longer anyway. "Golem? You think I am some sort of golem? Not sure if that is any better then being called a demon."

He didn't bother telling them just what he was though, this wasn't the time. Following them both back to the copse he dropped the firewood when they arrived. Before he even had the chance to call Adrian a fool for going back out there, the man had already left.

When Kai tossed the coat at him, he quickly put it on. He could handle cold better then normal humans, but still, this was REALLY cold. He wasn't sure who she meant with "wolfie" and "crazy bat" but he figured he'd find that out sooner or later.

When she grabbed his hand and started pulling him along he went willingly. After catching up to Adrian, he noticed a figure entombed in a icy cocoon. He walked over to it, while chanting a short incantation. After he finished, his right hand was engulfed in magical flames. He turned his head towards Adrian and Kai as he placed his hand on the cocoon, causing it to melt slowly. "Is this the friend you two were looking for?"

[Silvarn]

As the ice slowly melted and more of Silvarn was exposed, thick grey mists began to seep from the cracks in his icy prison. His hands and the crown of his head were revealed, and more was melting. As the ice retreated down to uncover his face, his eyes snapped into focus and the entire cocoon shook violently. With a feral roar, Silvarn shattered the icy tomb, scattering shards of blue all over the grove and his companions.

"Where is she?!" were the first words out of his mouth, his eyes livid.

"How can this be?" the ice-woman demanded, "They told me I would be able to kill you." she faded into view, hovering amongst the pine trees.

Silvarn only snarled and leapt up at her, driving his fist into her skull. She vanished in a swirl of frost at the last moment, reappearing at the opposite end of the grove.

"You deserve to die, Grey-Eyes! I will have my vengeance!" she screamed. She then sucked in a large breath, then shrieked an unearthly cry, sonic waves emanating from her mouth, along with shards of ice. Silvarn stood immovable, summoning an orb of Twilight to devour the ice shards. He then hurled it at the banshee, who dodged out of the way, causing a stately pine to evaporate into thick grey mists.

"I suppose speaking reason is out of the question?" Silvarn growled.

The banshee visibly trembled with indignation, then gasped in another large breath.

[WolfEnchantress]

Adrian jumped when Kai grabbed his arm, whirling on her with a growl before realising who it was. He listened to her scold him.
"No, I'm sorry. I shold have known you could be of help," He apologised. "But right now, we have to free..."
He cut himself off as whoever it was that had appeared earlier freed Silvarn. Fairly easily, in fact. Adrian nodded his thanks.

Immediately, silvarn demanded to know where 'she' was. He had no clue what he was talking about, and was going to ask, when the screaming woman appeared, who was obviously not human, and who he assumed had caused this whole mess.

"We have to help him!" Adrian called to the two who'd followed him, seeing her dodge all of his attacks. The only problem with that was he was human at present, and couldn't really do much. But, he was fast, and could possible provide a distraction for them so they could finish off the annoying apparition.

"Hey! Big mouth!" He shouted, hurling a large branch her way as he circled away from the three. His voice was no longer as pained sounding as it had been, and the exhaustion wasn't as bad. "Why don't you fight me instead?"
He continued to circle until he ws on the opposite side as the floating thing before crouching. "I'll bet you can't even catch me." He tensed, ready to spring away from a sudden rush and growled savagely, suonding as much like a feral animal as an actual feral animal. His golden eyes were lethal as he tried to lure her to him so the three who actually could fight could have a chance at her.

[iridescentdreamer]

She raised a brow, taking into account of the would be golem's skill, in which she confirmed...it might not have been what she had assumed. Magic practically reverberated through the heavily clothed stone skinned man. The only reason she had originally assumed what he was, was not because of the appearance, rather the warm earthy smell tingled with such an odd aura.

Curious. She would have to ask and apologize for the mistake later; she mused, before her attention was diverted with a hail of ice that had rained, narrowly missing her body.


Silvarn and the banshee had separated from their scuffle momentarily, and the 'wolf' skirted away, making Kai snort at him, mentally chastising him.

'You better stay alive, ya big lug.'

"Well...I guess asking you if you're alright would be redundant in this situation." She chirped, stepping up to Silvarn's side, when the other blue haired female inhaled a large breath, taking a moment to eye her.

One could say she and the woman shared qualities, share for a few obvious differences. Kai's own pale skin had more of a flush, her ears longer, and the other woman's eyes were cruel and unforgiving...dead looking in a sense.

"......poor wretch." Kai grunted, dropping immediately to her knees when a powerful gust of wind burst forth once again, warping trees, blowing snow and ice.

However, the ice faerie merely thrust up her hands, as if picking up something excruciatingly heavy.

....though it seemed to be so, even as she didn't touch it, a large amount of Snow up heaved and hardened into a faux shield, bursting into powdery crystal when coming into contact with the debris. It didn't halt nor destroy such sharp ice, but rather deflected it in all directions, one large chunk flying the offending Female's head and lodging itself in the large pine behind her.

"Full'o empty wind aren't cha?" Kai batted her eyelashes in an infuriatingly provoking manner, the snow receding back into the ground.

Though, Ice against Ice was sure to be a stalemate, she was sure she could at least provide cover, and wear the angry woman down in a sense.

She didn't think that the saying 'Revenge was best served cold' was supposed to be literal, but the other woman....was really challenging that when an infuriated screech sounded, causing the other girl to flatten her ears back with a cringe and a squeak. Too loud!

Acting on instinct in a rush to make it STOP, she thrust her palm out as to throw something.

Fallen ice that was used as projectiles earlier by the two females rose again, and darted to wards the phantom like enemy in response.

Ice and snow manipulation was a handy and effortless trick by Kai's own standards, being surrounded by it. As long as there weren't too many targets, of course.

[Talwyn]

"Why thank you... Oh no problem you're welcome" Tal muttered as in response to Silvarns question while rolling his eyes. "Where is..." Breaking off the question as he saw the banshee come into view he sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Nevermind."

When Silvarn used his magic, Tal made a mental note. This Silvarn person seemed like a powerful mage, so maybe he would know of a way to aid Talwyn. Watching Adrian run off to serve as a distraction Tal shook his head. Foolish. Brave maybe... but foolish Quickly taking cover behind the shield Kai created he started a chant while he placed his hands as if holding a bow. "Efreet, source of all fire, Give into my hands, a crimson arrow burning bright..."

As he finished that part of the chant fiery energy erupted in his left hand and took the shape of a bow. Moving his right hand as if nocking an arrow and drawing it back, the energy from the "bow" seemed to create a fiery arrow. Aiming it at the woman he finished his chant. "And let it incinerate those who stand in my way!" Having said that, he "released" the fiery arrow.

This magical arrow was much faster than a regular one, but having noticed the woman could seemingly teleport or something, he already prepared a second incantation. "Gnomus, custodian of earth. I beseech thee, let the earth below me skewer those who oppose me." He didn't release the spell yet, instead he watched the woman to see what she would do first.

[Silvarn]

The ice-banshee opened her mouth wide and literally swallowed the arrow of flame, belching forth a cloud of black smoke.

"Put away your gods," Silvarn ordered, his face hardened in ire, "they are the ones who have empowered her."

Despite the wolf's antics, the banshee had cold, icy eyes for Silvarn alone. She threw back her head and screeched an atrocious chord, a note that pulsed through the snow, sending waves of fluff at the group. And from the fluff, beasts of ice rose up -- bears, owls, stags, wolves. They all circled the group, threatening in their own native tongue.

"I have not the time for this." Silvarn snarled, calling a pool of Twilight to his feet. He summoned an orb from the pool, silver electricity connecting the two. As half of the frost-beasts converged on him, he focused more power into the orb. When the beasts finally struck at them, he shoved Kai out of the way and detonated the orb, disintegrating the pack.

Yet, the effort was more taxing than he had anticipated. His shoulders sagged and his breathing deepened. He felt suddenly very fatigued.

The gods must have given the cold she commands the power to sap your magical strength, as well as your physical strength. Scorcahr conjectured.

"Where is she drawing power from?"

The demon remained silent.

"Answer me!" Silvarn bellowed.

...the Shrine. Scorcahr answered.

Silvarn ignored the gravity in Scorcahr's mental voice, "Is there a way to cut her off from it?"

The gods hardened her heart into ice. The colder she is, the more powerful she becomes. Conversely --

He ignored the end of the demon's statement, instead raising a hand to the tumultuous skies. He focused his power, calling down a bolt of fiery silver at the banshee. She invariably dodged out of the way, and the bolt struck a pine tree, engulfing it into argent flames. The mage swept his hand mightily, and the electricity still within the tree arced to the tree adjacent to it, and the next, and the next, until the clearing was enclosed in a ring of silvery fire.

"I will give you this one chance to surrender." Silvarn scowled at the banshee, "Leave me be, and I will let you live."

The banshee's face went livid and she gulped in another breath to attack with. When she opened her mouth again, Silvarn remotely clamped it shut, his eyes burning with finality.

"Wrong answer."